Pastor's Blog

October 2023

Remarkable Statements

Jesus made some remarkable statements during his public ministry. To his Jewish audiences his words in Matthew 12:42 must have seemed ridiculous. He said, “The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.”

King Solomon reigned during the height of Jewish power. The wealth that Solomon accumulated is beyond comprehension. (Check 1 Kings 10:14-29 for a list. For example, he annually received 666 talents of gold — 25 tons! But that is just one verse.) When Jesus said that one greater than Solomon had arrived, his Jewish audience must have gone silent in shock and then broke out into laughter.

But Jesus wasn’t exaggerating. His worldly wealth may not have compared to Solomon’s, but Jesus had wealth that surpassed all of Solomon’s wealth. Jesus freely gave away God’s love! To those who trusted in Jesus, he gave access to God’s love for all eternity. Access to Solomon’s wealth may seem like the best road; but Jesus’ wealth is what we really need. Jesus’ gifts make a ton of gold seem worthless. You know Jesus; enjoy access to the greatest treasure the world will ever know! Enjoy it as your pray with confidence. Enjoy this treasure of God’s love as it shapes your view of the world and your view of your own life. You are called to follow and serve the Lord of Lords!

 

Pastor Aufdemberge

Pastor Kneser

Pastor Wempner

Pastor Zarling



Keep Reading >>

Everything You Need

Do you have everything you need? There always seems to be something else that we need in order to be happy. A better job. Another “toy.” A bigger nest egg.

In Psalm 34:9 David writes, “Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.”

To fear God means to trust in him. In particular it means that we trust in the descendant of King David, Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus we have full forgiveness for our sins and the promise that God will never leave us. And there’s more. David says that those who trust in the Lord – you – lack nothing! You have the best possession ever. You have the eternal promises of God. You are released from a meaningless life as a slave to sin; you belong to God and serve him daily. All the other “stuff” is small when compared to the richness that is yours in Christ Jesus. Live in the peace of knowing that you lack nothing because you know Jesus – and he knows you!

Pastor Aufdemberge

Pastor Kneser

Pastor Wempner

Pastor Zarling



Keep Reading >>

Bold Because of Jesus

Regardless of your personality type, whether you are shy or outspoken or somewhere in the middle, Christians share a common trait. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

This passage does not mean we all have the same personalities, but that we have a similar outlook. Because of Jesus Christ, we are bold to live our lives according to God’s will regardless of what our society thinks is good. We are bold to trust his promises, even when we face severe hardships. We don’t give up on God because we know that he’s always blessing his people. We are always eager to serve, because Christ’s love fills our hearts. The cross of Jesus has set us free from being timid about God. We are absolutely sure that Jesus Christ loves us. Be bold with God’s promises this week — God will keep them! Be bold to live in a way that glorifies God — he will bless you!

Pastor Aufdemberge

Pastor Kneser

Pastor Wempner

Pastor Zarling



Keep Reading >>

Older Posts >>

 

Archive

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. ~ HEBREWS 12:2 (NIV)