A Famine Not of Bread

Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! A few years ago (more than 15), we were headed to Gillette, Wyoming for a wedding. My grandson Abbott started fussing, so I just said: “Ten more minutes and then we’ll stop.” Much to my surprise, he quieted down. And in ten minutes, I kept my promise. After a quick diaper change and a bottle of formula he was good to go for another 200 miles. Then he started fussing again. Since it worked the first time, I decided to try the same line again: “Ten more minutes.” It seemed to work so well that I used it over and over again the whole trip. Now as biased as I may be about my grandchildren’s advanced abilities, I realize Abbott didn’t actually understand what I was saying. He was only four months old at the time. But still that voice seemed to reassure him. And the running joke seemed to pass the time more quickly for us adults than a crying baby. At the same time, it was a reminde...

Click here to listen to this sermon. [Jesus said:] “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Jesus makes two big promises that Christians need to hear. The latter is more popular and, at first glance, more comforting. It is the kind of promise that people put on the signature line of their emails or make into memes on Facebook or Instagram. The former is just as certain, however, and equally significant, but in a different way. Jesus spoke these two big promises to His disciples in the Upper Room just before His death and resurrection, but they apply to all followers of Christ. We’ll start with the first promise: “In the world you will have tribulation.” Jesus begins by talking about the world. He said a lot about the world in the Upper Room that night: it cannot receive the Spirit of truth (John 14:7); it does not give peace as Jesus gives (...

Click on this link to listen to this sermon.   The text for today is our Gospel lesson, John 16, particularly verse 23, in which we continue to listen in on Jesus’ Last Supper discourse: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you.” Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Up to now, His disciples hadn’t had to ask for anything in Jesus’ name.   He had been right there with them, so they would just ask Him directly.   But, as we heard last week, things were about to change.   In a little while, a few short hours, He would leave them and go to the cross.   After a little while, three days, He would rise from the dead.   After His resurrection, Jesus would leave them and ascend into heaven.   In a little while, they would see Him no more. So note two things that Jesus did for His disciples that night.   For one, He gave them Holy Communion.   In that...

Click here for an audio version of this sermon. Another adorable grandchild. The text for today is our Gospel lesson, John 16:16-22, which has already been read. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Before I begin, I must issue the following warning: This sermon contains an illustration featuring the exploits of one of my adorable grandchildren.   But then, since I plan on being here for awhile you might as well get used to it.   A few years ago we were in the van headed to Gillette, Wyoming for a wedding.   My grandson Abbott started fussing, so I just said: “Ten more minutes and then we’ll stop.”   Much to my surprise, he quieted down.   And in ten minutes, I kept my promise.   After a quick diaper change and a bottle of formula he was good to go for another 200 miles.   Then he started fussing again.   Since it worked the first time, I decided to try the same line again: “Ten more minutes.” ...