Sermon Title: The Shadow of Isolation. Preacher: Pastor Intern Nathan Adu-Gyamfi. Preaching Text: John 4:5-42. Today’s Gospel brings us to a quiet place outside a Samaritan town, where Jesus sits beside an ordinary well. What begins as a simple conversation about water becomes a life-changing encounter with the living God. At that well, a woman who came alone and burdened discovers that Christ already knows her story—and still offers her living water. As we gather this morning, many of us come carrying our own thirsts: questions, worries, fatigue, hopes, and prayers. The good news is this—Christ still meets people at the well. He still speaks into our ordinary lives. And He still offers living water that satisfies the deepest thirst of the soul.

Faith Conversation with Deaconess Claire Schoepp and Pastor Rachel Tune. Text: John 3:1-17

Preacher: Pastor Beth (Wilkie) Horsch. Text: John 3:1-17.

Sermon Title: The Shadow of Doubt. Preacher: Deacon Stephanie Anderson. Preaching Text: John 3:1-17. Today we meet Nicodemus, who comes to Jesus under the cover of night. He is a leader, a teacher, a faithful person - and yet he is searching. He carries questions he feels he cannot ask in the daylight. We may know something about that kind of night; what it is to believe and still wonder, to trust and still wrestle, to hope and still have questions. In this conversation, Jesus does not shame doubt or dismiss searching faith. Instead, he meets it. He speaks of new birth, of wind and Spirit, of a love wide enough to hold the whole world. Today’s scripture reminds us that a searching faith is still welcomed faith. Even in the night, we are met by love.

Preacher: Pastor Andrea Roske-Metcalfe. Preaching Text: Matthew 4:1-11.

Faith Conversation with Deacon Stephanie Anderson with Lucy Bock. Text: Matthew 4:1-11.

Sermon Title: The Shadow of Excess. Preacher: Pastor Jason Bryan-Wegner. Preaching Text: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21. Ash Wednesday marks a season of repentance and renewal. We follow Christ toward Jerusalem, where he passes from death to life, and remember that it is through this path that Christ makes us new.

Sermon Title: The Shadow of Adversity. Preacher: Pastor Jason Bryan-Wegner. Preaching Text: Matthew 4:1-11. We begin a new worship series called Out of the Shadows this week. Throughout the gospels, Jesus finds people who have been pushed into the shadows - by religion, by relationship, by community expectations, or by their own fears. Jesus brings them into the light with compassion and truth. In each case, Jesus sets people free and restores them to wholeness. Before we get to Jesus’ encounters with others who have lived in the shadows, Jesus takes his own trip into the shadows of evil and temptation to confront adversity and show us that he is trustworthy to follow.

Sermon Title: Called to Rest: Remember the Sabbath. Preacher: Pastor Intern Nathan Adu-Gyamfi. Preaching Text: Exodus 24:12-18 & Matthew 17:1-9. Today we gather at the turning point of the church year—where glory is revealed, where the mountain gives way to the valley, and where Jesus invites us not to escape the world, but to be strengthened for what lies ahead. The Transfiguration reminds us that God’s glory does not cancel suffering, and God’s rest does not bypass the cross. Instead, Christ meets us on the mountain to remind us that we do not climb alone. As we worship today, may our hearts be opened to the God who reveals glory in the midst of struggle, who calls us to listen to the Son, and who invites us into the true rest that only Christ can give.

Sermon Title: Called to Action. Preacher: Pastor Jason Bryan-Wegner. Preaching Text: Isaiah 58:2-23 & Matthew 5:13-20. One of Augustana’s values is “Worship is the heart of our life together.” Worship centers us in Christ and unites us in God’s good news and saving work. Yet, worship is not the completion of faith. It’s only the beginning. We worship so that our lives are shaped by Christ that we can reflect his light the rest of the week. As we worship today, what do you hear God saying to you and how does this worship influence how you will put your faith into action this week?