Will Preach For Food Podcast

Sermon for the Second Sunday in Advent. Text: Mark 1:1-8 "Some 2000 years ago a man named John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah of the world. His words and example continue to call new generations to repent, reform, and renew their faith in preparation for the King, Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah of the world. Today I want to tell you a bit more about Jo...

This has been a LONG year! As daylight saving time was ending a couple of weeks ago, I saw someone suggest that we set our clocks forward—all the way ahead to 2021! Well, I have some good news for you. There is a centuries old tradition in the Christian church that the new year starts on the 1st Sunday in Advent, which is TODAY! So WOOHOO! Happy New Year, everyone! Today we are invited to start th...

In some countries, government departments are called “Ministries:” Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Education, etc. What if we use this idea to understand ourselves (the Church) as “The Ministry of Reconciliation?” Our King, Jesus, under the authority of God the Father, has appointed the Holy Spirit as Director of the Department of Reconciliation. The people of God, the Church, are public servants...

This podcast is for Sunday, November 15. The Bible text is Matthew 25:14-30. Today's message addresses the fundamental question: Why are we here? An excerpt from today's podcast: "What we do today, how we spend our time, where I invest my energy and resources, are all stewardship questions. How we raise our kids, the ways we participate in community life, and whether we recycle, the...

Today’s podcast is a Confirmation sermon in honor of a young member of Faith, Jacob Miller. Confirmation is a tradition in the Lutheran church that has to do with coming of age, assuming greater responsibility in the life of the church, completing catechetical studies, and affirming one’s baptism. And to understand this sermon, you also need to know that Jacob is an avid bird-watcher. He tells me...

Today's message recalls Jesus' teaching of the greatest commandment: Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself. Support the show

Today’s sermon title and topic comes from Philippians 3. We’re also going to spend some time with the story of the apostle Paul’s conversion in Acts 9. I’ll leave you with a few takeaways and tools. As always, a transcript of this podcast, as well as worship and study resources are available at our website, www.faithshelton.org . Before we dive in, let us pray: God, you have made each one of us, a...

Today a couple from our congregation is celebrating their 73rd wedding anniversary. Woohoo! They give some advice for keeping a marriage strong. The Bible also has some things to say about marriage, and about our lives together as husbands and wives, parents and children, church members and citizens. Please grab a Bible, and first we’re going to look at Matthew 19:1-10, when Jesus gets quizzed abo...

Today I sit down with Rev. Terry Oliver to discuss the topic of grief and loss.  Terry has a passion and gift for bereavement ministry that stems from his own personal experience of loss combined with decades of pastoral care. My years as a hospice chaplain, working with dying patients and their families, taught me to appreciate the sacred space and grace that one enters when grieving, and when co...

In today's message, God invites us to consider the formula for forgiveness, the calculus of mercy. How many times should I forgive my neighbor? The answer might surprise you! Readings: Matthew 18:21-35, Psalm 103:1-14; Romans 14:1-13; Hebrews 4:16 See the transcript for additional readings and references, or go to our website, www.faithshelton.org. Support the show

In today's podcast, Doug walks us through Romans 12:9-18, where we discover not only a "to do" list of Christian love, but also a path to understanding and receiving the mercy of God. Study Guide: For the Love of God Romans 12:9-18 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be l...

How can God's people worship during a pandemic without exposing vulnerable neighbors to the threat of COVID-19? How should Christians respond to restrictive measures, like facemasks, social distancing, and limiting indoor worship events? The Bible is full of stories about how God's people worship in extraordinary circumstances--like exile, or slavery, or even a pandemic! In today's...

This week Rev. Brenda Satrum shares a message about the joys and struggles of marriage. To practice at home and away: You/your marriage is a gift: Say early and often, "Wow! God gave me you." Your marriage/relationship is a choice: The cup/ quaich conversation. - Choose a cup (or Celtic quaich ) and a place to put it as an invitation to talk. - Find a time that's free of interruptio...

This podcast is a 20 minute "primer" on Baptism in the Christian church: what it is, why we do it, and what it means for daily life. Matthew 3:13-4:1 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulf...

The Bible says that the life and character of Jesus is itself the clearest, best revelation of who God is, what God is like. One of the authors of the Bible describes Jesus as “the radiance of God’s glory and exact representation of God’s being” (Hebrews 1:3). And then Jesus also tells stories about what God is like, called parables. Matthew 13 records eight of these parables—intended to describe...

Today's podcast is the second of a three week series on Matthew 13. Last week we began asking the question: What is God like? And how can we know? The Bible tells us that Jesus is everything we need to know about God AND about being human. So we can know what God is like by reading, not only stories about Jesus, but also by the stories Jesus told: parables. And Matthew 13 has eight of these p...

Today's podcast is the first of a three part series focusing the parables of the kingdom of heaven that Jesus tells in Matthew 13. " The gospel hope we have today in a time of unemployment, political gridlock, pandemic, and racial unrest is what Jesus calls the kingdom of heaven. These parables point to a God who is good. The whole world is created by and cared for by God. A God who is p...

Summary Today's podcast explores two stories from the Bible. In one, St. Paul confronts a group of early Christians concerning their reliance on themselves instead of Christ. In the other, Jesus speaks to the crowds of our responsibilities to God and to each other. Through the unique lens of a prison congregation and its worship team, we explore how these lessons still speak to us today. Gala...

" The Gospel is that Jesus came to set us free from sin and death, by uniting us with him in his own death and resurrection, so that we might walk in the perfect freedom of the God who created us, loves us, and has a purpose for our lives. Baptism is a sign of God’s promise, the waters through which we pass from slavery into freedom." In today's podcast, we look at what the Bible sa...

Today's podcast explores two stories from the Bible. In one, a man faces a crisis of faith, and finds the courage to do the right thing. In the other, Jesus sends his disciples on a field trip to experience the healing power of God, and learn compassion, too. As our nation faces a crisis of faith around race and justice, the people of God are compelled wrestle with it, lead with a limp, and l...

Today's podcast takes on the sin of racism. Instead of pointing the finger at others, this podcast challenges you to look in the mirror, see your own sin, own it, release it to God, and get about the hard work of repentance, restoration, and reconciliation of every child of God, regardless of skin color. " Jesus, the Son of God, was profiled and targeted by the government, by the press,...

The Holy Spirit gathers, scatters, leads, and equips the people of Faith. We ARE the body of Christ, and each one of us manifests the power and love of God in our own unique ways, just like every part of the body each doing its "thing," to make the body complete, healthy, and mature. You are a vital member of the body, and God has equipped YOU to bless others, belong to a community of fa...

"Life on planet earth presents everyone of us, in every generation, with challenges, crises, battles, and 'fiery ordeals' that both reveal and shape our character." Today's message wonders what God is up to, and what happens when we lean into and face challenges head on. We hear advice from the apostle Peter, and recall the story of Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednigo in the b...

Today's message lifts up the power of the gospel to bring meaning and hope to every person, regardless of race, gender, or age. I've enlisted the help of my friend Katrina to give voice to a woman named Damaris, a young Roman woman who became a follower of Jesus. She is named in Acts 17:34. This message is for Sunday, May 17th, the 6th Sunday in Easter. (Also Norwegian Constitution Day!)...

A sermon for the 4th Sunday in Easter May 3rd, 2020 Jesus is the Good Shepherd; we are his sheep. When Jesus speaks, his words inspire confidence, trust, rest, courage, and peace. I pray that you hear the voice of God through this podcast, to help you navigate life and filter out the negative voices all around us. Worship Resources Sunday School Resources Website Bible References: John 10:1-10 Oth...