First mid week Lent service.

In the First Commandment, God commands us to have no other gods.  In the Small Catechism, Martin Luther explains what it means to not have any other gods, when he writes "We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things."  Simply put, this means that our chief love is God, our security and value are found only in Him, and His commandments are more important to us than any earthly concerns.  If only that were true in our lives!  In the wilderness, Jesus doesn't simply model for us what it means to trust in God in the face of temptation - he accomplishes it on our behalf.

On February 14th each year, the Church remembers Valentine (a doctor and priest) who was executed under Emperor Claudius in 270 AD.  Tradition holds that he left behind a note of encouragement for the young daughter of one of his jailors and signed it "your Valentine."  For whatever reason, the card manufacturers tend to leave out the bit about him being beheaded for his Christian faith.  Regardless, the Church has much to say about true love and what it looks like.

Where weekly Online Prayer service.

There are a myriad of reasons for why people may feel distant or separated from God.  There are those who are angry with God, as well as those who feel let down by Him or by His Church.  There are others who say they believe in Him, but lack the interest to worship, pray, or read Scripture.  There are many more people who want to grow in their relationship with God but other things always seem to get in the way.  It is tempting to give such people a laundry-list of things to do that will change things, however, God's Word teaches us that only the Holy Spirit can do that.  And so the Church prays, "come, Holy Spirit illumine our hearts in a world of darkness."

What's the Kingdom of Heaven like?  A reality in which a loving God seeks to show us mercy and give to us His gifts.  It's a place where our status is not dependent upon our accomplishments but is defined by what Christ Jesus upon the Cross has accomplished for us - the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life with God.

Where weekly online Prayer service.

Writing to the churches years after Jesus' Transfiguration on the mountain, Peter encourages believers to trust in the promise of the Lord's glorious return.  For anyone who doubts its possibility, Peter describes with passion his own experience of seeing the Lord Jesus in the glory of his divine majesty in the Transfiguration.  In so doing, he reminds us that our faith is not built on myths and theories but upon eyewitness accounts and the testimony of God the Holy Spirit speaking to us through the living Word of God.

Our weekly online prayer service.