Lutheran Church of the Resurrection

Click play to listen to the audio version of this sermon. To download the mp3 file, right click the image below and “save as.”

Anyone who has every had to live out of a suitcase for more than a couple of days knows just how old it can get. To be temporarily unsettled is tolerable for only so long. Traveling is exciting, but after a few days, you’d gladly trade the nice hotels and the restaurant meals for your own bed and a home cooked meal.

Likewise, no one enjoys moving. Moving is one of the most stressful things in life, second only to divorce. But just imagine that you’ve sold the house, packed the truck and set out for your new home, and a month later you’re still driving around the country looking for it. And two months later you’re still on the road. And a year later you’re still living out of a suitcase and your destination isn’t any closer than when you first left. And you’ve eaten at every McDonald’s and Burger King there is and had so many Big Macs and Whoppers that you swear you’d rather starve than eat another one. And two years later you’re still on the road and still living out of the same suitcase and still eating burgers and fries, burgers and fries, burgers and fries. (more…)

Click play to listen to the audio version of this sermon. To download the mp3 file, right click the image below and “save as.”

This morning we consider the 10 Commandments. A very small subject. Why, in the 20 minutes that we devote to a sermon, we can spend a whole 2 minutes to each one. He do we tackle a text like this one in 20 minutes, when we know we will spend our entire lifetime trying to master these 10 Commandments without success?

This may seem somewhat simplistic, but I’ve decided to try to make just one point about the 10 Commandments this morning, and the point is this: The 10 Commandments are good. Now, before you all respond in good liturgical style with a collective “well daahh,” let me just point out that this is not quite the no-brainer you might think. (more…)

Click play to listen to the audio version of this sermon. To download the mp3 file, right click the image below and “save as.”

A bit of biographical background may be helpful before we begin. Last week, we left Abraham and his son Isaac on the mountaintop where God spared the boy by commanding Abraham to “stand down.” “Now I know that you fear me because you did not withhold your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love.”

Isaac would grow up and marry a woman named Rebecca. And Rebecca would give birth to twin boys. The first one out was a hairy guy. And so, in a day when parents choose a name for their child after it was born and the name would have something to say about the child, they named him – Esau. Esau means “hairy.”
(more…)

Click play to listen to the audio version of this sermon. To download the mp3 file, right click the image below and “save as.”

The life of faith is a terrible life, filled with tremendous difficulties and great struggles. Anyone who says that their life got easier and that all their troubles went away once they became a Christian is either lying or hasn’t got a clue what it means to follow Christ and live by faith. This is why many who come to church because they’ve got great problems in their lives are very often terribly discouraged and disappointed and don’t last long. They thought this would be useful and make them feel better. But then, once they see what it means to live by faith, they quickly conclude that this is not at all what they were looking for and turn to Dr. Phil and Oprah instead. (more…)

Click play to listen to the audio version of this sermon. To download the mp3 file, right click the image below and “save as.”

I would like to explain what has taken place so far this evening. I. Worship On A Weeknight First of all, you have come here for worship on a day of the week that is not the normal day or time for worship. It is the middle of the week and not the first day or the Sabbath day. The normal routine of your week has been interrupted by this call to come together for prayer and meditation upon God’s Word and for the eating of the great meal. And you have come.

This reminds us of our Lord’s own need to get away from the activity and the busyness that surrounded Him and to be alone with His disciples for prayer and meditation upon the Word. And we remember how these times of retreat increased in frequency and urgency as the hour for His passion drew nearer. Great tests of faith require time and attention to the promises of God through prayer and meditation upon His Word and the mutual consolation of brothers and sisters in Christ. (more…)