Luther speaks of the 1st Petition of the Lord's Prayer saying, "Hallowed be Thy Name. What does this mean? God's Name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also. How is God's Name kept holy? God's Name is kept holy when the Word of God is...
The 8th Commandment declares, "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in...
The 7th Commandment says, "You shall not steal." What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor's money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income." In the Large Catechism, Luther has...
Welfare programs are not an original U.S. thing. The Roman Empire had welfare programs, as did many countries in Europe starting in the 17th century. Welfare programs are ways in which the governing authority replaces fallen man because he doesn't keep the 5th commandment which says, "You shall...
We are going to start a new series today based on the Catechism. Both the Small and the Large Catechisms of Dr. Martin Luther, of blessed and holy memory, are not to be read once and then tossed to the side, but rather should be [art of our daily diet when it comes to the Word of God and...
One of the greatest things that brings me joy, and I pray it brings you joy as well, are the words of Holy Absolution. Luther speaks about this in the Small Catechism concerning the Office of the Keys saying, "What do you believe according to these words? I believe that when the called ministers...
Jesus says in Luke, "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Luke 16:13 NKJV). This is the constant struggle for we the baptized. What does it mean to serve...