In God We Trust, Mark 10:23-31, Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost  (Proper 24), October 21, 2018 ************************************************************ Martin Luther is known to have said that your God is the person or thing which you trust to do you the most good. There is a terrible thing which happens in the world today. People succeed. They get rich, […]

What Must I Do to Inherit Eternal Life?, Mark 10:17-22, Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 23), October 14, 2018 ************************************************************ How come it is, that when a new baby enters the world, it seems that he or she is the center of the universe? I’ll tell you why! Because for a short time, the world does […]

The Rest We Share, Psalm 62:1–8, 2018 LWML Sunday Sermon by Rev. Ken Hennings LCMS Texas District President (edited), ************************************************************ Social media has brought more information to our electronic devices than ever before. These media feeds give us instant news with live interviews of people experiencing any number of situations in their lives. Some of this […]

Bread of Angels, Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16- 24-29, Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 21), September 30, 2018 ************************************************************ People who idolize the past think fondly about the good old days, and more often than not, just mumble, grumble, and complain about the present. They conveniently forget all the bad of the good old days and only remember […]

I Am the Greatest, Mark 9:30-37, Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20), September 23, 2018 ************************************************************ This past week I decided to make an important change in my life. I’ve really been working hard at it too. I’ve put a tremendous amount of time and effort into this pivotal life change. You see, I am determined […]

Jesus Gets It Done, Mark 9:14-29, Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 19), September 16, 2018 ************************************************************ It was a terrifying winter in 1925 for the residents of Nome, Alaska. After treating four cases of what appeared to be tonsillitis, the only doctor in town, Dr. Curtis Welch, came to a horrifying conclusion. The extremely contagious diphtheria […]

Fulfillment in Jesus, Isaiah 35:4-7a, Mark 7:31-37, Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 18), September 9, 2018 ************************************************************ This morning our Old Testament reading introduces the events of the Gospel reading. Isaiah tells us that God is coming to pass out divine retribution, but to the faithful this is a message of salvation. He comes to save […]

Strength in the Lord, Ephesians 6:10-20, Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 17), September 2, 2018 ************************************************************ Today’s Epistle reading is the eighth consecutive reading from Ephesians and completes our lectionary series. This is the concluding section of Paul’s letter, just prior to his personal greetings and benediction. After his charge, which has been given to all […]

Dearly Beloved, Ephesians 5:22–33, Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 16), August 26, 2018, ************************************************************ Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of God to consider His Holy Word. Today He speaks to us about relationships, specifically about the relationship of marriage, but even more so, about our relationship with Him. There is perhaps […]

Children of Light, Ephesians 5:6–21, Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 15), August 19, 2018 ************************************************************ The text for our message this morning is the sixth of eight readings from Ephesians. For unknown reasons, at least to me, our lectionary skips verses 3–5 of chapter five, and our reading this morning begins in the middle of a […]