A Famine Not of Bread

Click here to listen to this sermon. "Be content with such things as ye have; for He hath said, ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee’” (Hebrews 13:5 KJV). Jo, Cindy, Steve, Tim, other family members and friends of Howard, members of Trinity congregation: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Reading his obituary, I learned a few things about Howard. I guess that’s to be expected. I’ve only been his pastor for a little over six years, so there were more than 80 of his more active years to catch up on. Except for a few stories that would slip out once in a while, I didn’t know the younger, more adventurous man who played football, broke horses, or rode motorcycles. Or the dashing young biker who swept Jo off her feet. The builder who could accurately tell you a board was 6 and 7/8 inches wide just by looking at it. The boss who would walk the rafters and go up in the bucket to shingle the steeple. The father who made sure his children grew...

"The Judgment of Solomon" by Giorgione Click here to listen to this sermon. “Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart” (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! “His whole body was filled with delight. The aroma was so good, so tempting. It merited a closer look. At the jar’s edge, the scent overwhelmed him. He settled upon it and gorged himself with sticky sweetness. But then he could not pull away. Although he beat his wings until they buzzed, the ointment clung to him and drew him down to silence. ...

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I like to listen to music from a variety of genres, favoring songs that have thoughtful lyrics reflecting a true picture of the human condition with all of its joy and sorrows, challenges and triumphs, its scars and freckles, beauty marks and warts. Some songs grow on you over time; others connect with you immediately. My current favorite, “Rock That Says My Name,” falls into the latter category. The first time I heard it, I loved it. The more I hear it, the more its message resonates with me. “Rock That Says My Name” was released January 18, 2019 by The Steel Woods, a relatively new band whose music balances heavy blues-rock with Southern poetry, adding a bit of plainspoken outlaw country to the mix. (If you wish to listen to it, you will find a link to the official YouTube version of the song here. Click on “more” to read the lyrics.) “Rock That Says My Name” is a story told from the point of view of a man who works at a cemetery. A jack-of-all-trades, he keeps the groun...

Photo credit Suzanne Jaton Click here to listen to this sermon. “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity… [But] e veryone to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart” (Ecclesiastes 5:10, 19-20). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! The day of my Dad’s farm auction, his landlady also sold the land he had been renting from her family for over 35 years. When my Dad asked her if she was happy with price the land brought, she said it had brought more money than she would have ever hoped for. She only had one regret about selling the farm that had been in her family for three generations: “I just wish you could’ve gotten some of the benefit,” she told my Dad. “That’s okay,” he ...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11-13). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! What a joy it is to be with you today! This has become one of my favorite holiday traditions. This marks the 8 th consecutive year that I’ve had the privilege and pleasure to preach and worship with you saints at Christ Lutheran Church. We have come this day to give the Lord our thanks and praise, and rightly so, given this is a National Day of Thanksgiving. But more than that, we have come to receive from the Lord through His means of grace. In this Word, given through the apostle Paul, the Lord has something very special for us, a trea...

Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! When death comes to one whose life was marked by pain and suffering, both believers and unbelievers can be heard to say: “His death was a blessing.” For the unbeliever this conveys the idea that it is better to be dead than to be alive. But even if death were the end, would it not still be a mockery to welcome such an event which has taken a loved one from his family and friends? For the Christian to say: “His death was a blessing,” means something much different. Dear members of the family and friends of Roger, your hearts, which are aching at the great loss you have sustained, are now yearning for a word of comfort and contentment. Let me say unto you: “Indeed, Roger’s death was a blessing to him. He is better off now than before. Death was a great gain to him.” Among Christians, these words are comforting. We have not lost those who died. We know exactly where they a...

To listen to this sermon click here. Or here. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s” ( Exodus 20:17). Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! A couple who had lived in the same house for 30 years grew tired of their surroundings. “Let’s sell and move!” they decided. So they listed their house with a realtor, who wrote an elaborate listing. Before the agent posted it, however, she showed the listing to them. It was a glowing description, noting the excellent location, solid brick exterior, comfortable rooms, large lot, and many other valuable features. The couple looked at each other. “On second thought,” they said, “we really are happy here. I’m not sure we would be content in another home.” This couple learned an important lesson about contentment. Contentment is not found in what we have, bu...