Lutheran Church of the Resurrection

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I. Abraham as the Perfect Man of Faith
1. More than any other person, the Holy Scriptures portray Abraham as the perfect man of faith. Abraham was the perfect man of faith, but that does not mean he was perfect or sinless. When God calls him to leave behind his land and family and journey to an unknown place (Genesis 12:1), Abraham’s obedience was far from perfect. He did not leave behind all of his family. Instead, He chose to bring his nephew Lot on the journey (Genesis 12:4). Continue reading →

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I. Learning to Trust the Lord
1. In today’s Gospel Reading, a large, hungry crowd gathers before our Lord, and He uses the opportunity to test Philip with a question: “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” (John 6:5). Philip would have done well to answer as the apostle John in the Revelation and say, Continue reading →

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I. Earthly Things
1. Throughout the Gospels, our Lord Jesus constantly exhorts His hearers to set their minds on spiritual things rather than on earthly things. Our Lord’s hearers, however, continually demonstrate a desire to remain fixated on the things of this world, as seen in today’s Gospel text. Continue reading →

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I. Justifying Faith
1. In response to the surprising persistence of the Canaanite woman, our Lord says, “O woman, great is your faith!” (Matthew 15:28). It’s not often that our Lord praises someone’s faith. And yet, in three simple petitions, this Canaanite woman demonstrates for us what is justifying faith. Continue reading →

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

And lead us not into temptation.
What does this mean?
God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory. Continue reading →

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

1. Our Lord’s third and final prediction of His coming crucifixion in Jerusalem could hardly be more direct or clear. He tells of His impending betrayal, the explicit details of His suffering and mistreatment, and, finally, His death. Everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. Continue reading →

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I. Belief or Unbelief
1. There are two categories of people in this world: those who believe in Jesus and those who do not believe in Jesus. The world would try to teach us that there are an infinite number of categories: black or white, male or female, gay or straight, young or old, sports enthusiast or book worm. The world would try to teach us that these categories and so many more are what matter. They try to teach us that these are what define a person. Continue reading →

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

1. Our Lord was with his disciples in the district of Caesarea Philippi, in the northern reaches of Israel. There they had some respite from the harassment of the Jewish religious leaders. There Our Lord could give his disciples some much needed instruction regarding what was to come as he prepared to set his face toward Jerusalem. Continue reading →