I invite you to open your Bibles with me to Revelation, chapter 3, beginning in verse 7. Revelation is in the New Testament - the last book in the Bible. We have been listen to God’s word this summer from the book of revelation in order to tune our hearts to the gospel in a... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Wake Up!
Greetings from the distant land of Stout. It is truly an honor and privilege to share God’s word with you this morning and for our congregations to join together in praise the one, true God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As I look out among you and see Pleasant Valley and Stout sitting side-by-side,... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Vocab Rehab
Words go in and out of fashion like everything else, but there are some that we can be grateful that people do not use anymore. A long time ago, when I was a teenager, if you didn’t like something or thought it wasn’t too good, you might say that it was ‘whack.’ Yes, whack. W-H-A-C-K.... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Smyrna
I invite you to open your bibles with me to the book of Revelation. Revelation is the last book in the Bible - number 66 out of 66. If you are in any other book in the Bible, you have not gone far enough. If you are looking at the back cover, you have gone... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Remembering Your First Love
When John received the Revelation of Jesus Christ, he was told to write down what he saw and send it to the seven churches - to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodocea. The vision John received was not just for him, it was for the church. In... Continue Reading →
Sermon: The Revelation of Jesus Christ
The revelation of Jesus Christ - these are the opening words of the book we know as “Revelation” or “the Apocalypse of John.” In these next several weeks, we will be listening to God speak through this incredible (and often confusing) book. But before we hear about lambs and living creatures, jasper, carnelian, and emeralds,... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Agape
I love Pastor Olga. I also love books, video games, and mac & cheese. I use the same word, ‘love’, for all these things, but I don’t mean it in the same way. It would be unhealthy and more than a little disturbing if I loved mac & cheese in the same way I love... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Seeing Jesus
Jesus Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed. This proclamation is at the heart of the Easter message. The hope of Easter is that the Crucified One has been raised - death has been conquered, sin erased, and the way into the bosom of the Father opened for all who belong to Christ. The fact... Continue Reading →
Love One Another: A Midrash on John 13
A man was walking down the road, praying and praising God. He said, “Lord, you created all things and you know all things. What is your will for my life?” Just then, he came upon a stranger on the side of the road. The stranger said, “Sir, my life is filled with troubles. Can you... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Given for you
This morning is the beginning of Holy Week. As we saw earlier with the children waving the palm branches, this week we remember the week that lead to our Lord’s crucifixion. We remember how he entered to shouts of Hosanna and how he wept over Jerusalem. We remember the cleansing of the temple and the... Continue Reading →
Etz Pri 