Hope for all

I have an important question for you: How do you feel about non-believers? I think that is a question we should all think about! Chuck Colson, founder of the Prison Fellowship and the Breakpoint Radio Program in the USA, once answered this question with an analogy: If a blind person stepped on your foot or spilled hot coffee on your shirt, would you be angry with him? He himself answers that we probably wouldn't be, precisely because...

In the Western world, Christmas is a time when many people turn to giving and receiving gifts. Choosing gifts for loved ones often proves problematic. Most people enjoy a very personal and special gift that has been chosen or made with care and love. Likewise, God does not prepare his tailor-made gift for humanity at the last minute.…

A proverb says, "Hope dies last!" If this proverb were true, death would be the end of hope. In the sermon at Pentecost, Peter declared that death could no longer hold Jesus: “God raised him up and delivered him from the pangs of death, for it was impossible for death to hold him” (Acts 2,24). Paul later explained that Christians, as represented in the symbolism of baptism, should not only participate in…

It is very surprising that Martin Luther admonished his friend Philip Melanchthon in a letter: Be a sinner and let sin be powerful, but more powerful than sin be your trust in Christ and rejoice in Christ that he has overcome sin, death and the world. At first glance, the request seems unbelievable. To understand Luther's admonition, we must take a closer look at the context. Luther does not describe sinning as...

Although God's wonderful forgiveness is one of my favorite topics, I must confess that it is difficult to even begin to understand how real it is. God planned it from the beginning as his bountiful gift, a dearly purchased act of forgiveness and reconciliation through his Son, culminating in his death on the cross. Through this we are not only absolved, we are restored – “aligned” with our loving triune...

Mother's Day and Father's Day mark special moments in which parents are honored for their selfless love. Despite labor pains, sleepless nights, and conflicts in everyday family life, many consciously choose to enrich their family life with additional children. The experiences with the firstborn in no way diminish the desire for a larger family circle. This observation raises the central question: Why were you born? A simple answer is:...

Again and again in Romans, Paul argues that it is because of Christ that God considers us justified. Although we sometimes sin, these sins are counted against the old self that was crucified with Christ. Our sins do not count against who we are in Christ. We have a duty to fight sin, not to be saved, but because we are already children of God. In the last part of chapter 8, Paul addresses…

Whenever there is a discussion about faith, I wonder why believers seem to feel disadvantaged. The believers seem to assume that the atheists have somehow already won the argument unless the believers can refute it. The fact is that atheists, on the other hand, find it impossible to prove that God does not exist. Just because believers cannot convince atheists of the existence of God, so...

The land of the Gerasenes was on the eastern shore of the Sea of ​​Galilee. When Jesus got out of the boat, he met a man who was obviously not in control of himself. He lived there among the tombs and gravestones of a cemetery. No one had been able to tame him. No one was strong enough to deal with him. He roamed around day and night, shouting loudly and hitting himself with stones. "But when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him, shouting...

I'm addressing you with an important question: What are your thoughts on non-believers? I believe this is a question we should all consider! Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship in the USA, once answered this question with an analogy: "If a blind person stepped on your foot or spilled hot coffee on your shirt, would you be angry with them? He himself answers that we probably wouldn't, precisely because a blind person can't see…"

Have you ever heard that those who die as unbelievers cannot be reached by God? It is a cruel and destructive doctrine, which is proven by a single verse in the parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus. But like all Bible passages, this parable also stands in a certain context and can only be understood correctly in that context. It is always bad to base a doctrine on a single verse -...

Paul sent Timothy to the church in Ephesus to resolve some problems in the transmission of the faith. He also sent him a letter outlining his mission. This letter was to be read out to the entire church so that each of its members was aware that Timothy was authorized to act in the name of the apostle. Among other things, Paul pointed out what should be heeded in church services: "I urge you, then, to be careful before...

It often helps to look closely at scriptures. Jesus made an impressive demonstrative and all-encompassing statement during a conversation with Nicodemus, a leading scholar and ruler of the Jews. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that all who believe in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3,16). Jesus and Nicodemus met on equal terms – teacher to teacher. Jesus…

Paul writes in Romans: “My dear brothers and sisters, what I pray for the Israelites with all my heart and pray for them is that they may be saved” (Romans 10,1 New Geneva Translation). But there was a problem: “For I testify that they are not lacking in zeal for God's cause. What they lack is knowledge. They have not understood what God's righteousness is all about and are trying to stand before God by their own righteousness. In order to do this…

Some people claim that the theology of the Trinity teaches universalism, that is, the assumption that every person will be saved. Because it makes no difference whether they are good or bad, repentant or not, or whether they have accepted Jesus or rejected him. So there is no hell. I see two difficulties with this claim, which is a fallacy: First, belief in the Trinity does not require that one believes in universal reconciliation...

Jesus was dead, he was resurrected! He has risen! Jesus lives! Job was aware of this truth and proclaimed: "I know that my Redeemer lives!" This is the central idea and theme of this sermon. Job was a pious and righteous man. He avoided evil like no other person of his time. Nevertheless, God allowed him to face a great trial. At Satan's hand, his seven sons and three daughters died and all his possessions were taken from him.…

Every year we celebrate Jesus' resurrection. He is our Savior, Savior, Redeemer and our King. As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we are reminded of the promise of our own resurrection. Because we are united with Christ in faith, we share in his life, death, resurrection, and glory. This is our identity in Jesus Christ. We have accepted Christ as our Savior and Savior, therefore our life is in Him...

Jesus is risen! We can well understand the excitement of the assembled disciples of Jesus and the believers. He is risen! Death could not hold him; the grave had to release him. More than 2000 years later, we still greet each other on Easter morning with these enthusiastic words. "Jesus is truly risen!" Jesus' resurrection sparked a movement that continues to this day - it began with a few dozen Jewish men and women who recognized the good news of the…

When we face a difficult situation, whether related to our health, our job, or our family circumstances, we often feel alone. How can we face difficulties, including suffering, with courage and hope? During Holy Week, Jesus endured what none of us could bear. We can learn from how Jesus handled this confrontation for our own personal situations. On Palm Sunday, we commemorate Jesus' solemn entry into...

It is very difficult for me to admit that I am an addict. Throughout my life I have lied to myself and those around me. Along the way I have come across many addicts who are dependent on various things such as alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, tobacco, Facebook and many other drugs. Fortunately, one day I was able to face the truth. I am an addict. I need help! The results of addiction are evident in all people who…

Many Christians are not quite sure and worry about this, does God still love them? They worry that God might cast them out, and worse, that he has already cast them out. Maybe you have the same fear. Why do you think Christians are so concerned? The answer is simply that they are honest with themselves. They know they are sinners. They are aware of their failures, their mistakes, their transgressions -...

Christmas has a great fascination even for those who are not Christian or religious. These people are touched by something that is hidden deep within them and that they long for: security, warmth, light, calm or peace. If you ask people why they celebrate Christmas, you get a variety of answers. Even among Christians there are often different opinions about the meaning of this festival. For us Christians, this offers...

In the Gospel of Luke we find a story in which Jesus talks about what it is like when someone desperately searches for something they have lost. It is the story of the lost coin: «Or suppose a woman had ten drachmas and lost one.» The drachma was a Greek coin that was worth about the same as the Roman denarius or about twenty francs. «If she did not light a lamp and turn the whole house upside down until she found it…

Why am I alive? Does my life have meaning? What will happen to me when I die? These are fundamental questions that everyone has probably asked themselves at some point. Questions to which we will give you answers here - an answer that should show: Yes, life has meaning; yes, there is life after death. Nothing is more certain than death. One day we receive the dreaded news that a loved one has died. This suddenly reminds us that we too must die tomorrow,...

What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? What does it mean to share in the redeemed life that God gives us in Jesus through the Holy Spirit? It means living an authentic, genuine Christian life by example, by selflessly serving our fellow human beings. The Apostle Paul goes much further: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?...

There is often talk of getting to know Jesus. However, how to go about it seems a little nebulous and difficult. This is especially because we cannot see him or talk to him face to face. he is real But it is neither visible nor touchable. We cannot hear his voice either, except perhaps on rare occasions. How then might we go about getting to know him? Recently, more than one source have…

To all of us who have children, I ask a few questions. "Did your child ever disobey you?" If you answered yes, like all other parents, we come to the second question: "Have you ever punished your child for disobedience?" How long did the sentence last? To put it even more clearly: "Did you tell your child that the punishment will never end?" That sounds crazy, does not it? We who are weak and ...

Everyone has an idea of ​​right and wrong, and everyone has done something wrong - even according to their own ideas. To err is human, says a well-known proverb. Everyone has disappointed a friend, broken a promise, hurt someone else's feelings. Everyone knows feelings of guilt. That's why people don't want to have anything to do with God. They don't want a day of judgment because they know that they cannot stand before God with a clear conscience...

If you could choose just one Bible passage that sums up your entire life as a Christian, which would it be? Perhaps this most frequently quoted verse: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life?" (John 3:16). A good choice! For me, the following verse is the most important thing the Bible teaches in its entirety: "On that day you will know...

It is the story of the Wemmicks, a small tribe of wooden dolls created by a wood carver. The main activity of the Wemmicks is to give each other stars for success, cleverness or beauty, or gray dots for clumsiness and ugliness. Punchinello is one of the wooden dolls that always only had gray dots. Punchinello goes through life in sorrow until one day he meets Lucia, who is neither star nor...

Do you know that many Christians live every day not quite sure that God still loves them? They worry that God might cast them out, and worse, that he has already cast them out. Maybe you have the same fear. Why do you think Christians are so concerned? The answer is simply that they are honest with themselves. They know they are sinners. They are aware of their failures, their mistakes,...

When was the last time you received a letter in the mail? In the modern age of email, Twitter and Facebook, most of us receive fewer and fewer letters than we used to. But in the days before electronic messaging, almost everything over long distances was done by letter. It was and still is very simple; a sheet of paper, a pen to write on, an envelope and a stamp is all you need. In the time of the Apostle Paul, however,...

From a human perspective, God's power and will in the world is often misunderstood. Too often, people use their power to dominate and impose their will on others. To all of humanity, the power of the cross is a foreign and foolish concept. The worldly concept of power can have a pervasive influence on Christians and lead to a misinterpretation of Scripture and the message of the gospel. "This is good and...