Wisdom and strength require bootstrap-pulling and the placing of noses to grindstones.
“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).
How do the words “The righteous shall live by his faith” go from a context of hope in hopelessness to the cornerstone declaration of the chief doctrine of the Christian faith?

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Repentance is meaningless unless we are willing to acknowledge who we are: sinners needing mercy.
The sermon takes place in the context of a multi-facetted set of relationships experienced through the weeks and months of being together in congregation and community. Those relationships shape the credibility of the preacher in the pulpit. 
The usual acclamation when one becomes King is: “Long live the King!” But this King of kings, this son of David, has come to die.
In Memory of My Friend, James Arne Nestingen
It makes perfect sense that the day honoring Jesus' birth would be observed in a decidedly less than refined manner.
Despite our best efforts to avoid him, King Jesus remains very much unavoidable.
To trust in the Lord, the Messiah, the Deliverer, is our salvation and our only hope. Yet he does not trust us to have this “trust” on our own or of our own will.
A.I. can’t make the proclamatory move that delivers God’s word in a way that is specifically for me.
Take courage, you who were lost: Jesus comes to seek and save that which is lost. Ye sick, return to health: Christ comes to heal the contrite of heart with the balm of his mercy. Rejoice, all you who desire great things: the Son of God comes down to you that he may make you the co-heirs of his kingdom.
Rejoice with Mary as she would rejoice with you. Be blessed, like her, with humility from God, so that you may serve joyfully and willingly wherever and in whatever role God has placed you.
If Jesus shows up and you are a sinner, ‘tis more blessed to receive than to give
The lesson of Malachi reveals God’s love for his people. When the people ask for proof of God’s love, he reminds them of their election.