Sermons
Philippians 1:12-13, 19-30: Suffering, Never Fun, but…
From many a pulpit, a twisted narrative too often resounds. Such preachers clamor to offer … [More...]
Genesis 50:15-21: Forgiveness in Full
Step into an ancient saga woven in time. This tale, spun from the threads of envy and … [More...]
Articles
Family Dysfunction
By Pr. Rich Futrell The family is the basic building block of society, where we experience and learn how to love, trust, and respect another. Yet, where do we first suffer pain, hurt, and betrayal? In the same location—our families! For a home, a place aglow with affection and security, likewise, troubles with defect and dysfunction. The Old Testament swarms with such examples. Try to find a … [More...]
Certainty Amid our Uncertainties
Here is our pastor's article for our church newsletter for November 2021. Rich, poor, man or woman, major and minor setbacks befall each and all. How can they not, since we are crestfallen creatures living in a sin-corrupted world? Whenever these certitudes come, events force us to pick up the pieces and start afresh. Otherwise, we withdraw from life. Of course, we might also lie to ourselves … [More...]
Eyes and Ears, Old and New
“Whatever we ask of you, teacher, we want you to do” (Mark 10:35). So, Jesus must again reorient His twelve toward a kingdom opened by His suffering, which He described as drinking from a cup (Matthew 20:22). In God’s kingdom, greatness comes in lowliness, where God gives His grace to the humble. Almost every Apostle of Jesus will, one day, “drink the cup” of martyrdom, beginning with James. Until … [More...]
Lest the Darkness Define Us
Imperfect copies of imperfect copies are we. The fall into sin introduced not only death but also physical decay and disease. Every Sunday, we admit as much in our Confession of Sin, “We are by nature sinful” (LSB 151, 167). All this means we are in a death spiral. Like “sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way, death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans … [More...]
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