Jesus came to save sinners. You are a sinner. Your neighbor is a sinner. Your pastor is a sinner. Everyone in the world is a sinner. Even the people you dislike need to hear God’s word of forgiveness. In this sermon based on Matthew 9:9-13, we will look at how Jesus humbles us, showing us we are no better than anyone else, and how we also have been given the same forgiveness as everyone else.
The Triune nature of God is a doctrine unique to Christianity. There is nothing like it in any other religion. It is essential to Christianity for several reasons, not the least of which is that Scripture reveals that there is one God while simultaneously referring to each of the three members of the Trinity as God. Our God is a relational God, eternally existing in relationship with Himself. Pastor Smith teaches us about the Trinity in Genesis 1:1-2:4a, Acts 2:14a, 22-36, and Matthew 28:16-20. While the doctrine of the Trinity is not fully understandable to us and is thus a mystery, it is rational and true.
As we read through the book of Acts during this Easter season, we see God putting people into positions to give of their time, talents, and treasures to support the work of His kingdom. We will reflect upon people like Matthias, the newly-elected twelfth apostle, who may feel overwhelmed at the prospect of serving in a new way. How do we feel when God puts it on our hearts to give of ourselves to do His work and serve others? What stands in our way? What would help us take the first step?
“Jesus Juke” is based on Acts 17:16-31, 1 Peter 3:13-22, John 14:15-21. As Paul arrives in Athens (Acts 17), he sees it is filled with idols. Rather than condemning them or abruptly shifting the conversation to Jesus, he uses it as a bridge to talk about what he’s observed and heard there in Athens. We learn from Paul to not “Jesus juke” a conversation, but rather, make real connections to Jesus.
As we continue our focus on how we can “join Jesus on His mission,” we reflect this week on how the mission of Jesus is to bring His kingdom into this world. But what does the kingdom look like? For those who follow Jesus already, it will look like Christian community, hearing God’s Word, the fruit of the Spirit being evident, etc. But for those who don’t follow Jesus, the kingdom of God will usually look like human need. How does Jesus respond to the needs of humans who are not in a faith relationship with Him? How can we join Jesus in what He is already doing in their lives?
Sermon Summary: Romans 10:9-15 and John 1:1-14. The layout of and attitude towards the Church in North America has worsened over the decades, and now, you can no longer presume anyone is a Christian. We begin a 4 week sermon series based around the book, “Joining Jesus on his Mission.” In doing so, we hope to help each of us see how we are missionaries in our everyday lives.
Christ is risen! (He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!) On Good Friday, we considered the final words of Jesus, and what we could learn from the words Jesus chose to speak as He suffered and died on the cross. Here on Easter Sunday, we are turning to the first words of Jesus to see what else we can learn! First words are critical. They can set the tone and communicate what is most important. What can we learn from the first words Jesus uses to begin His ministry? And what can we learn from the first words Jesus speaks after His resurrection? We learn that Jesus has completed His mission, and now He invites us to join Him in the mission to make disciples by calling others to repent and believe the Gospel.
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!
