Sermons
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The Need For Followership — September 1- October 20
“We need better leadership!” Have you ever said that? You knew that no matter how many resources an organization has, it will flounder if leaders do not lead well. Leadership is extremely important.
Jesus Christ is the leader of our congregation, our home, our lives. And his leadership is perfect in every way. Therefore, when things are amiss in any of those arenas, what is needed is not better leadership, but better followership. In this series, we ask Christ to empower us with his Spirit so that we might better follow his lead. Our worship follows this path:
- Sept 1 – Followers of Christ Obey His Law from the Heart
- Sept 8 – Followers of Christ See the True Purpose of His Power
- Sept 15 – Followers of Christ Are Armed for Battle
- Sept 22 – Followers of Christ Are Humble Servants
- Sept 29 – Followers of Christ Have Powerful Allies
- Oct 6 – Followers of Christ Know How to Love Their Families
- Oct 13 – Followers of Christ Maintain Proper Priorities
- Oct 20 – Followers of Christ Make Selfless Sacrifices
I Am The Bread Of Life — August 11-25
Bread is a staple food. Scripture will sometimes refer to bread and water as all one needs to sustain physical life. What is Jesus saying when he calls himself “the bread of life”? Why would people would abandon Jesus for saying such? Are we ever tempted to do the same? These and other questions we will ponder in this series. Our worship will follow this path_: I Am the Bread of Life…
- August 11-12 – …Spiritual Food for Those Focused on the Earthly
- August 18-19 – …the Bread that Gives Wisdom and Life
- August 25-26 – …the Only Food We Really Need
Meaningful Ministry — July 21 – August 4
“Ministry” is one of those churchy words that is often used, yet perhaps not fully understood. Ministry comes from the Latin word for “service.” Ministry involves serving others with love, compassion, and empathy. Helping someone with physical needs is sometimes called “compassion ministry.” Helping someone with their spiritual needs, sharing the good news of Christ, is generally called “gospel ministry.” We misunderstand ministry if we think of it as something only ministers do. While pastors are called to perform gospel ministry on behalf of others, ultimately every believer is called by God to reflect Christ-like love and share the message of salvation as God provides those opportunities.
In this worship series we will see our efforts to meet the needs of those God brings into our sphere of influence as meaningful ministry. In our service to them, those people see God’s love and God sees our faith.
- July 21 – Jesus Models a Compassionate Shepherd’s Heart
- July 28 – God Meets Our Needs to Meet Others’ Needs
- August 4 – Fear Not, for the Lord Is with You
Spiritual Warefare — June 2 – July 14
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). We don’t always remember this. We often only consider the enemies we can see and hear—those in this world with us. But the enemy behind all our enemies is hidden, and cunning, and wicked. How do we take our stand against such enemies—seen or unseen? That is the focus of this series as we are reminded how to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10)!
- June 2-3 – The Preparation for Battle
- June 9-10 – Know the Enemy’s Method
- June 16-17 – The Battle Outside the Church: Trial of Faith
- June 23-24 – The Battle Within the Church: False Teachings
- June 30-July 1 – The Battle Within My Heart
- July 7-8 – Our Offensive Weapon: The Word of God
- July 14-15 Call-In Support: Prayer
The Trinity — May 26
Scripture teaches that there is only one God. Yet that God exists as three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Incomprehensible! It is the type of teaching about which the psalmist declares, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain” (Psalm 139:6). We believe in the Triune God without fully comprehending his existence, simply because the Spirit has given us the gift of faith. Our belief in the triune God came from the top down.
Not only is the concept of the Trinity itself something unique to the Christian faith, but what the triune God does for us and offers us is also completely unique. Our triune God invites us into the blessed relationship that is part of his very nature. The members of the Trinity share with us an intimacy that they have enjoyed with each other from eternity. Our triune God makes us not servants or subjects but blessed members of his family.
Resurrection Reality — March 31-May 19
Easter is not just a holiday. Easter is history. If Christ remained dead, he is a fraud and failure. But Christ has indeed been raised. The reality of the resurrection does not just change our future, but the way we look at life now.
- 3/31 (Festival) – All Will Be Made Alive
- 4/7 – The Living Lord Gives Proof and Peace
- 4/14 – We Have a Meaningful Message to Share
- 4/21 – The Risen Savior Provides Good Shepherding
- 4/28 – The Living Lord Produces Active Faith (Youth Confirmation, 10:30)
- 5/5 – Jesus’ Business Is Love; Therefore, So Is Ours
- 5/9 (Ascension) – Christ’s Ascension Means His Is Closer than Ever
- 5/12 – We Will Overcome this Broken World
- 5/19 (Pentecost) – Christ Has Not Left Us Alone
God on Trial — March 28 and 29
The unbelieving world has always insisted on putting God on trial. This series takes us back to the moments when God was literally on trial before men in the person of Christ. In these inspired episodes, we find forgiveness for us and all people, love for our enemies, strength for our faith, and courage to testify to the truth.
- Mar 28 (Holy Thursday) – Respite
- Mar 29 (Good Friday) – Evidence
Rethinking Religion — February 18-March 24
Everyone has assumptions about God. Likewise, everyone has assumptions about religion. Increasingly, those assumptions are negative. Americans are walking away from Christianity in breathtaking numbers. It raises the question. How do those people know if their assumptions about religion are correct? Do they really understand Christianity at all? Do we? Do we truly understand this religion?
In the season of Lent, as much as any other, Jesus teaches things that turn the world’s assumptions about religion completely upside down. We call it “Christianity.” So, in this holy season, let us go straight to Christ and let him replace assumptions with truth. Jesus, help us to rethink religion!
- Feb 18 – Rethinking Trials, Tests, and Temptations
- Feb 25 – Rethinking Suffering under the Cross
- Mar 4 – Rethinking the Worth of Worship
- Mar 10 – Rethinking the Solution to Sin
- Mar 17 – Rethinking Devoted Commitment
- Mar 24 (Palm Sunday) – Rethinking Real Strength
Epiphany Series – From the River to the Mountains — January 7-February 12
“Epiphany” comes from a Greek word that means “reveal.” Today, if someone says, “I had an epiphany,” he means he had some extremely important, life-changing revelation. Within the Church Year, that is the purpose of the season of Epiphany—to reveal important truths about Jesus Christ, truths that will indeed change your life.
For most of his adult life, Jesus was known simply as Mary’s son. He followed his adoptive father, Joseph, into the carpentry business. People in his hometown of Nazareth probably thought of Jesus as a very nice man—hardworking, honest, a role model for others. (That is still how many think of Jesus today.) But around the age of thirty, the fuller truth about Jesus began to be revealed: his person, his power, his purpose. It started with Jesus standing in a river with John the Baptist. The biggest epiphany took place at a mountain, where select followers saw Jesus shining brighter than the sun. All these epiphanies—all these revelations about Jesus—changed the lives of everyone around him. In this season of Epiphany, as we follow Jesus from the river to the mountain, may they change us too.
- Jan. 7-8 – Baptism of Our Lord
- Jan. 14-15 – Sanctity of Life Worship: Defenders
- Jan. 21-22 – Committed to a Lofty Charge
- Jan. 28-29 – Absolute Authority
- Feb. 4-5 – The Devil’s Work Undone
- Feb. 11-12 – Transfiguration: A Glimpse of his True Glory
The King Shall Come — December 3-24
Advent means “coming.” When someone is coming over, what do you do? It depends on who is coming and why, but the more important the person and reason, the more work to be done to prepare!
So, is Advent a big deal? It depends on who is coming and why. In this worship series, we answer those questions. We see that the King shall come. We see why the King came on that first Christmas and why he shall come again on judgment day. In this season, we also cherish the way our King comes to us today in Word and sacrament, establishing his reign in our hearts.
- Dec. 3 – He Is Coming to Save Us
- Dec. 10 – Prepare to Meet Him
- Dec. 17 – He Is Bringing Perfect Joy (WSP: Children’s Service)
- Dec. 24 – Just as God Promised
The Time In Between — October 29 – November 26
In the great timeline of human history, there are only two ultimately significant points: the first time Christ came to our world to win salvation by his life, death, and resurrection; and the second time Christ will come to consummate his everlasting kingdom. We live in the time in between those two points. It is a time of tension. We know that peace and perfection are ours already because of what Jesus did the first time he came. Yet we do not enjoy a peaceful and perfect existence now already. We will not know such a life until Christ comes again. And so, we wait and watch, living in the time in between. As the church year draws to a close, Scripture points us toward the end of time when Christ will come again. Until then Christ teaches us how to live in the time in between.
- A Time for Steadfast Faith
- A Time to Focus on Future Glory
- A Time for Watchfulness
- A Time for Faithful Service
- A Time to Yearn for the End
Godly Government — October 22
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established” (Romans 13:1). Note the absolute language: no authority. None. Stated positively, every government and all government authority figures have power only because God gave it to them. Therefore, as citizens of the United States, we don’t support the government because those we voted for were elected or because we approve of the current tax policy or even because freedom of religion is enshrined in the First Amendment. We support our government simply because it was instituted by God. Jesus himself taught that we owe respect and obedience to our government, even when it doesn’t align with our political preferences.
Christians sometimes struggle with this. We see that government and rulers can be evil. Certainly, if government asks us to sin, “we must obey God rather than human beings” (Acts 5:29). But the existence of corrupt government and evil rulers does not negate what Scripture says to be true. “There is no authority except that which God has established.” Therefore, when we talk about “godly government” we are not saying that the only legitimate governments are those who do what is perfectly godly. We are confessing our belief that the King of kings is in perfect control of all the governments of this world, and that he works in all things—including tyrants and dictators—for the eternal good of his dear children.
Tell Us A Story — October 1-9
Much of what Jesus has to say to you and me is contained within his parables. Parables are simple little stories that contain profound truths about life and eternity. For the believer, a parable takes a challenging spiritual fact and makes it clear. However, since the parable conveys spiritual truth, for someone without faith, the story remains only that—a story. Therefore, our prayer for this worship series is that Christ would send us his Holy Spirit, so that we might receive the peace and power Jesus offers us in his parables. Tell us a story, Jesus!
- October 1-2 – A Story of Perplexing Generosity
- October 8-9 – A Story of Spiritual Insincerity
Holy Ministry — September 17-25
“Ministry” simply means “service.” Throughout history, God has called individuals to serve God’s people by sharing God’s Word. Many today feel they do not need to be part of a church, do not need Christian preaching and teaching. Well, if that is true, then why does Jesus’ bother to keep calling ministers to share his gospel? Clearly, Jesus himself believes ministry is necessary. He knows what we need better than we do. We call it “holy ministry” for two reasons: (1) the Holy Spirit unleashes his power through his Word spoken by ministers, and (2) through gospel ministry our faith is sustained, which is what makes us holy in God’s eyes.
- September 17-18 – The Holy Ministry Is Filled with Sinners Called by God
- September 24-25 – The Holy Ministry Preaches Christ Despite Persecution
