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It's Wednesday, June 4th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark and Adam McManus Christians persecuted in Mali, Africa by military junta Christians are facing increased persecution in Mali after the military junta initiated a crackdown in May. The military of the West African nation dissolved all political parties in the crackdown. Jo Newhouse with Open Doors Sub-Saharan Africa said, “Christians in Mali have faced increasing persecution over the past few years. By closing the democratic space, and further encroaching on civil liberties, the junta is adding unwelcome pressure to an already volatile situation.” Please pray for the church in Mali, Africa. The country is ranked 14th on the Open Doors' World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian.  Ukrainian evangelist: Thousands coming to Christ A Ukrainian evangelist addressed the European Congress on Evangelism in Berlin, Germany last Thursday. Evangelist David Karcha reported that Ukrainian Evangelicals have been ministering to their fellow countrymen since Russia invaded the country in 2022. Churches are seeing thousands of people come to Christ during the war. Karcha said, “In the world's eyes, Ukraine is a story of war. But in God's eyes, it is a story of revival, a story that reminds us all that the Gospel advances.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds … and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.” American economy predicted to grow by only 1.6% this year The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development cut its economic growth outlook for the United States. The group forecasts the U.S. economy will expand by 1.6% this year, down from its previous forecast of 2.2%. Experts also expect global economic growth to slow this year in the wake of U.S President Donald Trump's tariff policies. They also noted, “trade uncertainty and economic policy uncertainty has reached unprecedented levels.” Dept of Ed. shuns homosexual pride month, celebrates Title IX month To its credit, the U.S. Department of Education is not celebrating homosexual pride month in the month of June. Instead, the Trump administration is recognizing June as “Title IX Month.” Title IX of the Education Amendments was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on June 23, 1972. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs. However, the Biden administration tried to inject transgender protections into the law. Under Trump's Education Department, the administration is promising to protect women's and girls' sports from such transgender activism.  Muslim immigrant used flamethrower on peaceful pro-Israel group in CO An immigrant, motivated by anti-Semitic beliefs, has been accused of brutally attacking a peaceful pro-Israel group advocating for Israeli hostages held captive by the Muslim terrorist group known as Hamas, reports The Blaze. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national in the United States despite reportedly overstaying his visa, is suspected of attacking a group of individuals participating in a walk in Boulder, Colorado at 2:00pm on June 1st. According to CNN, he allegedly used a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to set people on fire at an event in support of hostages in Gaza as he yelled “Free Palestine.” He injured at least 12 people. The victims ranged in age from 52 to 88 years old, including a Holocaust survivor. The U.S. Attorney General's office has charged Soliman with a hate crime. The attack targeted the “Run for Their Lives” group, a grassroots organization that gathered on Pearl Street on Sunday evening to support the release of the hostages captured by the terrorist group in October 2023. According to the FBI, the Jewish group chapter gathers weekly. Maya Bajayo is the organizer of the “Run for Their Lives” group. BAJAYO: “We're here only to raise awareness for the hostages. It makes it even more scary for us that it could have been us.” Amazingly, Bajayo, who has been leading the walk for 83 Sundays straight, refuses to stop walking despite the threat of violence. She explained why to Channel 9 News. BAJAYO: “To show people that we're still here, the problem hasn't been solved, and the hostages need to be released. We're just not going to give up on them.” Oklahoma Governor: "Life begins at conception.” During June, Oklahoma is celebrating  a “Month for Life.” Republican Governor Kevin Stitt signed the proclamation Monday. He wrote on X, “Life begins at conception. We're committed to supporting moms every step. And God has a plan for every life.” The proclamation encouraged citizens to join the Oklahoma March for Life on Saturday, June 7. 10th anniversary of Supreme Court's pro-homosexual marriage ruling The U.S. Supreme Court handed down its Obergefell v. Hodges decision 10 years ago on June 26, 2015. The infamous ruling requires states to recognize same-sex unions as marriages.  A new survey from Gallup found that 68% of U.S. adults support faux same-sex marriage, up from 60% in 2015. However, that support has plateaued over the last five years.  No one shared why they like The Worldview in 5 Minutes And finally, I would love to know why you enjoy listening to The Worldview in 5 Minutes.  Do you like the variety of stories, the reports on the persecuted church, the Christian worldview, the 2 Scriptures, the soundbites, the links to additional information in our transcript, or the occasional uplifting, positive story?  Email me 2-6 sentences and include your name, city, and state.  Surprisingly, I did not get a single email on Tuesday despite the fact that tens of thousands of people listen to the newscast or read the transcript.  Send your email to Adam@TheWorldview.com. 18 listeners gave $4,202 to fund The Worldview newscast Toward this week's $30,875 goal to fund one-fourth of The Worldview newscast budget by this Friday, June 6th, 18 listeners stepped up to the plate.  Our thanks to Joshua in Bolivar, Missouri who gave $30 as well as Rachelle in Longview, Washington, Margaret in White Salmon, Washington, Jeremy in Swansea, Wales in the United Kingdom, and Karena in Eugene, Oregon – each of whom gave $50. We appreciate Dick in Hoyt, Kansas, Hannah in San Jose, California, David in Plano, Texas, Adam in Gile, Wisconsin, and David in Crestview, Florida – each of whom gave $100. We're grateful to God for Hannah in Green Valley, Arizona who gave $132,Genevieve in Wheat Ridge, Colorado who pledged $20/month for 12 months for a gift of $240, Kristen in Columbia Falls, Montana who gave $250, and Luis and Patricia in Kyle, Texas who pledged $25/month for 12 months for a gift of $300. And we appreciate the generosity of Steven in Coatesville, Pennsylvania who gave $350, James in Cardiff, Wales in the United Kingdom who pledged $50/month for 12 months for a gift of $600, Patricia in  Winfield, Iowa who gave $700, and Larry and Sue in Crooked Creek , Alberta, Canada who pledged $75/month for 12 months for a gift of $900. Those 18 listeners gave a total of $4,202. Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please.  (Drum toll sound effect) $4,932 (People clapping sound effect)  That means by this Friday, we still need to raise $26,873. We missed our goal of 20 donors on Tuesday by only 2 donors.  In order to hit our goal by this Friday, June 6th, we need to raise $8,957 on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.   Toward that end, I wonder if there might be 4 Worldview listeners who could give $1,000.  Another 8 who would pledge $50/month. And 12 more who would pledge $25/month.  That would enable us to raise $11,800 on Wednesday. Maybe we can hit 20 donors today. Go to TheWorldview.com and click on Give on the top right.    Click on the button that indicates a recurring donation if you want to give monthly. Where else can you find a succinct and timely newscast with a Biblical perspective? Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, June 4th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Yelp gives their top 25 burger chains in the United States. In Turkey, passengers who get out of their seat before the plane has stopped taxiing or crowd the aisle before it's their row's turn to deplane will now face fines. Scripps National Spelling Bee is going on. Is spelling correctly a dying art? Kangaroo yoga studio opens in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Demaryius Thomas has been elected to the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame. Terry Bradshaw rips the idea of Aaron Rodgers being a Pittsburgh Steelr on 103.7 The Buzz. Tyreek Hill was talking trash about Travis Hunter. The Colorado Rockies hit a new low. Will the Rockies fight back or will they find an unforeseen low?

Mark 11:12-25: Cursing the Fig Tree, Cleansing the Temple & Moving Mountains➡️ Jesus curses a fig tree for bearing no fruit, even though it wasn't fig season. At first glance, this seems unfair. Some interpretations:> Creation is Broken: Some suggest the act reflects Jesus' grief over a broken creation. In a perfect world (like Eden), fruit trees would always bear fruit. The fig tree's barrenness symbolizes how sin has disrupted creation..> Symbol of Israel: The fig tree also represents Israel. Its lack of fruit reflects the spiritual barrenness of God's people. This ties to what follows.➡️ Jesus Cleanses the Temple Jesus enters the temple & violently clears out the money changers. The fig tree & the temple are likely connected.> Fig Tree = Israel's False Peace: Like the tree, Israel gives the appearance of health but bears no spiritual fruit. It represents a religious system that had become transactional, abusive, and no longer a source of the forgiveness of sins. >Temple System Coming to an End: Jesus' actions show that the entire temple system has run its course. Jesus fulfills the temple, and it is no longer necessary — He is the new temple.➡️ Faith That Moves Mountains What does this mean when Jesus says, “If you have faith, you can say to this mountain, ‘Be thrown into the sea,' and it will be done?” > The "mountain" may symbolize the Temple MountIt doesn't mean God is a "vending machine" where faith is a currency to get material things.Nor is it about manipulating God to get what you want.The call to “move mountains” is not about miracles or material gain, but faith in Jesus. Prayer, then, is about aligning our hearts with God's will — seeking the kingdom and finding comfort in His promises, not worldly outcomes.Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Executive Director of Missions and Theology.Contributor Eli Lietzau is the pastor at Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO.#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #jesus

Stephanie Walters, CEO of Erbe Wealth, reveals how the affluent approach money differently and shares actionable wealth-building strategies that challenge conventional financial wisdom. We uncover the myths that keep most people from building true wealth and explore why cashflow and control are the ultimate financial goals.• The wealthy utilize money actively rather than just accumulating it• Most Americans don't realize they're paying 2-3% in hidden 401(k) fees that devastate returns• Tax diversification is critical with tax-free buckets ideally being your largest asset pool• Premium-financed life insurance offers tax-free growth with market upside protection• Wealthy investors prioritize avoiding losses over chasing high returns• Understanding your unique "Way to Wealth DNA" helps align investments with your values and skills• The dangerous math of investment losses: a 25% drop requires a 50% gain to recover• Control comes from investing in things you understand rather than anonymous market fundsGet Stephanie's free book "Shattering Money Myths" at erbewealth.com and learn more about approaching wealth like the affluent do.About Our GuestOver years of working with her investors, Stephanie discovered that the very wealthy view and use money differently than the rest of us; they actively have their money working for them -- sometimes at several places at the same time! Stephanie realized these strategies can be used by anyone, not just the rich. Her passion is teaching people to “unlearn” what most of us have been wired to think about money and re-educating people on attaining wealth that can be passed onto the next generation.Stephanie Walters, CEO of Erbe Wealth3705 Kipling Street, Suite 203 Wheat Ridge, CO 80033303-995-0928LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-walter-057594196/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erbewealthHear Past episodes of the Way2Wealth Podcast!https://theway2wealth.com Learn more about our Host, Scott Ford, Managing Director, Partner & Wealth Advisorhttps://www.carsonwealth.com/team-members/scott-ford/ Investment advisory services offered through CWM LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. Carson Partners, a division of CWM LLC, is a nationwide partnership of advisors. The opinions voiced in the Way to Wealth with Scott Ford are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for an individual. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. To determine what may be appropriate for you, consult with your attorney, accountant, financial or tax advisor prior to investing. Guests on Way to Wealth are not affiliated with CWM, LLC. Legado Family is not affiliated with CWM LLC. Carson Wealth 19833 Leitersburg Pike, Suite 1, Hagerstown, Maryland, 21742.

Guest:  Paige Piper, MBA Executive Director Localworks helps and supports the city of Wheat Ridge to create the economic development and community development.  They are part of citizen engagement and community events.  One of the largest projects that Localworks recently completed in its organizations' history is Clear Creek Makerspace.  They have 3D printers, laser engravers, sewing stations, wood shop and metal shop.  People can come in and take classes on how to use the equipment.  You do not need to live in Wheat Ridge to come take classes.  Once a month Localworks host a Live Local event, they go to a business in Wheat Ridge with the goal to bring residents into the business to help with local economics.  Localworks wants people to know, there is always a place for you in the community if you live in Wheat Ridge or somewhere else.     https://wearelocalworks.org/

January 25, 2025 Today's Reading: Acts 9:1-22Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 1:1-21; Matthew 19:27-30But the Lord said to [Ananias], “Go, for [Paul] is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9:15-16)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.It must have been a troubling thing for Ananias to hear that Paul was to be set aside to proclaim the Gospel to Gentiles. Before this time, Paul was an enemy of Christ. He sought to arrest and convict Jewish converts of blasphemy, a charge that would most certainly put their life in jeopardy. And before his conversion, Paul couldn't have dreamed that salvation was ever meant for the Gentile.But the Lord's way is not our way. He sees things a little bit differently than we would. Where we would most certainly have chosen somebody, anybody, other than Paul, God deemed it good and right and salutary to use this mortal enemy of Christ to then proclaim the very same Christ into the world.Paul will later admit that he is unworthy of such a task: “The least of all the apostles,” he will title himself. But what better way to proclaim the weakness of the cross to the sinner than to use the weakest and most unworthy of all vessels? But this is the way of our Lord: When we are weak, then He is strong.For the Gospel isn't about the sinner who is being used to proclaim it, but it is about the sinless Son of God who has come to make that sinner, and all other sinners, righteous…  We don't look to our pastors to be perfect, but we look to our pastors to proclaim the perfection of Christ. It is in that way, then, that Christ is made known: through the lips of unclean pastors into the ears of unclean sinners.So we give thanks to our Lord above for the conversion that He wrought in St. Paul. If the Holy Spirit can bring about faith in a murderous blasphemer, then He can certainly bring faith and sustain that faith in me, in you, in all.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, You turned the heart of him who persecuted the Church and, by his preaching, caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world. Grant us ever to rejoice in the saving light of Your Gospel and, following the example of the apostle Paul, to spread it to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.-Rev. Eli Lietzau, pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

January 24, 2025 Today's Reading: 1 Timothy 6:11-16Daily Lectionary: Joel 3:1-21; Matthew 24:42-47I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Timothy 6:13-14)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Paul writes this Epistle to his friend and colleague, Timothy. If you remember from the Book of Acts, Paul first meets up with Timothy at the beginning of his second missionary journey. He takes off, along with Silas, to visit the congregations that were established during his initial journey. Timothy is in Lystra, a member of the congregation, brought up in the faith by his mother and grandmother. There is even a good chance that Timothy saw Paul stoned and left for dead outside of the city walls his first time around.So Timothy knows what is at stake. He knows the dangers that he is going to undertake as he sets off with Paul and later becomes a pastor of congregations who need to hear of Christ and Him crucified…  Paul also knows what immense struggles and burdens await Timothy as he is called to stand in the stead of Christ, and so he sends him at least two pastoral letters to encourage him in his vocation.The job of a pastor is to speak the Word. Listen to him as one who is set before you to stand in the stead of Christ, not despising preaching and the Word, but holding it sacred and gladly hearing and learning it. For your pastor is called to proclaim the Law in all of its severity and then proclaim the Gospel in all of its sweetness to you… Temptations will arise to commingle the two, to let the Law not be as severe as it should be, and to speak of the Gospel as anything but a pure and complete Gift. So Paul encourages Timothy, and in the same way, then, your pastor, to hold to the Confession of the cross for the sinner because that is what we poor sinners need to hear.So we give thanks to the Lord above for Timothy and his faithful proclamation of the Word and the way in which he rightly administered The Sacraments. And then, in the same way, we pray for our own pastors that they would remain steadfast so that we might receive the forgiveness of sins through the preaching of the Word that comes from their lips.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord Jesus Christ, You have always given to Your Church on earth faithful shepherds such as Timothy to guide and feed Your flock. Make all pastors diligent to preach Your holy Word and administer Your Means Of Grace, and grant Your people wisdom to follow in the way that leads to life eternal; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.-Rev. Eli Lietzau, pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

January 23, 2025 Today's Reading: Catechism: The Fifth CommandmentDaily Lectionary: Joel 2:18-32; Romans 11:25-12:13The Fifth Commandment:  You shall not murder.What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.If you ask the average catechumen which Commandment is the easiest to keep, number five is usually high on the list. That is because the average catechumen hasn't done the “stab-stab” stuff that we usually only associate with this Commandment.But not murdering someone is the easy part. Have you ever hurt your neighbor in his body? Have you always taken care to help and support him in the ways that his body has need? When put like this, the 5th Commandment becomes a little more difficult to keep.And then Jesus goes and makes it even more difficult when He tells us that this Commandment isn't just about what we do with our hands; it also encompasses how we think about our neighbor and what evil we harbor against him in our heart.God's Law is a heavy thing that won't let anyone escape its crushing blow. Lest we think that we have conquered one sin, it will quickly show us where we have failed in five or ten others… God is a God of life, and He would have His people be people of life, too. Not just the life that we receive from Him, but that we would care about the life that He has given to our neighbors.And so search your hearts and recognize the ways in which you have broken even this Commandment. And then return to the Lord your God and receive from Him the forgiveness of sins that He won on the cross for us by fulfilling the Law which we could not hope to fulfill; by loving us to the point that while we were still murderous sinners, Christ died for us, that we might turn to our neighbor and serve him in his body.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.These are the holy Ten Commands God gave to us by Moses' hands When high on Sinai's mount he stood, Receiving them for our good. Have mercy, Lord! “You shall not murder, hurt, nor hate; Your anger dare not dominate. Be kind and patient; help, defend, And treat your foe as your friend.” Have mercy, Lord! (LSB 581: 1, 5)-Rev. Eli Lietzau, pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

January 22, 2025 Today's Reading: Joel 2:1-17Daily Lectionary: Joel 2:1-17; Romans 11:1-24“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.”  Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. (Joel 2:12-13)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Joel is a tough book to read and perhaps even a tougher book to understand. Not much is known about this prophet, which is why many scholars have differing opinions on when he actually wrote his book. Whatever the case, the point that we should grasp thousands of years removed from this prophet of God is the same as the day he wrote it.Joel's is a call to repentance, and that is a call that should be heard by every generation. Our text for today talks about the Day of the Lord. This is a day which is quickly approaching; how quickly we do not know, but that shouldn't matter. It could be tomorrow for a thousand years in the making, but the call for repentance is just as valid.We deserve nothing but temporal and eternal punishment because of our sin. We are worthy of nothing except God's wrath and are unworthy of even receiving this call to repentance. But our God does not delight in the death of the sinner. His desire is for all to hear the truth of their sin and believe in His promised salvation.You may hear your pastor read this text on Ash Wednesday. In the season of Lent, the Church is called again to view herself in the light of her sin, but more so, she is called to see herself by faith in the light of Christ.Thanks be to God that He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. This we see in full on the cross of Calvary. This we receive by faith in Absolution within the confines of the Church each and every Sunday, firmly believing that our sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ. It is God who repents us, turning us from our evil ways and granting us the Gifts of the cross: the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Thy love and grace alone avail to blot out my transgression; The best and holiest deeds must fail to break sin's dread oppression. Before Thee none can boasting stand, But all must fear Thy strict demand And live alone by mercy. Therefore my hope is in the Lord And not in mine own merit; It rests upon His faithful Word To them of contrite spirit That He is merciful and just; This is my comfort and my trust. His help I with with maintenance. (LSB 607:2,3)-Rev. Eli Lietzau, pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

January 21, 2025 Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11Daily Lectionary: Joel 1:1-20; Romans 10:1-21“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in every one.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Paul is laying out for the Corinthians a whole long list of spiritual Gifts. Right after this section, He uses the example of a body and how there are many different members that make up the whole. None is more important than another. None is greater or worse. It is in that way, then, that he explains that the Gifts they might hold mean nothing for the individual.We don't see the types of spiritual Gifts that Paul is talking about much in the Church anymore. They seem to have died out within the first couple of centuries, which is all fine and good. They were given in order to move forward, jump start if you will, the early Church, and the proclamation of the Gospel throughout the world… But that doesn't mean that this section of Scripture still isn't important for us. For what Paul says about spiritual Gifts holds true for the Gifts that you and I have been given by our Heavenly Father as well. And these Gifts which we have been given, some of which I have that you lack, some of which you have that I don't, are to be used for the good of the whole Body of Christ, for the good of your neighbor.It is a selfless way of thinking, then, that can only be taught to us by our Head, by Christ. In the same way in which He selflessly loved His neighbor, we, too, are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. Christ gives us Gifts so that we can be a blessing to others. The Gifts we have do not make us greater in the sight of God but instead have been given so that where our neighbor lacks, we can be of service and fill him up.This is the way of the Church. This is what it means to be the Body of Christ: First, we receive all that is good from our God above (First Article gifts Creation; Second Article gifts of Redemption; Third Article gifts of Sanctification, of being made holy as we receive in time and place the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation), then, through Him, because Christ first loved us, we lovingly do good for our neighbor.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Holy Spirit, the wind of great power, Source of strength and of peace and of love, Truest Comforter, plead, As You bring all our need To the throne of God's glory above. Be the light that enlightens the Scriptures; Keep our feet from each devilish snare; Only You can make whole All that troubles our soul; By Your chrism Christ's triumph we share. (LSB 502:4)-Rev. Eli Lietzau, pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

January 20, 2025 Today's Reading: Isaiah 62:1-5Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 47:1-14, 21-23; Romans 9:19-33“You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight I in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married.”  (Isaiah 62:4)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Come to think of it, this text is probably why Jesus' first miracle took place at a wedding. (We read all about that yesterday.) It's the Bridegroom and Bride stuff, the Ephesians 5 sort of thing that Paul interweaves when he is talking about a man and his wife. It would seem as if you can't talk about marriage without talking about Christ and the Church.And so Jesus wants to show off His Bride to the nations. Her glory He wants to shine before kings and paupers alike. Everyone is going to see her radiance. Everyone is going to know of her beauty as the Lord walks with her hand in hand in front of the whole world.Her righteousness will be unmistakable. But know one thing for certain: her righteousness doesn't come from her. For He found her among the Desolate places, Forsaken by all those around her because of what she had made herself to be. But now, beyond all rational logic, her lot in life has changed. His Delight Is in Her, for He has Married her.And now it is His righteousness that the whole world sees. He rejoices over her because she is no longer dressed in the attire of a lady of the evening, but He has taken His own garment and clothed her with it. Head to toe, she is covered in His glory, the glory of the cross, the glory of sins forgiven, the glory that can only be found in an empty tomb with the only thing still buried inside is Satan and the death that could not kill Him.This is the righteousness that His Bride now wears. And He leads her out before nations and kings that they might know that His righteousness is for them, too. His desire is that they, too, would be His Bride, that they would wear His glory—forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation given freely, given for all.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Thou camest to our hall of death, O Christ, to breathe our poisoned air, To drink for us the dark despair That strangled our reluctant breath. How beautiful the feet that trod The road that leads us back to God! How beautiful the feet that ran to bring the great good news to man! (LSB 834:3)-Rev. Eli Lietzau, pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

January 19, 2025 Today's Reading: John 2:1-11Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 44:1-16, 23-29; Romans 9:1-18The master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people had drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” (John 2:9b-10)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.This whole darn account is a weird one. What's the number one rule at a wedding? Don't upstage the wedding couple…  Well, here is this magnificent wedding without a single mention of the happy couple. The only thing that we know about them is that their wedding is about to be the talk of the town because they have run out of wine and none of the guests have run out of party. So here comes Jesus… And I know, I know, Jesus wants to keep things on the down low. He asks His mother why she is trying to get Him involved in their problems, but she doesn't listen.“Do whatever He says,” she tells the attendants, “because whatever He says is going to be good.”And so jugs and jugs of wine are made, miraculously, water transformed. And it's the good stuff, too. The top shelf stuff: a 1945 Romanee-Conti, but not just one bottle, a whole vat of the stuff! Jesus is a “save the best for last” sort of guy, coming in at the end to save the day and keep the wedding party happy.But is this all there is to it? If so, it seems a little bit shallow. One would think that His first miracle would be one with a little more substance. Maybe He is just warming up, making sure that He has all the kinks out before He goes on the road… Or maybe there is something more…Perhaps Jesus' first miracle says less about the actual wedding, and even the miracle, and more about Him and who He is. Maybe this water into wine thing is a sign of something greater, pointing to a wedding feast that has no end, that the Church gets a foretaste of every week in fleshy bread and bloody wine from here until the Last Day. Maybe, just maybe, Jesus is making it known to the entire world that He is the Bridegroom, that He has taken a Bride for Himself, you and me, the Church. And He is going to provide for Her everything that she could ever need.Yeah… that's probably it…In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us Your peace through all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.-Rev. Eli Lietzau, pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Wisdom Nutrition https://trywisdomnow.com/toddStock up on Wisdom for 33% off plus free shipping. Visit trywisdomnow.com/todd.Alan's Soaps https://www.alansartisansoaps.comUse coupon code ‘TODD' to save an additional 10% off the bundle price.Bonefrog https://bonefrogcoffee.com/toddMake Bonefrog Cold Brew at home!  Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.Bulwark Capital Bulwark Capital Management (bulwarkcapitalmgmt.com)Don't miss the next live Webinar Thursday January 30th at 3:30pm pacific.  Sign up today by calling 866-779-RISK or go to KnowYourRiskRadio.com.Renue Healthcare https://renue.healthcare/toddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit renue.healthcare/ToddThere's a lot to talk about with Biden going bye bye. But now, it's a series of warnings from Merrick Garland on his way out. He wants you to look for unchecked powers in the Department of Justice! California Democrats plan to not let the crisis in their state go to waste, and I'll explain why. Will Pam Bondi stop the DOJ corruption?Episode Links:Garland cautions against abuse of DOJ power in farewell addressBiden receives the Distinguished Public Service Medal.Biden ordering uniformed troops & DoD staff to applaud him at his Department of Defense address for appointing a woman may be one of the cringiest things I've ever seen.Following it up with “all of the women in my stepfamily are smarter than the men” is a close second.When Bernie 'three houses' Sanders brings up Biden's claim last night that America is moving towards an oligarchy controlled by a few wealthy people, Scott Bessent reminds him that he just gave George Soros the Presidential Medal of Freedom.Today, I signed an executive order prohibiting greedy land developers from ripping off LA wildfire victims with unsolicited, undervalued offers to buy their destroyed property. Make no mistake — this is a prosecutable crime.They are going to turn Altadena into one gigantic apartment complex. “As we start rebuilding, starting to relax some of the zoning laws, especially in a more working class neighborhood like Altadena. So that rather than putting up single-family residences, we could allow developers to build duplexes and apartments”David Morill of Applewood Baptist Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, also known as @coconservative7 from Protestia, made this STELLAR motion, which is the greatest of all motions:Pam Bondi will stop the Department of Justice from targeting concerned parents and infiltrating churches. She has my vote and my emphatic support. She will be our next Attorney General.

A casual look at monastic life will often leave us with a favorable impression: chastity, obedience, service of the neighbor, poverty, and prayer— what could be wrong with these things? However, if one is looking for justification or perfection in such a lifestyle, they will never be satisfied (Galatians 5:14). The Roman Church outrightly rejected the Augsburg Confession's declaration that monasticism does not merit the forgiveness of sins. Melancthon breaks down the Biblical truth of how one merits forgiveness. It is only by faith in Christ— to add any of our works into the equation does away from the full sufficiency of the cross. “Just as I am, without one plea- But that Thy blood was shed for me. And that Thou bidds't me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.” LSB 570, st. 1 Rev. Eli Lietzau, pastor at Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church, Wheat Ridge, CO, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Monastic Vows. Find your copy of the Book of Concord - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org. Study the Lutheran Confession of Faith found in the Book of Concord with lively discussions led by host Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and guest LCMS pastors. Join us as these Christ-confessing Concordians read through and discuss our Lutheran doctrine in the Book of Concord in order to gain a deeper understanding of our Lutheran faith and practical application for our vocations. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org. 

BuffStampede.com publisher Adam Munsterteiger catches up with Parker Orms, who led Wheat Ridge to a state championship then played at CU from 2009-13. Orms owns "Hats by Parker Thomas," a cowboy hat fitting company, which has re-connected him with the Buffs.

Recorded July 8th, 2024. On this episode Coach V talks about Conifer, Evergreen, Green Mountain, Littleton, Lutheran, Standley Lake, Holy Family, Northridge, Greeley Central, Mead, Niwot, Glenwood Springs, Summit, Rifle, Wheat Ridge, and Palisade. He talks about last year, departures, key players, and predicts this upcoming 2024 fall football season for them.  Intro 0:00- 2:05 Conifer 2:06- 12:54 Evergreen 12:55- 19:40 Green Mountain 19:41- 32:28 Littleton 32:29- 37:21 Lutheran 37:22- 53:14 Standley Lake 53:15- 58:35 Holy Family 58:36- 1:07:41 Northridge 1:07:42- 1:15:13 Greeley Central 1:15:14- 1:22:21 Mead 1:22:22- 1:31:23 Niwot 1:31:24- 1:33:53 Glenwood Springs 1:33:54- 1:43:54 Summit 1:43:55- 1:49:58 Rifle 1:50:00- 1:58:57 Wheat Ridge 1:58:58- 2:08:04 Palisade 2:08:05- 2:14:29 Outro 2:14:30- 2:16:07 https://linktr.ee/PlaymakersCorner Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlaymakerCorner Tik Tok: Playmakers Corner Instagram: https:https://www.instagram.com/playmakerscorner/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlaymakerCorner Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUEcv0BIfXT78kNEtk1pbxQ/featured  Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/playmakerscorner  Website: https://playmakerscorner.com/  Listen to us on: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4rkM8hKtf8eqDPy2xqOPqr  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cycle-365/id1484493484?uo=4  Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/the-cycle-365 Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9mODg4MWYwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz

The S Word. Suicide. If mental health has a stigma, suicide is in a world of its own. There's less support - when there should be more. We heal together. We heal through having the conversations. Today's guest on The Be Ruthless Show cared about helping others long before she really understood how much it would truly come to mean to her. Jen Allen is the CEO of Front Range Family Resource Center, a counseling clinic, in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Prior to this, she was a registered nurse and spent most of her nursing career in inner city emergency departments. Shortly after obtaining her Master's degree in pursuit of a Nurse Practitioner career, she lost her son to a very unexpected suicide. This tragic experience led Jen in a whole new direction in life and in her career. Mental health and becoming a support to families who have lost loved ones to suicide became her focus and her mission. Jen is also the wife of Jeremy, an Air Force Veteran and psychotherapist. They have been married for almost 28 years and raised two of the most amazing children, Kaitlyn and Daniel. They also have a bonus daughter, Cassie and two beautiful bonus grand babies, Colt and Sawyer. Jen spends her free time on the sunny beaches of Florida with her husband and with her four dogs, Roxy, Frasier, Gromit, and Morty. Connect with Jen on instagram at @ninjanursejen and read her chapter in Faces of Grief, available this December! Remember that you can reach out anytime - with questions, feedback, to work with me, for referrals and resources, and just for support and connection: sam@samantharuth.com Join the Griefhab Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/griefhab7/ Join Team Ruthless for SIX support groups EVERY week PLUS EVERY holiday: https://samantharuth.com/team-ruthless Learn more about the pre events and Healing Together Through the Holidays: https://samantharuth.com/healing-together-through-holidays

Dave Logan is the Voice of the Broncos for KOA, an 11-time state champion as a high school football coach, a former NFL wide receiver with the Browns and Broncos, , Host of KOA Sports, and Founder of Team Dave Logan. Growing up in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Dave excelled a baseball, basketball, and football, getting drafted in the MLB out of high school, but instead he chose to go play basketball and football for his hometown Buffs at the University of Colorado. After his playing days at CU, Dave was drafted in the NFL and NBA, becoming one of only four people ever to be drafted in all three sports. Dave chose to take his talents to the NFL, playing wide receiver for the Browns during their "Kardiac Kids" era, becoming a fan favorite for his toughness. After his playing days, Dave got his start in radio, and in 1997 became the "Voice of the Broncos" for KOA in addition to coaching HS football, where he has won 11 state championships including three in a row at Cherry Creek High School from 2020-2022.To learn more about Dave, check out the "Dave Logan Podcast" wherever you listen to podcasts.

March 30, 2024 Today's Reading: John 19: 38-42Daily Lectionary: Exodus 13:17-14:9, Hebrews 7:1-22Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.  So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:41-42)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. As Jesus' body is laid to rest all the world can see is defeat.  That is what the grave shouts from the cemetery.  You can't see victory at a funeral.  You can't see victory in the tomb.  You can't see victory in death.Harken back to the days of Genesis where God caps off creation with a resounding, “It is very good!” because it is.  There is only life at creation, pure and perfect life in God.  Fast forward to Good Friday and God says something, too, “It is finished!”  But in saying these words it is like He is saying, “It is very good!” because once again there is life.  It seems strange to say, I know, when staring at death's pale face, but this death, Christ's death, is good.  It is good in the sense that it is of God and is of the Gospel.  For the death of God in the flesh can only mean one thing:  Life and salvation for all those to whom death draws near. And so as God rests in peaceful slumber this Holy Saturday, His work of salvation is finished.  It is good.  It is very good!  And this is a sermon that needs to be preached.  We will hear that sermon tomorrow, but Satan will hear it tonight!  …  In the darkest pits of hell Satan is found cowering in the corner as the Lord of Life comes bursting through its shadowy gates, trampling underfoot any power the demons thought they had.  And Jesus preaches, oh He preaches!  He preaches of His victory!  He preaches of sins forgiven.  He preaches of the Garden where He promised that a serpent's head would be crushed, and He preaches of the cross where that promise was kept.  He preaches to death itself, that it is dead.  He preaches, “It is finished!” and all our enemies know it to be true.So rest in peaceful sleep tonight, Jesus.  Your work is now finished.  And we will see you once again in the morning, Easter Sunday, when the stone is rolled away and the tomb is left empty forever. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O darkest woe!  Ye tears, forth flow!  Has earth so sad a wonder?  God the Father's only Son Now is buried yonder.  Thy Bridegroom dead!  God's Lamb has bled Upon thy sin forever, Pouring out His sinless self In this vast endeavor.  (LSB 448:1,4)- Pastor Eli Lietzau is pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 29, 2024 Today's Reading: John 18:1-19:42, John 19:17-37Daily Lectionary: Exodus 12:29-32; 13:1-16; Lamentations 5:1-22, Hebrews 6:1-20, Psalm 22When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic.  The tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” (John 19:23-24a)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever thought about what happened to that seamless tunic?  …  One of those soldiers went home with it that day and wore it as his own.  Ponder that for a moment:  This sinner's nakedness is now covered by the literal clothes of Christ.  … Sure that sounds strange, but isn't that exactly what Jesus does for the sinner?  Isn't that the whole reason why Jesus came into our flesh:  to take away our sin and guilt and shame and replace it with something else, something of His, something that would turn us from shameful sinners into righteous and shameless saints?Jesus' cross comes to you.  It already has.  It continually does.  And that means the forgiveness of sins here in time and space.  That means the righteousness of Jesus given for you right here and right now where you need it the most.  On the cross we see a perfect God, who is perfect no longer.  He is sin.  He is your sin.  He is a sinner.  He is you.  And so He wears the clothes of a sinner:  shameful nakedness.  He takes upon Himself your clothing, your sin, your guilt, your shame, your nakedness.  And then He exchanges it with His own righteousness:  a seamless tunic, not ripped apart, one whole piece from top to bottom, clothing your sinful shame, making you righteous and perfect.In a watery grave you put on the seamless tunic of Christ's righteousness, you put on Christ Himself.  That is your baptism:  the cross for you.  And there God exchanged your clothes for His, there you put on the robe of righteousness, never to be taken off, never to be exchanged for another.  On the cross Jesus declared, “It is finished!”  Nothing more needed to be done.  He put on your sin and hangs naked on the cross.  And now in time and space, to last unto eternity, you wear His seamless robe of righteousness to cover your nakedness.  It is the blessed exchange!  It is Jesus for you!  It is always Jesus for you.  Even in the smallest of details. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Be Thou my consolation, My shield, when I must die; Remind me of Thy passion When my last hour draws nigh.  Mine eyes shall then behold Thee, Upon Thy cross shall dwell, My heart by faith enfold Thee.  Who dieth thus dies well.  (LSB 450:7)- Pastor Eli Lietzau is pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 28, 2024 Today's Reading: Mark 14:22-26 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 12:1-28, Lamentations 4:1-22, Hebrews 5:1-14, Psalm 31And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.”  And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it.  And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” (Mark 14:22-24a)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We like to take the Lord's Supper and turn it into something that it isn't.  Don't be surprised, we do that with a lot of good things.  In fact, we do that with almost all of the good things that God has given to us.  We want to wrestle them away from His almighty arms and then pretend to give them back to Him as if they were ours all along.But these things, the things of the Gospel, the things of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, the things of worship and the Divine Service, they aren't ours.  Well, let me rephrase that…  They are ours.  They are just not ours to give, but instead they are ours to receive.  Our Lord gives good and everlasting gifts, Himself and His cross, forgiveness and everlasting life, through these tangible things.  And He does so because we are tangible.  We have skin to feel and ears to hear and tongues to taste, just like our Lord created us to have.And so our Lord gives us His Supper.  Fulfillment of the Passover feast.  That which brought the Israelites salvation, of which they celebrated for generations in order to be incorporated into that first Exodus, now comes to a close in a new meal and new covenant.  No need to sacrifice lambs anymore, for the true Lamb has already been sacrificed.Christ comes to you in time and space, His true Body in the bread and His true Blood in the wine, in order that your troubled conscience might be comforted and you can be united with Him.  …  He instituted this very Supper in order that you might know that your sins are forgiven.  No doubt about it, Christ is for you, His cross and salvation are for you.  And how can you be so sure?  Because He has brought it so close to you that you can taste it. n the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The holy Lamb undaunted came To God's own altar lit with flame; While weeping angels hid their eyes, This Priest became a sacrifice.  The veil is torn, our Priest we see, As at the rail on bended knee Our hungry mouths from Him receive The bread of immortality.  (LSB 624:3,5)- Pastor Eli Lietzau is pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 27, 2024 Today's Reading: Mark 14:12-21Daily Lectionary: Exodus 10:21-11:10, Lamentations 3:1-66, Hebrews 4:1-16Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”  They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?”.  (Mark 14:18-19)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever found it odd that the disciples need to ask Jesus if it is them?  Each one asks Him, “Is it I?”  I always thought that you would probably know if you were about to betray your friend and turn him over to a bunch of murderers.  But maybe I'm wrong about that…And another thing… Jesus doesn't seem to clear anything up, does He?  He doesn't comfort Peter with an, “Of course not,” or take John aside and tell him he can breathe a sigh of relief.  No, He just lets it awkwardly hang there, giving some ambiguous answer of how it is one of the twelve dipping bread into oil with Him.  But all of them had surely done that.  Is Jesus saying that any of them are capable of betraying Him?I hope that isn't the case because if any of them could've betrayed Him then that means that I could've betrayed Him.  …  But, then, who am I kidding, why do I think that I am above such a thing?  I know the wretchedness of my heart and the evil that lurks within.  Maybe I should stop pretending I am better than I really am and just go ahead and number myself with Judas.Notice that Jesus doesn't comfort any of His disciples with the Law or with a call to their own self-righteousness, for that would only bring them despair.  Instead, He just moves on to the Gospel, to the only thing that can and will relieve a terrified conscience who has just figured out just how depraved he really is.  …  And so Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper.  We'll talk about that tomorrow, but just know that it is pure Gospel!So in the midst of your doubting and your terrified conscience perhaps you should stop asking, “Is it I, Lord?”  Of course it is you.  …  So move on from that question to the one that matters, ‘Is it you, Lord, who will save me from my sin?”  And He will say, “Yes!  I am your Passover Lamb that has been slain for you!” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.On whose hard arms, so widely flung, The weight of this world's ransom hung, The price of humankind to pay And spoil the spoiler of his prey.  O tree of beauty, tree most fair, Ordained those holy limbs to bear; Gone is thy shame, each crimsoned bough Proclaims the King of Glory now. (LSB 455:4,5)- Pastor Eli Lietzau is pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 26, 2024 Today's Reading: Mark 14:1-15:47, John 12:20-50Daily Lectionary: Exodus 9:29-10:20, Lamentations 2:1-22, Hebrews 3:1-19Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks.  So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” (John 12:20-21)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I have this phrase, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus,” on my pulpit, staring back at me each and every time I climb up there to give a sermon.  I have it up there to remind me that I have only one job to do:  Preach Jesus.  If I fail to do that simple, but momentous, task then I have failed to do what my Lord has called me to do and I have failed to give my congregation what they need.Pastors sometimes get into the habit of wanting to be kitschy, wanting to entertain their congregations with the new and coolest theology.  Pastors are sinners too, and sometimes the foolishness of the cross just seems too darn foolish to preach each and every single Sunday.  But if it was good enough for St. Paul (“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Corinthians 2:2) then it should be good enough for your pastor.Notice what happens in our text after the Greek travelers told Philip that they wanted to see Jesus…  Philip goes to Andrew, and then Andrew and Philip go and tell Jesus and immediately Jesus starts talking about His crucifixion.  It's in coded language of course, using words like “hour for the Son of Man to be glorified,” and “when I am lifted up from the earth,” but it is all there for those who have ears to hear it.  Meaning that when Jesus wants you to know something about Him He wants you to know nothing apart from the cross.If the cross isn't part of the equation then the answer is going to be wrong, and I'm not talking about some throw-away line at the end.  If your pastor's sermon doesn't have Christ's death as the cornerstone then go up to Him after the service and ask to see Jesus.This is Holy Week.  Everything that has to do with Christ centers around this week, centers around the crucifixion, because the cross is the only reason why God became incarnate:  to die for you.  If you don't get Christ and Him crucified every Sunday, demand that you do! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth, The guilt of sinners bearing And, laden with the sins of earth, None else the burden sharing; Goes patient on, grows weak and faint, To slaughter led without complaint, That spotless life to offer, He bears the stripes, the wounds, the lies, The mockery, and yet replies, “All this I gladly suffer.” (LSB 438:1)- Pastor Eli Lietzau is pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 25, 2024 Today's Reading: Luke 1:26-38Daily Lectionary: Exodus 9:1-28, Lamentations 1:1-22, Hebrews 2:1-18And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.” (Luke 1:30-31)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Since the Fall our sinful nature can't comprehend a God who does things the way in which He does.  We would think for Him to work in only high and mighty ways above us and apart from us, but our Lord isn't who we think He is.  And so today we hear about a God who doesn't deem Himself so high and mighty above us as to leave us in our fallen flesh.  But instead, we have a God who deemed us worthy enough that He would become one of us and save us from our fallenness, not to save us from our humanness.And He does so even as a little embryo floating down fallopian tubes, even as a soiling-himself infant in a cattle stall, even as a stumbling toddler and a pubescent teenager and twenty-something carpenter and a thirty year old dead man on a cross.  He does this as He bursts out of the tomb, not leaving the shell of His humanity in the grave to rot, but raising it up in perfection while still bearing the marks of the cross so that we might forever know that the death of this God-man means the life of mankind.  And even to this day He has done this by assuming our human nature up into the heavens, seated at the right hand of God giving us the very thing that we always desired, but were too shortsighted and ignorant to understand.  For we were always going to reign until eternity with Him; not by us becoming like Him, but by Him becoming like us.Is there any better way to prepare ourselves for the coming Holy Week; to prepare ourselves for the institution of a Supper of the flesh and blood of Jesus; to prepare ourselves for a dark Good Friday when the Son of God hangs derelict on a tree with human hands and feet nailed and human blood flowing mingled down; to prepare ourselves for the empty tomb and the risen Jesus in the flesh; is there any better way for us to prepare for all of that than by us celebrating today the Annunciation and human conception of our God?  …  If there is, I know not of it. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Why lies He in such mean estate Where ox and ass are feeding?  Good Christians, fear; for sinners here The silent Word is pleading.  Nail, spear, shall pierce Him through, The cross be borne for me, for you; Hail, hail the Word made flesh, The babe, the son of Mary! (LSB 370:2)- Pastor Eli Lietzau is pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 24, 2024 Today's Reading: John 12:12-19 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 8:1-32, Psalm 118, Hebrews 1:1-14So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” (John 12:13)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It's a strange thing to see a king riding triumphantly to His death, especially when He knows about it while no one else does.  The Pharisees want Him dead, that certainly is the truth, but they aren't quite sure how to accomplish this yet.  There is still a lot of scheming and bribing that has to get done.  Whatever the case, Jesus will end up on that cross, one way or another.  But no matter how it may look, no one places Him there.  He goes willingly.And so the crowds that once saw Him raise Lazarus from the grave follow Him with palm branches waving, shouting from the top of their voices, “Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”  …  They are calling for salvation even if they don't fully understand what it is they are asking, for that is what Hosanna means, “Save us.”  But whether they understand it or not, Jesus will save them.  It is going to look strange.  It is going to look weak.  It is going to look broken and bloody.  It is going to look like death.  But this King knows that it is only through His death that His servants will have life, so onward He goes.  He will not be denied His crossly-throne.We join in this cry of victory, in this plea for salvation, uniting ourselves in song with that palm-branch-waving crowd.  We do this in the Service of the Sacrament in the words of the Sanctus.  Every single Lord's Day, a new Palm Sunday all over again, as our King comes to us in simple and meager ways.  The only difference is that on that first Palm Sunday Jesus was riding to the cross, every Lord's Day after He is riding from the cross in order to give to you what He won there.“Hosanna!  Lord, save us!”  And He does, every single time, as He feeds us with His broken Body and Blood outpoured.  …  How fitting… with your tongue you cry out for salvation and with your lips you receive it! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross.  Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.-Pastor Eli Lietzau is pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 23, 2024 Today's Reading: Psalm 24 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 7:1-25, Mark 16:1-20Lift up your heads, O gates!  And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.   (Psalm 24:9)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. God comes to us.  That is what He does.  Time and time again, He comes to His lost and fallen creation.  He comes to people.  He communes with them.  He bestows grace and favor.  He comes down from heaven, to this earth.  He comes.  …  For David this happened in a tangible sort of way.  The Ark of the Covenant, the mercy seat of God, was now being brought into the city of Jerusalem.  For the first time the Ark was there.  For the first time, God located Himself in the holy city, the hill of the LORD, Mount Zion.Thousands of years later He comes in the strangest glory, in beaten, bloody, stripped, and naked glory.  He ascends the hill of the Lord, the hill of Calvary; right there in the city of David where He had entered all those years ago.  His clean hands clinging to the shame of your cross.  His pure heart bearing the weight of your sin.  There is the glory of your Lord, O Jerusalem.  There, despised, rejected, dismissed by all the world.  Up there on that tree is the strength and might of your God in all of His weakness.  Fighting tooth and nail in a battle with sin and death and Satan.  …  Lift up your heads, O Jerusalem, and gaze upon your King of glory!Be lifted up, O ancient doors, because your King comes to you.  He in His glory, He with His cross, He comes to you!  In a flood which washes your filthy hands and impure hearts. He comes, bringing His death so that you might be buried within, bringing His resurrection so that you might have life eternal.  In a Word He comes:  Absolution spoken from the lips of a pastor which brings to you the sureness that, “It is finished!”  In a meal, body and blood given to you, He comes.  Communion with God, fellowship with your Savior, unity with those who kneel next to you.In all of this He comes, bringing in tow the gift of the cross, making your hands clean and your hearts pure.  He comes blessing you with His righteousness that allows you to stand in the holy place of God and ascend the hill of the Lord.  Jesus is your God of salvation, and He comes to you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Who may ascend Mount Zion's holy hill To do God's will?  The One whose unstained hands Can meet the Law's demands, Whose purity within Reveals One free from  sin.  Come, praise this King who claims the cross as throne– Praise Him alone!  (LSB 339:3)-Pastor Eli Lietzau is pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 22, 2024 Today's Reading: Mark 10:32-34Daily Lectionary: Exodus 5:1-6:1, Mark 15:33-47[Jesus said,] “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles.  And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him.  And after three days he will rise.” (Mark 10:33-34)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus is leading His disciples to Jerusalem.  This may sound like a simple and unimportant point, but it holds more meaning than what we first might assume.  For it is God who leads His people along the Way.  While it may seem sometimes as if we are wandering aimlessly through this Vale of Tears, it is our Lord who is always in front of us, leading us to the cross.  And what better time to be reminded of this than two days before Holy Week when we will be led from Palm Sunday all the way to Good Friday and the place of our salvation?  …  Now back to the text…It is interesting that some who are following Jesus are amazed and excited while others are afraid.  Judging by what happens immediately following our text, of which we heard about last Sunday, it would seem as if those who were amazed were the Twelve.  They still don't understand what it means that Jesus is the Messiah.  They still don't quite grasp the enormity of what is about to transpire in only a few days, even though Jesus has already told them.And so He tells them again.  And perhaps we should take note of this.  The most important thing that Jesus ever did, the whole purpose for Him becoming incarnate and taking on human flesh, is so that He can go to the cross and die for the sins of the world.  …  The sinner in us often gets tired of hearing about the cross.  We want the glory without the suffering.  We want the “Now what?” after Good Friday.  But without Good Friday nothing else matters.  Without Good Friday all the “Now what's,” in the world are pointless.So gird your loins my brothers and sisters.  Next week Jesus is once again leading you to the cross, so that He can once again tell you everything that He has done for you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Then, for all that wrought my pardon, For Thy sorrows deep and sore, For Thine anguish in the Garden, I will thank Thee evermore, Thank Thee for Thy groaning, signing, For Thy bleeding and Thy dying, For that last triumphant cry, And shall praise Thee, Lord, on high.  (LSB 420:7)-Pastor Eli Lietzau is pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 21, 2024 Today's Reading: The CreedDaily Lectionary: Exodus 4:19-31, Mark 15:16-32Who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death. (The Second Article:  Part Two)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Second Article of the Creed is about Jesus, it is about Jesus for you.  It is the salvation story simplified into the smallest little paragraph.  …  God took on human flesh, He incarnated Himself to be one of us.  He stepped out of the glories of heaven, the vast everythingness and everywhereness of His infinite omni-ness and He placed Himself as the smallest speck within a virgin's fallopian tubes, all so that He could float down into her uterus and be one of us, one with us in every way.Out of the womb and into the fallen world; perfect God yet perfect man.  The Law ever before Him, ever being fulfilled in every active way imaginable, passively crossing every single “t” and dotting every single “i” in perfection.  Jesus standing as Israel, God's son, before the Father:  Israel as Israel should have been (perfect) and Israel as Israel truly was (sinful):  The paradox of the Gospel as Jesus stands as both perfect sacrifice and at the same time, sin itself.Then off to the place of purchase and triumph, Calvary and Golgotha, wallet full of a priceless currency that doesn't glisten like gold or silver, but instead pulsates with the blood-red vibrancy that courses through His veins.  …  Perfect Lamb led to the slaughter so that His blood could cleanse us from all our sins.  Innocent as only God can be, yet held guilty for every last crime of humanity.  All sins forgiven, all shame remitted.  Death killed and laid to rest in His tomb.  Satan's head crushed by a nail-pierced heel.In fancy theological talk we call this “The Great Exchange”, for that is what Jesus did for humanity every step of the way.  What is His is now exchanged for what was ours:  sins for righteousness, death for life, dirty shame for a clean conscience.  …  All of this culminates next week on Good Friday, when Jesus cries out, “It is finished!”  And for the sake of Christ, it is. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lamb of God, pure and holy, Who on the cross didst suffer, Ever patient and lowly, Thyself to scorn didst offer.  All sins Thou borest for us, Else had despair reigned o'er us:  Have mercy on us, O Jesus!  O Jesus!  (LSB 434:1)-Pastor Eli Lietzau is pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 20, 2024 Today's Reading: Hebrews 5:1-10Daily Lectionary: Exodus 4:1-18, Mark 15:1-15And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:9-10)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You hear a lot of priestly stuff and temple stuff and tabernacle stuff in the book of Hebrews.  It can be a little overwhelming and perhaps even a little confusing for those of us who are not as well versed in the Old Testament as we should be.  So at risk of over simplifying it all, let's just say that the writer of Hebrews is showing us how Jesus fulfills the entirety of the Old Testament; and He does so for you.Jesus is a priest.  We have all heard that before, but He isn't a priest in the normal order of priesthood.  He doesn't come from the line of Levi.  His umpteenth great grandfather wasn't Aaron.  And so He isn't a priest like we would see in the temple.  Don't get me wrong, He has some similarities with the Levitical priesthood, namely standing as a mediator between God and His people, but there are some differences as well.  And the major difference is that Jesus is an eternal priest, whereas all the rest were merely temporal.But there is more…  Melchizedek was the king of Salem.  His name means “King of Righteousness” and His title means “King of peace”.  For Jesus to be a priest in this order means that He is an eternal priest who eternally brings righteousness and peace to His people.  …  Priests stand as mediators.  They stand in the stead of God for the people and in the stead of the people for God.  This Jesus does more perfectly than any priest in the order of Aaron because every other priest had to first offer sacrifices for his own sins, but not Jesus.Jesus only offers a sacrifice for us, for you.  And opposite the Levitical sacrifices, which were made up of bulls and goats and rams and lambs, perpetually and habitually being slaughtered day and night, Jesus' sacrifice was once and for all.  He, the priest, He, the sacrifice.  He, in the order of Melchizedek, He, in the order of the Passover Lamb.  …  Jesus gives you gifts as your High Priest and those gifts stem from His sacrifice on the cross.  So receive from your kingly priest the gifts He has for you:  life, salvation, and forgiveness. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.They rise and needs will have  My dear Lord made away; A murderer they save, The Prince of Life they slay.  Yet cheerful He  To stuff'ring goes That He His foes From thence might free.  (LSB 430:5)-Pastor Eli Lietzau is pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 19, 2024 Today's Reading: Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23Daily Lectionary: Exodus 2:23-3:22, Mark 14:53-72And [Joseph] rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod.  This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my Son.” (Matthew 2:14-15)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Is it too much to say that fathers are important, that fathers matter, that there is a difference between men and women, and a distinction to be made between the role they play in raising children and nurturing the next generation?  Not too long ago all of that would have been simple and easy to proclaim, almost as if it is woven into the fabric of God's good nature.   But times change, things get weird, people go a little bonkers and so perhaps it is good to take the time to think about these things every once and awhile.So are fathers important?  God certainly seems to think they are.  So much so, that He made sure that His Son had a defender, a protector, a guardian.  And this great champion of Jesus, this guardian of Christ, was none other than Joseph: a devout and merciful man who before the visit from the angel had decided to divorce his betrothed in private so that the crowds wouldn't smash her head with rocks until she and the baby inside of her were dead.And so I suppose it says something about the nature of fathers that our Heavenly Father made sure His Son had an earthly father, not a second mother, not a family friend, not a bigger brother or a kindly uncle, but a father.  And in our text for today Joseph fulfills one of the most important duties of the vocation of fatherhood, and that is to protect his children.So down to Egypt Joseph races with his bride and his son, all so that the prophet Hosea could be fulfilled, all so that Jesus didn't die in the streets of Bethlehem at the hands of Herod.  God provided His Son an earthly father so that Joseph could make sure that Jesus made it to the cross.  …  I know that seems weird, but how else could we look at it?  Jesus needed to fulfill the Law in our stead and then die as a sacrifice on the cross for our forgiveness and our Heavenly Father partly used Jesus' earthly father to accomplish that.  …  So let us give thanks to our Heavenly Father for Joseph, the Guardian of our Lord.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.We sing our thanks for Joseph, The guardian of our Lord, Who faithfully taught Jesus Through craft and deed and word.  Grant wisdom, Lord, and patience To parents ev'rywhere Who guide and teach the children Entrusted to their care (LSB 517:14)-Pastor Eli Lietzau is pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 18, 2024 Today's Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-37Daily Lectionary: Exodus 2:1-22, Mark 14:32-52And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord.  For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  If you remember anything about Jeremiah you will remember that this guy loves to weep.  Day and night tears streamed down his face, not because he was a cry baby, but because of the grief that he bore over the people of Israel, the nation of Judah.  And because Jeremiah was God's prophet, his tears were God's tears.  …  Remember, the people were in exile and this was all from their own doing.  For generation upon generation they had played footsie with other gods, batted eyes with foreign idols, and found themselves in the backseat of Baal's car.Their sin was idolatry, First Commandment stuff, but it was often expressed in terms of the Sixth Commandment because YHWH was their true Bridegroom that they had spurned.  Jeremiah and the many prophets before him had constantly warned the people of their idolatrous adultery, but the people never listened.  And so now they find themselves in Babylon, Jerusalem destroyed, Temple torn to the ground.  Things couldn't get any worse.  They had broken the covenant God had made with them and now they reap the fruit of their labor.But mystery of all mysteries, God is not yet finished with them.  Like an ever faithful husband He promises to make another covenant with them.  Not like the old one cut with the blood of bulls and goats, but a new one cut with the blood of a firstborn Lamb.  It is this covenant that will last forever, that will never be broken.  And the knowledge of the Lord will be written on their hearts, on your hearts, because He will forgive their iniquity in Christ and remember their sin no more because of the sacrifice of His Son.And this promise of God will be yours until the eternal vastness of the heavens can be measured, which is just His way of saying, “This covenant in Christ will never end.” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Come to Calv'ry's holy mountain, Sinners, ruined by the fall; Here a pure and healing fountain Flows for you, for me, for all, In a full, perpetual tide, Opened when our Savior died.  They that drink shall live forever; ‘Tis a soul renewing flood.  God is faithful; God will never Break His covenant of blood, Signed when our Redeemer died, Sealed when He was glorified.  (LSB 435:1,4)-Pastor Eli Lietzau is pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

March 17, 2024 Today's Reading: Mark 10:35-45Daily Lectionary: Exodus 1:1-22, Mark 14:12-31[Jesus said,] “But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43b-45)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, otherwise known as the sons of Thunder for their boisterous and blustery natures, come to Jesus with a request.  Actually, it isn't so much a request as a demand.  (Isn't that just like the sinner to demand that God does something for him?)  Well, anyway, they want to sit at Jesus' right and left when He comes in glory.  Now I know that we are supposed to put the best construction on everything, but I'm pretty sure that the only reason that they ask this is because they assume that Jesus' glory is going to look like a throne and a crown and a scepter of might and a courtroom of servants for as far as the eye can see, and they want to get in on the action.  Goodness, I most certainly would!!!Ah, the sinner and his narrow understanding of greatness…  Jesus sits down these two thunderous brothers (and us while He's at it) and teaches them/us a better way:  To be first is to be a slave.  To be great is to be a servant.    For you see, greatness isn't measured by how many people have bowed before you, but by how many people you have bowed before.But lest we think that Jesus is laying out for us a path of greatness that we must walk, He would instead have us know where His true glory is to be found.  He is making His way to Jerusalem; in fact, it is in the very next chapter.  And from there He will ride His humble mule of a mount all the way to the cross.  For it is at the cross where true greatness is found.  It is at the cross where Jesus' glory is put on full and gruesome display.  Broken servant-body hanging derelict for you.  The blood of a slave gushing forth to cover all your sins.In the weakness of the cross is where we find the greatness of our God.  And that is not a greatness that we must earn, instead it is a greatness that we may freely receive. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your people that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You, and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.-Pastor Eli Lietzau is pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.

-Zac Paugua currently competes in Light Heavyweight division of the UFC-He is a former NFL running back, having played college football at Colorado State University where he was eventually picked up by the Houston Texans.-Following his NFL career, he played professional rugby in two separate leagues and also served as a Law Enforcement Officer for the Wheat Ridge (CO) Police Department-Most recently, he competed on Season 30 of The Ultimate Fighter which eventually translated into a contract with UFC. He will compete in his fourth fight under the UFC banner on February 10th against Bogdan GuskovFirstNet Built with AT&T:http://www.firstnet.com/healthandwellnessDownload the O2X Tactical Performance App:app.o2x.comLet us know what you think:Website - http://o2x.comIG - https://instagram.com/o2xhumanperformance?igshid=1kicimx55xt4f 

Hour 2 - Yesterday Jamie was talking about how she thinks inflatable decorations are lazy and gaudy looking. Today there is a news report of a vandal in Wheat Ridge slashing people's inflatables. Clearly it was inspired by Jamie. After January 1st plastic bags will be banned across Colorado. Stores will be allowed to sell paper bags that are made from recyclables. but no more plastic. The Voice had its season finale last night! Chad Johnson, a former NFL wide receiver better known as Ocho Cinco, asked Coach Prime for a job. 

Yesterday Jamie was talking about how she thinks inflatable decorations are lazy and gaudy looking. Today there is a news report of a vandal in Wheat Ridge slashing people's inflatables. Clearly it was inspired by Jamie. 

Did anyone else wake up thinking today was Tuesday? Jamie thought she had a whole extra day to get presents for everyone on her list. Do you think its ok for couples to have separate bedrooms? Yesterday Jamie was talking about how she thinks inflatable decorations are lazy and gaudy looking. Today there is a news report of a vandal in Wheat Ridge slashing people's inflatables. Clearly it was inspired by Jamie. After January 1st plastic bags will be banned across Colorado. Stores will be allowed to sell paper bags that are made from recyclables. but no more plastic. The Voice had its season finale last night! Chad Johnson, a former NFL wide receiver better known as Ocho Cinco, asked Coach Prime for a job. None of the stuff we got each other is going to get here in time!! Carson has some family in town. His dog Zane tore up his guest's brand new car seat. Justin Timberlake did a concert for a new Las Vegas hotel grand opening. Then he stayed the night at a different hotel across the street. A cruise that was set to go to the Bahamas had to be diverted to Boston for a trip to Canada instead. 

When Paul says we are “dead in our sins” (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1), what does that mean? Scripture teaches that we are not only fallen but that we have a strong tendency to sin without the fear of God, called concupiscence. To speak correctly of Christ is to have a correct understanding of our sinful nature. We are fallen, dead in sins, and have no fear, love, or trust in God, including adults, infants, and children. By Christ's cross and empty tomb, God removes the condemnation of all sin, by applying His righteousness, holiness, and innocence upon you in faith. You are dead in sin and need help: Be baptized, confess your sins, and receive full forgiveness in Christ by His Word. Thanks be to God! Rev. Eli Lietzau, pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study articles 1-2 of the Apology of the Augsburg Confession. Find your copy of the Book of Concord - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org. Study the Lutheran Confession of Faith found in the Book of Concord with lively discussions led by host Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and guest LCMS pastors. Join us as these Christ-confessing Concordians read through and discuss our Lutheran doctrine in the Book of Concord in order to gain a deeper understanding of our Lutheran faith and practical application for our vocations.

Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are breaking down all the local stories that matter this week — starting with what some Dems have called “careless words” from Governor Jared Polis. First, he raised eyebrows after saying some confusing things about abortion on CNN; later, in an interview with 9News, he made remarks about childcare and the bumpy rollout of the statewide Universal Pre-K program. Then, Paul talks about why some WNBA bigwigs are sniffing around the Mile High and finally, listeners respond to our recent chat with former DPS teacher and HD4 candidate Tim Hernández about discipline and safety in public schools.  Paul mentioned Heinie's Market in Wheat Ridge as a Palisade Peach hot spot. He also talked about big finance dude Robert Cohen, who was on the show a while back to make a case for Denver hosting the Olympics.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: “Simple Steps, Better Air” - Regional Air Quality Council Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a Wheat Ridge mother gave birth to her second child, it set off a series of events that would lead to years of research about congenital diseases. She's now written a book, "Remedies for Sorrow," to raise awareness about CMV. Then, how the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action is affecting medical schools in Colorado. Also, teen boys learn to open up about life's challenges. And Kolacny Music is closing after nearly a century.

When a Wheat Ridge mother gave birth to her second child, it set off a series of events that would lead to years of research about congenital diseases. She's now written a book, "Remedies for Sorrow," to raise awareness about CMV. Then, how the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action is affecting medical schools in Colorado. Also, teen boys learn to open up about life's challenges. And Kolacny Music is closing after nearly a century.

Aron welcomes long time friends The Clum Family, back to the podcast.  The First Family of Traditional Archery, Aron is joined by Tom Clum Sr, and his boys Tom Clum Jr, and Dan Clum.  They own and operate Rocky Mountain Specialty Gear down in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.  They are a big reason behind the success Aron had while wielding a stick bow, and continue to provide mentorship and knowledge to not only Aron but the entire archery community.

It's Wednesday, July 5th, A.D. 2023. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark How Pakistani Muslims blocked church construction Police in Pakistan charged a Christian with blasphemy against Islam last Friday. The day before, Haroon Shahzad had posted 1 Corinthians 10:18-21 on Facebook. Verse 20 says, “What pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.”  Muslims in the area were about to hold a festival that involved a sacrifice. Morning Star News reports that the Muslim blasphemy charge against Shahzad stemmed from personal grudges. The government had allotted his family a valuable piece of land for constructing a church building. Local Muslims had been trying to keep Christians from doing so. And the blasphemy charge was the latest attempt.  Ireland's march for life On Saturday, over 10,000 people joined the march for life in Ireland. New data from the Irish health minister, Stephen Donnelly, revealed that abortion in the country increased by 27% in 2022 to 8,500 abortions. Pro-lifers are protesting new legislation that would allow the murder of unborn babies for any reason up to six months of pregnancy. Lawmakers may also end conscience protections for doctors who refuse to perform abortions.  Supreme Court affirms Christian web designer's religious liberty On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a landmark ruling in a religious liberty case. Lorie Smith, a Christian web designer, challenged a Colorado anti-discrimination law. The legislation would have required her to make websites for faux homosexual weddings. The high court ruled 6-3 in favor of Smith. The majority ruling stated, “No public accommodations law is immune from the demands of the Constitution.” Alliance Defending Freedom noted, “The U.S. Supreme Court rightly reaffirmed that the government can't force Americans to say things they don't believe. The court reiterated that it's unconstitutional for the state to eliminate from the public square ideas it dislikes, including the belief that marriage is the union of husband and wife.” 6,000 Methodist churches abandon denomination Last week, the number of churches leaving the United Methodist Church surpassed 6,000.  Since 2019, 6,182 churches have disaffiliated from the mainline denomination. The departures have occurred as the United Methodist Church has divided over the issue of homosexuality. Many departing congregations do not support sexually perverted lifestyles.  Over 4,000 of the disaffiliations occurred this year alone. American dream means home ownership GoDaddy surveyed over 1,000 small businesses on the latest perceptions of the American Dream.  For a long time, the American Dream has been associated with financial success. However, a minority of respondents identified owning a home or being your own boss with the American Dream. People were more likely to define the dream as living comfortably or feeling happy in life.  Fara Howard with GoDaddy said, “American small-business owners are thinking beyond revenue and sales growth when they consider what the American Dream means to them. Today, it's more about feeling a sense of belonging, freedom, happiness and work-life balance.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8 says, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” Worldview listeners weigh in from Arizona, Indiana, and Minnesota And finally, the emails from Worldview listeners just started arriving yesterday, sharing what they appreciate about our unique Christian newscast. Sherri Taylor Magana in Somerton, Arizona wrote, “The Worldview is very important to me. I read information not found or heard on other news media. Adam provides a service to Christians that benefits us.  Lord, thank you for providing the funds for the newscast to continue. In Jesus' name, Amen.” James Minter in Depauw, Indiana wrote, “I listen to The Worldview each weekday and find it very informative. I have told many people about it. Several of them have subscribed. Thank you for all you do.” And Addison Randazzo, age 18,  who lives in Alexandria, Minnesota, wrote, “I have been listening to The Worldview for several years now, and always look forward to getting the daily email. I take in a lot of media daily. That's why starting my day with your Christian newscast from a Biblical worldview is extremely meaningful. I especially enjoy the fact that you share stories of persecuted Christians which I do not see elsewhere.” Take a moment and email me what you appreciate in a 2-6 sentence email to Adam@TheWorldview.com.  Please include your full name, city and state, or country if outside the U.S. 8 Worldview listeners gave $840.50 toward $20,000 Friday goal Toward our immediate $20,000 goal by this Friday, July 7th, eight Worldview listeners made donations. We appreciate the help of Genevieve in Wheat Ridge, Colorado who gave $5.50, Patricia in Elkton, Florida who gave $10, and Kimberly in Beech Grove, Indiana who gave $25. And we're grateful to God for the help of Laurel in Buckley, Washington who gave $50, Lisa in Eden Prairie, Minnesota who gave $100, Danielle in Brighton, Colorado who gave $150, Ingrid in San Antonio, Texas who gave $200, and James in Kennewick, Washington who gave $300. Those 8 Worldview listeners gave a total of, drum roll please, (audio of drum roll)  $840.50!  (audio of crowd cheering) That means we still need to raise $19,159.50 by this Friday.  I wonder if there might be 5 listeners who could jump in during this first week with a gift of $100 per month for 12 months or a one-time gift of $1,200.  That would mean we would still need to find 11 listeners to pledge $50/month for 12 months. And another 22 listeners to pledge $25/month for 12 months. Go to TheWorldview.com, click on Give at the top right, and select the dollar amount that the Lord is prompting you to give. Make sure to select the “recurring” tab if that's your wish. Close   And that's The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Wednesday, July 5th in the year of our Lord 2023. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Finding everlasting love is difficult. That's why Ben & Kelly scour the internet looking for people who just need that 2nd chance at that 1st impression. It's the weird, the wild, and the desperate… it's Missed Connections! Source: https://www.facebook.com/100064670346080/posts/pfbid025rw9WBcZA6Ccy8fiv9hnS5fLdJezQv2iQDbj6woeHCbcSp4MM8XhMR8qtb7XZ2Wjl/?mibextid=cr9u03

Hi, friends! Welcome back to another episode of the Women Invest In Real Estate podcast! We are so excited to have you join us this week because we are welcoming Seena Ghetmiri (yes, our first male guest, but don't run away - you are going to want to hear his story!). Seena actually started out on the traditional path, heading to college and becoming a dentist when he decided to take his future into his own hands and pivot into the world of real estate investing.Leaving his 9 to 5, after following such a traditional path as his family expected, is such a hot topic and Seena's story will truly resonate with so many of our listeners. Seena's Middle Eastern family very much is the ‘higher-education parent generation', where he did what he was ‘supposed to do' by going to college and having a career in an upper level field.After graduation from dentistry school, Seena moved to San Diego from New York, although he quickly learned that working his job looked much different than he expected it to. He worked at that practice for 2 years before relocating again to Austin to take, at the time, what was his dream job. Things got better at this new practice but after the honeymoon period wore off he had the realization…“This cant be ‘IT'.”Seena wanted to start a family with his wife, but also wanted to be able to show up for them. This job wasn't lighting him up and while the pay was there, his heart was not. He told his wife he wanted to take 6 months off and explore the world of REI. She supported him fully and he put in his notice and went all in. This maybe wasn't the best route, but for him, it worked.Seena and his wife have since grown an impressive REI portfolio, has launched a podcast (a MUST LISTEN!), and he and his wife are expecting their first child.Thoughts from Seena:Share your interest - put it out into the universeFind a good mentor (they don't need to be an REI expert!)Take calculated actionCreate an experience for your guestsGive yourself permission to dreamFind a way to raise the level of urgency to just get startedMake the move, you only have one shotIf you want to learn more about Seena, follow along on his journey, or want to connect with him, you can find him on Instagram. We also highly recommend checking out his podcast, Ghet Investing.Thank you for tuning in, we'll catch you in the next episode! Resources:Connect with Seena on InstagramVisit Seena's website Ghet InvestingListen to Seena's Podcast, Ghet InvestingPeach House Denver Airbnb:  Luxury 5 BR Retreat|10 min to DT Denver|Hot Tub - Houses for Rent in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, United States - AirbnbLeave us a review on Apple PodcastsLeave us a review on SpotifyJoin our private Facebook CommunityConnect with us on Instagram

On this week's episodes, presented by Ritual Colorado, we will have 3 different potential producers on the 1s and 2s for the podcast. Today we had NOLA transplant, Mimi as a our producer & she was helping us navigate a great conversation with Chef Matt Dulin from Get Right's Bakery in Wheat Ridge.Get Right's has been a pop up & collab style bakeshop over the last 2ish years, but they are now set to blow up the bakery scene in Colorado. Known for their delicious Basque Cheesecake & savory pastries, there will be something for everyone on the new menu, so set your calendars now for May 19th, when they open their doors to the public! Great guest, fun times getting to know our potential producer.

In this episode re-release, we explore potential Airbnb investment opportunities in lesser-known Colorado towns such as Fairplay, highlighted by AirDNA, and others like Divide, Florissant, and Woodland Park. We also discuss Denver's Wheat Ridge and Arvada's promising short-term rental market. We delve into the trend of digital nomadism, its potential impact on the rental market, and Airbnb's response. We reference Erin's book "American Nomads" for strategies on longer-term rentals. Lastly, we discuss the potential impact of a one-year E-scooter trial in Colorado Springs on local transportation and tourism. For more information visit us online at https://www.erinandjamesrealestate.com

Meet Tawnya Sawyer, co-founder of The Aquaponics Source based out of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, which has become the leader in aquaponics systems, education, and training in the nation. Join us as she share how she and her husband, J.D. Sawyer, have used urban farming to impact their community and help others do the same. Learn more: https://www.theaquaponicsource.com/

Susie has a Master's Degree in Counseling and a Master's Degree in Education with a B.A in Special Education. She has been in private practice since 1982 in Denver, Colorado.As an acclaimed and registered Psychotherapist, Susie is a member of the International Board of Clinical Practitioners and the Colorado Association of Psychotherapists. Susie developed and directed two counselling centers in Wheat Ridge and Littleton, providing counseling and educational services to individuals, couples and families in the community.Susie authored the award-winning book “FREED from Stuck! Dare to Cross the Bridge Beyond Grief, Trauma, and Self-Sabotage to Discover Lasting Change Now” which deep dives into the 6-step F.R.E.E.D method she developed to help people move across the bridge beyond grief, trauma, and self-sabotage from all walks of life.In this episode, Susie talks about the process she developed to help people be unstuck. Susie elaborates on the meaning of her acronym F.R.E.E.D, which is the five elements needed to be unstuck. Furthermore, Susie explains the questions she used for her readers and clients to manage themselves on their journey.Susie talks to Dr Brad about her book, in which she developed the process to help people from being stuck to being unstuck. The acronym F.R.E.E.D means that you need to Face, Recognize, Embrace and Exit the bridge, ultimately reaching your destination while uncovering your Destiny.Reading the book FREED from Stuck! Will help its readers recognize they deserve the highest quality of life. It is their responsibility for their life, not other people's. Aside from that, the book's main goal is to help people face the truth of their life and discover their identities.Susie shares the story of one of her clients who has been through a challenging relationship and eventually divorced. But this woman had successfully crossed the bridge. She is now a divorce coach and thriving in her real estate business.Susie Hayes's story is a transformational testament that it takes more than just courage to walk away from the pain and suffering—you must be willing to ask difficult questions and face the tough answers. More than that, let go of things that are important to you.Episode 260 of The Beyond Adversity Podcast is a must-listen for people who are stuck—people who don't know what to do and doubt their purpose in life and have trouble facing the hard truth in front of them.“The Beyond Adversity Podcast with Dr. Brad Miller is published weekly with the mission of helping people “Grow Through What They Go Through” as they navigate adversity and discover their promised life of peace, prosperity, and purpose.https://susiehayesnow.com/ |Freed from Stuck Quiz: https://susiehayesnow.com/are-you-stuck-take-the-freed-from-stuck-quiz/Freed From Stuck Book: https://susiehayesnow.com/freed-from-stuck/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susiehayescounseling/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FREEDfromStuck/?ref=pages_you_manage Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SusieHayesCounseling/featured Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susiehayesnow/

Susie Hayes is Dr. Brad Miller's guest on Episode 260 of “The Beyond Adversity Podcast.”Susie has a Master's Degree in Counseling and a Master's Degree in Education with a BA in Special Education. She has been in private practice since 1982 in Denver, Colorado.As an acclaimed and registered Psychotherapist, Susie is a member of the International Board of Clinical Practitioners and the Colorado Association of Psychotherapists. Susie developed and directed two counseling centers in Wheat Ridge and Littleton, providing counseling and educational services to individuals, couples, and families in the community.Susie authored the award-winning book “FREED from Stuck! Dare to Cross the Bridge Beyond Grief, Trauma, and Self-Sabotage to Discover Lasting Change Now” which deep dives into the 6-step F.R.E.E.D method she developed to help people move across the bridge beyond grief, trauma, and self-sabotage from all walks of life.In this episode, Susie talks about her own transformative process—dealing with familial and personal issues that she decides to go for her own personal therapy towards healing. Susie shares a tragic story of dealing with an unpredictable and abusive mother and how that shaped her outlook in life and questions her worth and role in the world.Life has never been easy, and people have different experiences dealing with personal issues. Some people will dive into depravity and never recover. In contrast, others treat this horrific experience as a springboard to elevate and transform their life anew.Susie Hayes believes that a spiritual journey happens to everyone, whether we recognize it or not. As spiritual beings, there is a divine essence in us that aligns with our awareness. She believes that there is a magnificent resource within us that can be cultivated.Susie Hayes's story is a transformational testament that it takes more than just courage to walk away from the pain and suffering—you must be willing to ask difficult questions and face the tough answers. More than that, let go of things that are important to you. Episode 260 of The Beyond Adversity Podcast is a must-listen for people who are stuck—people who don't know what to do and doubt their purpose in life and have trouble facing the hard truth in front of them. “The Beyond Adversity Podcast with Dr. Brad Miller is published weekly with the mission of helping people “Grow Through What They Go Through” as they navigate adversity and discover their promised life of peace, prosperity, and purpose. https://susiehayesnow.com/Are you stuck? Take the Freed from Stuck Quiz: https://susiehayesnow.com/are-you-stuck-take-the-freed-from-stuck-quiz/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susiehayesnow/

Anti-Abortion Groups vs. the FDA | Colorado legislators seek big boost in Special Education funding | Catholic hospitals no longer performing tubal ligations after Dobbs decision | Cannabis legalization seems to be okay | RJD2 is the Concert Pick of the WeekWelcome to High Country - politics in the American West. My name is Sean Diller; regular listeners might know me from Heartland Pod's Talking Politics, every Monday.Support this show and all the work in the Heartland POD universe by going to heartlandpod.com and clicking the link for Patreon, or go to Patreon.com/HeartlandPod to sign up. Membership starts at $1/month, with even more extra shows and special access at the higher levels. No matter the level you choose, your membership helps us create these independent shows as we work together to change the conversation.Alright! Let's get into it: DENVER (AP) COLORADO NEWSLINE: Anti-Abortion Groups vs. the FDABY: LINDSEY TOOMER - JANUARY 31, 2023 3:45 AMReproductive rights advocates in Colorado were feeling optimistic following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's decision to expand access to the abortion pill mifepristone in early January — but a federal lawsuit filed just 10 days later has made the future of medication abortions uncertain. On Jan. 3 the FDA issued a decision that allows the abortion drug mifepristone to be picked up at a pharmacy if the patient has a prescription, eliminating a previous requirement that the drug be given directly from a health care provider. Dr. Kristina Tocce, medical director at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, said the FDA's decision is a “really big breakthrough” that should increase access across the country. América Ramirez, program director for the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights, said it's exciting to see expanded access and agreed it could be beneficial for people across the state, especially the Latina community. U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Denver Democrat who co-chairs the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, said during a recent press conference with news reporters that the caucus is working with the Biden administration to ensure the U.S. Postal Service will be able to deliver abortion medications when prescribed by an out-of-state doctor. Karen Middleton, president of Cobalt, a Colorado-based reproductive rights advocacy organization, said the FDA's decision will be particularly beneficial for Coloradans outside of the Denver metro area, so long as their pharmacies are willing to participate. But, she said while this is a positive step forward, there are still too many “bureaucratic and cost barriers” for those seeking abortion care.“We've known for years that medication abortion care is overwhelmingly safe and effective,” Middleton said in an email. “We hope that Colorado pharmacies, especially in rural areas, will make it available to patients as soon as possible and without bureaucratic delay.”But anti-abortion groups have sued to stop pharmacies from filling prescriptions for mifepristone, and the case will likely go all the way to the Supreme Court. The lawsuit argues the FDA “exceeded its regulatory authority” in approving the use of mifepristone and misoprostol to end a pregnancy, and seeks a preliminary and a permanent injunction that would remove the FDA's approval. That would imply that Congress should decide, which is of course, dumb.Attorneys for the U.S. Justice Department said there are no examples in history where a court has second-guessed a determination from the FDA that a drug is safe and effective. Karen Middleton said the lawsuit was the anti-abortion groups' only choice, as they “know that they'll lose at the ballot box” since purple and red state voters repeatedly voted to protect abortion rights in 2022. “That's why these radicals are bringing legal challenges in Federal District Courts with conservative judges — to weaponize the legal system to end legal abortion access,” Middleton said. Fawn Bolak, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, called the lawsuit a “politically-motivated attack” that has “no basis in science,” as the drug has been used safely and legally since it was approved by the FDA more than 20 years ago. This lawsuit is designed to push abortion care further out of reach for the most vulnerable.“Exploiting the legal system in an attempt to prevent people from accessing safe, essential health care is unconscionably cruel. Rest assured PPRM will continue to provide safe and legal abortion care to our patients — no matter the outcome in this case.”CHALKBEAT COLORADO: Education Committee backs big boost in Special Ed SpendingColorado would fund special education at the levels lawmakers promised back in 2006, under legislation recommended unanimously Friday by a special committee on school finance.The special education bill would reimburse districts $6,000 for each student with what's known as a Tier B disability, and who requires more intensive support for students to be successful in school. These include dyslexia, autism spectrum disorders, developmental delays, deafness, blindness, emotional disabilities, and traumatic brain injuries, among others. The bill also calls for Tier B funding to increase every year by the rate of inflation.Both the federal and state governments require school districts to provide a “free and appropriate” education to all students, including those with disabilities, but they pay just a fraction of the cost. That won't change with this bill.School districts would still bear about two-thirds of the additional cost of providing special education services, but a few years ago, the state was paying less than half of what it had promised. The new bill would add $40.2 million in special education funding to next year's budget, bringing the total to at least $340 million, a 13% increase. The amount could be more, depending on how lawmakers handle requirements to respond to inflation. The bill could also get scaled back, in future budget committee negotiations.The special education bill, sponsored by state Sens. Rachel Zenzinger (D-Arvada) and Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Brighton Republican, along with state Reps. Kipp and Lisa Frizell, a Castle Rock Republican, will be the only bill to come out of the Interim Committee on School Finance this session.Sen Zenzinger, who also chairs the Joint Budget Committee and serves on the interim committee on school finance, sounded a note of caution even as she signed on as a prime sponsor of the funding increase bill. “We'll put it out there as what we'd like to see, and we'll see what's available to us in the budget,” she said.Bureau Chief Erica Meltzer covers education policy and politics and oversees Chalkbeat Colorado's education coverage. Contact Erica at emeltzer@chalkbeat.org.COLORADO SUN: Catholic hospitals crack down on contraceptionJennifer Brown4:00 AM MST on Jan 31, 2023Colorado has one of the least restrictive abortion laws in the country, but health care advocates say women in rural and mountain towns often lack reproductive health care accessWhen the only hospital in Durango with a maternity ward decided that it would no longer let women get their tubes tied, there was no public announcement. Mercy Hospital's website doesn't spell it out, either. Instead, a read-between-the-lines statement added to the Centura Health hospital's website in September noted that Mercy is “responsible for conducting itself in a manner consistent with the ethical principles of the Catholic church ministry.” The hospital had recently completed a “re-education” of hospital staff and board members regarding the church's ethical and religious directives, it said, adding that “patients are fully informed of all treatment options.” Doctors who deliver babies at Mercy said they were told that beginning April 15, they can no longer provide post-cesarean-section tubal ligations - a sterilization procedure in which the fallopian tubes are cut. Women who have decided not to have more children often have their tubes tied immediately after a C-section, when they are already under spinal anesthesia, sparing them from the risk, cost, and hassle of scheduling a separate second procedure.The hospital already prohibited tubal ligations after vaginal births, but had been allowing them after C-sections because of the undue burden it placed on patients.  It's been up to obstetricians to tell their pregnant patients that they will have to go elsewhere for permanent birth control. Dr. Kimberly Priebe, who delivers 90-100 babies a year and has been an obstetrician-gynecologist in Durango for 20 years said “Patients are furious. This decision undermines our patients' trust in Centura.” Mercy's prohibition of sterilization comes as health care advocates across the country are concerned about diminishing reproductive rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.Even in Colorado, a state with statutory protection for abortion and one of the least restrictive abortion laws in the country, women are losing access to reproductive health care, particularly in rural and mountain areas where there is only one hospital in town.Mergers that have joined Catholic health systems with secular or protestant systems have created a confusing health landscape for patients seeking abortions or birth control.Centura Health, formed in 1996 by the merger of Catholic Health Initiatives and Adventist Health System, has 16 hospitals in Colorado and three in Kansas. The Catholic hospitals, including Mercy, follow the Catholic directives, while the Adventist hospitals do not. In Denver, doctors affiliated with Centura Health can steer patients who want their tubes tied to nearby hospitals. But in Durango - and other towns with just one hospital - that's not an option. Sophia Mayott-Guerrero, senior organizing strategist with ACLU of Colorado said “We really are seeing a trend with hospitals, insurance companies, pharmacies, other health care entities, discriminating against people by denying basic care … all in the name of religion. The main target is reproductive access, including birth control, emergency contraception, sterilization and abortions.“We can't really consider access to reproductive health care in Colorado universally protected until everybody in every corner of our state has access. There's often this perception that everybody in Colorado has access to abortion and to reproductive health care and that is just fundamentally untrue, especially in the rural parts of the state where you just don't have additional options.”It's unclear why Mercy Hospital had been allowing tubal ligations after C-sections and what led to the change. CommonSpirit Health, the Catholic owner of Mercy and other Catholic hospitals, said they had no updates to provide. The Diocese of Pueblo, which includes all of southern Colorado, referred questions to Centura Health. Centura Health officials would not give an interview about the change at Mercy, or explain why it's happening now, considering that Mercy has been Catholic since it was founded. The only exception is for women predisposed to cancerAfter the latest “reeducation” of the Catholic directives, Mercy said it would allow tubal ligations post C-section for only one reason — if the woman has a genetic predisposition to ovarian or breast cancer. — Dr. Kimberly Priebe, Four Corners Obstetrics and Gynecology said “This is a very small number of women, and what an arbitrary exception.”“What about women with hypertension, diabetes, blood clotting disorders, uterine abnormalities, and the many other risk factors that can make pregnancy deadly? It seems the Catholic church does not want a woman dying of cancer but during pregnancy is OK?”With the new Mercy policy prohibiting tubal ligations after C-section, doctors will send those patients to the local surgical hospital, though they are concerned about overwhelming the center. And, doctors say, forcing women to schedule the procedure separate from their hospital delivery puts them at unnecessary risk, disrupts their lives with more time away from work, and costs the health system more money. The Medicaid billing rate for a doctor performing a tubal ligation post C-section is a $90 add-on and takes about 10 minutes, doctors said, not including anesthesia and facility fees.Patients who go to Animas Surgical Hospital for a standalone tubal ligation would likely have to pay thousands of dollars for the procedure. The hospital's cash-pay price for the procedure for people without insurance is $9,900.“Patients do not understand how a health care option can be refused when our hospital gets public money and purports to put patient care first,” Dr Priebe said. Pregnant patients in Summit County also face tough choices. Like in Durango, the only hospital is Catholic.St. Anthony Summit Medical Center in Frisco, part of Centura Health, does not provide tubal ligations. Dr. Amy Tomlinson, an OB-GYN in Summit County, has had to explain to hundreds of patients that they cannot get their tubes tied at the hospital where they plan to give birth. “Usually, honestly, it was a huff and a sigh and an eye roll,” she said. “Sometimes it was a jaw drop and a shake of the head. But I think women are so used to being second-class citizens in this society that I don't think it was ever terribly surprising to people.”  Summit County women have the choice of delivering at St. Anthony and then getting their tubes tied later at another hospital, or driving more than an hour to Denver to deliver their baby so they can have the procedure at the same time. And for women who already have a C-section scar on their uterus, it's especially dangerous to ask them to drive that far in labor, Tomlinson said. “The Catholic position is, ‘If you don't like it, you can go somewhere else,'” she said. “Well, it's not like you can go across town when your hospital is the only one in a tri-county radius. We essentially become an island during snowstorms up here. Even if a patient wants to go elsewhere, she may not be able to get there. And then you are asking women to drive an hour or more while they are laboring. Why would we put women at risk for rupturing their uterus or for giving birth on the side of the road?”Tomlinson, who is opening her own practice but in the past worked at High Country Healthcare, recalled that while removing severe scar tissue from the uterus of a patient at St. Anthony Summit, she had to ask permission from the bishop to place an IUD in the woman's uterus in order to keep it open and prevent pain. The woman had in the past had a tubal ligation so she was already sterile, but the Catholic hospital still required her to get permission to place the birth-control method, called an intrauterine device. And in 2010, Tomlinson gave a presentation to the St. Anthony Summit board to persuade them not to prohibit treatment of ectopic pregnancies. In the post-Roe v. Wade era, doctors across the nation have reported confusion about whether treating an ectopic pregnancy — which is when a fertilized egg implants in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus — is considered an abortion. In another large hospital system - SCL Health - Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver and St. Mary's Medical Center in Grand Junction — operate under the ethical and religious directives, meaning they do not provide sterilizations. Two of SCL's secular hospitals — Lutheran Medical Center in Wheat Ridge and Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette — also operate under the same compliance with Catholic directives, said Gregg Moss, spokesman for SCL Health.Moss referred The Colorado Sun to an SCL Health webpage that explains the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services - they were first published by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1948.The hospital system's webpage does not specifically mention birth control, tubal ligations or abortions, but says that in today's society, Catholic hospitals are “pressured to provide medical procedures that are contrary to Catholic teaching.” “And by refusing to provide or permit such medical procedures, Catholic health care affirms what defines it: a commitment to the sacredness and dignity of human life from conception until death,” it says.Mannat Singh, executive director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, excoriated the choices being made by Catholic hospitals. “It is a basic human right to seek, or refuse, reproductive health care, and we will continue to work to ensure there are no barriers to seeking that care,” she said.COLORADO SUN: Well, it ain't a gateway drug.John Ingold3:55 AM MST on Jan 31, 2023Last year, a study came out showing that marijuana legalization in Colorado likely increased cannabis use among adults in the state.Because of the novel methods the researchers used to examine the question, the study was perhaps the best answer to date on one of legalization's biggest impacts. But it also left an even bigger question unanswered: If adults are consuming more cannabis and more frequently, is that bad?Now, in a follow-up study by the same team, the researchers have come to an answer: it doesn't seem to be. Stephanie Zellers, one of the researchers, said “At least from the psychological point of view, we really didn't find that legalized cannabis has had a lot of negative influence, which I think is important.”Zellers recently graduated with a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Minnesota, but she began her doctoral work at the University of Colorado before transferring when her thesis adviser changed jobs. She had originally been interested in neuroscience research, but the necessity of using live lab animals for the work was off-putting.And, in the Colorado-to-Minnesota connection, she found a trove of data that could be used in never-before-tried ways.The data are from longitudinal studies of twins in Colorado or Minnesota. Researchers in both states followed the twins over long periods of time, collecting information about their behaviors, including their cannabis use.  The survey information, then, creates an ideal scenario for study: It is thorough, it has built-in controls for variables like socioeconomic status, and it helps account for genetic differences.“That twin component really allows us to rule out what could be noisy variables — cultural differences, family differences, things like that,” Zellers said.On top of that, because Colorado has legalized marijuana and Minnesota hasn't (at least so far) — and because some twins born in Minnesota moved to Colorado and vice versa — the data provide an ideal opportunity to study the way legalization in Colorado a decade ago has influenced people's behavior ever since.The original study, published last fall, simply asked whether twins living in legal-marijuana states use marijuana more than twins living in prohibition states. And the answer is yes — about 20% more, according to the research.That answer was interesting, but “Really what people care about is: Is legalization harmful,” she said.To answer that question, the team came up with 23 measures of what they call “psychological dysfunction.” This includes things like substance-use disorders, but also financial woes, mental health distress, community disengagement, and relationship issues. The team looked at data on more than 4,000 people — 40% of whom live in a legal-marijuana state.Zellers said what the researchers found was unexpected: They basically found nothing.“Obviously the cannabis use increases, but we didn't see an increase in cannabis-use disorder, which is a little surprising,” she said. “We didn't really see changes in how much people were drinking or using tobacco. No large personality, or workplace, or IQ differences, or anything like that.”People in legal states did not report using illegal drugs at higher rates. Researchers also didn't find a link between marijuana legalization and psychotic behavior.They did find one difference, though. People living in a state where recreational marijuana use is prohibited reported higher rates of alcohol-use disorder and more specifically one symptom of the condition: They were more likely to report using alcohol in situations that were dangerous or harmful, such as driving drunk.To Zellers and other researchers, the study provides valuable information for the ongoing debate over whether cannabis legalization is a good idea. But it's not the final word.CU psychology and neuroscience professor John Hewitt, one of the study's co-authors, said in a statement that “Our study suggests we should not be overly concerned about everyday adult use in a legalized environment, but no drug is risk-free. It would be a mistake to dismiss the risks from higher doses of a drug that is relatively safe in small amounts.”This highlights one of the study's big limitations. Zellers said most of the people included in the twins data are relatively light cannabis users. The sample size for heavy users is small.“Our sample is an adult community sample broadly characterized by low levels of substance use and psychosocial dysfunction,” the researchers write. This limits our ability to generalize relationships between legalization, outcomes and risk factors for the individuals at greatest risk.”Zellers said she and her colleagues are hoping to publish another study based on their data — but this one will be less concerned about the impacts of marijuana legalization as a policy. Instead, it will try to look at how much cannabis people have used over their lifetimes and then score that against the same measures of psychological dysfunction “to see if, not the policy, but the actual substance itself has an effect” And if YOU want to see about substances and their effects, don't miss the unsolicited concert of the weekCONCERT PICK OF THE WEEK: RJD2 with just 2 upcoming dates - Friday Feb 3 at the Music Box in San Diego, and Saturday Feb 4th at the Gothic Theatre in Denver. There should also be lots of fun stuff in lots of fun places this weekend for Bob Marley's birthday, February 6.Welp, that's it for me! From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Original reporting for the stories in today's show comes from the Colorado Newsline, Colorado Sun, Chalkbeat Colorado, and Denver's Westword.Thank you for listening! See you next time.