Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the “Heroes of Faith,” or the “faith hall of fame.” As Christians, we have a very strong connection to them, “by faith.” Join Pastor Josh as he draws upon what this connection is, what it means for us, and what it means for those around us.
We will look at two different men in this text. The first is rich beyond all comparison, but willingly gives it all away. The second thinks he is rich, but actually possesses nothing at all. The first is Jesus. The second is the man who is the main character in Jesus’ parable. In this sermon we will explore our relationship with material possessions and wealth. What does it mean to be rich? What does it mean to be rich toward God? How does it happen that someone could lose their soul because of their sinful relationship with possessions? Jesus gives a strong warning, but also provides the way to be saved.
When we have to ask someone else for something we want, we often think we have to form a strategy for how to get what we want. We approach this with the underlying assumption that the person whom we ask does NOT want to give us something. So we come up with somewhat sneaky ways to get it anyway. We might use flattery, persuasion, bargaining, persistence, or other such approaches. Should we try the same thing when we ask God for what we want? Looking at both the Genesis 18 and Luke 11 texts, we learn that we do not have to trick God into giving us good things. Through careful study of these texts, we will learn the exceedingly simple way we are to approach God in prayer for the things we want and need.
Baptism is one of the greatest gifts God has given us. Though baptism is a one-time event, it’s important for us to remember our baptism daily. In this sermon, we discuss baptism and why it is important for us to remember it daily. Scriptures referenced: Matthew 28:18-21; Acts 2:36-41; Acts 22:12-16; Romans 6:1-4; Romans 6:23; Galatians 3:27-29.
We continue our journey through Luther’s Small Catechism and we arrive toward the end of the Lord’s Prayer with the following petitions: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” This is a big, huge, intense prayer tucked right inside a prayer we speak on autopilot every week in worship and perhaps every day in our homes. It is not fun to ponder the existence of evil…or the Evil One himself. How can we stand up to temptation? What does God do about evil? Pastor Smith explores these biblical themes in this sermon, shares what God does in response to temptation and evil, and encourages us to pray even more fervently for Jesus to return to once and for all deliver us from evil.
Often when we think about our salvation, we think about Jesus, and rightly so! It is at the name of Jesus that we are saved. It is by the wounds of Jesus we are healed. But the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in connecting us, in faith, to what Jesus has done for us. Join us as we continue our journey through the Catechism this week, focusing on the third article of the Creed- the Holy Spirit.
As we begin our series preaching/reading through Luther’s Small Catechism during Lent, Pastor Smith starts us off with the 10 Commandments–specifically the “First Table” of the Law, dealing with our relationship with God. We hear the will of God for our life, partially expressed in the 10 Commandments. And because we are sinners and saints at the same time, we have a “love/hate” relationship with God’s revealed Law. We will explore the different uses of God’s Law in our lives, as well as how our relationship with God ultimately affects our relationship with our neighbor. And we will learn why God’s Law is a blessing for us to love and cherish!
A common concern among Christians is that the Bible might be unreliable. We get concerned because our entire future hope is based on the message of salvation the Bible teaches us! And the world has some favorite arguments that it puts forward to shake our trust in the authority and truth of the Bible. Join Pastor Smith this week as we explore some of these biggest concerns. We will learn some ways to better understand how we got the Bible, how to respond to some of the world’s most popular claims against the Bible, and ultimately and most importantly, we will grow in our confidence that God has preserved His truth and presented it to us in His Word.
There are situations we face in life where there isn’t a clear “better choice,” how should the Christian decide? Pastor Josh discusses the freedom in Christ we have to make decisions, but also the responsibility we have to care for our neighbors. Scriptures referenced: 1 Corinthians 10:23-24; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Matthew 16:24; Romans 2:15.
Last week Pastor Josh discussed what Christians believe about death, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. This week, Pastor Smith responds to the question of how anyone receives that gift of life everlasting. Join him as he takes us through the teaching on which the Christian church stands or falls–justification by grace through faith. Can I really be saved by faith alone? Really??? Let’s search through the Scriptures to see the fullness of the Gospel and the promises of God in Christ Jesus.
As humans, we have a lot of questions about and fear death. What happens to us after death? Pastor Josh looks at what the Bible tells us about why we die, what happens when we die, and what happens on the last day when Jesus returns. Scriptures referenced: Genesis 1:21-26; Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:19; John 10:10; 1 Thessalonians 4; Philippians 1:23-24.
In the first week of our “Ask Me Anything” sermon series, Pastor Smith tackles how Christians can be faithful even in difficult situations regarding forgiveness and reconciliation. Jesus gives us essential teaching in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21-35), and St. Paul also gives us helpful exhortation in Romans 12:9-21. We know we are called to forgive just as God in Christ has forgiven us. But what about when the other person isn’t sorry or won’t try to reconcile? How can I find peace? How can I avoid harboring hatred and bitterness? Join Pastor Smith as we turn to God’s Word for wisdom and guidance.
In this Christmas Day message, Pastor David Buegler teaches on Isaiah’s prophecy about the coming Messiah and the fulfillment in John’s Gospel. God became man to redeem us from the fall. The profundity of God taking on flesh, living in our midst, and atoning for our sins is unmeasurable. The fact that He rose from the dead is more wonderful than we can express.
In the fourth and final week of our “Songs of Salvation” series, Pastor Smith reflects upon one of the greatest Christmas songs (and his own personal favorite), “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” Pastor leads us to reflect upon this question– “What would make even the angels sing the praises of God?” We learn that the angels are also amazed and overjoyed to see God fulfilling His plan for the salvation of the world, as in the incarnation God becomes man to set us free from our sins…and this makes the angels sing “Glory to God in the highest!”
Joy to the World is a song about the coming of Christ. It is a joyful celebration of what He has done and is doing to redeem us. This song is about the promise and hope of our Savior’s coming. Pastor Buegler's sermon on the 3rd Sunday of Advent focuses our attention on the Joy of Christ’s atoning work!
In week 2 of our “Songs of Salvation” series, Pastor Smith reflects upon the powerful Advent song “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.” We take a journey through the history of God’s people as they have waited for God to redeem and restore His broken world. We learn about God’s promises kept in the first coming of Jesus…and we continue to wait in hopeful expectation of Jesus’s second coming.
Our beloved Christmas songs have deep scriptural connections and are filled with rich theology. As we reflect on “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” we see the hope for God’s people who waited for their Messiah, as well as our hope as we wait for the second coming of Jesus. This advent sermon is based upon Isaiah 11:1-11 and Matthew 1:18-25.
