Immanuel Lutheran Loveland

It seems like a rather obvious matter, that we would hope in Jesus. We’ve been talking about that very thing all summer long. And yet it’s worth taking time to reflect on a critical question Jesus asked His disciples – “Who do you say I am?” We’ll consider not only what Peter’s answer was as well as Jesus’ response to Peter, but we’ll consider what that means for the lives we’re called to lead, based on what St. Paul was inspired to write near the end of his letter to the Romans. He gives us lots of practical direction with how we’re to live out the hope we have in Jesus.Old Testament: Isaiah 51:1-6 Epistle: Romans 12:9-21 Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20 Sermon Title: “Hope in Jesus” 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/

The Old Testament reading in 1 Kings 19, which follows directly on the heels of one of the prophet Elijah’s greatest victories, puts us face-to-face with one of God’s most powerful prophets. And what we see in Elijah could be a mirror where we see ourselves – both the good and the bad. Hope comes to us in knowing that the Lord is with us in any and every circumstance; that it is He who works both in and through us; and that even when we are at our lowest point, hope is not gone when our hope is in the Lord.Old Testament: 1 Kings 19:9-18 Epistle: Romans 12:1-8 Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28 Sermon Title: “Hope in the Face of Success and of Depression” 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/

Peter was bold. Peter was brash. Once he got over his initial fright at seeing Jesus coming to them walking on water, he challenged Jesus – “If it’s You, Lord, invite me out to join you on the water!” He did it – but that was a short walk. What do we learn about hope in the face of the scary things we have to face in our lives? What about this account of Jesus’ ministry can instill hope in us?Old Testament: Isaiah 56:1, 6-8Epistle: Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33Sermon Title: “Wanna Walk on Water?”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/

We know that spiritually-speaking, we have nothing – empty hands as we stand before the Lord. In Isaiah 55, He invites us to come to Him to buy, eat, and drink, even though we have nothing in-hand to pay for it. In the Gospel, Jesus ordered His disciples to feed 5000 people, even though their hands were essentially empty – all they had was five loaves of bread and two fish. At the outset, there didn’t seem to be much hope. But then Jesus went to work, filling His disciples’ empty hands with His good gifts – food for the hungry crowd! That miracle, along with His invitation and promise from Isaiah 55, fill us with hope, in spite of the empty hands we may have. His hands are never empty – He is a God who offers hope when humanly speaking, hope seems in low supply!Old Testament: Isaiah 55:1-5Epistle: Romans 10:5-15 Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21 Sermon Title: “Hope with Empty Hands” 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/

Today’s Gospel in Matthew 13 is Jesus telling a series of very short parables in quick succession – all of them about the Kingdom of Heaven. What do we learn about hope from what He shares with us? We’ll couple those short parables with the Old Testament reading and one of many beautiful images the Lord gives to us in His Word about what eternity with Him is going to be like. Hope? Absolutely!Old Testament: Isaiah 25:6-9 Epistle: Romans 9:1-5 Gospel: Matthew 13:44-52 Sermon Title: “Hope in the Kingdom of Heaven” 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/

Romans 8:28 is one of those well-known and oft-quoted passages of Scripture. It is a passage that is filled with hope! The verses that follow build on those promises and give reason for our hope to grow and flourish – because of the love we know in Jesus. It’s a love that no one can take away. It’s a love that fills us with hope! I might also relate this to Solomon’s request of God for wisdom – instead of riches or anything else. That wisdom we seek is a wisdom grounded in the wonder and mystery of Jesus and His love for us.Old Testament: 1 Kings 3:5-10 Epistle: Romans 8:26-39 Gospel: Matthew 13:31-33 Sermon Title: “Hope Through What We Cannot Understand” 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/ 

In Romans 8, Paul speaks about the tension between the flesh and the Spirit. We hear confident promises that we ARE God’s children! He expresses how even creation itself is groaning, awaiting redemption and Christ’s return. He ends this section by speaking about hope – we can’t see it, but we know it is real, it’s a promise. In Jesus’ parable of the weeds, we get a sense of what St. Paul was writing – we recognize the insidiousness of the devil and how he works in our world and in our lives. And through it all, we are encouraged by the profound patience our God has – and seeing God’s perspective, we can understand at least a little more clearly why we go through all we do.Old Testament: Isaiah 44:6-8 Epistle: Romans 8:12-25 Gospel: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Sermon Title: “Hope in the Unseen” 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/

The analogy that Isaiah spoke of connecting the rain and the snow with God’s Word is picked up by Jesus in the well-known parable of the sower and the seeds. We’ll look at both of those reading this day and be reminded of the power that comes to us in God’s Word – and the hope we find in it.Old Testament: Isaiah 55:10-13 Epistle: Romans 8:1-11 Gospel: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 Sermon Title: “Hope in God’s Word” 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/

St. Paul expresses a frustration that we all feel – we want to do good, we want to do better, we want to be better. But it just seems like we keep falling in the same hole over and over and over again. We’ll explore that frustration (and reality) that is very much part of our lives. Where can we find hope in spite of what we experience with this frustration with sin and my sinful actions? In the throes of our struggles, we need to hear Jesus’ invitation to us in Matthew 11 to come to Him! Don’t worry – there is hope!Old Testament: Zechariah 9:9-12 Epistle: Romans 7:15-25a Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30 Sermon Title: “The Devil Made Me Do It!” 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/

With two baptisms on this day, the profound way that Paul instructs us regarding baptism brings hope – the life-giving connection our baptism makes directly to Jesus and His death and resurrection. How does He do it? We’ll dig deeply into these amazing words and promises from our Lord here in Romans 6.Old Testament: Psalm 89:1-4 Epistle: Romans 6:1b-11 Gospel: Matthew 10:40-42 Sermon Title: “Hope Through Baptism” 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/

In Romans 5 St. Paul speaks clearly of the unusual place from where our hope originates – from suffering! It’s surprising and unexpected, even unbelievable, from a human vantage point. But this is the way our Lord works and how He chooses to bring hope into our lives – even in the most unusual of circumstances with outcomes we could never foresee. Psalm 86 urges us to come to the Lord in those times of suffering and trouble and difficulty. When we take that into consideration with Romans 5, there’s a lot that starts to make sense when it comes to our relationship with the Lord and trust and faith we have in Him.Old Testament: Psalm 86:1-7 Epistle: Romans 5:1-8 Gospel: Matthew 9:18-26, 35-38 Sermon Title: “From Suffering to Hope?” 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/

The Gospel reading is the short account of Jesus calling Matthew to come and follow Him and be one of His disciples. Many looking on would likely question Jesus’ decision in a significant way – “Don’t you know who this man really is? Why would you select Him as one of Your disciples?!” The hope this brings to us is to understand how our Lord chooses to work – and those in whom He chooses to work. As I titled this sermon, “He’ll take anyone!” And that’s Good News for all of us – hope that we need.Old Testament: Exodus 19:2-8a Epistle: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13 Sermon Title: “He’ll Take Anyone!” 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/ 

We begin this series on hope with the “father of hope,” Abraham, focusing on God’s call to Abram that we hear in Genesis 12, and the accompanying promises God poured out on Abram. We’ll lean heavily on Romans 4 as St. Paul expounds on the significance of what God was doing through Abraham. The promise, as it came to Abraham and as it comes to us, comes by grace through faith in God’s promise – and for us, the Promise fulfilled, which is Jesus! Grace is God’s free gift – a gift of love and of life and ultimately of hope.Old Testament: Genesis 12:1-9 Epistle: Romans 4:13-25 Gospel: Matthew 9:18-26 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/

Keeping Immanuel’s Mission and Vision in mind, on this Trinity Sunday, we offer our thanks and praise to our wonderful, mysterious, powerful Triune God, who is right here in our midst, who has blessed us with this marvelous creation, and has promised to be with us always – no matter what! On this Commitment Sunday, we make our commitments, not just financially toward the campaign, but spiritually as well – as followers of Jesus. In Him and by His power, we will continue to Run with Perseverance!First Reading: Genesis 1:1-2:4a (video) Epistle: Hebrews 12:1-3 Gospel Reading: Matthew 28:16-20 Sermon Title: “Keep Running with Perseverance” 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/ Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE under license #A-724593-A and/or from CHRISTIAN COPYRIGHT LICENSING INTERNATIONAL (CCLI) under license #875069. All rights reserved.

Pentecost Sunday is all about the Holy Spirit – His dramatic coming on Jesus’ disciples 50 days after Jesus rose from the dead as well as His ongoing coming into our hearts and lives still today through Word and Sacrament. We aren’t able to Run with Perseverance or “fix our eyes on Jesus” on our own—we need the Spirit’s power in our lives! With His help we can run, and we can run with our eyes on Jesus. We are here to point others to Jesus as well – and yes, you guessed it, that’s done by the Spirit’s power, too!First Reading: Acts 2:1-21 Epistle: 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 Gospel: John 15:26-27 Sermon Title: “Eyes Fixed on Jesus” 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/

We’re not in this on our own. Immanuel’s Mission and Vision are both intended to be carried out by all of us – in our individual lives, but more importantly in our life together as God’s people in this place and time. Hebrews 12 speaks of that great cloud of witnesses that we will think more deeply about because our working and serving and following Jesus “together” is far more than just the people in our lives – it’s that beautiful and amazing cloud of witnesses that need to be realized and included in our thinking about “together.” In 1 Corinthians 12, St. Paul reminds us that together, we are the Body of Christ, each with our unique gifts and talents and abilities, but all to be used for sharing Jesus and building up the Body.First Reading: Hebrews 12:1-3 Epistle: 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 Gospel: John 17:1-11 Sermon Title: “Run Together” 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/

Perseverance is key for us as followers of Jesus. Life isn’t always going to be easy or fun, new or flashy. Our life of following Jesus can be pretty challenging from multiple angles. We’re reminded in 1 Peter 3 that we always have to be prepared to give an answer to the hope that lies within us. We don’t know when that moment may come – with words or actions. We need to keep persevering – with our eyes on Jesus. He is our hope.First Reading: Hebrews 12:1-3 Epistle: 1 Peter 3:13-18 Gospel: John 14:15-21 Sermon Title: “Run with Perseverance” 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/

All three readings will come into play again this Sunday with many reminders of the joy the Lord brings to us in this journey we are on with Him. There will be three youth who will confirm their faith on this Sunday and all these readings speak directly to them as well as to us. The Gospel reminds us that Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life, and no one comes to the Father but through Him. His urging to trust in Him and to not be troubled is such a beautiful promise. Peter reminds us who we are because of Jesus and the quote from the Old Testament assures us that Jesus is indeed the One! Because of that, who are we? Verses 9 and 10 speak such powerful and uplifting words to encourage us to live out our callings as His people. And the Acts reading is a sober reminder that following Jesus will not always be easy. We affirm that we believe and, in the confirmation and baptismal promises, we affirm we will believe in Jesus even to the point of death!First Reading: Acts 7:55-60 Epistle: 1 Peter 2:2-10Gospel: John 14:1-14 Sermon Title: “Joy in the Journey” 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/

Jesus speaks about the imagery of sheep and shepherds. Where does joy come from? It comes in knowing our Shepherd, listening to His voice, trusting Him, and following Him. In the Acts reading, we’re reminded of the joy that comes as we live this life together in community, living life around the basics of what God has both asked of us and what He provides. And Peter, in the Epistle, expresses clearly not only who Jesus is but what He has done for us that gives us the joy-full life we have.First Reading: Acts 2:42-47 Epistle: 1 Peter 2:19-25 Gospel: John 10:1-10 Sermon Title: “A Joy-FULL Life” 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/

In each of the readings for this Sunday, we hear of the means of grace – God using ordinary elements (water, words, bread, and wine) to accomplish the extraordinary. Acts 2 speaks of baptism; 1 Peter, the “living and enduring Word of God”; and in Luke 24, Jesus reveals Himself by way of the Lord’s Supper and breaking bread. This will be a perfect Sunday to celebrate these ordinary, yet extraordinary, gifts the Lord pours into our lives by which we can be saved. They all communicate Jesus and the joy, the wonder, the surprise He brings to our lives – and through it all, bringing us hope on this journey.First Reading: Acts 2:14a, 36-41Epistle: 1 Peter 1:17-23Gospel: Luke 24:13-35Sermon Title: “Joy in the Ordinary and the Extraordinary” 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/ 

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/

Multiple times around Jesus’ resurrection, we hear the words, “Don’t be afraid!” Why? Because this journey we are on takes us from the wilderness into the joy the Lord has brought to us by His Easter victory. The women who had come to prepare Jesus’ body properly for burial, after seeing Jesus, express what real life is for all of us. We’re told that they were “afraid yet filled with joy.” There is joy in this journey and it’s Jesus who brings it!First Reading: Acts 10:34-43Epistle: Colossians 3:1-4Gospel: Matthew 28:1-10 (primary focus)Sermon Title: “The Journey from Wilderness to 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/

Holy Week is finally here. This is arguably the most moving week for us as followers of Jesus. It’s a week that changed the course of history. It’s a week that defines us, inspires us, and gives us life as we hear, observe, and celebrate everything Jesus accomplished on our behalf to bring hope, love, and life back to us and our world. As we continue our Worship in the Wilderness series, we’ll look at this part of Jesus’ journey as “A Surprising Journey,” looking at the surprises that continued to come. What surprises lie in wait for us? We’ll continue our Lenten journey on Sunday by walking through the events of Palm Sunday and what they mean for us still today. We hope you can join us!Old Testament: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 Epistle: Hebrews 11:32-40 Gospel: Matthew 21:1-11 Sermon Title: “A Surprising Journey” 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/ 

We continue with our Lent series, Worship in the Wilderness, thinking about the wilderness and about this journey we are on with our Lord together. This week we’re going to focus on the need to speak Truth in our increasingly secular society. We live in a wilderness, of that there is no doubt. And there are more and more voices claiming truth. How do we discern? Where do we look for real Truth? Come join together in worship on Sunday morning and here our Lord’s encouragement and invitation to speak His Truth on this journey.Old Testament: Ezekiel 37:1-14Epistle: Romans 8:6-11Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11Sermon Title: “A Truth-Speaking Journey”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/

We continue with our Lent series, Worship in the Wilderness, thinking about the wilderness and about this journey we are on with our Lord together. This week we’re going to focus on the sacrificial journey Jesus took for all of us. We’ll look more closely at what that journey looked like. We’ll also consider His invitation to us to think about what that sacrifice means for us and the lives we lead as we follow Him.Old Testament: Isaiah 53:1-12 (Scripture in Motion: Isaiah 53:4-12) Epistle: Romans 9:1-5 Gospel: Matthew 14:13-14 Sermon Title: “A Sacrificial Journey”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/

We continue with our Lent series, Worship in the Wilderness, thinking about the wilderness and about this journey we are on with our Lord together. This week we’re going to focus on how hard this journey in the wilderness can be. We’ll think about lament and sorrow that we feel at different times and for different reasons. We’ll of course be mindful of our Lord’s sorrow that He expresses in multiple ways as well. Our Lord knows us and all that we go through – and the Good News is that He’s here with us and for us!Old Testament: Exodus 3:1-10 Epistle: Romans 5:1-11 Gospel: John 11:20-29, 32-36 Sermon Title: “A Sorrowful Journey” 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/

We continue with our Lent series, Worship in the Wilderness, thinking about the wilderness and about this journey we are on together and with our Lord. This week we’re going to focus on simplicity. We’re going to simplify the worship service a bit and we’ll take a look at how our Lord calls us to live our lives as we follow Him, thinking about the place that simplicity can play in our lives.Old Testament: Psalm 63:1-8 Epistle: Romans 10:8b-13 Gospel: Luke 4:1-13 Sermon Title: “A Simple Journey” 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/ 

Our new Lent series, Worship in the Wilderness, began on Ash Wednesday. This Sunday we’ll begin exploring what being in the wilderness can entail. We’ll consider the different kinds of roads that have brought us to worship and to the place we’re at in this season of our lives. We’ll look at what being in the wilderness is and what it is not – specifically, as Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness after His baptism, how the Spirit leads us into the wilderness as well. And what does that mean? We hope you can join us as we continue this new series.Old Testament: Deuteronomy 8:1-5, 15-18 Epistle: 1 Peter 3:18-22 Gospel: Mark 1:9-15 Sermon Title: “A Spirit-led Journey” 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/

We hear about Jesus’ transfiguration as we wrap up the Epiphany season. This miraculous and spell-binding experience for three of Jesus’ disciples is almost beyond description. Peter tries to explain it in his second letter as he reminds us where we need to remain grounded – in God’s Word. It is His Word that we have to pay attention to, “as to a light shining in a dark place.” It is a life-giving Word by which darkness is overcome!Old Testament: Exodus 24:12-18 Epistle: 2 Peter 1:16-21 Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9 Sermon Title: “Blinding Light and Darkness Overcome” 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/

Isaiah is preaching a very harsh sermon – one where he is uncovering all manner of darkness in the form of injustice. Do we see it? Do we care about it? Or are we letting that darkness simply cover us and cover up sin and evil and brokenness all around us? It’s not all doom-and-gloom, though, because we have the Lord who continues to love us and guide us. Isaiah expresses what the Lord will do and some amazing ways He’s going to choose to use us to shine His light. In the Matthew reading, Jesus explicitly tells us that we are the light of the world.Old Testament: Isaiah 58:1-12 Epistle: 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 Gospel: Matthew 5:13-16 Sermon Title: “The Darkness of Injustice” 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/ 

The church in Corinth was a real mess! In the opening verses of St. Paul’s first letter to them, he expresses pretty clearly and pretty quickly the bottom-line of the Gospel – that is, the message of the cross. He contrasts God’s wisdom with human wisdom and there’s not much comparison to be made! The foolishness comes in us thinking how smart and fine and wise we are – when, in reality, that is all just another form of darkness. We hear in Micah, the Old Testament reading, some foolishness at the end of the reading, when he lays out what exactly God does require of us. It rings true to what Paul was writing at the end of the 1 Corinthians reading. Paul is urging us toward keeping a proper perspective on ourselves in relation to our God and Savior.Old Testament: Micah 6:1-8Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12Sermon Title: “Foolishness and Darkness: Two Peas in a Pod” 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/ 

From Isaiah, we hear a refrain about darkness and light that we heard from Isaiah 60 on the first Sunday of the series. We’ll revisit that but from the context of following Jesus. We hear Jesus’ invitation to Peter and Andrew to come and follow Him. We also hear St. Paul in the 1 Corinthians 1 reading the need to sort out who it is we’re supposed to be following – there was great confusion in Corinth over what all this meant. Bottom line is, you can’t follow anyone in the dark. You need some light to see where you’re going.Old Testament: Isaiah 9:1-4 Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23 Sermon Title: “You Can’t Follow in the Dark!” 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/

In John 1, Jesus is beginning to call and gather His disciples. He’s going about it all backward in comparison to the “regular” rabbis of the day. Normally students or disciples seek out a teacher or rabbi to follow but we see Jesus seeking the disciples and inviting them to follow – and they, in turn, are telling their brothers and friends also to come and see. He’s calling them out of darkness and into His light, which they do not yet realize, but soon they will clearly see. The Old Testament reading is another of Isaiah’s servant songs, which speaks of the One who was coming and how He would be known – and the imagery is full and rich with meaning!Old Testament: Isaiah 49:1-7 Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 Gospel: John 1:29-42 Sermon Title: “Seeing in the Dark” 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/

We hear of Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan and the beginning of His public ministry. This Sunday provides the opportunity to talk about the blessing and the gift of baptism, even though the baptism Jesus institutes at His ascension is different than the baptism He received from John. In Isaiah 42, we have one of the Servant Songs of Isaiah, which also provides images of both darkness and light/hope – a bruised reed, a smoldering wick, and the powerful images of what the Savior will do when He comes.Old Testament: Isaiah 42:1-9 Second Reading: Acts 10:34-43Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17Sermon Title: “Darkness Washed Away” 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/

We start this Epiphany series with this powerful prophecy from Isaiah. He speaks very directly of darkness, a deep darkness God’s people were mired in because of the exiles and the horrors of those experiences. The darkness runs deep but the light is not overcome. We hear from Isaiah the proclamation of a future reality that we know will be Jesus, as God’s promise of a Savior is fulfilled. Isaiah sees this as a reality, even though it won’t happen for another 700 years! But that is the power of The Light. Included in Isaiah’s prophecy is the foreshadowing of the Magi and just how far the light of the Gospel shines.Old Testament: Isaiah 60:1-6 Epistle: Ephesians 3:2-6 Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12Sermon Title: “Darkness Overcome” 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/

It seems like every keen cultural observer has joined many of us in noting that we are living in a world that is filled with hopelessness. Hope might be in short supply in society at large but it is the lifeblood of followers of Jesus. The Bible unapologetically and joyously proclaims what each of us know in Christ - in HIM we have a LIVING hope! In Jesus we have a hope that transcends whatever circumstance and challenge we face. On Sunday the 28th, we’ll explore that topic and how the birth of our Savior in the celebration of Christmas shares with us in this “weary world” the THRILL of hope!Old Testament: Isaiah 40:25-31 Epistle: Galatians 4:4-7 Gospel: Matthew 2:13-23 Sermon Title: “The Thrill of Hope”

We are home at last as we celebrate Jesus coming into His world. On this Christmas morning, we rest in the wonder, the peace, and the joy that is ours in Jesus!Old Testament: Isaiah 9:6-7 Epistle: Galatians 4:4-7 Gospel: John 1:1-14 Sermon Title: “Home at Last”

This night is filled with lights and singing – from the angels proclaiming that the time has come. It is The Light that has now come into the world – the Light that will lead us home. We join our voices with the angels that night, singing their praises with the shepherds over the King who has been born. Come into the wonderful stillness of this night, to the candlelight and singing “Silent Night” together with all who gather to celebrate this wonder of wonders.Old Testament: Isaiah 49:8-13 Epistle: 1 John 4:7-16 Gospel: Luke 2:1-20 Sermon Title: “A Light That Leads Us Home”

For all of us, we strive for and desire a peace-filled, unbroken home. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case as we all struggle with the brokenness that sin has brought into our world and into our lives on this side of eternity. What we hear today is the promise and assurance of what the unbroken home will be – established by Jesus Himself. We look forward to the fulfillment of these Advent promises.Old Testament: Isaiah 66:18-23 Epistle: Romans 1:1-7 Gospel: Matthew 1:18-25 Sermon Title: “A Home Unbroken” 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/ 

Christmas is a season of celebration, gratitude, and giving, and this cantata focuses on the ultimate Christmas gift...Jesus. Brimming with beloved carols and exciting new songs, The Gift traces the ageless Christmas story through the lens of gratitude and our response to the Greatest Gift.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/ Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE under license #A-724593-A and/or from CHRISTIAN COPYRIGHT LICENSING INTERNATIONAL (CCLI) under license #875069. All rights reserved.

While we won’t be talking a lot about clicking the heels of our ruby red shoes, as followers of Jesus, we know that there’s no place like home! We’ll focus on the blessings that we can experience in our times of worship, when we gather here at “home” with the Lord, and are reminded of the powerful promises He holds out for us – promises that we can share with others to help them see the blessings of home!Old Testament: Isaiah 55:1-5 Epistle: Romans 15:4-13 Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12 Sermon Title: “No Place Like Home” 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/

Using the prophet Isaiah and the pending exiles of God’s people, the messages the Lord provides are messages that revolve around “home.” This week, the first of our Advent series, we recognize how, at Christmas, God leaves his home to enter our exile so that, by grace through faith, we might be brought home to him—a gift we could never earn but freely receive in Christ. We’ll consider the many times and the many ways that we can find ourselves far from home and then consider the comfort our Lord brings that we are not alone.Old Testament: Isaiah 11:1-10 Epistle: Romans 13:11-14 Gospel: Matthew 24:36-44 Sermon Title: “Far From Home” 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/ 

On this last Sunday of the Church Year, we celebrate Christ the King Sunday. The end of each church year typically touches on end times. We’ll take that focus based on Jesus’ words in the Gospel reading from Luke 21. He offers us so much direction and wisdom and love, all of which flow so contrary to the messages our world tells us that are filled with fear, anxiousness, uncertainty, and worse. Jesus’ radical message to us is intended to help us keep our focus on what is important and on who we have been called to be as His people.Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6 Epistle Reading: Colossians 1:11-20 Gospel Reading: Luke 21:5-19 Sermon Title: “Stand Firm on Christ the King” 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/ 

What does resurrection have to do with our life of discipleship in the here-and-now? Isn’t that just about “some day,” that time after we die? Why should we be thinking about it now? As we’ve said all series long, this is definitely a radical view of discipleship, to incorporate the promise and assurance of the bodily resurrection is critical in how it shapes the way we live our lives every single day.First Reading: Job 19:23-27a Second Reading: Isaiah 65:17-25 Gospel Reading: Luke 23:33-43 Sermon Title: “Resurrection” 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/

We’re going to take time this week to explore one particular changed life – that of Zacchaeus! Yes, he’s that wee-little man whom Jesus called out of the sycamore tree to have dinner at his house. The changes that took place after this interaction between Zacchaeus and Jesus were, at the very core, radical and life changing. Where do we fit into this? There are multiple elements that Zacchaeus demonstrated immediately in his sanctified life which exemplify radical discipleship.Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 1:10-18 Epistle Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 Gospel Reading: Luke 19:1-10 Sermon Title: “A Changed Life” 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/ 

All Saints Sunday is an annual celebration as we take time to remember the many “saints” in our lives and throughout history. The Bible defines saints not as a special, elevated tier of people but as all believers in Jesus. It’s one of those mysterious Sundays that lifts us up and reminds us that we are part of something so much bigger than ourselves. Through this day’s readings, we’ll see the importance and value of living daily in the presence of God now, and the anticipation of living fully in God’s presence for eternity. Why is that so important and what difference can that make in our discipleship today?First Reading: Revelation 7:9-17 Epistle Reading: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:1-12 Sermon Title: “Being in the Presence of God”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/

With our annual observance and celebration of the Reformation, we hold the four traditional “solas” of this radical change in the church back in the 1500s: “Grace Alone,” “Faith Alone,” “Scripture Alone,” and “Christ Alone.” Through this fall series, we’ve talked about several of these already. This Sunday we’ll look at the extremely radical nature of grace. We talk about it so much here at Immanuel that it can be easy to forget just how radical grace is when it comes to who our God is and how He has chosen to work in, among, and through us. Discipleship flows powerfully out of this gift of God.Old Testament Reading: Psalm 46 Second Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10 Third Reading: Romans 3:19-28 Gospel Reading: John 8:31-36 Sermon Title: “Grace” 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/

What is truth and where do we find it? Why is it so important when it comes to discipleship and following Jesus? We’re returning to St. Paul’s second letter to Timothy where, once again, Paul’s inspired writing takes us into some deep and very rich territory when it comes to God’s Word and the power behind that Word. The truth he speaks to us drives a stake right into the heart of our culture and so many of the lies, falsehoods, myths, and confusion of our culture today.Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34Epistle Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5Gospel Reading: Luke 18:1-8Sermon Title: “Truth”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/

Is saying “Please” and “Thank you” a regular practice of yours? The whole idea of gratitude runs very, very deep for us followers of Jesus – and it’s not just a matter of being nice or polite. It has everything to do with discipleship – and from a cultural vantage point, gratitude can seem to be a pretty radical idea. We’ll delve into this using one of Jesus miraculous healings – in Luke 17 when He healed 10 people afflicted with leprosy. The gratitude displayed by one of those men moved Jesus to speak of the power of gratitude for the believer.Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7 Epistle Reading: 2 Timothy 2:8-15 Gospel Reading: Luke 17:11-19 Sermon Title: “Gratitude” 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/

“What exactly did I sign up for?” After reading the opening of St. Paul’s second letter to Timothy, that might be precisely what you wonder as a follower of Jesus. Paul here expresses all manner of radical notions when it comes to our discipleship as God’s people living in this world. He speaks about the power of the Word, the working of the Holy Spirit, being given not a spirit of timidity but of power, love, and self-control. He writes about suffering for the Gospel and living holy lives. And there’s more! This can feel like some pretty radical idealism – but is it? Or is there some reality to what Paul was inspired to write to us?Old Testament Reading: Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4 Epistle Reading: 2 Timothy 1:1-14Gospel Reading: Luke 17:5-10 Sermon Title: “Suffering for the Gospel”