built on a rock
- By Pastor Joe Steenholdt, Christian Reformed Church, LuverneJanuary 03, 2024As a child, I wished I could be just like Superman. That means I would be super strong with steel abs and the ability to fly, and outside of kryptonite, not much for weaknesses. He was like the superhero of superheroes, with all the superhuman abilities wrapped into one man. There is not much he couldn’t do to defeat the bad guys. The way we typically imagine strength and success, it’s no wonder…
- By Pastor Walt Moser, First Baptist Church, LuverneDecember 27, 2023In just a few days a new year will start, 2024. Somehow changing one digit in the year makes us feel like there is a new beginning. Now it is 2024! 2023 is gone, it is history, and we can start fresh, to change patterns in our lives. Depending on who you read or listen to, they will either tell you to make New Year’s resolutions or that New Year’s resolutions are not important, don’t even think…
- By Pastor Manda Steensma, Rock River Community Church, LuverneNovember 29, 2023Once a year in Luverne we have the citywide cleanup or “junk days.” All the residents can go through their homes and almost anything they consider junk, broken, tarnished or simply unwanted gets thrown to the curb, literally. Right on schedule, city employees go around town with their trucks and trailers to haul it away. Then after a week or so, all that junk is cleaned up and gone. It’s a…
- By Pastor Andrew Palmquist, Bethany Lutheran Church, LuverneNovember 26, 2023As you might imagine, a national day of Thanksgiving wasn’t part of Martin Luther’s life. Thanksgiving Day is an American phenomenon. Although Americans were celebrating Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday in November since the first presidential proclamation in 1863, it wasn’t “official” until congressional legislation in 1941 made Thanksgiving Day a national holiday. Martin Luther did…
- By Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, St. John Lutheran Church, LuverneNovember 15, 2023What does your church teach about the Bible? Do your pastors uphold all of Scripture as God’s true Word, or do they dismiss parts they find outdated or uncomfortable? Have you been told that certain passages no longer matter because the “times have changed?” Are your teachers more interested in aligning themselves with a particular political party and special interest groups than being faithful…
- By Pastor Walt Moser, First Baptist Church, LuverneNovember 08, 2023Since God knows everything (“God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything,” 1 John 3:20), why do we pray? Since God knows when a sparrow falls to the ground (Matthew 20:29-30), why do we need to tell God our needs? We believe God is sovereign, which means he is in complete control, so why do we pray? Daniel Brendsel in his book, “Answering Speech,” asks a question to answer the…
- By Pastor Josh Hayden, Living Rock Church, LuverneOctober 11, 2023(Editor's Note: Due to space limitations in the Sept. 12, 2023, Rock County Star Herald, Pastor Hayden's column was shortened. This on-line version is the column at the original length.) The Church is a hospital! How so? It is a saying that many people know and even proclaim: the Church is a hospital! It is a place for broken, hurt and lost people to come. It is not a museum for those who…
- By Pastor Bob Junak, Rock River Community Church, LuverneOctober 04, 2023My son loves motorcycles. He buys one and customizes it to fit his style. He rides it for a while, then decides he wants a better one. So, he purchases another, modifies it, rides it and sells it for a nicer and better one. He’s never satisfied with what he had or what he has. Well, until he had a couple of kids. Then his priority changed. It seems like so many of us think the same way. We are…
- By Pastor Andrew Palmquist, Bethany Lutheran Church, LuverneSeptember 27, 2023Back when I was a student in grade school, there were some kids who truly disliked our math teacher. Why? There was only one answer he would accept for our papers and tests. It had to be “the right one.” It didn’t matter who you were. It didn’t matter how hard you worked, or how much time you spent. It didn’t matter how close you got. Anything but the right answer was just wrong. Talk about “…
- By Pastor Walt Moser, First Baptist Church, LuverneSeptember 13, 2023Have you seen church signs saying, “Everyone Welcome Here!” Do they really mean that? A teacher friend recently posted a picture of himself standing by a whiteboard welcoming his new class. Written on the white board was, “It’s okay to not know everything,” “It's okay to ask questions,” and a few more “It’s okay” statements. Then, at the bottom of the white board, it said, “Everyone is welcome…
- By Pastor Joe Steenholdt, Christian Reformed Church, LuverneSeptember 06, 2023‘Tis the season for back-to-school shopping, checking off supply lists, implementing lesson plans, and adjusting to new classes and schedules. Yet there is one thing you won’t find on the back-to-school checklist, but it is one of the most profound things you can do no matter what your connection to the school is this year – pray. Here are some suggestions with the help of Scripture to pray for…
- By Pastor Walt Moser, First Baptist Church, LuverneSeptember 14, 2021Thankful thoughts and godly thoughts will change your day. “Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon His name; make know his deeds among the peoples.” 1 Chronicles 16:8 “Complaining not only ruins everybody else’s day, it ruins the complainer’s day, too. The more we complain, the more unhappy we get.” (Dennis Prager) The focus of our thoughts will affect our day and those around us. When you slip…
- By Rev. Maggie Berndt-Dreyer, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, HillsMay 12, 2020By the time this column is printed, I will have moved away from the area and will be just about to begin my new pastoral call. As I write you one last column, I’m reflecting on all the stories I will take with me as I go. Storytelling is a powerful tool for remembering. Telling stories of loved ones who have gone or of the kids when they were little helps us feel connected to each other…
- By Erin Jacobsma, office manager, American Reformed ChurchApril 30, 2019Boxes, boxes, and more boxes. I swear they are multiplying! Some are stuffed full and unopened, some are in the process of being cleaned out and disassembled, and thankfully some are empty, flattened and ready for recycling. My family recently moved to a different home and after the initial unpacking of all the essentials, the flurry of cardboard removal has slowed to a trickle. I have been…
- By Martha Fick, Good Samaritan, Mission EffectivenessFebruary 15, 2016“Judge not, that you be not judged.” Matthew 7:1 Sven was riding the city bus to town. When he reached his stop, it looked like rain and without thinking he picked up the umbrella belonging to the man sitting next to him. “Stop, thief,” Lars yelled. “Stop dat man. He took my umbrella.” Sven apologized profusely. “I vas not thinking vhen I picked it up. I tought it vas my umbrella. I must haf…
- By Martha Fick, Good Samaritan, Mission EffectivenessFebruary 09, 2016And He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered Him, ‘You are the Christ.’” (Mark 8:29 ESV) An elderly woman walked into a local country church. A friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. “Where would you like to sit today?” he asked politely. “I vould like to sit in de front row please,” she replied. “Are you sure you want to do that?” the…
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