In the name of Jesus. Amen. Today our meditation on God’s Word comes from the Gospel lesson, especially this verse: “When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36, ESV).[1] What do you call sheep without a shepherd? Lunch! That’s right: […]
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. What sort of person was Matthew the tax collector? If you are a fan of the television series, The Chosen, then you probably imagine him as a socially awkward, fastidious young man with a little bit of […]
Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the prophecy in Psalm 8 by his incarnation.
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen. Jesus’ nighttime encounter with Nicodemus is one of my favorite stories in life of Christ. And one of our favorite Bible verses comes in the context of this conversation: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his […]
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen. Many of the big cover ups in American history happened either before I was born or when I was too young to pay any attention. Yet many of you lived through them: Watergate, the Iran-Contra Affair, President Clinton’s affair […]
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen. In last week’s Gospel reading, Jesus told us that he did not come “to abolish the Law and the Prophets… but to fulfill them” (Matt. 5:17, ESV).[1] The Old Testament is not “old hat.” The Ten Commandments are not […]
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen. Last week we heard Jesus pronounce blessing upon his disciples—upon us!—in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12). Whether we feel it or not, we are blessed because Jesus calls us blessed. His Word creates the reality it speaks into being. Today […]
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen. Today’s Gospel reading is the first in a series of four Sundays on which we listen to Jesus’ familiar words from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Today Jesus speaks blessings upon his disciples in the passage […]
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:3, ESV).[1] Amen. In last week’s sermon, I preached about the importance of giving thanks for the people in our lives, even the ones who are difficult to love and get along with. In that same message, we surveyed […]
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:3, ESV).[1] Amen. Some people are never happy. They nitpick at everyone and can always find something to complain about. They never show appreciation or say, “Thank you.” If you ask them how they’re feeling, you always get a […]