A Famine Not of Bread

Click here to listen to this sermon. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith” (Romans 3:23-25a). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Martin Luther is generally remembered on this Reformation Day for the posting of the 95 Theses, statements for debate on repentance and the sale of indulgences. But a more complete statement of faith prepared by Luther is the Smalcald Articles. It was Luther’s hope that this document would be used for discussion at a general council of the Church or, should he die before such a council was held, that it would be regarded as his “last will and testament.” The Smalcald Articles clearly establish the differences between Romanism and Lutheranism. Nowhere is this more evident than in Article I. It reads: The first and chief article ...

"Jacob Wrestles with an Angel" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. Jacob said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me.” (Genesis 32:26). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Jacob and his caravan reach the Jabbok, a stream that flows into the Jordan from the east just about midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. After leading family and flocks south across the Jabbok under cover of darkness, Jacob himself goes back across the stream, apparently to spend some time alone with the Lord in prayer. As he begins once again to pour out his heart to God, he suddenly becomes aware that out of the darkness someone has grabbed hold of him and is wrestling him to the ground. The mysterious struggle continues—for hours—until the first streaks of dawn appear in the eastern sky. In commenting on this passage, Martin Luther said, “This text is one of the most obscure in the Old Testament.” Although there are ele...

Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Like most congregations, Trinity has a church book that contains a running record of all of the marriages, baptisms, deaths, and confirmations. With Trinity observing its 125 th anniversary this past year, it was a book that was turned to quite often in order to recall important events and people in the history of the congregation. At our celebration, Hilda was recognized as our oldest living member and she was so happy to be able to join us for that day. Little did we know that one of the names entered into that book during this year would be for Hilda. With her departure, a godly woman, a mother and grandmother and great-grandmother is no longer here—a friend and sister in Christ and faithful member of Trinity is not among us now. Were it my duty to paint sadness and sorrow, it would be easy to point to the reality of these mortal remains and let them speak louder tha...

9  Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10  Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11  Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13  Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. (Romans 12:9–13). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Social media was abuzz this week with a photo of Ellen DeGeneres sitting with former president George W. Bush having a good laugh in the Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones’ private suite. Twitter users were surprised at the unusual seating arrangement, and some were angry to see, as DeGeneres put it, “a gay Hollywood liberal sitting next to a conservative Republican president.” She took a lot of heat for this particularly from the LGBTQ community. “I’m friends with George Bush,” DeGeneres explained Monday o...

Click here to listen to this sermon. "The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself" (2 Timothy 2:11-13). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Let’s face it: We have not been all that faithful to God. Need proof? Let’s run through the Commandments. As we do, I ask to examine your own heart and life. How faithful have you been? T he First Commandment: You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things. Have you loved God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength? Do you see your worry and fretting as sin against trusting God? Do you complain about the troubles, people, work, and suffering God lays on you? Do you love the things God gives more than you love Him? The Second Comma...

Click here to listen to this sermon. Adapted from sermon by Rev. Dr. Dean Nadasdy

Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Now that he now longer is here on this earth, we have only our memories of him. We close our eyes and can almost picture him, can’t we? No flashy, fancy clothes, no big, expensive car, no excesses of luxury, no political aspirations. He was an ordinary man, devout in his faith, humble in his attitude. You didn’t read about him in the newspapers all the time, but his name was written in the Book of Life. He knew of his salvation—that it was not something he could bring about. Like each of us, he had broken God’s commandments. He had failed to do the good he should do and had often done what he shouldn’t. But, by God’s grace, he had heard the good news of the Savior and believed it. He did not look to himself for his own righteousness or eternal salvation. Rather, the Lord was his hope; the Lord God was, and is, his future, his eternity. We know for certain that he was a r...