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When the sermon's theme is "The Right Way to Live," Lutheran red flags might pop up in your head and heart. That's good. We must always beware that we don't rely on oursleves for eternal life. The Bible declares that we are right with God through faith in Jesus' righteousness, not because we ourselves have lived the right way. Through faith, you know and trust that your spiritual situation is right with God.
But when it feels like your earthly situation isn't going right, what do you do? A passionate dialogue between the prophet Habakkuk and the Lord point us to the right(eous) way to live in the face of violence and injustice.
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As if the 2020 presidential candidates weren't talking about the economy -- good and bad -- enough, enter the prophet Amos. What can this man from roughly 750 B.C. add to a conversation in 21st centurty capitalistc America? Plenty. And it has less to do with dollars and cents and more with hearts and souls.
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When was the last time something of yours was lost? What did you do about the situation? Jesus tells us about a lost-and-found episode then ends with joy for him, for angels, and for you.
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On the Christian church calendar, September 29 is the Festival of Saint Michael and All Angels where we praise and thank God for his gift of angels. While much of the world envisions angels as cute little chubby boys, John's vision here in Revelation pictures them as strong fighters. Watch intently, then, as Saint Michael and the holy angels fight against the devil and the fallen angels because this throwdown says something about your relationship with God.
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Lots of people think Jesus is just some life coach who gives you practical wisdom and to-do's for this life. If you think that, you miss Jesus' bigger point in Luke chapter 14. Jesus isn't concerned so much about where you sit at an earthly meal. He's concerned about where you will sit for all eternity.
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Promises made are supposed to be promises kept. But when it seems like a promise has failed or will fail, we feel anguish and sorrow. The Apostle Paul recalls how he felt anguish and sorrow about a promise and tells you why you should never feel anguish and sorrow about God's promises.
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Pictures of homes that Dorian devastated have been in the news lately, and those images help us better envision the spiritual truth Jesus teaches in the parable of a wise home builder and a foolish one. They help us better understand why it is so important that each of us get -- and continue in -- education about the Christian faith and God's Word.
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Christians recognize they are not their own masters; Jesus Christ is. And since Jesus is a good master who has served us and told us he will return at any moment, we are always ready to welcome him.
Our guest preacher is Seminarian Joshua Rathje, who has begun his final year at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. God willing, in May of 2020 Josh will be graduated and assigned to serve in the pastoral ministry. We pray for God's blessings on his school year!
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Is life meaningless? Does it at least feel that way sometimes? The Teacher of Ecclesiastes wrestled with that question and was led to a stark, yet wise, answer and encouragement.
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If someone walked up to you and asked you how to pray, would you know where to begin? Jesus did, and in twelve concise verses he teaches us Christians what we need to know about prayer.
The God of Living Water Quenches Our Spiritual Thirst
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When you're physically thirsty, what's go your go-to drink? How long does it do the trick? Now, when you have an inner thirst, where do you go to quench it. How long does it do the trick?
The final sermon in our series takes us to a window in our narthex gathering area and to a text from the New Testament. Both the window and this text comfort us that the God of Living Water quenches our spiritual thirst.
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Ever feel like God doesn't listen to your prayers or answer them? Our fourth window shows us that God does indeed answer his believers' prayers... just not always in the way we expect him to.
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Part three of our sermon series "The God of Living Water" takes us to the shore of the Red Sea. But not just to the Red Sea -- through it! As God led Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground, he leads us through this life of sin, weakness, and death on the sure ground of his strength and love.
The God of Living Water Keeps His Covenant Promise
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What do mortgages, an ark, a rainbow, the cross, a baptismal font, and the altar all have in common? They all involve some kind of covenant or promise. But that doesn't mean the agreements we find in this world are the same as the ones God makes with us. Part two of our sermon series "The God of Living Water" focuses on this truth: God keeps his covenant promise.
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This sermon begins a series on the Old Testament stained glass windows in our sanctuary. The series is entitled "The God of Living Water" because while these accounts have sinner-saints as characters in them, the accounts aren't really about them but about the God we worship. The scenes are happen around water but center on the triune God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Our first window emphasizes that God is the one created all things, but when he created us mankind, he did so in a unique way. You aren't an animal; you are a unique creation with a unique relationship to God and purpose in this life.
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The Apostle Paul's outlook on the future does not come naturally to sinful humans. But once the Holy Spirit helps us better understand and trust what Paul knew, then his outlook is ours too.
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A basic truth of Christianity is that the only true God is triune, that is, he is three distinct persons -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- in one perfectly united and undivided God. Full confession: no Christian can understand that with human reason alone. Nor can any Christian understand why this Triune God would want to bless sinners like us.
But the believer's faith simply takes God at his Word. He is Triune. He is loving. And the loving Triune God blesses sinners freely.
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Each week and everyday there are certain things in your life that need to be filled up. As a Christian, you need to be filled up not just weekly, but daily. God has made us spiritual creatures and fills us spiritually by sending the Holy Spirit. Pentecost celebrates the ongoing work of the Spirit who fills us up with his language.
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The Festival of Pentecost happens annually fifty days after Jesus resurrection. (Pentecost means "fifty days".)
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Growing up, did your home, or your grandparents' home, have a picture of Jesus in it? If so, it was probably very inaccurate. Many paintings and pictures of Jesus found in America picture him as a Caucasian individual despite Jesus being a descendant of the Jewish nation. To get an accurate picture of our Savior who ascended into heaven forty days after his resurrection, we can turn to the picturesque language of Revelation chapter 19.
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This Sunday we celebrated our Lord's ascension. This recording begins with the Prayer of the Day, the first prayer of every service that helps set the theme for the day's worship.
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Between newspapers, Internet blogs, radio stations, TV episodes, movies, podcasts and the like, you can listen to plenty of people talk about plenty of things, even things that interest you. But when you are troubled and fearful at heart, you don't need someone to talk aboutsomething. You need someone to speak to something -- your heart. Jesus does, and the result is peace in your heart.
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The words of 1 Corinthians are famous words. They are beautiful words. But can they also be frightening? When we recognize that we ourselves have not loved like this, we feel the fright of guilt and then look at Christ who has loved us like this. It's this love that we want to be confirmed in.
(In this worship service, we also confirmed a youth of our congregation, and allusions to that are made in the sermon.)
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Who doesn't like it when someone gives you personalized attention and care? That's what you get from your Good Shepherd all the time, even in the worst situations.
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One single message and question to a man named Saul changed the entire Christian church's course of history. A persecutor was converted, and an apostle was sent out. The risen Lord works through that same message to convert us and send us out.
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When Jesus rose from the dead, he made sure to give his words and message to his apostles to convey to others. Peter stayed true to that command and writes down a message for all those who doubt Jesus and his resurrection. It's a message pay attention to because we know the source and we know the light it brings to this dark world.
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On Easter Sunday, we keep the main thing the main thing. We remember Jesus Christ who has been raised to life and in whom we live a new life.
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It's just one word in Greek: tetelestai. It's translated into three words in English, "It is finished." Whether one word or three, they remind us of the truth that makes the darkest Friday in world history good -- Jesus has accomplished our forgiveness, and we don't have to do a thing.
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This podcasted sermon does not end with a sermon because our Tenebrae service ("service of darkness") did not end with one either. Instead, we heard the account of Jesus' burial and silently exited the sanctuary, pondering the severity of our sins, appreciating the still peace we have because of this Good Friday, and expecting the unrivaled joy of Resurrection Sunday.
Three Words of Truth: Take and Eat; Take and Drink
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Our midweek Lenten series, "Three Words of Truth," draws to a close on the holiest weekends of the year. On Maundy Thursday, the night Jesus was betrayed, he established a meal for you to draw close to him and to receive his forgiveness.
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Maundy Thursday takes its name from Thursday, the day of the week on which Jesus celebrated the Passover, established the Lord's Supper, and then was betrayed. Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum, meaning "command." It refers to the command Jesus gave in the Upper Room to his disciples of all time, "Love one another." The love our Savior shows us in the Lord's Supper empowers us to do that very thing.
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When Jesus entered Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday, just five days before he was crucified, he did so with status. By listening to what the people along the way call Jesus, we better prepare ourselves to enter Holy Week ourselves and watch Jesus do what he came to do.
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