Pastor Dave Scharf
Dave Scharf grew up in West Allis, Wisconsin, and served as pastor in Greenville, Wisconsin, from 2005 to 2016. He is currently a professor of theology at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota, where he lives with his wife, Beth, and their six children.
You are not controlled by sin
People will sometimes say, “I’m struggling with my demons.” In a way, it’s true. Evil is behind every sin, and it feels controlling, like…
Don’t say too much
It is tempting to say that we know why God allows what he does in our lives. A farmer’s horse ran away. The neighbors…
Putting first things first
The church father Augustine talked about priorities when he called God the “highest good.” We cannot properly love God’s gifts if we put those…
Be the tree!
Have you ever thought, “When I read the Word, I don’t feel like I get anything out of it”? You want immediate gratification because…
A Christian can hate?
God knows everything. God is everywhere. God can do anything. But he is more. He is also holy. David wrote: “Do I not hate…
Exult every day!
Note the word in the title: Exult, not Exalt. To exalt something is to raise something in esteem. Certainly, we can exalt our Savior-God…
Always have hope
I once knew a child who would put her hands over her eyes if she did not want someone in the room with her….
Don’t be afraid to repent
Has fear ever driven your repentance by thinking, “I need to repent to be forgiven?” As Christians, we don’t repent to be forgiven. We…
Make me the cotton
One night at a mission in Africa, the pastor overheard one of the native people praying. The prayer was simple but strange. The person…
Being a Christian is hard!
“Why is my life as a Christian so hard? It wasn’t this hard before.” That has been spoken or thought by many new Christians….
You are the plan
There is an old legend—and I stress it is merely a legend—that illustrates a good point. The legend is that after Jesus ascended into…
Dispel our doubts
Fill in the blank to describe this well-known Bible character: ________ Thomas. I bet you got it: Doubting Thomas. He wasn’t there that first…