This Sunday's worship service will include the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead as recorded in John 11. In the midst of that account is a simple two-word verse that many students often request for a memory verse: "Jesus wept." (John 11:35)

Have you ever ordered something online thinking that it looked one way, only to open the package and be disappointed by what it actually looked like in person?

This coming Sunday we'll hear the account of Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman at the well. She is the one who was married five times and was living with someone who wasn't her husband. When Jesus shared with her that He knew that information, she immediately called him a Prophet.

If you're watching our Lenten Video Devotions available each weekday on our website, YouTube Channel, and facebook page, you know that we have been focusing on giving a blessing for Lent (well, not just for Lent, but for each season of life). What is the greatest blessing you can give?

With the recent warm spell melting the snow in my yard, I find myself looking out at a mess of leaves, twigs, mud, and, being a dog owner... I have a choice at this point. I can either clean it up or just leave it and hope that strong winds will do all the cleaning for me. Unfortunately, that probably won't happen, so if I do not wish to inhibit the growth of my lawn and other plants, I'll have to clean things up.

During this weekend's worship services we'll hear the account of our Lord's Transfiguration when He took Peter, James, and John with Him up a mountain where His appearance was totally changed to reveal His divine nature. Moses and Elijah appeared and were talking with Him, as Luke puts it, "about His departure, which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem." You may recall that Peter didn't want the moment to end, but suggested the construction of three shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah because it was good to be there.

This weekend's readings remind us of our responsibility as God's people to let our light shine. One of the ways we do that is by offering an alternative to what has become common in our world.

I have to admit that before one of our worship services begins I often sneak a peek over at the Crunch Fitness lot to see how the number of cars in that lot compares to ours.

Recently, I've been sharing a devotion during my visits that is titled, "Taking Christmas with Us." It's based on Mary pondering everything in her heart rather than just going on from one thing to the next and forgetting the lasting significance of what the Lord is doing.

John the Baptist once said of Jesus, "He must become greater; I must become less." (John 3:30) As a part of that, John would encourage his followers to start following Jesus. In this weekend's Gospel, we'll hear about two of them hearing John describe Jesus as "the Lamb of God" and then following Jesus. When John's disciples asked Jesus, "Where are You staying?" He invited them to come and see.

Have you ever had a life changing experience? Perhaps it was when you met the person who would become your spouse or the birth of a child. Maybe it was a job change that opened up new opportunities.

Have you ever spent time reading about Abraham, beginning in Genesis chapter 12? One thing Abraham does quite often is build an altar to the Lord. He doesn't just build one altar in one spot and then be done with it. He builds several altars in several locations. But why?

On the Church calendar, we are nearing the end of the Church Year, and the readings for the next few weeks will invite us to think about the End Times and being prepared for Jesus' return.

When you think about it, we each have our personal end time in the sense that, unless Jesus returns first, we will die. Are you prepared for that?

Sometimes, an account in the Bible skips over a lot of years in a few verses. Such is the case with the account of Moses.

Last Saturday, I enjoyed a family gathering hosted by my oldest daughter Marissa which coincided with Trick or Treat in her neighborhood. I always find it enjoyable to see the wide variety of costumes on display. Some obviously want to have a costume unlike anyone else is wearing. Others want to mimic their favorite character from a movie, a book, or sports. But when it's over, the costume comes off and it's back to being yourself.

It is customary not only in the Lutheran Church but in many Protestant denominations to observe the Reformation on the last Sunday of October. While many associate the Reformation with Martin Luther nailing the 95 theses (statements for debate) to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517 (the eve of All Saints' Day), that was perhaps the public start of a movement that had been brewing for some time and would continue for years to come.