I've had an Epiphany!

Luke 9:51–62 51 When the days were approaching for him to be taken up, Jesus was determined to go to Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers ahead of him. They went and entered a Samaritan village to make preparations for him. 53 But the people did not welcome him, because he was determined to go to Jerusalem. 54 When his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them. “You don’t know what kind of spirit is influencing you. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s souls, but to save them.” Then they went to another village. 57 As they went on the way, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 He said to another man, “Follow me!” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury th...

Artwork: The Repentance of Nineveh Artist: John Martin Worship Theme: Following seems easy. We just go behind the person in front of us. But following Jesus daily for our whole lives requires endurance. It is a struggle between our old and new selves. Old Testament: Jonah 3:3-4:4 3 So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh just as the word of the Lord had commanded. Now Nineveh was a great city to God. It required a three-day walk. 4 Jonah walked through the city for a day, and he called out, “Forty more days and Nineveh is going to be overthrown!” 5 The men of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least. 6 When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh. By the decree of the king and his leading officials: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything. ...

Luke 9:18–24  18 One time when Jesus was praying alone and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 They answered, “‘John the Baptist,’ but others say, ‘Elijah,’ and others say ‘one of the ancient prophets come back to life.’” 20 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” 21 He gave them a strict command not to tell this to anyone. 22 He said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law. He must be killed and be raised on the third day.” 23 Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. (2 Peter 1:2) Two months ago, my wife, Shelley, and I took our dau...

Artwork: Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife Artist: Guido Reni Date: 1630 Worship Theme: Is faithfulness to Christ worth the trouble it brings? The life of faith is lived in a godless world, and it is therefore certain to be met with persecution. Like our Suffering Savior, we too bear his cross in our daily interactions with the unholy trio. The Lord, however, uses these persecutions suffered for the sake of the Gospel to refine us into the pure, precious metal of his children. Strengthened through the means of grace, we boldly confess Jesus as the Christ in the face of any persecution or trouble. The Church prays that God in his mercy would direct the affairs of this world so that the Church might have peace, but at the same time we prepare ourselves for persecution. Old Testament: Genesis 39:6b–12, 16–23   Joseph was well built and handsome. 7 Sometime after all this, his master’s wife had her eye on Joseph, and she said, “Come, lie down with me.” 8 But he r...

Luke 7:36–50 36 A certain one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him. Jesus entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 Just then a sinful woman from that town learned that he was reclining in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 stood behind him near his feet weeping, and began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she began to wipe them with her hair while also kissing his feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would realize who is touching him and what kind of woman she is, because she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” He said, “Teacher, say it.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one who had t...