A Famine Not of Bread

"The Calling of Saint Peter and Saint Andrew" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. “Now when [Jesus] heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth He went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali” (Matthew 4:12-13). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! When Jesus hears that John has been arrested, He withdraws from the region around the Jordan into Galilee, heading northward after His wilderness conflict with Satan. Jesus is not running away, but He Himself will choose the times and ways to confront those who seek to destroy the work of God’s gracious reign. More importantly, Jesus withdraws into Galilee and leaves Nazareth, His hometown, in order to take up residence in Capernaum by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali. This happens in order to fulfill Isaiah’s words from our Old Testament reading. The light of the Christ has begun ...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Like the psalmist, I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” That is, to say, I was glad to hear that the visitation yesterday and our service today would be here at St. John’s. It is good and right that we should be at this house of the Lord. Every time that I would visit him, he would ask: “How are things going at the church? How was attendance last Sunday? Was Jeff there? Bryan? Got many kids in Sunday School?” It’s easy to understand why this house of the Lord would be important to Paul. This was the place in which he was baptized, confirmed, and married, Paul’s children were baptized and confirmed here at St. John’s. Paul served as a Sunday School teacher, church off...

Click here to listen to this sermon. Dear Bette, Linda, Bryan, Nancy, other family and friends of Walt: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! In some ways, I feel a bit like an intruder on this occasion. I only met Walt a little over a year ago. I didn’t know him for years—or even a lifetime—as many of you have. I didn’t know Walt the husband, the father, or grandfather. I didn’t know Walt the farmer or business owner. I never got the chance to go fishing with him. But I count myself fortunate because I came to know Walt in a way that many of us never have the chance to know others in the distractions and daily grind of life. I came to know Walt at a time in his life when his thoughts were focused on what was most important to him—his family and, most of all, his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I came to know Walt as a fellow redeemed sinner and child of God. Each time I met with Walt, we would first talk about whatever sport was in season and t...