Upside-Down Savior - Pastor Nathan Nass

Do you know what type of people Jesus chose to be his first disciples? Fishermen. Jesus could have chosen anyone from any occupation, but he chose fishermen to be his first disciples. Jesus explained why: “From now on you will fish for people” (Luke 5:10). Becoming Jesus’ disciples didn’t actually change their occupation. They were still fishermen. Instead of fishing for fish, however, they were now going to fish for people. That’s...

Does God have a plan for me? That’s a heartfelt question. We sometimes have days filled with doubts and guilt and emptiness. Does God have a plan for me?The answer is, “Yes!” God’s promise to his people long ago is also true for you and me: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).I hope you can listen to this short v...

Is it a sin to get angry? You get angry sometimes. All of us do. Is it wrong to get angry?While there is such a thing as righteous anger, the Bible gives us this encouragement about our anger: “‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:26-27).I hope you can listen to this short video devotion about God’s righteous anger and God’s encouragemen...

What’s the focus of Christianity? It can seem like different Christian churches and Christian pastors focus on very different things. What’s the true focus of Christianity?The Bible tells us exactly what Jesus came to do: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15).I hope you can listen to this short video devotion about the t...

“Be merciful, as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36-42). Every day, you have dozens of chances to show mercy… or not. Every day is filled with opportunities to lash out and be impatient or to smile and forgive. When you have experienced the amazing grace of God in Christ, it does something to you. It makes your heart softer. Humbler. Confident. I hope you can listen to this sermon about God’s mercy and its impact on us and our rel...

When does life begin? There’s a lot of debate about that in our society today. Does the Bible actually say when a human being becomes a human being?

Yes, it does! Already 3,000 years ago, David recognized when God’s gift of life begins. He wrote: “You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).

I hope you can listen to this short video devotion about how God has cared for you from the moment you...

It’s wedding season. Our family’s summer plans have revolved around weddings that family members have invited us to. I bet many of you have received wedding invitations too. Do you realize that the Bible is really one big wedding invitation? The Bible’s whole message is an invitation to come to Jesus’ wedding banquet in heaven: “Blessed are those who are called to the wedding supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9). Jesus told a para...

What you see doesn’t tell the whole story. When times are good, your success doesn’t mean that you’re better than anyone else. So be careful not to trust in it! When times are bad, your suffering doesn’t mean that you’re forgotten by God. He knows your name. No matter what is happening, when you least expect it, roles can be reversed, and everything changes. Jesus told a powerful story about role reversal: The Rich Man and Poor Laz...

Have you been baptized? Then according to Jesus you are a born-again Christian! That means that every morning when you wake up, you can tell yourself, “I am a baptized child of God. I have new life in Jesus. No matter what has happened in my past, by the Spirit’s power I want to live for Jesus today.” And every night you can sleep at peace. Every day, no matter how hard you try, you sin. But do you know what your baptism means? You...

We need reminders in every area of life. From notifications on your phone to sticky notes on your counter, we are really bad at remembering things. Jesus knows that. That’s why he sent us the Holy Spirit. Jesus told his disciples, “He will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit constantly uses God’s Word to remind us of Jesus. He convicts us of our sins. He leads us ...

When Jesus looks at you and asks, “You do not want to leave too, do you?”, may the Holy Spirit give you the faith to say, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:67-68). Believing in Jesus is worth it. Think of all that Jesus has done for us: How could we leave the One who has loved us since before the creation of the world? How could we turn away from the One who bought us with his own blood shed fo...

What is Confirmation Day? Our church is preparing to celebrate Confirmation Day this Sunday. What is it?The practice of confirmation is one way that our church encourages this Bible verse: “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved” (Romans 10:10).I hope you can listen to this short video devotion about the importance of professing our faith and...

What is Ascension Day? There are some festivals in the Christian Church that don’t make it onto most people’s calendars. One of those is Ascension Day. This year, Ascension Day is today, May 29th.The Bible gives us this encouragement: “Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1-2).I hope you can listen to this short video ...

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples to “preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15). What’s the gospel? “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). The gospel is the good news that God loves us so much that he sent his one and only Son–Jesus–into the world to die on the cross for our sins and rise from the dead for our salvation. And here’s the best part: G...

What is a sacrament? You’ve probably heard Christians use that word. Do you know what a sacrament is? As we study the Bible, we in the Lutheran Church teach that a sacrament meets these three criteria: 1) Instituted by Jesus himself; 2) Uses an earthly element combined with God’s Word; 3) Offers the forgiveness of sins.I hope you can listen to this short video devotion about the sacraments and how God uses them to give us his grace...

Do I have a guardian angel? It’s very popular to think that each person has one specific angel assigned to them. Is that true? Do I have a guardian angel?The Bible actually offers you something better. Jesus says, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). I hope you can listen to this short video devotion about the m...

Does God speak to me through dreams? We all have dreams. Sometimes we wonder if those dreams are going to come true. Should we trust in what our dreams tell us?The Bible says, “No!” Jeremiah writes, “Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my speak it faithfully” (Jeremiah 23:28).I hope you can listen to this short video devotion about the hope and certainly that come from the Word of God.God bles...

I hope you are looking for truth. I hope you are longing to have a foundation for your life that you can count on no matter what. I can’t tell you if that internet meme or story is fake or AI or the real thing. However, here’s the truth for you: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). That’s the truth about sin! “In the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from fi...

When you’re sad, it seems like your sadness will last forever. When you’re in pain, it feels like your pain will never go away. When your relationships are filled with conflict, it feels like there is no hope. Is that true? No! Jesus says, “You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy” (John 16:20). Jesus wants you to know that sorrow has an end date. No pain lasts forever. Just like Jesus changed his disciples’ sorrow on Good ...