Berwyn Talk Forum

I have talked with the Pastor about sharing his weekly sermons in this forum.  He will email them to me, and I will post them for you.  I hope they will inspire you, entertain you, make you think, make you laugh and make you reflect on the presence of Jesus in your lives.

Mark Matthews is the Pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church
3144 S. Home Ave.
Berwyn, IL

Services are at 8:30 am & 11:00 am every Sunday, with alternating Communion Services.

Sunday school and adult Bible classes are scheduled in between services.  All are welcome to attend.

A special Women's Bible study is held Thursdays during the school year at 1pm in the Preschool Room.  Mothers are welcome to bring their small children to play in the room while they are meeting.

May 1, 2005.."A Member of The Family" 1 Peter 3

This has been a real "family" week for me. Last Sunday, we had a surprise birthday dinner for Mrs. Matthews and I secretly invited her sisters. She was overjoyed; after all, they're family. This past week I conducted a funeral service for a little three-year-old who tragically died. He was a Baptized member of Concordia. He was family. Yesterday we were in Grand Rapids. My Godson, Marcus graduated from college. Had to be there, after all, he's family.

It seems to me that we become part of a family in one of two ways, either by blood or by heart. We are born into a family by blood with parents, siblings, cousins, grandparents, etc. Then we often choose to be a part of a family, as we love special people in our lives; co-workers, fellow church members, neighbors, etc. We become family together in our hearts. To want to be in some sort of family is a natural need that we all have. God has planned it that way from creation when He first made Adam and Eve as His family.  God created the concept of family to be a blessing and a comfort in our lives.

One family of God we know about from the Bible is Noah and his family. Noah had three married sons. In Genesis we read that the world was so evil God wanted to erase the sin and the people, and start over. As He looked around the world He had created to be His family, only eight people in the entire world loved Him back. God had only eight family members in this sin-filled world. When He sent the Flood, these eight and the animals were the only ones who were saved. God took care of Noah, his wife, and family because they were God's family.

Sad to say, because of our sinful nature, we all have chosen not to be a part of God's family. Though God made us to be His family and wants us close, we don't want His Name or to be identified with Him. We tell ourselves that it seems a lot more fun to be on our own rather than tied to God, His church, His Word, etc. We choose to turn our back on Him and walk away. "Take me out of the will, God" "I don't need anything from You" "I'll make a name for myself, I don't need Yours!"

This might seem like fun at first, but what we eventually find is that life apart from God's family is a life in a dysfunctional family. Apart from the Lord, we live only for ourselves, our wants, and our pleasures. In this dysfunctional family of sin there is no forgiveness, often lots of anger, disrespect, intimidation, no communication, and lots of negativity. If this sounds like your life, and you're feeling cold, rejected, and alone, it might mean that you're living in the wrong family.

This saddens God because He made you to be His. He wants you back in the family so badly that He would pay any price to bring you back. His love for you was so great that He sent His Son, Jesus to pay the price by the shedding of His blood on the cross, to buy you back from your dysfunctional family of sin. By His blood, Jesus redeemed us, bought us back, cleaned us up, to be members of the family again. Through faith in Jesus in our hearts, we are His adopted sons and daughters, back in the family, our names are back in the will, loved, welcomed, finding great worth, hope, joy, and all those things that family is supposed to be.   

By Jesus' blood, we are adopted members of God's family. Through faith and love in our hearts we respond as family members, thanking Him through worship, prayer, Bible Study, and forgiving each other as God has forgiven us. What a comfort to hear Jesus say, "Come, be with Me forever. After all, you're a member of the family."  Amen...Pastor Matthews

May 22, 2005..Trinity Sunday.."What's Most Important?"

The story is told of a lady who bought a talking parrot. She brought it back to the store the next day saying that it didn't speak. The clerk suggested a mirror. Parrots like to talk to their reflection. Next day, she's back again, nothing. He suggested she buy a little ladder. They love to walk up and down and talk. Next day, nothing! Try a swing, he suggested. They are happy when they swing. The next day she returned with a sad face. The parrot had died. Nothing worked! "I'm sorry," the clerk replied. "Did he ever say anything?" "Well," the lady replied, "Just before he died, in a weak little voice he said, "Don't they sell food at that store?' In the midst of everything else, she forgot what was most important.

I think we can identify with the lady in our story. God has told us again and again what's most important, but we just don't seem to hear Him or to care. We read in Matthew 22 the words of Jesus to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of our soul, all of your mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Commandment Number One also tells us to have no other Gods. Pretty straight forward. There is no room for confusion in this one! Jesus says give God ALL, not part of, not a section of, not a token amount. Love your neighbor by sharing the Good News of salvation through faith in Jesus. When God is Number One, then we have won.

Because of our pride-filled, sinful nature, we want to be Numero Uno with everything and everyone following behind. "You're not the boss of me, now" the song goes. We want God around, but only at our call, our need, our desires. We are looking for what some preachers preach about today, a "VENDING MACHINE GOD." God sort of sits around, twiddling His thumbs, waiting for a little of our time, our energy, our money to be thrown His way, and then He gladly coughs out the blessings. This means that we have His goodies, but we are still in charge. Like Adam and Eve, we aren't happy being close to God, we want to be God and enjoy the fruit too! However, Adam and Eve opened themselves to God's judgement and we do too. Our sin only leads to ultimate sadness and pain as we separate ourselves from the presence of God. When God is Number Two, then we are through!

The joy of Trinity Sunday lies in the fact that in spite of our sin, our God is totally committed to us and wants to bless all who love Him. We didn't know what was most important, but God did! God the Father Who created us wanted us with Him in heaven, so He is always there to love, protect, and guide us. God the Son sacrificed Himself on the cross so all who believe in Him have forgiveness of sins. God the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts through Word and Sacraments and brings us to a heavenly home. As God's children, we are of the greatest importance to Him. Faith responds in saying "Lord, You are Number One in my heart too."

I've mentioned before that we are all born with a hole in our hearts shaped like God. Once the Lord fills that hole, we are complete and find real peace, hope, and joy that were never there before. When trouble comes, and it will, and we struggle with our marriage, our family, our job, when people near and dear to us get sick, loved ones die, and life seems so empty and hopeless, how wonderful if we could remember what's most important. Sad to say, when troubles come, we try all the junk food that life offers first. We try to feel better by buying things, running away through drugs and alcohol, having pity parties, blaming others, living with guilt that eats away at our heart, and all the rest. These ultimately make us sicker and can lead to a dead end! The real answer is found when our faith in Jesus as our Lord is Number One. Psalm 34:8 tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good. We taste God through His Word, through His Body and Blood in Communion, through worship, and prayer. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Remember what's most important and dig in! amen..pastor matthews   

June 12, 2005… “Concordia’s Lemonade Stand”  Matthew 9

I heard a story of a group of children who set up a lemonade stand in front of their house. Maybe you did this as a child too. They were selling ice-cold lemonade for 25 cents a cup. A neighbor came by and wanted to help them out. He ordered a cup, gave them the quarter and began to walk away. With that, one child chased him down and asked if he was finished drinking yet. It seems that they only had one cup and they needed it back. It’s difficult to run a successful lemonade stand with one cup. The same can be said of a church. If the only time we offer to share God’s love is on a Sunday morning during a church service, it’s like a one-cup lemonade stand; nothing really wonderful will happen. 

When we read in Matthew 9 of Jesus calling His disciples, He never said that they should sit around the temple, hoping people will show up, then share that one cup of love at that time and in that place only. He told them to “GO.” GO to the lost sheep who need to hear of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. GO with your own cup of love to share. GO because one cup in one place doesn’t do the job.   

The Devil approves of a one-cup lemonade stand church because the message of Jesus as Savior stays at a worship service in the building. He’s willing to lose a couple of hundred at a church service in the building with their one cup, to gain thousands outside the building for eternal death. It’s a fair trade. You can share that one-cup of love in church, while family, friends, and neighbors go to hell. Satan loves it! He leads us to think that by going to church now and then, we are wonderful people! God is certainly pleased with you. Just keep it in the building!

Concordia is doing a good job of sharing that one-cup, in worship, in the building. Aside from our Preschool, Kindergarten, Sunday School, VBS, and Nursing Home services which actually dare to offer more cups of Jesus’ love to more people in an out of the building, we do our best to keep the love of Jesus contained. 

To keep Concordia a one-cup lemonade stand church, the following are needed:
#1..Don’t ever let others know that you are a Christian.
#2..Don’t ever invite a family member or friend to join you for worship.
#3..Don’t pray for a stronger faith and God’s strength.
#4..Stay away from Bible Classes and Bible Study.
#5..Let all meetings, activities, and gatherings focus on material, not spiritual things.
#6..Keep things like time, talents, and treasures for your own personal enjoyment.
#7..Hold on to grudges, past hurts and troubles, by refusing to forgive others.

This, of course, is not what our Lord wants from His people. The disciples found that trusting our Lord brought hope and joy in a hopeless world and they reached out to others.. Our world today is the same. So many see only the here and now and are filled with sadness, depression, and hopelessness. Hearing of a Savior Who loves you, died and rose for you, watches over you now and for eternity is life-changing! Jesus tells us to GO and bring the word of hope to a hopeless and sad world. How can we settle for less?

There is a wonderful legend about St. Francis, the 13th century monk. One day he called his vicar to join him as he traveled to another town for a preaching mission. As they traveled, there was a homeless man who was starving. St. Francis shared his food with him. Later there was a lady crying because she felt worthless, unloved, and a failure at life. St. Francis sat with her and told her of Jesus’ love and the forgiveness of sins won for her through the cross, and second chances that God gives us. This brought a smile to her face. Later, a man was lying by the side of the road with heat exhaustion. St. Francis offered his hat and water to comfort the man. As the sun was now setting, St. Francis and the vicar turned for home. The vicar asked, “I thought we were going to that town to preach to the people?”  St. Francis answered, “My young friend, that’s what we’ve been doing all day.”  So, do we want to stay here as a one-cup lemonade stand church or is it time to GO and share His love?   Amen..pastor matthews

June 5, 2005…”Confirming Your M & M’s”  Matthew 9

I always thought that M&M’s were made for me. After all, Mark Matthews, right? I came to learn that actually they were first out in 1941 by Mr. Forest Mars and Mr. Bruce Murie. They were very popular among the military in WWII because they were easy to keep and share with comrades. After these M&M’s, the Mars Company built a candy empire with many different selections.

Speaking about building, I read a story recently of Hurricane Andrew that swept through Florida in 1992 devastating everything. One area looked like a battle zone, except for one house that was left standing, firmly anchored to its foundation. The owner was asked why his home stood in the hurricane and he said that he had built it by the Florida code that said it would withstand a hurricane and sure enough it did! Building by the code made all the difference.

The first M in our M&M’s reminds of this too. As we build our lives by God’s code, His Word, His standards, we first begin with the Lord. “Follow Me” Jesus said. M if for Me, Jesus, the Messiah. The Messiah chosen by God to be our Substitute, taking the punishment for our sins on the cross so we have forgiveness and hope during the hurricanes of life.

Sadly, the world, our sin-filled nature, point us to other foundations. We don’t need Jesus, we need lots of money to stand on, or our good looks, or good health, or even fun as our foundations. No matter how good they seem to be, they can all easily crumble around us. We need the Rock of the Messiah, not the sands of this life. Recently, the Tower of Pisa, which was built some 800 years ago, underwent a $25 million renovation. The 185’ tower was leaning some 17’ in one direction. They soon realized that the tower was fine, but the sandy foundation was causing it to fall. Confirm in your life that your Messiah is indeed your Lord and Savior and with Jesus as your foundation, you will never fall.

When we do weaken, it’s difficult to fulfill the second M of our M&M’s, which Matthew 9 describes as showing Mercy. Mercy is the undeserved kindness God shows us that we in turn show others. This is the Ministry God has given to us all. M for Mercy or M for Ministry. Being the person God wants to be and showing Mercy can be very difficult and often involves trials and troubles.

I read a story about cod fishermen in the Northeast having trouble transporting the fish around the country. Everything they tried left the meat soggy and tasteless. Then they decided that by putting live cod in containers, each with one catfish, their natural enemy, great things happened. With the cod swimming around to avoid the catfish, they arrived healthy, strong, and with an even better taste. So it is as we live as Ministers of our Lord. The catfish God allows in our lives are there to strengthen our faith and Mercy. It’s easy to forgive and show Mercy to another cod, but to show mercy to a catfish, well that’s a whole different struggle for us. Whether you are a student, a teacher, a secretary, businessperson, retired, unemployed, whatever, our lives are our Ministry for our Lord. Hopefully, a ministry of Mercy to others as we share the Good News of our Messiah, Jesus..

John Beck was the chaplain for the Olympic Team years ago. He often commented that the Church of God should be like these trained, disciplined athletes, always striving for their best regardless of the pain. One day he was invited to watch the Special Olympics. These are young people who are challenged in many ways, physically, and mentally. A 100 yard dash took place with eight contestants. They took off together and were doing fine, when one child fell to the ground and began to cry. The other seven, not taking advantage like we might do to win, all stopped and came back to their friend. They lifted him, dried his tears, and together they walked to the finish line. Our world tells us to be Number One, these children showed what being Ministers was all about. They showed Mercy. This is indeed what God’s Church should be like.

As you carry your M&M’s, remember Messiah first, then your Ministry. They go hand in hand as you share the candy and share God’s love. Amen..pastor matthews

June 19, 2005 “I’ll Always Be There For You” Father’s Day

I read a beautiful story that happened in 1989 when the country of Armenia was flattened by an earthquake that killed some 30,000 people in less than four minutes. In the midst of the confusion, a father arriver at his son’s school only to find it flattened like a pancake. He remembered that he had always promised his son, “No matter what, I’ll always be there for you.” With tears in his eyes, he viewed this seemingly hopeless situation and remembered his words to his son. Knowing that his son’s room was in a rear corner, he went there and began digging in the rubble. Many others came and screamed at the loss of their children. Over and over firefighters and other rescue workers told him to stop and go home. He never stopped pulling one rock away, then another. He dug for 8 hours, then for 12, then for 36 hours. Finally, after some 38 hours, he pulled back a boulder and heard his son’s voice. “Armand” he cried. “Dad, it’s me!” “I told the other kids that you promised to save me and they didn’t have to worry, you would save them too.” “Here you are, Dad. You kept your promise.”

Just as with the father in the story, our loving God has made that same promise to you. In Joshua 1, our heavenly Father says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Our Lord Jesus reflects His Father’s promise when in Matthew 28 He tells us, “I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.”  What an amazing promise that is for us.

We live in a world that is so lonely that people need to know that someone will be there. People can be physically alone, emotionally alone, and spiritually alone. We try T.V. or the radio, or even pets for company. They might help a little. Our faith is often so weak that we don’t even know if God is always there. When we are feeling abandoned, depressed, falling behind in paying bills, in need of a job, trying to pay for meds, we wonder if God even cares, much less staying with us. The God we can’t see with our eyes is often experienced by the presence of special people. When there is a flesh and blood person there to encourage us, support us, smile at us, it can make a difference in our lives.   

Today I especially want to remind the guys, and of course all of us, that “always being there” for loved ones is a top priority. People who are physically alone need to have someone there. I heard recently, right or wrong, that some 90% of people in Nursing Homes have one or less visitors in a year. Is it any wonder that people waste away and die? If you have a Mom or Grandmom or loved one that you haven’t seen recently, they need to know someone is there. Go, make a call, make a visit!

Emotionally, all people often feel unloved and unappreciated. This can be all ages from childhood through senior years like me. I asked a couple recently going through some pre-marital counseling, “When is the last time you told one another that you were proud of them?”  They had no answer. When do we tell our children, spouse, and even an ex-spouse that they have done something good? When do we say, “I’m proud of you”? As children of God, we need to look past what the world says and try to always be there to support one another.

Spiritually, people need to be reassured that Jesus loves them, died for them, and is with them eternally. One of the best ways to reinforce the heavenly Father’s presence is by an earthly, father, grandfather, uncle or male role model’s presence in worship. Sending children to church or Sunday school is a cop-out. “What a great parent I am” we say as we drive away. BOLOGNA! Bringing them, staying with them can strengthens their love for the Lord and their commitment to Him and to His church.

I lost my Dad when I was only 17 years old. Though we only had a few years together, he was always there for me. That has made a difference in my growing up and in the kind of father I’ve tried to be. We are not perfect, but we have a heavenly Father Who understands, forgives, and strengthens us through Christ, our Lord. Like the little boy in our story we can tell the other kids and adults that we have a heavenly Father Who will always be there. He has saved me, He will save them too.
Amen..pastor matthews

 I read a story recently of a young college student who was writing a doctoral thesis and to do this, he had to spend one year with the Navajo Indians on a reservation in the Southwest. He lived there, ate with them, worked with them, and slept in their hut. He developed a strong friendship with an old grandmother, even though she couldn’t speak a word of English. They really bonded and spent lots of time together sharing a language of love and support. Over the year, he even learned some Navajo phrases and the old grandmother learned some English. When it was time to go back to school, the tribe held a going-away party for him that was filled with sadness for they had come to like him and would miss him. As he filled up his truck and prepared to go, the little grandmother came up to say good-bye. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she held his face in her hands and looked him in the eye and said, “I like me best when I’m with you.”

“I like me best when I’m with you” is a phrase we hopefully can share with loved ones, but especially with our Lord Jesus. “Jesus, I like me best when I’m with you.” We feel that way because our Lord brings out what’s best in us. When we are close to our Lord in faith, in worship, in prayer, in His Word, we find peace, hope, joy, and self-worth. The cares of this life go behind us as we look in His loving eyes. No matter what others may say or how rotten a sinner I have been, He forgives me and gives me a self-esteem that comes from Him, not our fickle world. He smiles at us with forgiveness in His eyes. As our faith grows through His Word and Sacraments we find that it’s so true, “Jesus, I like me best when I’m with You.”

The parable of the Sower and the Seed in Matthew 13 affirms this truth. For those who love the Lord and are open to His presence and His Word through faith, there is the joy of producing God-pleasing fruit. We can accomplish much for our Lord when “I like me best when I’m with You, Jesus.” Our faith can shine forth in many ways.  Those, on the other hand, who have rejected His Word of love and salvation through Christ our Lord, only dry up in God’s sight. Those who would rather look in the face of earthly rewards and values ultimately do not feel good about who they are and there is no spiritual fruit that pleases God.  When I’m with my favorite sin, I often like me least.

Knowing that “I like me best when I’m with Jesus” should encourage us to want to share the seed of that Good News of Jesus with others. Your family members, friends, neighbors who don’t feel good about who they are need to have the seed of God’s Word tossed their way. Those folks sitting next to you this morning who smile on the outside while crying on the inside need that seed of the Word of love tossed their way. Young and old alike in our world by the millions don’t like who they are because their worth is based on the world’s values, the words of others, and Satan’s accusations of hopelessness. Tossing the seed of the Word to them allows the Spirit of God to work forgiveness and hope in their hearts.

As you pray for others, as you invite them to worship, as you tell them that “you like you best when you’re with Jesus” because He died and rose to wash away your sins and open heaven for you. The Spirit can work faith and love in their hearts. The Holy Spirit can help them realize how true it is, “Jesus, I like me best when I’m with you.” We all need that love.
Amen…pastor matthews 

Singing “This Little Gospel Light Of Mine” reminds me of a story of a man who was dying in a dark hospital room. He told his two sons that he had a challenge for them. Whichever son could think of a way to fill the room in some way would receive his business. The first son thought of a feather pillow. He took the pillow and shook and shook. For a brief moment most of the room was filled with feathers, but they soon fell to the ground. The second son brought out a candle, turned off the lights, and lit the candle. As light filled the darkened room, his father, with a smile on his face, gladly turned the business over to him. A shining candle can make a big difference in the darkness.

In our reading from Matthew 13, we read that those who reject the Lord will be lost eternally and those who love the Lord will shine. Our world needs more light! Looking around, we see lots of darkness, sadness, and loss. We see children suffering during divorces..families breaking apart for dumb reasons..elderly folks feeling lost and alone..lots of tears..gloom and doom. Our sinful nature tells us, So What? If it’s not me or my family, who cares? I don’t need to get involved! I have enough hassles in my life. Just leave me alone! Let someone else do that stuff.

God’s people are the someone elses that do this job as they SHINE through faith in Jesus as Savior.. The acronym SHINE can tell us to SHARE HIS INNER NATURE EXTERNALLY.  This is great, but how do we do it? How do we SHINE like the Son, for the Son?

S is for Study. We can’t be like Jesus until we understand what Jesus is like. We find that in God’s Word. Revelation 1 tells us that blessed are those who read God’s Word, hear God’s Word, and take it to heart. Taking it to heart makes it a part of who you are so you trust it and it shows in your life. We SHINE through Bible Study.

H is for Hold His Name up in worship.  Our faithful worship that praises our Lord in Word and Sacraments blesses us too. Finding forgiveness of sins in our Baptism and Holy Communion holds up the Name of Jesus as Lord and Savior. Our music, words, offerings, and actions hold up Jesus Who died and rose for our salvation. We SHINE through faithful worship.

I is for Invite others to worship and activities. If Church activities are important to you, let others know as you invite them for worship or for fun-type activities. Vacation Bible School children invite and invite and invite. Some invite for spiritual reasons, others mostly for contest points. Regardless, their friends hear about a Savior Who loves them. This could be life changing for a child who has lived in darkness her whole life. If it would help, I’d give prizes for visitors brought too. Whatever it takes! Many of your friends live in the darkness of sin just hoping that you will invite them into the light. So??  We SHINE as we invite others.

N is for Nurture one another. People around us need a little piece of our time. Take a little time to talk with one another. Take a little time to encourage others in their life struggles. Those who are alone, those who are sick and dying, those who have lost loved ones, and so many more need a kind word of encouragement. I love you! Jesus loves you! You’re in my prayers. I was thinking about you. We SHINE as we nurture one another.

E is for Exude joy. Christians should be the happiest people on earth, for we have our sins washed away, a loving God Who is with us in our struggles, and a place in heaven. Yet when visitors look at you do they see the joy of the Lord or an apparent obstruction in your lower digestive tract?  Are you filled with the Master or Maalox?  Our Prophet, Priest, and King Jesus or Pepto-bismal? Hide it under a bushel? NO! Let it shine. Amen..pastor matthews

Having a Father who was a funeral director meant that my younger years were spent in places like funeral homes, morgues, and cemeteries. While wandering around cemeteries and looking at headstones, I still do that today; I found it fascinating to realize that a dash on a headstone between date of birth and death represented a whole life. If the person was 20, 50, or 100, their life was represented by that little dash. Recently I ran across a poem about this dash that I modified a little to make it more spiritual. I use this now and then at funerals if it's appropriate for the person's life. Here's a part of it;

I READ OF A MAN WHO STOOD TO SPEAK, AT THE FUNERAL OF A FRIEND.
HE REFERRED TO THE DATES ON THE TOMBSTONE, FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END. (Another verse goes)
FOR THE DASH REPRESENTS ALL THE TIME GOD GAVE UPON THIS EARTH. ONLY THOSE WHO FELT TRUE LOVE, KNOW WHAT THAT LITTLE LINE IS WORTH.
FOR IT MATTERS NOT HOW MUCH WE OWN; THE CARS, THE HOUSE, THE CASH. WHAT MATTERS IS OUR FAITH AND LOVE AND HOW WE SPENT OUR DASH.

For the child of God, these are the God-pleasing priorities. Faith and love for the Lord first, then for the blessings of this life. When our hearts' treasures are faithfully first with our Lord Who died and rose for our salvation, then on the treasures of family, friends, and stuff, we are promised that we will have all the treasures of heaven along with our loved ones for eternity. Matthew 6 promises that where are treasures are, there our hearts will be forever. When our Treasure is the Lord first, then others, we will have a heart that will live with Him eternally. 

Sadly, the opposite is also true. When we live only by our sinful nature, then our treasures are those things of this life. When Judgement Day comes and all earthly things are destroyed, our hearts will be destroyed eternally too. Where are treasures are, there our hearts will be too. For those who reject Jesus the poem goes;
FOR IT MATTERS LOTS HOW MUCH WE OWN; THE CARS, THE HOUSE, THE CASH. WE HAVE LITTLE TIME FOR FAITH AND LOVE AS WE SPEND OUR DASH. Because of sin, all things of this life that control us now will eventually corrode and waste away. A sin-filled heart tied to them will be lost in hell forever, too.

Knowing this, I pray that Jesus is your Living Lord and Savior; your Treasure.  He lives to forgive your sins when you confess and repent in faith. He lives to comfort you when you cry. He lives to give you hope when you hurt. As a child of God for you the poem read at your funeral will end:
SO WHEN YOUR EULOGY'S BEING READ, WITH YOUR LIFE'S ACTIONS TO REHASH, HOW PROUD OUR LORD WOULD BE, ABOUT HOW YOU SPENT YOUR DASH.  Amen..pastor matthews

August 14, 2005 "A Faith That Grows And Shows"  Matthew 15

There is a wonderful little story about a survivor of a shipwreck who washed up on a small, deserted island. He prayed and prayed for help, but none came. He worked hard gathering driftwood and made a small shelter to protect him from the elements. One day, after scavenging around the island for food, he returned to find the small shelter in flames, with smoke billowing to the sky. He was sad, hurt, and angry. Shaking his fist to heaven he cried out, "God, how can you do this to me?" Early the next morning he was awakened by the sound of a ship that had come to rescue him. The sad, tired man asked the Captain, "How did you know I was here?" "We saw your smoke signal," he answered. Like the man in the story, we find it easy to become discouraged when things go badly, but we need not lose heart because God is always working in the lives of His children, even through pain and suffering. When our shelters seem to be burning to the ground, it might just be a smoke signal for God's blessings that will be coming. 

The story in Matthew 15 of the Canaanite woman is such a story. Her daughter is going through a terrible experience, possessed by demons. The mother could have gotten angry, screamed, yelled, blamed God, etc. yet in her faith, she seeks out Jesus. After a small test of faith, Jesus assures her that her daughter would be healed and proceeds to praise her in front of everyone there by saying, "you have a great faith." Even during a time when her shelter was burning, this happens when loved ones suffer, doesn't it, her faith was growing stronger and showing through as she reached out to Jesus for the answer.

This week one of my funerals was for a member who showed a faith that would grow during painful times and show in many ways. This dear lady did not fear to be in the valley of the shadow of death because she knew that Jesus was her Light to guide and comfort her. Struggling with cancer can certainly be a burning shelter, but she knew Jesus suffered for her, died on the cross and rose for her. Her faith grew during her trials and troubles and showed through to family and friends as she continued to seek the Lord. The loss of her earthly shelter made way for the blessing of an eternal home in heaven.   

Like the man in our story, when our sinful nature takes over we all find it easy to blame God when our shelters burn. A burning shelter can be the loss of a loved one, health problems, financial difficulties, troubles, trials, and tensions that others bring on you. Our normal reaction, like the man on the island is to shake our fist at heaven and blame God, blame the church, hold on to anger, grudges, pity parties, and all the rest. We are filled with either anger or depression, fear or hopelessness as we look only to ourselves for answers.

The Canaanite woman, and our dear member have shown us the way. Their faith could grow and their faith would show, especially during burning shelter times. That hope and joy has to do with the focus of our faith. The Canaanite woman looked to Jesus as the Great Healer and found healing. Our dear member looked to Jesus as her Light, and she found that light. The Son of God is there for you. He died and rose to defeat death and the devil and all the burning shelters life can bring. As we worship, study His Word, attend Holy Communion, bring our little ones for Baptism, pray, etc., our faith will grow. Then we give God the thanks and the glory for all our unexpected and undeserved blessings and our faith shows through, especially when your shelter is burning. Amen..pastor matthews   

Juliet, just wanted to let you know I appreciate the posts.

There is a story of a Pastor using an object lesson for his sermon. He took four live worms and put each in a jar. The first was put in a jar of alcohol. The second was placed in a jar filled with cigarette smoke. The third placed in a jar of chocolate. The fourth placed in a jar with clean soil. Following the sermon, the worms were examined. The one in the alcohol was dead. The one in the cigarette smoke was dead. The one in the chocolate was dead. The one in the clean soil was alive. He then asked the congregation, "What does this show us?" A lady from the back called out, "If you drink, smoke, and eat chocolate you won't get worms!" Somehow, I don't think that she got the message he was trying to share.

In a similar way, Jesus asked His disciples if people are getting His message. Many have heard Jesus preach, seen His miracles, watched Him heal people, and all the rest. Now He asked them, "Who do people say I am?"  They answered that people believe Him to be a great spiritual leader, teacher, or maybe the reincarnation of a prophet.  They haven't gotten the message. Then He asked what the disciples believe about Him. Peter, usually bolder than the rest, spoke up that Jesus is the Savior, the Son of God. Jesus commended him for that response. 

Questions were one of Jesus' favorite ways of teaching.  In the Gospels, I believe that Jesus asked some 100 questions to see if people were getting the message. Let's pretend that Jesus has asked us a question this morning, "Are you a Christian or are you Christian?" "Of course I'm a Christian," we answer indignantly. " I'm a member of a church." " I have a Bible at home." " I know the Lord's Prayer by heart."  "I'm a better person than he is." " I even put a little in the offering."  These are nice, easy responses that even our sinful nature can appreciate. There is no commitment here, no sacrifice, no effort.

Jesus would tell us,  "You haven't gotten the message. Are you a Christian or are you Christian?"  To be a Christian is to believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior Who died and rose to forgive my sins and open heaven for me.  When we hold Christ in our hearts as a Christian, then we start to really take our faith in our Lord seriously and our life changes. Being Christian is the way we live that life of faith.   

As a Christian I've gotten the message that Jesus died for my sins. The blood was really shed for me. As Christian, I've gotten the message that Jesus wants us to serve Him in Church and outside of Church. He has blessed me in special ways that are needed by Concordia and by others too. If you love children, why aren't you helping with Sunday School or Confirmation Classes? If you have a heart for older folks, why are you not helping Visiting Outreach and those who go to Nursing Homes to share God's love?  When we ask "How can I serve the Lord here at Concordia," we're finally getting the message.

Some believe that committing to the Lord is like placing a $1000 bill on the altar for the Lord to use. "Here I am, I'm here for You." Actually, when we get the message we know that the Lord desires us to take that $1000 to the bank and exchange it for quarters. Each day we give away a little here and a little there. This could be a call to a friend who's hurting, a visit to a Nursing Home, a Prayer said, a note to someone who's ill, and offering a little of your time at Church. Jesus gave up everything for our salvation and has called us to live a life pleasing to Him. Which worm lived? Are you really living?  Got the message? Amen, pastor matthews

Juliet, I will be honest with you. I have not read much of what you posted here but I have to say that you are a good woman. You are doing a good thing. Keep it up.

It's not about me, but thank you anyway.  If just one person can find inspiration, comfort or peace from one of Pastor Matthews' sermons, then I am glad.

I believe that "have it your way" was coined by the Burger King people. We like the idea of food coming the way we like it. Burgers with cheese, onion, pickle, and brown mustard are my favorites. Mushroom and Swiss is good too. We have our favorite foods and our favorite restaurants. When we go to Lake Geneva, Mrs. Matthews loves the crème brulait at Houlihans and the Swedish pancakes with fruit at Scuttlebutt's.

The Bible talks about food many times. Adam and Eve enjoyed all the Garden of Eden offered. Moses and the Israelites had manna and quail sent by God. Elijah was tired and hungry and God sent angels to feed him. Jesus fed His disciples after Easter. I can't help but think that if those men who doubted Him had fish, maybe Jesus went to another part of the Lake and made scrambled eggs and waffles for the women who trusted Him.

We watch what we eat and try to select what's best. The food pyramid suggests fruits and veggies and lots of water. We schedule our meals so we can get two or three big ones each day or maybe three or four smaller ones. We choose a good setting for our meals. Not so much where, but who we are with. Doing Jury duty meant lunch alone, but when the kids are home, family meals are the best!

Not only do we read of food that's good for us physically in the Bible, but also spiritual food as well. Jeremiah talks of eating God's Word, taking it in for every part of him, and finding it to be a joy and his heart's delight. Ezekiel writes that we should not be rebellious, but eat what God gives us in His Word. Holy Communion brings us bread and wine, but also the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus suffered and died on the cross, came alive to pay the price for our evil. Holy Communion reassures us of that blessing as sins are forgiven.

For our spiritual health, we need to take in God's Word as food for our souls. We either take it in God's way or our way. Selecting the right food, God's way, brings us His Word the Bible, for love and support. If we did it our way, we'd rather take in the TV Guide, Paper, or our magazine at the checkout stand.   

Scheduling God's Word in our life is important. God's way would have us in His Word daily. We take it in a meal, or even as a snack when reading a devotional booklet. Our way would settle on once a week at church, or even once a month, depending on how often we attend.

The setting of our spiritual meal is important too. God's way would say that time alone with Jesus is fine. He would also encourage groups or classes that share the Good News of Jesus. Our way would not to do it at all. We're too busy for Bible study. It's not that important! It's just boring.

Sadly, a life of spiritual "our way" will lead to a sick faith, doubts and fears, and possibly eternal death. A spiritual diet of "His way" as Jeremiah wrote, leads to great joy, a stronger faith during tough times, and our heart's delight. Jesus loves us and always wants what's best for us, lets stay in the Word of God, His way. Amen...pastor matthews

Over the years, I'm sure many of you have visited the "Taste Of Chicago" Festival. As you know, you can buy a "taste" of what this or that restaurant offers. You can buy a "taste" of chicken, turkey, beef, whatever. They offer a "taste" of the complete menu of the restaurant.

I mention this because Hurricane Katrina that recently devastated the Southern United Sates left what I would call a "taste of hell" after the storm passed. Hell, as we know, is the place of eternal pain, loss, and separation from God for all those who have rejected our Lord.  Hell leaves us eternally hopeless and helpless. Hell is a place of eternal death, destruction, and disease. If you've ever suffered a serious burn, that pain is like hell. Wounds, paper cuts, and all the rest are a little like hell's pain.

The Hurricane left us a "taste of hell" in many ways. We see death, destruction, and disease all around. People are starving, suffering, being raped, robbed, and left for dead. A picture of a body floating on Elysian Ave., was interesting for me. In mythology, the Elysian Fields were the place of peace and harmony. This place of supposed earthly peace was now a place of death. Take the disease, death, and destruction, add snakes and alligators in polluted water to it..definitely a "taste of hell" for all who are there.

The one big difference between eternal hell and a "taste of hell" is that those down South have hope. Hell is hopeless! The people down South look for a sign of life and that sign for them is the Red Cross. The Red Cross means life. It brings food, water, and much needed medicine and support. The Red Cross brings hope and life to this "taste of hell."

Most of us understand that "taste of hell" in our lives. After all, hell has been around a long time. Adam and Eve knew hell when Cain killed his brother, Abel. History, with its wars, famines, and so on, give us an on-going taste of hell. The Romans liked to punish prisoners by shackling live people to dead ones. Every sight and smell was of rotting death for this prisoner. A definite "taste of hell."   Our Lord Jesus understood what hell was like as He suffered and died for our sins. He felt separation from God, a real hell. Jesus knew hell and so do we.

Many of us have suffered a "taste of hell" with death, disease, and destruction in our lives. We know the pain and hurt and helplessness it brings. We watch loved ones die, heard of a church member who fell from a tree and crushed parts of his spine. We know of families who are fighting. We choose to hold on to grudges, guilt, and blame that eat us up inside.  Thankfully, we have hope in our times of hell. Our hope is only in the Red Cross of our Lord Jesus. It is a Red Cross because it is stained with the blood of our Savior, Who died and rose for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus' Red Cross brings us hope in seemingly hopeless times. We try all types of other answers from alcohol to sex, yet only through the Cross is there real, lasting hope from our hell.

Through faith in our Lord, we can make it through the times we "taste" hell. The hope we have in the Red Cross of Jesus brings God's promise that though we "taste" hell in this life, and we will, there is a banquet for blessed, a feast for the faithful, a supper for the saved awaiting us in heaven.   Remember that Hell's terrible taste is only temporary but the sweetness of salvation is eternal.   Amen...pastor matthews

Life is full of changes. When Mrs. Matthews and I first dated, almost 40 years ago, we had lots of cheap dates. In fact, our first date was an ice cream cone at Petersen's. Things have changed. Last week Mrs. Matthews said to me, "Take me some place expensive!" So I did, I took her to a gas station! Life is full of changes.

Drawing from the Book of Ecclesiastes, the Turtles had the song, "Turn, Turn, Turn." many years ago, written by Wilson Phillips. Seasons change, life changes; a time to be born and a time to die, a time to laugh and a time to weep, a time for war and a time for peace, to everything there is a season the song tells us. As Fall approaches, the colors of the leaves will change, and turn brilliant. The weather will change and it will turn cold. In fact, the Jiffy Lube Company exists for one reason; change! The car runs better when your yucky oil is changed for clean stuff.

Isaiah, one of the first to encourage a Jiffy Lube for Israel, called to his people to change, to turn, turn, turn away from their evil and turn to the Lord in faith and find His forgiveness and joy. Seek the Lord, Call upon Him, Forsake your evil ways, and turn to Him for mercy and forgiveness Isaiah encouraged. Blessings from God are there for those who turn and trust Him.

Isaiah began by saying that we should use our energy to Seek the Lord. The opposite or sinful side is to simply care less where God is or even if He is. We would rather use our energy to seek after the world's goodies; money, fun, and power. Seeking God involves a new life that turns away from the world and takes energy to go in God's direction as we worship, read His Word, attend Holy Communion, etc. As our faith grows, we will be blessed with comfort and hope.

Call upon the Lord involves time for prayer. Our sin-filled nature doesn't have the time or the will to want to pray. Time spent in front of the TV, computer screen, and Gameboy is more important. These give us temporary pleasure at best. Prayer, communicating with God, on the other hand, brings lasting hope and joy for ourselves and for loved ones we pray for daily. Turning away from the screen and fixing our eyes on the cross reminds us that our Savior died and rose so we could talk with Him 24/7. This time spent brings us closer to Jesus in faith.

Forsaking our evil actions and thoughts is difficult because we like them. We all have our favorite sins that bring us pleasure in some way, at the expense of our soul or the expense of others. Turning away from evil thoughts and actions involves realizing that they do exist and that they weigh us down with guilt, worry, and pain. When we admit this to ourselves, confess to God that this evil is true for us, we begin walking in Jesus' footsteps and the burden gets lighter and lighter.

Repenting of our evil is what turn, turn, turn is all about. Repent means to go in a different direction. The fact that we all need to turn to God tells us that we are all poor, miserable sinners who are all walking away from Him in some way. Walking away from God only leads to an eternal crash and burn. God helps us change; turn, turn, turn, to Him. Through His Word and the Sacraments, God gives us not just a Jiffy Lube, but a Jesus Lube. Jesus came to earth for one purpose, change! He shed His blood on the cross so we would change from our evil ways, trust in Him as Lord and Savior, turn to Him in faith, and find His mercy, and His forgiveness freely given. Seek Him, Call to Him, Forsake the evil, and turn to Him. Let the Jesus Lube change you not just today, but for eternity. Amen..pastor matthews   

The story is told of a lady out in a boat in the Ocean. Suddenly the boat capsized and she was holding on for dear life. Her cell phone had enough power for one call so she called a friend. "I'm in the Ocean. My boat has capsized. Please come and save me!" The friend called other friends and they decided that the best thing they could do is plan a Welcome Home party for their friend. They would make this a real celebration with decorations, food to eat and some meals for the freezer so she wouldn't have to cook for a while. "Who should we invite?" We'll invite her family, neighbors, people she went to school with, and so on. They went to the Party Store, and the Supermarket to get things ready. They waited and waited, but she never made it to the Celebration. Because in their busy-ness to make party plans, they forgot what was most important; going out to save her. No one went to save her and she was lost at Sea.

In God's Word in Philippians 2, Paul writes about how God's people should be thinking. What is really important? What really matters? Paul tells his people that they should think like Jesus. What was most important to our Lord? We read that Jesus was the Suffering Servant, humble before God and man, all the way to the cross and His death and resurrection for our salvation. Like Jesus, we should want to be kindhearted, compassionate, loving, of one mind, and like Jesus, always with eyes on the cross. All the love and kindness has meaning when it's done at the cross and for the cross. Jesus was the perfect Servant, reaching out to others, but always with eyes on the cross, so all might come to be saved through faith and have eternal life praising the Name of the Lord together. That's the real celebration.

Sad to say, when we look at our earthly celebrations, often times find it easier to focus on the food we serve rather than the faith we hold. We focus on giving the gifts, rather than giving the Gospel. We focus on fun rather than forgiveness. We focus on what I have done rather than what God has done. Making money takes precedent over saving souls.  Even with the best intentions, our earthly thoughts are stained with sin, aren't they? What makes for a real celebration is the cross. Jesus' ultimate victory over sin, death, and the devil brings the forgiveness of sins that we really need.

Today, Sept. 25, we celebrate Mrs. Matthews' Mom's 86th birthday. We celebrate not only the fact that she has lived 86 years in this life, but the celebration for Grandma is that she will live eternally in heaven through faith in Jesus. That's a real celebration! We have a Baptism this morning. We celebrate with little Jonathan and his family, not just in his birth, but in his rebirth as a child of God and Jesus' promise of life eternal for His little ones. That's a real celebration today.

Is today a day for celebration in your life? You could celebrate your age, your home, your car, your job, your family, your friends, your health, and hopefully, if you do, always with your eyes on the cross. Thanks to the grace of God, through the death and resurrection of our Lord, we have many blessings in this life. With hope in our hearts, we can be kind to others. We can really celebrate, because we know we have a place in heaven. Knowing we are saved through faith in Jesus, we look forward to an eternal Welcome Home Party in heaven. Now that's a real celebration.  Who do you need to invite?                  Amen..pastor matthews 

Lots of T.V. shows today feature something called the Extreme Makeover.  The ones I've seen have a rather drab looking lady transformed into a babe! Professionals do their hair, make-up, clothes, etc. and they are transformed from the proverbial Plain Jane to Wow! These ladies always appear with a big smile on their face. The T.V. show Nip/Tuck deals with transformation by means of plastic surgery. The show has no real redeeming value, but the question they ask each client is "What don't you like about yourself?" This leads to all kinds of surgeries, enhancements, etc., many of which leave emotional scars with their patients.

Changing ones appearance can be a good thing if it makes you healthier, ala Weight Watchers, and in many cases, help us feel better about ourselves. Over time, many of us have come to realize that the most important feature we have isn't the great bod, but our hearts and our heads. A loving heart, combined with a certain amount of wisdom is what a really beautiful person is all about. Granted, as a young person, we are almost psychotic about how we look, how we dress, do we fit in, etc. Times seems to soften that way of thinking until we realize that God has made us to be who are and that's fine. Ya get what cha get!

Sad to say, the head and the heart are often not as beautiful as our Lord would like them to be. Our sinful nature easily takes control and all I care about is ME! That self-centered way of thinking that makes me my own god, and cares less about the feelings of others, is what Paul is writing about in Philippians 3. He talks about the control of sin that leads to destruction, eternal death in hell, because our god is our stomach, our self, we delight in our shame, our own passions and feelings, and the earthly things that bring pleasure, which points to ME one more time.

No work by a professional hairdresser will stop the effects of eternal death. No efforts of a plastic surgeon make us look good to our Lord when our hearts are infected by sin.  Just like no drug or drink can really make us like ourselves. The one Extreme Makeover that makes us look good to God, and find peace and joy is the one that Jesus has done for us through His death on the cross and His rising from the dead. This makeover is so Extreme that it literally takes us from the road to hell turns us around and places us on the path to heaven. The surgery we need is not Plastic Surgery, but Priority Surgery by Dr. Jesus with His Word as the scalpel that cuts deep into our sin-filled heart, and leads us to repentance.  No makeup in the world can do what the blood of Jesus can to clean up our sin-filled hearts and make us beautiful children of God. Only His Word, through the power of the Holy Spirit cuts deep into our hearts and minds to show us the infection of our sins and bring us to faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. With Christ in our hearts and minds, we are indeed beautiful to God and welcome in His heavenly home. God's Word and Sacraments are the instruments He uses for His eternal surgery.

I read a story recently of a man having dinner with a very wealthy, Christian. He asked his wealthy friend how he was able to live for the Lord and not be corrupted by so much worldly wealth. The rich man replied that at an early age his father taught him that what they owned could either be an idol or a tool. With sin in control, they become idols to be worshipped above God and all else. However, with Jesus as the Lord of my heart and my life, they become tools I can use to serve God and help others. This is a God-pleasing Extreme Makeover by the blood of Christ. This is what the Priority Surgery of Dr. Jesus is all about. Do you need to schedule an appointment today? Amen..pastor matthews

One of the reasons I look forward to going to heaven, aside from seeing my Mom and Dad again, and not having to attend meetings, is having eternal peace and contentment. Real contentment can be hard to find in this life, can't it? Things have happened to us over the years; Wars and destruction, 9-11 to Katrina, and our own trials and troubles at home; sickness, death, financial problems, family hassles, work's a pain, paying the bills, people who hassle us, and so much more make contentment very difficult.

Rodney Dangerfield talked about how he and his wife tried to keep peace in the home. Twice a week they would go out to eat; a nice meal, candlelight, good conversation; he went on Tuesday and she went on Friday. Separate beds helped them too, his was in Cincinnati and hers in Florida. He wrote that she tried a new diet to look better, coconuts and bananas, she didn't lose and weight but Wow can she climb a tree!

In Philippians 4, Paul wrote about the peace and contentment he had found in this life. Paul tells us that whether things were good or not so good, he found the secret to contentment. For a man who lived with some type of a possible deformity, a thorn in his side Scripture calls it, spent time in jail, was harassed by people for his faith, he was content. How could that be? What's the secret, Paul?  Don't be anxious about anything, Paul wrote. The Greek word for anxious means "divided mind" When our mind is divided, we worry, fear, are filled with guilt, and chew ourselves up. How can there be peace in a mind that's literally cracked, broken, and divided?

Sin always divides, separates, and breaks apart. For our "divided minds" filled with anxiety, we've tried all kinds of answers from alcohol to sex and everything in between to find peace, but no way! We shop till we drop and can't find contentment. We leave family and job behind seeking a new life in a mid-life crisis and still can't find contentment. Our minds are still divided. Things and other people are not the answer to a contentment that needs to last longer than a one-night stand.

Paul shows us that finding true peace and contentment away from Jesus is impossible. Away from Jesus, with sin in control, our minds are broken and cracked.  So, the closer we are to our Lord, the less divided our mind will be.  Closeness to Jesus brings closeness to the peace that passes all human understanding. Jesus is that Peace! A mind fixed in faith on our Savior Who suffered, died, and rose for our salvation is not a divided mind. Jesus found peace through all of His trials because His mind was one with His Father. Paul found that peace when his mind was one with Jesus. We too can find that the love of Jesus is the real glue for a divided mind.

That Jesus we need is here for us right now. As we read His Word, sing His praises, attend Holy Communion, bring little ones for Baptism, and share the Good News of our Savior with others, and say our prayers, we know that through faith we are of one mind with the Lord. Only in Christ does our divided mind find healing and real peace. Through faith in Christ, a faith that heals and helps our broken and divided minds, there is peace. We don't have to wait to go to heaven for that one. Amen..pastor matthews

Knowing the theme of today's service, I wore my religious socks to church today. What makes them religious?? They're holey! The theme for our sermon today has to do with being holy. God's Word tells us in Leviticus 19, what God expects of His children; "Be holy, because I the Lord your God, am holy" Just be like God! No pressure there!

The word "holy" basically means "set aside for God's purpose." Water is just something we can wash with, until it is connected to God's Word and through the Holy Spirit, set aside for God's purpose which is Holy Baptism; a holy washing. Bread and wine are just food for the table until they are connected with the words of our Lord and set aside for God's purpose, and become Holy Communion, a holy meal for the forgiveness of our sins. I was even wondering if the same might be true for our money. Money is just paper and coins, but when it's our first-fruits giving from our hearts, not whatever we have left in our pockets on a Sunday morning to throw at God, but an offering that in advance has been set aside for our Lord's work, does it become a holy offering?

So, here we are, regular old people, poor miserable sinners sitting in the pews this Sunday morning when God looks us in the eye and says "BE HOLY." "BE WHOLLY HOLY" through and through. Knowing myself as I do, how can I ever be holy in God's sight? Now and then I might do something nice, but even those actions are often motivated by scoring points with God or someone else. What's holiness all about? The story is told of a very pompous, proper deacon yelling at the Confirmation Class because their clothes, their homework, and their attitudes didn't please him. With his nose in the air, he asked the children, "Why do you think people call me a Christian?" One child sheepishly answered, "Because they don't know you?"  Holiness is often seen as that "holier than thou" attitude. See how holy I am; I dress better than you do on Sundays, I always carry a Bible, I don't associate with evil people. My holiness makes me a better person than you!  How wonderful I am! From God's point of view, this is exactly the opposite of what holiness is about. All this happens to be is self-centered pride in action.

True holiness is not seen in putting others down to make me look so good, true holiness is found a life centered around the words of our Lord in Matthew 22, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself."  True holiness is seen in a faith that puts our Lord Who died and rose for us first, the needs of others second, and our own wants third. Seemingly simple acts od faith like worship, prayer, Bible study, or an offering from a thankful heart are holy actions. Reaching out in faith to others with God's Word, food, a cup of water, even a smile, or kneeling down to help a child, are holy actions. As a child of God, when I can think of me as #3, this is pleasing to God. 

Perfect holiness was seen only in our Lord Who always put His Father's will for Him first, the needs of poor, miserable sinners second, and finally His own feelings third. His true holiness is found in the cross that was truly set aside for God's purpose. Jesus became the perfect Sacrifice by His total obedience to His Father. He allowed the pain and humiliation so us poor, miserable sinners who believe in Him could have forgiveness of sins and a heavenly home. By God's grace Jesus humbly gave up His own life for us. By God's grace, Jesus was the Perfect Example of what it was like to be wholly holy, totally holy, and thankfully, He forgives us and strengthens us when our feeble attempts at love and faithfulness are as holey, as filled with holes, as our old, smelly socks.

There is a story of a man who died and went to the Pearly Gates. Jesus met him and explained that if he had 100 points he could enter. The man began by saying that he had been married for 50 years and was a faithful husband and father. "That's good for 3 points" He went on to say that he was a faithful church member who volunteered often. "That's another 3 points" he was told. He told Jesus he had been an honest businessman for many years. "That's good for 2 points." "The way I'm going," said the man, "The only way I'm getting to heaven is by the grace of God." "That's good for 100 points, come on in!"  That's our wholly, holy God! Amen..pastor matthews

I was blessed with a great Father. Though he was only around for 17 years of my life, he taught me lots of good stuff in those short years. Sure we played golf together, I do that with my son, Mike. We went fishing together so I could learn to clean the fish and my family would eat them. Dad often came to see me in plays or sports. We went to church together as a family and I remember Dad singing in the Choir. I remember coming home as a teen and telling Mom and Dad about the good times at a football game or a dance that followed. I remember the night he died and saying to Mom after she told us what had happened that I knew I would see him again in heaven. I loved my Dad and I still miss him, but I will see him for he loved his Lord. 

I've tried to be that kind of Dad for my kids too. Though they're older now, they still call upon Dad for advice, help with this or that, and of course, the occasional dollar or two.  Hopefully they have learned that they can count on their Dad to be there for them, to follow through and keep his promises, to support them 100% regardless of the circumstances. If they can count on this poor, miserable sinner of a father to try and do his best for them, how much more can they count on their heavenly Father.

Part of the message that Martin Luther brought to light hundreds of years ago in the Reformation, using God's Word was that we have the assurance of  a loving heavenly Father Who made us, watches over us, and loved us so much that He sent His Son to die on the cross for us so that through faith, we could be with Him eternally. For years people had imagined God as this scary Diety Who was out to zap them for any mistake. God was to be feared in a "let's hide from Him" manner. As we see in Luther's explanation of the Lord's Prayer, Luther wanted his people to understand that they were in the hands of a loving Father Who would be there for them, keep His promises, forgive their many sins, and support them through the storms of life.   

Storms and problems still confront us today. Life is filled with storms like Katrina and Wilma, and also financial storms, health-related storms, relationship storms, and fear-of-the-future storms. I tell myself that I can try to face them alone because I'm a strong person. I can use drugs, alcohol, sex, whatever to get through, but they don't work. I can try all the New Age meditations, yoga, or that latest guru, yet they don't work either. The best they can be is like a band-aid on Cancer.

We learn in the Lord's Prayer that God is the perfect Father Who is there for His children who believe in Him. He is a Father Who encourages us to pray, teaches us to pray, promises to hear and to answer all of our prayers. We are reminded and strengthened to remember that He is always with us. As we pray, He will either calm the storm or calm His child during the storm. What peace that gives us. 

There's a beautiful story of an older man, confined to his bed, who was visited by his Pastor. When the Pastor arrived, he thanked the man for having a chair by the bed for him. The man told him that the chair was actually there for Jesus. He had learned over the years that having the chair for Jesus helped him in his prayers. He would envision the Savior there and with that comfort, would talk with our Lord for hours each day in prayer. After a nice visit, the Pastor returned home. Two days later, the man's daughter called to say that her father had passed away. The Pastor asked if the man died peacefully. The daughter told him that he had and the strangest thing had happened. The man had died during the day and when the daughter had looked in on him, she found that he had died with a smile on his face and with his head on the chair next to the bed. He was blessed with a wonderful Father too.  Amen..pastor matthews

The storms continue across our Land, don’t they? The latest tornado that ravaged Indiana was frightening. On one hand, I saw pictures of mobile homes ravaged and people killed. On the other hand, I saw pictures of more conventional homes that made it through and people survived. Apparently there was little or no warning of the storm and people were caught off guard or simply had to face the music! Those in mobile homes sitting on bricks were devastated. Those in homes with a strong foundation survived.

Storms come to our lives in many sizes and varieties. There are physical storms like hurricanes, tornadoes, and Sunamis. Emotional and spiritual storms hit us with illness, accidents, relationship breakups, financial hurts, and ultimately the death of someone near and dear to us. This week alone I met with five different families who faced the storm of loved ones who had died. When that happens, there are often storms of pain, hurt, emptiness, sometimes guilt, and often anger. If that’s not enough to deal with, then the stormy questions arise, “Is my parent in heaven?” “Can I know for sure that grandpa’s o.k.?” “My friend was a good person. That’s enough to go to heaven, isn’t it?”  It’s bad enough to face the loss of a loved one, but to face the storm of Judgement Day and the possibility of not being with the Lord is devastating.

The world around us offers all kinds of advice for facing the storms of the future. Quite frankly, this advice is as worthwhile as the bricks that held the mobile homes in Indiana. They looked fine in the sunshine, but crumbled in the storm. To face the storms of life, the world tells us that if build your life on being good enough, God, Whoever He or She might be, will take you to a final reward of some sort. All you need to face the storms of life is enough money, lots of success, or good looks, and then you’ll be fine. The world and all of its philosophies, cults, and so-called wise men, wants to convince us that if there is a God, they know how He thinks and they can tell us how to please Him.

If you want to try to escape the storms of life in the mobile home of this world’s thinking, you certainly may do that. Climb in the mobile home of this world, sitting on the bricks they offer, and hope you’ll be o.k. However, please don’t be angry with me when the storms of life hit and I watch you fly away into the darkness from the security of my home built on Christ as the solid foundation. This home God has given me by His grace, built on faith in Jesus will stand. This is the home that God wants all of us to share; one that is built on Jesus Christ, Who died and rose for our salvation and through His blood, assures us that we have our names written in the Book of Eternal Life. This is God’s promise found in the Bible, Matthew 25, for instance, for all who have lived and acted by faith that we have the security of having a place with Him in heaven.

I read a story recently of a little boy named Kenny who loved the Lord Jesus but had developed leukemia. Slowly he got weaker and weaker until he was bed-ridden. One day he asked his mother, “What is death like?” She knew the question was coming but needed some quiet moments for prayer before answering him. She then said, “Kenny, remember those times when you fell asleep in Mommy’s bed, but in the morning you woke up in your own bed in your room?” “Well, when you fell asleep, your big brother or your father gently carried you to your own bed. That’s what death is like.” A few weeks later the little guy died. His Big Brother Jesus came and gently carried him to his own bed, in his own room in heaven. Kenny escaped the storms of life, so will you, knowing that your Big Brother Jesus has a home for you. Amen..pastor matthews 

It might be a surprise to see a Thanksgiving Service entitled “You’re Welcome” But if you think of it, You are welcome; welcome to worship, welcome to sing and thank God, welcome to wash my car, and so much more. Best of all, through faith in our Lord Jesus Who died on the cross and rose from the dead, you are welcome into God’s family, welcome into the fellowship of all believers, welcome to the hope of a heavenly home.

The Parable of the Lost Son(The Prodigal Son) shows us a young man who went from a dirty, smelly pig trough existence to a place of honor at home with a new robe, rings for his fingers, and new shoes to wear. What a surprise for him! He was expecting to beg for mercy. He was ready to tell his father how sorry he was, how he was not worthy of being a son, and hoping to be allowed back as a slave. To this his father who loved him told him he was welcome to return and to a new life and welcome to all he had.

In the same way, we come before our God this Thanksgiving as poor, miserable sinners deserving nothing but punishment for our pig trough life of sin, only to hear our heavenly Father call to us in love and tell us that through His Son Jesus, we are welcome to all He has for us now and eternally. He reaches out to us with open arms, with a smile on His face, and an overflowing table awaiting us in heaven. Like we approach our Thanksgiving meal knowing we are welcome to all that is served, Our heavenly Father calls to us this day through His Word and Holy Communion saying, “I love you!” “You are welcome to all I have now and forever.” And to that we say…THANK YOU! 

A change of heart is often a very difficult thing. The story is told of a man driving around desperately looking for a parking spot so he could attend an important meeting. Looking up to heaven he cried out, “Please God, if You find me a parking spot I’ll go to church every Sunday and give up my drinking.” Miraculously a spot opened in front of him. Again he looked heavenward, “Never mind, I just found one.”  A change of heart is a very difficult process.
   
John the Baptist was in the heart-changing business. He is remembered, not because he was a cousin of Jesus, but because he was a wild and crazy guy who spoke God’s Word to religious leaders, soldiers, whoever, so that they could see that they were poor, miserable sinners in need of repentance and a Savior Who was coming. He called them snakes, and who knows what else, to reach their hearts with a life-changing message that would lead to be baptized and believe in Jesus and have eternal life in heaven.   

I can’t help but wonder if Charles Dickens modeled his “Scrooge” story, “A Christmas Carol”, after the ministry of John. Scrooge was a broken-hearted, selfish man who cared little for Christmas because he was too busy making a living and acquiring things. As you know he was visited by three ghosts who eventually changed his life. Kind of like the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit bringing us new heart through faith. Scrooge saw his past, present, and the sad future that awaited him. This revelation was a wake up call that changed, warmed his heart, if you will, and he saw his evil ways and became  a new person reaching out with joy and love to others.

Because he dealt with changed hearts, John was possibly the New Testament’s first cardiologist. He wanted people to have a change of heart and a new life in Jesus. He pointed people to the Lord, knowing that when the Savior came into your heart through faith, a new lifestyle would appear. Congestive heart failure makes you more aware of what you eat, the need for exercise, etc. before you have a heart attack and an unhappy end. Knowing that we are poor, miserable sinners with hearts congested with sin shows us our need for a Savior and a change of heart before our unhappy end in hell. Jesus, our Savior, through His death on the cross and resurrection, comes to us through faith to warm our hearts, bringing the change we need and a new lifestyle that follows.

Romans 12 tells us not to conform to the world’s way of thinking but to be transformed in our minds..in our hearts, if you will, to the things of God. This Advent season when the world is lost in the craziness of shopping, parties, S. Claus, and impressing others with expensive gifts, we can find that our change of heart shows in special ways. We can faithfully worship on Sunday and Wednesday, read the devotional, use the coin folder, do something special for someone in need, and of course, remember the Pastor with a gift.

The new Scrooge with a change of heart, turned away from being selfish and showed his love for Bob Cratchet and his family, prompting Tiny Tim to say, “God bless us, everyone.” With our change of heart instead of focusing on stuff this Christmas, we are now pointed towards the manger and Baby Jesus and can say, “God has blessed us, everyone.”    Amen...pastor matthews

Our Social Club did another wonderful job in setting up and decorating our Christmas Trees again this year. I like Christmas trees and all they can mean for us. The ones in our homes can be like family albums as they reflect much about our history. Ornaments from my Mom decorate our tree. They go back some 60 years. Ornaments with pictures of our children, reminders of vacations we took, and even reminders of family pets hang from the branches.  Literally, they are much like a family album often filling our eyes with tears or our hearts with joy.

Decorated Christmas Trees can also reflect for us that first Christmas and the birth of our Lord Jesus in Bethlehem. The green tree, a symbol of life, points to heaven where the Gift came from. On top of trees we might see an Angel, like the ones who sang about Jesus’ birth to the poor, smelly shepherds. If poor, smelly shepherds were invited to see the Baby, we can be sure that poor, miserable sinners are too! The tree might also be topped with a star like the Star of Bethlehem that led the Wise Men to the Christ-child. Wise men and women still seek that Savior as they follow His Star today.

If a decorated tree, real or artificial, can reflect volumes to others, how much more should this be true for us? What do our lives reflect this time of the year? We reflect, through our words and actions what is most important to us. Are we dressed in our hearts and minds for a
Hol-I-Day or a Holy-Day? There is a big difference between the two..

Speaking of Hol-I-Days, this year more than any I can remember, it seems that people are trying to take Christ out of Christmas. Stores sell Holiday trees, holiday decorations, holiday ornaments, and play holiday music. To be politically correct, I guess we’ll have new songs appearing, “I’m Dreaming of a White Holiday.” “O Holiday Tree, O Holiday Tree” and a favorite, “I Heard The Bells On Holiday Day.” Cards, of course, can’t say Blessed Christmas, they say Hol-I-Day Greetings or Season’s Greetings, or Happy Festivus (from Seinfeld) to avoid any possible witness to our faith.  When we allow ourselves to be led in this direction as a Country we are celebrating a Hol-I-Day that focuses on I and what I want, what I need, what makes I comfortable, and not wanting to embarrass others or especially I at this time of year. Our sinful nature likes the whole idea of Hol-I-Day because it centers on me, or should I say, it centers the attention on I?

Like our church trees are decorated, dressed if you will, to reflect the light of Christmas, that Holy-Day, we as God’s children should want to do the same. The difference between Hol-I-Day and Holy-Day is the substituting of Y or I. Y is for Yule. The word Yule goes back to old English or Scottish and speaks of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus. Y, for Yule, points to the birth of our Lord Jesus. This indeed makes Dec. 25 a Holy-Day for those who love the Lord and know that He came as a Baby to be our Savior Who would die for that sinful I on the cross and rise to win for us eternal life. Those who profess to be God’s children will want to show that it’s true by reflecting the message of the Christ Child in our words; “Merry Christmas” our cards; “Have a wonderful Christmas”, our songs; ”We Wish You A Merry Christmas” and our taking time for worship, devotionals, etc. this Holy-Day season. 

An American journalist interviewed a young girl in Japan and asked if she knew what Christmas was. “Wasn’t that when Jesus died?” she responded. We can’t let that happen! Like our trees, I pray that our lives are dressed to reflect for the Holy-Day, the birth of Jesus.
Amen..pastor matthews

Some of the many neat things about Christmas have to do with the surprises. As a child, and even as an adult, a special surprise is pretty cool. Surprises can be happy ones like an unexpected gift, a card, a visitor, or a white Christmas. Surprises can be sad too, when there is an accident like the one at Midway Airport, illness, or unexpected bill to pay.

Regardless, we must remember that our God is a God of surprises. Throughout the Bible we read about His surprises. Noah built this big boat in the desert and suddenly SURPRISE, it began to rain and Noah had to care for his family and the animals. A young boy named David faced a giant with only a stone in his sling and SURPRISE Goliath bit the dust and David went on the lead his people. Moses had millions of Israelites in the desert looking for food when SURPRISE God sent food every day so they could travel towards the Promised Land.

Our Lord Jesus was a Man of surprises too. A blind man came who believed in Him and SURPRISE the man was healed and went out to witness for the Lord. Lepers came to Him believing and SURPRISE they were healed and at least one came back to say thank You to Jesus. Possibly the two greatest surprises of all in Jesus’ life were when the angel Gabriel came to Mary and Joseph to tell them they would have a Child. “But we’ve never..huh..” SURPRISE! This will be from the Holy Spirit. He will be the Son of God. SURPRISE! You will take care of Him as He grows up. SURPRISE! Then after Jesus died on the cross and was buried, His friends went to the grave to anoint His dead body and SURPRISE! said the angels, “He is not here. He is risen.” SURPRISE!

When surprises come our way, good or sad, there are two things we need to remember. Using the words of William Carey, “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.” When a happy surprise comes our way, we often feel that we’re “L” for lucky, yuck! Luck, through our sinful nature, focuses on us and what we think we deserve. The child of God, on the other hand, says THANK YOU to the Lord for His blessings. Good surprises are blessings from our Lord that should be expected. We simply say THANK YOU. When sad surprises hit, and they do in our sinful world, we often blame God, get angry, quit, etc. when we need to remember that we can expect great things of God as He is there to comfort us and see us through. The paper had a story of the brother of the child killed at the Airport accident putting a quarter in his brother’s hand so he could buy himself a gumball in heaven. This little guy knew that his brother was with the Lord and expected that God would be there for his brother and their family. Why else would God have sent His Son to live and die for the forgiveness of our sins if He didn’t love us and promise to be there for us day in and day out? Faith expects great things from our loving God.

Knowing that we can expect great things from God, we can attempt great things for Him with His strength and support. Mary and Joseph had the responsibility of caring for God’s Son. They could attempt this with God’s support. Knowing you can expect great surprises from God, what can you attempt for Him? Can you attempt to share your faith? Can you attempt to bring a friend to Church? Can you attempt to increase your offering? Can you attempt to give up a favorite sin? After all, each of us who believes in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, very much like Mary and Joseph, are responsible for caring for Jesus and the Good News of His forgiveness in this world. As we attempt great things for Him like faithful worship, prayer, reading His Word, sharing our faith, showing love to one another, and forgiving others for the hurts, we are keeping Him warm in the manger of our hearts. Look at this wonderful thing God has done for you at Christmas, maybe we can surprise Him as we attempt great things in His Name.   Amen...pastor matthews

The world seems to be cutting back on Christian messages. Christmas Break is now Winter Break. Easter Break is now Spring Break. Sad to say, the need for the Lord and for faithful worship, even this time of the year, doesn’t seem that important for many people. Life often gets kind of sad and lonely. We live, we die, no one cares, amen.

There’s a wonderful story of some folks who lived on a farm. It was Christmas Eve. The wife went to church and the husband stayed home to sit by the fire and look out at the cold snowy scene through their large, picture window. Suddenly he heard a ‘THUMP” and had no idea what it was. Then “THUMP” happened again. He looked out to realize that a group of sparrows were out in the cold and were trying to get to the warm fire and crashing into the large picture window. He felt sorry for them and went out and opened the door of the barn so they could get warm. None would fly into the barn. He tried to SHOO them in but they would fly away. He thought to himself how great it would be if he could become a sparrow and show them where to go for warmth and safety. Suddenly, the church bells rang out. Hearing the bells, he was reminded that this is exactly what Jesus did. Jesus became like one of us to show us the way to the forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven. This was a lesson he would never forget.

I guess we all need lessons this time of year to help us focus in on the lasting joy of Christmas. Our sinful nature seems to put up with all the hustle and bustle for a while, then back to life as it was. Once the tree is down and the wrapping paper thrown away, it’s as though it never happened. 
(GROUP IN FRONT WITH THE LETTERS)
The story is told of a school celebrating the Holidays with a program that they entitled CHRISTMAS LOVE. This title was unusual for the times, but each letter was used for a song or a reminder of the season. C was for the Cold weather. H is for Happy times. R for Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree, etc. With all the letters up from they sang and said their lines. One child, the one holding the M, got a little confused. In the excitement of the moment, he held his letter upside down. This created quite a stir for the message was one that they didn’t expect at all. With the M now a W, the letters spelled the message; CHRIST WAS LOVE. 

That’s the lesson we need to remember well beyond this Day. God loved you so much that He sent His Son, to become like you, to live on earth, suffer and die on the cross in your place, and rise from the dead to assure all who love Him eternal life. He lived, He died, He cares. Amen.  pastor matthews

We have another meaningful logo for our theme in the New Year thanks to logoist, Pat Hirshman. The picture itself, based on 1 Samuel 12:24, centers on the cross because all we do begins with our faith in our Lord Jesus that motivates us. Around the cross are people holding hands and standing together. This reminds us that in the New Year we need to work together in supporting one another and not just sit around thinking about ourselves like the proverbial “pew Christian.” The Church points upward to show us that all the things we do are done for the glory of God not for ourselves.

James Bender in his book, “How To Talk Well” tells the story of a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Every year at the State Fair he would win the blue ribbon. One time when a reporter interviewed him, the farmer told him that he gladly shared his award winning seed with his neighbors. The reporter asked why he would share his best seed with those in competition with him?  The farmer answered, “Don’t you know that the wind picks up pollen from the ripening grain and swirls it around from field to field?  If my neighbors grew inferior corn, the cross-pollination would steadily degrade the quality of my corn? If I am to have good corn, then my neighbors must have good corn too.” His corn cannot improve unless his neighbors’ corn improves too.

To the world around us this makes no sense at all. The message of the world is totally opposite, isn’t it? The sinful nature says watch out for #1. Take care of yourself even if you have to walk over other people to do it. Use what you know and have only for your own satisfaction and your glory.

The farmer understood the message of God’s Word. Our faith in Christ as our Risen Savior grows and shows as we reach out to others with faithful service that clicks in 2006. It becomes like a double blessing when our Lord loves us, suffered and died to forgive our sins, and blesses us with His strength and support.  Then, as we reach out in service to others, we in turn are doubly blessed by the act of faithful service for our Lord.  Living as God’s faithful might not bring lots of worldly awards, but faith in Christ will be rewarded eternally with the riches of a heavenly home.

The story is told of a lady who came up to her Pastor in a store and told him she was leaving the church. When asked why, she answered, “My needs aren’t being met!” The Pastor told her that he was sorry to see her go but that her decision was probably for the best. After all, God’s Church is not made up of those who say,  “Meet my needs,” but those respond to their faith in the Lord by saying, “Whose needs can I meet?”

Go and share the good corn as Faithful Service Clicks In 2006.. amen…pastor matthews

Tony Dungy is the Coach of the Indianapolis Colts football team. Recently he lost his 18-year-old son to an apparent suicide. Dungy is a Christian man and after his son’s funeral, took the time to talk with the media. He talked of God’s blessings during good and sad times. He told them that His son loved the Lord Jesus and was in heaven. He said that the one thing he regretted is that the last time he saw his son, he was rushed and never hugged him goodbye. A Father’s hug and supportive words mean so much. They are a blessing, a benediction if you will. Mom saying “Drive carefully, I love you” are words of a blessing or benediction too.

Most of all, we are used to “churchy” benedictions that come at the end of the service and are often thought of as sort of a “Good-bye…church is over…come again…have a nice day” sort of thing. As we read the words of our God in Numbers 6, we realize that the final blessing is so much more than that. These are words directly from our Heavenly Father to us in a personal way. When the final blessing or benediction is spoken, it is not a fond farewell from the Pastor; it’s a blessing of love and support from God Himself, His personal hug to each of us. In the benediction, we have His promise to bless us, keep us, watch over us, hear our prayers, and give us His peace. This is a hug we all need. We know that Concordia is a “huggy” church. Sometimes on a Sunday someone will say to me, “Pastor, the only hug I get all week is from you.” I’m glad to do it, but we need more than one a week for true wellness and healing.  Skipping out before the Benediction means missing that hug from our God.

Missing hugs reminds us that we live in a world that brings more brokenness than healing. Because of sin, relationships break up in many ways. Our families, businesses, and even our bodies get broken up all the time. Contracts are broken and people can’t be trusted. Our spirits broken, our hope breaks apart, even our Christmas joy can shatter into a million pieces like a broken ornament. We live like “Humpty Dumpty” and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men can’t put us together again. Nothing this world offers can bring the real healing we need for our brokenness. We try fun, food, alcohol, drugs, fantasies, but they don’t work. The king’s horses and the king’s men can’t fix us, but the King can. Jesus, our King brings the hope and healing that’s found no where else. Only the blood of Christ has the healing power over sin, death, and the devil. Psalm 147 reassures us that God Alone heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

The message of the cross is one of healing for a broken world and broken people. Christ died and rose as the Atonement for our sins.  Atonement can be broken into three words; AT ONE MENT. Through faith in Christ, we are now AT ONE MENT with God, finding the ultimate healing with sins forgiven and a home awaiting us in heaven. 

The Benediction that concludes our worship is our Heavenly Father’s hug to each of us in a personal way. Again and again, our Lord hugs us at the end of each service with words of blessing, support, and love. These word-hugs heal and support us now, so don’t miss them, they are the best we have in this life, until He gives us a big hug to welcome us to our heavenly home.  Amen..pastor matthews   

Our family went to see the "Narnia" movie this past week. It was very interesting; the place was packed and I actually went through a whole movie without any snacks or drinks. That doesn't make sense at all. A powerful message was given once the movie got going. Some of the interesting features happened because so many things were sort of backwards, not really making any sense in our way of thinking. The White Witch who had beautiful reindeer and seemed so sweet was actually the Evil One.  The unfaithful brother who caused lots of pain found forgiveness. The good animals suffered the most. The lost and confused children became heroes and eventually kings and queens for eternity. The powerful, roaring lion, Aslan, showed the greatest sacrificial love and was humiliated, killed for the life of another, and came alive again to defeat the White Witch. In Narnia, as well as our world today, things don't always make sense.

The story of the coming of the Wise Men to see the Christ Child reaffirms for us that things with God don't always make sense. A Baby born in a stable might be no big deal except for a special star that appeared and shone on the Child and the fact that this was God's Son. The star disappeared, then reappeared; this doesn't make sense. This star didn't just travel East to West like normal stars, but North and South from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to lead the Wise Men to the Child. These wise, rich men traveled hundreds of dangerous miles to see a little Child. They weren't related to the Mother and Father and felt obligated to come. They traveled by faith; believing that God was leading them. Does that make sense? They brought expensive gifts to a Baby they didn't know. That doesn't make sense, either. When my children were born, Donald Trump, Bill Gates, the President of the United States, etc. didn't come to visit. How about when your children were born?? No wise men?? Just the Pastor, I know. 

We like it when things make sense to us and happen in a logical way we can understand. Do something good and be rewarded. If you do something bad, you should be punished. Let's face it, we're nice to those who are nice to us and abuse the others.  Bad people go to hell and good people go to heaven. This makes sense to us, right? Because I'm in church I must be good, so I'm o.k. I'll get to heaven because I'm better than the other guy. This makes good sense to us.

If we use that same criteria as we deal with God, we are all in trouble. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. None of us, not even us church goers, are good enough to get to heaven on our own. Reinforce that with James 2:10 that tells us if we break any part of God's law we're guilty of all of it. We're in trouble! Using what makes sense to us, God should punish us, abuse us, and send us to hell eternally. But by His great mercy, He doesn't!

God's mercy is seen very graphically in the Narnia movie when the brother who had betrayed them over and over was to be turned over to the evil White Witch for eternal punishment. At that point, Aslan, the Lion King offers himself up as a substitute. He was willing to be humiliated and killed so the rotten brother would live and eventually be a king eternally. If we look honestly at ourselves, we are that brother. We are people who have betrayed our God over and over again through our sinful, selfish lives and deserve only eternal death and punishment in Hell. In His love for us, God sent His Son to be our Substitute to suffer and die in our place on the cross so we could reign in heaven as children of God eternally. Romans 4:25 tells us that Jesus was delivered to death for our sins and raised to life for the forgiveness of our sins and to give all who believe in Him a place in heaven forever. God loves His enemies, the unlovable, the rotten, the betrayers, in other words; you and me. It doesn't make sense, but thank God for that love! amen...pastor matthews

A while back WYLL, a Christian radio station, invited me to their Pastors' Breakfast. It was great, and while I was there, I saw a young man with a T-shirt that said, "Jesus Ruined All Of My Plans."  The more I thought about it, the more I knew that there was a sermon there sometime. Reading today's Gospel lesson with Jesus calling His disciples, the phrase came to mind. I'm sure that trusting in Jesus and following Him as disciples ruined many of their plans. Paul, though not one of the 12, began his life as a Pharisee, maybe wanting to be a High Priest some day. Coming to faith in Jesus ruined all of his plans. Matthew was a Tax Collector probably looking forward to making lots of money and taking it easy. As a disciple, Jesus ruined all of his plans too. Other disciples planned on being fisherman, farmers, whatever and their plans were all ruined by Jesus as they sacrificed their lives for Him.

I know that I had lots of plans for my life over the years. I had planned on being a Funeral Director...possibly a beach bum in Hawaii...maybe a James Bond type of person...a High School Literature Teacher...lots of plans, but never ever planning on becoming a Pastor. Trusting in Jesus' care and leadership ruined all those plans of mine so He could bless me in so many special ways I never considered. 

What about the plans for your life. As a young person, you probably have hopes and dreams to be wealthy, successful, good-looking, powerful, and all the rest. These are your plans..time will tell if they are God's plans for you. Maybe as an older adult you can look back on the plans you had for your life. What were your plans? A "so what" attitude about God and His church? Marriage? Children? Big House with a pool? Lots of money for retirement? Excellent health? These might have been your plans, did Jesus ruin them when you came to know Him as the One Who died and rose for your sins and to give you a new life in His service? Sad to say, many are still living by their own plans and are literally on a waterslide to hell.

Someone once said that if you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans. Our sinful nature's plans would include nothing but joy, success, drinks, drugs, sex, and lots of "my will be done" kind of stuff. We like a lifestyle that "if it feels good- do it" and puts me in the middle as my own god. Though it will lead to certain death and eternal destruction, we don't seem to care.  That's why Jesus' call to us through the Holy Spirit is so life changing, such an about face, that we feel that all that other good stuff was ruined. It's not easy to want to please our Lord and live by His Word. We know we should be faithful, but we like the old life with favorite sins and plans. Once Jesus lives in our hearts, plans change and we go in a new direction.  New plans, God's plans, are a sign of faith in Jesus. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God says "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

As a child of God, in other words someone whose plans have all been ruined by Jesus, we see what God wants for us personally. For all who know that Jesus suffered and died on the cross and rose for their salvation, He wants to give us all we will need in life.  He will keep us safe from the Evil One.  He will give us hope for this life and hope for life eternal. He will give us a future filled with nothing but joy, laughter, peace, and happiness forever.  Our Loving God has ruined our selfish, self-centered plans that lead only to death and destruction so He can give us everlasting peace, joy, hope, and a heavenly home. The blood of Christ washed away all the evil plans as He forgave us our sins. With the old washed away like a tropical storm;  the road to hell has become the road to heaven. The road to failure becomes a road with a future. The road to punishment becomes the road to perfection.  The road of sin's curse becomes the road of the Savior's care. He ruined all those things that were harmful to us so He could bless us with His own riches. Jesus ruined all of our plans; aren't you glad He did? Amen..pastor matthews

For Martin Luther King Day, Mrs. Matthews and I went to an indoor waterpark located near Starved Rock. We enjoy going down the waterslides on double innertubes. The one at this park was great, with some 340' of winding, wet fun. Walking up four levels of steps, we couldn't help but notice that we were both 3 to 4 times older than everyone else on the steps was. We got to the top, settled in the tube with Mrs. Matthews in front and I brought up the rear, for obvious reasons. We took off and suddenly, the tube tipped over to the left, cracking our heads against the side of the slide. Mrs. Matthews cried out in pain, I didn't realize the knot on my head until later. Concerned that she didn't continue to hit her head, I stretched out my left leg and my arm to hold us up as we flew down the tube at an angle. Once I saw that her head was o.k., all I looked for was the light at the end of the tube. Once I saw the light, I knew we'd fly out into the pool and the ride would be over. After the Guard brought us some ice, we were ready to tell our story.

The time in the dark tube reminded me of the story of Jonah. Jonah tried to run from God's call and was swallowed by a large fish. He sat in darkness for three days until he saw the light spiritually, wanting to do God's will, and actually, as he was spit out on the shore. Once out in the light, he went to the evil city of Ninevah, as God had instructed him, and told them of their sins and the need to repent or be punished by God. They did repent and God spared the City.

I believe that we can all relate to times in the darkness, looking for the light. Life often brings us dark, scary times to go through as we look for light at the end of the tunnel. Very much like Jonah, we are swallowed up by our own "large fish" and left in the dark. The "whale of worthlessness" swallows us up leaving us in the dark, believing that we have no value to anyone. We feel hopeless, and helpless, filled with fear, wondering if life has any meaning for us. The "barracuda of broken dreams and relationships" leaves us in the darkness of hurt and loss as families break up, and friendships falter. The "great financial fish" can swallow us up in the darkness with bills to pay, little money, and lots of worries.  Then there's the "shark of sadness" that swallows us up with illness or the loss of loved ones.

While in the dark, our sinful nature tells us that no one is there for us. We feel alone, lonely, and lost with no hope, no joy, no future. Our minds imagine all kinds of crazy ways to try and find light. Maybe lots of alcohol, drugs, or shopping can be the escape we need. We look to people, places, and things for light but remain swallowed up by the dark. Many even commit suicide. What could be the answer?

Our Lord was swallowed up in the darkness of death for three days. Always trusting in His heavenly Father, He had suffered and died on the cross, and now was gone some 3 days as He descended into hell, showing Himself victorious over sin, death, and the Devil for us. With that same faith, Jesus arose into the light on Easter, to show us that He was our only true Light and all who believe in Him will rise into the light of heavenly joy and peace. Christ brings the light of hope to all who believe in Him. His light defeats the darkness, even the darkness of death.

It might have taken three days, but Jonah came to understand that once he saw the "Light" spiritually, trusting in God's Word and will for his life, all the other stuff worked out. God can use "swallowed up time" to strengthen our faith and trust in Him. Psalm 27 tells us that "The Lord is my Light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?" Psalm 18 reinforces our faith "O Lord, You light my lamp. My God turns my darkness into light." 

Jesus is Lord of the dark and the light as Psalm 139 tells us "dark and light are the same to You." So whether you're going down a waterslide in the dark or being swallowed by one of life's fish, hold on to your Lord, He is the Light at the end of every tunnel.  Amen..pastor matthews

When we greet each other, there are lots of things we say; "How are you doing?" "How's life treating you?" " What's happening?"  "Wadda Ya Know?" and many others. When we are greeted that way, we try to come up with some cutesy-wootsey answer, showing them how sharp we really are. We like people to think that we're fairly smart by what we say and do. I have all kinds of diplomas on my wall. Impressive, huh? I didn't think so. The story is told of a man who felt he was pretty smart. One day he walked into his favorite restaurant with a full-sized ostrich following. He ordered his meal and the ostrich ordered the same. When it came time to pay, the waitress said "$9.45." He reached in his pocket and came out with the exact change. Day after day this would happen. He would come in with the large ostrich, order a meal, the ostrich would order the exact same thing. When it came time to pay, he would reach in his pocket and not matter what the cost, he would pull out the exact change. One day the waitress had to ask, "Not only do you come in here with an ostrich, but you order any meal, the ostrich orders the same, then you reach in your pocket and always produce the exact change. How do you do that?" "Well, one day I found a magic lantern and had two wishes. Thinking I was pretty smart, my first wish was that whatever I had to pay for, I would have the exact amount. If I buy some milk or a Mercedes, I always have enough." "Pretty smart. What about the ostrich?" He sighed, rolled his eyes, and answered, "Well, my second wish was for a tall, long-legged chick who would agree with everything I said."  Not so smart, huh?

Many of us act as if we know it all. Junior high and high school kids can be "know it alls," especially when it comes to their parents.  Adults act that way too. We might be good with math, history, science, and get most questions right on Jeopardy and other shows.  We also like to think that we're "street smart" too and can handle whatever life throws at us. In 1 Corinthians 8, we read of people puffed up with so-called knowledge that they hurt the faith of others by their words and attitudes. In Bible times, food offered to false idols was something many avoided, fearing they would show attachment to that idol. Those who might have known more, realizing that false idols didn't really exist, ate the food and in doing so, raised questions that damaged the faith of others. Paul writes to them to be sensitive about what they know so it doesn't hurt the faith of others. Knowledge can puff us up, Paul writes, where love builds up.

This would be a lesson in Biblical sensitivity training we need to fight our sinful nature and not hurt the faith of others by what we know or think we know. Even today, we know about an angry God out to get us, rather than One Who is loving and forgiving. I know that if you had a strong faith like I do, everything would be fine. I know that if you're good enough, you will have lots of money and even get to heaven. I know how good I am and how bad you are. 

Paul writes that the best knowledge of all is to know and love God because that faith assures us that we are known and loved by Him. Knowing in our hearts that Jesus suffered and died for my many sins, and helps give me the eyes of Christ as I look at other people. This faith and knowledge helps us understand that we are all poor, miserable sinners before God and only by His grace do we have a place in heaven. I know that I have a Savior Who has taken away the punishment for my sins, do you know Him too?

A little girl who loved Jesus was talking to her teacher about whales. "Jonah was swallowed by a whale." She told the teacher. "Whales can't do that!" the teacher replied. "Their throats are too small. It's impossible." "But it happened to Jonah. The Bible says so." "Who believes that Bible stuff?" the teacher answered. "That whole Jesus and the Bible thing is a bunch of junk. Trust me, I know more than any Bible." The little girl answered, "I love Jesus and when I get to heaven I'm going to ask Jonah." Smugly the teacher responded, "What if Jonah went to hell?" "Then you can ask him," she replied. "Wadda Ya Know!" amen..pastor matthews

Pastor Matthews was called to assist in the Christian burial service of the woman from Downer's Grove who was killed along with her husband last weekend when a speeding car split their vehicle in two. There was also a young man from Concordia serving in Iraq who was killed last week.  I don't know if this will be too sensitive for any potential readers, I just wanted to put a disclaimer on it, in case you are a friend, relative or aquaintance, because I didn't want to upset you. Juliet

February 5, 2006.."Don't Wait Until Tomorrow

The story is told of a man visiting his Doctor. "Well," said the Doctor, "I have good news and bad news. First, the good news, you have 24 hours to live." "Good news?" the man replied, "I can't get things in order in that time. I have financial stuff to do, people to call, some visits to make, prayers to be said. Well, if that's the good news, what's the bad news?" "The bad news is that I should have told you this yesterday," the Doctor answered.

Along those lines, I read that a study was made by Cornell University indicating that the things most people regret the most are those things they didn't do, things they put off, rather than things they did. When something got in the way and kept them from a certain action, regrets filled their hearts. How many of these regrets fill your heart and mind? "Gee, if I had only said...."  "Why didn't I take the time to..."  "What was so important that I didn't..." Any of these sound familiar? I know they do for me.

It was late at night, I was 17, when my Mom woke me up to say Dad wasn't feeling well and she was taking him to the hospital. I was tired and went back to sleep. An hour or so later she came home to say that Dad had passed away. I was so tired that I hadn't said "good-bye" or "I love you, Dad." I figured I'd wait until the morning; tomorrow. Didn't happen! Dad died and there was no tomorrow to tell him once more that I loved him and Jesus loved him too.

I recently had a funeral service for a lady only 53 years old who was killed in a car crash. Suddenly, for her friends and family, there was no tomorrow to say "I love you."   A young man from Concordia was killed while serving in the Marines in Iraq this past week. How tragic for all who knew and loved him. There is no tomorrow for words of love and support. We don't know when the Lord will call.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians that God had called him, compelled him to preach the Good News that Jesus died and rose for the forgiveness of our sins. He did all he could do to share the message of Jesus and His love with all the people he met, day in and day out. He did whatever it took, became whatever he had to become, to share the message of God's love with others. Paul knew that there might be no tomorrow for him or for them. Knowing Christ as your Savior is a message for today.

Today is all we have. Today is a gift from God for a child of God to use for God's glory and for the support and comfort of others. As children of God, we want to do the right thing with our time, don't we? We want to spend time with our loved ones. We want to heal up squabbles with family or friends. We want to share our faith with people who don't seem to know the Lord. We want to! We really do...but our sinful nature (which is a "wait until tomorrow" nature) holds us back. Procrastination is a favorite tool of the Devil.  I'm so busy right now that time with others has to wait until tomorrow.  My pride is hurt, so let others reach out to me for reconciliation, maybe tomorrow. Other things are more important in my life so why should I risk embarrassment by sharing my faith; I'll invite them to church tomorrow.  Our sinful nature is indeed a "tomorrow" nature. Sad to say, tomorrow never seems to come. 

Our Lord has taught us that important actions and words must be said or done right away. How sad if Jesus would have thought to Himself, "I'll preach the Good News when the Sun comes out, maybe tomorrow." "I'll raise this person from the dead after I eat, maybe tomorrow." "I'll put off going to the cross for a more convenient time, maybe people will appreciate Me more, and My disciples can come with me for support, maybe tomorrow." Tomorrow never comes.

Because He loved us, He never put things off. He helped, healed, preached, encouraged, suffered, died, and rose from the dead when the time was right..today! Jesus told Zacchaeus, because I am here, "Today salvation has come to your house." He told the thief on the cross, because you believe, "Today you will be with Me in Paradise."   Take time today for those you love and tell them how you feel. Take time today to heal wounds. Take time today to share your faith. Don't wait for a tragedy that would leave you saying, "I should have told you yesterday."  That's the real bad news! Amen...pastor matthews

After receiving racecar gummies for our Sermonette treat, I wanted to find a sermon that tied into a racing theme. As I told others about a possible NASCAR sermon, our creative people gave many ideas. One suggested that God was the Pit Crew Chief who kept us going. Another told me that as we raced through life, God was always in the stands cheering us on. I liked them all very much. As I prayerfully looked at the readings for today and the Gospel lesson from Mark 2 dealing with the men bringing their friend to Jesus for healing, I believe that the Lord led me in a little different direction.

NASCAR races are certainly exciting and often dangerous with accidents, injuries, and even the loss of life. I believe this might be the fastest sport on earth as these cars speed along. My brother and I attended an Indy 500 back in the 60's and found it to be really interesting and exciting. The thing I see however, is that NASCAR reflects our life in this Country today. We race here and race there, day in and day out reaching for a checkered flag of some type of reward. We want life to get speedier and speedier as we race along. We want faster food...faster film developing...faster service at restaurants...faster travel to and from work. Is it any wonder that traffic jams or time killed waiting for trains get us so frustrated and angry? Often times we live like the dog who ends up chasing his own tail around and around with no end in sight. Even when we win at something, it's often not enough. There's no peace and comfort with a job well done. We can't please ourselves. We can't please the boss. We can't please our families. We can't please anyone so we keep racing and racing for another checkered flag.  With that kind of pressure, health problems mount with high blood pressure, unhealthy food, bad cholesterol, and all the rest. If we're not winning checkered flags, we just race and race until we run out of gas or crash.

I want to contrast that with the story from Mark 2 of the strong men carrying their friend to the Lord for healing. We read that they slowly traveled to the place where Jesus was, only to find that the crowd was so large they couldn't get their friend close to Jesus. The MacGyver in the group figured out a way to open the roof so they could let their friend down to the Lord. Jesus was amazed at the faith of the paralyzed man and his friends. Jesus not only healed his physical hurts, but also forgave his sins. A slow walk to Jesus gave them all a victory through faith in Jesus Who would die for them on the cross and rise to bring with Him an eternal checkered flag of victory through faith. This slow walk of faith towards Jesus brought a victory that would bring riches far beyond anything this world could offer. Through faith in Jesus we have a checkered flag of eternal life, peace, comfort, hope, and lasting joy. 

In the midst of the race of life, like NASCAR drivers, we need to slow down and go into the infield for tires, gas, and a window cleaning to win life's race. That time for children of God involves slowing down for church, prayer, Bible Study, Baptism, Holy Communion, and service to our Lord. Without that break time with our Lord, we're all going to be losers. If there's no time for the slow walk to and with the Lord, then instead of a celebration with Jesus we're on the way to a dead end at a cemetery. We won't find God grace, just a lonely grave. Instead of lifting our hearts to the Lord, we'll be lowered into the ground. Slow down for worship. As someone once said, don't make your next visit to church one where six strong men carry you in. Slow down for time with Jesus, bring your friends for the healing He offers. The checkered flag Jesus waves means you are a real winner!  Amen...pastor matthews

We all want to feel as though we are fairly bright people. Sometimes we become the house with the light on, but nobody is home. A man went to see his doctor and he was in a panic. "Doc, you gotta help me. I'm dying! Everything I touch it hurts. I touch my head, it hurts! I touch my leg, it hurts! I touch my stomach, it hurts! You gotta help me. I'm dying." After a complete examination the Doctor told him that there was good news and bad news. "The good news is you're NOT dying." "But Doc, everywhere I touch it hurts!" Relax, you're not dying. You have a broken finger!" Not real bright, huh?

We usually think of a person being bright if they have lots of education or are successful. The "A" student must be bright. The millionaire must be bright. The scientist must be bright. The story of the Transfiguration of Jesus in Mark 9 points us to a different kind of brightness; that which shines from the Son of God. Jesus shone like the Sun as the power of the Son of God shone through. The power that Jesus had hidden in His human nature came through as Moses, Elijah, and the words of His Father strengthened Jesus for the horrible suffering and death on the cross that was awaiting Him. For the disciples, this was a taste of what heaven would be like. This was the Bahamas, Aruba, Hawaii, and of course Berwyn, all rolled into one. No wonder they didn't want to go!

For the child of God, this same brightness is ours through faith. Trusting in Jesus Who died and rose for me shines through because God's Word, from God Himself through Moses, Elijah, and others strengthens me too. Jesus faced His trials through that power, and we can face the trials and troubles in life because Christ lives in us and His love and power shines through.

Our sinful nature leads us to shine in a different way. We are led to believe that unless we are rich, powerful, good looking, or a great athlete, we are not important; we can't shine at all. Being an Olympic hero is brightness at its best, we are led to believe. Winning a medal as a representative of one's country is certainly special, but the shine wears off fairly quickly. In our fickle world, Olympic heroes are soon forgotten, as Baseball Season begins. They're not so bright anymore. Today's heroes are tomorrow's has-beens. Lottery winners often end up becoming big losers. This world's brightest easily become it's burned-out. When we look for our brightness from who we are or from what others tell us we are, we can come to realize that we're not real bright at all.

Shining with and for the Lord is totally different. The power to shine through in the darkness does not depend upon us, it depends upon God. Being able to love the unlovable comes from our God Who loves us; the unlovable. Forgiving those who have hurt us comes from God Son Who was willing to forgive those who were nailing Him to the cross. Finding peace and hope during times of pain and loss comes from our Lord Whose death and resurrection opened a place in heaven for us. 1 John 4:19 tells us that we love because He first loved us. We can shine only because He first shined in us. Without Jesus we're not real bright at all. Amen..pastor matthews

As this sermon begins, what are you looking at right now? Some might be looking up front, others at the banners, the large cross, at your bulletin, or the inside of their eyelids. As this Lenten Season begins, it's important to be looking at the right thing to find God's real blessings.

It has been said that SORROW looks back, WORRY looks around, and FAITH looks up. So, where are you looking today? In the Book of Genesis, we read about Abraham. Especially for our sermon, we'll look at Genesis 22 where Abraham is tested by God to kill his only son, Isaac.  God simply told Abraham to go and do it. As Abraham traveled for three days to the place where God would designate, what went through his mind? If SORROW looks back, would Abraham have been crying along the way? Would Abraham have looked back at his early years, the time when his brother Lot lived around  Sodom and Gomorrah, the sadness of growing old without having a child especially when his wife became too old to get pregnant. Now he had a son who had to die as a sacrifice to God's will. Did he WORRY along the way as he walked with his boy for maybe the last time. "God will provide" the sacrifice he told his son. Walking up the mountain after three days. Had he resigned himself to killing his only son because God told him to do it? As the place of sacrifice got closer and closer and he felt the knife he was carrying, was he feeling torn apart?  In FAITH he was ready to do this when God intervened and told him to look up. As he looked up, Scripture tells us, he saw a ram, the sacrifice he would use. The ram would die in place of his only son. How many times do you think Abraham cried out "Thank You, God" for the substitute God provided? How many tears did he shed to hug his son again? Abraham had shown a tremendous faith in the Lord and that faith was rewarded with great joy!

I could never be an Abraham, my faith is too weak, and I could never hurt my son. My son Mike and I would have been like Jonah and gone off in the wrong direction.  What a trial Abraham faced, fortunately, we face easier ones day in and day out. God calls us to be His faithful children each day. That in itself is tough enough, isn't it? Trials, troubles, and temptations face us each day of our lives because of our sin and the sins of others. We look at money trouble, illness, death, terrorists, an unsure future, and many others. Where do we look when it hits the proverbial fan?

Often we choose to look at life with SORROW.  SORROW looks back. We face life by beating ourselves up with guilt from past sins and hurts. With the baggage we carry, we have regrets for many things we've done and believe that God can't or won't forgive us. Looking at life with SORROW means I'm a poor, miserable sinner, hopelessly evil. This is a form of reverse pride because we're saying to God that our evil, our hurts are greater than His love and forgiveness. Does this make us like little gods? Look at the cross this Lenten season. Take the hurts and the pain to the cross, lay them down, leave them there, leave them there! The blood of Jesus washes them away.

It's easy to look at life through the eyes of WORRY. WORRY is taking upon yourself something that belongs to God. We don't trust His love, His guidance, His promises, so we WORRY. We have to handle things ourselves. We keep our money, give a token of what we should in offerings,  because God can't or won't help us. We have to help ourselves! Remember that Jesus defeated sin, death, and the devil through the cross. Look at the cross in front of you, on your wall, or the one you wear, it's a reminder of a greater victory than any Olympic Medal; a victory that is yours through faith in Christ.

Finally, like Abraham, look up. Look up in FAITH at the Sacrifice God provided for your forgiveness, His Only Son. Look at the Sacrifice God provided, His Son, in your place, on the cross,  for your sins, so eternal life and hope is yours now and forever. Look up at the cross for it will give you a peace far greater than the inside of your eyelids.  Amen..pastor matthews

There is a cute story about a little girl who was walking home from school in a storm. Knowing that it was thundering and lightning, her Mom decided to talk out to meet her. Thinking the crashing thunder and streaks of lightning might frighten her daughter, Mom was surprised as she saw her daughter walking along, dancing, skipping, hopping, and when there was a flash of lightning, she would freeze, smile, and look up. This happened over and over again as she danced along until the lightning flashed and her daughter froze, smiled, and looked up. When they met, Mom asked her what she was doing, wasn't she afraid? The daughter told her she wasn't afraid, in fact, when the lightning flashed, she froze, smiled, and looked up because that was when God was taking her picture. This is a beautiful example of a child-like faith during a storm. She wasn't afraid because God was with her and in fact, loved her so much, He was taking her picture. Wouldn't it be great to have a faith like that?

Sad to say, the fearful times in life often lead us to forget about God rather than seeing His Hand at work. This is true in so many ways. In our Bible readings, Exodus 20 reminds us of how the Israelites were enslaved for some 400 years, often giving up on God. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 1, spoke to the church in Corinth about how they were enslaved by being "politically correct" in thinking the way the world thought, and not looking for God's wisdom in their lives. John 2 tells the story of how Jesus cleaned the temple because people were literally being enslaved by all who were cheating them as they came to make sacrifices and worship God.

Things are similar today as economic troubles bring great fear and doubts of God even caring as our bills enslave us month after month. The world's values rather than the Word of God seem to guide our thoughts and fill us with fear rather than peace. Spiritually, we can feel trapped by those who would lead us away from the grace of God through faith in Christ, through other activities, or by telling us that we have to be so good or do this or that to be saved.

Fear can push God away. F.E.A.R. being Forgetting Everything About our Redeemer.

The Israelites forgot about their loving God and His Promised Land, and worshipped idols, mumbled and complained, even after He freed them from Egyptian slavery. God reminded them of His love and guidance and gave them the 10 Commandments to keep them focused on Him and leading a God-pleasing life and not following the ways of the world that lead to destruction. Paul's people forgot about God's wisdom and were caught up in man's ideas. Paul reminded them that God was a God of love and even though it didn't make sense, sent His Son to die on the cross and rise for the forgiveness of our sins. Many businessmen in Jerusalem caring only about a quick " buck" forgot about God and the importance of worship.  Jesus showed His love for God and His temple as He cleaned out the temple of all who were getting in the way of worship or cheating others, so travelers could find peace in the worship of God.

The little girl dancing through the storm as her Friend God took her picture is a nice reminder for us all.  It has been said that a friend is someone who knows all about you and loves you anyway. What a Friend we have in Jesus. He knows about the many fears, worries, and doubts that fill our sinful heart and He loves us anyway. As our faithful Friend, He is with us to guide and support us. He suffered in our place, died in our place, rose from the dead so that we could find forgiveness of sins and through faith, live with Him in His place eternally. Jesus' last words on earth were a promise that He would always be with us. He keeps His promises. So the next time you're in a storm, smile, look up and remember that Jesus loves us so much that if He carried a wallet, your picture would be in it.  Amen..pastor matthews

Does it feel weird when people acted surprised to see you in Church? We might ask ourselves, "Why am I here today?"  Force of habit? Feeling guilty if we don't? See our friends and family?  Dragged here by our parents? For the bakery served between services? See if the Pastor does a magic trick? Maybe because I'm in so much trouble and I'm looking for a quick fix from God?  Or could it really be for a faith lift? Could it really be to grow in our faith and knowledge of God's Word? Could it really be to actually pray, confess our sins, and find forgiveness through the death and burial of Jesus?  Could it really be to see Jesus?

Our Gospel reading from John 12 tells us the beautiful, simple words of a group of Greeks, people from out of town who came to the disciples for information, for guidance; "We would like to see Jesus." Not see the temple, not their favorite bathhouse or restaurant, no sight seeing tour of famous Romans' homes, simply, "We would like to see Jesus." That's what really mattered to them. That's why they were there.

"We would like to see Jesus."  Wouldn't it be great? Imagine; seeing Jesus, hearing His voice as He taught the Word of God, feeling His touch as He shook your hand or gave you a hug, or just hanging around where He is?  Granted we can see God in nature. We can feel His presence at home listening to calming music. But the best place, this side of heaven, to really see Jesus is in God's House, the Church. This is a special place to be because we would like to see Jesus.

Here we see and hear Jesus in ways we can't in other places. Sure we can pray anywhere, but, saying the Lord's Prayer with our eyes on the cross with family and friends around us adds special meaning. We can hear His Word anyplace, but when God's Word is shared in a Bible Study with other believers, sung by the Choir, even brought to us, dare I say it, in a sermon??? it can become more personal, more meaningful than anywhere else. God can touch our hearts in special ways at home, in hospitals, or Nursing Homes. But, when we taste His Body and His Blood in Holy Communion, having confessed our sins before Him, knowing those sins are forgiven, knowing that He did all of this "for me" strengthens our faith in a special way.

When we come together to see Jesus, we also strengthen the faith of those around us. How wonderful for a child to see Mom and Dad or Grandpa and Grandma, Aunts and Uncles with them at worship. How great to see the little ones run up for the sermonette, or those who are literally sick and dying making a point to be in church. What an encouragement they are for us. God bless you! Like the man who built the church for his little town with no windows, but gave each family a lantern to hang by their pew. When everyone would bring their lantern to worship, the place would light up. When some were absent, it was a much darker place.

The Devil wants a darker church that can't or won't see Jesus. Sunday sports, outings, meals with family and friends get in the way. We often arrive frazzled from arguments at home, being stopped by a train, or seeing someone here you really don't care to see. We forget about seeing Jesus and get caught up in Church politics, or other distractions.   

Our own guilt and fear can also get in the way of seeing Jesus too. We know how evil we are. We know all the things we've thought, said, or done and don't deserve to be here, don't deserve forgiveness, don't deserve hope and joy. We don't deserve them, but that's why we are here to see Jesus because He brings all those blessings to all of us who don't deserve them through faith. Mercy, grace, peace, hope, and forgiveness are not earned or deserved, but are gifts of God as we see our Suffering Savior, Jesus through the eyes of faith. A Dennis the Menace cartoon shows Dennis and his friend, Joey leaving Mrs. Wilson's house with a handful of cookies. Joey asked Dennis, "What did we do to deserve these?" "Joey," Dennis replied,  "Mrs. Wilson gives us cookies not because we're nice, but because she's nice."

God blesses us not because we're nice, but because He's nice. Come and see this Holy Week especially, how nice our Lord really is. Come and see Jesus as He suffered and died for you. Come and see Jesus as He rose from the dead for the forgiveness of your sins. Greet those around you and invite others who haven't seen Jesus for a long time.  Come to worship with hearts that say, "We would like to see Jesus" and better than that, remember that Jesus would like to see you. Amen....pastor matthews

The famous bumper sticker says, "Honk If You Love Jesus." We honk our horns, cheer, and get rowdy for the Lord. Then we read another bumper sticker that says, "Tithe if you love Jesus. Anyone can honk!" To this we just sort of drive by and pretend we really didn't see it. "What does tithe mean, Daddy?" "Do your homework!" For the first, it's easy to honk as a Christian. For the second, which involves much more of a commitment, we often just don't want to go there. It's much like the example of a ham and eggs breakfast. The chicken was involved; the pig made the commitment. The chicken laid an egg and the pig gave his life.

Palm Sunday is especially nice for chicken Christians, and Good Friday is for the pigs.  On that Palm Sunday some 2000 years ago, many cheered the One Whom they thought would save them from the Romans. "Hosanna!" "Save Us!" They were involved. They honked for Jesus! It was fun to wave their palms. It was easy to be one of the crowd on Palm Sunday. As the week moved on and Jesus spoke more of commitment and the cross and blood and death, the cheering stopped. Palms were thrown down. This message wasn't what they wanted to hear, and the results were either apathy or anger. Some walked away, while others threw rocks. It's often easy to cheer, as we are involved in what we want or we say, but call for real commitment and listen to the pin drop. 

God's call for the kind of sacrifice that true faith, Good Friday pig type of sacrifice faith requires, hushes the crowd big time. Our sinful nature can handle the easy times of cheering along with the crowd. Once the message leads to commitment, sacrifice, giving time, talents, and treasures generously for God's will, not our own agenda, we are left with heads down, hiding behind the hymnals, scrunching down in the pews, hoping not to be seen. 

Our sins and fears leave us as quiet, chicken Christians this Palm Sunday. "Do it our way Jesus and we're happy." "Give us what we want and we'll follow You, Jesus" "Call for commitment, sacrifice, the cross, and You walk alone!"

It's amazing that Jesus loved us so much that He chose to be the sacrificial pig of Good Friday, to forgive the sins of us Palm Sunday chickens. We cheer for a fun and games Jesus, but one Who's bloody, and dying calling to us to live a life pleasing to God and show real love to others often leaves us speechless. For those speechless times, He died. We openly cheer for the Sox or Cubs, but our Christian witness, our good words about our Lord or His church are whispered at best. For those whispers, He died. I'll tell you what happened in my favorite TV show, but to talk about Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the dead leaves me quiet and embarrassed. For those quiet times, He died.

What will the Lord hear from you this Holy Week? What will He hear from you after Easter? Chickens hang out with the Colonel; Children of God cheer for the King. Trusting in Jesus, I hope we all make joyful noises, noises well beyond simply honking our horns for our Lord now and forever. Amen..pastor matthews

Security seems to be a very important concept in our world, especially following 9-11. We look for security for our Country, at the airports, wherever people gather. We want security for our homes so we have extra locks, alarms, big dogs, etc. We want financial security for our family or when we retire. We need the security of health insurance if we get sick. Hopefully, somewhere in there, we want the eternal security of knowing we have a home in heaven.

As a child, most of these were pretty unimportant to me. In fact, the only one I can remember really being a part of my life was the spiritual security of a home with Jesus. I had a Mom and Dad who took care of the other stuff and it never really was on my mind. Knowing that Jesus loved me was what mattered. I used to pray the old familiar prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. And this I ask for Jesus' sake. Amen." Sound familiar to you too? I slept like a log knowing my parents were there and Jesus was there too.

When Jesus spoke His last words from the cross, "Father into Thy Hands I commit My spirit" Quoting Psalm 31, He was also saying "Now I lay Me down to sleep..." Here we have a Child finding security in His Father's Hands. Jesus spoke to His Father. While suffering the pain of hell He had cried out "My God, My God" now we are back to Father. Jesus had a close relationship with His Father over the years and found great comfort in His Heavenly Father's strength and support. "Now I lay Me down to sleep..." 

He committed His spirit to His Father's hands. What a great place to be. He had been handed over to the hands of sinners, because He needed to do that as the sacrifice for our sins. Now, He was back where He wanted to be, in His Father's hands. John 10 tells us that no one can ever snatch us from the Father's hands..eternal security!

He did this on His own. He committed His spirit to God. He chose to give up His life to His Father. Even bloody and weak, enduring the cruelty of man, He was still in control!

Even as He died, He still teaches us. Through faith in Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I can call His Father, my Father. My earthly Dad was a great guy..imagine how great my heavenly Father is? Now that's security! As we go through life, even passing through the valley of the shadow of death, we fear no evil..why? because He is with us. Now that's security! Through faith in Jesus, we live in our heavenly Father's hands and no one and nothing can pull us out! Now that's security!

My Mom died of cancer some 18 years ago.  I was living in New Jersey and she was in Detroit. The story was told to me that they had just given her a sponge bath and tucked her in bed at the hospital. She said to them, "Now I'm going home." With that she went to heaven. Now that's the security we all have in Jesus!  Now I lay me down to sleep...amen..pastor matthews

EASTER 2006 "A Thief On The Cross"
Old outfit

Looking through the bars of my prison cell, I could only reflect upon how screwed up my life has been. Here I am, locked up again, freedom lost again, another prison, only now getting close to a painful death and what have I accomplished? What has my life meant? I could have had a wife and family, there was this girl in Jericho who loved me..but..I had to have thing my way, my freedom, my fun, and her father's purse filled with gold as I ran off. I wonder how she is? She was so sweet. she loved me..but...

No time for those thoughts as the soldiers approach. Time for that last, long walk..dead man walking. Hard to see at first, been in the dungeon so long..however, as my eyes adjust, I see that there are three of us providing the show today. The one guy I know..we've been in and out of jail over the years. He's a mean guy. Stay away from him.  The other is a stranger..oh man, what happened to him? The two of us who were in jail didn't get the whip, but He really got it! I've never seen so much blood, open wounds, and pieces of flesh hanging by a thread. No wonder He needs help with His cross.

Weird crowd around him too..some angry, throwing rocks; others praying, crying, calling out to him. Is this the same guy who had the parade a few days ago? I think so. The so-called prophet from God? Jesus is His name I even heard the shouts from my cell..hosanna!  "God save" "save us" not much saving going on here. If He can't even save Himself, how can He save us from the Romans?

Long walk to Golgotha, seems like they're taking the longer route..to make Him suffer even more? There it is..the place of the skull..seems appropriate! Now for the pain! For a guy who only cared about what felt good for me..that all ends right here with the nails! As other prisoner is nailed he's yelling, cussing, spitting on the guards...can I be stronger than that? Can I face this as a man? Oh God it hurts! Oh God it hurts! I almost passed out. Stranger's turn..no cussing..no spitting..did He say what I thought? Forgive them? God forgive them? Look what they've done to him. Look how they've hurt him and He's forgiving them.  Who is this guy?

We've been hanging here for a while..seems like an eternity. The stranger keeps looking my way. His eyes, barely visible through the blood from His wounded head, show a love I've never seen. His eyes remind me a little of that girl in Jericho who loved me. I don't feel so alone anymore. My jailbird buddy breaks my thoughts with his yelling and cussing at everybody, even to the stranger. "Get us out of here"  "If you're the Christ save us"  "hosanna?" "save us?" "hosanna"..here? now? what a jerk! I told him to quit it! We're getting what we deserve, but He isn't. There's nothing bad about Him. In fact, there's something very good about Him.

The sign over his head says "King" "King Jesus" he's my kind of king. I'll follow Him anywhere. Jesus, remember me when You come to your kingdom! It was then that I heard the most beautiful words I had ever heard.. "Today you will be with Me in paradise" today, he said, today..no more days living in the gutter of selfishness, living only for myself..today..and where? paradise! This is my last day on earth, my last hours, and soon I'll'be with Him in paradise. paradise...He forgave me and told me He wanted me with Him in His kingdom. I know He'll keep his promise! I know He will. What a way to die!

new outfit

He did keep His promise..I am with Him in His kingdom. Now He's no longer a stranger, now He's Jesus, my Friend, my King, my Savior. if He can forgive me, He can forgive you. Look through the blood..listen to His voice..He is speaking to you, too. This might be your last day on earth, like it was mine..Where will you spend eternity; with Jesus in paradise or with the other guy who hung with us in hell? Listen to Him..trust Him..He'll free you from your prison. Because He rose from the dead, I rose from the dead. You will too! Come, be with us forever in heaven.  Amen    pastor matthews

April 23, 2006.."Jesus Greets Us With ....."

Easter Sunday evening, doors are locked, suddenly Jesus appears. What are His first words to His disciples? "Hi? How are ya?" "What's Happenin'?" "Greetings!" "Happy Easter" "I am risen..." "What's for dinner?" All possibilities, but Jesus chooses to say, "Peace be with you." A simple "Peace be with you" was enough. In Hebrew, we know that the word for peace is shalom. "Shalom be with you" our Lord shares with His disciples after He has risen from the dead.  Why that word?

We know that the word Shalom is used both as a greeting and a good-bye.  Peace is a great word, a great concept, a great feeling, but Shalom has much more connected with it.
According to a Bible Concordance, it can mean peace, safety, health, prosperity, fully paid, harmony, rest, and the absence of agitation. In other words, someone else is watching your children. This is a wonderful word, a great blessing to people you care about. One thing more we need to know is that the root word for shalom is the word for complete. The Shalom that Jesus offers is one of completeness. With Jesus here, He's telling His disciples, all these blessings of shalom find completeness. Their life is now complete.  With the Shalom that Jesus gives, we are complete, at one with God, we have peace, because all of our sins have been paid for by His death and resurrection.

Without Christ as our Savior, as our true Shalom, we'll never have complete peace, complete prosperity, complete harmony, we'll always have aqgitation. All these other things we use to try to bring us peace such as drugs, alcohol, possessions, people, sex, t.v., and all the rest never bring completeness because there is always something missing. Because of our sinful nature leading us, there's a big hole in our thinking, in our lives, in our hearts.

The answer is in Jesus, our Shalom. Isaiah 9:6 tells us that He is the Prince of Peace. Philippians 4:7 tells that the Shalom of God that transcends all of our understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The Shalom of God is Jesus Himself. The Only way to finding peace and harmony with life or with God, forgiveness and hope eternal, is through faith in Christ Alone. Not only does Jesus bring us God's peace, He is God's peace. A peace and hope and joy that is complete, fully paid for through the cross. A peace that lives in and fills up our hearts.

It has been said that we are all born with a hole in our hearts shaped like God. We search and search for completeness, but nothing else fits. Once we know and trust in Jesus as our Savior, life becomes complete, the hole is filled. Through faith in Jesus, we have  complete peace, hope, joy, complete forgiveness of our sins, and a home in heaven. This is a message we need to share with family and friends who walk around with emptiness in their lives. So, what do you want to hear from Jesus today? "How are ya?" "How's it going?" Maybe simply, "Shalom;" a message of complete peace from the Prince of Peace Himself for each and every one of us. What a blessing that is!   Amen..pastor matthews

Good Shepherd Sunday May 7, 2006

I wonder how many of us have marks or scars somewhere on our bodies? I was reminded of this while attending the LWML Convention in Grand Rapids when my niece Annie, who goes to college in the area, fell and needed some 21 stitches in her lip and chin. She'll have a nice little mark, but she's a cutie and no one will notice. I have scars going back to sliding into second base and gashing my elbow open during a water fight at college. These are marks that will always be with me.  I'm sure many of you have them too.

As I was looking through a little book by Phillip Keller called "A Shepherd Looks At The 23rd Psalm" reading about his experiences as a shepherd, I read a section of the book that speaks about how shepherds mark their sheep so they can always find them even at a distance. Marking a sheep is done by taking a sheep, placing its head on a block of wood and cutting a notch in one ear. As he said, this was painful for both the sheep and the shepherd. Once finished, this sheep was definitely his possession. Blood is spilled to mark this relationship. 

Looking back at the Old Testament story from Exodus, we are reminded of the blood of the lamb that was spread on the wooden doorposts as a sign that this family belonged to God. If you remember, the Angel of Death would pass over that house, killing only the firstborn of families not in God's household. Blood was spilled to mark that relationship. Also in Old Testament times when a servant wanted to become part of a family, the servant's ear was placed on the doorpost, and an Awl was used to puncture a hole in the servant's earlobe. Blood was spilled to mark this servant as a member of the family.   

Jesus shed His blood for us on the cross so that all who believe in Him are marked as children of God. The cross in your heart is God's mark on you. The Shepherd took the pain so His sheep would have the gain. As we join His family through Baptism for instance, we are marked as belonging to the family of God. Isaiah 49:16 tells us that our names are engraved on the palms of God's hands. Marked by God to be His forever. Receiving His body and blood at Holy Communion for the forgiveness of sins marks you as a child of God.  Responses of faith in Christ through worship, Bible Study, prayer, and a God-pleasing life mark us as His children. As with the sheep, following our Good Shepherd Jesus can sometimes be painful. We are sinners.

Because of that sin, we just don't want to follow our Good Shepherd Jesus. We like to go off on our own following other shepherds of greed, fun, lust, and laziness. We follow our own ideas, the way our world points us, leaving the Shepherd behind. Things like worship, prayer, Bible Study, forgiving others, faithful giving, volunteering our time, are not that important. We don't want Jesus to be in control. We like Him as a spare tire, not a steering wheel.  I'm reminded of a Pastor leading a tour group in Israel. Wanting to impress the group, he has told them how shepherds always lead and the sheep follow. Seeing some sheep approaching, he was embarrassed to see the flock running, chased by the shepherd. Going up to the man he shared how he had told the tour group that shepherds always lead their sheep, now he sees the shepherd run after them. "Shepherds do lead the sheep," the man replied, "You see, I'm not the shepherd, I'm the butcher!"  Are we following our Shepherd Jesus or running from the Butcher Satan?

Marked as a child of God through faith we have a Good Shepherd with a rod and staff to protect us so we can have a peaceful sleep. Marked as His sheep, we are strengthened by our Lord to follow Him and are forgiven when we wander off. Marked as His sheep, we need not fear evil with our Shepherd there to defend us. Marked as His sheep, we can even face death with peaceful hearts because the Shepherd is there. His mercy is there for those marked as His children and we know that we will be with Him in heaven forever. Beats running from the butcher, huh?   Amen...pastor matthews

In Matthew 5, our Lord looks each of us in the eye and says "You are the light of the world...let your light so shine before the world that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit reaches into each of our hearts. We'll use the Sunday School song, "This Little Gospel Light Of Mine" to reinforce the message.

THIS LITTLE GOSPEL LIGHT OF MINE, I'M GONNA LET IT SHINE.
THIS LITTLE GOSPEL LIGHT OF MINE, I'M GONNA LET IT SHINE.
THIS LITTLE GOSPEL LIGHT OF MINE, I'M GONNA LET IT SHINE,
LET IT SHINE, ALL THE TIME, LET IT SHINE!

When the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts, we want to say "Thank You." Shining for Jesus is our message. Jesus died on the cross, rose from the dead to forgive my many, many sins and open heaven for me. Telling others of His love, inviting people for worship, praying for others, forgiving, worship, Bible Study, and so much more are ways that our faith in Jesus shines. 

HIDE IT UNDER A BUSHEL? "NO!" I'M GONNA LET IT SHINE.
HIDE IT UNDER A BUSHEL? "NO!" I'M GONNA LET IT SHINE.
HIDE IT UNDER A BUSHEL? "NO!" I'M GONNA LET IT SHINE.
LET IT SHINE, ALL THE TIME, LET IT SHINE!

We all have our favorite bushel baskets that can hide our light. We're afraid we might say the wrong thing. We might be embarrassed. People might treat us differently if they knew we were Christians. I want to be politically correct and not offend anyone. Religion is a private thing! 

DON'T LET SATAN "POOF" IT OUT, I'M GONNA LET IT SHINE.
DON'T LET SATAN "POOF" IT OUT, I'M GONNA LET IT SHINE.
DON'T LET SATAN "POOF" IT OUT, I'M GONNA LET IT SHINE
LET IT SHINE, ALL THE TIME, LET IT SHINE!

Satan wants to poof your light out so you can live forever with Him in darkness. A Pastor visited a man who hadn't worshipped in a long time. They sat in front of a fire. The Pastor reached down, took a flaming stick from the fire and watched as slowly the flame grew smaller and smaller until it went out. The man replied, "I get the message, Pastor. I'll see you on Sunday."  If we stay away from the flame of worship, Bible Study, Prayer, fellowship, and more, the sinful nature wins and the flame can go out...darkness.

ALL AROUND MY NEIGHBORHOOD, I'M GONNA LET IT SHINE.
ALL AROUND MY NEIGHBORHOOD, I'M GONNA LET IT SHINE
ALL AROUND MY NEIGHBORHOOD, I'M GONNA LET IT SHINE.
LET IT SHINE, ALL THE TIME, LET IT SHINE!

Your neighborhood includes many people. When family and friends know about our faith, we're shining. When people at work, at school, on my team know that I'm a child of God, I'm shining. There is no such thing as a closet or secret Christian. If you truly care about these people, you'll want to shine in your witness, invitation, love, or just being a little Jesus in their lives.

IT WILL POINT THE WAY TO HEAVEN! I'M GONNA LET IT SHINE.
IT WILL POINT THE WAY TO HEAVEN! I'M GONNA LET IT SHINE.
IT WILL POINT THE WAY TO HEAVEN! I'M GONNA LET IT SHINE.
LET IT SHINE, ALL THE TIME, LET IT SHINE!

All we can do is point to the Way. Jesus is the Way, we point to Him. He has loved us, He died and rose for us, He is ready to welcome us home. Thank you Jesus! You, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, are the light of the world. Let it shine to the glory of God! Amen..pastor matthews

The Sandpiper name is given to a large family of shore birds. Their long legs and slender bills are excellent for probing the sand or mud for small crabs and so on to eat. Sandpipers are found in flocks along seacoasts, in inland waters, and in wetlands around the globe where food is abundant. What's interesting is how far they migrate. It has been shown that they undertake a transoceanic trip from New England and Canada to South America. Powered by extra reserves of bodyfat, they often fly nonstop for over 4000 miles. It's amazing what a strong will God has given them.

I read another story recently of a couple walking the beaches in Florida and spotting a one-legged Sandpiper darting in and out of the water. This one-legged creature of God had tremendous balance and agility, even to the point of catching a sand crab, moving it to dry land and in three pecks, finishing off his meal and back to hunting again. This Sandpiper was a real example of optimism and joy with its heart, adaptability, and perseverance. The familiar Bible verse from Philippians 4:13 reflects this one-legged Sandpiper and all the migratory Sandpipers, "I can do all things through Him Who gives me strength." If our loving God has given little Sandpipers strength of heart and will, to fly 4000 miles and thrive on one leg, how much more through faith in His death and resurrection can He bless His children. We can be Sandpipers too.

If I can do all things through Him Who gives me strength, then falling short of a God-pleasing life is my sin and points to my lack of faith in calling to our Lord. We aren't Sandpipers to each other bringing hope and encouragement, when we would rather criticize others, make fun of them, exclude them from our little click, refuse to forgive, and act more like vultures ready to eat their dead flesh. This is true in families, workplaces, and from I've observed, at least at one church in Berwyn. It's difficult to change from a vulture to a Sandpiper..repenting of our sins changes our feathers as we reach out for strength from our Lord. Living as a Sandpiper, encouraging those around us, happens when Jesus becomes our steering wheel, and does not remain our spare tire. 

A true story comes from Robert Peterson. He would drive to the beach to clear his head when the world closed in on him. On one trip he met a little six-year old. She tried to talk, but he wasn't in the mood. She was building things in the sand, when a sandpiper flew by. "That's a joy," she said. "A what?" he answered. "My mother told me that sandpipers come to bring us joy." Robert wasn't in the mood. He was depressed. She asked his name and told him that she was six years old and named Amber. In spite of his gloom, she brought a smile to his face. After days of pressure and stress, Robert told himself that he needed a sandpiper. Arriving at the beach, he discovered that Amber was there. They walked and talked. Though it was wintertime, she wasn't in school. She told him that her mother said they were on vacation. Three weeks later he rushed to the beach in no mood for a little girl. Seeing her there he said he wanted to be alone because his mother had died. "Did it hurt?" she asked. "of course it hurt when she died" and he walked away. "Then this is a bad day" Amber said as Robert walked away. A month or so later he returned to the beach. He didn't see Amber and felt ashamed and guilty about the way he had treated her. He went to their cottage, introduced himself to her mother and said he had missed Amber. The mother invited him in and told him that she had spoken often about him, apologizing for her being a nuisance. "Not at all, she was a delight, I was just in a bad mood." "Amber died last week from leukemia. Didn't she tell you she was sick?" She loved the beach and asked to come here because seeing Sandpipers and all brought her happy days. She left something for you. Handing him and envelope, he saw "Mr. P" on the front. Inside was a drawing of a Sandpiper and she had written "A Sandpiper To Bring You Joy." He cried, hugged Amber's mom, and apologized for how he had treated her. Since then, he has framed the picture and remembers the six words from the six year old and her courage and love, and joy. She had been a Sandpiper.

Life gets so busy that we don't find time to be Sandpipers to one another. It's so easy to be a thoughtless vulture. Reaching out to Jesus can help us to be more like Sandpipers to each other. What a great Mother's Day gift that would be for those we love. I wish all of you a Sandpiper today. amen..pastor matthews

A number of years ago we had a dear lady who was a member with a father suffering from Alzheimer's. She took very good care of him, but mentioned to me that every time she would leave the Home, she would say, "Dad, I love you" and there was no response. For some 50+ years of her life, he had never once said that he loved her. One day, as she was leaving, her heart very sad over his condition, she said "Dad, I love you" and suddenly he responded, "I love you too!"  The tears fell down her cheeks as she embraced this special moment. Shortly after that, he died. Even in her time of pain, she had been able to hear what she needed to hear, that her Father really did love her.

There are lots of things we'd like to hear; it's not Cancer, it's a boy, it's a girl, I've arrived safely, you're the winner, and possibly best of all, "I love you" from someone near and dear to our hearts. Sad to say, sometimes it seems that words of good news in our lives come few in number and far between. Because we live in a world filled with sin, more and more we get news of loved ones who have died. Most recently the paper told of tainted drugs that have killed many young people. We get calls about checks that have bounced, report cards arrive with failing grades, and we hear words of anger that tell us we're worthless, hopeless, and unloved.  The world can be very cold.

The story is told of a husband that read a book on being more assertive at home so he couldn't wait to tell his wife off. "When I get home tonight," he told his wife, "I want my favorite dinner on the table. Then make me a dessert, wash the dishes, leave me alone to watch t.v., and when we go to bed, give me a message until I fall asleep, and keep quiet!  In the morning I want to be shaved, bathed, and dressed. Guess who's gonna do that?" "The way you're going," she answered, "It'll be the funeral director!" These were words he didn't want to hear.  In John 3, we read about Nicodemus who heard some good news.

Nicodemus was a religious leader at the time of Jesus. He had been raised hearing only about rules and regulations. Over and over he heard that he better do this, or you gotta do that to please God. There might have been times his pride told him he had been a good person, better than most, a pride-filled but unloving attitude, yet other times he certainly realized he had broken some of the over 600 laws the Pharisees had to keep and could be lost eternally. Into this spiritual roller coaster ride came Jesus with a message of new life, love, and forgiveness.  Sneaking away at night, Nicodemus wanted to hear more from this Prophet of God.

Jesus spoke to him about a new birth, new life through water and the Word. This new life of faith brings the assurance of hope and joy and peace with God because it is grounded in the death and resurrection of Jesus. This was the Gospel, the Good News of salvation when you hear that God the Father loves you, God the Son died for you, God the Holy Spirit brings you to faith and gives you a heavenly home. God can love poor, miserable me?  Jesus died and rose to forgive my many sins? The Holy Spirit gives me a home in heaven? That's Good News we need to hear, that's the Gospel message everyone needs to hear. After all, G.O.S.P.E.L. stands for God Offers Sinful People Everlasting Life. At the funeral of a 21 year old, this past week, who used to come to our Sunday School and VBS, these are the words that bring hope to grieving family and friends. These are words we all need to hear from Jesus. Amen..pastor matthews

The story is told of a young man who was graduating from college. He had done quite well with his studies, so he asked his father for a new car. When the big day came, the father handed him a Bible. "A Bible!" the young man shouted, "After all my hard work you just give me an old Bible?" With that, he threw the Bible to the ground, walked away from his father, refusing any attempts to speak to him again. Many years later, the father died. The man returned for the funeral and began rummaging through his father's stuff. He came across that Bible and was ready to throw it away again, when some papers fell out. One was a note written by his father and dated back to graduation time. The father wrote to his son that he loved him, was very proud of him, and that in the Bible, he would find the Greatest Treasure he would ever need in Jesus Christ Who died and rose for his salvation. Attached to the note was a bill of sale that said a new sports car had been purchased for the son by his father. Anger and pride kept the young man from his father. All those years were wasted!

Time is certainly a gift from God. We have so much allotted to us in this life. Whether you're a Bill Gates or a homeless person in town, there are 60 seconds in your minute and 60 minutes in your hour. The important thing  is how you use the time. Ephesians 5:15&16 tells us to be careful how you live, not as the unwise, but as the wise, redeeming the time, for the days are evil.

Jesus never wasted time, or killed time, He knew it was too valuable. He knew that He had just so much time on earth; actually 33 years, and His ministry was only the last three. Three years to preach, teach, make disciples, help, heal, and eventually die, rise from the dead, and finally ascend back to heaven. He never said, "Let's wait till next week to go to that town" "I'll heal you in a couple of days" "I'm too busy to talk with you."  Jesus knew that He only had a certain amount of time with people and He wanted to make the most of it and not waste it.

We're the ones who always seem to waste time, kill time. Maybe that's why the days are evil? Evil here can mean troublesome, unhappy, harmful, even worthless. If we waste time, use it for evil, neglect showing love and support to others, it can easily be evil. When time with things are more important than time with people, the days are evil. When money for someone replaces time with them, the days are evil. When possessions that can be replaced outweigh people who can never be replaced, the days are evil. When killing time doing "stuff"  becomes more of a priority than time with your Lord in worship and prayer, the days are evil. I only had 17 years with my Dad. I could have spent more time with him. I could have learned more from him. I could have had more memories than I do. I never thought about time. I just figured he would always be around. Sad to say, it often takes the death of a loved one or a 9-11 to kick us in the pants to what's important.

Redeeming the time is to take it back, take some ownership in it. Spending time in God-pleasing ways, not evil pleasing ways, redeems it. Redeeming time begins with the Redeemer. He is there to strengthen you for today, and forgive you for the yesterdays. Jesus died and rose to not only open heaven for you, but open your eyes to the people. Redeeming time shows with loved ones. A father was out playing football with his four boys on the front lawn. A neighbor came by and called out, "You're killing your grass doing that." The Dad replied, "I'm not here to raise grass, I'm here to raise my boys." What are you here for? Don't waste the time, please. 
Amen. Pastor matthews

July 2, 2006 "G.R.O.W."

Meredith Kelly of Operation Stars and Stripes picked up the gifts for service men and women from our VBS this week. She was telling me how the program was growing thanks to Concordia people and many others. Thousands have received gift boxes.  It's wonderful to see this excellent program grow. Better to see our young people get home safely.

Our Vacation Bible School showed growth over last year with some 225 children and staff enrolled. As your Pastor for almost 16 years, it's a joy to see these little ones grow up and to see so many from Concordia growing in their faith. We have people helping with VBS who never helped before. We have people sharing their faith as they have never done before. We even have some in Bible Study who have never attended before. What a blessing, but I know it isn't easy. Growing to be the person the Lord wants us to be is always difficult because so many things get in the way.

The Word of God never encourages us to be lazy; we do that on our own. It never tells us to just do the same old, same old, we like our little ruts. It never tells us to neglect those things that are pleasing to God, worldly values always seem more important. Rather than growing and bearing fruit for the Kingdom, we find it easier to pull away from God, do what we want to do, and eventually dry up and be lost forever. So many things get in the way of growing in faith and service to our Lord. I'd like to cover three.

One thing that gets in the way of growth is our self-worth. How can God want me? What can I possibly do for Him? The other side of that is thinking that lowly service in the Church is below me. We can even feel unloved, or love other things more. To help us grow, G.R.O.W. God's Word not only tells us we are sinners, but reminds us in John 3:16 that God loves each of us so much that He sent Jesus to suffer, die, and rise for our salvation. GROW; God Reaches Out Wonderfully. Growing in faith and services always begins with Jesus, Whose love for us we don't deserve, but is a reality. Time with Jesus in prayer is crucial to GROW.

Another block to growth can be our past. As poor, miserable sinners, we are held back by the baggage we choose to carry. We tell ourselves that no one can forgive what we've done. We can't even forgive ourselves.  1 John 1:9 assures us that when we confess our sins to Him in faith, He will faithfully forgive them. GROW; God Releases Our Wrongs. In a great scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana's father has been shot and is dying. Indy takes the cup that Jesus supposedly used for the first Holy Communion and pours holy water on the wound. It is miraculously healed! Forgiven by the blood of Christ, shed on the cross for us, we are free to grow in the Lord. Remembering our Baptism, and attending Communion faithfully keeps us close to Jesus and helps us GROW.

A third block to growing in the Lord is often fear of the future. What can I do? What's going to happen? What if I mess up? Philippians 4:13 assures us that we can do everything through Jesus Who gives us the strength. With His Word as a lamp and a light for our path through life, Psalm 119, we can go where we've never gone and try all kinds of new things with Jesus by our side. GROW; God Refreshes Our Way. One of the things that Operation Stars and Stripes does along with the gift baskets for the troops is distributing dolls, and stuffed animals to the children in war-torn areas. Meredith told the story that some of our soldiers were out driving on maneuvers when they saw a little girl in the middle of the road holding her Raggedy Ann doll that Stars and Stripes had given out. They waved for her to move, but she wouldn't. Finally, one soldier went down to her. As he approached, he noticed that behind her was a land mine. As a thank you for her little doll, she had saved their lives. God can send all kinds of people to help us through the land mines in our lives, too.  I pray that each of us might GROW in the Lord and bring hope to those around us. Amen...pastor matthews

The story is told of a King who had his servant to the river each day and bring back two pots full of water. The servant carried these pots over his shoulder on the end of a long pole. Each day he would walk to the river, turn around and come back to the King. As he returned, he would only return with 1 and ½ pots of water. One pot was perfect, while the other had a crack. The perfect pot was proud of all it could do, making the cracked pot feel worthless. What made the crackedpot feel more ashamed was the fact that on the return trip from the river, half its water would drip out. One day the cracked pot spoke to the King, apologizing for the imperfection and its failure to do what the other pot could do. "Not at all," the King replied. "Don't you see the beautiful flowers growing on one side of the road and not the other?" "Knowing of your crack, I had seed planted there and each day as you return from the river, you gently water the flowers. We have beautiful flowers all over the castle because of you. You are a real blessing to us."

Our cracks and flaws make each of us unique individuals that God can use in special ways. Sadly, we either look down at ourselves because of our imperfections, believing we are worthless before God, or like the proud pot, we look down on the imperfections of others. Sin does that.

We find it easy to be ashamed of who we are and what we do. It's so easy to compare ourselves to others and come up short. We can feel ashamed for all that we can't do. We don't make tons of money. We aren't great looking. We don't have an important job, a big house, boat, new car, and worldly possessions.  I must be a failure. I'm a loser at life! The other side of the pole is to act like the proud pot and criticize others. We find flaw after flaw with the way others look, act, dress, speak, and the little they may have. Like the proud pot, it's easy to make fun of crackedpots to feel better about ourselves.

2 Corinthians 5 tells us that as God's children, we should no longer look at ourselves or others from a worldly point of view. As forgiven children of God, we can look at ourselves and others through the eyes of Jesus, our King.  When Jesus looks at each of us through His eyes of love, eyes stained by His blood for the forgiveness of our sins, He sees a sister or brother. He sees someone He loves dearly. He doesn't see cracks or flaws as a bad thing for they make us unique.  How special we must be if He died for us, forgave our sins, and now cares so much that He leads us to faithfully serve Him in our special way. Each of us who loves Him is a crackedpot that He loves and helps water flowers in our own unique way. Whatever abilities and strengths God has given are unique to you. Mel and Mike were away for a few days last week. Mel went to the Jersey shore, got some Sun, and ate pizza. Mike went to a wedding in Denver, saw a Rockies game, did some whitewater rafting, and a Coors tour. Though they were in different places doing different things, I talked with them regularly on the phone, prayed for them often, and couldn't wait to have them back home. God feels like that about you. As His child, His crackedpot, you are where He wants you, with abilities to be a witness for your Lord as only you can be. Through faith, He waits for you to come home to heaven.

When we realize that we are truly poor, miserable, crackedpots before God, we can see other crackedpots with eyes of love, not judgment, just as Jesus sees us. Before we judge that other person for being a crackedpot, first check and see if God's flowers are growing through them, while ours are drying up! Who is being blessed?  Amen...pastor matthews

Let's pretend for a moment that there is a fire in your home. All the people and pets are safe. You have just a few moments, what do you take with you? I would probably grab for the wallet, and pictures on my desk, especially I would take two plastic coffee mugs from King's Island in Ohio. One has a picture of my family from 25 years ago, the second, the same picture from only a few years ago. The kids have grown, I look much older, Mrs. Matthews looks the same! Regardless of what's important now, when you die, you can't take it with you anyway. Hook a U-Haul on the hearse if you will, but you can't take it with you! The story is told of a man who pressured his wife to put all of their money in the casket with him when he died. She promised she would. When he passed away, and they were ready to close the lid, being a faithful, Christian wife,  she went up and wrote him a check for all they had and placed it in his hand. Smart lady! She kept her promise, but that check will never be cashed!

Though you can't take it with you, you can send it on ahead. Matthew 6 tells us that God wants us to store up treasures in heaven, not on earth. Where your treasure is, that is where your heart will be. If your greatest treasure is in earthly things that will eventually be destroyed, then your heart will face eventual destruction. If your treasures are faith and love for the Lord, Who suffered, died, and rose for the forgiveness of your many sins, then your heart will be with Him eternally. It all begins with Who or what's in your heart.

In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul writes about the poverty-stricken churches in Macedonia, who had a heart for the Lord and still gave generously to the Lord's work and were blessed for it. There were distressed Christians in Jerusalem who were in great need. Though the Macedonians had very little themselves, they had giving hearts that loved Jesus and were so thankful for His forgiveness, they couldn't hold back from helping others. They thought of others before they thought of themselves. Knowing that you can never out give God, these people with giving hearts were blessed by God. Hearts filled with Jesus are grateful hearts, giving hearts.

Hearts filled with earthly things have a difficult time responding to the Lord. Like weeds choke out flowers, possessions choke out the Lord's love in our hearts. Instead of using our stuff, our stuff starts to use us.  When fun replaces forgiveness, when cash replaces the cross, when savings replace salvation, then greed will replace gratitude in our hearts and we don't see the need to give to our offerings to the Lord's work, give our time for people in need, or give our talents to bring hope and joy  to the world around us.

Gratitude to God for all He has done will lead to God-pleasing giving. Giving thanks for Jesus dying on the cross for me, taking my many sins away, opening up heaven for me fills me with thanksgiving that shows in many ways. That attitude of gratitude grows out of worship, attendance at Holy Communion, Bible study, prayer, Christian fellowship, and a willingness to serve as the Lord needs us.  Staying away leads to stinginess.

When your greatest treasures are faith in your Lord, and your family and friends who love Jesus too, you never have to worry about what stuff you might want to take with you when you die. God, Who has the biggest giving heart of all, will hold you and your treasures and keep you together in His Hand forever, safe from eternal fire. Amen. Pastor Matthews

We all struggle with certain fears in life. The show "Monk" has a hero with many phobias. The story is told of a man who went to a Psychiatrist for many years, paying out thousands of dollars because he had the fear of monsters under his bed.  Session after session went on, with no results. Realizing that nothing was happening, he quit the Psychiatrist and went to see his Pastor. Later on, he ran into the Psychiatrist and told him he had been cured of his fear in one visit to the Pastor. The Psychiatrist couldn't believe it. "You were cured of fear of monsters under your bed in one visit?" "What did the Pastor say to you?" "He told me to cut the legs off my bed!"

That's one way to deal with a fear, but others might seem more difficult. We struggle with physical fears such as having enough money, enough food, enough medicine, etc. We struggle with relationship fears about our marriage, or if we will ever marry, dealing with our children, our friends, or the loss of a loved one.  We struggle with emotions, our hopes, dreams, pain, guilt, and depression. We can struggle with spiritual fears of being controlled by a favorite sin, wondering if I'm good enough to go to heaven, fearing God's punishment, concern for loved ones with no apparent faith at all.

These fears are real. Immediately after World War II, American soldiers gathered up the many homeless, starving children into tent cities. They fed them, gave medical care, but realized that the children were all afraid to go to sleep at night. One soldier tried an experiment. After dinner one night he gave each child a piece of bread to hold while they slept. Knowing that they now had the security of a meal tomorrow, they all slept like babies. The fear was gone.

Sad to say, because of our sinful nature, many are not interested in the comfort that holding God's Wonder Bread, Jesus can bring. Instead of holding Jesus, we would rather hold to earthly possessions. Though starving spiritually, we are happy with earthly junk food. Though death will bring only eternal pain and suffering, we like the fun and games of this life. Dried up bread a few days old might taste o.k. until you've had fresh bread, warm from the oven.

Jesus is God's Bread, warm from the heart of the Father. This Bread brings smiles to our faces, warmth to our hearts, joy to our family times, and the certainty of being fed forever. In John 6, Jesus reminds the people that God provided daily manna, bread, for the Israelites as they wandered in the desert. God now is providing Jesus, the Bread of Life. Knowing, loving, trusting in Jesus, God's Bread of Life means that we will never hunger or thirst again. Jesus provides for all we need, now and forever. He is indeed God's Wonder Bread for all who have faith in Him.

Like the soldier feeding the children, God has chosen each of us to make sure our families and friends are fed God's Wonder Bread, Jesus, warm and loving,  straight from the Word of God. Jesus, our Wonder Bread comes at Holy Communion with the forgiveness of our sins, won through His death on the cross and resurrection. This Wonder Bread comes when God's Word is shared with others in worship, a sermon, songs, in Bible Study, at Sunday School, attending Little Lambs, or friends sharing a word of support over the back fence, sitting over a coffee, or with tears at a funeral home. 

Our funeral at church tomorrow is for a little lady who not only loved God's Wonder Bread, Jesus, but shared that Bread of Life with family and friends. She quietly passed away in her bed, never fearing that the monster of death might be under her bed. She was at peace, knowing her bed was protected by angels, another blessing from the Bread of Life. Amen...pastor matthews

As I'm sure you know, a mugwump is a bird that sits on a fence with its mug over one side and its wump over the other. There can be fence sitting when it comes to politics; liking one candidate or the other, having two favorite restaurants, maybe, though hard to believe, cheering for both the Cubs and Sox, but when it comes to your God, you can't be a mugwump. In Matthew 12 Jesus tells us that those who are not for Him are against Him. We are part of His sheepfold or not. We walk through the narrow door of faith or not. Our words and actions become more God pleasing or not! We die with a mustard seed of faith in Jesus and go to heaven or not. We are in His family or not!

In Ephesians 4, Paul writes that we live in the darkness or the light. We have hearts that are hardened to God and the needs of others, or hearts that are warm and sensitive to God and others. The old self gives itself over to sin willingly and the new self seeks to be more like Jesus in righteousness and holiness. No mugwumps here! 

Following the bird theme, I was reading that there are two birds that fly regularly over our deserts; the vulture and the hummingbird. Vultures search for rotting meat while hummingbirds ignore dead animals and look for colorful desert flowers. In other words, the vultures live on what was, the dead and gone, feeding on the past if you will. Hummingbirds look for new life, fresh, blossoming. Paul's teachings can be summed up that way too. There are those who are vulture-like, looking for those things that are indeed dead to God. They fill themselves with the rotting flesh of the sin and selfishness that this world brings. They live with guilt, hurts, and an unforgiving hardened heart that holds grudges about past hurts. What God wants are for us to be His hummingbirds, searching for the things that are alive in in the sight of God; love, hope, joy, and a willingness to forgive those who have hurt us and a heart ready to repent of our sins and find new life in Jesus. No mugwumps here! 

We might find ourselves sitting here as mugwumps this morning. On one hand, we want to be o.k. with God, hey, you never know what life may bring, but, we also like all the fun stuff life has for us with favorite sins that feel so good we don't want to give them up.  An hour on Sunday is enough! We don't need Bible Study, we know enough! We don't need to volunteer at Church, let someone else do it. In fact, it's more fun to judge and say hurtful things behind people's backs. Living as a Sunday morning mugwump might be easy until we realize that in God's sight, we're not mugwumps, we're really vultures. Either way, that life leads to eternal death. 

One of the great things about God is that He is a God of change. He doesn't change, but He can change us. He knocks us mugwumps off the fence by showing us how we have sinned and are in need of a Savior. He takes repentant vultures and turns them into hummingbirds. He takes poor, miserable sinners and turns them into faithful followers of Jesus.  How does He do that? He does that through Word and Sacrament and the work of the Holy Spirit. Knowing we have a Savior Who lived, died, and rose to open heaven, tells us that we have worth, great value before God. Trusting in Jesus means we have been washed by the blood of the Lamb. The water of Baptism washes away that sin and brings us into God's family.  His Body and Blood assure us of forgiveness.  Reading God's Word reinforces the Good News that His love is eternal. As we confess our sins and repent before Him, trusting in Jesus, our old vulture nature flies away.

I read of a man who wanted to change his life around. On his answering machine he put this recording; "I'm not available right now. Thanks for caring enough to call. The Lord is making lots of changes in my life, so please leave your message. If I don't call you back, you're one of the changes." That's not a mugwump's message. Amen..pastor matthews

Normally when you think of one of God's prophets or disciples you envision a person of strong faith, courage, a powerful witness for the Lord. However, as we look a little closer, we see that these heroes are a lot like us with human feelings and weaknesses. Moses made excuses not to be a leader. Noah got drunk-as-a-skunk after the episode with the Ark. Jonah pouted about his situation and ran from God. In First Kings, we read how the prophet Elijah became really afraid, stressed out, ready to quit and die after his encounter with the priests of Baal.

We read that Elijah had just shared in this wonderful miracle where God made Elijah's sacrifice burn, while the priests of a false and evil god, Baal, couldn't do a thing! Once these false prophets failed, Elijah had them killed. What a victory for God and for Elijah! The problem was, this made Queen Jezebel angry and as she went after Elijah. He had had enough, so he ran away and was ready to quit and die.

Elijah forgot about all God had done for him. He felt lost, confused, hopeless and helpless. We can all identify. Our sinful nature focuses on how we feel, what we're going through, how unfair the world is to us...maybe even how unfair God is to us? We forget that Jesus died for our salvation. We forget to pray. We stay away from Church.  Elijah had one of the first recorded pity parties, just like ours. As we picture Elijah sitting next to the tree, we can envision ourselves by his side.

Now God again steps in to help. In 1 Kings 19, we find Elijah the prophet, stressed out, tired, sad, lonely, depressed, ready to quit.Knowing of his pain, God reaches out to Elijah with some practical and spiritual advice to help him be restored and re-created. Through His angels, God offers Elijah, and each of us, the answers to dealing with a stressed out condition; R, R, R. 

First of all God said that Elijah needed REST. My Dad, the Funeral Director, always said that the two things people needed after the loss of a loved one were rest and food. Dad got this from God! As it has been said, when you can't sleep, don't count sheep, count on the Shepherd. In a very practical way, a good night's sleep really helps our perspective on life. Be still for a while. Put your feet up and the healing begins.

Secondly, the angels came and fed him. He was REFRESHED. When we're hungry and our stomach is growling, we're never at our best. Healthy food can really help. Dad would always suggest that people eat during the trying and tiring time of a funeral visitation. He got that from God too! I've always found White Castles to be a healing food. Many ladies I know say it's chocolate.

Thirdly for Elijah, it was time to RESPOND to God's will for him. Time to get up and get going and finish the work he was called by God to do. Get going and get busy helps.

These words of advice, REST, REFRESH, RESPOND, can also strengthen us in a Spiritual way too. I think they go hand in hand. We find REST as we trust in Jesus, and say our prayers, knowing that our Good Shepherd will see us through. We are REFRESHED as we worship, read God's Word, remember our Baptism, find forgiveness of sins in Holy Communion, and count our blessings. Finally, we can RESPOND to what the Lord wants us to do as His child. We need to get off our buts. "But God, I'm  too busy." "But God, I can't" "But God, You won't..."  "But God I don't trust You to help me." We get off these buts and maybe we are to pray for others, make visits, send notes, or make phone calls to those who are lonely. We might have a gift and can teach children, sing, hug somebody, attend a Bible Class.  These will please God a lot more than pouting and running away, making excuses, getting hammered, or giving up.  What a wonderful prophet you can become for your Lord. Amen..pastor matthews

Some three years ago, as many of you know, I developed congestive heart failure. One part of my heart was normal, while the other side was beating like crazy. I spent a few days in the hospital while they put a small stint in my artery and then gave me the paddles twice to electro-shock my heart back in rhythm. So far, so good, and I've felt better, exercised a little more, drank more water, cut way back on alcohol, floss my teeth regularly, and even the asthma seems to be gone. Once the heart was good, everything else was better too.

This is also true when it comes to pleasing God. When the heart is right with God and He is happy with us, everything else sort of falls into place. The opposite is also true. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God. A heart without Jesus, a heart without thanksgiving for God's blessings, a heart that only cares about itself is a heart filled with sin and has spiritual congestive heart failure. No matter how good and nice we try to act, no matter how much we smile in church, or even what we give in the offering,  if Jesus isn't in our hearts as Lord and Savior Who died and rose for our salvation, nothing we do pleases God. There's no praise, no good works with a heart congested with sin.  Thankfully, God doesn't want us to stay that way and be lost eternally.  Electro shock is needed!

When Jesus comes to us through His Word, we are spiritually electro shocked into seeing that we are poor, miserable sinners. This opens up the heart, leading us to repent before God, trust Jesus as Lord and Savior and want to live for Him. This is praise! Now we know that giving praise to God is not just a Sunday-morning-for-an-hour-thing, it's what the Christian's life is all about. When our hearts are right in faith, we want to thank and praise God in church, at home, at school, at work, at the ball game, even walking on the golf course. It begins with the heart.  Colossians 3:23 tells us "Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to Jesus Himself. Heartily; from the heart, with joy and gusto we should do all things as if we're doing them for Jesus. The story is told of a man who had his shoes shined each week by a young boy. The young man always did a wonderful job. One day the man asked the lad why he did such a wonderful job of shining his shoes week in and week out. The young man replied. "Well, sir, I'm a Christian and I try to shine every pair of shoes as if Jesus were wearing them."  This was his way to praise the Lord.

What does this say to each of us?  If your heart is right, then praise is in sight! If your heart is right, then praise is a delight! If your heart is right, then sin gives flight! If your heart is right, then praise has great might! Regardless of what you face in life there is a reason to praise and give thanks. Crisis, consternation, or confusion can lead us to see God's hand, God's help, God's love somewhere, when the heart is right. A loved one dies, we can still praise God that they knew Jesus and are at home in heaven. Even if we don't have lots of money on earth, we praise God for the riches that await us in heaven. Personally, I praise God every day for the people near and dear to my heart.  What about you? We can thank and praise Him for sunshine, rain, a cold glass of water, laughter, pizza, hope, peace, etc. etc. etc. etc.

I can praise God for my congestive heart failure that was a warning of something worse that could have happened. Praise God that He shocked our hearts and forgave us our sins through Jesus our Savior, before something worse happened.  PRAISE GOD! Amen..pastor matthews       

I had to get the brakes fixed on my car this past week. I could have chosen a discount place. I could have called for the cheapest price. I could have done it myself. I could have just let it go. What I did do was call Nationwide on Ogden. Why? Not just because I like the guys, they're Lutheran, they're part of the Schulz family, but especially because they are dependable. They've never cheated me and have always done a good job. I want to know that if I'm driving with my family and there's an emergency and I slam on the brakes, we're gonna stop! I like dependable people. They're worth it! When I needed a new heart Doctor, I called Linda Susmilch's sister Robin, a Nurse for many years, who without a hesitation gave me the name of Dr. Hines. He has been excellent. Today we install our Sunday School Staff. This is a group of dependable people who will be there week in and week out to teach the children about the love of the Lord. They know that Jesus is their Lord and want to pass that faith on to others.

Joshua is a wonderful Old Testament character, Moses' dependable right hand man who led the Israelites into the Promised Land. In the New Testament, the name Joshua, pronounced Ya-shoe-a, is the name for Jesus. As Joshua, trusted by his people, led the Old Testament people to the Promised Land, Jesus leads all who trust Him into the Promised Land of heaven through His death and resurrection.

In Joshua 24, Joshua is confirming his faith to his people. They can trust the old so-called "gods" from Egypt and elsewhere, or they can trust the True God Who has been faithful, dependable, loving, as He led them from slavery, through the wilderness, to the Promised Land. God has been 100% dependable, how can they not trust Him? Do what you will, Joshua told them, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. How can we not?

I'm definitely not a heroic Joshua-like person. But, the one thing I have in common with Joshua is that I stand before you today and tell you that as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. How can we not? God has always been dependable to us, even when we have not been dependable to Him.  He hears and answers our prayers. He forgives our sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus. He guides us day in and day out through His Word and the Sacraments. He's always there; 24/7. He takes bad situations and makes them good. Even when we try to be our own gods, fall for the discount gods of this world such has popularity, power, possessions, God is dependable and catches us before we crash and burn! He has a home for us in heaven. How can we not trust Him now and eternally? What about you?

Now if serving the True God seems undesirable to you then choose yourself as your god, choose a discount god of this world, maybe you choose not to believe in God at all.  The problem is, when you face an emergency, trial, or trouble without the brakes and protection that God provides, you simply slide to eternal pain and death. Lasting hope, joy, and protection comes through Christ Alone as Lord and Savior. If you and your house will serve the Lord, and how can you not, stand up right now and join with me in the words of Joshua, AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD. Amen..pastor matthews

I had dinner at a member's home recently. The Dad went into the kitchen and I asked their son, "Do you know what's for dinner?" "Sure," he answered, "We're having goat." "Goat? Are you sure?" I asked. "Yes, I heard my Dad say to my Mom, 'it's about time we had that old goat for dinner!'" Words can be like a knife to the heart, to the bone! 

"Your loved one has died." "It's cancer" "I don't love you anymore" All phrases that cut to the bone and hurt us deeply. "I love you." "It's a boy" "It's a girl" and for many of you, "Bingo!" are all words that cut to our hearts and make us feelgood. Words have great power to bring us sadness, bring us joy, inspire and encourage us, or bring us down and crush our spirit. They can lead to life or can lead someone to commit suicide.

Our Scripture reading from James 1 tells us that if consider ourselves to be religious yet cannot control the words we speak, our religion is worthless. True faith in our Lord and Savior Who died and rose for us that begins in the heart is reflected in our actions for others, our thoughts of joy and happiness, and here, our words of encouragement, healing, forgiveness, and love. On the other hand, a heart filled with anger, with ego, with everything but the love of God, shows itself too, in actions that are self-centered, the thoughts are evil, and the words are designed to hurt others to make us look good. These evil words hurt others to the bone, hurt our witness if we have told people we're Christians, and can keep those with little faith away from church.   

Reading the Bible, we see that the first back-stabbing words ever recorded were the words of Satan about God. In Genesis 3 we read that the Devil wanted to create doubt in the hearts of Adam and Eve, question what God said or meant, try the forbidden fruit, forget about God, He doesn't know what He's talking about, you can be gods yourselves! 

Controlling what we say is not always easy to do. Here are three things to remember using the letters D.I.E.. We need to D.I.E. to hurtful words. The D is for the Danger our words can cause. We can hurt another, hurt ourselves, and if people believe we're Christians, keep others from ever wanting to go to church or follow Jesus. Who wants a religion of back-stabbers!  The I reminds me that I am a poor, miserable sinner in need of Jesus' forgiveness. If I only sinned once a day..I'd have to be in a coma and would certainly sin more..once a day for 50 years, then Jesus would have died on the cross for my 18,000 sins. It's hard to judge others when I know that I've sinned so much. The E is to see other through the Eyes of Jesus. No matter what we might think, Jesus loves them and died for them too. At a recent Pastor's Conference, one man prayed that Fidel Castro would get well. I had to think about that, and then realized he was looking at Castro through the eyes of Jesus.

Satan is an old goat out to deceive you. D.I.E. to that old goat and through your words, live for the Lamb of God, Jesus. Amen..pastor matthews 

I read a story recently that happened over 100 years ago. Apparently two natives in Australia happened to watch as their government built a huge lighthouse on the coast. Intrigued by the whole thing, they waited until it was done and came down for the tour and heard how wonderful this lighthouse would be. Everything was prepared to go on line at dusk; the light, the bells, and the horn. An hour before dusk, a thick, dark fog rolled in from the sea. At that point one native said to the other, "light shine, bell ring, horn blow, but the fog came in just the same."  The same is true in our lives.

Scripture tells us that Jesus is the True Light of the world. We also read that God has called us to be light to the world around us. Even with all of that, the dark fog rolls in on our lives, doesn't it? Fears, worries, trials, and troubles can all be that dark fog that leaves us feeling hopeless and helpless. What brings that dark fog into your life? What fog keeps rolling in on you? Regrets from past sins, poor decisions, and wasted time and can weigh us down. Worry about the present with its cancers, bills to pay, job insecurities, war, crime, and loneliness can weaken us. Fear of what the future might bring often scares us to death. We all have the fog of our favorite phobias to struggle with. 40% of people have topophobia (fear of speaking in public) Maybe thanatophobia (fear of death) Monophobia is the fear of being alone. Though children of God, we are poor, miserable sinners and we can easily be overcome by the fog of fear.  Without Jesus as our Lord and Light, the darkness defeats us.

A little boy heard his Sunday School teacher say that "Jesus is the Light of the world."  "If that's true," the boy responded, "I wish He'd hang out in the alley behind my house. It's really dark there." Is your alley dark? Jesus will come and hang out there with you.

The Lighthouse doesn't stop the fog or the storm, it offers guidance through it. The Light of truth doesn't stop our phobias, it guides us through them. The flashlight doesn't stop the dark alleys, it guides you through them. Not only is Jesus our Light to forgive us in the darkness of sin, but  our Guide as in John 14 Jesus calls Himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him.  He is the eternal Light. He lights the way on earth and guides us to heaven. Jesus lived, died on the cross, and rose from the dead to defeat the powers of darkness for us.  Our worship, Bible Study, prayers, Communion attendance, and Baptism all strengthen our faith in Jesus Who will see us through. Even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, why?? Because He is with me to comfort me and guide me through those shadows to the peace of eternal life. 

No fog is too thick for the Light of His love. No phobia is too powerful for The Light of His Word. No alley is too dark that the Light of His eyes can't see a way out. The fog is still going to come in, but as we trust in our Lord Jesus He will light the way and guide us into the Sonshine. Amen..pastor matthews

A young man was driving down a mountain road when his new, expensive car slid off the road and fell down the mountain. He was able to jump out, but the car rolled over and was a total wreck. A truck driver happened by and stopped to help. Getting to the young man, he heard him saying, "My BMW. My new BMW. My BMW" The trucker driver told him there was a bigger problem. In jumping out, his arm had caught and was ripped off. He needed to find it for a surgeon to reattach it. "My arm is gone?" the young man replied. "My Rolex. My Rolex."  When our possessions become like gods to us, then our pride, vanity, and egos are definitely in control of our lives. God wants it a different way.

In James 3, we read that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humility is a quality that's pleasing to God. A wonderful definition of humility is "DOING WHAT LOVE REQUIRES."  In the Beatitudes of our Lord, Jesus tells us that blessed are the meek. Who are the meek? The meek are those, according to Psalm 37, who have committed themselves to the Lord in faith. In the Hebrew, the word for commit is the same word for roll. Those who love the Lord, trust Him, and know that they can roll their hurts, their problems, frustrations, and fears to the cross of Jesus.  The meek, the humble, know that they can't deal with all the problems, pressures, and perplexities of life themselves and they need their Lord to carry them through. The Psalm reassures us that we can roll our hurts on the Lord and wait patiently for His help without showing anger or revenge to those who have hurt us. Our Lord strengthens us to "DO WHAT LOVE REQUIRES."   

Recently there was a terrible shooting at an Amish school in Pennsylvania. Articles in the paper tell of how the families who lost children, LOST CHILDREN, have rolled their hurts on the Lord, and are able to forgive the killer and are even gathering money to help his family. These folks are "DOING WHAT LOVE REQUIRES." We can only admire their faith and love. 

Our sinful nature, at least mine, would lead us to take revenge against the killer's family, wouldn't it? We would be led to hurt his children like he hurt mine, burn down their home, take them to court, do something for revenge! The sinful nature cares less about 'DOING WHAT LOVE REQUIRES" and is more interested in doing what anger, pride, or ego demands. We feel we have to get back at people for any hurts. Who are you angry at today?

Thankfully, Jesus doesn't do that. If He would have let any sin control His life like it does ours, there would have been no suffering, no death, no cross, no forgiveness. Jesus would have healed the rich who could reward Him, not the poor. He would have forgiven those who were nice to Him, not the poor, miserable sinners. Those who praised Him would be rewarded. Those who had doubts or fears would be lost. He would have blessed those who are like Him and rejected those who were different. Thankfully, the Son of God was humble before God and in all He did, He "DID WHAT LOVE REQUIRED" all the way to the cross for you and for me.

Jesus is our example in 'DOING WHAT LOVE REQUIRES."  Humbly, He rolled His concerns to His heavenly Father and was strengthened, and blessed. The Amish families in Pennsylvania rolled their hurts on the Lord to be able to forgive. As children of God, trusting in Him, we need to roll our fears and hurts on the Lord. As we do, we will be less concerned about pride, ego, revenge, BMWs, and Rolexes, and be more concerned about being like Jesus and  "DOING WHAT LOVE REQUIRES." This brings joy eternal. Amen..pastor matthews 

In Numbers 11, Moses tells Joshua that he wishes that all of God's people could be prophets by the work of the Holy Spirit. What a blessing if each of us could be a prophet for God. How wonderful if family and friends could understand what we have to say about Jesus. Sad to say, it doesn't always happen. One time a Pastor used worms in his visual. He took live worms and put one in a jar of alcohol, one in a jar of cigarette smoke, one in a jar of chocolate, and one in a jar with fresh soil. At the end of the sermon, the worm in alcohol was dead. The one in cigarette smoke was dead. The worm in the chocolate was dead. The worm in the soil was alive. He then asked his congregation if they understood his message. One lady called out from the back, "If you drink, smoke, and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!" Not the message he had in mind. We need the Spirit of God to lead us, not our own understanding.

Unger's Bible Dictionary tells us that a prophet is "one who is divinely inspired to communicate God's will to His people and to disclose the future to them." In other words, a prophet is chosen by God, led by the Holy Spirit to fore-tell what's coming in the future and to forth-tell God's Word today. Has God called you to be His prophet? If God wants you to be His prophet, does this change anything in your life? Maybe so! Fore-telling the future doesn't take a psychic. I don't believe in psychics anyway. Ever heard of a psychic winning the lottery? Some fore-telling is easy. If you smoke, chances are you'll have lung problems. If you abuse your medications, chances are you'll do your body harm. If you reject God and His Son, Jesus, without something changing, you are lost eternally. Along with that, the truth of the Bible fore-tells us the Good News of the joy of a heavenly home through faith in Jesus, Who died and rose for our salvation.

Forth-telling the Word of God can be more difficult. This past week, God chose one of our dear ladies to be a prophet to a close friend. She told me that last week's sermon dealing with "doing what love requires" touched her heart when she visited a friend who is ill. She was concerned that her friend knew Jesus as her Savior. Asking the ultimate question, "If you would die tonight would you go to heaven?" she found her friend wasn't sure. Then, led by the Spirit, she shared with her friend the good news of Jesus, our Savior Who died on the cross to forgive our sins and take us to heaven. The friend prayed with her, asking for forgiveness and trusting in Jesus as her Lord. The forth-telling of God's Word made an eternal difference in this lady's life. I went to see the lady and she told me that she was ready for heaven whenever the Lord called her.

God needs His prophets in our world. Parents are called by God to be prophets for their children. Are you too busy to tell them about your Lord. What better gift is there then going to heaven? Children need to hear about what Jesus means to you. Every time children and teens are brought to worship, that message is reinforced. As friends, we are called by God to be prophets for our boy friends, girl friends, buddies, telling them that Jesus died and rose for them. Inviting them to church or Sunday School reinforces that message of love. Even a word of "God bless you" or "Jesus loves you" to a stranger can be used by the Spirit in their lives.  How wonderful if we could list God's prophets; Jeremiah, Isaiah, John the Baptist, and you!

Each of us had a prophet who cared so much about our soul that they told us about Jesus and brought us to church or Sunday School to hear more.  Though we are no better than worms before God, deserving death for our sinful life, through the cross Jesus took us from the path to death and gave us eternal life. Knowing that God wants you to be His prophet and make an eternal difference in someone's life, the next person you need to talk with about Jesus is....??   
Amen. pastor matthews

The faith of a child is very important to our Lord. We read again and again that Jesus welcomed children, loved them, blessed them, and even told us in Mark 10 that a child-like faith opens heaven for us. Jesus lived at a time in history when children were only good for work. He cherished them and they knew He loved them. For Clergy Appreciation Month, some Sunday Schoolers made pictures for their Pastor. One said "Thank you for the stickers."  Another said "Thanks for the candy." One said "Thanks for visiting my Grandma." I saw her before she went to heaven. One told me "Thanks for making the Sun." Then there was "Thanks for being Jesus" No pressure there! A little confusion, but that will clear up in time; child-like faith is wonderful.

The faith of a child is very precious. One of my favorite Sermonettes has a child facing away from me and falling backwards, trusting that I'll catch them. A few children have done that over the years, including my Son when he was little, while many others catch themselves. The idea is that if I, a poor, miserable sinner, can be trusted, how much more God can be trusted to care for us. Children haven't learned to doubt, fear, worry, and feel betrayed, like we adults have. Our sinful nature tells us that we can't trust God or others. We can only trust ourselves. A child-like faith knows that God is there to catch us when life causes us to fall. If we are important enough to God that He was willing to send His Son to die for us, He is certainly going to keep an eye on us. 

A child-like faith trusts even if it doesn't make sense to do so. Again our sinful nature likes to be able to figure everything out first. I'll trust God if it makes sense, especially if I'm in trouble and have no choice. In New Jersey I knew of a young man who was run over by a truck and survived. He came to church twice as a result. Once everything was o.k., we never saw him again. He had himself to count on, maybe he was just lucky (yucky word) who needs God? What if I tell you that I have something in my hand that I've never seen before? I'm going to show it to you, then no one will ever see it again? Doesn't make sense for me to have something I've never seen in my hand? Once I show you that it's a peanut in a shell, and I break the shell, show you the peanut for the first time, then eat the nut, you'll never see it again. Again, If I can make what seems impossible happen, how much more God can do the impossible in our lives. Matthew 19 assures us that with God all things are possible. A child-like faith holds to that promise.

A child-like faith can be difficult, especially for us adults. Toss a baby in the air and she giggles and coos and thinks it's great. We're afraid of even falling on the ice and breaking a hip. No giggles and coos for adults, huh? A high wire act called the Wallendas often performed in Detroit. They walked the high wire some 100 feet in the air without a net. If I would ask you if they could walk the wire, you'd say "Yes" especially if you've watched them do it many times before. If I would ask you if they could push a wheelbarrow across the wire, you'd say "Sure" especially if you saw them do it many times before.  Trust means that you would climb into their wheelbarrow. Knowing that Jesus was willing to put His life on the line to take your punishment for sin, knowing that He was willing to suffer horrible pain for you, knowing that He came to earth in the first place so you could be with Him in heaven, how can you not trust Him as Lord and Savior and say Thank You, Jesus and climb into His wheelbarrow and feel safe and sound and maybe even giggle and coo a little?  Amen...pastor matthews

Thanks -- this was a good one.

We had a break-in at the church this past week. They made a mess of things but there was little damage and the loss of only a few dollars. What was really interesting was the fact that one of the thieves cut himself or herself severely on a broken piece of glass. There were blood stains all over the basement, the bathroom, and even out the door, down the walk, and into the alley. Because of the risk that contaminated blood brings, professionals in Haz-Mat suits had to come to and disinfect any place touched by the blood. It cost over $3000 to clean up a break-in that brought the thieves only a few dollars. Contaminated blood is a costly thing.

Contaminated blood in our bodies brings with it not only disease, but death. Surgeons will often wear two sets of gloves for protection from tainted blood in the operating room. With that in mind, I did a little homework on blood. I read that we have approx. 5 quarts of blood in our bodies and it takes some 23 seconds for it to circulate. As it circulates, it brings oxygen and nutrients to every cell, bringing life. Blood also kills germs, fights infection, and even takes away waste materials that can be harmful. Healthy blood can mean a healthy life, while contaminated, infected blood leads to disaster.

An article I read from Doctor M. R. DeHaan said that a child's blood comes from its father, while the flesh comes from the mother. Looking at this spiritually, we realize that we all have original or inherited sin through the blood we get from our father. My earthly father, though a great guy, was a sinner, I am a sinner. My children are sinners. Their children will be sinners because it's in the blood.

The first mention of blood in the Bible is God telling Cain that his brother's blood cries out to Him. How long did Cain hate his brother? As long as he was Abel. The innocent blood of this murdered man cried out to God. Cain, on the other hand, had blood that was contaminated with sin. Cain, not only Adam's son, was the son of the Devil whom he trusted and listened to as he killed his brother in jealousy. Contaminated blood of sin will only lead to sickness and eternal death.   

Contaminated blood that is not cleaned not only infects the person with the blood, but others who come into contact with it. Living a life apart from God, with Satan as our father, not only brings each of us eternal death, but hurts and could ultimately kill those around us if we lead them into evil. To bring life, this infected blood has to be cleaned. What could clean up blood contaminated by sin? We need a Professional. Who you gonna call? Not ghost-busters, but sin busters.  We need Jesus!

The blood of Jesus came from God His Father. Because it is from God, it is pure, perfect, powerful, and precious. It is so precious that it is the only thing that can clean up contaminated sin. 1 John 1:7 assures us that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin. Romans 5 tells us that we have peace with God, at-one-ment through faith in the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for our sins.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites were freed from the angel of death by the blood of the perfect lamb spread on their doorposts. The Angel of Death would see the blood and passover that house. Through the blood of Christ, ours by faith, eternal death passes over us and eternal life is ours. Celebrating the Passover, Jesus gave His disciples Holy Communion. "Take and eat this is My body. Take and drink this is My blood for the forgiveness of sins." Sins are forgiven through His body and blood at Holy Communion because Jesus sacrificed His body and shed His holy and precious blood for us on the cross.

Cleaning up contaminated blood at church cost some $3000. The clean up of our souls cost much, much more; the blood of Jesus. Thank God that this clean up is for eternity. Amen...pastor matthews

Many years ago, Peggy Lee sang a song written by P.J. Harvey entitled, "Is That All There Is?" The song begins with a little girl watching her house burn down and reflecting "Is that all there is to a fire?" Then her father takes her to a circus. After watching the acts she says "Is that all there is to a circus?"  Then she falls in love, but the boy leaves her. Again her reflection; "Is that all there is to love?" Finally she reflects on her final disappointment which will be death. She again reflects as she takes her last breath, "Is that all there is?"

So often our life can seem that way too. We look forward to something and end up disappointed. Anticipation is always better than realization. We live as though all that matters is tomorrow and tomorrow disappoints us over and over again. "When I get older I'll be able to do all kinds of things" a young person will think. "When I make more money I'll be happier" "Traveling to exotic places will be wonderful" "Once I'm married and settle down everything will be great" There are many things in this world we look forward to, only to be disappointed. "Is that all there is?" we ask ourselves. Getting older isn't what young people think it is with health problems surfacing all the time. More money is fine, but problems still exist and we fear what might happen if we lose it. Traveling is fun, but so often we just can't wait to get home. Getting married and having children is a blessing, but gray hairs, high blood pressure, and sleepless nights are not a coincidence.

We eventually discover that if all we care about are the things that this life offers, we will be disappointed. Over and over we'll say, "Is that all there is?" It's almost as though God planned it that way. What do you think? Could God want us to enjoy the pleasures of this life but not get consumed by them? Could God want to bring us a limited amount of joy with earthly blessings, but not complete, unending joy?  Could this world offer some peace, but not complete peace? Could it be His plan that we need to learn that as far as what's here on earth, even at its best, we will ultimately ask "Is that all there is?"

Satan tempts us through our sinful nature by telling us we could always be happier on the other side of the fence.  Adam, Eve, be like God!  Give up this life for more fun. Walk away from your family and care about yourself!  You'll be happier with more money so step over anyone in your way. Go for the gusto! Break out the booze and have a ball...just like the song says. Sad to say, it might mean a pretty empty life of  "Is that all there is?" The best Satan can offer leaves us saying "Is that all there is?"  God wants more for us.

"Is that all there is God?" thankfully, His answer is NO! God has so much more in store for His children, His saints who love and believe in His Son as their Savior. Faith in our Lord Who died and rose for us means that there is always more coming our way. We understand how love can come and go, but God's love seen in His Son's death and resurrection for us is eternal. We have joy on earth, but the joy He has for us in heaven is beyond our thinking. We have a certain amount of peace on earth, but the peace that passes all understanding comes from our Lord for His saints. The world rarely forgives, but through faith, God will always forgive and forget. We have some possessions on earth, in heaven we will share in all Jesus has.

The story is told of a merchant who wanted to meet St. Paul. The Apostle was old and in jail, but welcomed the man and spent hours with him. Leaving the cell, the merchant encountered Timothy and commented on how wonderful it was to talk with Paul. The merchant asked Timothy what was the secret of Paul's power, hope, and joy even in prison? He'd never seen anything like it. Timothy answered that Paul was in love. In love? Yes, He's in love with Jesus. "Is that all there is?" asked the merchant. "My friend," Timothy smiled, "That's everything!"      Amen...pastor matthews

If we take the time to count our blessings, I hope that your number is a big one. I would hope that of us can give God the thanks for family, friends, church, food, sunshine, hot coffee on a cold day, music, hugs, smiles, the Bible, and especially Jesus. There are many more good and happy things we can remember. It's easy to give thanks for happy things...what about sad things?

1Thessalonians 5:18 reminds us to give thanks in all circumstances. All circumstances...all circumstances, happy or sad. Not that we give thanks for all circumstances, but in all circumstances...please note the difference. It's difficult to want to say thank you for a broken leg...surgery...a car crash...cancer...death...but God wants from His people has to do with thanks in all circumstances, trusting that He will be there to see us through.

The only way we can give thanks in all circumstances is to know that it is the nature of God to be there; loving, forgiving, and faithful. 

A florist once offered a special for Thanksgiving. The special was a bouquet of thorns...thorns, not flowers. The flower part of a rose was cut off and a bouquet of thorns was given. Why would you want to display thorns? Well, thorns remind us that life is difficult. We face many trials and troubles over the year and over our lifetime. The thorns are a symbol of the hurts, yet with the certainty, the confidence that God has seen us through the thorny times, and will continue to do so. It's His nature to do that!

We have faced the thorns of financial troubles, relationship troubles with our spouse or children, serious surgery, or even the death of a loved one. We faced these thorns, yet by the grace of God we are able to get through them. God gets us through the thorns as we trust Him as Lord and Savior. Our prayers, worship, Bible Study bring strength to get us through thorny times.

It is seen most clearly in a bouquet of terrible thorns that were placed on Jesus' head. He took the thorns, shed His blood, suffered and died and His Father saw Him through it all back to a home in heaven. God will do the same for us.

When we face the thorns, we can give thanks for He is eternally loving whether we deserve it or not. We can give thanks because God is forgiving. No matter what our thorny sins were. We can confess and repent, trusting in Jesus, and find them taken away. God is eternally faithful. No matter how sad and lonely we feel, He is by our side. 

Corrie Ten Boom tells the story of being in a Nazi prison camp. It was a horrible place with poverty, pain, death, and fleas in everything. Corrie kept encouraging her sister Betsy to give thanks, even for the fleas. It was difficult to do. "Give thanks in all circumstances" were the words she shared with her sister. As they prayed, even for the fleas, they found they were able to conduct Bible Classes, and even have prayer meetings without interference from the guards. Why wouldn't the guards enter their room? You guessed it...the fleas kept them out. Give thanks for happy times, for thorns, and even for fleas! Amen..pastor matthews

Forever with the Lord, forever in His love, are beautiful words of great comfort especially when a loved one has passed away. Without that hope, life could get very empty. There is a book by Dr. Jim Moore entitled "You Can Grow Bitter or You Can Grow Better." The book came from a true story of a 26 year-old wife who came to her pastor after her husband had been killed in a farming accident leaving her with three pre-school aged children. One moment her husband was alive and well, the next he was gone. She admitted to the pastor that she didn't know what she would do. She knew that she could grow bitter or grow better.

The difference between the two words, bitter or better is one letter "I" or "E" and they make all the difference. When problems prevail, hurts harass, and trials trouble us, we always have a choice as to how we will deal with them. Our sinful human nature leads us immediately to the "I" in bitter. We get angry at other people, hospitals, doctors, and often blame God. "How can God let this happen to me?" "Why did they have to die and leave me?"  As we hurt, we often pull away from God, His church, His comfort, and seek refuge in food, alcohol, drugs, anger, busy-ness and anything else that help our pity-party attitude. Our hearts can easily become dried up, grinch-like, and hardened to God.  Our bitterness fills our hearts and leaves no room for our Lord, His love, His hope, His peace, His joy. A lifetime of rejecting Jesus and His forgiveness will only lead us to be forever away from His love and the hope of everlasting life. Bitterness only leads to a bitter end.

God understands our hurts, our pain, and even our words of anger towards Him. God the Father knows pain. He watched His Son suffer and die, didn't He? We might question God, doubt Him, even walk away for a while, but like the father in the story of the Prodigal son, He is always there, watching for us, ready to hug us and forgive us through the blood of Jesus and help us find hope and healing. God is always there to hold us forever in His love and help us get better. He sent His Son to suffer and die to assure us that through faith, we find our sins forgiven, or hearts healed, and a home in heaven.

The story is told of a widow who came to church one Sunday and gave the Pastor an unusually large offering for the Church. Knowing it was a lot for her meager income, the Pastor asked about the gift. "My son has been sick," she replied, "I promised God a large gift if he recovered." "So your son is now well, is he?" asked the Pastor. "No," she replied, "He died. But I know that he is forever in God's love and for that I am thankful."

She knew that through her many tears, her heart-ache, her loneliness, that her son was with the Lord, forever in His love. She understood that the "E" in getting better stood for the Eternal love of God, Everlasting life, Encouraging words of the Bible.  Through faith in Jesus, Who died and rose for her salvation, she would see her son again. They would be together forever in His love. She could say good night to her son and not good-bye. Her son was now forever in God's love. With that she knew she was getting better.
Amen..pastor matthews

Pastor Matthews would appreciate feedback on the following sermon study.  You can reach him by email at theoldrev@hotmail.com
I read recently that God has made each of us to be like a thoroughbred horse, ready to run the race of life, not just stand around and watch.  Though I've known many who seem more like nags than thoroughbreds, our reading from Hebrews 12 can be an encouragement to each of us as we run our race through good times and bad times with God's help. With your input, we look at Hebrews 12: 1&2;

SINCE WE ARE SURROUNDED BY SUCH A GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES...WHO ARE THEY AND WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT? As we run the race of life, there have been many who have gone before us as encouragements by their faith in their Lord and Savior. The word "witness" doesn't mean to see us but to be people who have testified to the faith. The same word for witness is the word for martyr, for they have died in faith. Who has been your greatest witness to faith in Jesus?

LET US THROW OFF EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS AND THE SIN THAT SO EASILY ENTANGLES...HOW DO WE THROW THESE OFF? WHY IS "ENTANGLES" SUCH AS APPROPRIATE WORD? We need freedom of movement to run the race successfully. So often our past, our guilt, our fears can weigh us down. Favorite sins are trying to run in a long robe that hinders or freedom, weighs us down, and trips us up. A new lifestyle is needed as we ask God to forgive us and with His help to put off those activities, people, whatever hurt us. As we confess our sins to God, trusting in Jesus, we know that the weight is removed. In Greek the word for the sins around us is the basis for the word environment. We live in an environment of sin.

LET US RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE THE RACE MARKED OUT FOR US...WHY DOES THE CHISTIAN LIFE TAKE PERSEVERANCE? HOW IS LIFE MARKED OUT FOR US? The Christian life is not a short sprint, but a long distance race. God doesn't want us standing around jealous of others, feeling angry, wanting everything to come our way, but to move along as we grow stronger in faith and become a witness for others. God has a plan for your life. He is watching, encouraging, and blessing you as you serve Him and others. Your path might not be an easy one, but Jesus promises to be with you every step of the way.

LET US FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS, THE AUTHOR AND PERFECTOR OF OUR FAITH...WHY IS FIXING IMPORTANT HERE AS OPPOSED TO LOOKING AT? WHAT IS AUTHOR AND PERFECTOR OF OUR FAITH ALL ABOUT? Victorious living, running the race of life, is ours as we focus on Jesus. Sin points us away from Jesus to others, possessions, beauty, fun, what I can do, but these take us off the path to heaven and can lead to destruction. Peter focused on Jesus and walked on water. When He took his eyes off the Lord, he sank! Jesus died on the cross to win salvation for all who trust Him. He is the Alpha and Omega; the beginning and end.

WHO FOR THE JOY SET BEFORE HIM, ENDURED THE CROSS, SCORNING ITS SHAME, AND SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE OF GOD...WHAT IS THE JOY SET BEFORE OUR LORD? WHY DID HE HAVE TO ENDURE THE CROSS? (HE PERSEVERED, DIDN'T HE?) WHERE IS HE NOW AND WHY IS THAT GOOD FOR US? He is the Perfect example of what it means to run the race in a God-pleasing way regardless of the pain and hurt. Now He is waiting at the finish line along with all those witnesses near and dear to us. That's what being a real winner is all about. Amen..pastor matthews

With this week's weather, it was smart to play it safe, drive carefully, and watch where you're going. With December upon us and who knows what kind of weather is ahead of us. Playing it safe makes good sense. The thing is, with Christmas coming, this is the first Sunday in Advent, we find it much easier to play it safe when it comes to preparing for Christmas.

First of all, not to offend anyone, we send generic "Holiday" cards. Our decorations are lights, snowmen, reindeer, and often a Santa on the lawn. It's cute and everyone does that, why shouldn't we? We have to play it safe. We want to fit in around the neighborhood. The self-enclosed Santa and reindeer will light up and artificially "snow" for only $100. Shopping this time of year can be a real pain, can't it? What to get for the family, friends, teachers, and of course...the pastor? Maybe you're heard the story of the lady out shopping and having a terrible time with the weather, the stress on her credit card, crowds, and all the hassle. Frustrated to the hilt she gets into a crowded elevator and shouts out, "Great! Whoever came up with this Christmas junk should be strung up and shot!" While many nodded their agreement, a voice from the back called out, "Don't worry, lady. They already crucified Him!"

Sounds kind of sad and hopeless, doesn't it? In fact, the first Advent Candle is traditionally the candle of HOPE. Through our Lord Jesus, we have HOPE. In this humbug world, hope isn't easy. Shopping aside, we see loved ones around us facing all kinds of illnesses. We've all gone to way too many funerals this year. The war seems to go on and on with casualties mounting up each week. It's difficult to get along and pay our bills on time. How does one find that HOPE in a time that often seems hopeless?

It takes a risk to find HOPE. Hope won't be dropped in our laps, but will fill our hearts as we reach out in faith to our Lord. Jesus is called the Righteous Branch for good reason. Throughout the Scripture there are references to the Messiah being a Branch. In the Gospel of John, Jesus' disciples are called branches as they are attached through faith to the True Vine, Jesus. To find real HOPE we need to go out on a limb with Jesus, Who is not only the Lamb, but here, the Limb. In spite of what appears around us, HOPE is found as we step out on the Limb, on Jesus, and trust that He will see us through. HOPE tells us that Heaven's Our Possession Eternally. Stepping out on Jesus, the Branch, the Limb, if you will, we see that He holds us up during seemingly hopeless times of trials and troubles. You only know He's gonna be there, by stepping out in faith and finding that He is. Going out on Jesus, the Limb means praying when God doesn't seem to be listening. Going out on Jesus the Limb is giving our offering for the Lord's work first, trusting that He will provide for our needs. Going out on Jesus, the Limb is talking about the birth of Jesus, sharing the good news that He died and rose to forgive our sins and open heaven, because you want loved ones with you in heaven and that's worth the risk.

Someone once said that God lives in trees but you gotta go out on a limb to find Him. The world plays it safe looking for artificial Santas and reindeer that last a few days, while the children of God go out on that limb for Jesus and find that He's always there to hold you up and give you real HOPE that lasts forever. Amen..pastor matthews 

Christmas is a time of surprises. You never know what you'll find, or see, or hear. WLIT 93.9 has been playing Christmas music for weeks. Some of the messages are fun; others really touch your heart. The song, "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" is not in the hymnal but tells the story of grandma drinking too much eggnog and as she staggers home and is hit by reindeer and a sleigh. Another favorite, again not in our hymnal, is "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas." This is a story of a little girl encouraging Santa to bring this gift through the front door instead of the chimney. This includes the line, "Mom says the hippo would eat me up and then, Teacher says a hippo is a vegetarian." Along with that is the ever-popular "Santa Baby" with a rather seductive voice encouraging Santa to bring a sable coat, new convertible, yacht, and a ring, not on the phone. These are fun-type songs, but not spiritually encouraging. Thankfully, in the midst of this silliness comes a surprise "O Holy Night" or "The Little Drummer Boy" to raise our spirits in celebrating the true Reason for the season; the birth of Jesus.

Surprises are what Luke 3 is all about too, as we read about John the Baptist. The people are surprised to find a preacher in the wilderness, not in a comfortable synagogue like the others. Surprise, he says we're all sinners who need to repent and be Baptized, even the Pharisees. Surprise, he's dressed in skins, and eats bugs and honey, not like others. Surprise, he's telling everyone about God's love and that the Messiah is here, now, so get your life together before it's too late.

You never know when God's love will surprise you. As we travel through our wilderness of stress at work or troubles at home, the craziness of shopping, the lack of money, experiencing pain, hurt, the loss of loved ones, and the loneliness that follows, the love of God can surprise us in wonderful ways. The words of a carol reminding us that Jesus came for our salvation, the joy in a child's face, the words of a clerk that are not "happy holidays" but "God Bless Your Christmas" and even the lights on a tree bring us hope. Surprise!   

Sad to say, our sinful, human nature tells us to fill our lives with the fluff of the season and so we miss out on the fulfillment that Jesus can bring. When we choose to cradle our sadness, our pain, our problems, and our stress in our arms, there's no room for Baby Jesus and we wonder why this season depresses us! Surprise! Christmas without Christ is only a mess!  Trusting our Lord Who was born just so He could suffer and die to take away our sins brings real comfort in tough times. 

There's a story of a third grade boy who on show-and-tell day got so excited waiting to be chosen that he noticed a puddle on the floor and the front of his pants were wet. He knew if anyone saw this he would be humiliated forever. He prayed that God would help him. As the teacher approached, a classmate named Susie was getting up with her goldfish in a bowl of water. Suddenly Susie tripped and the water spilled on his pants. As he pretended to be upset his heart is saying thank you to God. Now, instead of the shame, he is the focus of sympathy as the teacher gets gym shorts for him to wear. Susie is now called the class klutz. At the end of the day as they were waiting for the bus he said to Susie, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" "I wet my pants once," Susie said, "I know how painful it can be."  Opportunities to find God's love this Christmas season and to share God's love with others are all around us. After all, just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car. Surprised? Amen..pastor matthews

To exult with all your heart is to rejoice, celebrate, revel, or delight over some triumph. The Sunday of the pink candle, the candle of joy encourages us to go from humbug to hallelujah as God's people; to exult. Bears fans will rejoice, exult, over the story of three football fans in the Middle East; a Vikings fan, Packers fan, and Bears fan. It seems they broke a local law by having a drink of the birthday of the Sheik's wife. They were sentenced to death. However, because of the celebration, the Sheik had mercy and allowed them to get off with 20 lashes and they each could have a wish before the punishment. The Vikings fan wished for a pillow to be strapped on his back. This helped for 5 lashes, then the pain. The Packers fan wished for two pillows to be strapped on his back. This helped for 10 lashes, then the pain. The Bears fan stood up and told them because he was a tough, Bears fan, and his team was the best, he would take 100 lashes. Everyone was impressed. When asked about his wish he said, "I want the Packers fan strapped to my back." Bears fans exult for the triumph!   

The Prophet Zephaniah exults over a triumph, but not football related. He wrote not only about God's punishment on those who disobeyed Him, but that  God would forgive their sins and bring victory to His people. They would find victory, not only over the armies of their enemies, but eventually when the Messiah would come and bring eternal victory and joy; a true reason to exult with all their hearts. They would recognize what God was doing in their lives and exult.

Sad to say, we often don't see the triumphs of God in our lives and do not exult with all of our hearts. Humbugs seem to outnumber the hallelujahs even at Christmas time. Looking around, we see more defeats in our world than triumphs. We see the War continue and more and more young people die each day. We see loved ones get sick. We remember those who have passed away and won't be with us at Christmas. We see the price of gifts and get depressed for lack of money or because we've spent way too much! There are problems in our homes, at work, at school which leave us exult-less.

Zephaniah tells his people that in order to exult with all your heart, you need to remember what God has done in your life, see what God is doing now, and remember what He promises to do in the future. These are wonderful reasons to exult with all your heart. When we say things like "I'm lucky" we are not recognizing a blessing from God, so we don't exult. When we believe that by coincidence something happened, we are not recognizing a blessing from God, so we don't exult. When we believe that we're good enough for heaven on our own, we don't recognize why Jesus came at Christmas or what He did through His death and resurrection, so why exult? 

The angels looked down when Jesus was born and exulted with songs of Gloria! Mary and Joseph exulted as they looked at the Baby in a manger. Seeing the Baby in a stable, the shepherds exulted and couldn't wait to share the news. Later, angels would exult when they saw that Jesus was raised from the dead; He Is Risen! I wonder if God the Father exulted when He saw His Son return to heaven and gave Him a big hug.

We need to look for the blessings around us. In the midst of life's garbage and pain, we find God working and can exult. Though we sin over and over again, He loves us and His forgiveness is seen in the manger, on the cross, in an empty tomb. There will be pain and we could strap a Packers fan on our backs, but even better is the fact that Jesus strapped a cross on His back to take our pain and give us life eternal. For this we can always exult! Amen..pastor matthews

"It's the most tiring time of the year" would make a great carol. To lead an 11pm service, after two others today, I had to take a nap and have extra vitamins. Maybe I'm getting older, huh? In fact, as I think about it, there are lots of things about Christmas that can tire us out, weaken us, upset us, and depress us.

At Christmas we often carry lots of baggage that weakens and upsets us. Christmas just isn't like it was years ago, we sadly say. We remember loved ones who are not with us at Christmas and this sadness and loss can weaken us to tears, loneliness, and even depression. The pressure to find gifts, the right gifts, and afford them can weaken us not only from running around the Mall, but the overwhelming fear of failing to come up with something special for loved ones. All the extra activities whether parties, church services, trips to relatives, whatever, can also weaken us.

At a time that should fill us with joy and hope, we find ourselves weakened emotionally, physically, and even spiritually. To this comes the Carol, "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen." Looking at the background of this ancient hymn, possibly hundreds of years old, we learn that the message is much more encouraging than first seen. Initially, we see a wish that God would bring rest to merry, happy, gentlemen. This is a nice thought, but kind of empty if you're not merry or a gentleman.

The Old English tells us that the word for rest is to keep, as in hold on to or maintain. So we have God keep you. God keep you what? God keep you merry, as in peaceful or even strong or mighty. Robin Hood and his merry men weren't so happy, but strong in their quest to defeat evil. God keep you strong, God keep you mighty, God keep you in His peace so that, as the hymn continues, nothing you dismay. God keep you strong so nothing might upset you, nothing might hurt you, even weaken you. How does God do this? Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day. God keep you strong, mighty, and peaceful, so nothing will mess you up and you do this by remembering that Jesus, your Savior was born on Christmas Day.

Now we have a strong wish, a strong blessing for those around us. God keep you strong, even in the face of hurt and loss, by remembering that Jesus was born to be your Savior to forgive your sins and open heaven for you. Satan wants to weaken you, bring you to despair, keep you from the manger, have you block your ears to the angels' song, and forget that this birth was for you to be blessed. Don't let him do that to you!

God keep you strong and at peace, my friend. Not even Satan can weaken you when you remember that Jesus was born to be your Savior, your Friend, to love you, to forgive your sins and open heaven for you. This is indeed comfort and joy, great comfort, and great joy. Amen..pastor matthews

In light of the stories we've seen in the papers recently, there is a cute story about a Pastor getting to church early on Christmas morning. As he walked past their outdoor manger scene he was shocked to see that the Baby Jesus figure was missing. He couldn't believe it!  How could someone do that on Christmas? Though he knew that people coming to church would be upset, he continued all he had to do to get everything ready for worship. With the door unlocked, he knew it wouldn't be long before they arrived and he would have to apologize for the Baby being gone. Suddenly the door opened and a young boy came in carrying the figure of Baby Jesus. The Pastor asked what had happened and the little guy told him that he had prayed for a red wagon this Christmas. His prayers were answered, he got the wagon and to say thank-you he wanted to give Jesus the first ride.

One of the real blessings of Christmas is that not only should we want to take Jesus with us wherever we go, but knowing that He wants to go. He wants to be in our wagon. As we worship this Christmas Day, that joy is again reinforced for us in the music, Scripture, Communion, and fellowship.

Because of our sin, it's so easy to zero in on the other stuff of Christmas. Yeh, I got what I wanted! Rats, I didn't get what I wanted! I feel lonely and depressed! I think I'll throw the tree out and take down the decorations today! Why haven't family and friends called me? My next credit card statement is going to be a killer. Bah, humbug! Filling our hearts with regrets, failures, and losses doesn't leave much room to take Baby Jesus along for the ride, does it?

Real Christmas joy is found only with God's Greatest Gift, Jesus. When we worship our Lord, give thanks for His blessings to us, and make Him a part of each day, the real happiness of Christmas goes on and on and on. Jesus wants to ride in your wagon. You can't spell Jesus without the letter U. He loves U. He died so U could be with Him in heaven. He wants U to trust Him and make sure He's with U everyday.  He wants to give U the best Christmas ever and a wonderful ride through life. Amen. pastor matthews

Well, Christmas is over...many decorations have been put away...toys have been lost or broken...school will start in a few days...life is getting back to normal...all the hurts of 2006 are on our minds. It might seem like a sad way to begin a new year. To help us, the message found in Colossians 3 can be an encouragement for us all. Paul talks about how faith in Jesus can show through. I'm not horsing around, I don't want to nag you, but I have a story of two horses that might point us in the right direction.

Out in a field we see two horses grazing. From a distance they look relatively the same. A closer look reveals that one horse is totally blind. The owner has chosen not to put him down, but to provide a good home. Nearby you can hear a bell ringing. The bell comes from the other horse that has it attached around her neck so the blind horse knows where she is. She continues to check on her blind friend as she leads him along where they are grazing and even back to the barn at night. She will occasionally stop and look back, making sure her friend doesn't get so far away he can't hear the bell. Like the owner of the horses, thankfully God doesn't throw us away because we have challenges or problems in life. He not only shows His love by sending Jesus to be the Bell that leads us to our heavenly home, but other people to be bells to guide us in this life. Sometimes we are like the blind horse guided by the bells of others...or...we can be the guide horse with the bell that others need to hear. 

Paul talks about ringing out with the kindness, love, and concern that others need.  Knowing that Jesus died for us and that He has forgiven us, we can in turn forgive others and be a bell for them through their struggles. It's not easy, is it?

Being the blind horse or the guide horse isn't easy when our sinful pride gets in the way. We don't want to guide them because we think they are not worth our trouble...we just don't like them...we're too busy...life is too short to waste it when I can have fun. The other side of the coin is that pride can keep us in our blindness. We would just as soon stumble around with our worries, hurts, pain, and guilt with things only getting worse than admit we are weak, vulnerable, and in need of help from another's bell. 

There is a story about a Cherokee grandfather explaining to his grandson about the struggle inside of each of us. He told him that we have two wolves inside of us. One wolf is EVIL, filled with envy, jealousy, pride, guilt, fear, worry, sorrow, ego, arrogance, self-pity, and a judgmental attitude. The other is GOOD filled with kindness, compassion, love, forgiveness, patience, peace, and thankfulness. The grandson asked that when these wolves fight, which one will win? The wise grandfather answered, "The one you feed!"

Paul tells us that as God's people we will find that the peace of Christ will rule our hearts and minds as we feed on the Word of God. As we worship, pray, study His Word, attend the Sacrament, and reach out to share our faith with others, that feeding will find our hearts filled with the peace and love that God rings out in our lives. Because Jesus died and rose for me, I want to ring out with that good news and listen when others ring out for me. What a great way to begin a new year. Amen..pastor matthews

Part of our human nature is the fact we like to figure things out. We want things to make sense. We do crossword puzzles and these new Sudoku puzzles because we want to complete them, have them make sense for us, giving us a sense of being a winner. We like things to fit together; A goes into B...1 is followed by 2, and so on. The story is told of this guy who was driving up a winding mountain road, only to have a woman driver come around a bend in his lane. She suddenly swerved and yelled out "Pig!" Immediately he yelled back "Nag!" only to turn the corner and hit a pig. Now his response didn't make as much sense as it did before.

The Christmas and Epiphany stories don't make much sense to us either. For the Almighty Son of God, the Creator of the world to be born as a helpless Baby in the hands of a teenage Mother doesn't make sense to us, but it did to God. The Son of God in a stable not a palace doesn't make sense to us, but it did to God. Rich men traveling hundreds of miles with expensive gifts for a poor little boy simply because they saw a star doesn't make sense to us but it did to God. Maybe we are led to believe that the mind of God simply doesn't make sense to the mind of man?

Our sinful nature tells us that if someone is mean to us, we should be mean in return. That makes sense. If someone is nice to you, then we are nice in return. This makes sense. We tell ourselves that the more money we have, the happier we will be. This makes sense. The more I'm in control of my life, the better it will be. This makes sense to us.

Isn't it interesting that the mind of God is in a whole different place. Isaiah 40 tells us that we don't have a clue about what God knows and understands. For instance, it might make sense to believe we come from apes, just look around, but to be hand-made by God as found in Genesis, doesn't make sense, but it did to God. To know that God is good to us when we're good makes sense. To know and believe that He loves us and blesses us as poor, miserable  sinners just doesn't make much sense, but it does to God. I wouldn't sacrifice Michael my son for anyone, but God's love for us sinners who often could care less about Him was so deep that He sent His Son Jesus to suffer and die on the cross so that all who believe in Him could be with Him in heaven. It doesn't make sense to us, but it did to God. St. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:10 that the weaker he knows he is through trials and hardships in life, those are the times that he's actually the strongest through the power of God working in him. To be weak and lost means to be strong? This doesn't make sense to us but it does for God.  Joni Erickson broke her neck as a child and now tells the world she is happier as a quadriplegic who loves her Lord Jesus than she was when she was totally healthy without that closeness to the Lord. This doesn't make sense to us but it does for God.

Let's face it, God doesn't make sense to us. We know He can't do evil, but He allows evil things to happen so that His higher purpose can be fulfilled. We ask "Why?" and God answers, "Trust Me. It makes sense to Me." We ask "Why God? Life is such a mess." God answers, "Trust Me. I have something better ahead for you. It will make sense."  We ask "Why God? I feel so alone and sad." God answers,  "Trust Me. I will always be with you. You'll see it makes sense" We say, "God, forgive me for my doubts. I'm so lost without You." God answers, "Now that really makes sense to Me." Amen..pastor matthews   

I've always found it interesting that the first recorded miracle of our Lord was changing water into wine at a wedding. We don't know who the bride and groom were, just that Jesus and His disciples were invited and His Mother, Mary might have helped with the wedding plans. Running out of wine at the wedding was not only embarrassing to the bride and groom, but also might lead you to believe that the marriage wouldn't last either. When the need arose, Mary knew she could count on her Son. Jesus changed the water from the purification jars into best wine and the happy time continued.

I read recently that Johnny Carson interviewed a little boy on his show after the boy had saved the lives of his friends in West Virginia. Realizing that the boy was a Christian, Carson asked if he went to Sunday School. He said he did and that the latest lesson was about Jesus turning the water into wine at the wedding. Johnny asked him what he learned from this story. After thinking a while, the boy answered, "If you're going to have a wedding, make sure you invite Jesus!"

If you're going to have a wedding, a birthday, a Baptism, at breakfast, lunch, or dinner, asleep or awake, going for surgery, attending a funeral, every moment of every day, make sure you invite Jesus. You want Jesus there because where Jesus is, you will lack for nothing, for where Jesus is, there is hope and joy.

In my office, I have a couple of pictures of a smiling Jesus. The artist Richard Hook often showed Jesus with a smile as He walked with His disciples or talked with children. Jesus was not a stick-in-the-mud person, He was warm and loving and a joy to have around. Who wants a stick-in-the-mud at a wedding reception? Jesus was happy for the couple in Cana and brought them great joy with His miracle. Maybe this makes Jesus the Life of the Party!

The jugs of water Jesus used were for the ancient ritual of purification that the Pharisees insisted upon. Often these cleansing rituals became a burden to people as the religious leaders insisted on washing to find approval with God. Isn't it interesting that Jesus took water from the old way to make wine for the New Way. The old way wanted to please God by what they had to do, how good they thought they were. The New Way, Jesus' Way, brings hope and joy through faith in our Lord Who would die and rise to pay the price for our sins.

Like those Pharisees, we easily find ourselves tied into our old sins. We can get sad and depressed. We can feel alone and lost. We feel that we're not good enough for God or so good we don't need God. We have run out of wine, the party's over, I'm a total failure, life is a mess. If faith hasn't invited Jesus to be a part of our lives, it ends here. 

Our Lord wants to be invited by faith to come to your party, be in your life. He comes with His love and the best gift of all, forgiveness of sins and a home for you in heaven. No wonder He's smiling.  Our Lord's first miracle was water into wine, one of His last was turning wine into blood at Holy Communion. He took the old water of self-righteousness, turned it into the new wine of hope and joy through faith in Him, and finally, into His blood for the forgiveness of sins and life eternal for all who believe. He is indeed the Life of the Party, the Eternal Life of the Party. No wonder He's smiling. We should be smiling too! Amen...pastor matthews

I have always admired the E.M.S. workers for all they do. Over and over again as I visit people in the hospital I hear stories about how quickly they responded to a 911 call and all of their help and compassion during difficult times. While at the Seminary I had a chance to do a ride-a-long for one shift. Our first call was to a home where a Dad had been recovering from the night before and fell backwards into their glass shower door. While the E.M.S. people were pulling glass out of his back, I stayed with the wife and child and did my best to keep their minds off the accident. We actually watched Scooby-Do cartoons together. These folks do a wonderful job for people who are hurting.

In our reading from Luke 4, Jesus reads from Isaiah and talks about how His purpose on earth is to bring help and compassion to those who are hurting.  He is here to share the good news of salvation with those who are sad because they are poor and weak in their faith. He is here to bring liberty for all who are prisoners to sin and hurt. He has come to open the eyes of all who feel lost and alone because they are blind to God's love and eternal life for all who see Him as Lord and Savior. He has come to free those who are beaten down and oppressed by the many trials and troubles in life. Jesus isn't looking to judge their sin; He has come to offer the First Aid of His love for all the brokenhearted people around Him. His compassion that would be seen in the cross offers the First Aid of hope, joy, peace, and salvation for all who believe in Him. As the Great Physician, Jesus alone can heal brokenhearted people in this life and for eternal life.

Looking at the world around us through the eyes of Jesus, we see pain and sadness everywhere. Jesus has come to bring us healing for our hearts and our lives through His death and resurrection, so we might go out and bring that love to others. In John 15 Jesus tells us to love others as He has loved us. He wants us to be His E.M.S. team and "Be kinder than necessary...everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." E.M.S. is for Emulate My Savior. Imitate Him, be like Jesus, and ask ourselves WWJD? Jesus showed compassion for us, our battles, now He encourages us to show compassion for others.

This isn't easy because some people are not so lovable and we don't want to be around them. Would you give mouth to mouth resuscitation to a homeless guy? Some people are like lepers and we stay away. Our sinful nature likes to make judgments as to who we will help and who we won't. Jesus speaks to us and reminds us "Be kinder than necessary...everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."  Love the lepers too! Another problem we face is the fact that people often hide their hurts to others so they can look strong. "How's it going?" "Everything is great!" they will tell us as they are crying inside. Sometimes we have to follow up with people, encourage them, and let them know we are here. Though they might be cold and often aloof, "Be kinder than necessary...everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."

Like the man with the pieces of glass in his back, we all battle with the hurts of this life and need help. Jesus is the Great Physician Who died and rose to bring eternal healing for all who believe in Him. Some day He will return and take us from the hurts and battles we face. In the mean time, we are His EMS team to the world, strengthened by our faith to answer His 911 call. In fact, Psalm 9:11 tells us to sing praises to the Lord and proclaim what He has done. That's the First Aid hurting people need. Amen...pastor matthews

In a movie from 1991, "City Slickers," the hero, Mitch Robbins is trying to find joy and meaning in his life that has become boring and empty. He just doesn't like who he is, what his life's all about, and if he has any future. His friends suggest a trip out West for a cattle drive to get his mind off his troubles. While out there, a grizzled old cowboy, Curly, tells him that the real meaning, the real joy in life is one thing, (as he holds his index finger up). When you find this one thing that has real meaning, life fits together for you.

"Why am I here?" "Does my life have meaning?" are questions that most or all of us have asked ourselves over the years. Life might seem empty, ordinary, boring, so what's the purpose? Why am I here? I'm too young for this or too old for that. I can't drive yet or my eyes are so bad I can't drive anymore. I don't have lots of money. My family has moved away. Many loved ones have died. I'm doing poorly in school. I don't look as good as I'd like. What's it all about? Why am I still here? What purpose could I serve?

Our sinful nature not only encourages us to give up, but often gives us the impression that our purpose has to do with worldly values alone. How much money we make, how famous we might get, how good looking we are, and how we rate against our neighbors as far a possessions are priorities. When these things become (raised index finger) we will never find real hope and joy and peace. There will always be something missing; a hole in our hearts, if you will. They bring temporary happiness, but not lasting peace and joy. What's the true answer?

We discover what (raised index finger) is as we read God's words to the Prophet Jeremiah. God tells him that as a child of God he was prized by God even before he was formed inside his mother. God assures him that as a child of God he will be protected by God as He does all of His children. The Lord then empowers His children, encourages them to go and be who God intended them to be. For Jeremiah, God wanted him to be a prophet by speaking God's word to others in his life. God prized, protected, and empowered Jeremiah as He does all who believe in Him today. Living as a child of God is what (raised index finger) is all about.

As His child through faith (raised index finger) you are prized by God whether an unborn child, a baby, teenager, or an older person confined to a bed. Never are we simply a lump of worthless cells to be destroyed at another's whim. You are so prized by God that He sent Jesus to die on the cross to take away your sins so you could live with Him in heaven eternally. That's prized!!

We also are promised God's protection in life. This doesn't mean that hurts won't happen, but God promises to get us through. All who live as a child of God have the strength of their Heavenly Father holding them up. When I would walk on ice with my Dad, I would want him to hold my hand so when I'd slip, I wouldn't fall. God does that for all who love Him and trust in Jesus as their Savior. (Raised index finger) means we might slip, but never fall away from Him.

As His child (raised index finger) God empowers us for service to Him and others. He wants us to get up, get dressed, and get going for worship, prayer, Bible Study, bringing our children to the Lord, sharing our faith, helping in different ways, doing those things that are unique to you and for you. Just as God had a purpose for Jeremiah, He has a purpose for you.

For Jesus, His (raised index finger) was a God-pleasing life that led to His suffering, death, and resurrection to win eternal life for all who believe in Him. How wonderful to know that we are so prized, so protected, so empowered, that each of us is (raised index finger) for Jesus.
Amen..pastor matthews

Sometimes we have to watch what we say. A pastor announced that next week his sermon would be about liars. To prepare, he asked the congregation to read Mark 17. When the next Sunday arrived, he asked how many had read Mark 17. In unison everyone called out that they had. The pastor continued, "You're the very people I need to preach to this morning. There are only 16 Chapters in Mark."

When he confronted God personally, Isaiah the Prophet told the truth when he called out that he was indeed a poor, miserable sinner with unclean lips. He could have been talking about how his language wasn't always God-pleasing or simply that he was a sinner before God. God in His great love forgave Isaiah of his sins and showed that forgiveness in a real way by having an angel touch his lips with a coal of fire from the altar of heaven. This coal of fire purified his lips and his life so he could go out and be a faithful witness for the Lord.

Today is Super Sunday and for millions of us NFL stands for the National Football League that will be sponsoring the Super Bowl between two teams that most of you have probably heard about. When it came to Isaiah a couple of thousand years ago, NFL tells of the New Found Life he had as a prophet speaking for His God. The NFL, New Found Life came for Isaiah as he cried out asking for God's forgiveness, found that love from God, and then was strengthened to go out to the world as a witness for the Lord. 

A New Found Life is there for each of us as it was for Isaiah as we stand in the presence of God this morning in this place. Maybe we can't see God physically or hear the angels sing, no matter how good the choir sounds, we need to come as poor miserable sinners deserving eternal death for our many sins. Sad to say, our sinful pride often gets in the way and we don't believe that we're that bad. After all, look at the people around me; look at the pastor, now you're talking sin. It's always easier to point the finger at others. A heart that truly finds its own NFL, must point the finger at itself first. "Chief of sinners though I be..." the hymn tells us. When we confess and repents before God, the path to a NFL has begun. "Chief of sinners though I be...Jesus shed His blood for me. Died that I might live on high. Lived that I might never die..." That what our NFL is all about.

Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. The words of His love and forgiveness for all who believe in Him cleanse our hearts in a special way, just as His body and His blood touching our lips purify us as the fiery coal did for Isaiah. Forgiven, purified, holy in God's sight, we can go from this place and be an Isaiah to others in our world.

This week, there was a terrible car crash in Riverside with young people dying from the crash. I was told that as this was discussed in school, one young person called out that if there was a God that wouldn't have happened. Another teen got up and told the class that there is a God. He is not evil. He allows evil in our lives and each day we have choices and with these choices comes consequences, some good, some bad, but we have a God Who loves us and is there for us each day. She went on to say that God is the ONLY ONE who will get us through these difficult times. This young lady, I'm proud to say, is a member of Concordia and her NFL shined forth in this witness to God's love. God calls us to share His love in Christ, as we do, each day can be Super not only for us but for all who hear that good news. Amen..pastor matthews

I was reminded about trust in a dramatic way this past week. With the cold weather, we trust that our cars will start. Thankfully, even though it's always outside (only the ladies' cars see the inside of the garage at our house) my car started each and every time. Many of us have information stored on our computers. In my case, almost 10 years of sermons, stories, information for weddings, Baptisms, and all the rest, which were unfortunately erased by the computer this week! I have a little on floppy disks, but so much seems to be gone. AARRGG!!!

Reflecting on trust, we really do trust lots of people and things beside cars and computers. We trust that our leaders in government, religion, fire and police, or at work will be faithful and trustworthy. We trust that our bank will keep our money safe. We trust that our job or retirement money will keep coming. We trust that our heart will keep beating. In fact, on the other side of that coin, we tell our children to be careful and NOT to trust strangers. How sad that every year children, teens, and adults are abducted because they trusted the wrong people. Many are never seen again. Trusting the wrong people can lead to our destruction; financially, spiritually, or physically.

Jeremiah wrote to his people about trust in Chapter 17. He told them, as he tells us today, that if we trust ourselves, only in human beings and turn from God, we are cursed. Apart from God we will be dried up and lost like a shrub trying to exist on salty, parched land. However, those who trust the Lord will be blessed in many ways. Trusting in our God brings us peace, hope, joy and we are watered by God through His Word, Sacraments, worship, and prayer so we live, thrive, and bear fruit for God like a tree near a stream.

Our sinful pride leads us to trust only ourselves and this leads to destruction. I read a story recently of a man who went skydiving for the first time. Trusting only in himself, after all, he knew it all, he even wrapped his own parachute. As he jumped out of the plane, he pulled the cord but the chute failed to open. He wasn't worried as he pulled the cord for his emergency chute. It failed to open. As he was falling to earth he knew something had to be done. Getting close to the ground he noticed another man flying up towards him. Knowing this was his last chance, he called out, "Know anything about parachutes?" The other man, flying upwards called out, "Know anything about gas stoves?" 

On earth sometimes we get what we get when it comes to trust. We have our cars and computers, our family and friends, our doctors and bankers that may or may not be trustworthy. Thankfully, when it comes to our salvation, and the eternal life of our loved ones, we have a sure thing! Faith and trust in Jesus as our Risen Lord and Savior brings us God's assurance of everlasting life. Blessed in this life and for life eternal are all who trust in the Lord. We can trust that God will make it happen!

My Gateway computer might have crashed with everything being lost. That's what life brings. I got what I got. Jesus, our Gateway to heaven never crashes as He reigns eternal at the right hand of God assuring me that my salvation is not lost. Eternal life is a sure thing for all who trust Him. That's God's guarantee! Amen...pastor matthews

"It's good Lord to be here" Peter told Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. We like it here. It's fun on the mountain. Let's pitch a tent and stay a while. We don't want to go back to that rotten, old world. We like it here with You, with God the Father, Moses, and Elijah. To that Jesus replied that they had to get back. Personally, I don't blame Peter at all. I'd like a mountain top experience about now, myself. After preaching every service for six straight months, a time away could recharge the old batteries.

How about you? Can you agree with Peter too? The disciples had an opportunity to get away from the world that beat them up emotionally and spiritually every day. Here they have some peace and quiet in the presence of God and two great Old Testament heroes. The more they want to stay there, the more Jesus tells them it's time to go.

I wouldn't mind a break like that either. Life gets demanding, doesn't it? We get tired and cranky over the cold weather, over people making demands on our time, over bills to pay, hassles in the family, illness, and snow to shovel. We could use a mountain top experience. It might not be with God and Moses and Elijah, but it could be an Easter-like boost for our faith. It could be finding a quiet, warm place to hang out. It could be 3 7's in a row. It could be a joyful wedding or the birth of a child or a Baptism.

Jesus faced lots of trials and troubles as He walked through the valley of life. All around people wanted this and that. There were the poor, the crippled, the lepers, the blind, and deaf all wanting help and healing. Huge crowds followed day and night. No wonder they didn't want to go back! Our sinful human nature wants to walk away and take care of ourselves. Let's go and have some fun here on the mountain top, Jesus! Time to get back, our Lord told them. Just as He did in Luke 19, the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost. Jesus came to walk through the valley of the shadow of death to lead people to the mountain of life. It's time to get going.

Jesus came to bring comfort for all who were hurting physically, emotionally, and spiritually. With His suffering and death, He showed that God did care and through faith there was a place for them all with Him on the mountain.

The words of Jesus speak to us today. As His followers we have to walk through the valley to get to the mountain. We must walk with Him in faith, and share His love with others in the valley before we live forever on the mountain in heaven. The crowds haven't changed in 2000 years. All around are the poor, the needy, the sad and lonely, the abused and lost. We see lost souls looking down on life, down on themselves, down to eternal death. Before they are lost eternally, we have to walk with Jesus in the valley to meet people where they are and reassure them that God loves them, forgives them, and has a home for them eternally. Before it's too late, the world around us needs to know that God cares for them  so much He sent His Son to suffer and die so they can now look up, look up at the cross, look up at the God Who loves them, look up at their mountain top home in heaven. That's why it's time to get going!  Amen..pastor matthews

The story is told of a young girl who had been born blind and hated everything about her life. She hated everyone except her boyfriend who was always there for her. One day he asked her to marry him. She told him that only when she could see the world around her would she ever get married. Time passed and a pair of eyes was donated to her. She thoroughly enjoyed looking at the blue skies, green grass, trees, and water for the first time. When she saw her boyfriend for the first time she was shocked top see that he was blind. No way would she ever marry him! He walked away in tears. Days later a note came and he wrote to her saying that he hoped she would have a happy life and finished by saying, "please take good care of my eyes."  Sad to say, he had made this wonderful sacrifice of love and she took the gift but rejected the giver.

As we begin this Lenten season and prepare for Easter, the analogy seems quite the same. As sinners, we are blind to the things of God; forgiveness, eternal life, etc. On one hand sin clouds our thoughts and pictures of God, but for some reason clears up evil and makes it look so good!. Because of our sinful nature, evil is always very, very clear for us to see and desire. We can see anger, jealousy, greed, lust, prejudice, guilt and all the rest. They are crystal clear as we judge others for being bad, but they are not problems for us.  Sin is always clear to us, while the blessings of God are always clouded over.

Because of sin, we are blind to the eternal life God offers. We could care less about spiritual things, believe there are many ways to God, or simply feel we are good enough on our own to make it to heaven.  Sin blinds us to the cross and the hope and joy that is a guarantee for all who believe in Jesus as Savior. Our eyesight is great when it comes to what we want; money, fame, good looks, a big house, boat, and much more, but in reality are blind to what we really need; forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice of love by giving more than His eyes, He gave His life for us on the cross so we can see the love God has for us. The blood of Jesus washes away our blindness and shows us our home in heaven that awaits all who believe in Him.

Sad to say, we like the gift, but like the girl in the story, choose to reject the Giver. Sure we want to be in heaven, but to worship our Lord, study His Word, talk with Him in prayer, and trust Him above all else just doesn't work for us. We're too busy to pray, tied up with other "more important" activities that keep us from Sunday or Lenten Wednesday worship, spending money on worldly needs so there is none left for God's work, and are worried about being embarrassed so we don't talk about our faith to family and friends. Like the girl, we walk away from the One Who really loves us..

Faith in Jesus as our Savior takes the gift and gives thanks to the Giver. The life we lead gives thanks for God's blessings. As the young man said to his love, "please take good care of my eyes" Jesus says to us whom He loves "please take good care of My I's" as in His promises to us; I have loved you with an everlasting love(Jer. 31) ...I have died for your sins(1 Pet. 3)...I will be with you always(Matt. 28)...I have eternal life waiting for you(John 3). The Heavenly Eyesight of faith clouds up the evil for us and makes the gifts of God crystal clear. That's 20/20 vision. Amen...pastor matthews

Years ago there was a thing about real men don't eat quiche. Over the years it has been also said that real men don't cry. I guess that makes me artificial, because there are lots of times I feel the tears and mostly good times too. In John 11 we have the shortest verse of the Bible, "Jesus wept." If Jesus can shed tears, so can we. There was a lady named Annie in my congregation in New Jersey who said she cried so much she thought her bladder was connected to her tear ducts. Tears can come for lots of reasons. We have tears when we're really happy or proud of someone. In first grade, Mike kicked a goal in his first soccer game. I went ballistic with joy that included tears of happiness. When Melanie graduated High School I remember thinking how proud I was and the tears came. I'm sure on June 9 I'll be struggling in that way too at her wedding. When Mrs. Matthews received her "Teacher of the Year" Award from the English District, I was so proud I had to wipe the tears away.

Tears can come when you really have a good laugh. When you laugh from deep down inside, the tears come. Tears are part of funerals and hospital trips too. At a funeral tears can be a sign that you loved that person very much. Even though they are with Jesus, we still miss them. In hospitals, the same love comes with concern for their health. Even your own pain that brings tears shows that the pain is real. Tears can also come when we know we've sinned before God and are truly sorry. In Luke 22, we read that Peter cried for that reason when he realized how he had betrayed Jesus. These are cleansing tears.

An example of really sad tears, bad tears if you will, comes from Paul in Philippians 3 when he tells us that with tears he knows that many live as enemies of God and will be lost eternally.  The thought of people rejecting Jesus and going to hell brings tears to Paul's eyes. It should do that for us too.

However, our sinful nature could often care less if our family and friends are in heaven, and quite frankly not give a hoot if we ourselves have eternal life. After all, it's so much fun here! Romans 10 tells us that faith comes by hearing the message of Jesus as Lord Who died and rose for our salvation. If we stay away from hearing the Word in worship and Bible Study, if we are too busy or embarrassed to talk of our faith or even invite others to worship, not only are we at risk of being lost eternally, so are they! Not to know that your children are going to heaven because you haven't introduced them to Jesus should cause you great pain. Now that's something to cry over.

Scripture assures us that God will wipe away every tear of sadness for all who believe in Jesus as they enter the joy of heaven. However, I think there might be tears of joy in heaven. When I open my eyes and find Jesus there ready to give me a hug and welcome me home, I guarantee there will be tears of thankfulness and joy. "Thank You, Jesus.  Thank You that by Your mercy I'm here because I don't deserve it." How about you?  When I see my Mom and Dad again, I guarantee there will be tears of joy. Who do you want to see? When my family meets my Dad for the first time, he died when I was 17,  I'm gonna be a mess, but a happy mess! Crying together in heaven with the people you love will be wonderful.

Without Jesus, we cry alone in hell and the pain is eternal. Amen..pastor matthews

The "Passion" movie many of us saw a couple of years ago reinforced just how cruel the Romans could be to their prisoners. We saw the cat-of-nine-tails rip flesh from bone. We saw the pain of dragging your own cross for crucifixion. We saw the blood spill from a crown of thorns or huge nails pounded into the hands. All of this our Lord endured to be our Substitute and die for the forgiveness of our sins.

One other torture common to the Romans was shackling live prisoners face to face and hand to hand with dead ones. Every time you'd open your eyes, you saw death. Every movement you made, death was there. Every breath you took smelled of death. How long before a person would simply give up and die? 

Aren't these pleasant thoughts as we celebrate Lutheran Schools Week? Sad to say, reality of life in 2007 isn't often a pretty picture either. Because of the reality of sin and evil in our world, we can't fly without all kinds of security measures. We can't leave our houses or churches unlocked anymore. Security cameras are needed as copper gutters are stolen off of churches. We can't let our children play unsupervised anymore. Children can't walk over to the neighbor's house unless we're watching all the way. Locked doors and alarm systems are a reality in this world of evil. We must pray for our loved ones, asking God to have His Guardian Angels care for them no matter how old they are. Sin causes lots of pain.

The sinful nature we struggle with is very much like that old Roman torture. Sin shackles us to death. All we do, think, or say leads to eternal death without the Lord in our hearts and our lives. Without Jesus, sin and death is always in our face. 

Thankfully, God in His mercy saw what sin was doing and did something about it. It cost the life of His Son, the Lamb of God, the Perfect Sacrifice, to win for us the freedom we needed from sin, death, and the power of the devil. The cross of Christ is the key that unshackled us from certain death and through faith in Jesus as our Living Lord brings each of us the certainly of everlasting life.  A paraphrase of John 3:16 tells us that God loved each of us so much He sent His Only Son to die and rise to unshackle forever all who believe in Him from corpse of sin and free us to a new life leading to heaven.

The joy of Lutheran Schools Week, celebrated by our Little Lambs Preschool and Kindergarten, as well as our whole program of Christian education for young and old alike at Concordia is one that brings us the good news that through faith in Jesus we are all unshackled forever.

Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so.
Shackled' to sin I once did live, His blood life eternal gives.
Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so. We are unshackled forever.
Amen...pastor matthews

When it comes to fears, I have mine and I'm sure you have yours. Looking down hundreds of feet from the window of a tall building brings me no pleasure at all. Spiders, snakes, rats, mice, bats, and clowns are not blessings from God as far as I'm concerned. I'm afraid of Satan because He has lots of power. I'm afraid of hell because of the pain. God has given all of us a certain amount of fear for our safety. Hear a rattle while walking in the desert; get out of there! While golfing once down South many years ago, the ball landed near a pond. As I approached, two eyes came up from the water. The ball could still be there.

If fear keeps us from sin and hurt, it's a good thing. Young people knowing that premarital sex could bring a baby or disease, might think twice. Fear of lung cancer might keep you from smoking; good! Knowing that drugs could lead to a lifetime of addiction might make you Just Say No! Good! Knowing that drinking and driving could cause you or another to be hurt or killed might lead you to a designated driver. Good!

The fears we need to especially watch for are the fears that the Devil brings to keep us from our Lord. Satan uses FEAR False Evidence Appearing Real to hurt or harm us, deceive or trick us into walking away from our Lord and His blessings. We need watch out for any fear that could cause us to DUQ(DUCK!); Doubt God's love and forgiveness, be Unsure of our salvation, Question God's faithfulness.

We look around and see pain and hurt in the world. Loved ones die. Children are hurt or killed. Evil seems to be winning, while good falls apart. Maybe God doesn't care or maybe there's no God at all? Maybe no one will ever really love me.  This leads us to DUQ! That's False Evidence Appearing Real to deceive us. John 3:16 reassures us that God loves us so much He sent His Son to suffer, die, and rise, so we could be with Him in heaven. In Hebrews 11, we read that faith trusts even those things we can't see. Just because we don't understand all He does, doesn't mean God isn't there.

Knowing how evil I am in my thoughts, my words, my actions, how could God ever forgive me? I don't deserve His love or a place in heaven. I'm hopeless. Sound familiar? This leads us to DUQ! That's False Evidence Appearing Real as the Devil tries to convince us that we're so evil God's forgiveness isn't strong enough to wash our sins away. Satan wants us to play God and think that the evil we do is stronger than the power of the Creator of the Universe to forgive. Isaiah 1:18 tells us that even if our sins are like scarlet, blood soaked from murder, they shall be clean.. Faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior assures us that nothing can separate us from Him and His love, nothing!

Life can leave us feeling lost and alone. We think that no one understands my pain, my loss, my emptiness. No one is there for me. This also leads us to DUQ! That's False Evidence Appearing Real. Satan wants us to believe that God is too busy elsewhere to bother with us. It is so easy to forget that Jesus understands what pain is all about, look at His hands.  Jesus understands the loss of loved ones. Jesus understands what hanging out there all alone is all about. Matthew 28 reassures us that He will be with us always, always, until the end of time. When Satan attacks you with his FEAR, don't be daffy and DUQ, just look up, Jesus will be there.
Amen..pastor matthews   

It was only a few months ago...we were celebrating Christmas. We can still picture the unborn Baby and His Mother, Mary, riding on a donkey, Joseph at their side, on the way to Bethlehem. Once the donkey took them there, marvelous things happened, life-changing experiences, as God announced the birth of His Son through angels singing to shepherds, and a special star shining for the Wise Men to visit the Child.

Today we have another donkey carrying Jesus, this time as an adult, to Jerusalem for life-changing experiences as the Son of God would soon sacrifice His life on the cross for us and three days later rise from the dead to assure all who believe in Him eternal life and victory over sin, death, and the power of the Devil.

This second little donkey was borrowed transportation that had never been ridden before. Jesus knew the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 that the King would come on a donkey. Jesus had His disciples untie the donkey so He could be transported into town.  With the donkey untied, this often very stubborn animal could be of service. A donkey had taken Him to His birth, now a donkey would take Him to His death.

Quite a sight this was! In the past, conquering heroes would ride horses into town as symbols of victory over ones enemies. Here we have our Lord riding on a donkey, probably with His feet almost dragging on the ground. Not a majestic sight at all for someone welcomed as a King Who would save them...Hosanna; save us now from Roman rule and be our new earthly King.  Yes, He was carried there to save them, but not from the Romans, but from their sins.

Once untied, the donkeys in our story took Jesus where He needed to be. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that we, like those donkeys are tied down and often so stubborn we won't take Jesus' love where He needs it to go. When service is needed, we feel tied down to our favorite excuses that keep us from helping with Sunday School, VBS, serving meals, going to Bible Class, and the rest. Our sinful nature tells us we're too busy, too sinful, too old or too young, whatever keeps us tied up and away from carrying God's love as we should. We're tied to that sinful nature until the Spirit of God shows us our sin, leads us to repent, to be untied and start carrying Jesus where He needs to go. 

Once we know we have a life-changing message, we want to take Jesus where He needs to be. We want to take His Word to young and old, family or friend so they too can be free from the sin that ties them down and find new hope in Christ. There is no more precious Gift we can bring than the message of salvation through faith in Jesus as our Savior.

The story is told of an inner-city pastor who was working hard to share Christ's love with some nasty people. He had even been stabbed for his efforts. Starting a bus ministry, the church reached out to children in the area. One day a young lady came to the pastor and in very broken English shared her faith in Jesus and that she had never done much for the church, being tied down to her job. Now she wanted to serve. The pastor suggested that she might ride on the bus and greet the children each Sunday. This worked well and she found that one of the children didn't talk, ever! She would place the little guy on her lap and every week tell him, "I love you and Jesus loves you too." This went on for months with no response from the boy. She continued each week, "I love you and Jesus loves you too." Finally, one Sunday, the little guy replied in a very soft voice, "I...I...I love you too and so does Jesus." This happened around 12:30 on a Sunday afternoon. At 6:30 that evening, the little boy's body was found in the trash as his mother had beaten him to death. Thankfully, one of the last things he heard in this life was, "I love you and Jesus loves you too." There are so many hurting people out there! It's time for you to get untied. Amen...pastor matthews

THE WORD MAUNDY COMES FROM THE LATIN WORD FOR THE NEW WORD OR NEW COMMAND, MANDATUM NOVEM. THIS REFERS TO THE NEW COMMAND OUR LORD GAVE HIS DISCIPLES TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER. JESUS, AS ALWAYS, PUTS HIS MONEY WHERE HIS MOUTH IS. HE DOESN'T JUST TALK THE TALK, HE WALKS THE WALK. HE DOESN'T JUST TALK ABOUT LOVE, HE SHOWS LOVE.

WE GO BACK TO THAT THURSDAY EVENING, JUST A FEW HOURS BEFORE THE HORRIBLE TIME OF SUFFERING AND DEATH, YET JESUS IS THINKING OF OTHERS, NOT HIMSELF. WITH A PITCHER OF WATER AND A TOWEL, HE HUMBLES HIMSELF AND WASHES THE FEET OF HIS DISCIPLES TO SHOW IN A VERY REAL WAY THAT HE LOVES THEM AND WHAT THE HEART OF A SERVANT OF GOD IS ALL ABOUT.

A FEW HOURS FROM THEN,  PONTIUS PILATE, THE ROMAN GOVERNOR WILL TAKE A PITCHER OF WATER AND A TOWEL AND WASH HIS OWN HANDS AS A SYMBOL THAT HE HAS WALKED AWAY FROM THE PROCEEDINGS. HE'S LEAVING THEM TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANT TO JESUS.

ON ONE HAND WE HAVE JESUS SHOWING THAT HE LOVES'M AND PILATE READY TO LEAVE'M. JESUS SHOWS LOVE FOR OTHERS WHILE PILATE IS CONCERNED ONLY ABOUT HIMSELF.

THOUGH WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD, SADLY WE OFTEN LIVE BY THE SINFUL NATURE THAT "PILATES" US TO BE VERY SELFISH AND SELF-CENTERED. ALL AROUND US ARE LONELY, SICK, SAD, HURTING PEOPLE. THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT JESUS DIED FOR. OUR SINFUL NATURE TELLS US TO LEAVE'M...STAY AWAY FROM THEM...THEY'RE SMELLY, CRAZY, PATHETIC CREATURES DESERVING THE LIFE THEY'VE MADE FOR THEMSELVES.

INTERESTING HOW GOD COULD SAY THE SAME ABOUT US, HUH? WHY SEND JESUS TO SUFFER AND DIE FOR THESE PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIKE HIM AND ARE SIMPLY SMELLY FROM SIN, CRAZY WITH ANGER AND GUILT, AND SIMPLY PATHETIC AS THEY LIVE THEIR LITTLE LIVES ON EARTH? HE COULD HAVE SAID LEAVE'M, THEY'RE NOT WORTH IT!

THANKFULLY HE DIDN'T! HE LOOKED AT US AND SAID I LOVE'M, I CAN'T LEAVE'M TO SATAN'S WISHES. HE SENT HIS SON JESUS TO LIVE, SUFFER, DIE AND RISE SO ALL WHO BELIEVE IN HIM WILL LIVE FOREVER IN HEAVEN. JESUS LOOKS AT US AND SAYS, I LOVE'M, I'LL NEVER LEAVE'M. LOVING OTHERS IS A WAY WE CAN SAY "THANK YOU, FOR THAT LOVE JESUS."  AMEN...PASTOR MATTHEWS

AMEN, Juliet!  Thank you.

Hey Juliet, did Jesus speak in all CAPS? What's up with the screaming?

dukesdad,

Pastor Matthews is kind enough to share his sermons with us early in order to serve the community.  I copy and paste them here.  If you would like to retype his whole sermon in lower case, feel free to do so and I will delete mine.

Maybe there were times Jesus had to shout.  I'm sure the crowds were quite large and he didn't have a microphone.

Quote from: Juliet on April 05, 2007, 04:01:51 PM

Maybe there were times Jesus had to shout.  I'm sure the crowds were quite large and he didn't have a microphone.

LOL!!  I was thinking that earlier...

Great response Julie. btw, Pastor Matthews is one of the best sermon givers I have heard in a long time. The few times I have been to his services, he has kept my interest.

Juliet - reading Pastor Matthews sermons does move me and make my heart glad - my kids have always loved VBS there  - I was so glad I took the time to read these right before Easter - thank you for posting them!

These are Pastor's notes for his Good Friday service. The numbers symbolize the numbers corresponding to the church lights which go off after each verse. This will not read like a 'sermon' and it is all in caps, but there is a message there for those who look.

1 WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE WE WANT ONLY THE BEST AND THE MOST BEAUTIFUL. WE DESIRE TO BE SEEN WITH THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE. WE WANT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CLOTHES OR CARS. WE SPEND LOTS OF MONEY TO BUY COSMETICS OR HAVE SURGERIES TO LOOK BEAUTIFUL. HERE WE SEE A GRIEF-STRICKEN MAN, COVERED WITH CUTS, BRUISES, SWEAT, AND BLOOD. ON THE SURFACE THERE IS NOTHING BEAUTIFUL ABOUT HIM. THOUGH IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, THROUGH FAITH, WE WANT TO BE WITH HIM, ACT LIKE HIM, LIVE WITH HIM FOREVER.      (11&13)

2. AS HE WALKED THIS LAND FOR SOME 33 YEARS, JESUS WENT EVERYWHERE AND TOOK TIME FOR EVERYONE. NOW THAT HE HANGS FROM THAT CROSS, IT'S LIKE DEATH IS HOLDING HIM DOWN, KEEPING HIM FROM REACHING OUT WITH LOVE. YET WE REALIZE THAT IT WASN'T THE NAILS THAT HELD HIM ON THE CROSS, IT WAS HIS LOVE FOR US.   (12)

3. IT'S AS THOUGH I POUNDED THE NAILS IN HIS HAND. I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS BEING THERE. I AM AND ALWAYS WILL BE A POOR, MISERABLE SINNER. I HUMBLE MYSELF BEFORE HIM, ASKING, BEGGING FOR HIS MERCY. PLEASE JESUS, PLEASE, DON'T SEND ME AWAY.     (4) & LEFT CANDLE

(RISE)
4. AS I STAND HERE TONIGHT, STAND NEXT TO THE CROSS, THIS COLD, DEADLY INSTRUMENT OF PUNISHMENT AND DEATH, I FEEL COLD AND EMPTY.  I REACH OUT WITH EMPTY ARMS AND NO ONE IS THERE. JESUS, HOLD ME, HUG ME, AND LET ME KNOW THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE O.K.   (3&5) PULPIT 1
(SIT)

5. I'M PRETTY GOOD ABOUT SAYING THANK YOU TO PEOPLE. THANKS FOR THE GIFT. THANKS FOR THE DELICIOUS MEAL. THANKS FOR THE RIDE, THANKS FOR THE CARD. THANKS FOR THE FUN. YET, JESUS, I FORGET TO THANK YOU EVERYDAY FOR THE JOY, THE PEACE, THE HOPE I HAVE THROUGH YOUR DEATH ON THE CROSS. THANKS FOR TAKING MY PLACE ON THE CROSS, JESUS, SO THROUGH FAITH; I HAVE A PLACE WITH YOU IN HEAVEN.(7&8) RIGHT CANDLE

6. JESUS DIED TO CONQUER DEATH. SURE, I'M AFRAID OF DEATH, I WANT TO LIVE, BUT JESUS, WHEN YOU WANT ME, COME AND GET ME. PLEASE TAKE MY HAND OR PUT YOUR ARM AROUND ME AS WE ENTER HEAVEN TOGETHER. TO BE INTRODUCED AS YOUR FRIEND IS SOMETHING I CAN'T IMAGINE. (1, 6, 9)

7. IN LIFE, IN DEATH, ABIDE WITH ME, O LORD. TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU IN MY HEART IS FOOLISH. TO DIE WITHOUT YOU IN MY HEART IS FATAL. PLEASE GRANT ME YOUR PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING AND HOLD ALL OF MY LOVED ONES IN YOUR SCARRED HANDS, NOW AND FOREVER.  (2&10) PULPIT 2
(L.P....CANDLE EXTINGUISHED...BOOK CLOSED...FIVE COUNT 1,2,8 ON)

I enjoy many different kinds of music from many in the hymnal, we sing them often, to upbeat Christian music, smooth Jazz, Motown, and old time Rock and Roll. I've always enjoyed the Rolling Stones. It's nice to see old guys doing well. I know that God loves the band members of the Rolling Stones, but I'm not sure if He likes all of their music. He must like some of it because God is in the business of Rolling Stones away.

In John 11, we read of the death of Jesus' close friend, Lazarus. When Jesus was called to help, Lazarus had already been dead for quite a while. Jesus told family members that all who believe will live again. They agreed, knowing that their loved one would live in heaven. Jesus had something else in mind and simply said, "Move the stone away." With that stone rolled away, Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead to new life. The power of God was at work here as a stone was rolled away.

On Easter Sunday when the ladies went to give Jesus' body a proper burial, they arrived to find that angels had rolled the stone away. They could look in and see that Jesus had really risen from the dead. We see the power of God at work with a stone rolled away.

Just as God rolls stones away, Satan likes to roll stones in the way for God's people. What stones are in your way right now? Stones of pain, sadness, and loss are rolled our way. We encounter stones of financial problems with the IRS, relationship stones within our families, as well as stones of fear, guilt, and worry. Stones can make our futures look empty. In 1965 the Rolling Stones told us in the song "Satisfaction" that we can't get no satisfaction from our world. No satisfaction comes our way as we drive around listening to the world's advice on the radio, how to whiten our shirts, the cigarettes we should be smoking, and activity with the opposite sex. 

You can't get no satisfaction because worldly satisfaction is simply another stone rolled our way to keep us from seeing the lasting satisfaction God has for us through faith in Jesus.  Remember that once the stone was rolled away from the grave, Jesus brought Lazarus out into the light. Once the stone was rolled away on Easter, the ladies and the disciples could see that Jesus, Who had died on the cross and was buried, had risen. When worldly stones are rolled away, we can see God's power and love in action.

God is in the rolling stones business and He's the only One we should call when faced with a stone. Worldly advice, smoking and drinking, sex or money won't bring real satisfaction when Satan rolls stones in on us. Trusting in Jesus tells us that God rolls away whatever Satan rolls in. Sadness, Pain, and loss are eased when God rolls away those stones and brings us His peace and His hope that assures us we will see loved ones again in heaven. Other worldly stones are rolled away as we pray for God's power, read His Word, sing His praises, and trust that His will is always for the best.   

Look to your Lord and the stones will be rolled away. Without Jesus, You Can't Get No Satisfaction. Amen...pastor matthews

Most of us have a really good feeling inside when the job is done and the work complete. I know that on Easter Sunday, after that third service was done, it was time to take a deep breath and thank God for His blessings. Last week, when the children had their Easter Presentation, there is a good feeling when all is done and they did such a great job in sharing the events of Holy Week and the joy of Jesus' resurrection from the dead for our salvation. Thank You, Lord! When the game is over, after the last out, the clock has run down, or your opponent's last shot missed, there is a feeling of joy, peace, and contentment.

I have read that one reason people who work for the Post Office often run amuck is because the mail never ends. There is never a time to take that deep breath and feel that the job is done because the mail keeps coming. I don't know if that's true or not, but I do know that as children of God, the work that Jesus has for us is never done until we are called to our heavenly home.

We read in John 21 about the disciples of our Lord out fishing with nothing to show for it. Our Lord appears and tells them to let the net down on the right side of the boat. They had a tremendous catch of exactly 153 large fish; keepers if you will. Why 153? There are theories. One was that at that time in history it was believed that there were 153 different species of fish and Jesus wants us to reach out to all people with His love. Personally, I believe that the number represents incompleteness. The numbers 12 and 10 are numbers of completeness in the Bible; 12 tribes, 12 disciples, 10 commandments, etc. Now 12x12= 144. Add 10 to that and 154 would be a number of completeness. Therefore, 153 means that one is missing from the Kingdom of God. One has not heard of Jesus' love. The job is not finished with 153. There is more to do. We need to reach out to others for our Lord. The Holy Spirit can work faith through our words.

In an ideal world, there would be plenty of time for people to come to faith, love the Lord, know that He died and rose for their salvation and look forward to a home in heaven at a ripe, old age. Our sinful nature tells us that there is never a rush to share our faith. We shouldn't say anything because we could be embarrassed, say the wrong thing, offend someone, be politically incorrect. Someone else can do it. God will save everyone, anyway, won't He? Sad to say, we don't live in an ideal world. We live in a world of sin. 9-11 showed us graphically how quickly people can be lost. Every day reports from Iraq tell of young people killed. The tragedy at Virginia Tech shows us that young people can be lost in a twinkling of an eye. Should we wait? Should we simply leave it at 153?

We could respond with a "so what?" or we can be encouraged to do more.  Now is the time to bring our children to Jesus. Today is the time for Baptisms, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Little Lambs, Bible Classes, and all the rest. Today is the day to call kids away at school and tell them that you love them and Jesus loves them too. Now is the time to visit elderly family members or friends and reinforce your love and God's love for them as you pray the Lord's Prayer with them. 153 is not enough.

In the future, as Jesus welcomes you into heaven, wouldn't it be so cool if He told you that #154 was someone you love and they are in heaven because you took the time to care. With that, Jesus would welcome you home, your work is done, your job complete, enter into the joy of your Lord.     Amen...pastor matthews

CHECK OUT OUR NEW AND IMPROVED WEBSITE www.concordiaberwyn.org   good stuff! Pastor Matthews

The story is told of a man who traveled to the Middle East. While exploring around he came upon a pond with many sheep drinking together. There were three shepherds standing and talking. The first shepherd called out in Arabic "Follow Me." At his voice, his sheep left the pond and followed him. The second shepherd called out "Follow Me" and another group of sheep followed along. The visitor asked the third shepherd if he could put on his cloak and turban and see if the sheep would follow his voice. Changing clothes, he called out "Follow Me" and nothing happened. Asking the shepherd if they would ever follow another voice than his own, he answered, "No. They only follow my voice unless they are sick. Sick sheep will follow any voice." Healthy sheep only follow their shepherd, while sick sheep will follow any voice. On this Good Shepherd Sunday, the story speaks to each of us.

When our faith feels strong and healthy, following Jesus is a lot easier. When we are weakened by doubts, fears, guilt, anger, etc. we are vulnerable to all kinds of voices. Loneliness and desperation can lead us to try and find healing by touching the screen of our TV and sending money when asked to do so by a TV preacher. Though the show was taped years ago, apparently the power is still in the airwaves.  Sad to say, there are many bad shepherds out there ready to fleece the flock and we can easily be lost.  We try to fill the emptiness in our lives by following the shepherds of pornography, alcohol, drugs, and even beauty can lead us away from our Good Shepherd Jesus. These shepherds want to convince us to follow them because it's the smart thing to do, the fulfilling way, the popular thing to do, the cool way to live. Lifestyles that are trendy in Hollywood, though totally opposite of God's Word are pastures where the grass looks so green and beautiful. We are led to follow them to the green grass of selfish fun and games, rather than God's Word. Feeding on these pastures only leave us very, very empty.   

We all struggle with the sickness of sin, but we have a Good Shepherd Who wants to bring us good health and help us find comfort and safety in His flock. Good spiritual health includes the daily good food of the Bible, the water of Baptism, and the Bread and Wine of Holy Communion for the forgiveness of our sins and a healthy new life. If we choose to stay away from the Word and Sacraments, the weaker, the sicker we become and are easier targets for the bad shepherds of the world. 1 Peter 5 tells us that Satan is that roaring lion seeking to devour us. A herd of zebra won't be attacked because they'll kick the lion to death. The lion lays in wait for the sick, the stragglers who wander from the herd and become easy targets. When we wander away from the safety of the Good Shepherd with His rod and staff to comfort us, we are easy targets. People we know who are following bad shepherds began the journey by wandering from the Sunday flock.     

How's your health today? Good spiritual health comes from faithful worship, prayer, daily devotions; a heart filled with thanksgiving to God for our Savior Who died and rose for the forgiveness of our sins, and a willingness to forgive others, and the love that encourages us to welcome others into the flock walking behind Jesus towards heaven in 2007. With the Lord Jesus as your Shepherd, you will not want for anything. Amen...pastor matthews   

I do most of the food shopping for our family. I try to watch for expiration dates and do my best to bring the best fruits and meats home for the family. If I see really dark bananas, I leave them there. If the tomatoes, cantelopes, whatever are smooched in, and kind of oooshy, I leave them. Strawberries that have mold on them are left behind too. I look for the best, the freshest, and I can't wait to take it home.

If God looked at us in that way, when He shopped for people to bring home to heaven, imagine how much trouble we'd be in? If God only wanted the best looking, the smartest, the healthiest, richest, or most popular in His kingdom, I have a feeling that most of us would be left behind like moldy strawberries. Thankfully, He loves us so much that He sees beyond the exterior and is more concerned about the interior, our hearts. He wants hearts where Jesus lives to be with Him in heaven. Jesus came to live, die, and rise so that all, all, all who believe in Him will have eternal life. That's Jesus' promise to us in John 6:47. Salvation has to do with faith, not our looks.

Salvation is God's gift to all who believe. It's a gift of love because He loves us no matter how unlovable we might be. His love is so amazing, especially when we look at how poorly our love often shows through. The story is told of a lady going to the pearly gates. To get in, Peter tells her she has to spell a word. Admitting that was not a good speller, she was willing to try. Peter then asked her, "Can you spell LOVE?"  "L O V E" "Welcome to your heavenly home!" A few years later, her husband arrived at the gates. She welcomed him and asked how he had spent these last years without her. "I married your girl friend, won the lottery, and lived in luxury on an island in the Bahamas." "Well, to get in to heaven," she told him, "You must simply spell a word." "What's the word?" he asked. She told him, "Your word is Czechoslovakia!"  We are not as loving as God is, are we?

Like spoiled food, sin is ugly in God's sight. Sin makes us ugly; moldy through and through.  Sin breaks our relationship with God and takes us away from Him and leaves us broken. Like Humpty-Dumpty, all the king's horses and all the king's men can't put us back together again. They can't, but the King, Jesus can! When God's Word leads us to repent, His love is so amazing that God is there to forgive us and heal up the broken relationship. Jeremiah 15 assures us that when we repent of our sins, trusting in Him, we are restored and can now serve Him again and have worth in His Kingdom.

No matter how moldy you might be. No matter how life has squeezed you and beat you up, through faith in Jesus, you look beautiful to your Lord. Maybe the times we feel the worst about ourselves and what we are going through in life are the times we should remember that God love us, looking at the cross, we are reminded that He picks us up, washes us, holds us up, smiles, and can't wait to take us home. What an amazing love! Amen..pastor matthews

I've used some kind of a Mothers' Day "bird" story for almost 17 years at Concordia. This year, the sweet, little bluebird will be featured. There are three species of bluebirds; Eastern, Mountain, and Western. There are subtle differences in color. They live in niches of trees, fence posts, etc... Once a male locates a proper niche, he attracts a female who actually does the work of bringing in the grass, pine needles, etc. to line the nest. She does the hard work. Nature shows us the way, huh? Usually some 4-6 eggs are laid and after approx. three weeks, the little ones go out on their own hunting for food. Bluebirds are insectivores, eating insects or berries when the bugs are scarce. If they are not killed by snakes, raccoons, or other birds, they might live for three years.

Bluebirds are a wonderful symbol of happiness. "The bluebird of happiness," a phrase taken from a song that was premiered at the Radio City Music Hall in 1948 (Life is no abyss. Somewhere there's bird of happiness) is now the property of Terra Studios in the Ozarks. Most hospital gift shops have crystal bluebirds as gifts to bring a little happiness.  The symbol of the bluebird is very positive in nature and stands for health, cheer, love, peace, and all good things. To have a "bluebird day" is to have a happy time. Even The Wizard of Oz included a bluebird somewhere Over a Rainbow.

This kind of happiness is ours when the circumstances are right. When we are sad, lonely, feeling down and out, looking at a little bluebird or hearing its song can be a good beginning for some happiness. We also find happiness receiving a tax refund, spending time with a friend, talking to or remembering your Mom's advice, listening to your favorite music, etc. Happiness is a good beginning that we need in this evil world.

Joy, on the other hand, is ours through faith in Christ, regardless of the circumstances around us. 1 Thess. 5:16 tells us to be joyful always, no matter what. This joy is deep in our hearts brought through faith in Jesus, Who died and rose for us. Knowing we have a Savior Who loves us and has a home for us eternally; we can have lasting joy even when the circumstances are against us. Like a buoy in Lake Michigan bobs around in a storm, it always comes to the surface because of the air sealed inside. With Jesus sealed in our hearts through our faith and Baptism, we have joy even during life's storms.

I heard a story from the Korean War when a missionary and his family were taken captive. The Korean soldier told the missionary that if he denied Jesus, they would all live. He wouldn't! The soldiers had the family dig a big hole. The missionary's wife and children were placed in the hole and some dirt thrown in. "Deny Jesus and they will live." As the hole filled up, the missionary was wrestling with denying Jesus, just this time to save his family. Seeing her husband's distress, his wife called out, "Be bold my husband! Soon we will all be with Jesus."  He would not deny his Lord and the family was buried alive. The little bluebird can bring us happiness when we face sad times and that's a nice beginning, but faith in Jesus brings the hope, the joy, and the courage we need, to face even death, and that's an amazing ending. Amen...pastor matthews

I read a story recently of a little boy named Johnny visiting his grandparent's farm.  Grandpa gave him a slingshot and he went out in the woods to practice. He found he couldn't hit the side of a barn. Walking back home, he happened to see Grandma's pet duck and thought, "What the heck!"  He let a shot fly and hit the duck in the head, killing it instantly.  What was he going to do? In a panic, he picked up the dead duck and buried it behind the woodpile; only to see his sister, Sally watching everything that had happened. She didn't say anything until after dinner and Grandma wanted her help with the dishes. "Johnny wants to help you," she said as she whispered to him, "Remember the duck!" Later, Grandpa wanted to take everybody fishing. Grandma needed Sally's help making dinner. "Johnny would like to help" she said and again whispered in his ear, "Remember the duck." She went out for the fun and left him behind. This went on for many days until Johnny had had enough and confessed what he had done to Grandma, and how sorry he was. "My dear," Grandma said, "I already knew. I was looking out the window and saw the whole thing. I just wondered how long Sally would make a slave of you."  "I love you and I forgive you. Everything is alright." She gave him a big hug.

Like Sally, the Devil wants to make you His slave by throwing your past, your guilt, your fear, your worry, your bad habits, your anger, lust, judgmental attitudes, and all the rest in your face every day. This is not the life that God wants for you. He doesn't want your life filled with guilt, but with glory.

In John 17, as Jesus prays, He prays for all of us in verse 22, "I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are One."  Jesus gives all who believe in Him as their Savior His glory...pretty cool!  Just what is this glory, we might ask? Our sinful nature would like the glory to bring us praise, popularity, power, and possessions. God doesn't work that way, does He? The glory we have is the glory Jesus had as the Obedient Son for His Father.

Jesus' glory came because He was always a Man of prayer. He prayed to His Father and this helped keep Them close to each other. Our glory comes as a child of God who can do the same thing. As we are open to God in prayer, He blesses us, comforts us, leads us in this life and to the future glory in heaven we will have because we believe in Jesus, Who died and rose for our salvation.   

Jesus' glory came because He had a passion to follow His Father's Word for Him. He was the obedient Son, faithful to His Father even to His death on the cross. Jesus prayed "Thy will be done" in His life. Through faith, God strengthens us, gives us the glory of loving children who listen to their Father too. Worship, Bible Study, devotions, attendance at the Sacraments are used by the Holy Spirit to give us that passion that Jesus had to be faithful to our Heavenly Father.

The glory Jesus had was also seen in the pleasure He felt in loving others. Jesus was there to help, to heal, to love, and support all who came across His path. As we gladly reach out to others and help, support, forgive, and comfort them, we find that oneness with one another that is so pleasing to God. If all we want is our own earthly glory, we won't have that oneness that God wants for us and therefore we won't have that glory, now or eternally. If your pride has kept you from forgiving and serving, now is the time to confess that to God. Like the Grandma in our story, He is at the window watching and wondering how long we want to be slaves to the Devil. He is ready to forgive, to forget, to give us His glory and a big hug too! Amen. Pastor matthews

The story is told of a little girl who had a rare blood disease. Without a transfusion, she would die. The exact match for her blood happened to be her younger brother. When asked if he would donate blood to save his sister's life, he said, "Yes, I will." They went to the hospital for the transfusion. As they were hooking the two children up for the procedure, the little guy asked the Doctor "How much will it hurt when I die?" "You're not going to die," the Doctor told him. You see, the little guy thought his sister would need all of his blood to stay alive and he was ready to die for her. That's pretty special!

I wonder, who would die for you? I'm sure you have friends who would give a pint of blood, maybe bone marrow, possibly even a kidney, but who in this world would be willing to die for you? Who would pay the ultimate price? The number can't be that great, can it? Maybe a spouse would die for a spouse, a parent for a child, even a grandparent for a grandchild, but the number can't be very big.

On this Memorial Weekend, two thoughts came to my mind as I was reflecting on who would die for you, for me, for any of us. First of all, as children of God, we remember and know for sure that our Brother Jesus was willing to die for us. We certainly don't deserve it, because sin makes us His enemies. His love for each of us was so strong that He took your place and mine as He was whipped, crowned with thorns, humiliated, and finally stabbed with huge nails so He could hang on that cross as our Substitute. Because of our sin, we deserved to be there. He took our place. He was willing to die for us on earth so that through faith, we will live with Him in heaven eternally.

How do you say "Thank You, Jesus?" Our worship, our prayers, our lives all should reflect an attitude of gratitude. Sharing our faith, telling others about that sacrifice shows it has meaning for us.  This is the Holy Spirit at work just as with the disciples of old. Sad to say, many of us take His sacrifice for granted and live our lives for our own pleasure. Was His blood spilled for nothing? Have we turned our backs on the cross?  What more could He have done? Who else would die for a sinner like you?

Secondly, we need to remember that there are many young people who don't even know your name in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and other foreign lands, who are willing to die for you.  We aren't at war, they are. There are men and women who are police, firefighters, and emergency people who are willing to die for you if there was an emergency. 9-11 taught us that lesson very graphically.

How can we say thank you to these wonderful people? Regardless of how you feel about the conflicts around the world, these dedicated people need our prayers and our support. Military who returned from Viet Nam were spurned by many. We can't let another tragedy like that happen. Pray for all of these people. Through organizations like Stars and Stripes we can send gifts of support. How can you not? After all, who else would die for you?  Amen..pastor matthews

They're all over the place, aren't they? We see them attached to trees, houses, cars, all over. They crunch when you step on them and there are skins under trees. The noise can be distracting; especially during an outside wedding like the one I had on Friday.  Our cat really enjoys them as a snack. These cicadas definitely make it a jungle out there!

Randy Newman's song, "It's A Jungle Out There" is the theme for the Monk show. Monk is the defective detective who wants everything spic and span and in its proper place. The world causes him all kinds of grief with the dirt, the bugs, and the mess everywhere. Cicadas would drive him nuts! The song tells us, "It's a jungle out there...disorder and confusion everywhere...poison in the very air we breathe...do you know what's in the water that you drink?...this world we love so much might just kill you...It's a jungle out there, a jungle out there." 

The jungles we face in life are even worse than that. We face jungles of fear, worry, pain, and loss almost every day. Our jungles can find us in hospitals; lost, scared, and confused. Our jungles can find us alone in an empty house wondering how bills are going to be paid.  Our jungles can be in a cemetery, saying good-bye to someone we counted on for direction in life. Our jungles can be one of the confusion I face over which way to go in life with a new job, school, matrimony, etc. Jungles can be fear of street gangs or terrorists. The Devil waters those jungles because he likes to see us lost and confused, feeling hopeless and helpless.  "God doesn't care," Satan tells us. "All you have is yourself."  Listening to our sinful nature, we look to these worldly answers as the vegetation grows and the sound of danger gets closer, and closer, and closer. What to do?

Max Lucado, in his book, "Traveling Light" tells the story of a man on an African safari, deep in the jungle. All he had with him was his guide who was hacking away through the tall weeds and thick underbrush with his machete. It was hot, tiring, and scary. "Where are we?" he asked. "Do you know where you're taking me?" "Where is the path to follow?" The guide looked back and replied, "I am the path." 

When we call out to God our Father in prayer as we feel lost in our own jungle, He doesn't just give us directions out of the jungle, He gives us Himself in His Son, Jesus. He doesn't hand you a map, He is the Map. He doesn't point out the compass, He is the Compass. Lost? Scared? Confused as to where to go? In John 14 Jesus answers by telling us that He is the Way. He is the Path in this life and to life eternal. In Psalm 18, God is said to be our Deliverer. He is the one Who gets us through the jungle out there. Jesus is the Path, the Savior, and He is with us always, Matthew 28. He died and rose so the Holy Spirit can assure all who trust in Jesus that He is indeed the right Path to heaven. All others will get us lost eternally.

It's still a jungle out there. There are pretty wild people and cicadas are all around. The jungles of hospitals, empty homes, and cemeteries are still with us. The jungles don't change. What does change is our attitude, our hope, our joy, when we know that we have Jesus as our Guide. Faith follows our Guide. As we worship, pray, study His Word, share our faith, we know that Jesus is there, hacking our way through the jungle out there that will finally open to green pastures by still waters in heaven, with no cicadas.  Amen...pastor matthews   

I'm not really much of a builder type of person. As a kid I would put together model cars or planes, and even a crystal radio that could get one station, but that's about it. I made nothing like this beautiful bomber that Ted Dillenburg put together and gave me a while ago. I'm going to guess that to build a large model plane like this begins with a strong body. The body of the plane is the base and the wings, turrets, rudder, etc. attach to the body because that's the way it's supposed to be. This is probably true in anything made. You need a solid base or foundation because that's the way it's supposed to be.

1 Corinthians 3 tells us about the Foundation needed for our lives. Paul says that when we build our lives on the Lord Jesus, Who died and rose for our salvation, we are strong and have great joy and peace. For a child of God, that's the way it's supposed to be. To build our lives on the things of this life; money, power, possessions, good looks, etc. will only lead to collapse.

Earthly foundations for our lives and families seem the easiest. To live our lives to make more and more money only seems natural. The more money we have, the more possessions we can have, and the happier our family will be. Makes sense, doesn't it? Everyone likes nice stuff and the more stuff we have, the happier we will be. If that is the case, why do we see athletes, movie stars, and the rich and powerful get divorced right and left, go into rehab programs, go to jail, and carry weapons that bring only violence against others? Doesn't sound like there is happiness, peace, and contentment there, does it? Is it a surprise that their families collapse? Earthly foundations just don't last.

To build our own lives, and the lives of our families on Jesus is to build on the firm foundation of forgiveness. Hard to imagine that something like forgiveness could be so strong, isn't it?  Think about it for a moment. When I know that my sins are forgiven by Jesus' blood shed on the cross, God tells me some things. He says (your name) I love you. You have worth in My sight. I have work for you to do. I love you so much I sent my Son to take your place on the cross so you could have a place with Me in heaven. Just as I called you by name in your Baptism, through faith I will call you home to heaven.

When Jesus' forgiveness is the firm foundation of my life, it feels so good; I want to pass it along to people I care about. I want my spouse, my children, my parents, my friends, everyone, to have that joy and peace that comes through the foundation of forgiveness, because that will last eternally. Families built on the firm foundation of forgiveness not only know they are forgiven by God, and have great worth, but that gives them the confidence to fight off pride and ego so they can now forgive others too. "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" we pray. What happens to families that can forgive each other? What happens to families built on the firm foundation of forgiveness? They're happy! They're very, very happy; because that's the way it's supposed to be!       Amen. Pastor Matthews

When I meet with couples planning to get married, one of the questions I ask is, "Give me 5 reasons why you want to marry this person." Then I give them a big clue, "Don't forget what's most important."  There have been lots of different types of answers over the years; we have fun together, we both want children, she's beautiful, he's got a nice butt, and many more. What I'm looking for as #1...now don't tell them this, is, I love him or I love her. With love as the priority, all the rest falls into place. When love is there as the # 1 priority, then the looks, the money, etc. fall back to where they belong down the list. That's what's most important!

In Luke 9, as Jesus sets out to minister to the people of Jerusalem, along the way He confronts three different people dealing with what it means to be a disciple. Knowing that the word, disciple, comes from the root word for discipline, we realize that a disciple is a disciplined follower of Jesus. One who loves Jesus with their whole heart is a disciple. Jesus is trying to give them a clue as to what should be #1 for a true disciple. Sad to say, these Lutherans He meets all have sinful priorities that leave their minds and hearts divided between this world and God.

First of all, Jesus is approached by someone who says they really want to follow Him. Sounds good on the outside, but Jesus sees a heart divided and realizes that this person is not ready for the sacrifice of faith, just the fun. Jesus responds by talking about the uncertainty, the loneliness and frustration that a follower can face trying to share the Good News of Jesus. This person sees following Jesus as a fun thing, a way to be popular, maybe a way to meet women. We are reminded of the pew Christian of today. It's easy to be a follower in this building, but once we leave, often the sweet Dr. Jekyll in the pew becomes the monster Mr. Hyde when faced by an evil world filled with temptations. 

Jesus calls a second person to follow Him. "I have to bury my father first," is the response. On the surface, this could be a loving son or daughter planning funeral arrangements. What we really have here is a person with a divided heart making an excuse. Their father is still with us, but once he's gone, whenever that might be, then it might be more convenient to be a disciple. Jesus' response of "Let the dead bury their dead" sounds harsh and insensitive except for the fact that Jesus is again speaking of priorities. This could be a hyperbole, using the dramatic for effect. Jesus is saying that those who are spiritually dead should be concerned with the dead. Those spiritually alive must be concerned with reaching out to the living who need to hear of Jesus as their Lord and Savior through His forth-coming death and resurrection. As a funeral director, my Dad often said that funerals were for the living, not the dead. The service we had this week for our friend, Bill, was planned for the comfort and faith of those left behind, knowing that Bill is already happy in heaven. He doesn't need the comfort, we do.

The third person in this series could be another Lutheran telling Jesus he's ready to follow, but...but...but...because of his divided heart, he has to say good-bye to loved ones first. Jesus again makes a point that disciples must be focused on going forward, with eyes, heart, and hands fixed on the work of the Kingdom, not necessarily what they want to do first. Many of us here today are experts on making excuses for things we think are most important. "I'd love to teach Sunday School, but I have to get home and make lunch." "Sure, I can help around the building, once I free up my calendar from other things." "Thanksgiving worship sounds wonderful, but I make the meal, so I have to take care of the turkey first."  "I know that I should go to church, but my favorite sport is my priority today."  Today Jesus looks each of us in the eye, and maybe with a tear running down His cheek simply asks, "What's most important?"   Amen...pastor matthews

Do you like the music of Neil Diamond? I do. Everything from "Cracklin' Rose' " to "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" are great to enjoy. Brother Love's "Take up the babies and grab the old ladies and everyone goes, 'cause everyone knows, about Brother Love's shows...Hallelujah!" Then the song talks about reaching our one hand to God and the other to your neighbor. Good stuff! I'm also reminded of his song based on the motto of Boy's Town; He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother. The song goes on to tell us that as we travel through life, it's important to care about others. So on we go, his welfare is my concern, no burden is he to bear, we'll get there. For I know that he will not encumber me, he ain't heavy, he's my brother. If I'm laden at all, I'm laden with sadness, that everyone's heart isn't filled with the gladness, of love for one another. Good stuff! Bible based from Galatians 6, "Bear one another's burdens."

Helping others with their cares, hurts; burdens in life can be very easy or very difficult. For someone we love or even someone who can pay us back, helping is easy. You would probably do anything to help a family member or friend. I told my brother Mike recently that whatever he might need; I'm there for him...except money. As you know, Melanie recently got married and being I haven't had a raise for a while, I've taken a second job. I now stand at an exit ramp of 294 with a cardboard sign that says; "I PAID FOR MY DAUGHTER'S WEDDING." Most of the guys just nod and throw in a quarter or two.

Helping others becomes very difficult because our sinful nature makes judgments on whom we like or dislike or who is worthy of help or not. Let'em suffer! I'm too busy! Let someone else help! We simply turn our backs because they are not worth the trouble.

What would have happened if Jesus thought like we do?  He'd have been nice to Mary and Joseph, His brothers and sisters, disciples (not Judas), and friends like Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Looking at all the other "sinners" He could have said; Let'em suffer! I'm too busy! Let someone else help! He could have turned His back on us. Thankfully, because of His love, He did not turn His back to us; He turned His back to the cross for us. He took the load of the burden of our sins, hurts, and pains on Himself as He was nailed to the cross. Jesus never asked if we loved Him, if we deserved it, if we were thankful...He simply took the load and washed it away with the shedding of His blood.

Now He simply tells us that He has carried our burden, time to help carry the burdens of others. It won't be easy, it won't be fun, it won't be convenient, we won't be rewarded, many will care less of our efforts, but we are doing it for Jesus. At Judgment Day, found in Matthew 25, Jesus welcomes His children to heaven because they had a faith in Jesus that helped others with their burdens. I was hungry, you fed me. I was thirsty, you gave me a drink, I needed clothing, you clothed me, I was alone and you visited me. In bearing the burdens of others, we find that we are actually doing it for Jesus.

The story is told of three men and a boy, the son of one of the men, fishing in Alaska. Once done, they went back to the seaplane. Trying to take off, they realized one of the pontoon had filled with water and they were forced down at sea. Landing on the water, the plane started to sink. They all prayed and jumped in the water. They would need all their strength because the riptide was strong and the water very cold. The first two men barely made it to shore. They turned to see the father, a strong swimmer, holding on to his son. The son wasn't strong enough to make it to shore so his father held on to him as they were taken out to sea. The father chose to die with his son, rather than live without him.

Jesus chose to die for you rather than live without you. As He carries us through each day, He tells His Father, "They're not heavy; they're my brothers and sisters." Now it's time for us to help carry others. Amen...pastor matthews

Almost 40 years of children's sermonettes have given me lots of objects to use with the children as we talk about prayer. The pretzel was designed to help children fold their arms in prayer. We fold our hands or simply put them together to help us concentrate on what we are saying and not on bumping the kid next to you. The letters P. R. A. Y. remind us to Praise God, Repent before God, Ask of God, and Yield to His will for us.  Looking at our fingers when we pray can help us remember to; (the small finger, pray for little ones) (the ring or weak finger, pray for those who are sick and hurting) (The tallest finger, pray for those in authority) (pointer finger points up as we give thanks to God for His blessings) (thumb points towards me, I pray for my needs too.)  Finally, a telephone reminds us of talking to God knowing He will always be there and the line will never be busy.

Children, especially those taught in Christian homes, active in Sunday School or Little Lambs, are usually very good at remembering to pray in the morning, at night, for meals, and as the need arises. As young adults, adults, or seniors, we often find it easy to forget for fear of embarrassment or because we're hungry or busy talking. We find it convenient to pray in Church, but it's very easy to forget elsewhere.

Sad to say, our sinful nature keeps us from prayers even when they are most needed. A loved one is in the hospital, or we're going in for surgery; do we pray? Do we pray with them? Do we call the Church for prayers? Maybe the weight of worry fills our hearts rather than the peace that prayer can bring. What we can do for them is limited. What God can do is awesome!

Jesus teaches us in Matthew 7:7(a blessed verse even more than 7-7-07) to ask, seek, and knock. He wants to hear from us often, every day, for big things, for little things. He loves us and enjoys hearing from His children. If I love it when Melanie or Michael call, how much more God in His infinite love wants to hear from us. If He was willing to send Jesus to die on the cross so we could be with Him forever in heaven, He certainly wants to hear from us along the way.

We waste time with so much other stuff in life; we need to find time for prayer. I read recently in a devotion from Max Lucado that by the time your life is over, you will have spent six months at stoplights (double that with trains in our area) eight months opening junk mail, a year and a half looking for lost stuff (more for us older folks) and five years standing in line somewhere. What about giving these moments to God rather than Metra? What about giving these moments to God rather than to worry and stress as you watch the clock? You don't have to kneel before the train gate or the bank teller or the check-out person, simply say in your heart, "Thank You, God" "Lord please watch over my loved ones." "God give me patience, I want it now!" Maybe change that one. "Lord, help me do those things that please You." "Jesus, Thy will be done."

Suddenly, wherever you are becomes like a church; a special place to pray. Talking with God is much better than yelling at a person in line or cursing the train. We need that peace, don't we? A smile is better for your heart than a frown.  Let our prayers be like children flying a kite. The stronger the winds of life blow against it, the higher it goes.
Amen...pastor matthews

Ever watch children play? Do you question original sin after that? Do you have to teach the little ones to be selfish or grab things of others, or does it just seem to be there? "Gimme!" "That's mine!" "Gimme that one!" Selfishness; it all began with Adam and Eve.

Selfishness and pride are seen at every age. The story is told of an older couple, while traveling stopped to eat at a restaurant. When they were done, they headed out to continue the trip. After a few minutes, the wife noticed she had forgotten her glasses and they would have to go back. Her husband really gave her a hard time for being so forgetful. Finding a place to finally turn around, he told her that her mind was slipping. All the way back to the restaurant, he gave her grief over her memory and her old age. Arriving at the restaurant she got out to go in. "As long as you're going in," he called out to her, "Why don't you get my hat and credit card too." Pride; it all began with Adam and Eve.

God didn't make us to be selfish and prideful, but we are that way because of our sinful nature. When God created the world and Adam and Eve, everything was wonderful. They were created to be God's friends. They walked and talked together. Adam took loving care of his wife and Eve loved Adam. They gladly served the Lord and took care of the animals and the Garden of Eden with great joy. As they gladly served God, He cared for them. He had said, "It is good."  He told them they could have anything they wanted in the Garden, just leave the fruit of that one tree over there, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, alone. It's not good for you. Hummmm, wonder why?

Here comes Mr. Satan, the fallen angel using the temptation that if they eat the fruit, they will be like God. Wouldn't you like to be like God? So it began; Adam and Eve disobeyed the Lord, blamed each other before Him, and were banished from the Garden. This first sin and the inherited sinful nature we all have basically leads in one direction; sins of pride. Pride is spelled prIde. I in the middle stands for me. I know better than God what's good for me.  I know better than those around me what's best for me. That's why the word sin is similar; sIn. I know more than my Savior or my Neighbor.

The wonderful relationship of being God's friend; walking and talking with Him, laughing together, God's arm around you in friendship, gladly serving Him and others is gone. We no longer want to serve our Lord, or one another, we want to be served! The servant's heart of giving has been replaced with a selfish heart of greed. We no longer want to give, we want to get! The wants and needs of God and others are replaced by our own wants and needs. Sin separates us from God and others. Sin means we are kicked out of the Garden and are on our way to hell for our disobedience.

The story ends there if it weren't for God's continued love for us. He wants to walk and talk with us again. He wants us to have that servant's heart of love again, so He did something about it. God sent the greatest Servant of all, Jesus, to show us the way and to offer the Ultimate Sacrifice that would be pleasing to His Father and a blessing to us. That sacrifice was His blood, shed on a tree to forgive the sins for all who believe in Him as their Savior. Reaching out with a selfish heart to any tree with fruit forbidden by God leads to hurting God and others, death, and hell. Now reaching out with a servant's heart of faith to that blood stained tree with the body of Jesus hanging on it brings healing to our hearts and forgiveness, life, and a heavenly home.  Forbidden fruit led to failure. The suffering Servant leads to salvation.  Now, when Satan offers diseased fruit, we can say "No!"  When God offers Jesus, that's when we should call out, "Gimme!" amen...pastor matthews

Mrs. Matthews and I recently saw the movie "Evan Almighty." The story line is about this T.V. anchor who was chosen by God to be the next Noah. God called him to build another Ark. Of course Evan refused to do it, walked away, argued with God, yet as he noticed that 2 squirrels, 2 rabbits, 2 raccoons, and others were following him everywhere he went, he was slowly convinced. Birds by the pair flew into his office and sat on his shoulders. When co-workers would hassle him, the birds would fly over and make deposits on them. Even lions and tigers were hanging around his yard. He eventually came to trust in what God wanted and though family and friends doubted him for a while and neighbors made fun of him, he began building this huge boat. Not to give away the end of the movie, but Evan's faith was justified and God came through with many blessings as He always does...cool movie!

Faith seems easier when things are going well. Knowing we have a God Who loves us, sent His Son to die for us, opens heaven for all believers isn't so bad when loved ones are healthy, the job is going well, and the weather is nice, and you're feeling good. We often remember our prayers more and are faithful in worship. When times get dark and sad, and we are challenged in our faith, then we really struggle, don't we? When loved ones get sick or die, when mines cave in, when bridges collapse, when young people die in battle, and God says "Just believe" "Trust Me" "I'll get you through it" we doubt, we fear, we worry.

In Greek, the word worry is a combination of divide and mind. Worry divides our mind, cuts us in half, splits our thoughts, and leaves us fretting over today and tomorrow. The oneness we had with God is now split. Worry pushes the peace that faith brings out the window and fills us with pain, anger, stress, and hopelessness. Worry is a pride thing that points to me and only sees the dark side for me, the confusion I have, the mess that my life has become. Worry puts me in charge, while faith wants God in charge.

The great heroes of faith we read about in Hebrews 11 all had their doubts, their fears, their worldly priorities, but their faith said yes to God's direction. In faith they wanted Him behind the wheel, not in the back seat. Corrie Ten Boom, a great lady of faith asks the question; if you are riding on a train and it goes through a tunnel and things get dark, do you jump out? Of course not, you know that the engineer will take you through the tunnel to the light at the other end. God will often allow us to go into a tunnel of sadness and confusion, but faith tells us that He loves us, sent His Son to be our Savior, and will eventually lead us from darkness to light. Sad times challenge our faith, but eventually as we lean on Jesus, we will be stronger. Through His Word, Baptism, Communion, His strength brings us strength and hope that nothing else can give because as Phil. 4 tells us, it passes all of our understanding.

My Father's death when I was 17 was a dark tunnel in my life. Through the support of loving people, prayer, and especially knowing that Dad was in heaven because he had faith in Jesus as his Savior got me through the darkness. Now, many, many years later, as a Pastor I can reassure others that through their faith, Jesus is there to take them through the tunnel to the light of peace, hope, and joy.  When you get through the tunnel, you can do that for others.

Like Evan in the movie, God has a plan for each of us. He might challenge us to walk a difficult path, go through a tunnel, but His blessings will be there. Life isn't easy. Look around, if 2 squirrels or 2 raccoons are following you, it might be because you're a little nuts, but don't worry, have faith, maybe God has an Ark for you to build. Amen..pastor matthews

Our Lord Jesus was quite a teacher. He would use all kinds of visual aids that were familiar to the people. Jesus used sheep, shepherds, widows, farmers, and many more to make His point. I'm not the teacher Jesus was, but I like to use visuals too; songs, movies, T.V. shows, salt, Twizzlers, and much more to make a point. One that Jesus used in Matthew 23:27 was that of a whitewashed sepulcher or a whitewashed grave. Just before Passover, all the graves around Jerusalem were whitewashed so people could see them. To walk on a grave would make you spiritually unclean, so they are to be avoided. Jesus calls the Pharisees and teachers whitewashed sepulchers because they look beautiful on the outside but are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. Quite a visual aid, Ouch!

When Jesus talks to us in His Word, we like to think of ourselves as sheep, farmers, or something nice, but not as whitewashed graves. In a  Bible prarphrase called "The Message" we read, "You're hopeless...frauds! You're like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and flowers bright, but six feet down it's all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you're saints, but beneath the skin you're total frauds."  He couldn't be talking to you or to me, could He? Here we are in church on Sunday morning, maybe we don't stay for Bible Class or to help with the Sunday School, but we're here and we faithfully give the same offering now that we gave many years ago. He couldn't be talking to us. We are nice to everyone on Sundays. We smile at those we don't like. Then say evil behind their backs, but we're here. We just avoid the Pastor if we don't like him or what he's doing, but we're here. I know I don't volunteer to serve around the church, but I'm here. I don't pray for others during the week, but I'm here.  Then we can go home and hang up our faith like our Sunday clothes and forget about "Churchy" stuff for another week. Jesus can't be talking about us, can He?

At A.A. meetings, people get up, say their name and admit that they are alcoholics. The first step to dealing with this addiction is to admit you have it. Once that is done, then the healing can begin. To admit our sins and hurts to God is the first step towards the healing forgiveness that Jesus died on the cross to give to all believers. If we continue to hide the addiction, the problem, the sin, we will only rot away. 

As your Pastor, I have to admit that I am a whitewashed sepulcher. There are times that I pretend to be so sweet and caring, but deep down my motivation is totally selfish. I confess to God and to you that I am a whitewashed sepulcher. I want to be a good husband, father, brother, pastor, and friend but often fail as the poor, miserable sinner I am. I'm a whitewashed sepulcher. What about you? Are there any other whitewashed sepulchers here today who'd like to join me in my confession?

When we confess our sins before God, trusting in Jesus as Lord and Savior, 1 John 1:9 tells us that God is faithful to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The dead, rotting bones and flesh of sin have been removed and replaced with a new life, new heart, new peace, and new joy.  Maybe the best visual aids of all to help others know Jesus as their Savior are you and me. Whitewashed sepulchers that have been given new life in Christ and share that message, now that's a visual aid worth looking at!!! Amen..pastor matthews

I read a story recently that is supposed to be a legend from the Cherokee Indians. It has to do with a young man's passage into manhood. It begins when his father takes him into the woods, blindfolds him, and leaves him sitting on a log. He has to sit there quietly all night until the rays of the morning sun shine through the blindfold. He cannot cry out for help or run away. If he survives, he's now a man! He must not talk about the experience because each young man has to experience it for himself. He sits there terrified; there are noises all around, maybe wild beasts, maybe evil people, the log shakes under the wind, but he must remain quiet if he is to be a man. Finally, after that horrific night, he removes the blindfold only to discover his father sitting next to him on the log. He had been there all night protecting his son from harm.

How often is life scary like that for us? When is the last time you sat there like the young Cherokee, afraid of what's around you; the present, past, and future? Loved ones are sick and dying; will we be alone? Our own health problems scare us. We have family or personal problems that we struggle with and no end is in sight. Expenses rise and money seems to shrink. Past sins and guilt weighs us down and makes life seem hopeless. We just sit there on that log in fear feeling alone and lonely and helpless.

It's amazing how fear gives us Alzheimer's to God's promises. Jesus' last words to us in Matthew 28,"I will be with you always..." In Joshua 1, God promises, "I will never leave you or forsake you." Psalm 50, "Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you..." These sound so nice, but... (I yell out) I'M HURTING HERE GOD AND NOBODY CARES! In a small voice God says, trust Me and you'll find peace.  WHAT DO I DO? God answers in a small voice, trust Me and wait, it'll be o.k. WHERE DO I TURN? God answers in a small voice, trust Me and I'll show you the way.

Like the father of the young Indian, God is there, even if we don't feel Him there or see Him. You are so precious to God that He was willing to sacrifice His Son on the cross so you could be with Him forever. If you're that valuable, that important, He won't forget who you are or where you are.

The story is told of a young lady whose boat ran ashore on a deserted island. For days she was alone, fearing the worst and afraid that she would die there. She would sit on a tree stump each day and pray, but nothing happened.  It took a lot of work, but eventually she built a hut for protection from animals and the weather. She kept her food and supplies left from the boat in the hut. She kept praying but never saw another ship. One day, as she was out searching for food, she saw smoke at the hut. Returning, the hut was ablaze and everything she had was lost. That was the last straw! She yelled at God for being so cruel and deserting her. Exhausted, she fell asleep. As the Sun arose in the morning, she heard a voice calling to her. It was a sailor from a large yacht. She was saved. "How did you know I was here?" she asked. "It was easy," he answered, "We saw your smoke signal." I guess that God was sitting next to her on that stump all the time, wasn't He?. He's sitting next to you too. Amen...pastor matthews

A while back there was a T.V. series called "Tremors." It was based on I believe three movies about life in Perfection, NV. Underground are these huge worm-like creatures that could travel very quickly would pop up to the surface and eat anything walking around; cows, sheep, and especially, people. These huge worms with mouths big enough to hold an adult were called Graboids. The safest place to be when they were around was on a large rock. Once on the rock you were safe. 

We can easily think of Satan traveling around like a big Graboid seeking whom he may devour. Reading Isaiah 26 and Matthew 7 we are reminded that God is the everlasting Rock upon Whom we should build our lives. He is the everlasting God. If we place our trust, make our foundation for life anywhere else, it's like building on the sand and being vulnerable to the storms of life and the old Graboid too.

Our sinful nature likes to do things the easy way. Building on the sand is a lot easier than on the rock. A little shoveling here and there and we can build a house on the sand. It's quick, it's easy, inexpensive, and it looks good. What we desire in life is the same way. Whatever makes life easier is what we want. Quick and easy meals from a fast food joint, quick and easy divorces in Vegas, quick and easy money at the track or lottery or casino, quick and easy grades by copying or stealing answers, quick and easy relationship with God by attending only on Christmas and Easter all seem easy and desirable.

To build on the Rock takes work, takes commitment, often blood, sweat, and tears. We try to be the people God wants us to be, but often fail miserably. We want to live on the Rock, Jesus, but seem to roll off all the time. We want to live on the Rock and read His Word faithfully, remember our prayers, worship faithfully, give a generous offering, and witness to our faith in our Risen Lord Who died and rose for us, but it's so easy to roll off. If we want to build on the Rock, we need an air hammer to make the foundation secure. Jesus is the air hammer that God sent to secure us to Him. Jesus came to earth to make that happen. He suffered and died so all who believe in Him have life on the Rock in this world and eternally. He shed His blood, sweat, and tears making His cross secure in the Rock so that all who hold to it in faith have life now and forever. Faith holds us to the cross so we won't roll off into the mouth of the old Graboid. 

There is an animal called the Coney. To me Coney is not just an island, but has greater meaning as in Coney Dog; a hotdog with chili, mustard, and onions. This Coney is a rock badger. Because of its color. it can sun itself on a rock and become almost invisible to predators. If danger is near, it climbs into a crevice in the rock and is safe. Once he leaves the security of the rock, no matter how strong he thinks he is or how fast he can run, there are vultures and wolves who can easily kill him. God made the Coney, the rock badger to live on the rock. Anywhere else leads only to destruction.

On this LWML Sunday, all of us need to look around and see just where we are standing in life right now. Is your life filled only with worry and fear? Do things look hopeless? Do you feel helpless to the world around you? Do you believe that you're a loser? How can God or anyone love you for what you do and think? If you feel this way, you've rolled off the Rock. We can stand there on the sand and eventually be devoured or we can ask God to forgive us for Jesus' sake and be our Refuge and Strength. His forgiveness secures us to the cross on the Rock and gives us peace, hope, joy, and love forever. Now that really rocks! Amen..pastor matthews 

I should ask my son Mike, who will be celebrating a birthday on Tues., what show has been on T.V. on Sunday at 7pm for the last 14 years. He will know that answer. If I would ask you what teams will be seen on T.V. in the World Series this year, most of you will know that one. Most of you will know it's not a Chicago team, too. Who was Mr. Ed? Most of us oldies know that one. 

What is the shortest chapter in the Bible? Anyone know that one? Which is the longest Chapter in the Bible?  What Chapter and verse are at the very middle of Scripture? How many Wise Men are mentioned in the Bible? What angels are called by Name in the Bible? Do you know John 20:31 by heart?

It's amazing that we feel more comfortable with what's on T.V. than what's in God's Word. What does it say about the people of God who are more familiar with the T.V. Guide than the Bible? Maybe because we spend so much time with our T.V Guide open that we learn to count on it.  T.V. Guides are visible while Bibles sit on a shelf. T.V. Guides have bent pages while our Bibles sit unused except as coasters for coffee cups. Maybe we need to spend more time with our Lord so we can learn to trust Him more?  Personally, there are a number of shows I really look forward to watching but, when facing the real trials and troubles of life, I find more comfort in the Words and promises of God than in knowing who was kicked off Dancing With The Stars. 

Our sinful nature always turns to what seems to be popular in this world over the Word of God. Some shows make us laugh, make us cry, hold us in suspense, but, when we've lost a loved one, face surgery, can't pay the bills, or wonder what's happened to our children, a little T.V. fluff doesn't do it, but, knowing we have a God Who loves us, died for us on the cross, and is with us to heal and help brings a peace that is found no where else. Going in for surgery, in my hand I want God's hand, not my remote control. I want my surgeon controlled by my Heavenly Father, not what he saw on E.R. the night before. I want my children making decisions in life based on God's wisdom, not the wisdom of teenage friends. This is what Sunday School and Bible Classes are all about. Stay away from the Word and you stay away from the comfort, support, and healing God has for you. Stay away from the Word and is it any wonder your life is going the way it is.

The center verse in Scripture, certainly not a coincidence is found in Psalm 118. There are 594 chapters before and 594 chapters after. Add these and you get 1188. Psalm 118:8 tells us, "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put your confidence in man."  This is a wonderful verse to memorize and pass along to our children.

What's on 7pm on Sundays? The Simpsons.  What's in John 20:31, "These words are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, and by believing, you may have life in His Name." T.V. Guide will show us what's on at 7pm on Sunday, sure, but, the Word of God will show us our Savior and the only path to everlasting life through faith in Jesus.  How do they weigh out for you? T.V. Show...Going to heaven.  That's an easy one we all should get right. Amen...pastor matthews

It has been a crazy week; 5 funerals, two members who broke their hips, others hospitalized, and time with people going through life's struggles. Each one had what could have been a scary situation facing these problems. Those who passed away included one member who had moved away, Lillian Spolar, as well as Bill Edgington's Dad. One other lady was 101 years old. These were different people having lived different lives and faced scary problems, but with one thing in common; the need to hear the Good News of God's love, forgiveness, and support. During these scary times, all of these families needed to hear that by the grace of God they had a Savior Who suffered and died for them and through faith, they had peace with God in this life and for eternity. What a joy it was for me to be able to share that comfort. Without the Reformation, that might not have happened!

Thanks to the Protestant Reformation and church leaders like Dr. Martin Luther and others, today we can be clear on the message of God's love seen through the death and resurrection of Jesus as we read it in the Bible. Before the Reformation that began in 1517, two things would have gotten in the way of sharing God's love and peace with others. One was the fact that the only Bibles were in Latin and couldn't be read by the people. Secondly, in order to make money, the church was telling their people they didn't have to have faith or even worship, they could simply buy forgiveness for themselves and their loved ones through indulgences.

If we couldn't read and hear the truth of God's Word in our own language, we could be vulnerable to all kinds of ideas. If we couldn't see the message ourselves others could easily tell us that salvation is based on what we do, how good we have been, and if we followed certain rules and regulations. If we have to buy our way into heaven through offerings or actions, we'd all be living with fear in our hearts instead of a joyful relationship with a loving Father,  God would become for us like a Howie Mandel offering a spiritual "Deal Or No Deal" with your soul or the soul of others at risk. No comfort or peace would be there at all.

Thanks to Luther translating the Bible into German, not only did people at his time find the peace of a loving Savior, but translations over the years pass that hope down to us today. "Grandma couldn't get to church, is she lost?" I was asked. Listening to our sinful nature without Scripture's truth I could say "Yah! Too bad!" But with the truth of the Word, there is a message of hope knowing that God forgives and looks at the heart for faith not her church attendance.

Today we can read and share with others the words of Romans 3: 23&24, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and are justified, saved, forgiven, freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." We also read in verse 28 that a man or woman is justified, declared righteous by God, by faith apart from observing the law. Salvation isn't based on what we've done, how good we've tried to be, or all the rituals we've been asked to do, it is ours by God's grace through faith in Jesus Who died and rose for us. All this began on Oct. 31, 1517. Now you can celebrate that date with scary masks and candy. Personally I thank God that we can face scary things like broken hips, cancer, and even death with peace in our hearts because we know God loves us. Now that's a reason to celebrate.
Amen..pastor matthews

We love our Bible heroes. Peter, the Rock was a great leader of the disciples. Jonah traveled in a great fish to spread God's Word to the evil people of Ninevah. Moses led millions of Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land.. These and many more were chosen by God to accomplish special purposes yet they began as God's Frozen Chosen. Each was given a job by God and reacted by freezing up with fear, worry, and doubts. Not all Bible heroes trusted God and did His will immediately. Not all gathered stones and killed a Giant. Not all were ready to be stoned to death for their faith. Not all trusted God as roaring lions walked around them. Many of God's people, like us, began as the Frozen Chosen. Peter froze up and denied even knowing Jesus. Jonah froze and ran away from God. Moses froze up in fear in front of the Burning Bush. They all became more than Frozen Chosen with God's help.

In Exodus 3 we see Moses standing before the Burning Bush as God tells him he has been chosen to go to Pharoah and free the Israelites from slavery. Moses freezes up with excuses; I'm 80 years old...Who will watch the sheep?... I have a family... I have to make dinner tonight... I have tickets to the game. Moses, like us, freezes up with fear, worry, and doubts.

Fear focuses on some thing or someone that threatens us.  Fear can be a good thing when we hear a rattlesnake or are approached by a stranger. However, when this threat keeps us from doing God's will, it's sinful. When we are so afraid of the illness, the bills, the future that we can't be generous with our time, talents, and treasures for the Lord, we are frozen up!

Worry is taking upon yourself something that belongs to God. Worry focuses on what might happen to me or a loved one. Worry leads us not to trust others, not forgive others because our egos might be hurt. Worry freezes me up and makes me God in my life. 

Doubt doesn't trust God and His promises for us. Doubt forgets what God has done in our lives. Doubt tells me that God is like this world so He can't be trusted. Doubts freeze us up so there seems to be no need for Bible Study, Prayer, Worship, and the rest because God is going to let me down anyway.

When frozen with fear, worry, and doubt, there are two ways to get thawed out. One is to focus on God and know the warmth of His love shown in the death and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. The warmth of God's love found in Baptism and Holy Communion thaws our frozen hearts.  The second way is to reject God and His Word and His Will in this life, stay frozen, and be thawed out by the flames of hell. If the flames of hell are the direction you're going, you might want to listen to the end of the sermon. 

Faith thaws out fear... we read in Psalm 27:1 when God is our Rock, we need not be afraid. Jesus faced death and the devil for us, and He will continue to do so. Worship thaws out worry... we read in Matthew 6 there's no room for worry when our hearts are focused on God and His Kingdom He gets the glory and praise in our prayers, singing, and meditation. Dependence on our Dependable God thaws our doubts...we read in John 20:27 to stop doubting and believe. Give God a try; He'll never let you down. God wants us to be more than His Frozen Chosen. Through faith in Jesus we become God's Faithful Folk, His Daring Disciples, His Passionate People ready to serve Him and others. That's what heroes are all about. Amen...pastor matthews

The story is told of an old fisherman who always seemed to be successful. Each day he would go out, he'd come back with a boat load of fish. Others wouldn't get anything, but he was always successful. One day a stranger showed up and asked the man if he could go out with him. "Sure," he said, "Hop in and we'll go over to a little cove where I always seem to get fish." They headed across the lake to the little cove and the man cut the motor. He proceeded to open his tackle box, took out a stick of dynamite. He lit it, waited a few seconds and threw it in the water. There was a tremendous explosion and fish floating everywhere. He took his net and scooped them up. The stranger pulled out his badge and told the old man that he was the Game Warden and the man was under arrest. The old man calmly reached back in his tackle box, took out a stick of dynamite, lit it, waited a few seconds and tossed it to the Game Warden and said, "You gonna sit there or are you going to fish?"

We read in Luke 21 that the end of the world is coming. It won't be easy for God's people. There will be persecutions of believers. Their own families will disown them and laugh at them. Even the government will hassle them for their faith. In this setting, our Lord looks at each of us and asks, "You gonna sit there or are you going to fish?" Are we gonna sit there while the evil world crumbles around us or are we going to use this opportunity to reach out with the message of God's love found in Jesus Christ?  With many stores no longer speaking of Christmas Trees, but Holiday trees, not selling Christmas cards, but Holiday cards, and Nativity scenes being eliminated in some cities in favor of a generic Holiday scenes, are we who confess to be Christians gonna fish or sit there and  call ourselves Holidayians? Christians share the hopeful message of Christ the Lord. Holidayians share the hopeless message of shopping, credit card bills, and things politically correct.

As we sit here today, the Lord tosses us the dynamite of His Word in a similar way as the fisherman. In Matthew 22:29, Jesus tells us that through the Holy Spirit, The Bible is the power of God. The word for power is dunamis. Dunamis is the root word for dynamite. In other words, Jesus is telling us that the Bible is the dynamite of God that will blow apart cold hearts as we see our sin and then bring us to repentance and faith in God's love found through Jesus' death on the cross and His rising from the dead. That's the dynamite needed for our family, friends, and the world around us to bring them eternal life through faith in Jesus before life is over.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. These are wonderful opportunities to share our faith with family and friends. Is there time for Thanksgiving worship or is cooking the bird more important to you? Will there be a Thanksgiving prayer at your table or just digging in? The cards we send to people this year; will they tell our families and friends that we are Christians or Holidayians? Jesus looks each of us in the eye and asks, "Are you gonna sit there or are you gonna fish?" What's your answer? Amen...pastor matthews

It wasn't very long ago that we celebrated the 4th of July, Independence Day. We wore red, white, and blue, enjoyed fireworks, cook-outs, and parades. Reflecting on the 4th, we remember all who sacrificed for our freedom over the years. We might think back to Colonial times and the Declaration of Independence. In this writing, we find phrases about dissolving political ties, separating ourselves from another country, and the listing of all kinds of grievances against Great Britain and its King. Time for Independence!

Today is November 22, Thanksgiving Day. We celebrate with special meals, football games, and parades. Often we reflect on those who are not with us, possibly through death, being in the military, or living far away. Tears can easily flow on Thanksgiving. On the 4th, we focused on Great Britain and its King, where is the focus today? Whom do we thank? Maybe we thank the cook for a wonderful meal. We might thank the person who paid for it all. Most important of all, we need to give thanks to God for His blessings on this Dependence Day. This is a good day to remember our dependence on God and take time to reflect on His many blessings in our lives.

Today, is your cup of blessings full? Is it half full? Is it half empty? Though life isn't always as we'd like it to be, it's important to say thank you for God's blessings. Noal Staubus was telling me about a story he remembered about God sending two angels to earth. One came with a very large basket, the other's was quite small. The idea was that all the requests and petitions for things went in one and all the thank-yous to God in the other. Which do you think was which? Exactly! The large one held all the requests for things, while the very small one held the thank-yous.

If we remember that this is Dependence Day, we can make that angel carry a bigger basket. We can thank God today and every day for sending Jesus to be our Savior Who died and rose for our salvation. We can thank Him for family and friends. We can thank Him for so much more, even during sad times. A grateful heart finds hope and peace even in tears. It has been said that as children of God, even if we fall into a creek, we can give thanks, who knows, you might find fish in your pockets. Thank You, Lord. Amen...pastor matthews

In 1989 a ship called the Exxon Valdez had an accident and almost 11 million gallons of oil was spilled into Prince William Sound in Alaska. The results were devastating to fish, birds, animals in the area. As I understand it, even today with everything they've done to try to clean it up, there are still problems from this tragedy. The world was outraged at the oil company, the ship's Captain and crew, and even clean-up crews were criticized for lack of action. Shock and outrage filled everyone who heard about the accident. How awful these people were!  Something that was mentioned around that time that people apparently didn't want to hear was a report from the Nightly News that American do-it-yourselfers annually, annually, dump some 193 million gallons of motor oil in storm drains and alleys. This is over 15 times the amount spilled in Alaska. Amazing how we see the sins of others but overlook those in our own backyards, so to speak. We see just how much of a clean-up our environment needs.

When it comes to the need for clean-ups, the Bible is clear as we read in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned, all, even you and especially me, and fall short of the glory of God. In our Pastor's Class we talk about going down to the Des Plaines River and trying to jump across. Now matter how young and strong we might be, no one can do it! All will fall short. No matter how good we try to be, because of our sin we all fall short of heaven.  We've mentioned before that if only sinned once a day, once, even in a coma I'd sin more than that, by the time we're 50 years old, we've sinned 18,000 times.

Is it any wonder that Jesus' first words on the cross were, "Father, forgive them." Did He mean only the soldiers or all of us that put Him there? "Father, forgive them"...not just for the little hurts, but for everything! Because of His blood shed for us, through faith we are forgiven. Romans 3:23 concludes by assuring us that we are justified by God's grace through the redemption won for us by Jesus. We are declared righteous, forgiven by our Lord, Who opens up heaven for us.

On this Last Sunday in the Church Year, Christ the King Sunday, we are reminded that the One on the throne is our Friend. In John 14 Jesus tells us that the One and only way to heaven is through Him. To walk across the Des Plaines River we need a bridge. To get to heaven we need a bridge from here to there. The cross of Jesus is the only bridge over the gap of sin that separates us from God. Faith takes us over that bridge. 

As we reflect on loved ones who have recently passed away, and maybe even our own death, we have our Lord's promises that faith in Jesus as our Savior assures us of the victory over death and the Devil and a condo in heaven. No matter how many gallons of dirty, oily, sludgy sin we've produced in this life, 1 John 1:7 promises us that His blood alone cleanses us of all sin. That's the greatest clean-up ever!   Amen...pastor matthews

"Jesus Is The Reason For The Season" are words we see all around us this time of year.  These words found on banners, pencils, children's gift remind us that Jesus, not the parties, not the gifts, not the greed, not the craziness, but Jesus is the Reason for our celebration. As God's children, we want the world to know that Christ"mas" without Christ leaves only a "mess." This is a good way to view these next few weeks during Advent as we prepare for Jesus' birth.

What struck me as interesting this week is that from God's point of view, God's perspective, "You Are The Reason For His Season" Did you ever think about that? This big Christmas Party planned for His Son's birth was planned with you in mind. The reason Jesus was born, was to be your Savior from sin, death, and the devil. Jesus was born with the shepherds, angels, star, animals, manger, etc. for you. God wants you to know that all of this was His way to bring His Son into the world in a special way so you will remember and enjoy and be thankful and receive in faith this Greatest Gift.

The sad part of it all is that Advent is a wonderful time to get ready for the Party, but many choose not to read the invitation found in Scripture or at worship services. Many like the idea of a Christmas party with gifts, food, and fun, but forget to invite Jesus. Nothing has anything to do with Jesus' birth. It's like having a birthday party for your mother and forgetting to invite her. Bad news!

Another sad thing is we forget the birth of God's Son shows us how important we are to God. We forget that we are the reason for His Season and find ourselves filled with sadness, regret, loneliness, frustration, insecurity, and all the rest this time of year. We easily get down on ourselves as failures this Advent time and are left with huge bills we can't afford, huge stress we can't handle, or even a deep depression we can't get out of at all. We forget our worth in God's plan. Jesus came for a reason; to be our Savior. He came to suffer for us, to die for us, and rise for us, so all who believe in Him will have a heavenly home.

God's great gifts are all sent FOR YOU. Why do we have Baptism? FOR YOU to be in His family. Why do we have Holy Communion? Because Jesus' blood was shed FOR YOU and the forgiveness of your sins. Why was Baby Jesus sent to be God's Greatest Gift of love? FOR YOU because, as Hallmark tells us, God cared enough to send the Very Best. 

"But I don't deserve It" we might say. You're right, you don't, I don't, none of us deserve what we have been given. The jolly man in the red suit loves you and gives you gifts only if you've been good we are told. God loves you even though you've been bad. That's why Jesus is God's Gift of love. When you love someone it's not because they've earned it, or deserved it, or bought it. When you love someone, you just do. Christmas reminds us of just who God loves. He loves you! He just does. Amen...pastor matthews     

It is said that Dwight Moody told the legend about a swan that landed by a lake and watched a crane rummaging about in the murky water looking for snails. The crane spotted the swan and asked, "Where did you come from?" The swan replied, "Heaven." "Heaven," said the crane, "Where's that?" The swan then shared all about the beauty of heaven with its warmth and sunny days that were beautiful. The swan went on about being in the presence of God and always happy and loved. The crane sort of listened then asked, "Are there any snails in heaven?" "No," answered the swan, "There are no snails in heaven." The crane thought for a while and as he stuck his head back in the slimy water said, "No, you keep your heaven. I want snails."

I like that story because it reminds me of the message of John the Baptist found in Matthew 3. As he speaks to the crowds, he calls them to repent of their sins and turn to the Lord. He wants them to give up their snails for heaven. To the tax collectors he calls out for them to repent and quit stealing money from the people. Roman soldiers are to repent and not hurt people needlessly. The Pharisees are to repent and get rid of that pride that makes them think they're better than anyone else.

The message today is still the same. John's words ring out to us to repent and give up the snails for heaven. Let's face it, we all have our favorite snails that are so attractive in this life. Like the crane, we forge around with our heads in the slimy waters of life looking for favorite snails. Our snails could be possessions that mean more than anything to us. Our snails could be prideful good looks that focus only on me! Our snails could be lust or greed. Our snails could be laziness or worldly priorities that keep us from worship and Bible Study. Our snails could show up with lack of respect for parents, teachers, and others. John calls out to each and every one of us to repent before God. Admit your sin, and tell God from your heart that you're sorry for your sinful snails, and ask for His forgiveness for Jesus' sake. Advent reminds us that Jesus is coming again. This time He's not coming as a Baby, but as Judge. Are you ready to meet Him?

Repenting before God admits to Him and to ourselves that we are poor, miserable sinners who need a Savior from sinful snails. Repentance then leads to a renewal of our lives. Repentance leads us to a renewed strength from God's Word and the Sacraments. We are renewed for faithful worship, prayer, Bible Study, and a willingness to serve our Lord and His church. We are renewed as we forgive others and look to heaven for our needs.

Having been renewed in our faith, we find ourselves rejoicing. Renewal leads to rejoicing. We rejoice because we have a Savior Who came at Christmas and will  suffer and die for us on the cross and rise to lead all who believe in Him to a heavenly home. We now rejoice with eyes focused on the heavenly things of God and not the snails of this world. Christmas takes on a new, child-like excitement in the light of our heavenly vision. We can see the lights, the ornaments, the candles with with the eyes of a child because God has taken us from the slimy water of this life with its snails to the joy of a heavenly home.   

Repentant, renewed, rejoicing...this new life style is ours now and forever through faith in Jesus Who took the nails so we won't have to live with the snails. Amen...pastor matthews

Life can be filled with disappointments, can't it? There is the story of a Pastor trying to make a point by saying to his congregation, "Everyone who is a member of this church will die!" People got serious and seemed to have gotten the message except for the guy in the front pew who's smiling and giggling. The Pastor calls out again even louder, "Everyone who is a member of this church will die!" Same thing as the guy up front is smirking and giggling. The Pastor was disappointed that he couldn't reach this man so after church he asked the man why the message didn't hit home that everyone who's a member of this church will die. "Simple" the man said, "I'm not a member of this church!" The Pastor had one agenda but the man didn't, did he?

In Matthew 11 we read that John the Baptizer is now in prison and disappointed. He sent his followers to Jesus to double check, "Are You the Messiah or should we keep looking around?" John had been called to prepare the way for the Lord but now, after all that hard work, found himself in jail soon to be executed. It didn't make sense to him. He was disappointed. He had an agenda but it wasn't God's agenda. He might have figured he would have a long ministry in God's service. He didn't expect to be jailed and killed as a young man around 30.

These stories teach us that disappointments can come in life when we're not on the same page with God; when our plans are not His plans.  Disappointments at Christmas can come when loved ones have passed away during the year. We are disappointed when family or friends can't spend Christmas with us because they're out of town or in the military. We are disappointed when we don't get the gift we want. There is a sad song entitled, "If We Can Make It Through December" that tells of a Dad who lost his job and can't buy lots of things for his daughter. He's so disappointed that all he wants is to get through December. Nothing is said of God's Gift. All of these wishes and desires sound nice, but they can all lead to disappointment if we're not at peace with God's plan for us.

Where does that peace come from? Psalm 37:4 tells us to delight ourselves in the Lord and He will give us the desires of our hearts. Jesus is de-Light of the world, right? When we find our delight, our hope, our joy, our peace in God's will and God's plan for us, everything falls into place. We begin by realizing that the Greatest Gift of all is our Savior, Jesus. Once Christ is in our hearts we find ourselves on God's page, plugged in to His agenda. Faith receives that Gift and we know that our sins are forgiven. We know that God is our Father and we're in His family at Christmas. We know that Jesus died and rose to open heaven for us so all who believe will spend Christmas in heaven forever.  When we delight in that Gift above all else, we will never be disappointed no matter how bad the tree looks, how dry the turkey, how lame the gifts, how rotten the weather, or how little money there is to spend. We'll never want to just get through December.

So, when the Pastor tells you that everyone here will die, you can giggle and smile because you have God's Gift that keeps on giving, Jesus, and the gift of eternal life. Amen...pastor matthews   

They always say that you can't take it with you. I guess that's why you never see a hearse dragging a U-Haul. Though you can't take it with you to heaven, we know that we can take all sorts of things with us into the New Year. This can be light or heavy baggage. Light baggage we carry into 2008 could be happiness from a wedding, new baby, new job, or a new home. Heavy baggage can be hurts and fears from the loss of a loved one, divorce, serious illness, or financial troubles. With these we begin the year already burdened.

Maybe you carry some New Year's Resolutions with you. Resolutions come from something bad in the old year. Why else would I want to lose weight in the New Year unless I hadn't in the old? Why else would I want to spend more time with family in the New Year unless I had failed in the old? Why would I want to save more money in the New Year unless I had splurged in the old?

Maybe you carry some beautiful Christmas memories with you into the New Year. You might have joyful memories of our Praise and Promise service with new music. Maybe you enjoyed the beauty of "Silent Night" by candlelight or "O Holy Night" around midnight. You may have found peace gathering around the manger as Carol and the Choir sang carols for us. Sad to say, you might not have any memories of worship services, Bah, Humbug, just memories of the gifts, parties and food. These can leave us pretty empty. Like the lady who was so disappointed with her Christmas gifts that she told her husband that he better have something in the driveway on New Year's morning that goes from 0 to 200 in less than six seconds or he's in big trouble!  Well, New Year's morning came and sure enough, in the driveway she found a bathroom scale!

Our Gospel reading for today from Matthew 2 tells of a New Year or at least a New Life that Joseph faced. Joseph had been warned in a dream to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to escape Herod's anger. Herod was going to kill the young babies in Bethlehem. What a sad way to begin a New Year or New Life thinking about their friends in Bethlehem and the babies they knew being slaughtered because of Herod's jealousy. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus began their travel, their New Year if you will, with hurts, sadness, and pain in their hearts. Would there ever be peace?

Yes, because Joseph knew the answer to peace in his heart in their New Year; #1 listening and obeying God's Word, and #2 caring for his Loved Ones. First of all, He listened to God's Word to leave Bethlehem and obeyed by taking his family away. In our world we might be listeners, but we're bad at obeying. We're told to buckle up, yet we get tickets and serious injuries because we don't do it! God's Word is to be heard and followed. To hear it, we must be around it. The importance of faithful worship, Bible Study, and maybe reading through the Bible in one year brings us the peace from hearing of God's eternal love, of Jesus' dying on the cross and rising from the dead for our sins, of His promise never to leave us, and the God-pleasing life He wants for you. Secondly, peace is found in caring for loved ones; family, friends, maybe even people you haven't met as yet. God doesn't want us to be recluses. If the supply of family or friends is low, He wants us out there with lonely people in Nursing Homes, Hospitals, or alone at home. These folks need a few minutes of our time to remind them of their worth to God and to us. Amazing the peace we find when we don't think about ourselves all the time.  As we listen and follow God's Word and care for loved ones, our baggage will get lighter and God will give us a great 2008. Amen, pastor matthews

Following WWII, Gen. Omar Bradley commented on how so many people were led astray by wanna-be saviors saying, "We need to set our course by the stars, and not by the lights of every passing ship." Over the course of history, there have always been Caesars, Hitlers, various Kings and Queens who, like passing ships, have led people to their doom. Like passing ships, these leaders rule with their own agendas that are good for them but having little to do with the needs of the people. Lost and confused people found themselves needing a star to follow, and that star was liberty for all, equality, and freedom.  For millions of people, this meant The United States.

At Jesus' time we read of the Wise Men traveling to Jerusalem in search of the King. They meet Herod, a definite passing ship who had power, glory, money, and was a deceitful con artist ready to destroy anyone who threatened him. He easily could have led the Wise Men astray, but as they followed the star, placed there by God, and found the Christ Child, God also spoke to them in a dream not to return to Herod, because Herod wanted only to kill Jesus. They went in a new direction. Tradition says they traveled towards Spain as they told others of their Star, the Christ Child.

We have all kinds of passing ships in our world today that appeal to our sinful nature and are ready to lead us hither and yon. Ads on TV tell us how to be happy with this product or that; find peace by following this teaching or that. We'll make lots and lots of money with an internet business and be happy forever. Politicians tell us that they will bring us all the freedoms we want to do whatever we want, if we vote for them. A recent ad, another passing ship if you will, showed all men as pigs until they bought this product, then they were suddenly sexy and desirable to women. Oh Yah!

Granted, there are star-like people in our lives who show us genuine love and support. I have been blessed with a wonderful family and have found many of you to be star-like in my life. I'm sure you have star-like people in your life too. However, the true Star we need to follow is our Lord Jesus. The Wise Men followed the star to God's Son. This was indeed a life-changing experience for them. We follow the Star through our worship, prayers, and Bible Study. We share with others the Good News that Jesus, our Star, is our Savior from sin. Through His death and resurrection, all who believe in Him have a life-changing experience that takes us from the emptiness of trusting in the lights of this world's ships and turns us to the peace, hope and joy found in God's Star, Jesus.   

For example, this week I visited a sweet lady in the hospital facing a serious procedure. She told me she wasn't afraid because she knew that Jesus would care for her. Jesus is her Star! Another family lost their son and as I had that funeral, they found comfort only because their son was in heaven with Jesus. Jesus was his Star. Another dear member facing surgery told me that she sort of even looked forward to the hospital trip because God always placed someone there who needed to hear about Jesus and His love. She was always ready to share her faith. Jesus is her Star!  I pray that Jesus is your Star before you go down with the ship.  Amen...pastor matthews

(AS A REPORTER)
Good morning, I'm Marcus bar Newsflash reporting to you live from WGOD, God Radio here in Jerusalem and outlying areas. A new Prophet named Jesus has come upon the scene and I'm here to interview eyewitnesses. I finally got an exclusive with John the Baptizer. It's really difficult to get close to him with the crowds down by the River Jordan. John told me that this Teacher, Jesus, well, John called Him the Lamb of God. Wow! Lamb of God sounds a lot more important than simply another prophet. Lamb of God...does John think that this Jesus is the Messiah we've been waiting for? John told me that it was an honor for him to baptize this Jesus and that Jesus would take our sins away. John told me he actually witnessed the Spirit of God descend on this Jesus...Spirit of God?? This is a big deal as far as John is concerned!

Moving along, I spoke with some Roman soldiers who were eyewitnesses to Jesus, scary guys who told me that as long as Jesus is peaceful and doesn't rile up the crowds, or speak against Rome, they could care less. They've seen prophets come and go. This Jesus is just one of many.

I later caught some members of the Sanhedrin going into session. They told me that Jesus has such a small following that He won't cause them any trouble. If the crowds who follow Him get bigger and He preaches against their Law, then they would take action to have Him quietly "eliminated" was the word they used.

I even spoke with some of the common folk. Most never heard of Him! They're ready to follow anyone who will overcome the Romans and free their Country. If Jesus gets an army together, they told me they would cheer "Hosanna" with the rest of them..."Free us now" Jesus..."Free us now."

I want to interview some of you today. What do you think about this Jesus? If you're an eyewitness to Jesus, raise your hand and be heard on WGOD.

(CONGREGATION MEMBERS SHARE THEIR FAITH)

(AS THE PASTOR)
In Matthew 10, Jesus tells us that if we acknowledge Him as our Lord and Savior before men, that Jesus will acknowledge us as His brothers and sisters before God in heaven. This is what being an eyewitness is all about.

Sadly, because of our sinful nature, we don't mind talking about other stuff, but not about our Lord. As eyewitnesses to a football game, we can share stories for hours. As eyewitnesses to a wedding, we can tell all kinds of things about how the bride looked, or the food, etc. We talk about the snow that causes trouble, but not our Savior who brings hope and joy. We tell others how our meat was cooked at dinner, but not the Messiah Who died for our salvation. We can't wait to tell people how "L" we were at the Boat, but fail to rejoice in our Lord Jesus.
Romans 10 assures us that if we confess with our mouth that "Jesus is Lord" and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved! Faith makes you an eyewitness, now that should be something to talk about! Amen...pastor matthews

We know that our Lord Jesus was trained as a carpenter by His earthly father, Joseph. Jesus probably made tables, chairs, yoke for oxen, and much more over the years. God, His heavenly Father, on the other hand, trained Him to be a Bridge Builder so all who believe in Him will have a way to heaven.

A bridge, as you know, is a structure built to span a gorge, river, or valley, whatever. It gets you from one side to the other. The first bridge might have been as simple as a tree falling over a river. They can be everything from shaky rope bridges to solid steel and rock. They have found bridges in China, I am told, that date back over 1500 years.

A bridge story I like is one about a guy who loved riding his motorcycle. He would ride all over and tell people about Jesus and His love for them. It was never easy talking with other bikers or anyone who would listen that Jesus died on the cross and rose again so all who believe in Him would cross over from this life to a home in heaven. In fact, one day God came to this man and told him that He was so proud of all he was doing that He would grant the man one wish. After thinking a while, the man asked if God could build a bridge from California to Hawaii so he could ride his bike along the highway to Hawaii for a vacation. God told him it could be done, but what an effect it would have on the environment. The amount of steel and concrete would be enormous. What it could do to the Ocean, fish, or shipping, could be devastating to the world. Did he have a second wish? Thinking again, the man asked God if He could explain women to him. Why they have their moods, react, over-react, say they are fine when they're not, get quiet, get talkative, say one thing and mean another. "Well, God" the man said, "Help me understand women." God answered, "That bridge, two lanes or four?"

Bridges are important in this life and for life eternal. So often family members, friends, neighbors find themselves on opposite side of the river, if you will. A wrong word, wrong look, wrong action can hurt people, bruise egos, lead to grudges and separation. The death of a loved one can break apart family members over an inheritance. One slip of the tongue can ruin lifelong friendships. We can choose to live on the other side of the valley or choose to do something. Matthew 18 tells us that as Christians, we must take the step to build the bridge. Go to that person, one to one, and try to work it out. Apologies aren't easy, but they lay the foundation for the bridge. As we pray, study God's Word, and worship, we can find strength to be the bridge builders Jesus wants us to be. Holding on to grudges, anger, hurts, etc. are not signs of faith. If we refuse to build the bridge, maybe we really aren't followers of Jesus at all!

God has forgiven us our many sins. He wants us to forgive others. Sin not only separates us from people, it has separated us from God. Adam and Eve's sin separated them from their closeness with God. Sin became this huge gorge between mankind and heaven. Nothing we do can bridge that gorge. No matter how nice we are, how sweet, how often we come to church, Romans 3:23 assures us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Can't make it! We are lost to eternal death, hopeless, and helpless, if it wasn't for the grace of God. In God's love for us, He sent His Son to die on the cross for us. That cross now falls across the gorge of sin and becomes the one and only bridge to heaven. Those who trust our Lord walk across that bridge, maybe even ride their motorcycles across to everlasting life. The bridge between male and female is shaky at best; thank God the one to heaven is solid as a rock, our Rock Jesus.
Amen...pastor matthews

"Come, see what God has done!" a great line from the Bible that applies over and over again to many Bible stories.  When Adam first showed Eve around the Garden of Eden, he could have said to her, "Come, see what God has done." As the children of Israel, millions strong, were crossing the Red Sea, they easily could have called to the back of the line to keep going, "Come, see what God has done." Joseph and Mary can be seen in the stable, calling out to all passersby after Jesus was born, "Come, see what God has done." Our story today from the Transfiguration, as the three disciples saw Elijah, Moses, and Jesus shining with the power of God, they certainly wanted to tell others, even though they were told not to, "Come, see what God has done."

"Come, see what God has done" is something we can use too. We have a Baptism today. This dear little girl is joining the God's family. Just like at Christmas, God is saying "Here is my beloved child." We can tell those around us, "Come, see what God has done." Sins forgiven, new life, new family, Rachel is blessed. We go to Holy Communion and receive the Body and Blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. This leads us to easily say, "Come, see what God has done." How wonderful this is; to have a clean slate for all who trust in Jesus as His blood washes our sins away. As we have prayers answered, as we read God's Word, we can all say to those around us, "Come, see what God has done." This is good stuff!

Now we can look at people in our lives. Knowing that the power of God has changed this person or that one, we can easily point to them and say, "Come, see what God has done." Imagine, people we know, turning their lives around with God's help. People we know,  repenting of their sins and leaning on God rather than themselves. This new life leads to heaven through faith in Jesus. A heavenly future and not one in hell leads us to say,  "Come, see what God has done."

How about our own lives? When people look at you, do they say, "Come, see what God has done," or maybe not. Our lifestyles, our words, actions, how we spend our money, how much we volunteer at Church, how often we read God's Word, how faithful we are at worship, how often we remember to pray, how generous are our offerings, the love we show, how we hold grudges and refuse to forgive...is this what God has done or what we have done to ourselves. "Come and see how he/she has messed up their life." What a witness this is! How sad it is that our sinful nature leads us away from God and His glory and leads others away too. 

As long as we have breath, it's not too late to tell God how sorry we are for our sins and find forgiveness. He's waiting for you right now. His ear is so close you can whisper the words and He'll hear you. Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. This time of Lent is a time of repentance and cleansing. As we worship each week and receive special objects for meditation, we can look at the cross of Jesus, stained with His blood, and hear God Himself calling to each and every one of us, "Come, see what I have done, for you."
Amen..pastor matthews

A while back, the Mercedes Benz people had an ad showing a car crashing into a concrete wall. The ad showed how their technology had advanced so the body of the car would absorb the energy of the crash so passengers would live. This technology will save many lives. The ad asks the question, "Why wouldn't the Mercedes people keep this a secret and patent the information rather than allowing other car companies to get it?" The response was, "Because some things in life are too important not to share."

Advertisers like to share information that they feel is important, even if for selfish reasons. If there is a new pain reliever on the market, we often get free samples to see just how good it works. New healthy cereals, granola bars, etc. might come in the mail or attached to the Sunday paper so you can try them. "Staples" has a great stapler, for example, that I tried recently and ended up buying a number of them to give to others. Gatorade's new G2 or Tiger tastes pretty good so I got some for the kids. When we discover something really special; from medicines that really work, to a compassionate Doctor, or to a restaurant with delicious food, we can't wait to share the information with our family and friends. It's too important not to share.

As children of God, the same should be true, should be true of our faith. If we really take our faith seriously, isn't it too important not to share? Our sinful nature tells us not to risk embarrassment or saying the wrong thing. Amazing how we'll give our friends a stick of a new flavored gum, yet won't give them a Portals of Prayer.  I'll talk about a movie I saw, but won't ever talk about a sermon or some special music I heard in Church. I'll invite you out for coffee, but not invite you to a Church activity. What this says is that God's message of hope, peace, joy, and salvation must not be important. I don't share it! For my family and friends to know that Jesus died on the cross so that through faith they can have a home in heaven must not be important. I don't share it! There are people we know who are broken, battered, and lost all around us, yet we don't point them to the Lord. It must not be that important!

The Word of God speaks to us in many ways and reinforces just how important sharing our faith really is. As we worship, bring little ones for Baptism, take Communion, God strengthens us through His Holy Spirit to be who He wants us to be. Without Him, we're never going to care enough to share the important message of Jesus' love for all people.
 
We know that smoking is bad for you and can bring cancer. Do we let loved ones simply die or is it too important not to share the warning? We know that drinking and driving don't mix. Do we let people keep killing each other or is it too important not to share the warning. We know that drugs can ruin your body and mind. Do we let our children destroy themselves or is it too important not to share the warning? We know that without Jesus in your heart you will go to hell. Do we let people face eternal punishment or is it too important not to share that warning?  If the people of Mercedes Benz care enough to share the technology to save peoples' lives, shouldn't we as God's children care enough to share the message of Jesus to save their souls? Amen...pastor matthews

If you happen to be sitting and having a favorite beverage with a friend, as you take a drink you might hold your glass up and propose a toast. You might say things like: "Gutes Gezuntheit" which means "Good Health!" Maybe you call out "Down The Hatch" as you swallow your beverage. Then again, maybe "Here's Mud In Your Eye" and you enjoy your drink.  Now a wish for "Good Health" I can understand. "Down the Hatch" makes sense if you're a sailor type.  "Here's Mud In Your Eye" doesn't make much sense at all. What could be good about a wish to get mud in someone's eye?  Well, I looked it up and found many answers to the origin of "Here's Mud In Your Eye." One went back to WWI when the soldiers were slopping in the mud all over Europe. A toast of "Here's Mud In Your Eye" was a wish that they would stay alive so they could get mud in their eyes as they fought for their Country. Another went further back to a time when farmers would guide the plow as they walked behind their horse or ox. When the ground was moist and good for crops, they would get mud all over themselves. Therefore, a toast of "Here's Mud In Your Eye" was a wish for good ground and good crops.

Then again, maybe the original "Here's Mud In Your Eyes" dated back to our Lord healing the blind man. We read in John 9 that Jesus spat on the ground, made some mud, placed it on the eyes of the blind and man told him to go and wash his eyes. The blind man trusted Jesus' words, and as he washed his eyes could suddenly see for the first time in his life. "Here's Mud In Your Eyes" could be a toast from Jesus not just to have physical sight, but to "see" Him in faith; to see that He is the Savior, to see that Jesus loves you so much that he would die for you, to see that by following His Word you'll have a new life filled with joy and hope and really see God working in your life.

The man born blind could easily have rejected what Jesus did. "Spit and dirt, on my face?" "I don't think so!" he could have replied. Living without sight could have left him bitter and angry towards God and anyone else who made the mistake of getting too close. We know what it is to blame God for sad things that happen in life. "How can there be a God with so much evil around?" "If He is a God of love, how does He let this terrible thing happen?"  Loved ones get seriously ill. We get angry at God. Some are losing their eyesight. We get angry at God! Some are losing their mental faculties. We get angry at God. Some have lost loved ones at an early age. We get angry at God. We can get so angry, so bitter, so wrapped up in our own sinful cocoon of hate that we don't want God or anyone else to touch us.  We could shrivel up and die that way.

In this condition, Jesus comes to each of us, sits down next to us and in a soft voice offers His love and support. He knows how we feel. He knows what blindness is as His own blood dried on His eyelids on the cross. He knows what it is to suffer, to be humiliated, to be alone, to have lost loved ones, to face death at an early age. He knows and He wants to help. Jesus says "Here's Mud In Your Eye" as we join His family of faith in Baptism. "Here's Mud In Your Eye" as He offers His Body and Blood in Holy Communion so we will know our sins are forgiven and we have new life in Him. "Here's Mud In Your Eye" as we read His Word and find that through faith He died on the cross for us to wash away the tears of many years of hurt that have blinded us to His eternal love. Finally, He will greet us in heaven with "Here's Mud In Your Eye" as we open our eyes from the darkness of death in this world, to the light of heaven forever.  Amen...pastor matthews 

Coming to work one day this week I was going to mail some mail at the Mall but was caught by the gate at the RR crossing. With lights on the gates flashing, we sat there for a while...no train. Suddenly a young lady got out of the first car, said something to the man in the second car and proceeded to go and reach up and lift the gate so the second car could pass through. Once through, he stopped his car, came back and held the lifted gate for her and the rest of us. Crossing carefully, I look both ways and no train in sight! I thought it was pretty neat how these people, strangers, helped each other out.

I was reminded of the story of the man who visited hell and saw people sitting around big bowls of delicious looking food. However, they were all starving, angry, cursing each other. It seems that each of them had long spoons attached to their arms. They were so long that they couldn't feed themselves so they were starving and really mad. The same man visited heaven and to his surprise, saw the same scene; people sitting around large bowls of delicious food, they had the long spoons attached to their hands too. Yet here they were talking, singing, and obviously happy and full. The difference was that in heaven, they fed each other.

Friendship has to do with a willingness to feed another person. This doesn't have to be food...it could be...but it can mean feeding someone love and support, kind words, money, a willing ear, a hug, a willingness to do them a favor, sharing God's Word, praying together, laughing together, crying together, and so much more. It has been said that love begins when the needs of another become more important than your own. True friendship, from the Greek word "philia" has to do with love; brotherly or sisterly love. .

Because of our sinful nature, we struggle with sincere friendship because we put limits on who we'll like and what we'll do. If you're sweet to me, I'll be sweet to you. If you're good looking, I want to be seen with you. If you have money or power that can help me down the road, I'm your buddy. I'll be glad to help you if it's convenient, doesn't hurt, doesn't take too long, doesn't cost too much money, or isn't emotionally difficult. 

If a true friend is someone who really knows us and loves us anyway, and we want to be good friends, to really understand true friendship, we have to look at what our Best Friend, Jesus shows us. Jesus knows our hearts and minds. He has seen everything you've ever done, knows every thought you've ever had, heard every word you ever spoke, and still, and still, say it with me " HE LOVES ME!"  When people you love have died, family members have rejected you, so-called friends laughed at you, hurt you, betrayed you, Jesus has always been there because, say it again, "HE LOVES ME."  In a world filled with con artists, liars, deceitful people, and those who suck the life out of you with their neediness, say it out loud, "HE LOVES ME." 

When you cry and reach out in pain, Jesus is there because "HE LOVES ME." When you trust Him and truly understand that you need His forgiveness for your many sins, He held the gate of heaven open for you by holding out His hands to be nailed to the cross, because "HE LOVES ME." What a Friend you have in Jesus. Amen...pastor matthews

A book from CSS Publishing tells of a wonderful TV series from many years ago called "M.A.S.H." MASH stands for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. Major Winchester was a sophisticated, sometimes rather snooty doctor in the show. In one episode, his protective shell breaks and he is overcome with depression as he reflects on what death is all about. He leaves the MASH unit and goes to a front line battalion aid station where the wounded are first sent. He is called to look at a soldier who is obviously dying. The soldier calls to him, "I can't see anything. Please hold my hand." "I am," Winchester replies. "I'm dying," cries out the young soldier. An overwhelmed Winchester asks him, "What do you feel?" "Can you see anything? I have to know!"  The dying soldier squeezes his hand and simply says, "I smell bread." With that he died.

Bread is a common theme found in Scripture. The Israelites found life in the Wilderness day in and day out on a bread-like food called manna. In the Lord's Prayer Jesus tells us to pray for our "daily bread."  In the Gospels we read that Jesus took bread in Holy Communion to offer us His Body for the forgiveness of sins. In John 6 Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life. We read in Luke that the travelers on the road to Emmaus recognized Jesus when He broke the bread.

In a very real way, Bread is a symbol or reminder of Who Jesus really is in our lives. Like the Israelites discovered, trusting in God brought them the bread they needed to live. Our faith in God confirms for us the new life we have through faith in Jesus. Without Jesus in our hearts, we will die eternally. Jesus is the spiritual "Daily Bread" Who loves us and is with us each and every day. His death and resurrection show us how much He loves us. As we share in Holy Communion, Jesus tells us to take and eat for the forgiveness of sins. His body was sacrificed in death, broken if you will, so that all who believe in Him can have forgiveness of sins. Holy Communion is indeed the Wonder Bread that brings everlasting life.

Sadly, when it comes to being strong and healthy by feeding on Jesus, the Bread of Life,  we often find ourselves suffering from spiritual anorexia. We know that many people struggle with anorexia nervosa; an eating disorder where people continually purge themselves of food to look skinnier. This leaves their bodies in a frail, sickly condition, even leading to death. When we have no time or interest in the Bread of Life, Jesus, we too can find ourselves spiritually fragile, helpless and hurting too. No time for reading God's Word, no time for Bible Study, no time for Portals of Prayer, no time for Christian music, no time for faithful worship or Communion attendance means no time for the Bread of Life and the strength we need for the trials and troubles of this life. We become so spiritually fragile that the troubles of life can overcome us,  destroy us, depress us, and eventually can lead us away from our Lord forever.

Jesus tells us in John 10 that He has come, not just to give us life, but life in abundance, overflowing with blessings. If all we have time for is the fast food of foolishness, we're in trouble. If all we want is the sodium of sin, the cholesterol of cheating, the salmonella of selfishness or the botulism of bullying, we are left spiritually sick and dying. However, trusting in Jesus as your Savior brings strength, life and hope on earth and the certainty that when death approaches, we will close our eyes in peace and smell the bread. Amen...pastor matthews

I have been blessed over the years with wonderful people giving me delicious treats. Bakers like Carol and Donna, and our sainted friends the Ros' have provided me with lots of goodies. I can't forget the thousands of great meals Mrs. Matthews has prepared over the years too. One thing these cooks have in common is that even if they add their own special touches along the way, they have a recipe they follow to make it really delicious each and every time. Following the right recipe makes all the difference in pleasing our appetites.

Let's look at another recipe that pleases God's appetite, and that is the recipe for His church on earth. We read in Acts 2 that God's people in the Early Church devoted themselves to God's recipe. The Greek word "proskarterio" for devoted also means to persist, to be committed to, to constantly attend, to be consecrated to, or faithful to. They were devoted to the Apostles' teaching, fellowship, Holy Communion, praying together, and sacrificing to help one another. As they were faithful, devoted, consecrated to this recipe, trusting in Jesus as their Lord, God blessed them in many wonderful ways. This recipe, faithfully kept, pleases God's appetite.

Sadly, because of our selfish sin, we choose to deviate from God's recipe. We have our own ingredients that fit our appetite apart from faith in Jesus and following God's Word.  Devotion to God is replaced with devotion to making money or having fun. We throw God a little bit of our time now and then, when it's convenient or we need something from Him, but we're not devoted or faithful. We like fellowship; big time at food and schwaffling together, but there's no room for the Bible Study or prayer ingredients. Coffee and cookies replace studying Creation and Corinthians any day, in our recipe for life. We attend Holy Communion now and then, we want God to like us, but as far as the sacrificing financially...let's get back to coffee and cookies. We do that one really well don't we God? Our wrong recipe doesn't taste good to our Heavenly Father. He looks at our hearts, our activities, our church and says "Yuch!"

Thankfully, Jesus shed His blood for us to bring us God's forgiveness and second chances, third chances, to follow His recipe, not ours. I believe that our Stewardship Committee will be helping us with the God-pleasing recipe at the MAP breakfasts coming soon. God wants us to be faithful, not fickle to His Word. This is His recipe for our lives and for the life of our church. He calls us to allegiance to studying His Word and saying our prayers, not apathy. He wants us consecrated to time for Communion, not careless. He wants our giving to come from a sincere heart that recognizes all that God has supplied in our lives, not to score points on some heavenly checklist.   

What we all can do is ask God to forgive us and help us change our recipe for life to one that pleases His appetite for us. Start with a dash of this and a dash of that. True devotion, proskarterio, doesn't happen all at once. A dash more of Bible Study in your life is a good beginning. A pinch of prayer adds spice to our lives. Add to that a shake or two of sharing our faith and inviting others for worship. We can kick up our recipe a notch with a few more nickels in the offering. Best of all, hearts that reach out to our Risen Lord in faith each day for strength and support is, as Emeril would say "Bam!" That's a dish that really hits the spot for our God. Amen...pastor matthews 

I read recently that the writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn wrote, in his book "A Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich" about a prisoner in a Russian prison camp. Conditions in the Camp were terrible; starvation, disease, torture, sadness and death. At one point Ivan is praying and another prisoner made fun of him, "Prayers won't help you get out of here any faster." Ivan responds, "I do not pray to get out of prison but to do the will of God."

"To do the will of God"...Is it any wonder that our Lord included, "Thy Will Be Done" in the Lord's Prayer? Our Lord Jesus knew that God the Father's will, whatever it is, is always for the best for us. God can't do anything bad. As we read God's Word we learn what His will is for us. In Romans 8:28 we have the promise that all things work for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. The good being anything that leads us to be more Christ-like in all we do. Anything that gives us a "Thy will be done" heart, mind, and life draws us closer to our Lord. Even Jesus Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing horrible suffering and crucifixion, prayed that His Father's will be done to keep Him close to His heavenly Father. Jesus was the perfect "Thy will be done" Child of God.

Sadly, our sinful nature takes us away from a "Thy will be done" life to a whole different direction of "MY will be done." Sin makes me lazy in my prayer life. I forget to pray. I am too busy to pray. Who cares what God's will is anyway? When I am imprisoned by trials and troubles; money, health, death, whatever, prayer isn't even on the list of what to do. I drudge along blaming God, blaming others, filled with anger and regrets over my earthly prison. Maybe I can make a deal with God; "If You get me out of this mess, God, I'll go back to church." "If You make this trouble go away, I'll be good."  So God, in His mercy, gets me out of it...but it doesn't take long for me to forget my side of the deal, does it? Like the man who questioned Ivan's prayer, we do tend to focus on our prisons; not on our relationship with God and His will for us. 

Ivan knew that even in a prison, real peace, real hope, real joy, come, not from simply being released, but from being in God's will even with the bars all around.. Trusting in our Lord, knowing Jesus died and rose for my freedom already knocks the walls down.  When my prison of pain, my calaboose of conflict runneth over, I'm lost, I'm sad, and I'm confused as I look at me. When my eyes are on the Lord and His will, walls crumble, doors open, and the Son, Jesus, shines through. With "Thy will be done" focus, I'm free in my heart and soul even in earthly prisons. Faith tells me that even a feeling of solitary confinement can't keep my eyes from seeing God and His will of God. 

This week I prayed with a young Mom dying of Cancer. Though she passed away the next day, the Cancer didn't win; this child of God won. This "Thy will be done" child of God is now in heaven, completely healed. Her loved ones will see her again. She is happy. She has found the rewards of faith in Jesus.  We can feel locked up by our loss, while she is free of earthly hurts forever. Like Ivan, she was ready "to do the will of God" and no prison will ever hold her again.    Amen...pastor matthews

My only pigeon joke tells of the male pigeon returning to the nest and saying to his mate, "I made a deposit on a new car for you today, dear" So often, when we think of pigeons, we think of noisy, smelling birds that continue to make deposits on our cars. I have learned that there is much more to this little bird. History tells us that carrier pigeons were used by Genghis Kahn in 1150. Possibly the first air mail service was the Pigeon-Gram traveling from New Zealand to the Great Barrier Island in the late 1890's. There is an air mail stamp with a flying pigeon on it. Carrier pigeons were used in WWI, WWII, and the Korean War. Many lives were saved and awards given to the pigeons.

One neat story comes from WWI when some American troops found themselves in France, surrounded by the enemy and being fired upon by their own troops. The get the message out to stop the bombing one pigeon was sent. It was shot down. Another was sent. It was shot down too. Finally, a third pigeon named, Cher Ami, which means "dear friend" was sent. It was shot down, only to bounce back and become airborne. The cheering troops, this little bird, with its leg shot off made it through. The firing stopped and many lives were saved. I understand that the body of this little hero is on display at the Smithsonian. That's what commitment is all about!

Reading about Homing or Carrier Pigeons showed me three things. First of all, they can find their way home even if 1000 miles away. Amazing isn't it, considering many of us get lost just going through Riverside. How do they do it?  Science gives answers about odors, or looking for familiar sights. Personally, I think it is a GPS system. "God's Pigeon Surveillance." God watches over pigeons, just as He does sparrows and even the hairs on our head as we read in Matthew 10. Pigeons are committed to making it home. This is a good lesson for each of us to remember on Mother's Day. Having a lady in your life who's committed to making your house, apt., cardboard box, whatever, into a home is a blessing. A place we can come for love, joy, encouragement is special. A place where you can be yourself and let your wings down means so much in this hectic world. A place where Jesus is Lord and family members love and support each other is a gift from God.

Secondly, we learn that pigeons mate for a life time. They are committed to their mates and show that commitment with billing and cooing. Cooing is the sound pigeons make. Billing is a courtship act where the male is wooing his female and just before mating, she pushes her beak down into the male's beak. This might have started in France, I don't know. Commitment to our loved ones is best seen as our Lord Jesus was willing to suffer and die on the cross, so His brothers and sisters could fly to a heavenly home.

Thirdly, as with the story of Cher Ami, pigeons are committed to getting the message through. On this Pentecost Sunday, we remember how the Holy Spirit strengthens us to do the same. It's important that we get the message through to loved ones that Jesus loves them unconditionally. Sharing the Good News of Jesus really makes us a dear friend, for many lives will be saved. Good things to remember as we rinse the deposits off our cars. Amen...pastor matthews

"Mission Impossible" was a great TV. series from the 1960's that spawned three movies with Tom Cruise. Originally, Mr. Phelps was given as assignment, "Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to..." After hearing the mission, the tape would self-destruct. Mr. Phelps, Peter Graves, would put his team together and ultimately save the hostages from the evil dictator and take care of the bad guys. The recent movie spin-offs are very similar with a mission accepted, good people saved; bad guys destroyed. What seemed impossible was actually possible with the right help.

In Matthew 28, God gives His people their "Mission Impossible" to go and make disciples of all nations, all nations, baptizing in the Name of the Triune God and teaching them the truth of God's Word and salvation through faith in Jesus, your Savior. Swiss Theologian Emil Brunner said "The church exists by mission, just as fire exists by burning. No burning, no fire; no mission, no church" Thankfully, God is with us to help with this impossible mission.

God calls each of us to His "Mission Impossible" to reach out to the Un-churched and the De-churched with the message of God's love through faith in Christ that frees those who are hostage to sin and gives them a new life. Remember the people Jesus cared about? We're only following in His footsteps.

The Un-churched are family and friends, who have never been Baptized, are not members of a Christian church, and probably care less about Who Jesus is or what He has done. This seeming impossible mission but can at least begin by simply being someone's friend and neighbor. Often times your faith is caught more than taught. If others see the joy and hope you have through Christ your Savior, Who died and rose for you, that will not only be attractive to them, but intriguing too. Of course if we let our sinful side rule, then we are not smiling, become mean-spirited, judgmental, stand-off-ish, and never think of inviting others to church activities. The mission that God has for you has not been accepted and the unchurched will easily want to remain unchurched. This could lead them to eternal death. How are you doing with your impossible sounding mission to the un-churched? Remember in Matthew 19 that all things are possible for God. Ask for His help.

Reaching out to de-churched is difficult too. De-churched are those family and friends who have been baptized, were once church members, but now choose to walk away from God's church. They have a problem with the church, the pastor, etc. They may be burned out or upset over something that happened or was said and now they stay away from worship, Bible Study, Holy Communion, etc. From Concordia alone there are dozens and dozens of de-churched. Add in those from other parishes and the numbers are huge. Here again, a welcoming attitude on our part is important. We can encourage de-chuched people to remain close to Jesus Who loves them and maybe find a place of worship that would be comfortable. Better to find a new home church that shares Jesus' love than not worship at all and risk eternal death. How are you doing with your mission to the de-churched?  Impossible? Remember Matthew 19; all things are possible for God. Ask for His help. 

The story is told of a man on a cruise ship who took his name and address, added $1 for postage and placed them in three different bottles, sealed them with wax, and threw them into the ocean asking for a note back if found. Remarkably, two out of three were returned. Then it was said that maybe we should take John 3:16, "God so loved the world..." and place that message in bottles and throw them into rivers and lakes so those who find them will read God's Word of love. What do you think? Kind of dumb? Maybe so, but at least when it comes to God's mission for you, it's more than you're doing right now, isn't it?  Amen...pastor matthews

I've used the story before, but it ties in so well today. A young Indian boy went to his grandfather and asked him why is it so difficult to make the right choices in life? The wise man answered by telling him that inside of each of us are two wolves; one good, one evil. The boy asked him, "How do we know which one will win?" The grandfather answered, "The one you feed the most."

It's true, isn't it? Life is one long tug-of-war wolf-fight that goes on inside of each of us as we struggle with doing God's will or the Devil's will; showing love for God or love for money as Matthew 6 tells us. This tug-of-war can be a good thing because as long as there's that struggle, we know that there must be faith there. Faith in Jesus as our Savior gives us the desire to do those things that please God. Our sinful nature tugs against that, trying to lead us away from the Word and will of God. Matthew 17 assures us that faith the size of a mustard seed brings victory over this world and a home in heaven.

If our thoughts, words, and actions feed that evil wolf; our sinful nature, the love of money and possessions, then we will be filled with worry, hopelessness, and guilt. In his book, "How To Win Over Worry" John Haggai, I am told, quotes the following statistics; More people in our Country die of suicide each year than the five most contagious diseases combined. 50% more die of ulcers from stress and anxiety than from murder. Another book contends that more than half the patients in hospitals are there because of mental problems that have affected their bodies. Following the wrong master, as Jesus tells us in Matthew 6, leads to hurt, sadness, anxiety, and possibly an early grave.

With the Lord as the Master of our life, the Wolf we feed, we follow the Good Shepherd. Where does that take us?  When the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want for anything that I need in life, Psalm 23 confirms. Did you catch that, anything I really need. He leads me beside still waters. No stress there as we sit and watch the ups and downs of life with our Lord there to calm our hearts. He restores my soul. After all the hurts and pain life throws my way, illness, the loss of a loved one, fear over gas prices, a new job, the future, and all the rest, trusting the Good Shepherd Who gave His life for me will bring hope rather than hopelessness. He then leads me in the paths of righteousness; a God-pleasing path that brings peace, comfort, hope, and eventually eternal life.

The future is always uncertain isn't it? Gas prices, people losing their homes, a new President, terrorism, the War in Iraq, and the list goes on and on. We can feed the wolf of this world with our fears, worries, and love of possessions. When these things fill our hearts and minds day in and day out, is it any wonder that faith seems to be on the losing end of the rope?

Jesus came into this world, John 10 assures us to give us life, and not just existence, but life to the full; in abundance. A full life comes through faith in our Lord that grows through our faithful worship, daily prayer, Bible study, sharing our faith, Christian music, and support of Christian friends. This assures us that Jesus is in our hearts, anchoring that rope and giving us the victory now and forever. That's how the good Wolf wins.  amen..pastor matthews

There is a wonderful story about a wealthy man who lived in a small town. He was asked by the people of the town to build them a church. He was glad to do it! When the little stone church was finished, the people couldn't wait to see the inside. As they walked around, they noticed that there were no windows in the church. At the end of each pew was a hook secured in the wall. Each family was given a lamp for their favorite pew. Favorite pew?? Must be Lutherans, huh? The idea was that when everyone in town was in church, all the lamps would give great light and warmth to the church. When families would not show up, the place would be dark and cold. Each family was important to the church.

I like that story because in Matthew 5, Jesus tells us to let our light shine before the world that they might see our good works of faith and give glory to God. This is a lot like the story of the two young evangelists who visited a man's home and asked him if he was saved. The man took a pad and paper and gave them the names of his neighbors. "If you really want to know if the light of my faith in Jesus shines through, ask them." This should be true for each of us. Our faith in Jesus is personal, no doubt about it. In our hearts we believe that Jesus died and rose for our sins. However, if people around you don't know you're a child of God, if your light isn't shining, then we are not the people God wants us to be. Like the old line...if you were taken to court and accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Philippians 2 tells us to shine like stars in this dark and depraved world. The only way that's possible is when the Son of God is shining in our hearts first. Our Lord suffered, died, and rose, so that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are brought to faith and that faith and love can shine through to others. No faith? No light! No faith? No good works pleasing to God! No faith? No shining stars!  No shining stars? A world that remains dark in sin. 

The purpose of a light bulb is to shine. That's why they are made. If power can't get to a light bulb, it can't shine. In the same way, we are made by God to be His children and shine for Him. If God's power doesn't get to us, we remain dark and cold. That power is found in His Word, our Baptism, and Holy Communion. We read of His love. We are brought into His family with sins forgiven. We are strengthened week in a week out to shine in this dark and cold world.  Want to shine for Jesus? Read His Word and worship regularly. Want to shine for Jesus? Say your prayers and remember your Baptism. Want to shine for Jesus? Attend Holy Communion faithfully.  Be a star shining for God as you share your faith. Who knows, maybe some day God might send some Wise Men your way and you can point them, well, you're a star, you know where.
Amen..pastor matthews

Life and death, it doesn't get more serious than that, does it? How do we handle life? How do we handle death? There is a story about a man who passed away and left his wife $30,000 for his funeral so he would really be remembered... Being a dutiful wife, she knew she had to spend it all. A friend asked her, "$30,000 is a lot of money. How did you spend it all?" The widow replied that she had spent $6500 on the funeral. She had given her church a nice gift of $1,000. She also gave her Pastor a nice gift of $500. Then she went on to say that she had spent the remaining $22, 000 on a Memorial Stone. Her friend replied, "$22,000 on a Memorial Stone! Wow! How big is it?" The widow held up her finger and replied, "2 1/2 carats." We all handle life and death in our own way.

In John 10, Jesus tells us that He has come to give us life. Not the sin-sick life that the world offers, but a new life for all who believe in Him. To bring us help and healing, He comes as Dr. Jesus, our Great Physician. If you don't believe you're sin-sick, and everything is fine and dandy, you don't feel you need Him. Dr. Jesus tells us He has come for those who know they are sick and dying. To prove that He wants sin-sick sinners, Jesus called Matthew the Tax Collector to be a disciple. When Jesus called Matthew, He chose from the bottom of the social barrel. The Jewish tax collectors worked for Rome, the enemy of the Jews, stole from the poor, could be bribed by the rich, and often skimmed money off the top. Dr. Jesus called Matthew and gave him a prescription for a new life on earth and an eternal one in heaven too. That prescription was one that told of the need to repent of one's sins, trust in Jesus as your Savior, and find a new life. Matthew repented of his sins, trusted in Jesus Who would die and rise from the dead, even shared that Good News in his Gospel. Matthew found a new life and knew that death actually healed him for eternity.  Jesus offers us that same prescription today for sinners sick with sin.

Sad to say, there are many who don't see a need for Dr. Jesus because everything is fine and dandy. 1 John 1 tells us that if we claim to be without sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Many in our world simply believe they're good enough as they are.  Sadly, many live with the poison of pride in their veins; congestive heart failure from coldness towards God and others; germs of judgementalism fill the body; a cancer of a care less attitude for those in need; and brains are filled with aneurisms of anger. We are all sick with sin! Do we turn in faith to Dr. Jesus for healing or self-medicate with alcohol, drugs, and lies about how good we are?

I know that I am a poor, miserable sinner in need of God's mercy. Many of you are kind enough to remind me of that fact over and over. Thankfully Dr. Jesus came to clean up my sin-sick heart. His prescription of repentance, faith, and a new life gives me hope. How about you? Dr. Jesus calls us to His office, the church, each week for our free spiritual meds paid for by His blood, found in His Word and Sacraments. Do we choose to show up to be healed, forgiven or are we too busy with things that are more important to us? Thankfully, whenever or wherever we pray and are in need, Dr. Jesus makes house calls to forgive and strengthen us.

Our faith assures us that Dr. Jesus came to bring us life on earth in all its glory. With Dr. Jesus on call for you 24/7 we find hope and peace each day and realize that death simply means that we are finally healed from all of life's hurts and can enjoy a healthy new life with our Lord.  To be remembered for a $30,000 funeral might seem nice, but to be remembered as a sin-sick patient healed by Dr. Jesus for eternity is best of all.  Amen...pastor matthews

I was watching an old re-run of a show called "Players" the other day. They used the phrase, "Not a human being but a human doing." I thought that this is what God has called each of us to be, especially in the light of our Scripture from Matthew 10:42 about sharing a cup of water with a little one. God has called us not to just be human beings, sitting around doing nothing, but to be human doings for our Lord. God isn't looking for pew Christians who are nice on Sunday mornings but could care less about the Christian life during the week. He wants us to be His children, sharing the refreshing Word of God out there in the world each and every day.
   
It is always easier to live as God's "Frozen Chosen." We can sit in the pew when it's convenient, think about all sorts of things; often how good we look, what we have to do today, and if people are impressed because we're here today. Then we go home and hang up our faith until next Sunday. Sad to say, when sin leaves us only human beings or the "frozen chosen" there is no time for Bible Study, no time to serve the Lord, and no interest in giving a cup of cold water to a little one. Little ones, as it is used here, don't have to be children, maybe just those who are weak, sad, baby Christians in need of support. They can't give it back to you, so God gives it back to you.

It's nice when people say "thank you" or give you a gift. There is nothing wrong with that! But, when God rewards your act of kindness done out of faith in Jesus your Savior, now that's what a blessing is all about! God's blessings to those who act in faith; remember the questions He'll ask at Judgement Day about food, clothing, making visits, and even giving a cup of cold water. When we do, God can bless us during troubles, maybe not calming our storm, but calming us during the storm. He blesses us as He gives us HOPE (Heaven's Our Possession Eternally) when the world looks hopeless, or JOY when we live with Jesus first, Others second, and You last. Nothing in this life brings those rewards. His greatest blessing is eternal life through faith in Jesus as our Savior. Doing nothing, procrastinating, can keep us from blessings God has for us.

Procrastination can be a sin that leaves us with guilt and sadness when loved ones die or life takes a sharp turn. What do we say;  We'll visit our sick friend in the hospital when we get around to it. We'll invite family over for dinner when we get around to it. We'll do more for our Church when we get around to it. I'll even start tithing when I get around to it. I'll pray more faithfully when I get around to it. I'll worship more faithfully when I get around to it.  Well, your prayers have been answered. I have a gift for each and every one of you. This gift will help you grow from a human being to a human doing. You will now be able to more faithfully serve your Lord, thankful that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead so you could be in His family of faith. Everyone who wants one will receive a round tuit. Hold on to it and remember that God wants you to be a human doing, faithfully serving your Lord.         Amen...pastor matthews

A few years ago, Nicolas Cage starred in a movie called "National Treasure." The plot to the movie tells us that on the back of the Declaration of Independence was hidden some clues to a treasure of tremendous value. Throughout the movie, they would find one clue, then another as they searched for the treasure. Finally, after following the clues, they found something really spectacular. With this being 4th of July weekend, and following all the fireworks connected with the Independence of our Country, I couldn't help but try to tie the National Treasure to the Real Treasure God has for us in His Son.

Now over 200 years ago, our country was under the proverbial thumb of England. They could force us to pay higher taxes and more for goods wherever and whenever they chose. Hum, that does sound very much like the front page of a recent Tribune. A number of Patriots got together and wrote the Declaration of Independence; declaring our freedom from English rule. A bloody fight followed, but freedom was ours.

In a similar way, as humans, we are born under the thumb of the Devil. We are all poor, miserable sinners, enslaved by sin, death, and the Devil. On our own there is no hope but to live, die, and spend eternity in Hell. Thankfully, our Creator God loved us so much He had a different plan. He sent His Son to live, die, and rise from the dead to bring freedom for all who believe in Him and the hope of everlasting life in heaven. This bloody battle was won for us by Jesus' blood shed on the cross. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, a Declaration of Independence was written. We call it the Bible. In this Bible, we read that God sent His Son to a sinful world to pay the price so all who trust in Him will have freedom from sin, death, and the Devil.

The nature of sin is always to enslave us. Death always wants to defeat us. The Devil always wants to own our hearts. On our own, we haven't got a chance! The sins we like imprison us. Death traps us and leads to a dead end. The Devil ties us up and controls us as we focus on the treasures of this world that lead only to an empty dead end.

Thankfully, God's Declaration of Independence, His Word, also contains the map to our eternal Treasure. Clue #1...(John 8, "All who sin are slaves of sin.") I look in a mirror and see the life I'm living isn't a God-pleasing one. Clue #2... (Luke 18, "Forgive me God for I am a sinner") Knowing that I am a miserable sinner, I am sorry and repent of my sins.  Clue #3... (2 Corinthians 5, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation") Trusting in Jesus as my Savior, I want to turn my life around. Clue # 4...(Galatians 6, May I never boast except in the cross of my Lord Jesus Christ") On my knees, I look up at the cross and find the real Treasure God has for me; Jesus. You win, God's Treasure is yours. That's a great reason for fireworks! Amen..pastor matthews 

There is an interesting story about a poor farmer who was visited by an educated man. The educated man told him about stones called diamonds that would make him rich and powerful. Wanting wealth and power, he sold his little farm, leased out his family to work for a neighbor and went out seeking his fortune in diamonds. After many months, with no diamonds, he was poor and alone. He was filled with despair and ended up killing himself. Meanwhile, the farmer who bought his farm was out tilling the soil only to find an unusual stone. He placed it on a shelf at home. One day it was discovered that it was a diamond and what a difference it made for the farmer. The moral of the story teaches us that even though there are churches growing by leaps and bounds in the suburbs, God has placed us here to seek out uncut diamonds in our backyard. Our family, friends, and neighbors around us right here need to hear of a Savior Who loves them, died and rose for them, and has a place in heaven for all who believe in Him. It makes a difference for them because these uncut diamonds have great value in the sight of God.

Sad to say, many of us are not interested in these uncut diamonds around us. They look more like common-place dirty, rocks and not worth the effort. Like the farmer, we keep looking around for our own wealth out there someplace and neglect our own back yards. Stocks and bonds have value over the uncut diamonds at home or next door. A shiny diamond ring is more important than dirty old common-place rocks. I work to improve my career, neglecting those uncut diamonds around us. I might invite an important politician to church, if it makes me look good, but not the checkout girl.  Sad to say, we can end up in despair and emptiness like that first farmer with a dead end.

God promises that anytime we share His Word of Life with others, it will never be for nothing. Somehow, someway, God's Word, through the Holy Spirit, will make a difference. A simple "God bless you" or "God loves you" to one of God's uncut diamonds in our backyard will take root and be a blessing. We share the Word; God takes care of the rest. No matter who we are and who we can reach with the message of our Risen Savior, it will be blessed by God.

Like the men who were walking a beach after a storm watching a young boy flinging grounded starfish back into the life-giving ocean. "What do you think you're doing?" they asked. "There are thousands of grounded starfish. Forget about them. You can't make a difference." "Well, answered the boy, tossing yet another back into the sea, "It makes a difference for this one."   

Are you going to reach out for Jesus to an uncut diamond in your back yard this week or leave it in the ground and simply look for your own worldly diamonds? Are you gonna make a difference for one starfish this week or let it die on the beach?  You can make a difference. Amen. pastor matthews

I missed the festivities of the Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium for the All Star Game. We had Vacation Bible School. The next morning my Brother Mike called me to ask if I'd seen what had happened. Telling him I was at VBS, he filled me in on the news. It seems a young man from the Texas Rangers by the name of Josh Hamilton had hit 28 home runs in the first round of the contest. This was unheard of in baseball history. What makes this a wonderful story is the fact that only a few years ago, Josh was down and out as a drug addict dying with an addiction to crack. He had no life apart from drug abuse. Josh tells the story that one day on the road to his dealer, he ran out of gas. When he came to, he was walking down the yellow line with cars buzzing past on both sides. He tried to make deals with God as he prayed, yet nothing happened. He had nightmares with Satan overpowering him again and again. Finally, totally lost, he surrendered to the will of God and Jesus as His Savior. His new life began.

After hitting the homers as an All Star, he was interviewed on T.V. He told the audience that without the Lord he was lost. Jesus gave him a second chance and hope. There is always hope with the Lord. In response to his witness, the interviewer made the comment that it was a bad day for atheists at Yankee Stadium.

This young man simply shared his faith. He told what God had done for him. He didn't make fun of others' religions or of those who have no faith. He simply spoke from the heart. This is what the Lord wants us to do. Jesus' last words to us were to go and make disciples by sharing His Word at Baptism and in preaching and teaching. Jesus never tells us to make fun of or put down others for their faith or lack of it. Simply speak from your heart what Jesus has done for you and let the Holy Spirit take it from there. Did Jesus die for your sins? Tell others. Did Jesus rise from the dead to open heaven for you? Tell others. Did He help you through sad, lonely, hopeless times? Tell others. Do you know that He loves you? Tell others.  Others might not think they need to hear about the Lord. They may make fun of you and call you names. As Josh says, nobody can insult me as much as I've insulted myself (speaking of his sinful addictions).

One of the great joys at Vacation Bible School is to hear the teachers and children talk about Jesus and His love for them. Through their stories, songs, and skits, they are making their faith in Jesus their Friend known to all around them. Our children at VBS make it a bad time for Atheists in Berwyn.

Josh tells the story that one night a little boy asked for his autograph. While he was signing, the little guy said, "Josh, you're my savior."  Josh looked him in the eye and said, "Thank you. Do you know Who my Savior is?" With a smile on his face, the little boy blurted out, "Jesus Christ!" "That's exactly right." Josh answered. Do people know Who your Savior is? Amen...pastor matthews

I was reading this week that back in 1973 some bank robbers were robbing a Bank in Stockholm, Sweden. Though the police interrupted, the robbers ended up holding hostages at gun point for six long days. What was interesting was the fact that once the hostages were freed, they were sympathetic and actually emotionally attached to these terrorists, though their lives were threatened. A Psychiatrist by the name of Nils Bejerot called this phenomenon...what?..."The Stockholm Syndrome."  The hostage showing loyalty to the hostage-taker has been seen again and again over the years. Many of us older folk remember Patty Hearst. It seems with the "Stockholm Syndrome" that captives get so wrapped up with the captors that no matter how bad it is, it's better than the unknown.

Because of our sinful nature, we find ourselves with the "The Stockholm Syndrome" when it comes to the materialistic side of life. Though we know that love of possessions, drugs, alcohol, and all the rest are bad for us in the long run, we find a closeness with these things that hold us captive. Family time might be neglected as we work and work, our health gets worse from the stress, money gets tight as our debts mount up, but these temptations the world offers are so appealing to us that they hold us captive and we like it. We want more and more of the newer, popular stuff, regardless of the cost. Loving those things that keep us captive can only lead to loneliness, sadness, and an empty heart. We feel helplessly captive to their power over us.

Another way to look at our captivity in life is a lesser known phrase the "Stockdale Paradox." Jim Stockdale was a prisoner of war in Vietnam from 1965-1973. He was beaten and tortured for 8 years but never broke. When asked how he could handle all this for such a long time, he answered, "I never lost faith in the end of the story."  Jim believed that he would prevail and that these horrible times would add meaning to his life. The "Stockdale Paradox" finds its meaning in one word; faith. A Paradox looks one way but can be the total opposite; such as being a prisoner on the outside while being free or hopeful on the inside.

St. Paul tells us in Romans 8 that there will be difficult times for God's people. Paul would know having been stoned, shipwrecked, and put in prison. There will be hardships, persecutions, nakedness, danger, even death. Yet for God's people who have faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, the "Stockdale Paradox" kicks in as Paul wrote "we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us." Faith assures us that somehow, someway, sometime, the victory is ours through faith in Jesus Who died and rose for our salvation. 

Verses 38 and 39 of Romans lists many things in life that could hold us captive. Whether its life or death, the present or the future, any power, or anything else, note that, anything else in all creation, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ. That's what faith is all about. Jim Stockdale was held captive by the North Vietnamese; you might be captive to a credit card, an illness, or fear. God promises that even bad things can work for our good. What a paradox that is! Amen...pastor matthews

While on vacation, we visited the Museum of Funeral Customs and Lincoln's Tomb and Museum. I was thinking about funerals and epitaphs. An epitaph is the short message often written on tombstones. The City of Springfield is kind of like Lincoln's epitaph with all that is written about him.  Mine will probably be "He got what he got!" There's a website that has many from the Old West and other places. At a grave of a lady whose husband was buried in Texas the epitaph was "I'd rather be here than in Texas." A sheep stealer had the following, "Here lies the body of Thomas Kemp. Who lived by wool and died by hemp."  From the tomb of an English lawyer we find "Sir John Strange. Here lies and honest lawyer. And that is Strange." A dentist's tombstone reads "Stranger tread this ground with gravity. Dentist Brown is filling his last cavity."

Speaking of a great epitaph, our Gospel lesson in Matthew 15 tells of a faithful lady looking for help for her daughter. This lady is quite a character. As a Samaritan, thought of as dogs to the Jews, she took a risk to even approach Jesus. She was an outcast, and as a woman, less of a person at that time in history, yet she had faith that Jesus could and would heal her daughter. That faithfulness made it worth the risk for her. Jesus recognized her faith and with a twinkle in His eye reminded her that He had come for the children of Israel, not their "dogs." I see her looking Him right in the eye and with a smile responded by saying even the dogs get the crumbs from the table. Jesus is impressed. He healed the daughter and gave the mother her epitaph, "Great is your faith." It's nice when others tell us we have faith, but when it comes from Jesus personally, WOW! 

This lady of faith knew that God kept His promises and she acted on that faith. In Psalm 50:15, our Lord tells us, "Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you and you will glorify Me." Trusting that Jesus was God, she called upon Him in her day of trouble, never doubting that Jesus would help her. Jesus healed her daughter. I'm certain she told everyone she knew what Jesus had done, giving God the glory.

How we react to God's promises says a lot about our future epitaphs from God. In Matthew 7, Jesus tells the parable of good trees and bad trees and the fruit they produce. He tells us that many might call out to God with their voices, but be far away from Him with their hearts and their faithfulness. Unlike the woman who risked it all to reach out to Jesus, our sinful nature leads us to Him at best as a last resort, not really expecting anything anyway.  As He tells us in Matthew 7, those bad trees with bad fruit receive a different epitaph from God. This one says, "I never knew you."

This lowly, Samaritan woman shows us the way to real joy and hope. She knew God's promises and she stepped out in faith. We are called to read the Word of God, learn His promises, and faithfully trust our Lord Jesus Who died and rose for the forgiveness of our sins and a home in heaven. You've probably heard the story of the mountain climber who lost sight of the time and was caught on the side of a mountain when it was pitch black. Suddenly he slipped and fell. It seemed like forever until one rope caught him. Dandling in mid air he called to God for help. God called from heaven, "Do you trust Me?" "Yes I do Lord," he replied. "Then cut the rope." He couldn't do it. Again the voice called, "Trust Me and cut the rope." "I'm afraid God. I can't do." He simply held on as tight as he could. Come morning, he was found frozen to death...three feet from the ground. As we faithfully trust His Word, Jesus smiles and tells us, like the Samaritan woman, that your epitaph will be  "Great is your faith." Aman...pastor matthews

The Olympics are over for another year. Did you watch some of it?  I caught a little here and there; Michael Phelps, volleyball, the Redeem Team in basketball, and a little of this and that. I usually cheer for the older folks as they compete against the kids. I played some sports as a kid, still enjoy golf when I can, but nothing like what the Olympians do. I was reading that Michael Phelps at the age of 11 was seen by Coach Bob Bowman as having great potential as a swimmer. His life was never the same. He was not a "normal kid" anymore as his training to go for the gold overshadowed everything.

It's hard to imagine, but as God looks at each and every one of us, He sees great potential too. He probably does not see us as Olympians, but still going for the gold of faithfulness on earth leading to the victory of everlasting life. Though the gold of heaven awaits us through faith in our Lord Who died and rose to carry us to the eternal finishing line, we still have to swim the laps, run the track, and faithfully serve on earth. Living God's way can be scary sometimes. However, it has been said that Jesus didn't make the sacrifice on the cross to get our souls into heaven but to get heaven in our souls.

Though God sees potential in us, we don't see it in ourselves, do we? Sad to say, we see ourselves as the losers with a capital L. We are spiritual wimps. I can't be who God wants me to be. I'm the one who catches my foot on the hurdle, drops the baton, cramps up in the race. My faith is weak. I struggle with favorite sins. I neglect Bible study and prayer. I'm too busy or too lazy to volunteer at church. The fun and foolishness of life is more important. I'm always afraid of failing, saying the wrong thing, so I don't do anything at all. I'm like the little boy who was afraid to go out at night because of the "monsters" out there. One evening his mother asked him to get the mop on the back porch. "I can't," he said, "It's too dark and I'm afraid." "Don't forget that Jesus is always with you to help you." "In that case, send Him out to get the mop!"

Potential is power waiting to happen, power waiting to be seen. In the Olympics, we see the runners poised, filled with potential; ready to jump, or to run, or to serve the ball, or to through up a 3 point shot. In these sports with many competing, there is only one winner; one person or team that wins the gold. As we get poised to go and serve our Lord, interesting that getting poised to run the race of life starts with sitting in a pew,  through faith in Jesus as our Savior, we're all gonna get the gold. 

Thankfully, crossing the finish line doesn't depend on me, it depends on what Jesus did for me. Through the Holy Spirit, I have the gift of faith. I am encouraged to serve the Lord, share my faith, show kindness, and forgive others; all these scary things. I don't have to be afraid because I know that when I do fail, and I will, He is there to forgive me, pick me up, and walk me across the finish line for the victory. 

An acronym for FAITH is Forsaking All I Trust Him. So, trust Him. You're a winner with Jesus. Go get the mop! Amen..pastor matthews

Yesterday I had the honor to play a small part in the funeral service for Josh Harris, a member of the National Guard killed in the line of duty defending his Country in Afghanistan. Josh was only 21 years old. The funeral service, with all the military honors, motorcycle honor guard, and burial at Abraham Lincoln Cemetery, was very impressive. I have known Josh and some family members for a number of years. The funeral service was held in the Gymnasium of Walther Lutheran High School with a large crowd attending.

Having a service in a Gym allowed our gracious God to give me an idea of what He wanted me to say. A High School Gym can be an emotional place. When your team is fighting for a victory and they come up short, it's a sad time. Losing a game can bring tears to the faithful. The other side of that, of course, is winning the game. When your team wins, it can be a time of cheering and joy. Tears and Cheers are found in a Gym.

Tears and cheers are parts of sports, parts of funerals, and life in general. Life is filled with lots of tears. No matter how macho or tough we try to be, when a loved one passes away and our hearts feel like they're going to break, we shed tears don't we? When we discover that we or a loved one has Cancer or some type of serious disease, we often shed tears. Other factors like the economy, our family situation, job, school, the war, and much more can bring tears to our eyes. Tears are an outward response to an inward pain. Spiritual, emotional, or physical pain can bring tears to our eyes. Tears are not a bad thing. The shortest verse of the Bible tells us that "Jesus wept." Tears of pain exist because we live in a sinful world.

Thankfully, we have a God Who loves us and always wants to bring comfort and cheer. Tears lead to cheers for those who love the Lord. The tears of Good Friday lead to the cheers of Easter Sunday. Over and over in the Bible the tears of death, tears of prison, tears of fear, lead to the cheers of victory and new life for all who love and trust the Lord. Isaiah 25:8 tells us that God one day will wipe away death and dry up our tears. There are no tears in heaven, no pain, no cancer, no war, only the cheers of God's people as they rejoice being in the presence of God and back with their loved ones.

For Josh, we shed tears of sadness and loss. For parents and family members, there is no greater hurt in this life. Yet, because Josh was a child of God who knew Jesus died and rose for him, we can still cheer. We cheer his courage in defending our Country. We cheer his arrival in heaven as Jesus met him with a hug and a new home.  Luke 15 assures us that there is rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents and trusts in the Lord.

We live in a sinful world of tears, but trusting in Jesus as your Savior means that there is a standing ovation awaiting your arrival in heaven. Your tears will become Cheers! That's His promise for you. Amen..pastor matthews

As we drive around town, there are many familiar logos, seals, banners, etc. The Golden Arches remind us of cheeseburgers and fries. The script "D", in my world, stands for the Detroit Tigers, where the familiar "B" or "C" or "Sox" tells of your team. Products, stores, teams, etc. want their logos, their symbols, to be recognizable ones; like tissues are called Kleenex. For Lutherans, Luther's Seal represents our Church body and the faith we believe. Our bulletin cover and the magnet you received this morning will help you follow along as we reflect on Luther's Seal this Reformation Sunday.

Some 500 years ago, there was lots of confusion in the Church. People were being taught that they could buy their way and the way of loved ones into heaven. No need for worship or the Sacraments, simply purchase an indulgence and sins were forgiven. Martin Luther, a Catholic priest, took exception with that and used the words of the Bible as proof. Luther wanted people to stop focusing on the words of man and focus on the Word of God, the Bible. To help people do that, he wrote the catechism we still use today, translated the Bible into German so his people could read for themselves, and designed his seal to reinforce the message of salvation.

This seal, Luther's Seal, also called the Luther Rose, Luther's logo, etc. was designed by Luther to reflect faith in Christ. 
1. At the center is a black cross. This reminds us (Romans 3) that we have all sinned and need God's help. Our world today, like at Luther's time, there are all kinds of things filling our hearts. Many believe that there are many ways to God, often by simply being good.  John 14 tells us that Jesus is the Only Way to the Father, so it all has to begin with Jesus, not me. It all points to the cross at its center.

2.  Next is the red heart, a symbol of love. Our love is often hot or cold depending upon circumstances. Thankfully, God's love is a constant. Sad to say, many still don't believe there is a God or by looking around, see Him as vengeful and punishing. If there is a God, how can He let these terrible things happen in the world? Luther wanted people at that time and in our time to see the God of John 3:16, Who, no matter what we think, loves us so much He sent Jesus to be our Savior. Look at the cross.

3. Next is the rose, Luther's favorite flower. The white rose, Luther tells us, can remind us of joy, peace, and singing angels calling out "Holy, holy, holy." We are clean in God's sight, holy, not by what we do, but through the blood of Christ shed for us. We are made holy in God's sight through faith in Jesus and can bloom to a new life serving our Lord and others. It began at the cross.

4. The blue can remind us of the sky. God's love surrounds us like the sky and is even there when there are clouds and storms to face. He's there to hear our prayers and assure us that through faith in Jesus a heavenly home above awaits. The cross says it all.

5. Around the edge is a ring. Rings have no beginning or end. Eternal life with Jesus will be forever thanks to His death on the cross and rising from the dead for us. .

There are many familiar logos out there that remind us of food, drink, sports, and all the rest. I pray that each time you see your Luther's Seal magnet on the fridge you'll simply say to yourself that no matter what's happening around me, "God loves me." Look to the cross, that sealed it for you. Amen..pastor matthews

When we know the whole story, it can really make a difference. The story is told of a lady who went to her pharmacist asking for some arsenic. "Well," he answered, "That's a strong poison. I can't just give it to you." "I need it to poison my husband. He's been having an affair and I want him dead." "I can't do it. It's against the law for me to give out a terrible poison like that."  "My husband is having the affair with your wife!"  "Oh," answered the pharmacist, "I didn't know you had a prescription!"  Knowing the whole story makes a big difference.

We read in the Prophet Amos that God doesn't like the worship of His people. It says that God hates it; strong word, huh? In Chapter 5 we read that God despises their worship time. He refuses to accept their offerings. There is no peace between them.  He doesn't want to hear their songs. God has turned His back and is basically saying to them "This Stuff Is Not Enough." I would have to guess that the Israelites found this to be really troubling. It had hit the proverbial fan for them!  Should they just give up worship and find themselves going to hell? The whole thing sounds like a dead end when God says to them "This Stuff Is Not Enough!" God has laid down the law and they have come up short. But, is there more to the story?

Knowing that God's Word applies to us today,  what if God looked each of us in the eye today and said, "Hey You...This Stuff Is Not Enough." As your pastor I would find that a reason to sweat.  What if God told us that He doesn't like our worship, doesn't listen to our prayers, won't accept our offering, or thinks our music is just noise. This is not good. We're up another proverbial creek. What's the problem, God? What have we done wrong? What can we do to right the ship?  Are we all lost to hell eternally?  Before we all go home in despair, let's look at the rest of the reading. Let's see the whole story.

God doesn't stop with the don't do this and don't do that, He continues with what He expects of His faithful people; not worship limited to a building, but worship that shows itself  "out there" with righteousness and justice. As God looks at it, faithful worship is a 24/7 activity. James 2: 26 tells us that faith without deeds is death. Worship that stays in a building is death. Loving God only as we sit in the pew is death. Acting righteous to impress people at church alone is death. Saying we love God while deliberately hurting people is death.  Giving God an hour and thinking that it's enough is death. Thankfully, there's more to this story.

First of all, God wants His people to be righteous. The word also means blameless. As poor, miserable sinners, knowing all the bad stuff we do, how can we be blameless before God? One way; trusting in Jesus as our Lord and Savior Who died and rose for our salvation and asking God to forgive us for those sins.  Asking for forgiveness isn't just a churchy thing connected with Holy Communion in here; it's an "out there" thing that carries worship beyond the walls.  We need to see God's presence; find His forgiveness "out there" too. That's righteous!

Justice is the way God wants us to reach out to others with our faith. Being kind and understanding isn't just for in here; it's an "out there" thing. When God looks at justice, He sees that all sins must be paid for; that's justice. The scales must balance. By His grace, He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross and take the justice we deserve for our sins. Jesus took our punishment; we receive the blessings by His grace. If the forgiveness we've found in here is real, then we must show real forgiveness "out there."   If we understand God's grace and mercy in here, then it's something real when we show it "out there." This means we won't need the arsenic because we understand that "This Stuff Is Not Enough." God wants us to have that stuff too. Amen...pastor matthews

I like the new policy at some gas stations where they give a discount for cash. I always pay cash for gas, so a few cents here and there can add up. I think cash is the wise choice.  Sad to say, I know there are many who have made poor choices and found themselves in the quicksand of credit card debt. I was probably 40 years old myself until I learned better. Credit cards which represent the money we hope to pay make it too easy for us sometimes. Where cash is an immediate pay off, credit cards are more of a maybe, someday, probably, hopefully pay off. Credit card companies like to have you pay their fees at a high interest rate, but I'm sure that the people you deal with like the certainty of cash.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us that God wants us to encourage and build up one another. I was reflecting how this is a cash deal. We see people face to face and the reality of exchange is there. For instance, we hear that so-in-so is ill. We feel badly, but, do we respond with cash or credit cards? Do we do the real thing and visit them in person, call on the phone, or send a card; all cash-like responses...or...do we simply think "too bad" and move on with more important things; a credit card response. Cash is hands on, while credit cards are more of an artificial maybe response.

Jesus was always a cash person. When there was a need, Jesus was hands on, taking care of the need Himself, never a "Maybe I'll get to them later." A person was deaf, blind, sick, or dying; Jesus was there with the cash of His love and support. When we needed a Savior to pay for our sins, Jesus didn't call it in with a credit card, think about handling it later, He cashed in with His holy and precious blood shed on the cross for the forgiveness of sins for all who trust in Him.

As His children, He wants us to do the same. The letters in CASH can remind us that we are Consecrated As the Savior's Hands in this world. When others are in need, we are the hands of Jesus to them. A crying child needs to be comforted by the hands of Jesus; you or me. A lonely senior citizen finds a willing ear and a hand to hold when the hands of Jesus are there. A hospital patient finds an encouraging card, phone call, or visit from the hands of Jesus when we follow through with CASH not a credit card.

Sad to say, our sinful nature likes the credit card approach better. It's a lot easier to phone it in, think about doing something, rather than acting on it. Rather than encouraging and building up another, we want to encourage and build ourselves up. This is often at the cost of others. I don't have time for you, just time for what I want to do. I can't spend money on you, after all, I need it all for me. I might feel badly for you, but that feeling will pass like a burp and I'll get on with my credit card life that centers on me. 

Jesus wants us to be His CASH in this world; Consecrated As the Savior's Hands. Think about it; CASH is genuine money, credit cards are artificial. CASH keeps our identities secure, while Credit Cards can lead to problems. CASH is given with no strings attached, while Credit Cards might leave you in doubt. Best of all, CASH has God's Name on it, while the Cards have our name. As you reach out in faith to encourage and build up another, being God's CASH in this world, you have God's Name on you as you tell others, "In God, I Trust."
Amen...pastor matthews

For some reason people are generally surprised to see me outside of church. I run into people at a restaurant or market and the usual question is "Look who's here! What are you doing here?" I tell them that now that I'm 63, Mrs. Matthews lets me out alone. Their surprise usually shows in one of two ways. Children who see me usually yell my name and come up for a hug. Those who haven't been in church for a while often avoid me, pretending not to see me. Either way, they're surprised to see me. My favorite story of surprise came when Mrs. Matthews and I were in Paradise Island in the Bahamas to perform a wedding. We crossed the street only to hear, "Pastor Matthews!" It was the mother of one of our members. She was really surprised to see us there. 

The whole idea of surprise fits in nicely as we look at the story of Judgment Day from Matthew 25. Our Lord speaks to those on His left who did not feed Him, clothe Him, or visit Him. They are surprised because they said they never saw Jesus. Our Lord tells them that He was there when they neglected to feed, clothe, or visit those in need. To those on His right He commends for faith that showed by feeding Him, clothing Him, and visiting Him. They too are surprised saying they don't remember seeing Him. Again Jesus tells them that He was there when they fed, clothed, and visited those in need.

Judgment seems to come not because of bad things done, but for good things left undone. If those on the left had seen Jesus, certainly they would have done nice things. We need to score all the points we can, right? Not seeing Jesus in the face of poor, sick, sad, smelly, and lonely people leads away from a heavenly home. When God places someone in need in front of us, and He does, our sinful nature could care less. We turn our back, and walk away. Surprise! Look Who's there? Imagine turning your back to Jesus?

Knowing that Jesus suffered and died for us so that through faith we have a home in heaven motivates us to care for those who can't care for themselves. We were the smelly, sinful beggars that Jesus had time to help. As dirty beggars, we didn't have a heavenly home. Jesus came and by His death and resurrection cleaned up our act; fed us in Holy Communion, clothed us with His righteousness, and gave us a heavenly home. We couldn't do it on our own, so He opened heaven for us. For God's children a cup of coffee for a cold, homeless person surprisingly becomes a cup of coffee given to Jesus. Surprise! We don't see Him but He's there.

There's a neat little story about a King who was getting old and was looking for a young man to be his son and inherit the castle. He wanted someone with faith in the Lord and a kind heart for people. In a far off town, a young man who loved Jesus, wanted to go and see the King. Sadly, he was poor and only had raggedy clothes. He begged and begged until he could get the money for a nice robe to wear in the King's presence and set off for the castle. As he was getting closer, he spotted a poor, crippled beggar on the side of the road calling out for food; he was starving, and for a cloak; he was freezing. The young man paused, his heart went out to the beggar and he shared his food with him. Watching him shiver, while knowing he would not have chance to look nice for the King, he gave the beggar his outer cloak. He was left with dirty, tattered clothes for the trip. Arriving at the castle, he was ushered into a side room with fancy dressed men. He knew he didn't match up to others he saw there. Suddenly the King appeared. The young man was surprised, "You were there," the young man called out, "You were the beggar on the side of the road." "Yes" answered the King, "And you are now home, my Son." Turn your back to me if you want, but please never turn your back to those in need. Surprise! You never know Who's there. Amen...pastor matthews

There's a touching story from England during the dark days of WW II. Hitler's air force was dropping tons of bombs creating death and destruction all through London. Because there was fear for the life of King George VI and his family, plans were made to transport the King and his family to safety in Canada for the duration of the War. The King refused to leave his people in their dark hour. Shortly after making that decision, it was reported that the King was seen inspecting a bombed out area in London.  While walking through the rubble of death and destruction, an elderly man walked up to the King and said, "You, here, in the midst of this. You are indeed a good King."

Traditionally, we envision Kings up in their palaces, wealthy people living behind walls and gates, and God in heaven. To see the King, you have to make an appointment, travel to his palace, and wait to have an audience at his convenience. To see a wealthy person, you make an appointment, and you'd better have a good reason, travel to their office, go up in an elevator, and wait to see seen at his convenience. To see God at Christmas time, you simply look in the manger. Our heavenly King is here in the rubble with us.

While God brings people together, like Jesus and us, it's the nature of sin to separate. Sin separates us from God and others often through our pride. I don't like you. I don't need you.  I don't like the color of your skin. I don't like the way you smell or where you live. You don't do what I want. Leave me alone. The only people I'm interested in helping are those I love or those who can do something for me in return.  If you're as good as I am, as rich as I am, living where I live, then I'll take an interest in you.

God's nature is to bring things together. God sent Jesus to be our Savior so we could be together with Him in heaven. God forgives our sins so we can forgive others and find unity. The message of God's Word is one of reconciliation. Jesus is the Atonement, the AT ONE MENT God sent to bridge the gap of sin. To do this Jesus was born with us, in a stable, not a palace. His first visitors were smelly, dirty shepherds, who didn't have an appointment to see the Son of God. God's angels invited them.   

God sent His Son into the rubble of humanity. He came 2000 years a go to a land filled with poverty, violence, and war. He came to a place with sad and lonely people. He came to the poor, the crippled, the sick and dying. Jesus got His hands dirty with people just like us. He saw our sin and loved us anyway. His love went all the way to the cross of a common thief, so that through faith, we could have a home in His heavenly mansion.   

Today we live with a war killing our children. We live in a world of violence like we see in India right now. There is sadness, loneliness, hunger and an uncertain future all around. We live in a world filled with lots of rubble. See the manger? Jesus, You, here, in the midst of this rubble? You are indeed a good King. Amen...pastor matthews

December 7, 2008 Advent 2.."Advent: A Time For Mucking Out"

With Melanie and Mitchie living in Downers Grove, they are ready for the baby to be born at Good Samaritan Hospital. Recently they took a tour of the Birthing Suites and were very impressed. Mel told me they were nice and clean, bright, with a TV, chair for Mitchie and all the amenities. This will be a nice, quiet, warm place fit for the baby; little Rev, little Kay? I mention this because recently I read of something I had never thought of before when it comes to the Christmas story. Do you think that the Innkeeper sent someone out ahead of Mary and Joseph to clean the stable or not? Sending someone to clean out the place and put down clean straw for the Birthing Suite of Baby Jesus would have been an act of kindness. Maybe he just took the money and sent them out to a smelly mess.

I only learned this past week that the job of cleaning out the stable was called "mucking out." The one who "mucked out" the stable was the stable cleaner. I don't know if the Innkeeper had someone do that or not, but I do know that some 30 years later God sent someone to "muck out" the world at that time and his name was John the Baptist. John was God's stable cleaner for Jesus' coming. John's message to all the people was to "clean up their act" and get their hearts ready for the coming of the Savior. John told everyone, rich and poor alike that it was time for a good "mucking out" of their hearts for the Lord Jesus to arrive.

Each one of us needs a good "mucking out" as Jesus comes again, at Christmas or for Judgment Day. Hearts filled with the muck of sin will not be a place for the Savior to stay. What needs "mucking out" in your heart? "Mucking out" is what repentance and forgiveness is all about. We repent before God and for the sake of Jesus, Who died and rose for our salvation, trusting in Him as our Lord and we find that God has forgiven our sins, "mucked out" our hearts to make them clean for the coming of the Lord.

The water and the Word of Baptism "mucked out" our hearts. Each time we take Holy Communion, trusting in Jesus as our Lord, the Body and Blood of Jesus "mucks out" our hearts and strengthens us for faithful service. Repentance tells God, "Don't miss that corner of anger or the straw over there filled with guilt."  "God, please scrape out the pile of despair and pity that has built up so much that it stinks up the place."  These things we confess before our Lord as the Word of God and the Sacraments "muck out" the mess that sin has made in our hearts and lives. Holding on to those favorite sins, the muck, tells Jesus we don't really want Him there. 

At Christmas time if we have people over, we clean up the house, don't we? We polish the furniture; pick up anything that has fallen on the floor, dust, and mop, whatever. We choose to "muck out" the place for family and friends. How can we do less in our hearts for the arrival of the Son of God?

This Advent is a good time for the "mucking out" of your heart. Take time with your Lord in  prayer, Christ-centered carols, Bible Study, and meditation. A heart that has been "mucked out" has the porch light on and a big Welcome Mat waiting for Jesus. That's where Jesus wants to spend Christmas and eternity. That's a place fit for a King. Amen...pastor matthews

Sunday afternoon at the "Live Manger" with a 40 mile an hour wind blowing, a large rack of spotlights blew over on to the risers where our little ones stand to sing. It was kind of scary, but I couldn't help but reflect that it happened a half hour before the children were there. The risers were empty. I think when you look at this accident with your heart, your faith, you realize that this was part of God's plan and that no one was hurt. It was just a mess. God in His love kept our children safe. I shared that with the early crowd. I believe in Guardian Angels, don't you? That's our God at work.

Speaking of angels, when we reflect on the story of Christmas, it's interesting to note that without the message of the angels, no one would have had a clue as to what was happening. An Angel spoke to Zechariah to assure him that his wife Elizabeth's pregnancy was a gift from God. Zechariah would have a son. Name him John. He will be special and lead many to the Lord. Without the words of the Angel, lots of confusion when your 70 year old wife is pregnant...lots of confusion... lots of questions. Thankfully, that's our God at work.

An Angel spoke with Joseph to tell him that his fiancée's pregnancy was from God. He would have a Son. Name Him Jesus. He will be the Savior sent from God. The Angels also went to a young girl named Mary. The Angel told her that she would be pregnant from God and give birth to the Savior. Without the words of the Angel, this young couple probably would have broken up, possibly with lots of name calling, and Mary walking away disgraced, maybe even stoned to death. It didn't happen. That's our God at work.

Later on, the words of the angels led the shepherds to the Savior. Without the angels' song, the shepherds stay on the hillside, no visit to Bethlehem, no spreading of the Good News of Jesus' birth, no little drummer boy, and lots of unwritten Christmas Carols. Thankfully, that's our God at work.

The words of the angels, God messengers, made all the difference. A few words of understanding, faith, support, assurance of God's care, and we have the beautiful Christmas story that we all love. God sent His angels to prepare the way for His Son's birth. Later on, angels help guide the Holy family, and of course, are there to assure His disciples that Jesus has risen from the dead after the crucifixion.

A few words can touch the heart and change lives forever. That's our God and the work of the Holy Spirit. Just as He used His angels 2000 years ago, He can use us today. We might not have the gift of prophecy like the Angel did, but we do have faith in Jesus that can be shared with a hurting world. A small group of us visited three Nursing Homes for caroling this past week. Dozens of people heard the story of Jesus' birth. They were assured that Jesus came even for them; to bring peace, hope, and joy to many who often struggle with the lack of peace, hope, and joy in their lives. A few words, a few songs, blessed by the Lord can touch hearts. That's our God at work.  Will you let Him work through you this Christmastide, you angel you? Amen..pastor matthews

HOW MANY KINGS WOULD...
Praise and Promise led us in a really wonderful hymn that reminds us that only the Christ, the King of heaven, would give it all up for poor, miserable sinners like us. Think with me about what your ideal Christmas present would be. What if you could have your heart's desire, what would it be? Do you want a big T.V., a new car, trip to Hawaii, new electronic game, or something else?
As the King of heaven, our Lord had everything He could ever want. It was heaven, after all. He could get a new car, T.V., whatever, yet there was one thing He really wanted that He didn't have. He wanted all of us to be in heaven with Him. Because we were slaves to the Devil and our sin, we would be lost eternally. He had to do something, so He came to earth as a Baby, like us, so He could grow up, like us, and as the perfect Sacrifice, take our place on the cross, pay the price for our sins, and open heaven for all believers.
He gave up His throne, to come to earth, so that we could share that throne with Him as princesses and princes in heaven. He became like us slaves, so we could become royalty.
Do you know of any other King who would do that for you?



LET HIM SHINE
We read in Scripture that Jesus is the Light of the world. He is the Light in a world filled with the darkness of sins. What does that say to us? First of all, light can shine on something and show it as it really is. In the CSI shows, they always use a light to find small clues. Our Doctors use lights to see in our ears or up our noses to find yuck. I can remember growing up and trying to hide zits with Clearasil. Put a bright light on my face and you could see the imperfections. Jesus, through His Word, shines on each of us and shows the imperfections of our sins. Before the Light of Jesus, we are yucky, poor, miserable sinners. The light accuses us of sin and when we know that, we are led to repent before God because we can't get to heaven on our own.
The Light of Jesus then shines in us to change who we are. Jesus suffered and died on the cross to pay the price for our sins.  Just as a laser performs surgery, Jesus performs surgery on us. Using His cross, He cut out the cancer of sin and replaced it with His love for us. We become new, healthy people filled with Jesus, the Light of the world.
With the Holy Spirit working, that same Light of the Lord now shines through us to a world in darkness. As we share our faith, forgive others, pray for them, encourage them, and show them Jesus, we are shining with His Light. I read of a time in America's past when there was an epidemic and all meeting places, including churches, were closed. A Pastor with a church located on a big highway took spotlights and moved them into the church so they could shine out through the stained glass. As sad, hurting people drove past, they saw Jesus, the Good Shepherd holding His little lambs. They found comfort at a terrible time. This Christmas, lights on the trees shine, candles glow, and each of us can shine for Jesus. Wouldn't that brighten up our world?

THE PERFECT GIFT
2000 years ago, if God would have asked us what the world needed, there could be many answers. How about a heavenly light show to bring people joy? What about inventing Television so they could learn about You, God? Maybe giving millions of dollars to feed the world would help? Lots of ideas, but certainly not suggesting another Baby be born. Hold that thought...
The story is told of a lady who only sent out two gifts each year, one to her granddaughter and one to a poor, friend named Hilda. This year she bought a beautiful nightgown for her granddaughter and made warm, woolen socks for her friend living in the cold apartment. Upon receiving thank-you notes she realized she had mixed up the gifts. She received a thank-you from her granddaughter for the ski socks. The granddaughter said that she was the warmest in her group. The socks were the unexpected perfect gift for the outing. The other thank-you came from Hilda thanking her for the lovely nightgown. Hilda would wear it and dance around in her apartment. She wrote that for the first time in 50 years, it made her feel pretty. Thanks for the unexpected perfect gift.
God does the unexpected on purpose. He knew that a light show would eventually become boring to people. T.V. could lead to evil being broadcast. Money could help for a while, but end up in the wrong hands and cause trouble. The Only Perfect Gift He could send that would fit the heart of everyone was His Son, Jesus. Jesus is the Gift that keeps on giving. His love for us never gets boring, never leads to evil, and always blesses us. Born on Christmas to be our Savior so that through His death and resurrection we could have eternal life, Jesus was the only forever Gift. This unexpected Baby would be the Greatest Gift of all.

WELL, HERE WE ARE, ALREADY 3 DAYS AFTER CHRISTMAS. I KNOW THAT I ENJOYED A LITTLE REST WITH THE FAMILY, WATCHED SOME T.V., ENJOYED THE GIFTS I RECEIVED, AND REFLECTED ON OUR CHRISTMAS SERVICES AND HOW EACH WAS A BLESSING TO ME. WHAT ABOUT YOU, MY FRIEND? I JUST CELEBRATED THE BIRTH OF JESUS FOR THE 2000TH TIME..YOU WERE THERE FOR THE FIRST ONE. THREE DAYS LATER..WHAT DO YOU THINK?

WELL, YOU'RE RIGHT, THANK GOD I WAS THERE FOR THE FIRST ONE, BUT I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE IT. WE WERE ON THE HILLSIDE WITH THE SHEEP, FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS SITTING AROUND. I THINK PEOPLE ARE GLAD THAT WE'RE OUT OF SIGHT AND MIND BECAUSE BEING A SHEPHERD IS WAY DOWN ON THE FOOD CHAIN, EVEN OUT HERE IN BETHLEHEM. IT CAN BE A LONELY LIFE, AND DEFINITELY A SMELLY ONE. YOU GET USED TO THE SMELL OF THE SHEEP, BUT OTHERS DON'T GET USED TO OUR SMELL, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

PROBABLY NO RIGHT GUARD 2000 YEARS AGO. I WOULD THINK THAT ON A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT, WATCHING THE STARS WOULD BE NICE...BUT, IF IT STORMS..REALLY BAD, HUH?

YOU GOT IT...WHEN STORMS HIT..SHEEP RUNNING ALL OVER..NOT A FUN TIME. BUT, THANKFULLY, THAT NIGHT WAS QUIET, CALM, BEAUTIFUL, LOTS OF STARS SHINING. WE WERE ALL JUST RESTING, LISTENING TO THE SHEEP AND THE SOUNDS OF THE NIGHT, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN...WOW! THE SKY WAS FILLED WITH LIGHT..IT BECAME LIKE NOON...WHEN OUR EYES ADJUSTED, THERE WERE ANGELS FLYING ALL OVER..ANGELS! I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE, MUST BE JUDGEMENT DAY! I WAS GOING TO BE STRUCK DOWN BY GOD OR SOMETHING. I TRIED TO HIDE, BUT THERE WAS NO PLACE TO GO.

I'VE NEVER SEEN AN ANGEL, PRETTY AWESOME, HUH?

AWESOME IS THE WORD. THIS ONE ANGEL TOLD US TO CALM DOWN, IT WAS O.K. HE HAD GOOD NEWS FOR US..WE WEREN'T GOING TO DIE..IN FACT..IT WAS A MESSAGE OF LIFE, NOT DEATH. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE SAVIOR..THE ONE OUR PEOPLE HAD BEEN WAITING FOR,  FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS HAD JUST BEEN BORN..RIGHT HERE IN BETHLEHEM AND WE WERE INVITED TO COME AND SEE THE BABY. TO MAKE IT EASIER TO FIND THE CHRIST CHILD, THE ANGEL TOLD US TO LOOK IN A MANGER FOR A BABY. IN A MANGER? THE SAVIOR? WHEN WE SORTED IT OUT, IT DIDN'T MAKE MUCH SENSE, SMELLY OLD SHEPHERDS TO SEE THE LORD, BUT WE WENT, ESPECIALLY WHEN ZILLIONS OF ANGELS APPEARED AND SANG "GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST AND PEACE ON EARTH TO GOD'S PEOPLE."

PRETTY COOL..I'VE  READ THE CHRISTMAS STORY IN LUKE  MANY TIMES THESE LAST FEW DAYS AND I KNOW YOU WENT THERE, FOUND THE BABY, MARY AND JOSEPH...WAS THERE A LITTLE DRUMMER BOY WITH YOU?? JUST WONDERED..THEN YOU LEFT AND PRAISING GOD TOLD EVERYONE WHAT HAD HAPPENED. VERY, VERY COOL. BUT...HERE WE ARE THREE DAYS LATER, WAS THIS A ONE NIGHT STAND OF JOY OR ARE YOU STILL PSYCHED UP?

BEING THERE WAS COOL..WE WERE PSYCHED AND WENT TO TELL FAMILY AND FRIENDS. OF COURSE, SOME BELIEVED AND SOME DIDN'T...MANY WENT OVER THE NEXT DAYS TO SEE FOR THEMSELVES. BY THEN, THE FAMILY HAD FOUND A PLACE TO STAY AWAY FROM THE MUCK OF THE STABLE. LOTS OF MEMORIES...

WHEN I THINK OF THAT FIRST CHRISTMAS, I'M REMINDED OF  SPECIAL MEMORIES IN MY LIFE TOO, BOTH HAPPY AND SAD; THE FUNERALS OF MY PARENTS...MY WEDDING...THE BIRTHS OF MELANIE AND MICHAEL....HAVING TO PUT SPECIAL DOGS TO SLEEP...HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE, SEMINARY DAYS..PLACES I'VE WORKED AND MANY, MANY WONDERFUL PEOPLE GOD HAS SENT INTO MY LIFE..CHRISTMAS IS A TIME FOR BOTH SAD AND HAPPY TEARS.

I UNDERSTAND..MY LIFE WAS NOT THE SAME AFTER SEEING BABY JESUS. I WENT OUT INTO THAT FIELD THAT NIGHT AS A POOR, INSIGNIFICANT, SMELLY SHEPHERD...BUT CAME BACK..STILL SMELLY, BUT WITH A HEART FILLED WITH JOY AND A FEELING THAT I'M NOT INSIGNIFICANT...I MATTER...MY LIFE MATTERS BECAUSE GOD HIMSELF SENT HIS ANGELS TO PERSONALLY, PERSONALLY,  INVITE ME TO COME AND SEE THE BABY. THERE WEREN'T LOTS OF PEOPLE THERE..IT WAS KIND OF A "BY INVITATION ONLY" GATHERING...BUT I WAS INVITED...GOD CARES ABOUT ME...ABOUT THIS POOR, FRIGHTENED SHEPHERD..HE CARED SO MUCH THAT HE SENT THIS BABY TO BE MY SAVIOR. 

I WONDER IF IT'S DIFFERENT FOR US HERE IN 2008. THREE DAYS AFTER CHRISTMAS, TREES ALREADY OUT BY THE CURB..GIFTS BROKEN..PEOPLE DEPRESSED BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET WHAT THEY WANTED...CHURCHES NOT OVERFLOWING...IT'S NOT A PRETTY SIGHT.

I GUESS NOT. WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL THAT STUFF YOU HAVE. WE DIDN'T HAVE DECORATED TREES, SPECIAL PRESENTS...WE HAD BABY JESUS..YOU KNOW, HE WAS ENOUGH!  FOR DAYS..MONTHS, YEARS, IN FACT UNTIL I DIED, I DIDN'T STOP THINKING OF THAT NIGHT AND WHAT GOD HAD DONE FOR ME. I KEPT TRACK OF THE LITTLE ONE AS HE GREW UP. HE OFTEN HUNG OUT AROUND WHERE WE LIVED. I TOLD HIM THAT I KNEW HIM WHEN HE WAS ONLY THIS...TALL. OVER THE YEARS, I HEARD OF THE BEAUTIFUL STORIES HE TOLD..OF THE MIRACLES HE DID..I HEARD (stop, sad face looking down)

YOU HEARD ABOUT HIS DEATH TOO, RIGHT?

YEH, I DID. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THOSE TERRIBLE PEOPLE WOULD DO THAT TO MY BABY..I ALWAYS FELT HE WAS MY BABY..I CRIED FOR DAYS.

WHAT HELPED?

HE CAME TO SEE ME...I WAS OUT ON THE HILLSIDE, WHERE ELSE, AND JESUS WALKED UP AND GAVE ME A HUG AND TOLD ME NOT TO BE SAD, BUT TO REJOICE..HE WAS ALIVE AND THAT I WOULD SEE HIM IN HEAVEN. ALL I COULD SAY WAS "GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST AND I KNEW THAT HIS PEACE WAS MINE FOREVER."

THOSE ARE WORDS FOR US TOO, MY FRIEND, JUST THREE DAYS AFTER CHRISTMAS.

   Jan. 4, 2009 "He Makes All Things Beautiful"

The theme of our Children's Outdoor and Indoor Mangers this year is "He Makes All Things Beautiful." A grandmother teaches her grandchildren about God's love using the Christmas story as reinforcement. As they rummage through an attic with lots of broken things, we learn about God's willingness to heal broken people.

The Bible is very clear when it tell us in Romans 3:23 that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." All, each and every one of us is a sinner before God and can't get to heaven because of it. Each and every one of us is not perfect. If you're not perfect, you're broken in some way. I got Mrs. Matthews a rocking chair for Christmas to rock the new Grandkid. It looked beautiful as it was being pulled out of the box, until we looked at the base of the chair, broken to bits! We had to send it back. We don't want a broken rocker.

The nature of sin is to break, destroy, ruin, something. Because of sin, our closeness to God was ruined, broken off. Because of sin, our relationships with our spouse or children can be broken off. Sin can break up families, businesses, teams, churches, you name it. The nature of our sinful pride is to separate and destroy.

Our world often cares little for broken things, broken people. We throw away broken toys, broken appliances, and broken sports equipment. We treat people the same way.  It's easier to simply get a divorce than to work out a marriage. It's easier to throw a broken older person into a home and abandon them, than to make an effort to visit, love and encourage them. Those who are broken emotionally, physically, spiritually are often left behind as family and friends search for fun and possessions in the world.

Thankfully, the nature of our God is to fix the broken, bind up the wounded, heal the pain, reunite the separated, and hug the hurting. Jesus came to earth at Christmas to heal the brokenness between God and mankind and between mankind and mankind. Jesus died on the cross to bridge, to heal, the sin that separates us from God so that all who believe in Him have a place in heaven. At His birth and early years, poor smelly shepherds came to worship Him as well as wealthy Wise Men. Jesus is here for everyone to find love, hope, and a heavenly home.

When we look at ourselves honestly in this New Year of 2009, because of our sin, we see lots of brokenness. Our heads can be broken as it's filled with the garbage the world throws out that's supposed to educate and entertain us. Our bodies become broken as we allow others to hurt us or as we abuse drugs and alcohol. Our spirits can be broken by life's financial setbacks.  Our hearts can be broken by death. The only superglue that works on heads, bodies, spirits, and hearts is Jesus Himself.

Remember; Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpy had a great fall, All the King's horses and all the King's men, couldn't put Humpty together again. But the King can! As we trust in our King Jesus and worship regularly, pray everyday, read His Word faithfully, the Spirit of God reaches into the broken mess we are and  brings a healing,  a peace, that passes all human understanding. We are new again, thanks to our God. Amen...pastor matthews

Many or most of us here today were probably baptized as a baby. I know I was; July 1945 at Iroquois Ave. Christ Lutheran Church in the English District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. My children were baptized, and Lord willing, little Rev or little Kay will be baptized on March 22. Over the centuries, parents have found great comfort knowing their little ones have been baptized. Why is that? To our Lord Jesus, faith and Baptism go hand in hand. In Mark 16, Jesus tells us that whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. Salvation comes through faith, but faith is strengthened in being baptized. Our Lord's last words to His disciples in Matthew 28 were to make disciples by baptizing and teaching. Again, they go hand in hand. Once baptized, we will want to learn more about God's Word. The other way is true also, once we have learned God's Word, we will want to be baptized.

The word Baptismo means simply to wash. Baptism washes us. A shower or bath washes the outside, while Acts 22 assures us that Baptism washes the inside as sins are washed away. Sins washed away is what faith is all about. Jesus died on the cross for us so that faith in Him assures us of a heavenly home with God our Father and Jesus our Brother.

The Sad thing is that we think of Baptism as something in the past, something for babies, but meaningless for us today. Not true!  The devil would like us to think that way and miss out on the power of the Holy Spirit to fight against our sins and the sins of others. As we adults and teens struggle with our sins; worry, pride, guilt, anger, and all the people around us who are ready to beat us up one way or the other, the blessings of Baptism are often forgotten. The world says you're worthless; in your Baptism God says you are His special child. The world says you can't do anything right; in your Baptism God says you are perfect as He made you and He loves you. The world tells you how weak and lost you are; in your Baptism God tells you that He is with you to strengthen and guide you here on earth and to a heavenly home. Affirming your Baptism brings that comfort and hope back to mind and heart at a time when you really need it.

I've been watching lots of football recently and thoroughly enjoying watching football heroes sharing their faith in Jesus. Tim Tebow, the College Championship hero had John 3:16 written on thee stuff they use under the eyes to prevent glare. Mrs. Matthews told me that millions Googled the next day to see what John 3: 16 was.  I know, I know! Kurt Warner, Donovan McNabb, and Ben Rothlesberger, all super hero quarterbacks talk about the Lord and share their faith. These heroes who are known by millions can really touch lots of lives for the Lord. Sainted golfer, Payne Stewart always wore a WWJD bracelet for all to see; What Would Jesus Do.  Speaking of football, what is the greatest worldwide use of cowhide? The answer; Holding cows together.

Speaking of holding things together, in Isaiah 49 God tells us that we are engraved on the palms of His hands. God holds us there. Even if the world has no idea who you are, God does. He will never forget you. He looks at His hands and you are there. God knows the names of sports heroes, but what's really neat is that God knows our names too. In 1 Samuel, God called the young boy, Samuel, by name. In John's Gospel Jesus knew Nathanael even before He met him. In your Baptism, God called you by your name to be His forgiven child in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

It's good for our egos when someone recognizes us; the waitress at a restaurant, the check out person at the store, the person who cuts your hair, or your doctor. We all like that. Being called by our name personalizes things. A teacher knows your name, pretty cool. A nurse at your Nursing Home who knows your loved one's name and that brings you comfort. However, when people forget, it can sting our egos.  Sin always wants everyone to think of me first.  When Alzheimer patients can't remember names of those close to them, they often find they are no longer visited; feelings were hurt and egos crushed. Sin responds by saying, if you don't know me, then I don't know you! 

God's promises never to forget you...never!  In Isaiah 43, "I have called you by name, you are Mine."  We are His. He holds us in His hand and nothing can pull us out. I wonder if Jesus took the nails in the palms of His hands for the same reason. Isaiah 53 assures us that by His wounds we are healed. By His scars on our names we find healing and a home in heaven.  His pain is our gain. We have been nailed into God's hands.  My name with His scar tells me again and again of His love for me. Like the story of the mother who pulled her child from the mouth of the alligator only to be seriously scarred herself. The child tells others that when he sees her terrible scars they look beautiful to him because they remind him of how much she loves him. The scars of Jesus tell us the same thing.

Because God knows your name, He cares very deeply about you. He wants you to live your life in His hand. Whatever you do, remember He's there. When we live a life that produces the fruit of faith God wants, God is proud of us. When we trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior Who died and rose for us, He supports us with His peace. When we are sad and hurting, His love is all around in worship, prayer, Bible Study and other Christians who care. When little old you or little old me share our faith in Jesus, God looks in His hands, smiles and says, "My heroes."  Pretty cool!  Amen..pastor matthews

Any time there is an election in our Country, lots of things are said...lots of promises are made...millions of words are spoken. As we know, words can be empty. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding; in what is finally done. Our Country has many needs, with every election, we wait to see if the newly elected will help. The same is true in the Bible. There was a need and God sent help. God called Noah to build the Ark to save his family and the animals from the Flood. Noah had to wonder, but with the completion of the Ark he received a "Well Done" from God. God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. Moses had lots of excuses, but with the Exodus and final arrival in the Promised Land, Moses received a "Well Done" from God. God called Jonah to minister to the Ninevites who would be lost eternally. Jonah had lots to say as he ran in the wrong direction. Finally, as he spoke God's Word to Nineveh, Jonah received a "Well Done" from God.

God knew that our world's greatest need was a Savior from sin. Without that Savior, we are all lost eternally. Jesus stepped up to do what had to be done for our salvation. He gave up heaven, came to earth and became one of us. He lived a perfect life as the Lamb of God and became the perfect Sacrifice for our sins. He suffered, died, and rose to take away the punishment of our sins and open heaven for all who believe in Him. God responded by telling us "This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased." "Well Done, Jesus." These were words of praise from the Father for what Jesus did, not just talked about doing, but did for the forgiveness of our sins.

In Matthew 25 we have the words of comfort from God, "Well done good and faithful servant." Never does God say "Well said good and faithful servant" He says "well done." God commends the actions of His faithful people over the words of His people.  When there is a need, God sends help. Those who trust in Jesus and step up to help are producing fruits of faith. We see that throughout the Bible. We see that today. The tragedy of 9-11 remains with us forever. But, God sent help; the Firefighters, Police, Emergency workers, etc. who put their lives on the line as they did what was needed, not simply stand around and talk about what was needed. God gave them a "Well Done." The plane that crashed on the Hudson River needed the right pilot to act to save these people, not just talk about what could be done. God certainly gave Capt. Sullenberger a "Well Done."

In our world today there are often lots of people who talk the talk. but not many people who walk the walk. This morning we have the honor to give thanks to God for one of His faithful who walks the walk, Doris Morris. There was a need for support for the young men and women of the Scouting Program. Doris didn't sit around talking about how sad that was, she stepped up and volunteered her time. She did what had to be done for some 40 years and God and each of us responds with a "Well Done." There have been needs at the Church over the years with Boards and Committees often just sitting around and talking about them. Doris stepped up and did something. She has helped with everything from folding bulletins in the office, to de-decorating Christmas trees, to vacuuming each and every pew cushion because they needed it, and much more. God and each of us responds with a "Well Done."

As we give thanks to God for Doris, we also remember many others over the years who have done what was needed to serve their Lord in Scouting and Church. Over the years, God has sent many faithful servants named Al, Sandy, Jerry, Jeannie, Clara, Vicky, and many more to do what needed to be done. When our God speaks about you, what does He say? "Well Done" or only "Well Said.?" Is it time for you to step up to a need? Amen..pastor matthews

Barb Lambert was telling me that in Afro-American churches they will respond to the words "God Is Good" by saying "All The Time." I'd never heard that before. This past week Mrs. Matthews and I were watching a movie on HBO starring Martin Lawrence. They were in a church setting and what did I hear..."God Is Good, All The Time." I like it. We need to remember it.

A few days ago I was sitting at the bedside of a man who is close to going to heaven. He asked me why he was still around. Maybe God has so many billions of people to watch that God has lost track of him. I reminded him that if God sent Jesus to die for him on the cross, God won't lose touch. We said John 3:16 together and filled in the blanks with his name. "God so loved _______ that He sent His Only Son that because ________ believes in Him, _________ will not perish, but _________ will have everlasting life."  When we fill in our own names it brings special comfort.  God Is Good, All The Time.

I received an e-mail recently with a drawing of the hands of God holding up the plane on the Hudson River. This truly reminds us that even though we can't see Him there, those who landed in the Hudson were in God's care. The difficult thing is to remember that we are in God's care even when sad things happen. Every week we read stories of suffering and pain. Planes do crash, soldiers do die, children are shot, and babies are hurt. The old line comes to mind; If God is a loving God, How can He do these things? GOD CAN'T DO EVIL. HE CAN'T! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO DO EVIL. IT'S NOT IN HIS NATURE. The problem is ours. We see pain and loss from our point of view, not God's. Our sinful nature would say God Is Good, Some Of The Time. That would make God like us; we're pretty good people, some of the time. But we have our selfish, hurtful moments; God probably does too, huh? We forget; God Is Good, All The Time.

Our own Steve Kiecker was telling us last Wednesday that there are two kinds of people, those made of clay and those made of rock. Throughout our life, God continues to mold us into the people He wants us to be to produce the fruit of faith. Trusting in our Lord Who loves us so much He died on the cross for us and rose from the dead, faithful in our prayers that teach us Thy will be done, we can be like clay that is easier for the hands of God to mold. Sometimes we are more rock-like in our nature, fighting God's will for us to produce the fruit of faith. We have little time for prayer and worship, no time to serve God and the needs of others, and we wonder why God's chipping process gets a little uncomfortable. Rock is more difficult to form than clay.  Ask God to forgive you and to soften your heart. He will because God never quits on us. He wants all of us to be with Him in heaven. Why? Because God Is Good, All The Time. Amen. Pastor matthews

"God is Good. All the Time" is lyrics from a gospel song. Perhaps the song title.

Have heard and sang "God is good all the time".
God is Good all the time.

First General Baptist Church



2502 So. Austin Blvd
Cicero, Il 60804
Asst. Pastor: Rev. Larry Blackburn (708) 652-3387

We have also sang it at our church  Armitage Baptist.  Reverend Charlie Lyons

I forwarded your comments to Pastor Matthews.  I also told him that the Catholic Cursillo group is known for echoing "God is good..all the time.  All the time...God is good."  I'm glad some people are reading and appreciating his sermons.

One of the sad sounds of winter is a battery that has lost its power. You turn the key and hear this soft rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. This means a dying battery. Maybe the battery is old; possibly a loose wire; maybe the lights were left on. The low rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr is a true bummer of a sound.

One thing that's interesting is that when people have a low battery, sad spirit, broken soul, whatever, the sound is the same. "How are you?" rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr "How's the job?" rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr How are the kids? rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Same sound

A dying battery on a car or a dying spirit in a person needs the same help: a charge. If your car battery is dying; rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, then any cold or harsh weather could leave you stranded. If your spiritual battery is weak, rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, then any cold or harsh problem in life could leave us emotionally and spiritually stranded too. 

Car batteries need recharging and so do spiritual batteries. The car we plug into a charger. To really get charged up spiritually, we plug into Jesus. If the Son of God needed to have His batteries recharged, we do too. What did Jesus do?  In Mark 1 we read Jesus was preaching, healing many people, fighting off demons, and overwhelmed by pain and sadness...people, people, people, pressure, pressure, pressure. Verse 35 tells us that Jesus knew He needed a re-charge so He went to a quiet place and prayed. After that, they found Him, but by now, Jesus had His batteries charged up and He was ready to minister to many others.  A quiet place to be with His Father in prayer was the answer.

Like Jesus, each of us faces people and problems that can run down our spiritual batteries. For me, dealing with death, illness, and pain within our congregation seven days a week can run down my batteries. You face your situations too. You may have family problems to deal with, the economy, your own health, fear of the future, and so much more. We get run down spiritually and when more trials and troubles hit, we often simply fall apart and get depressed and quit or get filled with anger that we take out on others. What to do?

Jesus has the answer. He would tell us we need, first of all, a quiet place. Your quiet place might be a quiet walk, time in your car, on the train, at the kitchen table, or in a favorite chair. When it gets quiet, our minds and hearts can settle down a little from the rat race. Once settled, we become more open to the Spirit of God. We can use our Bible, Portals of Prayer, or simply begin speaking to our Lord from our hearts. He is always there to listen. Remember, that if Jesus was willing to die on the cross and rise to forgive your sins, He will always be there to help. He wants to hear you PRAY. Prayer isn't simply gimme, gimme, gimme. We first Praise Him and give thanks for our many undeserved blessings. Then we can Repent of our many sins and the hurts we have caused. Thirdly, Ask for those things on your heart; for family, friends, and yourself. Finally be prepared to Yield to His will. As we run through life, Thy will be done is always going to be for the best because God is Good, All the Time.
Amen..pastor matthews

Read a story recently of a father and young son going for a walk in the woods. They came upon a fairly large rock and the boy asked his dad, "Dad, do you think I can move that rock?" The father answered, "If you use all of your strength, you can." The boy began pushing...pushing...pushing...sweat was rolling down his face, but nothing moved. "I guess I can't" the boy replied. "But" the father replied, "You didn't use all your strength. You didn't ask me to help." How true this is when it comes to life. I try and try with all my strength, yet I forget to ask God for His strength.

Philippians 4:13 is the famous verse that tells us, "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me."  All things...all things...through Christ...yet, our sinful pride gets in the way and I start to think, I can do small things...small things...on my own. Like the boy, we can't push our big rocks and we forget to ask our heavenly Father for His strength.

Speaking of big rocks to push, in 2 King 5, we read of a great commander of the Syrian Army, Naaman. This powerful man had thousands under him as he won great battles. He defeated all kinds of enemies, except one, leprosy; the living death of his day. Naaman was a leper with all kinds of blotches on his skin. We read in the Bible that Naaman was smart enough to listen to a servant girl who pointed him towards the prophet, Elisha. Naaman went to Elisha, figuring he could buy a healing for approx. $80,000. When Elisha heard what was happening, he offered to help, for free. Elisha, the prophet of God, offered healing to Naaman by telling him he needed to wash himself in the Jordan River seven times. As an aside, the number seven is a number of completeness in the Bible; seven days of Creation, Joshua walked around Jericho seven times and the walls fell, seven words of Jesus from the cross, and many more. Naaman, with his pride in tact, refused to do something stupid like that. It was beneath his dignity. He's a commander, not a slave! In that dirty River? Why can't I just buy the healing? Am I on Candid Camera? Though filled with doubts, he did what God's Word told him to do and after the seventh washing, was clean! Something he couldn't do himself, could be done with God's strength. 

Many of us, with pride like Naaman, have our own agenda for life's answers. I can figure things out for myself. I can buy what I want or need. I have the strength to handle this or that. Even to the point of thinking that I can even work myself into heaven by just being good.  Sadly, because each of us struggles with the leprosy of sin, like Naaman, we are infected with a living death on earth. No matter what we do, sin keeps eating us up until we are lost eternally. .

Like Naaman, the Only Answer to the leprosy of sin is trusting in God's Word to us. God's Word tells us that God loved us so much He sent Jesus to be our Savior. Jesus died on the cross to defeat the leprosy of sin and clean up the hearts of all who believe in Him. This often begins with the water and the Word of Baptism, and continues with God's promise that we can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us.

No matter how big your rock is, ask your Father for His help and it will be moved, because God is Good, All the Time! Amen..pastor matthews 

There is a neat little story that I use from time to time at funerals. It's a story of a Pastor visiting a faithful member getting close to going to heaven. She told the Pastor that she wanted to continue sharing her faith after she died, so would he put a fork in her casket for all to see. When asked what it meant, the Pastor could tell them that she attended many meals at the church over the years and people would tell her to hold on the her fork because they were serving dessert and the best was yet to come. The fork would remind her friends that she knew that Jesus was her Savior Who died and rose for her salvation and through faith in Jesus, the best was yet to come for her in heaven.

I don't know if Peter, James and John had forks with them, but the mountain top experience they found at the Transfiguration of Jesus, found in Mark 9, was also a reminder that the best was yet to come for those who follow the Lord Jesus. The three disciples went up the mountain and experienced Jesus in His glory, met Moses, the great leader of Israel, met Elijah the Prophet of God, and heard the voice of God Himself. This was a mountain top experience that assures us that the best is yet to come in heaven.

Right now, let's face it, we live in the valley of this life, with the mountain of God off in the distance. We know it's there, God promises us that it's there and we trust Him because God is Good, All the Time. Sadly, we have to struggle each day in the valley until the Lord calls us to the mountain of heaven. As Psalm 23 reminds us, we walk in the valley of the shadow of death, but we fear no evil, because He is with us.

The evil we face, the life and death we struggle with, day in and day out is only a shadow, Psalm 23 tells us. We have to remember that a shadow only exists because somewhere there is a light. With Christ as our Light; death, fears, worry, bills, health, are only shadows in this valley of sin. We have to deal with them, we all do; they're scary...they can seem overwhelming...they seem so big and we feel so small, but Jesus, our Light is bigger and brighter than all the darkness Satan brings to the valley. 

No matter how dark these shadows are; and they can be very dark as we face family concerns that weaken us, the economy that scares us, the future that seems so unsure, the loss of loved ones that crushes our hearts, but knowing that Jesus is our True Light Who died and rose for our salvation and shines on us means that the best is yet to come for us.   

Our Lord uses His Word and the Sacraments to bring us comfort and hope. One more thing we can do is to remember that each time we see a fork it can remind us that through Jesus, the Light of the world, no matter how scary the shadows might be for us, the best is yet to come because God is Good, All the Time!         Amen..pastor matthews

Warmer days, we did have them, and the approach of Spring, and this Lenten season can get rather exciting. Mrs. Matthews and Melanie took baby Marco for his first ride in a stroller this past week. I understand that at first he didn't like it, but eventually fell asleep making it a nice walk for the ladies. Golfers are getting excited to watch the tournaments, Tiger Woods has returned after knee surgery that kept him out for some 8 months. Like him or not, he adds a new dimension to the game. Baseball fans are getting pumped up too as Spring Training has arrived. Cubs fans figure this will be the year. Sox fans figure this will be their year. Personally, I was glad to see that the Tigers, after a terrible season, have won at least one exhibition game.

Spring Training is important for these baseball players because they get a chance to warm up for the regular season, practice their skills, maybe even learn something new from the coaches to make them better ball players. To have a successful season, they have to be ready for the big games.

This is the first Sunday in Lent; Lent is a time we prepare ourselves for Jesus' death and resurrection on Easter Sunday. People often give something up or take something on to help prepare spiritually for Holy Week. If you will, Lent is the Christian's Spring Training. We can use this time wisely or not. Over the years, I have often failed to prepare as I should for Easter. I've given up things like caviar, trips to the Bahamas, and collecting Antique Cars. Not really spiritual stuff. I read a story of a Pastor walking down an alley one night when a thief came up behind him with a knife demanding his money. Turning around, the thief saw the collar and said, "I'm sorry, Father, I didn't see the collar, I can't take your money."  With a sigh of relief, the Pastor pulled a cigar out of his pocket and offered it to the young man. "No I can't" the young man replied, "I gave them up for Lent." Lent can be meaningless if we let it.

I guess the question we all have to answer is, "What will this Lent mean to me as I prepare for Easter?" The baseball player that doesn't use his time wisely in Spring Training might find he isn't ready for the big game ahead. He might be lost from the team or sit on the bench. He might find himself pulling muscles that haven't been stretched properly. He might end up losing millions of dollars.

The same can be true for the Christian. Our Lenten Spring Training offers us all opportunities to get ready for Holy Week. If we want to reflect on the great sacrifice Jesus made, we might take time for worship each Sunday and Wednesday, say our prayers each day, attend a Bible Study throughout Lent, or give up something meaningful for 6 weeks.

Without Lenten Spring Training, Easter becomes just another Holiday and not a Holy day. Easter would mean only new clothes, a special meal, egg hunts, jelly beans, chocolate, and the hero of it all, the Easter Bunny! What a great message to share with our children!  The death and resurrection of our Lord is put on a side burner somewhere with little meaning.

Our failure at Spring Training causes us to miss out on the biggest event in the history of the world; God's Son Who died on the cross has risen from the dead to take away our sins and open heaven for all who believe in Him. The joy of heaven outlives any jellybean, and I really like jellybeans. The love of Jesus is sweeter than any candy. The eternal robe of righteousness is brighter than any Easter bonnet. I pray we might use these weeks wisely and grow in our faith and love. Your Easter will be extra special as we remember, God Is Good....All The Time.  Amen..pastor matthews

I heard a story of a little boy who was studying arithmetic in school with addition and subtraction. He was sitting in church and looked up at the cross on the wall and shouted out, "Look Dad, a plus sign!" If we really look at the top of the traditional cross, we do see a plus sign. The St. Andrew's Cross is also a plus sign. In a very real way, the cross reminds us of all that God and His love adds to our lives through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Faith in Jesus is definitely a plus (+) in our lives.  This is very important as we live in a world that's filled with minuses. (-)

The sinful world around us, even on warm, Spring-like days, offers many minuses (-) to us. All the sickness from flu bugs to Cancer are real minuses in our lives. The economy, job market, our finances are a lot of minuses aren't they?  Having a loved one pass away is a big minus in our hearts. Each time we hurt ourselves or others through our selfish pride is a big minus, too. All around us with war, terrorism, and crime we see minuses that can be overwhelming and draining.

The plus (+) of the cross is crucial for each of us. To know that God loves you; that Jesus died for you; that you have a home in heaven are the pluses we all need to survive in this minus world of hurt and pain. Finding something positive in a negative world leads us in One Direction; Jesus. My beloved Funeral Director, Tom Stechmiller gave me P.L.U.S. POSTIVE LIVING UNDER the SAVIOR. As we live our lives under the plus sign of the cross, trusting in Jesus as our Savior, we find forgiveness of our sins, hope, joy, and peace in a world that offers so many minuses. We can live with a positive, hopeful attitude regardless of the economy because we have a Savior Who will see us through it all. In Psalm 50 God promises us that if we call upon Him in the day of trouble, somehow, someway, He will deliver us. The Creator of the Universe knows who you are and loves you just the same. It doesn't get any pluser than that!

M.I.N.U.S. living from the Bard of Mt. Auburn tells us about MY INTERESTS NOT UNDER the SAVIOR. When we live only for ourselves, our wants, our needs, our desires, away from worship, prayer, Bible Study, and the cross, we will only end up with minuses. The fun and games of the world might seem to be the answer, but ultimately they lead to a minus life. The final minus of it all is eternal death in hell. It doesn't get any minuser than that!

When you and your loved ones need that plus in your life as you are bombarded by the minuses of this life, look up at the cross, God's Plus Sign for you, and see your Savior. The Savior Who will bless you with His pluses because God is Good...All the Time.
Amen, pastor matthews

Yesterday at Concordia, the ladies of our LWML sponsored a "Spring Cleaning" for the church. Things were washed, polished, and vacuumed to get rid of the dirt, dust, cob-webs, and all the rest to make the church look and smell better. I know that many of you do a "Spring Cleaning" at home when the weather gets a little warmer and you can open the windows and really clean up the place.

The first "Spring Cleaning" just might have been on Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem. Scripture tells us that our Lord proceeded over to the temple area and did a "Spring Cleaning" on all the merchants who were set up in the courtyard of the temple. He accused them of being thieves and robbers and personally cleaned house. At Passover time, the population of Jerusalem rose from approx. 50,000 to 180,000. People stayed for a week and needed not only food and lodging, but Jewish money for the temple tax, and unblemished animals to sacrifice. Obviously these visitors who traveled from Rome, Greece, Egypt, and other lands were being cheated by the merchants. Jesus was angry at the abuse of this place of worship, and with a whip in hand did His own "Spring Cleaning" and chased these shysters out of the temple courtyard. Aside from the Jewish leaders wanting to kill Him, it's interesting that they left without calling in the Roman soldiers. Jesus had called them on their sin and they knew He was right.

While meditating on this story, I couldn't help but think that maybe there was a second "Spring Cleaning" going on here. I wonder if Jesus wasn't also telling these merchants and religious leaders that they were stealing the faith of God's people too. People figured that if they came for worship once a year, gave some money, and offered a sacrifice, they were good to go with God. Once a year is even less than the C&E (Christmas and Easter) people of our time. Sad to say, many people have that same understanding today. We worship once or twice a year, throw a little money God's way and God is now available for our needs. God becomes this big vending machine. We toss in some coins, punch the letters GIMMEE and wait for what we want to come out. When it doesn't work and we don't get what we want, we blame God and pound on Him for failing us. 

The Bible tells us that empty worship, not from the heart, not with faith in Jesus as our Savior is meaningless to God. Matthew 15; people honor God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. Worship that's not from faith in our hearts is worthless in God's sight. In Hosea 6 God tells us that He desires steadfast love more than sacrifices.  Clean hearts with love for God and others that comes from faith in Jesus Who died and rose for our salvation bring joy to our God. 

When our hearts are dirty, dusty, and filled with cobwebs of  pride, envy, lust, greed, worry, and all the rest, is it any wonder we need a spiritual "Spring Cleaning?" That "Spring Cleaning" won't happen if we stay away from God and His Word. Time for worship, prayer, Bible study, confession of sins, and the forgiveness found in Holy Communion are just what dirty hearts need. God loves a clean heart and the blood of Jesus makes us Spic & Span. He is always there for us, day in and day out, to clean up repentant hearts because God is Good...All the Time.
Amen..pastor matthews

Back in the 1950's there was a popular T.V. show called "Queen For A Day." It starred Jack Bailey. Basically, as I remember it, you heard sad stories of sacrifice and pain from different ladies and the audience picked the saddest and made this lady, "Queen For A Day." She was given a robe to wear, a crown on her head, and a throne. She was then given lots of prizes and praise from family and friends for being so wonderful. Usually with tears in their eyes, and a grateful heart, she would thank everyone for being so kind to her. I always wondered if this was a life-changing experience where now her family and friends would continue to appreciate and praise her for all she was doing or the next day, did the lady go right back to being taken for granted changing smelly diapers, cooking meals, washing dishes, and getting beers for her couch potato husband?

Knowing our sinful human nature, I would think that after that one day with a new refrigerator or washing machine things probably went right back to the same old, same old for this lady. The same is true for us; it's easy for us to get caught up in the moment of a festive party, shower, surprise retirement get-together, or even a parade, but once it's over, nothing seems to change. We go back to work, back to diapers, back to paying bills, and the same old, same old hassles. As we look at the Palm Sunday Parade some 2000 years ago, and we see the same thing happening. On Palm Sunday, Jesus is the King.  People, young and old, waving palm leaves in the air, throwing them on the road, cheering Jesus was shouts of "Hosanna" which means "Save Us" "Save Us Now."  They want their King Jesus to take care of them and get rid of Roman rule and free their Country. "Save us now from the Romans," they would shout to King Jesus.

Sadly, the Jerusalem crowd missed the boat, or the donkey.  Jesus was indeed our Savior King, but He came to free us from Satan and His rule of sin, not the Roman earthly rule. Once the crowd realized that Jesus wasn't doing what they wanted, fulfilling their will, meeting their needs as they saw them, Jesus became only a "King For A Day" and was left to be crucified and forgotten about as they looked for another King somewhere else.

It's easy to look down on them for deserting the Lord, knowing all He would be doing for them. "How could people be so fickle?" we might ask. "I would never do that!" "I'm with you Jesus"  Really, you would never forget about Jesus and turn your back on Him? You are so good! You would never miss saying a prayer, and take God's goodness for granted? You would never miss a worship service because other things became more King-like in your life? You would never neglect a Bible Study and hearing the King's words because you aren't really interested? You would never blame your King for not doing what you want? You would never forget that even in bad times God Is Good...All The Time. Never? Let's face it, we are all like that Palm Sunday crowd when worldly priorities become more important than God's Word to us. We're all standing there watching the parade with a palm in one hand and a nail in the other.

Thankfully, Jesus died for their sins and He died and rose for our sins too. Thankfully Jesus loves each of us so much that He doesn't want to just be our "King For A Day" He wants to be our "King For Eternity." Thankfully, God Is Good...All The Time.
Amen...pastor matthews

"Good morning...it's nice to be with you today. I'm sure you know me, I'm the disciple John. If you read my Gospel, you know that I refer to myself as "The disciple whom Jesus loved." I know that might sound like an ego trip, but it's not. I like my name, John, but I feel blessed to have known and been loved by Jesus. So, "the disciple whom Jesus loved" has greater meaning for me. Jesus loved me! I was part of Jesus' inner circle along with Peter, and James. We shared many special moments with Jesus, especially the activities of that Sunday you call Easter.

My story begins really early in the morning; before coffee early. You have Starbucks because it costs a couple of bucks? In our time we used mites for money so before I could get moving I have to go to Starmites. The women came telling us they had gone to the tomb to properly bury Jesus with spices and such, but His body was gone. Peter and I took off for the tomb. I beat him there and looked in but you know Peter, bull in the pottery shop, he just went right in. We saw the burial cloths lying there and next to them was the napkin that had been tied around His head neatly folded. Wow! You know what that means...or maybe you don't.

Let's go back three days to Friday and the crucifixion of Jesus. He had hung for six hours and finally gave up His spirit and died. The Romans had to make sure so they took a spear and stuck Him in the heart. Blood and water flowed out. This as you know happens upon death as they separate. I had seen this before. My father, Zebedee, was a fisherman and a funeral director. (little known information) Being it was three o'clock, we only had until 6pm to bury Him because the Sabbath began at 6pm and we couldn't work after that. It was terrible taking down the body. We used a ladder, pulled out those nails and gently got Him down. We washed off the blood and put Him in a blanket and a number of us helped carry His body to the tomb. There we wrapped Him as best we could; his body in cloths and His head in a special napkin. We just made it before 6pm and the Romans sealed the tomb with a large stone.

That was Friday, then Saturday, and now it was Sunday, three days had passed. Now to the folded napkin found in the grave. It is our custom that when the Master of the house is finished with his meal, he simply wads up his napkin and tosses it on the table. This means that he is done and they can clean up. On the other hand, if he wants to leave and then return to the meal, he carefully folds the napkin and sets it down. This means that the meal isn't over and he is coming back.  When Jesus left that folded napkin in the tomb, He was telling us that this thing isn't over; He's coming back! It wasn't long before we saw Him and could shout out with confidence "He Is Risen." What a comfort that folded napkin was for us...and it should be for you too.

If Jesus kept His promise to do the impossible, and return from the dead, then we know He will keep His other promises to us also. He has promised to love and watch over us. He has promised to hear and answer our prayers. He has promised that just as He rose, all who believe in Him will rise to a heavenly home.

The folded napkin tells us that He will be here with us. When we are sad and lonely, afraid of today and tomorrow, worried about our bills, our loved ones, the world around us, Jesus is saying, I'll be here...I won't leave you...I'm coming back to help you and eventually take you to heaven. As "the disciple whom Jesus loved" I know that Jesus came back and has a home for me. Through faith, each of you is "a disciple whom Jesus loves" too and that joy and hope is yours, because God Is Good...All The Time. Amen."   Pastor matthews

Mrs. Matthews and I took a day off after Easter and went to Lake Geneva. While eating at one of her favorite places, Houlihans, I had the B-B-Q Ribs and deep fried shrimp, while she had the Ribs. Mrs. Matthews loves B-B-Q Ribs at Houlihans and while eating them, usually gets sauce on the walls, ceiling, people at the next table; we always have to pay extra for clean up, but it's fun to watch. Anyway, what I wanted to tell you was that after taking a bite of the shrimp, I couldn't wait to give one to her, they were so good and I just wanted her to know that. Maybe you do that too? Maybe you give a bite of your meal to the kids or the spouse because it's so good and you just wanted them to know.

In our reading from 1 John the disciple feels the same way about sharing his faith in Jesus. He writes that they have heard the words of eternal life from Jesus, seen what He had done as He died and rose from the dead, and touched Him to know He was real. Now, to make their joy complete, they want to share Him with others. They just want others to know the truth of Jesus as Risen Lord and Savior.

As disciples of Jesus in 2009, we should feel the same way. Through the Bible, we have heard the words of our Lord teaching us that through faith in Him we have forgiveness of our sins and a place with Him in heaven. We have seen what He has done to win that place in heaven through His suffering, death, and resurrection as our Substitute. We have touched Him as our Living Water in Baptism and His Body and Blood at Holy Communion. All of that brings us joy and hope.....but.....to make that joy complete, we have to share that Good News with others. We just want our family and friends to know that Jesus is Lord and that God Is Good...All The Time. We can write to others about our Lord, we can send Christ-centered cards; we can actually share the words out loud.

Sad to say, our sinful human nature rebels at the idea of sharing our faith. We try to convince ourselves that others can learn for themselves because faith is a personal thing...forget about Baptism or Sunday School, let the kids decide for themselves when they're older...I might say the wrong thing...I don't want others to think I'm a religious fanatic...blah, blah, blah, blah. If you can find any of that thinking in the Bible, I'd like to see it! I just know that Jesus tells us in Matthew 28 to go and make disciples by baptizing and teaching. Not sit and wait! Our reading in 1 John tells us that our joy will be complete as we share the love of Jesus and His words with others, not sit and wait.

When my Grandson, Marco was born, I had to make the announcement to you because I just wanted you to know. Last Sunday I shared with you that our Son, Michael was engaged because I just wanted you to know. Remember again that God Is Good...All The Time, I just wanted you to know. Now during our greeting time, I'd like each of you to turn to a person next to you and say the words "Jesus Loves You" just because you want them to know. Amen...pastor matthews

All of us want full lives, don't we? A life filled with fun, family, fellowship, food, full tank of gas, and hopefully, faith sounds pretty happy. Sad to say, there are many things today that can leave us feeling very hopeless and empty.  The death of a family member, friend, or pet can leave us sad and empty. The loss of health that limits what we can do leaves us empty. The eyesight goes and we can't drive anymore is an empty time. Financial struggles, as described by Dave Ramsey can often leave us feeling hopeless. The kids rebel or friends turn their backs on you and you feel like a failure. Empty heart disease is something we all struggle with.

In our reading from Luke 24, we see the disciples together Easter Sunday evening. There is a feeling of doubt, questions, loneliness, and confusion in the room. Is Jesus really alive? Was it a vision that was seen? How can we know for sure? The emptiness of Good Friday and the horrible death and burial of their Friend is still with them. The death of Jesus has left them devastated, hopeless, and empty. They are sheep without a shepherd. Suddenly Jesus appears in the room with a word of peace. He holds out His hands so they can see and touch Him. He asks for something to eat. He's really there with them.

They are overwhelmed. The Bible says "they disbelieved for joy." In other words, they were so happy, they couldn't believe their eyes. They couldn't believe it was true. Is He here with us?  Jesus then opened up their minds to all that had happened. They were now able to put it all together from Old Testament times to Jesus being with them. They could see God's plan of salvation and how it unfolded before them with the death and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. They were filled with joy, hope, and a purpose for their lives. Their emptiness was gone as Jesus had filled their hearts with His love.

I recently read a story about a man holding a fragile wine glass like the one I have here. He asked the question, "How can I get the air out of this glass?" It was suggested that a small pump could be used to pump out the air. The problem there is that the glass is so fragile; the vacuum would crack the glass. The answer was that the easiest way to get the air out of the glass is to fill it with something else. We pour water in and the air is gone. The same is true for our empty, confused, and hopeless hearts. They need to be filled.

A Sunday School teacher asked her class what Easter is. The first child replied, "It's when we sit down with our family and eat lots of turkey, and watch football." "No, not quite." The second child said, "It's when we get a tree, decorate it, and find presents." "Not right either." The third said, "It's when Jesus died and was buried in the tomb." "Now we're cooking." The child continued, "People come and look and when He comes out if He sees His shadow, He goes back in and we have 6 more weeks of winter."  No comfort in confusion, huh?

The real comfort comes when our hearts are filled, not with the neon lights and trinkets of this world, but with Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Just as with the disciples, Jesus comes to hopeless us in the Bible, the water and Word of Baptism, the Bread and Wine of Holy Communion and through the Holy Spirit, fills our empty hearts with faith that replaces the emptiness of a hopeless life. When Jesus, not the things of this life, fills our hearts, we can remember that God Is Good...All The Time and His promise from Psalms 50:15, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you and you will glorify Me." He will fill our empty, hopeless hearts with His love and bring real joy. Believe it!  Amen..pastor matthews

I have been to Concordia Lutheran Church many times, celebrating many different occasions
with my family.
I can honestly say I love Pastor Matthews!  After listening to any number of his sermons, I
have always walked away feeling the goodness of this man and his preaching.

Most of us are familiar with the old tale of The Three Little Pigs. The first pig made his house out of straw. The Big, Bad Wolf came and huffed, and puffed, and blew the house down. Bacon for breakfast. The second little pig made his house out of sticks. The Big, Bad Wolf came and huffed and puffed and blew his house down. Ham sandwiches for lunch. The third little pig, the wise one of the three, built his house of bricks. The Big, Bad, Wolf huffed and puffed but couldn't blow that house down. Trying to be sneaky, the Wolf came down the chimney only to fall into a huge pot of boiling water. The pig had boiled Wolf for dinner that night.

Here we are on Good Shepherd Sunday talking about pigs and not sheep. That's because whether we see ourselves as pigs or sheep, we need the Good Shepherd in our lives to be victorious.  Sheep have been called stubborn, stupid, and selfish. This can't apply to any here today, right? So maybe we need to look at these pigs instead.

The first pig built his house as easily as he could, using straw. This reminds us of people who do the same. Their house, their lives are based on themselves and their wants and desires. It's an easy way to go if I'm just doing what I want along the way. If things get difficult, then alcohol, drugs, casinos, and the rest offer escapes, but not our Lord and His Church. When the Big, Bad, Wolf, Satan attacks, these pigs fall very easily because they are no match for the Devil's power, and are eaten up and lost, helpless and hopeless.

The second pig also built his house fairly easily with sticks, but the house of sticks centers around the distractions of this world. Time is spent on the Internet or cell phone, not in Bible Study and prayer. Time is spent shopping for more and more, bigger and better possessions to out do my neighbor, not in worship. One's debt gets bigger and bigger. With plastic abused, we pay more interest fees to big companies but have no interest in supporting our Church. The Big, Bad, Wolf, Satan attacks and this pig is lost in depression and hopelessness.

Like the pigs in the story, if we lead our lives without Jesus, we end up being very sad and lonely and lost. Lives without Jesus and His Church leave us sick and dying with spiritual swine flu. We are sick in our hearts and we can get family and friends sick if we keep them from Church, Sunday School, Bible Class, etc. Your spiritual swine flu can infect your family if you don't lead them to Jesus.  Is that what you want to do?

The third pig had the answer with a solid house of brick. We are reminded that when our house is built on the Rock, Jesus, we have protection from that Big, Bad, Wolf. The job of the Good Shepherd is to protect His sheep. Our Good Shepherd Jesus protects us pigs too. Psalm 71:3 assures us that God is our Rock and our Fortress. A house built on The Rock, Jesus, Who died and rose for our salvation withstands the attacks of the Wolf. As we spend time in worship at the house of God, Bible Study in God's Book, and bringing family and friends to share the Good News that God is Good..All The Time, their houses are built on the Rock too.  Satan can huff and puff all He wants, but we won't fall. Now, just let Him try the chimney! Amen..pastor matthews

Most of us, when we think about storks flash to various cartoons we've seen over the years showing storks delivering babies. We picture the stork flying to a house with a baby in a sling and setting the child on the doorstep or down the chimney. This idea supposedly began in Victorian times when children would ask, "Where did I come from?" and being that anything about sex was taboo, parents would look up and see storks with their nests in the chimneys and tell their children that the storks brought them. Lots of Disney cartoons show storks struggling with baby elephants or the occasional inebriated stork delivering a gorilla baby to a family of rabbits.

In 1974 when the birth rate was down, Vlasic Pickles chose a friendly stork with the voice of Groucho Marx to be their spokes-stork. According to their website, storks had lots of free time with fewer babies to deliver, so they started delivering pickles. "Vlasic, the best tasting pickle I ever heard." As we all know, pregnant ladies like pickles.

As I was gathering information about storks for our sermon, I found that these large birds with their large nests high up in the air were great migrators. There are some in the United States, but most stories deal with storks in Europe flying south to Africa for the winter, then returning to Europe or Asia. They would often travel on the wind currents some 4000 feet in the air and often traveling up to 8000 miles to return home.

The prophet Jeremiah used storks as he spoke about the sinfulness of his people in Chapter 8. Storks would migrate back to their homes, but God's people were so lost with their sinful pride, that they would not repent and return to God. Rather than repenting and migrating back to the Lord, they chose to live away from God. Sadly, the same can be said of God's people today, right here in this place. Each and every one of us struggles with the desire to hold on to our favorite sins and don't want to repent and go back to God. We like our sinful rut and often simply refuse to climb out of it. Ruts can be comfortable and climbing out can be a risk. Sad to say, ruts lead to ruin, while repentance leads to the rewards of God.

In Mark 1, the first recorded words of Jesus were to "Repent and believe the Good News." This plea is echoed by the disciples in Acts 3, "Repent and turn to God."  Repentance not only means that we know that we sin and are sorry for our sins, but like the storks, want to migrate in a different direction and get back to our home with the Lord.  Repentance and faith are a lot like driving your car. You realize that the tank is empty; you fill up, regardless of the price, so you can get home. Repentance tells us that our spiritual tank is empty, do we choose to run out of gas on a lonely highway or do we reach out to the Lord, Who paid the price by dying on the cross and rising from the dead so that through faith, we can fuel up on His love and forgiveness and then turn around and drive back home?

In some ways storks seem smarter than we are because God gave them the instinct to migrate home and they do. We, on the other hand, have free will. We need faith worked in us by the Holy Spirit to lead us to repent and migrate back to the Lord and know that God Is Good... Choosing to live for ourselves away from Jesus leaves us only in a pickle. Amen...pastor matthews

I've told the story before, but it ties in with today's activities including a Retirement Reception for Mrs. Matthews. Growing up in Detroit, my family went to church every Sunday. No one ever asked, "Are we going to church today?" It was a given right into my college years. In 1966 I had the opportunity to leave Detroit and fly to Chicago to become what they called a Junior Transfer student at the now Concordia Univ. in River Forest. I couldn't wait to be away and finally skip church and sleep in on a Sunday.  The first day on campus I met a young lady. We hit it off and when the weekend arrived, what do you think she wanted to do? That's right; Go To Church! We went to church every weekend and even to chapel services during the week. I never had a chance to skip church!. This August, we'll be married 40 years. I always figured that I was the first child Mrs. Matthews kept close to Jesus and she still does. There have been many, many children since. I believe that God placed her on this earth to lead children to Jesus. God gave her the ability to tell them and show them His love and like a branch to the vine, graft them to Jesus and let the Holy Spirit take it from there.

Grafting is kind of neat thing. A healthy vine or tree is found, usually one with strong roots. A cut is made in the vine and the branch is secured. The nutrients from the vine flow into the branch and they become one. Once they are one, the branch produces fruit thanks to the vine. The same is true spiritually as we are grafted to Jesus and through faith in His death and resurrection, fruit is shown in our lives. Scripture tells us that He was wounded for our sins and by His wounds we are healed. Grafted in faith to the wounds of Jesus brings forgiveness of sins and a new life. Apart from the vine, the branch will dry up and die. Apart from Jesus, we are dead spiritually.

We read in John 15 that God wants us all to bear fruit for Him. Bearing fruit for the Lord begins with being a living branch connected through faith to the Vine that is Jesus. The healing love of Jesus flows into us and the results will be fruit of love for the Lord. Fruit of love can show itself in many ways. As we worship, pray, and study God's Word, fruit is seen. As we forgive others who have hurt us, share our faith with them and help them know Jesus, fruit is seen. As we bring our little ones to Church to be Baptized, to Sunday School, to Little Lambs, we show our fruit of faith so they too can be grafted to Jesus.

No matter how nice we might be or how good looking we are, if we have no desire to worship or pray or read God's Word we just might not be grafted to our Lord. If we hold grudges, refuse to forgive, hate, and try to hurt others, we just might not be grafted to Jesus. Maybe we've fallen away like a dying branch falls on the ground.  Thankfully, God is the Master Grafter and He has shown us that in the cross of Jesus. God keeps His eye on us and when we fall away, He picks us up, shows us our sins, leads us to repent of our sins, and is there to give us another chance to be grafted to Jesus and bear fruit.

Though Mrs. Matthews will be retiring from Little Lambs, she won't be retiring from bearing fruit and neither should we! She will always be the Vitamin K that helps blood to clot and heal the wounds of little ones; especially one named Marco. The Lord needs each of you to be grafted to Jesus and bear fruit to a dry world, dying in sin.  We can share with them the message that God is Good...All The Time  and no sour grapes. Amen...pastor matthews

Summer seems to be upon us. Temperatures in the 80's, sunglasses a necessity, shorts, cool beverages, and all the rest.  With the Sun shining down, we need to protect ourselves from the ultraviolet rays that can burn us and be very destructive in many ways. With a nice tan, we really look good, right?  Thinking about that, I was wondering what the letters S.P.F. stand for on suntan lotion. Turns out they mean Sun Protective Factor; the higher the number, the more protection and longer protection from burning.

In a spiritual sense, if we want protection from burning, eternal hell fire, we want to resist Satan and all the evil he has in store for us. Satan's purpose is simply to get a hold of our souls so we will burn in Hell with Him eternally. Satan wants us to burn in Hell, while our Loving God wants us to enjoy the cool breezes of eternal life. As the Bible tells us, Satan is that roaring lion sneaking around wanting to devour us. He is like the ultraviolet rays of the sun that might look beautiful at first, but can inflect eternal damage through the Cancer of sin. We need the right protection.

God has given us what I would call SPF3:16. The Satan Protection Factor 3:16 . This is lots of protection considering that Coppertone offers a S.P.F. 70+ as their highest, continual use lotion. Coppertone offers protection from the Sun's harmful rays, but God in His mercy gives us a Satan Protection Factor of 3:16 as His Best. When Satan attacks, we are protected by the blood of Jesus Who suffered and died on the cross, rose from the dead to forgive of sins and give us the victory over Satan. When Satan comes after us in His usual sneaky way, not with horns and a pointed tail, but usually as alcohol, drugs, money, a young woman, or a young guy, trusting in our SPF 3:16, the power of Jesus reflects away the evil and keeps us safe.  Luther assures us in his great hymn, "one little word can fell him(Satan)" and that word is Jesus!

Satan Protection Factor 3:16 allows us to reflect the harmful attack of Satan while still having the light of the Son, God's Son, absorb into our hearts. To do that, we have to keep our SPF 3:16 always with us. Over and over again as Romans 13:14 assures us, we should "put on Christ" for the Protection we need from Satan. Trusting in Jesus as our Savior, reminding ourselves each and every day, from John 3:16, that God so loves me, He gave His Only Son, that because I believe in Him, I will not perish, but I will have everlasting life. We carry Him with us to keep from burning with faithful worship, studying His Word, saying our prayers, remembering our Baptism, and taking Holy Communion. If we choose what the world offers over God's SPF 3:16, we will burn.

Don't let the temptations of Summer keep you from the SPF 3:16 that God has for you. Put on Christ each day, fight Satan's attacks, remember that God Is Good..All The Time. As you wear your Satan Protection Factor 3:16, you really look good to God. 
Amen..pastor matthews

Driving back from Lake Geneva on Highway 50, you pass there is this little airport. It's not much more than an open field, but it does have a windsock to help the small planes land. A windsock will show the direction the wind is blowing. You find windsocks at airports, helicopter pads, even on highways to warn of high wind and, I read this week, at construction sites to show the direction dust will blow. Some decorative ones can been seen on back porches and even flown like kites.  It takes a 17 mph wind to fully extend the windsock and at least 31/2mph to get it in the right direction. High winds will make it point horizontally, while a weak wind leaves it to droop.

As we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, we read in Ezekiel of the breath of God in the four winds that blew life into dry bones. In Acts we read that the Spirit came as the sound of rushing wind to fill the hearts of the disciples and point them towards the world in need of the Good News of Jesus, the risen Lord and Savior. Jesus' disciples were His windsocks to the world. Filled with the Holy Spirit which brings faith in Jesus as our Savior, they were now pointed to the world with the message of eternal life.

God has given us the same job, if you will. The Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts. Faith tells us that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead so that all who believe in Him will have a heavenly home. The Spirit of God blows into the hearts and heads of those who are open to the Word of God and are strengthened to go with that message. If, because of our sin, we choose to close ourselves off from the Word of God and stay away from worship, prayer, Bible study, Holy Communion, etc. we are no more than droopy windsocks which serve no purpose at all.

As Confirmands taking a new step of faith this morning, or old-timers continuing our spiritual journey, God expects the same; be a windsock for God, filled with the Spirit of God in a world that is lost and confused, pointing that world in the right direction; to Jesus. Whether we're going into high school, back to the office or retirement home, what a blessing it will be if people around us can see that we point to Jesus with our words, and our lives.

Just as a small plane or helicopter can crash and burn if it doesn't know the wind direction and intensity, people around us, family and friends, can crash and burn if they aren't pointed in the right direction; to Jesus as Lord and Savior. I hope that each of us can live as a windsock for our Lord telling the world around us that trusting Jesus will bring life and hope and heaven. A droopy windsock doesn't help anyone, let the Spirit blow in your life as you point them to Jesus and the promise that God Is Good...All The Time. Amen..pastor matthews

This past Thursday I had the opportunity to speak at the graduation services for Walther Academy. I shared a few thoughts with the graduates about success in life. I noted that it was 50 years ago that I graduated from 8th grade. Have I learned anything in those 50 years? Some would question if I had. One thing that I have learned is that success has to do with who's in charge.

Years ago there was a TV show, "Who's the Boss" with Tony Danza as the housekeeper for the family. More recently, "Two And A Half Men" has Roberta running the house. Who's in charge can often mean success or failure.

If we look at a bigger picture, we see that in politics, when the right people are in charge, success; if not, failure.  The right General can bring victory for the troops, while the wrong one, defeat. The automobile industry has shown us that the right leaders in charge can mean success, while the wrong ones can lead to becoming bankrupt. In our schools, the right leadership; principal, teachers, etc. can mean a successful education program, while the wrong ones lead to a waste of time. 

In a more personal setting, whoever was or is in charge of your family makes a big difference too. If your parents, parent, grandparent, whoever, loves the Lord and loves you, that will be a successful home regardless of money and possessions. Real success at home has to do with heart and head, not the size of the house.  When we know that Jesus loves us, died and rose for us, this faith influences all that is done at home. Praying together as a family has a huge effect on each family member. Forgetting prayers at home only leads to confusion.

Now we look in our own hearts to see who's in charge there. Our sinful pride always wants to take the lead here. Anything that makes me #1 is the best. I know more than God, more than parents, more than anyone. I know what's best for me. Give me money, power, good looks and that is success. However, if there's one thing I've learned in those 50 years is that when I'm in charge, or anything from this world is in charge, crashing and burning is right around the corner.  Pride leads to the agony of defeat, all the time. Just as God Is Good...All The Time, Pride leads to bad...All The Time.

The message of Trinity Sunday and all other Sundays is that when God becomes our steering wheel and not the spare tire, ultimate victory is ours. When God is not my Co-pilot, but my Pilot, I'll get through the storms of life. Jesus was beaten so we could be unbeatable.

Sure there will be trials and troubles in my life. Loved ones will get sick, people will die, jobs can be lost, conflicts can happen. But as I place my trust in my Savior, not myself, He promises to get me through. Even through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, because I'm on my own? No! Because Thou art with me. Ultimate success in this life and for life eternal has to do with trusting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. After all, what does TRUST mean?? To Reach Ultimate Success Together. Victory over the hurts of this life and victory over the hurt of hell all come from trusting Jesus as your Lord. When He's in charge, good things happen because God Is Good..All The Time. Amen, pastor matthews

Happy Father's Weekend to the Dads and Happy Guy's Weekend to the non-Dads! We have a great story from God's Word this weekend as we reflect on the disciples in the boat with Jesus as a huge storm arises. The disciples had been with Jesus for a while. They saw some miracles, knew what Jesus could do, probably enjoyed being in His entourage, high 5ing each other, bumping fists after Jesus healed someone, good stuff! Now they're in it themselves; a huge, very scary storm and panic sets in! "Wake up, Jesus" "We're in trouble here" "Don't You care?" Jesus gets up, calmly brings peace to the storm and then probably looked at the guys and said, "You just don't get it, do you guys?" Did they think that Jesus would let them drown and then He would go out and get 12 more disciples?

No offense, but so often us guys just don't get it. There was a book published once entitled, "What Men Know About Women" IT CONTAINED ONLY BLANK PAGES! We don't get it when it comes to women. A guy is stopped waiting for a light to change, a beautiful young girl in a short skirt, halter top, wants him to roll down the window. "I'll do anything you want for $100" she tells him. All excited, he hands her the $100 and says, "Super, go and paint my garage!" Don't think he got the message...maybe just as well.

Like the disciples of old, our sinful nature takes over when storms hit and we forget about our Lord and all He has done for us. We try to fix it ourselves and end up with fear, worry, and doubts. Finally, it seems, we realize that Jesus is with us and call out for help. We would rather worry, get angry, panic, get depressed, than call to the Lord.  Like we do when traveling, we go by our gut and get lost, rather than ask for directions.

Jesus was physically there with His disciples and they lost it. No wonder they are often called the "duh-sciples." They just didn't get it.  Jesus is there; duh! Jesus is God's Son; duh! Jesus will take care of all who love Him; duh! Jesus will die for you, He loves you so much, duh! Those of us today who have a tendency to be duh-sciples, need to remember God's promise of strength and support in the storms of life; Joshua 1:9, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

The famous artist, Rembrandt, painted a picture of this event entitled, "A Storm On The Sea Of Galilee." It pictures Jesus in the boat with the storm all around. There is panic on the disciples' faces; one guy is loosing his lunch overboard, yet we have Jesus, at peace with His 13 disciples around Him. Wait a minute, you're saying, Jesus had only 12 disciples, what's with the 13? One really cool part of the painting is that Rembrandt painted himself on the boat with the rest. He wanted us all to remember that we will face storms in life, but that Jesus is there to either calm the storm or calm our hearts. Even as duh-sciples, He loves us, died and rose for us, and promises His help because God Is Good...All The Time! Now do you get it? Amen. Pastor matthews

I read of a business man who was really depressed over the economy. He was so sad he took it home and sat quietly at dinner, with walls of silence up against his wife and daughter. After dinner he would go off to the den and read the paper in silence. This went on for a number of days until one evening his little girl followed him into the den and pulled down his paper and jumped in his lap and gave him a bear hug. "What are you trying to do?" asked the father, "Hug me to death?" "No," answered the little girl, "I'm trying to hug you to life." Children understand what a hug or gentle touch can mean.

Hugging people to life is what Mark 5 is all about for Jesus.  He has come to hug people to life, to touch people to life, and to love people to life. First we have an important church leader, big time church leader named Jairus, coming to Jesus for healing for his 12 year old daughter who is dying. We also have a woman who has been bleeding for 12 years, and is an outcast from the synagogue because it was believed that God had cursed her, yet she looked to Jesus for the healing and new life no one else could give. It's interesting that the number 12 appears in both stories. We know that there were 12 tribes of God's Chosen People and our Lord certainly is speaking to them. We also know that we are God's chosen people today through faith in Christ, so whether we are important church leaders or nobodies in the eyes of the world, Jesus died on the cross for each of us. He cares and wants to give us His healing touch and new life.

One thing that these two people; Jairus the church leader and the un-named woman had in common was the faith to reach out to Jesus for healing and new life. Faith reaches out to Jesus for a hug, a touch, or His love that brings us healing. Sad to say, our sinful pride refuses to reach out. Pride puts up walls of ego that won't reach out for help and if anything, pushes Jesus away. "I don't need Him" "I can deal with this myself"  E.G.O. stands for Edging God Out. All of us, those who are here for worship, as well as those who have other, seemingly more important activities than praising God, often get so locked up in our little world of pain, loss, emptiness, depression, and pity parties, that we become like the title of the old T.V. show, "The Untouchables" to God and others.

Remember the creation story. God made the world by the power of His Word. He created the universe by the power of His Word. He created everything else by the power of His Word, except man and woman. Man and woman were created by God's touch; dirt, spit, bone, touched by God to bring life. In His image, He has made us to be touchy people, finding comfort in the touch of a loved one. When Melanie was a year old, she was pretty sick. She was in a croup tent with bars and plastic all around. Aside from the possibility of losing her, we couldn't touch her and that was a killer! We prayed like crazy and thankfully the Lord's healing hand touched her.  We've been hugging her and Michael lots ever since.

We know that it was hell for Jesus to be on the cross, feeling separated from His Heavenly Father. Part of that hell had to be having His hands nailed so He couldn't reach down and touch His loved ones who were hurting so much. Free from the cross, Jesus has touched all who believe in Him with His healing love. Sharing that love with others who are hurting, we can help hug them to life and the assurance that God Is Good....All The Time. Amen...pastor matthews

Somewhere in our lives we ultimately ask the big question, "Why am I here?" "What is my purpose in life?" Well, what do you think? What is your purpose in life? Why did God put you here at this time and in this place?  Many might shake their heads, shrug their shoulders and give a quizzical look. Is it to have a family, make money, do something really special, or maybe not much at all. Over the years I've seen many guys suffer from what I call "Male Menopause" when at around 40 years of age, they think they're failures, nothing matters; so they divorce their wives, leave their families, and search for the proverbial "good life" with a younger woman. Do ladies do this too?

Jeremiah 29:11 assures us that God has a plan for each and every one of us. No one is a mistake. Every one matters to our Lord. Jeremiah writes that God tells us, "I have a plan for you; plans to prosper and not harm you, to give you hope and a future." Sounds good to me, how about you? How great it is to hear that God is not just on our side, but He's there working out some wonderful things for us. How much more could He show His love than to send His Only Son to die in our place so we can take His place in a heavenly home? It has been said that when Jesus was on the cross, you were on His mind.

Sad to say, but our sinful nature helps us forget God's promises and leads us to what this world offers. This world offers eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. This world offers a band-aid for the cancer of sin by telling us just to have fun, live for ourselves because there's not much else. So often we feel like cattle going to the slaughter. I remember going to a large. City college years ago and nobody knew my name; I was just an I.D. number. I flunked out!  My sinful nature told me that if they didn't care about me, why should I care about them? We often treat the souls of others the same way.

God wants us to succeed with the plans He has for us. A story is told of a "head hunter" (one who finds jobs for executives, etc.) who would interview each candidate by getting them comfortable, off guard, then asking the big question, "What Is Your Purpose In This World?" Most people froze. One man answered in a flash, "To go to heaven and take as many people with me as possible." That's it! He got it right!

Ezekiel shows us that just as God placed him to be a prophet in this world; we are here for the same purpose. Each of us has been called to be a prophet for God and share His Word with others so the Holy Spirit can work faith and take them to heaven with us. That's why Jesus died and rose for your salvation. You have eternal life through faith, now when God calls you home, don't go alone! Whether people are interested or not, just invite them! Invite them for worship, for Bible Class, for Vacation Bible School, for the Church Picnic, whatever (practice this and repeat after me; WOULD..YOU..LIKE..TO..GO..TO..A..PICNIC..WITH..ME?) just invite them and let God take it from there.. You're not going to save them, I've never saved anyone, but just make the invitation. What kids do you know that should be at VBS this Summer? Just invite them, you old prophet, you! What family member or neighbor hasn't darkened the door of a church for years? Just invite them, you old prophet, you. .

Everyone you meet in life is hurting in some way. They need to know that God Is Good...All The Time!  Well, you old prophet, you...tell them!!...amen..pastor matthews

Just came back from a few days with the family at the Wilderness in the Wisconsin Dells. This is a super place with many pools; indoor and outdoors, game rooms with 3-D Putt-Putt, restaurants, and really comfortable rooms. We had a super time with my usual Jet Boat ride and an opportunity to watch little Marco enjoy his trips to the pool. This Wilderness is not at all like the Wilderness we read about in the Bible in Exodus. As the Israelites traveled 40 years in their wilderness, it was a hot, dry, desolate place with little comforts at all. Is it any wonder they complained about their wilderness experience, it tried their patience, and they blamed Moses and God for the little they had believing that God won't help. Wildernesses will do that to you.

When we find ourselves in wildernesses; emotional, financial, spiritual, whatever, is it any wonder we get upset too? We get anxious, angry, filled with worry, living in a big pity party because God and others have deserted us in our time of need.  Patience grows thin when things don't go our way. Waiting for help during wilderness times can be very frustrating. We might keep looking for a job...We are looking for our doctor to find an answer for our pain...We look for family and friends to work through problems.  Wilderness times make us vulnerable.

After His Baptism, Jesus went immediately to the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. Kind of the like 40 years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, Jesus spent 40 days in His wilderness of temptation. Satan tried all kinds of things to get Jesus to sin just one time. In reverse order, He offered Jesus power and prestige. Finding help from His heavenly Father and God's Word, Jesus just said NO. Satan asked Jesus to prove Himself as God's Son. Jesus just said NO. Finally, an easy one; Jesus, You've waited long enough, You're hungry, why not turn stones to bread? Again Jesus responded with a NO. Struggling in His wilderness, Jesus knew that all of these were temptations not to trust in God.  Satan kept saying "God Won't" and Jesus kept trusting that "God Will." 

As we face our wilderness struggles, we have a choice; do we trust that "God Will" or fear "God Won't?" The patience and hope we need during trials and troubles comes from faith and trust in our Lord. Jesus trusted His Father, whether in a desert wilderness or the wilderness of a cross and His Father never let Him down. God promises to do the same for His children today. Psalm 34 assures us that those who trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior can call out to God for help and God promises to deliver them from their troubles. Patience during wilderness times comes only from trusting in the Lord. Remember what He has done in the past. Trust that He will continue His love in the present and future, no matter what the wilderness.

Three ladies have died and get to heaven's gates. Jesus is tied up and they have to wait. Finally Jesus arrives and takes the first lady in a room and apologizes for making her wait. "No problem Jesus." Jesus then tells her she needs to spell one word and she's in...her word is GOD. The second lady is called in and Jesus again apologizes for the wait. "No problem Jesus, I'd wait a thousand years for You." Jesus gives her a spelling word, GOD. The third is called in and apologized to by the Lord. "Well it's about time!" "I've waited in lines at stores and banks, and now this?" "How dare You do this to me?" Jesus again apologizes and gives her the word to spell, CZECHOSLOVAKIA.

Patience, hope, and peace in wilderness circumstances come to each of us if we really believe that God Is Good...All the Time. Well, do you? Amen. Pastor matthews

Having the little guy, Grandson Marco, around three days a week brings back memories of the times the kids were growing up. Marco and I do a thing I call "The Monkey Dance." I can raise my arms and thump my chest and he will raise his arms and thump his chest. Burping and other bodily sounds I think he picked up from Grandma Kay.  Children imitate their parents, other kids, TV, and much more. I guess that's how we learn things, imitating others; their words, their actions. My Dad knew German prayers; I learned some German prayers by imitating Dad. Vater Unser, der du bist in Himmel...the beginning of the Lord's Prayer. My Dad played golf; I learned to play golf with my Dad. When I got in trouble, my Mom often called me names in German; I learned some derogatory names from my Mom. Over the years, my parents, teachers, pastors, and then later, my wife, children, and friends have been great influences on my life...yours too, huh? Human beings are like sponges absorbing whatever is around them. What goes in, comes out and not just Marco's cooked carrots.

In Ephesians 4, Paul speaks to the Church at Ephesus and to us. He speaks about how people are like sponges and that God wants us to look at our lives and see just whom are we imitating, whom we are soaking up. Paul says, don't imitate the unbelievers who have hardened their hearts to the Lord. Put off your old life and be renewed by the Spirit of God. He  goes through the "thou shalt not's" of the 10 Commandments. Then he says...this is what God wants for those who believe in Jesus; be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving others as Jesus forgave you. Soak up God and walk in love. Whoever we follow on earth we will follow eternally.

Following the sinful nature, as Paul writes in Eph. 4:27, gives the devil the opportunity to control us. Evil in, evil out.  Like sponges, we suck up the devil's suggestions; why not tell a lie, why not steal this, why not use God's Name in vain, why not skip church, why not hold back your offerings for you? The list is endless, at least for me. It's as though we say WWSD; What Would Satan Do? Listening to Satan can seem like fun at the time, but after a while the consequences can be eternally bad. If we soak up only the dirty rottenness of evil, then we learn that after a while, dirty, smelly sponges are of no use to the Lord and can be discarded.

Thankfully, a sponge that's filled with dirty water can be squeezed out and filled with clean water.  Because He loves us and wants us with Him forever, God often squeezes us to show us our sin and lead us to repent and turn in faith to our Lord. When sad things happen, God might not be punishing you, He might be squeezing out that old life and using His Word and the Sacraments, to fill you with those things pleasing to Him; kindness, love, forgiveness, etc. God might be squeezing out greed, pride, lust, laziness, and other favorite sins so that he can fill us with His love seen in the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

The more we learn about Jesus, the more we can learn from Jesus. He loves you, died and rose for the forgiveness of your sins, and wants you to be with Him eternally in heaven.  The old WWJD, What Would Jesus Do still speaks to us today. Jesus prayed, we pray. Jesus read God's Word, we read God's Word. Jesus forgave, we forgive. Jesus was kind-hearted, we can be kindhearted. Jesus speaks to us in His Word, so we can tell others that God Is Good...All The Time.  SOAK IT UP!         Amen, Pastor Matthews

Preseason football has begun! I've enjoyed watching some of the games and I'm always amazed at the speed and hitting that goes on. If it wasn't for the helmet, face mask, pads, etc., who knows what would happen to heads, necks, teeth, etc. I remember playing a little football in high school. While making a tackle one time, I turned my back to the guy, not the smartest and bravest thing to do, and bruised my coccyx bone. No real protection there! Lots of pain! Sports like Extreme Skateboarding could be deadly without helmets and protection. 

Going back to Bible times, the Roman soldiers always carried their protective gear; helmets, spears, swords, shields, and the rest. Knowing how vulnerable they could be, no soldier in his right mind would venture out without that protection. Use the shield? Duh!

In Ephesians 6, Paul uses a Roman solider as a visual aid to describe the protection God has for His people. When Christ is your Lord and Savior through faith, God the Holy Spirit brings you protection for the battle to come. See, before trusting in Christ, Who died and rose for you, there was no battle to worry about because you were on Satan's team. Through faith, we go to the other side and the battle begins. Satan hates you and wants you back! Satan is relentless! Satan never sleeps! Satan is sneaky! Anything he can do to cause you to trip, fall, doubt, fear, walk away from God, he will do. He's out there shooting arrows of temptation day in and day out. He even tempted Jesus to sin by shooting arrows at Him in the wilderness, while Jesus was praying, during His punishment, and on the cross; anything to lead Jesus to sin and fail as our Savior. On vacation we saw a show called The Miracle. In this wonderful show, Satan showed up sneaking around everywhere trying to lead people away from the Lord; the Pharisees, Judas, and to keep Jesus from His ministry. Jesus knew the secret to protect Himself from Satan's arrows. The secret was to use the armor of God, the protection God had for Him, and especially today we look at the shield of faith.

Picture a poster that says "Satan Wants You." 24/7 he wants to lead you from the Lord. He attacks your head, your heart, whatever, to lead you away from God's family of faith. He tells us that we are so evil God can't forgive us. He tells us that God has turned His back on us. He tells us that worship, Bible Study, offerings, prayer, etc. are not important. We have to take care of #1 first. Why does he do that? Because the Devil knows that if we neglect those things God has to strengthen us, our shield gets smaller and smaller, making us more vulnerable for attack.

We have members who have not worshipped for months. We have members who have not studied the Bible for months. We have members who have not communed for months. We have members who have not donated to our ministry for months. What do you think this does for their shield of faith? These are all actions of faith that God can use to reinforce that shield. Without them, our shield gets smaller and more fragile.

While in Tennessee, we heard a group sing a song that I hope P&P will adopt some day. The message of the song was that the trouble with our world today is not the economy, not politics, not the war. The trouble with our world today is that too many people are far away from Jesus. The closer we are to Jesus as our Lord and Savior, through worship, Bible Study, prayers, offerings of faith, the stronger the shield, the more peace and hope we'll have as our Risen Lord defeats the Devil. God wants us to be safe and to remember that God Is Good...All the Time. So, USE THE SHIELD. DUH!  Amen...pastor matthews

The Epistle writer James talks big time about the interaction of faith and works. He knows that we are saved through faith in Jesus, but also tells us that a true faith will show itself and be strengthened in the works of faith. Fill a sponge with water and squeeze the sponge; water comes out! It can't help itself! Fill the heart with the love of Jesus Who died and rose for our salvation and when life squeezes us, that love will show itself! It can't help itself!

Jesus was a man of faith and a man of works too. Jesus had faith in His Father and shared that faith as He preached, healed, and loved all people. For Jesus, His faith and the actions of faith went hand in hand. It was hard work, but Jesus kept going all the way to the cross for all who trust Him.

On this Labor Day weekend, we reflect on the work God has given us to do in this life. Some have jobs outside the house, others inside the house. Many are looking for a good job. Many have retired from a job of many years. For younger ones, their job is school. God has placed us here for a purpose. We all have worth in His eyes. We all have one job description in common; Jesus tells us to go and make disciples, not sit and wait for them to appear. This week I saw a number of people in the hospital, because other people took action to call me, so I could visit these folks with Communion and prayers of comfort.  A phone call made the difference. We can call, send a card, whatever. These little acts of faith can bring comfort to hurting people.

Our sinful nature, on the other hand would rather sit and do nothing and moan and complain like the world around us, rather than do what the Lord wants us to do. The story is told of an Irishman, Hispanic, and a blonde guy who all worked on the high steel, 20 floors in the air. The Irishman complained that he had corned beef and cabbage every day for lunch. "If I have this one more time, I'm jumping off this ledge." The Hispanic guy also complained, "If I have a burrito again for lunch, I'm jumping off." Finally, the blonde guy complained, "If I have bologna again I'm jumping off." The next day the Irishman again had corned beef and cabbage and jumped. The Hispanic guy again had a burrito and jumped. The blonde guy again had bologna and jumped.  At the funeral, the wife of the Irishman cried because he had never told her. The wife of the Hispanic guy was crying because he had never told her. The wife of the blonde guy simply said, "Don't look it me. He made his own lunch."

Doing God's will is not easy. Thankfully, in Matthew 28, Jesus has promised to be with us always. He tells us in Philippians 4 that with His help, we can do all things...all things. Jesus died and rose for us.  His blood was shed so our sins are washed away. He looks to us to be His arms and legs, His hands and feet, His ears and mouth to a hurting world. So many people are lonely and sad and need to hear the Good News of a Savior Who loves them. We need to get up and tell them and show them that God Is Good...All The Time, and no more bologna! Amen..pastor matthews

In 1 Peter 5, we read that the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. This is scary stuff! Watching lions on the Discovery Channel or at the Zoo, we see a powerful killing machine. A lion will attack and go after an animal, but not the herd. The herd will kill the lion. The lion looks for the straggler, the slow, weak one that has wandered from the herd.

This truth of this story can lead us in many directions; I'd like to look at two. First of all, let's look at the problem of being devoured and lost forever because we're separated from the herd.  The same is true in the animal kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. The animal that wanders off can become dinner. When we wander away from God's herd, the church, we become weak and vulnerable to the Devil. No time for worship, prayer, Bible Study, Holy Communion brings us doubts and fears that open the door for that old lion, Satan to chew us up. "God doesn't care," the devil tells us! "You're all alone," he tells us. We listen and feel alone, sad, depressed, filled with self-pity, powerless, and wander away from the herd; supper time!

The answer to this dangerous situation is to get back with the herd quickly. Time in worship, staying for Bible Study, confessing our sins and finding forgiveness in Holy Communion strengthens our faith in our Savior, Jesus Who died and rose for our salvation. We are less vulnerable with the herd. Praying with and for each other brings the strength of the Holy Spirit and that old lion walks away hungry.

Secondly, even if we're in the herd, we live in constant fear because that roaring lion can be scary. Satan roars at us too. He encourages evil, while telling us we don't have a choice because we're so bad to begin with. He roars out to remind us of past sins, guilt, worry, and all the rotten things we've said and done over the years. He roars out words of accusation. He tells us that it's too late for us. Nothing can change the past for poor, miserable sinners.  He beats on us so much that we feel totally defeated and lost; hopeless and helpless.

Do we live in fear or roar back?  A true story recently came from California where a lion had escaped and was finally trapped in a garage. This huge, roaring lion was trapped in the corner of the garage by 3 little Chihuahuas. These little dogs, weighing around 3 pounds each were barking and growling with such tenacity that the lion was held off. Though the lion was finally killed, the Chihuahuas were unhurt from their adventure.

So, do you live in fear  or like those little Chihuahuas, are you ready to bark back and growl at that old lion? God's Word assures us in Phil. 2:10 that at the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. The old lion backs away at the Name of Jesus! Romans 10:13 assures us that all who call upon the Name of the Lord will be saved. When Satan accuses you, roar back "JESUS LOVES ME" and the old lion backs off. With the other Chihuahuas here today yell out "GOD IS GOOD...ALL THE TIME" and watch the old lion run away. Amen..pastor matthews

In his book "How To Be A Successful Failure" Bishop Fitzgerald tells the story about a young man who was caught and convicted of stealing sheep in his village. To make an example of him for others, they took a branding iron and branded the letters ST on his forehead meaning, SHEEP THIEF. This was permanent and caused nothing but pain for the young man. Repenting of his sin, he asked God to forgive him, give him a second chance, and help him overcome the branding. He did not want to be remembered as a thief. With God's help he turned his life around, and started doing good things for others. He made a point of big and little things that would help people. He became very thoughtful, kind, and caring. Years went by and now he was an old man. A visitor came to town and asked what the ST meant on the forehead of the old man over there. Strangely, no one could remember but they suspected that ST was the abbreviation for SAINT. He got his second chance, didn't he?

It always amazes me how God can take Sheep Thieves and make them into Saints. God took Paul, a killer of Christians, and transformed him into possibly the greatest missionary ever. He took a coward named Jonah and had him bring God's Word to a huge city of unbelievers and they came to faith. He took a young thief on a cross and made him a symbol of hope for all who turn to Jesus in faith near the end of their lives. He took this poor, miserable sinner in front of you and led him to be your Pastor. God is a God of second chances, third chances, and more. God can take common people and through faith in Jesus lead them to do uncommon things.

In 2 Corinthians 4 we read about God placing treasures into clay pots; and uncommon thing for sure. Clay pots were the Tupperware of the time. Everybody had them, probably gave them away, and threw them away when broken. I do understand that the dumping ground for broken pots was called the Potter's Field. In Matthew 27, we read that Judas, after betraying Jesus was buried in the Potter's Field; the place for broken people. Even today, there are Potter's Fields in some cities where lost and lonely people with no identity are buried. Broken pots and broken people often find a similar end.

Because of our sin, we are all cracked pots, chipped, and broken before God. We have no use. We deserve to be thrown away forever. Yet God in His mercy reaches out to us through the cross and takes us in His hands. Broken vessels are still precious to God.  Trusting in Jesus as our Savior we know we have sinned and are led to ask for God's forgiveness and find that second chance. God takes this broken bowl that I am crushes my pride and ego to dust, then leads me to repent and believe in Jesus and become a new person. Broken clay bowls are treated the same way by the potter. The potter crushes the bowl to dust, adds water and reforms the clay to the vessel he needs. As poor, miserable sinners, God crushes us, then through the water of Baptism gives us new life. He then molds us through trials and troubles of life, through the heat of the kiln to hold His treasures of faith and love and share them with others. 

That ST on your forehead; Seriously Tempted? Spiritual Traitor? Stinking Transgressor? Through faith in Jesus now you're a Saint. God Is Good...All The Time. Aren't you glad? Amen..pastor matthews

There is a story I've told before that ties into our theme today that I'd like to share. A while ago a call came into the office and the guy asked to speak with "The Head Hog at the trough." Carol wasn't sure what he wanted. Again he asked for "The Head Hog at the trough." She told him that we don't call our Pastor that. We refer to him as Pastor or Rev. The man went on to say that he had $10,000 he wanted to donate to the Renovation Fund. "Oh," answered Carol, "In that case the Big Pig just came in.!" Funny what money does to us, huh?

In Mark 12 we read of the famous story of the Widow's Mite. Jesus and His disciples were sitting around, watching people put money in the Church Offering. A poor widow came along and put in two small coins, equivalent to a penny. Jesus commented that her offering was bigger than all the rest because others gave a little from their abundance, while she gave all she had from her little amount of money.

Interesting to note that she wasn't just a widow, but a poor widow. At Bible times a widow had it especially rough because the men were the money makers in the family. With her husband gone, there is no savings account, no 401k's to draw from, no stocks to sell. She is alone and without money; yet she had her faith in the Lord and that faith told her to give generously to the Lord for all of His blessings and that God will provide for her. In Luke 6:38, written after her time, God assures us that as we give He will give. The measure we use with God, through faith, is the measure He will use with us. She gave all she had at that time. You just know that by Jesus' words of praise that God will take good care of this dear lady.

The message for us is that we can never outgive God. His nature is giving. He gave us life. He gives us family, friends, and so much more. What do we read in John 3:16; "For God so loved the world that He GAVE His Only Begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." If God gave Jesus to die and rise for our salvation, won't He also provide for our daily needs?  In 1 Timothy 6 God promises to provide for our needs as we trust in Him.

Sad to say, we don't trust that God will provide. We have to take care of ourselves. Our sinful nature points us to ourselves, not to the Lord for the answer. We hold back from God because we fear He will hold back from us. This is a pretty sad and hopeless way to live our lives.

A man named Ruele Howe told a story from his childhood that growing up in the country could be difficult. When he was 15, the house caught on fire and burned quickly to the ground. They got out only with the clothes on their back. With no neighbors around, he and his father had to travel into town for supplies. When they returned, what did they see; next to the charred remains of their home, his mother had laid out a lunch on a log. She placed a tin can with wildflowers on the log. She loved the Lord and this was her statement of faith and hope. She knew that out of the fire, God would provide for them. These were wildflowers of hope. The widow in our story had done the same thing. Her gift to her church said that she knew God would provide.

Because God Is Good...All The Time, we can give generously towards the Lord's work and plant wildflowers, for God will provide! That's His promise. Amen..pastor matthews

The story is told that some years ago in a small town, about a 12 year old named Terri who was babysitting her little brother. She walked outside to the curb to check the mailbox. As she turned back to the house and couldn't believe her eyes; the house was on fire and quickly becoming enveloped by flames. She ran as fast as she could back inside to find her baby brother who was trapped by a rafter that had fallen and pinned him to the floor. She worked very hard to free him as the flames came closer. She finally got him free, picked him up, and carried him outside just as the roof caved in. By this time the firemen were on the scene and neighbors had gathered. The neighbors had been too frightened to go into the house and were very impressed with the courage of this 12 year old. As they congratulated her they asked, "Terri, you are so brave. Weren't you scared? What were you thinking about when you ran into the burning house?" Terri answered. "I wasn't thinking about anything. I just heard my little brother crying."

I believe this story reflects what God wants for His people in the world today. Let's face it, because of sin, the world is a scary place with the flames of fear, failure, and frustration all around trying to consume us in their fire. No wonder people are crying; the flames of fear lead us to worry about the economy, terrorism, crime, loneliness, swine flu, and much more. No wonder people are crying over failure; failure to provide for our family, failure to be as healthy as you'd like, even failure to do what God wants that might lead to hell. No wonder people are crying; frustrated by a no-where job, troubles with the marriage, and irresponsible children, and much more. Do we care? Do we hear them? Do we stop to rush in the flames to help or do we care only about ourselves and simply put our fingers in our ears and say "LA, LA,LA"  really loudly?

Thankfully God didn't ignore the cries of His people. In Exodus we read that God's people in slavery, a form of flame, cried out to God and He heard their cry and sent Moses to free them and take them to the Promised Land. God does the same for us. We cry out to Him because we are sinners on the road to the flames of hell. God in His love sent His Son Jesus to rush into the flames of this life and carry us to a new life. He felt the flames of hell on the cross so all who believe in Him might be free and have a place in the Promised Land of heaven. Jesus has brought us out of the flames so we could bring others out too.

An example from some 500 years ago, was a Catholic Priest named Martin Luther. Luther was willing to rush into the flames of confusion and doubt at his time to bring freedom to his people. People were crying with the fear of not being good enough to get to heaven. They had no Bible to read; only the words of their religious leaders. Luther rushed into their flames of fear and confusion and pulled them out to safety by translating the Bible into German for his people and explaining that Scripture tells us that salvation comes from faith in Jesus, not by what you do. He was attacked and excommunicated for his actions, but he knew that many who were crying with worry and fear could now have the comfort of everlasting life through faith in Jesus.

Do you hear your brother or sister crying in the flames? It might be a scream or just a whisper. Remember that because God Is Good, All The Time, He gives us a cloak of righteousness that is flame retardant.  Go gettum!  Amen, pastor matthews

Mrs. Matthews gets cold easily. Last year I bought her a Snuggie to wear when it gets cold. She likes feeling warm and secure as we watch T.V. Don't we all? Feeling warm, safe, and secure are good things. When we drive, we lock our doors to feel safe and secure. At night we lock up the house to feel safe and secure. When he's having a bad day, little Marco likes to be held to feel safe and secure. I had a lady tell me many years ago that when you see a woman cry, give her a hug. Maybe that's true for guys too.

I'm certain that people working at the Twin Towers in New York just before the planes hit felt safe and secure. Military personnel working at Ft. Hood just before the bullets flew felt safe and secure. Children sitting in their homes just before bullets suddenly come through the walls felt safe and secure too. As we read in Mark 13, people living in Jerusalem some 2000 years ago felt safe and secure. The buildings in Jerusalem were huge. They were made of stones weighing tons and tons. One stone could weigh hundreds of tons. Walls surrounded the city, in some places up to 400 feet tall. Inside the walls was an area some 45 acres where a quarter of a million people lived comfortably, safe and secure. Today's sports stadiums are huge, but not like that! Looking at the City of Jerusalem, Jesus told them that the time will come when it will be destroyed. Some 40 years later the Romans did exactly that. So much for safe and secure!

The point is that because we are poor, miserable sinners, we look here to people or things to make us safe and secure. Loved ones can hug us, hold us, and make us safe and secure. Buildings like our homes, office buildings, churches, and Military bases, etc. make us feel safe and secure. Money in the bank brings comfort. Lots of alcohol to numb our thoughts can make us feel happy. These all have one thing in common; at one time or another, they will fall like the walls of Jerusalem. Loved ones will die. Terrorism causes destruction. Evil in the world brings danger. The economy fails. Booze rots out our liver. All of our magnificent walls that we choose to surround us in this life bringing safety and security will eventually be destroyed leaving us weak and vulnerable to attack.

Do we develop an "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die" approach to life? Is everything meaningless and empty? Sad to say, many do choose that path. No time for worship, having fun elsewhere is more important. God points us in another direction. In Psalm 46 we read that God is our refuge and strength. Though the earth gives way and mountains fall into the heart of the sea, the Lord Almighty is with us. A mighty Fortress is our God. The Creator Who made all these things we look to for security has a better answer than His creation. Why trust only in the creation when you can trust in the Creator? Why trust only in your stuff when you can trust in your Savior? Why trust only in your money when you can trust in your Messiah? God often shows us temporary times and places that are safe and secure in this life as a foretaste, an appetizer if you will, of the ultimate place of safety and security with Him in heaven. Jesus died and rose to forgive us for looking for all the answers in this life and shows us that the lasting peace, hope, safety, and security is found at His side in heaven. Through faith in Jesus, nothing can take that eternal safety and security from you. 

Because God is Good...All the Time, He is the eternal Snuggie Who holds you in the palm of His hand now and eternally. Now that's the place to be safe and secure. Amen..pastor matthews

Dr. Jim Moore has written a book entitled "You Can Grow Bitter or You Can Grow Better." Apparently the idea for the book came when a young woman with tears in her eyes came to speak with him. Her 26 year old husband had just been killed in a farming accident, leaving her with three pre-school aged children. In the midst of her grief over being alone with these little ones, she said to him, "I know that I can either get bitter or I can get better." She was right!

We live in an evil world filled with sin and pain. We see good people all around us suffering. Good people lose their jobs. Good families break up. Loved ones die unexpectedly. We get sick. We get hassled. Life leads to gloom and doom. So, do we get bitter or do we get better?

When we're bitter, we focus on the letter I. BITTER looks at me and what I'm going through. Bitter means pity parties and depression. I need medications or alcohol or something to help me! Bitter leads to the blame game in life. When my marriage is in trouble I blame my spouse. When my job isn't so great I blame my boss. When life treats me unfairly, I blame my Pastor, my Church, or my God. Blame always points away from me. Blame is the child of Bitter because I am the innocent one, I've been betrayed, I am the victim. I can see how bad the other person really is. I can see the evil in their hearts. I can tell others just how rotten they are.

Bitterness can affect our lives like a misspelled tattoo. My "I Love Kim" tat becomes "I Love Jim" Ooops! We can be scared forever. Bitterness hardens our hearts to God and to others. I tell myself that I don't need a Savior because I'm the good one. I don't need to repent before God because nothing is my fault. Like the Bible story of the Pharisee and the Publican, I can tell God how great I am and how rotten the other person is.  In the midst of our sinful pride, we forget the message of Matthew 7 where we see the splinter in the eye of another and forget about the log in our own eye. PrIde and Bitterness walk hand in hand away from the throne of God. How sad that is!

If we really want to get BETTER, then we take out the I in BITTER and exchange it for      an E in BETTER. The E reminds us of those things that are Eternal. The road to BETTER begins as we focus on the God Who loves us. Better continues as we confess our sins before Him. Better gets stronger as we have faith in Jesus Who died on the cross to forgive my sins and open heaven for me. Better gets stronger as we worship, pray, study God's Word so the Spirit of God can heal us. Better always points to the Lord during difficult times. That's how you know you're better!

The story is told that during the harvest time in India, a poor widow came to her church with an exceptionally large offering of rice. Knowing that she was poor, the Pastor asked why so large a gift? She told the Pastor that her son had gotten very sick. She told God that if he got well, she would give a large thank-offering. "So," asked the Pastor, "Your son got well?" "No," she answered, "He died last week. But I know that he is with Jesus in heaven and for that I am very thankful."  She had gotten better because she trusted in her Lord and she knew that God Is Good...All The Time. Amen..pastor matthews

At Christmas time we enjoy many sweet stories; the Littlest Angel, The Drummer Boy, the story of Ralphie wanting a Red Ryder B-B Gun with others telling him he'll shoot out his eye, and others. Lots of fun stories to share. However, we also have a couple of villains we read about too; Ebenezer Scrooge and The Grinch.

Ebenzer Scrooge liked holding on to his possessions at the expense of others. His selfishness led to the ghosts showing him how alone he will be in life and death. He comes to his senses like the words of Luke 6 that tell us as we give it will be given to us. He becomes a generous and loving person, giving to others rather than taking. The Grinch with the small, cold heart steals all of the Christmas presents and decorations from Who-ville figuring that would ruin their Christmas. However, he was surprised to hear them singing and dancing on Christmas, even without the stuff. Luke 2 tells us of the poor shepherds finding great joy in a simple manger in Bethlehem. The Grinch realizes something special too. AND THE GRINCH, WITH HIS GRINCH FEET ICE-COLD IN THE SNOW, STOOD PUZZLING AND PUZZLING "HOW COULD IT BE SO?" "IT CAME WITHOUT RIBBONS. IT CAME WITHOUT TAGS. IT CAME WITHOUT PACKAGES, BOXES OR BAGS." AND HE PUZZLED THREE HOURS, TILL HIS PUZZLER WAS SORE. THEN THE GRINCH THOUGHT OF SOMETHING HE HADN'T BEFORE! "MAYBE CHRISTMAS," HE THOUGHT, "DOESN'T COME FROM A STORE. MAYBE CHRISTMAS ..PERHAPS..MEANS A LITTLE BIT MORE."  It means a lot more!

We're all Scrooges at one time or another because our sinful nature easily gets Scrooge-like when it comes to our possessions. We want more for us, less for others. If we can't get what we want, we pout! Sadly, we hold on to stuff and often care less about people.  We might discover too late in life that we can love our stuff, but stuff doesn't love us back.

Life can get pretty Grinchy and take things away too. Things get Grinchy when we don't have the money for the gifts we want. Life gets Grinchy when we lose our job. Life gets Grinchy when family members are away in the military. Cancer is a Grinchy thing. Life gets Grinchy when loved ones die. All of these have to do with people or things taken away from us like the Grinch did to Who-ville. All of these can lead us to an unhappy Christmas. When it does, we are forgetting two things; #1. Christmas is a Gift that God gives to us. He sent His Son, Jesus, born in a manger to be our Savior. Through faith in Jesus, we have forgiveness of sins and a home in heaven given to us by God. No Grinch can take that way! Secondly, though death can be Grinchy, it can't take away loved ones from our hearts. I received an e-mail recently from a young lady who lost her 4 year old daughter. She wanted to give up on Christmas and never celebrate it again. No more tree, no more decorations, gifts, and the rest were her intentions. Suddenly, her faith took hold again and she realized that death had not taken her little angel from her heart. No Grinchy death could ever do that! She also remembered that her baby loved Jesus and was with Him in heaven. She couldn't watch over her little one any more, so now Jesus was doing it for her. Her little one would be with her on earth and forever in heaven.

Grinchyness can't defeat the love that Jesus has for us. He died on the cross and rose from the dead so that all who believe in Him can have Christmas joy and hope and peace throughout the year. Grinchyness won't win because we know that God Is Good..All The Time. Amen..pastor matthews..

Some years ago in a midwestern town, a boy was born blind. His parents did what they could to find help, but didn't have lots of money. They prayed and hoped for a miracle. When the boy was 5, the local doctor told the family that he had heard of a doctor in Massachusetts that had done wonderful things for children and their eyesight. There was no way they could afford the trip. Thankfully, their community and their church had fundraisers and paid for the family to go to Boston for the surgery.

The day they were to leave they got packed up and the little guy took his favorite teddy bear to hold on to for the trip. This bear had seen its best days; an ear chewed off, missing an eye, and stuffing coming out. They offered to buy him a new one, but he needed this one with him.

Arriving at the hospital, the doctor realized how important the bear was to the boy so he let him hold on to it during the examinations and tests. On the morning of the surgery, the staff brought in two gowns, one for the boy and another for his teddy bear.  Off they went to the operating room with the little guy holding his bear.

The doctor indicated that the surgery went well, but it would take a few days before the bandages could be removed. The day arrived and they cautiously removed the gauze. It was a miracle! The little guy saw his mom, his dad, the doctor, flowers, and balloons for the first time in his life. He looked and saw his teddy bear too. It was a time of celebration.

When it was time to leave the hospital, the surgeon came to say good-bye. He had grown attached to the little guy and had tears in his eyes as the family left. "Doctor," the little guy called out, "I want you to have this." He was holding out his teddy bear. The doctor refused, but the little guy told him that he didn't have any money and this was his way of saying thanks for helping him see. The doctor took the bear and wished him well.

For a long time after that on the 10th floor of the hospital, there was a display with the teddy bear with the chewed off ear and one eye. The doctor had placed a sign under it. "This is the highest fee I have ever received for professional services rendered."

The little boy was so thrilled to see that he said thanks with his prized possession. This is what thanksgiving is all about. Jesus came to you at Christmas, God's greatest Gift to give you what you needed most in this world, hope, joy, peace, and the forgiveness of sins and a home in heaven through faith in Jesus. Can you give your teddy bear to say thank you because God is Good...All The Time. Pastor matthews

Mrs. Matthews always does a wonderful job of wrapping Christmas presents. She takes the time to measure, cut the paper, fold and tape, place a tag and ribbons, etc. Her packages look great! I, on the other hand, usually just stick the gift in a Jewel bag, staple it and put the name on the bag; done! Occasionally, I will go big time and wrap the gift in a Walgreen's plastic bag and wrap four or five yards of Scotch tape around it and VIOLA, it's done! Now it's time to toss it under the tree.

My reasoning is that the important part of the gift is on the inside. The same is true with our Gospel lesson from Luke 1. Here we have two of the most important ladies of faith mentioned in the Bible; Elizabeth and Mary. These dear ladies in our reading are cousins with many things in common. Both, as special ladies of faith in the Lord were chosen by God for unusual pregnancies. Elizabeth, older, maybe in her 50's or 60's is pregnant with a son, John. He would be known as John the Baptist. Some six months later, Mary, probably a young teen, was chosen by God to have her Son, Jesus, Fathered by the Holy Spirit. He would be the Savior of the world. Both of these sons would be important parts of God's plan of salvation; John in preparing the way for the Lord and Jesus, through His death and resurrection, opening heaven for all believers. Both sons would die at a young age. As these two pregnant ladies talk together, even unborn baby John jumps up and down with joy to be in the presence of God's Greatest Present, Jesus. In our reading, Who's on the inside is what really matters.

It's the same with each of us today. We can do all the Christmasy things we're supposed to do, but if the Baby Jesus isn't in our hearts, it's all wrapping paper. We have our decorations; lights, ornaments, tinsel, gifts all over the place, special food and drinks, new clothes, music, and all the rest, but if the Christ Child isn't in our hearts, it's all wrapping. We might even come to church at Christmas time for the candles, lights, and music, etc. but unless we trust the Son of God as our Lord and Savior, more wrapping.

The same is true for those who don't have lots of Christmasy things around. Times are difficult, money is tight, maybe the tree is small or there's no tree at all...it doesn't really matter. With The Babe of Bethlehem in our hearts and in our homes, we all have the Greatest Gift of all, Jesus! We don't need lots of wrapping for this Child. Remember when He was born, all Jesus had was a feeding trough and some swaddling cloths; no fancy wrappings there! So, trusting in Jesus as our Savior from sin, we say our prayers, we sing the carols, maybe send out a few Christ-centered cards, attend Christmas services, wish others a Merry Christmas, and through it all find the real joy and hope and peace that this Christmas time offers.

That peace we feel takes us back to Bethlehem some 2000 years ago. We're in a stable, it's quiet, some animals milling around, a Baby is born. Not a fancy 5 star hotel, but the greatest place of all to be because inside it all, in that manger is God's Greatest Gift to us, His Son. The wrappings aren't expensive, but the Gift is Priceless. Jesus is God's Gift because God is Good...All The Time..amen, pastor matthews   

I read a story this week that ties in to our new theme of "Jesus Is My Hero, Through 2-Zero-1-Zero." Let's imagine that a soldier watched his friend get wounded and fall to the ground behind enemy lines. His friend is lying there, bleeding from his head and chest with enemy soldiers closing in on him. He could be killed or taken as a prisoner of war. So, the first soldier has to do something. He takes off his gun and knife and ammunition. He leaves the safety of the foxhole and crawls through the mud and yuck to get to his dying friend.

Finally, he gets to him and begins dragging him back to safety. Just before getting to the foxhole, the enemy appears. With one great burst of energy, he heaves his friend into the arms of the other soldiers in the foxhole just as he, himself is shot, captured, and dragged away. They put him in prison, torture him and eventually kill him. He had put himself in harm's way to save his friend. If we apply that story to each of us, we realize that the Soldier Who had given His life to rescue the wounded friend was Jesus. The name of the wounded and dying soldier?__________________ (put your name there.)

Our Lord was the 5-star General of heaven Who came to earth to be a private. He left the glory of heaven to crawl through the mud and muck of this world to pull all of us who are dying in our sins to life. He took our place and as Isaiah 53:5 tells us, He was bruised for our sins; He was crushed for us; the punishment that hurt Him brought us peace; by His wounds we are healed. As a Zero in the eyes of the world, He became our Hero and brought us forgiveness of sins and a new life in heaven through faith. He fought the battle with our Enemy, Satan that we couldn't have fought ourselves.  Through His death on the cross, as a Zero in the eyes of the world, He rose to new life and became our Great Hero.

Though He has won the war, there are still battles to be fought. 1 Peter 5 reminds us that day in and day out the Enemy sneaks around like a roaring lion seeking to destroy us. Trusting in Jesus as our Lord and Savior means that our Hero is there to confront the Devil for us. He swings that cross like the rod and staff of Psalm 23 to comfort and protect us.

Praise and Promise sings a song from the group, downhere, entitled "How Many Kings" that reinforces Jesus, Zero to Hero. "How many kings step down from their thrones? How many lords have abandoned their homes? How many greats have become the least for me? How many gods have poured out their hearts to romance a world that is torn all apart? How many fathers gave up their sons for me?" Because God Is Good...All The Time, He did it for you! Amen...pastor matthews

I read a story recently telling of a time when Johnny Carson interviewed a young boy on The Tonight Show. Apparently the little guy had saved some friends during a coalmine accident in Pennsylvania. Realizing the 8 year old was a Christian, Johnny asked what he had learned in Sunday School recently. The boy said that they had the story of Jesus going to the wedding at Cana and changing the water into wine. Johnny asked what he had learned from that story. After thinking for a moment, the young boy replied, "If you're gonna have a wedding, make sure you invite Jesus."  Good thinking, huh?.

Let's face it, crazy things can happen at wedding receptions, but to run out of food and drink would be the ultimate insult. This is true now and at Bible times. At that time in history, the reception could last for days. No wonder they might have run out of wine. Not only would that have been an insult to the family, but also it would have been seen as a sign that the marriage wouldn't last either. What to do? They were in trouble. Mary knew that Jesus could help. For our Lord, this would be the time for His first miracle to help this family and to help His disciples trust Him.

I can't help but think that it was so neat that Jesus had been invited in the first place.  Unless you're forced into inviting a relative or someone who has lots of money for a gift, generally you don't want a "downer" type person at your wedding reception.  Jesus wasn't a "downer" type person at all. He was alive and vital and loving. He would be the one who would hug you, say nice things about you and the wedding, and smile and laugh with you. This isn't why I call Him the "Life of the Party" however. Granted, without providing some 120 gallons of excellent wine, the family would have been "dead" but He did more. He not only showed love for this couple, but also allowed His disciples a glimpse into what would be coming as they followed Him. 

Without Jesus in your marriage, your family, your heart, there is no life! We think we have everything with lots of money, big cars, home in the suburbs, important jobs, big egos, good looks, and all the rest, but this isn't really life. If these things were enough, we wouldn't have the abuse of alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography, and all the rest to fill the voids in our lives. When through faith, we invite Jesus to our wedding, into our families, into our hearts, we find real life. Jesus Himself tells us in John 14 that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one gets to the Father except through Him. In John 10 Jesus assures us that He has come that we might have life, life to its fullest!

Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life, through Christ Jesus. On our own as poor, miserable sinners, we have only death and destruction awaiting us. Through faith In Jesus, we have life, life now and eternal life when we're called home to heaven. Jesus is the true Life of the party we call this existence of ours on earth. His death and resurrection brings us life and hope. Without Jesus, we're dead! A thought to remember;
NO JESUS, NO LIFE...KNOW JESUS, KNOW LIFE

Why? Because God Is Good....All the time! Amen...pastor matthews   

Our Grandson, Marco, really likes being upside down. His dad will hold him by the ankles or Grandma will have him on her lap and let him fall backwards. He screams with delight. Upside down is his thing but not my thing. I enjoy some rides at Theme parks and Water Parks, but the speed is o.k., not going upside down. The loop the loop rides are not for this old guy at all.

In recent times, when we speak of upside down, we just look at the country of Haiti after their earthquake measuring some 7.2 on the Richter Scale. I was told it was followed a few days later by a 6.1 quake on the Richter Scale. This terrible tragedy has turned everything upside down in Haiti. Roofs of houses which should be above are now floors. Convenient roads often traveled are gone, people climb over dead bodies to look for the living, little children are lost, hurting or dead, and people are living in the streets without food and sanitation. This is all messed up, all upside down from the way it's supposed to be. People should be safe and well-fed in their homes. Children should be loved and cared for and happy. This is all messed up!

Though messed up, God is still there. Last week in our Sunday Bible Class we shared the thought that "there has to be a mess before there can be a miracle." Haiti is in a mess, but God can work the miracle to help these hurting people. Each of us might be part of that miracle with  prayers and donations. Lots of help is there and on the way. To see how God is working, I was told that in the Capitol City of Port-Au-Prince, only one radio station is still working; a Christian station with hymns and words of encouragement. I am told that thousands of people in the streets, though living in terrible conditions are singing hymns. When they sing, the Voo Doo drums go silent. Miracles in this mess!

In a very real way, we get so locked into the world's way of thinking that upside down becomes the norm for us. We are told we need all the good things in this life even though our debts weigh us down and we feel like losers. We are told we need to look like movie stars and get depressed when we don't. We are told that life should be fun and when it isn't we blame our family or even God. We want perfect health, but dozens of pills a day can leave us frustrated.  We want loved ones to live forever, but the reality of death angers us. We are told that our marriages should always be happy and when they're not, we walk away with guilt or revenge. We're told we don't need God as long as we have ourselves and our sinful nature likes that too. We're messed up!   

On our own, we stay upside down and messed up! Thankfully, we have a Savior Who wants to turn us right side up. Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross literally turns the world upside down.  In our Gospel reading for this Sunday in Luke 4, Jesus tells us that He has come for the purpose of bringing good news to the poor, freedom for the captives, and sight for the blind. Not only does this apply to His miracles of His time, but He's here for us today. God tells us the Good News that we are never alone when Jesus lives in our hearts with His promise of Matthew 28 to be with us always. He frees us from worldly shackles by assuring us that the really good life with peace and hope and joy comes through faith in Jesus Who gives us life to the fullest, John 10. We see ourselves in a new light as 1 Peter 2:4 assures us that though we are rejected by other people, we are always precious to God. The greatest freedom and security comes to us in John 3:16, that through faith in Jesus as our Savior, we have a home in heaven. With Jesus, death isn't a good-bye, simply a goodnight. This is a message of hope for all messed up people. A blessing to us because God Is Good...All The Time. Amen, pastor matthews

I remember a story I heard about a woman driver having a bad day. She was driving down the street, honking at people, yelling curse words out the window, flipping off the other drivers, yelling at the pedestrians, and more. Suddenly a police car pulled up behind her and stopped her. "What's the trouble, officer?" she asked. "Well, I was looking at your bumper stickers that read "GOD LOVES YOU" "HONK IF YOU LOVE JESUS" I'M A PROUD MEMBER OF CONCORDIA LUTHERAN CHURCH." The way you were driving, with people running away  and drivers avoiding you like that, I figured you stole the car."

This sounds like a Don Wharton down home song; "If you're close to Jesus and He's not that far, Don't cuss out other drivers while driving in your car."  "If you follow Jesus and He's your Star, Then watch what you say when you drive in your car."  "If you love your Lord and His Word you've heard, Don't drive around town flipping off the bird." Some of Don's greatest hits.

The words of 1 Corinthians 13 show us another way. God's Word tells us that love is patient, not rude, not irritable, doesn't insist on its own way, bears all things, and so much more. This reading really raises the bar for God's people as they work to lead a God-pleasing life. I'm sure we all have some part of this reading that condemns us. Our lady driver had her sinful nature to deal with and we have ours too.

It has been asked, "If you were taken to court and accused of being a Christian, is there enough evidence to convict you?" I hope the answer is YES! The message of 1 Corinthians 13 tells us if that is really true. You wear a cross...you have a Jesus bumper sticker...family and friends know you are a church member...now the question is, do they see proof of that in your life? 

The reason this is important is that your life is a witness to your Lord. You have faith in your heart, but you are the hands and voices of Jesus in our world. If others see Jesus there, they might just be interested in learning more about Him. When our words and actions are just like everybody else, what does that say about Jesus? When we are always politically correct, how are others led to salvation? Recently I read that Tim Tebow and his Mom were planning an ad during the Super Bowl dealing with the importance of life to God. Certain groups are fighting that ad, frankly because abortions are big business.  I admire what the Tebows are doing. Trusting in our Lord Who died and rose to forgive our sins makes us new people. Ezekiel 36:26 tells us that God will give us a new heart and a new spirit. He will replace our hearts of stone. Those new hearts are filled with love that is patient, kind, and caring.

Our friend Don has had a long career. He could have been singing all kinds of songs, but chose to sing Christian hymns. I am certain that many have been blessed over the years by his words.  Like Don, God has called us to be His disciples in this world filled with hurt. The love we share can bring healing and hope.  If we substitute the word Jesus for love in 1 Corinthains 13, we read that Jesus is kind, Jesus is patient, Jesus doesn't keep track of wrongs, but Jesus endures all things for us.

Unlike the lady in my story, I hope our love can drive people to Jesus, for God is Good...All The Time. Amen..pastor matthews     

We read in Luke 5 that Jesus is at the seashore preaching and teaching. He used a boat as His pulpit for the day. Off to the side are the fishermen, fixing and cleaning their equipment after a long night of fishing that ended up with empty nets. Jesus finishes the sermon and speaks to the fishermen encouraging them to go and fish one more time. Though they are tired and not sure what Jesus knows about fishing, they go because Jesus is the One Who asked them. Their catch is so big that the nets almost break apart. They return to shore and Jesus then tells them to Aspire to Inspire before you Expire...or words to that effect. Jesus respects what they do, but offers them something more. These fishermen, Peter, James, and John are called by the Lord to Aspire to Inspire before you Expire.

First of all, to aspire to something is to eagerly desire something greater. We have a job that's o.k., then we go back to school for a degree so we can do something we like better; that's aspire.  We start off in a lower position at a company and work hard to move up the ladder; that's aspore. Jesus tells these men that they can be more than fishermen; they can become fishermen-disciples, fishciples, and fish for people and share the message of salvation to a world drowning in sin. Another interesting aspect of Aspire from the dictionary is to "breathe upon." As we breathe upon others the Good News of our Savior Jesus, the Holy Spirit uses those words to bring life and hope to others.

Through the work of the Holy Spirit, these words "breathed" upon others can work in their lives to Inspire them to be God's people in this world. Inspire, in the dictionary, has to do with being aroused by divine influence. The Word of God, breathed on another can bring them new life and hope. A person could have stopped breathing due to illness or an accident. If they don't begin soon, they are lost. CPR is performed on them. Breath is brought back into their lives and with breath comes life. Family and friends could be dying around us and need spiritual C.P.R., Jesus, the Breath of Life in their hearts and lives. As a disciple of God, He wants us to use C.P.R. on them. Let them know that Christ our Personal Redeemer brings life on earth and through faith, a home in heaven. Finding that Breath of Life, Jesus, can encourage them to follow Jesus and become  fishciples too, or maybe a bankerciple, a teacherciple, studentciple, policeciple, retireeciple, a scoutciple, and if you happen to be a father, a popciple. 

Jesus wants us to Aspire to Inspire before we Expire. Before it's too late, breathe on those you love with the Word of God like God breathed on Adam the breath of life in the Garden of Eden. Because God is Good...All the Time, breathe on someone you love with the message of love and hope through faith in Jesus Who died and rose for our salvation. Breathe on them God's Word to Inspire them to serve our Lord before it's too late and we're all casketciples. Amen..pastor matthews

I don't know about you, but as we read of Jesus' temptations in Luke 4, I understand. The problem is, for me, I usually say yes to the temptations, while thankfully, Jesus always said NO! Someone once said that it's easier to believe there is a Devil as opposed to if there is a God because I spend lots more time with the Devil. Sad, but true!

Temptation in itself is not evil. The evil comes in the way we respond to it. The root of temptation is the belief that I will be happier if I give in to it. I read that there is a place in Death Valley called Dante's View. Maybe some of you have been there. I am told that if you look down, you will see the lowest place in our Country, a place called Bad Water some 200 feet below sea level.  However, if you look up, you will see the highest peak in our Country, Mt. Whitney, some 14,500 feet above sea level. Up or down; which way will we go?

Let's face it; it's easier to walk downhill to a Bad Water place than uphill to Mt. Whitney. Our sinful nature likes to take the easy way out, the one that we believe will make us the happiest, and the one that feeds our fragile egos. Satan is a Master of making our favorite temptations look so appealing. He knows us better than we know ourselves and feeds on that to lead us away from our Lord. Our pride is fed when we take that downhill walk that makes us think we're so special. There's a story of a lion who thought he was the king of beasts; the king of the jungle. He grabbed a tiger by the throat and asked, "Who's the king of the jungle?" "You are," the tiger answered. Later he found a bear and grabbed him. "Who's the king of the jungle?" "You are," the bear answered. He then came upon a huge elephant. The lion jumped on his back and roared, "Who's the king of the jungle?" With that the elephant grabbed him with his trunk, threw him down, stomped on him and tossed him against a tree. Beaten and battered the lion responded, "Just because you don't know the answer you shouldn't get so rough."  Pride comes before the fall. Pride also leads us away from the cross.

Walking uphill over rocks and steep ground isn't easy, but that path for a child of God leads to the greatest peace and joy we will ever find. Doing the Lord's will might be difficult, but the rewards are eternal. A pastor wanted to raise funds for a new building. To encourage giving, he wired the seats in church. He asked "Who will donate $100?" He pushed the button and 20 people were shocked and stood up. "Who will give $500?" He pushed the button and 20 more stood up. Having wired the seats of the church leaders, he asked, "Who will give $1000?"  He pushed the button and no one stood. 20 church leaders were electrocuted to death that morning.  Love of money can block the path to the cross too.

As Lent begins this year, we all find ourselves with a view. We can look down at the easy way out and comfortably travel towards Bad Water-like living.  Because God is Good...All The Time we have hope and help climbing up. Climbing up towards Jesus, the Living Water Who died and rose for our salvation could include faithful worship on Sunday and Wednesday, reading a Lenten devotional book every day, attending a Bible Class each week, or giving an extra quarter or two in a coin folder. The Spirit of God will bless all we do for our Lord through faith and give us strength to fight off the lion, and courage to stand for our Lord. Amen..pastor matthews

In our Gospel lesson from Luke 13, Jesus refers to King Herod as an old fox; cunning, crafty, and ready to eat those animals weaker than he. Kind of reminds us of the old proverb about not putting the fox in charge of the henhouse. Interesting that this proverb goes back to the 1500's with "Ovem lupo commitere;" setting the wolf to guard the sheep. Herod was the one who killed John the Baptist. Herod was an evil, power-hungry politician. Herod cared about Herod and not the fate of his people. He would exploit whoever he could for his own purposes.

It's interesting to note that Jesus basically tells Herod to get lost. Jesus is going to continue to preach and teach the Good News of God's love and forgiveness. In doing so, Jesus refers to Himself as an animal too. Interesting, isn't it that Jesus doesn't call Himself the lion; king of the jungle...a powerful eagle; symbol of power and grace...even a white stallion; a symbol of victory. Jesus refers to Himself as a hen. He likens Himself to a mother hen watching over her chicks. Jesus is there, not to destroy, but to love, comfort, feed, and protect His little ones. Jesus is there like the mother hen, will sacrifice His body to save His little ones.

There are stories of hawks attacking the chicks and the mother hen placing them under her wings. While the hawk attacks, wounding her, clawing at her, the hawk never gets to the chicks. The hen is big enough that the hawk won't carry her away. After so many attacks, the hawk flies away leaving the hen wounded but the chicks are safe. She was willing to give her life to save her chicks.

Can you see where Jesus is going with this one? He allowed Himself to be battered, bruised, cut, and nailed to the cross so His chicks, those who trust Him as Lord and Savior could be saved from the attack of the Evil One. He put His body between us and Satan and death, so we could have life and hope eternal.

Whether we like it or not, there is a reason that Jesus refers to us as sheep or chicks. Because of our sinful nature, we are weak and vulnerable to attack by the Evil One. Our pride tells us that we are strong and in control. We look at ourselves in the mirror and see warriors, WWE wrestling stars with big muscles, sports heroes; yet in the sight of God we are lambs and chicks. Satan is the lion out there seeking whom he may devour...Satan is the wolf out to kill a lamb. Satan is the hawk out to kill the chick. 

The little lambs are safe only as they stay close to their Good Shepherd. The chicks are safe only as they stay close to their mother hen. Jesus is our Good Shepherd, our Mother Hen desiring only to protect us, feed us, and care for us. If we choose to wander too far from our Shepherd or our Mother Hen, we are in danger of getting chewed up. We are saying, "Come and get me, Devil. Eat me up for breakfast." This happens when there is no time for worship, no time for prayer, and no time for Bible Study. We become easy targets for the wolf or the hawk.

Jesus shows us that God Is Good...All The Time. We can see Him on the cross with His arms outstretched like the wings of the mother hen, calling to us to find shelter from life's storms and real safety as we huddle near His cross, safe in His arms. What are you waiting for? Amen..pastor matthews 

I read a story this week about former world chess champion, Bobby Fisher. Supposedly as a young man he was in a museum and saw a picture dealing with chess. Legend has it that the picture was entitled "Checkmate." It showed an older man with his head down on the board, having lost the contest.  His face was filled with exhaustion and pain; the agony of defeat. His opponent, obviously Satan Himself had a grin of defiance pride, having crushed his opponent. Looking closely at the picture for quite a while, Bobby called out to his mother, "He has one more move!" Bobby had noticed that the artist had painted the picture with one more move that the man could have used to defeat the Devil. A move the man never took!

I don't know if such a picture exists or not, but I like the point of the story; against Satan we don't have to ever give up, there is always one more move for the child of God. That final move is to call out to our Lord Jesus for help. Satan has never and will never defeat our Lord at anything! The message of the cross and the open grave show us that Jesus is victorious.

We never have to give up because our God never gives up on us. Adam and Eve disobeyed God, but God didn't give up on them. Moses murdered a man and ran in fear, but God didn't give up on him. Jonah ran from God and God didn't give up on him. Peter denied even knowing Jesus and God didn't give up on him. The disciples ran from Jesus but God didn't give up on them. What does that say about this poor, miserable sinner; God won't give up on you or me, ever!

Satan wants you to think that God will give up on you. He wants you to think that God doesn't care and you've lost! Life is over, he tells us. Why not desert your family? Why not abuse drugs and alcohol to deal with the pain? Why not live with a permanent pity-party of depression? Why not simply end your life? Satan wants you to quit...to think you're checkmated...while you really have one more move.

Our one more move is to focus away from our enemy, away from the game we're playing, and look to the cross of Jesus. Jesus hung there to take away all of our sins and give us eternal hope. Calling out to Jesus in faith will bring an answer. Trusting that He died and rose for me means I always have one more move. Satan deals with FEAR while God deals with HOPE. F.E. A.R. stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. False evidence that tells us we've lost. Satan is the King of Liars. H.O.P.E. assures us that Heaven's Our Possession Eternally. God is the King of Truth. In Joshua 1, God promises Joshua what He promises us; He will never leave us or forsake us.

Because God Is Good...All The Time, trusting in Jesus means we always have One More Move! Amen, pastor matthews

I usually do the food shopping for our family. I have a list of the things we need and some stuff I want. No matter what it is, I always check the price first. Low salt green beans for $1.29 or .79. Same stuff, different label. I go for the .79 one. What's it cost? What's it really worth? I want to know before I take it home. This is true for food shopping and for us as well. I was reading that the human body does have value for the minerals inside. We have enough iron in us for a nail, enough sugar to fill a sugar bowl, enough fat for seven bars of soap,(some of us provide more Lifeboy than others) enough lime to whitewash a chicken coop, enough phosphorus for 2200 match heads, and much more. On today's market, we are worth $7.50 each. We're pretty worthless people.

We look at the Prodigal Son, the Lost Son, and he's worth the $7.50 and not much more. His money is gone. His pride is gone. His clothes smell like a pig pen. Yet, his real value came not by what he had in his pockets, but in the fact that he belonged to someone; he had a father who loved him. I was reading that some 5000 children run away from home each year. This is very sad. But, if one of them was my child, there is nothing I would not do, nothing I would not spend to find them. My children, and grandchild, are more valuable to me than any house, car, or bank account. Because they are my children I will do anything to have them with me. They are worth more than gold to me.

What a comfort it is to know that our Heavenly Father feels that way about us. Let's face it, we can all identify with either the Prodigal Son who ran away thinking only of himself, or the older son who didn't appreciate his father and held a grudge against his brother, thinking only of himself. Like the Prodigal Son, our sinful nature has led us away to "do our own thing" from God, from His Church, from His Word, and from His Body and Blood. We have found or still find ourselves wanting to be our own King. The opposite side of the coin is acting like the older brother. We can act like jerks, we can judge others, we can refuse to forgive them, and hold that grudge, all to lift our fragile egos. We want to be our own King too.

If all I have is ME, I become pretty worthless in God's sight, check that; worth $7.50. Whichever way we have been living our lives, jovial or judgmental, we thankfully have a Heavenly Father, Who is ready to welcome us back as we admit our sin, ask for His forgiveness, and reach out in faith. Coming before our God as poor, miserable sinners, who trust Jesus as Lord and Savior, that heavenly hug is ours. God loves us and shows us how much we are worth by sending His Son Jesus to suffer and die on the cross, rise from the dead to take away our sins and lead us to a home in heaven. God gave His Most Valuable Possession, His Son, to bring you back to His family, because you're worth it!

If God had a shopping list of those things He wanted, you are on that list. Because God Is Good...All The Time, He gave everything, regardless of the cost, to redeem you, buy you back and take you home forever. To God, you're worth it!  Amen..pastor matthews

The San Francisco Chronicle highlighted a story back in December of 2005 of a humpback whale that had been caught in some crab trap lines. The 45'-50' female had been migrating between Northern California and Baja when she was caught in some heavy nylon ropes. Once the situation was evaluated, it was decided that divers had to go into the water around the whale and cut the lines. This was extremely dangerous because a flip of her tail can easily kill a man. At first the divers didn't think she had a chance. She was trapped in some 20 crab-pot ropes, 240' each, with weights every 60 feet. Ropes were wrapped around her tail, her fin, and even in her mouth. The ropes were so tight; they were visibly cutting the whale. The weight was pulling her down so her blow-hole could barely stay above water. She floated passively as they cut the ropes. Once free from the ropes, she swam in circles for a while and then came back and carefully nuzzled each diver as a way to say "thank you."  This humpback whale said thank you for setting her free. If this creature of God can say thank you for her freedom from the ropes, why is it we often take our freedom from the ropes of sin for granted?

How sad that we can be critics of God, His Church, His people, totally forgetting that without the cross of Jesus and the open grave, we would remain tied in the ropes of sin and be lost forever . We have so much to be thankful for from our God that each day should be a day of thanksgiving not a day of griping and complaining, blaming God, and living more as a critic than a Christian.

We live in a world where many doubt if there is a God, look for their own gods, think He's a woman, or could care less. As His children who know Him as Lord and Savior, God needs us to be His ambassadors into a world that's lost, confused, and tied up to many false beliefs not found in the Bible. God doesn't need critics, He needs Christians. He doesn't need moaners, He needs missionaries. God doesn't need gripers, He needs grateful believers. He doesn't want us to complain, He wants us to confess with our mouths that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. 1 Thessalonians tells us; "Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

A Hindu, a Rabbi, and a Critic were caught in a storm. They stopped at a farm and were told that there was room for two inside and one in the barn. The Hindu graciously said that he was used to hardship and would sleep in the barn. A few minutes later he was knocking at the door. It seems there was a cow in the barn and the cow was sacred to him and he felt uncomfortable. The Rabbi said he'd gladly go to the barn. A few minutes later there came a knock at the door. The Rabbi said there was a pig there and they were unclean and he felt uncomfortable. The Critic said he would go to the barn. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door; it was the cow and the pig.

With Holy Week approaching, now is a good time to do a spiritual about face and speak up for our Loving God, His Church, and His people. Now is the time to invite family and friends to join you for worship and Bible Study so they can learn about Jesus, Who died and rose for our salvation. Now is the time to ask God to cut us free from the ropes of pride and ego that are pulling us down. Because God is Good...All The Time, we can give Him the thanks and praise. That's a whale of a good idea! Amen..pastor matthews

I only know one donkey story. I've told it before but...why not? A man was just married and he took his bride up to their mountain top home. As they traveled up the mountain, a donkey was carrying their luggage. Part way up, the donkey slipped and a basket fell off. The man looked the donkey in the face and said, "That's one!" They went a little further up the narrow path and the overloaded donkey slipped and a suitcase fell. The man again looked him in the eye and said, "That's two!" Further up the mountain, the donkey slipped again; lost pachage. The man took out a gun and shot and killed the donkey. At this, his bride lashed into him for being so cruel...how could he do this?...that was terrible!...what's wrong with you?  At this, he looked her in the eye and said, "That's one!" 

Donkeys don't have to worry about that kind of thing when it comes to being with Jesus. We know that a few days before His birth, Jesus was on a donkey going to Bethlehem. When we read about Palm Sunday, we know that a few days before His death, Jesus rode on a donkey. What an honor for these little donkeys; to carry the Lord where He needed to go.

I recently read of a Missionary in China who refers to herself as "The Lord's Donkey" as she humbly does God's work and carries Jesus to those who need to hear about the Lord. I like the idea. It ties into the work of the donkey of Palm Sunday. Three things come to mind; #1 Jesus wanted a donkey to carry Him to Jerusalem. He didn't ask for a horse or chariot; just a donkey. #2 To serve the Lord, the donkey had to first be untied. #3 The donkey had to be ready and willing to carry the Lord where Jesus wanted to go. These really speak to each of us today.

#1 In John 15 we read the words of Jesus, "You didn't choose me, I have chosen you to bear fruit in the world." You are special to the Lord and He wants you to be His donkey. This is important because our sinful nature tells us we have little worth or value in our world. "What can I do?" we ask. "I'm nobody special." "My life has made me pretty much worthless to God" Satan tries to convince us. Jesus wants you to be His donkey. He died for you so you could always be with Him. He gives His body and blood "FOR YOU" for the forgiveness of sins.

#2 To really be of help to our Lord, we need to unburden ourselves and get untied from whatever holds us back. Our favorite sins always get in the way and weigh us down. Whatever those sins are, we are easy targets for the Devil's attacks. In Matthew 19 Jesus tells us that money is one of those things that keep us from the Kingdom. For the camel to go though the eye of the needle (a small door in the city gates) the camel has to be unloaded and go down on its knees. When we give our burdens to the Lord and humble ourselves before Him, we become useful to Him.

#3 Faith in Jesus, Who died and rose for our salvation defeats our pride and ego and wants Jesus to be control of where we go. On our own we go in the wrong direction, don't we? Someone once said that if God is your Co-pilot, change seats! Thy will, not my will be done allows Jesus to use us for His Kingdom and to carry Him and His Word and His love to the world around us. We don't know where we're going, but He does and that's all that matters. Because God is Good...like the donkey in our story, we might slip, but Jesus forgives and wants to lead us up His mountain to life eternal. Amen, pastor matthews

It seems that we live at a time in history when everything seems very confusing or unsettling. We read of earthquakes, storms, violence, financial troubles, family break-ups, and so much more. We all need a little comfort during these uncomfortable times. Around our house if Marco falls, Grandma is always there for him to hold him, rock him, and bring the comfort he needs. God tells us the same thing in Hebrews 13:5, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."  I'd like to look at the real comfort this short message from our Loving God brings to us.

In the original Greek language, the word "never" is kind of a compound word that multiplies its meaning. God is telling you, I will never, no, not ever, never leave you or forsake you. It's a forever never from God to us; a powerful promise of comfort.

He tells us He will never leave us. In the Greek, this means to leave behind, abandon, give up on, or even send back. God is saying to each of us who trust in Jesus as our Risen Savior that He will never, no, not ever, no never leave you behind, abandon you, give up on you, or send you back.

Moving to forsake in the Greek; we find that this means to leave in a helpless state or disregard. Along with this we understand it means no to relax His watchfulness over us. So, this short verse brings great comfort as Jesus assures us; I will never, no, not ever, no never give up on you, abandon you, leave you behind, cause you not to survive, leave you helpless, nor relax concerning keeping My presence with you. Wow! What a message of comfort to the uncomfortable!

Let's face it; our sinful nature can make us very uncomfortable. When I depend on me, I can get very scared. If I have to work my way to heaven, how good is enough to get there? If I know I've been a bad person, does God really want to help me? Understanding God's Word to us brings comfort. God tells us He loves us, is ready to forgive when we repent and assure us that through faith in Jesus, the message of the cross is a message of comfort for all who are uncomfortable. 

A story by Leslie Flynn tells of a little boy in a frontier town who lived with his grandmother. A fire broke out and the grandmother died trying to save the boy. As the boy cried for help, the flames and the smoke only got worse. People stood around because there wasn't a fire department in this place. Suddenly, a man ran through the crowd and began climbing the iron drainage pipe which ran from the ground to the roof. The pipe was very hot by now, but he kept going to the second floor, found the boy, put him on his back and carried him down that very hot iron pipe to safety.

A few weeks later there was a public meeting to see who would take custody of the lad. A farmer got up and said that he had room and could teach the boy a trade on the farm. A teacher got up ands said that she could take him and give him a good education. The town banker got up to say that he had money to provide a fine home and upbringing.  The judge asked if there was anyone else who would like to speak. A man from the back got up and said that he didn't have lots of land or education or money, but he could offer lots of love. Taking his hands out of his pockets, the crowd let out a gasp to see the horribly scarred hands of the man who climbed up and down the hot pipe. The boy recognized the man who had saved his life and ran into his waiting arms. Everyone else sat down; they realized that the scarred hands of the man proved he could give more love than all the others. For us, the scars on Jesus hands show us that He gave everything as He died and rose for our salvation. That's the real comfort we have from our Lord Who tells us that never will He leave us; never will He forsake us. Amen...pastor matthews

tour of heaven. He saw an old friend and was surprised to see that he had a chain on his leg and was dragging a large, smelly bag of garbage. When asking Peter why, he was told that because the man wasn't perfect on earth, this was his punishment. Walking along, the Pastor met another friend and was surprised to see that he had a large chain and huge, smelly, dripping bag of garbage to drag around. Peter told him that the friend had done lots of bad things on earth and this was his punishment. Walking further, he saw another church member but noticed that he too had a large chain, but attached to his chain was Dolly Parton. "Wow!" though the Pastor, "He must have led a really good life on earth." "No," said Peter, "He's Dolly Parton's punishment!" SURPRISE!

We know heaven won't be like that, but we might be surprised at who we find there. 
Two of our Scripture readings for today; Acts 9 and John 21 have to do with how our Loving God is a God of Surprises. We read about Saul and how he persecuted Christians for the longest time. There is no way he'll be in heaven for all of his evil. Yet, Jesus got a hold of his heart, led Saul to repent and we have...SURPRISE...the great missionary for our Lord, Paul. We also read of Jesus by the seashore talking with the disciples who have worked all night for nothing. These disciples had doubted Jesus, run away from Him, and disobeyed many times. Could there be hope for them? Jesus tells them to let down the nets on the other side. They listened to Him and did so... SURPRISE... their nets are filled with fish and Jesus invites them to have breakfast with Him. They obeyed Him and were blessed. They became faithful followers sharing the Good News that Jesus died and rose for our salvation and ...SURPRISE...have a heavenly home.   

From Creation until today, God has been a God of Surprises. Adam and Eve sinned, yet God offers a Savior from sin...SURPRISE!  Throughout history God's people rebel against Him, yet He forgives and gives second chances...SURPRISE! The Son of God is born in a stable? SURPRISE! The Son of God riding to Jerusalem on a donkey? SURPRISE! The Son of God suffering and dying on a cross? SURPRISE! After three days, Jesus came alive from the grave? SURPRISE! God loves me, a poor, miserable sinner? He wants me to repent and look to Him and find forgiveness?  Jesus wants me to be His ambassador into the world and bubble over with His love? LOTS OF SURPRISES FROM GOD.

God took a killer named Saul and transformed him into the great missionary, Paul. God took disciples who were doubting and unfaithful and strengthened them to share their faith up to their death. It has been said that God doesn't choose the equipped to serve Him, He equips the chosen. Because God Is Good...All The Time...He has chosen you to bubble over with His love to your world. Now it's time for you to surprise God.
Amen...pastor matthews

I read a story recently that came out of San Antonio, TX a few years ago. It told about a mother who accidentally left her baby locked in her car, windows up, 99 degrees out. Realizing what she had done, she began screaming for help. As they tried to unlock the door with a coat hanger, the baby was crying, turning blue and foaming at the mouth because of anxiety and heat. Finally, a tow truck driver named Fred pulled up. He grabbed his hammer and broke out a window to free the baby. Was he a hero? Maybe not! He was quoted in the paper as saying that the mother was mad at him because he had broken a window in her car. He said that he figured the baby was more important than the window. Priorities?

An elderly couple wanted to take a helicopter ride through the Grand Canyon but argued that the cost of $25 each was too much. The pilot told them that if they went on the ride and didn't say a word for the whole ride, he would refund their $50. Off they went and the pilot pulled out all of his stunts; diving, spinning, flying upside down, and yet, not a word. He landed and looked back to see only the elderly man. "Where's your wife," he asked. "Well, she fell out part way through the ride and I was going to say something, but $50 is $50." Priorities?

In the Book of Revelation, John writes of a vision of the New Jerusalem, the holy city of God, coming down from God like a bride to be united with her Husband, Jesus. A voice from the throne of God calls out that the dwelling place of God is with His people. The Maker of the Universe, Who could live wherever He wants, wants to hang out with us! How cool is that? We like to hang out with people we like. While in Detroit at the LWML Convention, I hung out with my Brother and Sister-in-Law and the people from Concordia. Because of His great love for us, God chooses to hang out with us; His  #1 priorities. 

Now, because He wants to hang out with us, He wants us to hang out with Him in heaven where there will be no more pain. How does this happen? God made each of us His #1 priority and to prove it, sent His Only Son to die for us so that through faith in Jesus, we can be with Him eternally. The punishment of sin that separated us from God has been broken by the cross of Jesus; an act of love for those who are His #1 priorities. Jesus chose to take that punishment because He loves us so much it hurt. Priority?

Sadly our sinful nature has trouble with that. When we honestly look at ourselves in the mirror, we know that we don't deserve God's love, His forgiveness, a home in heaven. We deserve nothing but pain, death, and an eternity in Hell. We're so rotten, we deserve to be left for dead.  How could Jesus want to suffer and die for someone like me? Because of God's mercy, we don't get what we deserve. Because we are God's #1 priorities, we get the home in heaven won for us by Jesus on the cross. Priority?

We are His #1 priority, shouldn't He be ours too? Do people around you know what God has done? Do you praise your Lord every day, giving thanks for His blessings in your life? Do your friends and family know that Jesus died for you and for them too? A father was listening to his sons talk about what they saw in church. One son asked his older brother, "At the end of the service, what does it mean when the pastor does this? (he made the sign of the cross) The older brother responded, "It means that when you leave, some of you go this way, and some of you go that way." As God's priorities, He wants us to go into the world with His love. As God's priorities we should know and believe that what's important about a church is not how many it seats, but how many it sends. Because God is Good...and we are His #1 priorities, how wonderful it is to know that like the tow truck driver, Jesus broke through the gates of hell to give us life. For that we will thank Him forever.   Amen...pastor matthews

One of my fondest childhood memories was a time our family drove from Michigan to Florida for a vacation. Along the way, Dad told me I could have whatever I wanted for breakfast. That was my very first cheeseburger with onions breakfast sandwich. Thinking back, Dad took good care of us. He had that vacation planned out pretty well; where to drive, where we stayed, and all the rest. This reminds me of the story of the young boy sitting in a plane, calmly reading a book while the plane rocked and rolled in a storm. The person next to him asked how he could be so calm in the storm. The boy answered, "My Dad is the Pilot and he's taking me home." He had faith in what his father was doing too. How great to have someone who makes you feel secure.

Sadly, life isn't always that way, is it?. Over the years we learn about the sinful nature we all struggle with and the fact that people can't be counted on to be supportive. People let us down, lie to us, forget about us, use us, reject us, and find us not to be a priority for them.  It's as though we learn not to trust. We find ourselves filled with stress, fears and worry. As young people, like our Confirmation Class, we fear the future; will I do well in high school or college, will I be popular and have friends, will I be good at something, will I fall in love, or will I be a failure, sad, and alone? As we get older, we fear for our jobs, our relationships, and the future. Will I be able to retire? Will I have good health and money to do some things?   Where do I turn for comfort and security?

The message of Jeremiah 29:11 gives us the answer. For those who love the Lord, God says that He has a plan for you; a plan of prosperity and not calamity, for a future and for hope.

God has a plan especially for your life. Trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior Who died and rose for your salvation and God promises;
Prosperity; Not necessarily money, but good things, blessings, a promise that God Himself will take care of you. He cares about your welfare.
Not Calamity; this doesn't mean that bad things won't happen, they will, but a promise that they will never defeat you because God never abandon you to evil.
A Future; Never a dead end, but the assurance that God will bless you and pick you up when you fall and walk with you on earth and forever in heaven.
Hope; No matter what happens, God will see you through. In His plan for you, no matter how it looks around you, you will come out on top, His way, His time.

In a story written by Tim Hansel we read of a boy who met Jesus and rode with Him on a tandem bike; the boy in front, Jesus in the back. Jesus kept suggesting they change places and once the boy trusted Him in front, life changed dramatically! Jesus led him on a great adventure, through mountains, around scary turns, over rocks. "Where are you taking me?" the boy would ask and Jesus just replied, "Pedal."  Jesus took the boy to people who had gifts he needed such as love, help and healing, money and possessions, joy and peace, and they pedaled off, Jesus told him to give the gifts away, they were only baggage for the journey. The boy gave them away and more came his way to give away too. The boy realized that at first, he didn't trust Jesus to control his life. Once he did, life became more meaningful, and more fun. Since then Jesus has taken him to wonderful places, through scary places, with a beautiful view of life. When the boy gets tired and feels lost, Jesus just turns around, smiles at him and says, "Pedal." This story reminds us that God Is Good...All The Time. Amen..pastor matthews 

Pentecost, the birthday of the Christian Church was celebrated in the Old Testament as First Fruits, an offering to the Lord. Ties in nicely as we see those first disciples filled with the Holy Spirit through rushing wind and fire going out and speaking about all Jesus had done through His suffering, death, and resurrection for their salvation. It had to be a noisy Celebration with each disciple speaking in a different language at the same time.

The Holy Spirit came to them with the sound of rushing wind. Wind brought new life to old disciples. We remember the Creation story when God brought the mud-man Adam to life with His breath. Everyone here today received a red balloon; a deflated red balloon. It just kind of lays there on the pew or in your bulletin. Not of any real worth without air inside, is it? A deflated balloon is like a person who claims to be a church member, yet never worships, never attends Bible Class or Holy Communion. They claim to know Who Jesus is, but they don't trust Him as their Savior. Without the wind of the Spirit, the Breath of God, they will sadly dry up and rot away like the balloon.

It's a truth of life, without air, we die. When we're not breathing, we need CPR to bring us that life-giving air. CPR tells us spiritually that Christ is our Personal Redeemer. That breath comes from God Himself. He fills us with His love and faith that brings us everlasting life. Through the Word of God, our Baptism, and Holy Communion the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts that brings new life. We know in our heads and our hearts that Jesus died and rose for me.

Knowing that is true, Jesus speaks to each of us in Matthew 28 to GO into the world and make disciples. He doesn't say SIT and wait for them to come to you. He doesn't say SNOOZE until Judgment Day. He tells us to GO and spread the Good News of salvation. His Spirit leads us where He wants us to go. We might be led to reach out to family, friends, neighbors, and strangers with an act of kindness. We might speak to someone at work, school, or in a Nursing Home or Hospital about Jesus.  Maybe you'll share a kind word to lift their spirits. That's what Christians do, right? A word of blessing to a check-out girl can be special too. Like our balloon filled with air and let go, you never know where it's going, do you? You never know who it will touch.

Two men are watching a church burn down.  One man says to the other, "You're a member right? I don't remember you coming here." The other replied, "I don't remember the church being on fire." Good point for us; a church on fire for the Lord is a church where the Spirit is blowing. If we could all fill our balloons and hold them; remembering that God Is Good...All The Time and He fills us with faith, hope, and love so we can celebrate going wherever He leads us and share our faith in Jesus and show kindness, often with lots of noise. Let the balloons go, NOW! Amen..pastor matthews

My earliest memory of time with my Dad was my brother's Baptism in 1948. I remember standing in the back of the church with Mom and Dad holding my hands. Growing up, there were many times I would go out with Dad to shop or for a walk. I learned very quickly that it was better for him to have a hold of me than vicey-versy. He would keep me from slipping and falling or getting lost. While walking, I enjoyed hearing what he had to teach me about sports or good manners; like opening the door for a lady to go through first, or the funeral business or church. One constant was that I never worried that Dad wouldn't get me home safely. Holding, hearing, and home were all parts of a walk with Dad. God has that same comfort as we walk with Him.

The pen that we gave the men for Father's Day has the words;  MEN WHO WALK WITH GOD NEVER WALK ALONE.  Remember the song from Carousel; When you walk through the storm keep your head up high and don't be afraid of the dark...walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart and you'll never walk alone. Hope in dark times comes from walking with the Lord.  Joshua 1: 9 assures us "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God (walks) with you wherever you go." Adam and Eve walked with God. Enoch walked with God. We can walk with God and never walk alone. 

Our walk begins with faith in Jesus Who died and rose for our salvation. Faith reaches up to our heavenly Father Who takes hold of us. When we worship, God takes hold of us. In Holy Communion or Baptism, God takes hold of us for the walk. If our sinful nature pulls away from Him and His hold, we easily fall for whatever evil is around to hurt us. Once God does have a hold on us for the walk, we want to hear what He has to say to us. This reinforces the importance of Bible study, Sunday School, etc. His Word warns us against sins that will hurt us...He leads us in the paths of righteousness. If we put on the headphones and don't want to hear His Word in Bible Study or Prayer, then we can very easily walk the path that leads to everlasting death. Finally, our walk with our God leads us to our heavenly home. His promise to us in John 3:16 is that faith in Jesus will lead us to eternal life.  He is a Father Who keeps all of His promises!

It isn't easy to be a Man of God in our world. So many trials and troubles like the economy and worldly temptations can keep us from a faithful walk with our Lord. However as a Man of God, holding the hand of the Creator with one hand, can reach down and take the hand of a little one so they can walk with you and their Savior. This little one could be your own, a family member, friend, or neighbor. This little one could be a child in Sunday School or VBS or a teenager. Hold them as you are held by God so they can hear His Word and have the comfort of a heavenly home.  When others look at you guys, they might have all kinds of names for you, but, would they describe you as a man who walks with God? I hope so. I also hope you'll make the effort to take a child's hand for your walk. Because God is Good....He wants to walk with you both. Amen..pastor matthews

While away at Mike and Amy's wedding, we had breakfast at a place called Scuttlebutts in Lake Geneva. This is Mrs. Matthews' favorite breakfast place. I had eggs over easy, hash browns, and a wonderful slice of ham. Mrs. Matthews gets Swedish pancakes with Lingonberries. Ham and eggs are my favorite. Someone once said that when it came to ham and eggs, the chicken was involved, but the pig made a commitment!

In our Scripture readings for this weekend, we read of the prophet Elisha getting rid of his possessions to make the commitment to follow God and Elijah. As Jesus talked with His disciples in Luke 9, Jesus told them that to follow Him takes a commitment on their part, not just an involvement. God is looking for pigs, not chickens. In Isaiah 29, we read the words of our God about chickens versus pigs; "they come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."  They want to look like pigs, but they are chickens at heart.

Our sinful nature often does that to us.  We dress up for worship, smile at those around us, throw a couple of bucks in the plate and in our minds, fulfilled our "duty" for the week. Sin makes chickens try to look like pigs. Our "OINKS" are really "CLUCKS" in God's sight. We're involved but not committed. Being involved is to follow Jesus at a comfortable distance. We want Jesus around to forgive us, hear our prayers, and take us to heaven, but to stand up for Him and with Him is too much to ask. To actually dig down to support our church and Preschool is too much to ask, it's uncomfortable. To volunteer time to assist with worship, Sunday School, VBS, and other groups is too much to ask, it's uncomfortable. To stay for Bible Class infringes on more important things, making it uncomfortable. Thankfully, when Jesus was suffering and dying for our sins, He didn't think it was too uncomfortable, too much to ask, and walk away. If our Jesus was a chicken on our behalf, then our proverbial goose is cooked!

Psalm 37:5 tells us to "Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will do this."  That's what Jesus did for us through His death and resurrection. He showed us that He is the Way to heaven and wants us to trust Him above the possessions of this world with the promise that He'll care for us. Faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior that shows itself in your words and actions is what being a pig is all about.

You can hang out with Colonial Sanders and Frank Perdue, their food is excellent. As a child of God, Jimmy Dean points us in a more heavenly direction. Because God is Good...All The Time, He wants you to be His pig in a world of chickens.
Amen...pastor matthews

We were in New Jersey at Bethany Lutheran Church for some 6 ½ years. We enjoyed the people, the Shore, Silver Queen corn, and renting a bus and taking a trip into New York City. While traveling into New York back then; we saw the Twin Towers, other sights, and took a trip to the Statue of Liberty.

This 4th of July Weekend brought to mind that trip. The Statue is some 305' feet tall, made of copper. It was dedicated in 1886 and the light of the torch was a saving light for millions of immigrants coming to America. Maybe you had ancestors that made that trip and found a new home in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Lady Liberty, originally known as "Liberty Enlightening the World" is a wonderful symbol for the freedom we find in the Country and a reminder of the freedom we have from sin, death, and the Devil through our Lord Jesus.

Three things stand out for me as I think of Liberty Enlightening the World; the torch, the tablet, and the broken chain under her feet. These three also help us understand the freedom God has for us in Jesus.

#1. The Torch viewed by millions coming from old lands of tyranny to a New Land brought hope and comfort. In John 8:12 Jesus says, "I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness."   Trusting in Jesus as the Light of our lives brings us eternal hope and comfort.  The priorities of this world can lead to selfishness, pride, and spiritual death. Jesus brings hope and life in this dark world. As we look at Him, we see that He is God's Torch of Light for each of us. When our Little Gospel Light shines, we are reflecting Jesus, God's Torch of Light to a dark world.   

#2. The Tablet has the dates of the Declaration of Independence inscribed on it. The Word of God in a similar way brings a message of Independence from sin, death, and the Devil. We read this inspired Word of God to us that assures us of God's love and support and the promise of sins forgiven through faith in Jesus. In John 8:32, Jesus tells us of His Word, "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free."  That truth is that Jesus died and rose for you! Our Gospel Light shines with that truth!

#3. The Broken Chain under Liberty's feet can remind us of the broken hold of slavery; whether slavery in this Country or of evil governments around the world enslaving people. In 2 Timothy 2:9, Paul talks of the chains he had to endure in prison but that the Word of God will never be chained. We struggle with the chains of sin in our own lives, we all have our favorite sins, but we are assured that faith in Jesus will break those chains as we reach out in repentance.  Our Gospel Light tells of that freedom.

This weekend you'll probably see lots of pictures of Liberty Enlightening the World with her raised torch. Because God is Good...All The Time...He has chosen us to raise our Gospel Light with the message that eternal freedom comes only through Jesus! Amen...pastor matthews

I think you have a lot of freakin' nerve.
Last time you posted, full of vengeance b'cause of MoM, you were handing out torches to the villagers, ready to light torches for the villagers, scouring the countryside, searching for an IP Address because someone disagreed with you and MoM.
Hypocricy, absolute hypocricy.
Go shove your sermons.

Quote from: buzz on July 08, 2010, 10:25:18 PM
I think you have a lot of freakin' nerve.
Last time you posted, full of vengeance b'cause of MoM, you were handing out torches to the villagers, ready to light torches for the villagers, scouring the countryside, searching for an IP Address because someone disagreed with you and MoM.
Hypocricy, absolute hypocricy.
Go shove your sermons.

Buzz, that was uncalled for.  You must be drunk or sumthin.

Quote from: billyjean on July 09, 2010, 12:09:37 AM

Quote from: buzz on July 08, 2010, 10:25:18 PM
I think you have a lot of freakin' nerve.
Last time you posted, full of vengeance b'cause of MoM, you were handing out torches to the villagers, ready to light torches for the villagers, scouring the countryside, searching for an IP Address because someone disagreed with you and MoM.
Hypocricy, absolute hypocricy.
Go shove your sermons.

Buzz, that was uncalled for. 

Apparently you missed the flap:
http://www.berwyntalk.com/smf/index.php?topic=9607.msg163215#msg163215

Quote from: billyjean on July 09, 2010, 12:09:37 AM
Buzz, that was uncalled for.  You must be drunk or sumthin.

Don't drink.  Just post.
Uncalled for ?  Please explain.

Pastor Mark Matthews is nice enough to share his sermons for those who enjoy reading it.

Juliets,
I and severals other people here enjoy the sermons you post here from the rev.
It is very sad indeed to see a twits like buzz crap on this holy thread, but that is
his small, unGod like intellects.
Cheers,
Stanislov

We have a really neat little video of Marco at Mike and Amy's wedding. He's standing at the edge of the dance floor listening to the music. When the area in front of him opens up, he steps out to the floor, shakes his booty to the music and then retreats when the crowd gets closer. We call it the "Dancing Marco" move. He just moves to the beat of the music; his way, his beat, not caring if he looks cool, just having fun moving to the music. I admire him for that. As we older, we want to look cooler on the dance floor which keeps many of us away except for a slow one once in a while, or possibly "The Twist."

Moving to the beat of God's music is what the Christian life is all about. God gives us His tune to follow. We want to be in harmony with Him. He holds us, nudges us in one direction or the other and we flow together. At the end of the movie, Evan Almighty, after Evan has built the Ark to protect people and animals from a flood that was coming, God and Evan do "The Dance" together as a way of saying that Evan had been in harmony with God's plan, God's will, God's tune for his life. God wants to dance with each of us. Sad to say, because of our sin, we choose not in harmony with Him. We listen to the music of our world filled with greed, ego, anger, hurt. We want to lead, and when we do, we often step on God's toes, which I'm sure causes Him pain, especially if God wears sandals.

"When the Saints Go Marching In" is a famous Louis Armstrong song and the theme for the New Orleans Saints football team. We are sending a number of our young people and adults to New Orleans for a Youth Gathering. As children of God, God's Saints, they will be marching in by the thousands for new and exciting times of worship, study, and fellowship with new kids they will meet. We will want to pray for our Saints, young and old, as they leave home for a new adventure.

I hope that their march will turn into a dance with their Lord in a new setting. I pray that their words and actions might be in harmony with Jesus. I pray they won't step on Jesus' toes and hurt Him. Trusting their Lord, Who died and rose for each of them, is what "The Dance" is all about. Moving with the Lord takes a surrender of faith to His will, a willingness to let Him lead, and an attentiveness to His guidance.

Looking at that word GUIDANCE teaches us many things. The G is for God. God, U & I DANCE. We pray for His GUIDANCE in our lives. We pray to be open to His direction. We pray that we will live in harmony with His song for us. Because God Is Good...All The Time, He wants us to dance with Him every day. Go and Samba with the Savior, Flamenco with the Father, Line Dance with your Lord, and like our little guy, just enjoy the music God has for you. Amen..pastor matthews

Quote from: Regularguy on July 09, 2010, 10:14:54 PM
Juliets,
I and severals other people here enjoy the sermons you post here from the rev.
It is very sad indeed to see a twits like buzz crap on this holy thread, but that is
his small, unGod like intellects.
Cheers,
Stanislov

Agree Stanislov.  In your broken English there ... you said it right.

Quote from: billyjean on July 09, 2010, 10:55:01 PM

Quote from: Regularguy on July 09, 2010, 10:14:54 PM
Juliets,
I and severals other people here enjoy the sermons you post here from the rev.
It is very sad indeed to see a twits like buzz crap on this holy thread, but that is
his small, unGod like intellects.
Cheers,
Stanislov

Agree Stanislov.  In your broken English there ... you said it right.

LOL.  That's not broken English.
And swearing and calling someone a twit is unGod like intellect.


I'm not a true believer anymore, but I do like that she posts the sermons here.

Enough people.

Let's pretend that Mrs. Matthews and I are attending a wedding reception. The place is beautiful and they begin by serving the soup. I love soup. After the soup if finished, they serve a wonderful salad. The staff picks up the salad plate and serves a piece of cake and a cup of coffee. Do you think I might go to the parents of the bride and ask "Where's the main course with meat, potatoes and veggies?" "No entree with this meal?" If that's all there was, we probably would stop on the way home to get some food. Everyone would be left tired and hungry.

I mention that because our Bible story of Jesus and Mary and Martha from Luke 10 is very similar. While Mary sits at Jesus' feet listening to Him, her older sister Martha is in the kitchen getting the appetizers and drinks ready. Martha is upset that her sister isn't helping with the meal. Jesus thanks Martha for what she is doing, but tells her that Mary is doing what's most important; listening to Him.

In a Bible paraphrase called "The Message" after Martha asks why Mary can't help in the kitchen, Jesus replies, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over them. One thing is essential, and Mary has chosen it – it's the main course, and won't be taken from her." Martha is washing dishes while Mary is enjoying the meat, potatoes, and veggies of the main course, the words of Jesus.

What if Jesus came to your house? Would be Mary or Martha? I could see myself, like Martha, all excited and rushing to offer Jesus iced tea, water, pop, coffee, whatever He'd like. I'd be willing to go out and get a Pizza, Chinese, Mexican, whatever He would enjoy. I would want to do for Him, when in reality, Jesus is there to do for me. He would tell me that before I serve Him, He's there to feed me the "main course;" His message of love, hope, forgiveness of sins, and life eternal through faith.

Through His friends Mary and Martha, the Lord is teaching us about spiritual priorities. Jesus is telling us that before we can serve Him or others, we have to be fed first. A car with an empty tank goes nowhere. A child of God with an empty spiritual tank goes nowhere too. As a church, as a group, or as an individual, before reaching out with our various programs, Jesus wants us to have His "Main Course" first. We need Bible Study, worship, Holy Communion on a regular basis like we need good food. If we eat once a week, we'll get sick and maybe die. The same is true for being fed on God's Word; once a week with God's Word isn't enough.

The Christian writer, Beth Moore talks about internal combustion.  She states that when the Spirit of truth combines with the Word of truth, there is an internal combustion of faith in God's people. That internal combustion empowers us to share our faith in Jesus Who died and rose for our salvation, take food to the hungry reach out to the sick and lonely, forgive those who have hurt us, and try to live as His person. Because God Is Good...All The Time He wants you at His table and at His table, His "Main Course" will be served. Amen..pastor matthews

While on vacation, Mrs. Matthews and I visited a place called the "Fantastic Cavern" in Missouri. You sit on a wagon and are taken by a Jeep into a large cavern some 90 feet underground. The people running the tour have set up electric lights along the way so you can see the stalactites and stalagmites, as well as sink holes and other mineral formations. This cave was actually used by bootleggers many years ago and they even constructed a stage for famous singers to lead the parties they had. At one place, the guide stopped the wagon and turned out all the lights. I have never seen, or should I say not seen, anything so dark in my life! I literally could not see my hand move in front of my face. It is so dark that they tell you that your eyes will never adjust to the dark so you can see. Even the little creatures that live there are all blind because of the continual darkness. Then, when you begin to get a little nervous, the guide lights a candle and there is a sigh of relief. One little candle in the dark makes all the difference.

I couldn't help but reflect on how true that is for each of us in our spiritual life too. We live with the darkness of sin all around us. We look at a dark world that kills children in drive-by shootings, kills unborn children with abortions, kills young people with war, drugs, alcohol, and neglects those who are old, sad and lonely. We live in the darkness of sin listening for the world's answers. Sadly they are apart from Jesus and we wonder why we still feel in the dark. In our dark cavern, we hold out money for an answer and it's still dark. We lift up our Rolex and we're still in the dark. We look in the mirror and see nothing at all.  There are no answers to the darkness apart from the Light Who is Jesus.

In John 8 Jesus tells us that He is the light of the world and whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness but have the light of life. He is THE light, not one of many lights. In the darkness of our caverns of sin, hurt, illness, fear, and loss, Jesus is the One light, that One flame that enlightens the darkness. Faith in Jesus, Who died and rose to eliminate the darkness of sin in our hearts is there for us.

What does this teach us? When you are frozen in fear, look to the Light Who is Jesus. When you feel doomed in the dark, look to the Light Who is Jesus. Trusting in Jesus, the Light of the world, fills us with that same light of hope and joy and peace. Faith in Jesus shows us the way out of our cavern. When we follow the Flame, we can help others find their way to His light. Psalm 109 tells us that the Word of God is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. Our prayers, Bible Study, worship, and attendance at Holy Communion all keep that Flame Who is Jesus close to us.

Because God is Good...All The Time, He wants us to live in the light, not the dark; He wants faith, not fear. The hurts of life can leave us feeling doomed in darkness, but Jesus our Lord lives to be our Light in this life and the Light that leads from the dark cavern of this life to the Sonshine of heaven. Amen...pastor matthews

here's a neat little story of a group of children watching a silversmith at work. He would heat up the silver and scrape off the dross or impurities. He did this again and again. Finally, one of the children asked, "How do you know when it's finished?" The silversmith answered, "When I can see my reflection in the silver."



Silver is a precious metal made to be pure, valuable, and to shine. Sad to say, this doesn't always happen. Like in our little story, we read that when silver is heated, the dross appears. The same is true in our lives. God made us to be His children, pure and valuable, shining for the kingdom, now and eternally. Sad to say, because of sin, we are all filled with dross, impurities that especially show up when the heat is on!



Let's face it, when the heat is on, the pressure rises, trials and troubles come our way, so often what is seen is the dross of our lives. Jobs can be lost; bills can't be paid, or we struggle with Cancer, pain, and pressure. The dross of anger easily appears. The dross of blame; blame God, blame our spouse, blame anyone we can. The dross of fear and worry rises to the top. This can lead to the dross of alcoholism, drug abuse, lying, cheating, stealing, and more. Do we just leave the dross floating there on the surface of our lives? Do we settle and keep all the impurities for all to see and hear? Are we just a dirty mess to be thrown away? I hope not!



A reading from Proverbs 25 tells us that when you take the dross away from the silver, the smith has something to work with. That Smith is our God. God can allow the heat to rise in our lives, not to punish us, but so He can scrape off the dross and help us to be who He wants us to be. No heat and the dross stays in place. Nobody likes the heat, but out of the heat can come healing. When we struggle, we are led to see how weak and dirty we are. Seeing that weakness, seeing that dirt of sin floating there, we ask God to forgive us for Jesus' sake and He starts scraping off that dross. When we feel down, dirty, and defeated, living in the dross of our lives, one thing has to change; the D in Dross has to be changed to a C in Cross.



Looking to the cross shows us that Jesus came to earth and through His death and resurrection, wants to scrape off all of our dross of sin and replace it with the Cross in our hearts, bringing forgiveness, hope, joy, peace, and a heart that is clean in God's sight. As we look at the heat in our own lives, we can seek out the cross and find the Savior Who took all the dross on Himself so that through faith in Him, we could shine for the Kingdom now and eternally. Our Bible Study, worship, prayers, Holy Communion attendance are important because God uses them to scrape off the dross of sin.



Because God is Good..All The Time, He loves you so much that He wants you to be pure and clean before Him because we can serve others best when the face of Jesus is reflected in us. We all say God is Good...All The Time, do we show it?  Amen..pastor matthews

The story is told of a little boy standing barefoot on the sidewalk looking into a shoe store. A lady approached and asked him what he was looking at. "I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes," the little guy answered. The lady then took him in the store, went to the back and washed his dirty feet, asked the clerk for a pair of socks, and found a nice pair of shoes for the lad. She paid for the socks and shoes and as she left, she patted him on the head and said, "I hope you're feeling better now." The little guy took her hand, looked up in her eyes and said, "Are you God's wife?"

I like that story because the lady didn't do a loving thing because she had to or for recognition from others, she simply responded, as Tim Hetzner reminded us a few weeks ago, because "We're Christians and that's what we do!" She understood what true discipleship is about; doing God's business before we do our own.

Sad to say, with our sinful nature, we find it easy to make excuses. The lady could have thought she was too busy, could not afford the cost, didn't have the time, and it might have been a con. We understand that doing our own thing, minding our own business, is what this world is all about. We have to take care of #1; ME. People who haven't worshipped in months tell me the same thing; they can't get to worship because they are either too tired from their job, too busy with other things, or simply feel worship isn't that important. When I'm #1, minding my own business, I have my own priorities that place God way down the list after things like job, money, fun, rest, family, sports, meal preparation, parties, not feeling well, other plans, convenience, and many more. We wouldn't miss a day on our job, yet can't show up for an hour or two with Jesus. 

In Luke 14, Jesus tells us that our job as children of God is to carry our cross of faith and follow Jesus. We know He took His cross, died on it, rose from the dead to give us eternal victory. Following Jesus through faith on earth means that when we die we won't be held in the grave, we will follow Him to heaven. If we reject His job description for us, and choose to follow other people or things on earth, then when we die, we'll follow them to eternal destruction.

Jesus tells us that He wants His disciples to be like salt and bring flavor to a bland world. Faith brings us that saltiness that enlivens those in our world with a witness of our faith, actions of love and support, like the shoes for the child, food for the hungry, and an ear to listen to the lonely because we're Christians and that's what we do.

God's Word goes on in Luke 14 to tell us that if we have no time for Jesus or to live with the job description of saltiness, we are good for nothings; offering nothing to the world around us, not good enough even for a pile of manure. I guess that means we really smell up the place, huh? Holding His nose, Jesus might look each of us in the eye and tell us that those who do not...cannot.  Do not carry His cross to the world and you cannot be a disciple. Do not trust Him as your Lord and Savior and you cannot get to heaven.

Because God is Good...All The Time, I want Him to be proud of me, don't you? I want to carry His cross to the world, don't you?  I want to be salt to a flavorless, bland world, don't you? Who knows, I'll never be mistaken for God's wife, but to know that I am a child of God and the fact that He wants me to mind His business is wonderful.
Amen..pastor matthews

As a Grandfather, I have learned lots of new things. I now more about Thomas the Train that I could have ever wanted to know. Names like Thomas, Percy, Diesel, Harold, and many others are spoken quite often in our house when Marco visits. When Melanie and Michael were growing up, we had Strawberry Shortcake, Transformers, and the Sesame Street characters; Kermit, Miss Piggy, Elmo, Cookie Monster, and others.  In 1970 a man by the name of Joe Raposo wrote the song "It Isn't Easy Being Green." It was sung by Kermit the Frog. Kermit began by singing that being green is boring because people overlook him because he blends in with leaves and ordinary things. As the song goes on, he realizes that being green is pretty cool because it's the color of Spring, mountains, oceans, and trees. He finishes by saying that green is what he wants to be.

Speaking of colors, I read a story about a teacher who asked her class, "If all bad children were painted red and all good children were painted green, which color would you be? How about you? How would you answer that one? The story goes on to say that one really smart student answered, "Striped." I guess if you think about it, everyone but Jesus is striped. That's our world today.

Whether look at ourselves or others around us, stripes are the color of life. We can be good, we can be bad. We can be mean, we can be nice. We can feel incomplete, and we can feel complete. We can feel empty or we can feel full. We can be lost to God and we can be found by God. In Latin, simul iustus et peccatur, tells us that we are same time saint, same time sinner.  My other favorite Latin phrase is semper ubi sub ubi; always wear underwear. I've had a strange education. None the less, they are true, especially the struggle we have as saint and sinner, lost and found; striped!

The great message of God's Word from Luke 15 is that when it comes to us, God, wants  the lost to be found, the striped  to be green. God has a thing about chasing after striped people so that through faith, they can be green. To show how much God wants each of us to be in His family, God sent His Son to suffer and die on the cross to seek out lost sinners. Jesus became bright red as the greatest sinner of all time as He took our sins on Himself so the red of our stripes could be washed away and we are now green in the sight of God.

A parable from India tells of a man watching an old man as he was reaching out to save a scorpion trapped on a piece of wood, floating down the river. The old man reached and got stung. He reached again and got stung. Though his hand was painfully swelling up, he reached out again to save the ugly creature. The man called out to the old man telling him how stupid he was trying to help the ungrateful scorpion. The old man called back to him, "My friend, just as it's the scorpion's nature to sting, that doesn't change my nature to save."

It's God's nature to save and  because God Is Good...All The Time, He wants to save us ungrateful striped people. We sting Him over and over through our sinful words, thoughts, and actions, yet He continues to reach out in Baptism, Communion, worship, and Bible Study to save you from your lost condition, Kermit. Amen...pastor matthews

I'm not all that great with money management. I do pay off my credit cards in full every month. Cash back from paid in full balances are always nice to get. I try to save some every month with retirement around the corner. One thing I have noticed is that the interest rate on savings or checking accounts seems to be getting smaller and smaller. I actually got a credit of $.01 from one account. These so-called Super accounts really don't offer too much. None of them are anything to get too excited over; no offense to bankers in the congregation. More free pens would be nice.

I had a guy in my congregation in New Jersey who watched his bank statement like a hawk. If he thought it was even 1 cent short, he would walk down to the bank, many blocks away, and literally raise a fuss until they put the penny in for him. When your life is wrapped around a penny from the bank, the world must be pretty small and empty.

Our Gospel lesson from Luke 16 reminds us that there is only One True God for us and that god should never be money. Matthew 6:21 reinforces the message by telling us that where your treasure is, that is where your heart is also. If your heart is in a vault down at your bank, or in your home, or your car, or the plastic in your wallet, leaving very little for the Lord's work, there is trouble on the horizon. When Judgment Day arrives, bank vaults will blow open, homes will be crushed, cars rusted away, and plastic melting. What does that say about your heart? Will your heart be blown away, crushed, rusted out, and melting? Sounds like Hell to me. The things of this world will be lost....do you want your heart lost with them? Tight-fisted people discover that the gods of this world are tight-fisted too.

God offers His Own Savings Plan; Jesus. God has such great interest in you and so much interest for you that He sent His Son to die for your sins of greed, selfishness, and all the rest. Investing our hearts and souls in Jesus rather than the things of this world, brings us more dividends than we could ever imagine. Faith is invested in our Lord, assuring us of God's interest in us that forgives our sins, holds on to us, hears us, blesses us, and provides for all of our needs in this life and for life eternal. One way that faith in Jesus shows through is by donating toward the work of the Lord, to give thanks for what God has given to you. Luke 6:38 assures us that the measure we use to give to God is the measure He uses to give to us. Generous people discover a Generous God.

Because God is Good...All The Time, the interest He has in us and for us is beyond belief. I'm kind of like the guy who kept praying to win the Lottery but never won. He went to his pastor and asked why God hadn't blessed him in that way. "Well," the pastor answered, "First you have to buy a ticket." I never buy a ticket, but there are millions who do and lose the so-called Big Prize every week. When we look to Jesus and invest our time, talents, and treasures in Him and His Church, we are winners every day and we know that the really Big Prize is waiting for us in heaven. Amen..pastor matthews

I read a story recently of a Dad praying with his little boy before bed The little guy was praying a prayer that I've been praying for over 60 years; "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. And this I ask for Jesus' sake. Amen."  This time, the little guy got confused as he was praying, "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should wake before I die..." He was sad because he messed it up but his Dad assured him that what he said was definitely good with God. Our prayer for ourselves and our loved ones should be that we all wake before we die; we wake up to God's will before we die, we wake up and see our sins and ask for forgiveness and trust in Jesus as our Savior before we die.

The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus from Luke 16 affirms the little guy's prayer. The Rich Man was asleep to the things of God and cared only of the pleasures of this world. Because he hadn't been awake to God, when he went to sleep in death, he was lost eternally in Hell. Lazarus, on the other hand, had little in this life, but Lazarus was awake to Jesus as Lord and Savior and when He went to sleep, he woke up in heaven.

The message is the same for each of us. Before we die, God wants us to wake up to not just what's around us, but who's around us. A woman came to her mother and said that she can't marry her fiancée because he's an atheist and doesn't believe in hell. Mom's advice was, "Go and marry him. With you as his wife and me for a mother-in-law, I'm sure we can convince him."  The Rich Man lived for himself and didn't see what was in front of him.. He had all the good things life could bring and even had more compassion for his dogs than for Lazarus. The Rich Man didn't wake up to the message of eternal life through faith in Jesus found in the Word of God and was lost. Because he didn't wake up to the Lord, his family could be lost too.

To wake up before we sleep is to #1. Isaiah 55:6&7, "Seek the Lord while He may be found; turn to Him and He will have mercy on you."  Seeking the Lord in His Word leads us to wake up to our sin, wake up to God's forgiveness, wake up to His promise of everlasting life through faith in Jesus as our Savior Who died and rose for our salvation. Fall asleep with Jesus in this life and wake up with Him in heaven. #2 In 1 John 3, we read that the Lord wants us to love one another as the Lord has first loved us. We also read that if we fail to help another in need, how can the love of the Lord be in us? The love Jesus has for us wakes us up to those in need and leads us to reach out with food, money, and a listening ear before we sleep.

In a cartoon, Garfield the Cat is looking outside during a snowstorm. Odie the Dog is outside, his nose on the window, freezing from the snow. Garfield says to himself, "This is terrible. Things like this shouldn't happen. How sad this is. I can't stand it." With that he goes over to the window and closes the curtain. Because God is Good...All The Time, He wants you to wake up to Jesus, and keep the curtain open to others before you sleep. Amen...pastor matthews

I read a neat story this week about the great artist, Michelangelo. It seems that one day he was chipping away with his chisel and hammer at a large piece of white marble. The work drew a large crowd wanting the see the master at work. Finally, a little girl in the crowd asked him, "What are you making?" The master craftsman replied, "There is an angel in this block of marble and I'm setting it free." Imagine how proud Michelangelo will be of the finished work.

This morning is LWML Sunday and we are reflecting on the idea of walking in the Word of God. I couldn't help but think that God, our Master Craftsman, like Michelangelo, chooses to work on each of us the same way. God will use the hammer and chisel of His Word to chip away what's not needed in our lives, and then polish, again with His Word, what is needed to help us faithfully serve Him. We all find ourselves trapped in a marble tomb of sin that could easily destroy us forever. God loves us so much that He wants to take the time to free us from our marble tomb, not to be angels, but even better, to be His children.

The hammer and chisel that God uses on us is the Bible. As we read God's Word we see Jesus hanging on the cross. God uses this horrible event to chip away at us when we realize that the reason Jesus suffered and died was for my sins. I put Him there. I was responsible for His suffering and death. Once we realize this truth, we are led to confess our sins before Him, repent of those sins, and trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior Who frees us from our marble tomb of sin.

The problem is that our sinful nature tells us that we're pretty good people. We're a lot better than our neighbors, so why wouldn't God want us in heaven? We don't need a Savior; we can save ourselves by being good. God chips away with His Word to show us that this is not true. We realize from the 10 Commandments, God's hammer and chisel, that we haven't put God first, haven't worshipped faithfully, haven't respected others in our lives, have lied, cheated, been selfish and greedy. Chip, chip, chip...Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Our sins, even just one, mean we aren't perfect and can't get to heaven on our own. Does this make you sad and hopeless? Are you ready to confess those sins before God, wanting His forgiveness? If not, our sin will entomb us eternally. 

Thankfully, there is more to the Word. Once we see our sin, we realize that God has been chipping away, not to hurt us, but to free us. God's Word promises that God loves us and is ready to polish us up. What does John 3:16 promise?? That God loves each of us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us and rise from the dead to polish us up to be His people in this world. Forgiven, we learn more through worship; polish, polish...prayer; polish, polish...Bible Study; polish, polish...Holy Communion and Baptism; polish, polish.

Because God Is Good...All The Time, He shows us that He is our Master Craftsman, Who comes with His Word to chip away our sin, polish our faithfulness, so the results are children He can be proud of! How great is that?? Amen...pastor matthews

Reflecting on Thanksgiving during our service that centers around the 10 Lepers, I've been really blessed by God because every Thanksgiving of my life I've had people around me who cared for me, as I cared for them, and some really great food too! I hope you can say the same, but I know it's not true for everyone. In our world at Thanksgiving, many are alone, many go hungry, many eat with strangers, and many are simply sad with empty hearts.

I'm sure that was true at Jesus' time too, especially for those suffering with leprosy. Lepers were the walking dead of that time. They were considered unclean in religious circles, contagious and diseased as they walked around with bodies maimed and disfigured, often with fingers and toes falling off and blindness setting in. Leprosy also takes away your sense of touch. Lepers could hold a hot pan while being burned and not feel a thing. People yelled "Unclean" as they passed by, rejected, isolated, even having stones thrown at them to keep them at least 50 yards from the clean people.

That's why as we read Luke 17, they stood at a distance and cried out to Jesus for pity. By pity they meant compassion and a willingness to help them. Jesus, always filled with compassion from deep, down in His heart, could have thrown them some money, could have thrown them some food, instead, He gave them the gift of being healed from this terrible disease. One came back to say thank you to Jesus; one! What does it take for us to respond to God with gratitude?

Thankfully, Jesus treats us the same way He treated the lepers. When we cry out to Him in faith, He is always there to heal us from the leprosy of our  sin. Our many sins do to us what leprosy did to those 10. Our sins often isolate us from others as they judge us or we judge them. Sin eats away at our hearts, our consciences, and our actions leaving us cold hearted and apathetic. Because of our favorite sins, we don't feel the way we should towards others. Instead of love, we judge, we yell at people, we walk away; use them, or we hold grudges and distance ourselves from them. The sad part is, as we turn our backs on people, we are also turning our backs on Jesus. 1 John 4:20 tells us that if you cannot love your brother, you cannot love God!

Jesus knows that to really understand thanksgiving, we need to forgive and be forgiven. He is waiting there to forgive and clean us up. The message of the cross is the message of compassion that Jesus has for us sin-filled lepers. Jesus died and rose to take that sin away, clean up our hearts, and give us a new life of joy. He did that for you and you respond with??? "Thank You, Jesus" or "See Ya Later, Alligator." What does it take for us to respond to God with gratitude? Are you the one or one of the nine?

Our opening hymn #36 was written by a Lutheran Pastor, Martin Rinkart in the 1600's during the Thirty years War. In his walled city of Eilenberg people sought refuge only to be hit by famine and plague. In one year, Pastor Rinkart conducted 4500 funerals, including one for his wife. He was a man who kept his faith in Jesus and a spirit of gratitude to God. In the midst of all that pain he wrote, "Now thank we all our God, with hearts and hands and voices. Who wondrous things has done..."

How can you not give thanks with your hearts and hands and voices if you truly believe that God Is Good...All The Time. How can you? Amen..pastor matthews

The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican found in Luke 18 has always been a favorite of mine. A parable, you know, is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The earthly story is in front of us. Two men in church, one up front, head held high reminding God that he, the Pharisee, was a great guy. He was the ideal church member; YAHHHHH! He studied God's Word, lived a holy life, gave generously to the church; we need more members like that! The other guy, a tax collector; BOOOOOO. Tax collectors were known to lie, cheat and steal. He's in the back with his head bowed, confessing his sinfulness before God. We know which one is most valuable to the Kingdom of God, don't we? We know who we want to join our church.

The story is told of a city boy visiting his cousin who lived on a farm in the country. The city boy really admired that field of wheat. He couldn't help but notice that some wheat stood tall while others bent down to the ground. He told his cousin that those tall ones were surely the best. The cousin pulled some wheat from a tall standing stalk and some from one that was bent to the ground. He rubbed the heads of grain from the tall standing stalk showing they were almost empty of seeds. As he rubbed the heads of grain from the bent over stalk, the city boy could see that this was the one you want for a good harvest.

The same is true of worship. The real difference in these two men was that the tall standing Pharisee inflated himself with his worship, while he deflated God. The poor, miserable sinner of a tax collector inflated God with his worship and deflated himself. The Pharisee had an "I" problem. His prayer was filled with five "I's" telling God how great of a man he was and how fortunate God was to have him. The Publican, tax collector confessed his sin and asked God for mercy. Jesus then commented that those who inflate themselves will be deflated and those who deflate themselves will be inflated by God. God sent Jesus to suffer and die for our sins to fill us, inflate us, with His love and forgiveness.

Pride was the first sin, the father of them all. It shows up all over. A man was known to be the greatest carpet layer the world had ever seen. Everything he did, the cutting, edging, baseboards, always perfect. He charged the big bucks because he was the best ever. While finishing one job, he went outside for a smoke break. The problem was, he couldn't find his pack of cigarettes. Looking around he went back into the house only to notice this bulge in the middle of the carpet. "Oh, oh," he thought to himself; "my cigarettes." He couldn't pull up the carpet; it would make him look bad. He decided to take out his mallet and pound out the bulge and no one would know. Getting ready to leave, the lady of the house commented on a great job and handed him his missing cigarettes that had fallen out of his truck. "Here are your cigarettes," she told him, "You haven't seen my pet parakeet somewhere have you?" Pride only leads to destruction; deflation.

A man went to heaven and was met at the gate by St. Peter. "If you have earned 1000 pts. you can come in." The man began to list his accomplishments; faithful church goer, gave 10% to God, went to Bible Class, shared his faith, loved his family, worked hard, was a good neighbor, etc. "Well," Peter replied, "That about 350 pts." The man went on trying to think of one thing or another. Peter responded, "That's about 405 pts." Finally the man replied, "I can't do it on my own. I have been a sinner and I'm not good enough. The only way I'll get to heaven is by the grace of God!" "Come on in," Peter replied. 

Because God Is Good..All The Time, we don't have to be; His mercy endures forever. Jesus died to forgive poor, miserable sinners like you and me. We confess our sins, come to Him with bowed heads trusting in Jesus as our Savior and God looks at us and says "YAHHHHH! That's who I want in My heaven" amen..pastor matthews

Forrest Gump told us that "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get." If that's true, then what can we say about God? "God is like Tide; He gets the stains out that others leave behind." "God is like Allstate; you're in good hands with Him." "God is like Dial Soap; aren't you glad you have Him. Don't you wish everybody did?" For our sermon today as we reflect on our Gospel reading from John 8 where our Lord encourages us to abide with Him as He will abide with us, we'll paraphrase Forrest; "God is like a tea bag, you always know what you're gonna get." Think about it! A tea bag placed in a cup of hot water brings about change. When God is in our hearts and our lives through faith, this brings about change.

The longer the tea bag is in the cup, the more to color of the water changes and the stronger it tastes. When our Lord abides in us hour after hour, day after day, week after week, our faith gets stronger and stronger, our lives change as we grow more and more to be the person the Lord wants us to be as He flavors our life with His love. The nature of abiding is hanging around all the time. When Marco is over, Mrs. Matthews abides with him to keep him out of trouble. When Jesus abides with us and we abide with Him, it's an on-going relationship of trust and love. He is always there to help, always there to listen, always there to strengthen and forgive us; always!

On the other hand, if we dip the tea bag in the water, a little here and a little there, then nothing really happens. This creates an on-again, off-again relationship with our Lord. As we dip the tea bag into our cup now and then, the water might change a little and there's a little taste of tea, but pretty bland.  Our sinful nature will let the Lord come in now and then, but just for a little dip here and there to appease our consciences. We'll worship now and then, pray now and then, give a little to the Lord now and then, but never wanting Jesus to really abide with us and change us. Just be there Jesus, like a Bayer Aspirin to bring pain relief when we need it.

Knowing that Jesus suffered and died and rose for our salvation encourages us to want to get past the dipping tea bag stage and pray that Jesus would abide with us. We want Him in our hearts and lives each second of the day. Trusting in Jesus as our Savior leads to abiding with Him in church, in prayers, in Bible Study, at school, and at work. He assures us in John 6 that when we take Holy Communion, the Body and Blood of Christ, we abide in Jesus and Jesus abides in us.

In John 15, Jesus assures us that just as a branch will produce good fruit when it abides in the vine, so we will show good fruit as we are abiding with Jesus in faith. Abiding in Jesus through faith brings His strength into our lives and hearts as we struggle with the hurts of this life. To abide in Jesus is to remain in Him, rest in Him, and continue to be with Him. He gives us the strength of His Holy Spirit to guide us to actions of love in this life and to life eternal.

The message of the Protestant Reformation some 500 years ago was the same message. Martin Luther saw people dipping God in their lives now and then with their religion, knowing that our Lord wanted to abide in them through His Word and Sacraments in a deep, personal way and would bring them life, hope, and forgiveness through faith in Jesus. Because God Is Good...All The Time, He loves you and wants to abide with you and that will suit you to a T.
amen...pastor matthews

Perhaps you've heard the story of the man who was just very annoying. He was annoying to his wife, family, everyone around him. One day he was out in his field with his mule, annoying the mule. The mule had had enough and kicked him to death. At the funeral his widow was standing and greeting those paying their respect. To the men, she would shake her head "yes." To the women, she would shake her head "no." The Pastor noticed and went over and asked her why she was shaking her head "yes" to the men and "no" to the women? The widow answered that the men we offering their sympathy and asking if she would be all right. The women were asking if the mule was for sale.

Being an annoying person doesn't bring hope or encouragement to anyone. Annoying people make us sad, frustrated, and often irritable ourselves. Antonyms, the opposites, for annoy are words like help, make happy, and soothe. These words definitely apply to Jesus; the Ultimate Antonym to annoying. Jesus is the King of love. His words, His healing, all brought help, happiness, and soothing for hurting people. The only ones that Jesus probably annoyed were the self-righteous Pharisees. They looked only to themselves as being wonderful. They could get to heaven by being good and following their 600+ laws. Jesus annoyed them when He talked about forgiveness, humility, and a need to repent and turn to God.

Like the Pharisees, we can be annoying to God and others as we wear our W.W.I.D.
Bracelets. WHAT WOULD I DO often motivates us in this life. Looking out for #1 and forgetting about others can not only annoy people around us, but our Heavenly Father too. It's easy to think of me first. It's easy to take care of what I want before others. We hold grudges, back-stab people with unkind words, hold on to anger, refuse to forgive, and put ourselves first. Because this comes from our sinful nature, it's opposite of the Christian life Jesus wants for us. 

Our Lord Jesus is the greatest example of love and support ever! His preaching and teaching brought hope to sad people. His healing brought new life to those who were hurting. His final act of love, His suffering, death, and resurrection brings forgiveness of sins and life eternal to all who believe in Him. To live like Jesus and for Jesus is the God-pleasing thing. W.W.J.D. WHAT WOULD JESUS DO is a wonderful guide for life here on earth. 

Our Lord keeps it simple for us in John 15, "Love one another as I have loved you." He gladly gave His time, His talents, and His blood so we could be forgiven and have the hope of a home in heaven. Because God is Good...All The Time He wants us to remove the WWID bracelets that annoy Him and others and replace them with WWJD bracelets that remind us to be loving and kind to all people in our lives. We do that so He won't have to go out and buy a mule. Amen..pastor matthews

I was reading somewhere that a thankful, thankfilled heart can actually be good for us in a number of ways. I read a story of a Mom taking her six-year-old to a restaurant. They began with prayer, and the little guy said, "God is Great, God is Good, and we thank Him for this food, and I'd thank You more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert." People sitting around them chuckled, except for one woman who remarked, "That's what's wrong with this Country; kids don't know how to pray. Asking for ice cream, why I never!"   

Hearing this, the little guy broke into tears, "Did I do something wrong? Is God mad at me?" Mom tried to comfort him and assure him that God wasn't mad when an elderly gentleman came up and told the boy, "I know God thought that was a great prayer, cross my heart." He then whispered to the boy, "Too bad she never prays for ice cream. A little ice cream can be good for the soul."

The meal ended and Mom bought him an ice cream sundae. The little guy looked at the sundae and without a word walked over to the lady who had criticized him and put it in front of her on the table. With a big smile he said, "This is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul, and my soul is good already."

How's your soul? We can learn lots of things from this story. We learn that if we have become angry and judgmental people; we probably don't have thankful hearts. Thanking God each day for our blessings, no matter how many, can keep us focused on Jesus our Savior from sin Who died and rose for us and not anger and bitterness. Proverbs 15:1 assures us that "a gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger." Do you need ice cream?

If you feel discouraged, lost, and frustrated, you probably don't have a thankful heart. Sin focuses on what we don't have, what we've lost, what we've been cheated out of, rather than giving thanks to God for what we have. Sin tells us the cup is half empty while faith and a thankful heart show us that it's half full. Sin focuses on the thorns on a rose, while faith and a thankful heart look at the beautiful flower. 1 Thess. 5:18 tells us to give thanks in all circumstances...not necessarily for all things, but in all circumstances for God can turn sad situations into good. Do you need ice cream?

When our own ego, pride, and arrogance take control, we focus on how, pardon the term, lucky, we are and forget to be thankful for what we have that comes from our loving God. A thankful heart will focus away from myself to our generous God of love. Psalm 105:4 tells us to "Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always."  Give thanks because God Is Good...All The Time and you can cut back on the Bryers.
Amen..pastor matthews

Evangelist Dwight Moody used to tell the story about a swan that came down from heaven to a pool where a crane was wading around looking for snails to eat. Looking up from snail searching, the crane asked, "Where did you come from?" "I came from heaven," the swan replied. "Where is heaven?" asked the crane. "It's the place where we are in God's presence, the streets are gold, it's beautiful and sunny, and the water is crystal clear." The crane listened and asked, "Are there any snails there?" "No, no snails," answered the swan. As the crane kept looking along the slimy banks of the pool, it replied, "You can have your heaven. I want snails."

As John the Baptist came to preach his message of repentance, he discovered that the people of his time were happy going after their own snails. The religious leaders and certainly others, didn't need to repent, they had their snail of pride. They were children of Abraham and that meant they were special. They kept their many commandments as their snails which made them better than others around them. They had the snail of fame and fortune so obviously God liked them the way they were. 

This Advent season can affect us the same way. Worship on Sunday and Wednesday encourages us to shape up, repent, wait for Jesus' coming, turn to the Lord in faithful, thanksgiving, and service....but....we have our own snails to make us happy. Why change what we're doing? We like the comfort of the snail of sleeping in on Sundays. Our snail of money goes for gifts, clothes, and food for our family. We don't have the time or energy to worry about church needs or others. We've worked hard for these snails, why not enjoy them? Holidays are spelled with a capital I for all the snails I want or I need.

Because of our sinful nature, we like the snails that this world offers; fun, parties, stuff, lots of alcohol, and all the rest. Like the crane, we're more interested in looking down for what we can scoop out of the dirty waters of this life, so we miss out on the cool, clear, spring waters of heaven. The bugs of this world beat the blessings of God. We choose snails over the Savior and slopping around in dirty pools of this life rather than trusting in Jesus and looking forward to a heavenly home. 

Times haven't changed from 2000 years ago. John would still have lots to say to each of us. John would condemn us as sinners who need to repent, turn their lives around, and  see Jesus coming as Lord and Savior. Repent means more than sorrow for sin, it means to turn your life around, 180 degrees; to go in a new direction. To repent is to ask God for His forgiveness for our snail seeking and lead us to trust in Jesus, Who died and rose for our salvation, and look up to God rather than look down for the snails. Peter preached in Acts 3, Repent, turn to God, so your sins will be wiped out and that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. God wants us out of the slimy pool of sin and into the water of repentance with Jesus.

Because God Is Good...All The Time, He wants us to look away from the escargot and up to Jesus so to heaven we'll go! Amen..pastor matthews

You probably remember, "Humpy Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together again.  Just a little FYI, I was reading that the possible background to that poem goes back to the English Civil War in the 1640's when a large cannon, called the Humpty Dumpty was placed on a wall to defend the town. The wall was hit by a cannon ball and the huge cannon fell. There was no way they were strong enough to fix it and replace the cannon, so the battle was lost. No matter how powerful that cannon might have been, unless it could have been fixed and replaced, the cannon was useless.

Speaking of feeling useless, there is a story of a young woman who looked to Dr. Norman Vincent Peale for help after her husband had been killed in a car accident. She felt lost, sad, broken, and useless. To help her, Dr. Peale told the story of a famous English violinist, Peter Cropper. Cropper had become such a great violinist that he was honored as the Royal Academy of Music loaned him a 258 year old Stradivarius to play at a concert. This is the Super Bowl and World Series all wrapped together for violinists. Sadly, as he was performing, he tripped and fell on the Stradivarius. Cropper was a sad, broken man as his dream became a nightmare. A violin dealer came to him and told him of a master craftsman who could help. Taking all the pieces of the precious instrument to the craftsman, Cropper was beside himself with joy after this man put the pieces together so beautifully that you couldn't see any of the broken pieces and the instrument played even more beautifully than before. The broken parts found healing in the hands of the master.

In Matthew 11, John the Baptist is in prison. He had told Herod the King that he knew that Herod had killed his brother so he could marry his brother's wife and that this was a sin in the sight of God. This Herod was the son of the Herod that had killed the babies when Jesus was born. Like father, like son, huh? While awaiting execution, John needed reassurance that Jesus was the coming Messiah. John sent his disciples to Jesus for an answer. Jesus, the Master Healer told them to assure John that He was the Savior; look at how He had fulfilled Scripture with His healing power. A broken John the Baptist found the healing he needed in the hands of his Master Jesus.

Like the young lady, Peter Cropper, and John the Baptist, the hurts and cares of this life can break us down too. Like a band-aid over cancer we search for the world's answers to our brokenness. We spend money on psychiatry that often tells us to blame our parents. We spend money on all sorts of drugs or alcohol that only numb the pain. We spend money searching for a guru to lead us to a false joy. Sadly, like Humpty Dumpty, none of these horses and none of these men can put us together again. But, like the master craftsman that fixed the violin to be better than ever, our King Jesus can fix our brokenness as well. Faith puts our broken pieces in His hands for healing.

God sent His Son, born in a stable, to be our King. King Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead to heal our brokenness. Isaiah 53:5 assures us that Jesus was crushed, broken, for our sins and by His wounds we are healed. The message of the Manger is a message of healing for broken people. Psalm 147:3 tells us that our God heals the brokenhearted. Because God is Good...All The Time, when you fall, the King's horses and men can't fix you, but the King, King Jesus can. Amen...pastor matthews

Names are important to us.  My Son, for instance, is named after my Brother and my Dad. Our Grandson, Marco, is named after his Grandpa. The new one, born this past week is Matteo, like Mark & Matthews, huh?  My old Secretary from New Jersey is named Cherie. Her daughter is named Cherie. Her son is named Cherie. The dog is named...you guessed it...Cherie.

I heard a story of a burglar walking through a house one night when a voice called out, "Jesus knows you're here."  He almost jumped out of his skin. He saw no one, so kept taking things until he heard "Jesus is watching you." Shining the light, he finally located a parrot. "What did you say?" he called to the parrot. "Yes," said the parrot, "I'm warning you that Jesus is watching you."  "Who are you to warn me?" the burglar called out. "I'm Moses," replied the bird. "What kind of people would name their bird, Moses?" "The same kind of people who would name their Rottweiller, Jesus," the parrot replied.

This morning, as we get closer and closer to Christmas, there is a special name I want to look at and that name is Immanuel. Immanuel, the Bible tells us, is a name for Jesus that means; God Is With Us. When that little Baby was born in Bethlehem "God Is With Us" was in the manger for all to see. What a blessing for Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, and later the wise men when they could see and touch "God Is With Us" for themselves. What comfort, peace, and hope was theirs, knowing "God Is With Us" on earth. The time had come and God fulfilled His promise to send a Savior Who would suffer and die for our sins to save us from sin and open up a heavenly home for us. God did this by sending His Own Son, Jesus, Immanuel; God Is With Us.

The manger brings hope, while our sinful human nature focusing on worldly things brings sadness and pain. Sin tells us to look to ourselves for answers and we see that we are alone in our hurt. We are lost and hopeless. We suffer alone. No one understands or cares. We become brokenhearted. We are filled with fear as we face life or death. How sad that so many feel that way when the answer is as close as looking to the manger where Jesus, God is With Us, is born.

Faith in Jesus as your Savior brings many blessings, including comfort and hope now and eternally.  Those things in life that would normally crush us, destroy us, or overwhelm us, no longer have that power. We read in the Bible about Moses, not the parrot, facing the Red Sea. Moses trusted the Lord, knew "God Is With Us" and walked through. Daniel faced the Lion's den for his faithfulness, yet felt no fear knowing "God Is With Us." David faced his Goliath with faith, knowing "God Is With Us." His enemy was defeated.

What about you? Lost a job? Remember there is hope because (people shout) "God Is With Us." We are facing illness and death, yet have hope because........ We fear what the future might bring, whether young or old, yet find courage because.......Whatever we have to face in this life we remember that if God brings you to it, He will bring you through it because...........

We know that God Is Good...All The Time because through faith in Jesus, we have eternal hope and joy because.............. amen, pastor matthews

Don't you really enjoy the decorations of Christmas? I know that I do! We see the beautiful round wreaths which remind us of God's eternal love for us and the eternal life we have in Jesus. The trees point to heaven, have three sides for Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and are evergreen; again a reminder of life and life eternal through faith in Jesus.
This morning for Christmas Day as we celebrate Jesus' birth, I want to look at another symbol of Christmas, the mistletoe. 

Up until this week, all I knew about mistletoe was that most women avoid getting under it with me. The unwritten rule is that a boy and girl will kiss when under the mistletoe. Way before that kissy thing began, the mistletoe was a favorite plant of the Druids who lived hundreds of years before Jesus. Apparently the Druids held oak trees and the mistletoe that grew from them to be sacred; even having healing powers to make one fertile or bring health to someone who was poisoned. What's interesting is that mistletoe is a parasite that lives off the oak trees. It attaches itself to the tree and draws its life from the tree, yet was seen as holy. 

A legend tells the story of a goddess who restored her son to life and the tears she shed become the little berries and the mistletoe was now a symbol for love, the healing of relationships, and new life. We stand under the mistletoe and exchange a token of love; a kiss.

It's not unusual for Christians to find God's love in things like trees and wreaths, so why not mistletoe? A plant that draws life from another could remind us of our faith in Jesus which attaches us to Jesus.  Like the mistletoe, we have life only when attached in faith to our Lord. Trusting in Jesus Who died on a tree and rose for us brings forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Standing close to Jesus, under Him if you will, in faith brings His love for us and a love we can share with others. The blood of our Lord heals us from the hurts of this life and the sins that could send us to hell. Jesus conquered death and all who trust Him, hang around Him, live under Him, will have a place in heaven with Him.

Because God is Good....All The Time, He wants you to live under His Son now and eternally. Mistletoes can remind us of His love and a reason to share that love, especially as we remember; K.I.S.S. KNOWING IMMANUEL SAVES SINNERS. How sweet is that? Amen..pastor matthews

Sometimes we think we're pretty smart, don't we? I read a story of a visitor to a mental asylum asking the Director how they determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalized. "Well," said the Director, "We fill up a bathtub with water, and then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup, and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub." "I'm pretty sharp; I understand," answered the visitor, "A normal person will use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or teacup." "No," said the Director, "A normal person will pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?"

OOPPSS! Not so smart, huh? That's one of the reasons I've always liked the story about Solomon. Of all the things Solomon could have asked God for, he chose to ask for wisdom in the sight of God. He wanted to be able to discern between good and evil so he could be a blessing to his people. God answered his prayer and gave him much more; which is what God does anyway.

There is a pattern for wisdom in God's sight. . Number 1, who do you listen to for advice? Number 2, what are you asking for? Number 3, what will you do with it?

Remember how discerning good from evil got its start? Yes, in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve first listened to the Devil. They asked for the knowledge to discern between good and evil. They wanted this gift so they could be like God. What does this teach us?  All of that Devil-provided knowledge led to sin, death, and destruction. Listen to the Devil; get something for yourself, use it in a selfish way leads to death and destruction. 

Solomon, on the other hand, called out to God for help. He wanted to know good from evil, not for himself, but to help his people. God answered the prayer of Solomon because this king trusted God, believed in Him, and wanted to bless others. 

What we learn from Solomon's faith applies to the visitor to the asylum. Solomon didn't want to fill himself with Satan's selfish lies like Adam and Eve. Solomon listened to God and wanted what was God-pleasing in his life. What does that say to each of us?  Like the bathtub, our lives are filled with sin. Like Adam and Eve, we enjoy seeking to be like our own gods, doing what we want that makes us happy. If we ever feel like we should confess our sins and ask for forgiveness, the teaspoon is the way to go because we don't want to empty the tub of sin. Sin is too much fun. God says that this is not smart. 

Solomon trusted God as we can trust in Jesus. Confessing our sins before our Lord is like asking Jesus to pull the plug and free us from those burdens. Jesus came at Christmas and died and rose to pull the plug on our bathtubs of sin and take the burden away. This is wise in God's sight.

Because God is Good...All The Time, He wants us to grow in wisdom. How do we grow? We grow in wisdom as we seek out God's help when we study His Word, attend Holy Communion regularly, worship, and pray. Now that's smart in God's sight! Amen...pastor matthews

Remember the movie "Independence Day"? Aliens are destroying the world and are intercepting all communication. The earthlings discover that the aliens don't know the Morse Code and begin using that Code to defeat the enemy. The Morse Code is a series of dots and dashes invented by Samuel Morse in the mid 1800's. Many remember the old signal for S.O.S. which is ... --- ...

I read a story this week about a young man applying for a job to be a Morse Code operator. He answered an ad in the paper and ended up in a large office with many telegraphs clacking away in the background. Job applicants had to complete a form and wait to be called to an inner office. He did so and sat with another of other applicants. Suddenly he got up and walked right into the office. The others sitting there couldn't believe how bold this guy was being that he was the last to apply and no one had called them in for an interview. A few minutes later the boss appeared with the young man and thanked the others but the job had been filled. The others couldn't believe it. What had happened? That wasn't fair! We never had a chance to be interviewed. The boss then told them that while they were sitting there the whole time, the telegraph had been ticking out a message; "If you understand this message, come right in. The job is yours." They hadn't understood the message.

As we watch Jesus being baptized in Scripture this morning, we realize that He did this to take the burden of our sins on Himself. We hear the words of His Heavenly Father, "This is My Beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased."  Do we hear God's words? Do they make sense to us like the Morse Code did for the young man?

These words from God are found in the Bible in two places.  "This is My Beloved Son" comes from Psalm 2:7 and speaks about the coming Messiah. "In Whom I am well pleased" is from Isaiah 42:1 speaking of the beloved Servant of God Whose prophecy finishes in the suffering of Isaiah 53.

Our heavenly Father is sending us a message; this Jesus being baptized here is indeed the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world.  God is pleased with Him because He is the perfect Servant Who will suffer and die on the cross as our Substitute, to take the punishment we deserve for our sins.

Faith in Jesus is faith in God's Son, the Savior, Who will take away our sins and open the kingdom of heaven for all believers.  Because God Is Good...All The Time, He wants you to know; .--- . ... ..- ...   -.. .. . -..   ..-. --- .-.   -.-- --- ..-! Get the message? Amen...pastor matthews

I read a story about a lady who became a Christian. It seems that her past was filled with all kinds of trouble and bad decisions. She had literally hit rock bottom when a friend reached out and took her to church. She was welcomed by many others at the church and began to attend on a regular basis. She started going to Bible Class and get involved with activities. She even started praying. For the first time in her life she realized that God loved her, in spite of her past sins. She found great comfort knowing that Jesus died for her sins, forgave her, loved her, accepted her, and valued who she was. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, the whole idea of God's "Amazing Grace" changed her heart and her life. She told her pastor, "I'm so excited to be a Christian that I have a strong case of the "can't help its.""

We read about Andrew the disciple in John 1 and discover that Andrew was so excited and thankful that he had found the Savior, Jesus, that he had a strong case of the "can't help its" as he reached out to his brother, Peter and invited him to meet Jesus. Andrew just couldn't help it!

We come to Church, some stay for Bible Class or Sunday School, some help with activities, but why do we do these things? Do we have hearts filled with guilt and say "we gotta do it" or grateful hearts that wanna do it and say "can't help it?" There's a whole different world for gotta or wanna. Gotta isn't motivated by faith, more like scoring points with God or other people. I gotta help so I'll look good to people at Church. I gotta help Grandma so she'll leave me in her will. I gotta go to Church or God will zap me. Gotta comes from a sin-filled guilty heart that comes up short. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith in Jesus, we can't please God. God wants His people to be wannas who serve Him and others out of faith because they "can't help it."

Knowing all that Jesus has done for you should bring out the "can't help its." Like the woman in the story, we come to our Lord as poor, miserable sinners deserving only punishment and death for our sins. God loved us so much He sacrificed His Son on a cross for those sins, washes them away, welcomes you into His family, and loves and accepts you as His Own child. A heart filled with true thanksgiving and faith in Jesus is also filled with "can't help its." Giving thanks to God shows itself in our "can't help its."

We want to worship and pray because we can't help it. We study God's Word faithfully because we can't help it. We show love and forgiveness for unlovable people because we can't help it. We volunteer our time in the Lord's work because we can't help it. We share our faith and invite others to church because we can't help it.

Because God Is Good...All The Time, He loves and forgives us, why? Because He can't help it! Amen, pastor matthews

I read a story that included some statistics for mainline Christian churches from a few years ago. According to this article a middle-aged church member who attended church fairly regularly had heard over 1700 sermons, sung over 5200 hymns, and given an offering over 1500 times,(can't figure out how sermons heard isn't the same as offering given) and hasn't ever introduced anyone to Jesus. How many of us have ever shared our faith with a non-believer? We're not really good fishermen or fisherwomen Jesus wants, are we? We bait the hook, go out into the lake, we float along yet never put the bait in the water. Do we expect the fish to jump into the boat?

The story is told of an old fisherman out in a boat with sticks of dynamite. He'd light a stick; throw it in the water and BOOM, fish float to the top to be netted. One day the Game Warden saw him and was angry. The Game Warden went out in his boat to confront this old guy. "What are you doing?" he asked. "I'm fishing," the old guy replied. "No one fishes that way. I'm gonna fine you for this," the Game Warden replied. At this the old guy lit a stick of dynamite, threw it to the game Warden and asked, "Are you gonna fish or just sit there?"  His approach was unusual, but effective. At least he was doing something.

In our Gospel lesson from Matthew 4, we read that Jesus approached these fishermen and told them that if they follow Him, He will teach them to be fishers of people. In other words, a disciple is a fisherman or fisherwoman; that's the job description for a follower of Jesus. The word disciple comes from the same root word as discipline. A disciple is a disciplined follower of Jesus. We trust in Jesus as our Lord Who died and rose for us and then are led by the Holy Spirit to study His Word, worship and pray, and invite others to get to know Jesus. We're not here to save them, just introduce them to Jesus. Like the old adage, YOU CATCH THEM; HE'LL CLEAN THEM! 

In 1904 a man named Ole took his girlfriend Bessie for a picnic on an island in Lake Michigan. Bessie told him that she had a craving for the ice cream. Ole jumped into his rowboat and rowed 2 ½ miles to shore. Unfortunately, in the summer heat, when he returned the ice cream was a globby mess. Embarrassed, he decided to do something. He invented and patented a one-cylinder engine which became the outboard motor. Ole's last name was Evinrude and the Evinrude Motor Company was formed. Bessie later married him and became the manager of the business. Ole saw a need and did something.

Do we see that need in our world today? Every day people are dying and going to hell because they never tasted the sweetness that is Jesus. They never heard that He loved them and died for them. They never heard of His forgiveness. They never heard that God is a God of second chances. No one ever threw a stick of dynamite their way. It's interesting that the Greek word for dynamite is dunamis. Dunamis mean power. In Romans 1:16 Paul writes that he is not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the dunamis, the power of God for the salvation of everyone. The message of Jesus is the dynamite of God.

So, God Is Good...All The Time and He tosses you the Good News of Jesus in the Bible, which is His Dynamite and asks, "Are you gonna fish or just sit there?" amen...pastor matthews

Many years ago, Art Linkletter had a show called "Kids Say The Darndest Things." For instance, kids ask questions about God such as; "Did Eve have a belly button? "If God made spiders, why do people squish them?" "Will there be a McDonald's in heaven?"

On a Sunday drive coming home from Church, a little girl asked her mother, "Mommy, can I ask you a question about what the Pastor said?" "Sure, what is it?" mom asked. "Pastor said that God is bigger than we are. That He's so big that He could hold the world in His hand." She wondered. "Yes, that's true, honey." Mom replied. "He said that when we believe in Jesus as our Savior, God comes and lives inside of us." Mom again told her she was right. The little one then asked, "If God is bigger than us and He lives inside of us, wouldn't He show through?"

The beatitudes found in Matthew 5 are about God showing through in our lives. The word beatitude has to do with a blessing, happiness, bliss, and the peace that God gives us that shows through. For instance, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven." To know that we are poor in spirit, weak in faith, helpless before God, needing to trust in Jesus leads us in two directions. First, we realize that true happiness does not come from the things in this life, and second, we become attached to Jesus through faith and find the real hope and peace we need. Being poor in spirit tells us that the stuff of this life means little and that God means everything.

What makes that so difficult is that the world around us focuses on "How great I am, how great I am."  What does it take for you to become an American Idol? What does it take for you to Dance With the Stars? What does it take for you to be a Survivor? Our sinful nature revolves around me. Like the word EGO, we simply Edge God Out of our lives and focus on what we want.  The world's goodies are fun for a while, but never offer lasting joy, peace, and hope. If they were enough, why do we need more and bigger things? Why are we not happy with what we have, and why does our neighbor have the greener lawn?

Being "poor in spirit" lets God show through as we trust Jesus as Lord and Savior Who died and rose for us, "blessed are the merciful" lets God show through as we deal with others. In Aramaic, the word for "merciful" means "to get under someone's skin."  In other words, merciful is to wear another's skin, see things from their perspective, and wear their shoes. Kind of like the famous preacher who was giving a seminar and noticed that the guy in the front row kept falling asleep. I know for a fact, just looking around here today, that people falling asleep really bothers a speaker. The preacher kept thinking all kinds of bad things about the guy. During the lunch break, a lady came up and apologized for her husband's drowsiness. "You see," she said, "My husband's taking chemotherapy and with the meds he takes, he becomes very sleepy. He told me he wanted to be here because he didn't know how much longer he could gather together with God's people."  Now the preacher understood; he felt rotten for his thoughts, but now he could get under the man's skin. He found mercy that could show through.

Because God is Good...All The Time, He wants us to have a child-like faith as He asks us the question, "If you truly know and trust Me as your Creator and Lord, why don't I show through in your life?" amen...pastor matthews

On this Scouting Sunday, Super Bowl Sunday too, I am reminded that I used to be a Boy Scout. I only made it to Second Class, but I learned to appreciate all that Scouting does. Part of the Scout oath deals with a willingness "To help other people at all times.' I like it. A Scout is a person of action beyond camping, Jamborees, and the rest, with a dedication to God, the USA, and to helping people. We often picture Scouts helping old ladies across the street. I like the idea of action for others.

I like the story of the little girl visiting her grandparents on a Sunday. Being the Lord's Day, there was no activity around the house. You couldn't run, watch t.v., pick flowers, and swing on the swing or anything on Sunday. She was allowed to walk slowly to the front gate. As she did, she saw an old mule with its head bowed and eyes shut. She said, "Poor fellow, have you got religion too?" Sadly, many see Christians that way. Faith needs to be more than how pious I am. Christianity isn't supposed to be the faith of stick-in-the-mud people or old fuddy-duddies. In Matthew 5 when Jesus calls us to be salt and light; there is action involved there.

It has been said that if the house is dark, you can't blame the house; where's the light?
If the meat is rotting with bacteria, you can't blame the meat; where's the salt? If the world is a dark, cold place, stinking from corruption, violence, pornography, abortion, and lack of respect for one another, you can't blame the world; where's the church?

Like the Scouts teach us, as His church on earth, God wants us to do something with our faith. He has chosen each of us who trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior Who died and rose for our salvation, to be salt and light. With Jesus as the Light of the world, John 8, we reflect His light to those around us like reflectors on the highway reflect headlights and keep people safe.

The storm of 2011 teaches us about the importance of salt. As we have seen big time this week, salt melts and salt gives traction. Snow can be like our sins. A little seems like fun, but a lot becomes deadly. Lots of snow can be a burden that causes the loss of power, leaves us in the cold, and causes us to slip, fall, and even death has occurred.  We've seen that at Concordia with three members breaking wrists, and others falling and hurting their heads. Salt melts ice and snow just as the message of Jesus as Lord and Savior can melt cold hearts filled with sin. The cross of Jesus brings heat to the snow of sin and the ice of iniquity only when it is shared with others.

Salt also gives traction to the roads and sidewalks. Sliding in the wrong direction can be painful and expensive. Sliding cars can be dangerous to the driver and others. As we share God's Word with people in our lives, they can find traction and a way to hold on for their lives. The traction that God gives us through His Word brings hope to the hopeless, a song to the sad, and worth to those feeling worthless.

Because God is Good...All The Time, He wants us to reach out as salt and light. A Peanuts cartoon shows Peppermint Patti telling Charlie that on the first day of school she was sent to the principal's office. "It was your fault, Chuck," she told him. "How can it be my fault? You tell be that everything's my fault." She replied, "You're my friend, right Chuck?" You should have been a better influence on me." That's what salt and light is all about; the influence we can have on others. Amen...pastor matthews

My Grandson, Marco just turned 2 years old this week. For most of that time, he has been the "little guy" in our family. Now with Matteo around, it's easy to see how Marco has grown in size, in his language skills, and his ability to do stuff. Matteo is good for some milk, a diaper change, and a nap. Humm...sounds good to me. Marco, on the other hand likes reading about and playing with Thomas the Train, playing in the snow, and pancakes, pizza, agua, and his fruits and veggies. Just as Marco has grown, God wants us to grow as His children. Paul writes to the church in Corinth that in Chapter 3 that they are still at the Matteo milk stage and it's time to grow up. All these petty things between them; jealousy, ego, and which Pastor they like the best, etc.  are signs of an immature faith. Paul tells them that it's time to grow up! 

A Pastor asked his congregation to read Mark 17 before next week's sermon. Next week arrived and he asked how many had read the Chapter and almost everyone raised their hand and said yes. He then told them that there was no 17th Chapter in Mark. Their words were empty. Time to grow up!

There is a wonderful story of a third grade boy who suddenly noticed a puddle at his feet and that the front of his pants were wet. This had never happened before and he knew that everyone would make fun of him and think he was a baby. He prayed that God would help him. Looking up he saw his teacher coming towards him as well as a classmate, Susie, who happened to be in his Sunday School class, carrying a fishbowl filled with water. Just before the teacher arrived, Susie tripped and dumped the water in his lap. As the boy was pretending to be angry, he was saying thank you to God at the same time. He became the subject of sympathy while Susie was called a klutz and made fun of by the class. At the end of the day he walked over to Susie and whispered, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Susie whispered back, "I wet my pants once, too." For a young girl, Susie showed how much she had grown up as a child of God because she was willing to take the heat for the boy. Her faith had shown through. She understood the old line that "Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car." Her faith in her Lord Who died and rose for her salvation was showing not just at church, but at school, too. No one had to tell her to grow up.

Very much like Susie in the story, our Lord took the heat for us on the cross. He was ridiculed so we could be free. He spilled His blood on us so that we would be forgiven and find new life and hope. He laid it all on the line so that all who trust in Him will have forgiveness and eternal life. He groaned on a cross so we could grow up in faith.

Because God is Good...All The Time, He calls us to grow up! We do that very much like our little guy. We grow up through the work of the Holy Spirit as we read God's Word and share it in Bible Study. We grow up as we worship, take Holy Communion, sing and pray together. We grow up as our faith shines through at school, work, the store, wherever we are. We can pray for love ones and not-so-loved ones. When we can forgive those who have hurt us with God's help, then God won't have to say to us, "GROW UP," for we have shown how much we are growing in the Lord. Amen...pastor matthews

I read a story of an eagle flying over a lake and suddenly swooped down to grab a two-foot long, 10lb fish in its talons. It flew up to around 1000 feet and suddenly spun down and splashed into the water. Later both the fish and the eagle were found dead. Apparently the talons were so deeply embedded in the flesh of the fish, the eagle couldn't let go when it got too heavy. The eagle helps us understand that what we grab, grabs us.

When our sinful nature takes over and we grab things that will hurt us; they grab backand hold us like the Chinese Handcuffs. If we grab for cigarettes, they grab us back and can kill us. If we grab for alcohol, it grabs back and can kill us. If we grab for more pills, they grab us back and can kill us. If we grab for pornography, it grabs us back and kill us spiritually. We can grab for too much fast food and it grabs back and ruins our health. We can grab for gambling, and it grabs us and leaves us bankrupt.

I saw a movie on SYFY this past week about bacteria from out space that fed on metal. It would adhere itself to iron or steel. If a person gets curious and touches it, it drains all the iron and minerals from the blood and kills you. Grab for this bacteria and it will grab you back and kill you. Sin acts the same way. We get curious about this or that and it can grab hold of us and can kill us.

The wonderful thing about what we grab, grabs us, is that it's true for our relationship with God. Faith grabs hold of God's blessings. Jesus died on the cross for our sins some 2000 years ago. Faith puts my sins there on Jesus so His blood washes them away.  Faith brings His forgiveness to me. Faith assures us that when we are grabbing God, He grabs us. John 10 tells us that no one can snatch His sheep from His hand. He holds on to His sheep. Isaiah 49 tells us that our names are engraved in the palm of His hand. He grabs hold of us. Romans 8 tells us that nothing in all of creation can separate us from His love. He grabs on for eternity.

As a kid, I would walk on the ice with my Dad. I would hold his hand and he would hold mine. With dad holding my hand, I never fell! It's time for us to let go of those things that hurt us in this life and cause us to fall and grab hold in faith to our God Who loves us and wants to keep us from falling too.  Through His Word, Holy Communion, prayer, and all Jesus has for us, He can help us loosen our grips on the evil that grips us back, free us from evil's hold so we can hold to Him even more. In the Lord's prayer, we pray "deliver us from evil." Lord, help us let go of things, people, habits, that grab us and hurt us and give us hearts filled with faith to hold to You and Your word and Your will for us.

Because God is Good...All The Time, He wants nothing more than to hold us here and forever. When we grab hold of evil, evil grabs us back and can lead us to death and hell. With God's help, and only with His help, can we open our grasp from evil in our lives, just say no and let it go. Now, reach out to God, giving thanks for Jesus our Savior and He will lead you in this life and walk with you to heaven. Amen...pastor matthews

With grandbaby Matteo still struggling to sleep through the night, I read a story about a worrying wife who would wake up her husband every night, "Get up honey! Go see why the baby is crying." All this loss of sleep really took its toll on the husband. A friend told him about a book dealing with infant massage. He tried the technique and gently rubbed the baby's back, arms, head, ears, legs until the baby was totally relaxed and had fallen into a deep sleep. Climbing back into bed he was hoping for a well deserved full night of sleep. No way! In the middle of the night his panicked wife woke him up, "Get up honey! Go see why the baby isn't crying." Does this sound like anyone you know? We just have to worry about something or we're not happy.

It has been said that worry is taking upon yourself something that belongs to God. Worry is a sin of pride that says that God can't handle it, so I have to! Worry keeps us from sleep, from smiling, from good health, often from worship, and certainly from giving a generous offering to the Lord. Worry tells us that we can do a better job than God can do. We don't trust that God can make it happen; we have to do it ourselves.

Living in worry and fear is commonplace in our world today. We fear terrorism hitting close to home. We fear that we might get Cancer. We fear that something might happen to our children. We fear that we might lose our jobs, not be able to find a new one, and get thrown into the streets. I bet you can think of other fears that people deal with, huh?

It has been said that for a child of God, trusting in Jesus as Lord and Savior, FEAR is
False Evidence Appearing Real. Fear is one of Satan's favorite weapons against us. When we fear, we're not trusting Jesus. When we're not trusting Jesus, we fear. This is a vicious circle that can lead us to look at ourselves as our own saviors, rather than to Jesus Who died on the cross and rose for the forgiveness of our sins.

I was reading that according to the U.S. Dept. of Standards, a dense fog that covers seven city blocks, 100 feet deep is composed of an 8 ounce glass of water divided into 60,000 million droplets. An 8 ounce glass of water can tangle up traffic and stop airplanes from flying. Worry and fear do the same thing to us. Things seem bad, but there's really not much there.

What do we need to remember? What can help? What is Jesus teaching us in Matthew 6? We Trust or we rust. The T in trust looks like a cross. We trust or we rust. We trust Jesus or we rust away with worry and fear. I read a story from the Holocaust where Nazis put people in concentration camps, worked them until they couldn't work anymore, and then killed them. A father, his wife, and two children were imprisoned. One son was disabled and couldn't do too much. Each day the mother and sons went out to work and the father was taken to a different camp. After a few weeks of this, the father returned to camp and found only one son. "What happened? He asked. The surviving son said that his crippled brother couldn't work anymore and was being taken away. Crying out loud, the little guy clung to his mother. "Don't be afraid," the mother told him, "I'll go with you." With that, she took him up in her arms and carried him to their execution. 

Because God is Good...All The Time, He sent Jesus to be our Savior and Friend. No matter what we face we don't have to worry, Jesus tells us to not be afraid, He'll go with us.
Amen...pastor matthews

Many people look at the Lenten season as a time to give up something. Over the years I have given up caviar, expensive champagne, and trips to the Bahamas. What about you? Do you give up something for the strengthening of your faith or do you take something on?  You could take on the responsibility of attending each Wednesday Lenten service or read a devotional each day. Sad to say, many people could care less about Lent whatsoever and forget about God and sin and concentrate on the fun things of Spring. 

There is a story of one of our members who was late for a meeting. He was driving around this building again and again looking for a parking spot. He decided to pray, "Dear Lord, help me find a parking space and I'll go to church every week and quit drinking beer." Miraculously, a spot opened up. He looked up to heaven and said, "Never mind, I found one."  It's so easy to forget about God's blessings and just think that we're L(ucky).  We find it easy to take God for granted.

The same can be true as we face temptations to sin. The Native American, Iron Eyes Cody, famous for the tear running down his cheek as he saw the pollution in the world, is quoted as sharing this story of a young Indian brave. A young man went out into the wilderness to prepare for manhood. Out in nature he wanted to test himself so he climbed up a mountain. Once at the top, he swelled with pride as he looked around at the beauty around him. Suddenly, at his feet, he saw a rattlesnake. He jumped away as the snake spoke to him, "I am about to die from the cold and lack of food. Please take me up into your shirt and take me down to the warm valley." The youth replied, "I was warned about you rattlesnakes. Your bite could kill me." "No, I'll treat you differently. If you're nice to me, I'll be nice to you." After a while the young man picked up the beautiful snake, put it in his shirt and carried it down the mountain. At the bottom, the snake suddenly coiled up and bit him deeply on the leg. "But you promised..." replied the young man. "You knew who I was when you picked me up" said the snake as it slithered away. We find it easy to take sin for granted in the same way.

When we read of the temptation of Jesus, we see that Jesus never took sin for granted. Jesus fought against every little temptation Satan put in front of Him. Jesus knew that if mankind believed there was no sin, there would be no need for a Savior from sin and they would be lost eternally. It has been said that Satan's greatest trick is convincing mankind that he doesn't exist. We rationalize sin as simply the choices people make, mistakes, boo-boos, so they're not bad at all. We gladly give Satan an inch, not realizing that he'll take a mile. Jesus was smart enough not to take the Devil for granted and give him an inch, and we shouldn't either. Now is the time to confess and repent of our many sins before God.

Jesus never took His Heavenly Father for granted either. During temptations and happy times, Jesus was committed to staying close to His Father. From the time He was a young man in the temple doing His Father's work, to His death on the cross for our sins when He committed His spirit to His Father, staying close to His Father kept Him strong for the battle against sin as our Substitute. If Jesus needed strength, we do too. Devotionals, Bible Class, worship, prayer, and all that God gives help us to keep us close to God and strong during our temptations

As the Union Pacific Railroad was being built, an elaborate bridge was built over a canyon. To test the bridge, a train with a double load of cars was placed on the bridge for a day. It was asked if they were trying to see if the bridge would break and the builder replied, "I'm trying to show it won't break." Because God is Good...All The Time, He allowed Jesus to be tempted to show that Jesus wouldn't break. With Jesus really living in your heart through faith, sin won't break you either. Amen..pastor matthews

I read a story this week of a young boy who owned a small, off-road motorcycle. Occasionally he would ride it on the highway, but the real adventure came when he went off-road into the woods; around the trees, down dark trails, and through weeds and bushes where there was a risk of losing control and falling. This was the adventure. This is what Jesus was talking about with Nicodemus late one night. Nicodemus was a highway kind of guy who wanted to hold on to the old ways and the safe lifestyle. Jesus, on the other hand is the Off-Road King Who teaches us that faith and risk are intertwined for the child of God. 

The whole idea of being born again speaks about a new beginning, a new birth through faith in Jesus that brings us into God's family. Our new birth to faith in Jesus Who died and rose for us might have been as a baby in Baptism or as a Baptized adult. This new birth, being born again of water and the Spirit leads to the risk of faith, the risk of a Christian life that goes off-road with Jesus, not always the safe old highway.

Like Nicodemus, visiting Jesus at night in John 3, we like to visit with Jesus in a safe place like Church or home rather than risking it at school, our job, or restaurant. Pray at McDonalds?? Well I never!! We like talking with Him, on our terms.  Jesus talks about the Holy Spirit blowing in the wind to lead us off-road to new adventures of faith for Jesus. We like the quiet, safe highway. We like being behind the scenes like the etching of Rembrandt "The Descent From The Cross" with Nicodemus back in the shadows not holding on to our Lord in the light.

At best, our sinful nature likes the sameold-sameold child of God. Like we mentioned last week in our sermon, Satan doesn't want us to think He's around at all. We can get into our rut of faith that includes occasional worship, occasional prayer, occasional Bible Study, and rarely, if at all, any mention of Jesus to other people. This is the comfortable highway for a Christian to travel. This doesn't cause Satan any grief at all.

Jesus speaks to Nic at Night and to each of us that it's time for the adventure, time to go off-road and take a risk of faith. The Holy Spirit often leads us to dark, scary places with dark, scary people; your family? We risk slamming into a tree of trouble, a weed of worry, a bush of belligerence, or a trail of trials, but our Off-Road King, Jesus, will lead us through to the Sonshine of everlasting life.

Nicodemus, the highway guy was the first to hear the words of John 3:16. For God so loves you, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whoever trusts Him and follows Him through the off-road of faith and risk will have everlasting life.  Jesus wants us to step out in faith, read a devotional every day, risk the off-road experience and share your faith out loud, invite someone to sit with you in church or Bible Study, reach out to make a difference in someone's life by praying for them and with them. Risky business, huh?

Because God Is Good...All The Time He promises to ride with you. Trust Him and He'll take the controls. Trust Him and hold on! The adventure is ahead! Amen..pastor matthews   

I read a true story this week that happened in 1995 between an American Navy Captain and some Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland. The conversation went like this;
AMERICANS; Please divert your course 15 degrees to the north to avoid collision.
CANADIANS; Recommend that you divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid collision.
AMERICANS; This is the Captain of a U.S. Navy ship and I say again, divert YOUR course.
CANADIANS; No, I say again, you divert YOUR course.
Americans; THIS IS AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER, THE USS LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN OUR ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS, AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP.
CANADIANS; This is a lighthouse. Your call.
Well, Captain, time to change course, huh? I like this story because it not only speaks to the Samaritan woman in our Bible story from John 3, but to each of us too.

The woman in our story had led quite a life. She has had five husbands and is living with some guy. She is obviously looked down on by the village because she came to the well alone, and not with the other women, and came during the heat of the day. I'm sure she was referred to as the tramp of the town for her lifestyle. She went through men like Matteo goes through diapers. Though this was the course her life had taken, God had a new plan for her; she met Jesus. Jesus was kind and caring. He spoke to her while others avoided her. Though He knew her lifestyle, He was there to offer forgiveness, hope, and a change of course.

Hearing His words, her heart was touched as she raced back to the village and told them Who she had met. People from the town could tell that something had happened to her by her words and came out to meet Jesus themselves. The Bible tells us that they believed in Jesus because of her words. Her life had taken a real change in course after meeting the Light of the World. She changed course and became a follower of Jesus, not on a course of doom and destruction in sin. 

What course is your life on at this time? Like the woman at the well, do you find yourself being led by your own sin, greed, anger, selfishness, and pride? Are you feeling rejected, alone, hurt, empty and used by others in your life? Is it time to change course and go to the well? In our reading, Jesus calls Himself the spring of water that leads to eternal life. Other refreshments from this world leave us dry. While Jesus; His Word, His love, His body and blood, and His forgiveness bring us life, peace, and hope eternal. We find refreshment in His Word.

Because God Is Good...All The Time, He wants you to change course in your life before it's too late. No matter big we think we are, Jesus, God's Light, is bigger. Now is the time for each of us to change course and go to the well of the Word, at worship and Bible Study, confessing our wrong course filled with sin, and asking for His love, His water of life, His light to light our way. In other words, we need a change of course. Amen...pastor matthews   

Our sermon hymn "Amazing Grace" is a familiar one to many of us. Written by John Newton back in the 1700's, it tells his story that began as a slave trader, taking men, women, and children from their homeland in Africa and selling them into slavery around the world. Many people suffered and died in the hold of his ship until John came to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior. By God's amazing grace, John read the Bible and through the Holy Spirit understood God's forgiveness found through faith in Jesus and turned his life around. John became a pastor and finished his life sharing the freedom found in Jesus and His death and resurrection.  In the song, John writes that he was blind to Jesus and His love, but by grace, he can now see Who God really is in his life. John could now see Jesus and others in need of the Good News about Jesus.

The story of John Newton, and perhaps our own can be summarized in the words of Helen Keller when someone said to her, "What a pity you have no sight." Helen answered, "Yes, but what a pity that so many have sight but cannot see." Most of us are blessed and are able to see the world and people around us. We can see the sunrise, the stars, our favorite sports, flowers, and the faces of loved ones. This sight is indeed a blessing from God. But, as Helen reminds us, if our sight is limited to the things of this world, we miss out on seeing Jesus and those things that are eternal.

Because of our sin, we limit our sight to the Sun up above, but not the Savior on the cross. We see flowers in the field but not God's forgiveness. We see the sky at night yet miss those in need. We see the people who love us and miss out on those Jesus wants us to love.

Our spiritual blindness can lead us to question God and His wisdom. Our lack of understanding, of seeing God's plans, can lead us away from Church, away from prayer, and even away from Jesus altogether. I had a funeral this week for a little baby girl who lived only two hours. I don't see the reason, the family didn't see the reason, but in God's sight, it will be o.k. We trust that to be true, and we trust that He will stay with us. Even though we can't see why, we trust Him, as 2 Corinthians 5 tells us, "we live by faith, not by sight"  and that's why we know  that God Is Good...All The Time.

C.S. Lewis tells the story about a time he was a medical aid during the bombing of London. A little girl was brought into the first-aid station with a leg so mangled, the doctor knew the leg must be removed immediately at the knee or she would die. The doctor saw the pain in her father's eyes as the father held his little one down on the table. The little girl screamed in pain as the saw cut through skin, muscle, and bone, so the little girl might have life.  God, our Father, loves us the same way. He is there with us as we cry out with pain. God sees and understands what we go through and it pierces His heart. We are blind to God's plans and call out, "Why, God! Why?" When we do, God shows us the cross and reminds us that He still loves us. Though we don't deserve it because of our sins and fears, but through faith, we can see God walking with us through the pains of this world right to our heavenly home. That's His amazing grace! Amen  pastor matthews 

While planning this week's sermon, the idea of coats came to me. We call them coats or jackets and in Bible times, cloaks. The story is told about a blonde lady who was tired of people thinking blondes weren't that smart. She decided that when her husband is at work, she would paint a couple of rooms in the house. Her husband left for work and she began her work. He returned home at 5:30 and noticed the smell of paint. Walking into the living room, he found his wife lying on the floor in a pool of sweat. She was laying there wearing a ski jacket and a fur coat. He asked if she was o.k. and she was. She told him her plan to prove that blondes were smart by painting the house. He asked her why she was painting while wearing a ski jacket and fur coat? She replied that as she was reading the directions on the can it said; FOR BEST RESULTS, PUT ON TWO COATS.

Her heart was in the right place, wasn't it? Just as her two coats made a statement about her painting just as the cloaks worn by people at Bible times made a statement about who they were.  I was reading that at Jesus' time, the cloak was so important that even if you went to jail to pay your debts, they would take everything you had except your cloak. The cloak was something that was personal. It said something about who you were in life. A cloak could offer warmth and protection. It could become shelter from the elements. It covered your nakedness. It could serve as your pillow at night. A cloak could not be taken, but it could be given. 

We might not treat our coats or jackets in that way, but there are many different things that are cloak-like in our lives. There are things that are cloak-like and warm our hearts like the warm feeling of money in our pockets or stuff we can buy. We find cloak-like comfort in our job or family. Our home or car can be cloak-like and offer protection in a storm. We get very possessive about our cloaks, don't we? We hold on to what is ours and object to having to share with others or even with God.

The Bible highlights cloak stories. Remember Joseph and his cloak of many colors? It showed how special he was and became an object of jealousy by his brothers. The Bible tells us that when Jesus was healing Bartimaeus, the blind man threw his cloak away and opened himself in faith to Jesus. He threw away the old life for a new one.  In Matthew 5 Jesus tells His disciples that if someone wants your tunic, offer your cloak as well as a sign of love.

The story of Palm Sunday is a story of cloaks given to the Lord in faith. We know that Jesus was going to Jerusalem to die on the cross for our sins. He rode on a donkey. The Bible tells us that His disciples threw their cloaks on the donkey for Him to sit on for the ride.  This was an act of humility and faith as they gladly gave something special of themselves to Jesus. Arriving in Jerusalem, people placed palm leaves on the road; palm leaves are easy to give up, but many spread their cloaks, a real act of devotion to their King. 

This Palm Sunday, are waving palm crosses enough for you or are you ready to make a commitment of faith and offer Jesus your cloak today? Waving palms is easy, but a cloak offered to the King Who would die and rise for you is a real act of faith. Your cloak thrown down before Jesus today tells Him that you're ready to give your time in His service; you're ready to serve in His church or the community in His Name. Your cloak tells Jesus that no longer will you hold back on your offerings for His Kingdom to grow. Your cloak tells Jesus that you know that God Is Good...All The Time and you're going to show that in your life. So take your coats off when you paint, but throw them down to praise your King. Amen...pastor matthews

I've always been interested in Thomas the disciple; while the other guys were given nicknames like "Sons of Thunder" and "The Rock" poor Thomas was "The Doubter" for history. I wonder what my nickname might have been; "The One Who Snores" or "The Talker?" You probably have some for me that are not fit to repeat with children here. 

I've always thought that it was so great that Jesus didn't forget about Thomas. Jesus made a point of coming to him and helping him through his doubts. This reminds me of the man having dinner at a restaurant as he noticed this beautiful redhead at the next table. He wanted to talk with her but really afraid. Suddenly the redhead sneezed and her glass eye came out of its socket. He grabbed it out of the air and returned it to her. "I'm so sorry," she said, "Let me buy you dinner." They had a wonderful meal, followed by a movie, and a late night drink. As he drove her home they time for a few kisses and hugs. He was amazed that this beautiful girl could fall for him. He asked her, "You are just the perfect woman, are you this nice to every guy you meet?" "No," she replied...."You just happened to catch my eye." Thankfully, we catch God's eye too.

We have our doubts and questions too, don't we? There are times we doubt what God is doing. We know that God is Good...All The Time..but it doesn't always show through the way we would want it. Our sinful nature has its own ideas. My Godson Marcus and his dear Elizabeth are struggling as their unborn baby has passed to her heavenly home.  Why God? I was only 17 when my Dad died. Why God?  My Mother-in Law is a woman of faith in the midst of Alzheimer's. Why God? I'm sure you have questions and doubts too, huh? Why God? Why God?

In the midst of our doubts, there are two things we can learn. First of all, doubts are not necessarily a bad thing. It has been said that doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep us from getting lazy by sending us to church, reading the Word of God for His will, praying, attending Bible Class as we look for answers and strength. The Beatitudes in Matthew 6 assure us "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all things will we added unto you." If your doubts keep you seeking the Lord, this is a God-pleasing thing that will bring you peace and hope in God's time and God's way.

Secondly, like with Thomas, our Lord Jesus seeks us out. He doesn't forget us or turn His back on us just because we're confused. Psalm 55:22 assures us to "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall." Who are those righteous? All who have been washed by the blood of the Lamb because they believe that Jesus died and rose for their salvation.

Yes, God is Good...All The Time. Through faith in Jesus, we'll see those nail pierced hands for ourselves, just like Thomas did, as they hug us and welcome us into heaven because He loves us and we caught His eye. Amen...pastor matthews

Edgar Allen Poe, in his poem, The Raven, wrote, "Quoth the raven, nevermore." That's pretty much all I knew about ravens until I did some work on this sermon. Ravens are mentioned in different places in Scripture. Ravens are large, black birds with a wingspan that can reach 50 inches. They are considered quite intelligent and are scavengers eating everything from fruit and berries to rabbits and rats and the flesh of dead animals. Because they will eat anything, when people are really hungry they are called; ravenous. A pretty girl with black hair is called a raven-haired beauty. Ravens were also considered unclean in the Bible. 

What's really neat is that God had a purpose for these birds. He used them to faithfully do His will. We read in Genesis 8 that God's man Noah sent out a raven to check out the lay of the land after the flood. Noah knew that a raven could take care of itself. Later on in First Kings we read about the prophet Elijah. God told Elijah to go a rest by the Jordan River. God would command the ravens to come and feed him. We can only wonder how Elijah felt as these big, black birds flew towards him. Knowing what they ate, what could they be bringing for him to eat? It's kind of like scraping up road kill around the zoo and eating it?  I'll have some fried raven and mashed potatoes? Again in the New Testament, ravens are used as an example in Luke 12 to teach us that we don't have to worry. Jesus tells us to look how even the ravens are cared for by our Loving God. If He cares for the ravens, God will certainly care for you.

What's the message out of all of this? The message is that all women in our lives, like the raven, no matter how young or old, how pretty or plain, are special to God. It doesn't matter how good or bad you think you might look on the outside; a heart on the inside that loves and faithfully serves the Lord is beautiful to God. Like a raven, no matter what others might think of you or say about you, you are special to our Lord. Like the story from CNN about the young man dying of aids. He was in great pain and weighed under 100 pounds. When asked how he handled it all, he responded that he would close his eyes and imagine that he was a little boy in his mother's arms. This was the comfort he needed

Sad to say, there are many who treat their moms more like the unclean raven than the servant of God. Ladies, you might be "dished" by others but you are always desired by God. God promised this in Joshua 1 when he said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." When the world tells you that you are useless, your Lord tells you that like the raven, you are useful to God's kingdom. When loved ones push you away, God pulls you closer. The world says that you're too old or crippled to be worth anything, your God tells you that like that raven, as you trust God's word, there is always work for you to do for Him.  Romans 18 assures you that anyone who serves Jesus in faith is pleasing to God.

We know that God Is Good...All The Time and He is there for each of us in a special way. Like the raven, God calls you to serve and to have value in His sight. So if Satan tries to make you feel lost and worthless, tell him that with Jesus, you'll feel lost and worthless "nevermore!" amen..pastor matthews

I read that there was a story on one of the nature shows on T.V. about a mother black bear giving birth to two cubs. One cub died right away and the mother died soon afterward, leaving the young cub to fend for himself.  The camera showed a mountain lion in the area and hinted that this little guy was a walking buffet. One day the cub encountered a giant male black bear. Realizing the cub was alone, the big bear gave the cub a friendly nudge and the adoption papers were signed. The father bear proceeded to teach the little one about eating insects, how to fish, and the art of scratching ones back on a tree.

One day they became separated and the cub panicked as he looked for the father bear. His search led him to the stream where he learned how to fish. He looked up and saw the mountain lion who had stalked the cub for the entire show. With no father bear around, the little guy was in trouble. As the lion approached, the little guy could only mimic what he was taught, so he stood upon his hind feet, bared his teeth and let out a growl that he thought would shake the trees. Instead the best he could do was a squeak.

Now is the time to hide the children's eyes as you expect the worst to happen. However, the lion turned and ran off in the opposite direction. The little guy stood there rather proud of what he had done. It was then that the camera panned back to what the little cub couldn't have seen; there was his father bear standing behind him at full height, claws out and his sharp, white teeth bared for the lion to see. He hadn't made a sound but his presence was felt. Even though the little guy couldn't see his dad, the father was there protecting him. The little cub had a power available to him greater than anything he could produce on his own.

Like that little cub, we all feel alone and scared from time to time. Our sinful nature tells us that no one cares and even God is too busy for little, old me. Like the little cub, we are buffet for the mountain lions of this world; terrorism, gangs, politics, the cost of gas, the interest rates of banks, the cost of health care, and the Devil Himself wherever he rears his ugly head. We can yell and scream all we want but our screams, like the cubs are squeaks in the wind. On our own we are lost and helpless in this world.

Because God Is Good...All The Time, He promises us to be there like the father bear. God has sent His Son to die for us, rise for us, and take away the punishment for our sins. Because of that sacrifice, He's not going to hang us out there to be Satan's buffet. In Joshua 1:9 He tells us to be strong and courageous. Don't ever be terrified or discouraged because our Father is with us wherever we go. We might not see Him, but Satan does and runs away. Stand up for your Lord with your life. Stand up with your Lord in worship, prayer, and Bible Study, and when evil runs from you, simply say, "Thanks, Dad!" amen..pastor matthews   

There are times in life that we feel lost and confused. A man went to his Doctor suffering with a headache. The Nurse, a very strong-willed person told him to go into the Examination Room and take off his clothes and to put on a gown. He told her about the headache, but she insisted. When he arrived at the room he found another guy there, sitting on the Examination Table in a hospital gown. Putting on the gown he said to the first guy, "I don't know what I'm doing here. I just have a headache...but that Nurse, Wow!" "You think you're bad," the first man answered, "I'm just here to read the meter."

Sad to say, Life can push us, force us, or gently coerce us into a place we just don't want to be. It's easy to feel lost and confused in life. The disciples of Jesus had seen Him leave them and ascend up into heaven. They were lost and confused when He was with them...what will happen now? Jesus had told them to go into Jerusalem and wait. Waiting for the unknown can be very disturbing. I was with a young couple this week who had been waiting for the birth of their first child. They might have felt a little lost and confused, but as we know, God Is Good...All The Time and they are now filled with great joy and hope as God gave them a beautiful, big, healthy baby boy.

As the disciples sat together lost and confused, because God is Good...All The Time, God sent His Holy Spirit to them through wind and fire and their faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior became clear and strong and they were empowered to preach the Good News of Jesus with great power and hope and joy.  They knew that Jesus died and rose for their salvation and they wanted others to know this too.

Many of you traveled many miles to get here today. Many of us have a GPS we use to help us find our way. Without the GPS we could really find ourselves lost and in trouble. Spiritually, the same is true. We need our spiritual GPS to find our way in life and to life eternal. GPS stands for God's Perfect Spirit. Led by God's Perfect Spirit found in the Bible and our Sacraments, we find direction and hope in this life and to life eternal through faith in Jesus.

This balloon I'm holding is a "dead balloon." It does nothing but lie here, empty, worthless, with no direction. However, when I fill it with air something happens. It grows in size and when let go, makes all kinds of sounds as it flies around the room. Without the Spirit of God, we're lost, confused, and dead too. As the Sprit of God fills my life through God's breath brought in His Word and Sacraments, I am ready to go to those in my life with the Good news of Jesus.  I was lost but now I'm found.  I want to make noise for Jesus.

There is a story of a little girl lost in New York. A policeman finds her and begins driving her around the City hoping that she'll recognize something familiar. Suddenly she looks up and sees a steeple with a cross on it. "That's my church," she cries out, "I can find my way home from here." Because God is Good...All The Time, we just need to see the cross too. Once we see the cross, in spite of trials, troubles, or strong-willed people, we will be led by God's Spirit and find our way not to just read the meter, but to find our heavenly home.  Amen..pastor matthews

Showing love as a husband and a Father isn't always easy. There's the story of the Dad staying home with his 18 month old daughter. While watching T.V. the daughter came with her little tea set to have "tea" with her Dad. She came in with a cup of "tea" for dad that was of course, only water. Dad drank the "tea" and made a fuss over how wonderful it was. This happened over and over again with Dad telling her how great her "tea" was every time. The little girl was so proud of herself. Finally Mom came home, surveyed what was going on and started to laugh hysterically. Dad drank some more "tea" and Mom commented, "Did it ever occur to you that the only place a baby can reach to get water is in the toilet?"  Good Daddy!

The role of fathers or father-figures in the lives of children has become more and more important over the years. With the divorce rate going up, for lots of reasons, kids need a strong Christian male in their lives. Studies show that when Mom and Dad worship with the children, 72% of the children remain faithful. When it's only Mom, and God bless them, it's only 15%. Dads can make a difference.

Paul writes to the Christians at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 4 that he knows they have guardians and teachers to care for them, but that he has come to be a father to them. He knows that being their father is most important to their spiritual growth. Our Lord Jesus was always in contact with His Heavenly Father through prayer. His Heavenly Father spoke to Jesus and told Him how proud He was to be Jesus' Father.  Words of encouragement are important.  Encouragement from our father is special.

I was blessed with a loving father who was a great role model for the 17 years I had him. Dad taught me to play sports, about the Funeral business, the importance of reaching out to people who were hurting, and the importance of worship and involvement in the Church. I will always be thankful that he was my Dad.

Our world is often a very sad and negative-minded place. Around us we see death and dying. We see wars, violence, senseless pain and hurt, suffering and loss. We see loneliness, homeless people, and  children starving for food and love. The need is greater than ever for people to hear that God does love them. They need to hear that Jesus came to die for their sins, bringing forgiveness and a new life and new hope. God the Father cares for all of His children, listens to them, responds to them, forgives them through the death and resurrection of Jesus, His Son, and offers a heavenly home through faith worked in us by the Holy Spirit. We all reflect our Heavenly Father's love as we share that message.

What message are we giving when we are too busy to care...too tied up at work for good-night hug...too insecure to sing "Jesus Loves me'" to a little one? Because God is Good...All The Time, He has given us the responsibility to be His hands, His feet, His voice to a world of hurting children. That's what making disciples is all about. He wants us to be like the pastor who had a young boy from a broken home in his parish. The boy would come late for church and leave early. He felt that being fatherless made him insecure and less of a person. One Sunday the pastor tricked him with a quick Benediction. Waiting for the child at the back, the pastor asked the boy who he was. No answer was given. Then the pastor patted him on the head and said, "Wait, I know. You're a child of God!" That makes you very special." The boy's life was changed forever by a man who didn't have to drink toilet water to make it happen. 
Amen..pastor matthews

A story is told of a Kindergarten teacher playing a "pop-up" game with her children. They were pretending to be pop corn popping up during the song. She noticed one little boy didn't pop-up; he just stayed crouched down. "Why aren't you popping up?" she asked. "Because," the boy answered, "I'm just burning on the bottom of the pan."  In our world today, there are many people we know and those we don't know, who are burning on the bottom of the pan of life. There are people burning up in guilt, worry, fear, sadness, loneliness, death, hunger, and pain.

Knowing that would be true throughout history, Jesus told His disciples the importance of giving a cup of cold water to someone in need. This cup of cold water can be given in many ways. This could be a cup of comfort or a cup that is Christ Jesus Himself... God can use these cups of love in many ways.

Giving begins with looking up in faith. Knowing we have a Savior Who died and rose for us is the motivation to reach out to others as a way of saying "Thank You" to Jesus. A substitute Sunday School teacher couldn't open the combination lock on the supply cabinet so she called the Pastor. The Pastor began with a number or two then he looked up towards heaven. He then finished the numbers and opened the lock. "I am in awe of your faith, Pastor" she said. "Really," he answered, "It's nothing. The numbers are on a piece of tape on the ceiling." To accomplish what God has for us begins with looking up. God has the answer up there for you. 

A women's church group was sending a large box of clothes to a Missionary and his family. They had all the sizes just right so everyone in the family would get something. One day a member came by with her husband's new coat that he didn't like. "Send this" she told the ladies. It wasn't the right size, but they needed something as packing material to wrap around the other gifts in the box, so it was included. Later on they received a "thank you" from the Missionary with special mention of the "miracle" coat. It seemed a homeless man came to their door, freezing. They invited him in and discovered that the coat used for packing was a perfect fit for this man in need. The ladies had sent a "cup of water" that was a real blessing used by God.

Vacation Bible School is a perfect time for cups of water to be given. Our Staff gives out "cups of water" to these children in the form of Bible stories, crafts, and even freeze pops, and Kool-Aid. Hearing these children sing about Jesus that there couldn't be anybody Else Who is our Savior is wonderful. They are learning Bible verses that will stay with them for a lifetime. They have adults around who value them, listen to them, praise them, and tell them that God made them special. During the tornado alert, the Staff members were with their children, giving hugs and words of hope. Lots of cups of cold water God could use. I even had a VBS Mom talk with me about having her P-K daughter Baptized. This is another "cup of water" God used.

A cup of cold water could be just that to a parched throat. Because God Is Good...All The Time, a cup of cold water could be the Good News of Jesus Himself Who died and rose to forgive the sins of a person burning in the bottom of the pan of life. A simple act of faith and love can help others "pop-up" in joy and hope. How wonderful to have God using your "cup of water" to bless one of His children.  Amen..pastor matthews

I have in my hand a $20 bill. If I give it to a child, it's worth $20. If I give it to a man or woman, it's worth $20. As we read the parable of the Sower and the Seed, we see that this is true for the seed, as well as God's Word. Wherever the seed lands, it has power inside to grow. Wherever God's Word lands, through the Holy Spirit, there is power to change lives.

As we study the parable, I believe that the Sower could be our Lord Jesus. In His ministry, He threw God's Word all over the place. He threw God's Word of hope and salvation to Pharisees and Scribes who didn't care, to the prostitutes, tax collectors, the lame, the blind, and even lepers. Like the parable tells us, some didn't listen and for others it gave a new life. Jesus now tells us that he wants us to do the same and just throw it out there.

Sad to say, our sinful nature holds us back. We want the right time and the right people. We worry we'll say something wrong, look bad, and mess up. Jesus tells us to just throw it out there and He'll take it from there. After all, as someone said, "It's better to wear out for the Lord than rust out." A little rusty here today is it?

While on vacation, we went out on Lake Wawasee with the Staubus family. After a couple hours, it was time to get back to shore. On the way, Capt. Noal saw a boat in distress. A sailboat had capsized and the three on board were in trouble. Without hesitation, Noal went over, took the rope, and towed them to home. Their home was on the other side of the Lake. In spite of the cost and the time, Noal reached out to help. I was very proud of him and the lesson he taught his children about reaching out to those in need regardless of the inconvenience. The ride back to the other side was fast. I was in front on the port side. One time we actually flew in the air and the landing shot my kidney out my ear!

Our Lord tells us in Luke 9:23 to deny ourselves, take up His cross, and follow Him. This is true on a boat or in our homes, restaurants, baseball games, etc. The world always points us in another direction that thinks of ourselves first. Proverbs 14:12 reminds us that there is a way that seems right to man, but it leads to death. Jesus wasn't politically correct and we can't worry about that either.

It's time to step up and step out for our Lord. Get crazy for His Kingdom! Become a Jesus Freak! Just toss God's Word out there!  While on vacation, we did a lot of tossing. We talked with an Amish man about the Bible, KJV only, and worship; they worship every other Sunday for 3 hours. We met a young man who was serving us for dinner at Amish Acres. His name was Daniel. We were the last out and we talked about where we were from, the fact that I was a Pastor, and suddenly, WOW! Daniel shared that he was a music minister at a church. We talked Christian music, faith, Jesus! He told us he found a church that had Council Meetings with two coolers of beverages. One cooler had pop and water, and the second had beer. I offered to bee their pastor on the spot! A few days later we had tickets for a show "Plain and Fancy" and all of a sudden realized that one of the stars was Daniel. We later talked, exchanged e-mails, met his wife, hugged and "God Blessed" each other; all from tossing out God's Word at dinner.

Because God Is Good...All The Time, He wants us to toss it out there. Sin turns us in on ourselves, while faith in Jesus Who died and rose for our salvation, leads us to turn out to others. This is worth a lot more than $20. amen..pastor matthews.

In 1953 reporters and dignitaries gathered at a Chicago train station to welcome the 1952 Nobel Peace prize winner. As the man stepped from the train, flashbulbs popped, questions were thrown his way, and city officials approached to greet him. Suddenly he politely asked to be excused for a moment. He saw an elderly woman struggling with her suitcases so he went over, picked them up, helped her to her bus, and wished her a safe journey. He returned to the crowd and apologized. This man was Dr. Albert Schweitzer, the missionary doctor who had spent many years helping the poor in Africa. One person from the reception committee said to a reporter, "That's the first time I ever saw a sermon walking." A sermon walking is what the Christian life is all about. Seeing God's Word and Will in action beyond the church building is a sermon walking.

In Matthew 14, Peter shows his friends a sermon walking as he climbs out of the boat, looks at Jesus in faith and walks on the water. This sermon was cut short as Peter took his eyes off his Lord, looked down at the water, and sank. Faith kept his sermon walking afloat, while doubts got him wet.

A story is told of three ministers out fishing. One forgot his sunscreen, so he climbed out of the boat, walked on the water to shore, got the sunscreen, and walked back to the boat. The second minister had forgotten his favorite fishing hat, so he climbed out of the boat, walked on the water to shore, got the hat and walked back to the boat. The third minister figured his faith was a strong as theirs, so he climbed out of the boat and sank to the bottom. He floated back up spitting out water and climbed back into the boat. Frustrated, he climbed out to try it again and again sank to the bottom. He floated back up and was helped back into the boat. At this point minister #1 said to #2, "Before he drowns, should we tell him where the rocks are?"

Before we become sermons walking, not only do we have to know where the rocks are, but we need clean feet too. When Jesus washed the disciples' feet on Maundy Thursday, we read in John 13 that Jesus not only showed them the humility of a walking sermon, but also told them that unless He washed them they have no part with Him. Jesus doesn't want pew Christians with smelly feet, He wants to wash us with His blood on the cross and lead us out of this building to be sermons walking to the world. Jesus died on the cross to wipe away our sins, and gives us Baptism to assure us of that washing.

Because God is Good...All The Time, He promises us that as we repent of our sins and trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have been washed and are ready to go out as sermons walking. Sermons walking can show up in the strangest places; at work, at school, in hospitals or nursing homes, and on vacations. Walking sermons can be seen with people running or walking, using walkers or crutches, wheelchairs or canes; walking & rolling if you will. Sermons walking are found wherever God's people share and show the love of Jesus to others. When we go out and share our faith and our love, it shows we know where the rocks are, and the Rock of Ages, Jesus, Who will keep us afloat every step of the way. Amen...pastor matthews

I love the story of the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15. This lady is a typical mom with a strong faith and a great desire to care for her daughter. I've always felt that there is a special bond between moms and children, grandmoms and grandchildren. I know that if you mess with my kids, you mess with me. If you mess with my grandkids, you mess with me. But, if you mess with Mrs. Matthews' kids or grandkids, she will be all over you like white on rice! That's our lady in today's lesson. Her daughter has a demon and she knows just where to go for healing; to Jesus. First she has to get His attention and that's not easy.

There is a story of a couple waking in the middle of the night as they saw lights and heard noise in their shed. They called the police, not police in our area, but were told there was no car available. They waited a minute and the wife called the police, identified herself as the one with burglars in the shed and told them not to hurry, her husband had shot them. Within minutes five police cars arrived and the burglars were captured. The officer asked them, "I thought you said you had shot them?" "We thought you said there were no cars available" Like the woman in our story, you have to get peoples attention.

This Canaanite lady came out of the crowd calling to Jesus. Jesus certainly heard but was testing her faith. She then knelt before Jesus pleading for a healing. Because Jews at that time thought of Canaanites as dogs, Jesus tugs her chain by saying the food for children shouldn't go to dogs. In faith she replied that even dogs deserve scraps. Our Lord was very impressed with her faith. Jesus told the lady, "Great is your faith." I don't remember Jesus saying that about His disciples, do you?

In this story, we learn the importance of persistence in faith and prayer. We have a Savior Who loves us. He died for our sins, and wants to hear from us. The letters P.U.S.H. tell us to Pray Until Something Happens. As Scripture tells us, we ask, seek, and knock in prayer to our Lord, knowing He will always do what is best for us because God is Good...All The Time.

Humble faith reaching out to our Lord each day is what God wants from His children. We need Jesus; it's as simple as that! Humility tells Jesus that we know that to be true. Like the woman, we kneel before Him in faith.

The problem comes when our egos get in the way. We can do this, we can do that. Why should I ask God for help when I can handle it myself, our sinful nature asks. A number of years ago Quincy Jones got some big name talent together for a song "We Are The World." This song raised some 63 million dollars for people in need here and abroad. Because there was so much talent like Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, and others, it is said that Quincy put a sign over the door of the recording studio that said, "CHECK YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR." This song would be a team effort with no "star."

As we entered worship this weekend, you might have noticed the same sign over the door. Trusting in Jesus as Lord and Savior, knowing we need Him each and every day, we learn from the Canaanite woman that Jesus is always there to help us as we kneel in faith, but first, "check your ego at the door " . Amen...pastor matthews

I read a story this week about a church that wanted to increase their attendance so they hired a powerful advertising agency to come in and make recommendations. After lots of research they came to one conclusion; get rid of all the crosses in the church. They figured that crosses gave a negative message to young people who might worship. Take away the cross from a church and it becomes like a meeting room at a Holiday Inn.

Their recommendation is one of those politically correct responses we see around us. We are told not to pray the Lord's Prayer in public, not to place mangers at Christmas, not to take the Bible as truth, not to believe that God created the world, and to preach watered-down sermons without the need for the cross. The world wants an easy going, non-threatening religion that's easy to take. Fast and easy is what we're all about.

Comedian Yakov Smirnoff tells of his early days in America. "On my first shopping trip I saw powdered milk – you just add water and you get milk. I saw powdered orange juice – you just add water and you have orange juice. Then I saw baby powder, and thought to myself, what a country!" I guess we'd like a powdered religion we could find in a store; add a little wine, and BAM, forgiveness. Doesn't work that way; we need the cross.

As we read the Word of God this weekend in Matthew 16, Jesus tells His disciples to follow Him, not the ways of the world. Take up the cross, not hide it or get rid of it, but take it up and follow Him. Please notice that the cross has two sides; one with Jesus hanging there and the other, the empty side, reminding us that Jesus has risen. Crucified – Risen...Crucified - Risen. One side tells of pain while the other tells of the peace we have. One side shows evil while the other eternity. One side is sad while the other shows security. One side is bloody while the other a blessing, and one side of loss and the other of love.

The cross of Christ is at the center of it all. Jesus took our many sins upon Himself so His blood could wash them away and bring all who believe in Him forgiveness and new life on earth and in heaven. The cross is there to tell each of us that we are loved and no matter what we've ever done, Jesus is there to forgive us and welcome us into His family. The cross is God's message given for you, to you, promising that He will never let you go. The cross shows us that God loves each of us so much, He was willing to sacrifice His Only Son so we could have a home with Him in heaven.

Because God Is Good...All The Time, He holds up the cross and tells us that when we are in pain, there is peace with Jesus. When we have done evil, forgiveness and eternity awaits. When we are sad, we have the security in His arms. When life leaves us bloody and beat up, He is there to bless us. And when we face a loss, He is there with His love. None of this would be ours without the cross. Do you want to get rid of that? Amen...pastor matthews

With this being my last sermon as your Pastor; not my last sermon and hopefully not my last sermon with you, but simply my last as Pastor I have a story of a Pastor who had trouble with the Organist. Every time he would preach, the organist would play something contrary to the message. For instance, he would preach on tithing and the organist played "Jesus Paid it All." He preached against gossip and the organist played "I Love To Tell The Story." He became disgusted and threatened to quit. The organist played "Oh, Why Not Tonight?" Finally, he had enough and resigned. He told the congregation that Jesus had brought him there and now Jesus was taking him away. With that, the organist played, "What A Friend We Have In Jesus." You never know what Carol might do today, so I thought having Praise and Promise was a wise choice.

There is a story of a Pastor on a flight back from a Conference. Things started to get rough on the flight and it was announced that everyone should get to their seats and buckle up. It got rougher and rougher, with the plane dropping and rolling. People were crying out, screaming, praying, and holding on. During it all, he noticed the little girl next to him calmly sitting in her seat playing with her doll. While others were in a panic, she was calm and cool. Finally, he leaned over and asked her why she could be so calm with things were so scary. She answered, "My Daddy is the Pilot and he's taking me home."

The message I have for all of us today is that we face a rough ride in life and as things get scary, remember that your Daddy is the Pilot and He's taking you home. God, our heavenly Father, our Daddy, is always in control and He's guiding each of us through this life until He takes us to our heavenly home. In Joshua 1:9 our loving God assures us "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Let's face it, the ride can get rough. God doesn't promise smooth sailing, He only promises that He'll get us through. We see rough weather all around in various forms. We look at the weather; earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, heat, or parched earth. We see war and tension all around in foreign lands and at home as we approach 9-11. Families struggle with illness; broken bones, Cancer, Alzheimer's, heart troubles, and much more. We work harder for less money. The bills and the stress pile up for many of us in this economy. Families face Empty Nests, kids in trouble, and husbands and wives on totally different pages in life.  Troubles come to us from others and we bring them upon ourselves.

Because God is Good – All The Time, He isn't surprised by these troubles; that's why He sent Jesus to die for us on the cross in the first place. God knew what we would face and that we would need the right aircraft to travel through it all. Instead of a Boeing 747, God sent Jesus with a John 316. As we ride on Jesus through faith, He will carry us through all the storms. He died and rose to win the victory over all storms that life can bring. As you ride on Jesus, with your heavenly Daddy as the Pilot, it won't matter what Pastor sits next to you, you,  you can always sing "What A Friend I Have In Jesus."
amen...pastor matthews 

Rev,

Thank you for sharing your sermons with us.  You will be greatly missed by the Concordia congregtion and the Berwyn community.  We pray that you will witness many of God's blessings on you and your family during your retirement.  Thank you for inspiring us to find humor and compassion in our walks with Jesus.

Sincerely,

Julie & BTF

WHAT??

He can't retire!

I know.  He's so unique, with the gift of laughter and the ability to be given a prop literally 60 seconds before a sermon and encorporate it into the sermon.  His love for children, the gift of ministry to his congregation, and the support of the church and preschool makes him irreplacable to me.

Our Gospel Lesson from Matthew 22 is a parable about a wedding. As you know, a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. I'm sure most or all of us have been to a wedding at one time or another. In fact there is a story of a lady arriving late to a wedding. The usher greets her and asks if she is a friend of the Groom. "Not at all," she answered, "I'm the mother of the Bride." Sounds like my wedding...
In our Bible story, Jesus is talking about the wedding feast in heaven. Through His prophets, God has invited many to attend, but they were too busy. God then called out to all the world; the poor, the needy, and the lost to attend the heavenly party. One guy comes without a robe, even though the King will provide one. He's thrown out. You have to have a robe.
I'm reminded of a story out of Atlanta a number of years ago when two very wealthy  families were marrying their children and the groom got cold feet and literally left his bride at the altar. They had all of this wonderful food that had been prepared. They decided to send buses to the Salvation Army and invited the poor and homeless to eat. These folks enjoyed crab, lobster, and all the fixin's. By the grace of God, that's what our heavenly feast will be like.
Through His Word, we have all received an invitation. The only criteria to attend is to wear the right clothes. In our world the right clothes are a fancy gown, tuxedo, Rolex watch, jewelry, a fancy hairdo, manicure, and to bring an expensive gift. If you don't have them, you can't get in!
However, God has a different plan.  To get in, wear the right clothing He provides you. We show up; poor, miserable sinners who are filthy with our sins. We don't deserve to be there. That's what our repentant hearts tell us...we don't deserve to be there. Like the man who went to the Pearly Gates asking to get in. Peter tells him he needs 100pts."Well, I've been a good husband." 3pts. "Been a good father" 4pts. "I've been honest in business" 2pts. "I've been a good Lutheran" 1pt. "This way," the man replied, "The only way I'm saved is by the grace of God." 100pts.   
By the grace of God, Who sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins and through faith in Jesus given by the Holy Spirit, we are welcomed into heaven. The right clothing is Jesus Himself. In Romans 13, Paul tells us not to wear the clothes of this world's sin, but to clothe yourself with Jesus Christ. As we worship, study God's Word, pray, and serve others, we grow in a faith that has put on Christ.  When we trust Him and are washed by His blood, God puts that heavenly robe on us that promises a place at the feast. . After all, we know that Jesus was in the clothing business.
Jesus was walking through Jerusalem and met a man who could sew wonderful clothing. He was famous for his stitching skills. Jesus gave up carpentry and went into business with him. They call their store...Lord and Taylor.  Regardless, what a blessing it is that to know that the Groom is our Friend Jesus and He knows us! Amen..rev. matthews

March 24&25 "What Are You Full Of?"

Remembering that you are in church, what do people say you're full of? Full of the devil? Full of bologna? Full of fun? Full of competition? Full of debt? There are many others we can't mention. There are a couple of old rhymes from England that little boys are made of "Frogs and snails and puppy dog tails." Little girls are made of "Sugar and spice and everything nice." To be honest, we're all filled with a sinful nature containing favorite sins like greed, hate, pride, and many more. No matter who we are, what fills us inside will show on the outside one way or another, in good ways and bad.

For example there was a man who came to confess to his pastor; "I'm sorry Pastor, I've become a compulsive thief."  "Well," answered the Pastor, "Please pray about it and if nothing happens in a couple of weeks, I'd like a large screen T.V."  Another pastor tells of being on a flight that got really rough. People were holding on dearly, crying out in fear, looking lost and helpless. The flight attendant saw the clerical collar and asked, "Reverend, we're in a mess...could you do something, I don't know, religious? So the pastor took up a collection. What fills us shows through in our lives.

Looking at the life of Jesus, we can see that what filled Him came through in His life. Jesus was filled with (what?) faith, love, and commitment to His Father and to us. Jesus never lost sight of doing His Father's will. In Matthew 26 Jesus prayed that He would drink the cup God had given; His suffering, death, and resurrection. No matter how difficult the path, Jesus was willing to take it so that poor, miserable sinners like you and me could find forgiveness in His blood and a heavenly home. Then He tells us in  John 15 to show that love to one another just as He did for us.

We all need that love because we certainly don't deserve it. What the world sees reflects what we're filled with. If we are name-callers, judgmental, and hurtful to others, then we live with hearts filled with guilt, insecurities, and selfishness. If we neglect worship, prayer, and God's Word on the outside, then we live with hearts filled with pride, self-centeredness, even anger towards God on the inside.  These hearts have no peace, no forgiveness, no real hope or humility before God. This is a sad way to live but when the sinful nature fills us, that's all we can expect.
When Jesus talks of the cup He will bear, He also offers that cup to His brothers and sisters. As Jesus' followers and family, we worship, pray, study His Word, commune, and grow in a faith that shows through in our lives. Through faith in Jesus the Holy Spirit leads us to be Jesus' eyes to see those who are hurting...His arms to reach out with help...we become His voice to share the Good News of salvation...His lips to speak words of love...His money for His Kingdom...though filled with frogs and snails or sugar and spice, with Jesus and His love in our hearts, the glory of the Lord will show through. Amen, pastor matthews

As a kid, this day was always Monday-Thursday. I could never understand why Monday? Later in life I learned that the word for Maundy was mandatum, a word that meant mandate, rule, or in the case of John 13; commandment. Jesus gives a new mandaturm, commandment, to love one another as Jesus loves us. This is never easy, because let's face it, our sinful nature often decides who I will love and who I won't. I'll love you because you are in my family, or you're good looking, you're rich, or you're nice to me. I won't love you because you're mean to me, you dress funny, you are a different religion, or you forgot my birthday. We place limits on who we love and how much we love them.

The story is told of a man who was quite sick and his wife took him to the doctor's office. She went in first to talk to the doctor, leaving him in the waiting room. "Well Doctor," she asked, "How is he doing and what can I do to help?" "I'm glad you asked," the Doctor replied. "He needs lots of TLC, tender love and care. You must take care of his every need; whatever food he wants, make it for him. Listen to him when he talks. Laugh at his jokes. Give him shoulder rubs, back rubs, foot rubs whenever he asks for them. Be like a slave and take care of his every need and in a year he'll be as good as new." The lady returned to the waiting room and her husband asked, "Well, what did he say?" ""He said you're going to die!" We put limits on our love.

The story of Maundy Thursday opens our eyes to the kind of love  Jesus really wants for those who love and follow Him. Love as I have loved, Jesus tells us; no limits. As we look at His life, we really see what that meant. As Jesus walked from town to town, He hung out with the "sinners." Jesus ate with tax collectors, prostitutes, and even lepers, YUCK! Jesus was one of them to share the message of salvation through His death and resurrection. On Maundy Thursday, He became a slave and washed their feet. YUCK! At Bible times, most families had a house slave who would greet people by washing their dirty feet as a sign of respect and love. The lowliest slave had this job. Failure to do that would show great disrespect as the Pharisees did to Jesus in Luke 7. Here's Jesus, a slave on Maundy Thursday, washing the feet of the very disciples who would leave Him and run away and even washing the feet of Judas who would betray Him. The next day, Good Friday, He would take the place of a criminal, Barabbas; showing more love. Crucified as a criminal, Jesus took the punishment for our sins, showing love for each us, as we too run from Him and betray Him with our sins and weaknesses. Thank God for Easter as our risen Lord would rise to carry the scars of love with Him to heaven.

Foot washing for Jesus was more than cleaning between toes, He was also showing forgiveness. Here's the mandatum for all Who trust Me, slave Jesus says; Wash dirty feet as I have washed yours. Forgive those who have hurt you as I have forgiven you for hurting Me. Now for all who trust Me, I will give you My body and blood to show you that My love for you has no limits.  Amen, pastor matthews

There is a beautiful story out of Florida a number of years ago of a little boy swimming in the river behind his house. The father was working in the yard when he noticed an alligator swimming towards his son. He yelled for the son to swim to shore. The boy didn't quite make it and the alligator grabbed his legs at the same time the father grabbed his arms. It became a tug of war as the father's fingernails dug into the son's arms. Thankfully a farmer happened by and heard the screaming. He came with his gun and killed the alligator. The boy survived and after weeks in the hospital was ready to come home. A reporter asked if he could see the scars on his legs; it was fine with the boy. Then with great pride he pulled up his sleeves, "Look at these scars. I have great scars on my arms because my Daddy wouldn't let go of me."
In our Gospel lesson from John 20, Thomas had his scars, the scars of doubt that kept him from believing that Jesus had risen from the dead. For some reason, he had separated himself from the disciples and missed Jesus' visit. Rather than letting him go, Jesus made a special trip back so Thomas could see for himself, touch for himself, the scars, the wounds, and believe that Jesus was alive. "My Lord and My God" Thomas cried out in faith, because Jesus wouldn't let him go.  It is said that later Thomas traveled to India, converting many to Christianity before being killed by a sword. Many were blessed because Jesus wouldn't let go of him.

Jesus understands scars, doesn't He? The scars He showed to Thomas, He shows to us. Our sins gave Him His scars from thorns, nails, and spear. Our sins were His alligator of wood scarring Him for eternity. While He was held by the cross, His Father was there, never to let Him go. Jesus faced suffering, pain, and death for us in love. Knowing His Father would never let Him go; Jesus went to hell for us so that we could go to heaven with Him. As Jesus holds us in love, we see His Father with a group hug never letting us go.

All of us struggle with our alligators and scars too. Hurts from past sins, past failures, past alligators, can make us feel pretty scarred up, rejected, and alone. Guilt from the past can easily scar up our hearts and minds. We've failed God, failed our families and friends and don't deserve God's love and forgiveness.  We give up on Jesus, letting that old alligator Satan pull us under. Wait...it's not that easy...our heavenly Father still holds on to us. Romans 8 tells us that all is not lost. Though we can't see or feel the presence of Jesus, He's holding  on. "Neither life nor death, angels or demons, nor anything in creation can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ." Though life pulls you down, scars you up, reaching out in faith to Jesus with repentant hearts shows us those scarred hands reaching down from the cross to hold us and won't let us go. 

A mom was seven months pregnant and had a toddler. They were at a pool when mom picked up her son to carry him to a lounge chair. Slipping on the tile she had the choice of falling face first on the toddler and baby or falling with her knees directly hitting the concrete. She held up her son and chose knees on concrete with open wounds and lots of blood. The children were fine, but she lived with scars, braces, and a limp. This is a great scar story, but Jesus' death on the cross, is the greatest scar story ever told, because His Daddy wouldn't let go of Him.
Amen, pastor matthews

The Old Testament is filled with famous men of faith who stood up for God; Noah and the Ark, Daniel in the lion's den, and David and Goliath. Amos and the??, not so famous. Amos was a country boy who watched sheep and took care of sycamore trees. He was a plain, old guy, suddenly chosen by God to step up and shine by speaking God's Word; warning the Israelites that if they kept walking away from God, judgment was coming.
Speaking of shining, I'm reminded of the mother and daughter walking through a church on a very sunny day. Seeing large stained glass pictures of St. John, St. Peter, St. Paul, and the rest, she asked her daughter if she knew what a saint was. "A saint is someone who lets the Sun shine through," she answered.  So true, a saint lets the Son, Jesus, the Light of the world shine through. A saint of God is ablaze with praise for Jesus.
Are you ablaze with praise for Jesus or more of a frozen chosen...a pew Christian...with pew having a number of meanings. Because of our sinful nature, it's so much easier to be a frozen chosen child of God in this building. We sit, we smile, we shake hands, share an occasional "the peace of the Lord" and sing an occasional hymn, join in an occasional prayer, throw a dollar or two in the offering, and feel good about ourselves. We know we have been chosen by God, we know Jesus loves us and died for us, but when we get home we hang up our faith with our Sunday clothes and forget about God for the week; frozen chosen. The hymn of the frozen chosen, the pew Christian, is "Sit down, sit down for Jesus." Like Amos before God's call, we just want to tend our sheep and watch our fruit trees.

Through the Holy Spirit working through His Word and His Sacraments, God chooses us to be ablaze with praise in this world. You are chosen to be God's voice to speak about the love of Jesus Who died to take away sin. You are the hands of God to reach out to those who hurt. You are His feet to visit the brokenhearted and discouraged. It's kind of like following your favorite sports team; professional, college, high school; little league, or tee ball, whatever.  You cheer them on with your voice, clap for them, and travel to the games and buy shirts, banners, caps, and the rest.  Those who know me at all know that I'm a fan of Detroit sports.

If you can be proud of your team, win or lose, are you proud of your God through good and bad?? Are you proud of your God who made you, sent His Son to die for you so you can be with Him in heaven? God Who listens to all you say, Who watches over you and your loved ones, and has blessed you so much more than you deserve? Well, are you? Are you ablaze with praise for your Savior Jesus? We can be ablaze inside church as we sing hymns, pray prayers, go to Bible Class, send our kids to Sunday School and VBS, and bring them to be Baptized. FIRED UP!! Now, can we be ablaze with praise beyond these walls? Does your faith show through outside? Does the light of the Son, Jesus, shine in you as a saint? You don't have to be an Amos, but you can pray for someone at work or school and let them know. You can share your faith.  You can share a kind word with a stranger, pray at a restaurant or school, buy a bottle of water for the next person in line or pay the toll for the car behind you. When they ask why, simply say "Because that's what Christians do." NOW YOU'RE ABLAZE WITH PRAISE!
Three ladies died and went to heaven. St Peter is tied up, they have to wait. Finally the first is called in. "I'm sorry you had to wait." "Don't worry. I can't wait to see Jesus." "One question for you to get in, spell the word God" The second is called in, Peter apologizes,"'Don't worry. I'd wait a thousand years to be with my Lord." "To get in, spell God." The third is called in, Peter apologizes, "I think you're rude" she replied. "I waited in line on earth in stores, banks, and gas stations. Now I have to wait here? What's wrong with you?" "I'm sorry; just one question and you can enter heaven; spell Czechoslovakia."  It's tough to be a frozen chosen, huh? Amen, pastor matthews