I've had an Epiphany!

Artwork: Christ Carrying the Cross Artist: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Worship Theme: The mind is a powerful tool, capable of reasoning its way to much success and many great things. The human mind knows how to guard the bottom line. The mind knows what is most cost effective. The mind can quickly determine the most reasonable course of action. But our brains, despite all their vaunted wisdom, cannot find their way to the cross. The cross is incomprehensible to human wisdom. One man, the God-man, dies for the sins of all men?! It is only when our fear and trust is in the Lord that we can know his great mercy and understand how that mercy affects us now and forever. Old Testament: Genesis 12:1-8 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those wh...

Luke 14:1 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 12 Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or ...

Christ In Our Home Devotions 16th Sunday after Pentecost Count the cost 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 heave...

Last week we heard Jesus say, “Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” This Sunday we hear, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” And this theme really runs throughout the entire Bible. We could call this “the Great Reversal.” God turns things upside down – or really, right side up – from what we experience in our world. We find this Great Reversal elsewhere in Scripture. For instance, Mary, in her Magnificat, says of God: “He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate.” Both James and Peter, in their epistles, quote the same verse from Proverbs when they write: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” And so this same principle that holds true in the kingdom of God is stated here by Jesus in our text for today: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who hum...

Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence, and do not claim a place among great men; it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here," than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman. Proverbs 25:6–7 While these words might sound like nothing more than ancient advice for dining with royalty, they reflect a deeper truth of Scripture. It's better for us to humbly wait to be exalted than to exalt ourselves. Unfortunately, that's not always so easy for us to do. If we are good at something, we want everyone else to notice and give us the proper recognition. If we put a lot of work into a task or project, we want to be praised. Sadly, at times this attitude can even infect our spiritual lives. "Lord, you sure are lucky to have me working in your kingdom!" We see the exact opposite in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Even though he was the King of the universe, he didn't come into our world to seek praise and honor. Instead he came to ser...

I would like to share the Ministry of Epiphany Sunday School with you. To start let’s read Proverbs 22, verse 6: ‘Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.’ Epiphany offers a Sunday School that is open to all: 1. For kids that don’t attend WLS, Sunday School assists parents with giving their children a good knowledge of the Biblical narrative, both the Old and New Testaments. 2. For kids that attend WLS, Sunday School reinforces what the kids are learning at WLS, and assists parents with giving their children a good knowledge of the Biblical narrative, both the Old and New Testaments. • Note that for all kids, Sunday School assists parents. The most effective teachers are parents. Each week the kids are given a lesson sheet used in class, and that they can take home. Ask your kids for it so you can see and discuss what they’ve learned. Also, please let Pastor or the Sunday School k...

Artwork: Christ Teaches Humility Artist: Robert Scott Lauder Worship Theme: “Hey, that’s my seat!” School children get in fights day after day, arguing over their special place. Adults look and laugh, and yet we do the same in life when we take pains to assure that we get what’s coming to us – at work, at home, among friends and family – and that everybody sees and knows how important we are. But in these lessons we are reminded that our King is coming, the Almighty Ruler of the universe, Jesus Christ, next to whom, because of sin, we are nothing and deserve the lowest place. But, because of His love for us, Jesus invites us to the place of honor. Old Testament: Proverbs 25:6 Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence, and do not claim a place among great men; 7 it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here," than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman. 1. Why does the author tell us to be careful about exalting ourselves before the King? ...