Today’s chosen theme verse reveals the biblical truth that, because He wills to forgive, God calls to repentance. That is proclaimed, in large part, through today’s Old Testament reading. Through the words God gave to Jeremiah, we hear God’s clear calls to His sinning people to turn from their sins. This, the faithful are empowered to do as His Word moves them into repentance. …For more, click on the title above.
Author: kyriss
Why Easter?
Our Theme for Lent is “Why Easter?”(Pretty clever, huh?) A small difference is that we will be giving the answer to that question delivered from our Savior himself in what is known as the Seven Words from the Cross. Here, in brief, are what might be termed, Previews of Coming Attractions:
The Seven Words are:
• “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
• “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”
• “Woman, behold, thy son! Behold, thy mother!”
• “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
• “I thirst.”
• “It is finished” and
• “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
For more, click on the title above.
The second Adam conquers temptation and gives life
Our sermon that breaks through Lent’s fast today is drawn from the Protoevangelium. That Good News was given by God directly to His newly fallen and restored creatures. They, as it is a matter of orthodox, right, confession were the first man and woman. God had formed Adam from the dust He had drawn forth from the then good earth.
God had created man first. He had placed him in the Garden to work and keep it. God had also determined that a fit helper for the man was not yet in the creation. …For more, click on the title above.
Why Lent? Jesus answers and says, “God is gracious and merciful”
When members of this congregation studied the Book of Joel quite some time ago, we learned of some valuable biblical-historical realities. Among them was, that prior to the section of the Book we heard from today, God gave a clear call to repentance to His then sinning people. Their sins against Him were primarily from following other gods. But they also included not respecting their fellow Israelites, those who were called to be their brothers and sisters in the Faith. He told them He would, should they not repent, bring hordes of locusts upon them. …For more, click on the title above.
Look and see
Today we are looking forward to what happens 50 days from now on Easter Sunday. It’s the high point of the Church year where we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Leading up to that day we fast from our Alleluias and begin a time of preparation. Wednesday, after being marked with ashes, our focus shifts to repentance as we turn to God and place our backs to sin. …For more, click on the title above.
It’s all about the Word
Our text this evening is from the Gospel of St. Luke is commonly called the Parable of the Sower. This is actually a parable about four different kinds of dirt, or soil. The emphasis is not on the Sower at all but on the different kinds of soil into which the Sower’s seed falls.
To put it another way, this is not a parable about the preacher, it’s about the hearers. …For more, click on the title above.
God’s will becomes ours to hear in the proclamation of His Word
In our Collect prayer for the day, we heard the centuries-old emphasis for this middle Sunday in the pre-Lent season. First, we gave thanks that God has sown His holy Word among us. Second, we petitioned Him to prepare our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who continues to work through the proclamation of God’s Word. Third, we indicated why we are here in part, that is, to diligently and reverently hear God’s Word, to keep it in good hearts… to the end that we will all bring forth spiritual fruit with patience. Fourth, because we all have sinful natures clinging to us, we asked God to use that Word to keep us from yielding to our sinful desires, to subdue them in us, that we might continue to comfort ourselves with [His] grace and continual help. …For more, click on the title above.
New Exodus
In the reading today we can see the rebellious Israelites and their unpure desires deserving of death. Yet, by grace they were given life-giving water. Israel was on the path from a broken creation to a new creation. But to fully see what was happening in the reading, we need to start with what happened leading up to their encampment at Rephidim….For more, click on the title above.
Transfigured in glory
This morning the questions we will consider, along with the basic, “What does this mean?” are: What does it mean for you? And specific to our Gospel text, what does it mean that the voice of God the Father speaks from the glory and says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
We’ll answer these questions this morning following the outline of the Collect of the day. …For more, click on the title above.
Please place upon us innocent blood
“O YHWH! Do not let us perish for this man’s life,
and do not place upon us innocent blood, for You, O YHWH, as it has pleased You, You have done
Think about that prayer. It, in part, reveals what would happen in time, when One would be cast into the depths of death for you. t declares how helpless you are to do, say, or offer anything that could take the Holy God’s wrath from your unholy self. Today’s Words foreshadowed that which God, in the Person of the Son, would offer to Himself to buy you back from sin, death, and hell. They ask God to not account sinners guilty of the blood of the Innocent Man. …For more, click on the title above.