Third Sunday of Easter, April 26, 2020

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking to us along the road and while he was explaining the Scriptures to us?”

Readings:

First Lesson: Acts 24:10-21

Second Lesson: 1 Peter 1: 17-21

Sermon: Luke 24: 13-35

The same despair the two followers of Jesus on the way to Emmaus were feeling is the same despair we feel today. So much hope, so much promise, so many things going on, all dashed by a virus.

The things we enjoyed as a community, as a family, as a church have been restricted so much that we feel isolated, alone and helpless.

Jesus shared His victory with the two of His disciples. This victory is over despair. Sin and suffering might be the cause of our despair, but Jesus gives us the joy of salvation and everlasting life.

Don’t be foolish or slow to believe, but trust His word and believe that He has saved you, that He is alive and will live with Him forever.

Prayer:

Oh God, by the humiliation of your Son you lifted up this fallen world from the despair of death. By His resurrection to life, grant your faithful people gladness of heart and the hope of eternal joys; through your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen

Pastor Ryan Heiman

First Sunday of Easter, April 19, 2020

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

Readings:

First Lesson: Acts 10:34a, 36, 39-43.

Second Lesson: 1 Peter 1:3-9

Sermon: John 20:19-31

Thomas was not there when Jesus appeared to the Disciples on Easter and said unless I see and touch I will not believe, so was nicknamed Doubting Thomas. He was honest, though, about his questions; Jesus waited, maybe to let him and the others think through why they believe before he reappeared to them, including Thomas. Jesus met all of Thomas’ conditions (to see and touch him) the next week in the way that Thomas needed to put aside his doubts and skepticism. Thomas’ left his conditions aside and fell at Jesus feet and said a great confession of faith, “my Lord and my God!”

Our faith can be honest like Thomas; you can have legitimate questions, yet along with those questions, your faith can be brought to see the Lord Jesus, to see that he still comes to you to stand with you during these challenges.

Prayer:

God of all grace, we thank you for the gist of eternal life in your Son. By the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and by the faithful testimony of the apostles, you have assured us that our faith stands on a sure and solid foundation.

Amen

Pastor Frank Rose

Easter Service, April 12, 2020

He is Victorious!

The sermon text this Easter Sunday might not be the sort of text you expect for this special holy day. John saw many great and amazing things in his vision. He saw a rider on a white horse that is clearly Jesus, “Faithful and True.”

Jesus comes to proclaim victory over the battle with the devil. He became one of us so that he could face those temptations and defeat them—-for us. He became one of us so that he could face death itself and defeat it.

The grave did not hold him. Jesus is alive.

Victory looks like an empty tomb that loudly proclaims: He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Alleluia!

Amen

Pastor Nathan Kassulke

Good Friday Tenebrae Service, April 10, 2020

The Son of God Goes Forth to War

Less than a week before, a large crowd had chanted specific names and words of praise reserved for God’s promised Savior, but now the warrior was hanging on a cross dying.

This was the final battle. The big one. He had come into this world and had worked every day of his life to prepare for this.

Your future, my future—the future of everyone who has ever lived—was hanging on the outcome of this battle.

The life of Jesus is the most significant single life in all of history and what happened on the cross at his death changed the entire world and everyone who has ever lived.

The battle was won. Jesus made it to the end and paid the price for your sin and mine—-and the overwhelming proof of his victory and ours will be seen in an empty garden tomb on Sunday. Amen

Pastor Ron Koehler

Maundy Thursday Service, April 9, 2020

The Son of God Goes Forth to War

Jesus’ resurrection can get worked into the ways you deal with even the hardest parts of life in this world:

it doesn’t mean you have to forget the really terrible betrayals others have done to you, but it does mean you don’t have to repay evil for evil.

In Jesus you can overcome evil with his goodness living in you.

Jesus offers himself to you as a friend, as a savior, as a guide, as a resurrected Lord to help you through those difficulties.

You are not alone.

Pastor Frank Rose

Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020

The Son of God Goes Forth to War

Our mighty warrior, Jesus, fights the battle we could never win. No matter how hard you try, no matter how good you are, no matter the strength or wisdom you might possess, you will always lose.

You’ve seen that already in your life. We try to do good, but we still end up sinning.

It is a battle, even with the Spirit’s help we often fail.

It is the fight that only Jesus could and did win.

May this week be spent with a reflective heart that contemplates your warrior, your hero Jesus Christ.

His suffering and death on the cross was for your eternity.

Pastor Ryan Heiman

Sixth Midweek Lenten Service, April 1, 2020

The Son of God Goes Forth to War

Our faith is challenged every day by all the stuff that we see and hear in this world and by our own sinful flesh and by the temptations Satan throws at us.

It is a pretty steady flood.

We need to constantly hear the words of our Savior so that when tempted to leave Jesus, we will have the strength to say, as Peter said to Jesus in John 6: 68, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Pastor Ron Koehler

Fifth Sunday in Lent, March 29, 2020

Jesus is what he says—-the Resurrection and Life itself. Death has no power over him. His resurrection on Easter Sunday is proof of that.

Jesus gives what he promises—our guarantee that we will also rise from the dead on the Last Day.

Pastor Tim Patoka

Fifth Midweek Lenten Service, March 25, 2020

The Son of God Goes Forth to War Series

John 18:38: “What is truth?” Pilate said to him. After he said this, he went out again to the Jews and told them, “I find no basis for a charge against him.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the great warrior that God promised to fight against all sin and evil by fighting for the truth. Help us always to be on the side of truth by listening to your voice and taking to heart what you have told us and what you have done for us. Be with us in all our battles against Satan and against his allies in the unbelieving world in which we still live. And finally take us out of this world to live with you forever, our Lord and our Savior. Amen

Pastor Nathan Kassulke

Fourth Sunday in Lent, March 22, 2020

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Being a slave goes against our own nature and it goes against the norms of our society. But it is the way of God’s kingdom, because it reflects the love of our Savior, the love he has given to us.

Because of what he has done, we are truly free.

We are free to live with him in heaven.

We are free to make ourselves slaves to our neighbors, just as Christ lived and died and rose again to serve us.

Pastor Nathan Kassulke

Fourth Midweek Lenten Service, March 18, 2020

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Ephesians 6:12: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Pastor Tim Patoka

Third Sunday in Lent, March 15, 2020

The saving light of Jesus Christ has shined in a sin-darkened world. He has shined on you so that you may shine with the light of faith.

Jesus shines, and so do you because of him.

Shine with that light of faith in all you do:

• in thankfulness to God

• so that his name is praised

• and to keep those who are still wandering in the darkness.

Pastor Ron Koehler

Third Midweek Lenten Service, March 11, 2020

The Son of God Goes Forth to War.

Hebrews 4:15: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin.

Jesus fought the war with Satan and the world’s temptations and won all the battles on our behalf. Praise be to Jesus, Our Savior.

Pastor Ryan Heiman

Second Sunday in Lent, March 8, 2020

Drink from Jesus’ Living Water:

• To Quench Your Thirsty Soul

• To Worship in Spirit and in Truth

Pastor Tim Patoka

Midweek 2: Lenten Service, March 4, 2020

Jesus as our Hidden Warrior

Jesus was like us except he was perfect for his entire lifetime even though he was surrounded by temptations and a sinful world.

He experienced normal human emotions like sorrow and joy. He wept at the death of his dear friend Lazarus.

But you also know that in our lives, we have cause sorrow around us.

We can look to our Savior Jesus to see the magnificent power that lies just below the surface in Jesus, who raised Lazarus to life, and has taken on the devil for us in order to save us from eternal condemnation.

Jesus, the king of the universe, creator of all things, came down to earth, and gave all that up, to take on the devil to save us.

Pastor David Parsons

First Sunday of Lent, March 1, 2020

People may be willing to help when it isn’t too much of an inconvenience, or as long as the needs of others fit in with our own needs and interests. We like the idea of all for one, as long as the one is me?

It is that very sort of sinful human thinking that underlies the very first sin, the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden. The eating of the forbidden fruit was a “me first” moment. But where the first Adam failed, the second succeeded.

Jesus did not give in. He did not set aside God’s command or intention for any reason whatsoever. Jesus relied on God’s Word; he trusted his Father to provide.

It was bad news when one sin brought sin and death to all, but it is amazing news when one sinless life and innocent sacrifice brings righteousness.

Pastor Nathan Kassulke

The Son of God Goes Forth to War

Ash Wednesday, February 26, 2020

The Lenten season is traditionally a time for us to think about our lives, to take on a fresh zeal toward repentance, toward sorrow over our sin, and to prepare for Holy Week.

The sin inside still plagues us. We are very aware that there are forces bigger than us that are at work underneath everything—-forces that would pull us down, pull us down to hell.

We need somebody who is real and bigger to fight for us.

This is a battle for our lives now and for eternity. Very real enemies are lined up against us. Some we can see, and many we cannot.

We can rejoice today that God promised a warrior to battle our enemies for us and to give us the victory over sin and death and hell. And we rejoice today that God always keeps his promises.

Pastor Nathan Kassulke

Installation of Pastor Frank Rose, Sunday, February 23, 2020

Installation of Pastor Frank Rose

Guest Pastor Bobby Oberg

Last Sunday after the Epiphany of Our Lord, Sunday, February 23, 2020

Jesus is God’s glorious son. While we don’t know everything about Jesus, we know he is God’s Son. He is much more than true man. He is also true God and, as such, has received majesty, honor, and glory from God the Father himself.

We have God’s trustworthy Word. We know Jesus is God’s son because God is the author of the Bible which is where he assures us that Jesus is God’s glorious Son and our glorious Savior.

The only place we find a light in this world today is in God’s Word. Pay attention to what it says. Never lose your conviction in who Jesus truly is.

Pastor Tim Patoka

Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany of Our Lord, Sunday, February 16, 2020

Live a holy life! Your sanctification is God’s will.

The encouragement that we receive throughout Scripture to be sanctified, to live holy lives, is never about earning our way to heaven or convincing God to love us. Both are impossible.

Instead, our sanctification that God wants so much for us comes because he has given us salvation and because he has already demonstrated his great love for us.

Living life in love for God and in service to my neighbor is our life’s goal. Help us to grow in this, day by day, Lord!

Pastor Nathan Kassulke