What would you say has been a crucial time in your life? Was it a time when you made a decision about a career, a move, or marriage? Was it a time when someone else made a decision to reduce staff, offer you a job, or cause an accident? Those were crucial times.
But think bigger. What would you say has been the most crucial hour in the history of the world? That distinction belongs to what took place 2,000 years ago. Jesus of Nazareth paid his last visit to Jerusalem and there determined the destiny of mankind. Never in all of history were the stakes so high or the results so far-reaching. This Holy Week, we’ll examine the biblical record of Jesus in his most crucial hours. May the Holy Spirit bless you with a greater understanding and a deeper appreciation of who you are and what you have because of Jesus’ crucial hours.
A Maundy Thursday devotion by Pastor Randy Hunter
We will be suspending our Matthew series until the end of May to accommodate Holy Week and our A Place of Peace series. So, this weekend it’s . . . Matthew. Ha, but not where we were; we will skip ahead to chapter 21 where shouts of “save us now!” were heard on Palm Sunday. The question we need to ask is this: from what are we asking for salvation?
Turn the other cheek--that's probably one of Jesus' most famous statements. No one criticizes Jesus' command to "turn the other cheek" or to "love your enemy" because to do so would be vile or disgusting. Everyone agrees such actions would be lofty and admirable; but to do it is just impossible. Who can do that? Who wants to do that? Only those radically changed by the love of God in Christ can begin to see how it's possible. What would it look like in your life to "turn the other cheek" or to "love your enemy”? Gather with other radically altered brothers and sisters and seek God's answer in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:38-48.
A Lenten devotion by Minister for Nurture Mark Kjenstad
Have you ever been called a prude for the way you think about sex and marriage? Or maybe for not going along with the messages many movies and much music send about sex and marriage? The living Jesus has something to say to us about that. In the sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) Jesus offers us the most relevant, free, and attractive way to think about everything in life.
Everyone has standards. Some have double standards. Read Jesus' words in Matthew 5:17-26, and you'll know that the Son of God upholds standards and the penalties for not living up to them. He says something alarming in verse 20, but he also gives us a solution. Hint: it’s not getting rid of all our standards.
A Lenten devotion by Pastor Clinton Kreuziger.
Everybody knows about salt and light, so they should make for easy spiritual comparisons, right? But when Jesus calls you the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16), the difficulty does not lie in understanding, but in embracing and responding. May our Lord and Savior enable and empower us to make everything salty and bright.
A Lenten devotion by Pastor Jon Bilitz from Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel.
This week we come to Matthew 5:1-12, one of the most famous sections of the Bible, the Beatitudes. They sound so appropriate and so honorable. And they are. But when you read them, you must also be horribly unsettled. What do we do when we haven't lived them out? Find an answer in this the first and longest of Jesus' sermons we have on record. Read Jesus' introduction to his sermon on the mount, then gather with others seeking to live out the Beatitudes and find an answer to what to do when we don't.
A Lenten devotion by Pastor Randy Hunter.
What happens when you come alongside the hurting? You are, in Paul's words, "participating in Christ's sufferings." Oh, you're not suffering as the substitute for sinners. You're doing it to show the love of Christ, our substitute, to the person who is hurting. That's better than any physical healing. All of Jesus' miracles teach us something about Jesus, but his healing miracles prove who he is, point to where he will take us, and give us a pattern of how he has saved us. May Jesus’ healing for you, for others, or for people who walked the earth with him give you evidence that strengthens your trust in his promises.
If you like what you see in some social media apps, you're invited to "click, like, and subscribe." Other apps are more direct and simply say, "If you like what you see, follow me." They stole that from Jesus! Early in his ministry, Jesus invited four people to "follow me." They did, but why? What did they see in Jesus that made them "click, like, and subscribe"? What do you see in him that makes you do the same, and what does it look like? May God use his Word to help you find those answers today.
What comes as second nature to you now, was once a beginning. That goes for everything from walking to driving a car to writing a computer program. After about 30 years of living a "normal" life, Jesus began his public ministry. Matthew records this beginning with some unique details. What he began then, continues now. By his Word, Jesus continues to live among us and teach us. We’re thrilled that you’re here to receive gifts only he can give.
Imagine that you lived 2,000 years ago and Jesus invited you to follow him. Your first question might be, "Who are you?" Matthew's first record of Jesus' "active ministry," after his baptism, would have given you the answer. He's the one who's not tricked by Satan. He's the one who puts the will of God first. He's the one who won't let his feelings dictate his actions. He's the one who perfectly obeys the Father. He's still that one. He invites you to follow him. May your time with him, his Word and his people today help you do that.
With what or whom are you well pleased? Was it the same a decade ago? Will it be the same in a decade? In Matthew 3, God the Father said he was well pleased with Jesus, and he never withdrew that status. Can God say the same about you? Why or why not?
Of all the good things you can do, and you can do plenty, what could be better than pointing someone to Jesus? That good thing could have eternal results. That good thing was also the special role God gave to John the Baptist and the special role God gives to us, too. Today, the Spirit will not only teach us about John the Baptist, but he will encourage us and give us wisdom for pointing others to Jesus.
Are you impressed by people born in impressive places? A small restaurant chain in the south is named for a man born while his parents were climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, inspiring his parents to carry him to the top. Or was it all a marketing gimmick? Still, no one would name a restaurant after someone born in Possum Grape, Arkansas or Burnt Corn, Alabama. You might not expect much from towns like those. That's the way people felt about Jesus' childhood home of Nazareth. But Jesus turned the world upside down. Smart sophisticated people (like you) don't have a lock on the truth; Jesus does. He unlocks it for all; but maybe not the way you expect. Welcome to a time to marvel at who Jesus is, what he came to do, and his message and ministry.
No one likes a detour. It always means a longer drive in a direction you didn't want to go. It's one thing to encounter a detour on a trip, it's quite another to encounter a detour in your life, a change of plans you can't avoid and don't like. On that kind of detour, when your life takes a turn for the worse, it's tempting to hear Satan's muttering that God has left you. But a detour doesn't mean you won't arrive at your destination; only that you won't arrive as you planned. After Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, the Lord led Mary, Joseph, and Jesus home via quite a detour. That was his plan to protect, help, and save them. He's leading you home, too, even if it's not the way you planned. He's leading you home by another way. May the Spirit encourage you by the Lord's plan for his Son, for the people around his Son, and for you, too.
Come far to follow him. That’s what the wise men, or magi, did. Join us to celebrate the Epiphany of our Lord, which means Jesus was revealed not only to one people, but to all nations. May our response to Jesus’ presence be like that of the wise men. We’re glad you’re here to worship the Savior of the nations with us.
Right on the heels of the joy of Christmas comes the reality of another year. Undoubtedly some of it will be easy to take; some of it will be hard to take. We all pray for more of the former and less of the latter. But we don’t know, do we? How do you plan to face the unknown or even the unpleasant of 2025? God’s children can do so much better than whistle in the dark, think positive thoughts, or hope for the best. Let the inspired author of Psalm 27 fill you with the One Thing you need for the new year, and every year.