As faithful Lutherans, we need constantly to guard against those forces seeking to undermine our faith — particularly the faith of our young people. We must send clear and consistent messages regarding issues of biblical sexuality to help them stand up to and see through the lies of the world around them.

Unfortunately, too many Christian young people are buying into the lie that it is just fine for couples to cohabitate before marriage as long they intend to tie the knot sometime in the future. In some cases, they feel it’s OK to live together even if they do not intend to marry. The Pew Research Center, The Institute for Family Studies and other research organizations have, over the last decade and a half, released a series of alarming statistics regarding the acceptance of — and deliberate choice to participate in — cohabitation before marriage by evangelical Christians, including Lutherans.

Prayer Partner Thursday provides a month-long prayer emphasis in one of the four Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty areas of emphasis: Religious Liberty, Sanctity of Life, Educational Freedom, and Marriage as an Institution (family).

Today’s verses are Matthew 16:24-27, where Jesus says,

²⁴ “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. ²⁶ What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.”

Our nation could not have arisen in any other place at any other time. Providence played a mighty hand. The Pilgrim spirit looms large, and the free exercise of religion is the first right of the First Amendment. That's no small thing, for it sets forth an ordered liberty. We love our country precisely because we value other things before it, God and family. Without an acknowledgement of God, the true God, it would have been impossible. I was thinking just this when visiting the home of President Rutherford B. Hayes, whose first activity of the morning was the reading of the Bible.

No America, or anything like it, could arise in the Islamic world. Bring in too many Muslims and our own experiment in ordered liberty is sure to collapse. Hindus, for whatever they purport to bring to humanity, posit the idea that a person may die and become an animal, higher or lower on the food chain. All men are created equal? Such a thought is not possible in a society whose main religion creates a caste system. Communism is, of course, predicated on atheism, where the state is all in all. In such a world, you may be cared for as long as you are useful to the state, which takes for itself divine rights.

Today’s verses are Matthew 16:13-17, where the Bible says,

¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

Engaged? For what? That the two may become one. Living together before marriage is a no-no, a big mistake. If you would like God's blessing, and why wouldn't you, why don't you go about it the right way? But then there is another matter. When the two become one, they are fruitful and multiply. Or at least most have a kid or two. What do you want for that child? A house divided can hardly stand. What happens on Sunday morning, if anything at all? It's painful to see loved ones plan for a future while neglecting the future that lasts forever.

The dates identifying the LCRL bulletin blurbs are only suggestions. Please feel free to use any and all of the bulletin blurbs as your ministry needs allow.

The Bulletin Insert is designed to be printed and cut in half to fit conveniently inside a Sunday worship bulletin. Each month an insert will offer insight, encouragement, and information from the LCRL on the topics of Religious Liberty, Life, Marriage, or Education.

Today’s verses are Matthew 15:21-28, where the Bible says,

²¹ Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” ²³ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”²⁵ The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.²⁶ He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”²⁷ “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

The new report released this week by the Department of Justice’s Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias is a wake-up call. The task force, led by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, has produced one of the most, if not the most, substantive works of this administration. The report, entitled “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias within the Federal Government,” lays bare what is at the heart of the Left’s disdain for religious freedom: it is a clash of “worldviews” over abortion, gender ideology, and sexual orientation.

Before detailing abuses across the federal government, the 550+ page report lays the foundation for why the anti-Christian bias, pervasive in the Biden administration, is a threat to our nation. Beginning with an extensive quote from the farewell address of America’s first president, George Washington, the report provides the historical context for why vibrant Christian faith should be embraced, not suppressed.

Today’s verses are Matthew 14:25-29a, where the Bible says,

²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ “Come,” he said.

The second paragraph of the Declaration proclaims: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights… .” Throughout my youth, these truths were articles of faith that were impervious to bigotry or discrimination.

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines “self-evident” as “obviously true, and requiring no proof, argument or explanation.” Whether they had a divine source, or a worldly one, they were never questioned. They were the Holy Grail, the North Star, the rock — immovable and unquestioned.

Prayer Partner Thursday provides a month-long prayer emphasis in one of the four Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty areas of emphasis: Religious Liberty, Sanctity of Life, Educational Freedom, and Marriage as an Institution (family).

Today’s verses are Matthew 14:15-21, where the Bible says,

¹⁵ As evening approached, the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”¹⁶ Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”¹⁷ “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.¹⁸ “Bring them here to me,” he said. ¹⁹ And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. ²⁰ They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ²¹ The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

“What is marriage?” It seems like a silly question. But its one our society is vigorously fighting about. For thousands of years, and for all of recorded history prior to the year 2000, societies around the world recognized that marriage was an exclusive relationship of faithful permanence between one man and one woman, who vowed to remain together until death parts them. However, in a matter of a few short years (in the scope of human history), the institution of marriage has gone from being exclusively defined between one man and one woman, to being debated by society (it’s now at the highest court in our land), to consider if it might also be applicable to two homosexual men or two homosexual women. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. . . . [A few years ago] Thailand saw three men get married. Of course, activists are not stopping there. Marriage contracts (i.e., five-year marriage arrangements), throuples (three-people marriages), quartets (four-people marriages), as well as polygamy (one man with multiple wives), polyamory (multiple bisexual partners), pedophilia (adult/child sexual relationships) and bestiality (human and animal sexual relationships) are now also being put on the discussion table.

The Bulletin Insert is designed to be printed and cut in half to fit conveniently inside a Sunday worship bulletin. Each month an insert will offer insight, encouragement, and information from the LCRL on the topics of Religious Liberty, Life, Marriage, or Education.

The dates identifying the LCRL bulletin blurbs are only suggestions. Please feel free to use any and all of the bulletin blurbs as your ministry needs allow.

Today’s verses are Romans 8:37-39, where the Bible says,

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Indiana Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith has been under fire for calling attention to the ideology of Islam. It's perplexing to see the Left defending Islam and a little disappointing not seeing more folks defending him, especially when we have so much evidence as to the problem. Sharia Law is a most dangerous thing, and it now predominates in many places in the Western world. Islam advances through intimidation. What's darkly humorous is that Islam actually teaches and puts into practice the very things that the Left falsely accuses evangelicals of promoting.

Today’s verses are Romans 8:26-27, where the Bible says,

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.