Sermons from April 2022
God & Grief
On the third day after Jesus’ crucifixion, a group of disciples walked together on the road to Emmaus. They were completely lost in the grief of losing their leader, their lives shattered because they had yet to see the promise of the resurrection fulfilled. Even before they realize it, Jesus walks alongside them, opens the Scriptures to them, and they see him in and through God’s Word. When we find ourselves lost in grief, wandering aimlessly and unsure of where…
New Life (Easter at Victory)
On the first Easter, the resurrected Jesus appeared to the women at the tomb and to his disciples, and it changed everything. Despair turned to hope. Grief turned to joy. Because Jesus is alive, we too have new life. This new life means we can put our old ways behind us. We can “set our minds on things above”, living lives of love inspired by the love God showed us when he forgave all our sins through Jesus. The old…
New Relationship (Good Friday)
God commanded separation between Himself and the Israelites. In both the tabernacle and the temple in the Old Testament, the people were separated from the Holy of Holies (where God dwelt) by a curtain. Because of their sin, the people could not approach God. Because of Jesus, all of that has changed. When Jesus died on the cross that first Good Friday, the temple curtain was torn in two. The dividing wall of sin came down, and we now have…
New Covenant (Maundy Thursday)
The prophet Jeremiah preaches a warning to his people about the destruction that was to come for Israel. But he also gives them hope of a new covenant that God promises to make with His people through which He will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more. God promises this covenant through his Son, Jesus. God knows we can’t achieve the perfection He demands of us. We messed up the old covenant He gave, so God gives us…
Be Content
In the final two commandments, God explains that we need to be content with what we have: You shall not covet your neighbor’s house and You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. We often look at the houses and material possessions around us and want what we don’t have. But nothing on Earth will fulfill us. True contentment comes only from God. Scripture: Philippians…
Be Honest
God tells us the importance of honesty through the Eighth Commandment: You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. When we tell lies about others or act in other ways to hurt their reputation, we are not representing Christ and honoring God. Instead, we share Jesus with others when we defend them and speak well of them in our communities. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13 Sermon Text: Exodus 20:16