Romans 6:1-11 The Bible often emphasizes the negative side of the gospel. The negative side of the gospel, you ask? Yes. From one angle, the message of the gospel is a pledge that God will not do certain things, because of Christ. Those who repent of their sins and trust in Christ are assured that…
Trinity 5 – Luke 5:1-11 Simon Peter, the fisherman from Capernaum, had been introduced to Jesus by his brother Andrew. Andrew in turn had been directed to Jesus by John the Baptist, whose disciple he previously had been. After Peter got acquainted with Jesus, he became what we might call a part-time disciple of the…
Augsburg Confession (transferred) – Jeremiah 6:16-19 Please listen with me to a reading from the 6th chapter of the Prophet Jeremiah, beginning at the 16th verse. Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find…
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 “A certain man had two sons.” So begins what is commonly called the parable of the prodigal son, as told by Jesus, and recorded in St. Luke’s Gospel. In the parable this younger of two sons said to his father, “Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.” And…
Luke 14:15-24 The kingdom of God is often described in Jesus’ parables as a banquet, or as a great and festive dinner. Today’s Gospel from St. Luke is one such example. The imagery of a great fellowship meal with God points us forward to the way things will be for his people in the new…
Trinity 1 – Luke 16:19-31 The story of the rich man and Lazarus that Jesus tells in today’s Gospel from St. Luke is intriguing in many respects. It is often referred to as a parable, but it does not bear some of the common characteristics of a parable. Usually when Jesus tells a parable, he…
Trinity 23 – Matthew 22:15-22 “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” These words of our Lord, in today’s text from the Gospel according to St. Matthew, have always been seen as one of the chief proof passages in Scripture for the distinction we make…
Romans 8:23b-25 Please listen with me to these words from the 8th chapter of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, beginning in the 23rd verse: “We also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in…
Sermon Text: Ephesians 5:15-21 The image of someone drinking alcohol alone – often drinking to excess – is not a happy picture. But the moderate use of wine or alcohol in a group, on social occasions, can often contribute in a positive way to the cheerful atmosphere of such a gathering. Psalm 104 declares that…
Genesis 28:10-17 One of the common beliefs that was held by the pagan idolaters of the ancient world, was the idea that certain deities were attached to certain geographical places, and served as special guardians and patrons for the people who lived in those specific geographical places. So, based on where they were at any…