Tenth Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel, Mark 6:45-56 Mark 6:45-56 In our gospel reading this week we encounter Jesus the water-walker and Jesus the healer. Mark is filled with the powerful works of the Savior and the works come thick and fast. Here in the space of just twelve verses Jesus puts...
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost: Epistle, Ephesians 3:1-14 Ephesians 3:1-14 Pray the prayers of Scripture. If anyone were to ask me the best way to enhance one’s prayer life, that would be my answer. I grew up in a Christian culture that looked down on the praying of written prayers...
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost: Old Testament, Genesis 9:8-17 Genesis 9:8-17 If you want to know God’s perspective on any issue to which His revelation speaks, it’s a good idea to begin with the first time that issue is addressed in His Word. Perhaps it’s only once and that may...
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost: Old Testament, Jeremiah 23:1-6 Jeremiah 23:1-6 My how the Lord loves His flock. There can be no doubt of that when one carefully reads the Scriptures. And the reason we know of His love is that God gives Himself to His flock as...
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel, Mark 6:14-29 Mark 6:14-29 Don’t jump too quickly at today’s title after you read the text. The title will stand and I think you will know why. In Amos this week we saw the bent of man’s heart toward the clear declaration of the law. We...
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost: Epistle, Ephesians 1:3-14 Ephesians 1:3-14 So many great hymns there are extolling the grace of God. I believe that this week’s epistle reading could be seen as the foundation stone for many. Just...
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost: Old Testament, Amos 7:7-15 Amos 7:7-15 Just recently I heard a discussion regarding the teaching ministry of the first President of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, C.F.W...
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel, Mark 6:1-13 Mark 6:1-13 The overall astonishment of the crowds at Jesus came from His teaching. At the words that came from His mouth. His teaching in His hometown fostered a...
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost: Psalm, Psalm 123 Psalm 123 It was an interesting thing to find that one of my daily Psalm readings is also the psalm reading for this Sunday. Psalm 123 belongs to that wonderful set of shorter psalms known as the “Psalms of Ascent.” Traditionally...
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost: Old Testament, Ezekiel 2:1-5 Ezekiel 2:1-5 Boy, oh boy the religious culture of our day is filled with voices. Myriads of voices who all claim to not only speak for God (whoever that is), but to speak for Him with clarity and specificity. Now at the same time...
