July 9, 2023
Series: Sundays after Pentecost, The Christian...
This week we begin a 7-week series looking at various aspects of “The Christian.” The beautiful Prayer of the Day sets the tone for the Sunday. The Church prays for the love of God that we might always love Him above all things. The Verse of the Day describes this total commitment to Christ as denying ourselves and carrying our crosses. The lessons warn of the earthly ramifications of such love, but also point to the promised heavenly rewards. The Christian loves God above all things.
July 2, 2023
The Holy Ministry preaches Christ in spite of persecution. Christ promises courage for His witnesses to testify even in the face of pain or persecution. The Prayer of the Day is one of the most ancient in the Church’s use. It seems to have been suggested by the disasters of the dying Western Empire. As Rome crumbled, the Church prayed for God’s governance that she might worship in peace and joy. Today Christ reminds us that even when that peace and joy are absent, He will give us the courage to continue to testify in His name. The Holy Ministry preaches Christ in spite of persecution.
June 25, 2023
Speaker: Pastor Randy Ott
Topic: compassion, Faith, Ministry, Suffering, Witness
Over the next three Sundays we hear Jesus’ Missionary Discourse (Matthew 10:5-42). Last Sunday we saw the unworthiness of the servants God calls by mercy. Today the emphasis is still on the Ministry of the Word, but the focus shifts from the servants to the people they serve. We see the compassion and love of God for this world, love so great that he called ministers of the Word to share His grace and mercy and foretell of the coming kingdom of heaven. The Holy Ministry is given by God out of compassion for his people.
June 18, 2023
Speaker: Pastor James Enderle
Topic: Objections, Purpose, Qualified, Questions, Sinners
The Holy Ministry is filled with people who God called out of His boundless mercy. Nothing else could explain the choices for ministers that God made! He calls such sinful and weak men to fill this office. Only mercy can explain the men He chose in this Sunday’s lessons: a despised tax collector, an exiled killer, a persecutor of Christians. How poignant these lessons are, when we remember that each lesson was penned by the unworthy minister called into service by God’s boundless mercy! The Holy Ministry is filled with people who God called out of His boundless mercy.
June 11, 2023
Speaker: Pastor Randy Ott
Topic: Attacks, Faithfully, Love, Slippery Footing, Temptations
The Holy Ministry stands on the rock-solid truth of God’s Word. Not all who call themselves ministers do that, so watch out for false teachers! Many will come with wise-sounding words and pious promises, but they are not what they seem. The Church’s only defense is to stand firmly on the rock-solid truth of God’s Word.
June 4, 2023
The Season: After reliving the great events of the life of Christ, the worshipping Church spends half a year focusing on the teachings of Christ. The Church wears green during the season of Pentecost as the Spirit uses those teachings of Jesus to grow the faith of believers. The appointed lessons teach us the characteristics of the Holy Ministry, the Christian, the Church, our God, and the Christian life.
The Sunday: We believe in the Triune God. The third and longest of the ecumenical creeds underscores the importance of this Sunday’s message. The doctrine of the Trinity is not a logical exercise or a dogmatic excursion. It’s central to our salvation. The Triune God is our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. Lose this doctrine, and as the Creed says, you lose it all. A Jesus who is less than God is also less than Savior. The Holy Ministry proclaims the Triune God.
May 28, 2023
Series: Pentecost
Speaker: Pastor Randy Ott
Topic: Faith, Guilt, Holy Spirit, Judgment, Righteousness
God’s Old Testament people celebrated the gathering of the harvest at the Festival of Weeks. On the fiftieth day, God sent the promised Counselor on the day we call “Pentecost.” This day marked the birthday of the New Testament Church and celebrates the harvest of souls won by the Son and gathered by his servants empowered by his Spirit. Pentecost is the third great festival of the Church and has been commemorated since at least 217 A.D. The Church dresses in red to remind us of the tongues of fire that marked the Spirit’s gift and the blood of the martyrs which were the seed of the Church.
May 25, 2023
Series: Graduation
Speaker: Pastor James Enderle, Rick Muchka
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
May 23, 2023
Series: Sundays of Easter, The Redeemer Lives
Speaker: Pastor James Enderle
Topic: Confidence, Forgiven, Glory, Protected, Suffering
Live in eager expectation of glory! That glory is not dimmed by earthly suffering; rather, such suffering reminds us of the glory that awaits us. First the cross; then the crown. Our light and momentary troubles cannot mute the joy of living in eager expectation of glory.