Sermons by Rev. Sherman D. Stenson, Associate Pastor (Page 8)
What it Means to Be Baptized
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from our holy, triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Nicodemus said to [Jesus], “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is…
Concerning Sin, Righteousness, and Judgment
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
No, let me try that again: Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and from the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, Helper, and witness of the Truth. Amen.
It’s Pentecost, after all. It’s the Holy Spirit’s day to…
Love and Abide
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Most of us know that the phrase caveat emptor means, “Let the buyer beware.” The phrase is a warning to the consumer that it is better to thoroughly check out the goods before you buy them than to try to…
Teach Us and Wash Us
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
I imagine that most of you have probably experienced a strong wind storm at least once in your life, if not many times. Some of you have experienced tropical storms and hurricanes. Some have even seen tornadoes,…
Old Jesus; New Jesus; One Jesus… For You
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed; Alleluia!
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Here’s a pop quiz for you. Don’t worry, it’s only one question. I’m even going to give you the potential answers. Your choices are Old Testament and New Testament. Ready for the question? The Bible says that…
God Loves Men
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
What does this mean? On a hillside near Jerusalem, there is a deep, round hole in the ground. Actually, there are three holes. Planted in them are three large trees. Sturdy branches stretch from their sturdy trunks, but they are devoid of leaves. The only…
Setting the Stage
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
One of the unique aspects of this arrangement of the Good Friday Tenebrae service is the placement of the sermon near the beginning, before we’ve even had the lessons for the day. Granted, we have responsively read the prophecy of Isaiah regarding the Savior’s…
It’s Unpopular
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Oh, to be popular! Oh, to be famous! Oh, to bask in the adulation of others! The attraction of celebrity is so great that people will do all sorts of things to achieve it. Some will compromise their morals, if they had any to begin with. Others will embellish the…
Renewal of Godly Fear
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
In our second lesson today, St. Paul is instructing the people of the Church atRomeabout the topic of sanctification. That is, a description of life lived in and under the Holy Spirit. We have been made Christians by our Baptism into Jesus’ death and resurrection,…
Getting Jesus Right
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Although the evidence of today’s text would indicate otherwise, St. John, the writer of the fourth gospel account and the three epistles that bear his name, and St. James, his older brother and the first of the original Twelve to be martyred, are good models for our…