Jesus tells a parable about a vineyard owner who leased his property to tenants. 

At harvest time, he sent servants to collect his portion of the fruit, but the tenants beat and killed them. 

Finally, he sent his son, but they killed him too, believing they could take the inheritance.

Jesus asked, "What will the owner do? He will destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others." 

Then he quoted Psalm 118: "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."

The religious leaders knew Jesus was speaking about them, and they were trying to arrest him. 

But what's truly striking is what God was seeking to collect — not your good works or religious achievements, but your sins. 

➡️ What About Taxes?

Then, Pharisees and Herodians (normally enemies) joined forces to trap Jesus with a 

question about taxes: "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?" 

Jesus asked for a coin and said, "Whose image is on this? Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

This goes beyond just paying taxes. 

Caesar claimed divinity, putting his image on coins to assert ownership. Roman citizens idolized him.

Jesus established proper boundaries: earthly rulers have legitimate but limited authority, while God's authority is ultimate.

We make the same mistake today, turning political leaders into idols, believing our safety depends on "our side" winning. 

We forget all rulers are temporary, and God works His saving purpose even through imperfect governments — remember, Jesus "suffered under Pontius Pilate."

Whether you have a good government or bad, pray for it — but we never want to confuse which kingdom ultimately matters.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Executive Director of Missions and Theology.

➡️ Jesus curses a fig tree for bearing no fruit, even though it wasn’t fig season. At first glance, this seems unfair. 

Some interpretations:

> Creation is Broken: Some suggest the act reflects Jesus’ grief over a broken creation. 

In a perfect world (like Eden), fruit trees would always bear fruit. 

The fig tree’s barrenness symbolizes how sin has disrupted creation..

> Symbol of Israel: The fig tree also represents Israel. 

Its lack of fruit reflects the spiritual barrenness of God's people. 

This ties to what follows.

➡️ Jesus Cleanses the Temple 

Jesus enters the temple & violently clears out the money changers. 

The fig tree & the temple are likely connected.

> Fig Tree = Israel's False Peace: Like the tree, Israel gives the appearance of health but bears no spiritual fruit. 

It represents a religious system that had become transactional, abusive, and no longer a source of the forgiveness of sins. 

>Temple System Coming to an End: Jesus' actions show that the entire temple system has run its course. 

Jesus fulfills the temple, and it is no longer necessary — He is the new temple.

➡️ Faith That Moves Mountains 

What does this mean when Jesus says, “If you have faith, you can say to this mountain, ‘Be thrown into the sea,’ and it will be done?” 

> The "mountain" may symbolize the Temple Mount

It doesn’t mean God is a "vending machine" where faith is a currency to get material things.

Nor is it about manipulating God to get what you want.

The call to “move mountains” is not about miracles or material gain, but faith in Jesus. 

Prayer, then, is about aligning our hearts with God's will — seeking the kingdom and finding comfort in His promises, not worldly outcomes.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Executive Director of Missions and Theology.

Contributor Eli Lietzau is the pastor at Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #jesus

You're not alone.

Here's the truth: Boredom doesn't determine your salvation. 

The power of God's Word works regardless of how you feel about it. 

American Christianity often measures faith by emotions, but that's not the true measure of faith.

What to remember when you're bored:

✅ Your salvation isn't dependent on perfect attention or emotional experiences. 

✅ It's based on what Jesus has done for you. 

✅ The Word does what God promises, whether you feel it or not.

Practical tips:

✅ Keep showing up, even when it's boring

✅ When your mind wanders, gently bring it back

✅ Take notes during the sermon

✅ Write down distracting thoughts so you can let them go

Church might seem boring sometimes, but that repetition serves you when life is anything but boring — in hospitals, during stressful times, or when it feels like everything is falling apart. 

Recognize this struggle as one more area where you need Jesus. Even your inability to pay attention is covered by His grace.

Remember: God loves you and meets you exactly where you are — fidgety, distracted, bored and all. 

Your feelings don't determine His faithfulness.

Contributor Chris Brademeyer is Pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Oakes, ND.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Executive Director of Missions and Theology.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #church

But what does this actually mean?

Being "wise as serpents" means:

✓ Having "street smarts" and understanding how the world really works

✓ Recognizing the cruelty and dangers of a broken world

✓ Knowing when to speak up and when to remain silent

✓ Being prepared for persecution when you stand for your faith

But Jesus balances this with "innocent as doves," which means:

☑️ Maintaining your integrity even in difficult situations

☑️ Acting with kindness, gentleness, and vulnerability

☑️ Remembering your identity in Christ first and foremost

☑️ Not becoming the very thing you're fighting against

This isn't permission to lie or manipulate others "for a good cause." Instead, it's wisdom to navigate a fallen world while holding onto who you truly are in Christ.

In practice, this might mean:

→ Speaking truth with kindness rather than harshness

→ Waiting for the right moment to address difficult situations

→ Putting the best construction on others' words and actions (8th Commandment)

→ Being self-aware of both your surroundings and your own sinful tendencies

Remember: The world can be harsh and unfair, but you don't have to play by its rules. 

In Christ, we have the wisdom to see clearly and the grace to remain gentle in a world that often rewards neither.

Your baptismal identity is stronger than the world's games of power, money, and status. 

 You're forgiven. You're in Christ. You have the truth.

Contributor Matt Richard is Pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Minot, ND.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Executive Director of Missions and Theology.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #newtestament

When Genesis 15 opens, Abram faces a moment of deep uncertainty. 

God promised him descendants, land, and a savior — yet none have materialized. 

Sarah remains unable to conceive, and Abram's inheritance seems destined for his servant Eleazar. 

His heart cries out: "God, what are you doing? You've given me no offspring!"

But notice something beautiful here — Abram's doubt doesn't reflect weak faith, but rather a faith strong enough to wrestle honestly with God. 

Doubt isn't the absence of faith; it's being "double-minded" — believing God's promise while simultaneously seeing a reality that doesn't match.

We can feel like this, too — when illness lingers, when brokenness remains — we believe God's promises, yet our pain speaks a different story.

God meets Abram's doubt not with rebuke but with a profound act of grace and reassurance. 

He takes him outside to look at the stars, promising descendants too numerous to count. 

But God does more—He provides something tangible. 

Through an ancient covenant ceremony, where normally both parties would walk between cut up animals, only God passes through as a smoking fire pot and flaming torch. 

God essentially says: "These promises rest entirely on My shoulders. I will carry this or this is what will happen to me."

God still uses tangible means to bring his promises to us — through His Word joined to physical elements in the sacraments — at the communion rail and in the waters of baptism. 

Like Abram, we can trust that God is working, your story can only end one way—the way He promised.

Contributor Michelle Bauman is the Director of Y4Life.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Executive Director of Missions and Theology.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #genesis

Several kings 👑 attack other kingdoms because they didn't pay their taxes.

During this conflict, Lot (Abram's nephew) and his family are captured ⛓️.

When Abram hears about this, he gathers 318 of his men and launches a rescue mission 🏹.

They surround the enemy camp at night and free all the captives 🎉.

Though war isn't life-affirming and causes death, sometimes it's necessary to protect life.

Being a soldier isn’t a sin, but if you struggle with the weight of it, remember: Jesus came to rescue you, too ✝️.

After the battle, Abram meets a mysterious king and priest named Melchizedek 🤴.

He brings out bread 🍞 and wine 🍷 and blesses Abram.

Melchizedek’s name means “king of righteousness,” and he rules in Salem, which means peace ☮️. (Salem later becomes Jerusalem 🏰.)

Jesus is the true King of Righteousness, the Prince of Peace, who gives us bread and wine in communion — His body and blood — for the forgiveness of sins.

Your hope, even in the mess of life, is knowing that Christ holds you because the greatest battle was already fought — and won — on the cross ✝️for you.

And just like Abram met Melchizedek after his battle, you meet Jesus, your true King, who gives you everything you need — forgiveness, peace, and eternal life 🌟.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Executive Director of Missions and Theology.

Contributor Michelle Bauman is the Director of Y4Life.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #genesis

If life is supposed to be abundant, why does it sometimes feel so hard? 😔

Jesus doesn’t ignore the fact that there’s evil in the world. 💔 In the same verse, He warns about thieves who come to steal, kill, and destroy. 🏴‍☠️

But He also promises that He is the Good Shepherd, 🐑💖 the one who lays down His life for His sheep — that’s you and me. 🙌

So what does abundant life look like? 🤷‍♂️ It’s not about having an easy, problem-free existence. 🚫 Jesus never promised that.

Instead, abundant life means that even when you face struggles, pain, and doubts, ⛰️ you are never alone. 🤝 You belong to Him. 💙

Your life is so secure in Jesus that nothing — not sin, not suffering, not even death — can take it away. ✝️🔒

The church isn’t perfect; it’s full of sinners, hypocrites, and yes, even thieves and robbers. 😬⛪ But that doesn’t mean Jesus has abandoned it.

In fact, the presence of opposition only confirms that we are in the right place. 🎯🔥

The Good Shepherd is still here, speaking to us, 📖 carrying us when we fall, 🤗 and feeding us with His grace. 🍞

Abundant life isn’t about worldly success. 💰🚗🏡 It’s about knowing that Jesus died and rose for you. ✝️🌅

It’s about hope that can’t be stolen and a love that never runs out. 💛✨

No matter how dark things seem, 🌑 the Good Shepherd hasn’t left. ❤️ 

He’s right here, offering you life that even death can’t take away. 🎉

That’s real abundance. 🙌💖

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Executive Director of Missions and Theology.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #jesus

It’s something we all deal with at some point.

When battling self-hatred, it’s easy to get caught in an endless cycle of thinking about ourselves. 🔄 (The same goes with too much self-love.)

We know our mistakes and secrets better than anyone, and we assume if others knew everything, they'd hate us, too. 💔

But here's the truth: some people know us better than you realize, and they still love us. ❤️

More importantly, God knows everything about us — even things we haven't done yet — and chooses to love us anyway. ✝️💖

Remember C.S. Lewis's wisdom: "True humility isn't thinking less of yourself. It's thinking of yourself less." 🧠✨

Both excessive self-love and self-hatred keep us focused on ourselves rather than on God and others. 🙏

When self-hatred flares up, here are some things that might help:

✔️ Recognize your identity comes from outside yourself.

God calls you His beloved child. 👑💙

✔️ You're not allowed to hate what God loves, and He says you're worthy of love because Jesus paid for that love with His precious blood. 💞🩸

✔️ Talk to someone.

Don't hide your feelings. Talk to friends, parents, or pastors who can remind you of God's grace. 🗣️🤝

✔️ Seek confession and absolution.

There's a comfort in hearing someone say, "Jesus died for that. You're still loved." ✝️🤍

✔️ Look for the good God works through you.

 God not only loves you, calls you worthy of love, but then He does things worth loving through you. 🌱✨

Self-hatred is a daily battle because we sin daily, but remember this truth daily — God says you’re worthy of love and you are worth more than gold and silver. 💰💖 You are worth the precious blood He shed for you. 🩸🙏

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Executive Director of Missions and Theology.

Contributor Amelia is a college student and HT’s assistant webmaster.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #selfhatred

We might think unity comes from what we do – our efforts, programs, or activities. 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

True unity isn't something we create — it's something we receive as a gift from God. 🎁 It comes through His Word and through Jesus. ✝️

Think about Pentecost: The Holy Spirit brought thousands together not through team-building exercises, but through a simple message: 🕊️

"You're sinners. Jesus died for you. Get baptized for the forgiveness of your sins." 🌊

Fellowship also isn't about something we're doing. It points to something Jesus gives us through His Spirit, Word, and Sacraments. 🍞🍷

But if unity comes from God, why are there so many denominations? 🤷‍♀️

➡️While Jesus unites, false teachings divide. ⚔️

Unity isn't ignoring differences — it's standing together in truth. 🧩

It's like a fire drill at school. Everyone needs the same belief about what to do when the alarm rings (or it will be chaos). 🚨

Similarly, when someone faces sin and death, we need one clear message of hope through Jesus. ✝️

You might not always feel united with other Christians, just like you might not always feel close to family members. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Real unity doesn't depend on feelings. It's based on what God has already done by connecting us to Jesus when we became his children. 👶

When we're tied to Jesus as your head, you're automatically tied together with other Christians to His body - AKA, other Christians. 👐

True unity flows from receiving God's gifts together: one Lord, one faith, one baptism. 1️⃣

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Executive Director of Missions and Theology.

Contributor Marsh Shamburger is Pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Rocklin, CA.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #churchunity

🙏 When you pray "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us," that "as" is key. It means "in the same way."

💫 Your forgiveness and the forgiveness you extend to others both come from the same source — Jesus on the cross ✝️

💭 Think about it: Jesus died for everyone's sins — yours and the person who hurt you. When God forgives, it's complete.

🧹 Your sins don't just get reduced — they're erased entirely, "separated as far as east is from west." 🌎↔️🌏

❤️‍🩹 This matters because if you think forgiveness has to come from your heart, you'll always struggle.

🤷 How can you truly erase someone's debt to you when you're still hurting? You can't — but Jesus can! ✨

👀 When you look at the cross, you see two things:

1️⃣ Your sins are forgiven ✅

2️⃣ Your enemy's sins are forgiven too ✅

⚖️ The justice you're looking for already happened on the cross. Jesus took the punishment for everyone.

When your heart 💔 struggles to forgive, don't beat yourself up. Instead, look to the cross again. Remember that all forgiveness — both what you receive and what you share — comes from Jesus. ✝️

👭👬 This transforms people from enemies into brothers and sisters. We're joined together by the same gift of forgiveness. 💝

💪 So when you're finding it hard to forgive someone, remember: you don't have to create forgiveness from nothing. ⚫

Go to the cross ✝️, receive more forgiveness for yourself, and let that same forgiveness flow through you to others. 🌊

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Executive Director of Missions and Theology.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #forgiveness

For Christians, dating isn't just a recreational activity — it has purpose. 🎯 You're exploring whether this person could be a potential life partner in marriage. 💍

This means having real conversations about faith, values, and future goals. 🙏💭

Unlike what society often portrays, love isn't just a feeling — it's an action. ❤️🚶‍♂️

Real love means being willing to sacrifice for someone else. 🤲

In dating, you're discovering if this is someone you're willing to commit to, build a life with, and sacrifice yourself for. 🏗️🏠

Some practical wisdom:

▶️ Set clear boundaries. Physical affection easily crosses into territory that you might regret later. 🛑⚠️

▶️ Practice chastity — this means making choices now that lead to a healthy marriage in the future. 👑🔒

Remember that physical intimacy connects souls, not just bodies. Like fire, sex is wonderful in the right place (marriage) but destructive outside of it. 🔥

You will make mistakes. Everyone does. The good news is that Jesus offers forgiveness and grace for every sin, including against the sixth commandment. 🙌

When you mess up, don't run from God — run to Him through confession and absolution. 🏃‍♀️🙏

Confession and forgiveness are also key ingredients in a healthy marriage. 💯

One thing to look for when dating is if you will be able to forgive the person when he or she betrays you? It will happen. 🤝

Just as Christ forgives the church, so husbands and wives forgive each other. ✝️

It all builds on the forgiveness we receive in Jesus. 💖

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Executive Director of Missions and Theology.

Contributor Chris Brademeyer is Pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Oakes, ND.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #christiandating

🛍️ Think of redemption like purchase – but in this case, it's the most important purchase ever made.

🎫 Just as you might redeem a coupon at a store, Jesus redeemed you, but not with money.

❤️ Instead, He purchased you with something far more precious: His own holy and precious blood and His innocent suffering and death.

✨ Here's what makes this so incredible: your value isn't determined by what you can do or who you are.

💎 In life, things are worth what someone is willing to pay for them. (If someone is willing to pay $10K for a diamond, that's what it's worth.)

💫 By this measure, you are priceless because Jesus paid the ultimate price for you.

🤗 He saw everything about you — even the parts you might be ashamed of — and still chose to pay that enormous price.

👶 Through this redemption, God pays the price for you to become His child.

🌱 While we want to be independent, we are "owned" by God, and He gives us our identity.

🏡 We are owned by someone who cares for us, and we don't have to earn our worth.

💝 You're a precious possession that's been bought at an enormous price.

🎁 Unlike those impulse purchases we sometimes make and forget about, God cherishes you and continues to care for you.

⚓ This identity as one of God's redeemed children can't be taken away from you, even in difficult times.

🌅 While you might have painful moments, they don't change your worth or who you are.

✝️ You're someone Christ has bought with a price, someone Jesus saves. That's your permanent identity, and it's a tremendous source of comfort.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #redemption

When you look at what Jesus says about the Old Testament, it's actually quite simple — it's all about Him. 👑

Christ isn't just the center of scripture — He's actually the author of all of it, both Old and New Testaments. ✍️

You can see this connection clearly when comparing biblical events. 🔍

Take the story where Jesus calms the storm — the winds and waves recognize His voice because it's the same voice that spoke at creation in Genesis. 🌊

Or consider the cloud that appears at Jesus's transfiguration — it's the same divine presence that led the Israelites in Exodus. ☁️

If you've ever found the Old Testament puzzling (like those ancient battles or ceremonial laws), here's the key: they make sense when you see Jesus in them. 🗝️

Take David and Goliath — it's not a lesson in how to be brave. It's about God protecting the lineage that would lead to Jesus, with David's victory over Goliath echoing the promise that the Messiah would crush evil. ⚔️

Sometimes people think the Old Testament (with its wars and laws) contradicts the New Testament's message of love. But that's only if you remove Jesus from the picture. ❤️

When you keep Him at the center, you'll see remarkable consistency throughout the entire Bible. It's one unified story of salvation. 🌟

The Apostle Paul understood this. When he went to synagogues to teach about Jesus, he used the Old Testament to make his case. Why? Because all of scripture - starting with Genesis funnels into Christ. 📜

So when you read the Old Testament, Jesus invites you to look for Him in its pages. 👀

If you haven't found Jesus in an Old Testament story, you might want to take another look - because He's there, weaving together God's story of salvation for you. 🫶

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #oldtestament

Let’s break it down. ✂️

Justification is God’s completed work of saving you through Jesus’s death and resurrection. ✝️

You don’t contribute anything to it — it’s purely God’s grace through faith. 🙏  

When you’re justified, you’re declared innocent because Jesus took your punishment. ⚖️

It’s done, finished, complete. ✅

Sanctification is God’s ongoing work of making you holy through the Holy Spirit, using His Word and sacraments. 🔥📖💧  

Think of it like this: every day, the old Adam is drowned, and a new man emerges. 🌊🆕  

Must Christians do good works? Yes. Just like an apple tree naturally produces apples. 🍎🌳  

While you’re alive, you live at the intersection of these two things. 🛤️  

The key is to avoid measuring with “Is it working?” and instead ask “Is it true?” ❓✅  

Both justification and sanctification are God’s work, not yours. 🎁  

The apparent tension between them exists because we live in the “now and not yet” — the time between Christ’s resurrection and our own. ⏳✝️  

When you want assurance about your justification, don’t look at yourself — look at Jesus’s death and resurrection. 👀✝️  

The same goes for sanctification. 🙌  

The best place to measure your sanctification isn’t by looking at yourself but at the communion rail and baptismal font, where God gives His gifts to forgive sinners. 🍞🍷💦  

Think of sanctification in action as the church at work: sinners encouraging and forgiving each other, proclaiming the cross to one another, hearing absolution from their pastor. ⛪❤️✝️  

It’s God’s daily work in you, making you holy through His Word and sacraments, shaping you into what He declared “good” at creation. 🌍✨  

Both justification and sanctification are true, both are yours, and both are God’s gifts to you. 🎁🙌  

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #justification

🙏 Repentance isn't just about feeling sorry for your sins.

It's a two-part process that includes:

💔 Contrition (acknowledging your wrongs)

✨ Hope (faith in God's mercy)

🌟 In other words, when you repent, you're not just feeling guilty; you're trusting that God will forgive you.

💭 Think of it like this: If you break something valuable and know the punishment will be severe, you might try to blame others — the dog, gravity, or circumstances.

➡️ But real repentance means admitting your fault (not blaming anyone else) because you believe in God’s truth and mercy.

⚖️ When you're exposed to the law, it produces contrition — you recognize where you've fallen short.

🙏When you hear the gospel, it creates hope — you trust in His forgiveness.

🌱 Both these responses might be imperfect in this life, and that's okay.

⚓ You don't need to measure how sorry you feel or how strong your faith is. Instead, focus on Christ, who rose from the grave.

🎯 The importance of repentance lies in giving you somewhere to take your sins. You shouldn't have them, but since you do, Jesus gives you a place to take them.

⛪ Through baptism, communion, and the church, you have concrete places to receive this forgiveness.

🌅 Rather than trying to bury your sins or become numb to them (which doesn't solve the underlying problem), you can bring them to Jesus.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #repentance 

The answer isn't simple, but here's the key: Christianity teaches you to love others while being clear about right and wrong. ❤️💫

Think about it like this: When you love someone, you want what's best for them. 🌟

Sometimes it means speaking up when they're hurting themselves or others. 🗣️

It's like seeing a friend about to drink rat poison — true love means stopping them, even if they get angry at you in the moment. ⚠️

Your approach will vary based on your relationship with the person. 🤝

You'll talk differently to your best friend than to a stranger about their choices. 👥

If someone is struggling with a problem and feels guilty about it, they need your compassion and support. 🫂

If they're deliberately causing harm and don't care, they need to hear hard truths, (aka, the law). ⚖️

Remember that Christianity doesn't teach you to hate people, but it does teach to be discerning about behaviors and ideas that cause harm. 💭

You can disagree with someone's actions while still treating them with dignity and respect. 🙏

The goal isn't to win arguments or prove you're right; it's to help people understand God's love and forgiveness. ✝️

It's important to have real conversations with people, not just shout opinions from a distance, (aka, the internet). 💻

Sit down, listen, and talk one-on-one. Share your concerns from a place of genuine care, not judgment. 👂❤️

And remember that everyone is imperfect and needs grace. 🕊️

So yes, there are some places where Christianity will make you intolerant of certain things. There is never a place where Christianity should rob you of compassion. 💖✨

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Chris Brademeyer is Pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Oakes, ND.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #christianintolerance

⏰ It's a reality we all must confront, even though we often get caught up in our daily routines and become numb to this truth.

✝️ But here's the beautiful thing – Jesus offers you profound comfort and peace about death.

🗣️ Remember when Jesus held intimate conversations with his disciples? He emphasized being alert and awake, not just about his second coming, but about the reality of our mortality.

⚰️ The early church had a saying: "memento mori" (remember your death). This doesn't mean YOLO! 🎉

⚖️ Instead, it's about confronting the fact that you will be judged. So, go to the place where you will be judged: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

⛪ Where is that? Church.

🎵 Every single week the church prepares you to die because it teaches you your funeral hymn.

👶 In Luke 2, when Simeon held the baby Jesus, he said he could now "depart in peace" because he had seen salvation.

🙌 (Here's the cool part: We sing these very words every week in our liturgy!)

🕊️ This is the peace Jesus offers you — the assurance that death isn't the end, but a transition to being with Him.

🍷 Through communion, you participate in what Jesus called "the marriage feast of the lamb."

🍞 Each time you receive His body and blood, you're reminded that you can depart in peace because your sins are forgiven, and where Jesus is, you will be also.

⚔️ Jesus's message about death is an invitation to rest in the assurance that He has conquered death for you.

⚡ You don't need to fear judgment because He has already paid the price and received the judgement we deserve in our place.

🌟 Whether you live another fifty years or face death tomorrow, you can have peace knowing that in Christ, death has lost its sting.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Matt Richard is Pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Minot, ND.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #christiandeath

👶 Being "born sinful" means that humans are naturally inclined to sin from birth.

🌱 This isn't just about doing bad things — it's a condition. Sin isn't simply actions but a state of being, like a disease that affects every part of us.

📖 The Bible explains this in many places, such as Romans 5:12, which says, "As by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned."

💭 One way to know if this is true is to ask, "Can humans die?"

💔 Tragically, even babies can die, showing that sin affects everyone from the moment of conception (Psalm 51:5).

🔄 This condition, called original sin, means we are born separated from God and naturally self-centered.

Sin shows itself in two ways:

1️⃣ Original sin (our sinful nature)

2️⃣ Actual sins (the wrong things we do or fail to do, like breaking the Ten Commandments)

🎯 But fixing outward actions doesn't address the deeper problem. The real issue is the disease of sin itself.

✝️ This is why Christianity isn't about "trying harder" or earning salvation through good behavior. Instead, it's about receiving Jesus, who is the cure.

⚡ Jesus took on our sin — original and actual — on the cross, offering forgiveness and life.

📜 As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "He who knew no sin became sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God."

🔍 Understanding original sin helps us see why Christ's work matters.

🎁 It shows that Christianity isn't a self-improvement plan; it's about receiving God's gift of forgiveness through Jesus.

⚖️ Without this understanding, Christianity could become just another set of rules.

🙏 Instead, it's about grace — being united with Christ through baptism, receiving communion, and living in the forgiveness He gives.

❤️ In short, original sin explains why the world is broken and why we need Jesus. Through Him, we find life and hope.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

⚖️ The law in Proverbs can make you uncomfortable as it shows how things are supposed to be, and we may feel like we don't measure up.

✝️ But remember, the law is never the only word, and it has no bearing on your salvation in Christ.

The law is a gift in two ways - 🎁

👑 It paints a picture of Jesus (Not you. The gospel describes you.)

💗 It shows you're a sinner in need of a savior.

⚡ The crucial thing to remember is that the law should NEVER burden your conscience about your salvation.

🌟 Your identity isn't defined by how well you follow these rules — it's defined by the gospel.

❤️ You are someone Christ died for, someone who is baptized.

🌙 When you feel that midnight self-hatred creeping in about how you've failed to measure up, remember: you're not supposed to be God. You're supposed to be the one God died for.

🦁 Think of the law like a lion. You wouldn't want to get close to a lion in the wild — it would kill you! But when the lion is safely in its cage at the zoo, you can appreciate its beauty and power.

🔒 Similarly, when the gospel "cages" the law through Christ's work on the cross, you can appreciate the wisdom in Proverbs without being threatened by it.

📚 So yes, read Proverbs! It's full of good gifts.

🙏 But whenever you see words like "wisdom" or read about fulfilling the law, make sure you're thinking about your God, not yourself.

✨ When you approach Proverbs this way — through the lens of Christ's perfect fulfillment and your salvation through Him — it becomes a gift instead of a burden.

🌈 You can appreciate God's beautiful design for life while resting secure in His grace.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Amelia is a college student and HT’s assistant webmaster.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #proverbs

❤️ You probably feel this inner drive to earn God's approval — that's normal. It's like we're all programmed with this instinct to follow rules and try to be "good enough."

😔 When you mess up (which everyone does), you might think you need to work harder to make up for it.

🌟 But here's the thing: You can't earn your way into heaven, and you don't need to. Jesus already did the heavy lifting.

⚡️ Think of it like this — you can't put Jesus back in the tomb. He died for you, rose again, and that's a done deal. You can't mess it up.

📜 The law isn't bad — it helps guide you and protect others.

✨ But following rules isn't what saves you. That's all Jesus.

🤔 You might be thinking, "So what am I supposed to do as a Christian?" It's not about checking boxes or proving yourself worthy.

💫 Sure, you'll still struggle with wanting to prove yourself — that's your human nature. But every time that happens, remember: You don't need to impress God.

🙏 Jesus already took care of everything. Your job isn't to be perfect; it's to trust that His perfect love is enough.

🎮 It's like having the cheat codes to life — but instead of feeling guilty about it, you get to live freely, knowing you're covered. Pretty cool, right?

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Chris Brademeyer is Pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Oakes, ND.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #law

This isn't just about modern gender debates – people have been exploring different ways to refer to God for ages. 

Here's the key thing:

📖 The original biblical texts consistently use masculine pronouns for God in both Hebrew and Greek.

✝️ Jesus was referred to as the Son of God, and The First Person of the Trinity as the Father.

But this doesn't diminish femininity — actually, the Bible often elevates women's status, like when it describes the Church (represented as feminine) as being perfectly loved by Christ. 👰

When we start editing which parts of scripture we accept based on our modern preferences, we're essentially putting ourselves in the position of deciding what's true. 🤷

Think about it: if you're the one deciding which parts of the Bible to keep or dismiss, haven't you basically made yourself the authority over the text? 🤔

But here's an even deeper point: if we can only accept a God who matches our own identity — whether that's gender, race, or anything else — we're trying to create God in our image instead of the other way around. 🎨

The whole point is that God is different from us. ✨

We're limited beings who struggle with moral failings and mortality. 🌱

The real power of Christianity isn't about God matching our characteristics – it's about a God who, despite being different from us, chose to become human, experience our struggles, and offer salvation to everyone. 🙏

The Bible teaches that in Christ, differences of gender, ethnicity, and social status don't determine our worth or our access to divine love. ❤️

So while pronouns matter, maybe we're missing the bigger picture if we get too caught up in this debate. 🔍

The core message is about a God who loves and values everyone. 💫

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #God

📖 Scripture uses a word that is helpful here: being "sober-minded."

It doesn't mean being a buzzkill or taking yourself too seriously. It's actually about being fully present and aware.

🍷 Think about the wedding at Cana — you know, that famous story where Jesus turned water into wine. And not just any wine — he made the good stuff for people who had already been partying!

⚖️ This shows that Christianity isn't about being joyless or being serious all the time, but it also doesn't mean that nothing matters.

🧭 But Christians are called to be "sober-minded" means staying grounded in reality no matter where you are. (2 Tim. 4:5)

🗺️ It's like having your spiritual GPS always on — knowing where you stand with God (in our baptisms, etc) and how His Word defines us in every situation.

💪 When the Bible talks about Jesus being "meek," it doesn't mean being shy or timid. Instead, it means being confident and composed — someone who isn't easily pushed around because they know exactly who they are and what they're about.

✝️ Christ and his redemption matters so much that you can be confident about everything that you do in your vocation.

💭 The takeaway? Your faith shouldn't make you choose between being super serious all the time or just YOLO-ing through life without caring about consequences.

🎯 Instead, it's about finding that sweet spot where you can genuinely enjoy life's celebrations while staying true to your values and identity.

🎉 You can go to parties and have fun, but do it from a place of awareness and sober mindedness rather than trying to numb yourself or escape reality.  You are not free to sin, but free from sin. 

✨ It's about being present enough to appreciate the good times when they're happening, while remembering who you are in Christ.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Matt Richard is Pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Minot, ND.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #jesus

For starters, remember that all pastors are sinners 😔, but God still wants there to be a church and works through imperfect people. 🙌

Unfortunately, there have been pastors that have abused that trust. 💔

Here are concrete ways to evaluate trust in your pastor: 👇

1️⃣ First, check if they align with Scripture 📖 and foundational teachings.

Start by attending the church ⛪ and listening to their sermons — do they preach what the Bible teaches? 📜✨

For Lutherans, the Small Catechism provides a clear baseline — if your pastor contradicts these teachings, that's a red flag 🚩.

Your pastor's job isn't to define truth, but to convey God's truth. 💡✝️

2️⃣ Second, evaluate how they handle confession and forgiveness. 🛐

Ask questions like: "If I confess a sin to you, will God forgive it?" 🙏✨ and "Will you keep my confession confidential?" 🤐

A trustworthy pastor understands that forgiven sins belong to Jesus and shouldn't be disclosed. ✝️💖

You don't have to share everything at once; trust can develop over time. ⌛💬

3️⃣ Third, observe their approach to helping people overcome sin. ⚖️

Good pastors will:

🤝 Focus on giving sins to Jesus

🛡️ Help protect both you and others from harm 

👫 Walk alongside you in fighting against sin 💪

✝️ Emphasize forgiveness through Christ's death, not through your promises to do better 🤝💖

Remember that the goal isn't to find a flawless pastor (they don't exist 😅), but one who carries out God's work of forgiveness and spiritual care while acknowledging their own sinfulness. 🙏💕

The ultimate purpose of pastors and the church is to forgive your sins ✝️, to proclaim the gospel to you 📣✨, and to speak His Word to you. 📖🗣️

The best indicator is whether they point you to Christ ✝️ rather than themselves. 🌟

Contributor Amelia is a college student and HT’s assistant webmaster.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #trustingpastors

📖 In Acts 3, Peter makes it clear: when Ananias lies to the Holy Spirit, he lies to God directly.

🧵 Think of theology like a tapestry rather than a box of Legos. With Legos, you can remove pieces you don't like without affecting the whole structure. But in a tapestry, pulling one thread can unravel the entire image.

⚠️ When we question whether the Holy Spirit is truly God, we start down a path that often leads to questioning whether Jesus is God too.

🌫️ Soon, God becomes an abstract force rather than a personal being.

💦 We're baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This isn't random – it reflects a deep truth about God's nature — that God is a Trinity.

✝️ Jesus is both fully God and fully human, and the Holy Spirit is fully God too. Yes, this is complex. Our human mathematics (1+1+1=3) doesn't work here because God transcends our limited understanding (1+1+1=1).

👥 We see the distinct roles of the Trinity throughout scripture: God the Son died on the cross (not the Father or Spirit), while the Holy Spirit works through preaching and sacraments today.

🙏 When you're baptized, it's God claiming you.

❤️ As the Small Catechism states, we can't even believe in Jesus through our own effort; it's the Holy Spirit who calls us through the gospel and maintains our faith.

📜 This is why the Church holds firmly to the three creeds (Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian) that clearly express the Trinity.

📚 While the word "Trinity" isn't in the Bible, the reality it describes – one God existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is woven throughout scripture.

💫 Understanding the Holy Spirit as God isn't just theological hairsplitting – it's essential to understanding who God is and how He works in us and his church.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #trinity

When we look at individuality within our church today, we often see how modern Christianity overemphasizes personal expression at the expense of our unity in Christ. 🌟

As we consider the key institutions of our church — baptism, communion, marriage, and the pastoral office — we recognize these are unified gifts from God that we participate in together. 🎁

We see this in several ways. With baptism, it's not about our individual decisions but about our participation in the one baptism into Christ. 💦

When we come to communion, it isn't our personal "date with Jesus" but rather one table where we all commune together — with past, present, and future believers. 🍷🍞

In marriage, we don't create our own institution but rather enter into what God has already established. 💑

We find that giving up our individuality in church institutions actually benefits us, particularly when facing life's challenges. 🙏

When sin overwhelms us, or when our faith wavers, our comfort comes not from our personal strength but from Christ's work and promises for us. ✝️

We look to Jesus's baptism as our example, where he identified with us sinners by entering Jordan's dirty waters, taking our sin and giving us his righteousness. 🌊

This creates our unity where we all share in Christ's righteousness rather than depending on our own. ✨

While we maintain our personal preferences and individual expressions in many aspects of our life (like our choice of vehicles or hairstyles), we find our primary identity in being "crucified with Christ." 🚗 💇‍♀️

The church doesn't eliminate our individuality but rather unites us in Christ. ⛪️❤️

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Matt Richard is Pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Minot, ND.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #individuality

🤔 Ever notice how sometimes the "heroes" in Bible stories aren't exactly perfect? Let's talk about Abraham in Genesis 12 - it's not your typical Sunday school lesson! 📖

✨ Abraham starts off strong — he hears God's amazing promises (land, kids, becoming a great nation) and responds with faith, even at 75! But then things get messy... 😬

🌵 When a famine hits, he and Sarah head to Egypt, but Abraham was so scared for his own life that he told his wife Sarah to pretend she was his sister.

👑 Why? Because he knew Pharaoh would want her (she was beautiful) and might kill him to have her. Instead of protecting his wife, he basically trafficked her to save himself.

💰 Even worse? He accepted gifts from Pharaoh in exchange for her.

✅ But here's why this story matters for us today:

▶ 🎭 Even the "heroes" of faith were sinners

▶ 😱 Fear can make us do terrible things to people we love

▶ 💔 Sin creates real trauma (imagine how Sarah felt!)

▶ ✝️ God still shows up, even in our worst moments

▶ 🌟 Your past mistakes don't define your identity, the gospel does. You are holy, forgiven, and pure.

🤯 The wild part? God didn't give up on either of them. He stepped in, protected Sarah, and kept His promises to them both — even though Abraham majorly messed up.

❤️‍🩹 If you've hurt others? Own it and repent, but know that there is forgiveness and healing on the other end.

✨ That's the whole point: God's love isn't based on your perfect record. Our salvation and identity in Christ depends on His faithfulness, not ours. Whether you're the one who messed up or the one who got hurt, God promises forgiveness, life, and salvation.

✝️ This happens through the death of His Son.

Contributor Michelle Bauman is the Director of Y4Life.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #genesis12

✝️ Ever wonder how the salvation won on a cross 2000 years ago reaches you today? It's through the incredible work of the Holy Spirit!

📦 Think of it like this: salvation is like that Amazon package you ordered – what good is it if there's no delivery system to bring it to your door?

⚜️ The Nicene Creed teaches us that while Jesus ascended to heaven to sit at the Father's right hand, He and the Father sent us the Holy Spirit to connect us to Him.

🌟 Just as you can't physically travel back in time to the cross, the Holy Spirit serves as the divine delivery system, bringing Christ's saving work directly to you through specific, tangible means.

💫 Through baptism, the preached Word, and the Lord's Supper, the Holy Spirit creates a direct pipeline of grace from Christ to you.

📖 When Acts says "Repent and be baptized... and you will receive the Holy Spirit," it's giving us a concrete promise.

💦 In baptism, you're not just going through a ritual – you're being united with Christ's death and resurrection (Romans 6), receiving the Holy Spirit, and being sealed into salvation.

❤️ The beautiful truth? You don't have to rely on fleeting feelings or emotional experiences to know if you're saved.

🙏 The Holy Spirit works through these objective means of grace, giving you rock-solid assurance. When the Word is preached and the sacraments are administered, the Holy Spirit is actively present, delivering Christ's salvation right to where you are.

👑 God isn't some distant figure trapped in heaven – through the Holy Spirit's work in Word and Sacrament, He's closer than you might think. This is why the Church's role in administering these means of grace is so vital.

✨ Through them, the Holy Spirit continues to deliver, apply, and seal Christ's saving work to believers today, making ancient history your present reality. 

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #holyspirit

What if the real question is: Are you focusing on the right things? ⛪️✨

Sometimes, even if we don’t realize it, we’re looking for more ‘pizazz’ in our church services. 

We want to be *impressed* by the…

Dramatic sermon

Loud music

Number of people in the pews

But here’s the truth ⬇️

>> We should be impressed with what Christ has done for us on the cross and not everything else. <<<

Be impressed with Jesus’ sacrifice, forgiveness of sins, and the Word spoken to YOU. 🙏💬

Jesus came into the world in the humblest way—on a donkey, not a throne. 👑 

Why do we think church has to be any different? 

 Christ is on that altar for you in body and blood. 🍷🍞

Eat and drink, and that's plenty to be impressed with. ❤️

Contributor Marsh Shamburger is Pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Rocklin, CA.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lutheran #lcms #bodyandblood #daretobelutheran

It’s not just a story of confusion—it’s all part of His saving plan! 🙌

Babel shows how God works in unexpected ways to protect and unite us. 💪✨

This ancient story about sin, chaos, and brokenness points to a God who will not abandon us to our desires or our fear, but brings us forward in His ultimate plan – our salvation in Christ! 🔑❤️

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Michelle Bauman is the Director of Y4Life.

#higherthings #lutheran #lcms #towerofbabel #salvation

The Old Testament prophecies weren’t predictions—they were revelations of truth about who God is. 🔥 

A Savior who’s born of a virgin, dies on a cross, and rises from the dead? Yep! 100%  

Messiah = Savior, and every prophecy about Him proves God’s plan..  

This isn’t just history; it’s truth about who God is and how much He loves *you*. ❤️  

The same Old Testament faith as Moses, Peter, and Paul is yours today. ✝️ 

✅ You’re forgiven. 

✅ You’re saved. 

✅ You’re secure in Christ.  

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #oldtestamentprophecy #messiah

 🤔Question: How can I use my religion to make me feel safe?

(If you ask a law question, expect a law answer. ⚖️ Any question that includes phrases such as “What can I do?” is a law question.)

It’s the opposite of faith because faith doesn't look to self; it looks to Jesus. ✝️

Faith looks to God for every good gift, including safety.🛡️

God, the creator, takes care of everything. 🌍

Relying on political parties or self-help methods can turn into idolatry. 🏛️📚

We start turning the gifts and blessings from God into idols. ⚠️

(It’s why prosperity teachers make so much money, and so many people follow them. 💸)

God gives us gifts we see and can't see… 🌟

🛡️He defends us from all evil 

🚧He protects us when we don’t even know we’re in danger 

False teaching tells us he does it because… 🚫

✔️ We did something good 

📖 We’ve been reading the Bible 

⛪ We’ve been going to church 

He doesn’t do it because of any merit or righteousness in us. ❌

➡️The Truth: You know Christ loves you because he died for you, and that’s what you get to measure safety against. ❤️✝️

Even the bad news is good news because of Jesus. 💖

Jesus promises peace through his presence, not through a lack of trials. 🕊️

Even death has been conquered through Christ. ⚰️✝️

"If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31) ✨

In the face of trials, Jesus calls us to run to the cross (where He comes to us).🏃

The peace God gives you is the forgiveness of sins. 🤝

Safety is not rooted in having enough good things or too few bad things. 💎💔

It’s rooted in a present God FOR YOU. 🌟

When we experience suffering, remember that it too has a purpose. 🌱

Rejoice in the life of faith that looks not to ourselves, but to the gifts of the Holy Spirit — where He forgives your sins and washes you clean. 💧

Contributor Marsh Shamburger is Pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Rocklin, CA.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #jesus

Testimonies are a prominent feature in evangelical traditions but less common in Lutheran churches.

❓What’s wrong with testimonies?

🛑 They often shift the focus from Christ to the individual, creating a "me-centered" narrative rather than a Christ-centered one.

⚠️ There’s a risk of “exceptionalizing” faith stories, which might alienate those without dramatic experiences.

🤷 They can become overly individualistic, focusing on personal uniqueness rather than shared grace and salvation.

The impact of testimonies:👇

📉 A testimony-focused culture may prioritize behavior modification over the gospel message of grace and forgiveness.

💃 It shifts church from being a place to receive grace to one where individuals feel pressured to showcase their spiritual achievements.

The Lutheran take:👇

📖 Faith is created by hearing God’s Word, not through subjective experiences or individual narratives.

🛡️ The Lutheran confessions forbid preaching and public teaching in a worship setting without a formal call, raising concerns about lay testimonies in public worship.

🙏 Emphasis on human sinfulness highlights the need for Christ’s forgiveness rather than self-improvement stories.

💔 Lutherans acknowledge the ongoing struggle with sin, pointing to Christ’s mercy as the foundation of hope.

Even outwardly pious individuals struggle internally, emphasizing the need for Christ's salvation.

💡 Acknowledging inner brokenness aligns with the Lutheran focus on grace over works (or appearances).

Ultimately, we don't want to have a story. We want the life, death, and resurrection of the God-man, Jesus Christ, who is the savior of the world. 🙌

There’s a time and a place to talk about struggles and give encouragement, but it's not from the front of the church or in place of Bible study. 📚

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Chris Brademeyer is Pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Oakes, ND.

 #higherthings #lcms #lutheran #christiantestimonies

The idea of evidence is that it can be used to convince someone of something or defend what you already believe. ⚔️

☑️ Keep this (from the Small Catechism) in mind when talking to others about the faith: 

“ I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel.”

That means that no amount of evidence ❌ is ever actually going to convince somebody of God's existence apart from the preaching of the gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit.

If you want to look for evidence of God, don’t start with creation.🌳 

➡️ We get out of OUR depth really fast, and it will be nothing but a battleground. 

When talking about evolution, there’s no explanation of how inorganic matter became organic matter. ⁉️

Instead of talking about the first article of the creed that you see beset by sin, look to the one that conquers it — Jesus. ✝️

Why start with Jesus? He took part in our physical universe.🙋‍♂️ This is documented history — that he lived, died, and stopped being dead. 

There is a lot of evidence for the resurrection, including witnesses who were martyrs for their faith. (No one would die for a lie.) ⚔️

There are only three options for who Jesus is: Lord, liar or lunatic. 

The existence of God is proven in the resurrection. 

Because it’s proven in Jesus; it will be proven in you. 🤲

This is where were make our stand.🎯

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #evidenceforgod

Where it comes from:

📜 It’s not mentioned in the Bible; it is derived from the Apocrypha in 2 Maccabees 12, where a man named Judas (not that one) organized an offering for Jews buried with testaments to idols, believing it would enable them to enter the resurrection.

📝 These texts are considered descriptive, not prescriptive.

✝️ For Catholics, purgatory addresses sins NOT enumerated or absolved during confession.

Bible verses Catholics use:

📖 Matt. 12:32: Catholics interpret "forgiveness in the age to come" as evidence of purgatory.

⛓️ 1 Peter 3:19: Catholics see "spirits in prison" as souls in purgatory, whereas Lutherans interpret it as referring to demons.

How forgiveness works:

🤍 In Lutheran theology, forgiveness on earth is absolute. The forgiveness of sins proclaimed on earth manifests into the resurrection.

✅ If your sins are forgiven here, they’re never going to be brought back up later.

✝️ When Jesus said, "It is finished" on the cross, He atoned for all sins, making additional purification unnecessary.

💧 Baptism unites us with Jesus in his death and resurrection (Rom. 6).

Lutherans on Purgatory:

🚫 Purgatory is unnecessary because Jesus’ atonement renders believers perfect in God's eyes.

✝️ The purgatory was Jesus. Our baptism ties us to that purgatory.

🙌 If you’re baptized, your sins are already forgiven. You’re a new creation in Christ — fully 

saint and fully sinner.

⚖️ Purgatory is not a necessity for Christians, because your sins are already purged on the cross. 

Conclusion:

🙏 Lutherans find comfort in God’s efficacious word and the promise of baptism, focusing on God’s grace rather than human merit.

🔥 Purgatory is tied to the idea of purging sins, but we say our purgatory was Jesus.

✝️ Jesus makes purgatory obsolete.

Contributor Amelia is a college student and HT’s assistant webmaster.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Noah’s sons — Shem, Ham, and Japheth — each received incredible gifts: land, language, and culture. But their stories took different turns.

👉 Shem’s line followed God, seeking peace and wisdom. (The messianic line comes through Shem.)

👉 Japheth’s descendants also walked with God.

👉 But Ham’s line? They turned away, chasing power and building empires like Babel, Nineveh, and Sodom.

Even though they strayed, God still provided for them. He gave gifts and called them back to Him. 💛

Let’s look at one individual who is named…Nimrod. He is …

➡️ a mighty hunter and ruler

➡️ He was a hunter of men more than animals; hunting here means conquering others

➡️ He builds the city of Babel

The descendants of Ham are raised to seek power in all things. 

🦋 True freedom is found within God’s law, which promotes the good of the neighbor, community, and self.

🛣️ Like Noah’s descendants, we face the choice between the narrow path of faith and the wide path of the world. 

🎓This is why when looking for a college, make sure there’s a church nearby you will want to attend. (This should be a deciding factor.)

Other key takeaways . . . 

😊 God’s grace extends to both the righteous and the unfaithful, providing blessings to all because Jesus died for everyone.

↩️ There is always a way back to God, no matter how far one strays.

📏 Measuring how well your faith is flourishing based on how well your circumstances are going is a dangerous trick.

✝️ Jesus Christ conquers fear and worry, offering forgiveness, love, and inclusion of all nations in his church.

❤️ Faith is not about earning God’s love but trusting in His grace, which is renewed daily for sinners

🌈 God’s blessings and preservation are a reflection of His enduring love, not of human merit.

Contributor Michelle Bauman is the Director of Y4Life.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #genesis

🌟 Why would God choose to work this way? 🌟

We believe that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary. 🙏

📜 There is Old Testament prophecy pointing to this…

“The virgin shall conceive and bear a son” (Isaiah 7:14)

This means that Jesus is in fact the very same Jesus who was foretold of old. 🌠

It shows that Christianity is not a brand new religion, but really the continuation of the first. 📖

What does it mean for us?❓

🌿 Jesus is not born sinful. 

❤️ Jesus was free from death, but he chose to die for you and the whole world. 

🙌 He is fully God and fully man. 

✨He has two natures, the divine and the human. 

✝️ When the Son bore the cross for you, the Son, divine and human, died. 

✅ He fulfilled OT prophecy. 

The virgin birth paints a picture of the kind of God we have:🖼️

🌍 A God who would use something like the virgin birth to enter into this creation. 

💔 He subjects himself to humiliation to save you. 

🙏 He works through the lowly to save you. 

👉 Remember: Mary started catching flack right away because her virtue was called into question. (Joseph was planning to divorce her.) 💔💍

The Virgin conceived and bore a son because this is where God works — in the place where the world would mock and belittle. Just like the world mocks the cross. 😔✝️

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #virginbirth

It’s not us that are reading the Bible, but the Bible’s reading us 📚✨ — it’s the Lord who is with his word and actually comes to you through his word.

📜 Isaiah 55:11 says:

“My word . . . goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose.”

⚔️ Hebrews 4:12 says:

“For the word of God is . . . sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.”

How does it do that? 🤔

The law ⚖️ is on one side and the gospel ❤️ is on the other side.

The takeaway: The Bible is going to do stuff to you. 😲

The word of God kills and makes alive. ☠️➡️💖

Jesus is the word made flesh 🕊️ to dwell among us. He is the way 🚶‍♂️, the truth ✨, and the life 🌱.

Let’s flesh out the two different ways that people tend to read the Bible 📖:

1️⃣ Read the Bible looking for answers

📚 Reading it like this may allow someone to obtain information in order to gain knowledge.

(That’s not necessarily bad, but that’s not why the Bible was written. ❌)

2️⃣ Read the Bible as if it revealed God for us

🙏 Read it in faith knowing that God is actually coming to you.

Just like God gives us preachers 🎙️ to bring his gifts to us.

Key Takeaway:

Learning something 🧠 is very different from felt comfort 💛. Learning can distract us from what’s wrong, but the law exposes our sins and the cross ✝️ gives us forgiveness.

Only focusing on the law ⚖️ when we read the Bible can make us Pharisees 👨‍⚖️ or lead us into despair 😔.

In summary: When we open the Bible 📖, look for the very Word of God himself — the Word who became flesh. 🕊️

So instead of asking, “How do I treat the Bible?”, a better question is: “How does the Bible treat me?” 🤔

The Bible is the word of Jesus ❤️, and Jesus came so that he would save his people from their sin. ✝️

Contributor Marsh Shamburger is Pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Rocklin, CA.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #bible

As Lutherans, we say that it is the Holy Spirit who calls, gathers, enlightens, sanctifies, and keeps us in the true faith. ✨

We believe it is not by our own reason or strength that we believe in Jesus. So, if you can't choose to believe in Jesus, why is evangelism your job to make other people believe? 🤔

Many Christians say, “If you're not evangelizing, there's a problem, and you are depriving possible future Christians.” ⚠️

The problem: If Christianity has become a burden to recruit more Christians, but they don't think they need the gospel anymore, they’re trying to invite somebody to a pyramid scheme. 🏗️📉

The truth: We can’t rob Jesus of those whom he would save. 👑

So, what about missions? 🌍

1️⃣ Evangelism is awesome. 💬

2️⃣ You cannot take away from the kingdom of God by failing to do missions. ⛪

3️⃣ You cannot add to the kingdom of God by doing it right because Christ is the one who saves us. ❤️

What’s cool is that you sometimes get to see something amazing when someone comes to Christ. 

One challenge with evangelism is that everybody hates the gospel and loves the law. 🛑

The gospel is not received by good people trying to be better, but by the broken. 💔

It’s not about what you do. It’s about what’s been done by Christ for you. ✅

In the right time and place, God will confront someone with the reality that they need help and send somebody to tell them about Christ. ✝️

What we can do… 🤲

❤️Start by caring about the people around us so we can provide real comfort (through the gospel) when they reach that broken place.

💯That’s when you can tell someone it’s not their job to fix it. It’s Christ’s, and it’s done. 

We were bought with Christ’s own precious blood, worth more than gold or silver. 🩸✨💎

What you learn in Bible study, catechism, and Scripture is what equips you to witness to others. 📚

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Amelia is a college student and HT’s assistant webmaster.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #evangelism

God is the unmoved mover. 🌌

You can look around 🌎 and see objects in motion. Anything that is in motion was put in motion.

Think about it like this — If you see a ball 🎾 rolling down the street, that didn't just happen. Something moved the ball.

But what about the first thing that moved? What moved that?❓

Nothing moved it. 🚫 If nothing moved it, that means it has to start from outside our creation.

This unmoved mover would be what we call God. 🙏

Nothing caused God. God simply is. We see this in his name… I AM. ✨

God existed before time, and he created time. ⏳

This idea of the unmoved mover is a “proof” for the existence of God. 🛠️

But there are also problems with this argument:

▶ It assumes time is linear with a beginning and an end. 🕐

▶ It doesn’t define who God is. ❔

While the idea of the unmoved mover is an important philosophical truth, it won’t convince somebody there is a God. 💭

It’s an idea you can use to defend belief in God. 🛡️

(Coming to belief happens through the preaching of the gospel.) 📖

The unmoved mover paints a picture 🎨 of how God works.

…He has to work from the outside-in for creation.

The Small Catechism says:

“I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him, but the Holy Spirit has called me by the power of the gospel.” ✝️

That describes an outside working-in kind of God.

The unmoved mover comes down into creation, bleeds and dies on the cross for you. ❤️✝️

Christianity is not a do it yourself religion, but rather a God has done it religion. 🙌

The God who sets this creation in motion 🌍 sustains it.

We still do a lot of damage with sin 💔, but God, in his mercy, sustains this creation. 🌟

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #god

There are 3️⃣ types of laws in the OT:

1️⃣ Moral: God’s instructions about right and wrong. 

2️⃣ Ceremonial: Rules for how and when to perform sacrifices, what the priest has to wear, etc. 3️⃣ Civic: These make Israel distinct — such as don’t wear blended fabric, etc.

How Jesus fulfilled the law… ✝️

➡️ Israel no longer needs to be distinct because Jesus fulfilled God’s promises.

➡️ The purpose of the ceremonial laws was to atone for sin. Jesus came as the perfect sacrifice, so we don’t need the goats and bulls to atone for our sins anymore. 

➡️ The moral law no longer condemns you anymore.

❓ If Jesus fulfilled all types of laws, does that mean a distinct Christian identity doesn't matter? 

There is a Christian identity, but it's not defined by culture. (Christianity looks different in different cultures, i.e., Evangelical Christian culture vs. African Christian culture.)

The identity of Christianity is in Jesus and his forgiveness. 💖

❓ If Jesus fulfilled the law, do I even need to worry about it anymore?

We are Christians, but we are also still sinners. Our sinful self still needs the law to restrain our sin. ✋

The moral law teaches Christians what God expects of us. 📜 The law isn’t there just to stop sin, but to give structure to us as we try to navigate life. 🛤

❓ Do we just ignore the weird parts of the OT?

It can be useful to know why God commanded such laws.💡

The law paints a picture of Jesus. For example, with the law against blending fabrics — what if it’s a bad thing to mix your religion with all of the religions of the world? 👕✖️🌀

With the weird parts of the Old Testament, we shouldn’t ignore them, but look for Jesus. 👀

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Chris Brademeyer is Pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Oakes, ND.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #law

➡️ It’s appropriate to apologize for genuine wrongs (such as breaking the Ten Commandments).

However, if someone is simply showing us love or care  – this can actually diminish the gift they're trying to give. 🎁

Why? 🤔

When someone helps or supports us, they aren't creating a debt we need to repay. They're expressing love 💞.

Christ showed love through His sacrifice ✝️. We don't owe Jesus an apology for His sacrifice; we owe Him thanks 🙌.

Similarly, when friends and family support us, the appropriate response isn’t "I'm sorry for being a burden 😔" but "thank you for loving me 💖."

📜 The Ten Commandments serve two purposes: they show us what sin is and what sin isn’t.

If you haven't sinned but feel guilty 😟, that's often the devil stirring up shame 😈 where none should exist.

There’s a difference between wronging someone and being someone’s burden.

When we over-apologize for being "burdens", we're often expressing a deeper belief that we're not worthy of being loved or cared for. 💔

✨ We are worth more than gold or silver ✨; we're worth the holy and precious blood of Jesus. 🍷

The path forward isn’t to make ourselves smaller through constant apologies but through gratitude 🙏.

Test guilty feelings by asking the following questions:

✅ Have I actually broken a commandment? ❓

✅ If not, am I diminishing someone’s gift 🎁 by treating it as a debt?

✅ Could "thank you" better honor both their love 💝 and my worth in Christ?

🧡 Remember: You can recognize yourself as a sinner while still accepting that you’re worthy of love.

The gift here is that you are measured by what was paid for you.💰 That's to be received with joy and not embarrassment. 😊

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Amelia is a college student and HT’s assistant webmaster.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #guilt

✨ Sovereignty = Control ✨

God is in control of all things, and nothing controls him. 🛡️

💔 But it hurts down here.

A God who is in control of all things can feel almost harder to wrestle with than a God who’s doing his best on any given day. 🤔

For God to be all-powerful and good, while we have a world this messy, is a real problem every religion has to confront.🤯

👑 As a sovereign God, He could, with just a blink, send anyone who would ever make this world worse straight to hell. 

Then, he’d have a perfectly ordered creation where nothing bad ever happened.

❤️ But, that’s not love.

Instead, we find Him dwelling in the midst of creation. 🌱

✝️ He climbed down into this pit, suffered on the cross, and died for you.

God’s sovereignty is a gift because he uses it in mercy to save and to forgive. 🎁

We don’t need to control God because He’s already merciful and good. ✅

There’s a bajillion things wrong, and he hates it, too. That’s why He died on the cross, taking the world upon Himself. 🌍

God doesn’t use His sovereignty to bully us (like we would) but to die for us. 💔➡️❤️

He was not coerced. He did it willingly. ✨

Even when things seem messy, know that He’s not hiding or abandoning you. 🕊

He’s right where He’s promised to be — in control and for your good. 

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #sovereigntyofGod 

It depends on the specific church, their activities, their beliefs, and what they’ll be teaching. This is why having discernment is so important. 🛡️

It's not necessarily a bad thing to go, but it’s wise to stay aware of what’s being taught there. You might encounter beliefs or teachings that don’t align with your own or even some that aren’t biblical. 📖❗

❓ So, what would be a deal breaker? 

If the group expects you to participate in activities or affirm beliefs that go against your faith or that are sinful, that’s a red flag. 🚩 (Remember, attending some events might imply that you support them.)

Understanding Different Types of Churches ⛪

Churches that teach beliefs contrary to yours. ❌

Other confessional Lutheran churches. ✅

Churches that are somewhere in the middle – Here is where discernment is key. ⚖️

💪 How do you grow your discernment muscle? 

▶️Study the Bible. 📚 This helps you recognize errors when you see them.

▶️Study the Small Catechism. 📜 Use it to compare foundational Lutheran theology with what you hear in other places. It’s a solid guide to help you know if a teaching aligns with your beliefs.

What’s the purpose of a youth group, anyway? 🤔

To guide youth in transitioning from childhood to adulthood in the church. 👶➡️👨‍🎓

To give practical skills, like running a meeting. 🗂️

To deepen understanding of the Christian faith. ✝️

To provide opportunities for service work. 🤲

To create a space for fellowship with others. 👫

Contributor Chris Brademeyer is Pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Oakes, ND.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #youthgroup

 The Simple Answer: Is it in the Bible? 📖

Let’s dig a bit deeper . . . 🚜

📜 God’s Law: God instructs us through His Word. If what you believe God is telling you goes against the Bible, it’s not from Him. (See Gal. 1:8)

🐺 Looks Can Be Deceiving: We can’t base the truth of something on how good it looks or sounds because Paul says that the devil disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14) 

💔 Feelings Can Mislead: We can’t rely on our emotions for truth, as Jesus says that evil things come from the heart. (Matt. 15:19)

❓ What about the “Messy Middle” where God seems quiet or unspecific? Questions like: Where should I go to college? Who should I marry? Where should I live?

🗣️ God Speaks to Us in Two Ways:

1️⃣ The Mediate Way – through means such as the Bible, church, or your pastor.

2️⃣ The Immediate Way – direct communication, like prophecies where God speaks directly (e.g., to Abraham).

📏 Testing the Validity of Immediate Prophecy:

>> 📜 Does it align with God’s Word?

>> ✨ Can the prophet perform a miracle? (In the Bible, genuine prophecy is often accompanied by miracles.)

⚠️ Note: The devil can do miracles, but he cannot teach in accordance with God’s will.  

🔍 Reasons Someone Might Misinterpret God’s Voice:

>> 🛍️ It’s something they deeply desire.

>> 🙈 They want to avoid responsibility for their actions.

>> 📜 They’re seeking justification for something they want to do.

💡 Remember: God’s will for us always aligns with His Word, not just our wishes.

Contributor Amelia is a college student and HT’s assistant webmaster.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran 

👉 He does not mutate, which means he doesn’t change.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” (Heb 13:8) 📖

Why does this matter?

1️⃣ He is not a created thing. He is. He exists and will exist forever.

2️⃣ He’s not going to change his mind. This includes His will to save you.

3️⃣ He cannot be changed. God’s love for you cannot be altered. ❤️

What does this mean in light of Jesus being both God and man?

👉 Jesus has the attributes of both God and man, but when these attributes meet in Jesus, humanity doesn’t lessen divinity. ✝️

God is not less God by becoming man. When God becomes man, His human side is mortal, which means He can die on the cross. But it wasn’t just the human side that died; the second person of the Trinity died.

The blood that covers your sin is not just human blood — it’s the blood of Christ. 🩸(That’s huge!)

He promises to join His body and blood under bread and wine for you to eat and drink for the forgiveness of your sins. His body and blood aren’t made less when this happens because God is immutable.

✝️ You can take every wrong thing you’ve ever done and throw it at God, and He picks it up, carries it to the cross, bleeds, and dies for you. His will to save you is absolute and unchangeable.

 🎁 It’s a gift that God is immutable. Over and over, you can bring your sins to Jesus. Over and over, His will is unchanged: to forgive you, to save you, to love you. ❤️

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #immutabilityofgod

The answer lies in God's promise to be present in a specific and meaningful way in church—through His Word 📖 and Sacraments 🕊️.

✨ God's Omnipresence vs. God's Presence "For You" ✨

This brings up questions about God’s omnipresence. Rather than saying God is everywhere, the two words that bridge this gap are the little words — for you. 🙌

Psalm 139 says, “If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!” (Psalm 139:8)

It's not just that God is anywhere. It's that He is wherever you happen to be. 💖

⛪ The Specific Promise in Church ⛪

In church, God promises to be present for you in a very specific way, offering forgiveness 🙏, grace 🌿, and comfort ❤️‍🩹 through His Word 📖, Baptism 🌊, communion 🍷, and absolution ☮️.

Jesus is certainly with you in your daily life, but in church, He is doing something unique: forgiving your sins.

His promise of forgiveness is tied to the baptismal font 🚰, the communion cup 🍞🍷, and the words of absolution you hear in church 🕊️. These are tangible, concrete ways you can know Jesus is for you.

💪 Carrying Church Into the World 💪

Going to church isn't about escaping the world 🌍; it's about receiving what you need to go back into it.

Church is a place to bring your struggles 😔 and receive comfort 💓. It's where Jesus offers you the strength 💪, forgiveness 🙏, and reassurance 🌟 that you can carry with you throughout your week.

As a baptized child of God, wherever you go, He goes with you ✨—but it’s in church where you receive the gifts 🎁 to face whatever lies ahead.

🔄 Not an Escape, but Preparation 🔄

Church isn't a monastery 🏰 or an escape from the world 🌎. It's where you receive the forgiveness ✝️ and consolation you need to tackle the real world.

In church, we get the forgiveness of sins to cover our past week 🗓️ and the promise that God will not forsake us in the week to come ▶️.

It's the foundation 🛠️ that allows us to live out our vocations and serve our neighbors ❤️.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Amelia is a college student and HT’s assistant webmaster.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #church