Grace Alone Online

Pastor Mundinger preaches on the story of Thomas who doubting wants to see Jesus in the flesh before believing in His resurrection. But, did Thomas doubt? Or, was Thomas requesting to confirm and affirm what He knew to be true by faith; namely, what He has to look forward to in the end.

Today is the last Sunday Grace Lutheran Church will be worshipping in this building. In 1931, when Grac eLutheran Church began, nobody thought they would go to sleep, and wake up to the last Sunday they would be in their church building. On Good Friday, Jesus went to "sleep" and "woke up" on Easter Sunday replacing death with life, sin ridden bodies into imperishable and incorruptible spiritual bodies. We don't know, however, when we go to sleep, when, or where, or how we will wake up. But for those who believe in Jesus Christ, we are only strengthened in our faith that we will wake up in God's arms as JEsus did.

Palm Sunday and Jesus rides into Jerusalem. “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” (John 12:13). Wow, the crowds were ecstatic! But today is also called the “Sunday of the Passion,” because by the end of the week the crowds are shouting, “Crucify him!” (Mark 15:14). Have you ever wondered why the crowd changed its tune?   The Bible doesn’t explicitly tell us why, butwe can make several intelligent guesses.

Back in 1925, Eddie Cantor took the nation by storm with his roaring-twenties hit:  “If you knew Susie, like I know Susie, oh, oh, oh what a gal!”  Everyone wanted to know Susie, and who wouldn’t. She was lively, fun, a party girl.  She was the center of attention when she walked into the room.  This was the 1920s – a decade of extravagance, free and wild living, and she was wild.  Whatever it was that Susie had, it was working for her.  She smiled when she was supposed to, posed for the camera at every opportunity.  She did all the right things at the right time to get noticed in all the right ways.  Every girl wanted to be like Susie: popular, fun, energetic.  Who wouldn’t?

Lent is a somber time, although we do know this season ends in joy, don’t we?.  Yes, Christ is risen; your Savior is alive but in LENT you take the time to focus on repentance and your need for what you know is coming on Easter.  Lent is part of your journey toward eternity with Christ.  Paul says, “God’s patient kindness [towards all those living] is meant to lead you to repentance.” (Romans 2:4). So, during this time of year, you reflect on you and your life with a repentant heart. And, obviously, your repentance should be sincere – not just going through the motions, for God searches your heart. In a nutshell, Lenten repentance is done, knowing with confidence that God forgives those who look up to Him.

John’s Gospel passage today presents you with two reminders to carry you through your Lenten journey: (1) you remember your sins, and (2) you look upon on the cross of Christ for the forgiveness of those sins.  

In preparing for today’s sermon, I came across a Bible passage that describes me very well. At least it describes me most of the time. Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Yup, sometimes that thought has crossed my mind. It’s not that I’m a thoroughgoing atheist. Church people get upset by atheism and there’s been a new surge of atheism in recent years. But I have plenty of atheist-like moments meaning, I don’t trust the power of the cross of Jesus Christ, as if it were never there – never happened. Paul says, “The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

I remember walking through the woods near our house several times in the Fall, trying to find a cocoon.   We studied about it in science.   I wanted to find one, put it in a jar, and watch it turn from caterpillar to butterfly.   I never found one, and I never saw it happen.