On Nostalgia
Lutherans are ordinarily not a triumphalistic people, unless we’re at an event with the word “district” or “synod” in the title, so when…
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An Easter Monday Conversation Between Mr. Z. And His Pastor
The following dialogue translation is from the August 16, 1904 issue of Der Lutheraner, the Missouri Synod’s German language predecessor to the Lutheran…
The Tenth Sunday after Trinity – “What Makes for Peace”
The Tenth Sunday after Trinity August 24, 2014 “What Makes for Peace” Luke 19:41-48 Click here to listen to…
A Reading from the Book of Concord – Ninth Sunday after Trinity
As managers of God’s means of grace (1 Cor. 4:1), pastors have nothing of their own to give or withhold. They are not…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: Baptism
Part III, Article V. Of Baptism. 1] Baptism is nothing else than the Word of God in the water, commanded by His institution,…
A Reading From The Book Of Concord – Eighth Sunday after Trinity
Why does Jesus tell us to “Beware of false prophets?” These “ravenous wolves,” regardless of their pious appearance and stated intent, are destructive…
The Eighth Sunday after Trinity – “Beware of False Prophets”
The Eighth Sunday after Trinity July 26, 2015 “Beware of False Prophets” Matthew 7:15-23 Click here to listen to…
A Reading From The Book Of Concord – Seventh Sunday after Trinity
Whether four thousand gathered in a desolate place, or a few hundred (or even two or three) gathered around Jesus to hear Him…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: The Gospel
Part III, Article IV. Of the Gospel. We will now return to the Gospel, which not merely in one way gives us counsel…
The Seventh Sunday after Trinity – “Food for Body and Soul”
The Seventh Sunday after Trinity July 14, 2013 “Food for Body and Soul” Mark 8:1-9 Click here to listen…
Denver Creation Conference Videos are now available
Dear Readers of BJS, I had the opportunity to present on the state of creation and evolution in the LCMS this past spring. …
A Day is a Day is a Day
I had the privilege to attend the 2019 LCMS Convention as a lay voting delegate for New England District Circuit Three. During the…
Old Truths About Marriage
The following translation was the lead article for the January 25, 1910 issue of Der Lutheraner, the Missouri Synod’s German predecessor to the…
The Sixth Sunday after Trinity – “Baptism, Dying, and Rising”
The Sixth Sunday after Trinity July 8, 2018 “Baptism, Dying, and Rising” Romans 6:3-11 Click here to listen audio…
The Fifth Sunday after Trinity – “Defending the Faith”
The Fifth Sunday after Trinity July 1, 2018 “Defending the Faith” 1 Peter 3:8-15 Click here to listen audio…
A Reading From The Book Of Concord – Fifth Sunday after Trinity
Christ calls men to go into the world to fish for men and make them part of His kingdom in the Holy Christian…
A Reading From The Book Of Concord – Fourth Sunday after Trinity
Good works and the suffering of Christ and the Christian go hand in hand, indeed they are “the firstfruits” of the Spirit of…
Fourth Sunday after Trinity – “The Glory to be Revealed in Us”
Fourth Sunday after Trinity June 24, 2018 “The Glory to be Revealed in Us” Romans 8:18-23 Click here to…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: Repentance
Part III, Article III. Of Repentance. 1] This office [of the Law] the New Testament retains and urges, as St. Paul, Rom. 1:18…
Trinity Three Sermon – “Father’s Day”
Trinity Three Sermon June 17, 2018 “Father’s Day” Luke 15:11-32 CLICK this link to listen to audio of this…
A Reading From The Book Of Concord – Third Sunday after Trinity
This is how and where God the Son “receives sinners and eats with them”—He pours out God the Holy Spirit in the ministry…
Politically Correct or Biblically Faithful: Head of the Family
It is politically incorrect in our time for me to say with any certainty that the man is the head of the house….
A Reading From The Book Of Concord – Second Sunday after Trinity
Why doesn’t everybody go to heaven? As Jesus illustrates in the story He tells in today’s Gospel lesson, people feel they have better,…
Highlighting The Table Of Duties
One great improvement which came with Lutheran Service Book was the inclusion of the Table of Duties from Luther’s Small Catechism, which you…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: The Law
Part III, Article II. Of the Law 1] Here we hold that the Law was given by God, first, to restrain sin by…