“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope,” (Rom. 15:13, ESV). God does not merely give His gifts—He fills us with His gifts of joy and peace so that we abound...

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole...

ST. LOUIS, July 18, 2025—More than 1,500 youth and adult leaders from 81 Missouri District churches are traveling to New Orleans, La., to participate in the 2025 LCMS Youth Gathering, a triennial event hosted by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) since 1980. They will join nearly 20,000 youth and adults...

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law,” (Gal. 5:22-23, ESV). Sanctification—the Holy Spirit’s work of strengthening us to lead holy lives—is never wrong. Before St. Paul provides the list of the fruit of the Spirit, he first includes a list...

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh,” (Gal. 5:16, ESV). Whether it is a journey through the snow or a forest, we often follow a path that has already been marked. The psalmist notes, “Your word is a lamp to my...

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom,” (2 Cor. 3:17, ESV). Every day is a day to celebrate our freedom as a Christian. We do so not with fireworks or patriotic parades, but by making the sign of the cross and remembering our...

  Rev. Gary A. Lampe June 29, 1952 – May 19, 2025 Rev. Gary A. Lampe, affectionately known as “Padre,” passed away peacefully on May 19, 2025, at the age of 72. Lampe was born on June 29, 1952, in Monett, Mo., to Erwin and Olga (Holle) Lampe. He was...

  Jacqueline L. Loontjer Sept. 27, 1947 – June 12, 2025 Jacqueline Louise Loontjer, 77, passed away on June 12, 2025. Jackie was born in Dodge City, Kan., in 1947 to Jack and Dorothy (Leighty) Maskus. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Wayne; and her brother,...