All Saints Anglican Church

In this sermon on the Beatitudes, we reconsider one of Jesus’ most familiar teachings and discover that it is not a checklist for becoming blessed, but a revelation of the gospel itself. Jesus’ words first function as a mirror , exposing our spiritual poverty and the impossibility of achieving righteousness on our own. They then become a portrait, showing us the life and character of the one truly blessed man—Jesus Christ—who perfectly fulfills the law for us. Finally, the Beatitudes stand as a promise: through faith in Christ, his righteousness becomes ours, and the blessings he declares are given to us now and fulfilled when we see God face to face. The Beatitudes don’t tell us how to climb our way to God. They announce what God has given us in Christ—true blessedness grounded not in our performance, but in his finished work.

“God’s love is extravagant—prodigal in the best sense—welcoming the lost, restoring the broken, and inviting us to the feast through Jesus Christ, our True Older Brother. From Isaiah’s invitation to come and eat to the Father’s embrace in Luke 15, we see that it is God’s character always to have mercy.”

Lost to God. Lost to the flock. Lost to themselves. That’s how Matthew Henry describes the wandering sheep of Israel. But there is a Good Shepherd of our souls who leaves the 99 to seek out his one lost lamb and carry them safely home.

“The word of the Lord; Thanks be to God.” That’s the refrain you hear after scripture is read in Anglican worship. Sometimes we give thanks for words that are obviously full of sweet comfort and joy. Others time God’s word is hard to our ears and hard on our hearts. All of God’s Word is good, though. And even those hard words come from his great love for us and his longing that we might be with him.

<div class="sqs-audio-embed" data-design-style="minimal" data-show-download="true" data-file-location="" data-url="" data-asset-url="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61e96ace425f594fce5e5edf/t/68b7029c7c554d3e50f94b96/1757969864512/Eleventh+Sunday+After+Trinity+Lake.m4a" data-title="Colossians 4:2-18: "St Paul's Closing Thoughts"" data-author="The Rev'd Josh Lake" data-length-in-milli-seconds="2246000" data-no-file="No File" data-untitled="Untitled"> Colossians 4:2-18: "St Paul's Closing Thoughts" The Rev'd Josh Lake <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61e96ace425f594fce5e5edf/t/68b7029c7c554d3e50f94b96/1757969864512/Eleventh+Sunday+After+Trinity+Lake.m4a" download="Colossians 4:2-18: "St Paul's Closing Thoughts"" class="download" target="_blank">Download We have gotten to the end of St Paul’s letter to the Colossians. We have traveled from the heights of a glorious vision of the Lord Christ as Cosmic King and the Head of the Church to a frantic close to the letter. Join us for St Paul’s closing thoughts as he recounts God’s faithful work and the call to carry on the battle through prayer.

<div class="sqs-audio-embed" data-design-style="minimal" data-show-download="true" data-file-location="" data-url="" data-asset-url="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61e96ace425f594fce5e5edf/t/68ac6d61feaec04be72867fb/1756824182126/Tenth+Sunday+After+Trinity+Behar.m4a" data-title="Colossians 3:12-4:1: "Put on Christ"" data-author="The Rev'd Dcn Sam Behar" data-length-in-milli-seconds="1432000" data-no-file="No File" data-untitled="Untitled"> Colossians 3:12-4:1: "Put on Christ" The Rev'd Dcn Sam Behar <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61e96ace425f594fce5e5edf/t/68ac6d61feaec04be72867fb/1756824182126/Tenth+Sunday+After+Trinity+Behar.m4a" download="Colossians 3:12-4:1: "Put on Christ"" class="download" target="_blank">Download

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Colossians 2:8-15 The Rev'd Josh Lake Download

Colossians 2:6-7: Rooted and Built Up in Christ The Rev'd Curtis Mears Download Jesus is the beginning of the Christian life and the end, but it is also everything in between.

<div class="sqs-audio-embed" data-design-style="minimal" data-show-download="true" data-file-location="" data-url="" data-asset-url="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61e96ace425f594fce5e5edf/t/68ac67bd1352843df4e578f7/1756129242419/Fifth+Sunday+After+Trinity+Josh%2B.m4a" data-title="Colossians 1:28-2:5: "Him We Proclaim"" data-author="The Rev'd Josh Lake" data-length-in-milli-seconds="1819000" data-no-file="No File" data-untitled="Untitled"> Colossians 1:28-2:5: "Him We Proclaim" The Rev'd Josh Lake <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61e96ace425f594fce5e5edf/t/68ac67bd1352843df4e578f7/1756129242419/Fifth+Sunday+After+Trinity+Josh%2B.m4a" download="Colossians 1:28-2:5: "Him We Proclaim"" class="download" target="_blank">Download

Colossians 1:21-27: Living Sacraments The Rev'd Dcn. Sam Behar Download Pastor Sam Behar continues the series in Colossians with an examination of St Paul’s “Body Theology.” We are declared members of Christ’s body, and our suffering is his suffering. However, the height of God’s mercy is seen in the fact that Christ comes and lives within us.

Colossians 1:15-20: Cosmic King and Head of the Church The Rev'd Josh Lake Download

Colossians 1:1-14: All the Saints in Light The Rev'd Josh Lake Download Pastor Josh Lake kicks off our series in the book of Colossians with a look into St Paul’s prayer for the Colossians and his rousing declaration that we have an inheritance with the “saints in light.”

Galatians: The Law Abolished? The Rev'd Josh Lake Download Pastor Josh Lake gives a high level overview of St Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Relying on Martin Luther’s Galatians commentary, Pastor Josh shows how Law and Gospel play their way out in one of St Paul’s first letters.

Trinity: Being and Doing The Rev'd Mr. Sam Behar Download Trinity Sunday is a day that we celebrate with a deep sense of humility because the mystery of the Trinity taxes human intellect and language. Consider with us the power and majesty of the Trinity that meets sinful human beings in love and mercy.

Babel Undone! The Rev'd Josh Lake Download Whitsunday, commonly known as Pentecost Sunday, commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit. Consider with us the power and work of the Holy Spirit.

Gone Up with a Shout! The Rev'd Josh Lake Download The Ascension is an often neglected Christian doctrine. This Sunday, we explored how the Ascension is the hinge of the door that ushers in a new age. O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.  Amen.

The Good Shepherd pt. 3 The Rev'd Josh Lake Download Part three of our Good Shepherd series.

The Good Shepherd pt. 2 Sam Behar Download Part two of our Good Shepherd series. Enter by the Door and follow the Good Shepherd.

The Good Shepherd pt.1 The Rev'd Josh Lake Download This week we embarked a short series on John 10. The Good Shepherd knows and calls his sheep by name.

Third Sunday of Easter with Bishop David Bryan the Rt. Rev'd David Bryan Download This week we consider the mighty acts of God.

Joint Sunday School with the Bishop the Rt. Rev'd David Bryan Download This week we consider the mighty acts of God.