Category: Sermons
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Christians Abide in His Word (John 8:31-36)
Reformation Sunday + October 30, 2016 Text: John 8:31-36 Celebrating the Reformation is an exciting time in the Lutheran Church. Next year for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, we really get to go all out. But it’s important to double check that our excitement is more about being “Church” than it is about being…
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Naked Sinners Clothed by a Gracious God (Luke 18:9-17)
Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost + October 23, 2016 Text: Luke 18:9-17 In the age of social media, exhibitionism is at an all-time high. People are sharing everything from their child’s first steps to what they had for dinner. This has invited friends and acquaintances to “like” and comment their way into previously private moments. …
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Praying in God's Faithfulness (Luke 18:1-8)
Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost + October 16, 2016 Text: Luke 18:1-8 There’s a lot of material out there about prayer. And most of it is misguided. In much of what we hear about prayer, we’re led to believe that if we get down on our knees enough, or with just the right heart, or…
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God's Blessings Come Through the Cross (Luke 17:11-19)
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost + October 9, 2016 Text: Luke 17:11-19 Today’s Gospel tells us of one of the many healings which Jesus did. The recipients were ten men of Jewish descent. We know this because Jesus directs them to show themselves to the priest in Jerusalem.[1] As people with a Jewish background, they…
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Protecting the Faith of Little Ones (Luke 17:1-10)
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost + October 2, 2016 Text: Luke 17:1-6 (p. 876 in pew Bible) When you first hear this passage in Luke 17, it may seem like a cobbling together of different teachings of Jesus. In fact, this is the capstone of Jesus’ teaching from the beginning of chapter 15, alternating between…
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Longing for the Riches of Heaven (Luke 16:19-31)
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost + September 25, 2016 Text: Luke 16:19-31 When you’re a kid you can’t wait until your birthday—when I’m 7, I’ll get to… For adults that still happens, except that we’re not looking forward to being another year older. We look forward to vacations, getting a raise, or buying a house. …
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Freed to Serve with Eternal Riches (Luke 16:1-15)
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost + September 18, 2016 Text: Luke 16:1-9 Some parables which our Lord tells are easier to understand than others. Take last Sunday’s about the Shepherd looking for His lost sheep. It’s easy to identify as the sheep who Jesus takes up on His shoulders and carries home rejoicing. Then there’s…
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Only God Can Judge and Save (Luke 15:1-10)
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost + September 11, 2016 Text: Luke 15:1-10 Most people think that Christians condemn sins like abortion, fornication, homosexuality, and divorce. After all, it’s people who identify as Christians who hold the picket signs outside Planned Parenthood, and it’s people who call themselves Christians who shun a woman after a divorce…
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Onesimus: A Portrait (Philemon 1-21)
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost + September 4, 2016 Text: Philemon 1-21 The story of Philemon and his slave, Onesimus is one of redemption. Cultural background: slavery is integral to households in the Roman world. Masters, even though they owned their household servants, were responsible for their wellbeing. In turn, slaves served their masters in…
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Beauty Runs Faith Deep (Luke 14:1-14)
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost + August 28, 2016 Text: Luke 14:1-14 As you stand in the checkout line, what sort of people look back at you from magazine covers? Pretty people having fun. We’re drawn to youth, health, and say that these are what makes someone beautiful. In the Gospel reading today, we…