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Harvard Medical school says that one’s gratitude is positively and consistently correlated with happiness! God’s Word says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – St Paul (Philippians 4.7) A transcendent peace, found in Jesus, surpasses “happiness” and comes as a gift from God, through Christ! We’ll…

Integrity. Do you have it? If not, do you want it? Do you know how to get it, if you want it!? And, lastly are you ready to pay the price for it? Do you value it highly enough to make sacrifices for it? Duplicity. The antonym of integrity, or at least an antonym of integrity is more the norm, isn’t it? Saying one thing and doing another; acting-out in secrecy and pretending in the light are all a part of the…

Did you? Could you? Would you be so frustrated, so passionate for change that you’d attend a massive rally; maybe shouting with a sign in your hand? People from around the world are protesting things like climate change, injustice, tyranny, unfairness, etc. Contrast that passion and energy with this classic “Lutheran” joke… Q: How many Lutherans does it take to change a light bulb? A: Change!? In general us Lutherans – the original Protestants/protesters – are better known today for…

The conclusion of our “Those People” worship series may likely be the most difficult to live out in Christian Love. How do we love those critical of us? Sometimes negative people express their disfavor because of their own sour spirit. For these people, there is nothing that could be done well enough. Sometimes sensitive people cannot take the least bit critique because of their own fears or insecurities. “People pleasers” chase after acceptance like a dog after his tail. Most…

Have you ever been manipulated? Have you ever manipulated another for your own ends? The obvious question begs the obvious answer, doesn’t it? “Those People” are us people. To one degree or another, we’ve all manipulated others for our own purposes.So, this Sunday’s worship focus certainly applies to us all in one way or another, at one time or another. In reviewing the Biblical narrative, we’ll find there is one instance after another of someone manipulating someone else toward their…

The Overly Needy However you define them, the overly needy person lives life like an emotional black hole. You may keep pouring the Light of hope, assistance, care or time, but it seems to be swallowed up by and almost voluntary darkness. At best they are looking for symptom relief rather than deep, substantive change. At the end of the day, the overly-needy seems to kind of befriend their plight rather than openly receive the Light. The Temptation to offer…

Labor Day Weekend has dual purpose this year for us Floridians, doesn’t it? We’ll pay tribute to American workers and thank God for their work yesterday and today. And, as the peak of hurricane season stirs, we’ll be taking precautions and laboring to prepare for a hurricane making landfall on our Florida shores. Labor Day provides a great platform to honor hardworking men and women – and we’ll use it to proclaim and distinguish the Biblical connection and distinction of…

93 billion light years wide! That’s the current estimate of the size of the universe. And, to it, God attaches his glory. It’s really big! God’s even “bigger” than that! And if you think that’s big, wait till we try to explain, define and examine God’s Love! It’s even “bigger” than that! All summer long we’ve been invited to “get out of the boat” and walk the adventure of faith. It’s always a struggle to escape the gravitational forces of…

So, what’s a “blessing” anyway – and why would you want one!? This is the opening question for Sunday’s, “Blessing of the Backpacks” worship at 10AM! For students, backpacks are a way of life. They contain tools for learning; snacks and lunches for eating and blessings for the soul! Yes, our purpose is to provide encouragement and opportunity for blessings of the soul! Sunday’s worship will be focused entirely on the how, what, where and why of blessing our children…

The heavens are declaring the glory of God! More than simply taking up space, the majesty and magnitude of the universe tell us something about the Author of the universe. Ask this question, “What is the chance the universe formed by chance?” Mathematical professor at Oxford University, Roger Penrose says, “that it is a number that would be impossible to write out in the usual decimal way, because even if you were able to put a zero on every particle…