Para Vista Lutheran Church

“What are you looking at?” I was asked that question recently and I nearly blushed (harder to do at my age!). What we focus on has a lot to do with what we really see, and how we then make our decisions. The Bible has many examples of how things went wrong when people focused on the wrong things.  Christians today face the same temptations, and the Bible still gives the same solution: “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.” (Hebrews 12:2.)

Pastor Robert Voigt

Bible Readings: John 3:14-16 (NLT)

“What are you looking at?” I was asked that question recently and I nearly blushed (harder to do at my age!). What we focus on has a lot to do with what we really see, and how we then make our decisions. The Bible has many examples of how things went wrong when people focused on the wrong things.  Christians today face the same temptations, and the Bible still gives the same solution: “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.” (Hebrews 12:2.)

Pastor Robert Voigt

Bible Readings: John 3:14-16 (NLT)

An audio message from Pastor Richard Haar.

What got Jesus so hot under the collar when he saw what was going on in the temple?  Firstly, he was upset that people were open for business but closed to God.  Secondly, Jesus was particularly upset that all this was happening in the Court of the Gentiles - the only place in the temple where non-Jews were allowed to go.  This broke God’s heart as he was passionate about all peoples coming to know and worship him.

God was so upset that he opted for an unthinkable, crazy, totally radical solution – the cross Jesus’ enigmatic statement about rebuilding the temple in three days was a veiled reference to his coming death and resurrection.

What about us today?  Are we so caught up in the busyness of doing the Lord’s business that we get distracted from the need to prioritize and cultivate our relationship with God?  What barriers might we be putting up that effectively exclude those from fully experiencing God and his grace?

A message from Pastor Richard Haar.

What got Jesus so hot under the collar when he saw what was going on in the temple?  Firstly, he was upset that people were open for business but closed to God.  Secondly, Jesus was particularly upset that all this was happening in the Court of the Gentiles - the only place in the temple where non-Jews were allowed to go.  This broke God’s heart as he was passionate about all peoples coming to know and worship him.

God was so upset that he opted for an unthinkable, crazy, totally radical solution – the cross Jesus’ enigmatic statement about rebuilding the temple in three days was a veiled reference to his coming death and resurrection.

What about us today?  Are we so caught up in the busyness of doing the Lord’s business that we get distracted from the need to prioritize and cultivate our relationship with God?  What barriers might we be putting up that effectively exclude those from fully experiencing God and his grace?

Abraham the man of faith failed to trust God on many occasions, yet God remained faithful to his promise. We also struggle to believe at times, but God still remains faithful to his promises to us.

Pastor Steen Olsen

Bible Reading: Romans 4:18-25 (NLT)

Abraham the man of faith failed to trust God on many occasions, yet God remained faithful to his promise. We also struggle to believe at times, but God still remains faithful to his promises to us.

Pastor Steen Olsen

Bible Reading: Romans 4:18-25 (NLT)

An audio message from Pastor Wayne Kerber.

If the temptation of Jesus was not real — if the wilderness that Jesus entered was not dangerous — then this story in Mark's Gospel means absolutely nothing for you and me!

A problem for many Christians is that they don’t take the temptation of Jesus seriously — they don’t want to believe that it actually happened.  However, if sin had not been a possibility then the temptation of Jesus would not mean anything to us — it may have just made for a good story.

The temptation of Jesus was Spirit-driven: it was real, it was difficult. Jesus identifies with us in the trials and tests that we face.  It was by the power of God’s Spirit he was delivered from temptation.  And the same is true for you as well!  Our times of testing and temptation will continue, and it will be in those times that we discover that our help can only come from our gracious God.

 

A video message from Pastor Wayne Kerber.

If the temptation of Jesus was not real — if the wilderness that Jesus entered was not dangerous — then this story in Mark's Gospel means absolutely nothing for you and me!

A problem for many Christians is that they don’t take the temptation of Jesus seriously — they don’t want to believe that it actually happened.  However, if sin had not been a possibility then the temptation of Jesus would not mean anything to us — it may have just made for a good story.

The temptation of Jesus was Spirit-driven: it was real, it was difficult. Jesus identifies with us in the trials and tests that we face.  It was by the power of God’s Spirit he was delivered from temptation.  And the same is true for you as well!  Our times of testing and temptation will continue, and it will be in those times that we discover that our help can only come from our gracious God.

 

The idea is that God has given us great clothes, a “suit of Salvation” and a “robe of Righteousness”. These are beautiful clothes, and God tells us to put these wonderful clothes on each morning, and to wear them with pride.

Pastor Paul Fielke

Bible Readings: Isaiah 61:10 -11 (NLT, Colossians 3:12-14 (GNT)

The idea is that God has given us great clothes, a “suit of Salvation” and a “robe of Righteousness”. These are beautiful clothes, and God tells us to put these wonderful clothes on each morning, and to wear them with pride.

Pastor Paul Fielke

Bible Readings: Isaiah 61:10 -11 (NLT, Colossians 3:12-14 (GNT)