I've had an Epiphany!

Artwork: The Return of the Prodigal Son Artist: Giovanni Francesco Barbieri The lost son returns impoverished to his father's home. His father is genuinely happy to see him and does not mind that the son has wasted his share of the inheritance. This early work of Guercino shows the moment when the son receives a fine set of clothes. Worship Theme: Today we see the sincerity of our Savior’s love. God’s mercies are always waiting for us. God is anxious to forgive us. He pleads that we come to him and be saved. Such constant and free forgiveness doesn’t make sense to human logic. But God’s ways are greater than our ways. If his grace weren’t so great, it couldn’t cover all of our sins. We rejoice in God’s amazing grace which always gives forgiveness for all sins! Old Testament: Judges 10:6 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram , the gods of Sidon , the gods of Moab , the gods of the Ammon...

Christ In Our Home Devotions 4th Sunday in Lent God’s grace to us is amazing. 1. Make the sign of the cross over yourself and say: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 2. Pray Luther’s Morning or Evening Prayer: I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger. Keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please you. Into your hands I commend my body and soul and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have graciously kept me this day. Forgive me all my sins, and graciously keep me this night. Into your hands I commend my body and soul and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen. 3. Pray the Lord’s Prayer: Our Father in h...

Psalm 23 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Death is an uninvited visitor in our homes. Death is unwelcome intruder in our lives. Yet death has barged in once again! Sadly, you knew this day was coming, but you thought you had more time with Jean. But cancer claimed another victim. When one of our Epiphany church members asked how Jean died, I answered, “Cancer.” His simple response was “Stupid cancer.” Jean’s cancer was an...

Woe to the ones who are longing for the day of the Lord ! What good is the day of the Lord for you? It will be a day of darkness and not light. (Amos 5:18) I’m not totally comfortable admitting this, but because I trust all of you so completely, I’ll publicly confess it. In my earlier days I was an unabashed fan of “The Lone Ranger.” Countless times I turned on our old black and white to KWGN, channel 2 in Denver, Colorado. For, “nowhere in those sterling pages of yesteryear can one find a greater champion of justice. We turn again to those thrilling days when out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver. For the Lone Ranger rides again!” In every episode, 29 minutes and 30 seconds into the half-hour program, somebody would inevitably ask the question, “Who was that Masked Man?” Here was someone who was in the clutches of death—inches from total annihilation without a pistol—or in a prison or certainly in a pinch or a pickle, and the Lone Ranger ...

Luke 13:31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, "Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you." 32 He replied, "Go tell that fox, 'I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.' 33 In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day-- for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem ! 34 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" I used to raise chickens as a child on my parents’ farm. We had three chicken coops full. One coop was full of Leghorns which were good for laying eggs. The second coop was full of Rhod...

Christ In Our Home Devotions 3rd Sunday in Lent Our Lenten journey must be one of repentance. 1. Make the sign of the cross over yourself and say: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 2. Pray Luther’s Morning or Evening Prayer: I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger. Keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please you. Into your hands I commend my body and soul and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have graciously kept me this day. Forgive me all my sins, and graciously keep me this night. Into your hands I commend my body and soul and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen. 3. Pray the Lord’s Prayer: ...