A Famine Not of Bread

Click here to listen to this sermon. “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this” (John 11:25–26)? Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! There is a story in the Bible of one man who never died (Genesis 5:24). His name was Enoch. Scripture says that God translated him directly from life on earth to the presence of God in heaven (Hebrews 11:5). A little girl was once asked to tell the story of Enoch. She said, “Well, Enoch and God were good friends. And they used to take long walks in Enoch’s garden. One day God said, ‘Enoch, you look tired. Why don’t you come to My place and stay and rest awhile?’” And so he did. It’s not hard to image the Lord saying something similar to Faye last week: “Faye, you look tired. Why don’t you come to My place and rest awhile?” That poetic way of looking at Faye’s depar...

"The Scapegoat" by William Holman Hunt Click here to listen to this sermon. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But He answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took Him to the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him,...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation that You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel” (Luke 2:28–32). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Linda, Rick, and Jim, the words of our text were regularly spoken or sung over the years by your mother as she attended Divine Service at St. James, Memorial, Our Saviour’s and elsewhere. They are the Nunc Dimittis , part of the liturgy of Holy Communion. A few days before the Lord called her home, your mother recited these words, along “with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven,” having received Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of her sins and the strengthening and preserving of her body and soul. That individual communion of the Lord’s Supper in her room at Good Samaritan was the last of ...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! On this last Sunday after the Epiphany, we celebrate with great joy the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Transfiguration of Our Lord is the annual feast celebrating Jesus’ stunning change of appearance while in the presence of Peter, James, and John. In our Gospel, Matthew writes, “[Jesus] was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light” (17:2). At that moment, Moses and Elijah appeared and they were talking with Jesus about His imminent departure, literally His exodus. Peter, misunderstanding the meaning of this manifestation, said, “Lord, it is good that we are here,” a...

Click here to listen to this sermon. Scot, Patti, Mark, Todd, other family members, and friends: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Our Gospel for today is one that you will frequently hear at funerals. In fact, Bill was sitting here with many of you about a year-and-a-half ago and we all heard the very same words that Sandy had chosen for her funeral service: Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to Him, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:1-6). So, why do you suppose Bill chos...

Click here to listen to this sermon. Parents and educators teach their children how to make good choices. Good choices are decisions that keep you heading in the direction which is best for you and others. Bad choices, on the other hand, end up being counterproductive and can quickly spiral into stress, confusion, and despair. Like any other helpful habit, making a good choice has to be taught. We want to raise kids to make good choices even when we’re not there. Even when there’s no immediate reward or praise. Even when it’s hard. What does this look like in practice? Imagine a child who is getting ready to do something that could cause problems in the future. We might ask, “Is that a good choice?” Or suppose they’ve done something you’ve warned them against and are now suffering the consequences: Instead of saying, “I told you so,” we can ask “What would have been a better choice?” Making good choices is a necessary skill for all ages, but it’s best to start early. These are sk...