Category: Sermons
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Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 14A) Readings: Job 38:4-18 | Romans 10:5-17 | Matthew 14:22-33 Text: Romans 10:5-17 In the remainder of Romans 9 (Rom. 9:14-33), Paul cites three examples of hardened human hearts: First, Jacob’s own fraternal twin brother, Esau. For him, everything was the same in terms of parentage, upbringing, environment. Isaac handed down the same word of Promise…
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Tenth Sunday after Pentecost Readings: Isaiah 55:1-5 | Romans 9:1-13 | Matthew 14:13-21 Text: Romans 9:1-13 The Gradual that we’ve been singing in between the Old Testament reading and Epistle for several weeks comes from the conclusion of St. Paul’s inspired treatise on election in Romans 9 through 11: “33Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge…
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Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 12A) Readings: Deuteronomy 7:6-9 | Romans 8:28-39 | Matthew 13:44-52 Text: Deuteronomy 7:6-9 When it’s discovered that two people are different, people as young as small children notice and begin asking, “How are they different?” “Why are they different?” “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” “If it’s a good thing, then can I…
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Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 11A) Readings: Isaiah 44:6–8 | Romans 8:18-27 | Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Text: Romans 8:18-27 Two people can look at exactly the same thing and come to vastly different conclusions, because of the assumptions they have. Anybody can look at the world we live in and realize that it’s messed up. Violence in the streets, increasing dissension…
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Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 10A) Readings: Isaiah 44:6–8 | Romans 8:18-27 | Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Text: Isaiah 55:10-13; Matthew 13:18-23 Sometimes Lutheran Christians are asked about election, in terms of which camp of the Reformation they fit into—Calvinist or Armenian. In case you haven’t heard of these terms, I’ll explain briefly: The Calvinist or Reformed opinion, represented by followers of…
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Sixth Sunday after Trinity (Proper 9A) Baptism of Baby Girl Grohn Readings: Zechariah 9:9-12 | Romans 7:14-25a | Matthew 11:25-30 Text: Matthew 11:25-30 The question is sometimes asked: What’s the difference between Israel of old and the Christian Church? More to the point, what happened to Israel and all the things God promised them? After all, God made a promise to…
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Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 8A) Readings: Jeremiah 28:5-9 | Romans 7:1-13 | Matthew 10:34-42 Text: Matthew 10:34-42 Jesus tells us in the Gospel today that He brings three things to those who follow Him: a sword, a cross, and a life. This is in the context of what Jesus told his apostles before sending them out, and those instructions and…
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Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 7A) Readings: Jeremiah 20:7-13 | Romans 6:12-23 | Matthew 10:5a, 21-33 Text: Romans 6:12-23 “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” These words are spoken during the Imposition of Ashes at the Ash Wednesday Divine Service as Lent begins. The words are drawn from Genesis 3:19 in which God said to Adam, “By…
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Third Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 6A) Readings: Exodus 19:2-8 | Romans 5:6-15 | Matthew 9:35-10:8 Text: Matthew 9:35-10:8 Three Sundays ago, we celebrated Pentecost—the day on which God sent the Holy Spirit upon the Eleven who then preached faith to three thousand souls. The purpose of the Pentecost season of the Church year is to continue in that theme of the…
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Second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 5A) Readings: Hosea 5:15-6:6 | Romans 4:13-25 | Matthew 9:9-13 Text: Matthew 9:9-13 Main message: The call of the Apostle/Evangelist Matthew; Matthew throws a feast and invites tax collectors and sinners. This offends Pharisees, to which Jesus points out that these are the very ones in need of a “physician” because they recognize the illness of…