July 10, 2016 Sermon

"All Over the World...the Gospel Bears Fruit"

Think about apple trees.  Why is it that they produce apples?  Is it because they’ll feel guilty if they don’t?  Is it because they will be in some sort of trouble if they don’t produce enough fruit?  That’s foolish!  Apple trees produce apples because that’s just what apple trees do.  It’s natural.

Christians produce good works, not because they’ll feel guilty if they don’t, and not because they’re afraid that otherwise they’ll get in trouble with God.  Christians produce God works because Christ gave them the power to do so.  It’s what they naturally do!

That life of a Christian that bears fruit is what we want to think about this morning as we consider the words of encouragement through the apostle Paul that he shared in Colossians 1. But it’s so much more than that – it didn’t take place only in Colosse nearly 2000 years ago. It takes place in Green Bay, WI, and all across the world. “All Over the World…The Gospel Bears Fruit.”

June 26, 2016 Sermon

"Don't Look Back!"

You know that feeling you get when you look out at the lawn that’s been freshly cut? You have a sense and feeling of accomplishment b/c of how nice it looks. Maybe you needed to cut the grass in preparation for company that’s coming over to the house or simply b/c it needed to be cut. Have you ever stood back and looked at how straight the lines of the grass were? Were they straight? Were they crooked? Off to the side? Sometimes it happens to us when we cut the grass. Our parents taught us from young on – Don’t look back! Don’t get distracted – you can do a lot of damage with the lawn mower. Keep your eyes looking ahead. Don’t look back! If you’re distracted and not looking at where you’re supposed to be going, you run into things and the lines of the grass are crooked.

Our words of encouragement from our Lord Jesus this morning are similar to what our parents told us when cutting the grass. Jesus was speaking to the disciples and to you and me when it comes to discipleship and following Christ – “Don’t Look Back!” Jesus said – “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”  Let’s look at these verses this morning as we hear and heed these words of warning and encouragement.

June 19, 2016 Sermon

"The Only Way to Win is to Lose"

Today we celebrate Father’s Day. There are a lot of things that we’ve learned from our fathers. Fathers teach their children the value of hard work. Christian fathers share God’s Word and their faith with their children. And fathers…they also share their competitive spirit and teach their children about winning.

Winning and competing are note everything in life – but they are important aspects of life. Maybe it was a board game, or out on the field or the court, we do everything we can to win.

Don’t we try to win at everything still today. We compete with our co-worker so that we might get the raise. We compare ourselves to others. We compete with a brother or sister – we can’t let them win – can’t let them beat us. We try to win in so many aspects of our lives that when Jesus tells us – “The only way to win is to lose” – it doesn’t sit well with us.

Today’s gospel lesson speaks to winning and losing when Jesus talks about what it means to bear earthly crosses. “^24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”  We know that life is no game – but what Jesus tells us is so very important not only for this life, but for the life to come. Let’s consider Jesus’ words under the theme – “The Only Way To Win Is To Lose!”