Topic: Life
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August 10, 2025
Series: Pentecost, Undivided Attention
Speaker: Pastor James Enderle
Last week Jesus warned us against overvaluing earthly wealth. This week Jesus warns against undervaluing heavenly treasure. Last week, Jesus exposed the folly of greed. This week, Jesus exposes the folly of worry, even when faced with the prospect of having a seeming shortage of resources. This week might be the bigger challenge! When it seems we lack providence or protection for our daily lives, it can be hard to avoid worry. So, Jesus asks us to give our undivided attention to him, that he might take our worries away. Jesus points to creatures that do not labor or toil yet eat every day. Even more, Jesus points to our Father who promises to give us the heavenly treasures of his kingdom. Jesus assures us that our Father will throw in any needed earthly possessions as well. We can rest from our worries, confident that our loving Father knows all we need.
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July 20, 2025
Speaker: Pastor James Enderle
Most would agree with Jesus’ teaching that “Few things are needed” (Luke 10:42). We understand that people often confuse their wants with needs. We might want many things; but in reality, we only need a few things. So, we would agree with Jesus. “Few things are needed.” However, Jesus said more. “Few things are needed—or indeed only one.” Now we might object. There seems to be more than one true need. We need water, food, clothing, shelter, friendship, etc. Yet, what Jesus said is true. Because only one thing—the gospel—can create and sustain the faith that makes one God’s dear child and an heir of the everlasting kingdom. If you didn’t have water, you would die in a few days; without oxygen, in a few minutes. But without Jesus speaking to us through his Word, there is no hope for eternal life in heaven. We literally need the gospel more than water or oxygen. So, let us listen to Jesus speak, giving him our undivided attention.
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May 22, 2025
Series: Graduation
Speaker: Pastor James Enderle
Welcome to worship today at Morrison Zion Lutheran Church. We exist to glorify God. We… read more
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May 4, 2025
Series: Because He Lives, Sundays of Easter
Speaker: Pastor James Enderle
A recent survey asked Americans which of the five senses they would least like to lose. 77% chose sight. Navigating life blind poses a plethora of challenges that the sighted do not face. This is why Scripture often uses the concept of blindness as a metaphor for how hard it is to navigate life without a correct understanding of Christ. Spiritual blindness can take many different forms. In some cases, it is hostile opposition to the message of Jesus. In others, spiritual blindness might be demonstrated in confusion about Jesus’ true identity. In still others, spiritual blindness might be the inability to understand our spiritual condition.
No matter the form spiritual blindness takes, Easter has the power to replace it with sight. Easter allows us to see where we sinners stand with a holy God. It enables us to see the path through life that is worth pursuing (as opposed to those that lead to a dead end). Spiritual sight gives us the ability to see who holds our future in His hands and who is worth our eternal worship. Because He lives, we can see things clearly.
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April 20, 2025
Series: Because He Lives, Easter Festival, Triduum
Speaker: Pastor James Enderle
Death can sting in many ways. First, death can sting by casting a shadow over every moment of life. No matter what earthly joy you are experiencing, death guarantees it won’t last. Second, death can sting by separating loves. There are no phone calls or hugs from the dead. Third, death can sting by instilling fear of what follows. Deep down, every human being senses that after death there is some sort of reckoning. . . a judgement. Yes, death can sting in many ways.
Note that word can. Because He lives, death has lost its sting for those who put their faith in the living Lord. Because Christ lives, we have all the proof we need that God accepted Jesus’ death as the complete and final payment for all our sins. Those who are in Christ need no judgment. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. More, Christ’s resurrection is the assurance that our Christian loved ones are not lost. Death remains unnatural. But Christ has defeated death. So, while death may still cause tears, death does not cause dread. Because He lives, death has lost its sting.
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April 18, 2025
Series: Good Friday, Rite of Nails and Cross, Seven Words, Tenebrae, Triduum
Speaker: Pastor James Enderle
Topic: Alone, Believe, Christ, Christianity, Completion, Cross, Death, Debt, Deny, Eternal, Faith, Father, Finished, Forgiven, forgiveness, Forsaken, God, Gospel, Grace, hope, Identity, Jesus, Life, Love, mercy, Others, Paid, Pain, Peace, Redeemed, Resurrection, Righteousness, Saved, Savior, sin, Struggle, Tetelestai, Truth, Way
The word tenebrae means “darkness” and refers to a worship service in which the progressive extinguishing of candles represents the approaching death of Christ. The Tenebrae service is one of prolonged meditation of the suffering of Christ. The service is divided into seven chief parts. At the end of each part the sanctuary will become darker. At the end of the service, the church will be very dark. No offering will be taken during the service. As you leave in silence you may place your offering in the basket in the back of the church.
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April 18, 2025
Series: Good Friday, Rite of Nails and Cross, Triduum
Speaker: Pastor James Enderle
On Good Friday we remember the crucifixion and death of our Lord both with sorrow and solemn joy. Though the events of this day fill us with horror, the implications of those events give us every reason for praise. Jesus’ death had this breathtaking significance. Once and for all, it paid for the guild of all of us and for all of time. Standing in our place, our substitute was forsaken by his Father on the cross so that we could be reconciled to God and have an eternal home in heaven.
We look at Jesus on the cross, and there is sorrow. He is there because of us. He is there because he loves us that much, so much he gave us his last breath. Jesus took all our guilt into the tomb with him. It will stay there. He will not. That is why we can call this Friday good.
This year we will use a visual to help us contemplate the love of Jesus on the cross. All who wish to do so will be invited to come forward and place a nail in the cross on the main floor of church. The nail has a red ribbon attached to remind us that it was our sins that caused Jesus to shed his blood. This truth pains us. This truth causes us joy because Jesus’ life and death is the sacrifice that paid for the guilt of our sins and the sins of the whole world. -
March 9, 2025
Series: Lent, Open Door Policies
Speaker: Pastor James Enderle
Normally in a family everyone must do their part. . . pitch in. . . pull their weight. In God’s family, he assigns and accepts the work of one on behalf of all. In God’s house, God’s Son—our brother, Jesus—stands alone on the field of battle against our enemies in our place. He fights vicariously. He fights victoriously.
This week we see one man, Jesus Christ, stand against Satan. We simply sit and watch with eyes full of wonder and repentant faith. Because Christ fought that battle as one of us, he won that battle for all of us. The door to heaven stands wide open for those who believe in him.
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March 5, 2025
Series: Ash Wednesday, Open Door Policies
Speaker: Pastor James Enderle
Topic: Christ, Death, Defenses, Died, Doors, Dust, forgiveness, Give, Guilt, Life, Lived, Open, Others, Pride, Reconciled, Reconciling, Repentance, sin, Truth
Whenever someone accuses us of doing wrong, it’s easy to get defensive. We make excuses. “I’m not that bad.” We try and balance the scales. “Okay, that was wrong. But look at all the good I do!” We play the comparison game. “At least I’m not like him!” When our defenses go up, repentance is impossible.
God, however, has a strategy for lowing our defenses. He assures us that his door is open, and that his home is the place where we don’t need to pretend to be something that we’re not—perfect. Our Father does not ask us to come to him and confess our sin so that he might know what we’ve done. He already knows. He asks us to repent so that we might fully know what we’ve done. Only when we grasp the true weight of our sin, will we call out to God for mercy. When we do, God is always quick to forgive.
Ash Wednesday marks the begging of Lent, reminding us of our mortality and calling us to repent. The ancient practice of imposing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful is what gives Ash Wednesday its name. The church father Tertullian (c. A.D. 160-215) writes of the practice as a public expression of repentance and of our human frailty that stands in need of Christ. Ashes can remind us forcefully of our need for redeeming grace as they recall words from the rite of Christian burial—“earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust…”—words that will someday be spoken over us all.
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Improbable Not Impossible
September 2, 2025 -
Is Faith All You Need?
August 29, 2025