“I believe; help my unbelief!”

My church friend Liza^* and her husband moved into a retirement community over the summer. One of the biggest challenges, of course, has been downsizing. But it has also been difficult to leave their longtime neighbors. One neighbor now lives alone and uses a walker. She does everything she can to remain independent and stay in her home as she ages. Sometimes, though, she needs help, and that’s when she calls Liza.

When our Lord breathed His last and died on the cross, the curtain in the temple of Jerusalem tore in two from top to bottom. This event signified that the barrier of sin that separated sinners from God was now open. Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, had succeeded in redeeming the entire world through His shedding of blood and death on the cross. Now God’s children could pray directly to their Heavenly Father through faith in the Son. Jesus expresses this as He meets with His disciples before going to His passion. “In that day you will ask nothing of Me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you” (John 16: 23).

When I was a teenager and knew it all, I got bored with Sunday mornings. I already knew that Jesus died for our sins and rose on the third day. Why did we need to keep talking about it? In some ways, I believed in Jesus and the cross like I believed in George Washington crossing the Delaware River: both were real events that shaped history but had little impact on my day-to-day life.

Pastors have many roles: preacher, teacher, visitor, worship leader, administrator. The Lord’s undershepherds are also constant learners and normally voracious readers. Yet, with so much on a pastor’s plate, how can he wade through the myriad of titles to make the most of his reading time? Below are eight recommended books to captivate, educate, and enhance your ministry. Happy reading!

When questions arise about what we believe, God calls us to confess Him. We do so as people known personally by God and who confess Him in a very personal way. When we confess Jesus and what he has done, we do so as a people who belong to Him. This forms not only how we confess Jesus but what we say about Him.

This blog is excerpted from Faithfully Formed: The Lutheran Confessions in Daily Life by Andy Wright.

My teenage daughter and her friend were giggling and joking in the back of my car. Her friend said, “Ms. Gross, am I the weirdest friend that your daughter has?”

This blog is an excerpt from Unfailing: God's Assurance for Times of Changeby Christopher M. Kennedy. 

The Bible is all about change. God created all things good. Then Adam and Eve fell into sin, tragically altering the relationship between the Creator and His creation. When God sent Jesus into the world, a wonderful reversal happened! By dying for our sins and rising in victory, Jesus reconciled us to God. Salvation itself is change!

My preschool-aged daughter sat on the ground, wailing. We had been at the playground for hours, but now it was time to go. Her little friends had left with no drama other than some whining, but my kid’s piercing shrieks drew appalled stares from other parents and their better-behaved children.

While increasing mental health awareness might seem newfangled, the topic of mental health was addressed by our own church fathers, including Martin Luther. As you seek to extend Christian love to your neighbors, consider what Luther has to say about how to support people who are struggling with mental health issues.  

This blog post is adapted from Martin Luther on Mental Health Practical Advice for Christians Today.