We know what God should be doing, right? He should be prospering us, blessing us, giving to us, helping us, making our life easy and punishing them! Does God know what He’s doing? For evil keeps advancing. Does God know what He’s doing? For I keep struggling. Does God know what He's doing? Because things don’t seem to be getting any better.
But what if Jesus was right? Maybe it’s we who don’t’ know what we’re doing…
Read MoreDo you have such an eager heart for Jesus to come again? For the Last Day? Are you ready for that day? It’s hard, isn’t it? There’s so much to do and so little time. Our lives are complicated, and money is short There may even be times when you doubt God’s love because of what’s going on in your life and how things in this world perhaps seem so unjust.
Tune in to hear what Malachi had to say about this and how his prophesy ties to Elijah and then Jesus and how that impacts us today.
Read MoreIn this week’s Old Testament reading from Exodus, God calls Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. “Who Am I?” is the key question and leads to some of the most profound discoveries in the Old Testament — also, some of the most profound realizations about ourselves.
Read MoreBlessed All Saints' Day! You're invited to hear what might be a different perspective on what it means to be a "saint" and what Jesus was really saying in His "Sermon on the Mount," specifically the Beatitudes. Join us as Pastor Ruffatto opens up the scripture and looks at the actual grammatical meaning and context of "Blessed are..."
Read MoreLutheran Christians have historically taken the last Sunday in October and set it aside to celebrate the Reformation of the Church which Martin Luther unleashed as he nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg. We do not engage in worshiping Dr. Luther or any of the other reformers who joined him some 502 years ago. Instead it is a time to thank God for using these reformers to bring back to light the truth of the Gospel. In this message, we hear how Jesus’ words to abide in him are formative, and re-formative.
Read MoreFrom the Old Testament reading we hear the story of Jacob wrestling with a man all night, prevailing, be touched on the hip, and then given the name Israel by this man. What is this all about? Who is this mysterious wrestler? And what does it mean for us? The answers might not be what you are expecting. The answers are likely better than what you were expecting.
Read MorePaul in jail in his second letter to Timothy; Naomi in the book of Ruth; and the leper healed by Jesus — they all experience the Word of God, a Word that cannot be bound. Yet, we are bound to Jesus, THE Word. Learn how in this message as Pastor Frank unpacks these lessons.
Read MoreIn his second letter to Timothy, Paul has finished the instruction of details he outlined in his first letter and is encouraging Timothy – and you and me – to fan this live flame-- the torch we carry for Jesus -- because others needed – others now need – to be connected to our heavenly Father through the Gospel of His son Jesus.
Read MoreIn this message, we connect the mention God’s provision and protection by way of angels in the Old Testament (as mentioned by Daniel) to the angels of the New Testament in Jude and Revelation. The chief angel whom God mentions is Michael, who is called an archangel in the New Testament. It is through the service of His archangel Michael and all the other holy angels that God cares for and protects his people.
Read MoreIn this message, Pastor Ruffatto unpacks Jesus’ illustrations of salt and light and what they mean to church congregations today. Christians are challenged to create a thirst for Jesus and to be the light of Truth in a dark world.
Read MoreWhat does an Old Testament prophecy have to say to us today? From Sunday’s Old Testament lesson: “And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.”
What does this mean for us today? We don’t live a pastoral, agrarian lifestyle. So, who is Ezekiel talking about, and who is he addressing? Is he actually speaking figuratively? What are the realities he’s talking about in his prophecy? Are the realities still pertinent to us today?
Read MoreIn our gospel lesson this week, Jesus says, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”And that’s not all. He goes on to say, “any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
These are difficult words to hear from Jesus. Not much “safe space” in HIs words, are there? But is that really the case? There’s more hope there than may meet the eye.
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