Archive

** Due to a technical error, the service was not recorded today. Here is a sermon from the archives. ** Our world is troubled and full of suffering. Our first parents enjoyed the bounty of the Garden of Eden, apart from any burdensome work. But after the Fall, toil and labor were guaranteed. But into […]

Here is the sermon text from Luke 24: On the Road to Emmaus 13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew […]

Hope, apart from Christ, is meaningless Have you heard someone say, “I manifested this lifestyle”? It’s become trendy lately to use that verbiage as people search for meaning outside of Christ. What they are implying is that they created a fabulous lifestyle by believing in it, themselves, and having hope it would come true. The […]

The greatest miracle wasn’t the first or last one People love a good list. How many articles have you seen titled “30 best products” or “The top 10 [insert activity ]”? When it comes to God’s miracles, there is an amazing list! Creation, Noah’s ark, Daniel in the lion’s den, the virgin birth of Jesus, […]

Passion Week During Holy Week, we will post the Reading of the Passion each night. Click here to open the bulletin in a new tab or scroll down. Announcements Easter Sunday is nearly here! Please join us for the Divine Service at 10 am. Breakfast is at 8:30 am. Donations: Even during the pandemic and […]

Righteous and Being Saved When we think of royalty, especially today, the royal families of Europe or the Middle East, most likely stand out. Sporting million-dollar luxury cars, cruising on super yachts that are just weekend toys, and using helicopters like we use a taxi are a far cry from our pedestrian lives. Pomp and […]

Be prepared People always want to know, “what will tomorrow bring” or “what should I do to prepare for emergencies?” These are, in some ways, the wrong questions for us as Christians to ask. Instead, we might more productively ask “what is the meaning of this life” or “what should I be paying attention to, […]

Lost Hope Borne of Sin Picture a valley, full of dry bones. It’s rather easy to envision. The book of Ezekiel is full of rich imagery used to illustrate important lessons. The very dry bones are symbolic of those who reject Christ. They have lost all hope and created a manmade spiritual disaster. It sounds […]

Living a Life of Repentance We continue our Lenten theme with another reminder of God’s grace. We need the reminder because we tend to be short-sighted and get bogged down in the ways of the world. Outside of God’s grace, life is meaningless as many a philosopher will tell you! But under His grace, we […]

Two Knowledges of God The Nicene Creed starts out by saying, “I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.” Because God created all things, we can learn more about God by studying creation and applying logic. What kind of being would create the universe […]

Hope for the future, or comfort for the present? Suffering is all around us. Look anywhere and you can find it. The poor might suffer from hunger or cold. Meanwhile the rich might suffer from anxiety and loneliness. The Bible calls this the great tribulation, and it will last until Christ’s return. Furthermore, Christians are […]

Reconciliation is so much better than wings and a harp In popular culture, heaven is a place where the deceased are equipped with wings and harps and have nothing to do but sit on the clouds. However, what Scripture says about heaven is about having a relationship with God. It is about being reconciled to […]

Many believe we live in a good era compared to the past, but it’s easy to question that sentiment. Scandals, natural disasters, and pandemics abound. But we know these are good times because we are in the Last Days. Living in the Last Days means we enjoy a life of repentance. A life of repentance […]

Rebellion or Obedience The Bible can be thought of as a story about two men. One features strongly at the beginning of the Old Testament, the other in the New. One is the father of the entire human race, but he rebelled and brought God’s curse. The other is mankind’s Redeemer, through His obedience to His […]

Lent is known as the season of repentance. While that may sound depressing to confront and confess our sins, it is a blessing of the greatest means. We get to acknowledge our inclination to sin, seek forgiveness and absolutely receive it. But it doesn’t start and end with Lent. The life of repentance is a […]

Myth or Majesty Church attendance numbers are dwindling. Christianity has fewer followers. And Judeo-Christian morals are mocked in society while atheistic, gnostic, and humanist beliefs are embraced. Christians are ridiculed for believing their “silly stories” of creation, the virgin birth, and Christ’s resurrection. However, this is not new. Peter and the other Apostles faced the […]

Boasting rights Who doesn’t love a good underdog story? We love to see the “little guy” overcome adversity – whether it’s a mom & pop business vs. a corporate giant or the classic jock vs. nerd bullying scenario – it brings immense satisfaction to see the underdog prevail. Yet, in this world, Christ’s followers are […]

All roads lead to Rome Have you ever heard someone say that all religions are just different, but equal, paths to God? When it comes to manmade religions, in a sense, they are right. Religions constructed by man’s rules are centered on all the things we must do in order to be a better person, […]

The gift of a baptismal life With Christmas just two weeks ago, gifts are often discussed. What did you get? What was your favorite one? And so on. We also talk about the gift of Christmas coming in the form a baby, pure and innocent, to redeem us and make us righteous with God. But […]

Are you a sinner? For many people, it’s hard to admit that we sin, much less that we sin a lot, every day. But if you’re Lutheran, you’re probably familiar with this line from our Liturgy, “I, a poor miserable sinner, confess unto you all my sins and iniquities”. We own it. We know that […]

Who do you put first? There’s a popular saying in our culture that goes, “Happy wife, happy life”. It implies that if the husband puts his wife’s wishes first, then all parties will be happy. And while that might be true in some cases, it’s really not what God asks of us. Yes, the husband […]

Which door will you choose? If you’re of a certain age, you may recall a game show host asking the winning contestant “which door will you choose?” at the end of each episode. Hidden behind each door was a mystery prize! It could be a fantastic new car or a disappointing year’s supply of soup. […]

How do you define peace? In today’s sermon text, we hear Christ describe himself as bringing division. It’s a bit unnerving as earlier texts refer to Jesus as the one who will bring peace. How can this be? The short answer is both are true. Jesus brought peace and division. Our human nature has very […]

Do you have faith? The word faith has strong religious overtones, which is wonderful. It is, perhaps, one word that hasn’t been totally twisted by society and human selfishness. Our sinful selves–full of pride–distort words, actions, and thoughts to put the emphasis on self. For example, the word “believe” has been used ad nauseam in […]

Where is your focus? Where do you find joy? For many, it is spending time with their family and friends. For others, it’s a lovely home, reliable cars, and maybe a cabin on a lake. Or perhaps you’re part of the current wanderlust trend, and you live on the road soaking up joy in every […]