In this sermon, Pastor James Huenink walks through Jesus’ call of the first disciples and shows that repentance is not just feeling sorry for sin or trying harder to be better. Repentance begins with hearing the voice of Christ, continues with turning away from sin, and results in living and serving in the righteousness Christ gives.

Jesus does not wait for qualified applicants. He does not ask for résumés. He comes to sinners, speaks His Word, and creates repentance by His grace through Word and Sacraments. Just as Peter, Andrew, James, and John dropped their nets and followed, Christ still calls His people today—through preaching, Baptism, and the ongoing gift of repentance.

Drawing on Matthew’s Gospel and Martin Luther’s explanation of the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed, this sermon shows how repentance is not a one-time event, but the daily life of the Christian under Christ our Lord.

Key themes include:

Repentance as God’s work, not ours

Christ’s call creating faith and new life

Daily repentance and renewal

Serving Christ in righteousness, not fear

Jesus as Lord who saves before He commands

📖 Scripture Focus: Matthew 4:17–22
✝️ Lutheran theology | Word and Sacraments | Daily repentance

Most Christians think evangelism requires deep theological training, perfect answers, and fearless confidence. It doesn’t.

In John 1, we see two very different moments of witness. John the Baptist delivers a theologically rich, Spirit-revealed proclamation: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Andrew, on the other hand, does something far simpler. He finds his brother and says, “We have found the Messiah,” and then brings him to Jesus.

This sermon shows why faith doesn’t come from your skill, knowledge, or technique—but from encountering Christ Himself. Salvation is God’s work. The Holy Spirit works through the Word. Your role is not to argue people into the kingdom, but to invite them to come and see.

You don’t need to be John the Baptist. You can be Andrew.

📖 Text: John 1:29–42
✝️ Theme: Evangelism, faith, and the work of the Holy Spirit
⛪ Focus: Why inviting people to church still matters

Why was Jesus baptized if He had no sin?
And what does His baptism tell us about our own?

In Matthew’s Gospel, the conversation between Jesus and John the Baptist reveals something essential: baptism is not our work for God—it is God’s work for us. Jesus steps into the waters not because He needs repentance, but because He takes our place, fulfilling all righteousness on our behalf.

In this sermon, we explore:

Why Matthew includes the exchange between Jesus and John

The difference between baptism as God’s action vs. baptism as human testimony

How Jesus repents for us because we cannot

Why baptism unites us to Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 6)

How Scripture speaks clearly about baptism saving, uniting, and clothing us with Christ

Why infant baptism is not an exception, but the clearest picture of grace

Baptism is not a symbol you perform.
It is a promise God delivers.

What happens when earthly power meets the true King?

In Matthew 2, King Herod panics when wise men ask a simple but dangerous question: “Where is He who is born King of the Jews?” That question exposes a conflict that has never gone away—the clash between earthly authority and Christ’s eternal kingdom.

In this sermon, Pastor James Huenink explores why Jesus was never a real threat to Herod politically—and why every authority still feels threatened by Him anyway. From Herod’s violence to modern attempts to co-opt Christianity for political, social, or cultural goals, the temptation is always the same: take Jesus off His throne and make Him useful.

But Christ is not a mascot, a moral tool, or a political ally. He is the King who reigns through the cross, the resurrection, and the promise of eternal life.

Only one King remains.

Scripture Focus: Matthew 2
Theme: Christ vs. earthly authority
Location: First Lutheran Church

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When God invited Solomon to ask for anything, Solomon didn’t ask for power, success, or security. He asked for wisdom. But this sermon shows that the story isn’t about making smart requests or chasing spiritual upgrades. It’s about how God forms His servants through humility, repentance, and trust in His promises.

True wisdom is not confidence, control, or clever strategy. It begins with a listening heart shaped by God’s Word. Solomon’s request exposes our own self-reliance, points us to the limits of human authority, and ultimately leads us to Christ—the true wisdom of God—who rules not by force, but by the cross.

This sermon traces wisdom from Solomon’s dream at Gibeon to its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, showing that wisdom is not earned or achieved, but given by grace through Word, promise, and sacrament.

Matthew’s Gospel makes a bold claim that many Christians miss: Jesus is the true and perfect Israel.

When Matthew quotes Hosea — “Out of Egypt I called my son” — he isn’t proof-texting. He’s revealing how the entire Old Testament story comes together in one person: Jesus Christ. What happened to Israel happens again in Jesus — the flight into Egypt, the return to the promised land, the Jordan River, the wilderness, the mountain, the law, the king, the suffering servant.

This sermon walks through how Matthew intentionally presents Jesus as the new and greater Israel:
– Better than Moses
– Greater than David
– The fulfillment of Abraham
– The faithful Son Israel never was

This matters because it answers a huge theological question: Where do God’s promises to Israel actually land? Not in a future political kingdom. Not in a separate covenant. They land in Christ — and everyone baptized into Him shares those promises.

If you’ve ever wondered how the Old Testament really fits together, or how Christians should think about Israel, the Church, and God’s promises, this sermon gets straight to the point.

“Joy to the World” was never meant to be a Christmas carol. Isaac Watts wrote it about the return of Christ—the end of sin, sorrow, and death. And that matters, because Psalm 2 is about the same thing.

In this sermon, Pastor James Huenink walks through Psalm 2 as a coronation psalm and shows how it finds its true fulfillment in Jesus Christ. This is not a sentimental Christmas message. It is about a king who comes to destroy real enemies—not nations or armies, but sin, death, and the devil.

Psalm 2 reveals a God who laughs at the powers that oppose Him, a king who reigns not from a palace but from a cross, and a victory won not through force but through humility, incarnation, and death. Christmas is not just the story of a baby in a manger—it is the invasion of God into our flesh to shatter the power of our enemies and become our only refuge.

Scripture: Psalm 2
Themes: Christ the King, incarnation, judgment, refuge, victory over sin and death
Focus: Christmas as the beginning of Christ’s reign and final victory

Christmas is full of traditions, songs, and familiar images—but Isaiah 9 forces us to look deeper.

In this Christmas Eve sermon, Pastor James Huenink walks through Isaiah’s famous titles for the promised child: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. These are not poetic exaggerations or sentimental slogans. Each title reveals a king unlike any other—a God who comes in humility, fights by entering death itself, reigns forever, and brings real peace through forgiveness.

This sermon explores why Jesus was rejected, why His power looks weak to the world, and why His peace is the only peace that lasts. Christmas is not about nostalgia or happiness—it is about life, salvation, and the God who became man for us.

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6
Theme: Christ’s kingship, humility, and peace
Occasion: Christmas Eve

St. Thomas is usually remembered for his doubt, but the Gospel of John tells a deeper story. In this sermon, Pastor James Huenink looks at how Jesus meets Thomas—not with anger, pressure, or shame, but with peace, patience, and the Word.

This isn’t just about Thomas. It’s about how Christians are called to engage unbelief today. Jesus doesn’t coerce faith, panic about numbers, or rely on gimmicks. He shows up, speaks peace, answers honest doubts, and lets the truth do its work.

If you’ve ever wondered:

How should Christians respond to doubt?

Is questioning the faith a problem—or an opportunity?

What real evangelism actually looks like (and what it doesn’t)?

This sermon walks through John’s Gospel to show Christ’s missionary heart, the power of the Word, and why “come and see” is still enough.

Scripture focus: John 20:24–29
Theme: Evangelism, doubt, peace, and the mission of the Church
Preacher: Pastor James Huenink
Church: First Lutheran Church

Christ meets unbelief with peace. The Church should do the same.

Who do you really trust to save you?

Psalm 146 forces the question. Not by asking it outright, but by exposing our false hopes. Human leaders—even the best of them—die. Their plans fail. Their faithfulness runs out. Scripture says it plainly: “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.”

This sermon walks through Psalm 146 in light of Israel’s kings, especially King Josiah—the best king Israel ever had—and why even his faithfulness could not save. Josiah died. His reforms didn’t last. His kingdom fell apart. That is not a political statement; it’s a biblical one.

Only God is faithful forever.
Only God keeps His promises across generations.
Only God sent His Son to die and rise.

From Adam and Eve to Abraham, from exile to incarnation, God kept His word—even when His people had to wait centuries to see it fulfilled. Jesus Christ is the proof. Raised from the dead, reigning at the right hand of the Father, He alone has the power to save, heal, and give life that never ends.

Psalm 146 doesn’t invite optimism. It demands faith.
Not in rulers. Not in systems. Not in ourselves.
But in the God who keeps faith forever.