Today we focus on the fact that the coming Savior is the perfect gift because He lifts up the lowly, those who have been humbled.

This is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. It is the most intense week of our Christian Year. “Hosanna!” is the shout of praise so familiar to Palm Sunday worshipers. It literally means “Save us, we pray!” — and 2000 years ago, Jesus was riding into Jerusalem to do just that.

This weekend we focus on 1 Corinthians 1:26-31. We should avoid pride and boasting about anything we do for God or others. We bring nothing but sin into our relationship with God, but we receive all good things from Him. Hear more about this in the sermon Boast in Christ Alone.

A big aspect of being a Christian is a thing called “faith.” What exactly is faith? How does it play out in our daily lives? How do we make our faith stronger? Today, in our hymns, Bible readings, and sermon, we focus on that idea of what a strong faith looks like.

This year, we are blessed to have Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary senior Eric Zabell as Zion’s pastoral assistant. This weekend he preached for us for the first time, and he did so on the theme “God Teaches Us With Tender Patience” — based on Mark 9:30-37.