Reply
“What We Are Now and What We Will Be” (1 John 3:1-7) Last week we began a series of six straight weeks of Epistle readings from 1 John. Our theme last week was “Fellowship through the Word of Life”: We … Continue reading
Tag Archives: sermon
“Fellowship through the Word of Life” (1 John 1:1 – 2:2) Today on this Second Sunday of Easter, we begin six straight weeks of Epistle readings from First John. This is quite appropriate for the Easter season, since First John … Continue reading
“He Is Risen: No Fooling!” (Mark 16:1-8) Alleluia! Christ is risen! (He is risen indeed! Alleluia!) Yes, it’s true! This is no April Fools’ joke. Jesus really is risen from the dead! Just like he said he would. Just like … Continue reading
“It Is Finished” (John 19:17-30) “Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), ‘I thirst.’ A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop … Continue reading
“Love Received, Love to Give” (John 13:1-17, 31b-35) “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” Yes, Jesus did that. And he also tells his disciples: “A new commandment I give to you, … Continue reading
“Annunciation, Acclamation, Crucifixion” (Luke 1:30-33; Mark 11:1-10; 15:1-39) Today is a day in the church year that goes by two names, “Palm Sunday” and the “Sunday of the Passion.” This is Palm Sunday, the day when our Lord Jesus Christ … Continue reading
“The Real Jesus Is All You Really Need” (John 1:1-18; Ephesians 1:3-14) In Sunday morning Bible class, we’re doing a study based on the book, “Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? 12 False Christs.” And in these midweek Lenten … Continue reading
“Set Free to Serve” (Mark 10:32-45) I want to start out our message today with a little quiz. Multiple-choice. Which of these two statements is true: a) “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none,” or … Continue reading
“It’s a Gift!” (Ephesians 2:1-10) You are a Christian. You are saved. You believe in Christ. You are heading for heaven. And in your Christian life, you do good works. Now the question arises: How did all this come about? … Continue reading
“The Gospel on a Pole” (John 3:14-21) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” That, of course, is John 3:16, a verse you … Continue reading
“One Option or the Only Way?” (John 14:1-6) We live in an age of religious pluralism. Religious pluralism is the belief that there are a plurality of religions, many religions, that can work. No one religion has a corner on … Continue reading
“Weak Power and Foolish Wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:18-31) Every so often an organization called the American Religious Identification Survey conducts a national survey to find out how Americans are identifying themselves by their religion. And so we have data to … Continue reading
“Who Is the Real Jesus?” (Matthew 16:13-23) In Bible class on Sunday mornings, we just started a study based on the book, “Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?” In this book, the author discusses twelve false christs that are … Continue reading
“Passion Prediction, Passion Production” (Mark 8:27-38; Romans 5:1-11) Most of you probably remember a movie a few years back called “The Passion of the Christ.” It was about Jesus’ suffering and death. That’s what the word “Passion’ means in that … Continue reading
“Out of the Water, into the Wilderness” (Mark 1:9-15) Today is the First Sunday in Lent, which means that the Holy Gospel is an account of the temptation of our Lord. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record this episode that … Continue reading
“Hearts and Ashes” (Joel 2:12-19) Today is Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is a day for sending your love a box of candy and a Valentine’s card. Something like this: Roses are red, Violets are blue; Sugar is sweet, And so … Continue reading
“Where Is the Healing?” (Mark 1:29-39) Every year during the Epiphany season, we get Gospel readings in which Jesus is doing the activities of his public ministry. We see Jesus busy with things like preaching, teaching, and healing the sick. … Continue reading
“The War of the Worlds” (Mark 1:21-28) Have you ever heard of “The War of the Worlds”? No, I’m not talking about H. G. Wells’s classic novel about Martians invading Earth. Nor am I talking about Orson Welles’s radio version … Continue reading
“Hold Lightly to the Things of This World” (1 Corinthians 7:29-31) Are you married? Some of you are, some of you aren’t. OK, so let’s broaden the field. How about these questions: Are there times when you mourn? Are there … Continue reading
“Philip and Nathanael: A Story of Witnessing” (John 1:43-51) The Holy Gospel for today, from John 1, takes place very early in Jesus’ ministry, when he was first gathering his disciples. It’s the story of Philip and Nathanael, how they … Continue reading
“The Heavens Being Torn Open” (Mark 1:4-11) How many of you know when your baptismal birthday is? Mine is September 10. What’s yours? It’s good to take note of and remember the day of your baptism, that happy day when … Continue reading
“What Epiphany Tells Us about Worship” (Matthew 2:1-12) The Festival of the Epiphany of Our Lord always falls on January 6, regardless of the day of the week. In that respect, it’s like Christmas, which always falls on December 25. … Continue reading
“And the Word Became Flesh” (John 1:1-18) “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Dear brothers and sisters … Continue reading
“From Heaven Above to Earth I Come” (Luke 2:1-20) For our Christmas Eve homily tonight, I thought I’d let Luther lead the way. This is the 500th anniversary year of the Reformation, after all, and Martin Luther wrote and preached … Continue reading
“Gabriel’s Gracious Greeting” (Luke 1:26-38) Every year on the Fourth Sunday in Advent, the Holy Gospel is a reading about Mary. Last year it was the message to Joseph that Mary would bear a son. Next year it will be … Continue reading