Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen ( Heb 11:1 ). Faith is the opposite of the old saying, “I’ll believe it when I see it,” for faith does not believe what it sees; faith believes what it hears. St. Paul writes in Hebrews, Chapter 11, “By faith we understand that…

From beginning to end, the kingdom of heaven is about the invitation to the wedding banquet. You have all been invited to a banquet before, so you have some idea of what’s it’s like to get an invitation. This banquet is the wedding feast of the Lamb that has no end, and God the Father has been inviting…

When a loved one dies, people often comfort themselves with thoughts, such as, “God needed another angel,” or, “She’s in heaven looking down on us now.” People mean well by these sayings, but it doesn’t make them true. No, according to Scripture, we do not become angels when we die, nor do we watch over…

Today we’re going to talk about one of the most politically incorrect topics in existence: slavery. Our sinful world considers slavery to be the ultimate evil. God considers it to be the chief good. It is, after all, the reason that Jesus suffered, died, and was buried. As we confess in the Small Catechism:…

The Gospel text this morning has been associated with the baptismal liturgy of the church from ancient times. “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” Immediately his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly ( Mk 7:34–35 ). Although the word “baptism” is not mentioned in…

The Feeding of the Four Thousand is completely at odds with the prosperity gospel which has infected so much of American Christianity. Countless faith teachers and faith healers promise that if you follow Jesus, every need in your life will be met immediately. After all, God exists for no other purpose…

Jesus says, “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” ( Mt 5:23 ). Think of how much trouble in this congregation…

“Judge not!” This is the favorite Bible passage of unrepentant sinners. It’s used by Christians and unbelievers alike as a trump card to excuse all manner of sin. “Jesus said, ‘Judge not!’ That means that I can do whatever I want!” But Jesus also says, in John 7:24 , “Judge with righteous judgment.”…

Repentance is required for salvation. Unless a man turns from his sin, he cannot be saved. It is not possible to enter heaven while holding on even to the smallest and seemingly most harmless sin. As Jesus tells us, the way of salvation is narrow, and few are those that find it. Yes, repentance is necessary…

When Jesus tells you, “Ask, and you will receive” this is nothing other than an admonition to pray. God wants you to pray. He commands that you pray. And He promises to hear and answer your prayers. But many Christians are confused by prayer. How does it work? How do we do it? What should we pray for?…