4-12-2026 “An Inexpressible and Glorious Joy" by Pastor Glen Schlecht

The first letter Peter wrote to his fellow believers was written in the face of extreme persecution. There is, humanly speaking, an irony for Peter to begin this letter with these words of praise and thanks to God – these people were suffering and going through unspeakable horrors because of their faith in Jesus. But that is the point of this journey we are on. It will never be devoid of challenges, difficulties, doubts, or fears. Today’s Gospel reading demonstrates that – the doubts and fears were real for Jesus’ disciples and closest friends. But this journey will always be filled with joy, “an inexpressible and glorious joy” because of Jesus. That’s what our faith brings to the table and to our lives and this journey we are on.First Reading: Acts 2:14a, 22-32Epistle: 1 Peter 1:3-9 (primary focus)Gospel: John 20:19-31 (secondary focus)Sermon Title: “An Inexpressible and Glorious Joy" As always, if you can’t be here in-person, take advantage of our live stream option. We live stream our worship services directly from the home page of Immanuel’s website through YouTube. You can view our worship live streams here: https://immanuelloveland.org/