stony ridge

"How long, O Lord?" is a question of lament common in the psalms. Languishing in prison, John the Baptizer questions Jesus, echoing the psalmist's lament. We, too, come to Jesus with our questions and doubts, and He points us as He did John to Himself and His kingdom. Jesus is no stranger to suffering, and He bore our sins upon Himself on the cross. Risen from the dead, He reigns over our lives. While our circumstances may not cause us to recognize it by sight, by faith and by hope, we look to Jesus and His coming again when every tear will be wiped away by His own hand, and all pain and crying and death itself will be gone forever. Until then, we wait in hope.

Repent, for the King is coming!

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again--unexpectedly, but certainly. Judgment Day is inevitable, but it is not inescapable. Jesus, the Righteous Judge, has taken the punishment for our sin upon Himself on the cross. Now, in faith, we look for the Day of His returning, which is for us the Day of Salvation!

Defining and living love as God does.

Jesus said, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." Jesus tells us that truth is knowable, and that His word is truth.

Just wait and see--Jesus will award the crown of life to all who finish the race.

Jesus is truth. His Word is truth. Jesus is trustworthy. His Word is trustworthy. We can stake our lives on it--indeed, we must, for He is our only hope for salvation. We must not allow ourselves to be swayed by those who come preaching in God's name things that sound good to our itching ears; rather, we must hold firm to God's Word alone.

Dealing with Difficult People

Rekindling the fire of faith, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus, our Brother, is risen from the dead, and by His Word opens our eyes to see our neighbors and their needs and serve them.

Entrust yourself to the mercy of the Master.

Jesus came to seek out and save the lost--and He invites those He finds to join Him in His search and rescue mission.

Counting the cost of following Jesus in our daily lives.

Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

The Lord speaks His Word to us and gifts us with forgiveness, faith, and healing--the unshakeable kingdom. He lifts us up from the things that weigh us down and lifts our eyes to see our neighbors, that we might bear their burdens and together look with hope for the coming of His kingdom in all its fullness.

For the sake of the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross for you and for me, receiving in His body the wrath due us. By His victory over death, we have hope for salvation!

What inheritance are you leaving for the next generation? What do you treasure? Jesus tells us what we treasure indicates the location of our heart--our home--and warns us to treasure not what can be seen and grasped. Instead, Jesus tells us the good news that God in His grace gifts us the very kingdom of God!

We mortals fool ourselves into thinking of the things we have--even our lives--as our own possessions to do with as we please without thought for God or our neighbor. In baptism, we have died to that way of thinking and learn true wisdom from Christ alive in us.

Lord, teach us to pray...

Jesus hosts us at His table and feeds us with His Word--placing within us the glorious hope of the mystery of Christ in us. He inspires our worship and feeds us for service in His Name.