First Sunday of Advent (November 28, 2021)

Christ came once as a tiny babe on that first Christmas. He came to prepare for us a place in heaven. He will come again, though. When he returns he will take those who are his to the place prepared for them! Are you prepared to go with him?

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First Midweek Advent Service (December 1, 2021)

Exodus 3:1-8 Jesus has always been concerned about his people. Jesus has always taken personal action for his people. Jesus has always been their rescuer. He has always guided them to himself to keep the promise alive of their rescue. Since the first time the Father promised him to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, he told his Father, “I will do it.” So much so that he was willing to live among the likes of you and me.

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Second Sunday of Advent (December 5, 2021)

Luke 3:3-6 John's message of preparation was one of baptism and repentance. . . for forgiveness. It was a message of recognition, recognizing your sin and need for help. Recognizing that your readiness is not based on what God expects from you but what you are waiting on from him. Are you prepared? Quite honestly, there's nothing much you can do for it. . . but he has prepared everything. You just have to wait. You just have anticipate. You just have to rejoice and look up to see your final salvation coming from God! He's made you ready!

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Second Midweek Advent Service (December 8, 2021)

Judges 2:1-5 As we continue to look at the pre-incarnate Christ during our Wednesday Advent services, we'll see in Judges 2 a wonderful trait. Though the Israelites continued to break God's commands and disobey him, the Angel of the Lord told them he would never break his covenant with them. We disobey all the time, too. Why would Jesus ever want to come down to live with us and save us? Because he made a covenant with us. And he is a covenant God. He will never break it.

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Third Sunday of Advent (December 12, 2021)

Luke 3:7-18 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, " You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance."

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Children's and Participating Christmas Service (December 19, 2021)

What is his name?

Christmas Eve: What Child Is This? (December 24, 2021)

A baby is born every 12 seconds. That’s 140 million babies born each year. Yet there is something that sets this child apart from all others. It is not simply his humble beginnings, with a cattle trough as his first cradle. It is not just the miraculous nature of his birth, his mother being a virgin. There is so much more. This child is the only hope we have for peace and a future. This child can wipe away every tear, drive away every fear. Here is the truth of Christmas. With this child, you lack nothing. Without him, you have nothing. Let us use this season of Christmas to answer this most important question: WHAT CHILD IS THIS?

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First Sunday after Christmas (December 26, 2021)

Luke 2: 41-52 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”

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First Sunday after Epiphany—The Baptism of our Lord (January 9, 2022)

Jesus came to John to get baptized like everyone else. But the heavenly Father used this day and Jesus’ baptism to take the ordinary looking Jesus and who him to the world as extraordinary! Jesus’ baptism started out like everyone else’s, but it would end with a much greater announcement! Also on this day, we see something else that appears fairly ordinary become extraordinary--your baptism! As Jesus lowers himself to be in solidarity with us in his baptism, God gives his approval of baptism to now allow us to be received into solidarity with him through faith after he came to our level! You were no different than any other human being that walked this earth. You were filled with the filth of sin and dead, not even knowing it. You were as sinfully ordinary as everyone else. But you were made extraordinary when that water ran over your head and the Word of God created a new heart and the Holy Spirit grew faith in you! You are extraordinary!

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Second Sunday after Epiphany (January 16, 2022)

See when it comes to life, at some point there is never enough “wine”. But Jesus is there to help. And one day, Jesus will take us to where our “wine” will never run out again.

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Third Sunday after Epiphany (January 23, 2022)

True devotion often comes at a cost. That’s not to say that sometimes it can be easier than other times. But someone can say they are devoted to something pretty easily when the cost is minimal and the labor light. True devotion’s colors can be seen when the stakes are high, when the tension is heavy, and there is a lot of opposition. Jesus shows true devotion to the lost and wandering and to the fulfillment of his Father’s cause as he faces opposition from even his own people, even his own hometown. Jesus continues this work though he comes and presents his gospel to a world whose natural reaction is to listen not with faith, but to let their sinful nature rule. Naturally this world is hostile to God and wants nothing to do with him. He offers good news and they can’t accept it. He offers freedom and they choose captivity to sin. He offers grace and they don’t believe it. Even his own people at times have trouble believing his message and demands signs or reason away what he says to be true. But as in Luke, Jesus continues his ministry. Even against opposition, so that you can know his grace and favor. Click here to open and follow along with this service’s worship folder.

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany (January 30, 2022)

When Jesus calls his disciples today to be fishermen of a new kind, to be fishers of men, we see him look at Peter. And Jesus looks at Peter and he sees something. You know what he sees? Nothing. He sees a sinner. He sees someone who rightly acknowledges that he has no place with Jesus. Yet Jesus calls him anyway. Peter and the other disciples and even us, they and we don’t have anything that should qualify us to work for Jesus, but he calls us anyway. Why?

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Fifth Sunday after Epiphany (February 6, 2022)

Sometimes, there will be that person at whom someone powerful looks and sees something. They see some sort of talent that can be harnessed, some sort of potential to be someone great and can become just like they are. Powerful people are willing to take a gamble on people like that. They’ll take them as a disciple and teach them all they know. They’ll shape and mold them. They’ll maybe pay for some schooling of some sort to excel forward what is already beginning to shine through. They hate to see such a spark go to waste when they could become the next big thing. Especially when their rise was the same way. When Jesus calls his disciples today to be fishermen of a new kind, to be fishers of men, we see him look at Peter. And Jesus looks at Peter and he sees something. You know what he sees? Nothing. He sees a sinner. He sees someone who rightly acknowledges that he has no place with Jesus. Yet Jesus calls him anyway. Peter and the other disciples and even us, they and we don’t have anything that should qualify us to work for Jesus, but he calls us anyway. Why?

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Sixth Sunday after Epiphany (February 13, 2022)

Are you happy? I mean really, truly, with all your life and as things are happy? For some people that might take some thinking. They maybe want to take an inventory of their lives and think about what it is that truly would or does make them happy. Those who put their joy in earthly things and put in so many hours and so much sweat and blood into what will make them happy now, their things are on their way out. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but when Christ returns they’ll mean nothing. Your good things are only just beginning. Just wait until you see your reward in heaven in full. You’ll forget the way things were in this world. You’ll be overtaken with joy at finally seeing that for which Christ has won you.

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Transfiguration (February 27, 2022)

God made a big show of his presence and glory at Mt. Sinai and they were afraid. He makes a great show his glory here on the Mt. of Transfiguration, but, especially just before Lent, doesn’t it bring expectation? This show is not to show the seriousness of our sin. The show of glory on the Mt. of Transfiguration is to show the seriousness of his grace.

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Ash Wednesday (March 2, 2022)

Lent is about repentance. It’s about seeing how utterly wrong and unable we are to keep God’s commands. But the more we emphasize our failure, the more the emphasis on Jesus’ ability just grows. During this Lenten season, see how Jesus kept all of God’s commands for you.

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First Sunday in Lent (March 6, 2022)

Champion warfare. Usually a concept found in myths or poetry at a very climactic point. Each side would pick the greatest soldier from among them to fight in one great battle, one-on-one. We have an epic battle before us this week in Luke. One champion, the champion of evil and demons, the devil. The other, sent by God himself for the side of humanity: Jesus Christ. The battle Jesus came to fight is done and over and he came out the other side victorious, glorious at his resurrection. And now you too have won. The devil cannot touch you with Christ before you on the field. When we see the cross of Christ, we see an object of torture and wrath but are reminded of the torture and wrath taken of an innocent man that we might be innocent and have the kingdom of God as our inheritance forever!

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Second Midweek Lent Worship (March 9, 2022)

The Semblance of Legality—Luke 22:66

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Second Sunday in lent (March 13, 2022)

All Jesus could think of was protecting his people. He knew the dangers that waited ahead. He knew what was waiting for him when he finally made it to Jerusalem. He knew it would hurt. He knew he was going to die. But he went. Because all he could think about was saving his people. Yes, even those who killed the prophets from God in the past. Yes, even those who hated and didn't want Jesus in his day. Yes, even those who despise him today. Yes, to save us.

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Third Midweek Lent Worship (March 16, 2022)

They Bound Him—John 18:12

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Third Sunday in Lent (March 20, 2022)

When Jesus' listeners tried to demonstrate that they understand how serious sin is, Jesus shows them they don't understand how God deals with sin. They thought they saw God punish sin in this world, and the worse you are the worse your life is. But Jesus makes it pretty clear that these kinds of things don't happen as direct judgment from God because of some horrible sins they must have committed. From his response this is, however, what his listeners thought. They mistook direct consequences from God against the sinful for the consequences of living in a sinful world. Jesus wanted to draw their attention away from the severity of someone else’s sin compared to theirs to the severity of sin itself to lead them to true repentance that they might be saved.

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Fifth Sunday in Lent (April 3, 2022)

The rejection of the religious leaders is a danger we also must watch out for in ourselves. God is patient with us. He sends messengers with his Word to warn us that we cannot stand that way. They call us to give to God the fruits he is looking for: repentance and glad obedience and service. But the end of that will come. If we don’t listen, we too are casting aside the Son of God. And we can’t get away with it. That cornerstone in the end will crush and dash us to pieces just as easily if we don’t repent. We, too, can lose it all, being the choicest vines and part of his vineyard and the right to join him in heaven. Instead of rejecting the need for God’s Son, repent. Instead of throwing him out, build on him! While others reject him, he is our cornerstone! When we look to the cornerstone rejected by self-righteous and sinful man, we become straight, solid, going in the right direction. Christ builds you stronger before God and ready for the coming judgment!

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Sixth Sunday in Lent—Palm Sunday (April 10, 2022)

Nothing about Jesus seemed kingly that day. He was led by commoners, not soldiers. He rode in on a donkey (on a colt of a donkey, not even a full grown beast of burden!). He had no weapons as he marched to battle. He marched into a city where he knew he'd be in danger. What kind of king is that?

He could have come as a king of power and with armies of angels and with prestige. But he came humbly and righteous. It may look deceiving, but Jesus came not as any earthly king because he wasn't like any earthly king. He didn’t come to battle for himself but everyone else. He came as the Savior King that we need who would rule in righteousness for us! He came to fulfill all righteousness and rule in righteousness as his reward and ours!

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Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (July 31, 2022)

Are you happy? If so, why? This world has a lot of things that can make us feel happy. But only for a while. Eventually, we all lose everything in this world. Eventually, we are all going to leave this world and everything you have that you think makes you happy goes to other people anyway. You might think that’s good reason to live it up now because eventually you won’t have it. But there’s more to think of because there is more to this life than possessions. Our identity is in Jesus. That’s where our happiness and joy come from. This is what we live for. We can enjoy what God has blessed us with, but we can’t get lost in them. Instead, let us get rich toward God and get lost in the joy of his gospel message for us! For you!

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