Preaching and Teaching from St. John Ev. Lutheran Church (Sherman Center), Random Lake, Wisconsin

Preached on January 22, 2019.

19. January 2020 Epiphany 2 John 2:1-11 Through the birth of Jesus, the light has gone out into the world. Today, you have occasion to see what this light means in different circumstances, in the church, in the home. God's glory that shines from Christ's face, spreads his light into your lives.

Taught on January 19, 2019.

Preached on January 15, 2019

12. January 2019 Epiphany 1 Luke 2:41-52 Today, you are blessed to hear, learn, and receive the very Son of God, in the flesh, yet hidden under earthly means. Christ Jesus has come to you and made you His own by His shed blood and innocent suffering and death. He may look no more impressive than a twelve-year-old boy as He comes hidden in the words of a book, with water, in an evangelical proclama...

Taught on January 12, 2019

Preached on January 8, 2019.

05. January 2019 Christmas 2 Matthew 2:13-23 Your life is like St. Joseph: a hard road to walk, no doubt. Suffer evil quietly. Serve each other in your vocations. Don’t be ashamed that life is difficult for you. But, just as it is for Joseph, so it is for you. Rejoice now even in suffering. In the end, the glory of what God has done in and through you will be shown. You are blessed while you suffe...

Taught on January 5, 2019.

01. January 2019 Circumcision and Name of Jesus Luke 2:21   "And at the end of eight days, when [Jesus] was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb" (Luke 2:21). Merry Christmas! Today’s Gospel reading is the shortest of the church year. But packed in those few words is the entire proclamation of the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Chri...

29. December 2019 Christmas 1 Luke 2:32-40 Waiting is not easy. The life of the baptized is full of trial and temptation. As long as we live in this mortal body, the new man in Christ will always be at odds with the old man of death. Waiting with hope needs the assurance of faith. Thus the Holy Spirit brings you to faith by the preaching of the Word, through the new birth of Holy Baptism, through...

Taught on December 29, 2019.

25. December 2019 Christmas Day John 1:1-18 Merry Christmas! Today, we celebrate the incarnation of the Son of God and the birth of the Son of Mary. And who doesn’t like a birthday party, especially when the child given is Himself your salvation and the savior of the whole world? Today is truly a day worth celebrating! For unto you is born a savior, Christ the Lord! But there’s another birthday to...

24. December 2019 Christmas Midnight Luke 2:1-14 It may be dark and half-spent is the night. But the light has come. Jesus has come. Salvation is yours. And He still comes! His light still pierces the darkness. He still opens heaven wide, as we sing with saints, angels, and the whole host of heaven. We sing the song the angels sang because Jesus still comes! He still shines into the darkness of he...

24. December 2019 Christmas Eve Matthew 1:18-25 Merry Christmas! When an angel of the Lord spoke to Joseph in a dream, he spoke three essential truths. When God sends His messengers to you, you best listen. The message this Angel spoke to Joseph was good news for him and it’s good news for you. So, listen!

Preached on December 22, 2019.

Taught on December 22, 2019.

Following after the blessed virgin Mary’s faithfulness in the New Testament are Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, Junia, Sapphira, Lydia, Phoebe, Aquila, and many others. So, too, women have a place in the church, whether they were born outside of faith like Ruth, whether they come from a checkered past like Rahab, whether they laugh at God’s promises like Sarah, whether they liste...

15. December 2019 Advent 3 Matthew 11:2-10 John needed forgiveness, life, and salvation. You do, too. If you don’t know this need now, there will come an hour when you will. You’ll hit rock bottom. You’ll be imprisoned by your guilt. You’ll be horrified at what you did or was done to you. You’ll wonder and doubt God’s love for even you. You’ll consider all that you have done and left undone and de...

Taught on Sunday, December 15, 2019.

Preached on December 11, 2019.

Class handouts are available at http://stjohnrandomlake.org/church/publications

08. December 2019 Advent 2 Luke 21:25-36 Judgment falls only on those who refuse to believe there is no judgment. Judgment is for those who choose to stand before a Judge—who no longer has any record of sin— and make their stand on their life that no longer exists. Redemption comes to “whoever calls on the name of the Lord.” (Romans 10:13; Acts 2:21) Heaven is the gift every one of us already has...

Preached on December 4, 2019.

01. December 2019 Advent 1 Jeremiah 23:5-8 For the last few weeks under the "end of the church year" our theme has been Christ returning in judgment. Now as we enter Advent and the beginning of the church year, our eyes look at judgment through the babe in the manger and through the cross towards the judgment. God’s promise is made manifest, delivered to you just as He said. Through his gracious w...