Sermon for 3/8/26: Third Sunday in Lent (A)

CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

The Well Is Deep
John 4:5-26

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Without water, nothing can live. Two-thirds of the earth is made up of water. 75% of the human body is water. Ultimately, even the desert camel must drink water, or it will die. Water is essential to life. Some might even say that water is life.

One can surely understand why Jesus sat down by the well. He was tired after traveling through Samaria. In the warm, dry climate, Jesus was tired and undoubtedly thirsty. The sun was no doubt high in the sky, beating down on Him. While He sat by the well, a Samaritan woman came to draw water. This is unusual. It was about 12 noon, the sixth hour. Water was usually drawn from the village wells in the cool of the early morning, and again in the evening. Seldom did someone come to the well in the heat of the day to draw water.

Nevertheless, this woman comes to get water; and there sits Jesus. Certainly, it would have been out of place for a woman to initiate conversation. She was also a Samaritan, whom the Jews regarded as “half-breeds” and held in contempt. In the eyes of the culture, this woman was to be disregarded. Yet, Jesus ignores all of that. He says to this woman, “Will you give me a drink?” The woman replies, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” In effect, she wanted to know what was wrong with this guy.

But the Samaritan woman is thirsty, too. Jesus wanted her to recognize her spiritual thirst, to see Him as the One who is the Giver of living water, eternal life. As we encounter Jesus in His Word today, we also must consider our own thirst—not thirst for earthly water, but for living water. Jesus says, “If you knew the gift of God, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” As Christians, we’d like to think that we do know God’s gift and who it is that is the Giver of those gifts. We’d like to think we ask that Giver for living water.

But we don’t always. How can that be true? It is true because of sin. Sin clouds our spiritual thinking. Sin separates us from God and from desiring the gifts of God. Sin has left us spiritually parched, dead in trespasses. We were dead to God. There was no desire for the gifts of God, no longing for God. This estrangement from God accounts for all the griefs and sorrows, worries and heartaches, the restlessness and unhappiness, the despondency and despair of the human heart.

Sin causes us to thirst for the things of this world that please our sinful nature. We thirst for that which can satisfy our sinful cravings. We desire wealth and power, money and popularity, advancement at work, success in school, thinking these things can make us truly happy. We desire to better ourselves by any means possible, whether that means speaking lies against a co-worker or classmate, cheating on a test in school, or being lazy at work. Do we know the gift of God? Do we ask Jesus for living water?

Left to ourselves, our sinful nature does not let us understand and know the gift of God. Satan and the world influence us not to ask Jesus for His gift of living water. So we thirst. We are spiritually thirsty people. God in His mercy does not want us to die of spiritual thirst because of our sins. So out of His great love for sinners, God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, into our sin-filled world. Jesus became subject to human need, even to thirst.

As our Lord hung on the cross, bleeding and dying, John tells us that Jesus said, “I thirst.” Jesus became thirsty for you so that you would never thirst again. The very living water, Jesus Christ, thirsted as He hung on the cross, bearing our sin and enduring our death. Burdened with our sin, Jesus became sin for us. We can certainly say that on the cross, Jesus became spiritually thirsty too, as our sins were upon Him.

Jesus gave us His life on the cross so that you would have life forever with God. This life was for not only for the Jews; it was for the the Samaritans and the Gentiles—indeed, it is for all who are spiritually thirsting because of sin. That life is for you. By God’s grace alone, your sins are forgiven because of Jesus. You have new life through the living of Holy Baptism. As a Baptized child of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, you are given faith which trusts Jesus as your Savior. Because of that faith, Christ has become a spring of water welling up in you to eternal life.

You no longer thirst, for Jesus has given you His living water. His death on the cross has quenched your spiritual thirst. While we were still sinners, when we didn’t deserve forgiveness, Jesus died to save us. It is by grace, through faith, that you have been saved. His living water is truly a gift of God.

As we continue our Lenten journey to the cross, remember the living water of forgiveness and life which has been given to you. Because of Jesus, we no longer thirst. His love and mercy as He gave up His life for us has quenched our thirst better than any earthly water. The living water Jesus has given to you is a spring of water welling up to eternal life…and the well is deep. In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

 

HYMN: Born from Above into the Kingdom

One of the few benefits of being a pastor without a congregation to serve is that I get to hear other pastors preach from time to time. That can be a mixed blessing, because pastors often make the worst listeners when it comes to sermons. (I'm no exception. It's not so much that I critique; it's more that I find my mind wandering.) That being said, when I find a good preacher to listen to, not only is it edifying for the soul; as a writer, I find good sermons inspire me to write hymn texts. Pastor Rick Stuckwisch affects me that way, for example, so I find myself on his blog when I’m in a dry spell. 

I’ve been attending Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where God has placed the Reverend Paul Anderson. Pastor Anderson is a brilliant man and an excellent preacher. This past Sunday and then again this evening, he preached on John 3:1-17. Fed by the words and the Supper, I was inspired to write. The suggested tune is ICH WILL DICH LIEBEN, which is the tune for Lutheran Service Book hymn 694, “Thee Will I Love, My Strength, My Tower.” 

And yes, I committed the cliche, the cardinal hymn writer's sin of rhyming "love" and "above." I do my best to avoid that when possible; we'll see if I can eliminate that in the next draft.

This is a rough first draft. As always, feedback is love.

Born from Above into the Kingdom

1. Born from above into the Kingdom;

Born from above: I’m God’s own child. 

I’m born of water and the Spirit,

No more my soul by sin defiled. 

Through faith in what I cannot see

Christ gives new life to me. 

2. Born from above in worded water,

Made new in that baptismal flood;

In bread and wine new life I’m given:

Christ’s perfect flesh and holy blood. 

These gifts the Father’s love reveal:

Christ’s blood the sign and seal. 

3. Born from above in absolution:

My pastor speaks Christ’s grace to me

Born from above in Gospel preaching:

The Word in flesh has made me free. 

I’m born again, born from above,

Through my Redeemer’s love. 

4. Lord, grant that I may come in daylight,

And may my faith be unashamed. 

Help me to make a good confession

And praise the Christ for whom I’m named. 

Now, newly born, dear Lord, I pray,

Renew me every day. 

98 98 86

ICH WILL DICH LIEBEN (LSB 694)

Lent 2a; John 3:1-17; New Life in Christ

HYMN: How Long, O Lord, Will You Forget

I am not particularly good at judging the merit of my own work. This is true across most aspects of my work as a writer. Or any of my work, for that matter, considering how I seem to be received by those whose responsibility it has been to be my greatest sources of feedback and support...but that's another matter. Anyway, I was thinking about my most recent hymn text, "How Long Will You Forget," which I posted not too long ago. It's not a bad text, as far as it goes, but it could be better. I decided to start over with the same base text, Psalm 13, and try a different meter. So I moved from a 66 77 77 scheme to Long Meter, which is 88 88. I went from 18 lines to 16, but it enabled me to emphasize some thoughts in a different way. The new text uses the tune WINDHAM, which is hymn 429 in Lutheran Service Book, "We Sing the Praise of Him Who Died."

Compare the two and let me know what you think. Feedback is love.

How Long, O Lord, Will You Forget

1. How long, O Lord, will You forget?

Your servant is by grief beset.

Your face from me is turned away.

My heart is anguished all the day.

2. As vengeful enemies rejoice, 

I long to hear Your wondrous voice.

In boundless grace be near to me.

Consider, Lord, and answer me.

3. Oh, silence every fearsome foe.

Preserve my life from death and woe.

I trust Your steadfast love, O Lord,

Revealed through Your most holy Word.

4. My Savior dear, Lord Jesus Christ,

Who for my sake was sacrificed,

Forever I will sing Your praise

For blessings shown through endless days. 

LM (88 88)

WINDHAM (LSB 429)

Psalm 13; Tribulation

HYMN: How Long Will You Forget?

Once again I find myself in the unexpected and sad situation of being a pastor without a congregation to serve. It's a long story, one I'm not exactly ready to tell. But after the axe fell, one of my pastor colleagues—thank God for faithful brothers who provided support, encouragement, and prayers in the midst of heartache—encouraged me to meditate upon Psalm 13 in my devotions. The benefit of considering King David's prayers in the midst of my own is that a fellow sinner dares to all but yell at God in the midst of difficulties he largely brought upon himself. It's not so much that it's right to be angry with God, but with David I can see how anger and frustration turn into acceptance, then hope, and finally joy.

Anyway, as I considered Psalm 13, an idea for a hymn version of the Psalm came to mind. What appears below bears little resemblance to that first idea, but the juices started to flow nonetheless. The suggested tune for now for this text, AUF MEINEN LIEBEN GOTT, is the tune for the beautiful hymn "In God, My Faithful God," hymn 745 in Lutheran Service Book. 

As always, feedback is love.

How Long Will You Forget?

1. How long will You forget?

Your servant is beset. 

Your face from me is taken. 

Am I to be forsaken?

My soul persists in anguish;

Apart from You, I languish. 

2. I long to hear Your voice

As enemies rejoice. 

Consider, Lord, and hear me!

In boundless grace be near me!

Oh, let me not be shaken. 

Let joy in me awaken. 

3. Your steadfast love I trust,

For You are true and just. 

O Christ, my faithful Savior,

Your praise I sing forever,

Before my foes confessing

Your bounty as my blessing. 

66 77 77

AUF MEINEN LIEBEN GOTT (LSB 745)

Psalm 13; Tribulation

Sermon for 12/28/25: The Sunday After Christmas (a)

CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

The Paradox of Christmas
Matthew 2:13-23

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
 

According to Webster's dictionary, a paradox is "that which is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is true." An example of a paradoxical statement would be, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." The Christmas season is full of paradoxes. A virgin has a baby. God lies in a manger. The incarnate King of the universe is first worshiped by lowly shepherds.

 And in our text, we see this paradox: In Christ, God is both vulnerable and almighty. He is controlled by circumstances, and yet He is in control of everything. Today we are going to look more deeply at this reality and discover that within this paradox there is a great deal of comfort to be found for our own often paradoxical lives.

 One thing that comes through loud and clear in this passage is that Jesus was vulnerable, at risk. You recall that when King Herod found out from the Wise Men that another King had been born, he was fearful for his throne. He tried to use the Wise Men to find Jesus so that he could have Him killed. But when that plan failed, Herod flew into a rage. Because Jesus was at least a year old at this time, he ordered that all male children in Bethlehem two years of age and under be slaughtered. As this was about to happen, Joseph was warned by an angel to flee to Egypt. Imagine that: the Son of God having to escape under the cover of darkness, being rescued from a murderous monarch by a frightened father and mother. Joseph did as the angel said, and they took up residence to the south in Egypt until the death of Herod not long afterwards. God's eternal will was being carried out.

 All of this, then, eventually brings us to the cross. If there is anything in the Scriptures which epitomizes both the almighty-ness of God and the vulnerability of God, it is the crucifixion of Jesus. On the one hand we know that the cross was a part of God's plan from the beginning. It was His will that Calvary take place. And yet, when it actually happened, God the Son was utterly helpless. No escape occurred this time. There He was, so horribly vulnerable to the taunting and the nails and the spear and death–completely despised and rejected. Nevertheless, through that almighty vulnerability, God paid the full price for our sins and brought eternal life to all who dare to place their confidence in Him.

 And that brings us to the place where we can apply all of this very specifically to our own lives. Since we have been joined to Christ by water and the Word and made members of His body through faith in Him, we should certainly expect to experience His almighty-ness and His vulnerability in our own lives as well. Our lives are also often characterized by vulnerability. Much of what happens to us is beyond our control and seems random. Some have had loved ones die recently. Others have been having a rough time of it in their families. Still others have been struggling with tough situations at work or in their neighborhoods. There often doesn't seem to be much order to the way things happen in our lives.

 And yet into the midst of this messy and complex world comes God's Word to us in Romans 8: "In everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." Not only in our Lord’s day, but also still today, God is active in human history working out His good and perfect will. Now that is not to say that God is the cause of sin or evil or trouble. Certainly not! Nevertheless, God is not above delving into this sinful world to direct all things for the sake of His chosen ones. God is truly working for good in our lives. For we know that we were "called according to His purpose" in Holy Baptism, made to be His sons and daughters through water and the Word, all our sin being washed away. And so we believe in the midst of our human vulnerability that God is indeed working for our good.

 In those times when you can't make sense of things, when there seems to be no valid purpose or meaning to what's going on in your lives, God points your eyes again to the cross. For there in that senseless and yet most meaningful death of Jesus, you are assured that God's love for you is limitless and unshakable. There is nothing in all of creation that can separate you from Him and His love in Christ Jesus. In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

 

Sermon for 12/25/25: Nativity of Our Lord

CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

Not Alone; Not in the Dark
John 1:1-18 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

 

An amazing thing happened a couple of days ago, though it likely went unnoticed by most. We reached and passed the Winter Solstice, and now our northern hemisphere tilts just a bit nearer the sun. Each day we receive a few more moments of sunlight; it will soon be Spring. And yet, we must still travel through the dreary days of January, as well as February’s flirtation with spring. The Solstice has come and gone, but it’s not quite Spring yet. Indeed, our coldest days are likely still ahead.

Men walk about this cold, dark, and sinful sphere of pain, regretting the past and afraid of the future: hopeless, despairing, frustrated, and alone, if only with their thoughts. Their souls are as gray and gloomy as the winter skies. They are the living dead. Their guilt seems too much to bear. They cope through denial. They strive to forget. They hide. They run. They pretend. They strike back with cruelty and violence. They want to kill whatever remains in them that feels or can still be hurt. Ask them how they feel about life, and what they think of God; it is bleak and dismal and ugly. Do not think that they are the exception from humanity; do not think that man is basically good. No, this is man without God, and there is at least a bit of this infection in all of us, however much we may try to cover up what we really are.

Fallen man is cursed with an emptiness that has been left in him by rebellion against God. It is a deadly ignorance, which even the animal creatures in this world cannot experience. It is man’s foolish and shameful ignorance alone. In this regard, the wild beasts are wiser than men. Men are infected with sin. We are twisted in on ourselves. Sin is killing us as surely as death itself.

Sins, popular or not, great or small, afflict and torture us. They are not innocent. They are both the problem and the symptom. There are no “little white lies,” no “meaningless affairs,” no suitable “lesser evils,” no “small vices.” Our sins, our most grievous faults, our wicked desires and selfish motives, deepen the chasm that exists between us and happiness, between us and righteousness, between us and God. Men have chosen darkness, and we have deserved what darkness renders. We are dead, and on our own there is no hope. We are perpetrators, willing and intentional sinners. We have gossiped and lied, backstabbed and plotted, craved evil things, thought dark and cruel thoughts. We are shameful and guilty. We cannot stand on our own before the blinding glory of God’s holiness. We are despicable and disgusting, and, humanly speaking, impossible to love. Merry Christmas, huh?

But we are not alone, and that is a very good thing. There is One who is in every way what we were created to be: Jesus Christ, the Word who “became flesh to dwell among us.” He became Man, and yet He remained pure and holy, merciful and gracious, kind, compassionate, and forgiving. He was true Man more true than any other, for He lives as we were created to live; He is all that Adam should have been for Eve and his children. He was born to rule this world as the Prince of peace.

And this is how our King chooses to rule: “To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given...” He does not rule by power or might, nor by force or violence, nor by coercion or popularity; He enforces His gracious rule by sacrifice, by forgiveness and grace. There was no room for Him in the inn so that there would be room for us in heaven. He was born to die, to be a sacrifice, to be the Light of man and beat back the night, to shut the devil’s mouth, to rob the grave of its victory, to be God with us in flesh.

Here is the real miracle of Christmas: The Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, loves us. Jesus is Immanuel—God with us as the flesh-and-blood embodiment of that love. All things are possible for Him who took up our flesh. He chooses of His own gracious will to love us. Love was born of Mary, according to the flesh, in those humble circumstances Luke describes in his Gospel. But the One born in flesh that night is the only-begotten of the Father from eternity. He did not come to exist in that moment of the angel’s announcement to Mary; He has always been. But in that moment, when Gabriel told Mary the Good News, God became Man. He took up our flesh to live our life and die our death, to rise again for our justification, to love us, to free us, to make us clean and holy, to redeem us.

We are gaining sunlight every day. The Solstice marks the turn. It promises a future free of cold. If it is Winter, then Spring is coming. If it is Christmas, then Easter cannot be far away. And if that is the Spring, then His return in glory is the warm and peaceful Summer. And that glorious day will soon be upon us, too. For we are not alone. God is with us. God is One of us to save us. On this day we stand in His grace, righteous in Christ, adopted as His beloved, forgiven of all sins, bearing His holy name. We are not alone. We are not afraid. We have hope. For we have a Savior. He is Christ the Lord, proclaimed by angels, worshiped by shepherds, and adored by us this day, where He bestows the life we so desperately need. In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 
The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.

Sermon for 12/24/25: Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord

CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

Here is the hymn text for this sermon.

Fear Not: Shepherds and Saints

Luke 2:8-20

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

  

          The shepherds knew a thing or two about fear, and they certainly had reason to know about fear. After all, tending the flock involved many dangers. The sheep themselves are stupid animals, just as likely to run in the opposite direction or even trample the shepherd as to go where the shepherd leads. And, of course, there are the wolves looking for dinner; they want the sheep, of course, but they’ll settle for the shepherd. The nights were long and cold and dark, conditions with plenty of inherent dangers. So if they allowed themselves to think about it, these men had plenty of reasons to be afraid. And that’s all before the angels show up—you remember: those angels that bear no resemblance to the Hallmark figurines; those angels who reflect the glory of the righteous God; those terrifying angels who bear the Word of God as a flaming, two-edged sword.

          And these shepherds were, at best, ordinary men. Being a shepherd did not require an advanced degree in theology, or even a degree in shepherding. It didn’t require jewelry or fancy clothing, though warm clothing would certainly help some nights. It didn’t require a way with words, though it did help if you spoke gently to the sheep so they would recognize your voice. It did require physical fitness to keep up with the sheep, sometimes to carry a sheep, and to be able to fight off wolves and thieves. Ordinary men—and sometimes just boys—these shepherds would have no reason to expect that God would have a special message for them. After all, they already knew the Ten Commandments, and they heard the rabbi teaching God’s Word. For such simple men, that was their theological education. The shepherds were ordinary people just like us—maybe even more ordinary.

          So why does this divine message come to these humble shepherds? Why should the shepherds cast off their fear at the appearance of this divine messenger and his heavenly host? The angel gives us the answer. The message that the angel delivers is “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” The others who were visited by the angels might have seemed like regular people, but they had unique qualities or backgrounds which set them apart. Mary and Joseph may have seemed ordinary, but they were descended from King David himself. Zecharias may have seemed ordinary, but he was a member of the priesthood, selected to serve in the Temple. But these shepherds were the lowest of the low, and still the Lord sent messengers to them. On the other hand, we know Herod was afraid; he thought Jesus had come to steal his throne. The angel doesn’t come to reassure Herod. The high priests, Pharisees, and other religious leaders should be afraid; Jesus had come to do away with their false piety of and lead the people to the true Temple: His own body and blood. But the angel didn’t come to them, either. He came to these shepherds. So the message isn’t only for those the world sees as special people. The message isn’t only for the ruling class. The message isn’t only for religious leaders. It’s for all people, even the humblest shepherd. This is truly “good tidings of great joy,” for Jesus is a Savior for all people.

          This joyful message, first given to humble shepherds, is for all humble sinners. It is for us: sinners who kneel before our Lord and admit that we have sinned; sinners who admit that we fall short of God’s glory; sinners who admit that we deserve only present and eternal punishment—sinners who have been made saints in the waters of Holy Baptism. This joyful message is for shepherds, for doctors and nurses, for prison workers, for teachers, for students, for farmers, for mayors and judges, even for pastors! “Unto you”—unto each of you sitting in this holy sanctuary this evening, and to me, as well—“Unto you is born…a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Unto sinners is coming the Savior. He is coming to bring “peace, goodwill toward men.” How will He do that? He has come to bear your sins; He has come to die, and in that death He gives us that peace which the world cannot give: true peace, peace between the holy Father and redeemed sinners, now made saints in our Lord Jesus Christ.

          Dearly beloved children of God, it is my privilege and pleasure as a humble messenger of God to bring you good tidings of great joy, which is for you, for your neighbor, for all people. Born to you is your King, your Temple, your Refuge and Strength. Born to you is your Savior. He is Christ the Lord. Do not be afraid! In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

 

Sermon for 11/16/25: Twenty-Second Sunday After Trinity

CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

CLICK HERE for the service video.

What Must We Do?
Micah 6:6-8
 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. 

 

It is man’s natural inclination to want to do something to earn God’s favor. By nature, man knows that there’s a problem; by nature, man knows that he’s a sinner. So by nature, man also knows to try and fix the problem; to mend the fracture and make things all better. “With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” Israel certainly knows better. God Himself has made the answers to these questions abundantly clear, again and again and again. This is just stubborn foolishness and stupidity on full display. It’s enough to make God very frustrated and angry!

In the verses before our text, God Himself speaks to Israel, and He’s not happy. Micah gives us the image of a courtroom; God, the prosecuting attorney, questions the criminal defendant Israel. “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, O you mountains, the Lord’s complaint, and you strong foundations of the earth; for the Lord has a complaint against His people, and He will contend with Israel. O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me.” God then lays out examples from their past where He has delivered them, not because they deserved it or earned it, but because they were poor and miserable. “Exhibit A: ‘I brought you up from the land of Egypt; I redeemed you from the house of bondage.’ Exhibit B: ‘I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam…’ as my voice; I have never forsaken you. Exhibit C: ‘Remember Balak king of Moab.’ Remember how I turned his wicked plans into your blessings. The evidence is clear. Why do you keep doing what you’re doing? Do you not hear Me? Do you not care?”

This is when Israel looks up from their phones and asks Micah, “Man…God sounds angry. What do we need to do to get back in His good graces?” You can almost hear Micah’s eyeroll. “God has already told you. ‘He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?’ What does the Lord require of you but to simply live faithfully; to be just and right; to rebuke sin and praise righteousness? What does the Lord require of you but to love as you’ve already been loved by Him?”

They just didn’t get it. And as we look throughout Scripture, this was a recurring problem. “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What must we do to be saved?” How do we make things right? Ever since the fall into sin in the Garden of Eden, man has been trying to figure out the answer.

Do not look down your noses, because we’re not immune to this foolishness. We think foolish things about God, too. “What can I do to get a little good karma headed in my direction?” “What can I do to get back on God’s good side?” “If I put more in the offering plate, do you think that would win God over?” “How can I know God’s purpose for my life?” “What do I have to do in order to be a good Christian?” “What do I need to do in order to get a little peace and joy in my life?” “Am I going to heaven?” “Why is this happening to me?” “Don’t you care, God? Don’t you see?”

The answer to such foolish questions is simple, and I know you already know it. After all, I’m speaking to a bunch of Christians. You may not like the answer, precisely because it’s so simple, but this is the answer. Look here! Look to the cross of Jesus Christ! “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Behold! “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son…” In Him and because of Him, it is finished! You are saved by His grace, His mercy, His cross-shaped love. Here is all of God’s wrath against sin; here is God’s love for you. Here is God’s love for the world. Go and share and proclaim this life-giving Word to anyone who is a sinner who Christ loved enough to die for! Go and tell all that Christ has done for you!

It’s that simple! And praise God that it is! May He grant us the wisdom and humility of faith to simply believe Him, hold fast to Him, and proclaim His Truth in all our daily thoughts, words, and deeds. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.