Fall 2019
The Proper Dress Code for the Times |
Advent begins the time of waiting for the Savior's birth. As Christians, we look backwards to that time when God sent Jesus to the earth. The story of Advent begins with John the Baptist. John, whose strange dress, a camel-hair robe and leather belt, imitated the Old Testament prophet Elijah, came to call people to prepare their lives for the coming on the Messiah. In Romans 13, the Apostle Paul calls all Christians to prepare themselves for the coming of God's Kingdom by, as he wrote, putting on the "armor of light". Advent calls for a proper, holy dress code. This idea is at the heart of our sermon on the First Sunday in Advent.
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Thanksgiving Eve |
Give thanks to the Lord for our abundant blessings!
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Where the Rubber Meets and Road - Faithwise |
The first Christians lived believing that Jesus would return very soon. They also lived facing severe persecutions and hardships for believing that Jesus was their Lord and Savior. In Luke 21 Jesus, in the temple courtyards during the last days of his life, told his followers what difficulties they could expect to face due to following him. Yet, in spite of it all, they persevered. Most did not waiver in their dedication to Christ. Our presence, as Christians today, is a testimony to their faith and courage. In this week's sermon I am going to talk about these amazing people and how we, today, need to continue to show dedication and faithfulness to our Lord as we still await his return.
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Pastor Bill Beyer |
We welcome Pastor Bill Beyer, from Grace Lutheran Church in Thiensville, as a guest preacher. His message was on Jesus.
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It's Everyone Church |
We are all given gifts. We call talents, or strengths, or blessings. God expects us to use them to help build up the church and the world. They are not just for our own benefit, but to share. As we think about how we serve, we must remember that God wants and expects us to help. Not because God needs our help, but because our church and our neighbors do. God's presence is stronger in this world when we all work together!
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Who Do You Look At? |
We all have people that are the first ones we call when something happens. Maybe it is a friend, a spouse or a parent. And we might call different people for different situations. But when do we turn to God & why? How does our relationship with God change our lives? As we celebrate the Reformation, when Martin Luther helped the church turn their focus back to God & God's grace, we will turn our eyes again to Christ.
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Believe in Grace - Our Future in Christ |
The stewardship of our money and giving to the church isn't just about meeting the needs of any particular year's church budget. Stewardship is also about laying a solid foundation for the future of the church and its mission. In my message this week I am going to look back at how the members of our church in the past have shown they believe in Grace. I talk about all we do today to show we believe in God's grace. And finally, as I talk about our giving to the work of the church, I am going to hold up a vision for the future of Grace Lutheran Church and how it is shaped by our giving in 2020. These are all connected, tying into the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1 where he thanks the Philippian Christians for their "sharing in the gospel from the first day until now".
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Believe in Grace - God's Amazing Love for Us |
Receiving gifts is a wonderful and freeing thing. We don't have to earn a gift. It is, well, a gift, given to us. Our salvation is a gift to us from God, freely given through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we know that truth; when we know that we don't have to, nor could we, earn our salvation, we are freed to live and love in ways would could not imagine otherwise. That is what happened to the tax collector Zacchaeus in this week's gospel.
The freedom and generosity Zacchaeus felt when he found God's grace is also what needs to motivate all of us in our own generosity to supporting the work of the church. This week's message celebrates God's grace to us, and the ways in which we respond through our support for the church |
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Short-Term Memory Issues vs.
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The story of the Golden Calf in Exodus 32 is a fascinating one. It is a textbook example of having short-term memory issues. Just weeks after the Lord had saved Israel from Pharaoh's army at the Red Sea, Israel demanded new gods. This sad story is contrasted this week with Jesus' parables of the Lost Sheep and Lost Coin from Luke 15. While we, all too often, forget the Lord and wander off into trouble, God is constantly seeking out sinners to save them. My sermon this week is about these stories and how they still apply to us today.
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Big Decisions and Serious Business |
Pastor Paul's sermon on Rally Sunday is all about the importance of hearing God's word and taking it seriously in our lives. Good things happen when we are wise enough to listen to God. The opposite is true when we ignore it and foolishly go our own ways. Moses' words to the people of Israel, just before they entered the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 30), hold up what God said to them and what God also says to us. God calls us to choose wisely.
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Summer 2019
What Do You Choose to Remember? |
This week we hear from the familiar story of the Good Samaritan, who helped a man who had been robbed, beaten & left for dead. This time, we will consider the story from the point of view of the man who was hurt. How did he remember what happened to him? How do our experiences & our memories shape our lives & where is God in the parts of life that beat us down?
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Clothed in Christ |
You are invited to a fashion show this week as I preach on the words of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 3. In this passage he reminds us that all who have been baptized into Jesus Christ have clothed themselves in Christ. Baptism breaks down all the divisions we humans create and makes us one in faith. This is one of the key verses in the New Testament which has inspired Christians to work for social justice and equality.
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The All-Important Formula of Faith |
This week I am beginning a three-part sermon series on some of the key biblical passages from the letters of the Apostle Paul. We begin with Romans 5:1-5 where Paul, speaking of the power of faith through Jesus Christ, tells believers that when difficulties and suffering come upon us faith will help us through endurance, which then produces Christian character which creates hope. Hope never disappoints us, says Paul.
We all face difficulties and suffering in our lives. Paul knew all about this. His words in Romans 5 show us how faith makes us strong even in the weakest times of our lives. |
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Come... |
In Revelation 22, the very last chapter of the Bible, Jesus reminds us that he is coming again. The Spirit says "Come." Let all who hear & who are thirsty come to the gift of the waters of life. We join our voices to say "Come, Lord Jesus!" Every week as the church, we practice gathering around God's table & throne. Come & hear the good news, that heaven is ready & waiting for you because of Jesus!
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The River of Life |
Water: It's a basic need! Water is a theme in all of our readings this week. From Paul meeting Lydia by the river & baptizing her, to the river of life flowing through the Holy City that John envisions in Revelation, to the man who had been ill for many years being healed by Jesus next to a pool...water is a symbol of new life, healing & forgiveness. We need all of these things just as much as we need water!
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Spring 2019
Sermon Series on Passages from Revelation "Our Leader, The Lamb"
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Our readings have a theme: Sheep, lambs & salvation. Being a sheep is usually considered a bad thing but Revelation tells us that our savior is the lamb. Jesus says "My sheep know my voice." How are we saved by a fluffy lamb? And how is being a sheep good? Come & hear how God is turning our assumptions upside down!
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Sermon Series on Passages from Revelation "The Voice of Heaven" |
This week we begin a three-part sermon series on some of the visions and songs of praise in Revelation, the last book of the Bible. Revelation is the most puzzling and intriguing book in the Bible. Many people see it as a mysterious road map that will enable us to figure out God's plan for the end of time. In actuality, Revelation was written to give hope and encouragement to early Christians who were facing persecution at the hands of the Romans. This week Pastor Paul is preaching on a hymn to "the Lamb" in Revelation 5; talking about Revelation's visions of the power, joy and glory that is found in heaven.
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Yes, We Do Believe! |
We live in a world that demands proof. Sometimes, even when we get proof, we still doubt it. So, in a world like that, how can we believe in the message that Jesus was raised from the dead? Resurrection does not make sense. It is not logical. Yet, it is the very foundation of our faith. My sermon this week deals with the questions surrounding our faith in Jesus' resurrection and why, after nearly 2,000 years, Christians can and do still boldly declare, "Yes, we do believe!" There is some good food for thought here. Join us in worship to hear this important message.
The adult forum on Sunday will also focus on our resurrection faith. |
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Holy Week |
Palm and Easter Sunday Sermons
(April 14th and April 21st) |
What's New? |
The Lord our God makes all things new. In Isaiah 43, God promises it. In the gospel from John 12 Mary anticipates it, anointing Jesus' feet with costly perfume in preparation for the day of his burial. In Philippians 3 we recall the transformation of Saul, the persecutor, into Paul, the apostle. In baptism, God's new person (you!) is made new each day, rising from the death of our sins to new life in Christ.
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Winter 2019
Surrounded, Abandoned, but Not Alone |
This week I am preaching the final sermon based upon the biblical themes from our church play, "General Hospital-ity". It is based upon the story of Daniel and the Lions' Den. This ancient tale of faith, patience and perseverance is a powerful witness to all of us about how God can help us in those most difficult times of our lives. If we have the Lord in our lives, we are never alone.
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Choosing the Better Part |
In our church play, "General Hospital-ity", our time-traveling heroes, Derek and Tiffany, travel back to visit Mary and Martha, friends of Jesus, seeking the DNA sample for empathy and caring for others. This week's sermon is based upon that story in Luke 10. In our crazy, fast-paced lives, too many people feel worn out and overwhelmed. Many of them are forgetting the better part: taking time to learn Christ's ways by listening to him, being with him and then caring for others. I will explore a life-style people know all-too-well, unfortunately, and talk about the alternative Christ offers us. It is practical advice for living well.
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The Courage to Forgive |
This week is the first of three sermons based upon the biblical scenes that were acted out in our church play, "General Hospital-ity". The first message illustrates the power of forgiveness taken from the story of Joseph forgiving his sinful and lying brothers in Genesis 50. Jesus commands us to forgive. It is central to our Christian faith. When we learn to truly forgive we are freed to live as God wants us to live. This takes courage, but it is the right thing to do.
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Looking Through the Veil |
On Transfiguration Day, Peter & John saw Jesus transformed before their eyes & the glory of the Lord was revealed to them in this mysterious moment. The reading from Exodus 34 & 2 Corinthians 3 also talk about seeing the glory of the Lord without a veil. God still appears to us today but do we see God's glory in it's fullness or through a veil? What is the difference for us? The sermon will examine how we can encounter God with clearer eyes & hearts.
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Moana Sermon Series |
Pastor Heidi will be preaching a 4 week sermon series based on the movie "Moana."
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Who is this Guy? - Local Man Causes Scene |
Jesus of Nazareth is, perhaps, the most controversial figure in human history. This controversy began right at the beginning of his ministry, when he cause quite the scene in his own home town of Nazareth. In the final sermon in our "Who is this Guy?" sermon series Pastor Paul examines the many controversies surrounding Jesus during his lifetime, and also today.
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Who is this Guy? - The Man with the Signs |
The gospels tell many stories about the mighty deeds done by Jesus. They make it clear that he had extraordinary abilities and powers that he used to help others. His deeds of power, or "signs" as they are called in John's gospel, did not always have the affect you would have thought. This week's sermon explores what Jesus did using his power, and what these deeds tell us about him.
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Who is this Guy? |
Jesus of Nazareth is the most important and controversial person who has ever lived. Since he first appeared at the banks of the Jordan River people have been asking, "Who is this guy?" This week I am starting the first of a three-part sermon series that deals with gospel stories about this question.
This week I am preaching about "The One at the River". Jesus' baptism marks the beginning of his public ministry. People were already asking questions about John the Baptist when Jesus showed up. The story of Jesus' baptism raises many questions related to "Who is this guy?" |
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Looking for the Light |
Epiphany means "manifestation". On this day we celebrate the revelation of Christ to all nations. Some Christian traditions celebrate three great epiphanies on this day: the magi's adoration of the Christ child, Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River & his first miracle, in which he changes water into wine. The word & sacraments are for us the greatest epiphany of God's grace & mercy. We go forth to witness to the light that shines brightly in our midst.
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