SPLC Sermon Podcast

While God's Word is equally powerful for everyone who hears it, the condition of our hearts determines what kind of fruit it produces. Jesus describes four types of soil that represent different ways people receive God's Word: hardened hearts that reject it outright, shallow faith that withers under pressure, distracted hearts choked by life's cares and pleasures, and good soil that...

In Matthew 20, Jesus tells a parable that makes us uncomfortable: workers who labored one hour receive the same pay as those who worked all day in scorching heat. This sermon explores how God actively pursues those the world has written off, gives full rewards that defy our sense of fairness, and defends his sovereign right to be lavishly generous. Through the lens of Israel's wilderness wand...

In Matthew 17, Peter, James, and John witness Jesus transfigured on the mountain. Their terrified response reveals something about human nature and God's holiness. But Jesus doesn't leave them cowering in fear. He touches them and speaks words that echo through the centuries: "Rise and have no fear." This Transfiguration Sunday message explores why God's glory terrifies us...

Running out of wine at a first-century Jewish wedding was a social disaster that people would remember forever. But when this crisis strikes at a wedding in Cana, Jesus steps in to perform his first miracle. Yet this isn't simply about keeping a party going; it's a sign that points to something much greater. Instead of just solving the immediate problem, Jesus creates an overwhelming abu...

Main Takeaways Epiphany is usually a season of impressive miracles, but this text reveals Jesus’ glory in quiet submission to authority. Jesus’ statement, "I must be about my Father’s business," anticipates His future suffering and death. Jesus fulfills the Law actively, sanctifying the Sabbath and the Fourth Commandment where we have failed. Christian vocation involves honoring the offi...

Main Takeaways We gather on Christmas Eve not just for tradition, but to conspire against the forces of darkness.  Like C.S. Lewis’s "Turkish Delight," worldly nostalgia is an addictive distraction, not a cure.  God’s invasion began with a baby parachuting deep behind enemy lines.  In a culture addicted to outrage, Christian rebellion looks like sanity and joy.  Faithfully living out our...

Main Takeaways We must reject the "Return on Investment" mindset that reduces life to temporary utility rather than eternal legacy.  The Exodus Tabernacle provided proximity to God, but the Incarnation provides the intimacy of "God with us" in the flesh.  Christ’s birth refutes the error that the spiritual is good while the physical is irrelevant; He sanctifies the material wor...

Main Takeaways While ancient tyrants (Pharaoh, Herod) destroyed life to secure political power, modern culture destroys life to secure the idol of individual autonomy. Children are only a "burden" in the sanctifying sense: they crush the sinful ego and force us to serve a neighbor who cannot repay us. Jesus functions as the True Israel, entering the "house of bondage" to succee...

This sermon, from the Fourth Sunday in Advent, treats the right way to prepare to receive Christ at Christmas.  Main Takeaways True preparation requires humility. We prepare for Jesus by confessing, like John, that we are not the Christ. Find your identity in Scripture. We must look to God’s Word to see that we are beloved, forgiven heirs. God’s majesty draws us in as children, not as fearful slav...

This sermon deals with the tension between Gaudete ("Rejoice!") Sunday and the reality of so many of our lives: we don't always feel that we have that many reasons to rejoice. Main Takeaways Doubt is a common struggle; even the greatest prophet (John the Baptist) experienced doubt! Jesus comforts us not with therapeutic advice but with His mighty works. We have a greater comfort tha...

This sermon, preached for "Populus Zion" (the 2nd Sunday in Advent), focuses on Jesus' teaching about the Last Day and His return. We look at the signs of His return, the certainty of His return, and the ethical demands on our lives in light of His eventual return. Main Points Ignoring check-engine lights is a bad idea. So is ignoring the dashboard lights of heaven and earth! The wo...

This sermon, for Ad Te Levavi (the first Sunday in Advent), considers how Jesus' entry into Jerusalem from Matthew 21:1–9 tells us just what kind of King we have.  Takeaways Advent starts the journey to the cross, with a major stop at the manger along the way (that is, Christmas!).  Worldly kings force obedience, but King Jesus wins our hearts by dying for us. Worldly kings take from their pe...

In this sermon we consider how Martin Luther's Small Catechism articulates the Christian duty to respond to God's provision and protection. Hint: it starts with thanking Him! Takeaways God the Father provides for all our physical needs without us deserving any of it. Israel's 40 years in the wilderness taught them to rely ultimately on the God who provides, not just what is provided...

Main Takeaways Just as we trust the sun to rise, we trust the Day of the Lord will dawn for believers. The world ignores the coming judgment, trusting in a fragile peace that will vanish like vapor. Endless scrolling and commercial promises create a "white noise" that lulls Christians into spiritual sleep. We guard our hearts against guilt and coldness by wearing the breastplate of faith...

Main Takeaways God forgave you a debt you could never pay (like owing $6 billion!) Christians must forgive each other without keeping count or setting  Forgiveness doesn't erase consequences; you can forgive and still call the police! Refusing to forgive others means rejecting the forgiveness God gave you. Scripture Index (in order of appearance) Matthew 18:15-20 – Jesus teaches how to handle...

Main Takeaways The Word of God accomplishes what it declares. Faith matures when tested, because we learn to rest on the Word alone, apart from visible reassurance. The royal official’s belief shows the model for faith lived out in the sacramental life: trusting God's Word to deliver what it promises.  The same Word that once created light now creates new life through preaching and the Sacram...

Main Takeaways The Christian life is a pilgrimage led by Christ, whose cross and resurrection redefine both "death" and "home." Heaven is not an abstract idea but a real place where Christ prepares a dwelling for each one of us.  Through sorrow and loss, the Church sings defiantly: "I'm but a stranger here; heaven is my home." Scripture Index Job 19:25–27 – Job t...

Main Takeaways God calls us His children right now, even when we don’t look like it. Baptism joins us to Jesus’ death and resurrection, saving both body and soul. Heaven is real, but it’s not the end of the story. Resurrection is. The saints rest in paradise, waiting for the day Jesus raises them. Nothing can un-adopt you from being God’s child in Christ. Scripture Index 1 John 3:1–3 – We are God’...

This sermon for Reformation Sunday follows Jesus' words in John 8 that draw a distinction between apparent believers in Him and true disciples. What makes the difference, according to Jesus? Whether or not a person abides in His Word . Main Takeaways - To “abide” is to dwell permanently in Christ through Word and Sacrament. - True discipleship involves daily remembrance and trust in Christ’s...

This sermon unpacks how Jesus' dual nature (fully human, fully divine) is the master key that unlocks Scripture's central promise: his perfect obedience credited to us, opening the door our efforts could never breach.  Main Takeaways The law shows us what's required but gives us no power to actually do it Jesus is both fully human and fully God—that's the key to understanding e...

Are you frustrated with the gap between your belief in God's future promises and the daily challenges of life?  This exposition of Ephesians 4:1-6 explains why the shallow spirituality of "trying harder" will never solve the issue. Holy living comes as natural growth from baptismal union with Christ.  The challenge for listeners: examine whether your church participation reflects ge...

When every other space in our lives sorts us by class, education, or insider/outsider status, what does it mean to really belong in Church? In this sermon, Pastor Karl unpacks the radical inclusivity of the gospel and challenges the assumption that digital access can replace being physically present in the worshiping community. There's irreplaceable power in hearing Christ proclaimed by someo...

This world pulls our loyalties in all kinds of directions. Jesus knows this, and He calls us to choose the better Master and to rest from anxious striving. The comfort of Matthew 6:24–34 is that we  can seek the kingdom of God first, because we have a good Father who cares for us and provides our needs.  Key Takeaways: You cannot maintain split loyalties. Jesus calls you to the better Master who g...

On the Feast of St. Matthew, we hear how Jesus sees a despised tax collector, speaks “Follow me,” and creates a whole new allegiance by grace. From the booth no one wanted to sit in, Matthew is brought to a table no one expected to share, where “tax collectors and sinners” recline with Jesus. Jesus answers the Pharisees’ objections with Hosea’s word, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” and with His m...

When the world demands spectacle or sophistication, God gives the cross. In this Holy Cross Day sermon, we hear how Christ crucified is the true display of God’s power and wisdom. God's saving power and wisdom remain steady when our feelings fluctuate and they remain sufficient amid grief, outrage, and evil.  The Church bears the Word; civil authority bears the sword — so Christians pray, con...