Sermon Messages from Ascension Lutheran Church

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: 2 Timothy 3:14–4:5

Service Summary: How shall we pray? That question is the focus of today’s Readings. With Jacob as a model, our prayer might seem to be a struggle with God’s will. And Jesus’ parable teaches that prayer is a long-term effort. But prayer is more than a monologue; the Epistle reminds us that God started the conversation with His Word. The Spirit has used Word and Sacrament to awaken and guide our faith. Within that relationship, prayer is a conversation begun by God and continued each day. In worship, we do that with our brothers and sisters in Christ, moving from individual concerns to those of the Body of Christ, the Church. And in worship, we take the time to listen as God accuses and then excuses us by grace for Jesus’ sake. So let us pray and worship together.

Speaker: Rev. Raleigh Sims

Scripture Focus: Luke 17:11-19

Service Summary: We know a lot about some of the people in today’s Readings. We could write a typical biography of Ruth, for example, because we know her family’s names and even that she was an ancestor of Jesus. Last week we learned that Timothy, the addressee of today’s Epistle, had a Christian mother and grandmother, and is now a young pastor. But all that we know about the leper who thanked Jesus in today’s Gospel is that he was a Samaritan. Yet that is sufficient, for only through his faith in our Lord was he truly saved, not from leprosy only, but from his sins and his sinfulness. He was ready to live in thanks and praise of his Savior and ours. What’s the story of your life? We were dead in sins but now are alive in Christ Jesus. May God strengthen you to share His love as the story of your life continues to unfold.

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Proverbs 3:1-10, Galatians 6:2-10, & Matthew 16:24-26

Service Summary: Our theme for this year reflects our response to who God is and what He has done for us. Generous giving is comprised of three components, all required to be fully realized. The third side of this triangle is “Giving In.” Giving in, as it relates to generous giving, is not about resignation, but about loving those who journey with you as Jesus’ followers. It is about supporting and sustaining our brothers and sisters in Christ for the benefit of both the individual as well as the whole group. Jesus describes it: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 24:17-22, Colossians 3:2-6, & Luke 19:1-10

Service Summary: Our theme for this year reflects our response to who God is and what He has done for us. Generous giving is comprised of three components, all required to be fully realized. The second side of this triangle is “Giving Out.” As a recipient of Jesus’ generous giving, I want to follow his lead to be an invitational missionary and connect people to Christ.

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Luke 7:36-50

Service Summary: Our theme for this year reflects our response to who God is and what He has done for us. Generous giving is comprised of three components, all required to be fully realized. The first side of this triangle is “Giving Up” not in the sense of resignation, but a lifestyle of deep love for Jesus Christ and extraordinary generosity toward opportunities of service and the advance of His kingdom. Jesus is first and foremost the generous giver who gives forgiveness of sins.

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Luke 15:1-10

Service Summary: Many people attend to the tasks associated with the beginning of the service, looking at the order of worship they have received or checking out what the opening hymn will be. There is blessing to be found also in looking around us and acknowledging those gathered with us. Each of us is singularly special to God, and, joined together, we become “the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand” (Psalm 95:7).

Speaker: Rev. Raleigh Sims

Scripture Focus: Luke 14:25–35

Service Summary: The first issue that naturally comes to mind to many Christians when hearing the phrase “Choose life!” is that of abortion, which chooses death, not life. And indeed, never should our witness to God’s gift of life be silenced! Beyond that, however, are all the other choices we make in our struggles between God’s good and gracious will for all and the universal disability of sin that constantly attempts to lead us away from God and His call to life. Today, God’s Word gives us the assurance that because our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has chosen to take our suffering and death into Himself by His cross, all who are baptized into His saving death are given the power of faith to love God and pursue His ways of life according to His good and gracious Law and Gospel. Blessed is the man whose “delight is in the law of the Lord” (Psalm 1:2).

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Hebrews 12:28-13:17

Service Summary: Christians do good works most of the time without even thinking about it. That’s because faith is an active, living, real thing. God’s Word for this day is all about how God-given faith shows itself in a Christian’s life—in one’s attitude, relationships, words, and deeds. Those without faith, like many of the Pharisees in today’s Gospel, consider “good works” only as a way to influence or manipulate other people and even God. Such good works are never really good at all but are tainted with sin, selfishness, and pride. True faith, on the other hand, is not even our work alone at all, but the work of God the Holy Spirit who, through the Word of God and His Holy Sacraments, instills and inspires in the Christian the mind of Christ, the faithfulness and righteousness of Jesus. Such faith also endures the cross and all sufferings related to living in the world still disfigured by deadly sin. In faith God equips you with “everything good that you may do His will” (Hebrews 13:21). Offer up the sacrifice of praise to God in thanksgiving for His gift of redemption through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Revelation 22:1-20

Service Summary: We have come to the end of our “Tree of Life” series. We began with the account of creation in Genesis and today we finish with the last book of the Bible, Revelation. What does all this mean? Is this the end – the end of everything? What happens after we die? These are questions which have troubled mankind from the beginning. God gives John the gift of a vision of heaven to assure him and all believers that lies ahead. We have hope. “’Jesus is coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: John 20:1-18

Service Summary: After His death on the cross, Jesus was sealed in a tomb with a large stone. But He didn’t stay dead. In lesson nine, we talk about His empty tomb and what His resurrection means for our lives today and in the future. In Jesus’ death, death itself, which has stalked God’s creation since Adam and Eve’s fall, has been forever defanged.

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Luke 23:26, 32-46

Service Summary: Today we follow Jesus from His entry into Jerusalem to the judgment hall of Pontius Pilate and to the tree of death, the cross, which He has made into our tree of life.

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Matthew 9:14-26

Service Summary: Today we encounter Jesus as he is teaching and then heals Jairus’ daughter and an unnamed but faithful woman. Jesus did many miracles throughout His ministry on earth. Does God still do miracles today? What did His miracles mean back then?

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Luke 3:1-22

Service Summary: In our Gospel lesson today, John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, is doing the work he was called to do. He is proclaiming that Jesus is coming and that the people should prepare for that. How should we prepare? We repent, we turn from our sinful ways, and look to Jesus for our forgiveness and salvation.

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Daniel 6:1-28

Service Summary: Today, we see Daniel, a powerful and noble Jew, falsely accused, sentenced to death, and sealed in a tomb with a large stone. We will examine how closely Daniel’s trials and judgment and “death and resurrection” matched those of Jesus Christ.

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: 1 Samuel 17:40-51

Service Summary: Today, we look at the familiar story of the shepherd boy David fighting against the Philistine giant, Goliath. David’s seemingly impossible victory shines a new light on Good Friday and the seeming impossibility of Jesus defeating our greatest enemies, armed with nothing but a cross made of wood.

Speaker: Rev. Raleigh Sims

Scripture Focus: Exodus 12:1-13

Service Summary: Today, we see God deliver Abraham’s descendants from slavery in Egypt through ten plagues. The final plague, the death of the firstborn sons, and the salvation of God’s people through the Passover lamb teach us something very important about the death of God’s only-begotten Son, Jesus, who is our Passover Lamb.

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Genesis 12:1-9 & Genesis 15:1-6

Service Summary: Today, we see God choose an aged couple, Abraham and Sarah, from whom He would raise up a new nation through a child of promise. We will watch God call on Abraham to offer his beloved son as an offering, through which He will teach us many important things about the coming sacrifice of His own beloved Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross.

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Genesis 3:1-21

Service Summary: Today, we ask how God’s beautiful, perfect creation came to be the shattered, messy world we are living in today. We will see the tragic moment when everything fell apart—when humanity was barred from the tree of life and how God stepped forward with a plan, giving His very first promise to send His Son to restore His fallen creatures and the world in which we live.

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Acts 2:14a, Acts 2:22-36, John 8:48–59, Proverbs 8:1–4, & Proverbs 8:22-31

Service Summary: Holy Trinity, a time we commemorate and celebrate, is different than any other recognized time in the Church Year. Unlike Christmas, Easter, or last week’s Pentecost, where we rejoice in and reflect upon an action of God for our salvation, Holy Trinity is a time to rejoice in and reflect upon a doctrine. We gather around our shared confession of God as we know Him to be in the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Even in the mystery of things we cannot fully understand or comprehend by our own reason, we trust God’s revelation through His Word made known to us of who He is and what He has done, that apart from Him there is no other.

Speaker: Rev. Raleigh Sims

Scripture Focus: Acts 1:12-26, John 17:20–26, & Revelation 21:1-20

Service Summary: All the Church does is based on our oneness with our Lord. In today’s Gospel, part of His High Priestly Prayer and the night in which He was betrayed, Jesus prays that we would be one, even as He and the Father are one. There is no other, for Jesus says He is “the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13). Our oneness will be evident, as He prays, when “the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26). But the Gospel is not limited to the present Church, for our Lord prays “also for those who will believe in Me through their word” (John 17:20). We pray that many join us as we rejoice with the psalmist: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (Psalm 133:1).

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Acts 1:12-26, Revelation 21:1-20, & John 17:20–26

Service Summary: All the Church does is based on our oneness with our Lord. In today’s Gospel, part of His High Priestly Prayer and the night in which He was betrayed, Jesus prays that we would be one, even as He and the Father are one. There is no other, for Jesus says He is “the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13). Our oneness will be evident, as He prays, when “the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26). But the Gospel is not limited to the present Church, for our Lord prays “also for those who will believe in Me through their word” (John 17:20). We pray that many join us as we rejoice with the psalmist: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (Psalm 133:1).

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Acts 1:1–11, Ephesians 1:15–23, & Luke 24:44–53

Service Summary: We gather in celebration of our ascended Savior, Jesus Christ, acknowledging that we are to be witnesses of the Gospel!

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Acts 16:9–15, Revelation 21:9–14, Revelation 21:21-27, & John 16:23–33

Service Summary: The disciples thought they knew what Jesus was saying, but it was before Easter, and they could not understand. They would, “in that day,” that is, after Jesus’ victory and the Spirit’s gift of faith. Now we with them know that He has overcome the world, all opposition, and even death itself. John’s vision in Revelation depicts a perfect Jerusalem, clear and beautiful, with the Lamb as its lamp. Anticipating such nearness of God, in this our day we can pray, asking for whatever we need, confident of our Father’s hearing. In the Reading from Acts, Paul has to tell everyone about his Easter joy, and the Lord opens Lydia’s heart. She is baptized and opens her home for Paul and Luke to use to tell others. With the clarity of our Spirit-given Easter joy, we know, pray, and tell!

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Acts 11:1–18, Revelation 21:1–7, & John 13:31–35

Service Summary: Now we know the end of the story. In John’s vision in the Epistle, heaven will be like an eternal wedding feast. All of us in the Church have been made presentable by Christ, the Bridegroom. Unlike the disciples, who in today’s Gospel still had to experience their Lord’s absence from Good Friday through Easter morning, we can be confident that no one can take our joy from us. Now we know that because He has paid the price on the cross, the Bridegroom will freely make all things new. In place of torrents of tears will be the spring of the water of life. When we receive His body and blood in the Sacrament, it is a foretaste of the feast to come, and we cannot wait to enjoy the rest of the eternal celebration!

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Acts 20:17–35, Revelation 7:9–17, & John 10:22–30

Service Summary: It is Good Shepherd Sunday, and the familiar twenty-third Psalm is echoed throughout our worship. Our Lord went through the valley of the shadow of death in our place, leading from death to eternal life. There is work to do before we get to eternity, for following our Shepherd entails confessing our faith even when death’s shadow falls on us. It means vigilance against wolves attacking amid Christ’s flock, as Paul warns in the First Reading. But in his vision, John tells us that Christ is now the victorious Lamb on His eternal throne. We can be confident that what we believe by faith we shall know by experience in the unending joy of the Father’s house.

Speaker: Rev. Mark Mueller

Scripture Focus: Acts 9:1–22, Revelation 5: 8–14, & John 21:1–19

Service Summary: In light of Christ’s eternal victory, we should expect change in our daily living. For example, although they were called to be fishers of men, in today’s Gospel, the disciples learned that they needed to listen to their Lord even when fishing for fish. Change for Peter would mean moving from regretting his past (where he denied his Lord) to feeding Christ’s flock. And for Saul (Paul), Christ’s eternal, living presence would mean changing from catching Christians to proclaiming Christ before Gentiles and kings. The heavenly host in the Reading from Revelation sing their eternal songs of praise to the Lamb on the throne. How might our risen Lord’s eternal victory over sin and evil change us so that we echo their praises already here in time?

Speaker: Rev. Greg Walton

Service Summary: The installation of Rev. Mark A. Mueller as Senior Pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church.

Speaker: Rev. Murray Brindle

Scripture Focus: Acts 5:12–20, Acts 5:21-32, Revelation 1:4–18, & John 20:19–31

Service Summary: Thomas had missed out. He wasn’t there with the other disciples when the risen Jesus appeared that first Easter night to show them His hands and side. Thomas was absent when Jesus breathed on them with His Spirit and sent them out to proclaim His forgiveness. It’s no wonder then that when Thomas heard about this encounter, he wanted to see Jesus for himself. “Unless I see, . . . I will never believe,” he said (John 20:25). One week after Christ’s resurrection, Thomas had his opportunity. He saw. He touched. He believed. He confessed: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Today is your opportunity—don’t miss out! Our risen Jesus is here with His Spirit and in His body and blood. We see. We touch. We believe. We confess. As we gather in His presence for worship today, may He fill us with great joy as we continue to celebrate His resurrection victory and confess Him as our Lord and God!

Speaker: Rev. Tom Zehnder

Scripture Focus: Isaiah 65:17–25, 1 Corinthians 15:19–26, & Luke 24:1–12

Service Summary: “He is risen!” shouts our true hope. “He is risen indeed!” reverberates our confident belief. The high point of our Christian life is celebrated this morning as we gather with all of God’s children to rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. As today’s Gospel from Luke 24 will show us, confusion and fear give way to confident faith when the women who went to the tomb realize Jesus is alive and then share this good news with the other disciples. Through those disciples, this message has reached us also! Just as God had promised through His prophets of old, the Lord Himself will restore creation and bring harmony to all life—beginning with Jesus’ resurrection and continuing until the Last Day, when Jesus returns in glory, destroys death itself, and raises us up to new lives in His eternal kingdom. This victorious Savior is with us now—at the font, in His Word, at His Table—working to bring His new life into our lives as we trust in Him.

Speaker: Rev. Tom Zehnder

Scripture Focus: Job 19:23–27, 1 Corinthians 15:51–57, & John 20:1–18

Service Summary: We have gathered outside of the nave, following the ancient custom of the Church, which for two thousand years has gathered at the entrance of Christ’s tomb at Easter sunrise to celebrate His resurrection. When we join in our opening hymn, we will walk into the sanctuary, as Jesus’ followers walked to the tomb on the first Easter morning. As we gather, think about the despair and hopelessness that must have filled the hearts of Jesus’ followers. Take note of how the somber darkness erupts in joyous light as we enter our worship space to celebrate the victory that is ours. Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Speaker: Rev. Raleigh Sims

Scripture Focus: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 10:15-25, and Luke 22:7-20

Service Summary: One of the enduring legends from medieval times relates to the cup used by our Lord at the supper He shared with His disciples in the Upper Room on this evening. Known as the Holy Grail, the cup was said to have been passed into the safekeeping of Joseph of Arimathea, who kept it safely somewhere. Locating it has become a life-long quest for many people through the ages. Luke tells us simply what Jesus did at that meal: “Likewise [He took] the cup after they had eaten” (Luke 22:20). What eventually happened to that blessed cup, we do not know. But we do know that Jesus said, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood” (Luke 22:20). By His grace, that pouring out continues among us this day as we receive His blood shed for the forgiveness of our sins.

Speaker: Rev. Raleigh Sims

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 32:36-39, Philippians 2:8b, & John 12:20-43

Service Summary: The words of the prophet Zechariah echo throughout this special day: “Behold your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). On this day, we remember how Jesus Christ, the King of all creation, came down the Mount of Olives riding “a colt, the foal of a donkey.” We know the time and the place of that coming down the hill and traveling in procession across the valley and up to the city of Jerusalem. Jesus rode down a real mountain in a definite time in history and at a place still very much there today. All this was for a most certain purpose. On this day of celebration and of sorrow, we have reason to rejoice in the salvation our humble King brought for us to and through Jerusalem and to the cross on Calvary’s hill. The people there called out Hosanna!—which means “save us now!” And Jesus fulfilled their—and our—heart-felt request.

Speaker: Rev. Murray Brindle

Scripture Focus: Micah 6:7-8, Hebrews 6:9-12, & John 13:12-17

Service Summary: In this service, we see that we are called to serve in mercy the needs of those around us by Christ’s example.

Speaker: Rev. Murray Brindle

Scripture Focus: Philippians 3:8–14

Sermon Takeaway: We all have a race to run in our Christian lives, and each one of us will run it differently. But we need to remember the goal that we have, and that goal is heaven. Begin with the end in mind and press on toward the prize.

Speaker: Rev. Raleigh Sims

Scripture Focus: Genesis 45:1-15, Ephesians 4:25-32, & John 13:34-35

Service Summary: In this service, we come to understand that within the communities God has placed us, we are given the grace to treat one another as Christ has cared for us in his love and mercy.

Speaker: Rev. Raleigh Sims

Scripture Focus: Isaiah 12:1–6, 2 Corinthians 5:16–21, & Luke 15:1–3, 11b-32

Service Summary: No parable more fully describes the profound character of God’s mercy than the prodigal son and the waiting father. We are the rebels who begin to think we deserve our heavenly Father’s kindness and who demand from Him what is not our right to claim. But instead of disowning us, He meets us with joy, welcomes us with His forgiveness, restores our tattered righteousness with the robe of Christ’s holiness, and sets His Table before us. This is what happens every Sunday as the Lord reclaims us from our sins, restores joy to our heavy hearts, reminds us of His baptismal promise, and feeds our body and soul with the body and blood of His Son. This is the source of our holy joy and this is the peace that passes all understanding.

Speaker: Rev. Raleigh Sims

Scripture Focus: Matthew 26:47-50

Service Summary: In this service, we ponder the truth that though we may turn away from our God again and again, our Lord continues to call us back into  his merciful arms for Jesus’ sake.

Speaker: Rev. Thomas Zehnder

Scripture Focus: Ezekiel 33:7–20, 1 Corinthians 10:1–13, & Luke 13:1–9

Service Summary: How then shall we live? What a profound question for Christians to consider midway through Lent! The Lord has shown His mercy to us, forgiven our sins, and delivered us from death. Then what? What is the focus of our lives? The call of the Readings for this Sunday points us to the repentance that bears the good fruit of God’s kingdom. Like trees that have failed to produce good fruit, the Lord has tended us with His Word, with the warning of the Law and the promise of the Gospel. But if the tree remains unfruitful, the tree will have to be cut down. It is a hard word to hear, but God remains merciful, and most of all, He seeks that we bear the good fruits of faith and repentance in our daily lives.

Speaker: Rev. Murray Brindle

Scripture Focus: Jeremiah 26:8–15, Philippians 3:17-21, Philippians 4:1, & Luke 13:31–35

Service Summary: Throughout biblical history, God used prophets to call His people to repentance with the promise of mercy. God’s mercy should encourage us to return to Him, but too often, the people of God have refused His care. That is the story of Jeremiah, who was sent by the Lord to speak His Word, warn His people of disaster if they refused Him, and promise mercy to all who repent. It is also our story. The Law warns us of the failure to confess our sins and the Gospel promises forgiveness to all who confess and believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. Today, we pray the Lord to grant us hearts willing to hear His Word, confess our sins, believe in the forgiveness of Christ, and rejoice in this blessing all our days.

Speaker: Rev. Raleigh Sims

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 6:4-6, 1 Corinthians 10:6-13, & Matthew 4:1-11

Service Summary: In this service for Week 1 of Lent in our In View of God’s Mercy series, we look at our lives through the lens of God’s love toward us in the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus. In this service, we recall that in the midst of temptation, our merciful God provides us with a way out through Christ, who was tempted just as we are, yet without sin.

Speaker: Rev. Thomas R. Zehnder

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 26:1–11, Romans 10:8b–13, & Luke 4:1–13

Service Summary: The First Sunday in Lent begins with the temptation of Jesus. Alone in the wilderness, Jesus faces the temptations of the devil, who tries to use God’s own Word to entrap Jesus. The collect reminds us that we are also walking through the wilderness of this world, taunted and tempted by the devil, who still uses God’s Word to entrap us. Jesus does not simply show us how to resist but reveals that our strength lies in the same Word of God. In Christ, we stand strong against the wiles of the devil and, when and if we fall, we find refuge in Christ to be forgiven and restored.

Speaker: Rev. Raleigh Sims

Scripture Focus: Joel 2:12-18, 1 John 1:8-9, & Matthew 6:16-18.

Service Summary: In this service, we look at our lives through the lens of God’s love toward us in the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus. We also consider the ashes placed on our foreheads as a sign of our sins and remember that God lifts us from our ashes to new life in Christ.

Speaker: Rev. Raleigh Sims

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 34:1–12, Hebrews 3:1–6, & Luke 9:28-36

Series: The Transfiguration of Our Lord

Service Summary: The reading from Deuteronomy extols Moses as the greatest prophet. He led God’s people toward the Promised Land, but the Epistle draws a contrast between him and our Lord. “Consider Jesus,” the Epistle encourages us today, not because He is a great servant with us in the “house,” or Church, the people of God, but because He is over it as the builder. When Jesus was baptized, the voice from heaven declared Him to be pleasing to His Father in heaven. The voice from the cloud on the Mount of Transfiguration adds a command not only to the three disciples, but to us as well: “Listen to Him!” From that mount to Mount Calvary, He, the Word Incarnate, tells us of God’s great love; He goes to the cross willingly so that we may graciously follow Him through death to our eternal promised land of heaven.

Speaker: Rev. Raleigh Sims

Scripture Focus: Genesis 45:3–15, Ephesians 6:10-20, & Luke 6:27–38

Service Summary: “What shoes shall I wear today?” You may have asked yourself that question before heading to worship this morning. Most of us have many pairs of shoes from which to choose. But there is one kind of “shoes” each of us is to be wearing. As Paul counsels the Ephesians: “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:14–15). Choosing the right kind of shoes makes the day go better. Hearing the Gospel proclaimed throughout our worship and directing the days of our week in response to that Gospel makes our lives a blessing.

Speaker: Pastor Raleigh Sims

Scripture Focus: Jeremiah 17:5–8, 1 Corinthians 15:(1–11) 12–20, & Luke 6:17–26

Service Summary: During the middle weeks of the winter season, many homes receive catalogs in the mail from seed and nursery companies that are filled with pictures of beautiful plants and trees. It is easy to project what we see in those catalogs into our own yards and gardens. But before we do any ordering, we must consider whether we can provide settings in which those plants and trees can flourish. In both the Old Testament Reading and the Psalm of the Day, we are given images not only of plants and trees that flourish, but of people who flourish—people with faith in the Lord Jesus, who bring blessings in every season.

Speaker: Rev. Thomas R. Zehnder

Scripture Focus: Isaiah 6:1-8, Isaiah 6:9-13, 1 Corinthians 14:12b–20, & Luke 5:1-11

Service Summary: God calls us to be His holy people. Through the words of the prophet Isaiah and through his experience in God’s presence, the Lord reassures us that in love He forgives our sins and makes it possible for us to be holy in His sight. In the Hebrew language, to express what we would call a comparative word, you would say the “base word” twice—so “holier” would be expressed “holy, holy,” and that which is the holiest would be spoken of in the superlative as “holy, holy, holy.” And that is what our God is! Yet He knows us and cares for us individually. How amazing is that!

Speaker: Pastor Raleigh Sims

Scripture Focus: Luke 4:31–44

Service Summary: At the beginning of the Church Year, many sang the hymn “Love Came Down at Christmas.” Indeed, the Bible says, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son” (John 3:16). It is only on Good Friday, however, that we discover the depth and power of God’s love in the cross of the Lord’s death. And so it was that ever since the beginning of His earthly ministry, after His Baptism, we are given clear hints about the true nature of God’s love. Initially people marveled at Jesus’ preaching and miraculous healings. Yet not only did the crowds quickly reject our Lord, but Satan also was actively opposing Him from the beginning. The love of God is the power of God to defeat Satan and free the world from the grip of sin and death. The standard of love is the cross of Christ. In today’s Epistle, Paul describes love in and through Christ. Substitute “Christ” for “love” and you get, “Christ is patient and kind; Christ does not envy or boast; . . . Christ rejoices with the truth.” This love of Christ is given to us and through us. “Faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these” is the cross of Christ!

Speaker: Pastor Tom Zehnder

Scripture Focus: Luke 3:15–22

Message Summary: The “epiphany,” the showing forth or manifestation of Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior of the world, began with the coming of the Magi from the East. This “epiphany” now continues as our Lord’s active earthly ministry begins at the hands of His predecessor John the Baptist and His Baptism in the Jordan River. As the Holy Spirit comes upon His human flesh and the voice from heaven declares Him to be the Son of God, so our Baptism gives us “the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God”  (John 1:12–13). To be thus “born again” is nothing less than to have heaven opened to us with the power of God’s gifts of faith, hope, love, and the perseverance to live as God’s children now albeit as “strangers and exiles on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13), yet as “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19).

Speaker: Pastor Raleigh Sims

Scripture Focus: Luke 2:40-52

Service Summary: Have you tired of those Christmas gifts yet, or are you still enjoying them? God gave Solomon the gift of wisdom. God’s wisdom was a gift Solomon displayed vividly at times, but at other times, it seemed he had regifted it. In Jesus, we see the gift of God’s wisdom on full display when He is found in the temple, at age 12, asking questions and providing answers beyond His years. God continues to reveal His wisdom to us through the Bible. What is your plan for connecting with God and His wisdom this year?

Speaker: Pastor Raleigh Sims

Scripture Focus: Colossians 3:12-17

Service Summary: Are you prepared for heaven? Admittedly, this is an odd question when we are celebrating Jesus’ birth. Yet, Jesus was born to die to save His people from their sins. As Simeon held the Christ Child, he couldn’t help but say, “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word,” while also telling Mary, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed.” That opposition eventually brought about His death on a cross. Yet, Jesus was born to die and rise to life again so that all who believe in Him might live! That is the best Christmas gift ever.