June 4–10 Psalm 129: “Psalm 129 contrasts with Psalm 128, which speaks of the blessing of the godly. The ungodly, who oppress the godly, will experience no blessing. . . . Whoever they may be, in whatever time of history they may exist, the oppressors of God’s people will be uprooted. In Psalm 128 the righteous are compared to fruitful trees and productive vines, but the ungodly are uprooted weeds, which shrivel up and have no value” (PBP 2, pages 229,230). Psalm 130: (A Penitential Psalm) “ ‘Lord, hear my voice.’ . . . This is the expression of the soul when it feels that no creature will giv ..read more

A clothes pole and a new lawn mower set the scene for a lesson on forgiveness and love. It’s Father’s Day! It’s that time of year where men everywhere get new ties and gift cards to their favorite local hardware store! Along with the time spent with family and special gifts, on Father’s Day, I can’t help but remember my own father who has now been in heaven for nearly 20 years. An accident revisited My father was a busy pastor of a large congregation in Milwaukee. As busy as he was, he always seemed to find time to take me fishing or watch my baseball games, and we always enjoyed cutting the l ..read more

After becoming members of a church, a couple finds renewed joy in the opportunity to support a mission. At the beginning of their relationship, Matt and Danielle Cosgrave began attending worship together at a WELS church. Now married, the couple has found ways to get more involved as members. Part of this increased activity has included the chance to start a mission congregation in Durham, N.C. “Being part of a start-up requires ongoing dedication, and I enjoy the challenge of it,” says Danielle. She first invited Matt to visit her congregation when they were dating and he did not have a churc ..read more

Strong leaders need strong followers, working together to advance God’s kingdom. What characteristics does an individual need in order to be a good leader? Many believe an above-average intelligence, visionary thinking, or dynamic communication skills make a person a leader. But there is one thing that every person needs to be a leader—followers. You cannot be a leader without them. Not “just a follower” It has been said that 80 percent of an organization’s success can be attributed to the followers not the leaders. If that is true, why do we spend so much time, effort, and resources to make m ..read more

A husband and wife sing praises to God at hundreds of churches and schools. What do you get when a communications major and a vocal performance major meet in a college philosophy class? For Andy and Rachel Braun it was a future marriage and a successful Christian band ministry. The birth of Branches Band Most people assume that Andy and Rachel connected because of their love of music, but that’s not actually the case. Working three jobs while at Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC), Milwaukee, Wis., meant that Andy didn’t always make it to his 8 a.m. philosophy class. While Rachel agreed to share ..read more

If anger is a sin, how do we explain Jesus overturning tables and driving the money changers outside the temple? Anger is a human emotion. When Paul quotes the psalmist in Ephesians 4:26, “In your anger do not sin,” the implication is that it is possible to be angry without sinning. Anger itself is not a sin, but the Bible warns that it can lead to sin. After asking Cain why he was angry, God warned him that sin “desires to have you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:7). The examples of Jesus driving out the money changers (John 2:13-25; Matthew 21:12,13; Mark 11:15-18) are classic example ..read more

The 2021 synod convention was presented with an ambitious proposal. The Board for Home Missions asked the convention to consider approving a plan to start one hundred new home missions over the next ten years. In addition to those new missions, the plan also called for providing enhancements to mission efforts in several existing congregations each year. Achieving that goal would increase the total number of congregations in our synod by about 8 percent. The convention considered the plan carefully. Delegates were aware of the two primary challenges in carrying it out: funding and manpower. I ..read more

Before our children are even born, we begin praying for them. This month, see how three Christian parents approach praying for their children. Then, share how you pray for your children at forwardinchrist.net/submit. Nicole Balza “Let them be okay!” “Please help them sleep!” “Let her make these free throws!” Let’s be honest. Some parental prayers come from panic, stress, and fear. When I’m more deliberate, I’ve noticed that prayers for my children fit into two broad categories: what they do and who they are. What they do. These prayers, which obviously change throughout the years, focus on w ..read more

What good can possibly come from the persecution of Christians? “Christian church burnt down and its pastor locked up!” That kind of headline easily catches our eye. Persecution, however, has many forms. “Elly” lives in a large country in Asia that is hostile to Christianity. She is a landscape designer with the local government. Her boss would love to see her move up the career ladder. “There’s just one problem,” he tells Elly. “You need to join the ruling party and quit your religion.” It’s never going to happen because she’s not going to compromise. Elly has hit the glass ceiling because of ..read more

Pastor James Pope, executive editor My first year as a pastor was coming to an end, and I was working on a sermon for Trinity Sunday. There was just one problem: I had writer’s block. I could not get started. Thankfully, I remembered what one of my professors at the seminary suggested (just a year before!) if we ran into this problem. He encouraged us to offer a bold, Luther-like prayer, “Lord, you brought me into this ministry; please get me out of this jam.” Perhaps five minutes after adding my amen to a prayer like that, the doorbell at the parsonage rang. Two women stood outside. One was h ..read more