Our Father Lutheran Church

What looks like disaster in Acts 8 becomes the means by which Jesus carries His Gospel into Samaria. Ordinary Christians—scattered by persecution—bring Christ to their neighbors in word and deed, and joy spreads throughout the city. The same risen Jesus goes ahead of His Church today, calling us to pray, serve, speak, and trust Him with the results.

Who has God placed in your life that you would love to see come to know the hope of Jesus? The Gospel doesn’t call us to sit on the sidelines. It sends ordinary people like us to boldly share Jesus in both word and deed. God used ordinary fishermen like Peter and John to change lives, and He still works through ordinary people today—people willing to love their neighbors, share their faith, and point others to the forgiveness, hope, purpose, belonging, and new life found in Jesus.

Everything in this world eventually wears out—but decay, disease, and death will not have the final word. Through the healing of a man who had never walked, Jesus gives us a glimpse of the restoration he has begun and will complete when he returns. The Gospel makes all things new—for a lame man, for us, and one day for all creation.

What if the Gospel doesn’t just change individuals—but actually has the power to overcome the divisions that separate us? At Pentecost, God shows us what a new humanity looks like: different people, cultures, and languages brought together as one in Christ.

What if the things you think give you freedom are actually making you a slave? In Galatians 5, Paul reveals that true self-control isn't something we manufacture through willpower but a gift of the Holy Spirit, who sets us free from the masters that seek to rule our lives. Jesus didn't come to give us permission to do whatever we want; He came to free us from whatever owns us. Being tripped up by sin is different than walking with it—Christ calls us to repentance, forgiveness, and a life lived in step with the Spirit.

Gentleness is not weakness—it is the strength to hold truth and love together. In the account of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus kneels beside a sinner, stands between her and condemnation, and ultimately bears her judgment at the cross. Discover how the grace of Jesus frees us to speak truth without pride, forgive without excusing sin, and stand firm without standing over others.

Do you believe God? Not simply, do you believe that God exists? But do you believe Him? Do you trust His word, His promises, and His love? Every one of us struggles to trust God. We wonder whether His ways really lead to joy. We wrestle with His Word when it confronts our deepest desires and feelings. We question whether grace really is enough for our salvation. And when suffering or disappointment comes, we wonder whether God truly loves us. In Matthew 4, Jesus faces Satan's temptation in the wilderness. Beneath every temptation lies the same accusation against God: Can you really trust Him?

In this message, Pastor Scott Abel explores what biblical faithfulness really means, why trusting God is one of the greatest struggles of the Christian life, and how the cross of Jesus Christ gives us the confidence to believe God's love even when our feelings, our circumstances, or the world around us tell a different story.

What does it really mean to be a good person? We all recognize the brokenness in our world—and if we're honest, we see it in ourselves too. This message explores why goodness can't be achieved through trying harder, but must be received as a gift from God. Discover how Christ's goodness frees us from constantly trying to prove ourselves and empowers us, through the Holy Spirit, to reflect God's goodness in our everyday lives.

Biblical kindness is more than niceness or politeness. It is active grace and compassionate movement toward another person for their good. As we receive the kindness of Christ, the Holy Spirit slowly forms that same outward-facing mercy within us.