Social media enables a person to closely follow topics that are interesting or important to them, engage in discussions on those topics, and read related content. With just the click of a button, we can “follow” interesting people or important topics and get pertinent updates. Did you know, though, that even if you aren’t on any social media platform, we still “followers”? You and I “follow” Christ. As a follower of Christ, we want to closely follow what Jesus says and does, engaging in discussion about him and reading related materials to gain wisdom for life and grow in faith. Over the next several weeks, join us as we “follow” Jesus through the Gospel of Mark and you will hear from our Savior important truths that will guide you, encourage you, and strengthen you in your journey though life. Today, we learn how as followers of Jesus, we look to Jesus in the storms of life.
Following: Followers of Jesus - Grow in God's Word
Social media enables a person to closely follow topics that are interesting or important to them, engage in discussions on those topics, and read related content. With just the click of a button, we can “follow” interesting people or important topics and get pertinent updates. Did you know, though, that even if you aren’t on any social media platform, we still “followers”? You and I “follow” Christ. As a follower of Christ, we want to closely follow what Jesus says and does, engaging in discussion about him and reading related materials to gain wisdom for life and grow in faith. Over the next several weeks, join us as we “follow” Jesus through the Gospel of Mark and you will hear from our Savior important truths that will guide you, encourage you, and strengthen you in your journey though life. Today, we learn how as followers of Jesus, we are to be daily growing in God’s Word.
Following: Followers of Jesus - Gather Around God's Word
Social media enables a person to closely follow topics that are interesting or important to them, engage in discussions on those topics, and read related content. With just the click of a button, we can “follow” interesting people or important topics and get pertinent updates. Did you know, though, that even if you aren’t on any social media platform, we still “followers”? You and I “follow” Christ. As a follower of Christ, we want to closely follow what Jesus says and does, engaging in discussion about him and reading related materials to gain wisdom for life and grow in faith. Over the next several weeks, join us as we “follow” Jesus through the Gospel of Mark and you will hear from our Savior important truths that will guide you, encourage you, and strengthen you in your journey though life. Today, we learn how as followers of Jesus, we gather around the Word.
Following: Followers of Jesus - Enjoy Sabbath Rest
Social media enables a person to closely follow topics that are interesting or important to them, engage in discussions on those topics, and read related content. With just the click of a button, we can “follow” interesting people or important topics and get pertinent updates. Did you know, though, that even if you aren’t on any social media platform, we still “followers”? You and I “follow” Christ. As a follower of Christ, we want to closely follow what Jesus says and does, engaging in discussion about him and reading related materials to gain wisdom for life and grow in faith. Over the next several weeks, join us as we “follow” Jesus through the Gospel of Mark and you will hear from our Savior important truths that will guide you, encourage you, and strengthen you in your journey though life. Today, we learn how as followers of Jesus, we enjoy Sabbath REST!
Holy Trinity - First Sunday after Pentecost
Scripture clearly teaches that we have one, undivided God. Scripture also teaches that our God is three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Today we praise our Triune God for his majesty and mystery as our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier.
We worship and adore the Holy Trinity not only because the Trinity is the one, true, and only God, but also because the Trinity is OUR God. Needing nothing and needing no one, all three Persons of the one God have loved us from eternity to eternity and eagerly sought our salvation. God revealed himself to us as the Trinity in Unity, not that we might rationally understand this doctrine, but rather that we might believe it and adore him.
The Coming of the Holy Spirit - The Festival of Pentecost
God unleashes the Holy Spirit to define, confirm, and perpetuate the confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Through God's very Word the Spirit has free course to penetrate and increase the faith life of all Christians, keeping them firmly grounded in Word and Sacrament. This Pentecost Day reveals that the Spirit, even in the midst of catastrophic death and circumstances breathes life, life that is only found in Jesus.
Due to technical difficulties, there is no recording of this morning's sermon.
Because He Lives...We Have the Power to Serve (Easter 7)
Christ has arisen! Christ has ascended! While Jesus has removed his visible presence from us, he has not removed his effective presence from us. He, together with all of his gifts—for he can never be separated either from his Word or its effects—is fully present in the message of the gospel. He effectively and eternally prays for us in heaven, and then in the Word gives us himself and the gifts he has won for us, i.e., he prays for us and gives us what he prays for. Through his Word he preserves us in faith until he takes us out of the world to himself in heaven. He sends us out into the world to give his saving gifts to all those he has chosen to gather to himself by his Word.
Because He Lives... We Live as Christ's Friend (Easter 6)
The Feast of the Ascension is right around the corner. With Christ’s visible presence removed, how will the world see him? It should see him when it sees us. That we would strive to reflect in our lives the love of Christ and his obedience to his Father for us is not optional for the Christian. The branches, to connect with last week’s gospel lesson, bear corresponding fruit of necessity. To spur us on Jesus gives us a new title; he calls us his friends, those with whom he has shared the heart and mind of God! Now we get to look like his friends by the way we are with one another. Love each other!
Because He Lives... We Have a Good Shepherd (Easter 4)
The whole work of Jesus from Christmas to Easter had this in mind, that he should be and remain our Good Shepherd and we should be and remain his sheep. All in all, it’s a bad bargain for the shepherd! Look what happens! Everything is upside down and backwards. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, for whom the whole of creation exists, freely and willingly sacrifices himself for the sheep who add nothing to his own infinite worth. The Father even agrees with that sacrifice. He loves the sheep, it would seem, even more than he loves the Shepherd! For it is his will that the Shepherd become the Good Shepherd in just this way. So much they love the flock!
Because He Lives... We Have Peace (Easter 3)
From Easter Sunday until the Ascension Jesus emphasized in his discourses with the disciples the absolute necessity of the Word. Soon he would remove his visible presence. The closer they are to his Word, the closer they will be to him. He opens the Scriptures so that they finally understand; without that miracle of the effective Word all remains darkness and foolishness. For how impossible everything he promised appears to reason! But with the effective Word, it all becomes both clear and powerful even beyond the creation of faith. We see clearly what our God has done and what he brings… peace. Peace with God that now motivates us to share that peace with the world. Because he died, because he lives, we have peace!
Because He Lives... Easter at Our Savior Lutheran Church
If death was all that we had to look forward to, then we would be miserable indeed. We would have reason to fear that our whole life was in vain and the endurance of every struggle or temptation a wasted effort. If death ends all, why struggle, why sacrifice, why endure opposition and persecution especially from our own flesh in its fight with sins and temptations? But death does not end all. Death, feared by all, has now fallen victim to Christ in his resurrection; he has conquered it for us! Because he lives, we will rise. Because he lives, we will see him as he is. Because he lives, we will spend eternity not in dust but in adoration. That’s why he came. That’s why he died. That’s why we are so glad on this most holy day of days. Therefore do not be afraid of life. Fear death even less. For Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! His life is our life, our death is his death, his resurrection and his heaven are our future!
Good Friday Tenebrae Service: It is Finished
It is the day of contradiction. Everything is the opposite of what it should be. Man lives. God dies. Only John and some women stand nearby, and they are of no help at all. Instead the Sufferer takes care of his friend and his mother. Soldiers, the crowd, and officials of church and state care nothing for the Sufferer. The Sufferer dies for these who caused every bit of his suffering and who on this day made it as shameful and as painful for him as they could. We dare not look. But still, we cannot look away. We are devastated and desolate at the sight of what we have done by our sins. And a wave of relief sweeps over us. Yes, a day of contradiction: we heave a sigh of relief that he whom we love suffers thus, nor would we help him, even if we could! For he suffers instead of us! He suffers for us! He brings it all to a close, our whole salvation, the redemption of sinners, when he declares in agony and in triumph: It is finished!