Bethlehem Lutheran ChurchRev. Matthew D. Priem による

Do you have a ‘friend’ who is blocked from your life because of the way they wronged you or a difference in opinion that you can’t overcome? On Social Media it is easy to mute, block, or ban these people in an instant; in real life we have also gotten good at avoiding the hard work and the time needed to restore broken relationships. Pastor Chad in…

Bethlehem Lutheran ChurchRev. David M. Reimnitz による

"That's Not Fair!" There's many times in life where we find ourselves uttering those words. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is an example of just how unfair life can be! The son who squandered his inheritance in far-off places gets a party while his brother who stayed home has been working hard for their father gets nothing! It's just not fair! Jes…

What’s most important in your life? Whatever is 'most important' would be the foundation for your life. It is the core, heart, basis, and center of who you are and what you do. Something of first importance has us coming back again and again because we can’t live without it. It gives us hope for the future. It provides a reason to live.…

Pastor Chad is marking his 43rd Easter Service. Hearing the same story over and over again you begin to get comfortable with it as it becomes familiar. Hearing the Easter Story 43 times it is in danger of becoming predictable, so routine it loses meaning. Pastor Chad challenges us to rePHRASE the Easter message and find its value in our life especi…

How do we find our place in the seemingly chaotic events surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion?Rev. Matthew D. Priem による

Jesus’ institution of the Lord’s Supper fulfills a massive tradition that’s more than just the PassoverRev. Matthew D. Priem による

Believers rejoice where only faith can see the glory of God: in Jesus' suffering and death.Rev. David M. Reimnitz による

Biblical love is giving to others as God has given to us, and desiring what God has promisedRev. Matthew D. Priem による

The promises of God are able and dependable. He fulfills every promise He has made. Jeremiah’s prophecies of the punishment and restoration of Israel are ultimately seen in the life on Christ on Good Friday and Easter.Rev. David M. Reimnitz による

Why does Luke include the dialogue between Jesus and the criminals in the account of the Crucifixion? Pastor Chad invites us to rePHRASE our understanding to see how Luke is emphasizing second chances. A justly condemned criminal is invited to join Jesus in Paradise. Jesus offers forgiveness to the people who were part of his execution while hangin…

Sin is disgusting, but it’s role in the Christian life is avoidance not shameRev. Matthew D. Priem による

Few lessons make God’s grace to an undeserving world more clear than our type/antitype Old Testament Reading and Gospel: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life." (John 3:14–15).Rev. David M. Reimnitz による

Americans love to read novels set in fantasy worlds. Pastor Stephanie invites us to consider what happens when real life blends into the fantastical and the world of faith? God warned King Nebuchadnezzar in a dream that his arrogance would be his downfall. Like many fables used to teach a moral lesson the story of King Nebuchadnezzar uses a fantast…

God gives us His joy in creation, salvation, and the churchRev. Matthew D. Priem による

Lent is a time of penitence, but a Lutheran observance of Lenten penitence does not mean merely shifting our self-absorption (which plagues us all year long!) from preoccupation with pleasure to preoccupation with our sins. Rather, we seek to shift our eyes from self altogether and instead behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world…

Humans like the illusion that they have everything figured out and under control. But times change and the things we thought we had figured out turn out to be completely wrong. The Snake Oil Remedies of the 19th Century where medical breakthroughs of the day. Looking back we know they were ineffective or worse dangerous but at the time we thought w…

The Scriptures continually warn us against holding onto anger, yet also describe the reality of God’s wrath against sin. God’s judgment can both guide us in showing mercy and guard us against anger driving us into sin.Rev. Matthew D. Priem による

Gensis 17 emphasizes God establishing His one-sided covenant with Abraham and Sarah. It is one-sided because God brings all of the blessings to the relationship., Like all people, Abraham and Sarah are simply on the receiving end of God’s bountiful blessings. These promises are ultimately fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Chri…

People are weird! Their actions are bizarre. Their behaviors are odd. How are we supposed to react when these peculiar people interact with us? In today’s focus text Jesus has an out of the ordinary encounter. Actions that the Pharisee views as bizarre, Jesus understands as love grounded in repentance & faith. From Jesus’ perspective it is the Phar…

Two clear messages come across in Scripture: Fear God and don’t be afraid of anything. How do those messages reinforce each other rather than contradict?Rev. Matthew D. Priem による

Do you ever find yourself wishing someone else would fail, just so you look better? Pastor Stephanie has spent the last two weeks in Norway, training with the MN National Guard. The Winter Survival Training included a number of challenging tasks that would have ended in failure if every member of the team didn't put in the effort to see the whole t…

Go to your happy place. It’s advice we sometimes hear when we get so tired we dread doing the simplest of things. In our focus text the weary disciples find their happy place on the mountain top with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Pastor Chad understands the rest that can be found in our happy places, but also knows, like the disciples, we can’t stay in…

The Lord’s empty tomb is divine consolation for sinners who know that death is real. We see the continuity between Jesus’ healing and preaching ministry and the ongoing ministry of the Lord Christ in the Divine Service—thus finding genuine consolation in His death and resurrection and true healing in the reception of His body and blood. Here we are…

Turning water into wine is just a magic trick, right? If ‘The Amazing Chad’ can do it, what is so miraculous about Jesus’ version? Pastor Chad invites us to rePHRASE this story in a way that is less about a miracle and more about being a sign pointing to God’s vision for our world. It is about finding God’s abundance among the scarcity of life. Whe…

Who’s right? Jesus is! Jesus is the ultimate authority, and He uses it to proclaim forgivenessRev. Matthew D. Priem による

We all have worries. But what happens when those worries become such a burden that we are paralyzed by fear? Our focus text has some words from Jesus addressing our worry. It is not simply have faith and your worries will be gone. Jesus recognizes that there are some worries that can be beneficial, those worries that spur us into action. But too of…

Paul doesn’t disparage marriage, he points out how serving God is most important and that we can do that in marriage and as singlesRev. Matthew D. Priem による

What is the story behind your name? Parents often are very deliberate in choosing a name, because names matter! That name is not the only one we are given. As we go through life we might acquire other names: sibling, spouse, or parent. Then there are names we are called. Too often these names are negative, especially those we call ourselves: fat, s…

Today’s texts provide a number of different themesRev. Matthew D. Priem による

We all want more peace in our lives. Unfortunately, too often we think we can find that peace in a quick fix: buying the latest trendy product that promises fulfillment, by tackling one more task that will finally let you relax, or turning to a chemical fix that numbs the mind & emotions. Today’s Focus Text offers a solution that brought true peace…

God chose to reveal the birth of his Son to Jews and Gentiles. God sent angels to announce Christ’s birth to shepherds (Jews) and He used a miraculous star to lead the Magi (Gentiles) to Christ. Both Jew and Gentile hearts were moved by their experience. According to the prophet Isaiah, the epiphany of our Lord continues yet today as God reveals Hi…

FAIR WARNING: Today’s focus text takes us into a dangerous place: the wilderness! Across cultures the wilderness is dangerous place because it is where we encounter “the other.” The story of the wise men visiting Jesus is a wilderness story. The wise men are travelling to an unknown land with foreign customs and culture, they are entering a wildern…

And at this joyous time as well as throughout the year, the chief sign we need is always right in front of us – Jesus is Immanuel…God with us. The problem is, by our own understanding, we can’t recognize what this sign means for us. What’s worse is when folks do see it, but don’t want to understand what it means. Being able to see what God’s doing …

The focus text for this week is one that we tend to ignore because it doesn't fit our idea of the Christmas season. We would much rather focus on the Hallmark-esque version filled with family, friends, joy, and peace than hear about how children were massacred by a tyrant in the name of power and control. Pastor Stephanie encourages us to recognize…

The 'sign' the shepherds found was a small bundle of humanity, wrapped in strips of cloth, stiff, unable to move. This is the 'sign' of everything you need – "good news of great joy that will be for all the people." This 'sign' pointed to "a Savior who was born to you." A Savior who has been raised for you! He is Christ, the Lord!…

People play all sorts of games trying to figure out what the future holds or what the universe is telling them. In the birth of Jesus, God gives us the greatest sign, the only one we really ever need, the sure and certain sign of His enduring love for us.Rev. Matthew D. Priem による

When the Magi arrived in Jerusalem looking for the birthplace of "the Onewho has been born king of the Jews," the scholars turned to Micah who prophesied that not only was Bethlehem the place where the Messiah was to be born but His arrival brought peace to His people.Rev. David M. Reimnitz による

Christmas celebrates the gift of God's love for all in Jesus Christ. The children (especially) receive Christmas presents because they are loved by people who know the love of God.Rev. David M. Reimnitz による

Luke introduces Jesus as a solid foundation for our hope and confidenceRev. Matthew D. Priem による

One of the ideas behind our theme of rePHRASE was how perspective changes the way we interpret a story. This week’s focus text is a good example of how a little different perspective can help us relate to a familiar story that we may find unapproachable with our past perspective. The Annunciation, when an angel visited Mary to tell her she would ca…

One of the functions of Advent is staying in "spiritual" shape. While faith is a gift of God through Jesus Christ, it takes some effort to keep that faith life vibrant and strong. It’s simply too tempting to become an observer, especially during Advent. Through Isaiah's amazing prophecy we review the Advent theme of waiting with joy.…

John introduces Jesus as the divine sacrifice who takes away our sin and restores us to fellowship with GodRev. Matthew D. Priem による

One of the ideas behind our theme of rePHRASE was how perspective changes the way we interpret a story. This week’s focus text is a good example of how a little different perspective can help us relate to a familiar story that we may find unapproachable with our past perspective. The Annunciation, when an angel visited Mary to tell her she would ca…

One of the functions of Advent is staying in "spiritual" shape. While faith is a gift of God through Jesus Christ, it takes some effort to keep that faith life vibrant and strong. It’s simply too tempting to become an observer, especially during Advent. With the help of Zechariah, we review the Advent theme of waiting in silence.…

Mark introduces Jesus as the powerful King, full of action and energy, whose coming calls us to repent of our sin and prepare to receive Him as Lord of our hearts and lives.Rev. Matthew D. Priem による

A diamond ring begins as some ordinary looking rocks. It takes time and energy to bring out the beauty within those raw materials. This week’s focus text reminds us that we too benefit from time and energy to bring out the true beauty that reflects the light of God! Advent is a season of waiting, a time to slow down and prepare for the birth of the…

One of the functions of Advent is staying in "spiritual" shape. While faith is a gift of God through Jesus Christ, it takes some effort to keep that faith life vibrant and strong. It’s simply too tempting to become an observer, especially during Advent. With the help of Abraham and Sarah, we review the Advent theme of waiting in anticipation.…

Matthew introduces Jesus as the promised Son of David, the Offspring of Abraham, the fulfiller of all God’s plans and promises of salvation for His peopleRev. Matthew D. Priem による