A platitude is a statement aimed at helping sooth some sort of emotional unease. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Or “Life is a mystery.” Or “Good things come to those who wait.” While platitudes may be well-intentioned, at best they come off as trite. And since platitudes provide no real help, they can actually make a situation worse. Tell the one whose heart is shattering, “Life is a mystery.” They won’t appreciate your platitude or you.

The resurrection gives believers the ability to offer more than platitudes. We have a meaningful message to share—of repentance, of forgiveness, of peace, of power. The reality is we have something important to say to every single person that God brings into our sphere of influence. And our risen Savior gives us the courage and power to share that meaningful message.

The Bible reading for this message is Luke 24:36-49.

The video for this worship service can be found here.

This is the fourth in our Easter worship series: Resurrection Reality.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

In most world religions, the alleged foundational event was experienced by only one person. A self-proclaimed prophet would allege he alone had some special encounter with God. “No really! Just trust me. It really happened.” The resurrection reality is so very different. In the Great Resurrection Chapter (1 Corinthians 15), St. Paul writes an entire paragraph listing all the people to whom Jesus appeared after he rose, including a group of over five hundred at one time. It is like St. Paul is telling skeptics, “You don’t need to take my word for it. Hundreds of us saw Jesus back from the dead.”

The proof of Jesus’ resurrection brought peace and strength to those early believers. They knew there was more to their existence than just their time on earth. They knew the reality that eternal life was theirs, a gift from their living Lord. It gave them incredible joy and courage. May the resurrection reality give us the same.

The Bible reading for this message is Acts 18:1-11.

The video for this worship service can be found here.

This is the third in our Easter worship series: Resurrection Reality.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

Studies have shown that most people fear death to varying degrees. One of the biggest reasons people fear death is the perception of its permanency. In the normal realm of human existence, dead is dead. Someone dies, and all you have are pictures and memories. That is the way people typically think, but it is far from reality. Today, Christ proves to us that death is not final at all!

Easter teaches us that Christ is the first fruits of those who have died. Just as Christ rose, “so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). That changes everything: the way we grieve the death of a Christian loved one, the way we feel when our health fails, the way we look at the purpose of life right now. Let us rejoice in this resurrection reality: All will be made alive!

The Bible reading for this message is 1 Corinthians 15:19-26.

The video for this worship service can be found here.

This is the second in our Easter worship series: Resurrection Reality.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

It would not be productive to look for help in a cemetery. A corpse can do only one thing—rot. This is the source of the crushing sorrow Jesus’ followers felt. He was the one in whom they had placed all their hope for a better reality. Now he was dead, so they thought. They were overwhelmed with sorrow, not just because they missed their friend. It now all seemed so pointless: the years and miles following Jesus, witnessing his miracles, listening to him. He was dead! And a corpse can only do one thing.

The resurrection changed everything. The disciples saw clearly that Jesus is who he said he was and did what he said he’d do. They realized their faith rested on a rock-solid foundation. Here is the resurrection reality. If Christ had not been raised, our faith in him would be futile. He could do nothing to help us, but Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

The Bible reading for this message is 1 Corinthians 15:12-20.

The video for this worship service can be found here.

This is the first in our Easter worship series: Resurrection Reality.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

We use the word “appetite” to describe a powerful desire for something. So, what is it you crave the most? Where does your mind go in those quiet moments? What do you want? Power? What do you dream about? Prestige? For what do you hunger? Pleasure? Are our appetites healthy?

A truly healthy appetite is one that aligns with our deepest needs: forgiveness, salvation, communion with God, loving relationships with others. The believer is ravenous for such things! And all of those blessings are on the menu of the Lord’s Supper. Some view Holy Communion as just a religious ritual. Far from it! In this meal, Christ satisfies our greatest appetites.

The Bible reading for this message is Mark 14:12-26.

The video for this worship service can be found here.

This is the seventh in our Lenten worship series: Rethinking Religion.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

Most religions believe in a powerful God. It is assumed that God will use that strength for the benefit of his followers. That is a reasonable assumption, but it begs the question. What is real strength? It is easy to assume that real strength means exerting your will over another by using any means necessary, including force. But this week we see Jesus Christ demonstrate a different kind of strength.

We have come to Holy Week. It begins with Jesus humbly riding a donkey colt straight into the hands of his enemies. As the week progresses, it will appear that Christ’s adversaries are the ones in a position of power and Jesus is in a position of weakness. Yet what Christ does this holy week—setting his divine strength aside, being passive in the face of death—would change the world. To do what Christ did for us and our salvation took real strength.

The Bible reading for this message is Hebrews 12:1-3.

The video for this worship service can be found here.

This is the sixth in our Lenten worship series: Rethinking Religion.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

When we feel that the world is against us, it is easy to feel self-pity. We make ourselves the victims and wallow in our trouble. Jesus refused to do that, though. Rather, he felt compassion for those he knew would suffer after him and even forgave those crucifying him. Likewise, rather than pitying ourselves, we feel pity for those who have no idea of the destruction that awaits them and want them to know the Father’s forgiveness.

The Bible reading for this message is Luke 23:26-34.

Video for this message can be found here.

This is the fifth in our midweek Lenten worship series: God on Trial.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

Religious sociologists sometimes divide Christians into two groups: committed Christians and cultural Christians. The former are usually defined as those who are active in a congregation, who pray regularly, who read Scripture, etc. The latter are those individuals who call themselves Christian and perhaps have some Christian beliefs. Yet, they do not strive to live a Christian life. They are not interested in church involvement.

Those definitions are interesting when trying to understand shifts in American Christianity. However, they demonstrate a false assumption about the Christian religion. There is indeed a devoted commitment at the center of Christianity, but it is not man’s commitment to God. Even believers will at times demonstrate lukewarm commitment at best. Instead, at the heart of Christianity we find God’s devotion and commitment to us. It is a devoted commitment so strong that it put God on the cross.

The Bible reading for this message is John 12:20-33.

The video for this worship service can be found here.

This is the fifth in our Lenten worship series: Rethinking Religion.

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Messages from the King is produced by King of Kings Lutheran Church in Maitland, FL.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

Whether Pilate’s tone was sincere or sneering or something else, he expressed what may be the most important question in our day: What is truth? Pilate clearly was not on the side of truth, at least not Jesus’ truth. We can be tempted to question God’s truth, especially with the seeming uncertainty of everything going on around us. However, God has given us truth in a person: his only Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus stood before Pilate as a real flesh and blood person. He gave his real life as a payment for sin, and his empty tomb is proof of God’s truth that life overcomes death!

The Bible reading for this message is John 18:33-40.

Video for this message can be found here.

This is the fourth in our midweek Lenten worship series: God on Trial.

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Messages from the King is produced by King of Kings Lutheran Church in Maitland, FL.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

While not every religion uses the word “sin,” they all embrace the concept. Every religion acknowledges that mankind’s flawed attitudes or misguided actions are a source of pain, both now and potentially in eternity. So, every religion offers a solution: a set of laws, a moral code, a path to more enlightened behavior. What do they have in common? We are to solve sin through human effort. Be better! Try harder! This is the heart of every false religion. Those who correctly understand they will never overcome their sin are crushed by guilt. Those who ludicrously believe they have defeated their sin are killed by pride.

True religion offers a better way—one that frees us from guilt and has no room for pride. Jesus teaches that the solution to our sin is not to work harder. It is to trust in the work he has done for us. Salvation comes through Spirit-wrought faith in Christ.

The Bible reading for this message is Numbers 21:4-9.

This is the fourth in our Lenten worship series: Rethinking Religion.

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Messages from the King is produced by King of Kings Lutheran Church in Maitland, FL.

To find out more about King of Kings...

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!