Cross of Christ Lutheran Church - Liverpool, NY (WELS)

Daniel was faithful to the point of looking foolhardy to us, but he wasn’t being foolish. He just wasn’t afraid. He didn’t need to have the window open. He didn’t have to face Jerusalem. He did it because he trusted God would rescue him and his people.

There are scores of voices trying to prey on your physical health concerns. There are even more voices preying on your spiritual health. “Who is the real Jesus?” “How to find peace in meditation, yoga, cycling, nature.” “10 problems with Christianity—number 4 will surprise you!” So today we turn to a doctor to cut through all the noise. We get some spiritual advice—a whole spiritual health plan—just for you.

Jesus told a parable comparing God’s kingdom to a wedding feast. You’re invited! But there are a few faux pas to avoid if you don’t want to get thrown out. Jesus told one unified parable, but we can divide it nicely into two parts: in the first part, the King invites unworthy guests.

Like a runner nearing the end of the race, we press on to the finish. Press on to the goal because the end is near. And press on to the goal because after the end, there is no end.

Our congregation's culture needs to change. Each of your hearts needs to change. My heart needs to change. Christ causes culture to change.

God doesn’t do things the way we do. He does not choose anyone based on any human characteristic. The big objection to consider in our text is: “Does that make God unjust?”

Kids imitate their parents. By copying their parents, they learn how to walk and talk and brush their teeth and eat with a spoon. But it’s more than that. Their eyes light up. They giggle. They’re so proud of themselves because they’re just like mom or just like dad. Paul tells us, as dearly loved children, to be imitators of God.

God wants to break us to save us.

What do you do if people keep letting you down? What if your maid of honor keeps dropping the ball? What if your parents continually don’t show up? What if God is letting you down?

Who is the real Jesus? Some people think he’s nothing more than a legend—he never really existed. Most historians wouldn’t make that claim. There’s too much evidence for him. Instead, they look past all the supernatural parts of the Bible to discover the real Jesus. Some say he was a Jewish rabbi, a great teacher, and nothing more. Others claim he was a progressive rebel ahead of his time. Their guesses fall short of the real Jesus.