The Followers of Christ are Humble Servants (Mark 9:30-37) 09/22/2024 by Divine Grace Lutheran ChurchBy Divine Grace Lutheran Church

God is constantly sending things in our life. And in this case we want to notice how he sends people to come to us when we're in our own personal wilderness(es). This Scriptures open our eyes to the friendship that we truly need to stay strong in the Lord in this life.By Pastor Paul Bourman

By Pastor Paul Bourman

Humility and pride are polar opposites. Pride exalts self at the expense of God and others. Humility exalts God and others at the expense of self. Pride is the essential vice, for it increases one’s hunger for all other sins. Humility increases one’s hunger for the forgiveness and healing found in Christ. The one who is proud demands to be served. …

Humility and pride are polar opposites. Pride exalts self at the expense of God and others. Humility exalts God and others at the expense of self. Pride is the essential vice, for it increases one’s hunger for all other sins. Humility increases one’s hunger for the forgiveness and healing found in Christ. The one who is proud demands to be served. …

The Followers of Christ Are Armed for Battle (Ephesians 6:10-18) - 09/15/2024 by Divine Grace Lutheran ChurchBy Divine Grace Lutheran Church

By Pastor Paul Bourman

So often it may seem that all is lost. A cancer diagnosis, a relapse into addiction, the revelation of the unfaithfulness of a spouse, just the nightly news of the horrors and atrocities taking place throughout the world—it would appear the evil has this world by the throat and there is no hope of any real and lasting change. But nothing could be f…

So often it may seem that all is lost. A cancer diagnosis, a relapse into addiction, the revelation of the unfaithfulness of a spouse, just the nightly news of the horrors and atrocities taking place throughout the world—it would appear the evil has this world by the throat and there is no hope of any real and lasting change. But nothing could be f…

By Pastor Paul Bourman

When the fires of the trials of life burn hard and long, our strength, our patience, our ability to endure, even our motivation begins to fade. Arrogance and pride can sneak in when things are going well for us. Or we can become cynical and embittered toward our struggles and difficulties. Where do we find the strength and the ability to finish str…

The Followers of Christ Obey His Laws from the Heart (Deuteronomy 4:1,2,6-9) - 09/01/2024 by Divine Grace Lutheran ChurchBy Divine Grace Lutheran Church

Godliness is a God-centered life. It grows, not through the pursuit of a process, but through the presence of a person. Jesus Christ is the mystery of godliness (1 Timothy 3:16). His presence in your life is your hope of becoming the person God calls you to be. Christ in you [is] the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). Contentment is finding joy in wh…

By Pastor Paul Bourman

What do you live for? God wants us to think big. Do we live for ourselves? Our desires? Our ambitions? Do we live for our career? Our relationships? Our family? Our friends? We live for the One who died for us. We live to glorify him. We live to give witness to his love to the people he has placed in our lives. In so doing we find fulfillment, mean…

What do you live for? God wants us to think big. Do we live for ourselves? Our desires? Our ambitions? Do we live for our career? Our relationships? Our family? Our friends? We live for the One who died for us. We live to glorify him. We live to give witness to his love to the people he has placed in our lives. In so doing we find fulfillment, mean…

Wisdom that Really Matters (1 Corinthians 2:6-16) 08/18/2024 by Divine Grace Lutheran ChurchBy Divine Grace Lutheran Church

Being in a place of leadership—even in the church--is challenging. A congregation is made up of diverse people: different backgrounds, personalities, preferences--different lenses through which we see the world. There is no way that church leaders can make every member happy all the time. Leadership in the church is to one degree or another a minis…

Ponder the Past (1 Coerinthians 10:1-13) - 08/11/2024 by Divine Grace Lutheran ChurchBy Divine Grace Lutheran Church

By Pastor Paul Bourman

In his second letter to Timothy Paul writes: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” God’s Word is true. God’s Word is practical. God’s Word is sufficient. God’s Word provides principles that are endurin…

By St Paul's Lutheran Church, Muskego WI

By Pastor Paul Bourman

A 5k, a marathon, a Tough Mudder, tryouts for your school team—we recognize the importance of preparing well for these types of events. In many cases it can be a “do or die” situation. Preparing well requires a plan, commitment, tenacity and self-discipline. The race of life is also a do or die situation. And life is much more a marathon than a 5K.…

A 5k, a marathon, a Tough Mudder, tryouts for your school team—we recognize the importance of preparing well for these types of events. In many cases it can be a “do or die” situation. Preparing well requires a plan, commitment, tenacity and self-discipline. The race of life is also a do or die situation. And life is much more a marathon than a 5K.…

By Pastor Paul Bourman

It’s easy to hide weaknesses when everything is going well. But what about when the pressure is on? When we experience the pressure that life can bring, what truth will that pressure reveal? Pressure can not only reveal to us the truth about ourselves, but can also reveal the truth about God to us, and to others.…

Our church body and many others are wrestling right now with a shortage of ministry workers to meet the needs of the local church. Why are there fewer men and women going into full-time ministry work? There are, of course, many factors. Your present pastors recall the culture surrounding them when they were young and considering pursuing full-time …

The household of faith is built on the reality that God has designed the members of his household be complementarily diverse. That’s a mouthful. It means that God created us all with unique gifts, skills, talents, and predispositions. This diversity provides all that is required to meet the complex needs of the household of faith, individuals, fami…

The household of faith is built on the reality that God has designed the members of his household be complementarily diverse. That’s a mouthful. It means that God created us all with unique gifts, skills, talents, and predispositions. This diversity provides all that is required to meet the complex needs of the household of faith, individuals, fami…

Jesus Teaches Us How to Handle Rejection (Mark 6:1-6) - 07/07/2024 by Divine Grace Lutheran ChurchBy Divine Grace Lutheran Church

By Pastor Paul Bourman

As the presidential election draws closer, people’s fear is tangible. Some of this fear is rational. Much of this fear is not. Our future does not rest in the hands of the man who will be elected as our next president. Our future rests in the hands of the One who created and rules over all things. Our future rests in the hands of the One who unders…

The Living Lord Completely Changes our View of Death (Mark 5:21-24a,35-43) - 06/30/2024 by Divine Grace Lutheran ChurchBy Divine Grace Lutheran Church

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.…

What do you see when you look in the mirror. A vast majority of people do not like what they see. And we are not talking first and foremost about appearance. We are talking about the man and woman underneath. The mistakes we have made, the people we have hurt, our failings and failures, our disappointments and regrets. If this is what see, we are n…

Jesus Stills Our Storms (Mark 4:35-41) - 06/23/2024 by Divine Grace Lutheran ChurchBy Divine Grace Lutheran Church

By Pastor Paul Bourman

Many of us grew up with a healthy amount of fear when it came to our fathers or other male leaders, principals and police officers, for example. Certainly, there was benefit in this fear. We put ourselves and others in danger of great harm when we choose to break the rules. In the same way, it is healthy to fear God. His law is real, not just a sug…

Many of us grew up with a healthy amount of fear when it came to our fathers or other male leaders, principals and police officers, for example. Certainly, there was benefit in this fear. We put ourselves and others in danger of great harm when we choose to break the rules. In the same way, it is healthy to fear God. His law is real, not just a sug…

By Pastor Paul Bourman

"I just want to be happy." The challenge with that sentiment is understanding what it truly means to be happy. Am I happy when I feel good? Am I happy when everything is going my way in life? A part of us recognizes that these kinds of approaches to happiness are shallow, that true happiness has to have more depth to it. Throughout the Scriptures w…

"I just want to be happy." The challenge with that sentiment is understanding what it truly means to be happy. Am I happy when I feel good? Am I happy when everything is going my way in life? A part of us recognizes that these kinds of approaches to happiness are shallow, that true happiness has to have more depth to it. Throughout the Scriptures w…

After a long day of work, you have earned the right to sit down in your favorite chair, put your feet up, and watch your favorite program. After a hard week on the job, you have earned the opportunity to relax a bit that weekend. After doing your job well for many months, you have earned those two weeks of vacation at the beach. This is how everyon…

The Gift of Rest (Deuteronomy 5:12-15) - 06/02/2024 by Divine Grace Lutheran ChurchBy Divine Grace Lutheran Church

This Sunday at Hope we begin a summer sermon series on the 10 commandments. I'm so eager to be blessed by these commandments with you! But this first Sunday, we won't even begin with one of the commandments. We'll begin with Psalm 1. The psalmist teaches us about life, making it all very simple. He's almost like the Mandalorian. Remember that show?…

No Christian teaching demonstrates that we have a top-down faith more than the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. Scripture teaches that there is only one God. Yet that God exists as three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Incomprehensible! It is the type of teaching about which the psalmist declares, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for m…