Sermon for December 28, 2014

Sermon for the First Sunday after Christmas

December 28, 2014, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  Galatians 4:4-7

Sermon Theme:  “’Abba!  Father’!  The Best Daddy of All”

(Sources:  Anderson’s Preaching Workbook, Cycle B; Emphasis Online Commentary; Emphasis Online Illustrations; original ideas)

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

Art Linkletter tells about his all-time favorite religious encounter with a child.  Two nuns brought some four-year-olds for a visit to the studio where he filmed his shows.  One of the tiny girls explained to Linkletter before the audience that the thing she liked most about the Catholic school she attended was when one of the nuns told Bible stories.  Linkletter asked the youngster which story was her favorite.

“The story of Edam and Ave,” she announced.

“What happened to them?”  he asked.

“God was mad at them and He was going to punish them.  But they hided under a bench.  But they couldn’t fool God and He found them.”

“Go on,” Linkletter pleaded.

“So God decided to punish them twice,” she continued.

“Twice?”  Art asked.

“Yes.  First, He sent them both straight down to hell,” she said, pausing for the audience to realize the significance of that punishment before adding the final horror.  “And then He changed them into Protestants!” Continue reading

Sermon for December 21, 2014

Sermon for Fourth Sunday in Advent

December 21, 2014, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  Luke 1:26-38

Sermon Theme:  “For Nothing Will be Impossible with God”

(Sources:  Anderson’s Preaching Workbook, Cycle B; Emphasis Online Commentaries; Emphasis Online Illustrations; Hail Mary, Wikipedia Online; Hail Mary Prayer Online; My Dec. 16 From the Pastor and other original ideas; Harper’s Bible Dictionary).

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

In today’s sermon text, Gabriel calls Mary by name.  It’s a good thing, otherwise, she might have thought the angel was coming to the wrong person for this job.

One hot summer day in Georgia, a man named Simpson took a job on a work crew, building a road.  The crew was behind and working extra long and hard, but most of the men had gotten used to the work and the heat.  Finally, after several hours of back-breaking labor in the Georgia sun without stopping, the new guy went over to talk to the foreman.

“Excuse me, Boss,” he said, “do you have a fellow on your work-sheet named ‘Simpson’?”

“Yes, “said the foreman, “why do you ask?’

“Oh, nothing, Boss, I just thought that maybe when I signed up, you wrote my name down as ‘Samson.’ Continue reading

Pictures from the King Herod Program

King Herod (Robert Osborne) is being wheeled by his bodyguard (Jan
Johnson) during dress rehearsal of our St. Paul Christmas Program, “Come, O King of Glory,” on December 17.

The final scene of our Christmas Program on December 17: The Angel (Cassidy Brzozowski), Mary and Baby Jesus (Nicole and Aubrey Brzozowski), Joseph (Toby Brzozowski), a shepherd (Paul Brzozowski), and a shepherd boy (Dylan Brzozowski).

Sermon for December 14, 2014

Sermon for Third Sunday in Advent

December 14, 2014, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Sermon Theme:  “Throwing out the Trash”

(Sources:  Emphasis Online Commentary; Emphasis Online Illustrations; original ideas; Believer’s Commentary; Anderson’s Preaching Workbook, Cycle B)

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

Five-year-old Jonathan was busy with his paints and brushes at his small table.  “What are you painting?”  his mother asked him.

“This is the house where Baby Jesus lived,” said the small boy, as he added a yellow star to the sky above the brown house.

When she looked at the painting again, the mother saw her son adding a man carrying two bundles under his arms.  She asked, “Is that one of the kings taking his gifts to Jesus?”

“No,” replied the boy.  “That’s Joseph taking out the trash.” Continue reading

Five Generation Come Together for Baptism

Pictured here are 5 generations of Trevor’s family, all members of St. Paul Lutheran Church. Front row, left to right, Trevor’s mother Ashley with Trevor, Trevor’s great grandmother Shirley, his cousin Hayden, his great great grandmother Dorris, and his sister Avery. Back row, Trevor’s grandmother Tammy and his aunt Amanda. Trevor was baptized by Pastor Spitzenberger on December 14, 2014

Trevor and his mother, Ashley Jurek, with Pastor Ray at the baptismal font.

Practicing…

Paul and Toby Brzozowski shown rehearsing the St. Paul Christmas Program, which will be presented December 17, at 7 p.m., in the church. Refreshments afterwards in the Fellowship Hall.

Sermon for December 07, 2014

Sermon for Second Sunday in Advent

December 7, 2014, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  Isaiah 40:1-11

Sermon Theme:  “Speak Tenderly to Jerusalem”

(Sources:  Concordia Pulpit Resources, Volume 25, Part 1, Series B; Emphasis Online Commentary; Emphasis Online Illustrations; original ideas; Anderson’s Cycle B Preaching Workbook; Concordia Self-Study Bible Footnotes)

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

What’s the most comforting thing you’ve been told when you feel like life is beating down on you, when it seems like people are waiting anxiously for you to trip up?

It probably wasn’t “People are grass.”  That’s the last thing you want to hear when you already feel withered.  “The grass withers, the flowers fade,” says our sermon text.

Yet, these were comforting words for the people of Judah for two reasons.  It’s a needed reminder that there will be an end to Judah’s suffering and exile in Babylon; their enemies will not last forever, for they too are mortal.  Secondly, God is faithful, and it serves as a means against which the faithfulness of God can be compared.  The faithfulness of God is not like the faithlessness of men, and even the faithful, those who remained obedient up to and through the captivity, those who supported Isaiah’s controversial ministry, are like withering grass and fading flowers next to the faithfulness of God’s promises.

Like flowers and grass, we fade and die.  Even so, the Creator raises the flowers and the grass to newness of life.  Won’t He do the same for those who turn to Him in hope? Continue reading

Pictures from the Tea…

Caroline Osborne served as one of the hostesses for the LWML Christmas Tea.

Maxine Cates was one of the hostesses for the LWML Christmas Tea

Peggy Spitzenberger and Sheila Johnson were two of the hostesses for the LWML Christmas Tea.

Judy Stallings (seated) served as one of the hostesses and supervisor of bracelet-making at the LWML Christmas Tea.

St. Paul – Teen LWML Project

 St. Paul Teens Collect Items for Women’s Center

        The teen organization of the St. Paul Lutheran Women’s Missionary League in Wallis, known as St. Paul Teen LWML, has been collecting needed items for the Fort Bend Women’s Center throughout the month of November.   Donations of deodorant; toothpaste and toothbrushes; shampoo and conditioner; combs and brushes; underwear and socks; as well as used articles of clothing are among items that have been accepted.

While undertaking this project, one of the adult LWML members working with the girls applied for a grant from Thrivent Financial.  Thrivent Financial is a financial services organization that helps Christians be wise with their money and live generously.  They are a not-for-profit membership organization started when Aid Association for Lutherans and Lutheran Brotherhood merged.   Thrivent reviewed their request, and they were granted a sum of $500.00.   This check was delivered to the Women’s Center with the donated items to use wherever there was a need.

Many of the women and children who arrive at the center must leave home quickly and arrive with only the clothes on their backs.  There is a need for a variety of items to provide for these women.  The girls with Mrs. Sheila Johnson took on this project.  Through word of mouth, the church webpage, and the girls’ social media, donations have arrived from as far as New York.

Teen LWML – Pictured from left to right are adult leader Sheila Johnson with teen Nicole Brzozowski holding Aubrey Brzozowski and sister Cassidy Brzozowski.

The Teen LWML girls wish to thank all who donated items to this worthy agency.

Sermon for November 30, 2014

Sermon for First Sunday in Advent

November 30, 2014, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  Mark 11:1-10

Sermon Theme:  “The ‘Door’ Enters Through the ‘Gate’”

(Sources:  Online PulpitBytes; Online Wikipedia; original ideas; Believer’s Bible Commentary; Believer’s Bible Commentary; Harper’s Bible Dictionary; Nelson’s Three-in-One)

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

The theologians who prepare the three-year lectionary for us don’t seem to know what to do with the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  Back in the days of the one-year lectionary, a gospel reading of the Triumphal Entry was read twice a year, — on the First Sunday in Advent and again on Palm Sunday.  Today, Psalm Sunday has been replaced by Passion Sunday, with the Passion Readings, and the alternate text for Advent One, concerning the Last Day when Christ comes back to judge us, is used by just about every church except the LCMS.

I’m glad our LCMS lectionary included this text about Jesus’ triumphal entry through the Jerusalem double gate for this special day when we dedicate the new entry doors into our church.  Continue reading