Divine Savior Church-Santa Rita Ranch Sermons

Pastor Stephen Apt kicks off our apologetics series with a message on 1 Peter 3:15-18.Support the show

The early church didn't grow through programs or events alone, but through devoted relationships centered on the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. Jesus' commission is lived out as ordinary believers walk together in authentic community--devoted to Christ and to one another. This is relational discipleship not isolated faith or busy activity. Support the show

Pastor Stephen Apt shares a message on Psalm 78:1-8.Support the show

Pastor Stephen Apt shares a message based on Collosians 1:24-29.Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message based on Matthew 4:18-22.Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message on discipleship based on John 3:1-8.Support the show

The story of Jonah ends with a surprising twist: the prophet is angry. In this final message, we look at the struggle we all face when God is "too kind" to people we don't like. It's easy to celebrate God's mercy when it's for us, but it's much harder when the same mercy is shown to our enemies. Support the show

Staff Minister of Discipleship Pat Hurley shares a message on Jonah 3.Support the show

Guest preacher Vicar Cooper Knoll shares a message on the first 14 verses of Psalm 51.Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message on Jonah 2:1-10.Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message based on Jonah chapter 1.Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message based on 1 John 4:13-18.Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message on 1 John 3:11-18.Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message based on 1 John 2:18-27.Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message based on 1 John 1:1-2:2.Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message based on Hebrews 12:18-29Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message based on Hebrews 12:1-3.Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message based on Hebrews 11.Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message based on Hebrews 9:11-14Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message based on Hebrews 4:12-16 and Hebrews 7:23-25.Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message on Hebrews 4:1-11.Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message based on Hebrews 2:5-18.Support the show

Pastor Stephen kicks off our new series with a message on Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:1-14.Support the show

Pastor Stephen Apt shares a message for Easter Sunday based on John's account.Support the show

Pastor Stephen Apt shares a message on John's account of Palm Sunday.Support the show

Pastor Apt shares a message on John 17:15-23.Support the show

Pastor Apt continues his message on John 14: "Do not let your hearts be troubled."Support the show

Pastor Apt shares a message on John 14:1-6.Support the show

Jesus doesn’t ask us to love the easy ones. He commands us to love like Him. This isn’t soft love. It’s cross-shaped love. It's love that gets betrayed, abandoned, and still chooses to stay. Jesus unplugs our shallow notions of kindness and comfort and calls us to a love that costs—yet heals everything.Support the show

Jesus doesn’t take the throne; He takes a towel. In a culture that worships charisma, platforms, and power, Jesus gets on His knees and washes feet. He rewrites greatness with humility and defines leadership as love. This week, Jesus unplugs our obsession with status and invites us into a kingdom where glory is found in stooping low.Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message for Ash Wednesday on the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.Support the show

What we give to God is never lost — it’s invested in eternity. The treasures of this world fade, but the impact of a generous, surrendered life endures forever. As we close our Return to Sender series, we’ll celebrate that every time we give, serve, or love in Jesus’ name, we’re returning His gifts to Him — and He uses them to change lives for eternity.Support the show

God doesn’t want our leftovers; He calls us to give our first and best as an act of trust and worship. In a world that tells us to hold tightly to what we have, giving back to the Giver reminds us who truly provides. This week, we’ll learn how generosity flows from gratitude — and how every gift is a way of saying, “Thank You, Lord.”Support the show

Everything we have — our time, talents, and treasures — ultimately belongs to God. We’re not owners, but managers of what He’s entrusted to us. When we understand that truth, it changes the way we handle everything in life. This week, we’ll see that faithful stewardship begins with recognizing God’s ownership and our joyful responsibility to care for what’s His.Support the show

This week ties together the themes of spiritual growth and mission. It shows how the church equips believers to mature in faith and love, building up the body to reach the world. It emphasizes the collective pursuit of maturity and the church’s calling to impact others through a unified, growing community.Support the show

This week focuses on the joy and longing for fellowship within the church community, reflecting Paul’s desire to see and strengthen the faith of believers. It connects to Baptism Sunday by celebrating the inclusion of new believers into the church family, emphasizing communal love and encouragement as newcomers begin their journey in faith.Support the show

This week establishes the church as the body of Christ, where every member is uniquely placed by God to contribute to the whole. It emphasizes unity, diversity, and interdependence, highlighting why believers are “better together” in pursuing God’s purpose as a loving, life-changing family. Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message for Epiphany on Matthew's account of the Magi.Support the show

Pastor Stephen shares a message for Christmas on Simeon and Anna.Support the show

Pastor Stephen Apt shares a message for Christmas.Support the show

Joseph had his life planned, but it all came crashing down when he found out Mary was pregnant with a child not his. But God sent his angel to give him hope.  He pointed to the one who actually takes away guilt and gives real hope. Through Jesus, God brings forgiveness, peace, and a future we can trust. He doesn't let us navigate it alone, but Immanuel, God with us, goes too. This Christmas, our hearts are made ready when we turn to him and discover the hope he offersSupport the show

Zechariah’s voice had been silent for months, yet when he finally spoke, he celebrated God’s faithfulness. God had kept his promises and was bringing salvation to the world. His song reminds us that we don’t have to face life’s uncertainties alone—God’s mercy and faithfulness give our hearts confidence as we wait for Christmas.Support the show

Mary wasn’t rich, powerful, or famous. She was an ordinary young woman. Yet through her, God brought his Savior into the world—the one who would lift up the humble and bring hope to all people. Mary’s story reminds us that Christmas isn’t about what we do for God, but about what God has done—and is still doing—for the world.Support the show

The Christmas season often leaves us feeling scattered and stretched thin. But what if the best preparation isn’t about doing more, but about coming home? John the Baptist’s birth was announced as part of God’s plan to turn people’s hearts back to him. This Advent begins with God inviting us home—to forgiveness, peace, and a fresh start.Support the show

We come to the part of the story we have all been waiting for! It’s wedding bells for Boaz and Ruth. She is finally a bride and he is her redeemer. A redeemer is someone who does for us what we could not do ourselves. Pays a price we could not pay. So we could be redeemed. The marriage in this story gives us a beautiful picture of the relationship we have with our Redeemer… what He did for us to make us his Bride. It also shows how God worked this whole story out for that very purpose… so He could be our Redeemer.Support the show

How often have you been willing to use others for your advantage? How often have you tried to manipulate events and situations to benefit yourself? Without caring how it will impact others? It can be too easy to do this. The real test of faithfulness is doing something that might not be desirable or easy to do because it’s the thing God wants you to do. Like Jesus did for us. Our character is tested when we do the right thing even when no one is looking. The faithfulness and character we display will point people to how beautiful our God is. Today’s message will give us much to think about concerning faithfulness and character.Support the show

Today’s installment of our story is the heart-warming meeting of a girl and boy, Ruth and Boaz. God is bringing them together for a very important purpose. God has been bringing men and women together since the beginning of time… for very important purposes. God has a purpose for your marriage. For Ruth, not everything had been going very well. She had been through difficult circumstances. But would she let those circumstances define her? Or would she define her circumstances as obstacles and opportunities she would get through with God’s help? We can learn a lot from Boaz and Ruth in today’s message!Support the show

It’s a classic opening to a tragic short story… “It was a dark and stormy night.” That opening line usually leads to all the challenges and hardships that are making things “dark and stormy.” In the beginning of this story, death separates three marriages, all in one family. The widows have no place to live. No way to make a living. It’s a time of bitterness. Why did this happen? How does God see his people through situations this dark and stormy? Why does He allow it? This story will offer us an enormous amount of life lessons and faith lessons. Lessons about how following God is worth more than anything else.Support the show

We’re told from every angle—school, work, even church—that our worth depends on how we perform. But this Reformation Sunday, we remember the truth that set the Church free: you are saved not by performance, but by grace. As we celebrate 175 years of God’s grace in the WELS, we’re not bragging on ourselves—we’re boasting in Christ alone.Support the show

We all crave happiness—but what kind? The kind that fades the moment life gets hard? Or the kind that endures even in pain? This week, God challenges the popular belief that his highest goal is our short-term comfort. In Hebrews 11, we see an example of someone who could have chosen comfort, ease, and status—but instead chose something better. Through this, God shows us that true happiness isn’t found in chasing pleasure, but in walking with him toward something eternal.Support the show