The world is often a troubling place, but it isn’t our objective to look down on those caught in sin. We know the weight of it, the compassion that Jesus has for us, and the peace he has won for every person. Pr. Tom Bauer has this week's message.

Jesus has won your freedom from sin. Unbound from the old ways, you are now empowered to serve your Lord and your neighbors.

Jesus bled and died so that we can live for him and with him. In his loss, we lose all that destroys our own lives and we gain a new life with him.

The faith that saves you is not your deep, personal feelings. It is not your individual interpretation of the Bible. The faith that saves you is the truth, and it is first and foremost the truth of the Bible. And to guard you against your own a distorted interpretation of the Bible, you are blessed to have the Augsburg Confession.

Faith rejoices to do all sorts of good things. But those good things only happen because God is working in and through his people to do them. In short, faith favors mercy over merit.

Be at peace with how God is so far above you that you will never grasp the mystery of his Being.  Be at peace with this mystery - because only this God is capable of giving you the tranquility of eternal peace and security.

Before you do the Holy Spirit’s business of praising Jesus, let the Holy Spirit do the business of filling you with God’s grace, forgiveness, and peace.

Jesus' ascension can leave us with mixed emotions. But his departure isn't permanent, and there is work to be done before he returns.

When people love each other, it shows. But God’s love for people is unmatched. It shows at the cross and among those who follow it.

It might sound odd that Jesus is depicted as both a shepherd and a lamb in the Bible. Then again, what he's done for us is anything but ordinary. This week, on Good Shepherd Sunday, the book of Revelation shows us how.