Explore past sermons from Peace Lutheran Church. Read a summary, find the scripture references, and download the original sermon manuscript.
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Out of the Box
I’d like to do two things in today’s sermon. First, pay some attention to the final installment in our summer series of readings from Samuel and 1st Kings; and second, explore a potential connection between what we learn from 1st Kings with the gospel text, the last of five excerpts on Jesus as the Bread…
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Who’s in Charge?
It’s no wonder our Lutheran pietist forbearers thought dancing should be banned! Our first testament and gospel readings supply plenty of evidence for the argument that dancing can lead to all kinds of inappropriate, unseemly, excessive, and even violent behavior! As he seeks to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, David learns that…
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The Untidy Backstory
The saga of David’s ascension to the throne continues in this week’s reading from 2nd Samuel, and on the face of it, his anointing as king here looks inevitable, a fate accompli. He seems to rise to kingship effortlessly, on the wings of God almighty. There are no moral quandaries, no dubious choices; God’s favor…
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Lament and Healing
Two themes encompass our readings this morning: LAMENT and HEALING. David laments over the deaths of King Saul and Saul’s son Jonathan. Jairus laments for his dying daughter. A woman laments over a chronic illness that has left her life in shambles. But though the song, though the story, begins with lament, lament is not…
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Turning the Page
This sermon introduces the semi-continuous series of 1st Testament readings which follows the development of Israel’s kingship first under Saul, then David, then Solomon. Two learnings are highlighted: (1) God’s methods for moving the story of redemption forward don’t always follow human logic. And (2) people chosen by God are never qualified in any way…
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Redefining Family Values
When I visit people in their homes for the first time, I always want to see their family photos because of the memories and relationships they evoke. It’s a great way to learn about who they are and the journey they’ve made through the years. When we take a close look at the family stories…
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Propelled into the Public Square
In the second chapter of Acts, Luke describes the outpouring of God’s Spirit on Pentecost as the “rush of a violent wind.” But instead of a tornado bent on destruction, this wind, this Spirit, unhinges God’s fledgling community from a past that no longer works and pulls them in the open air of a surprising,…
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Wade in the Water
(NOTE: This sermon, preached on the occasion of the baptism of a young woman new to the church, focuses on baptism.) It all starts here, as we wade in these waters: • Christ’s claiming of us, and our journey with him; • God weaving us—our individual stories—into the grand story of his amazing grace, and…
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A Little Parable from the Vineyard
In this contemporary parable, a young shoot in a vineyard intent on reaching the sky (Big Blue) learns what it means to be connected to the Vine.
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Bold Witnesses
The book of ACTS addresses the questions: What does the gospel do, once it has been unleashed into the world? Where does it go? What effect does it have? Whom does it touch? Peter and John were ordinary, uneducated men—deniers and deserters to boot—when the Spirit of the risen One took hold of their lives…