I've had an Epiphany!

Worship Theme: Jesus will raise us from death to life. The crown jewel of the coming kingdom is the resurrection of the dead. One day, Jesus will defeat the last enemy (1 Corinthians 15:27 ) and life will reign again in our new Eden with God. On our Lenten walk to Calvary , the Church sees the Savior come face to face with death and defeat it completely. During our Lenten walk, we ask God to help us remember that Jesus, who is resurrection and life, has made us heirs of eternal life. Old Testament:   2 Kings 4:18-37 The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 "My head! My head!" he said to his father. His father told a servant, "Carry him to his mother." 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon , and then he died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out. 22 She called her husband and said, "P...

The tomb is empty! He is risen! Celebrate! Bring your whole family and celebrate Jesus’ resurrection with us at our Easter Family Fest! ·            The whole family is invited. ·            An award-winning movie for the adults. ·            An animated video for the children. ·            A craft for all ages. Easter Family Fest Saturday, April 12th 10:00-11:30 am at Epiphany Lutheran Church, 2921 Olive St, Racine No registration needed. Light refreshments will be provided. Plus a free gift for each family who attends! 

Triumph at the Cross Midweek Lent Galatians 6:14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. HE did this for ME?! Boasting of the Cross   Has this ever happened to you?  You’re hungry for an apple.  You go to the fridge.  You find the shiniest, smoothest, plumpest Macintosh apple you can find.  You grip it between your fingers.  Open your mouth wide.  Sink your teeth into the fruit almost down to the core.  And then the horror hits you with an explosion of disgustingness in your mouth.  It’s rotten.  Your facial expression turns so horrified it would make your mother worried.  You purge the rotten nastiness out of your mouth as quickly as you can, not caring where it lands.  And for the next ten eternal seconds your body shivers and convulses at the thought of what just happened.  An apple has never gone from one’...

Long before Mel Gibson brought the horror and brutality of Christ’s passion to the movie screen in “The Passion of the Christ,” Matthias Grunewald brought the horror and brutality of Christ's passion to his altarpiece. In order to understand “The Crucifixion” by Grunewald, you must first understand the background of this unique work of art. “The Crucifixion,” which is part of the Isenheim Altarpiece was commissioned by the Antonites. The Antonites were a hospital order of medieval monks that devoted themselves to the care of people in the tiny hamlet of Isenheim. In the 1500s, that care consisted primarily of treating patients who were afflicted with a terrible skin disease called “St. Anthony’s fire,” or ergotism, which was caused by rye fungus. This disease caused serious convulsive symptoms including painful seizures and spasms, as well as visible and painful pustules and open wounds. The Antonites would construct temporary hospitals at all the major trade junctions af...

John 9:1-7,13-17,34-39 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 6 Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 7 "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. …   13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. "H...

Worship Theme: Jesus calls us from sinful selfishness to selfless service. We can view the world from the perspective of selfishness or selflessness. Selfishness puts self before all and leads to favoritism, pride and envy. Repentance, however, means despairing of self, trusting in Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice and leading lives of selfless service modeled after our Savior who came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for us.   Old Testament:   Genesis 37:1-11 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. 2 This is the account of Jacob. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that...

Midweek Lent   2014                            Philippians 3:18   Enemies of the Cross by Pastor David Wierschke For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears,  many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. As we look to the Cross this Lent we realize the people of this world have many different reactions to it. Tonight we consider those who are Enemies of the Cross . Now an “enemy” is someone or something who can hurt you, you have to watch out for and guard against an enemy.  To just fill out that picture imagine yourself being dropped off in the deepest, darkest wilds of Africa. What would you consider the greatest enemy who would come against you? Now it has been a few years since I have been to the zoo, and I’ve forgotten the names of lots of animals since then  – so I could mayb...

Romans 4:1-5,13-17 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about-- but not before God. 3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. … 13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspr...