Sermon Our Lively Hope

Our Lively Hope

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 …

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Sermon Jesus’ Baptism, Our Baptism

Jesus’ Baptism, Our Baptism

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 …

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Sermon Two Mountains; Sinai and Zion

Two Mountains; Sinai and Zion

Why we need both In our Lutheran circles, we espouse the Gospel. We emphasize forgiveness of sins, grace, and mercy. We lean on the Solas – Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, and Sola Gratia. We know God’s love for us. This means that sometimes, the Law is set aside. Oh, we know it’s there but it’s …

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Sermon A Tale of Two Religions

A Tale of Two Religions

Just follow your heart How often have you “followed your heart” and it didn’t turn out well? Today’s culture focuses on self-empowerment, self-help, and self-love. We are told to be authentic and believe in ourselves to manifest our own destiny. Sure, a strong dose of confidence can be beneficial but where does it lead us …

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Sermon Why To Pray And Not Lose Heart

Why To Pray And Not Lose Heart

Do you exercise enough? If you’re like the majoirty of Americans, you could probably stand to exercise a bit more. We know the human body needs food, water, exercise and shelter to achieve optimal performance. Doctors advise healthy choices like a balanced diet of protein, fat and carbs, and to engage in daily–or at least …

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Sermon To Be Treated Like A Leper

To Be Treated Like A Leper

What do you have in common with a leper? If you’re familiar with Scripture, you may know that leprosy is mentioned several times throughout it. What was significant about leprosy? There were other easily transmittable diseases but Old Testament ceremonial law required that lepers, in particular, present themselves to the priests. When the priests deemed …

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Uncategorized Life Comes Through The Word Alone

Life Comes Through The Word Alone

Skeptic or believer? A healthy dose of skepticism can be beneficial. It can be a helpful guide to keep us out of trouble – financial, physical or otherwise. But do you take it too far and have to “see it” to believe it? And even if you did “see it”, would you really believe? Our …

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Sermon God Desires That All Men Shall Be Saved

God Desires That All Men Shall Be Saved

Do you pray for your enemies? “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes shall be saved”, John 3:16. I don’t have the research to back this up, but I’m willing to guess this is the single most well-known Bible passage. Even non-Christians are familiar with …

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Sermon Christian Suffering Comes From the World

Christian Suffering Comes From the World

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 …

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Sermon Enter Through the Narrow Door

Enter Through the Narrow Door

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. …

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