St. John's Lutheran Church Red Bud

We dive into Psalm 23 as we celebrate Jesus as our Good Shepherd. What comfort we find in the details as King David reveals our Good Shepherd to us.

Have you found yourself staying in Spite house? Christ welcomes us to move out and move in to Grace house.

What a. wonderous gift Christ gives!!

We need someone with skin on, a resurrected Savior, to walk us through this dark hallway of life.

Jesus has authority to forgive sins...and he gives it to us!

Palms waved - victory, complete & total victory is ours

A good pilot knows how to get people safely through the storm.

Looking at the prophet Ezekiel we see that while he spoke the words, it is God's Word that brought life. So also with pastors - they are called to speak God's Word, but it is God who gives the power to give life.

If God is all-powerful and loving, then why do we, His people, suffer? The discisples asked this assuming it was punishment for sin. Jesus points us in another direction - God uses our suffering to draw us closer to Him, to display His glory in our lives, to bring us salvation.

I messed up the timeline of the Israelites and when they came to Mt. Sinai, but the heart, the truth of the message, is unaffected. No one called me out on it, but I caught it as I listened again.

We encounter Job chapter 3 and learn that we must endure suffering by going through it. How? Listen in.

Are we saved by having all the answers? No.But we continue to draw closer to Jesus as we dig deeper in His Word, like Nicodemas. Beginning at John 3, then John 7, finally at John 19, see how his journey can be a model for ours.

When we experience suffering like Job - how do we respond?

We sinful humans are excellent excuse makers. We hate guilt and shame and do all we can to push it off. Jesus came, endured the same temptations but overcame, has no guilt, but was pleased to take ours. So, when we are tempted to make excuses for our sin, we are called rather to admit our sin and take it to Jesus who removes it from us.

We begin our journey in Job. We are flying blind...but God has not left us, He is guiding us by His Word.

Fear? Not when we have the one who calls us to "Rise and have no fear", the one who knows all things, controls all things, comes to us, take us into His arms and calms our fears.

Hypocrites? Yup.Repentant? Yup.Salt & Light? By God's grace...Yup!

Worldly wisdom & human effort, no matter how great, will never get you to God for His love for us is beyond our understanding and reason. Thanks be to God that it pleases Him to save us, that His heart is love for us.

We all long for an encounter with our Lord, a sudden dramatic change in our life leading us down God's path. I bring you good news, you all have that in your baptism. The call now is to die to self and rise to life in Christ, serving in the place God has set you.

Apart from God revealing Himself in Jesus we would be lost in our sins, unable to find God, heaven, life. Praise God that He comes to us, walks with us, and leads us home.

Are you like John the Baptist? Do you find yourself confused at the mystery of Christ or by the way God chooses to work in this world? Then step into John's sandals and in faith, trusting God, respond the same.

God reveals Himself to the Magi. He is a God for all nations. This has a profound impact on our reason to exist as Christians.

Our Lord, born to set us free.

God shook the heavens and earth to come and save you, preparing you for when He comes again.

God's understanding must supplant ours. We look at King Ahaz of Isaiah 7 and Joseph in Matthew 1 to see the difference. Joseph receives God's Word - beyond our comprehension - but believes and obeys.

What is it that brings us joy this season? Not our circumstances but rather God's promises fulfilled. So even if we're in a circumstance we don't like (like John the Baptist in prison) we can still have joy in the birth of our Savior

It's the end of the Church year and we look to the end of the world.

Just as we prepare for Christmas so also we should continually prepare for Judgement Day, even though we don't know the date.

What does the hope of the resurrection mean for us in our lives now? How does it impact our daily life?

What does it mean that we are all saints NOW? How does that impact our lives today?

The Reformation was not about change, but about returning to the Gospel and seeing how that impacts our lives from re-birth to eternal life.

Jesus commands us to not give up praying for the Lord will answer. Does this mean we just need to keep banging on the door of heaven to get whatever we want? Of course not, God is not a genie to grant our heart's desire, rather He knows what is best for us and wants us to hold Him to His promises, to not give up waiting on His answer, to trust in Him.

Even when it seems the hand of the Lord is against you, trust that He is at work through you. Put your hand to the plow and know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Naomi told Ruth and Orpah to return home, but Ruth clung to Naomi. Even when Naomi was bitter, the Lord continued working for her and through her for His glory - the saving of our souls.

The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil...but the love of God in Christ is the root of all kinds of generosity.

Pastor Nowak delivered the sermon on Saturday, Sept. 20

What does the cross mean for us in these latter, evil days? How should we think about all these recent events that have stirred us up and created fear and anxiety in our culture? What is God doing about it all?

Moses tells the Israelites to choose life and good, not death and curse. Such an easy command, but one that we cannot accomplish - not even Eve & Adam in the Garden of Eden could succeed, and we like them succumb to the devil's temptations, choosing what seems good to us as opposed to God's commands.

Jesus challenges the religious leaders asking whether it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Jesus shows that the Sabbath was made for us, to serve us. So, what do we need? Why is there a Sabbath? How do we obey the 3rd Commandment?

Jesus calls us to "strive to enter that narrow door" Don't put your faith in the deep freeze, struggle against the desires of the flesh daily. Jesus has opened the way, given you the life, strive to enter so you don't find yourself standing outside on judgment day.

We begin looking at the hard sayings of Jesus. How should we hear "I came to cast fire on the earth....Do you think I came to bring peace? No" but we learn that these are good things for us. Jesus endured the cross, the wrath of God, for we who are His joy. Now, in that faith we run our race with endurance.

What did Abram have to fear? How did God comfort him? How can Jesus say "do not be anxious"? God is our peace and comfort, it is in His Word we have faith. This saving faith looks to God's promises fulfilled in Christ and carries us through this world.

It can be difficult to find true contentment in a world filled with "stuff" and seemingly better options all around. So where should our focus be? Well, with the things that will last.

THE question on everyone's mind throughout history. Death looms over us, how do we conquer it?

We celebrate our nation's freedom...how do we use that freedom in our lives and what does it mean for our faith?

On the Day of Pentecost God poured out His Spirit and the apostles proclaimed God's Word to many nations. But why are there all these languages? What does it mean that God poured out His Spirit on the Apostles and they spoke in languages of those gathered in Jerusalem? Rejoice as we hear God's Word in our language today.

Jesus prayed that we would all be united with Him and the Father. He then went and did what needed to be done to accomplish that unity. Sin continues to afflict us, but in Christ we are forgiven, we then forgive others, and this creates unity.

The 12 pearly gates stand open, set upon the 12 foundations. The Lord welcomes us into eternal peace.

Acts 11 gives us a dramatic shift in the thinking of the early church, but not God's mission. God desires all to be saved...ALL people means Gentiles, too. So when God tells Peter to eat the unclean animals, He is telling Peter that no one is outside of God's grace. So now the Gospel goes into all the world, thanks be to God.

God knows that this world is full of trials and tribulations - and even though it's because of our sin, He still desires to comfort us as He shepherds us. So in Revelation 7 God shows us that there is something better, far greater than anything this world has to offer, that awaits we who endure. Learn about the most comforting chapter in Scripture, the "light at the end of the tunnel," so that you can keep your focus on the promised goal.

What does it mean that the Lamb who was slain has taken the scroll? How do we find comfort in this enthronement of Christ? God knows your future, therefore we can face each day in confidence. We can also offer our bodies and praises as sacrifices pleasing to God, seeking to bring glory to God in whatever path we choose.