Holy Words From Holy Cross

Just like our cell phones, our batteries get run down. A time of retreat with the Lord may refresh us and fill us full. How do you find that refreshment and time to recharge?

Many people know a lot of Bible, but their behavior seems to indicate very little transformation by the love of God. "I might believe in the Redeemer if His followers looked more redeemed," quipped the great atheist (and son of a Lutheran pastor) Frederick Nietzsche. Churches are often places where people "put on a good face" rather than can be honest enough to share--and let the Holy Spirit work on--those aspects of the faith personally challenge them. How can this be different?

People get really hyped up for sporting events... why don't we get as excited for Jesus? What would it look like if it did?

Most of the time, most people believe in God. Some of the time, some of the people believe in Jesus. All of the time, all of the people have a tendency to NOT believe the One in whom they say they believe. What is the answer to our conundrum?

Walking is a metaphor used almost universally to connote the style or manner of one's life. Do most human lives truly reflect people's the deepest values, or do we live at variance with them? Could most people guess our convictions, not by reading our bumper stickers or checking our Face Book pages, but by observing our day to day habits? How does God help us live our convictions?

Decades after the Rolling Stones recorded the song, many are still complaining that they "can't get no satisfaction." Others know THEORETICALLY that ultimate satisfaction is to be only in God, but they don't know how to experience God in that way. How do we find spiritual satisfaction? Intern Byron Burger charts the way for us.

We all know that we get off track sometimes, but how does God point us in the right direction? How does He restore us so that we are not hopeless and discouraged when we do get off-base? Listen and find out!

When we look for evidence of God's Spirit, we usually look for the extraordinary... but overlook the work that can only be of His authoring under our very noses. What is the evidence of the Spirit's work that we can so plainly see?

What do you do when you have stolen a blessing? You have the advantage of something good, but you got it under evil pretenses. See what Jesus does when someone steals a blessing from Him.

When tragedy strikes, even unbelievers sometimes find themselves shaking their fist at heaven saying, "Where were you, God?!" In today's reading, God turns the tables on us and asks us the same question. How should we respond? ...and where is the comfort in God's Word for us?

We are a people on the move... and we are used to getting things right away. Instantaneous gratification is part of our way of life, and we rarely question whether faster is better. God takes a different approach in our lives. When Jesus was asked about the kingdom of heaven, He spoke in terms that any farmer would recognize; slow growth is strong growth.

Do you find it hard to make sense of the whole Bible? The Church year helps us get a handle on who Jesus is and what He taught.

There are two things we do with everyone we truly love; we think about them and spend time with them. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity teaches us not only who God is, but how we were made to be with Him.

Lutherans believe the Bible clearly does NOT teach "perseverance of the saints"--that we cannot lose our salvation by deliberately rejecting God. So where do Lutheran Christians find their sense of security, their sense that they are "safe and secure from all alarms" in the everlasting arms of Jesus? Listen and find out!

To win a war, you not only need the best people, you need them in the right place at the right time. The Ascension of Jesus is about God putting Jesus right where we need Him.

Our Bible study continues.

The Bible study on Revelation continues.

What is the most transformative relationship in a person's life? Thinkers from the Christian tradition have universally acknowledged spiritual friendship in this way.

How has the Lord worked in your life? Even those with no Biblical knowledge are competent to share how Jesus has had an impact on themselves. In today's sermon, Deacon Michael shares how God brought him to the place he now is.

Thomas will be forever known as "Doubting Thomas," but Thomas actually came to the most profound faith when He met Jesus... in exactly the way Jesus determined he should. That is exactly how Jesus meets each of us--as He determines our need--not as we determine it. This can be hard, but knowing we are cared for by the wisest of physicians should comfort us, even when we don't like the prescription.