St. Paul's Onalaska Sermons

Pastor Dan Olson

Overwhelming Gratitude Leads to Overwhelming Generosity— When we recognize how richly God has blessed us, gratitude naturally overflows into generosity. Everything we have is a gift from our gracious God, who has given us the greatest gift of all in Jesus. As we grow in thankfulness for his goodness, we are moved to share our time, talents, and treasures to serve others and support the work of his kingdom—not out of obligation, but out of joyful gratitude for all he has done for us.
 
364 Days of Thanksgiving—Overwhelming Gratitude Leads to Overwhelming Generosity

Pastor Jason Enderle

The Beginning of the End— The cartoon character holds a sign saying, “The End Is Near.” For Christians, this is not a message of fear. Instead, it is a message of watchful hope. Scripture teaches that the End Times began with Christ’s first coming, especially his death and resurrection. Christ will come again on judgment day. Now we live in that in-between time, when salvation has been won, but full glory is still to come. It’s the beginning of the end.
     Jesus himself makes clear that no one knows the day or hour of his return. This uncertainty is not meant to trouble us, but to keep us spiritually awake. Each day becomes an opportunity to live in repentance and faith, turning from sin and trusting fully in Christ’s finished work for us. Our preparation for the end is not about trying to predict signs or earn God’s favor. Instead, it is about remaining rooted in Jesus: hearing the Word, receiving the sacraments, and trusting the promises of forgiveness. These are God’s ways of keeping us ready. “The Beginning of the End” reminds us that history is moving toward our own death and toward Christ’s return. For believers, that end is truly a beginning. Our worship follows this pattern.
 
It’s Time to Focus on the Future— Childbirth is painful, yet women willingly endure it because they know the pain is temporary and joy is coming. In a similar way, the time between Christ’s first and second comings is marked by hardship, especially for believers. How do we endure? We remember that our suffering is temporary and that far greater joy is ahead!
That truth shines brightly on All Saints’ Day, when we remember all who have gone before us in the faith—from the heroes of Scripture to our own Christian family members and friends. They, too, endured hardship and pain. But now, they have reached their heavenly home, where they enjoy perfect peace, joy, and glory in the presence of Jesus. As we remember the saints who have gone before us, we are encouraged to remain steadfast in faith, looking forward to the glory that awaits us. The beginning of the end is here, and the best is yet to come!
 
The Beginning of the End—It’s Time to Focus on the Future

Pastor Brett Ehlke

The Beginning of the End— The cartoon character holds a sign saying, “The End Is Near.” For Christians, this is not a message of fear. Instead, it is a message of watchful hope. Scripture teaches that the End Times began with Christ’s first coming, especially his death and resurrection. Christ will come again on judgment day. Now we live in that in-between time, when salvation has been won, but full glory is still to come. It’s the beginning of the end.
     Jesus himself makes clear that no one knows the day or hour of his return. This uncertainty is not meant to trouble us, but to keep us spiritually awake. Each day becomes an opportunity to live in repentance and faith, turning from sin and trusting fully in Christ’s finished work for us. Our preparation for the end is not about trying to predict signs or earn God’s favor. Instead, it is about remaining rooted in Jesus: hearing the Word, receiving the sacraments, and trusting the promises of forgiveness. These are God’s ways of keeping us ready. “The Beginning of the End” reminds us that history is moving toward our own death and toward Christ’s return. For believers, that end is truly a beginning. Our worship follows this pattern.
It’s Time to Stay Steadfast—Jesus told his followers, “You will be hated by everyone because of me” (Matthew 10:22). So, the time between Christ’s first and second coming is going to be perilous for believers. A good example: Martin Luther. All that priest wanted was to share the pure gospel with the world. For trying to do just that, both political and religious leaders wanted to end his life. The Festival of the Reformation emphasizes our unfailing reliance on the Word of God. We give unflinching testimony to that Word even in the face of persecution. Today we pray that the Lord would keep us steadfast in the faith.
The Beginning of the End—It’s Time to Stay Steadfast

Pastor Dan Olson

The Beginning of the End— The cartoon character holds a sign saying, “The End Is Near.” For Christians, this is not a message of fear. Instead, it is a message of watchful hope. Scripture teaches that the End Times began with Christ’s first coming, especially his death and resurrection. Christ will come again on judgment day. Now we live in that in-between time, when salvation has been won, but full glory is still to come. It’s the beginning of the end.
     Jesus himself makes clear that no one knows the day or hour of his return. This uncertainty is not meant to trouble us, but to keep us spiritually awake. Each day becomes an opportunity to live in repentance and faith, turning from sin and trusting fully in Christ’s finished work for us. Our preparation for the end is not about trying to predict signs or earn God’s favor. Instead, it is about remaining rooted in Jesus: hearing the Word, receiving the sacraments, and trusting the promises of forgiveness. These are God’s ways of keeping us ready. “The Beginning of the End” reminds us that history is moving toward our own death and toward Christ’s return. For believers, that end is truly a beginning. Our worship follows this pattern.
It's Time to Give to God What Is God’s— In the 250th anniversary year of the signing of the Declaration of the Independence of the United States of America, Americans are realizing that our freedoms are not guaranteed forever. What can we do with the limited time we have left to preach the gospel and administer the sacraments without governmental interference? We can do exactly what Jesus advised, giving to God what is God’s. We can thank Jesus for fulfilling all righteousness for us, leaving us free to serve our neighbors. God does not need our good works, but our neighbors do. God’s Word informs our choice of political activities as we seek to be faithful to our calling as Christian citizens.
The Beginning of the End—It’s Time to Give to God What Is God’s

Pastor Jason Enderle

The Beginning of the End— The cartoon character holds a sign saying, “The End Is Near.” For Christians, this is not a message of fear. Instead, it is a message of watchful hope. Scripture teaches that the End Times began with Christ’s first coming, especially his death and resurrection. Christ will come again on judgment day. Now we live in that in-between time, when salvation has been won, but full glory is still to come. It’s the beginning of the end.
     Jesus himself makes clear that no one knows the day or hour of his return. This uncertainty is not meant to trouble us, but to keep us spiritually awake. Each day becomes an opportunity to live in repentance and faith, turning from sin and trusting fully in Christ’s finished work for us. Our preparation for the end is not about trying to predict signs or earn God’s favor. Instead, it is about remaining rooted in Jesus: hearing the Word, receiving the sacraments, and trusting the promises of forgiveness. These are God’s ways of keeping us ready. “The Beginning of the End” reminds us that history is moving toward our own death and toward Christ’s return. For believers, that end is truly a beginning. Our worship follows this pattern.
It’s Time to Invite the Unworthy—Don’t you hate it when someone has prepared an excellent meal, but travel delays mean that certain friends or relatives don’t get to enjoy it? Sometimes there are no leftovers, and an opportunity is lost. God has prepared an extraordinary spiritual meal for all people. It is received by faith. But it is not offered forever. The day will come when body and soul are separated, and those who do not believe in Jesus as their Savior will not share in his blessings. It’s the beginning of the end. Now is the time to issue the invitation!
The Beginning of the End—It’s Time to Invite the Unworthy

Pastor Brett Ehlke

The Beginning of the End— The cartoon character holds a sign saying, “The End Is Near.” For Christians, this is not a message of fear. Instead, it is a message of watchful hope. Scripture teaches that the End Times began with Christ’s first coming, especially his death and resurrection. Christ will come again on judgment day. Now we live in that in-between time, when salvation has been won, but full glory is still to come. It’s the beginning of the end.
     Jesus himself makes clear that no one knows the day or hour of his return. This uncertainty is not meant to trouble us, but to keep us spiritually awake. Each day becomes an opportunity to live in repentance and faith, turning from sin and trusting fully in Christ’s finished work for us. Our preparation for the end is not about trying to predict signs or earn God’s favor. Instead, it is about remaining rooted in Jesus: hearing the Word, receiving the sacraments, and trusting the promises of forgiveness. These are God’s ways of keeping us ready. “The Beginning of the End” reminds us that history is moving toward our own death and toward Christ’s return. For believers, that end is truly a beginning. Our worship follows this pattern.
It’s Time to Speak Truth to Power—Sometimes people get braver when they realize they are nearing the end. They speak things they couldn’t or wouldn’t say before, even to the powerful, because they realize they have nothing to lose. The message of repentance and forgiveness of sins through Jesus’ death on the cross has many powerful enemies. Sometimes those enemies are religious people, rebellious spirits and heretics. Sometimes those enemies are people of this world who worship their own personal desires and glory in their shame. It doesn’t matter how powerful the enemies are. God persists in speaking his truth and drawing our eyes to his Son, who will help us persevere to the end and speak truth to power.
The Beginning of the End—It’s Time to Speak Truth to Power

Pastor Dan Olson

Unexpected Truths—the Declaration of Independence speaks of “self-evident” truths—truths that seem obvious to human reason, such as the equality of all people and their God-given rights. The gospel, however, is not self-evident. Left to ourselves, we would never conclude that we are sinners, that salvation is by grace alone, or that God would save the world through the death and resurrection of his Son. These truths are not discovered by human wisdom but revealed by God in his Word.
Real Repentance Looks Different—It might be expected for someone to look sorry when they are caught doing something wrong. You might even see tears and hear words of apology. But you might not be surprised if the shock of being caught wears off and so does the intensity of the repentance.
Real repentance looks different. God doesn’t want us to simply go through religious motions like some sort of show. God’s desire is that our repentance would demonstrate sincere sorry over sin. It might be unexpected, but 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.
Unexpected Truths—Real Repentance Looks Different

Pastor Jason Enderle

Unexpected Truths—the Declaration of Independence speaks of “self-evident” truths—truths that seem obvious to human reason, such as the equality of all people and their God-given rights. The gospel, however, is not self-evident. Left to ourselves, we would never conclude that we are sinners, that salvation is by grace alone, or that God would save the world through the death and resurrection of his Son. These truths are not discovered by human wisdom but revealed by God in his Word.
Grace Is Amazing—Give a single bag of M&Ms to siblings in middle school and tell them to share. You will witness counting done with accounting-like precision. Each child will get an equal amount of candy because that is fair. That’s what’s expected! Human beings have an incredibly strong sense of fairness. That is why it can be so amazing when we see how God unexpectedly dispenses blessing and grace.
The prophet Jonah was perplexed when he saw God’s mercy on a nation that was an enemy to Jonah’s people. Like Jonah, we need to stop expecting God to be fair. He does not give us what we deserve. Instead, in his grace, he shows us mercy. That’s amazing!
Unexpected Truths—Grace Is Amazing

Missionary Andrew Johnston

Sent by Grace--God's mission begins with his grace. In love, he sent his Son into the world to save us. Through the good news of Jesus, he has called us to faith and made us his own. And now, as people who have received his grace, we are sent to share that same life-changing message with others.
Today we celebrate the mission of God—his work of bringing the gospel to people near and far—and the privilege he gives us to be part of that mission. Strengthened by his Word, forgiven through Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we rejoice in the grace we have received and in the opportunity to make that grace known.
“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” — John 20:21

Pastor Brett Ehlke

Unexpected Truths—the Declaration of Independence speaks of “self-evident” truths—truths that seem obvious to human reason, such as the equality of all people and their God-given rights. The gospel, however, is not self-evident. Left to ourselves, we would never conclude that we are sinners, that salvation is by grace alone, or that God would save the world through the death and resurrection of his Son. These truths are not discovered by human wisdom but revealed by God in his Word.
I Am My Brother’s Keeper—When danger strikes, most people instinctively move away from it. Fire, violence, accidents, and disasters trigger a natural desire to find protection and safety. Yet first responders do the opposite. Firefighters, police officers, and paramedics run toward the very scenes others are fleeing. They enter burning buildings, approach violent situations, and kneel beside the injured in chaotic moments. This response is unexpected because it goes against basic human instinct.
Today God calls us to be spiritual first responders when we see people in trouble because of sin. Instead of self-preservation and comfort, we choose service to them and to our Lord. Our motive is the grace of God and his desire for the salvation of all mankind.
Unexpected Truths—I Am My Brother’s Keeper