I've had an Epiphany!

Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. 17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of...

Worship Theme: The Savior’s Sermon: Live a holy life! Jesus came to free us from sin. He did not come to free us to sin. The commands in the lessons today remind us just how holy our God is, and their dire warnings remind us just how holy he wants us to be. Old Testament:   2 Samuel 11:1 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem . 2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 5 The woman c...

What frightens you? Is it topophobia – the fear of speaking in public? Or perhaps – arachnophobia – the fear of spiders? Or could it be acrophobia – the fear of heights? Those are all pretty popular fears. You are a rare person if there is not something that sends a cold shiver down your spine. The greatest fear of all is living a life without God. It is living apart from God now so that we live apart from Him for all eternity. Truthfully, I can think of nothing that could possibly be more frightening! Listen this Sunday as our WLS children sing a South African hymn entitled, “We Are Singing for the Lord is Our Light.” It is a paraphrase of Psalm 27. Our children are not afraid of the devil or death or separation from God. Why not? Because they know that the Lord is the Light of their salvation. He is the Light shining in the darkness of this sinful world. He is the Light that burst forth from the tomb on Easter morning and continues to shine for all eternity. Join ...

Matthew 5:1-12 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. ...

Artwork: Sermon on the Mount Artist: Cosimo Rosselli Cosimo Rosselli (1439-1507) was an Italian painter who was born in Florence , Italy . As a young, aspiring artist, Rosselli painted several altar-pieces for various churches in Florence . He was employed to paint frescoes in churches at Fiesole and Lucca . He must have gained a reputation and a following from his frescoes. In 1480, Rosselli was one of the painters called by Pope Sixtus IV to decorate the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican . Other well known masters such as Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and others were also invited. Three of Rosselli’s frescoes adorn the Sistine Chapel: the Descent from Mount Sinai , the Last Supper , and the Sermon on the Mount . Some art scholars believe that Rosselli’s work is inferior to the works of the other illustrious masters who have paintings in the famous chapel. They believe him to be weak in his drawing and imagination, with many of his figures create...

Isaiah 9:1-2 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan-- 2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. In 1789 when the Bastille, the castle-like prison in Paris , was about to be destroyed, a long-term inmate was brought out. He had lived in his gloomy cell for many, many years. Sadly, instead of welcoming his liberty, the man begged to be taken back to his cell. Unaccustomed to the sunlight, he had only one desire – to die in the murky dungeon that had held him captive for so long. No, not everybody wants to be in the light. Sadly, we live in an age where many people wish to continue to live in their self-imposed darkness of sin and unbelief. On January 22, 1973 the Supreme Court made its rulin...