In John's Gospel we find a different way to talk about the Christ of Christmas. John writes about the Word that was with God, Jesus Christ, and how the world receives the Word.

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Merry Christmas! In this message recording at our Christmas Eve services, Pastor Paul talks about selfless love, about what it meant that Jesus was born and how the example of hair and watch chains can point us to selflessness this Christmas.

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Joseph deserves a better spot in the Christmas pageant next year. His faith is remarkable and his role in story of Jesus’ birth at Christmas is more important than we realize. Pastor Paul talks about why Joseph should get a speaking part next year.

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John the Baptist is one guy who should have had enough signs to believe that Jesus is the Messiah he’s been talking about, preparing the way for, yet he has doubts and questions for Jesus. What do we do with our doubts and questions? How do we experience Jesus present with us through faith? Pastor Paul talks about this in this week’s sermon.

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Why does John the Baptist’s message have to happen now? It’s almost Christmas. “Repent! The Kingdom of Heaven has come near!” What do we need to hear this week in response to this call to repent? Pastor Paul suggests that we need to remember that each day we are invited anew into relationship with God as we repent and remember our baptism.

 

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Advent begins and we are called to lean into awe, to spend time reflecting on our need for a savior, and to consider how we respond to the greatest gift of all in the coming of Jesus Christ. 

 

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Christ the King Sunday seems to come a strange time of the year. We can just about smell the turnkey of Thanksgiving and Christmas has already surrounded at the front of our minds. What do we need to hear today? What do we need to learn as we prepare the way for Christ once more?

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What will be a sign? When will it happen? We’d love to know when things will happen. It gives us a sense of control, right? In today’s message, Pastor Paul suggests It’s not about knowing when, but about what we do while we wait. Plant apple trees.

 

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You are FREE! No, really, you are FREE! What will you do with your freedom? Guest preacher, Bishop Kevin Jones of the Northeastern Iowa Synod, ELCA asks us to align ourselves with Christ at work in our world on Reformation Sunday at Lord of Life.

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Pray without giving up. Jesus is nearing Jerusalem and along the way is teaching his disciples to pray without giving up. What can we learn from Jesus’ teaching for our own lives? If Jesus needed to pray all the time, how much more do we need to pray?

 

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