.png)
Under God
7/3/2026
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29 Having just celebrated the100th anniversary of First Lutheran, we’re all ready for our nation’s 250th! Anniversaries mark important milestones in life. It can be a time for reflection on the past, thanksgiving, and looking ahead to the future.
Our Calling
6/25/2026
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:37-39 Following Jesus can lead us into a whole new way of life. It often involves forsaking the self and all our sinful dreams, goals and ambitions. It brings about new behaviors, actions, attitudes and character. To follow Jesus, we need to embrace God’s ways.
We Can Trust in Jesus
6/18/2026
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise.” (Matthew 7:24) We had a wild week of Bible adventures this past week with our Vacation Bible School! Our theme was “True North”, which took us on an imaginary trip to Alaska to learn the truths of our faith in God. Each day had a special theme and characters. At our daily opening we heard from various “buddies” (animal characters) where we learned Bible Points and verses, practiced memory work, and sang super songs.
A Father's Blessing
6/17/2026
Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept aloud. Genesis 27:38 Father’s Day is just a week away. Are you ready? Compared to the holiday honoring moms, many would agree that Father’s Day just doesn’t carry the same oomph.Years ago, I heard that AT&T saw the highest call volume of the year on Mother’s Day. Father’s Day had its own record; it had the most “collect calls.”While collect calls might be a bit outdated today, the number of calls – or texts, might not be all that different. Both moms and dads are important and needed, just appreciated in different ways. The Bible lifts up the role of fathers, especially their high calling.
Follow Me
6/16/2026
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9 NIV Two words, “follow me”, were life altering for Matthew the tax collector. In an instant, Matthew, also known as Levi, leaves his lucrative, safe life behind and joins this itinerant preacher on an adventure that will change him, and the whole world. In first-century Jewish society, tax collectors were reviled as traitors, extortionists, and outcasts who gouged their own people to line their pockets and the coffers of the occupying Roman Empire. No 'respectable' rabbi would ever associate with a man like Matthew – but Jesus did.
Know Doubt
6/16/0226
“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.” Matthew28:16-17 NIV Doesn’t it seem odd that after all the time the disciples spent with Jesus, some of them still doubted? Jesus doesn’t reprimand them for their doubts, instead he shows them grace, knowing they are struggling to process everything they have experienced. Sometimes the Gospel is so wonderful that it can be hard to really believe it is all true. Do you have any doubts? We all know doubt. It is normal and healthy to be skeptical of things, and not just believe everything you are told. God gave us a mind to discern, to think, question, and trust. Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is a companion on our spiritual journey. (Unbelief is the opposite of faith.)
Spiritual Gifts
6/16/2026
“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 NIV Wear RED this Sunday! Pentecost Sunday is a major Christian holiday that takes place 50 days after Easter and is known as the "Birthday of the Church." This Sunday, we will commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus,empowering them to begin their public ministry. We read about it in Acts 2, when Jesus’ followers were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish festival of Shavuot. Suddenly, a sound like a violent wind filled the room, and what appeared to be "tongues of fire" rested on each of them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking indifferent languages, allowing them to share the Gospel with people from all nations who were visiting the city.
Messianic Psalm
6/16/2026
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Psalm 22:1a Most of us are familiar with Psalm 23 – “The Lord is my shepherd…” But do you know Psalm 22? It was written by King David as he struggled in anguish, feeling isolated from God, and mocked by his enemies. This profound prayer of anguish mysteriously transitions into a song of absolute triumph. It contains prophetic imagery of the crucifixion, which Jesus quoted on the cross before his death, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Does that sound familiar? The Good News is that suffering is not the end of the story. For Christians, it ties directly into the theology of the cross and the resurrection—where apparent defeat, abandonment, and death are turned into ultimate victory, salvation, and eternal life. Join us this Sunday as we dig deeper into this Messianic Psalm and unpack its secrets!
Thank You Mom
5/12/2026
The Bible tells stories of a lot of different parents – mothers and fathers. Some were good, some were better, and some were very bad! The Bible doesn’t hide the bad stuff. In fact, there are some juicy stories of manipulative parents and rebellious kids throughout the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. These stories help us understand ourselves, and how God works through imperfect people to do His will in the world. This Sunday we’re going to focus on some of those moms in the Bible, and also some other women who were models of faith and faithfulness in a broken world. God used them to do powerful things. We could use some heroes today, and the Bible gives these to us to learn from. It might even help reveal to us some heroes we have around us today, who we can be thankful for.
Looking Forward
5/1/2026
I did take a week off at the end of the month, for a much needed break! One way I like to recharge is to go farming. It is spring, so my brother was happy to have me help him with planting and some other chores back in Minnesota. I rediscovered muscles I had forgotten about ! It is good to be back, and more than that, it is also good to be looking forward again. We’ve got a lot coming up, too: things like Mother’s Day, Vacation Bible School, Father’s Day, String Camp, and building a new playground! The future is exciting, and it is here! Let’s continue to press on, moving forward toward the goal, putting our faith in God, and fulfill that calling God has given us to reach people here in West Palm Beach!
Hopes and Dreams
4/14/2026
We made it, one hundred years! This weekend is going to be a wonderful party to celebrate all that God has done in, through and among all of us at First Evangelical, and now, with Holy Cross and all the ministries onsite. Are you excited? I am!!! As we look back over the last one hundred years, we will hear the stories, share memories, and sing about God’s grace. We also have the opportunity to look forward, into the future. We are already making memories! We are already changing lives with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Praise God!
Take Away the Stone
3/23/2026
“Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. John 11:38Lazarus is dead. Dead-dead. Jesus approaches the tomb of His friend not with cold detachment, but with deep emotional anguish, a "groaning" in His spirit. Jesus isn’t distant from our pain, not aloof and unconcerned, he is fully aware of the agony of our loss and our fear of death. There is something standing between us and hope, a great big rock we call death. Jesus came to remove that barrier, and thankfully it wasn’t too heavy for him! In a few weeks we will be retelling that familiar redemption story of a different tomb, and a stone that had been rolled away.
Now I See
3/13/2026
A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” John 9:24-25 The familiar hymn, "Amazing Grace" was written in 1772 by John Newton, a former English slave ship captain turned Anglican minister. Following a near-death experience in a violent sea storm in 1748, Newton began a spiritual conversion, eventually abandoning his past as a "wretch" to advocate for the abolition of slavery. Written for a 1773 New Year’s Day sermon, the hymn reflects Newton’s personal journey from a life of sin (including involvement in the slave trade) to redemption. He worked alongside William Wilberforce to abolish the slave trade in the British Empire. Can you even imagine a hymnal without this hymn?
Living Water
3/6/2026
“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? John 4:11The Samaritan woman looked at the physical situation—a deep well, no bucket—and couldn't fathom how Jesus could provide water. We often do the same. When facing overwhelming circumstances, we fixate on our lack of resources, our "shallow bucket," or the "deep well" of our problems, forgetting that Jesus does not need our conventional, human tools to quench our thirst, meet our needs. The woman isn’t too proud to ask Jesus, "Where can you get this living water?". The surprise answer is that Jesus himself is the source. He doesn't draw from the world's supply; Jesus brings us new life from within.
No Condemnation
2/27/2026
16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 We’re all familiar with the famous passage in the Bible, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world…” It is a beautiful passage filled with the hope and joy that the Gospel brings us. But I’ve always been fascinated by the verse that follows it. Verse 17 is just as important, as it clarifies a problem we all have - feelings of guilt and shame, of condemnation. Sometimes I meet a person who doesn’t really know and understand God’s character very well. When they hear “God so loved the world” they will often respond with: “but God can’t love me.” Somehow, in their mind, God’s love is only for “good people”, and they aren’t good enough. Are you one of those people?
