Grace of God Sermoncast

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Tim discusses the story of Peter’s denial and Paul's confrontation to him. When Jesus was arrested on Maundy Thursday, Peter denied knowing Him three times out of fear for his own life. Fast forward twenty years to Antioch, where Paul rebukes Peter publicly for his hypocrisy. Paul says, "I have been crucified with Christ," highlighting Peter's...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode guest preacher Mark Birkholz, a WELS Mission Counselor from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, delivers a sermon discussing Mark 6:1-6, where Jesus visits his hometown with his disciples and teaches in the synagogue on the Sabbath. The locals are astonished by his wisdom and miracles but are skeptical due to their familiarity with his background as a carpenter and his fami...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Tim delivers a sermon discussing Mark 4:35-41, where Jesus calms a storm, astonishing his disciples. Despite their experience as sailors, the disciples are overwhelmed by the storm’s intensity and question if Jesus cares about their safety. When they wake him, Jesus rebukes them for their fear and calms the storm, leaving the disciples terrified of his power. Tim e...

Send us Fan Mail God emphasizes the importance of keeping promises, regardless of whether the other party deserves it. Breaking promises, leads to severe consequences. This principle applies to various aspects of life, such as marriage and employment, where loyalty and commitment are paramount. The parable concludes with God’s promise of restoration through Jesus, a descendant of David. Jesus, by...

Send us Fan Mail Lets explore the concept of Sabbath and what God desires from us on this holy day. It begins by recounting the Old Testament story from Numbers 15, where a man was executed for gathering wood on the Sabbath, highlighting the serious nature of breaking this commandment. This punishment, however, seems harsh and raises questions about God's intentions. The sermon explains that...

Send us Fan Mail Jesus' offer of hope to sinners; the Pharisees' approach offered hope only to the righteous. The fundamental conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees wasn't about specific laws but rather about who deserved hope and salvation. Jesus encounters Levi (Matthew), a tax collector despised for his perceived betrayal and exploitation of fellow Jews. Despite this, Jesus cal...

Send us Fan Mail What is the meaning of baptism? In this episode we learn how baptism is not about just fulfilling a command but is a gift from God that makes one a child of God. Through baptism, individuals receive salvation and are adopted into God's family, as illustrated by biblical passages and teachings of Jesus and Paul.  Baptism is described as an act of God’s grace, where the Holy Sp...

Send us Fan Mail Ezekiel 37 presents, the vision of dry bones, where God shows Ezekiel a valley of bones, representing the spiritual death of the Israelites. These people were killed by God as a punishment for their sins, including idolatry and oppression. The vision is a metaphor for the spiritual desolation of the exiled Israelites, who felt abandoned and without hope. God's punishment for...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Tim discusses the various encounters Jesus had, while highlighting his refusal to fulfill selfish desires in encouragement of spiritual growth. After his resurrection, Jesus spends time with his disciples, explaining Scripture and explains his ongoing presence despite his future physical absence. Jesus' voluntary human life and his role in salvation, stresses...

Send us Fan Mail Some portrayals may display God as a lonely creator in need of company in the beginning of creation. That God isn’t the God Christianity describes. That Creator isn’t the Creator we meet in the Bible. The Bible tells us that, in that incomprehensible eternal past, God was not alone. This sermon illustrates how God's nature of love is evident in the way he interacts with the w...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Tim starts off discussing the modern phenomena of mass production, where identical products are easily replaced, while with God’s creation, every human is unique and irreplaceable. This uniqueness often causes frustration because people naturally desire others to think and act similarly to themselves, as evident in everyday irritations and misunderstandings. Jesus...

Send us Fan Mail Even if we attend worship at a church weekly, what's our relationship to that particular congregation? How do we think about it? Do we flit from church to church according to our tastes? What would God have us do? In this miniseries, Pastor Tim will walk through a 1942 book by the British Christian writer C. S. Lewis, "The Screwtape Letters."  You can buy a copy of...

Send us Fan Mail Humans beings only live in the present. That's just how time works, after all. But we often want to live in the future. We spend a lot of time thinking about the future. What spiritual effects can that have on us? In this miniseries, Pastor Tim will walk through a 1942 book by the British Christian writer C. S. Lewis, "The Screwtape Letters."  You can buy a copy of...

Send us Fan Mail There are skepticism that people encounter when browsing social media platforms and even when using AI technologies like ChatGPT. Tim also addresses skepticism people have towards various authorities, including the government, media, and even religious institutions, and contrasts this with the often uncritical acceptance of online content. This episode discusses the writings of Jo...

Send us Fan Mail The Easter message profoundly shapes daily life by anchoring it in the reality of Jesus' resurrection. This event, affirms the existence of God and validates Jesus' divinity. Moreover, it promises the resurrection of all believers, offering hope beyond death. The Resurrection not only demonstrates God's power over death but also underscores the significance of Jesus...

Send us Fan Mail We thank Reverend Mark Wendland for serving us in worship today. His active pastoral ministry took place as a foreign missionary in Zambia and Malawi, as well as stateside parishes in Pittsburgh, Michigan, and Wisconsin.  This Sunday sermon, based on 2 Thessalonians 2 verses 13-17 , was preached at Grace of God Lutheran Church on April 7, 2024.  This sermon is preached by Reverend...

Send us Fan Mail  In a reflection on Maundy Thursday, Tim discusses the unity expressed in the Lord's Supper as outlined in 1 Corinthians 10:16-17. The juxtaposition of contemporary American Christian worship experience with that of the early Corinthian congregation, emphasizing the nature of gatherings and the integration of the Lord's Supper with fellowship meals. The essence of Commun...

Send us Fan Mail What does true humility look like? What about false humility? How can we see a difference? In this miniseries, Pastor Tim will walk through a 1942 book by the British Christian writer C. S. Lewis, "The Screwtape Letters."  You can buy a copy of the book on various websites; here's a link at Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Screwtape-Letters-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652934 The...

Send us Fan Mail On Good Friday, Jesus, the Son of God, hung on the cross, speaking only seven times. Jesus' impending death was foretold: to die for the forgiveness of sins out of boundless love. His crucifixion symbolized the removal of sin's barrier between God and humanity, demonstrated by the tearing of the temple curtain.  Through his sacrifice, Jesus reconciled God and humans, eli...

Send us Fan Mail  In this podcast episode, Tim dives into the whole idea of "minimal facts" from 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, 12-27. He kicks it off with some everyday examples, like finding your toddler in a flour mess or seeing your car with a smashed window with the glove box opened; situations where you can pretty much piece together what went down with just a few basic facts. Basic facts s...

Send us Fan Mail What can lead to spiritual progress in our lives? And what spiritual progress would truly dismay Satan and his demons? Episode 13 of the Screwtape Letters offers us a few thoughts on that topic. In this miniseries, Pastor Tim will walk through a 1942 book by the British Christian writer C. S. Lewis, "The Screwtape Letters."  You can buy a copy of the book on various webs...

Send us Fan Mail Material left out of our March 10 message on Numbers 21:4-9. Pastor Tim discusses the way that group attitudes led to sin, and to repentance, for the Israelites during the event of the bronze snake. Like the Israelites, we are often shaped by the groups to which we belong.   Look for these bonus episodes on occasional Tuesdays. Music is "What Words Can't Say" by Vla...

Send us Fan Mail In this podcast episode, we explore the events of Palm Sunday through the lens of Mark 11:1-19, delving into what Jesus saw when he entered Jerusalem and approached the temple. As Jesus rode into the city, crowds hailed him with shouts of "Hosanna," a cry for salvation. But what did they expect this salvation to look like? Some anticipated a political savior who would ov...

Send us Fan Mail Michael Scott finds himself unable to fulfill a promise to pay college tuition for a group of eager students. Despite the letdown, these students' commitment to their education underscores the influence promises wield. In dissecting the notion of faith, we discern two meanings: beliefs held and the act of belief itself. While religions offer distinct systems of belief, the es...

Send us Fan Mail Why do we consume so much "content" online? Does having so much media to view at any moment make us happier? Does it benefit us? Often, it actually gets in the way of real joy, or a real pursuit of truth. In this miniseries, Pastor Tim will walk through a 1942 book by the British Christian writer C. S. Lewis, "The Screwtape Letters."  You can buy a copy of the...