Ascension
May 12, 2021

Acts 1:1-11
Jesus Ascension Keeps Our Focus on Heaven!

6th Sunday of Easter,
May 9, 2021

John 15:9-17
Christian, Live a Joyful Life!

1) As you know Christ's love.
a. Jesus loves you as the Father loves Him.
b. Jesus laid down His life for you.
* Remain in His love as He gives you His Holy Spirit by the gospel.

2) As you show Christ's love.
a. Obey (Keep, observe, pay attention to) His commands (authoritative directions or instructions).
b. Love each other.
* When we live in God's love, we will bring His blessings to others. Can you think of a more joyful way of living? Through His love Christ will also bring joy to the family.

5th Sunday of Easter
May 2, 2021

John 15:1-8
The Fruitful Branch Remains in Christ.

1) To receive His strength for fruitful living.
a. Like a branches to a vine, we're united to Jesus for our life.
b. We cannot “bear fruit” unless we're connected to Jesus.
c. We bear the fruit of spiritual character.
d. Jesus warns us about the Gardener's plan for the unfruitful vines!
* Only the power of the Holy Spirit working in God's Word and Sacrament can keep us united to faith. Continue in the Word, and you won't have to worry about how your life will turn out. You will bear much fruit!

2) To be pruned to bear even more fruit.
a. When you are hurting, remember God prunes us to make us more fruitful.
b. Pruning is painful, but the Lord prunes us for our best.
c. When Jesus' Word is in us, we will pray according to His will that we bear fruit to the Father's glory.
* How do you want to be remembered? Do you want our life to matter? May our gracious Father be glorified in us and through us as we bear much fruit!

4th Sunday of Easter
April 25, 2021

John 10:11-18
Aren't you thankful to live under the Good Shepherd's Care?

1) He laid down His life for you.
a. We were sheep going astray.
b. He laid down His life and took it up again to give us eternal life.

2) He leads you.
a. He knows us and we can trust Him.
b. We know Him through His Word and Sacrament.

3) He uses you to gather others to His loving care.
a. He gathered us, and He uses us to gather others.
b. He sends pastors, teachers and staff ministers to gather and nurture His sheep.
* If you had a cure for Covid, would you keep it to yourself? You have the cure for death – eternal death – the gospel news of Jesus! In a world filled with fear of disease and death, you can share the eternal cure and demonstrate the true value of life.

3rd Sunday of Easter
April 18, 2021

Luke 24:36-49
Live with Resurrection Faith

1) Live free from fear.
a. Fear troubled the disciples.
b. Fear may trouble us.
* Jesus lives to silence all our fears!

2) Live with an “opened” mind.
a. Jesus opened His disciples' mind.
b. Jesus based their faith and life on Holy Scriptures.
* By faith in the risen Saviour Jesus we're free to live with an opened mind – opened by Jesus through the Holy Scripture to know God's love through Christ and to live in love according to His Word!

2nd Sunday of Easter
April 11, 2021

John 20:19-31
Stop Doubting, and Believe!

1) Believe that through Jesus you have joy and peace.
a. Jesus brought the disciples joy.
b. Jesus brings us joy with His promise.
c. How do we try to find peace? Deny sin? Blame others? Deliberately sin to get over feeling guilty?
d. Jesus brings us peace.
e. Jesus is our peace in the storms of life and in death!

2) Believe that through Jesus you have eternal life.
a. Thomas doubted Jesus was alive.
b. Jesus convinced Thomas He is the risen Lord.
c. Jesus still comes to us to give us faith and life
* By grace through faith we have life to live in Jesus name – sharing His love now; existing in heaven when we die; in resurrection glory when Jesus' returns.

Easter Sermon, 11 AM
April 4, 2021

Mark 16:1-8
What is the Greatest Fact of History? Christ is Risen!

1) The angel's announcement is true!
a. The women came to anoint Jesus' dead body.
b. The angel and the empty tomb assured the Christ is risen!
* To answer the skeptic, simply ask, “Where is the body?” Would the Jews have stolen it? Would the disciples have stolen it? Would the disciples have invented a lie? No! Christ is risen!

2) The risen Christ gives us eternal life!
a. The first followers of Christ liven that new life.
b. We live that new life now in faith and hope.
* In this troubled life, Christ's resurrection gives us comfort and strength. By faith we have the eternally long view of life – we shall be with the Lord forever in glory!

Good Friday, 11AM,
April 2, 2021

Luke 23:46
He Spoke a Word of Trust

1) Perfect trust in His heavenly father.
2) Perfect trust that is ours by faith.

Maundy Thursday
April 1, 2021

Mark 14:12-26
Jesus Speaks a Word of Invitation

1) To a meal that unites us with our Saviour.
2) To a meal paid for by our Saviour.

Palm Sunday
March 28, 2021

Mark 11:1-10
Hosanna in the Highest!

1) King Jesus Came to Claim His Thorne.
a. Jesus was carrying out God's eternal plan.
b. Jesus was fulfilling prophecy.
c. Jesus came in humility as our King of Peace.
* What a contrast to the triumph of earthly kings! King Jesus came to bring us peace with God. He promises, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36).

2) In faith we join in praise.
a. The crowds shouted “Hosana!” (Save now, O Lord!) But hose looking for an earthly king would be disappointed today.
b. Many are disappointed with Jesus as King today.
c. Welcome Him as your King and bow before him in faith.
* Is this life “out of control?” Jesus came once to save us and had everything under His eternal control. Praise Him now in faith as we anticipate praisng Him forever!

6th Mid-Week Lent
March 24, 2021

John 19:30
It is Finished is A Word of Accomplishment

1) That shows He finished all He came to do.
2) That shows He paid all we owed.

5th Sunday in Lent
March 21, 2021

John 12:20-33
Why would anyone want to see Jesus?

1) He lived that he might die.
a. The time had come for Him to be glorified.
b. Like a seed planted and sprouting, Jesus would die and then rise to give us life.

2) He died and rose again that we might live!
a. Can we find life's meaning – or the way to live forever – within ourselves?
b. Jesus teaches us to lose our life (turn from our natural way of thinking) to find life in Him.
c. Jesus affirmed the Bible's teaching about a perfect creation, the fall into sin, and God's love sending His Son to save us from sin.

5th Lent Mid-Week
March 17, 2021

I Thirst – A Word of Deepest Need
John 19:28-29

1) Showing Jesus' bitter suffering for our sins.
2) Showing Jesus' resolve to declare His final victory.

4th Sunday in Lent
March 14, 2021

Don't You Want This Love?
John 3:14-21

1) God So Loved the World!
a. God loves by acting to provide our needs.
b. God loves the wold – everyone, despite faults and sins.

2) That He Gave His One and Only Son.
a. God gave His one and only Son.
b. God's gift meant the supreme sacrifice.

3) That Whoever Believes in Him Shall Not Perish, but Have Etrenal Life.
a. Whoever = you and me!
b. Believes – faith is the Holy Spirit's Gift by the “Means of Grace.”
c. Blessings – eternal life!

4th Lent Weekday
March 10, 2021

Matthew 27:45-46
Why?

1) Jesus is forsaken by God for us.
2) Because of Jesus God will never forsake us.

3rd Sunday in Lent
March 7, 2021

John 2:13-22
Zeal for God's House Consumes Me!

1) It Consumed Christ when He cleansed the Temple.
a. The Temple was where God came to His people.
b. Christ cleansed the temple, His Father's house.
* Does zeal for God's house consume us? Why can we call our church “God's House?” Respectful worship shows our awe of our Savior; brings His blessings to us; and gives us the chance to encourage others.

2) It consumed Christ when He died and rose.
a. The leaders of the Jews asked Jesus for a sign proving His authority.
b. Jesus sacrificed His body (temple of the Lord) for our sins and rose again.
* By rising from the dead Jesus laid the foundation for another temple - the Holy Christian Church, made up of all believers. With passion for our Lord. His Word, and the blessings of His Church, zeal for God's house comsumes us!

3th Lent Mid-Week
March 3, 2021

John 19:25-27
A Word Tender Care

1) Jesus expressed His deep love for His beloved at the cross.
2) Jesus expresses His deep love for His beloved of every age.

2nd Sunday in Lent
February 28, 2021

Mark 8:31-38
In the Cross of Christ We Glory!

1) The cross He bore to save us.
a. Jesus went the way of the cross.
b. Peter wanted Jesus to avoid the cross.
* We by nature resist Christ's cross. By the Holy Spirit leads us to glory in it since Christ bore the cross to save us.

2) The cross we bear to follow Him.
a. Deny yourself.
b. Bear the cross.
* In an increasingly godless culture, keep on following in Jesus' footsteps. His Spirit will enable you to bear the cross. “For Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

3) The cross through which we have external life.
a. We lose our lives to save them.
b. If you lose all in this life for Christ – you still gain life.
* Ashamed of Jesus? Never! In the cross of Christ we glory!

2nd Lent Mid-Week
February 24, 2021

Luke 23:43
In Gethsemane

A Word of Promise for Our Dying Hour.
a. So much more than we deserve.
b. So much more than we Expect.

1st Sunday in Lent
February 21, 2021

Mark 1:12-15
He Won! We Won!

1) Jesus defeated Satan – We are declared righteous!
a. Jesus was led by the Spirit to battle Satan.
b. The Devil's greatest attacks:
i. Gratify your flesh – If you are the Son of God, make the stones into bread. (Do we doubt God's love when we suffer? See Hebrews 12:6. Trust God's Word, not your Feelings.)
ii. Appeal to your reason – Prove you are God's Son by putting Him to the test. (We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7; Hebrew 11:10; Miracles don't “prove” a teacher is from God. Matthew 7:21-23)
iii. Desire for ease – Worship Satan and gain the world!
c. Because of His obedience – we are declared righteous.
Just as through the disobedience of the one man, the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man, the many will be made righteous (Romans 5:19).

2) Jesus defeated Satan – We are forgiven and have eternal life!
a. Repent and believe the Good News!
b. Take Comfort – Jesus was tempted like us (yet was without sin).
* When tempted, the question is never, “What do I think about it? What does the Church say about it? What are other people doing? What do I want to do? The question is, “What does God say?”

Ash Wednesday
February 17, 2021

Father, Forgive Them!
Luke 23:34

1) Jesus is perfect in forgiving us.
2) Jesus's forgiveness moves us to forgive.

Transfiguration Sunday
February 14, 2021

Mark 9:2-9
What a Heavenly View!

1) To reassure Christ on His way to redeem us.
a. Jesus was “transfigured” in his appearance.
b. Jesus spoke with Moses and Elijah.
* God the Father assured Jesus on His way to Jerusalem to suffer and die.

2) To reassure the disciples on their way to proclaim Him.
a. The shadow of the cross hid the glory of Christ for a while.
b. The memory of the transfiguration glory later reassured them when they witnessed. (2 Peter 1:16-17)

3) To reassure us on our way to heaven.
a. Jesus is our Saviour, the Lord of Glory.
b. Listen to Him!
* In the valley of this world we may see only sin, sorrow, and death, Yet when we see the heavenly view of Jesus, we set our hearts on those things above until we will see Jesus in all His glory! (Romans 8:28, 2 Cor, 4:17)