You have maybe heard the accusation or perhaps even made it yourself: “He’s so fake!” That charge claims someone’s friendliness or kindness is a sham. Such insincerity bothers us. We would generally rather someone be honest about how they feel about us than be fake.

Through a story Jesus teaches us that God feels the same. God doesn’t want us to simply go through religious motions like some sort of show. He sees right through that. God’s desire is that our repentance would demonstrate sincere sorrow over sin. God wants us to see the grace and forgiveness he has shown us in Christ, and in response, to love him back deeply and sincerely.

The Bible reading for this message is Matthew 21:23-32.

Video for this message can be found here.

This is Part 1 in our worship series - Tell Us a Story.

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

When you look at the world around us, it’s easy to think that life isn’t fair. Some suffer though they seem to have no reason or explanation for it. Others have to deal with the consequences of the actions or decisions of others. Still others do not receive the justice they deserve. We all have an incredibly strong sense of fairness. That is why it can be so perplexing when we see how God dispenses blessing and grace. We see people who mock God who are more prosperous than believers. We see people who convert on their deathbed.

If we think God isn’t being fair, we need to remember the Lord does not give us what we deserve. If he did, we would be separated from him for all eternity. Instead, he does the most unfair thing possible. He forgives us of our sins. He treats us as if we have never sinned. He loves us so much that he punishes Jesus for our sins. Yes, it’s true. God isn’t fair, but that is because our God is breathtakingly generous.

The Bible reading for this message is Jonah 3:10-4:11.

Video for this message can be found here.

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

“Pay it forward.” That phrase means that when someone does something for you, instead of paying that person back directly, you pass along kindness to another person instead. Doing something kind for someone else is a way of thanking the person who originally did something kind for you.

Today God applies that concept to forgiveness. God forgave our countless sins. He was willing to pay an incomprehensible price—the death of his Son. Obviously, we will never have occasion do the same for God. We will never have to forgive God because everything he does for us shows perfect love and care. God never wrongs us. But others may do us wrong. Others may cause us pain. And when we are quick to forgive, it is one way we thank God for being so quick to forgive us. This is what God wants in his Church—people who, like him, are quick to forgive.

The Bible reading for this message is Genesis 50:15-21.

Video for this message can be found here.

This is Part 5 in our worship series - The Church God Wants.

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

Imagine, late one night, you notice the house across the street is on fire. You see no activity inside. You say to yourself, “Pounding on the door in the middle of the night might scare the family. I’m sure they’ll realize what’s going on eventually.” Ridiculous! You would never do that! To let a family sleep while flames surround them would be cruel. Your inaction would make you a killer. The truth is you would pound on their door at 3 am, screaming. You would throw a brick through their front window if that was what it took to warn them. You would not care if it startled the family. This is a matter of life and death! Love compels you to do whatever it takes.

God wants the people of his church to be willing to say hard things to people when that is what is necessary to save them from an even worse type of fire. Warning against sin is not easy. It upsets people, even offends them. But saying hard things is the loving thing to do when it is a matter of eternal life and death.

The Bible reading for this message is Galatians 2:11-16.

Video for this message can be found here.

This is Part 4 in our worship series - The Church God Wants.

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

Some churches teach that if one follows God, God responds by granting prosperity and peace. Today Jesus teaches that is nonsense. The Son of God tells us that if we are his disciple, if we are part of his Church, we will have to bear crosses. Believers will suffer in this world, oftentimes for no other reason than they are believers. It is painful to struggle against the temptations and priorities of this world. It can be agonizing to face the same scorn and ridicule Jesus faced.

Why bother? We carry our crosses in gratitude for Jesus carrying his cross, one too heavy for us to bear because it was weighted down with our sin. We carry our crosses because we know that in those moments of struggle, we are forced to turn to Christ and rely on his strength. The church takes up its crosses, because this is the Christian path, the one Jesus himself walked: first the cross, then the crown.

The Bible reading for this message is Jeremiah 15:15-21.

This is Part 3 in our worship series - The Church God Wants.

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

Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Make no mistake. That is the most important question in the world. And it is a question every human must answer. A complimentary answer can still be dead wrong. Some in Jesus’ day thought he was John the Baptist or the prophet Elijah come back from the dead. Complimentary, but dead wrong. Today plenty of people believe Jesus existed. They believe he was a wise teacher or a role model for love. Complimentary, but dead wrong if missing the main point.

Jesus is both Lord and Savior, the Messiah, the Son of the living God. This truth is the core of saving faith. It is the central message God has called our church to proclaim. What does God want in a church? He wants a church that really knows Jesus.

The Bible reading for this message is Exodus 34:5-9.

Video for this worship service can be found here.

This is Part 2 in our worship series - The Church God Wants.

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

“All are welcome!” Is that true at our church? Historically, it rarely is true. In the gospels, the average Jewish person would have thought it odd, even offensive, if someone who wasn’t an Israelite walked into their place of worship. Taking it a step further, some of the Jewish religious leaders would imply that church was meant for those who zealously followed religious customs and traditions. Those were “good church folk.” So church was meant for people of the right heritage and who behaved the right way. What about us? Is it conceivable that a stranger could walk into our church and for some reason you would ask yourself, “What is someone like that doing here?” Or, just perhaps, you are asking that question about yourself? “There are some seemingly godly people here. I’m not like them. Do I really belong?”

Jesus shows us that God wants church to be for all people. All of us—regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, or social status—have the same problem of sin. And we all have the same Savior. Therefore, anyone who comes to Christ’s Church and cries out, “Lord, have mercy!” is more than welcome.

The Bible reading for this message is Ephesians 2:13-22.

Video for this worship service can be found here.

This is Part 1 in our worship series - The Church God Wants.

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

How do you start a marriage off right? Build it on Christ! This message was preached for the Christian Marriage of Lauren Mittiga and Tom Faber on 25 August 2023 @ King of Kings Lutheran Church in Maitland, FL.

The Bible reading for this message is Matthew 7:24-27.

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

Wherever faith clings to the promises of God, doubt is always lingering in the back of our mind, constantly asking the serpent’s garden question, “Did God really say?” How striking to think that one must have faith in God before it is even possible to doubt him! 

It is not uncommon that, in times of aversity, doubt rears its ugly head—doubts about God’s care, God’s promises, God’s providence. In those times, the true answer to doubt is not found in some great miracle that removes adversity, but in the still small voice of our Savior God whispering to us in his Word. Through that Word Christ reaches out to us with nail-scarred hands, proof of his great love. Jesus gently says, “Why did you doubt?” Our faith is restored. The Christian answers doubt with faith because Jesus makes it so.

The Bible reading for this message is Matthew 14:22-33.

Video for this worship service can be found here.

This is Part 7 in our summer worship series - Define: Christian.

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

The hardest times to trust in God are the times we need him most. It’s easy to trust God when your job is great, your health is fine, your relationships are strong, your family is well. It’s easy to trust God when the sun is shining, but what happens when your life is suddenly overshadowed by dark days? 

When tragedy or conflict affect us, we may wonder if God continues to care and provide for us. At those times the Christian focuses on certain foundational facts. The Christian was chosen, predestined, and adopted as God’s dear child. God has provided the Christian with innumerable spiritual blessings and promises the Christian an eternity of glory, peace, and joy. If we look at those spiritual blessing God provides to us, how could we doubt that he will, at the right time, give us everything we truly need? The Christian trusts God to provide.

The Bible reading for this message is Matthew 14:13-21.

Video for this worship service can be found here.

This is Part 6 in our summer worship series - Define: Christian.

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