August 27, 2023 Trinity 12 The Sunday Jesus Heals the Deaf & Mute Man
(No full text available. Preached from outline.)
August 20, 2023 The Sunday of the Pharisee and Tax Collector
Trinity 11
Luke 18:9-14
August 20, 2023
“The Power of Grace”
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
“What are your symptoms?” “Well, doctor, I look down on other people all the time. I complain about them. I even despise them. Some of them my own family and friends even. I’m constantly talking about other people and how annoying they are.” “Okay, I see,” the doctor says, “That’s not good. So you’re pretty proud of yourself then.” “Well, that’s just it, doctor. I’m really not proud of myself at all. I feel like I’m never good enough. I’m constantly trying to prove myself. I’m constantly comparing myself to other people and trying to be better than them. Doctor, do you know what’s wrong with me? Is there a medicine I can take?”
Yes, there is a medicine for you. A powerful medicine. A medicine that puts you at peace and gives you love for others. But it’s not at the pharmacy.
…August 6, 2023 Trinity 9 The Sunday of the Shrewd Manager
Trinity 9
Proverbs 16:1-9
August 6, 2023
“Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart”
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.” Proverbs 16:1. Or if you like the last verse of the reading today better, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Man proposes; God disposes. Man makes his plans, but only if God says so.
In our bulletin this morning we have some proposed plans. Trinity Life Team picked dates for our trip next summer to the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter. June 16, 17, and 18. But will it happen? Will we be in Petersburg, Kentucky on June 17? Only if God says so. Man can plan and propose, but God says so. Just this year I’ve heard of at least two different families who had to cancel trips they had planned. They planned but God said otherwise. “If God says so.” The churchly way of saying that is, “if it be according to the Lord’s will” or “Thy will be done, O Lord.”
What’s on your schedule this week? This Fall? Next year? Getting your haircut this week? If God says so. Cutting apples this week and freezing them for pies at the Corn Festival? If God says so. Having a knee surgery? If God says so. Buying a new home? If God says so. Getting a bell into your church’s bell tower? If God says so. “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
…June 25 Trinity 3 The Sunday of the Lost Sheep and Lost Coin
Trinity 3
Luke 15:1-10
June 25, 2023
“How to NOT be a Hypocrite”
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Which sickness would be worse? Would it be worse to be terribly sick with a flu, having a high fever, chills and sweats, vomiting repeatedly, diarrhea, feeling like you were dying? Or would it be worse to feel absolutely great, to feel as if everything were normal and good and healthy, and yet to unknowingly have cancer growing in numerous organs of your body? Which is worse?
…June 14 Wednesday of Trinity 1 Matthew 5:17-19
June 11, 2023 Trinity 1 The Sunday of Lazarus and Dives
March 26, 2023 Lent 5 Jesus Greater than Abraham
March 19, 2023 Lent 4 Jesus Feeds the 5,000
(no full text available)
March 12, 2023 Lent 3
Lent 3
Ephesians 5:1-9
March 12, 2023
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Good is good and bad is bad, right? It’s that easy, right? Everyone knows what’s good. Everyone knows what’s bad, right? It’s so simple and easy, right? We never get them mixed up at all, right? You know what’s good. You know what’s bad. And everyone agrees with you, right?
Wrong. Let me give you the biggest case in point ever. Jesus is good, right? Can we all agree? Yes, He is the best of the best, absolutely good, Son of God. He is good. Period. And everybody, then, knew He was good, right? No. In the Gospel today they actually call Jesus a demon. That’s right. They say He’s in league with Satan. That’s how He’s doing all these miracles, they say. So there you go! That’s how crazy screwed up we people can get about what’s good and what’s bad. They call the best person ever, Jesus, evil. This isn’t as simple and easy as we think, friends!
…February 26, 2023 Lent 1 The Sunday of Jesus’ Temptation
Lent 1
Matthew 4:1-11
February 26, 2023
Theme: We’re in a spiritual war against the devil but we have the strong Christ and strong weapons of Word and prayer.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
How many times have you said something like this, “Wow! I never realized how many….!?” When we moved to South Dakota and felt like something was really missing we said, “Wow, we never realized how many trees there are in IL.” We didn’t notice them. We’re often oblivious to things. You get glasses and you start to look around at people, “Wow, I never realized how many people wear glasses or contacts.” You buy a blue Ford Focus and say, “Wow, I never realized how many blue Ford Focuses there are around. They’re everywhere.” You decide to cut down on sugar and start looking at the nutritional labels on all the food you eat, “Wow, I never realized that sugar is added to almost everything I eat.” Many things go unnoticed by us.
And that includes the devil. Christians like you and me need continual training and instructing and encouraging so that we’ll keep seeing the devil’s work more and more and say, “Wow, I didn’t realize how many times the devil is tempting me and shooting his arrows at me. And I didn’t realize how many parts of my life are actually spiritual battles against Satan.” This Sunday of Jesus’ temptation is another Sunday to get you to notice and realize the devil working all around you. Because if you notice him working, then you can shut him up and his lies. Because you have Christ who has already taken away the devil’s power. And you have the Word of God and prayer which are weapons to drive the devil away.
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