Audio recording Sermon manuscript: Jesus said, “Whoever would save hislife will lose it, but whoever loses his life on account of me will save it.” Back home on the farm it was not uncommon for kittens to beborn around this time of year. The momma cats liked the hay mow of our barn.The old bales of hay and straw provided nooks and crannies for secl…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: When we use the word “peace” we often think of calmness,tranquility, the lack of fighting. There are different ways to achieve such acondition. For example, a graveyard is quite peaceful in its own way. Eventhough there are many people in close proximity, there is little fighting. Thereis also little love, little …

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: Our church is known for holding to certain standards thatother churches may not emphasize as strongly. We take seriously the sixthcommandment, “You shall not commit adultery.” Thiscommandment has many applications. We believe that marriage, as the one-fleshunion instituted by God, is a lifelong covenant between hu…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: Jesus chose twelve men to be his apostles. With about halfof those we hardly know anything more than their names. With the rest, we knowa bit more, but not too much. The Gospels tell us primarily about Jesus, not hisdisciples. The disciple we know the most about is Peter, who is also calledSimon. Our Gospel readin…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript; I’d like to begin today by setting the scene for our Gospelreading. It is from Luke chapter 4, so this is towards the beginning of thestory of Jesus. Not long before our reading Jesus was anointed with water andthe Holy Spirit when he was baptized. Then he went out into the wilderness tobe tempted by the devil. Wi…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: Donald J. Trump will begin his term as president at noon,January 20th. Have you been planning for what will happen January 21st?Have you been making lists, getting everything ready, rehearsing what you willdo for the day after the inauguration? Probably not. I haven’t either. I don’tthink a lot will change with ou…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: I have been a pastor for many years now, but this is thefirst New Year’s Eve service I have ever preached for. In Iowa neither of mycongregations had services on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. If memoryserves, I attended a New Year’s Eve service when I was a kid. However, mychildhood congregation more often had…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: Jesus Christ is the light of the world, the light nodarkness can overcome. In our reading John puts it this way: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The lightshines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Again,Jesus is spoken of this way: “The true light, whichenlightens everyone,…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: Our Gospel reading is appropriate as we approach thecelebration of the birth of Jesus. Our Gospel reading describes something thathappened not long before Jesus was born. Mary, Jesus’s mother, visited herrelative, Elizabeth. Both Mary and Elizabeth were pregnant with very special babies.Mary had been visited by th…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: I remember being very distressed by splinters when I was akid. Splinters are not terribly serious. You won’t die from having a splinter. Theydo cause a bit of discomfort, but what’s far worse, is that the splinter has tocome out. To get the splinter out, the finger must be turned over to an adult.What might the ad…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: Our Gospel reading today gives us a description of what Johnthe Baptist preached. John preached repentance, which means, “Change yourways,” or “Change your mind.” John told people that God’s wrath, God’s angerand punishment of sinners, was coming. That’s why they should change their ways.If they have not been good…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: “Blessed is the King who comes inthe name of the Lord!” The Gospel reading today is when Jesus entered Jerusalem onPalm Sunday. There are some unusual aspects to this story. Jesus told hisdisciples how they would find a donkey’s colt when they entered the village.They didn’t need to buy the colt. They would only s…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: In our Gospel reading we meet a woman with whom we mightthink we have little in common. She’s old. She’s a widow. She’s extremely poor.The most unusual thing mentioned about her is that even though she is poor, shemade a contribution for the poor. Which aspect of this woman’s life would youlike to emulate? Probabl…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: When we think about being blessed or being happy we usuallythink about wealth, abundance, security, contentment, and so on. Happiness goestogether with strength, ability, and freedom. If we have the wherewithal and ifwe have the opportunity, then we can do what we want. If we should beconstrained with our resource…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: On my day off last week I was at my dad’s farm near AlbertLea. I was there to help with the harvest, but in a different way. My sisterand her family were visiting from Florida. She has a son in the sixth grade wholoves running machinery. So my help was not so much me doing stuff. I was more ridingalong, supervisin…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: Jesus’s commands can seem unreasonable and unrealistic. Letme give you an example. In Luke chapter 6 Jesus commands that we give to thosewho ask of us, and if our goods should be taken away that we should not demandthem back. Upon hearing that we are to give to anyone who asks, and that weshould not demand back wh…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: Jesus said, “If anyone would befirst, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Being recognized is a deep human need. Being recognized iswhen a person is accepted and appreciated for who they are. People can berecognized for all kinds of different things: “You are talented.” “You are hardworking.” “You are funn…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: If you can imagine what it would be like to be deaf andunable to speak, then you might understand why Jesus said “Ephphatha,” which means “beopened” in our Gospel reading. Deafness and muteness close a person inon himself. It is difficult to take in the thoughts of others because youcannot hear them speaking. It i…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: Let’s begin by defining a couple words: defilement andsanctification. These words are opposites. Defilement is when someone is madeunclean and unholy. Sanctification is when someone is made holy. Whether we aredefiled or sanctified is of utmost importance for how God regards us. If we aredefiled, then we are unacc…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: Jesus said, “Blessed are those whohunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Our Gospel reading today is the middle of a conversationthat turned into something like an argument. The conversation is between Jesusand some Jews who were seeking him. The reason why they were seeking him wasbecause…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: About a month ago we heard a reading that was similar to ourGospel reading today. In that reading Jesus and the disciples embarked in aboat to cross the Sea of Galilee. All of a sudden a great windstorm arose sothat water was filling the boat. The disciples ran back to Jesus, who wassleeping in the stern, and said…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: Be faithful unto death and you willreceive the crown of everlasting life. At the end of last week’s Gospel reading Jesus sent out the12 apostles. They went out and did what Jesus told them to do. They proclaimedthat people should repent. They cast out demons and anointed people who weresick with oil and healed the…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid; justbelieve.” A person might feel jealous hearing our Gospel readingtoday. There was a lot of healing. Jesus was told about Jairus’s little girlwho was extremely sick. While he was on his way to heal her, a woman who had aflow of blood was healed. By the time that Jesus got to the hou…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: “When I am weak, then I am strong.” “Don’t you care that we are dying?”That’s what the disciples said. The wind was too strong. The waves were toohigh. Some of them were probably trying to use anything they could find to bailout the boat. They were fighting for their lives. What was Jesus doing? Sleeping.Didn’t he…

Audio recording Sermon manuscript: “The Pharisees went out andimmediately held counsel with the Herodians against Jesus, how to destroy him.” Perhaps you’ve noticed before that there are some people wholike laws and rules, and there are others who don’t. Those who like laws andrules usually also like organization. They like to have their things in …