BSLC Antioch Sermons

As we celebrate the freedom our country offers, Romans 7 points us to a deeper freedom, one from sin's grip on our hearts. Paul's own struggle, 'I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate,' is our struggle too. But Christ has already won the war. Pastor Jonathan explores the daily battle between the sinner and the saint within us, and the greater freedom found only in Jesus.

True life and joy are found in a paradox: we must die to ourselves to live fully for God and others, moving past transactional relationships. While sin exploits God's law to stir a desire for what is forbidden—falsely convincing us that divine boundaries ruin our fun—believers have been freed from this spiritual tyranny through baptism. United with Christ, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to mo...

The gospel is absurdly good news, offering unmerited grace and complete forgiveness while humanity was still trapped in sin. However, this profound gift is not a license for continuous wrongdoing, as cheap grace disregards the immense sacrifice of the cross. Sin operates as a living death—an unnatural, corrupted state that leads to eternal separation from God. Believers are liberated from this spi...

This is a re-recording of Sunday's sermon, as the pastor forgot to wear his mic! 😅 God's love isn't fair — and that's exactly the point. This sermon on Romans 5:6–15 traces the scandalous logic of the Gospel: Christ died for sinners, enemies, and lost causes while they were still hostile to Him, which means grace is as widespread as death and no one is beyond its reach. And then it gets worse — b...

True righteousness is not achieved by human effort or adherence to the law, but is received solely as a gift through faith. While the divine Law is good and outlines the perfect design for creation, it lacks the power to save, serving instead to expose and condemn human sin. True restoration occurs when believers trust in the promises of God, who brings life from the dead. Like Abraham, who believ...

God created man and woman to uniquely His Image, reflecting a perfect, righteous relationship with the Creator and all creation. Though this original harmony was undone by sin, Jesus' Great Commission in Matthew 28 operates as a new creation event. Through the gifting of the Triune name—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—in Baptism, we are completely restored to eternal life, holy alignment, and Divine...

Pentecost reveals the profound spiritual reality of the Holy Spirit as dynamic, life-giving water. Human souls frequently experience spiritual dehydration, wandering through the difficult wilderness of sin, anxiety, and moral emptiness. True refreshment cannot be found in worldly pursuits; it is found exclusively in Christ. By placing faith in Jesus, believers receive the poured-out gift of the Ho...

President Allan Buss of the Northern Illinois District of the LCMS guest preaches on navigating the "trenches" of daily life, where believers confront isolation, anxiety, and spiritual opposition. True comfort stems from the unwavering assurance that the Creator deeply cares for His people—a truth fully demonstrated through the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Though an adversary seeks to...

The Ascension isn't a sad goodbye — it's the exaltation of the risen Jesus to reign over all things, which means He is more present, not less. This Ascension sermon on Ephesians 1:15–23 unpacks what it means that Jesus fills all in all: He is Lord of heaven and earth, and you are His inheritance, won by His own blood and held secure against everything that would claim lordship over your life.

Does how we live matter to Jesus? In this sermon on John 14:15–21, the Law's third use is recovered as a gift — not a ladder to earn God's favor, but a guide for those whom Christ has already claimed.

Jesus promises His confirmands something the world cannot offer: forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life won by His own death and resurrection. This confirmation sermon unpacks John 14:6 as both gift and calling — Christ is the Life who claims us in Baptism, the Truth we confess against every attack, and the Way we walk together into eternal life.

True abundant life is found only by listening to the voice of the Good Shepherd, which cuts through the noise of competing desires, shame, and doubt. While the world offers temporary distractions, the Shepherd promises a life that is restored and eternal. This abundance is experienced today within a community of believers who share all things in common—teaching, fellowship, and prayer. By leaning...

the Word of God serves as a necessary interruption to human life. It both condemns sin and proclaims salvation, compelling believers to confront their spiritual reality. By acknowledging Jesus as Lord, individuals move from a state of guilt to one of deliverance, understanding that the crucifixion was a divine act of love and redemption. This transformative power of the Word fosters a community of...

Faith is rooted in the power of God’s Word rather than physical sight. While the human heart often seeks tangible proof, the greatest blessing belongs to those who believe without seeing. The resurrection of Jesus Christ stands as the ultimate truth that dispels all doubt, confirming that sins are forgiven and death is overcome. This reality transforms every aspect of life, making the challenges o...

Jesus' resurrection redefines life from a temporary struggle into an eternal journey. Rather than a "consolation prize" or a ghostly afterlife, the resurrection is the restoration of true, physical life—purified of sin, suffering, and the fear of death. Because the victory over the grave is already won, the urgency of "bucket lists" and the fear of missing out are replaced by lasting peace. This e...

Good Friday isn't a day to feel sorry for Jesus — He doesn't need your sympathy; you need His. This sermon walks through Isaiah's ancient portrait of the suffering Servant intertwined with the hymn, "Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted" and shows why the wounds of Christ are the only wounds in history that heal.

The Lord's Supper isn't a funeral luncheon where we fondly remember a dead Jesus. In Hebrews 9, Pastor Jonathan shows how Jesus' blood does three things: it ratifies a new covenant, proves the inheritance is in effect, and delivers forgiveness directly to you. Come to the Table and receive what Christ has promised.

What is life actually for? In this Palm Sunday sermon, Pastor [Name] contrasts Elon Musk's vision of AI-delivered paradise with the portrait Isaiah paints of Jesus — the obedient Servant who sustains the weary with a word, sets His face like flint toward the cross, and wins the verdict that sets us free. Because He is obedient in our place, we are freed to live the life He modeled: not escaping su...

What kind of Savior do we need? One who can make dry bones live. This sermon reveals how Ezekiel's vision of resurrection points us to Jesus—the Word made flesh who creates life where there is only death, and who works that same resurrection power in us through His Spirit.

We navigate life by our circumstances, our instincts, and the voices we trust — and most of the time we don't realize how blind we actually are. Isaiah 42 names this honestly, and then points to the One who doesn't wait for us to find our way to the light. Jesus is the Servant who comes into the dark, opens blind eyes, and leads His people in paths they never could have chosen for themselves.

Israel's thirst in the wilderness reveals our own: we test God, demand He prove Himself, and treat Him like a cosmic vending machine. But God responds with grace—striking the Rock (Christ) to give living water that satisfies every thirst and makes us people of joy and hope even in the desert.

In a world that constantly tempts us to secure blessing on our own terms — through performance, despite our failures, or in spite of our circumstances — God interrupts with an audacious promise: blessing that is guaranteed. This sermon traces how God called an undeserving idolater named Abraham and made him a promise that he would be a blessing for all nations, delivered through Abraham's offsprin...

We all have things we wish we could undo — and so did Adam and Eve. But Genesis 3 is not just the story of the Fall; it's the first glimpse of a Savior who crushes the serpent's head and gives us a new life to live, not by undoing the past, but by trusting the promise.

This Ash Wednesday, we begin a Lenten journey through Old Testament snapshots of the Savior we need. Tonight's snapshot from Joel 2: a God who sends an unstoppable army of judgment — and then redirects it to the cross so that we can dare to return to Him.

We'd all love a mountaintop experience where God shows up dramatically and settles our doubts. But Peter had exactly that—and still says you have something better: God's Word as a lamp shining in dark places. Join us as we explore the power of Scripture to sustain faith, reveal Christ, and light your path until the Day dawns.