In the broken places of our lives, when hope is lost and courage falters... in that moment God comes to those who will listen. Always he meets us in our desolation, offering us an alternative to our defeat. (from the sermon "A Chance To Live Again")

The seventeen sermons in this book are based on First Lesson texts, from six Old Testament books and the book of Acts. They follow the Revised Common Lectionary.

"In a culture increasingly driven to receive more than it gives, self-sacrifice is less and less popular," writes Theodore F. Schneider. "We want much, but we are willing to risk little.... We are called to join with God for good, taking the risks, carrying the cross."

Theodore F. Schneider is senior pastor of St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church, Silver Spring, Maryland. He is a graduate of Roanoke College and the Lutheran Theological Seminary. He is author of Until The King Comes, also published by CSS.