Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of San Diego Weekly Sermon Podcast

All Saints Sunday is not always given the gravity it deserves. Yet on this Sunday we are reminded that the Church is a communion not only of the living, but of the dead as well. It is the day we celebrate that even death cannot divide us from the body of Christ, because Jesus Christ has conquered death.

Revelation 7:9-17; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12

Forgiveness is part of who we are as Christians, and it is only possible when our heart is behind it. So God gives us a new nature as Ezekiel 23 reminds us.

"Debt" is one of those words that we would rather not think about, let alone have. So, when St. Paul talks about owing no one anything, we're on board with him. That is, until he brings up that little exception . . . "except to love one another."

Peter may be the "rock" on which Christ will build His Church (Matt. 16:18), but when Jesus reveals the suffering that will come first, Peter becomes a tempter and a "stumbling block."

As Christians we too are confronted by the cross we wrestle with the notion that struggles -- even suffering -- are normal for the Christian life. Part of the transformation that God is accomplishing in you and me is in putting the needs of others ahead of our own, even if it means suffering for us as a result.

There are times when we too are tempted by a worldly way of comfort and success, convinced that surely God must have an easier way tan the way of the cross, we are reminded in today's lessons that the resurrection and life await on the other side of suffering and death.

Jeremiah 15:15-21; Psalm 26:1-12; Romans 12:9-21; Matthew 16:21-28

Romans 11:33--12:8...When you came to faith in Christ -- when you were baptized -- you weren't just washed on the outside. You were given a completely new identity. God completely changed who you were as He buried you with Christ, raised you to new life, and gave you His Spirit. Even more powerful, it is a change and a calling that can't be taken away from you by anyone else. As such, your identity as God's child continues to affect you, even transform you, with the passing of every single day.

Romans 7:14-25a -- We are baptized, we are clothed in the righteousness of our Lord Jesus, we are His own, so why is sin still right there, knocking at our door?

Romans 7:1-13, Those baptized into Christ are God's new creation; yet, it seems that our problems and challenges have not gone away. We hear God say that we are His new creation, that the old life of sin is now dead in baptism, but we still live with the same old problems. Why?

Romans 6:12-23 . . . Baptisms power for salvation means union of the sinner with Christ Jesus. In Holy Baptism so much takes place. The primary item thing is that God makes us into a new creation. Second, He kills us and unites us with Christ, plucking us from the clutches of sin's domain and transferring us into the domain of His kingdom. In Holy Baptism we are set free!

Romans 5:6-15...Despite the fact that we continually, daily sin, the love of God in Christ Jesus broke into our life, at our most helpless moment and made us into His children. In fact, Jesus didn't die for us because we rid ourselves of sin; He died for sin because we could not rid ourselves of it. That's how much God loves you. Your sin now belongs to Christ and no one can rob Him of what rightfully belongs to Him.

Romans 4:13-25 -- Abraham heard God's word of promise and was declared righteous. Likewise, when we hear God's word of promise and believe, we, too, are declared righteous for Jesus' sake.