Explore every episode of the podcast Worship Anew

Sermon Text: Luke 21:2

Just when things are at their worst and you are left with literally nothing in this world, precisely then, “straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28 ESV).  Jesus is near, now in Word and Supper, and soon in visible glory. With Him there is redemption, forgiveness of sin, and eternal life. 

Sermon Text: Luke 20:38 

The myths people believe about heaven! What will it look like? What will we experience? The problem with these beliefs is that they are so much less than what God has prepared for those who trust in Jesus Christ. If you settle for the myths, then your God is too small! 

Sermon Text: Revelation 7:9-17 

On All Saints Day we have sadness as we think of our departed loved ones whom we greatly miss. The apostle John in the Book of Revelation presents to us a vision of the saints in heaven. This vision gives us who are still here on earth great joy and encouragement to remain steadfast in our Christian faith and life.     

Sermon Text: John 8:31-32

Christ’s Word is what Christians must continually hear. That Word spoken again and again by Jesus includes the harshest Law and then the sweetest Gospel. Martin Luther realized this truth. 

Sermon Text: Luke 18:1

Prayer is one of the gifts that God has given to us. Sometimes it is easy to pray and other times it seems difficult. The Good News is we always have help when we pray and a loving Father who always listens. 

Sermon Text: Luke 17:11-19 

The miracle of healing the 10 lepers reminds us of the earthly healing and support we receive from God. The one thankful leper reminds us of the miracle of true faith in Jesus, a faith that heals us eternally. 

Sermon Text: 2 Timothy 1:1-14

The Apostle Paul, while imprisoned and most likely very near his upcoming execution, writes one more letter to Pastor Timothy. Through this text God is reminding us – who are the people He has used in our life to bring and grow us in faith in Jesus Christ? And He is challenging us – who are the people God is using us to encourage and grow someone in faith in Jesus Christ?     

Sermon Text: Luke 16:31

So, who would you rather be? The rich man or Lazurus? We are all Lazarus: helpless and

hopeless in our poverty, sick unto death, longing to even eat the crumbs that fall from God’s

table. Lazarus is each of us, and unless we see ourselves in him, we cannot be saved. In fact, we

won’t want to be saved.

Sermon Text: Luke 16:10-13

Material riches are a wonderful thing ... rightly understood and ordered. Jesus teaches us to

love the right things in the right order. Understanding this, we can faithfully say, The Buck Stops

Here!

Sermon Text: Ezekiel 34:11-16

That you have been brought to faith in Jesus and have forgiveness and everlasting life is not by

coincidence. No – this is because God is zealous for your salvation. God wanting you to be saved

is seen in the history of Israel, in the earthly life of Christ, and in your own life. All this shows

that you are precious to the Lord.

Sermon Text: Luke 14:26 

Being a disciple of Jesus is more than just contributing; it is being totally committed to Jesus. How far are you willing to be committed to Jesus? How far is Jesus committed to you? 

Sermon Text: Luke 14:1-14

It’s hard to be humble. Our pride encourages us to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Our Lord Jesus humbled Himself and became like we are, yet without sin. In His humility He won for us the gift of life eternal. He encourages us to put aside our pride and, like Him, live a life of humble service.

Sermon Text: Isaiah 66:18-23

Isaiah prophesies about the last days and the gathering of believers from every nation. Who is at the center of this? How is He described as “the glory of God”? And our hearts are also searched to see if we are ready for the “outsider” to become an “insider”?

Sermon Text: Luke 12:49-50 

Run the race of faith with joy and hope. Focus on Jesus. His joy was to save you. Your joy is to receive the salvation He won for you, to be welcomed at the end of your race into the open arms of your Savior, and to have Him put the victor’s wreath on your head. 

Sermon Text: Luke 12:22

Do you feel as if you are being stretched beyond your limits? That your world is breaking apart? God holds the entire world in His hands. He gave His Son for us. Do not be anxious! 

Sermon Text: Luke 12:13-21

Our society often seems crazed with the desire to possess: to have some new product, to increase one’s earthly possessions, to grow wealthy. Christ frequently encountered this same kind of attitude, and in response he told the parable of the foolish rich man. This parable leads each one of us to ask, “What is my view regarding possessions?”

Sermon Text: Luke11:1 

God calls us to get to know Him. He has a big surprise of what He wants us to call Him. He also has a big surprise of what He wants us to talk about with Him. 

Sermon Text: Luke 10:38-42

Every parent admonishes their child to “make good choices.” God also wants us, His children, to make good choices. Join us on Worship Anew as we answer the question, “What is a good choice in the eyes of God?” 

Sermon Text: Luke 10:25-37

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is a well-known and much-loved parable of Jesus. But are we missing something important if we only see a message of “love your neighbor” in it? Could this parable be a sort of theological Rorschach test? Take a deeper dive into this parable to see some truly amazing grace! 

Sermon Text: Luke 10:16

It’s all about the sending. The Father sends Jesus. Likewise, Jesus sends disciples as His apostles. And this sending of the seventy-two is one of the foundation stones of the Office of the Holy Ministry. His words are their words. “The one who hears you, hears me” (Luke 10:16 ESV). You have Jesus’ Word on it, and His Word is sure. 

Sermon Text: Luke 9:51, 57-62 

Where are you going and how will you get there? Today Jesus begins the journey that will take Him to the cross, the empty tomb, and the right hand of His Father. He called people then and calls us today, to follow Him on The Heavenward Walk. 

Sermon Text: Galatians 4:4-5 

Despite the fact that by nature we were enemies of God, He in His love and grace made us his children. We have been adopted by God. That means for us tremendous blessings in this life and in future glories. 

Sermon Text: John 8:58 

Do you like surprises? Our God is a God of surprises. Tune in to Worship Anew and hear the surprises God has for you. 

Sermon Text: John 14:23 

We celebrate every Sunday in the Church. And on Pentecost we see Jesus keep His promise to send His Holy Spirit. That is reason to celebrate! 

Sermon Text: Luke 24:44-53 

Many times, people have wondered, “Why did Jesus leave the earth?” Would it not have been better for Him to remain? Jesus’ work on earth was done. It was time to return to heaven. Join us on Worship Anew as we discuss the reasons why Jesus ascended to heaven. 

Sermon Text: Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27

Toward the end of the great revelation, the Lord Jesus gave His Apostle John a glimpse of the church (the totality of all who have believed in Jesus) after the return of Christ. What a glorious picture it is –– a picture that gives hope and comfort to worn and worried Christians … like you and me!    

Sermon Text: John 16:20 

“You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (John 16:20 ESV). You will have sorrow because this is a fallen world. But your sorrow will turn into joy because Jesus has taken your sorrow upon Himself on the cross and to the grave. He is risen, victorious over sin death and the devil and yes, even your sorrow. 

Sermon Text: Psalm 23:6 

The Bible identifies Jesus Christ as both “The Lamb” and “The Good Shepherd.” Jesus Christ, The Lamb, has endured every pain inflicted by a sin-broken world. Jesus Christ, The Good Shepherd, pursues us with goodness and mercy “all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6 ESV).

Sermon Text: Acts 9:1-9, 17-20 

Paul was a fierce enemy of Christianity, so his conversion to faith in Jesus was an amazing event. This was totally unexpected. But God can do anything because of His almighty power and because of His awesome grace, mercy, and love. 

Sermon Text: John 20:28

We confess in the Apostle’s Creed that Jesus, on the third day, rose again from the dead, and we believe in the resurrection of the body. Why is it important we believe in the resurrection? Hear why the resurrection of Jesus changes everything for you.

Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 15:20

The empty tomb means that our bodies will rise from the grave! The empty tomb means that we will be reunited with loved ones who have died in the faith. The empty tomb means that we will live forever with God in holiness, innocence, and blessedness. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ has changed everything!

Sermon Text: John 19:17-30

It is fitting that we take a look at the words of Jesus to the world as He hangs upon the cross in suffering and pain. We ask the question, “What does this mean … for us … for the world?”

Sermon Text: John 12:13b

Holy Week begins on the road to Jerusalem. The King makes His grand entrance into Jerusalem, riding atop a borrowed donkey, as the people greet their Messiah: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” The mood, however, shifts quickly from palms to passion, from triumph to crucifixion. This King, this Messiah, came to lay His life down, to die for His people on the cross.

Sermon Text: Luke 20:9-20

Jesus tells the parable of the wicked vinedressers to illustrate the unfaithfulness of the children of Israel to the covenant God so graciously made with them. A new Israel, the Christian Church, will emerge as a new covenant is set in place.

Sermon Text: Luke 15:11b

When we return to our Lord in our sin, our heavenly Father is always there, arms wide open, ready to restore us to the family. Our sin is great and deserves nothing but punishment, but His grace is greater. Despite our sin, He continues to love us, He continues to seek us out, and He continues to deal with us with the love and mercy made possible in Jesus.

Sermon Text: Psalm 85

We are all sinners. This means that, at times, we will receive discipline from the Lord. But rejoice! This discipline comes from the love of God and is for our good. This is corrective discipline; it is blessed discipline.

Sermon Text: Philippians 3:20

Lent powerfully reminds us that we don’t belong here, that we hold heavenly citizenship. Today we learn of the privileges and responsibilities, the pitfalls and opportunities, of celestial citizenship.

Sermon Text: Luke 4:1-13

Jesus, the sinless Son of God, took upon Himself all of our sins and paid the price for our forgiveness, in full, on Calvary’s cross. Jesus resisted Satan’s temptations and, in so doing, showed us how we, too, can resist. We turn to God’s Holy Word and rebuke Satan saying, “It is written.”

Sermon Text: Psalm 51

Are you ready for a journey through Lent? God’s mercy and forgiveness are real and powerful. God shows us His love and mercy in His dealing with King David. We are reminded that our Lord, in His mercy, also forgives all repentant sinners like us.

Sermon Text: Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Transfiguration Sunday is the day to remember the moment Jesus revealed His glory to Peter, James, and John. It was high upon a mountain. Two other “mountain climbers” – Moses and Elijah – appeared with the quartet. The account of Moses’ death upon Mt. Nebo, and his reappearance with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, invites us to see how we, too, are changed by the mountain.

Sermon Text: Luke 6:27-28

Our Lord Jesus Christ had mercy on us though we did not deserve it. Our ingratitude should be punished, but instead He forgave it and gave us even more. Our wickedness should be judged as worthy of hell, but He gave His own Son hell, and gave us heaven instead. Living in and under the love, grace, and mercy of God in His Son, Jesus

Christ, life looks different, sinners look different, enemies look different, and love and mercy is not only possible, but natural.

Sermon Text: Luke 6:22

The term “blessed” is one of the most misunderstood and misused words in our cultural vocabulary. Today we find this word “blessed” coming straight from the mouth of Jesus, but the way He uses the word stands in blatant contrast to the way it’s used in the world. Everything about today’s Gospel lesson challenges our natural and

cultural understanding of what it means to be “blessed.”

Sermon Text: Isaiah 6:1-8

We know all too well that God is holy, and we human beings are not. Isaiah also knew this, and each one of us joins with him in crying out, “Woe is me!” But Christ became sin for us, and that means for us a blessed reality here on earth and in the life to come when we will be holy!

Sermon Text: Luke 2:32

The forces of light and darkness have clashed since the creation of the world. Jesus brings light into every corner of creation. Do we suppress His light through ignorance and neglect? Or do we live in the light?

Sermon Text: Luke 4:16-30

Jesus is invited to choose and read the Scripture reading at a worship service in His hometown of Nazareth. He reads a powerful section from Isaiah the Prophet about the work of the Messiah. He startles the worshipers with the statement, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” What? How could this be? But it begs us to examine our own lives and ask ourselves, “Are we offended at what Jesus says?”

Sermon Text: John 2:11

Recognizing and understanding signs is an important skill to master when learning to drive. Jesus performed many miraculous signs and wonders so we can see the signs and know He is the Christ, the Son of God.

Sermon Text: Luke 3:21-22

“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5 ESV). Today we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord in the Jordan, God in the flesh, and so also we celebrate our Baptism into Christ. What a great comfort in the midst of temptation and trial, sin and death, and every distress that we can say to ourselves, “I am baptized into Christ!

Sermon Text: Luke 2:40

God’s Wisdom saves you. The teachers in Jerusalem were being taught by the One in whom all

wisdom is found. In Christ Jesus, the Passover Lamb was sacrificed for our sins once and for all. In

Christ Jesus, the punishment for our foolishness was received. We have been forgiven, and heaven

is ours.

Sermon Text: Luke 2:36-38

Anna was an elderly woman who lived in Jerusalem. She had experienced great grief at a young age when her husband died, and she, thereafter, had remained a widow. But God sustained her in her time of sadness and preserved her in saving faith through his Word. In fact, she became a powerful witness for the Lord, used by him for the benefit of many people. Her story speaks to you today.

Sermon Text: John 1:14

God works things out so beautifully. We see that particularly in the Christmas story, but not in the places where you would think. It’s not the angels tearing open the sky or the picturesque idea of a stable, but in something utterly unremarkable.