The doxology to the Lord's Prayer gives praise to God alone, and affirms what God tells us to be true.

Giving praise to God alone, and saying “yes, Amen,” affirming something to be true – both of these we see in our Gospel lesson from Luke 17 in the healing of the Ten Lepers, where a Samaritan returns to give thanks.

Sermon on Doxology of the Lord's Prayer + Luke 17:11–19 by Rev. Jeff Hendrix

“Deliver us from evil.”  This is the last petition of the Lord’s Prayer, but how often is this the first thing we pray for?  When something terrible happens to us, we pray: “God save me from this, make it stop.”  When poverty, shame, or misfortune strikes, we pray, “God, please restore my life.”  We pray it even at times of inconvenience; even sitting in traffic: “God, make this traffic clear up, I need to get somewhere.”  Twenty-one years ago our country prayed it on this day when terrorists and evil struck on 9/11: “Deliver us from evil.”  It’s a petition so often heard in the Psalms: “Make haste, O God, to deliver me, Make haste to help me, O Lord.”   So we should pray for this.  It is good.  God wants us to pray to Him concerning all the things that affect our body and life.

But the petition “Deliver from evil,” is also so much more than that.  It’s the sum of everything we pray for.  It’s to be truly delivered from all evil.

And our text for today is perhaps a surprising place to find deliverance from evil, at least the kind we expect.

Sermon by Rev. Jeff Hendrix on the parable of the Good Samaritan from Luke 10:23–37 as well as the 7th Petition.

The church is found where suffering and the cross are.  Suffering, or the cross, contrary to what we expect, is a mark of the church.  This is seen in the Gospel Lesson for Trinity 5, the miraculous catch of fish.  The point of the miracle is not the miracle itself.  It is not that Peter is given a bunch of fish.  The point is that to be a follower of Jesus means he must leave those things behind.  The life of a disciple of Jesus means following in the way of Jesus, the way of the cross. 

Sermon on Luke 5:1-11 by Rev. Jeff Hendrix

Our Lutheran Confessions remind us that God gives us counsel and aid against sin, not only in one way, but multiple ways because “God is superabundantly rich [and liberal] in His grace [and goodness].” (SA, III, IV)  “The mutual conversation and consolation of brethren” is what happens when Christians take God’s Word and speak it to each other.  That includes law – what God’s Word says we are to do or not do – as well as Gospel – what God has done already.  The goal of the preaching of the Law is always to gain your brother.  This is what we see in our Gospel lesson from Luke 6:36–42.  

Sermon on Luke 6:36–42 by Rev. Jeff Hendrix.

(Apologies over a few missing weeks, due to Covid and being out of town at a conference.  Head over to Faith Lutheran Church, Oregon on YouTube to watch the entire services)

The marks or defining traits of the church – and members of it – are not what we might expect, or want.  The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus shows us the most holy procession God that gives us, which is a mark of the church: His Holy Word.  By it, Luther says, “Christian people are called holy; for God’s Word is holy and sanctifies everything it touches; it is indeed the very holiness of God, [Romans 1:16], for ‘It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.’” (AE 41, 148) 

Sermon on Luke 16:19–31 on the Marks of the Church by Rev. Jeff Hendrix

The Triune God can seem a far-off concept, but the reality is the Trinity is a Being – Three Persons in One God – who desires to be known by you!  He has baptized you into His own name, and has condescended to you in the Person of Jesus Christ, both God and Man.  Sermon for Holy Trinity Sunday on the Sacrament of Baptism, the Trinity, and John 3:1-15. 

These three words most succinctly describe the work, person, and gift of the Holy Spirit.  Exordium plus sermon for the Feast of Pentecost, by Rev. Jeff Hendrix.

We confuse strength and weakness, but realizing that we have no strength of our own to believe in Jesus or create our faith is vital, for otherwise we drastically overestimate our abilities and strength, setting ourselves up for great disaster and danger. Sermon on the 3rd Article of Creed and John 15:26-16:4 for Exaudi Sunday by Rev. Jeff Hendrix.

Jesus' ascension is not about Him going to a specific place so that we might see Him. Rather, He ascends to fill all things, so that our hearts may be lifted up.  Sermon on the Doctrine of the Ascension by Rev. Jeff Hendrix

The Christian Church cannot be separated from the work of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus promised the Holy Spirit in our Gospel lesson.  “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.”  Jesus shows in John 16 that the gift of the Spirit is the gift to hear and to speak.  He does this whenever He uses our voice to declare God's love and forgiveness for sinners.

Sermon on John 16:5-15 and the 3rd Article of the Creed for Cantate Sunday, by Rev. Jeff Hendrix