May each quote pique your interest and help you to draw near to God. The Bible, James 4:8, tells us if we do so God will draw near to us.

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Sunday, November 4, 2018 ​

“The entire Gospel-message may be summed up in the divine attribute of goodness, for what it proclaims is nothing else than the manifestation of divine grace, love, mercy, long-suffering, friendliness, etc., in Christ Jesus, our Lord, 1 John 4:9. The revelation of all other divine attributes would be dreadful indeed were it not for God’s goodness in Christ. But as God is good, so those who through faith in Christ have become His dear children should likewise be good, gracious, merciful, Luke 6:36; Matt. 5:44, 45; Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:12.”
 
(Mueller, 175)     
Read 1 John 4:9              Read Luke 6:36          Read Matthew 5:44-45
Read Ephesians 4:32       Read Colossians 3:12
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Sunday, October 28, 2018 ​

“Unless I am convinced by the teachings of Holy of Scripture or by sound reasoning—for I do not believe either the pope or councils alone, since they have often made mistakes and have even said the exact opposite about the same point—I am tied by the Scriptures I have quoted and by my conscience. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither safe nor right. Here I stand. God help me! Amen.”
 
(Nohl, 107)
Note: Martin Luther speaking before Charles V., Holy Roman Emperor, at the Diet of Worms April 18, 1521
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Sunday, October 21, 2018 ​

“Every Lord’s Day is a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, of ‘the Dawn from on high’ (Luke 1:78, author’s translation), the real presence of Christ. That presence was in His ministry of healing on the Sabbath and is now in His ministry of healing on the eight day in His ministry of Word and Meal. There is a great deal of biblical precedent for understanding Sunday as the day of worship and as the eight day in which God is continuing to make all things new.”
 
(Just, 119)
Read Luke 1:78
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Sunday, October 14, 2018 ​

“[W]hen the Law has accomplished its purpose and the contrite sinner cries out in fear: "What must I do to be saved?" Acts 16, 30, then the proclamation of the Law must cease and that of the Gospel must set in Acts 16,31; for, while it is the function of the Law to terrify the secure sinner, it is the function of the Gospel to comfort the contrite sinner with the grace of God in Christ Jesus, John 3, 16; Rom. 10, 4. This sharp distinction between the two spheres of the Law and the Gospel is always observed in Scripture, 2 Sam. 12, 13; Acts 2, 37-39; 1 Cor. 5, 1-5; 2 Cor. 2, 6-8.”

(Mueller, John, 475)
Read Acts 16:30-31
Read John 3:16 and Romans 10:4
Read 2 Samuel 12:13; Acts 2:37-39; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 and 2 Corinthians 2:6-8

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Sunday, October 7, 2018 ​

“As long as we are in this life, we fight the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh. Sometimes we fall. We also know that our status as Christians isn’t determined by our behavior—good or bad—but by God’s behavior on our behalf through Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, as we have come to trust Jesus by Holy Spirit-given faith.”
 
(Burkart et al. 62)
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Sunday, September 30, 2018 ​

“Prayer is one of the richest forms of worship. This royal privilege of approaching our just and holy God is ours because Jesus opened the way by reconciling us to God when we were yet sinners. Jesus gave us His blessed prayer. How rich and blessed the Lord’s Prayer will make us if we truly pray it and not merely say it.”
 
(Kinnaman, 294)
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Sunday, September 23, 2018 ​

“A hardened heart does not function as it should and can be fatal, A spiritually hardened heart does not listen to what God says; it does not receive His Word with gladness; it does not believe. ... The consequence of [Israel’s] unbelief was that none of them entered the Promised Land except Joshua and Caleb."
 
(Mueller, Steven, 51)
Mueller is commenting on Hebrews 3:8
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Sunday, September 16, 2018 ​

“Luther wrote The Freedom of the Christian Man to go with a letter to Pope Leo. … The booklet itself described the freedom a Christian receives through faith. Because of his faith in Christ, the believer is 'a free lord, subject to no one.’ The Christian who is loved by God wants to return that love, so he willingly becomes ‘the most dutiful servant of all and subject to everyone'."
 
(Nohl, 83)
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Sunday, September 9, 2018 ​

​A prayer based on Psalm 119:

“Lord, our God, who has commanded us to pray, grant us that Spirit of prayer, who alone can teach us how to bring our petitions before You in acceptable manner. Cause Your Spirit to guide us, that we seek not self-chosen works after our own thoughts, but continue in Your Word that we may be found Your children indeed. Amen."
 
(Luther, Reading, 229)
Luther offers this prayer after Psalm 119:153-160
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Sunday, September 2, 2018 ​

“Since Christian prayer is the fruit of the believers faith in the gracious forgiveness of his sins for Christ's sake, it is continuous, 1 Thess, 5,17, because the regenerated heart, led and moved by the Holy Spirit, is habitually turned to God and therefore also in ceaseless communion with Him, Rom. 8, 14. 15.”

(Mueller, John, 429)
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Read Romans 8:14-15
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Sunday, August 26, 2018 ​

"The word steward clearly expresses the place God has assigned to us in our relationship to Him. A steward is one to whom something has been entrusted for care and use. He does not own what has been entrusted to him. He is working altogether in his master’s interest. A steward is a responsible partner of the master in the carrying out of the master’s purpose. God wants us to administer our whole life in accordance with His will and in harmony with the spirit and ideals of Christ. … Stewardship is the investment of our whole lives for God. We are not our own. We belong to God."
 
(Koehler, Alfred, 134)
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Sunday, August 19, 2018 ​

“Whatever man knows of God he knows through God’s own revelation of Himself either in the realm of nature or in the realm of grace, that is to say, either through God’s work of creation and providence through His Holy Book, the Bible. Hence we rightly speak of a natural knowledge of God and of a supernatural or reaveled (Christian) knowledge of God. Had God not revealed Himself, man never would have known Him, since God is the absolute, perfect  Personality, who dwells in the light which no man can approach unto 1 Tim. 6, 16."
 
(Mueller, 148)
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Sunday, August 12, 2018 ​

“How does Abraham keep close to God? He talks to Him like a partner or friend. Why does God at times seem distant to us? It is strange that it should be that way. We have the assurance of God's close involvement in our lives more clearly than Abraham did. We have seen God take on our very own flesh and then die our death and promise us life. And yet when we speak to Him, we are sometimes tentative and unsure. If only we could trust like Abraham."
 
(Rosin, 33)
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Sunday, August 5, 2018 ​

“[W]e should rightly understand the article of forgiveness of sins. For it is not a certain ‘quality' that is infused once and for all, either in Baptism or when we are converted from mortal sin. But just as we always carry about the body of sin in this life, just so the remissions of sin is ours (with us), because the Son of God daily lets his shadow cover the flesh of his members, in which no good thing dwells, in order that sin should not be imputed.”
 
(Chemnitz, 194)
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Sunday, July 29, 2018 ​

“Preaching the Law to someone who is anguished over sin kicks that person when he’s down. And preaching the Gospel to someone who’s unrepentant empowers a sinner to live licentiously. But when communicated properly, the Law kills the sinner so that he might be raised to life by the power of the Gospel. The Law diagnoses the sinner so that he might receive the remedy in the death and resurrection of Jesus. the Law exposes the sinner so that the Gospel might expose the Savior.”

(Grunewald, 43)
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Sunday, July 22, 2018 ​

Psalm 119 repeatedly portrays God giving life, education, enlightenment, growth, and salvation through His Word. Like in the Lord’s Prayer, each petition or request in Psalm 119 serves also as a confession of our need and an acknowledgement that only the Lord through His Word can meet our need. This brings us back to the importance of listening as the Lord speaks to us through His Word.
 
(Love, 17)
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Sunday, July 15, 2018 ​

“Martin Luther offers a morning prayer routine in the Small Catechism. When we rise, he suggests we make the sign of the cross over ourselves while saying the triune name of God in order to remind ourselves that we are baptized (no matter what may come that day!). This is followed by repeating the Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Prayer. Of course, more prayers may be added, including Luther's Morning Prayer. I might also suggest reading a psalm or one of the texts from Sunday’s worship service in order to give context to the prayers."

(Hiller, 30)
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Sunday, July 8, 2018 ​

"If we’re not careful, we can easily become ruled by our need for validation. James calls this mindset and behavior 'earthly,' 'unspiritual,' and even 'demonic' (Jas 3:15). When we are guided by it, chaos reigns: 'For where there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice' (Jas 3:16)."

(Barry and Van Noord)
Read James 3:15-16 in context (James 3:13-18)
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Sunday, July 1, 2018 ​

“The Hebrew word 'mabbul,' translated ‘flood,' is only used for the waters of Noah; and it is used only here and in Ps. 29:10. Noah was to build him an ark, or a vessel, to escape the Flood. The word 'ark' seams to be derived form the Egyptian language and signifies 'chest' or something to float. The word occurs only twice in the Bible, here for the ark of Noah and again in Ex. 2:3-5 for the ark of bulrushes in which the infant Moses was saved from the cruel decree of Pharaoh."

(Rehwinkel, 58)
Note: by "here" Rehwinkel is indicating Genesis chapters 6-9, which gives the Biblical account of the Flood.
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Sunday, June 24, 2018 ​

​“As the beating Gospel heart of Christ’s mission, it [the Augsburg Confession] states: 'People cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works. People are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake. By His death, Christ made satisfaction for our sins. God counts this faith for righteousness in his sight’ (Article IV)."​

(Portals of Prayer, June 25, No. 439)
Read Psalm 40:1-8     
​Read Romans 3:21-25     
Read Ephesians 2:8
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Sunday, June 17, 2018 ​

“Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind (12:2). In this way the Apostle describes (Christian) progress; for he addresses those who already are Christians. The Christian life does not mean to stand still, but to move from that which is good to that which is better. … No one is so good that he could not become better; no one is so evil, as that he could not become worse."​

(Luther, Commentary, 167-68)
Read Romans 12:2     ​
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Sunday, June 10, 2018 ​

“Seal the Word that I have heard in my heart. Grant that I may diligently ponder it, let it govern my heart, and that I may walk accordingly. As I have now grown to be a week older, grant that I may increase in Your knowledge, in love and piety, and that I may grow in the inward self. I pray for the gift of Your Holy Spirit. May He put me in mind of Your Word during this week and throughout my life. May He guide, govern, and lead me. Bless my labor and employment, and grant me to continue to live in Your grace for the rest of my days and years, until at last I reach heaven, where I may, with thanksgiving, keep the eternal Sabbath.”

(Starck, 7)
Note: The above is one paragraph of a four paragraph prayer under the label “BELIEVING CHRISTIANS GLADLY HEAR AND LEARN GOD’S WORD ON SUNDAYS."

Read Psalm 84:1-2     ​
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Sunday, June 3, 2018 ​

“People often think worship in the Church Service is about what we do for or toward God. The reality is quite different. In the Divine Service, God provides His service for us. God comes to us in the reading, preaching, and proclamation of His Word and in His Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. In worship, God gives His grace, and we respond with thanks and praise.”
 
(A Simple Explanation, 2)
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Sunday, May 27, 2018 ​

“Here the prophet himself explains what kind of pasture and water he has been discussing, namely, that kind by which the soul is strengthened and restored. That, however, can be nothing else than God’s Word. But because our Lord God has a twofold Word, the Law and the Gospel, the prophet makes it sufficiently clear that he is speaking here not of Law but of the Gospel when he says, ‘He restores my soul.’ The Law cannot restore the soul, for it is a Word that makes demands on us and commands us that we shall love God with all our hearts, etc., and our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:37, 39).”
 
(Luther, Works 12, 164)
Note: In this paragraph Luther is discussing Psalm 23:2 and 3. By "prophet," Luther is speaking of David, who often spoke prophetically in the psalms.

Read Psalm 23     
Read Matthew 22:34-40     ​
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Sunday, May 20, 2018 ​

“On Pentecost the Lord poured out His Spirit upon the Church. The gift of God, once limited to a chosen few, was given to all. The intimacy of the Father and the Son is ours. Bound together in Christ, we are received into most intimate fellowship with the Father. By the Spirit’s testimony through us, the world can be called to repentance.”
 
(Engelbrecht, The Lord, 249)   
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Sunday, May 13, 2018 ​

“The author of Revelation is conscience of his role of prophet, for he calls his work a ‘prophecy’ (1:3; 22:7, 10, 18, 19). He does so because he views his work, and his role in his work, in the OT prophetic tradition (22:6, 18-19). His purpose is not primarily to reveal secrets to God’s people, but rather to call them to repentance and faith, and to worship—to the blessedness of faithful service in the confidence of God’s love and care.”
 
(Brighton, 3)   
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Sunday, May 6, 2018 ​

“God made man a social creature. We are important to one another. Our interdependence carries with it great responsibilities. God recognizes this responsibility and therefore gave us this commandment: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ (Mark 12:31). To each one of us God has assigned a definite place and sphere of influence. The Second Table of the Law tells us in detail how our love to our neighbor should be expressed.”
 
(Koehler, Alfred, 134-5)
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Sunday, April 29, 2018 ​

“Had the Law not been written on the human heart, no one would listen to the preaching of the Law. Rather, everyone would turn away and say, ‘That is too cruel; nobody is able to keep Commandments such as these.’ But, my friends, do not hesitate to preach the Law! People may despise it, yet they do so only with their mouths, because the things you say when preaching the Law are the same things that their own conscience preaches to them every day. Nor could we convert anyone one by preaching the Gospel to them, unless we preach the Law to them first. It would be impossible to convert anyone if the Law had not already been written on his heart.”
​
(Walther, Law and Gospel, Thesis I, 13-14)
Read John 3:1-8     ​​​​​​
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Sunday, April 22, 2018 ​

“The Law tells us what to do. No such instruction is contained in the Gospel. Rather, the Gospel tells us only what God is doing. The Law speaks about our works, whereas the Gospel speaks about the great works of God. In the Law we hear the tenfold summons: ‘You shall.’ Beyond that the Law has nothing to say to us. The Gospel, on the other hand, makes no demands whatsoever. What if someone says, ‘But the Gospel demands faith!’ Well just picture someone who is hungry. You tell him: ‘Come, sit down at my table and eat.’ That hungry person would hardly reply: ‘Who are you to boss me around?’ No, he would understand and accept your words as a kind invitation. That is exactly what the Gospel is—a kind invitation to partake of heavenly blessings.” 

(Walther, Law and Gospel, Thesis I, 14)
Read John 3:1-8
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Sunday, April 15, 2018 ​

“Moses plainly states, ‘God created man in the likeness of God,’ and; ‘Adam begot a son after his own image.’ Here Moses clearly points out what a perfect creature man was before the fall, how the image of God shone in him, and into what grief and misery he then fell through sin, obscuring the image of God, so that what is born of flesh is flesh, as the Lord Christ explains in John 3:6. Accordingly, if we are to be restored, we must be born again of water and Spirit. Adam’s guilt is passed down to us by carnal, physical birth; Jesus Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us by spiritual rebirth.”
 
(Herberger, 259)
Read John 3:1-8     ​​​​​​
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Sunday, April 8, 2018 ​

“[The] near-sacrifice of Isaac not only tests the faith of Abraham (Genesis 22:1-19) but also foreshadows Jesus’ passion. Just as Isaac travels with a donkey, so will Jesus ride on a donkey on Palm Sunday. Just as Isaac carries wood for the sacrifice upon his back to Mount Moriah, so will Jesus bear His cross to Golgotha. Just as Isaac is upon the altar, so will Jesus be nailed to the cross. And just as a ram replaces Isaac as the sacrifice, so Jesus will replace the entire sacrificial system of the Old Testament. In addition, the divine image is revealed twice in the relationship between Abraham and Isaac: Abraham offers his son as the divine Father will do with His only begotten Son, and Isaac obeys the will of his father even to the point of death as Jesus obeys His Father (Matthew 26:39, 42, 44).”
 
(Von Hagel, 41)
Read Genesis 22:1-19; Matthew 26:39, 42, 44     
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Sunday, April 1, 2018 ​

“Jesus says, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’ Jesus gives resurrection and life to us by giving Himself to us. Jesus has added His promise to the gift: ‘Whoever Believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die’ (John 11:25-25).”
 
(Portals of Prayer, March 31, 438)
Suggested Reading John 11:17-27; Psalm 118:1-18   
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Sunday, March 25, 2018 ​

​​“Streets in the ancient word were filled with beggars that accosted those that passed by. … They depended on the mercy of the well-to-do for their livelihood. … So they usually appealed for help by saying, “Kyrie, eleison!,” “Lord, have mercy!” This cry was heard almost every day in every street. The Gospels tell us that needy people used the same cry when they appealed to Jesus for His help (Matthew 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; Mark 10:47-48; Luke 17:13).”
 
(Kleinig, 27-28)
Read Matthew 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; Mark 10:47-48; Luke 17:13    ​​​​​​
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Sunday, March 18, 2018 ​

​​"The plan of salvation, as revealed in the Bible, sets this Book apart from all other so-called sacred books in the world. These other books all teach that man must, in some way or another, save himself. The Bible teaches that God saves man by grace for Christ’s sake through faith. Such a plan human ingenuity could never have devised; it marks the Bible as the revelation of God (2 Cor. 2:7-10)."
 
(Koehler, 15-16)
Read 2 Corinthians 2:7-10
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Sunday, March 11, 2018 ​

“The purpose of prayer is not to receive every item on our wish list from our heavenly Father. Rather, Jesus commanded us to pray as a response to God for all He has done for us. Prayer is an opportunity to express our thanks and praise, as well as our deepest needs. As we present our requests to God, we act in faith, believing that God will answer our prayers according to His will.”
 
(Engelbrecht, 332)
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Sunday, March 4, 2018 ​

“[T]he greatest way we keep the Word of God is by trusting in what it says to us concerning our salvation. The Bible tells us who we are in Jesus. Jesus’ Word declares us forgiven. Jesus speaks on the cross and says, ‘It is finished.’ We keep these words in our hearts and believe what they say. These words of Jesus say that He accomplished the entirety of our salvation for us. He paid the price for our sins: our inherited sins and all the sins that flow from our sinful hearts.”
 
(Hull, 21)
Today's Reading: Luke 11:14-28
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This quote is from "Reflections Lent 2018" a downloadable PDF booklet.

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Sunday, February 25, 2018 ​
 
“The 32nd psalm is an exemplary psalm of instruction that teaches us what sin is, and how one might be freed from it and be righteous before God. Our reason does not know what sin is and tries to make satisfaction for it with works. But the psalmist says that even saints are sinners. They cannot become holy or blessed except by confessing themselves as sinners before God, knowing that they are regarded as righteous only from the grace of God, apart from any service or work.”

(Luther, Reading, 78)
Read Psalm 32
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Sunday, February 18, 2018 ​
 
“A 2007 Time magazine story noted that only half of adults in the United States could name one of the four Gospels. Fewer than half knew that Genesis was the Bible’s first book. Meanwhile, in other polls, 82 percent of Americans believed the phrase ‘God helps those who help themselves’ was a biblical one. Finally, in a truly grin-worthy statistic, 12 percent of adults thought that Noah’s wife was Joan of Arch. The Bible many be the best-selling book of all time, but for all its sales, it remains widely unopened.”

(McIntosh, 5)
​Read Proverbs 28:26
Read Romans 3:10–12
Read 1 Corinthians 1:30-31; Ephesians 2:8–9
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Sunday, February 11, 2018 ​
 
Ash Wednesday Prayer of the Day:

“Almighty and Everlasting God, You despise nothing You have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create in us new and contrite hearts, that lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, we may receive from You full pardon and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.”
 
(Pulse, 69)
​Read Psalm 136:1-9 
​Read Genesis 1:1-19
​Read Mark 1:1-13
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Sunday, February 4, 2018 ​
 
“God ‘deliberated’ about the creation of man in a new and thus far unusual way. The reason for this is to be found, not in the weakness of the Creator, but rather in the excellence of the work itself. As Tertullian rightly remarks: ‘Man was made by God not with a word of command, as the other animals, but with a friendly hand, preceded by that gracious utterance: ‘Let us make man in our own image and likeness.’’ and Gregory the Great says: ‘This was done in order that he who was to be made in the image of his Maker should exist, not through the voice of a command, but through the dignity of an act.’”
 
(Chemnitz and Gerhard, 27)
​Read Ephesians 1:4-5 
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Sunday, January 28, 2018 ​
 
A Prayer For Persecuted Christians:
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“Lord, we confess that there are times when we, like King David, waste away our time, while the troops of the Kingdom are in the heat of battle. While fellow Christians are being scorned or even martyred, we spend our time fulfilling our own selfish desires. Forgive us, dear Lord, and redirect us to use our time in prayer for brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering in carrying out Your assignments. Amen.”
 
(Portals of Prayer, 119, No. 438)
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Sunday, January 21, 2018 ​
 
“To occupy oneself with God’s Word, talking about it and thinking about it is also a most tremendous help against the devil, the world, the flesh, and all evil thoughts. Psalm 1:2 calls those blessed who meditate on the law of the Lord day and night.”
 
(Luther, LLC, 7)
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Sunday, January 14, 2018 ​
 
“How is God’s will done? When He breaks and hinders every plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, which do not want us to hallow God’s name or let His kingdom come; and when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His Word and faith until we die. This is His good and gracious will.”
 
(Luther, LSC, 252)
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Sunday, January 7, 2018 ​
 
“Sin, when we boil it down, is rooted in selfishness. Sin, in its essence, is worship of self. It doesn’t look at the heart and desires of God; rather, it seeks our own needs.”
 
(Grunewald, 26)
Read Romans 1:21-32
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