Pastor Iromar Schreiber was our guest pastor on June 26th. Here is the sermon he preached on the theme, “God is Love.” Ever since our Fall into sin, we have been trying to find the love we have lost in our first paradise. Every day, we see this yearning in TV, magazines, and the internet […]
Tobit Who?
June 21, 2011 by
Many of you know I’m an enthusiast of hymns. Here’s an old hymn that you’ve probably never heard of, which isn’t in Lutheran Service Book. The hymn is O Starker Gott, Herre Zebaoth, which would be “Almighty God, Father, Lord of Armies.” This hymn is intriguing. It has 35 stanzas! But that’s all right, because […]
John 3:1-15: Born of Water and Spirit
June 19, 2011 by
Our Lutheran father in the faith, Philip Melanchthon, wrote, “The mysteries of God are to be adored, rather than investigated” (Loci Communes, 1521 edition). He is correct. For after confessing the faith in the words of the Athanasian Creed, who can fully explore, let alone, understand what we just confessed? In the Athanasian Creed, we […]
Holy Matrimony of Brandon Ponce and Jessica Marmon
June 18, 2011 by
This is a beautiful wedding story. Both Brandon and Jessica are members of a sister congregation, Holy Cross in Collinsville, Illinois. However, they wanted to be married here in Kimberling City. So this what happened: they received all their marriage counseling and preparation there and I, as a pastor in a sister congregation, married them […]
Walking by Faith and Not by Sight in Christian Caregiving
June 16, 2011 by
As Christians, God calls each of us to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). This means our orientation in life comes from God and His revelation to us, Scripture–even if they happen to contradict our experiences. Of course, we naturally want to do whatever works. This is the business model (diagram to […]
God’s Purposes in Marriage
June 15, 2011 by
As I prepare to marry a young couple, I contemplate again God’s reasons for marriage. Marriage is for companionship. It is also for the procreation of children. But largely forgotten is its role in our salvation. Here’s a 50th-wedding anniversary sermon I preached from the archives on that topic. You have an oriental rug, old, […]
Pentecost: Acts 2:1-21
June 12, 2011 by
The crowd at Pentecost thinks the first Christians are drunk. They hear the cacophony of 120 Christians. They hear the old and wrinkled, the young and sparkly eyed, men and women, and pastors and parishioners all speaking in the rush of excitement. The crowd thinks they are hearing a bunch of drunkards. That’s what St. […]
Tornado Recovery Efforts at SOTHLC
June 8, 2011 by
On Sunday, May 22nd, a massive tornado struck in the heart of Joplin, Missouri. In response, besides including Joplin in the Prayer of the Church, we at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church have had a special collection. We will send whatever we collect directly to Immanuel Lutheran Church at Joplin, Missouri. This is a […]
The Cruciform Life in Christian Caregiving (Part 2)
June 8, 2011 by
Although the reality of having Christ within us is real because of being baptized into Him, we are still called to “imitate” Him. This is because we are both sinner and saint. Our sinful natures force us to be reminded of who we are and to live out our true identity in Christ. Even so, […]
The Cruciform Life in Christian Caregiving (Part 1)
June 7, 2011 by
The “cruciform life” is a life shaped by the cross of Christ. It is a life based on who we are in Christ Jesus—and Christ Jesus in us! It is a sacrificial servanthood that is breathed out and lived out in real time, not simply imitated from afar. This is the Christ for you becoming […]
