Sermon series from Good Shepherd Free Lutheran Church, Cokato

For all of us there are those times, experiences and words when we wish we could have a second chance. We could like to make good on things where we have failed. But, as is often said, "that's water under the bridge." However, the God we serve is a God of, not second chances, but a God of second opportunities. There is nothing we can do to change the past, but today is the first day of the rest of our lives - by His grace let us listen carefully to His voice and seek by His grace to walk in His way.

As we look at chapter 2 of Jonah we see Jonah coming to terms with what he is called by God to do. We, as humans, believe everything is negotiable. This is not true with the will and work of God - He is absolute. But His love for us is everlasting and will work with us to bring us back to His terms.

If we look at chapter 11 of Hebrews, the chapter before our text today, we see a long list of heros in the faith, and their testimony that is recorded in the Scriptures shouts to us, "Keep going! Don't give up!"

The Tarshish-bound ship reminds me of the organized church. A lot of activity, but a bit disheveled and threatened by stormy seas. The sailors were trying hard but were not able to put their finger on the reason for their facing such difficult times and not making any real headway. Jonah, being the God-fearing man he claimed to be, was asleep on company time. The time was God's and it is still God's time today. How are we carrying out God's command to "arise and go?"

Jonah tempted, Jonah sinned, Jonah suffered - sound familiar? Of course, anytime we seek to appease God and please ourselves we find ourselves in the same situation Jonah found himself. Well, not really in the belly of a fish, but we find ourselves wanting to escape. Over the next few Sundays we shall look at the experiences of Jonah and learn from them what it is that pleases God.

Good Shepherd Free Lutheran Church's Assistant Pastor Jerry D. Nelson preaching on today's Gospel text found in Matthew 5.

Our text begins with the word "again." Repetition carried on long enough will develop a habit. John's habit was to point people to Jesus. His habit did not develop out of obligation or because he knew it was the right thing to do, but because of his love for Jesus and because he had been sent from God whom he also loved and served.

Parents, children, home, and family all have some very common ground. Although Presdent Ronald Reagan in 1987 proclaimed the week before Thanksgiving as National Family Week, in recent years the observance has really been placed on the back burner. Family in the US has become something much less important than it used to be. Many today do not have the experience of family and family relationships. Many children today are growing up in single parent families where there is no father or no mother. The reason for family becoming less important is, at least in this man's estimation, is that more and more people are not acquainted and/or giving credence to the family of God. The familiar story of this text teaches a lesson that gives us insight to the order of family in our homes as well as insight to the order of the family of God. It is true and it is biblical to say "healthy personal relationships between parents and children result in healthy families." The question to be asked today is "What is your/my position in the family of God?"

There are four reasons we stop hearing God's voice as demonstrated in today's text - a) God's revelations are sometimes rare (vs. 1); b) We don't always hear (vs. 2-6); c) We aren't familiar with it (vs. 7-14); or d) God's messengers are afraid to speak the truth (vs. 15-21). Rev. Jim Johnson preaching at Good Shepherd Free Lutheran Church.

If you have watched 'Fiddler on the Roof" you remember Tevya singing "If I Were A Rich Man." Now be very honest - if you are not a rich man you have often dreamed of such a possibility. But, how much thought have you given to being rich toward God? What does it mean to be rich toward God? In our text Jesus speaks to this matter and gives us clear direction as to what is of real and eternal value in this life and will endure for eternity. Rev. Eldon Nelson preaching at Good Shepherd Free Lutheran Church.