Beloved by God – Baptized and Justified “And behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17             One of the most clear demonstrations of Lutheran theology is the baptism of an infant.  Thereby, we practice and preach the clear Gospel that we...

The Full Circle of Baptisms and Funerals “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”   1 Peter 3:21 The gifts given in Holy Baptism are...

The Seal of Baptism – God’s Name “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14 One of my favorite “tools”...

The Smell of Life “The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.  On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.  But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went...

New Easter Outfits “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Galatians 3:27 Growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, many women would purchase hats in the Spring time.  They could wear their new hat on Derby Day, but also on Easter. It was not just a time for women...

Holy Baptism and the Easter Season “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might...

Hope Springs Eternal?  No, A Living and Eternal Hope “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3 Opening day of the...

The Passion of our Lord According to the Hymnwriter   “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a...

Now You Are the Body of Christ For the body does not consist of one member but of many…If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.  Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 1 Corinthians 1:14, 26-27 There are numerous metaphors that...

Sharing John 3:16 Everywhere For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 The name Rollen Stewart may be unknown to you. However, if you watched any sporting event in the 1980’s you...