Sermon for April 26, 2015

Sermon for Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 26, 2015

St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  Acts 4:1-12

Sermon Theme:  A Cornerstone by Any Other Name . . .

 (Sources:  Emphasis Online Commentaries; Emphasis Online Illustrations; Sermon Suite Illustrations; original ideas; Anderson’s Cycle B Preaching Workbook)

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

           There’s a story going around about a college student who stayed up all night preparing for his zoology test.  He entered the classroom and saw ten stands each with a bird on it, each bird covered with a sack with only his legs showing.

The professor instructed the students to use the legs to identify each bird by name, habitat, genus, and species.  The perplexed student, sitting on the first row, was consumed by despair.  All legs looked alike.  Enraged, he approached the desk of the professor and exclaimed, “What a stupid test!  How could anyone identify birds by looking at their legs?”

He threw his unmarked test on the teacher’s desk and headed for the door.  The professor was taken by surprise.  He didn’t know the names of all of his students in the class, so he called after the student, “Young man, what’s your name?”

The enraged student pulled up his pant legs and said, “You guess, Professor, you guess!”

Birds are named.  So are students.  Salvation, also, has a name.  The name is Jesus.  The fact is Holy Scripture gives Jesus many names, — Bread of Life, the Living Water, Lamb of God, the Good Shepherd, the Vine, the Cornerstone, — just to mention some of them.  Continue reading

Sermon for April 19, 2015

Sermon for Third Sunday of Easter, April 19, 2015

St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  1 John 3:1-7

Sermon Theme:  “We Are Children Loved by God”

 (Sources:  Emphasis Online Commentaries; Emphasis Online Illustrations; original ideas; Brokhoff’s Series B Preaching Workbook; Anderson’s Cycle B Preaching Workbook)

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

Every Sunday afternoon, the state children’s home dressed the children in their nicest clothes and paraded them through the dining room during open house.  They were shown off to visitors who might be prospective adoptive parents.  Freckle-faced Allison, who had a huge winning grin, was always so hopeful that she would be chosen for adoption.

In spite of her bright personality and winning grin, no one ever chose her.

Finally the day came when a wealthy couple expressed interest in Allison.  They spent time telling her about their lavish home and all the things they could give her.  There was a swimming pool in their backyard and a tennis court behind it.  She would have her very own room, complete with television and computer.  They would be glad to have a puppy or kitten join the family, too, if she wished.  They would fill the shelves with every toy imaginable.

In fact, they offered Allison the fulfillment of a dream world.  Astoundingly, Allison told them that she thought she would rather remain at the children’s home.  This well-to-do couple could not believe their ears.  Their generous offer was being refused by an orphan.  They simply could not understand until Allison explained, “All in the world I ever have wanted was somebody to love me.” Continue reading

Sermon for April 12, 2015

Sermon for Second Sunday of Easter, April 12, 2015

St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  John 20:19-31

Sermon Theme:  “Show Me!”

 (Sources:  Emphasis Online Commentaries; Emphasis Online Illustrations; personal ideas and examples; Brokhoff’s Series B Preaching Workbook; Anderson’s Cycle B Preaching Workbook; Online quotes about doubting; Online Cartoons about Doubting Thomas; Online Humor about Doubting)

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

           As human beings, many of us, if not most of us, tend to identify with the disciple whom history calls, “Doubting Thomas.”  Many would say, ‘That’s our weakness as flawed homo sapiens, — to doubt.’  Some, however, especially those from the “Show Me” State of Missouri, would say, ‘We are people who want to know the facts, because we don’t want to be duped.’  Maybe Thomas was from Missouri.  After all, Thomas was not at the crucifixion to see Jesus die, nor was he at the empty tomb, nor was he present when Jesus made His first post-resurrection appearance to the other disciples.  For his Master to have arisen from the dead defies reason.

Most of you know the origin of the “Show-Me State”-label, when Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver declared, “I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me.  I am from Missouri.  You have got to show me.”  Thomas had to be shown. Continue reading

Pictures from Easter Sunday Fellowship

On Easter Day, the children learn to sign a song in ASL in their Sunday School class.

On Easter Day, the children learn to sign a song in ASL in their Sunday School class.

During fellowship time on Easter Sunday, the adults seem to be counting Easter eggs.

During fellowship time on Easter Sunday, the adults seem to be counting Easter eggs.

Dylan gets help from Jeff Shofner during our indoor Easter Egg Hunt.

Dylan gets help from Jeff Shofner during our indoor Easter Egg Hunt.

The altar and chancel area of St. Paul's on Easter Sunday.

The altar and chancel area of St. Paul’s on Easter Sunday.

Sermon for Easter Sunday, April 05, 2015

Sermon for Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015

St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  Mark 16:1-8

Sermon Theme:  “Gone?!”

 (Concordia Pulpit Resources, Vol. 16, Part 2, Series B; Emphasis Online Illustrations and Commentaries; original ideas and examples; Anderson’s Cycle B Preaching Notebook; Brokhof’s Preaching Workbook, Series B)

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

           In our Gospel text for today, as the three women, — the two Mary’s and Salome, — enter the empty tomb at dawn, and an angel says to them, “He is risen!,” they didn’t respond, as we did this morning, with “He is risen indeed!,” did they?

No, — instead, the women are scared out of their wits by the presence of the angel sitting where the body had lain.  They leave the tomb trembling and bewildered.  The women were afraid.  They fled from the tomb.  They said nothing to anyone.  The predominant emotion is fear!  The main idea is that Jesus is GONE, and that could be good or bad.  Where is the Easter joy we came to hear about, read about and sing about this morning?

The Easter angel, — or angels (Luke says “angels” in his Gospel), — announced the Good News in Matthew, Mark and Luke, but in a different order.  Matthew and Luke say first that Jesus is not here anymore, that He has left the tomb, — in other words, GONE!  Then, they say He has arisen.  The angel in Mark’s Gospel says He is risen first, and then that He is not there.  This may be nit-picking, but it seems that Mark is prioritizing the proclamation.  He is saying that Jesus is alive, and He is out there with you! Continue reading

Palm Sunday Covered Dish Dinner

Members serving their plates for a delicious Palm Sunday dinner.

Members serving their plates for a delicious Palm Sunday dinner.

Robert Osborne is shown here having a good time at our Palm Sunday dinner.

Robert Osborne is shown here having a good time at our Palm Sunday dinner.

Dylan had to try most of the desserts at the covered dish.

Dylan had to try most of the desserts at the covered dish.