built on a rock
- By Pastor Jeremy Wiersema, Reformed Church of SteenOctober 02, 2024I am sure that many of us have noticed the extra farm vehicles on the road recently. In southwest Minnesota it is harvest time, and I love it. This love for the harvest began in me at an early age. I have fond memories of riding with my grandpa in the combine or my uncles in the tractor pulling wagons. I also remember the rides to the elevator, and if I was good, there might have been a glass…
- By Pastor Mark Eliason, First Lutheran Church and Palisade Lutheran ChurchSeptember 25, 2024For years churches have been coming up with ways to give people the opportunity to worship with their congregation. Since the early 1930s, churches have broadcast their services on the radio. One of the longest-running radio broadcasts is Lutheran Vespers. It has been on the air since the mid ’50s and continues today on radio stations in the Chicago area. Also, for years many congregations…
- By Pastor Josh Hayden, Living Rock Church, LuverneSeptember 17, 2024I’m going to open a can of worms and discuss something that will not be resolved in this article. It will lead to another discussion, but the issue I think that is interesting to think about is social media censorship. How much should social media be held accountable to what is promoted, shared, posted, not posted? Who should be held responsible for things being posted and being taken down?…
- By Pastor Bob Junak, Rock River Community Church, LuverneSeptember 11, 2024I like riding motorcycles. In fact, I belong to a local chapter of Christian motorcyclists. In our Chapter, several of us ride Harley Davidsons. However, not all of us. If you were to join us on one of our rides, you would find Hondas, Yamahas, Can Ams, and one guy rides a big ole’ Indian. As a Harley guy, I often joke that if you have to shut your bike off to hear if the bike next to you is…
- By Pastor Andrew Palmquist, Bethany Lutheran Church, LuverneSeptember 04, 2024When you’re on vacation and walk down a hotel hallway, what do you often see hanging from the doorknobs? Little signs that say, “DO NOT DISTURB!” Those three little words communicate a clear message. We don’t want to be bothered. Unfortunately, that same phrase is often an accurate description of the attitude many people have toward Christ and the Gospel. Not only on Sunday mornings but every…
- By Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, St. John Lutheran Church, LuverneAugust 28, 2024I’m tired. Aren’t you? We live in a world that never seems to slow down. Everywhere we turn, there’s something demanding our attention like work, family, school, social media, and politics—don’t get me started on politics! It is as if being busy has become a badge of honor. We keep our kids busy; we keep ourselves busy, but deep down we know that running on empty just isn’t sustainable. God…
- By Pastor Sarah Zender, Grace Lutheran Church, LuverneAugust 21, 2024Authenticity. It is a quality of God in that God is. God is God’s self. In the Old Testament, Moses asks God what God’s name is, and the reply is, “I am who I am.” (Exodus 3:14) God cannot be anything other than God. Jesus is also authentic. Jesus is both divine and human, which is a concept challenging to understand with the human mind, even if Christians embrace the truth of it. Jesus acts…
- By Rev. Dr. Steven Voris, First Presbyterian Church, LuverneAugust 07, 2024The modern rejuvenation of the Olympic Games happened in 1896 in Athens, Greece, as 14 nations brought their best athletes to compete in sporting events and to strengthen ties between peoples. Through the years, the Olympic ideals have been honed to this taken from the Olympics website, “The three values of Olympism are excellence, respect, and friendship. They constitute the foundation on which…
- By Pastor Mike Geiger, Crosspoint Church, Georgetown, TXJuly 31, 2024Life can be difficult and wear us out. Perhaps unlike any other stretch, all the turmoil in the world is taking a toll on us, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. The uncertainty, the unrest in our country and the divisiveness of elections challenge even the strongest. We look for an escape … or at least a reprieve. Something to refresh our soul, to clear our mind, and give…
- By Pastor Joe Steenholdt, Christian Reformed Church, LuverneJuly 24, 2024Do you wanna give it a try?” Scott asked as I was eyeing his ’78 Goldwing motorcycle one summer afternoon in the early 2000s. I had a minibike as a kid and knew how to ride a bicycle, but jumping on a full-size motorcycle seemed a little intimidating. I ended up taking him up on the offer and taking the bike for a spin up and down the road. Scott, who would become my father-in-law, had been…
- By Pastor Jeremy Wiersema, Reformed Church of SteenJuly 17, 2024Wishes are something I find fascinating. They have found a place in the life of every person I have ever met. It seems we all wish for something. Over time our wishes might change, but sometimes they stay the same. Wishes are something I learned about early in my life. As a young boy I vividly remember being told to make a wish before I blew out the candles on my birthday cake. I don’t…
- By Pastor Mike Geiger, Crosspoint Church (WELS) Georgetown, TXJuly 10, 2024“Can you believe it?” We often say this when we see or witness something that is seemingly beyond the normal. We might believe it because we witnessed it, but the person to whom we relate the event is a bit skeptical. We might even qualify our reaction to the event with the phrase, “I wouldn’t have believed it unless I saw it!” Stories that fit the unbelievable category might be an account of…
- By Pastor Bob Junak, Rock River Community Church, LuverneJune 26, 2024Who likes it when a great evening turns not so great, when a situation arises that places a negative spin on what was a positive experience? Not me! Unfortunately, this happened to Jesus too many times. The following are just two examples from scripture. Luke 5:17-19, 21:17: “One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that…
- By Pastor Andrew Palmquist, Bethany Lutheran Church, LuverneJune 19, 2024I suppose you might call it faith if you believe in the sun, even on a cloudy day. We probably all have that kind of faith. There are places where it might cloud over for weeks at a time. It’s easy to get discouraged by the gray sky. Yet, even in cloudy weather we know the sun is still up there. It’s still providing heat and light. It’s still making life possible. What happens if our life…
- By Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, St. John Lutheran Church, LuverneJune 12, 2024Family is one of God's first and greatest gifts. From the beginning, God created the family as the foundation of human society. He gave us husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, and brothers and sisters. In the family we find love, support and a sense of belonging. It is within the family that we first experience unconditional love and learn to love others in return. The family is a…
- By Pastor Sarah Zender, Grace Lutheran Church, LuverneJune 05, 2024I love an underdog. Always have. I’m GenX, so my list includes old ones. Rudy. Hoosiers. Miracle?! I suppose some recent ones I’ve seen aren’t even that new. The Hunger Games. Or Inside Out, when Joy finally recognizes the importance of Sadness. I love watching someone who is unlikely to win, sticks to their craft with perseverance and hope, overcomes the odds, and wins. Never gets old.…
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