by Steve Thomason | Feb 2, 2015 | Devos
Monday, February 2, 2015. Psalm 20:7. Happy Groundhog Day. The old legend says that if Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog, comes out of his home and sees his shadow, then there will be six more weeks of winter. Do you trust that? What do you trust? The Psalm today...
by Steve Thomason | Jan 30, 2015 | Spiritual Formation
The theme of this year’s convocation was “Religious, but Not Spiritual?” It was a good self-reflection for a room full of Lutheran pastors. The three plenary speakers–Lois Malcolm, Nancy Ammerman, and Nadia Bolz-Weber–each gave their own...
by Steve Thomason | Jan 30, 2015 | Devos
Friday, January 30. Matthew 5:43-48 Jesus has been turning the Law of Moses inside out in Matthew 5. He ends his list of deepened laws with a zinger. Love your enemies. Ouch. It’s easy to love people who will love you back, right? We typically love those people...
by Steve Thomason | Jan 29, 2015 | Devos
Thursday, January 29. Matthew 5:33-42 I really like how the Message version translates this passage. Let me make today’s lesson really simple: Don’t talk too much and try to sound smart or holier-than-thou. Just say what you mean, and be honest....
by Steve Thomason | Jan 28, 2015 | Devos
Wednesday, January 28. Matthew 5:27-32 I watched the movie Guardians of the Galaxy this week. Drax the Destroyer is a character from a race that takes everything literally. For example, Rocket, the talking racoon, said that a concept would go right over Drax’s...
by Steve Thomason | Jan 27, 2015 | sermons2015
[slideshare id=43871971&doc=livinginrighteousnesssermonslides-150125072012-conversion-gate02] Listen to the audio CLICK HERE. Narrative Lectionary Text: Matthew 5:1-20 Who do we look up to in our society? Next weekend there will be millions of people and billions...
by Steve Thomason | Jan 27, 2015 | Spiritual Formation
Please pray for me tomorrow and Thursday. I will present a workshop at the Mid-Winter Convocation at Luther Seminary both days. This workshop is based on the Deep in the Burbs Project I did last year for the dissertation. This will be my first workshop in this new...
by Steve Thomason | Jan 27, 2015 | Devos
Tuesday, January 27. Matthew 5:21-26 Did you know that you can murder someone with your eyes? In my family, we call it “the Look.” I have died a thousand deaths from that glare, believe me. And I, too, am a murderer. Today’s reading continues...
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by Steve Thomason | Jan 26, 2015 | Spiritual Formation
Here is an updated illustration of John 15:1-5. I’m trying to connect Jesus’ metaphor of the Vine to a contemporary metaphor of electricity. In John 15, the Creator is the Vinegrower, Jesus is the Vine, the Spirit is the power of life flowing from every...
by Steve Thomason | Jan 26, 2015 | Devos
Monday January 26. Psalm 1:1-3 Have you ever noticed that when you spend a lot of time in a certain place, or with a certain person, you find yourself talking and acting like the people from that place? This happens to my family all the time. We love the Chronicles of...
