In the Old Covenant, God called Israel to be a separate and holy people. They were not to intermarry with others, so the false gods and religions of their neighbors would not incline them toward idolatry. All of this had a purpose: It was to keep Israel as a distinct people through whom the Messiah, […]
Matthew 15:21-28: Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table
August 18, 2014 by
Romans 10:5-17: When were you saved?
August 10, 2014 by
If you lose the basics, it’s hard to move beyond that. For if the basics aren’t there, when you move to something more advanced, your weakness in the basics will always undermine what you are trying to do. Take reading the Bible. One of the basics is to know who the writer is (or who […]
Matthew 14:13-21: Jesus Can Provide
August 4, 2014 by
When you hear about Jesus’ disciples doubting His ability to do something, did you ever think, “Why didn’t they get it? Didn’t they know what Jesus could do?” After all, they lived with Him and saw Him conquer disease, defeat demons, and quiet wind and wave. Didn’t they realize that Jesus could provide–even in that […]
Deuteronomy 7:6-9: God Chooses You
August 4, 2014 by
God didn’t inspire the Old Testament so we could dare to be like Daniel, become a manly man like Moses, or lead like Joshua. Of course, when we see how those saints of old experienced God’s grace and how He strengthened them in faith that also encourages us (AC 21). But if we only see […]
Roman 8:18-27:Prayers of groans too deep for words
July 20, 2014 by
On August 31, 1422, King Henry V of England died. Henry V’s one-and-only son, Henry VI, then became king. However, a problem then confronted that island nation in the sea: Henry VI was only eight months old! So, because of Henry’s young age and inexperience, the English Parliament appointed Humphrey, the Duke of Gloucester, to […]
Matthew 11:25-30: Becoming as Little Children, even Infants
July 6, 2014 by
Jesus had been teaching and preaching to His own people. But what did they do? They went on believing what they wanted to believe, thinking they had the last word, instead of God. Jesus compared His generation to a bunch of spoiled, religious brats. A few verses before our Gospel reading for today, Jesus recited […]
St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles
June 29, 2014 by
What a daring deed it is to call someone a saint. Saint comes from the Latin word for holy. So, let us speak in clear English today. Today, we celebrate the Feast of Holy Peter and Holy Paul. How can we say that? Only God is Holy. That’s what we sing every week in the […]
Jeremiah 20:7-13: Chosen to carry God’s Gospel Word
June 22, 2014 by
Jeremiah was the weeping prophet. He had the job of speaking God’s Word to an ungrateful people who didn’t want to hear it. And if you’ve read through portions of the Old Testament, you know how the Israelites often flirted with idolatry. But in Jeremiah’s day, it was a full-blown affair. So, God used Jeremiah […]
Matthew 28:16-20: The Holy Trinity
June 15, 2014 by
Right now, I’m going to warn you. I’m going to use the word “catholic” a lot in this sermon. That’s because “catholic” is a Lutheran word, even a Christian word! When we let the Roman-Catholic Church steal that word away from us, and claim full right to it, we have only become the poorer for […]
Acts 2:1-21: The Holy Spirit working through the Word
June 8, 2014 by
On the day of Pentecost, people gathered because they heard a powerful, mighty wind. And as they gathered, curious about the sound, they saw something astounding. Tongues of fire had come down on the New-Covenant Church, on all 120 people. Of course, none of us has experienced such an event. And that makes perfect sense. […]
