Walnut Grove Lutheran Church Podcasts

Many of us have experienced the devastation of abandonment and rejection. But Jesus experienced rejection in our place so that we would never be abandoned by God.

Most of us fear punishment and we avoid it however we can. But that leaves us in bondage. God shows us a third way through the story of The Fall: the Way of Forgiveness.

The Big Story that we see as being our own will have a major impact on our life. It will influence how we see ourselves in the present and chart a course for our lives in the future. Jesus has a Big Story for us in which we are unconditionally loved and accepted and He invites us to make that story our own.

We naturally tend to invest in the things we love. But when we invest in people and things on earth, we worry because we can lose them. God invites us to release all earthly people and things into His loving care, trust in Him and ask Him to help us refocus our love on what is in heaven. Then we will be free to invest our lives in what will make a difference in eternity.

We tend to think that we can get all that we need out of life as an individual. But God does something special in our lives when we gathertogether with others around God’s Word and share life together. God helps us to grow.

Our old heart was focused on having power over others. But Jesus laid down all his power and gave his life to save us. As we rest in Jesus’ humility and love, he sets us free to serve others with self-less love.

When the Holy Spirit gives us the gift of faith in Jesus, he also gives us a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). But how do we care for and exercise our new heart? One way is through worship.

When we encounter someone making an extraordinary claim, we might ask others if that person really is who they say they are. On the basis ofwhat others say, we make a decision to accept or deny that person’s claim. Jesus know the importance of witnesses so he points to several that support his claim that he is the Messiah. You can trust the witnesses that point to Jesus as Saviour.

As we make our way in the world, it is hard to know who to trust. Who will accurately tell us how things really are? Who can we trust to lead us into a future filled with life and hope? Jesus assures us that he is the One sent by God to give us eternal life and that we can trust what he says.

When we are in a bad situation and helpless, we often feel ashamed because we need help. But this humiliating helplessness is exactly what opens us up to receive mercy from Jesus. His mercy is so transformative that it shatters the law-based religion that is in and around us.

Everyone trusts in someone, either ourselves or someone else. The question is whether the object of our faith is worthy of our trust. Sometimes our trust in ourselves needs to be crushed before we are open to trusting in Jesus. But when we do, Jesus proves that he is worthy of our trust.