A sermon for the Fifth Sunday of Easter

Scripture Text: Acts 6:1–9; 7:2a, 51–60; Psalm 146:1–10; 1 Peter 2:2–10; John 14:1–14

A sermon for the Fifth Sunday of Easter – “Is that the way you were raised?” parents sometimes wonder aloud. We too, as children of God, are being raised in a very specific way. We are to grow up into the salvation God has given, “work[ing] out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12). The Catechism says it a little differently: that we are to “fear, love, and trust God above all things.” There is no other way to grow up in the faith, for God in Christ is that way. We grow into our salvation by living in him, being fitted in this life for heaven where we will be with him in the ...

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A sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

Scripture Text: Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 23:1-6; 1 Peter 2:19-25; John 10:1-10

A sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Easter – How do sheep hear the voice of their shepherd? Likely not by constant bleating. Rather, they keep an ear toward the shepherd. Otherwise, they wander off into trouble. Moreover, without an ear to the shepherd, they will miss a meal. It is the shepherd who calls the sheep to good grazing spots and fresh water. He who thirsted, Gregory of Nazianzus said, exclaimed to the world, “Whoever thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” The suffering shepherd who hungered, still feeds his sheep. But they must hear him call, and come to the meal. This is one reason we must devote ...

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A sermon for the Third Sunday of Easter

Scripture Text: Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 116:1-14; 1 Peter 1:17-25; Luke 24:13-35

A sermon for the Third Sunday of Easter – Because God is gracious and merciful, he extends forgiveness and the gift of his Spirit to all, throughout the generations. He delivers our souls from sin and death, so that we may walk with him as Adam did, in the land of the living. He accomplishes this by putting to death our old nature through baptism, a burial of the sinner into the death of Christ. In the process, he gives dead sinners new life through his own precious blood. This is why it was necessary for Christ to suffer and enter his glory: so that through him, we too may enter the glory of God’s eternal presence, as he ...

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A sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter

Scripture Text: Acts 5:29-42; Psalm 148; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31

A sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter – Watching basketball on television, one will sometimes hear the commentator say that one team has imposed their will on the game, that they will not be defeated. Sometimes it seems that the devil is winning, or that our sins are so great that salvation is uncertain. But the devil cannot frustrate God’s will—nor can we. Even our sin does not overpower the All Powerful. Look to his hands and side. See! It is finished. God has imposed his divine will on the game through his Christ, and his Spirit is the seal of this great salvation.  

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A sermon for Easter Sunday

Scripture Text: Acts 10:34-43; Psalm 16; Colossians 3:1-4; Matthew 28:1-10

A sermon for Easter Sunday – This is why Jesus was born, lived, suffered, and died: so that “the Lord of all” would be the good news of salvation to “everyone who believes in him,” thereby receiving “forgiveness of sins through his name.” Indeed, there is no good apart from him. So we must always set Christ before us, seeking heavenly things—that is, seeking Christ himself who sits at the right hand of God. This is the life of the new creation, a life buried and hidden in the risen Christ. 

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Palm Sunday

Series: Lent 2020

A sermon for Palm Sunday – As I type this, it is a beautiful, sunny day here in North Carolina. But this is not the sort of day the psalmist had in mind when he composed, "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." He was speaking of the day of righteousness that the Lord made through his Christ, by which we are afforded salvation and eternal life. 

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Fifth Sunday in Lent

Series: Lent 2020

A sermon for the Fifth Sunday in Lent – A valley of long-dead bones is revivified. A dead man is raised from the grave. And we too, who were dead in our sins, dead men walking in this flesh, are raised to new life in Christ.

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Second Sunday in Lent

Series: Lent 2020
Scripture Text: Genesis 12:1–9; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1–17; John 3:1–17

A sermon for the Second Sunday in Lent – Maybe God has called you to another city, another job, another church or family. He does so with divine purpose for your life. For when God calls us, he is calling us to himself. When we go where God has called, we find he is there with us.

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First Sunday in Lent

Series: Lent 2020
Scripture Text: Genesis 3:1-21; Psalm 32:1-7; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11

A sermon for the First Sunday in Lent – God created a way to cover the sin of Adam and Eve. He has also made a way to cover our sins. This sermon considers what it is that makes people happy, and how God has provided the way to this utmost contentment.

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Ash Wednesday 2020

Series: Lent 2020
Scripture Text: Joel 2:12-19; Psalm 51; 2 Corinthians 5:20b–6:10; Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21

A sermon for Ash Wednesday – How can we prepare for the Easter celebration of Christ's resurrection? This sermon speaks to the whys, whats, and hows of the church season of sacrifice we call Lent.

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Transfiguration of Our Lord

Series: Epiphany 2020
Scripture Text: Exodus 24:8–18; Psalm 2:6–12; 2 Peter 1:16–21; Matthew 17:1–9

A sermon for the Transfiguration of Our Lord – Some of Jesus' disciples beheld him in glory and wondered what works they should do in response. We wonder much the same. And what are we to do but follow Jesus down the mountain into the valley of the world? 

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The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

A Sermon

Scripture Text: Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 119:1-8; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; Matthew 5:21-37

The immature believer thinks, What should I do? The mature Christian asks, What should I hear? For there is often a deeper word than, “Thou shalt.” This is when we hear the Lord say, “But I say to you.” The Spirit gives us a spiritual understanding of the commandment. This is the meat of the word, where there is an inner change that matches the outward action. The implanted word (James 1:21) grows into the outward life but the work of the flesh will never nurture the inward being. This comes by the grace of God in an ongoing, steady inquiry into the word, so that the ...

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The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

A Sermon

Scripture Text: Micah 6:1-8; Psalm 15:1-5; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Matthew 5:1-12

The Psalm is arresting. Who may dwell with God? Only the one who walks blamelessly may do so. But who is that person apart from the righteousness of God in Christ? Though God has told us what is good, we cannot do it. We confess that we are in bondage to sin and that we cannot free ourselves. It is God alone who has redeemed us from this house of slavery. This is “the word of the cross” that is the power of God at work in our lives. It is those who acknowledge their sin, who confess that they are “poor in spirit,” who receive all the blessings named in the beatitudes. Those who mourn over their sin, and humbly ...

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The Third Sunday after the Epiphany

A Sermon

Scripture Text: Isaiah 9:1- 4; Psalm 27:1-14; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-25

The overwhelming imagery of our readings for this Sunday is light and darkness (though in the Epistle we must work out the connection to the metaphors). A light has shone upon those who dwell in darkness. That light is the given Son of God. He is both our light and the power of God for salvation. Those who follow him will now walk in the light, though they dwell in lands of great darkness.

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The Baptism of Our Lord

A Sermon

Scripture Text: Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29:1-11; Romans 6:1-11; Matthew 3:13-17

God sends forth his servant: himself. He is no ordinary servant, but instead, one who will go to the death in order to accomplish the Lord’s mission. God’s servant fully identifies with sinners, even being baptized, and so, fulfilling all righteousness so that sinners may be baptized into his baptism—his death and resurrection. Being baptized therefore, into his very death, the sinner’s nature dies. Likewise, because Christ arose, those who are regenerated though baptism into Christ will also rise in newness of life and in eternal life. This promise is the Lord’s voice over the waters of baptism; and so, the ...

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Epiphany

A Sermon

Scripture Text: Isaiah 60:1–6; Psalm 72:1–11, 12–15; Ephesians 3:1–12; Matthew 2:1–12

Beyond the messianic theme announced by Isaiah is another great promise. Though darkness seems to cut off all light and hope, the Light who is the Lord, arises upon people of faith. Look and see the light shining in the darkness that darkness cannot overcome (John 1:5). Though the moon perishes (and the sun with it), there will still be light, for in eternity, the Lamb is all the light we need (Rev 21:23). God is heaven’s bright star, the same guiding light that steered kings and shepherds to the infant Light of the World. And so, the mystery once kept in the dark is now revealed. God’s plan to save all people, Jews and ...

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The First Sunday after Christmas

A Sermon

Scripture Text: saiah 63:7-14; Psalm 111:1-10; Galatians 4:4-7; Matthew 2:13-23

Herod literally carried out the law’s punishment (Rom 6:23) by killing the newborns. But Christ fulfills the law itself, redeeming us by his own death so that we may live. Though we are not worthy of the redemption that God has purchased for us, we are expected to live up to our redemption. God expects us to be grown-ups who do not need to depend upon the law to manage our lives. We are to live through the Spirit of grace. It disappoints God when we do not do so. So as children of God, we must remember again and again his gracious mercy. How may we better do so than by partaking of the food of those who fear, love, and trust him? He ...

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Christmas Eve

A Sermon

Scripture Text: Isaiah 7:10–14; Psalm 110:1–4; 1 John 4:7–16; Matthew 1:18–25

A decree was once made that the entire Roman Empire should be counted, so that taxes could be levied for the support of the empire. However, a greater proclamation went out long before the empire of Rome, that the government of all people would rest upon the shoulders of the child of light. That government will increase, forever adding citizens to his kingdom. So we see that God used the Roman Empire that no longer exists, to advance a better royal edict, that the glorious reign of the Prince of Peace would have no end (Luke 1:33). “He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness,” bringing ...

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Third Sunday of Advent

A Sermon

Scripture Text: Isaiah 35:1–10; Psalm 146:1–10; James 5:7–11; Matthew 11:2–15

Oh, what fools sinners are. And being poor sinners, we are such fools. Yet even foolish sinners will never go astray if they walk in the Way of Holiness. Where is this road; how do we find it? Is it a highway built by kings or princes, nations or peoples? Or is it the roadway of he who watches over all sojourners? Is God himself the Way of Holiness? Jesus said he is the way (John 14:6). So, let us look to the Lord himself—not to a way of life, of living pious lives. The Lord is coming. Be patient. Ground your hearts in God’s word; strengthen your faith by trusting in the Lord. He is coming for poor, foolish sinners such as ...

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The First Sunday of Advent

A Sermon preached at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Salisbury, NC

Scripture Text: Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122:1-9; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 24:36-44

The season is Advent so we should not be surprised that metaphors of coming and going and traveling are used. Isaiah exhorts, let us go up to the house of the Lord, and let us walk in the light of the Lord. The psalmist is happy whenever anyone says, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Paul calls us to walk properly as those who are clothed in Christ which is to be in the armor of light. In the optional Gospel Reading (Matt 21:1–11), it is the blessed Jesus who is the one coming—coming in the name of the Lord. In the primary Gospel Reading, we are not so much coming or going as being still, ready for ...

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Christ the King Sunday

A Sermon

Scripture Text: Malachi 3:13-18; Psalm 95:1-7; Colossians 1:13-20; Luke 23:27-43

As the days shorten into shadows, we are exhorted to be the people who wait for the dawn. For when the light of morning comes, we will discover that God is in our midst. People of faith do not forget his presence, even in dark times. The King may seem to be far distant, but we are to continue in the faith—having faith that he will return and that he is already present. For ours is not only a waiting hope but an existing hope. He is already our refuge and strength and very present help. Those who have faith in Christ will be remembered by the returning King as faithful subjects of his kingdom. Indeed, they will be his very own ...

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Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost

A Sermon

Scripture Text: Malachi 4:1–6; Psalm 98:1–9; 2 Thessalonians 3:1–13; Luke 21:5–28, 29–36

The Lord is returning. That great and awesome day draws ever near. But it is not here yet. So what now? “The Lord has made known his salvation,” so now is the time for endurance. We must wait for God to to judge the world with righteousness, and in the meantime, we are to make a joyful noise to him and tend to our vocations. As we make that joyful noise, we are to do our work quietly. Faith finds a level place to take an enduring stand in the steadfastness of Christ. We are thereby empowered to patiently wait for his return while tending to the holy callings of parenting, farming, or any other tasks that God has placed before ...

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Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost

A Sermon

Scripture Text: Exodus 3:1–15; Psalm 148:1–12; 2 Thessalonians 2:1–8, 13–17; Luke 20:27–40

See how God enabled Moses to not only fear him, but trust and love him? I have heard the cries of my people. How comforting it is to know our Father listens to us and hears our prayers (v7). How much more reassuring to know that he is with us (v12). Yet, all will not be easy; we must stand firm in trying times. The Lord God will stand with us. Those who stand in faith in him until the end will enjoy eternal glory, being sons of the resurrection: equal to the angels in immortality.

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Reformation Sunday

A Sermon

Scripture Text: Revelation 14:6-7; Psalm 46:1-11; Romans 3:19-28; John 8:31-36

Preached at an ecumenical gathering for Reformation Sunday at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Springfield, GA

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