Topic: Epiphany

We spend so much of our lives self-focused, but almost none of that time self-aware. We convince ourselves of lies about how we want people to see us, but we never confront the reality of who we really are in our sinful state. The Transfiguration of Christ gives us the perspective of God’s holiness, our depravity before Him, and our need for Jesus’s saving grace. When we fall prostrate before the Lord, we gain true perspective on how messed up we really are.

Beloved, we have been living in a spiritual drought in America for a long time. We need to seek out the right type of water to nourish us in times of drought, but as Jeremiah tells us, the heart is deceitful and desperately sick. Only God searches the heart and tests the mind, and only by trusting in him will our souls be refreshed.

In Luke 2:22-40, we receive the account of the infant Jesus presented at the temple by Joseph and Mary. While we may quickly read past this short account, there is actually a tremendous amount to be learned here.

How often do Christians share the Gospel? How often do we share it with our spouses, significant others, children, parents, friends, or coworkers? Sadly, not nearly enough. If the Church does not preach the Gospel, people will not believe, or they will believe the wrong thing. The Church cannot preach the Gospel enough. So why are we so afraid to share the Gospel?

Beloved, we cannot afford to excuse ourselves from the work of ministry. We cannot rely on others to speak the truth while we coast through life. God has anointed each and every one of us with the responsibility to serve Him and share the Gospel. When we excuse ourselves of that responsibility, we are being disobedient, and we harm not only ourselves but the next generation as well – because we are robbing them of an opportunity to hear God’s Word.

Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” Jesus then asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” The Apostle Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Our answer to that same question is of eternal importance, making all the difference not only in this life, but also in where we end up in the next.

Christian marriage, for all its human imperfections, is the greatest representation of God’s love and joy for His people, lived out through Christ and His Church, and celebrated both temporally and eternally in the Holy Eucharist.

Is Baptism just a symbol, or is there more to it? Listen as the Rev. Nathan Stomberg explains the Sacrament of Baptism from an Anglican perspective.

What is the significance of Jesus’ Baptism? The Rev. Galloway answers this question in light of Luke’s words: “for God was with him” (Acts 10:38). The Baptism of Jesus had tremendous importance for his earthly ministry, and it modeled our own call to righteousness that begins in Holy Baptism.