built on a rock
- By Pastor Walt Moser, First Baptist Church, LuverneMarch 25, 2026Though most people today do not bow before carved statues, the Bible teaches that idolatry is far more than the worship of images. In Scripture, an idol is anything that takes the place of God in our trust, devotion, or obedience. The Old Testament repeatedly warns that when God’s people replace Him with substitutes, the results are spiritual decline and broken lives. Those warnings remain…
- By Pastor Joe Steenholdt, Christian Reformed Church, LuverneMarch 18, 2026Imagine you’re the messenger of good news to people in bondage. You report that a higher power will personally free them and grant victory beyond expectations. Wouldn’t you expect triumphal news about a strong warrior or overwhelming force? But what if, instead, you announced a poem about a frail servant—someone who gets picked last for kickball and isn’t invited to parties? We look for heroes…
- By Paster Jeremy Wiersema, Steen Reformed ChurchMarch 11, 2026Something is missing. But what is missing? Our culture has changed. What we see happening in our nation and in our state should be concerning. The answer might not be as complicated as some may think. What is missing in our culture today is something that has sadly gone missing in a host of churches as well – its fellowship. Fellowship is the act of being together caring for each other…
- By Pastor Bob Junak, Rock River Community ChurchFebruary 18, 2026This past Saturday was Valentine’s Day… that sacred, terrifying, chocolate‑coated battlefield where men everywhere suddenly remember the wise words of Proverbs 4:7, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.” And nothing motivates men to seek wisdom faster than realizing they forgot to buy a gift. Every Feb. 14th, the average man goes on a spiritual journey…
- By Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, St. John Lutheran Church, LuverneFebruary 04, 2026In AD 303, the Roman Emperor Diocletian had a problem: Christians. First, they were nearly atheists in the eyes of the Romans. After all, they only believed in a single God. They also were increasingly rejecting the ways of the culture that threatened to influence Roman society. So on Feb. 23, the Emperor issued an edict designed to end Christianity once and for all. The date was deliberate. It…
- By Pastor Sarah Zender, Grace Lutheran Church, LuverneJanuary 28, 2026Sometimes, reading that Bible can seem perplexing with its different cultural traditions and practices. But, at other times, it’s as if it could have been written today with a few names changed and it would align perfectly for what is happening right now. If the apostle Paul were writing to us today, I suspect his letter to the Corinthians might sound uncomfortably familiar. I’m currently…
- By Pastor Praveen Muthusamy, Hills United Reformed ChurchJanuary 21, 2026I cannot believe we are in the New Year already. Over the last year—four times to be precise—we have explored the vivid imagery of Hebrews 12:1-2, which describes the Christian life as a race. We have learned that we run surrounded by a "cloud of witnesses" who prove God is faithful. We have been challenged to lay aside "weights"—those hindrances like excessive news or worldly distractions—and to…
- By Rev. Dr. Steven Voris, First Presbyterian Church, LuverneJanuary 14, 2026In their 2023 book, The Great Dechurching, Jim Davis and Michael Graham point out that 40 million adults used to go to church in the United States but no longer do. They list a plethora of reasons people used for quitting church, including bad experiences with church leadership, mingling of faith and politics, loss of faith, simply not looking for a new church after a move, intolerance of…
- By Pastor Jeremy Jacob, Blue Mounds Baptist Church, LuverneJanuary 07, 2026Well, if you are reading this today, I assume that you successfully survived another Christmas. Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but it can also be a hectic one. Unfortunately, the weariness of the Christmas season often stems from the spiritual meaning of Christ's birth being drowned out by the noise of commercialism. The gift God gave us in Jesus has been replaced by the special gift you…
- By Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, St. John Lutheran Church, LuverneDecember 30, 2025Every January arrives with a sense of ceremony. The calendar flips, the ball drops and the confetti falls. And with this passing ritual, we sometimes tell ourselves, often with great sincerity, that this time things will be different! This new year will be a new me! Well, if that is you, you are not alone. The ancient Romans gave January its name from Janus, their god with two faces, who looked…
- December 23, 2025As Christmas arrives once again, it comes into a world that longs for hope and truth. For Christians everywhere, Christmas is not simply a celebration of tradition, nostalgia or seasonal cheer. It is the bold proclamation that God chooses to come close; fully present in human vulnerability, as a baby, wrapped not in power but in love. The Christmas story, told in the Gospel of Luke, begins far…
- By Pastor Praveen Muthusamy, Hills United Reformed ChurchDecember 17, 2025Title: Run the Race of Faith Part-4 This is the fourth time we are considering Hebrews 12:1-2 and in my last column we focused on Hebrews 12:1b, “Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely.” We noted that weight is different from sin. We defined weight more as hindrance and obstacles that prevent us from running the race well. While there are plenty of things to talk…
- By Rev. Dr. Steven Voris, First Presbyterian Church, LuverneDecember 09, 2025Like most Christian pastors, I was frustrated with the commercialization of Christmas and the lack of spiritual meaning expressed during the holiday, UNTIL I served as a U.S. Navy Chaplain and understood, for the first time, that there is more than one correct way to celebrate Christmas. After all, President Ulysses S. Grant made Christmas a Federal Holiday in 1870, the only U.S. Federal Holiday…
- By Pastor Mark Eliason, First Lutheran Church and Palisade Lutheran ChurchDecember 03, 2025At the front of almost every Lutheran church, for the four Sundays before Christmas you will see a wreath with five candles on it. Four around the outside of the wreath and a larger one in the middle of the wreath. The four candles represent the themes of Advent which are hope, peace, joy and love, and one candle is lit each Sunday representing the theme of the day. But why do we do this, and…
- By Pastor Walt Moser, First Baptist Church, LuverneNovember 25, 2025A key theme running through the tapestry of scripture is that of a watchful God, intimately concerned with human affairs. From the Psalms to the Prophets, and into the New Testament, the Bible repeatedly assures believers that the Lord sees, knows, and considers every aspect of their lives, both public and private. Psalm 33:13-15 opens this perspective, describing the Lord looking down from…
- By Pastor Joe Steenholdt, Christian Reformed Church, LuverneNovember 19, 2025Thankfulness often doesn’t come naturally. I remember growing up and having to call my great-aunt to thank her for a birthday card with spending money that she sent. My five-year-old self dreaded that call, hoping to leave a message. My mom was diligent about teaching us to express gratitude, though, believing that these habits cultivate a thankful heart. I think she knew, too, that we learn not…
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