Messages from First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Concord, CA

King David advises us not to put our trust in political leaders, but in the Lord. Political leaders will die, but the Lord reigns forever.

The religious leaders of Ezekiel's day were not taking care of their people. The people needed a new shepherd, a good shepherd. The people needed Jesus.

When Jesus says we can't follow Him unless we hate our families, what does He mean?

Jesus tells a parable about humbling ourselves. As we humble ourselves, we invite our heavenly Father to determine our value, to determine our honor by exalting us. He does. And He will when Jesus returns.

Discipline is painful in the moment, but it yields fruit eventually. As Jesus' disciplines we need discipline, and Jesus shows us ultimate discipline on the cross.

The author of Hebrews recounts heroes of faith, but nobody's faith is perfect then or now. We all need our faith to be perfected by Jesus.

God promises Abraham his very own son with be his heir. Despite waiting years and years, Abraham believes God's promise. God keeps His promise to Abraham and God keeps His promise to us: I will be with you always.

Being hidden is good when something bad is searching for you. Being hidden is bad when something good is searching for you. In the cosmic game of hide and seek between Christ and Satan, we are sought by Christ, delivered from the domain of darkness, and hidden with Christ in the Kingdom of God.

The Apostle Paul writes that because of Jesus, we are reconciled to God and presented holy and blameless before Him.

Jesus tells His disciples not to rejoice in their own abilities, but in what God has done for them: written their names in heaven.

Elijah visits God on Mount Sinai, and God is not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in the sound of a low whisper. God often reveals Himself in such whispers.

After Jesus heals a man with a legion of demons, the man sits at the feet of Jesus and is sent to share all that God has done for him.

Our Triune God is mysteriously three persons, but one God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit always work together. As the church, we are one...even though sometimes it doesn't really look like it.

Jesus' last words to His disciples before ascending into heaven promise that they will be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Where are these places in our own lives?

God wants His way to be known, so He sends prophets, He sends His Son, and He sends you.

John sees the holy city, new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. This is the continual movement of God's deliverance: Him coming down to us.

Shepherds lead their sheep, dwell with their sheep, and make sure nothing bad is following their sheep. The Lord is your Good Shepherd and does these things for you, His sheep.

The Apostle John sees a vision where God the Father holds a scroll, but nobody is worthy to open the scroll and its seals. No one except Jesus.

Jesus asks Thomas this question, "Have you believed because you have seen me?" We often think the answer is yes...but what if the answer is no?

The women at the tomb remember Jesus' words, how He predicted His death and resurrection. They tell the great good news of His resurrection but nobody believes them.

Paul encourages us to forget what lies behind and press on toward what lies ahead. This means forgetting our sin and pressing on toward the return of Jesus and the resurrection of the dead.

Peter denies Jesus and hears a rooster crowing. Though the sound may haunt him, Jesus restores Peter and sends Peter to feed His sheep.

The parable of the prodigal son is a very well known story, but we often overlook one of the details: the severe famine. Don't forget the famine. God uses famines to point us back to forgiveness.

Jesus tells a parable of an vineyard owner who wishes to cut down a barren fig tree, the vinedresser intervenes on behalf of the tree to help it bear fruit. Jesus is the Vinedresser. He is chopped down in our place and through His death and resurrection be bear the fruit of the Spirit.

Jesus' weeps at the death of Lazarus. His tears show us that He is human, that crying is not a sin, and that crying is the proper response to death.

Jeremiah comes speaking a word of truth to Judah and Jerusalem, but they prefer to hear polite lies rather than the truth. We are often in danger of the same, but Christ comes with His good news of truth.

When Satan tempts Jesus, he assaults His identity saying "If you are the Son of God...prove it." He does the same to us "If you are a child of God, then why aren't you living that way?" But we look to Christ who was tempted for us, died for us, and rose for us and our salvation.

The sound of ripping cloth communicates grief, but God calls on us to rend our hearts and not our garments.

Paul writes that the final enemy to be destroyed is death. This means two things. First, death is always an enemy. Second, death will be destroyed by Christ's resurrection and return.

Psalm 1 contrasts the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. This theme is picked up on by the classic book and musical Les Miserables, particularly in the characters of Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert.

When we think of Simon Peter, we often think of a brash, daring, man who is not afraid to stick his foot in his mouth. But in Luke 5, we find a Simon Peter who is afraid and unworthy. His encounter with Jesus changes things forever.

When Jesus encounters a man with an unclean demon, He rewrites the man's story. He rewrites our stories as well for He is the perfect author of all creation who possesses all authority.

Sometimes it is hard to hear the Gospel. Sometimes the Law is all we can hear because we are helpless before a holy God. But the joy of the Lord is our strength and when we are weak, He is strong.

The first of Jesus' miraculous signs, turning water into wine, is the pattern and paradigm of all of Jesus' miraculous signs. Jesus transforms something. He manifests His glory. People believe in Him. God can transform any situation to His purposes and His mission of saving people.

When Jesus is baptized, the heavens are opened, God the Father speaks to His beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit descends. The same is true at our baptisms, and Jesus is with is in the water.

Who exactly were the Magi? What is the deal with the gifts they bring? And why have they come? This sermon seeks to answer those questions of this challenging reading from Matthew 2

It's no secret that there is darkness in the world, but the light of Christ is still shining, and we should't keep that a secret.

The angel's words to the shepherds echo down to us today: fear not, there is good news of great joy for all people.

This sermon looks at the O Antiphons, the ancient prayers used during the final days of Advent, as well as the hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.

While Solomon starts strong and finishes poorly, Jesus starts and finishes strong. He also finishes for us.

Like Abraham's son, Isaac, Jesus is put forward as a sacrifice, but there is no substitute for Jesus. Jesus is our substitute as the son of Abraham.

Jesus is the Son of David, the king, so Jesus is a king. But He's not like other kings. Jesus is the promised king, the compassionate king, and the rejected king.

God promises to fulfill a promise to send a righteous branch that will spring up for David who will execute justice and righteousness, who will save Judah and make Jerusalem dwell securely. Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise.

Jesus Christ is given three titles in the opening chapter of Revelation: faithful witness, firstborn of the dead, and ruler of the kings of earth. We look at each of these titles and their importance to the identity and authority of Christ the King.

As Moses leads the people of Israel to the Promised Land, he pauses so they can consider this momentous occasion.

Christ's sacrificial death perfects us for all time.