Grace in Community

Texts: Matthew 10:31-42, Jeremiah 20:7-12 Series: Jesus the Great Disruptor We usually (and rightfully) place a strong emphasis on God’s grace and acceptance. But sometimes this can cause us to miss just how disruptive God’s word is. Jeremiah feels a deep disruption within him that forces him to speak. Jesus warns that his words will bring stark division. Hearing this might only add to the feeling...

Text: Matthew 10:24-31 What are you passing down? Here on Father's Day, lay member Keith Borgschatz preaches a special message proclaiming that faith isn't just something we believe; it's something we live. Keith reminds us that fatherhood, and discipleship itself, isn't about being in charge—it's about showing up, serving, and staying rooted in something bigger than ourselves. The seeds planted i...

Texts: Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26; Hosea 5:15-6:6; Psalm 50:7-15 Series: Jump in the River! Jesus was often criticized for eating with tax collectors and sinners—the religiously nonobservant. In response, he routinely criticized self-righteousness. Hosea reminds us that steadfast love and mercy, rather than rote ritual, are to be the heart of our faith. We are challenged to see God’s presence among tho...

Texts: Matthew 28:16-20, Genesis 1:26-31, Psalm 8, Ezekiel 47:1-12 Series: Jump in the River! What if the secret to life isn't solving God's mysteries, but being swept up into them? Here on Trinity Sunday, Pastor Matt reveals that the Trinity isn't a theological puzzle to solve, but the early church's lived experience of God drawing us into divine community. From creation's overflowing love to Jes...

Text: John 7:37-39 Series: Jump in the River! On this special Sunday two of our youth were baptized, and four affirmed the promises God made to them in baptism, saying “Yes! I want to continue learning and growing as a disciple of Jesus.” When we affirm our place in God's family in baptism, we become part of the living waters of God’s grace flowing to the world. Surprisingly, this happens not beca...

Text: John 17:1-11 Series: Jump in the River! Last week we witnessed Jesus telling the disciples they will need to learn how to "adult." He was going away, but he would send them a helper - in this process: the Holy Spirit. Now he tells them of one vital ingredient for how to carry on his mission in the world; how to make the river of God's grace flow. And that essential ingredient that Jesus is m...

Text: John 14:15-21, Acts 17:22-31 Series: Jump in the River! In this Mother's Day sermon, Pastor Matt asks the question, "Is it appropriate to refer to God as Mother, or as 'She'?" Engaging this interesting question leads us to see an important truth in Jesus' promise to the disciples of what will come after he leaves them. Like a supportive mother, the Holy Spirit both nourishes and challenges u...

Text: John 14:1-14 Series: Jump In the River!  For the next couple weeks our texts open up some controversial questions. This week: should we still be saying that "Jesus is the only way?" Rather than backing down from this claim, Pastor Matt reveals how we've misunderstood its true meaning—Jesus isn't offering us an exclusive ticket to heaven, but inviting us into a radical way of life that transf...

Text: John 10:1-10, Psalm 23 Series: Jump in the River! Life can be filled with chaos. What if you could hear one familiar voice that provided calm in the midst of it? In this touching reflection on Psalm 23 and John 10, Pastor Matt reveals how the Good Shepherd has already found us; all we need to do is listen for his voice. Discover the still waters that restore your soul and flow out to bless o...

Text: Luke 24:13-35 Series: Jump in the River! In Christian circles you often hear the phrase "God's Word" thrown around. But what exactly do we mean by it? Pastor Matt's answer in this sermon may surprise you, because as Lutherans we think of it a bit differently than some. As we reflect on the story of two disciples encountering the resurrected Jesus on the road, we recognize how we too encounte...

Text: John 20:19-31 In this week's special episode, Bishop Dave Nagler of our Pacifica Synod brings us a message based on the text that gives "Doubting" Thomas his unfortunate nickname. In doing so, Bishop Dave brings us an important message about what it really means to have faith. Listen and explore what it means to move from intellectual belief toward life-changing trust. 

Text: Matthew 20:1-10 When the women went to see Jesus’ tomb early on that first Easter morning, we read that “suddenly there was a great earthquake.” Not surprisingly, in the ancient world earthquakes were associated with divine action. God had certainly acted! It was the most important event in history. Where death had reigned, now there is new life! It seems we could use some earth-shaking toda...

Texts: John 18-19, Psalm 22, Hebrews 4:14-16 We spend a lot of time "lifting up" God in praise. But sometimes we need a God who is lower. A God for whom despair is not foreign. We need to know a God who is with us at our depths, in our suffering. That's the God we find in Good Friday. No matter how low we go, Christ is lower still. In this sermon from last week's Good Friday service, Pastor Matt i...

Texts: Luke 19:29-48, Zechariah 9:9-10, Psalm 118:1-2,19-29; Philippians 2:5-11 How is true peace achieved in a world bent on violence? On Palm Sunday we see Jesus triumphantly entering Jerusalem as King. Except, is it really very triumphant, on a donkey? And he’s not technically king either. It turns out this is exactly the paradox Jesus wanted. True strength comes not through grasping power for...

Text: John 11:1-45 Series: Together By Grace Have you ever felt like God was absent when you needed Him most? In a powerful exploration of John 11, Pastor Matt delves into the story of Lazarus's resurrection, revealing it as the culminating miracle among seven signs in John's Gospel. Through the raw emotions of Martha and Mary—their grief, frustration, and even anger at Jesus's delayed arrival—we...

Text: John 9:13-42 Series: Together By Grace In this episode we hear part two of join us for part two of the story of Jesus and the woman at the well. Their conversation takes a surprising turn. Jesus' statement to her that the Father "is looking for those who will worship him in spirit and truth” calls us back to the heart. The heart of what it means to worship, the heart of a life with God. God...

Text: John 4:5-15 Series: Together By Grace "Give me this water!" That's the Samaritan woman's reaction when Jesus tells her he has water that would quench her thirst permanently, so that she would never have to go back to the well again. Her desperation speaks to a universal human desire for contentment that we can never attain on our own. But the security Jesus' love provides us allows us to cro...

Texts: John 3:1-17, Genesis 12:1-3 Series: Together By Grace God's promises are always bigger than we imagine. The story of Nicodemus in John's gospel begins with a humorous misunderstanding. But as his conversation with Jesus continues, we see Nic's preconceptions about God's mercy getting blown apart. In this fascinating story of a religious leader who met Jesus under cover of darkness, we disco...

Text: Matthew 4:1-11 Series: Together by Grace We don't like limits. We often think they restrict our freedom. But what if boundaries actually enable us to thrive, and our relationships to flourish? This sermon explores how Jesus conquered the temptation humanity couldn't in Eden, showing us a better way.  Rather than fighting against our inherent limitations, Pastor Matt challenges us to embrace...

Text: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 On Ash Wednesday, Pastor Matt introduces our theme for Lent this year, Together By Grace. In today's world we are conditioned to believe that being a good human being means being more efficient, less needy, more self-sufficient. Ash Wednesday barges in with a rude reality-check: you will never be self-sufficient. You are human. And to be human means to be in need. Our jo...

Text: Matthew 17:1-9 Series: Open Our Eyes Have you ever craved recognition only to realize you're settling for less than what your soul truly seeks? In this week's message, Pastor Matt explores the Transfiguration, where disciples witnessed Jesus radiating divine glory—a sight so overwhelming they fell to the ground in fear. Through fascinating insights from C.S. Lewis and biblical wisdom, we dis...

Texts: Matthew 5:13-20, Isaiah 58:1-12, Micah 6:8, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Series: Open Our Eyes We all have standards we are evaluated by in different areas of our lives. In today's sermon we learn that Jesus' words about being salt and light, when read in context, were not just feel-good metaphors, but a sobering evaluation of God's people. Jesus goes on to set an unattainable bar, in order to drive...

Text: Matthew 5:1-2, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Micah 6:6-8 Series: Open Our Eyes Politics in the pulpit! This is a common complaint heard in churches today. But what do we mean by it, exactly? How or when might it be appropriate? This week's sermon explores these questions in light of Jesus' words in the Beatitudes, which kick off his most famous teaching. We find that Jesus' words bring us back to t...

Text: Matthew 4:12-23 Series: Open Our Eyes If we are looking for glimpses of heaven, we might think we will find them in the places of greatest beauty, majesty, or calm. But the light of the Kingdom is known most profoundly in the cross, where God suffers with us. Through this lens we find that heaven is seen most clearly not where everything is perfect, but where people who are suffering know th...

Text: John 1:29-42 Series: Open Our Eyes “Come and see,” Jesus beckons those who would become his disciples. What they didn't know is that in inviting them to follow him, he was inviting them into the very heart of God. Come and see God's heart as you listen to today's sermon.