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Message for December 26: God’s Steadfast Love for you

Pastor — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 14:54:02 +0000

What do we do every Christmas?

No, I’m not talking about opening gifts or spending time with family. What do we really DO every Christmas?

We remember the steadfast love of our Lord.

What is this love?

4But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

(Galatians 4:4-7)

The steadfast love of our Lord is that, despite what we feel sometimes, He has not abandoned us.

Israel felt abandoned. No one had prophesized significantly enough to be include in the Hebrew Bible for 420 years. That’s about 14 generations! God’s people continue to remember what God had done for them, but it must have been hard.

However, in His time, God sent his son, fully God, Jesus of Nazareth, fully man.

Since Jesus is fully man, he came subject to the same Law of God that each of us are. That means that he had to do everything perfectly.

Since Jesus is God’s son, He is fully God, too. That means that he is capabable of doing what you and I aren’t-fulfilling the law!

Where we fail and bring death and suffering to us-Jesus succeeds and creates a new relationship for us with God.

We go from being a dead slave to being adopted sons and daughters! It was God’s promise from years ago.

It was first made real in Jesus.

Then it was made real for you in your baptism.

Today we remember that wonderful steadfast love of God.

From creation, to the prophets, to the coming of His Son, to his love for you!

With God’s peace on this wintry Christmas morning!

Sermon: “What’s your Christmas greeting?” – 4th Sunday in Advent

Trinity Lutheran Church — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 17:36:55 +0000

We greet people in many different ways this time of year. Have you ever noticed how all our greetings either focus on an emotional response or how great we are? These greetings also show us how we are not living as Christians as God desires. However, as we listen to Paul we discover a greater greeting than any we could ever say on our own.

Sermon: “Is Doubt OK?” – 3rd Sunday in Advent

Trinity Lutheran Church — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 17:34:45 +0000

Do you ever have doubts about Jesus? Don’t try to say you don’t, even John the Baptist had doubts. Yes, Jesus’ cousin who jumped for joy in his mother’s womb for Jesus and then baptized Jesus to announce the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry had doubts. Listen to John’s story and how his doubts are relived-it’s the same way we can relieve our doubts, too!

Sermon: “Do you have the right gift?”

Trinity Lutheran Church — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 03:32:54 +0000

Christmas is coming and we spend a lot of time thinking about the right gift for our loved ones. Have you given much thought to the gift that God gives you? Do you think it’s possible that you are trusting in something besides the true gift from God? Have you ever stopped to think what gift endures? Listen as Pastor Smith preaches on John preparing the way for Jesus and the gift that God has prepared for you.

Thanksgiving: Hymn-’Come, Ye Thankful People, Come’ and Sermon-’Give thanks like a leper’

Pastor — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 16:48:58 +0000

Sermon Text: Luke 17:11-19

Summary: When we pray for God’s help, we’re like the lepers crying out for mercy. What happens when God answers your prayers? Do you hold back your praise like 9 of the lepers? Or does God fill you with joy and shouts of thanksgiving like the 10th leper?

“Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”, Hymn 892, Lutheran Service Book
Text: Henry Alford, 1810-71
Tune: George J. Elvey
Organist: Kai Lin

Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God’s own field, fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come, and shall take His harvest home;
From His field shall in that day all offenses purge away,
Giving angels charge at last in the fire the tares to cast;
But the fruitful ears to store in His garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come, bring Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin,
There, forever purified, in Thy garner to abide;
Come, with all Thine angels come, raise the glorious harvest home.

Sermon: “Recognition”

Pastor — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 23:52:24 +0000

This week’s lesson deals with ‘recognition’. Have you ever thought you get too little? Have you ever thought that some people get it undeservingly? What about the fact that some Christians work harder than others for the churches and charities – but is everyone given the same Grace by God? Is this fair?

Sermon: “Touchdown, Jesus!” – All Saints Day 2010

Trinity Lutheran Church — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 23:07:36 +0000

No, this sermon is not about the famed mural on the campus of Notre Dame University. But it is about the rejoicing we should have because of the salvation bought for us by the sacrifice and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Beatitudes from the “Sermon on the Mount” are much more than a check-list for the faithful. They point us to the blessing that comes through faith in Jesus.

Sermon: “Freedom in Christ” – Reformation Day 2010

Trinity Lutheran Church — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 12:26:33 +0000

Balancing Salvation by Faith alone, yet living a Christian life. Through the Reformation, we were given religious freedom, but what does it mean to be free?

Sermon: “Our Mark of Cain”

Pastor — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:21:27 +0000

The lives of Cain and Abel show us the most famous story of sibling rivalry. At the heart of this rivalry is Cain’s desire to justify himself before God. Listen to see how we each try to justify ourselves before God (save ourselves) and how God, through Jesus and Baptism, marks us as his own despite our own actions.

Sermon: Third Week of Easter

Trinity Lutheran Church — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:53:17 +0000

“Feed my Sheep!” by Rev. Dan Berteau followed by the hymn “Blessed Jesus”