SPLC Sermon Podcast

Thousands of years ago, Moses expressed a desire that “all God’s people were prophets.” Thousands of years after that, Moses' desire was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. Thousands of years hence, what began then has never stopped, and in the Christian Church Moses’ desire has become reality: All of God’s people are prophets, because the Holy Spirit dwells in all of us . --------------------...

In God’s kindness, he snatched you out of Satan’s power through Jesus Christ. After suffering for “a little while” God will deliver you. And in the meantime, the trials you suffer are only meant to refine your faith; the God who saved you will by no means destroy you now. ------------------------ At St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Gibbon, Minnesota, God has gathered a congregation where all ages ar...

What Jesus said on the way out is tremendously important for us now while he’s gone. ‌ Last week : “If you believe in me, you’ll be continuing my works. And you’ll even be doing greater works than what I’ve done!” ‌ This week : “The most important thing for you to focus on is that you love me for who I am and what I’ve done for you. If you do that, you’ll gladly keep my commandments. And the Holy...

There has never been a better time to be alive. And yet for all of the comforts and conveniences that we are able to enjoy, we still face things in life that make us ask: “Why, God?” And American Christianity in general — in the land of choices, expediency, and alternate solutions — has not done a very good job in maintaining an element of our Christian heritage that goes all the way back to the p...

What someone says to us right before they leave often contains important information about the time until they return! As we approach the end of the Easter feast and remember when Jesus ascended—not to be seen again until his Second Coming!—we turn our eyes to how Jesus prepared his followers for his departure. In this week's text: He’s leaving, preparing a place for us, and then coming back...

Suffering for the sake of the gospel is good not because of some abstract spiritual principle, but because such suffering means we're following in the footsteps of the one who suffered for us, in order that we would know God's love.  ------------------------ At St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Gibbon, Minnesota, God has gathered a congregation where all ages are present, from newborns to g...

One essential concept that our confirmands learn that ties together biblical literacy, Scripture memorization, and the grammar of the faith is the distinction between the Law and the Gospel. We use an acronym to help teach this: “S.O.S.” What does God’s Law do? It S hows O ur S in. And what about God’s Gospel? It S hows O ur S avior. This morning’s first reading, from Acts 2 , offers an opportunit...

What does Jesus' resurrection mean for us today? In the history of the Church this is actually developed to a great degree. St. Peter saw the Resurrected Lord with his own eyes. Reflecting on all he'd seen, heard, and experienced, St. Peter wrote that the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus secure these things for us:  the hope of your eternal inheritance that’s beyond the reach of cha...

Psalm 146 sums up everything that Judah's kings (from 2 Chronicles, where we've been for all of Lent) were not.  Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Uzziah, Josiah, Hezekiah.  None of them had what it took to be a good king. None of them were God; none were eternal, the creator, faithful to all their promises, perfectly just, powerful to heal our diseases, and all the rest.  King Jesus, on the othe...

This is what we've been building to all through Lent: These kings of Judah, heirs to David's throne, all point forward to God's chosen servant, who would rule over God's people forever. This Son of David will not be succeeded by any other king. This Son of David, though he gives up his life for the world, will take his life back up again to live forever and be lifted to the hig...

Hezekiah was a good king because he invited all God's people to come and receive grace from God by observing the Passover feast, remembering God's covenant with them. Many rebelled and refused the invitation, but to those who did, God was gracious and merciful just as he had promised.  The Son of Hezekiah, our Lord Jesus, surpasses this by instituting a new and better covenant and consec...

Manasseh's cruelty and wickedness was the tipping point in Judah's history; God said that because of Manasseh, such terrible horrors would come upon Judah that peoples' ears would tingle with fear when they heard of it. The innocent blood that Manasseh wickedly shed in Jerusalem cried out to God, demanding justice. The innocent blood of Jesus, shed in Jerusalem to satisfy God's...

Josiah's purification of the temple and the revival of true religion founded upon the rediscovery of God's Word within the temple prefigures Christ, the Word made flesh who was found within the temple himself — who indeed was the true Temple! — and came to inaugurate true religion that leads to God and his gifts. ‌ Where Josiah’s religious reforms culminated in a reinstitution of the Pas...

Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the cheers and acclamations of the crowds who would make him their king. And little do they know, later that week he will be crowned and enthroned as "King of the Judeans."  Except his crown will be made of thorns, and his throne will be the cross. And the very crowds who called out "Hosanna in the highest" will call for his death, sayin...

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” ‌Grief, anger, confusion, frustration, and faith all meet in this expression. This is not a sign of weak faith but a sign of a strong one. Faith in Jesus doesn’t mean you’re supposed to weather the storms of life without bending, breaking, or showing any signs of stress.  As confirmation of this, remember that even Jesus himself was dee...

Uzziah was the king who would be priest, as well. But the pride that inspired this power-grab led to his disqualification not only from being priest, but from being king as well.  Jesus succeeds where Uzziah failed: He is our King and the Great High Priest that the author of Hebrews speaks of.  ------------------------ At St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Gibbon, Minnesota, God has gathered a congreg...

When Jesus healed a man born blind, everyone wanted to know "how did this happen? What did Jesus do? Why did he do that? Were you really actually born blind or are we being tricked?" Jesus has given sight to all who believe in him, also. And we sing about it all the time! "I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see!" It can sometimes feel, though, that if we can...

We need a better king than Joash. But our better king was not so unlike his ancestor: found in the temple as an infant Hidden away (in Egypt) from the reigning royalty who sought his death  He remained in the temple as a young boy Restored the temple to its proper use Yet in the most important way, our better king is not like his father Joash: he did not give in to sin. And because he didn't,...

It’s true that the longer you live, the more acquainted with disappointment you become. You learn to manage your expectations and not get your hopes up too much. It’s just safer that way.  But when it comes to Jesus, wherever he finds you in your life, you don’t need to brace for impact. Your Jesus will never be harsh with you; your Jesus will never strike you or bruise you; your Jesus will never...

What do obscure kings from the book of Chronicles have to do with Lent, or Jesus, or Jesus' death and resurrection for us? Well, as it turns out, more than you'd think! The entire Bible is about Jesus: including (and even especially) obscure kings descended from King David (you know, of David & Goliath fame). See, David was promised that one of his sons would reign eternally and that...

Nicodemus was a well-educated, well-credentialed, master of the (Old Testament) Scriptures. But when the one to whom the entire Old Testament pointed was standing right in front of him, Nicodemus couldn't understand it. So he started asking questions.  We do the same thing when we don't understand what God is up to, don't we? There's a bit of Nicodemus in all of us. And that me...

What do obscure kings from the book of Chronicles have to do with Lent, or Jesus, or Jesus' death and resurrection for us? Well, as it turns out, more than you'd think!  The entire Bible is about Jesus: including (and even especially) obscure kings descended from King David (you know, of David & Goliath fame).  See, David was promised that one of his sons would reign eternally and th...

When we try to cover our own sin by saying "I'm not actually at fault in this situation," we're only lying to ourselves. And in the short term such an attitude saps our vitality from the inside out; in the long term, it sears our conscience.  The way out is easy: We  uncover our sin and let Jesus cover it. That's what he came for, after all: To call those who know that the...

Transfiguration Sunday means that when God does graciously grant you a mountaintop experience in your life, you can say “it’s good, Lord, to be here; thank you for this.” ‌ Transfiguration Sunday also means that you need not be afraid of leaving the mountaintop because the road to the cross is the road to your salvation. It’s the road to your redemption.  ‌ Transfiguration Sunday means that wherev...

When we’re controlled by the Spirit, we understand that the Church is like a field and that pastors, ministers, and lay-leaders are merely laborers in the fields. We’re all the same: Hired hands given certain jobs to do. Some cultivate, others plant; some fertilize, others water; but God is the farmer who owns the field, who gives the growth by His Spirit, and who will reap the harvest on the Day...