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Showing posts from June, 2025

Blessed Are You, (__insert name__) :: Matthew 16:13-19

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do men say the Son of Man is? And they said, On one hand, some (say) John the Baptizer, but others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. (Jesus) said to them, But you all, who do you all say I am? Simon Peter responded and said, You are The Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus responded and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal (this) to you, but my Father, the One in the Heavens (did). And I myself also say to you, You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower her. I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of the Heavens, and whatever you bind upon the earth will have been bound in the heavens, and whatever you loose upon the earth will have been loosed in the heavens. [Introduction] If you are a Christian, I’m sure you have heard it said, “Preach the Gospel. Use words if necessary.” I...

You Too Can Say ‘Amen, It Shall Be So’ :: Genesis 15:1-6

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your seed,’ who is Christ (Gal 3:16) [Introduction] Why do you believe?  I once wrestled with this Christian question, and thirty-some years ago, my dear wife was on the receiving end of my pepper. Why do you believe? Why do you believe the Word of God? Why do you believe the Word is inerrant? Why do you believe in Jesus? Why do you believe He is God? ... Why , I asked her. ... Why? Why? Why?  “Because I do,” she declared over and over. ... “Because I do? That’s no answer!” I retorted. I didn’t know how to explain why at the time, but ... her response was actually PERFECT. “Because I do.” Today, I love her answer more than ever. When you stop and think about everything that works against faith, there is no better answer. “Because I do” is the epitome of faith ... that is, the confidence of things hoped for; the conviction of things not seen...

It’s What We See, and Hear, and Speak :: Isaiah 6:1-7

[Introduction] What would it be like if you knew that you were in the presence of the Holy God?  Would it be awesome? Inspiring? Overwhelming? Frightening? What would your reaction be? Just another day in the park? Or maybe, WOAH! Would you stand or fall? Would you be shaking in your boots, or not knowing what to do? Today is a great day to wonder. Today is Holy Trinity Sunday. Today we get to speak of what we know, and join the praise of the one who died and rose. Today we’re focused on ...  WHAT WE SEE AND HEAR AND SPEAK THROUGH THE EYES AND EARS OF ISAIAH I. Before we get to what Isaiah saw, let’s pay attention to when he saw it. It’s the year of the death of the king , Uzziah (v 1). In other words, it’s 740 BC. Uzziah, who is sometimes called Azariah, was 16 when he became king of Judah. He reigned for 52 years! He was mostly a good king ... far from perfect, but good. As 2 Kings 15[:3] says, he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father...

Sin Didn't Win :: 2 Corinthians 5:17 :: Funeral of Rachel Lynn Peuster

[Introduction] Dear Jim, Jane, Laura, and David ... dear brothers and sisters in Christ ...  Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Rachel Lynn Peuster was given life by her creator and was born on December 1, 1955, the child of Clarence Walter and Lois Jean Peuster. She received the gift of Holy Baptism on December 31, 1955 at Peace Lutheran Church in Slater, Missouri, and became a child of God. Washed and cleansed with the Water and Word, God gave her new life, eternal life, as Paul teaches us with no uncertain terms in Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Titus. On March 22, 1970, she publicly confessed her faith in Christ. And we know that all who confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart God raised him from the dead will be saved . Rachel regularly received and was nourished by the precious gift of the Lord’s life-giving body and blood for the forgiveness of her sins. She looked forward to the Div...