October 4, 2015 Sermon

"The Recipe For A Healthy Diet"

When was the last time, or how often do you find yourself looking at the nutrition facts on the back of the label of whatever it is you’re eating? What do you notice about what you’re eating? You notice the healthy things that you should be eating – proteins and the like. Or you’ll notice the things you shouldn’t be eating too much of – sodium or fats. You read through the labels b/c you want to know exactly what you are eating. You want a healthy diet – and not a diet full of junk foods.

Imagine you walk into the doctor and you told him what you were eating and what was in your diet, and you said, “Doctor, I’ve found the perfect recipe for a healthy diet. My diet consists of a cup of water and a whole lot of salt.” The doctor would be thrilled to hear the first half of your recipe for a healthy diet. In fact, he’d tell you don’t stop at just one glass of water – be sure to drink a lot more. But when you tell him about the salt, he’d get a funny look on his face wondering what you’re talking about. Salt in large quantities is not good for us. It raises blood pressure.

Did you know that was the exact recipe for a healthy diet that Jesus gave to his disciples and that he shares w/ you and me this morning? You see, Jesus cares about our diet to maintain physical health, but he’s even more concerned about us having a spiritually healthy diet – and what that looks like. In verse 41 a few lines down in our lesson, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.”   And then in the very last verse, verse 50, Jesus says, “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?  Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” 

The point that Jesus is making this morning that we want to well remember is that in order to have “The Recipe Of A Healthy Diet”, we need to have a cup of water to keep the parts of your body; and we want to have a lot of salt to keep peace in the body.

September 27, 2015 Sermon

"Who Is The Greatest?"

When I was a kid we would play a game called king of the mountain.  We did it during winter because we needed a mountain of snow to do it.  The object of this game was to stay on top of this snow mountain.  Players in this game would try to knock the current king down and take their place as the new king.  Whenever a new king would take his place at the top they usually shouted out with joy that they were the greatest.  However, their excitement was short lived as they eventually were thrown down the snow pile and had to start from the bottom. 

This mentality of wanting to become the greatest is something that doesn’t end in childhood.  Unfortunately, greatness in the eyes of the world is one of those things that are here today and gone tomorrow.  For a brief moment in time the rich, powerful, famous and influential have risen to the top of the mountain only to fall from greatness unremembered. 

As we know all too well greatness is an elusive thing.  People from every generation forget.  No matter the great things humans accomplish in this life they are often forgotten at some point.  So "Who is the greatest?"  This morning Jesus answers that question for us here in Mark...

July 26, 2015 Sermon

"God Builds His Church"

One of the channels on TV my wife and I find ourselves watching is Homes and Gardens – HGTV. There are a lot of shows on this channel that involve the buying, selling and building of homes. Flip or Flop and Property Brothers are two such shows that take older homes and completely renovate them – b/c there is a character flaw in the house that the owner doesn’t like or for potential profit. You get to see many aspects of building or renovating a home from start to completion of the project. And it gets really interesting when they start the renovation process and find mold or asbestos or termites – that cause them to spend a great deal of time and money to fix.

Home building and renovating pique our interest b/c it just may be that we have a fascination and desire with homes we live in or dream of living in.

This morning, the apostle Paul uses the image of construction and building to tell us how “God Builds His Church.” He tells us how God’s Word is the foundation with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone; and that we as believers are the church.

July 19, 2015 Sermon

"Are You Ready For This?"

Right after high school he enlisted in the Marine Corps. His dad had been a Marine and his uncle had served in the Air Force. Over the years they had mentioned boot camp once or twice, but never in any detail. He was a pretty good athlete in decent shape. He had seen movies that showed a few clips about boot camp. The recruiter had kind of glossed over it, so he wasn’t real sure what all went on. A few weeks before he went to camp, his dad sat him down and told him in detail. His dad had made it through boot camp and he wanted his son to succeed, too. He listed the physical challenges and the emotional stresses that he would endure. "Are you ready for this?" he asked his son.

Being a Christian in today’s world is not an easy thing. We’ve been called by God to be His ambassadors, calling people to repentance and to believe in Jesus. It’s not going to be a cakewalk. The devil and his allies are going to mount daily attacks on our faith. "ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?" Trust the Lord to care for you, but also trust the world to attack you.

July 12, 2015 Sermon

"Celebrate God's Grace In Times Of Trouble"

For many athletes, Olympic and others as well, discouragement can become a big obstacle in their path to finishing their race. There are many stories of athletes who have been faced with a medical issue while they are training, or even during competition. Many times it is a physical ailment or a diagnosis of a medical condition that threatens to halt their training. At other times, and because of the time and energy they have placed into their training and sport, mental health can become a factor as well. But I would imaging, and judging by comments you’ll hear from many of them, discouragement is perhaps the greatest obstacle of them all.

Discouragement is something that you and I know about very well. We may not be training for the Olympics, but we are faced with the struggle of discouragement at many times in our life. When we hear the diagnosis from the doctor, when a relationship is on the rocks, when we’re struggling in school – discouragement can become a big obstacle that is difficult to overcome.

In our second lesson this morning, the apostle Paul was discouraged. But as we’ll hear, he had something to overcome discouragement – something that you and I have, too – God’s grace. In fact, we want to be encouraged by God’s Word this morning to “Celebrate God’s Grace In Times Of Trouble.”

July 5, 2015 Sermon

"I'll Wait...For The Salvation Of The Lord"

How good are you at waiting? When it comes to the good things in life, we can’t wait to get to it – like the day of our retirement or the birth of a child or grandchild and we’re like a kid on the 4^th of July waiting for the fireworks. But then there are the things in life that we do not look forward to – like our gospel lesson, where there is a sickness in the family. We’re like Jairus and pleading with Jesus, “Please, don’t let my little daughter die.”

We all face difficulty, trouble and sorrow in life. What are we to do about it? At times we find ourselves complaining – about the taxes we have to pay, the economy, our health, in a relationship or in a marriage. Whatever the case is, may we all say with the prophet Jeremiah in Lamentations 3 – “I’ll Wait…For The Salvation of the Lord.”

June 28, 2015 Sermon

"Why?"

Curiosity is a very powerful thing. Curiosity is arguably one of the strongest traits that the Lord created and placed inside the mind of the human race. Curiosity has caused discoveries of many kinds. Columbus was driven by curiosity. Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawkings were driven by curiosity. We want to know the reasons. We want to know the answers.

How many of us, especially parents, have heard the question "Why?" How many of us wish we had the answer when someone asked us "Why?" How many of us have asked the very same question when bad things come into our lives? Perhaps all of us.

This morning we meet a man called Job, a man who also asked the question "Why?" Why did things, bad things, happen to him? "WHY?" Job found out that man can only ask, and only God can answer.

June 21, 2015 Sermon

"Kingdom Work Requires Patience"

This past week I happened to be watching the NBA Finals. During the course of game 6, there was a moment when the announcers began talking about the graphic laid out across the screen - “Time since their last Championship.” What it amounted to is that it has been a really long time since the Cavaliers, or Indians or Browns have won a championship. It would certainly be fair to say, Cleveland sports fans have learned a great deal of patience over the years – as they wait for their team to return to the World Series.

But let’s say you are a New York Yankees fan, you also think about the last time your team went to the World Series and won. But you know that your team, with 27 championships, has won more than any other team in MLB. When you look back in history, you only have to go back a few years to 2009 to the last time your team won it all. You wonder not about if your team is going to the Series, but how sweet it will be to win championship #28. And if you don’t reach the World Series and win it all, or if there is a drought of any kind, maybe you’re thinking that something must be wrong and want to proceed in firing the entire team, manager and all.

Regardless of what team you’re a fan of, or if you simply look on in amazement at the fans of any team, all of us have been given various amounts of patience through the circumstances of life.

If patience is a virtue – on a scale of 1 to 10 – how much patience do you have? A little; a lot; or not nearly enough? Our patience is often easily tested when things don’t go according to plan – when the economy bottoms out and you lose your job, when you’re waiting in the doctor’s office for the test results, or your patience of a father or mother is tested raising children. The thing that we’ll always want to remember is that the Lord is in control of everything in life, including the Cleveland sports teams and the Yankees.

Before we look at our gospel lesson, let’s think of a few biblical examples of patience or lack thereof. Jonah was so adamant that he did not want to accept the Lord’s call to preach to the wicked people of Nineveh that he ran away to the opposite end of the earth. But God had patience with Jonah and with the people of Nineveh. In the end all the people of that great city put on sackcloth and fasted and repented of their sins.

When talking about patience as we wait for the end of the world, the apostle Peter was inspired to write – 2 Peter 3:8-9 – ⁸ …with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

The apostle Paul understood God’s patience. The man formerly known as Saul – the great persecutor of the early Christian Church. He was a zealous Jew who persecuted Christianity b/c he thought he was doing God a favor. God struck him down and worked in his heart through the Word. And after his conversion, he became one of the greatest missionaries Christianity has ever seen. How much patience did the Lord have with Paul? How much patience does he have with your and me?

In our gospel lesson this morning, Jesus used two parables to teach about patience as God goes about his work. God tells us in His Word that the Holy Spirit is actively working by creating and strengthening faith in human hearts through the power of His Word. He asks us to have patience in trusting that God’s Word works in a miraculous way – and that we have patience while we wait for growth.

June 14, 2015 Sermon

"Are You Hiding From God?"

My guess is you’ve been there before. You’ve been in that situation when there comes a moment of truth. It was a beautiful day outside. The kids were outside playing and having a blast. In fact, they were having so much fun mom was inside and could hear all the giggling and laughing that was taking place. But then that giggling and laughing stopped. You see, the kids were outside playing and enjoying each other’s company and doing exactly as mom asked them to do – staying out of mom’s hair so she could get some things done around the house. But as they were outside, they noticed there were a few things enticing to them. A few things mom and dad told them – “Don’t play with it b/c you will get hurt.”

You’ve been there before. You’ve done the thing mom and dad told you not to do – the thing you’re not supposed to do. How did it end up for those children who were playing outside? Not very well. B/c what happened is they were having all sorts of fun, but it all came down with a loud crash. Maybe it was a broken window as they were throwing a baseball up against the house or the roof – and they probably shouldn’t have done that. Or they were outside playing with the bb gun and they thought it would be cool to shoot the windows on the barn 35 ft up in the air. Not a good idea. And then, the fun came to an end.

Mom handled the situation. But she gave the kids a reminder – “Wait until your dad comes home.” And those were the words any kid did not want to hear. B/c when dad came home you knew you really were in trouble.

How do you think Adam and Eve faired in our lesson this morning when they heard the words from the Lord, “Where are you?” They knew they were in a great deal of trouble. In the verses that precede our text this morning, Adam and Eve and the fall into sin. They were created into a perfect world without sin. God gave Adam and Eve a simple command, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Gen 2:16-17) God gave them a simple command and asked them to follow it.

Then along came the devil. The devil tempted Adam and Eve – “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. ⁵ “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:4-5)

“Where are you?” My guess is that Adam had all of these things on his mind as he was hiding from God. That’s not a good situation to be in, is it?

June 7, 2015 Sermon

"Do I Have To?"

There are things that we do because we want to. There are things we do because we have to. Some of us go to work because we want to. We almost feel guilty being paid for what we do because we enjoy it so much. Others of us go to work because we have to. We don’t enjoy what we’re doing, but we need the cash to pay for the groceries, the mortgage and the car. No matter what we do, there are basically only two attitudes that we carry. Because I want to, or because I have to.

If you have a family, you know this attitude also translates to church. This morning, perhaps your son or daughter asked you the same question. "DO I HAVE TO?" Do I have to go to church? Do I have to sing those songs? Do I have to sit and be still while that guy in a black dress stands up and talks and talks and talks? Maybe you have the same feeling. Do I have to? Well, let’s take a look at "church", at worship this morning and see what worship is and how it benefits us. I pray that by the end of today’s short talk your attitude will not be "do I have to" but "I want to."

May 31, 2015 Sermon

"Go!"

I'd like to share with you just for a moment, one of the events that I witnessed over this past weekend. In addition to celebrating my dad's birthday, we also had the opportunity to attend graduation and call day at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. This time it was my brother's turn as he was assigned to be a tutor at Michigan Lutheran Seminary, one of our two preparatory high schools in our church body in Saginaw, MI. And if you're wondering, as a tutor, my brother will have the opportunity to be a dorm supervisor, teach religion classes and coach. But as we were sitting in the auditorium waiting for the reading of Assignments by our synod president, I had all these flashbacks of thoughts and emotions from when I was sitting there 9 years ago with my fiancé, waiting to hear my name called for assignment to Beautiful Savior, El Paso, TX.

What do you think goes through a pastor's mind as he's about to receive his first call into the full-time pastoral ministry? It isn't his first call, as he's already received his vicar call. But this is different. This is a permanent assignment. You don't know where you're going, what the church or people are like. There are so many thoughts running through your mind. But one thing is for sure. The candidate is certainly excited to carry out the Great Commission of our Lord which is verse 19 of our lesson where and "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you..."

These are the words of Jesus to his disciples, but imagine you're sitting there in that auditorium. Instead of it being the president of the WELS, it is the Lord Jesus himself. He calls out your name and he simply says to you, "Go!" There may be a little fear and trepidation. You don't know where you are going to go, to Texas, or half-way around the world. You don't know who you're going to share that word of God with.

That can be pretty scary? To think that spreading God's word and extending his kingdom, shepherding a flock and caring for souls is going to be done by someone like me? Yet, that's your assignment - "Go!" God knows your fears and worries when it comes to sharing the good news. That's why Jesus didn't leave the command to "Go and make disciples by Baptizing and Teaching" all by itself. It's the verses before and after that command that we want to focus on this morning. "Go!" Knowing that Jesus' power gives you strength, and Jesus' presence gives you peace.

May 24, 2015 Sermon

"Come Find Peace"

I don’t think you saw many smiles on the faces of the disciples during Holy Week. They knew that the Jewish leaders had it in for Jesus. Who knew what they had up their sleeves? Jesus cleansed the temple one last time, overturning the tables of businessmen and disrupting one of their most profitable days just before the Passover. Jesus’ teaching of forgiveness and love had clashed time and time again with the demands of the Pharisees. On top of it all, Jesus told them that he would be leaving soon. What would they do? What did the Son of God have in mind for their future? How would they cope?

Ever find yourself in the same boat? Not sure of what the future holds and worried about the present? Maybe these thoughts are racing around in your brain. "How am I going to make it financially this month? How can I afford to fix the dryer? What is my daughter doing dating that guy? How’s that going to work out? Is my job secure? Will my health improve?"

Don’t you wish you had a stop button for these upsetting thoughts, this lack of peace? Ah, but you do! Our Savior Jesus Christ comes to us today in His Word and invites us to "COME, FIND PEACE." Come, and find the peace prepared by Christ for you. Come, and find the peace the Holy Spirit gives to you through God’s Word.

May 17, 2015 Sermon

"You Are My Witnesses"

We’re so used to having options and choices in our lives, aren’t we? When you go to a restaurant, you get to choose from a menu. When you buy a car, you get to choose what options you will buy. If you purchase a suit, you get to choose the color and the size. You get to choose what goes in your house. You get to choose where you go on vacation. We’re so used to having choices in our lives that we often can’t comprehend not having those choices.

As Christians however, there is one area where we don’t have a choice. That’s in the area of talking about our Savior, or as some will call it, witnessing. That’s not optional. Jesus states this very clearly in our latest disciples directives when He says "YOU ARE MY WITNESSES." He reminds us today that the Holy Spirit prepares us to speak, Jesus commands us to speak and people need to hear our voice. Yes, it’s true. You are Christ’s witnesses here on earth. Speak up!

May 10, 2015 Sermon

"Love As Jesus Has Loved You"

When you walked into church this morning, how many of you were aware that today is the 6th Sunday of Easter? Ok, probably not many of you. How many of you were aware that today is Mother's Day? It's a national holiday. We celebrate mother's and God's gift of mother's to our families.

It's only fitting that we have in our gospel lesson a fitting portion all about love. Jesus' command to us is to "Love One Another."

This is the second in our Sermon Series titled "Disciple's Directives." They are short statements and encouragements from Jesus to his disciples. When life gets hectic and we can at times miss the big picture, we need those encouragements to keep the main thing the main thing.

In our lesson today, we hear Jesus say, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Think about that for a moment. We think about love in these ways and think of how someone may give his life for someone else, much like Jesus did for you and me. But we can also think about it in another way how someone might live for someone else as a mother would do for her children and for her family. Think about the mom who wakes up in the middle of the night when the kids have a bad dream. Or the mom who wakes up early and goes to bed late to get the lunches packed for school and everything ready for that day or the next. Think of the mom who is there for you when your two to fix that cut or scrape by putting a bandaid on; or when your 22 and is there as a shoulder to cry on. When we think about moms we think about love and certainly the sacrificial love that he speaks of here. We want to think about the encouragement that Jesus has not just for mothers, but for fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, and for everyone of us. Jesus' command is simple - "Love Each Other as Jesus Has Loved You."

May 3, 2015 Sermon

"The Connected Branch Bears Much Fruit"

It’s slowly starting to warm up and everything around us will soon be green. Isn't it nice to see green in the spring? Green is a sign of life. While everything outside might seem dead in the winter months, spring rain and the warming temperatures bring back those plants and trees to life. The green that you see outside is a sign of life.

In our gospel lesson this morning, Jesus uses the picture of a vine and its branches that are full of life when he says in our lesson – “I am the true vine…you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Jesus uses this picture of himself as a vine to show us a powerful lesson about life. For example, we see all sorts of green outside now, but among the green are dead plants. You’ll do your spring clean up and cut back those trees or shrubs or may even get rid of some of them completely so that life can continue to grow. It’s how we keep things healthy and green. Jesus teaches us that spiritually speaking - it is a matter of life and death. In order to stay alive spiritually – to be a fruitful branch in his kingdom – is that we must remain connected to him. This morning we’ll want to consider how “A Connected Branch is a Fruitful Branch.”

April 26, 2015 Sermon

"Jesus is Your Shepherd"

Why do you go to your doctor? To that specific doctor? It may be that he or she is the only one in your health plan that you can see, but often we choose our doctors because we like them. We go because they’ve shown us that they care about us. We go because they have a good track record treating us. We trust them because they take care of our physical health.

Do you have a spiritual doctor, a shepherd that takes care of your spiritual health? Do you have someone you can rely on, someone that is always there for you? Of course you do! Sometimes we may wonder. Sometimes we may doubt. But today our Lord comes to us and reassures us. Today, on Good Shepherd Sunday, come with me to God’s Word and be reassured once again that "JESUS IS YOUR SHEPHERD." Jesus is totally dedicated to us and he has the power to give us life.

April 19, 2015 Sermon

"How Do I Get There?"

He and his college buddies were traveling through the Ozark mountains on their way to the Buffalo National River. They were going to canoe the entire river during their spring break. So, they pulled up to a general store in a small town at the end of the river where they were going to leave one car. Walking in to that store, he asked the men that were sitting there "How do I get to the start of the river?"

Well, that started an argument. One man said one thing, another contradicted him and said another. A third man said they both were wrong and proceeded to give yet another set of directions. Who was right? Confused, he asked again "What’s the best way to get there?" but that started a whole ‘nother argument among the men in that general store.

How do I get there? Most of us have asked that question at some point in our lives, haven’t we? And it’s a question that many people today ask when they come face to face with the fact of their mortality. We’re all going to die, eventually. And if there is a heaven (and God assures us there is),"HOW DO I GET THERE?" Let’s see if God answers that question for us today.

April 12, 2015 Sermon

"You Don't Want to Miss This!"

The term "can't miss" is being used extensively these days. TV executives label shows and episodes as can't miss in an effort to spike ratings. Or with the NFL Draft coming up at the end of the month - you'll hear the gurus claim that some of the college prospects are "can't miss."

But what I really mean is this - have you ever found yourself in an amazing situation that tugged at your heartstrings as the best ever? I think it's safe to say we've all had "Can't Miss" moments. The birth of your first child; their first step; after a long hike - the view from the top of the mountain that is can't miss. And in some situations you or a friend may be the one exclaming, "You don't want to miss this!"

There was a "Can't Miss" event that took place on Easter Sunday as the disciples saw their Lord Jesus risen from the dead. And they made it clear they wanted the one disciple who wasn't there - Thomas - to not miss out on seeing Jesus alive when they said to him in v. 24 - "We have seen the Lord!" In other words, "You Don't Want to Miss This!"

Today, we continue our Easter season of worship that leads us to give many thanks and praise to Jesus.  We will see how Thomas’s doubts were put away and how Jesus comforted and commissioned his disciples and how he still does the same for you and me today.

April 5, 2015 Sermon

A Little While...
based on John 16:16-22

What are the four words that parents dread most? Maybe it’s these: "Are we there yet?" If you’ve ever taken a trip with small children, even if it’s only a 5 minute trip, I’m absolutely positive you’ve heard these words. Children are so anxious to get wherever you are going.

So what’s your answer to that question? Some might say "We’ll get there when we get there", but that doesn’t go over so well with kids. Others might say "In 5 minutes", but they don’t have a watch or a good grasp on time. Or, you might say "We’ll be there in a little while" and let them figure out how long that is.

This morning, as we take a look at Jesus’ words to His disciples, He uses that phrase "A LITTLE WHILE". He’s pointing them to the very first Easter morning when He would see them again. For now, they would experience sorrow for a little while. Then, in a little while, their sorrow would turn to joy. You know, in a little while.

March 29, 2015 Sermon

Who Can Climb the Hill of the Lord?

How many of you would consider yourself a climber? Maybe the purest example is that of a young child who displays exuberance when they’ve climbed on top of the furniture – with a grin on their face from ear to ear.

A professional baseball player started as a young child in tee ball and little league; then AAU and high school baseball. And whether or not he decides to go to college, once he enters pro-ball, he has to make his way through rookie league, summer league, and the single, double and triple-A ranks before he can make it to the top – Major League Baseball.

In business, the young professional works the long hours for many times little pay – all in an effort to make it to the top of his profession.

And if you like – mountain climbing – you know that there are quite a few things that you have to do before you accomplish the feat of making it to the top of the mountain – the least of which is being in good physical condition and maintaining proper hydration.

I'd like you to consider yourself a climber this morning as we consider the words of King David in Psalm 24 as he both asks and answers the question this morning, "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?" or in other words - "Who Can Climb God's Hill?" May we all have the ability to both ask and answer that question that we are able to climb God's hill because of what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and what he's done for us.

Read More...

March 22, 2015 Sermon

"It Wasn't Easy"

I’ve always enjoyed watching those home improvement shows on TV. Putting in new windows, floors and trim looks so easy. When they plaster drywall, they do it so smoothly and quickly. About 20 years ago I thought "That looks easy. I can do that!" So, I bought the equipment, a bucket of joint compound, and started to plaster. Ugg! Not pretty. Plastering is not as easy as it looks.

Why am I bringing this up? Because so many people think that Jesus’ gift of salvation wasn’t all that hard. After all, He is God. He can do anything He wants. Surely, many think, it was easy for Him to save us. As we travel through God’s Word today, I pray that all of us will realize that it was a lot harder than we at first think. "IT WASN’T EASY!" But, He wanted to do it and it was painfully perfect.

March 15, 2015 Sermon

Keep Looking Up!

It was one on my first Pastor's Conferences as part of the AZ-CA District. The conference was held in Gila, NM. The only forewarning I was given was that it was "interesting." We stayed at a hotel that was like something out of Stephen King's - "The Shining." It was late January, and in that part of the country, the spring warm up was already taking place. Whatever snow had fallen was now melting and filling all the streams and rivers. In fact the stream right next to the single-story hotel had flooded over into the parking lot. And we were told upon arrival that the water level was up to the foundation of the building just a few days earlier. There was plenty of water, just not the kind a hotel guest would be hoping for. No hot water. No running water. No flushing the toilets. There was a local church up the road that offered us the use of their restrooms. There was no cell service - save for a pay phone to make calls home. Thankfully, it was only a one night stay.

You have all had those types of regrettable experiences that left a sour taste in your mouth and 101 reasons to complain. It may have been a camping trip where it never stopped raining, or the vacation where everyone was miserable; a flooded basement that ruined all the family pictures, or something far more serious. We want to turn to God's Word in our OT lesson this morning and let God remind us how he takes care of our every need. It's here in the story of the Bronze Snake where the Lord reminds us to "Keep Looking Up!"

March 8, 2015 Sermon

What's So Great About the Cross?

Why do we exist as a congregation? That’s a question I believe all congregations should ask themselves time and time again. Some congregations answer that question this way: "We exist to help the hurting." So they establish food pantries and other community services. Others will say that they exist to make this world a better place. So they advocate for policies in government. Others will say they exist to make others feel welcomed and nurtured. So they establish self-help groups, community building programs and social activities. That’s why they exist.

Why does Messiah exist? Well, you walk in to this building, and what do you see? A cross. On the top of our steeple, there’s a cross During the season of Lent, we refer to the cross of Christ time and time again. There are crosses on my gown. You may be wearing a cross as part of your jewelry. The cross of Christ is the central message that we proclaim and drives everything that we do as a congregation. It’s all about the cross.

Now, you may ask "WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT THE CROSS?" Today God tells us through the Apostle Paul. The cross shows the power and wisdom of God. There’s nothing more important, nothing more life-changing than Christ’s cross.

March 1, 2015 Sermon

Look to the Lord!
Jake couldn't take it anymore. The guilt was overwhelming. It got so difficult he couldn't sleep at night. He ruined another relationship yet again.
Have you ever been there before and been in Jake's shoes? Maybe you've come into the worship service and just had that recurring thought in your mind - I wonder if the forgiveness that is announced by the pastor right now, I wonder if it is for me? I wonder if God could ever forgive me?
You and I can relate to Jake, and the Jacob in our OT lesson this morning. We are like the Jacob in our OT lesson who had guilt and had thoughts and fears and worries that were running through his mind. But what we'll also hear is how God sough Jacob out. We'll be reminded that we have the same assurance and comfort that Jacob did and "Look to the Lord!" b/c 1) His promises bring me life; and 2) His protection leads me to glory.

February 22, 2015 Sermon

The Time Has Come
All the guests are seated. The flowers look great. The music sounds fine, and then the church bells ring. In 30 years of doing weddings, I've never yet heard a bride or a groom say at this point "Uh, can we wait just a minute or two? The Badger game isn't quite finished." In every instance that I can remember, they were anxious to get things going. The time has come! Let’s do it! Eager anticipation, right?

Today, I pray that we have that same kind of eager anticipation as we look at the task the Lord sets before us today. "THE TIME HAS COME!" to battle temptation and to believe the good news. Come, and listen to our Lord today.

February 15, 2015 Sermon

Jesus Gives Us A Glimpse Of His Glory

It was an incredible sight to see. In fact the Israelites saw it on many occasions. Moses went up Mt. Sinai for 40 days where the Lord would give him the 10 Commandments chiseled into two tablets of stone. We're told in Exodus that the "to the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain." (Ex 24:17) Then Moses slowly disappeared into the cloud as he walked up the mountain.
The glory of the Lord appeared to the prophets, like Isaiah or Ezekiel. What an incredible sight to see. (Isaiah 1, Ezekiel 1) We famously remember the words of Luke 2 - An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. (Lk 2:9)
The Beauty, majesty and splendor of the Lord was seen in Jesus and the disciples caught glimpses of it in his many miracles. But nothing would compare to what Peter, James and John were about to see on the mount of Transfiguration.
Today we celebrate Transfiguration Sunday when Jesus gave a glimpse of his glory to Peter, James and John, as well as, too us. He does so to reassure us of who he is and to prepare us for what he was about to do for us!

February 8, 2015 Sermon

"We Are Committed to Christ"
It was a nice idea. Harry and his wife were going to remodel their grandparents’ home into their dream home. The plans were drawn up and all they had to do was implement them. Harry and his wife contracted with a local handyman to begin the work on Monday. Well, Monday rolls around and the man calls and tells them he wasn’t going to start today. The weather was too nice, so he was going fishing. He stopped in Tuesday and did a little demo. He didn’t show up for the rest of the week. Harry called and asked him why. "Oh, I decided to take a trip up north. I’ll see you on Monday." He showed up, did a little work, but then went missing for the next few days. Well, by this time Harry and his wife were worried. It didn’t seem as if their contractor was committed to the job.
As sinful human beings, we often fight that temptation of not being fully committed to the Lord’s work. There are so many wonderful distractions in God’s beautiful world, so many things that derail us from being the dedicated Christians that the Lord has called us to be. The Lord wants to talk to us each day in His Word, but there’s the new Sports Illustrated that came in the mail. The Lord wants us to gather together to worship each Sunday, but there’s that opportunity to do something else. The Lord wants us to use our time and treasures to serve Him, but there’s all these other things and bills that have come my way.
As we take a look at our time and our use of time, may we remember that God wants us to be "COMMITTED TO CHRIST." Why? Because of His love for us which moves us to willingly offer Him our service.