Burden & Blessing

In our Word of the Week, Pastor Mark Tiefel takes us through a study of marriage. Marriage is under attack from many angles in our society today. As Christians, we can get caught up in talking about all of the sins against marriage that we sometimes forget about all of the blessings. As a result, there is a growing trend of people who no longer want to pursue marriage. Our study will remind us of all of the blessings that God intends for us to enjoy in marriage. We pray that this study will help you to see how the Lord intends to bless us through marriage.

On today’s CPR episode, Mike Schierenbeck and Pastor Neal Radichel join us again to discuss part 2 in their series on Christian Stewardship. Part 1 dealt with the motivation for giving, and that really is the first step of the topic for this podcast – developing a plan for Christian Stewardship. The point of developing a plan is so that our giving will be purposeful and intentional. This begins with the understanding that we give not out of obligation or in order to earn heaven, but rather in thankfulness for all that the Lord has given to us. In this study, we will be encouraged to give as the Lord prospers us (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:2). We will also explore some of the personal challenges we face in giving as well as some ways we can talk about this important, but not always easy to talk about, subject. We pray that this study will encourage you to consider your own stewardship as you seek to express your thankfulness to the Lord for all He has done for you.

In today’s CPR, Retired Pastor Mike Schierenbeck joins Pastor Neal Radichel to discuss the topic of Christian Stewardship and specifically, what our motivation should be as we bring our tithes and offerings before the Lord. This can be a difficult topic to discuss because of the fear of giving the wrong impression that the church is all about money. However, we should discuss this topic as it shows us the privilege we have to give thanks to our God by giving back to Him from what He has so graciously given to us. In our study, we will discuss what it means to be a steward, what some of the wrong motivations are in giving, and finally, what the proper motivation should be for Christian Stewardship. We pray that this study will be a blessing to you!

In this week’s Word of the Week, Pastor Mark Tiefel takes us through a study of the word “resolution.” This is a word that is commonly used as we begin a new year. The word itself has two main meanings: to make a decision about something or to bring something to completion. We see both of these concepts at the beginning of a new year as we look at the things we want to accomplish or change. As we think about the resolutions we want to make in 2018, we will be encouraged through this study not to lose sight of the resolutions that God has made for us through our Savior Jesus. We pray that knowing what Jesus has done for you will give you a joyful outlook as you look ahead to the new year.

On today’s podcast, Pastors Rob Sauers and Nathanael Mayhew take us through a study of the Advent/Christmas hymn “Savior of the Nations, Come.” This is one of the oldest hymns in the hymnal, written in the fourth century by St. Ambrose. As we review this hymn, we will look at how this hymn is firmly based on the teachings of God’s Word in its brief description of the entire earthly ministry of our Savior. We will see how this hymn beautifully points to the person and work of Jesus for us, and we will see the benefits of continuing to sing this ancient hymn still today.

In our Word of the Week this week, Pastor Mark Tiefel takes us through a study of the date of Christmas. We are so used to celebrating Christmas on December 25th that we may not even think twice about whether or not this was the actual date of the Savior’s birth. And since our calendar is based on the birth of Jesus, we may assume that Jesus was born exactly 2017 years ago. However, there are many who believe that Jesus was born neither on December 25th nor in the year 0. So when was the Savior born? This study will take us through some of the different theories concerning the year and date of Jesus’ birth. We will also consider whether or not one has to know the exact date and year of Jesus’ birth in order to properly celebrate Christmas. May the Lord bless our study.

In today’s Bible Study, Pastors Mark Tiefel and Neal Radichel take up a study of 2 Timothy 2:1-7 with a special focus on preparation during the Advent season. In this section, the Apostle Paul gives Timothy encouragement for carrying out his ministry by giving him three illustrations – a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. As we unpack these illustrations, we’ll see how this instruction also encourages us as we prepare for the coming of our Savior. May the Lord bless our study of His Word.

During the Month of December, our Word of the Week will focus on different words associated with Christmas. This week, Pastor Rob Sauers considers whether or not Christmas is a “Pagan Holiday.” You will occasionally run into Christians who don’t like to celebrate Christmas because they believe the celebration is pagan in origin. We will briefly consider whether or not that claim is true and whether or not that matters at all to our celebration of the Savior’s birth. We pray that this study will help you consider how to respond if you are ever questioned about your celebration of Christmas.

In today’s Bible Study, Pastors Rob Sauers and Nathanael Mayhew take us through an overview of the book of 1 Timothy. 1 Timothy along with 2 Timothy and Titus are referred to as the Pastoral Epistles. These are letters the Apostle Paul wrote to individual pastors to encourage them and instruct them in their ministry. Though the letters are written to pastors, there is plenty of practical application to be found for everyone as we’ll see from our study today. May the Lord bless our study of His Word!

In today’s podcast, Pastors Nathanael Mayhew and Neal Radichel discuss the holiday we just celebrated – Thanksgiving. Though this holiday has somewhat secular roots and was not initially celebrated in American Lutheranism, we certainly do well to set time aside during this holiday to remember to give thanks to God for all of His blessings. Often when we think of those blessings, we think of physical blessings like food, clothing, and shelter, but there are many other things for which we can and should give thanks. Using the Apostles Creed as a guide, this study will discuss the first, second, and third article blessings we receive from God. We pray that this will be an encouragement to you to give thanks to the Lord every day.