New Beginnings Lutheran Church

Every day is an altar call. Make a decision for Jesus, we’re told. Well, “We are the angry mob…. We like who we like. We hate who we hate. But we’re also easily swayed.” Who do you choose? Just consider who you last voted for! What does that mean? Watch and find out! MATTHEW 27:11-26 // Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “Yo...

Imagine you’re in a crowded line with a shopping cart brimming over and you have no cash. You plug your credit card into the device only to hear that your card has been denied. The shame! The embarrassment! And if it was a system error and no fault of your own, the rage! Or none of these. MATTHEW 26:69-75 // Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said...

Guilty until proven innocent. That is the case, isn’t it? We’re all guilty. We all stand accused and we’re guilty as sin! Only one stands before the judge blameless, and he was killed! What is our fate, then? Life! Abundant life! Justice is served and we guilty ones go free!

Sometimes it feels like we’re set up for failure. People betray us. Finances turn against us. Our own bodies hand us over to the grave. Being paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not all still out to get you, right? So what is the script? How do we live in the face of these treacheries?

Our world is broken. We are, too. What does it mean to live fully human lives in the face of all our temptations? The best human ever—Jesus—did this. He was tempted in every way as we are, but lived a perfect human life.

The season of Lent (which leads up to Easter) begins on Ash Wednesday. We place ashes in the form of a cross on our foreheads to remind us that we are sinners and in need of a Savior. Our Savior, Jesus, comes to us through His Word and Baptism. We remember God’s grace and our baptisms as we wash away our ashes with the Living Water of God.

Have you seen that YouTube video when a colorblind man receives glasses that allow him to see color for the first time? Or have you seen the one where the deaf child receives a hearing aid and hears her mom’s voice for the first time? Likewise, you’ll never see the world the same after this.

Why you do something is more important than what you do. Just ask any dating couple: did your date act out of compulsion or desire? Love is always more fulfilling than guilt. At New Beginnings, we use the words “so that” vs. “because” to reinforce this fact.

What is the most extravagant gift you ever received? Now imagine the person who gave it to you. When you see that person’s name on Caller ID, do you hesitate to answer the phone? If that person asked you for a small favor, how would you respond? What would it take for you to say “no” to that person?

You ever worry about your future? You ever wonder if you’ll have enough when the time comes? What if I told you that you were going to inherit greater riches than you’ve ever known? What if I told you that your future was secure? How would you live now?

Would you do it if everyone else was? Thomas wouldn’t. Even though the other disciples were telling him they’d seen the resurrected Jesus, Tom needed proof. Some people just will not believe unless they see with their own eyes. This faith struggle is found in John 20:24-31.

For some faith is a bet like Pascal’s wager: If you believe and you’re wrong, you lose nothing; If you don’t believe and you’re wrong, you lose everything. So what’ve you got to lose by believing? Some argue that this is a cheap faith, but Jesus didn’t let that stop Him. This doubter’s dialog can be read in Mark 9:14-32.

What if Stephen Hawking’s journal revealed that he thought science was wrong? Consider if Mr. Rogers was found to be irritated by children? Imagine if Bugs Bunny didn’t like carrots! That’s the shock of hearing John the Baptizer ask if Jesus was the one. Read Matthew 11:1-19 to see how faith wrestles with doubts.

It all began with a seed of doubt. We cannot afford to forget our family history for we are all sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. And we are just like our parents: we struggle with faith and doubt. But what if the ‘and’ is the most important word in that last statement? Genesis 3:1-23 shows the root of our struggle.

Are you ready for joy-graduate-classes? The Joy Story continues this week, but now we’re getting into a joy like no other--a pure joy that comes in the form of trials and difficulties of life. You want to know joy that demonstrates true grit--a joy that perseveres?

Feelings are an inside job. For example, if someone steals your parking spot, you become livid, but if a cow meanders into your spot and lies down, you’re bemused. Likewise, when shepherds encounter an angelic host, the story begins with fear, but turns to joy. It all depended upon the meaning of the encounter.

God gives us joy in Jesus, but also in one another. If you want joy, give joy. The people you give yourself to will become your joy. This is a theme of the Bible, actually. Our personal joy in symbiotically connected to the body of Christ and finds its culmination with the coming of Jesus.

Nothing says Christmas-time like singing our favorite carols in candlelight. This is how we’ll celebrate that God has fulfilled His promise to shine forth light in the darkness. Invite family and friends for a rich evening of praise and to grow in the joy that Christ can give—even during difficult seasons.

Merry Judgment Day! You’ve probably never considered Judgment Day topic for the holidays, but Advent is all about the coming of Jesus—both that first Christmas and at the end of all things. And we are told that when Christ comes, He will judge the world—which happens to be the basis for the song, Joy to the World—no kidding!

Imagine the reaction at a baby shower when you provide the new parents with embalming fluid. The plot-twist in the Christmas story is that Jesus was born to die. Jesus’ joy made possible His pursuit of the cross. You might think this is a bit morbid, but Jesus joyfully gave us the greatest gift for the holidays.

Most people cannot resist the joy a baby brings. Prepare the way for joy, ‘cause that is what the baby we’re reading about was born to tell. We’ll smile no less when we learn about the geriatrics who are told they’re expecting!

This is a terrible question: If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Here is a better question: If someone asked you to give the reason you are a Christian, would you be ready to give your answer? You will be if you come to this week’s message,

We’re easily underwhelmed in our sensationalized and cynical age. We’ve seen too much to believe too much—though we crave the next great spectacle. Jesus promises even greater things than what we read in the biblical accounts. In other words, God isn’t finished with us yet!

“Do you trust me?” It may seem obvious, but if you pose the question, then trust is in question. Whether to trust or not depends less on the subject and more on the object of trust. So, Abraham shows what we all need to know. Can God be trusted?

This is a terrible question: If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Here is a better question: If someone asked you to give the reason you are a Christian, would you be ready to give your answer? You will be if you come to this week’s message.