Christianity is a religion of forgiveness. This is the center around which everything revolves. While in every other religion the main point consists in giving directions for a pious and virtuous life, in the kingdom instituted by Christ the main point is the forgiveness of sins. This is the reason that…

The fulfillment of God’s law is love—love for God and love for your neighbor. Love is the perfect summary of the Ten Commandments. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, the Pharisees had a reputation for being the experts on God’s Law. Nobody was better at keeping the Ten Commandments, or so the Pharisees…

It is likely that among other things, 2020 will be remembered as the year of unprecedented fear. Terror has gripped our nation in a way unlike anything that has come before. Nineteen years ago we experienced fear when terrorists hijacked four airliners, flying two of them into the world trade center…

I have a friend who grew up in the Baptist church. When he was old enough, he made the decision to be baptized. He was so excited to wash all his sins away and be born again of water and the Spirit. But he was utterly disappointed the next morning to find that there were still sinful desires lurking…

Both the Old Testament and the Gospel text this morning are specifically written to pastors. Each of these passages contains a warning. In fact, the greatest warnings in Scripture are addressed to pastors. Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believes in me to sin,…

There are two ways to get into heaven: by your own effort and work, or by faith in the work of Jesus. I’ve only ever met one person who flat-out admitted: “I’m trusting in what I’ve done to get me into heaven.” But that doesn’t mean that this way of thinking is rare. It’s not. From the time of the first…

When I teach the faith to adult converts, we always spend some time talking about the fear of God. For many of us this is a foreign concept. Why should we fear God when we know that he is a God of love? I invite you to look at the picture on the front cover of your bulletin, where Jesus is depicted driving…

Among my colleagues in the ministry, there is a running joke that resurfaces every year leading up to the Ninth Sunday after Trinity. “I should have remembered to go on vacation this week.” Why? Because many pastors find it difficult to preach on the Parable of the Dishonest Manager. Some have even called…

This Eighth Sunday after Trinity marks the beginning of the third year since God placed me here to be your pastor. It is fitting that the text for this occasion should begin with Jesus’ warning: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will…

If you were put in charge of running the universe for a week, imagine the important concerns that would occupy your mind: Making sure that the heavenly bodies remained in their orbits, causing the water cycle to nurture the earth, painting an sunset that ran from the north pole to the south and traveled…