Posts by Jo Witt

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Second Sunday in Advent

by Jo Witt

Theme of the Day: A Real Christmas Is Rooted In Repentance The closer we get to Christmas, the greater the pressure. There is so much work to be done! We want our houses to look good for out-of-town guests. We want to impress people with the thoughtfulness of our gifts. What a welcome relief, therefore, […]

First Sunday in Advent

by Jo Witt

Theme of the Day: A Real Christmas Requires Remembering Why Christ Came It is easy to get so caught up in the imagery—a tiny newborn baby, lying in the straw filled manger under a star-filled sky—that we forget the why. Why did the Son of God come into our world and take on human flesh? […]

Last Sunday of the Church Year

by Jo Witt

Theme of the Day: Live With Your Eyes On The Skies “Eyes on the prize.” That axiom stresses that when pursuing some good goal, focus is important. You don’t want distractions or a lack of self-discipline to keep you from obtaining whatever that prize might be. “Eyes on the prize.” You summon the willpower to […]

Twenty-Sixth Sunday After Pentecost

by Jo Witt

Theme of the Day: Live Free From The Fear Of Judgment Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) affects many millions of adults. It is more than shyness. SAD includes an acute fear of being judged. An individual with SAD struggles with everyday tasks like talking to people at work or school because he is terrified that he […]

Twenty-Fifth Sunday After Pentecost

by Jo Witt

Theme of the Day: Live A Life Of Startling Generosity Perhaps you have heard the axiom, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” In other words, while you still can, use what you have in order to enjoy life to the fullest. If this life is all there is, St. Paul agrees that […]

All Saints’ Day (Observed)

by Jo Witt

Theme of the Day: Live Knowing Life Only Gets Better “It will get better.” We say that to try to comfort someone who is having a bad day (or maybe a whole string of bad days). Perhaps tomorrow will be better. But perhaps it’s worse. In this life, there really are no guarantees that things […]

The Festival of the Reformation (Observed)

by Jo Witt

Theme of the Day: Live A Life Of Courageous Witness Jesus repeatedly told his followers that living as his disciples would bring hardship. Living life according to God’s Law is going to make one appear odd in the eyes of the world, perhaps even evil. Sharing a message of mankind’s sin and God’s gracious salvation […]

Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost

by Jo Witt

Theme of the Day: Followers Of Christ Make Selfless Sacrifices “What’s in it for me?” It’s easy to look at life through the lens of that question, to make decisions based on perceived personal benefit. Perhaps at times we look at Christianity through that lens, wondering what we will gain from following Christ. “What’s in […]

Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost

by Jo Witt

Theme of the Day: Followers Of Christ Maintain Proper Priorities People think that establishing priorities is about ranking things in order of importance. But it is more than that. We do not have unlimited time and energy. So, establishing priorities enables us to say “no” to things which might be good yet not truly important. […]

Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost

by Jo Witt

Theme of the Day: Followers Of Christ Know How To Love Their Families Love can cause harm. Consider the wife whose husband wants little to do with church. She loves him and does not want to upset him. So, when her husband wants her and the children to stay home Sunday morning, she complies without […]