New Beginnings Lutheran Church

You’re not done yet. But God didn’t wait for us to get it together. He snatched us from death itself—loving us just as we are. That’s grace. We are saved by grace alone. And grace changes everything!

“We don’t do nothin’”, spoken as emphatically as a double negative can say. We just believe. And believing ain’t doing; the doing is done. But what did the doing do? And what do we do about it? Faith changes everything!

What are you looking forward to God doing in you and through you in the coming year? We once were lost but now we’re found. We often forget, but can plan to remember. What God began, Christ will complete! God isn’t finished with us yet.

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!

Everything involves tradeoffs. We keep something at the expense of something else. What we hold onto limits our ability to receive something else. Surrendering is scary until we realize what we are giving-up pales in comparison to what we will receive.

What we do for others does as much—if not more—for ourselves. Sacrifice changes us. Our hearts are affected. So, is it a heart full of love that moves us to sacrifice, or does a sacrifice for another engender love in our hearts?

“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?

It’s not if, but when we have a conflict. The fact is, as we grow closer with others, we can let our guard down and enjoy the fulfillment that authentic friendships afford. But when you let your guard down, you can get cold-cocked. That’s why fighting for our friendships is critical.

No marriage is free from fighting, and so we really need to fight for our marriages.  The battle is not against flesh and blood, but with the devil, his temptations, and the sin we all struggle to starve.  Want to know how to have a stronger marriage?

We fight with our families, naturally, but it is really a supernatural battle we are in.  When we keep this thought in mind, we realize the need to fight for our families and to resist the devil’s schemes to divide and conquer.

Sometimes gossip is good and that’s good news because we all love to gossip. Gossip is defined as, “casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people.” The film “Finding Nemo” provides a perfect example of a good story we all want repeated. And you’re going to hear one in this sermon.

When people eat at your table in your kitchen, they have crossed the threshold of your door and entered into your home—your personal life.  We were not just made for community, but for intimacy. We were made to share communion with one another.

Three priests met to share life struggles. One shared his gambling addiction and the second about his battle with lust. After a pause, the third told the other two his issue was gossip and that he couldn’t wait to tell others! We have good reason to question the benefit of telling others our dark secrets. So why would we?

You were not just called to believe, but to belong. God doesn’t just pardon you, He places you into a faith family. You don’t want to miss the place to find your place. We were made for community.

Childhood behaviors are great predictors of adult actions. As William Wadsworth penned, “The child is father of the man.” And the girl, also, is mother of the woman she’ll become. How have you become more of YOU, as you live out how God designed you?

The biggest mistake you could ever make is being too afraid to make one. God’s love for us compels us to take bold steps.  We need not fear failure, because if God is for us, we cannot lose—though we may very well learn along the way.

“You  cannot be anything you want to be, but you can be everything God wants you to be”–Max Lucado. You are not a collision of particles, an evolution of molecules, or a simply speck of carbon in the universe. You are fearfully and wonderfully made … to make waves!

Did you know you have dual citizenship? Heaven is your home, but that doesn’t mean the world has lost its meaning.   In fact, our nationality as Christians calls us to social response-abilities. God has made us capable of changing the world as members of society.  This too is God at work in and through us.

What are you willing to die for? The soldier shows that a person’s work is much more than a job, but a holy calling.  God is at work through every role at every level of society--providing protection, sustenance, or even entertainment. Every occupation is best seen as a vocation: a calling.  You don’t have to be a priest to see your work as holy orders from God.

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end”, or so the song says.  Your childhood didn’t end,  but it culminated in the person you became. Every goal achieved is not a terminus, but a stepping stone, especially in faith matters. What’s next for you? God has plans for you!

Have you ever welcomed an angel into your home? The Bible says that some have hosted the messengers from God without even knowing it! God is known to wear disguises. God doesn’t steal your identity, but He assumes it for His purposes.

Sometimes the world crashes down in a moment: a sudden death, an unforeseen accident, a devastating diagnosis. Other times, the world crashes down in slow motion as we watch it burn. In these moments we are comforted by the power of a surprising hope.

Is it wrong to be angry with God?  Sometimes life leaves us in the pits and God seems distant.  This week we will learn how to voice our frustration and pain to God.

The ripple effect from ground zero results in a mass-graves exodus! Christ’s empty tomb is the starting point of people rising from the dead, and we who are waiting, to be “raptured” and join Jesus forever! Our immortality will be proven true and we will live forever!

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. This is based upon the fact that Christ is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!  The empty tomb results in lives full of God’s blessings both now and forever!