church column
- By Pastor Jeremy Jacob, Blue Mounds Baptist Church, LuverneApril 08, 2026Just a few days ago, we celebrated one of the biggest holidays of the year, Easter. It’s a day to focus on the miraculous resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It’s a day of joy and happiness, a time when life is celebrated. The Easter celebration also highlights an unavoidable truth that we all face: death. Every day, and all around us, death constantly reminds us of this fact. These…
- 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…
- 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 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 Jeremy Wiersema, Reformed Church of SteenNovember 12, 2025Think about your day today. What was it like? Was it a good day or a difficult day? Was it a busy day? It seems like busy days are common for all of us. Sometimes I am so busy that I don’t have time to appreciate the fact that each day is a blessing that comes from God. I don’t think that is good. Psalm 118:24 speaks wisdom about how we are to approach each day. “This is the day the Lord has…
- By Pastor Ed Borchardt, Zion Lutheran Church, HardwickNovember 05, 2025Do you recall the television commercial, “Is it Chinet?” The word “china” was a play on words to emphasize their strength and durability compared to a regular paper plate. The Chinet commercial claimed, “It takes five of these (ordinary) paper plates to stack up to the molded strength of one Chinet paper plate china.” I don’t remember the first time using a heavy-duty paper plate. I do remember…
- By Pastor Bob Junak, Rock River Community Church, LuverneOctober 22, 2025Let’s talk about candy corn. That tiny tri-colored triangle of sugar, wax, and mystery. Is it corn? Is it candy? Is it a candle that got lost in the Halloween aisle? No one really knows. But every October, it shows up like that one relative who insists on bringing their “famous” casserole to Thanksgiving. You didn’t ask for it, but there it is. Candy corn tends to divide opinions. Some people…
- By Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, St. John Lutheran Church, LuverneOctober 08, 2025Imagine taking your great-grandmother's famous cake recipe, you know which one: the one she was known for, the one everyone demands you bring to every family gathering. But as you read through it, you notice ingredients that seem problematic. Your sister-in-law is vegan now, so the butter has to go. Uncle Joe's doctor has him on a gluten-free diet. And cousin Sally swore off sugar two years ago…
- By Pastor Sarah Zender, Grace Lutheran Church, LuverneOctober 01, 2025I made a mistake. When I was preaching this past Sunday, I said that when we as Christians grow in faith, it will change the way we view the political sphere and change the way we treat each other amidst politics. That statement is true, but my mistake was to forget that in these divisive times, people may have stopped listening halfway through and only heard this: “When we grow in faith, it…
- By Pastor Joe Steenholdt, Christian Reformed Church, LuverneAugust 27, 2025When you hear the word “work,” do you tend to associate it with words like tiring, burdensome, or frustrating? Personal experiences and cultural factors often influence our perception of work. For instance, the 1981 Loverboy ballad “Everybody’s Working for the Weekend” reflects the desire to merely endure the daily grind only to enjoy time in between work weeks. However, if we look to the Bible…
- By Pastor Jeremy Wiersema, Reformed Church of SteenAugust 20, 2025Grandma, don’t worry so much! Mom, it will be fine, don’t worry. Growing up, I said those two sentences with significant frequency. That’s because I grew up in a family of worriers. I am incredibly thankful for the love I experienced from my grandparents and parents. Sometimes Mom’s and Grandma’s love came in the form of worry. Now I am grown up, and there are days I really need to take my own…
- By Pastor Ed Borchardt, Zion Lutheran Church, HardwickAugust 13, 2025I was recently asked, “Why is church membership important?” I thought that was a very good question. I understand some churches no longer have a membership. I’m not sure of the reasons. I can also understand such a question when the sad truth is that less than 30 percent of membership in a church is active. Active means to participate in a regular worship service (two to three times per month)…
- By Pastor Praveen Muthsuamy, Hills United Reformed ChurchJuly 02, 2025The last time we considered Hebrews 12:1-2, we noted that this passage calls us to run the race well by doing four specific things: 1. Running by considering the cloud of witnesses. 2. Running by laying aside every weight. 3. Running by laying aside every sin. 4. Running with endurance by looking to Jesus. We also noted two important things regarding the passage. First, if you are not a…
- By Pastor Mark Eliason, Palisade Lutheran Church, Rock CountyJune 18, 2025It's mid-June, and we are well into summer. School is done for the year, and all the school activities like football, basketball, track, volleyball and all the rest are on a break, at least for most. With summer break also come trips to the lake, family vacations, and with all those things to distract us, Sunday morning worship tends to be put lower on the priority list than other things. I…
- By Pastor Joe Steenholdt, Christian Reformed Church, LuverneJune 04, 2025We find ourselves at the beginning of the summer season, with Buffalo Days just underway and the promise of a full summer stretching ahead. The days are gaining more sunlight, and temperatures are rising. My family has exciting plans that include camping trips, swimming lessons, VBS, basketball, and volleyball camps. We look forward to sunny days at the lake along with more opportunities to cast…
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