As we kick off the new season of Great Questions, Great Conversations, Mike Westendorf sits down to talk with Pastor Pete Panitzke about the sequence of events between Palm Sunday and Jesus Resurrection Easter morning. Along the way in this conversation we will talk about some translation challenges that show up in the timeline, the topography of t…

In 2009, Facebook added the “like” button. That same year, Twitter added the “retweet” feature. Interestingly, reported cases of depression began to rise sharply in 2010. It is easy to think that the more people like us, the more successful our lives must be. Likewise, it is easy to believe the more people like a church, the more successful that ch…

When you are trying to share some important information with someone, but they refuse to listen or perhaps totally reject what you are saying, it feels like you have failed. This is especially true when someone rejects the gospel! We proclaim the good news because we want others to know the love of Christ. When people are disinterested in God’s Wor…

“Who is Jesus?” For the longest time, people thought the answer to that question was, “Mary and Joseph’s son” or “a carpenter from Nazareth.” While true enough, those answers do not adequately describe Jesus. But when Jesus was baptized, God the Father spoke, declaring Jesus true identity. Jesus was the dearly loved Son of God, chosen to be the Sav…

On Christmas Eve the angel told the shepherds, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10). One wonders if those words struck those Jewish shepherds as odd. For centuries, God had given special attention to one nation—Israel. There were Jewish religious leaders who taught that only members of that special people…

The Son of God took on flesh for two reasons: to be our substitute and our sacrifice. You see, when God created mankind in his image, his desire was that we would live holy lives, full of love for him and our fellow man. When mankind fell into sin, that became impossible. So, the heavenly Father sent Jesus. He is the only human being to keep all of…

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)By St Paul's Lutheran Church, Muskego WI

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)By St Paul's Lutheran Church, Muskego WI

“Make every effort to enter that rest.” That’s a strange sounding sentence. Effort and rest don’t usually go together. If I want rest, I don’t need effort. I just stop. Anyone can rest by stopping their effort. But the rest we are talking about today is different. It isn’t a rest that comes from inaction, it comes from work completed. The Christian…

The original readers of the book of Hebrews were being tempted to let go of Christianity and go back to Judaism. To them, in their culture, following Moses felt like an upgrade compared to following Jesus. But that would be a downgrade! Jesus is best and far superior to Moses. Following Moses didn’t guarantee entrance to the promised land, and thos…

Jesus is the Son of God, the ultimate messenger. But if he was only going to be a messenger, he didn’t need to become human. He could have thundered from a mountaintop or blazed from a burning bush. But thundering voices don’t suffer, and burning bushes don’t die. If Jesus only wanted to be a messenger, power would have been enough. But Jesus wante…

Jesus is the Son of God, the ultimate messenger. But if he was only going to be a messenger, he didn’t need to become human. He could have thundered from a mountaintop or blazed from a burning bush. But thundering voices don’t suffer, and burning bushes don’t die. If Jesus only wanted to be a messenger, power would have been enough. But Jesus wante…

The Advent season reminds us of Jesus’ coming as a baby in Bethlehem, and of his second coming at the end of the world. But, so far, there have been over two thousand years between those two comings! Where is Jesus, now? And why isn’t he talking to us? Jesus promised to be with us always to the very end of the age. He is right here in this room. Bu…

“Eyes on the prize.” That axiom stresses that when pursuing some good goal, focus is important. You don’t want distractions or a lack of self-discipline to keep you from obtaining whatever that prize might be. “Eyes on the prize.” You summon the willpower to fixate on that good thing. You let nothing divert your attention from obtaining the prize. …

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) affects many millions of adults. It is more than shyness. SAD includes an acute fear of being judged. An individual with SAD struggles with everyday tasks like talking to people at work or school because he is terrified that he is constantly being evaluated. Even if you don’t have that disorder, perhaps you have experi…

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) affects many millions of adults. It is more than shyness. SAD includes an acute fear of being judged. An individual with SAD struggles with everyday tasks like talking to people at work or school because he is terrified that he is constantly being evaluated. Even if you don’t have that disorder, perhaps you have experi…

“It will get better.” We say that to try to comfort someone who is having a bad day (or maybe a whole string of bad days). Perhaps tomorrow will be better. But perhaps it’s worse. In this life, there really are no guarantees that things will get better. That isn’t the case with the life that is to come. That life isn’t just going to be better. It w…

Jesus repeatedly told his followers that living as his disciples would bring hardship. Living life according to God’s Law is going to make one appear odd in the eyes of the world, perhaps even evil. Sharing a message of mankind’s sin and God’s gracious salvation can cause offense. So why not just stay silent if that makes life easier--keeping our f…

Modern believers are in dire need of the biblical call to suffer well. With modern medicine, pain relief options, and even in some places the option of euthanasia, we have become a generation who fears and runs from suffering. Yet, the Bible repeatedly extols suffering as a tool the Lord uses to refine our faith, like gold in the fire. Daniel’s tri…

The gripping story of a ghostly handwriting on the king’s wall is God’s reminder of his sovereignty over us all. Those who humble themselves will be exalted, but those who exalt themselves will be humbled. Although God has shown grace to Nebuchadnezzar multiple times through his reign, Nebuchadnezzar continued to fall back in older pride-filled pat…

The gripping story of a ghostly handwriting on the king’s wall is God’s reminder of his sovereignty over us all. Those who humble themselves will be exalted, but those who exalt themselves will be humbled. Although God has shown grace to Nebuchadnezzar multiple times through his reign, Nebuchadnezzar continued to fall back in older pride-filled pat…

This week our message series delves into the theme of humility in a prideful world, drawing lessons from biblical stories about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, King Nebuchadnezzar and King Herod. The message emphasizes how the loss of humility can lead to downfall, while embracing humility in our walk with the true God is true peace, no matter what…

Daniel and his friends were in a foreign land filled with pagan gods, sinful customs, and unbiblical values. Did they cower and hide? No. Did they compromise their faith? No. Instead Daniel “resolved not to defile himself” (1:8). He leaned into the Word of God and the grace of God so that he could do the will of God. While modern America is far fro…

Green Berets. Rangers. SEALs. Delta Force. These special forces groups are part of the United States military. They are elite: highly trained with unique skill sets. Many of their important missions are carried out in total secrecy. Several weeks ago, we acknowledged that we are in the middle of a massive spiritual war. Today, we thank God that we …

Love can cause harm. Consider the wife whose husband wants little to do with church. She loves him and does not want to upset him. So, when her husband wants her and the children to stay home Sunday morning, she complies without protest. That wife’s love for her husband hurts him, her children, and herself. Or consider the father who loves his chil…

Love can cause harm. Consider the wife whose husband wants little to do with church. She loves him and does not want to upset him. So, when her husband wants her and the children to stay home Sunday morning, she complies without protest. That wife’s love for her husband hurts him, her children, and herself. Or consider the father who loves his chil…

Episode 40 covered the ins and outs of what Followership is and in this week's episode we will take a look at how it can be applied. Our guest is Prof. Don Kudek of Wisconsin Lutheran College who has spent a large part of his career studying the role of followers and the importance and benefit of training people to be better followers. As we'll see…

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. …

Millions of dollars are spent every year in our country to developing develop better leaders. And yet, even if you are a leader, you spend much of your time following. In some estimates, 80% of the successful outcome is dependent on the work of the followers. So the question becomes, what is being done to develop better followers? Especially when m…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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

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.…

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…

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…

Our guest on the podcast is Pastor Joel Gaertner, the Director for Special Ministries of the WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod). The reality is that ALL of us have special needs, but many of us tend to wear them more on the inside than the outside. How can Christians and Churches be a more welcoming place for with special needs, especially…

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…

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…