2019 Winter - Higher Things Magazine

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Christmas Done Right • The Sanctified Smartphone • Immanuel—God Made Small • Theology By Geology

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DO YOU WISH YOU HAD MORE COURAGE?

THAT

A B I B L E ST U DY F O R Y O U T H Do you wonder how biblical figures had the strength to H I G H E R

Find the answers in this new, six-week Bible study.

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Understand Courage

cph.org/courage

https://books.cph.org/courage-that-defies-death

Š 2020 Concordia Publishing House

stand by their faith and do seemingly impossible things?

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Contents T A B L E O F

Volume 19/Number 4 • Winter 2019

Special Features 4 Christmas Done Right

By Rev. George F. Borghardt Christmas isn’t just one day—it’s 12 days. Let’s celebrate it like we believe that! Pastor Borghardt reminds us that during Christmas we get to focus on the reality that Jesus has taken on all that we are, to redeem all that we are, so that, we would receive all that He is by faith alone.

6 The Sanctified Smartphone

By Rev. Harrison Goodman We aren’t sinners because we sin; we sin because we ARE sinners. Never is this more evident than when we cruise the internet. Pastor Goodman encourages us to fall back on our identity as baptized children of God as we seek to avoid evil and cultivate good.

10 Theology by Geology

By Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz You might never have noticed how many geological references there are in the Scriptures but Rev. Schuldheisz is here to illuminate you about their connection to the Gospel.

Rock on!

12 Believe WHAT?

By Katie Hill “Believe!” You’ll find this solitary word scrawled on every kind of Christmas décor imaginable. What’s it really mean, though?

Katie will help you wrap your brain around this holiday mystery.

HigherThings

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Volume 19/Number 4/Winter 2019 Bible Studies for these articles can be found as appendices to this magazine Executive Editor

Katie Hill Art Director

Steve Blakey Editorial Associates

Rev. Paul Beisel Rev. Gaven M. Mize Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard Copy Editors

Kay Maiwald Dana Niemi Bible Study Authors

16 What Is God’s Will for My Life?

By Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard Is God’s will something elusive that we can’t necessarily know? Rev. Richard explains how it isn’t as difficult as we might imagine, especially since God has already provided what we need as we consult His Word, pray, and seek out godly wisdom.

20 I Don’t Think This Verse Means What You Think It Means

By Rev. Jake Sletten Philippians 4:13 and 1 Corinthians 10:13 are two Bible verses that are so often misused that Rev. Sletten wants to set the record straight, which he does in an engaging and encouraging way.

22 Thought About Being a Pastor?

Terrified? Good!

By Rev. Caleb Schewe Rev. Schewe exhorts any young man investigating being a pastor to understand that the Lord blesses the preaching of His Word and the giving of His Gifts and thereby faithfully equips His pastors in many ways.

Rev. Aaron T. Fenker Rev. Joshua Ulm ___________ Board of Directors President

Rev. George F. Borghardt Vice-President

Rev. Duane Bamsch Treasurer

Mr. Kurt Winrich Secretary

Rev. Joel Fritsche Mrs. Becky Clausen Deaconess Ellie Corrow Rev. D. Carl Fickenscher Mr. Anthony Pellegrini Rev. Chris Rosebrough ___________

Executive Council Executive Director

Erica Jacoby

Dean of Theology

Rev. Aaron T. Fenker Business Executive

Regular Features 8 Theology: Immanuel—God Made Small

By Rev. Aaron T. Fenker Take joy in Rev. Fenker’s reminder that Jesus, Immanuel—“God with us”—is right where He promised us He would be: in His Word and Sacraments, for you!

24 Catechism: Liturgical Catechesis The Prayers of the Church

© 2020 Concordia Publishing House

By Rev. William M. Cwirla As Rev. Cwirla delves into another part of the Liturgy, we learn that the Prayers of the Church have a way of enlivening our own prayers because they encourage us to think outside our own circumstances.

Connie Brammeier Media Executive

Sandra Madden Conference Executive

Crysten Sanchez Marketing and Development Executive

Patrick Sturdivant

Higher Things® Magazine ISSN 1539-8455 is published quarterly by Higher Things, Inc. P.O. Box 155 Holt, MO 64048. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the executive editor of Higher Things Magazine. Copyright 2019. Higher Things® is registered trademarks of Higher Things Inc.; All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States. For subscription information and questions, call 1-888-4826630, then press 4, or e-mail subscriptions@higherthings.org.

(This phone number is only used for subscription queries.) For letters to the editor, write letters@higher things.org. Writers may submit manuscripts to: submissions@ higherthings.org. Please check higherthings.org/magazine/ writers/ for writers’ guidelines and theme lists.

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Christmas Done Right

By Rev. George F. Borghardt

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love Christmas. I’ve always loved it. I inherited that love from my father. When I was in sixth grade, I came home to find my dad sitting and listening to Christmas music with the tree up.

It was strange because it was the middle of the summer!

The Adoration of the Shepherds (Adoracion de los Pastores) by Bartolomé-Esteban Murillo (1617-1682), oil on canvas, c.1668-9.

I’ve always looked forward to Christmas year round.

The saddest part of the day for me, though, was Christmas afternoon. After the presents were opened, family dinner was eaten, and the tree was by the curb, I realized the next Christmas was another 365 days away! I still loved Christmas even after I fell away from the faith in high school. The colors, the stories, the myths, and the family traditions—I loved them all!

Only after I became Lutheran in college did I learn to appreciate any deeper meaning of Christmas. The songs, the carols, and the symbols all pointed to the greatest kneedropping truth of the universe: God was born on Christmas for me. Unto us—for me—a child was born. For me a Son was given (Isaiah 9:6). The Virgin conceived and bore a Son and His name was Immanuel, God with us. God for me! My Roman Catholic upbringing taught me that Mary was a virgin and that Christ was God. But the Gospel that God was born FOR ME to die on a cross for my sins? I had never heard that before!

The Gospel that God is FOR ME showed me how wrong I was about the entire business of Christmas! My timing was all off! I was doing holidays like the world does holidays.

They bounce from one holiday to the next. In the fall, the Halloween decorations come out, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas and the New Year, then President’s Day, then Valentine’s Day, then Easter, then Memorial Day, then July 4th, then Labor Day, then start over again. Holidays are about a day or two off of work or school; we decorate, visit family, eat, repeat. That’s the world’s way.

I was putting the cart before the horse just like the world does! What I thought was the Christmas season was really a season called “Advent.” I also had thought the Christmas season ended on Christmas Day, when it really is just beginning then! What great news! Christmas isn’t just a day that ends after presents are opened and dinner is eaten, but a whole a 12-day season just like the song says! Amazing!

Advent, from the Latin word adventus (He comes), is the season which begins four Sundays before Christmas and continues until Christmas Day. Advent is not Christmas, it’s the pre-game of Christmas. It’s the Lord’s getting us ready for Christmas! Consider this! The world’s “Christmas” isn’t even Christmas at all! The world is done with Christmas when the Church is just getting started with it!

“The Lord is coming.” That’s the theme of Advent! Jesus is coming in the manger on Christmas. He’s coming again to judge the living and the dead. He’s coming in His Gifts: the Word, the water, and His Body and Blood. All for you and for me.

Advent is a preparatory season. Like Lent, the traditional color is penitential violet. The Lord is preparing us for His coming by straightening up our lives, by repenting us. The mountains of pride and arrogance in our lives He lays low. The valleys of our sins—the evils we do daily and much—He fills with repentance and faith. He adds to our life more devotion.

He bids us to be watchful and to fast in preparation for the arrival of the Savior of the world on Christmas. Advent is a watchful season of hopeful expectation.

Advent prepares us for the big deal: Christmas! Christmas isn’t the end of the celebration, it’s the beginning! It’s the Mass of Christ! Christmas is the Divine Service where we celebrate the incarnation, the becoming flesh, of God. God has taken on all that we are, to redeem all that we are, so that we would receive all that He is by faith alone. Jesus is God with us, God for us, God one of us! In the manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, God is born to save His people from all their sins.

Keeping Christ as the center of Christmas means keeping the “Mass” in Christmas. You’ll only find this ornament, this “Mass,” in the Church! The One who was born for us, who took on our flesh, gives His Body and Blood for us to eat and drink. The Divine Service is the delivery of Christmas to you.

The Lord’s Supper is the delivery of Jesus’ Christmas FOR YOU. On the sixth day of Christmas, New Year’s Eve, we learn how much God is for us. He receives the name Jesus, which means “the Lord saves.” On New Year’s Day, He first sheds His blood for us at His circumcision. We also learn of suffering and pain in the 12 days of Christmas. The day after Christmas, we hear about the Church’s first martyr, St. Stephen. He confesses and dies for His faith. The world hated Stephen because it hated Jesus first. We who are in Christ can expect the world to move on from us as well. The Lord reminds us of this on the Feast of Holy Innocents, December 28th, when the false King Herod destroys all the little babies of Bethlehem. Jesus has to flee Bethlehem to save us.

What joy! Christmas isn’t just a day. It’s 12 days! It takes 12 days to unpack all that the Lord’s birth means for you! The Christmas season begins on Christmas Day and lasts until the Epiphany of our Lord when the wise men arrive on January 6th. Twelve days to sing carols, to wish people a Merry Christmas, to sit in front of your Christmas tree, and to keep your decorations out. Twelve days to celebrate that our Lord was born to die, to save us!

I love Advent and Christmas! I love them more today than I ever did when I was a child. Now, before I can get sad that Christmas is over, the wise men show me how this Baby is even for us Gentiles. I live season to season with my eyes fixed on Jesus. You might consider doing the same! Start with Advent. Let the Lord unpack the gift. Let Him prepare you for Christmas and the coming of His Son. What’s after that?

Epiphany, then Pre-Lent, Lent, Holy Week, and Easter! These aren’t just days to bounce through, but whole seasons which tell us more about Jesus and how He is FOR US. Each season is its own unique delivery of the Lord’s salvation to you. Each is its own present!

But first, Advent. The Lord is coming! Make ready! Repent!

May the Lord grant you a watchful Advent as He prepares you for His coming to you on Christmas!

Rev. George F. Borghardt is the pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bossier City, Louisiana and serves as the President of Higher Things.

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THE SANCTIFIED SMARTPHONE

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By Rev. Harrison Goodman

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hristians tend to talk about technology in predictable ways, especially to youth. All the talks I hear sound the same. They speak of warnings and horror stories. Part of me understands. If the internet were a person, would he be allowed in your house? If he spoke and behaved like what’s out there, would you want him in front of your folks at dinner?

It’s easier to characterize the internet as evil and give no thought to the people using it. It’s easier to blame the tool than the people who use it. Yes, parts of the internet are evil. Malicious.

Sinful. Intentionally so. There’s more to it, though, because people were sinners before the internet. The internet just connects sinners across greater distances. Good or evil never rest on the thing itself, but rather on how it is employed in light of God’s will. It isn’t the internet; it’s the sin.

That said, a medium, or a tool, is not neutral. The book is better than the movie. That’s because the director made something different from the way I imagined it. The various forms of media look like the people behind them.

When I was little, I liked video games.

My parents got me a game called Math Blaster. They figured they could make math fun if it was a game. It would be easier than fighting with me about doing multiplication tables. Really, I only learned that math was so terrible that kids had to be tricked into learning it. The reason tools aren’t neutral is because sinners use them for sinful things, like shirking teaching your kids math. Old Adam sins more efficiently with tools. Just ask Cain about his rock.

The solution is not simply to “behave,” online or off. The Law cannot save you. The Law can’t make you holy.

It can point out the problem, but it can’t fix it. The Gospel does that. The Gospel makes you holy. It sanctifies you. That’s what sanctified means: made holy.“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). This is who you are now. Holy. Worthy of love

by God. Baptized. A child of God. This is your identity. A product of the Gospel.

That doesn’t mean the Law is bad.

You should try to follow the Law. Sin breaks stuff, online and off. The Law shows you your sin. Always. If you can look at the Law and not feel like a sinner, you’re either not really looking at the

Law or not really looking at yourself.

That doesn’t mean you can’t be good. It means you can’t be good enough. That is the problem most of us have online.

Look at my seven likes. I took 50 selfies to find the right one. I wrote for hours.

We tried our best. Seven likes. It’s not enough. The Law shows where we don’t measure up. The biggest problem is we figure that’s our real identity. Those likes must be what we amount to. They must sum up who we are.

The internet says you are what you post. You are the sum of your content.

That’s a religion of death. Our greatest aim is to be viral, a word that has to do with sickness and death. But…you know…in a spectacular fashion. That’s what it takes to break through the noise. There’s so much content online that only the exceptional stands out.

Nobody gets 10k shares for their average rendition of Taylor Swift sung in the bathroom. It has to be spectacular…or a disaster. That’s the baseline. The normal.

We see only the exceptional and try to be exceptional, too. We try to live by works. It ends poorly. The Law rarely cuts deeper than reminders about your posts from “five years ago this day.” Again, the problem isn’t the internet. The problem is where you’re looking for comfort. Do you want comfort from your neighbor’s being impressed? By works of the Law? Comfort isn’t found in recognition by man, but in identity in God. And that’s what your Baptism gives you: an identity in and through Christ. If you live by content, you’ll die by it. But Christ died for you. Rose for you. You’re baptized into Him. So your content isn’t you. The Law does not define you, the Gospel does. Your value isn’t found in accolades from strangers or from your trying to form a new tribe, because the community God gave you offline is full of sinners you don’t like. Identity isn’t measured in heart emojis and shares that turn faceless by the time you get as many as you covet. Rather it’s found in water and Word from the incarnate Jesus.

To look to a thousand likes for comfort is to look to something that is by nature non-specific. When you remove the specifics from vocation it always turns toxic. Parents discipline children, but yelling at other people’s kids in Walmart doesn’t go well.

Masculinity without service to someone specific turns toxic. Even pastoring without a real tie to a congregation turns into a cult of personality.

Vocation connects you to someone.

Ties you to them. The internet can help, but it has to connect to a real person. A real identity. We have to be intentional about how we use social media. Your use of the internet should lean into vocation, not away from it—to serve specific people in specific ways. Does this tool help you be a better son or daughter?

A better hearer of God’s Word? A better student? A better citizen?

There are parts of the internet you just shouldn’t be on. If the foundation and purpose for that site is breaking a commandment, stay away. This isn’t just the elephant in the room named porn. It’s also the sites dedicated to covetousness. To theft. To slander. It’s the sites that go against the Fourth Commandment from your parents. There is nothing good to be found here and nobody to serve either.

And God gave you a neighbor as a gift. You have real people in your life, so you can’t have a life that’s lived entirely online. The internet can aid your life, but it can’t replace it. That’s good.

Your real life is rooted in your Baptism.

You shouldn’t want to replace that.

Wherever you go, online or not, you go baptized. Holy, but not because you perfectly avoided something unclean, but because He cleanses you from all sin.

You don’t measure up by content, but by Christ. You are holy in Him. Rev. Harrison Goodman is the pastor of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in San Antonio, Texas.

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Immanuel God Made Small

By Rev. Aaron T. Fenker

ur greatest joy isn’t a big and awesome God. I mean, He is those things. He’s almighty (omnipotent). He “created the heavens and earth, the sea, and all that is in them” (Exodus 20:11). He’s everywhere, too (omnipresent). “Where can I go from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7ff.) Yet, He’s also nowhere.

“Heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you” (1 Kings 8:27). All that means is that you can’t run from God and you can’t hide from Him. It means He doesn’t just know what you’re doing (omniscient), but He’s actually there when you do it (omnipresent)!

He’s even in your thoughts! At the same time, you can’t get at Him, either. Yes, He’s as near as your very soul, but you can grasp Him about as easily as you can grab hold of the morning fog.

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Our joy isn’t that sort of big God in the sky. Our joy is Immanuel—God with us (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23). But what does “God with us” mean? It’s not just God who’s everywhere, watching our thoughts and words and actions. Such a God is near and yet far, unknowable, unholdable. Can such a God even save you—being so far better, greater, holier than you? No, our joy, our eternal joy, our Christmas joy, is in God made man, God made small. That’s what Immanuel, “God with us,” means. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).

You don’t just need a big, powerful God. When your thoughts, words, and actions don’t measure up, when you’ve got sins and sinful desires, you don’t need the thought police or an almighty judge or lawyer. You need a Savior— someone who will save you from your thoughts, your words, your actions. And what you most need, Jesus is.

Jesus is God made man. “In Him the fullness of God dwells bodily” (Colossians 2:9). When you see Jesus, you see God. But this isn’t just a nice doctrinal point you’ve got to get right, and when you do, you get to check a box on your divine report card. Jesus

is just God shown up, but God shown up to save you. When you see Jesus forgiving sinners and raising the dead, that’s God forgiving sinners, that’s God raising the dead. When you see Jesus dying on the cross, that’s God dying on the cross. And “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3) and “was raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25), which is our being right with God, our forgiveness and eternal life. God’s being made man, Immanuel, God with us, means that God takes our sins and dies on the cross for them in our place.

To die, to become man, Immanuel didn’t just pop into our world. “God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law to redeem those who were under the Law, that we would receive sonship” (Galatians 4:45). Immanuel doesn’t just mean God made man, but God made small. Zygote.

Embryo. Infant. Baby. That was God for you. “In her womb this truth was shown, God was there upon His throne” (LSB 332:3). He was also holdable—in His mother’s arms. God has a mom! Jesus is Mary’s Son and Mary’s Lord. As Elizabeth rejoiced: “Why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to

me?” (Luke 1:43) “Oh, that birth forever blessed when the virgin, full of grace, By the Holy Ghost conceiving, Bore the Savior of our race, And the babe, the world’s Redeemer, First revealed His sacred face” (LSB 384:2).

Jesus, Immanuel, is still holdable, graspable, somewhere for you. He’s right where He’s promised to be. He may be everywhere and nowhere, but He is also somewhere: in His Word and His Sacraments. You’ve received sonship in Holy Baptism. Now, Jesus is your Brother, His Father your Father, His Holy Spirit your Holy Spirit. Still hearable through Absolution, preaching, Word.

Still holdable through bread and wine, His Body and Blood for you to eat and to drink. The flesh and blood He took up in Mary’s womb, the flesh and blood that was crucified and raised, is given to you, here and now—a specific somewhere.

It’s small and simple, yes, but that’s what Immanuel means! God made man. God made small. For you. Your Savior.

Our Christmas joy, our eternal joy isn’t Almighty, Everywhere, All-Knowing God, but Immanuel, God with us. That’s Jesus. That Word that became flesh and dwelt among us is exactly what we need Him to be: our Savior. He is God. God made man. Flesh and blood God. God seeable, hearable, holdable.

God in the womb of a woman. God in a manger. God on a cross. God raised from the dead. All Immanuel, God made small, for you. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Rev. Aaron T. Fenker is the pastor of Bethlehem and Immanuel Lutheran Churches in Bremen, Kansas. He also is the Dean of Theology for Higher Things.

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Theology

by Geology

By Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz

got a rock,” Charlie Brown said in his typical doleful manner. Whenever I watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, I find myself sympathizing with poor, dejected Charlie Brown. I would have felt the same way on Halloween if all I had found in my trick-or-treat bag was a rock instead of my favorite Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups or King Size Snickers Bars. Unless you are an aspiring geologist, I think most of us would agree with Charlie Brown that a rock, at least one that is not polished or precious, is a rather lackluster thing to receive.

And yet, Scripture is a deep quarry of rocks and stones. Time and time again, from the minerals and boulders of creation in Genesis to the precious gems adorning the walls of the heavenly new Jerusalem in Revelation, God does some of His most incredible work around rocks, stones, and the boulders of the ground. Throughout Scripture, God uses the ordinary, hard, dusty rocks of His creation to be a sign of His blessing, protection, rock-hard promises, His steadfast presence, and His unshakable, gracious saving work on behalf of His people. You could even say that God gives us a lot of theology by geology.

After the flood, Noah built an altar of stone to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings upon it. There, the Lord declared His promise to Noah and all creation: “I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done” (Genesis 8:21). God met and blessed Noah at a stone altar.

When Jacob ran from his brother Esau he lay down to sleep on a stone pillow. While Jacob slept, he saw a ladder or staircase with angels ascending and descending, and the Lord Himself appeared. He promised Jacob land to settle in, descendants more numerous than the dust of the earth, and that by his offspring, all nations of the earth would be blessed. In the morning, Jacob took his stone pillow, anointed it with oil, and called the name of that place Bethel, or the house of God. A rocky headrest would serve to remind of God’s rocksolid promises.

In the wilderness, when the people of Israel thirsted, the Lord told Moses, “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink” (Exodus 17:6). A few chapters later, the Lord met His people Israel upon the gravel and dirt of Mt. Sinai.

At Sinai, the Lord chiseled His words in tablets of stone—stones upon which the Lord delivered His Law and his Covenant to His people.

After the people of Israel crossed the Jordan River, 12 large stones were taken from the river for a sign to the people of Israel. When their children would ask, “What do those stones mean?” they were to tell how the Lord stopped the waters of the Jordan as the Ark of the Covenant passed through the river.

Those 12 stones memorialized that the Lord saved the 12 tribes of Israel and brought them into the Promised Land.

In the days of Samuel the prophet, after the Ark of the Covenant was returned to Israel, he took a stone and named it Ebenezer (no, not Scrooge!), meaning, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” Not too long after, David slew Goliath with one smooth river stone. He hid in a rock-strewn cave when Saul tried to kill him. David even uses rocks to describe the Lord’s protection and rescue in Psalm 18:2: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge.”

Many years later, the Lord sent Isaiah to declare to Israel, “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him” (Isaiah 51:1-2).

The Lord calls His people Israel a rock. Doesn’t sound very flattering at first, but it is descriptive. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: They were the foundation God laid for His people and His promise. Ultimately, however, it was the Lord Himself who was the bedrock, cornerstone, and terra firma beneath Israel’s feet. After all, Israel was a chip off the old rock of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, although not always in a good way.

The Old Testament is layered with the stubborn, stiff-necked, rebellious, rock-hard sin of Israel, and yet Israel’s foundation is firm, built on the bedrock of the Lord’s unshakable promises. Our history is no different. Within each of us is a heart of stone. Our sinful flesh

is as black as obsidian and as hard as granite. And yet, through His prophet Isaiah, the Lord calls to us, His new Israel, to look not to ourselves nor at our stubborn, sinful hearts of stone.

Rather, He beckons us to look to the Rock from which we are hewn: Christ our Cornerstone.

For it is Jesus who was in that rock that was tapped to give living water to Israel in the desert. It’s the same Jesus who raised Lazarus from his stony grave. Jesus was born to walk the pebbly, gritty soil of this fallen world for you, who was crucified on top of the stony mountain top called Golgotha for you, who became the stone that the builders rejected for us, crushed under the weight of our sin that in His dying and rising, we receive an eternal weight of glory. When He rose from the dead, He rolled away the boulder of His grave to bless us.

Throughout the Scriptures, the stones cry out and give us a theology by geology. God is the God of Noah, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, and of you. Jesus has taken our hearts of stone and given us new hearts built on Christ, our Rock and our Redeemer.

Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit who has made us God’s house of living stones, built for His own habitation.

In Jesus, “I got a rock,” is no longer a message of despair. It’s a message of good news, comfort, and grace in Christ our Cornerstone, our Ebenezer stone, our Rock and refuge.

We are God’s house of living stones, Built for His own habitation.

He through Baptismal grace us owns Heirs of His wondrous salvation.

Were we but two His name to tell.

Yet He would deign with us to dwell With all His grace and His favor.

(Built on the Rock, LSB 645:3) Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz is the pastor of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Milton, Washington.

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Believe WHAT?

By Katie Hill

Believe. Believe…Believe!

It’s an ubiquitous word this time of year. By that, I mean, it’s EVERYWHERE! Whether it’s scrolled elegantly on a wooden sign or even, dare I say, emblazoned on an ugly sweater, we’re regularly encouraged to “Believe!” It IS a nice, sentiment, isn’t it? And it sounds almost spiritual, particularly during the supposed “war on Christmas.” Better to say “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas” or you might offend someone. At least Starbucks cups say Merry Coffee now…so they are halfway there ;-). Perhaps when we encounter a “Believe” on a coffee mug or on a Christmas ornament it seems like a light in the darkness. Well, we might take it as such, and that’s okay. For some, it might mean nothing more than “Believe in the magic of Christmas!” or “Believe that Christmas is a time of love and joy!”

Those are good things to think about, generally speaking. The reality is since “Believe” probably means different things to different people, it doesn’t mean much of anything at all. The meaning of this Christmas-y exhortation is filtered through the perception of the beholder.

“Believe” as a catch word was probably popularized by the 2004 movie The Polar Express, and let’s face it, Josh Groban could convince us to believe nearly anything with that voice of his.

It’s an innocent enough song. “If you just believe,” it says, which begs the question: “Believe what?” The Polar Express is magical and redemptive in its own right.

It just goes to show how easy it is to start a trend that takes on a life of its own.

As Christians, however, we’d ultimately like “Believe” to mean “I believe that God the Son came down and took on flesh to save His people from their sins, and that’s what Christmas is truly about.” Or maybe even something along the lines of John the Baptist’s cry, “Repent and believe!”

It’s highly unlikely that this reflects most people’s interpretation, though. A Pew Research Center survey from several years ago showed that a slim majority of Americans—about 56%—believe in the God of the Bible, and any others who “believe” in God at all do not look to the Scriptures to define Him. So, like a great many things during this Advent and Christmas season, “Believe” can be redeemed. Thankfully, we don’t depend on it as our source of the Gospel. What you, as a baptized child of God, have the freedom to do is find joy in what’s true of your belief or faith in Christ Jesus. In Ephesians 2:8 Paul tells us “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of

God.” The cool thing about this verse is that the “it” in the second part points back to BOTH “grace” and “faith.” These are gifts and they are yours! This means your believing is a gift and doesn’t come out of your feeling warm fuzzies.

Warm fuzzies are fine but we can’t depend on them and they certainly aren’t used by God to save us.

So what does this mean during this expectant season and celebratory time of Advent and Christmas? Our finding joy in the true meaning of Christmas is not something we’re just supposed to manufacture on our own. God has given us means to “Believe!” While there are a variety of these means, here are a few: 1. Feed your faith. Go to Sunday Divine Service and take advantage of any mid-week Advent services your church is offering. Through Word and Sacrament, God specifically promises to be among us and to provide us with faith-strengthening grace. Spend time in the Scriptures, where verses like Acts 16:31 and Romans 10:9-11, among many others, exhort us to believe. What you will discover is that these verses are not about OUR belief but about IN WHOM we believe.

When you’re not receiving His Gifts in church, there are some great Advent and Christmas devotionals out there for you to enjoy, not the least of which are Higher Things Reflections (https:// higherthings.org/reflections/). It’s a great way to get a daily dose of the Gospel!

2. Spend some time in your Small Catechism with the accompanying explanation and read through The Apostles’ Creed. Pay special attention to the Second Article. Besides feeding your faith, this will also help equip you to talk about the true meaning of Christmas with your friends and family.

Look up all the Scripture references.

Know what it is you believe and relish the reminders of the Gospel.

3. Read Martin Luther’s Christmas Book, if you get a chance. Pick up a copy (print or digital) of this delightful little book edited by Luther biographer, Roland H. Bainton (who wrote the more well-known Here I stand). It’s an endearing combination of Christian art, song lyrics, and some of Luther’s best sermons related to Christmas. This is an example of somewhere where you can get caught up in the magic of “Believe” in its truest sense. As Bainton notes in his introduction, “The manger and the cross are never very far apart for Luther,” and how true this is! You’ll learn how Luther saw all other miracles as subservient to the Incarnation but was stunned by the belief he observed in those most intimately acquainted with Jesus on Christmas Eve: Mary, Joseph, the shepherds.

In Christ you are free to take the things of this world that are incomplete and vague and redeem them to point you back toward the Gospel, found in His Word and in His Gifts. Therefore, when you see “Believe” sprawled across a billboard or embroidered on a stocking (or just about anywhere else, for that matter), it can be an prompt to be thankful a thousandfold for the miraculous gift of faith, granted to us in our Baptism. “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). That’s a promise from our Father TO YOU. Katie Hill is the editor of Higher Things Magazine.

She can be reached at katie. hill@higherthings.org.

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What Is God’s Will for My Life?

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By Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard

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everal years ago, when my wife and I lived in southern California, we were invited by some friends to a service at a nondenominational church. We accepted the invitation since we did not want to be rude and we were a little bit curious about the service.

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There were about 80 people in attendance at the service. Halfway through, the main leader asked everyone to break into small groups throughout the nave portion of the church for “share time” and “prayer.”

During the sharing portion, a man in his early 40s said that he was struggling to discern God’s will in a career change. He had two job opportunities: an option to stay at his current job or take another job with a 2-hour commute. While he shared with the group, everyone leaned forward and intensely listened.

After his confession of trying, unsuccessfully, to discern God’s will, the group leader said, “Let’s pray about that.”

As we prayed, there were the typical prayers of guidance and provision. But then, several in the group took us down a unique path, with passionate pleas: “Lord, give him dreams!”

“Father God, speak to him in the still small voice within.”

“Lord, we are going to lay down a bunch of fleeces, and we demand that you boldly answer!”

After the small group prayer gathering in the nave, the service concluded, and we departed for fellowship and refreshments.

At this point, I saw the gentleman who had asked for prayer standing next to the snack table.

I approached him to ask some questions. Let’s call him “John” for the sake of keeping things clear. The conversation went like this:

Me: Hi there, I’m Matt. Can I ask some follow-up questions about your struggles?

John: Oh, it is good to meet you. Yeah, no problem.

Me: You mentioned that you have two job opportunities. If you don’t mind my asking, are you struggling at your current job?

John: No, I don’t mind. I guess I am not struggling at my current job.

Me: That’s good. If you don’t mind my asking, do you have enough money to take care of your family with your current job?

John: Yeah, I do. It is average pay, but it makes for a nice living.

Me: So, with this other job opportunity, will it pay all your bills, too?

John: Definitely! And then some! It would be a big promotion.

Me: Wow, that is neat. Good for you! So, how many kids do you have?

John: My wife and I have three children. They are great!

Me: Again, if you don’t mind my asking, how are you doing with time with them? Do you have enough time with them as a father? How about your wife…how is it going with balancing work and your marriage?

John: No, I don’t mind at all. Well, I typically work 50 plus hours a week as of right now, so at times I find that I might be overdoing it. I might be stretching the family a little.

Me: So, with this new job, would it be more or fewer hours?

John: It would actually be more work. Quite a bit more!

Me: And how about the commute?

John: The commute would be about 1 1/2 hours one way.

I drive faster than most!

Me: So that would be an extra 15 hours a week driving?

John: I guess so.

Me: Is the family open to moving?

John: No, they are not. We are close to relatives, and we have a great school district. The kids are plugged in.

Me: How does your wife feel about it?

John: To be honest, she has concerns.

Me: Thank you, John, for sharing. So, let me make sure that I hear you right. You are looking to take another job that would take you away from home for another 15-25 hours every week, you are already concerned about how much time you are away from your family, your current job is meeting your financial needs, and your wife has concerns about the new job?

John: Ouch. That kind of hurts. But yeah, that is pretty much it.

Me: So why would you think it is God’s will to take the new job?

John: Well, hmm.

Me: John, here is my concern, my friend: By taking this new job you would be spending less time with your children, and you would be spending more time away from your wife doing a job for extra money that you don’t technically need.

John: I guess so.

Me: How is this God’s will? You are called to be the spiritual head, to pastor your children, to raise your children, and you are called to be there for your wife. If you were struggling financially this job change might make sense, but you are doing fine.

If you were to take this job, would you do a better job fulfilling your vocation as a husband and father or would you be doing a worse job?

After that last question to John, he seemed to get somewhat frustrated with me. He was getting frustrated because my gentle questions were being perceived as personal attacks; the questions were exposing the reason why he wanted a new job. And the reason why he wanted the new job? It was clearly for the career promotion and more money. John had given way to covetousness, which was leading him down the path to neglect his vocation as husband and father. However, instead of recognizing his

covetousness and neglect, he was doing his best to convince himself that it was God’s will to take the new job. As already indicated, the problem with the new job would be a neglect of John’s vocations as father and spouse. And, as we know from God’s Word and plain reason, it is never God’s will for a father to neglect his children and depart from his concerned wife for the sake of money that one does not need.

So, how does one make decisions that are in God’s will? Is God’s will “out there,” needing to be found through mystical dreams and small voices buried in the subconscious? No, it is not. Instead, God’s will is rather straight forward: 1. Consider your vocation: Before making a decision, consider your vocations in life. Students, husbands, and fathers will make decisions differently because the needs of their vocations are different.

2. Consider God’s Word: God’s Word will show us which decisions are good, right, and salutary and which ones are not. For example, some decisions violate God’s Ten Commandments.

3. Rejoice: After considering your vocation and God’s Word, if you still have two viable options, rejoice that God has blessed you with two good options that are within His will.

4. Use godly wisdom: Research the two decisions, and with the help of others and godly wisdom, make the best decision, without worrying that you are violating God’s will.

5. Rest in the decision: Once a decision has been made, rest in that decision, knowing that you are in God’s will. Even if later on you realize that you made an unwise decision, rest that the Lord holds you amidst both wise and unwise decisions. And, if necessary, remedy the unwise decision with repentance, confession, and forgiveness.

I am not sure whatever happened to John—whether he took that other job or not. But what I do know for sure is that God’s will is not hidden in mystic voices or magical dreams. God’s ultimate Will (capital W!) is that we all be saved and be with Him eternally, (2 Peter 3:9) and that’s already been won in Christ and delivered through our Baptism, so we need not fret over our earthly decisions.

Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard is pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Minot, North Dakota.

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Conferences

Watermarked www.higherthings.org www.watermarked2020.org

Colorado State University

University of Tennessee

Fort Collins, CO • June 29 – July 2, 2020

Knoxville, TN • July 14 – 17, 2020

NW Missouri State University

Calvin University

Maryville, MO • July 7 – 10, 2020

Grand Rapids, MI • July 21 – 24, 2020

Why Higher Things?

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2020

We live in a culture of blurry religious distinctions and do-it-yourself spirituality. Youth, especially, need solid ground that will nurture lasting Christian faith.

Rather than treating youth as an adolescent subculture and confusing them with religious experiences that cannot be replicated at home, Higher Things believes in challenging youth to learn the pure doctrine of the Christian faith. By teaching them the same message that they hear at home, youth grow in the fullness of the Christian faith as they come to appreciate historic liturgical practice and its unique focus on God’s gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation for us delivered in Word and Sacrament.

The Theme: Watermarked “Baptism now saves you.” (1 Peter 1:21) You were born to die. You’re a sinner, and sinners are marked for death. You not only inherited it, but the sins you commit daily earn you death. You won’t just die and be buried. Since you’re born dead in trespasses

and sins (Ephesians 2:1), you’re marked and sentenced to die forever in hell—a child of wrath (Ephesians 2:3).

Yet your sins aren’t yours anymore, neither is your death. Jesus took them as His own.“He became sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21), your sin, and “He died to sin once for all” (Romans 6:10), for you, too. He gives what is His to you—”righteousness and purity forever.” You are no longer marked and sentenced and left to die. You are marked for life in Jesus.

Jesus marked you with the Water of Life in Holy Baptism. His water and Word splashed over your forehead, washing you with the rosy-red water from His spear-pierced side and clothing you with His own resurrection. In Holy Baptism Jesus recreated you to be what He has forever wanted you to be: His disciple and friend, a child of His Father and His own brother or sister, that is,“an heir, having the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:7).

At the 2020 Watermarked Conferences we rejoice in and cherish all the promises and blessings Jesus makes and delivers to each of us in Holy Baptism. You really are what He says you are: marked forever as His own.

Registration Find the Registration Materials and Conference Information packets at Watermarked2020.org.

Registration will open on November 1, 2019 and close as each site reaches capacity. We work very diligently to keep costs as low as possible while providing the best conferences we can – every year! The perperson rates are based on the date your group’s registration fees are paid in full. Additional fees apply for registrations and changes made on or after May 1, 2020. Balances paid on or after May 1, 2020 will incur a $25 per person late fee. See the Registration Policies for more information about fees and deadlines.

Colorado State University - Fort Collins, CO (June 29-July 2, 2020) Northwest Missouri State - Marysville, MO (July 7-10, 2020) University of Tennessee - Knoxville, TN (July 14-18, 2020) Calvin University - Grand Rapids, MI (July 21-24, 2020) Your Registration Fee includes: • All conference programming (Catechesis, Worship, Entertainment) • Three (3) nights of campus housing (double-capacity) • Nine (9) Meals (Day 1 supper - Day 4 lunch) • Conference Handbook • Daily Services Book • Conference T-Shirt

• • • • • • • •

Not only can you register your group online at watermarked2020.org, you can pay deposits and your balance online. Just follow the instructions on the webpage to register your group.

Age Requirements Higher Things conferences are generally planned for high-school-aged youth, but registrants may be any youth who have been confirmed prior to the conference, including middle school and college students. We recognize that the ages of confirmed youth vary from congregation to congregation, and just ask that if a group is bringing young people who are not yet confirmed or in high school, their group leaders be prepared to provide additional supervision accordingly.

Chaperones Chaperones must be at least 21 years old at the time of the Conference and approved by the Group’s pastor to serve in that role. There must be at least one (1) male Chaperone for up to every seven (7) male youth in a registered group, and at least one (1) female

EARLY BIRD! Nov. 1, 2019 to Jan. 31, 2020

REGULAR Feb. 1, 2020 to April 30, 2020

LATE (on or after May 1, 2020)

$385

$410

$435

Chaperone for up to every seven (7) female youth in the group. There is no restriction on the number of Chaperones that may register with a group. All Chaperones and other adults in a group must complete the Registration process. If a Group needs assistance in finding Chaperones for the number of Youth they’re bringing, Higher Things can provide a list of Group Leaders from their area who may be contacted to ask if they would be willing to help out. Please contact the Conference Registrar (registrar@higherthings.org) for this assistance. All adults/chaperones registered to attend a Higher Things conference must also pass a national criminal and sexual predator background check by May 1, 2020. All Higher Things staff, volunteers, and leadership complete child safety training and annual background checks. See the Registration Policies for more information about background checks.

Conference Capacities The 2020 conference in Colorado has a capacity of 1000. The conferences in Missouri, Tennessee, and in Michigan all have capacities of 900.

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I Don’t Think That Verse Means What You Think It Means

By Rev. Jake Sletten

Y

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ou might have seen Philippians 4:13 on one of Steph Curry’s basketball shoes.

You’ve probably heard 1 Corinthians 10:13 misquoted a multitude of times, but when you went to look for it in your Bible, you couldn’t find it.

This past summer at the Higher Things conference in St. Paul, I was privileged to present on a topic that I am very passionate about: setting the record straight on certain passages of Scripture that are woefully and dangerously misinterpreted.

Before attempting to interpret any passage of Scripture, the FIRST thing that we must do is pray. We must pray to the Holy Spirit that we read Scripture through the lens of Jesus and Him crucified, dead, buried, and resurrected.

After all, Scripture itself is very clear: that it ALL points to Jesus. John 20:31 says as much: “…but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

The second and third things are linked: we must understand that Scripture always (and only) interprets itself.

We cannot simply pluck passages out of their context and think that we will know what they really mean. It is sort of like that scene in Return of the Jedi when Hans Solo gets really bummed because he thinks that Leia loves Luke… romantically. If he had been paying attention, he would have figured out that Leia is actually Luke’s sister…eww.

There are also these important verses from 2 Peter

1:19-21: “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Athletes have been putting this verse on their shoes and eye black for as long as sports have been around, to motivate them and others, while also earnestly desiring to give a witness to their Christian faith.

Let’s begin with what this verse DOESN’T mean. What this verse DOESN’T mean are things like this: “You can do anything you set your mind to!”“Set your goals and you will achieve them!”“Dream it. Believe it. Achieve it!” Or, the even more ludicrous: “There’s no possible way I can die while climbing El Capitan without a rope because, well, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”

naito29 Shutterstock

The first three are all examples of the kind of positive attitude that any well-intentioned parent would want to instill in their children. The last one is just crazy talk… although there are some who believe it to be true!

According to the context of the book of Philippians, however, none of these examples apply to what Paul was writing about.

So, what DOES Paul actually mean in Philippians 4:13?

First, we must understand what the “things” are that Paul is talking about. Allowing the context to help us, verse 12 gives us the answer: “…facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need…” NOT the ability to be the best tent maker ever. NOT the ability to one day be Caesar (though he ever wanted such a thing). NOT the ability to do anything he wanted as long as he set his mind to it. He was able, however, to face having plenty and to face being in need.

And what gave him this ability?

In the previous chapter, verses 7-8 tell us. “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of knowing Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ…”

So for Paul, the “secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need” that he wrote about in 4:12, and the reason why he can confidently write “I can do all things…” is because he KNOWS that Jesus Christ is Lord!

1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Let me just get straight to the point. Nowhere in this verse (or anywhere else in Scripture for that matter) will you find this sentence: “God will not give you more than you can handle.” It. Doesn’t. Exist.

The importance of correctly reading and interpreting this passage cannot be understated. If it gets interpreted as “God will not give you more than you can handle” it is setting up the hearer for dangerous disappointment.

Try telling the mother of four whose cancer has returned for a second time that God will not give her more

than she can handle. Try telling it to the father who has lost his job and isn’t sure where his family’s next meal is coming from. Try telling it to the child whose parents are getting a divorce and she thinks it’s all her fault. Even the apostle Paul tells us he was given more than he could handle! 2 Corinthians 1:8: “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the afflictions we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.”

You and I both know that what life throws at us is often more than we can handle. But our comfort lies in this: God knows that. And that’s why 1 Corinthians 10:13 is such an awesome verse. It reminds us that our God is faithful to the promises that He has made to his people—and it is this reminder that is the key to interpreting this verse.

You and I will always be faced with trials and sufferings on this side of heaven—and sometimes it will be more than we can bear. So, Paul reminds us, “God is faithful.”

Another way to put it? God keeps His promises. This is not the first time that we have heard this message from Paul in this letter! He writes the same words in chapter 1 verse 9: “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The Corinthians were struggling with divisions in their church which had caused their consciences to become weak. Consequently, they forgot the Gospel that Paul had taught them. He wanted to remind them that God is faithful, and He will keep His promise to them, and will provide the way of escape from temptation, though not from hard times.

Today, we struggle with a host of different things that cause us to suffer emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

When times of trial come upon you, remember these three words: God is faithful. When your season of suffering is more than you can bear, remember that God is faithful and He keeps His promises to you.

The next time you see a misapplied Bible verse scrawled on a football helmet or featured in a social media meme, don’t hammer the person passing it on. Instead, make sure YOU are clear when you communicate the truth that ultimately, Scripture is about Christ for us.

Rev. Jake Sletten is the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Freistatt, Missouri.

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Thought About Being a Pastor? Terrified? Good!

By Rev. Caleb Schewe

“Behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.”

What kind of sadistic man puts lambs in the midst of wolves? Apparently Jesus does. Surprisingly, it’s not the wolves that the pastor should fear. We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things. Stop fearing the wolves.

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A pastor should have fear, reverent fear, as he handles holy things. He handles the Word of God. The Word of God is no trifle. God’s Law is a hammer.

The pastor must dare to wield that hammer to break prideful hearts in repentance. God’s Word is a sharp two-edged sword. The pastor must dare to use it to cut and lance wounds caused by sin, that the remedy of the Gospel may heal those wounds in Christ. The pastor must dare to preach damning Law and forgiving Gospel and believe that God’s Word will do its work. That Word doesn’t need gimmicks or anecdotes to make it appealing. The Word of God is sufficient, powerful enough to take beaten paths, rocky and thorny ground, and turn them into good soil to bear good fruit.

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A pastor should have reverent fear as he handles the holy things of the Sacraments. Baptism drowns.

Baptism puts to death. Baptism washes. Baptism makes alive. Baptism makes one a temple of the Holy Ghost. A pastor should have reverent fear as he handles the true Body and Blood of Christ. You hold Jesus. You put Jesus into people’s mouths.

If this terrifies you, it should. God is not mocked.

Even as it terrifies you, do not despair. Jesus deigns to dwell with sinners and to eat and drink with sinners and to be counted among sinners at the Cross. As you consider the Office of the Holy Ministry, take comfort in the knowledge that God has a 100% rate of calling sinners into an office they don’t deserve. God uses sinful men to preach His Word and

administer His Sacraments. The holy angels don’t get to do that. The holy angels cannot stand in the stead or by the command of Jesus. The holy angels cannot handle the Body and Blood of Jesus. The holy angels cannot do those things because Jesus did not become an angel. He became man.

As you realize your unworthiness for the Office, remember those who have gone before you. Moses?

He committed murder and tried to hide it. David?

Same thing. Peter? He came close in Gethsemane.

Paul? Do you think he might have trouble being accepted at seminary with his history of persecution?

Do you realize that Peter, James, and John fought just like seminary students (or sometimes professors, for that matter) about who was the greatest? James and John offered to call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village; how would that go over in a district interview to get into seminary?

I hope those reminders make you chuckle, because we see something of ourselves in them.

Despite the profound failings of Thomas, Peter, James, John, Paul, and every man throughout the history of the Church, God used them. God blessed them. God loved them. Even more, God liked them.

So it is with you.

Some of you are terrified to be a pastor because you have a speech impediment. So did Moses. So did I. Some of you are terrified to be a pastor because your body shakes when you talk in front of people. So did mine. Some of you are terrified to be a pastor because you’re strong introverts and don’t enjoy being around crowds.

Same with me. Maybe you don’t want to hurt people with the Law. Neither do I. Perhaps you fear being faithful to the Word of God in a culture that hates the truth of God’s Word. It could be you’re fearful that eight years of schooling, learning Greek and Hebrew, and reading bunches of books by dead people sounds like an awful way to spend your late teens and twenties. Consider this: If you have read this far in this article, you either must like theology or you have a weird way of passing the time. If you like theology now, you’ll love theology in school.

The seminaries will only make your love of theology flourish and grow, sort of like love of theology begets greater love of theology.

Some of you are terrified to be a pastor because you don’t know how to handle hospital visits and funerals. Don’t worry. You’ll handle them just fine because you’ll give out Christ. The reality is that you will be called into some of the worst times of people’s lives, but don’t despair. No one suffering the worst of situations expects you to fix their situation.

For example, when you’re called to a hospital, no parishioner expects you to lay your hands on them and heal them. Or when you’re called to the death of a parishioner, no one expects you to pull a Jesus and tell the dead parishioner to get up. People don’t expect you to fix their problems. They just want you to give them Jesus.

And you will.

You’ll deliver Christ. Christ who suffered for sinners. Christ who was crucified for sinners. Christ who deigns to dwell among sinners and turn them from sinners into His saints. Christ, who is our only hope, comfort, and answer in this vale of tears. It is Christ who equips you for this holy task and gives His Word on your mouth for you to proclaim.

I’d be lying if I said there weren’t times I thought about what else I would rather do.

I’d also be lying if I said that there’s no joy to be found in the Office of the Holy Ministry. On the one hand, it’s very hard work. On the other hand, it’s been a blast.

I’m constantly amazed at how the parish thrives on the Word of God. I’ve pushed them. I’ve hit them hard with the Law, and they’ve taken it. I’ve abundantly given them Jesus and they’ve loved it. They’ve embraced rich hymnody. They’ve wanted to be taught deeper theology. So yes, it’s been a blast.

If you are considering being a pastor, visit one of our seminaries. We need more men to be pastors.

The Lord will bless your endeavor, and even more, He will bless His Word. It’s His Church. Rejoice in that. His Church will be just fine. Jesus says so.

Rev. Caleb Schewe is the pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Monticello, Iowa.

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Liturgical Catechesis

The Prayers of the Church

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P

rayer is a primary activity of the Church as the priesthood of believers. Priests pray. They speak to God on behalf of others. Jesus Christ is our High Priest, standing as the sole Mediator between God and Man, continually interceding for us before the Father. And we, the priesthood of Christ, also intercede “for the whole people of God and for all people according to their needs.�

Brian A. Jackson iStockphoto.com

By Rev. William M. Cwirla

The Prayer of the Church takes one of three forms.

It can be a series of standalone prayers, much like the Collect of the Day. Or it can be prayed as a series of responsive petitions, either as “Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer” or “Let us pray to the Lord…Lord, have mercy.” In the former case, the entire petition is itself a prayer with both pastor and people speaking to God. In the latter case, the petition is expressed as a bid addressed to the congregation followed by a simple “Lord, have mercy.” Congregations tend to favor one or the other. It isn’t easy to go back and forth between the two. Careful attention needs to be given to pronouns and to whom we are praying. For example, compare these two forms of the same prayer for protection: For Your divine protection, that You would guard us from every evil of body and soul; Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For God’s divine protection, that He would guard us from every evil of body and soul, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For what then do we pray? The apostle Paul wrote, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4). The Prayer of the Church embraces all people in every walk and condition of life. It deals with both eternal and temporal matters, in home, church, and civil society, from congregational needs to global issues to whatever news comes to our attention.

In my congregation, the Prayer of the Church is shaped something like an inverted triangle, moving from general to specific and from eternal to temporal. Here is how a typical Sunday’s Prayer of the Church is structured: Introduction: addressing the Father through the Son on the basis of the Gospel text.

For the whole Church scattered throughout the world…

For our fellowship in the Missouri Synod and our sister congregations, For our synodical and district presidents, our circuit visitors, our congregations, pastors, and missionaries…

For the government, for the president, the governors, the legislatures and courts…

For various global, national, and local concerns of which we are aware…

For people whose names are on our congregation’s prayer list…

For the unborn and their mothers, especially for expectant mothers known to us, and for members celebrating birthdays…

For those receiving the Body and Blood of Christ at Communion…

Conclusion: “Into your hands we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.”

You’ll notice a few things about this way of prayer.

First, it is very compact compared to the Collect form.

Many things can be prayed for with very few words.

Second, there is a back and forth rhythm between the person praying and the people praying with him. This is a very corporate way to pray, engaging the whole priesthood of the baptized. Third, most of the petitions simply state needs, concerns, or names. There are no diagnoses or prescriptions. Our Father knows what we need even before we ask Him anything.

You might consider trying one of these responsive forms of prayer in other gatherings, such as at your youth group or around the family table. Each person may contribute a petition and the whole group adds together “Hear our prayer” or “Lord, have mercy.” You don’t have to be wordy or articulate. Just say, “For [whatever is on you mind and heart], let us pray to the Lord.” Everyone is involved in this priestly work of intercession. This way of praying also broadens our perspective to pray for others instead of only ourselves.

The Lutheran Service Book provides a helpful guide to prayer topics for each day of the week (p. 294).

As you pray for people in all sorts of circumstances, your prayers will grow beyond yourself to embrace the whole people of God and all people according to their needs. That is what a priest does, and you are such a priest to God in your Baptism, interceding for others through the intercessions of Jesus Christ, our great High Priest.

For a lively life of prayer, that by your Spirit you would stir up among us prayers, petitions, and intercessions for all people in every circumstance; Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Rev. William M. Cwirla is the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hacienda Heights, California, as well as a president emeritus of Higher Things.

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“The Sanctified Smartphone” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Introduction The internet is but one part of our very complex modern lives. Like all other aspects of our world, we contend with our sin nature. This study is meant to encourage the youth not just to be on alert against the evils they may encounter on the internet, but even more so to be aware of how they can use their smartphone, computer, etc. for the good of their neighbors because their identity is found in Christ through their Baptism.

1. Open by reading Psalm 51:1-12 together.

2. In the article, Rev. Goodman tells us that the Law cannot save us or make us holy. Read Romans 3:19-20. What does Paul say the Law reveals?

The Law shows us our transgressions—where we fall short. That said, social media can often come in the form of law…it easily reminds us where we lack. The reality is God’s Law is far more condemning and realistic than anything we might come across on Facebook. God’s Law is also perfect and demands perfection. Aspects of social media might claim to do this and cause great harm when doing so. As Christians we know that we can rest in Christ, who has met the demands of the Law for us.

3. Read Hebrews 10:1-10 to get some context for v. 10, which Rev. Goodman references in the article.

What was the purpose of sacrifices? What did Christ’s sacrifice accomplish?

Sacrifices were never intended to take away sin, for they did not have the power to do so. They were a reminder of sin and pointed ahead to Christ, the perfect Lamb of God who would die for the sins of His people. Christ’s sacrifice has sanctified us—made us holy—once for all. This is our reality and our identity: sanctified. This is not an abstract truth…it’s concrete and real.

4. As we navigate the internet or elsewhere in this life, it’s vital to understand the purpose of the Law. While we understand that the Law reminds us of our sinfulness, read Galatians 3:19-22. Why does Paul say we have the Law? To what does the Law point?

Paul explains that the Law reveals sin, which we all bear the weight of (Romans 3:23). But it also pointed to the fulfillment of the promise of a Savior, Jesus Christ, who has perfectly met the requirements of the Law for us.

5. Read Galatians 3:23-29. What is another way Paul describes the role of the Law? Does the Law play that same role for the baptized child of God? Why is this the case?

Paul calls the Law our guardian until Christ came. He says that we are no longer under a guardian because we have been justified by faith. Through our Baptism we have put on Christ and the Law no longer needs to serve as a guardian but rather as a guide.

© 2019 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2019

6. Pastor Goodman says that the most obvious evils to be encountered on the internet (such as pornography) are not necessarily the ones we struggle with the most. Look at your Small Catechism with Explanation and read the Ninth Commandment and its explanation. What does the breaking of this commandment look like on the internet?

The Ninth Commandment tells us we are not to covet our neighbor’s things. On social media, for example, it can be very difficult not to covet the life experiences and things reflected in the posts of our “friends” who —let’s be honest—are going to leave off the ugly and only show what looks good”. In response, we can naturally look at our own lives and find them lacking.

Try to solicit other internet-related areas from the youth in which one might struggle with coveting, such as shopping, etc. What it boils down to is that if we are not careful, it can breed discontent.

7. What does Paul have to say about being content in Philippians 4:10-12?

Paul reflects back on his own struggles but that, thanks be to God, he has learned the secret of being content, whether in need or in plenty. What is this secret? If we look back further in chapter 4 we’ll see that he knows he can trust God to be faithful—always! It is the same with us but we will always struggle to some degree with the temptation to covet. When we succumb to this temptation we know we have an abundance of forgiveness through Christ.

8. This side of heaven, there is darkness due to sin that won’t be go away until Jesus comes again and it’s sometimes glaringly evident on the internet. It can be tempting to get discouraged. What does Colossians 1:13-14 remind us of?

While we live in this world where there is darkness, we belong to the Kingdom of Christ, and what that means is we are redeemed and forgiven.

9. In light of our identity in Christ, why is vocation so important to guide our internet experience?

Ephesians 6:1-3, 1 Peter 5:5-6, and Romans 13:9-10 are examples.

As Pastor Goodman emphasizes, if you detach vocation from your internet interactions, then those interactions are hollow. What these Scripture references all have in common is a focus on love for neighbor. Emphasize that our greatest joy comes from knowing that Jesus, a perfect neighbor toward us, loved us and died for us. He promises to work THROUGH us to love others and we can do that via the internet, too!

Closing Sing together “Baptized into Your Name Most Holy” (LSB 590).

© 2019 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2019

“The Sanctified Smartphone” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. Open by reading Psalm 51:1-12 together.

2. In the article, Rev. Goodman tells us that the Law cannot save us or make us holy. Read Romans 3:19-20. What does Paul say the Law reveals?

3. Read Hebrews 10:1-10 to get some context for v. 10, which Rev. Goodman references in the article.

What was the purpose of sacrifices? What did Christ’s sacrifice accomplish?

4. As we navigate the internet or elsewhere in this life, it’s vital to understand the purpose of the Law. While we understand that the Law reminds us of our sinfulness, read Galatians 3:19-22. Why does Paul say we have the Law? To what does the Law point?

5. Read Galatians 3:23-29. What is another way Paul describes the role of the Law? Does the Law play that same role for the baptized child of God? Why is this the case?

6. Pastor Goodman says that the most obvious evils to be encountered on the internet (such as pornography) are not necessarily the ones we struggle with the most. Look at your Small Catechism with Explanation and read the Ninth Commandment and its explanation. What does the breaking of this commandment look like on the internet?

7. What does Paul have to say about being content in Philippians 4:10-12?

8. This side of heaven, there is darkness due to sin that won’t be go away until Jesus comes again and it’s sometimes glaringly evident on the internet. It can be tempting to get discouraged. What does Colossians 1:13-14 remind us of?

9. In light of our identity in Christ, why is vocation so important to guide our internet experience?

Ephesians 6:1-3, 1 Peter 5:5-6, and Romans 13:9-10 are examples.

Closing Sing together “Baptized into Your Name Most Holy” (LSB 590).

© 2019 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2019

“Theology by Geology” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Introduction There are many literary tools that the writers of Scripture use to communicate the truths of God and His plan of redemption. Frequent references to geology seems to be one of them because of course geology is part of God’s creation. While Pastor Schuldheisz does an amazing job drawing these references out of the Scriptures they are only the tip of the iceberg.

1. Begin by reading aloud together Psalm 18:1-12; 31-36; 46-50.

2. Pastor Schuldheisz refers to God’s covenant with Noah after the flood. Read Genesis 8:20-22. What is the first step Noah takes? Why is this important? What are the promises that God makes at this time?

The very first thing that Noah does is built an altar (out of stone) to the Lord. This is important because it shows that Noah is thankful to God and recognizes His provision of safety. God promises never to curse the ground or strike down every living creature as He did. He says the seasons will remain as long as the earth lasts.

3. Read Genesis 28:10-19. What did Jacob see in his dream? What did God promise Jacob?

Jacob, when sleeping on a rock for a pillow, dreamed and saw angels ascending and descending a ladder.

God promises this coming Messiah through his descendants, which would be like the dust of the earth in number. Jesus Himself refers directly back to this vision in John 1:51, when He’s calling Nathanael as an apostle, telling him that he’ll see greater things, including “angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man”—the cross!

4. In the wilderness after being freed from slavery, the Israelites had a track record of complaining and grumbling. What was the situation in Exodus 17:1-7? What does this account point us to?

The Israelites were thirsty and began to gripe to Moses and question his judgment. God, in His mercy, directed Moses to strike the rock at Horeb with his staff to provide water. While this is a great story of God’s provision for His people, it points to an even greater reality that Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4: “For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

5. There are numerous references in the New Testament that explain Old Testament passages or show us the fulfillment of prophecy. Read Psalm 118:22, Acts 4:11, and 1 Peter 2:7. What connection do we see between the first reference and the other two?

Jesus is the stone that the builders rejected and has become the cornerstone. Peter addresses the Sanhedrin (religious leaders, teachers of the law) and basically accuses them of rejecting Christ and he directly quotes Psalm 118:22, which those listeners would be well acquainted with. In 1 Peter, Peter again refers back to Psalm 118 except this time he is talking to believers and reminding them of who they are in Christ—His people, living stones.

© 2019 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2019

6. Back in 1 Peter 2, look at verse 6. To what Old Testament passage is he referring? (Be sure to check the footnote reference in your Bible.)

Peter is referring back to Isaiah 28:16. Again, in the context of God’s redeeming of His people this passage was actually pointing to Christ. Keep in view that Jesus referred to Himself as the temple several times in the Gospels (Mark 14:56-59 and John 2:13-22). And here in 1 Peter 2:6, we are referred to as living stones in that temple.

7. Peter is not the only one who makes this connection to Christ as the cornerstone. Read Ephesians 2:19-22. What does Paul say our identity is? What does he say God is doing with His people?

We are fellow citizens with God’s people and members of His household. God is building together His people as a dwelling in which He lives. The earthly temple that once existed—where God dwelt—pointed ahead both to Jesus (John 1:14) and to us!

Closing Sing together “Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me” (LSB 761)

© 2019 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2019

“Theology by Geology” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. Begin by reading aloud together Psalm 18:1-12; 31-36; 46-50.

2. Pastor Schuldheisz refers to God’s covenant with Noah after the flood. Read Genesis 8:20-22. What is the first step Noah takes? Why is this important? What are the promises that God makes at this time?

3. Read Genesis 28:10-19. What did Jacob see in his dream? What did God promise Jacob?

4. In the wilderness after being freed from slavery, the Israelites had a track record of complaining and grumbling. What was the situation in Exodus 17:1-7? What does this account point us to?

5. There are numerous references in the New Testament that explain Old Testament passages or show us the fulfillment of prophecy. Read Psalm 118:22, Acts 4:11, and 1 Peter 2:7. What connection do we see between the first reference and the other two?

6. Back in 1 Peter 2, look at verse 6. To what Old Testament passage is he referring? (Be sure to check the footnote reference in your Bible.)

7. Peter is not the only one who makes this connection to Christ as the cornerstone. Read Ephesians 2:19-22. What does Paul say our identity is? What does he say God is doing with His people?

Closing Sing together “Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me” (LSB 761)

© 2019 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2019

“Believe WHAT?” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Introduction Introduction: It’s good for youth to analyze the world around them. The word “believe” that is heavily promoted during Christmas seems harmless and not a big deal, but it can be a tool to assess and take stock in what they themselves believe. It’s healthy to be aware that what they understand “believe” to mean isn’t necessarily what everyone else is seeing as “the reason for the season.”

Opening 1. Begin by reading or reciting aloud the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed.

2. Read Ephesians 2:8. What does this verse say is a gift? Why is this important?

As mentioned in the article, “this” is referring back to grace and faith. Faith—belief in Christ for you—is a gift. It’s not something you can manufacture or create. This is important because it doesn’t depend upon you to believe enough to save yourself.

3. What does James 2:19 have to say about belief?

This verse says that even demons “believe” in Christ. How so? Well, they believe He is real (as we saw in their interaction with Jesus during His ministry on earth). And it scares them. They know the truth but they won’t accept the implications of that truth and fight against it.

4. So how does belief work in the heart of a believer according to 1 Thessalonians 2:13?

The Thessalonians “received” the Word by “hearing” which is God’s normative way of communicating the Gospel, then they “accepted” it and it began to “work” in those who believed. Another way to look at it is via the Latin terms popularized during the Reformation. Belief, as in “notitia” is simply seeing—or in the case of this verse—hearing the facts. “Assensus” is agreeing that those facts are true. “Fiducia,” however, is believing those facts to be true FOR YOU. It’s trust. A lot of people might believe only in the “assensus” way but they haven’t yet believed it is personal—that it’s for them.

5. Sometimes reading about others coming to faith in Christ can be a great encouragement. Read Acts 16:25-34. What happened when Paul and Silas were praying? How did the jailor respond?

Why was the jailor filled with joy?

There was an earthquake and all of the jail doors were unlocked. The jailor naturally would have been filled with dread. If a jailor allowed prisoners to escape it basically would mean his own death. This is why Paul told him not to harm himself. The jailor asked how he could be saved to which Paul replied, believe in the Lord Jesus. The jailor was filled with joy because he had come to believe (he and his whole household) and they had been baptized.

© 2019 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2019

6. Paul, this time in Romans 10:9-13, has the same message for the believers in Rome as he did for the jailor in Philippi. What is the promise he makes? What is it we do with our heart? With our mouth?

He promises in verse 9 that whoever declares that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead, then he will be saved. He says with the heart we believe and are justified, and with the mouth we profess our faith and are saved. These are really two ways of saying the same thing. It’s a both/and way of saying that God saves through faith alone.

7. In the article, the author explains that God has given us means to feed our faith. He is gracious and does this for our benefit. We understand Word and Sacrament to be His chief means. In many places, God’s Word not only exhorts us to believe but also sustains us. Read Titus 3:3-8. What makes this passage feed one’s faith?

It reminds us first what He has saved us from. It then reminds us that we have a Savior who came to rescue us in spite of us, out of pure mercy. It also reminds us that through the regeneration granted via our Baptisms, we have eternal life. And finally, Paul reminds us that this gracious gift of salvation will naturally spill out onto those around us as the Spirit works in us. This is the gift that truly keeps on giving—feeding our faith.

Closing Recite the Nicene Creed together.

© 2019 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2019

“Believe WHAT?” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Opening 1. Begin by reading or reciting aloud the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed.

2. Read Ephesians 2:8. What does this verse say is a gift? Why is this important?

3. What does James 2:19 have to say about belief?

4. So how does belief work in the heart of a believer according to 1 Thessalonians 2:13?

5. Sometimes reading about others coming to faith in Christ can be a great encouragement. Read Acts 16:25-34. What happened when Paul and Silas were praying? How did the jailor respond?

Why was the jailor filled with joy?

6. Paul, this time in Romans 10:9-13, has the same message for the believers in Rome as he did for the jailor in Philippi. What is the promise he makes? What is it we do with our heart? With our mouth?

7. In the article, the author explains that God has given us means to feed our faith. He is gracious and does this for our benefit. We understand Word and Sacrament to be His chief means. In many places, God’s Word not only exhorts us to believe but also sustains us. Read Titus 3:3-8. What makes this passage feed one’s faith?

Closing Recite the Nicene Creed together.

© 2019 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2019

“What Is God’s Will for My Life?”

A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Introduction There is so much pressure out there in many Christian circles to “figure out God’s will for your life” or “understand God’s plan for you” as if they were secret things you have to hope you understand or else you’re “out of God’s will.” It can make you afraid you aren’t pleasing Him or are missing out on His best somehow.

This study seeks to echo what is in Rev. Richard’s article—that we are already pleasing to Him in Christ and God gives us all we need to understand His will for us. Thanks be to God! 1. Open by reciting the Lord’s Prayer.

2. Read the 3rd Petition in the Small Catechism. In the explanation focus on Question 218.

How is God’s will done in our lives? God seeks to hinder the plans of the devil, keep us steadfast in His Word and support us in this life in our troubles. It’s important to understand that this is God’s intent as He accomplishes His will in our lives. He promises to work all things for our good (Romans 8:28).

3. Often God’s will is understood as meaning different things. Read Deuteronomy 29:29. In what two ways can we define God’s will?

Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us that God has both revealed some things and kept other secret with regard to His will. The verse calls us to do and follow those things which are revealed. This means we shouldn’t strive to figure out what God is doing behind the scenes. It might be helpful to make sure the students understand that God’s will is sometimes viewed in two separate categories, often using different terminology: revealed and hidden or sometimes moral and decretal. There are other common terms out there as well. As we seek to do God’s will we are sometimes tempted to focus on His secret will, as if we need to try and figure out what that is and understand what He is doing. According to Deuteronomy 29, however, we are to live our lives according to His revealed will—what is revealed in His Word. A good example would be the Ten Commandments.

4. Read Romans 12:1-2. How does Paul say we can know what God’s will is?

Paul tells us by testing we can discern what God’s will is and what is acceptable. This is not a call to try and figure out God’s hidden will for your life by, putting out a fleece like Gideon did to test God (Judges 6). Rather it is the renewal of the mind that comes with studying the Scriptures and hearing the Word preached. In this the Holy Spirit has promised to work and direct.

5. How does Paul address God’s will in Ephesians 5:15-21?

Understanding that in part the context of this passage is speaking of vocation, Paul is encouraging us in our conduct in those roles, children, wives, husbands, etc. While laying out how we love our neighbor and directs that not be foolish but understand God’s will because He has given it to us in His Word. Again, this isn’t Paul telling us we need some secret knowledge to figure out what we should be doing in these roles in which God has placed us.

© 2019 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2019

6. The writer of Hebrews gives us a great benediction in chapter 13, verse 21. How does this communicate how we are to know God’s will for our lives?

We are told that Jesus will give us all that we need equip us to do His will. It also tells us that His will is that which is pleasing in His sight. When we are in Him, we are in His will, plain and simple. Your Baptism says so.

7. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 an example of a verse that specifically reveals God’s moral will. What is it and what is this an example of?

Paul tells us to give thanks in all circumstances. This is an example of how we are to live our lives in light of our Baptisms. When we remember that salvation is all about Jesus for us, we respond in gratitude—a fruit the Holy Spirit works in us. This is strengthened the more we partake in His Gifts of water, Word, Body and Blood.

8. Pastor Richard ends with reminding us of God’s ultimate will for us. Read 2 Peter 3:9. What is God’s will for you and why can that be such a comfort?

Peter tells us that God wishes (wills) for all to come to repentance. We can take comfort in the fact that He has worked redemptively to accomplish the salvation of those who believe and that He continues to do so, and Jesus won’t come again until this is complete. We have a compassionate God who cares for us and has been orchestrating all things to see that repentance come to pass.

Closing Sing together “The Will of God Is Always Best” (LSB 758)

© 2019 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2019

“What Is God’s Will for My Life?”

A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. Open by reciting the Lord’s Prayer.

2. Read the 3rd Petition in the Small Catechism. In the explanation focus on Question 218.

3. Often God’s will is understood as meaning different things. Read Deuteronomy 29:29. In what two ways can we define God’s will?

4. Read Romans 12:1-2. How does Paul say we can know what God’s will is?

5. How does Paul address God’s will in Ephesians 5:15-21?

6. The writer of Hebrews gives us a great benediction in chapter 13, verse 21. How does this communicate how we are to know God’s will for our lives?

7. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 an example of a verse that specifically reveals God’s moral will. What is it and what is this an example of?

8. Pastor Richard ends with reminding us of God’s ultimate will for us. Read 2 Peter 3:9. What is God’s will for you and why can that be such a comfort?

Closing Sing together “The Will of God Is Always Best” (LSB 758)

© 2019 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2019

“Thought About Being a Pastor?

Terrified?

Good!”

A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Introduction Even though all of your youth are most likely not considering the Office of the Holy Ministry, they nonetheless come under the care of a pastor. This study aims to back up the encouragement provided by Pastor Schewe for those who might be considering being a pastor, but also seeks to remind us of the responsibilities our pastors bear and how we can encourage them in their vocation.

1. Begin by reading through Ephesians 4:7-13 aloud.

2. Read Matthew 10:16-20. What does Jesus warn His disciples they will encounter? Why does He tell them not to be anxious?

He warns them their message will not be received well and in fact will likely lead to persecution of all sorts and they will have to give an account for what they are preaching. Jesus tells his disciples they needn’t fear, though, because the Holy Spirit will speak through them, giving them the words they need.

3. When a pastor is preaching the Word, it isn’t just empty words. Read Hebrews 4:12. How does the writer describe the Word? What does this say about the nature of the Word?

The Word is living, active, sharper than any two-edged sword. It’s able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. What this means is that the Word is powerful. A pastor is wielding a very powerful sword—one that cuts on its way in and out (double-edged) and is used by the Holy Spirit to reach into the deepest parts of men’s hearts. This is sobering but we must remember that Jesus doesn’t send out his workers unequipped (as we saw in Matthew 10). The Holy Spirit works through the Word.

4. A perk of being a pastor is being entrusted with the humbling privilege of delivering God’s gifts.

While there is enormous responsibility in this, there is, as Rev. Schewe declares, great joy! Read Titus 3:5-8.

Paul tells Titus here what an amazing gift Baptism is. A pastor is Christ’s representative through which God delivers regeneration via water and the Word.

5. Pastor Schewe notes that angels were not trusted with this task of delivering the Gospel through the Sacraments. What does the writer of Hebrews have to say about that in chapter 2, verses 5-8?

Jesus took on flesh. He did not become an angel. He is wholly man and wholly God. Because He is wholly man, He has chosen to work through man, not angels, to be ministers in this area. Of course, angels serve a different ministerial role in God’s kingdom as they are, by nature, His messengers.

© 2019 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2019

6. So often those people in the Scriptures whom we admire most had some particularly grievous sins on display. The apostles were no exception. Pastor Schewe brings this up to remind us that God uses flawed, fallen people to minister to us. Read Luke 22:24-27. What were the apostles disputing? Why is it so easy for us to look at this and think it’s a silly thing to argue about?

They were arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of God. We have hindsight and know that Christ did not come to establish an earthly kingdom with an earthly throne. His kingdom was established through the Cross. It’s easy for us to see now as we have the entire Scriptures, that but at the time, most Israelites thought the Messiah was bringing to pass a kingdom that would crush the Romans and make Israel a great nation again. The apostles, flawed though they were, were used mightily by God to spread the Gospel and grow the Church. Hence pastors today can take comfort that God will use them as well to do likewise.

7. There are two places in the scriptures that focus on qualifications for pastor or “overseer”: 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9. What are some of the characteristics that Paul explains are necessary to be a pastor?

Answers will vary but the main ones are: husband of one wife, above reproach, not arrogant, not quicktempered, hospitable, lover of good, self-controlled, holding firm to trustworthy word as taught, not a lover of money, gentle, keep household well.

This is a sobering list but yet God is wise in providing qualifications. Remember that He promises to equip those men who would be His pastors. We who are hearers should strive to make their job a joy for them (Hebrews 13:17).

Closing Sing together “Send, O Lord, Your Holy Spirit” (LSB 681)

© 2019 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2019

“Thought About Being a Pastor?

Terrified?

Good!”

A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. Begin by reading through Ephesians 4:7-13 aloud.

2. Read Matthew 10:16-20. What does Jesus warn His disciples they will encounter? Why does He tell them not to be anxious?

3. When a pastor is preaching the Word, it isn’t just empty words. Read Hebrews 4:12. How does the writer describe the Word? What does this say about the nature of the Word?

4. A perk of being a pastor is being entrusted with the humbling privilege of delivering God’s gifts.

While there is enormous responsibility in this, there is, as Rev. Schewe declares, great joy! Read Titus 3:5-8.

5. Pastor Schewe notes that angels were not trusted with this task of delivering the Gospel through the Sacraments. What does the writer of Hebrews have to say about that in chapter 2, verses 5-8?

6. So often those people in the Scriptures whom we admire most had some particularly grievous sins on display. The apostles were no exception. Pastor Schewe brings this up to remind us that God uses flawed, fallen people to minister to us. Read Luke 22:24-27. What were the apostles disputing? Why is it so easy for us to look at this and think it’s a silly thing to argue about?

7. There are two places in the scriptures that focus on qualifications for pastor or “overseer”: 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9. What are some of the characteristics that Paul explains are necessary to be a pastor?

Closing Sing together “Send, O Lord, Your Holy Spirit” (LSB 681)

© 2019 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2019