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Click here to watch the First Word from Sunday, Oct. 8 – Holy Baptism

October 9, 2023 By Faith

Pastor Dave Wollan

“The Unnderappreciated, Misunderstood, and Powerful Gift of Baptism”

Gospel Text: Matthew 13:44-46

What Does This Mean?

When were you baptized?
How does the Lutheran understanding of baptism differ from the Catholic and other Protestant understandings?
How do you “use” you baptism?

A Simple Way: Holy Baptism
Week 5 Devotional Questions for Discussion at Home

Monday
Adults: In the Small Catechism, Martin Luther emphasizes that it is God’s Word that makes Holy Baptism effective. Given that, why is it necessary to use water at all? What purpose do you think it serves?
Question for families with older children: Think about a Baptism you have seen, what parts do you think are the most important?
Question for families with younger children: From what you have seen before, what happens at a baptism? What is said during the baptism?

Tuesday

Adults: In the Large Catechism, Luther writes, “To be baptized in God’s name is to be baptized not by human beings but by God Himself.” How does that promise affect how you understand and value Holy Baptism?

Question for families with older children: What does it mean that we have been called God’s child through Baptism? What do we gain? What do we lose?

Question for families with younger children: What do you know about God? After answering that, how do you feel knowing that we are baptized by God?

Wednesday

Adults: Despite its simplicity and Jesus’ direct command to baptize in Matthew 28, Holy Baptism has caused endless disagreement among Christians. Why do you think that is? How does Luther’s answer to “How can water do such great things?” in the Small Catechism help to cut through all that conflict?

Question for families with older children: Why would water be such an important symbol for being Baptized? What does it represent?

Question for families with younger children: The water we use during a baptism is the same water we get from

Thursday

Adults: The Small Catechism says Holy Baptism means dying to sin and being raised up by Christ to live forever every day. What does the language of dying and rising tell us about the significance of baptism? What does the need for it to happen daily tell us about the power and persistence of sin?

Question for families with older children: If I constantly sin, do I need to keep getting re-baptized?

Question for families with younger children: In our baptism, Jesus washes away all our sins. What do you do when you get messy, dirty sticky or muddy?

Friday

Adults: Baptism is often seen as an event which assures that we will go to heaven when we die. How does the Small Catechism show that the covenant of Holy Baptism is more a way of life that determines and shapes our identity throughout life?

Question for families with older children: What does a new identity in Christ look like?

Question for families with younger children: Jesus changes our hearts. What do people do who are happy and kind?

Click here to watch the First Word from Sunday, Oct. 1 – The Lord’s Prayer

October 2, 2023 By Faith

Pastor Scott Grorud

A Simple Way: The Power and Problem of Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer

Gospel Text: Luke 11:1-4, 9-13

What Does This Mean?

How have you experienced prayer—easy, difficult, meaningful, mystifying … ?

Why does praying seem to be difficult for many people?
In the rhythm of the catechism, what essential role does prayer play?

In the Lord’s Prayer, what does Jesus teach or remind us of as we pray?

A Simple Way: The Lord’s Prayer

Week 4 Devotional Questions for Discussion at Home

Monday

Adults: What does it mean to you that we address God as our Father?

Question for families with older children: What are positive attributes of a father? How does God posses those?

Question for families with younger children: What is a dad?

Tuesday

Adults: How is God’s name kept holy among us?

Question for families with older children: What is something you view as special in your life? What would happen if it was taken away?

Question for families with younger children: How do you take care of something that is really special to you?

Wednesday

Adults: What does it mean that in the Lord’s Prayer we are praying against ourselves?

Question for families with older children: The Lord’s Prayer calls us to the carpet on how we forgive and are forgiven, why is this important to note?

Question for families with younger children: What do you think God wants in this world?

Thursday

Adults: What “daily bread” has God provided for you today?

Question for families with older children: What is something you have every day that you take for granted?

Question for families with younger children: What do you need to survive?

Friday

Adults: How are you tempted to false belief? How does God guard and protect you?

Question for families with older children: Can you think of a time you have been tempted? Can you think of a time when God has protected you from a temptation?

Question for families with younger children: How are you protected by sunny, rainy, or snowy weather? How are you protected from getting your feelings hurt?

Click here to watch the First Word from Sunday, Sept. 24 – The Apostles’ Creed

September 25, 2023 By Faith

Pastor Dave Wollan

A Simple Way: Treasuring Luther’s Small Catechism

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

Gospel Text: Mark 9:14-29

Sermon Title: A Simple Way: What Do You Believe?

What Does This Mean?

What is the “cure” described in the Apostles’ Creed and Luther’s explanation?
How do you resonate with the father’s cry, “I believe, help my unbelief”?
What does Luther mean when he says, “I believe that I cannot…believe”?

A Simple Way: The Apostles’ Creed

Week 3 Devotional Questions for Discussion at Home

Monday

Adults: Luther’s meaning of the First Article of the Apostles’ Creed ends, “Therefore I ought to thank, praise, serve, and obey Him.” Why does the basic fact that God created the world obligate us to follow His will? Isn’t that an act of faith?

Question for families with older children: Who is God?

Question for families with younger children: What does “praise” mean? What can we praise God for?

Tuesday

Adults: Read the meaning of the Second Article along with I Peter 1:18-21. What do these texts declare about the cost of our salvation? What does that, in turn, testify about God’s love for humanity?

Question for families with older children: How does the birth of Jesus point to Him being God?

Question for families with younger children: How was Jesus born? How did Jesus die?

Wednesday

Adults: The meaning of the Second Article declares that Christ “has done all this in order that I might be his own…” How does that “might” address the demand of the “ought” in the meaning of the First Article?

Question for families with older children: Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?

Question for families with younger children: Do you know why Jesus died for us?

Thursday

Adults: The meaning to the Third Article begins with a paradox. “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him.” Why would we confess belief in our unbelief? What does that confession reveal about our sinful condition?

Question for families with older children: What do you think the communion of saints means?

Question for families with younger children: What happened on Easter?

Friday

Adults: The meaning of the Third Article says, “The Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel…” How does “has” complete and resolve the sequence of “ought” in the First Article and “might” in the Second Article?

Question for families with older children: Who is the Holy Spirit?

Question for families with younger children: Have you heard of the Holy Spirit? Where have you heard it?