2015 Sermons - Grace Lutheran Church ELCA

2015 Sermons

These are the sermons from 2015. Visit the sermon index for the latest sermons.

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Fall 2015

Thanksgiving Eve Sermon

Since 1863 the fourth Thursday in November has been designated as a National Day of Thanksgiving in the United States. It is a day for Americans to remember all the blessings God has given us, in both good times and bad, and also to remember the importance for us to give thanks to God for all our Gracious Lord does for us.

prpaulbulgerin11252015.mp3
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The Honor of Service

This week is Christ the King Sunday and also Time and Talents Sunday. Romans 12:3-11 tells us that we should outdo each other in showing honor and loving others. In John 12:20-26, Jesus says that we must lose our life and follow him. Our Lord loves us deeply and Christ died to show us that. Come and hear how God uses our service to show his honor and love in the world that is so full of fear and death- especially after the events of the past week.

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Faith 5 Series

FAITH5 is a simple way for us to practice our faith at home. This Sermon series looks at each one of 5 steps: Share, Read, Talk, Pray, & Bless. It is a simple, easy way for families, friends, and individuals to grow in their devotion and relationship with each other and God. We really hope you will give this a try in your home!

Listen to the Faith 5 Sermon Series

5 Sermons from Oct 18 - Nov 15th

"This Bountiful Gift" - Our Stewardship Message

In my second sermon about our gifts to the Lord I am using the amazing text of 2 Corinthians 8-9, the most important verses in the Bible about giving. The Apostle Paul called upon the ancient Corinthian Christians to be generous and joyful givers who also gave a "bountiful gift" to serve the Lord and to help others. As we prepare to make our faith commitments for 2016 you'll find these 2,000 year old words are as true as ever. In my message this week I talk about the challenge and blessing of giving a "bountiful gift".

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Building the Lord's House

As we begin our two weeks of holding up our financial stewardship for 2016 I am going to talk about the importance of supporting our building program next year and in the future. This building is the Lord's house. It is an important place that serves so many purposes. Our offerings go, in part, to help pay for the construction and upkeep of our church home. I am using the Old Testament story of King Jehoash (2 Kings 12) to help illustrate what we are called to do to support this place as part of our overall ministry at Grace Lutheran.

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Rally Sunday

Pastor Paul, Pastor Heidi, and AIM Ruth kick off the new church year

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Summer 2015

Why do we care for others?

"God's Work Our Hands" Day of Service

prpaulbulgerin09132015.mp3
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Open Minds and Open Hearts

The readings this week are from James 2:1-10 & Mark 7:24-37. They deal with how we treat the poor, the sick, and those that we'd rather not deal with. These are things that Jesus and the Bible as a whole spend a great deal of time on. Come and hear what Jesus did and what he learned- and how we can follow that.

prheidiborkenhagen09062015.mp3
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Bread of Life

Worship is an opportunity to meet again with Jesus, describing himself as the "Bread of Life". What images and memories does "bread" bring to you? For many, it's a most basic food. Maybe you remember the fragrance of fresh bread, or its flavor when warm from the oven, with butter or your favorite sandwich ingredients. People in Jesus' time tucked a small loaf or two of bread in their clothing for a walking journey. An early form of the word "companion" literally meant "with bread". When we bring an inner hunger to worship, Jesus our "Bread of Life" claims that he can satisfy it. Listen to his words. Eat the bread of Holy Communion. This bread satisfies our deepest hunger.

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Greater Things You Were Doing in My Name than Even I have Done

Pastor Robert Berger, a retired ELCA minister, who since 2011 works with the Christian organization Food for the Poor, preaches on God's call for us to care for the poor and needy.

Prior to this he served from 1969 to 1999 Ohio Lutheran congregations in Sandusky and Euclid. From 2000 to 2004 he served in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. In 2004 until April 2011 he served Emmaus Lutheran in Orange City, Florida.

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The Feet of Faith

In the first lesson, God calls Ezekiel in a vision to stand on his feet and listen to God's instructions. The Spirit sets Ezekiel on his feet and he hears God's call to ministry. In Mark's Gospel, it's time for the disciples to go out without their leader, Jesus. They will not have an easy walk so they must put on their sandals. They will not always be welcomed, so they need to be ready to shake the dust from their feet and keep on the move. Are our feet ready to follow the commission Jesus gives us? When the rough paths come, how much do we complain about sore feet? Do we let roadblocks get in our way? In what shape are our Feet of Faith?

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Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

Pastor Paul looks at the book of Job to help answer this question

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The Jesus of Controversy

Lots of people see Jesus as this mild-mannered character who was loved by all because he was such a caring person. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Jesus was one of the most controversial figures who has ever lived. In this week's gospel his enemies accuse him of being possessed by evil spirits and his own family comes to get him and drag him home because people are saying he's crazy. In my sermon this week I am talking about this side of Jesus; why he was so controversial and what his personality teaches us him and about being his disciples.

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Advocates of the Lord

Jesus promised to send us an Advocate in the Holy Spirit. What does it mean to be an advocate, and what does it mean for us to have one? What difference does the Holy Spirit make in our lives? Come and hear stories of real-life Advocates, and consider how we can be Advocates for Jesus.

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Spring 2015

Faith and Doubt

We go through periods of doubt and emptiness. Yet God still sees us and brings life to us through the Spirit. Thomas doubts that Jesus is alive- and Jesus still comes to him. In our baptism, in sharing communion, in hearing God's words, we are made alive again- in the Spirit and in Christ

prheidiborkenhagen05102015.mp3
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This Love Thing

Our connection with Jesus and the love that produces is what Christian faith is all about. In Pastor Paul's sermon he will talk about how we can make this connection strong in real ways as we live out our faith in Jesus Christ.

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God Is Greater

God is greater- than our hearts, than our actions, than our pain, than anything. Jesus tells us about how God's love is greater than anyone else's because, like a good shepherd, God will never abandon us in danger.

The sermon is based on 1 John 3:16-24 and John 10:11-18.

prheidiborkenhagen04262015.mp3
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The Easter Effect

Easter, the most important event in our Christian faith, should not leave us unaffected. We are not to observe Easter and then move on with our lives as if nothing has happened. Easter needs to shape who we are and how we live our lives. Like Doubting Thomas in this week's gospel story from John 20, we need to make our own proclamation of who Jesus is. My message this week talks about the life-changing power of Easter and the effect it needs to have on us 2000 years after it happened.

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Jesus' New Way of Thinking and Acting

"We've Never Done It That Way Before". Too many people live their lives by this motto. It's not a wise way to live. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus challenges us to a new way of thinking and acting based upon his words. This sermon explores what Jesus says and why it's a wise thing to do what he says.

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Who is God?

"Who do you say that I am?" Jesus asks his disciples. This is the question at the heart of our faith. The sermon will look at who the Bible says Jesus is, and who it says Jesus isn't, and also at what we think God is and isn't.

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Sin and Covenant

The word "covenant" means "promise". The Bible is filled with examples of God's covenant promises. These promises are also testimonies to human sinfulness. God would not have needed to make these promises to humanity were it not for human sinfulness. This message focuses on God's covenant to humanity following the flood and also on how Jesus used God's promises to remain strong in the face of temptation. There are important lessons here for us as we sinful humans walk in God's covenant promises.

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Empty or Full?

In 1 Kings 17, God commands Elijah to visit a widow who is down to her last meal. By the grace of God, they eat from her bare supply for many days. In Luke 19, Jesus eats with Zacchaeus, a wealthy (& dishonest) tax collector. The widow had empty cupboards and Zacchaeus had more than enough...but God changed each of their lives. How does knowing God and sharing in the Lord's Supper change our lives?

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The Powerful Word

The Bible declares, "Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12). As Christians we believe in the power of God's word to change lives, instill faith, give guidance and bring hope to people's lives. Using the story of Jonah's very brief sermon, and Jesus' call to the fishermen to follow him, I will talk about how God's word can and does have a powerful impact in your life and mine.

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Skeptical Faith

Many people are skeptical of faith and God. Some dismiss the idea of God existing and others have simply never had faith be a part of their lives. Skepticism is not something new. Both of our Bible lessons this week, from 1 Samuel 3 and John 1, deal with the difficulty of coming to believe God is at work in our lives and in the world. These stories show the quiet, sometimes subversive power of God that steps into people's lives and shakes things up.

prpaulbulgerin01182015.mp3
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The Voice, Water and the Spirit

This weeks message focuses on Jesus' baptism, God's power of creation and how our own baptisms shape our lives and lead us as servants of Jesus Christ. We all had our faith journey begin at the baptismal font. It's important to return there from time to time to remember what baptism means for us.

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