Sermon for January 26, 2014

Sermon for the Third Sunday after the Epiphany

January 26, 2014, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  Isaiah 9:1-4

Sermon Theme:  “The Light That Penetrates Even the Blackest Hole”

(Sources:  Concordia Journal, Fall 2013, Vol. 39, No. 4; Emphasis Online Commentary; Emphasis Online Illustrations; Anderson’s Cycle A Preaching Handbook; original ideas)

 Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 I enjoy fables, — these legends, myths, and fictitious stories, sometimes about animals, sometimes about mythical beings, are told to make a point.  Today I want to begin by telling a 19th Century fable by George MacDonald.

Here’s the fable:  A witch steals a newborn girl and raises her in the total darkness of a cave.  The witch experiences both light and darkness, but not the girl.  She is completely immersed in the black world.  Even as she grows, the witch will only allow her to step outside during the nighttime hours.  Her name is Nycteris. Continue reading

Sermon for January 19, 2014

Sermon for Second Sunday after the Epiphany

January 19, 2014, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon Theme:  “Grapes and Peas”

(Emphasis online Commentary; Emphasis online Illustrations; original ideas; Anderson’s Preaching Workbook, Cycle A)

 Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Most Lutheran pastors lead into their sermon by quoting one of the Apostle Paul’s greetings, —  either, “Grace, mercy, and peace to you,” as I just did, or “Grace and peace to you from God our creator and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“Grace and peace” was the greeting used by one pastor every time he preached the sermon.  A little girl in his congregation sat by her grandmother every Sunday, her grandmother always wondering how much her little grand girl got out of each service.

One Sunday, the little girl was very bored and restless during the early part of the worship.  Finally, in childlike annoyance, she leaned over to Grandma and whispered, “When do we get to the grapes and peas” part?

“Grapes and peas” are not bad images to pair with images of grace and peace as the congregations prepares to hear the word and then are sent out to witness Jesus to the world.  Even when we are not in church, we are still part of the bunch connected to the vine.  As we move from worship back to the daily routine we are still peas protected in the “pod” of God’s presence.  Even when we are apart, we are connected.  Grapes provide a sweet, nutritional contrast to a salad, snack, or meal.  We are sent into the world to sweeten it with love.  Peas are less glamorous, more of a vegetable staple than a treat.  Still they are solid foundation for good nutrition, just as the Christian community provides a solid foundation for Christian growth.  Yes, grapes and peas indeed!

Out of the mouths of babes . . . Continue reading

Sermon for January 12, 2014

Sermon for the Baptism of Our Lord, January 12, 2004

St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  Isaiah 42:1-9

Sermon Theme:  “I Will Take You by the Hand and Keep You”

(Sources:  Emphasis online Illustrations; Anderson’s Cycle A Preaching Handbook; Concordia Journal, Fall 2013, Vol. 39, No. 4; original ideas; Believer’s Commentary)

 Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 This long passage of prophesy from Isaiah, which is our sermon text, can be a little confusing when you first read it.  So let me explain a couple things.

It’s obvious that the main use of the word “Servant” in Chapter 42 refers to the Messiah who is to come; in other words, our Savior, Jesus.  But some of the verses do not seem to refer to the Messiah.  In one verse in Chapter 42, “servant” refers to the entire nation of Israel; in another verse it refers to the “faithful, godly remnant” of the people.  Thus we have the “Servant,” – that’s the Messiah, and we have the “servant-people,” – that’s us, you and me, as we true believers are the New Israel, the faithful remnant.

From their Exodus out of Egypt on, many people had not been faithful, — they whined, they complained, they built a false idol, they broke the covenant with God, etc.  As you follow their story in the Old Testament, you see that they acted like children, like spoiled brats.  And yet God extended His grace to them again and again.

Internationally famous Christian preacher from Frisco, Texas, Chuck Swindoll, tells about himself when he turned 13 and became a TEENAGER!  He really thought he was hot stuff, “something on a stick,” as he phrased it.  Continue reading

Sermon For January 05, 2014

Sermon for Second Sunday after Christmas

January 5, 2014, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  Ephesians 1:3-14

Sermon Theme:  “Chosen, Adopted, and Gloriously Blessed”

(Sources:  Emphasis online Commentary; Emphasis online Illustrations; original ideas; Anderson’s Series A Workbook)

 Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 There are a number of things that bother me about the wrong way to celebrate Christmas, and one of the worst ones has to do with gift-giving. 

Many children think that getting the expensive gifts they want for Christmas is their God-given right, and they throw a temper tantrum if they don’t get them.  Some adults aren’t much better.  During family gift exchanging, the other person’s body language can tell you what he thinks of the gift.  Negative reactions from recipients used to make me dread buying gifts at Christmas.  Continue reading