St. Mark Lutheran Church

Joy To The World - Romans 15:4-13 “Joy to the world, the Lord is come, Let earth receive her King.” It's easy to have Joy AFTER we receive. But why do we sing this song BEFORE Jesus arrives? God knows how badly our hearts need hope, and advent is a reminder that hope is always on the way.

This is a part of our sermon series "The Songs of Christmas: Timeless Truth From Your Favorite Carols." Go Tell It on the Mountain – Psalm 146 “Go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.” The message of Christmas is all around us – family, fun, and connection. Our world, however, is desperate for real hope. Who among us needs to hear the truth: that behind all the tradition is an unshakable hope in a shaky world?

This is a part of our sermon series "The Songs of Christmas: Timeless Truth From Your Favorite Carols." O Little Town Of Bethlehem – Luke 1:46b-55 “No ear may hear his coming but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.” Mary readies herself to meet both her child and her savior with a simple prayer of humility. As we approach Christmas, we must consider how ready our hearts are to let God speak to us.

This is a part of our sermon series "The Songs of Christmas: Timeless Truth From Your Favorite Carols" "O Come O Come Emmanuel" – Isaiah 2:1-5 "Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel." These words feel so different than the cold, dark season of winter. The promise, however, is clear: God is on the move. Our advent journey leads us to a place of preparation to see what God will do next.

Philippi: More Like Christ – Philippians 2:1-11 Paul is overjoyed to write to the Philippians, and his happiness shows through.  He is encouraging them not to lose focus on what has brought them to this place: a life shaped like Jesus.  We too need to be fed spiritually throughout our lives.

Galatia: Forgetting The Truth – Galatians 3:1-14 When Paul is frustrated, everyone knows it.  He starts with “you foolish Galatians” and it goes downhill from there.  The thing that makes Paul so mad is something that can fool us today – namely that the Galatians have taken salvation into their own hands.  Paul emphatically tells them what can happen if they know the truth about Jesus

"Ephesus: What God Can Do" – Ephesians 3:14-21 Paul needed the Ephesians to see something important – that what they were faced with wasn't too much for them.  As he prays for his readers, we are reminded of how much more God can do through us than we ever could have imagined.

"Corinth: Remember Your Neighbor" – 2 Corinthians 9:1-15 The Corinthians were incredibly blessed – with a large community, plenty to eat and plenty to share.  They were, however, forgetful of what it means to bless others.  Paul reminds us – when we see the generosity of our neighbor, it is a call to generosity for ourselves.  This is part of our "Connecting in Faith: Paul's Letters to the Church" series.

"Colossae: Jesus At The Center" – Colossians 1:3-14 Paul writes to the Colossians to encourage them in their faith.  Over the years Jesus had become one of many Gods they worshiped, but Paul implores them to learn and grow in their faith.  We, too, are compelled to share our faith, ESPECIALLY with the generation behind us This is part of our "Connecting in Faith: Paul's Letters to the Church" series.

Acts 28:1-6 Paul's early life is ordered in obeying the rules, gaining an identity, and then being God's child.  But by the end of Acts, he has learned something – when God gives him an identity and he obeys from that, he is not swayed by the opinions of others.  We are meant to have an unshakable understanding of who we are and what God has for us.

Matthew 16:13-19 When God gives us an identity, we are given a purpose.  For Peter, that purpose is to strengthen the faith of everyone around him.  When you hear your name from God, how does that shape the purpose God has given you?

Mark 2:13-17 Levi (AKA Matthew) has a name that tells him who he is – a servant of God.  But he is living in a way that doesn't care for the people.  When we ignore the one who gives us identity, we can forget who we are.

Numbers 13:4-16 When Moses changes Joshua's name, he is signaling a change in the people – from hoping for freedom to receiving it.  In baptism, God changes us from slaves to ourselves to become God's free people, living in the world.

Genesis 32:22-30 Jacob is the “trickster,” and tries to pull a trick on God, wrestling for a blessing.  God shows him the truth – both that the blessing is meant for him, and that it is difficult to bear.  Our blessings come from hearing that we have a heavenly father, and that God offers blessing to us.

What's In a Name? - Genesis 17:1-8, 15-16 Abram and Sarai simply cannot believe the promise that they would be the parents of a great nation.  God gives them a new identity and a new name, reminding them that they carry God's image forever.

My Place In the Kingdom -  Matthew 20:20-28

"The Rich Young Ruler"  - Luke 18:18-30

The Raising of Lazarus – John 11:1-46

The Parable of the Two Sons – Luke 15:11-32 

The Parable of the Good Samaritan – Luke 10:25-37 

Matthew 17:1-8 – The Transfiguration “It is good for us to be here.”  Peter starts to envision a temple built in this place, a gathering point where the disciples could see God's glory.  But Jesus teaches him, and us, something: The glory of God is with Jesus, and will move throughout the world.  Where can we see the glory of God today?

Luke 9:18-27 – Knowing and Following Jesus Peter gets the words out – “you are the Christ.”  It is here they understand who they are with.  What a mountaintop.  But the reality in this life of following Jesus will be different then they imagined.  The question for us is simple – is Jesus himself enough for us?

Mark 8:14-21 – The Yeast of the Pharisees When we get worried, we start to try to find something we can trust.  The disciples are always tempted to trust the Pharisees and their promise that holiness could save them, or the Herodians and their promise that a king could save them.  When we see what Jesus offers us, we are ready to put our trust in the spirit instead.

Matthew 15:1-20 – Things That Defile                                                                                                                                                                                         

The Story of Zaccheus - Luke 19:1-9 The story of Zaccheus pushes us to wrestle with what it means to see one another and to be seen. Though Jesus is on a journey, an important one at that, he takes the time to see the people on the edges (or in the trees). And though it might seem like a small gesture to see or be seen moments like this can be incredibly transformative.

Anchored in Hope - Matthew 16:13-20 This is VBS week. Kids are talking about what it means to be anchored in the hope. In this text- Peter famously says, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” So much of ministry/life is discipling and being discipled to the belief that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Claiming this truth is the foundation of our faith, it is the anchor on our best and worst of days.

Jesus Walks on Water - Matthew 14:22-33 What gets your focus?  Is it the waves?  The water?  The storm?  The chaos?  Or, do you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus?  Peter tries both with incredibly different results.  Where can you focus your eyes first on Jesus rather than the storm around you?

Passing the Torch - Mark 6:14-29 The gospels start with a movement around John the Baptist.  This disturbing story reminds us that our value is not in who we are – but who we point to.  John meets his end, but he does so glorifying God and pointing people to Jesus.  Even when we wonder if we're making a difference – we too can do this!

Casting Out the Demon - Matthew 8:28-34 One of the biggest debates swirling around Jesus is the question of “who is he?”  Nobody is quite sure what to make of him – prophet, healer, magician, fraud?  We're surprised to find that the demons see clearly what no human can, and they obey his commands.  We are called to see that Jesus' power extends from what we can see to what we cannot.

Jesus Calms the Storm - Matthew 8:23-27 Tossed by the waves, the disciples cannot fathom finding steady ground.  They are controlled by their circumstances. In Jesus, they find something that gives them a sense of calm.  How would our walk with Jesus change if we were passionate about focusing on Jesus?

Mustard-Seed Faith - Mark 4:26-34 What difference can faith make?  Overwhelmed by the world's problems, we ask ourselves this simple question.  Jesus articulates the difference faith makes by explaining how powerful leaning on the Holy Spirit can be.

The Parable of the Sower - Mark 4:1-9, 13-20 What is the church?  It's a basic question, but one that can be hard to define.  Jesus tells a story that scares how the people of God share God's good news.

Raising of the Widow's Son - Luke 7:11-17 Jesus meets a Widow who is grieving the loss of a son.  The amount of grief that might cause feels overwhelming.  Jesus brings profound hope – hope that overwhelms understanding and reminds us that the world isn't in our control.

"The Faith of the Centurion" - Luke 7:1-10 Join our guest preacher, Rev. Erika Uthe, Director of Evangelical Mission for the Southeastern Iowa Synod.