Messages from the King
279 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago -Sermons from King of Kings Lutheran Church in Maitland, FL - For more information, visit VisitKoK.com. #ConnectWithTheKing
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Episodes
9.5.21 - Who Am I? I Am Strong in Christ (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
September 05, 2021 16:00 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBWe live in a world constantly talking about strength. You are expected to be strong on your own. If we are going to be honest with ourselves, we all know that no one can really handle all the stresses and struggles of everyday life on their own. Though we don’t want to admit it, we so often find ourselves feeling weak! Yet our God, who created all things and overcame sin and death, gives us strength. In Christ, he gives us the strength to endure all things through his all-sufficient grace. ...
8.29.21 - Who Am I? I Am Priceless in Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19)
August 29, 2021 16:00 - 16 minutes - 11.6 MBWhat is my worth? So many things and so many people make me feel worthless. I don’t live up to the arbitrary standards the world around me sets in place. I am not as gifted or as wealthy or as talented or as successful or as popular as I think I should be compared to others. So I feel worthless. Yet in Christ, I am priceless. God specially made me and gave me life. Above all, God himself paid a price beyond value for me to be his own. I am priceless in Christ. The Bible reading for this me...
8.22.21 - Who Am I? I Am Innocent in Christ (John 8:1-11)
August 22, 2021 16:00 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MBMy identity is not defined by my sins. Yet Jesus kept the commands I could not keep. He died as payment for the sins I committed. He sent the Spirit into my heart so I believe. God now sees me through Jesus. God looks at me as innocent. I can now look at myself as innocent. I can forgive myself, because God has forgiven me. I now rejoice to live a life of righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. The Bible reading for this message is John 8:1-11. Video of this worship service and message...
8.15.21 - Who Am I? I Am at Peace with God in Christ (Philippians 4:4-7)
August 15, 2021 16:00 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MBAlone. Afraid. Anxious. Feelings that plague every one of us. Feelings amplified by many months of pandemic and uncertainty, isolation and unrest. Loneliness, fear, and worry leave us disconnected, uncertain, and troubled. Mental and emotional health suffer as these feelings grow so strong that they cripple us. Yet my identity is not defined by fear, anxiety, and loneliness. Why? I am connected to God because of Jesus. I am reassured that God cares for me because of Jesus. I am at peace with...
8.8.21 - Who Am I? I Am Loved in Christ (John 15:9-17)
August 08, 2021 16:00 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MBMy identity is not defined by how much others love me. We all yearn for love, but so often we look for love in all the wrong places. We love, but others fail us or we fail them. Others hurt us, and we are left feeling unloved. We can even think that God does not love us. Yet in Christ, I am loved by God. I am loved by God by grace—freely and fully. I am loved by God by grace with a measureless, boundless, endless love. I am loved by God by grace with a boundless love, from which nothing can ...
8.1.21 - A God-Lived Life: Eating with Sinners (Matthew 9:9-13)
August 01, 2021 22:00 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MBThe God-lived life is a life of showing God’s love. Today we see that the God-lived life is one that is more than doing things for others. It’s opening our lives to them. As we invite people into our lives and our homes, God gives us opportunities to show what we are all about and share who we are all about. Through hospitality, as messy and dangerous as it can seem, relationships are built, and Jesus is shared. The Bible reading for this message is Matthew 9:9-13. Video of this worship se...
7.25.21 - Foundation: God’s Word Finds Glory in Unlikely Places (Mark 10:35-45)
July 25, 2021 16:00 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MBWhere do you expect to find glory? Do you expect to find it on a battlefield or in the halls of power? Do you expect to find it on the court or on the field? Do you expect to find it in the church or in education or in the business world or in your community? Do you expect to find it in life or in death or both? Where do you expect to find glory? Today, as we commemorate the first apostle to be martyred—St. James the Elder, we see how God uncovers glory in the most unlikely of places. Not wh...
7.18.21 - Foundation: The Great Shepherd Shepherds His Sheep (Hebrews 13:20-21)
July 18, 2021 16:00 - 18 minutes - 12.4 MBThe Good Shepherd demonstrates he is our Great Shepherd as he shows compassion for his harassed and helpless sheep. Jesus brings us what we need most—not just physical help and healing, but the help and healing of his Word. With that Word, he, then, equips us to serve him with thankful hearts, seeking out those sheep that continue to be lost in sin and unbelief and straying from his flock. The Bible reading for this message is Hebrews 13:20-21. Video of this worship service and message ca...
7.11.21 - Foundation: Jesus Sends His Messengers (Mark 6:7-13)
July 11, 2021 16:00 - 20 minutes - 14.2 MBTo proclaim the good news of salvation, the Savior needs messengers. Yes, he sends out pastors and teachers and missionaries to be at the forefront of that proclamation, but as members of his family, Jesus also calls you to share that good news with those you know and love. Though at times you may feel unqualified, the Lord in his grace trains and blesses you for the task through the riches of his Word and Sacrament. The Bible reading for this message is Mark 6:7-13. Video of this worship ...
7.4.21 - Foundation: How Jesus Handles Rejection (Mark 6:1-6)
July 04, 2021 18:00 - 20 minutes - 13.8 MBThe Lord of the Church sends us out with the gospel into our homes and neighborhoods and communities. You share Christ with someone you know, someone you love, someone you care about, but then…they reject your message. They object to what you have to say. Even Jesus, his prophets, and his apostles faced rejection for their message. Rather than get discouraged, we are encouraged to follow him beneath the cross and take his Word out to the world. The Bible reading for this message is Mark 6:...
6.27.21 - Foundation: Jesus' Word Has Power Over Death (Mark 5:21-24a, 35-43)
June 27, 2021 18:00 - 21 minutes - 15 MBWhen death confronts us in this life, where do we turn? Where do we go to find peace and security? Do we look within to the memories of days gone by? Do we look to friends or family? Or do we look to God’s Word? When death confronts people in our lives, what greater love can we show in that moment than to share that Word that brings peace and comfort in this reality—Jesus has conquered death. Life and immortality await us with him in the glories of heaven. The Bible reading for this messag...
6.20.21 - Foundation: God’s Word Goes Out to Build His Kingdom (Mark 4:26-34)
June 20, 2021 16:00 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MBIf you plant a seed, can you cause it to grow? You can fertilize and water it, but yet you are not the source of its growth. No matter how hard you try, you cannot force a seed to grow. Today Jesus teaches us that his Word works the same way. As the good news of the Savior is planted in human hearts, can we cause it to grow? Can we predict or even force spiritual growth or fruit? We cannot, but through his Word, the Lord sends that seed out to create and strengthen faith in human hearts, def...
6.13.21 - Foundation: Have No Fear! Jesus Is Here! (Mark 4:35-41)
June 13, 2021 23:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBIs it easier to trust the Lord when times are good or when times are bad? For Jesus’ disciples, they trusted him when they had heard his teaching and the seas were calm, but they lost that trust when the seas threatened their lives, even though Jesus himself was sleeping right there in their boat. When times are tough or uncertain, when times are filled with fear or worry, life can seem so much like a storm. We feel like we’ve lost our way and that we have no reason for hope. We’re quick to ...
6.6.21 - Foundation: Why Such Doubt and Fear? (Matthew 14:22-33)
June 07, 2021 00:00 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MBDo you know that there is a war going on inside your heart? Arrayed on one side are doubt and fear, fueled by your sinful nature’s desire to deny God’s promises and his ability to keep those promises. On the other side is trust, fueled by your faith in Christ your Savior. The trouble is that doubt and fear often get the upper hand, but thanks be to God! We have a Savior who not only overcomes our doubts and fears, but he fills our hearts with trust in him. How? Through his holy Word, which b...
5.30.21 - Foundation: The Triune God Speaks Through His Word (Isaiah 6:1-8)
May 30, 2021 16:00 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MBDo you know that there is a war going on inside your heart? Arrayed on one side are doubt and fear, fueled by your sinful nature’s desire to deny God’s promises and his ability to keep those promises. On the other side is trust, fueled by your faith in Christ your Savior. The trouble is that doubt and fear often get the upper hand, but thanks be to God! We have a Savior who not only overcomes our doubts and fears, but he fills our hearts with trust in him. How? Through his holy Word, which b...
5.23.21 - Foundation: The Spirit Breathes Life Through the Word (Ezekiel 37:1-14)
May 23, 2021 18:00 - 19 minutes - 13.3 MBCome, Holy Spirit! Fill the hearts of your faithful people, and kindle in us the fire of your love. Alleluia! On Pentecost, we focus on the Holy Spirit and how God poured out his Holy Spirit, giving birth to the Christian church. Yet the Holy Spirit’s work of creating and strengthening faith is not carried out through dreams or visions or indigestion, but rather through physical means, specifically the Word of God. Yet how is that Word more than just a book full of promises? The Holy Spirit ...
5.16.21 - By Faith: We Wait with Certain Hope (Acts 1:1-11)
May 16, 2021 16:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBOn Easter Sunday, we celebrated Christ’s resurrection victory from the dead. We rejoiced in the certain hope we have in the living Savior, but is your hope still certain weeks later? Is your hope still confident that not only Jesus lives, but that you will live too? Yet as the Easter season comes to a close, we see Jesus visibly returning to heaven. Will our hope disappear with him too? Praise God that as Christ ascends into heaven, we can still have the same certain hope that we had on East...
5.9.21 - By Faith: We Love One Another (John 15:9-17)
May 09, 2021 17:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBWhy do we do what we do? The Christian life is a life of self-sacrificing love, a love that looks very different from the “love” found in our world today. Why? The love of a Christian reflects and flows from the love of the living Christ, who is not just our Savior, Redeemer, Lord, King, Shepherd, etc. No, he is also our friend in the truest, purest form of the word. Christ’s love moved him to give up his life for us. With the same self-sacrificing love, therefore, we love one another. The ...
5.2.21 - By Faith: We Are Branches Connected to the Vine (John 15:1-8)
May 02, 2021 17:00 - 16 minutes - 11.6 MBThere are few images that more clearly display the intimate connection Christ has with his people than that of a grapevine and its branches. Through faith in our risen Savior, we are intimately connected to Christ. Through him, life flows to us. Yet apart from him, we wilt as life ebbs from us. Only if we remain in Christ through faith and he in us through his Word can we possibly bear good fruit in our daily lives. The fruit of a Christian, therefore, is a life of thanks for God’s love give...
5.1.21 - Love Begins (1 John 4:19)
May 01, 2021 21:00 - 11 minutes - 8.03 MBThis message was preached for the wedding of Destiny Miller and Joshua Hilgen at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Maitland, FL The Bible reading for this message is 1 John 4:19. Support the show (http://visitkok.com/donate)
4.25.21 - By Faith: We Follow the Faithful Shepherd (John 10:11-18)
April 25, 2021 17:00 - 19 minutes - 13.3 MB“I am the Good Shepherd.” The image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is one of the most familiar and most comforting in all of Scripture, an image beloved by Christians for centuries. Why is that image so comforting? How is Jesus our “Good Shepherd”? Today, we see why. Jesus demonstrates why he is both capable and committed as our shepherd. He is no hired hand, only taking care of us because he has to do so or because he will get something out of it. Instead, Jesus lays down his life and takes ...
4.18.21 - By Faith: We Are Witnesses of the Living Christ (Luke 24:36-49)
April 18, 2021 16:00 - 17 minutes - 12 MBWhile this Gospel account sounds similar to last week's, the focus is different. Luke emphasizes the physical reality of Christ's resurrection, which Jesus demonstrates with word and action. Since the disciples were witnesses of this, the good news of the living Savior went out, bringing the reality of what they had seen and heard down to us today. The physical resurrection gives us hope that someday we will physically rise. We are witnesses of this reality and what this means for our lives....
4.11.21 - By Faith: We Walk by Faith and Not by Sight (John 20:19-31)
April 11, 2021 16:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MB“Unless I see…I will never believe!” We hear these words of Thomas and shake our heads at his doubt and denial. “How could he be so foolish?” Yet is it not true that such words, or at least thoughts, come from us as well? So often we are tempted to trust only what we see and deny what Christ calls us to believe. Yet our risen Lord calls us to walk by faith and not by sight—to trust him and his Word as we follow Jesus. Why? He has kept every promise and conquered our greatest enemy-death. By ...
4.4.21 - See Your Savior Alive! (John 20:1-18)
April 04, 2021 16:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBOn Palm Sunday, the writer to the Hebrews encouraged us to “keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who is the author of our faith and the one who brings it to its goal.” During the holy days between Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday, we have a clear opportunity to do just that—to fix our eyes on Jesus as he makes his way from an upper room to the halls of justice to a cross and finally from an empty tomb—all for us. In spite of the shame, Jesus endures all that to win our salvation that we may not gro...
4.4.21 - Certain Hope for Uncertain Times (1 Corinthians 15:19-20)
April 04, 2021 16:00 - 19 minutes - 13.3 MBUncertainty is the worst. It causes stress. It leaves our minds spinning and burdened. Yet uncertainty gets even worse when nothing around us seems certain. Have you felt that way at all since last spring? We all have experienced it in some way, shape, or form in the past year or more. In such uncertain times, we need hope. We need answers—solutions to what we are experiencing whether that is with the pandemic, our job situation, our family situation, our health, even our nation. So where ca...
4.2.21 - See Your Savior’s Sacrifice (John 1:29)
April 03, 2021 00:00 - 9 minutes - 6.28 MBOn Palm Sunday, the writer to the Hebrews encouraged us to “keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who is the author of our faith and the one who brings it to its goal.” During the holy days between Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday, we have a clear opportunity to do just that—to fix our eyes on Jesus as he makes his way from an upper room to the halls of justice to a cross and finally from an empty tomb—all for us. In spite of the shame, Jesus endures all that to win our salvation that we may not gro...
4.1.21 - See Your Savior Give Himself (Mark 14:12-26)
April 02, 2021 00:00 - 18 minutes - 12.6 MBOn Palm Sunday, the writer to the Hebrews encouraged us to “keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who is the author of our faith and the one who brings it to its goal.” During the holy days between Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday, we have a clear opportunity to do just that—to fix our eyes on Jesus as he makes his way from an upper room to the halls of justice to a cross and finally from an empty tomb—all for us. In spite of the shame, Jesus endures all that to win our salvation that we may not gro...
3.28.21 - When God Suffers: Watch Jesus Keep Going (Hebrews 12:1-3)
March 28, 2021 16:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBWhy does Jesus keep going? He knows what is coming. He knows the opposition he will face. He knows the suffering and death he will endure. He knows how the cheers on Sunday will turn to jeers on Friday. Yet he keeps going to the cross. He disregards its shame. He endures all matter of hostility at the hands of sinners. He keeps going for us. So we watch. We worship. We fix our eyes on Jesus and do not lose heart. The Bible reading for this message is Hebrews 12:1-3. Video of this worship s...
3.24.21 - Prepare for the Feast! By Living a Life of Repentance (John 20:21-23)
March 25, 2021 00:00 - 14 minutes - 9.87 MBIn the early centuries of the Christian church, the weeks leading up to Easter were a time of instruction and preparation for God’s people, particularly those who were new to the faith or interested in it. Time would be spent during the 40 days of Lent to instruct and prepare these new believers for the reception of the Holy Supper at the celebration of Easter. During our midweek Lenten worship services, we prepare our hearts for the Feast with the help of Martin Luther’s Small Catechism as ...
3.21.21 - When God Suffers: The Time Has Come (John 12:20-33)
March 21, 2021 16:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBJesus gives us a glimpse of his human nature and the anguish he felt as he considered dying for us. At the same time, we also get a glimpse of his divine resolution to glorify his heavenly Father and deliver us from eternal death at just the right time when all of human history came to the right moment. What a price he paid for us! May our love for him and his compassion grow greater every day! The Bible reading for this message is John 12:20-33. Video of this worship service and message ...
3.10.2021 - Prepare for the Feast! By Praying to Our Heavenly Father (Matthew 6:9-13)
March 11, 2021 01:00 - 14 minutes - 10.3 MBIn the early centuries of the Christian church, the weeks leading up to Easter were a time of instruction and preparation for God’s people, particularly those who were new to the faith or interested in it. Time would be spent during the 40 days of Lent to instruct and prepare these new believers for the reception of the Holy Supper at the celebration of Easter. During our midweek Lenten worship services, we prepare our hearts for the Feast with the help of Martin Luther’s Small Catechism as ...
2.17.21 - Return to the Lord Your God! (Joel 2:12-19)
February 18, 2021 01:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBAsh Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the Christian’s 40-day journey to Jesus’ cross and tomb in anticipation of Easter. Ash Wednesday begins the Christian’s Lenten journey with a reminder of our mortality and a call to repentance. Ashes remind us forcefully of our need for God’s redeeming grace as they recall words from the rite for Christian burial: “…earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust…,” words that will someday be spoken over us all. The Bible reading for this message is ...
2.14.21 - Who Is This Jesus? The Lord of Glory and Grace (Mark 9:2-9)
February 14, 2021 17:00 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MBDuring the church season of Epiphany, so much has been revealed to us about Jesus—the Son sent by God, the Answer to the skeptic, the Shepherd feeding his flock, the Teacher with authority, and the Savior who cares. We have a clearer understanding of who this Jesus is, but we need to follow Jesus up the mountain to witness him transform his appearance to reveal who he truly is above all. Perhaps we can be like Jesus’ disciples and forget that he is not just a human being like us, but he is a...
2.7.21 - Who Is This Jesus? The Savior Who Cares (Mark 1:29-39)
February 07, 2021 18:00 - 21 minutes - 14.8 MBThroughout the church season of Epiphany, we have seen different aspects of Jesus’s character. We have seen his divinity, his authority, and his power. Yet as Jesus has revealed himself, one aspect of his character shines through again and again—his care as our Savior. Time and again, we have seen Jesus’s care for sinful individuals, who are struggling with illness or fear or the power of a demon. We have seen him care for skeptics, and today we will see him reveal himself as the Savior who ...
1.31.21 - Who Is This Jesus? The Teacher with Authority (Mark 1:21-28)
January 31, 2021 17:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBWhat made people stop and wonder about Jesus? When Jesus spoke, even demons bowed to his command. An unholy, unclean spirit confronts Jesus in, of all places, worship. Yet that evil spirit can do nothing other than flee when Jesus commands it to depart. All that authority over demons was not the only thing that impressed people about Jesus. It was his teaching—how he taught the Word of God as God himself. So what impresses us today about Jesus? His amazing miracles? His impact on history? Or...
1.24.21 - Who Is This Jesus? The Shepherd Feeding His Flock (John 21:15-17)
January 25, 2021 00:00 - 21 minutes - 14.5 MBWhat does a pastor do? What does a teacher at our school or preschool do? What does a missionary do? What does a staff minister do in their area of ministry? Why did God provide his Church with the public ministry—the Ministry of the Word? What does all of this have to do with Jesus revealing who he really is? It all starts with the Good Shepherd feeding his flock through his Word and Sacraments. Today we see Jesus post-Easter have a conversation about forgiveness and grace and feeding sheep...
1.17.21 - Who Is This Jesus? The Answer to the Skeptic (John 1:43-51)
January 18, 2021 00:00 - 16 minutes - 11.6 MBWe live in an age of skepticism and cynicism. Such attitudes come easy when endless waves of information are thrown at us, each with their own bent or bias, some fake, some true, some warped to fit an agenda. Unfortunately, such skepticism and cynicism are also directed at the Christian faith. Was Jesus really whom he said he was? Can we really believe the miracles or anything supernatural in the Bible? Can we actually believe the Bible or, at least, take it seriously? Skeptical attitudes ab...
01.10.21 - Who Is This Jesus? The Son Sent by God (Mark 1:4-11)
January 10, 2021 19:00 - 17 minutes - 12 MBEpiphany means revealing. The church season of Epiphany is all about Jesus revealing himself to the world as the Messiah, as the Savior, as Lord and God during his three years of public ministry as he made his way to the cross. Throughout his ministry, people asked, “Who is this Jesus of Nazareth?” Is he an Old Testament prophet back from the dead? Was he a great rabbi unlike any other? Is he simply a messenger from God or could he be something more? Today many have great things to say about...
1.10.21 - Who Is This Jesus? The Son Sent by God (Mark 1:4-11)
January 10, 2021 19:00 - 17 minutes - 12 MBEpiphany means revealing. The church season of Epiphany is all about Jesus revealing himself to the world as the Messiah, as the Savior, as Lord and God during his three years of public ministry as he made his way to the cross. Throughout his ministry, people asked, “Who is this Jesus of Nazareth?” Is he an Old Testament prophet back from the dead? Was he a great rabbi unlike any other? Is he simply a messenger from God or could he be something more? Today many have great things to say about...
01.03.21 - The Greatest Gift: What Will I Give to the King?
January 03, 2021 20:00 - 19 minutes - 13.3 MBHow were you at gift giving this year? Did you go all out and give something lavish or did you go simple? Did you give thoughtful, unique gifts found nowhere else or did you just settle for a gift card? Depending on the person, gift giving can be simple or difficult. Now what if you had to give a gift to a king? You would want to offer a gift that demonstrates the honor that king deserves. What if that king were Jesus—the King of kings? Certainly, like the wise men of old, you would want to ...
1.3.21 - The Greatest Gift: What Will I Give to the King?
January 03, 2021 20:00 - 19 minutes - 13.3 MBHow were you at gift giving this year? Did you go all out and give something lavish or did you go simple? Did you give thoughtful, unique gifts found nowhere else or did you just settle for a gift card? Depending on the person, gift giving can be simple or difficult. Now what if you had to give a gift to a king? You would want to offer a gift that demonstrates the honor that king deserves. What if that king were Jesus—the King of kings? Certainly, like the wise men of old, you would want to ...
12.31.20 - The Greatest Gift: Joy That Lasts (Habakkuk 3:17-19)
December 31, 2020 17:00 - 19 minutes - 13.1 MB2020 has been a year unlike any other in recent memory. A worldwide pandemic. Natural disasters. Economic recessions. Social turmoil and unrest. An extremely polarizing election year. Changes everywhere—and not always for the better. For good reason, so many of us are glad to see the calendar change from 2020 to 2021, but will that joy last. Will there still be fear and uncertainty in 2021? Will there still be problems and challenges and hardships in 2021? Will there still be sorrow and grie...
12.27.20 - The Greatest Gift: Promises Kept! (Luke 2:22-40)
December 27, 2020 13:00 - 22 minutes - 15.2 MBOn Christmas, our God gave us a rare gift. He kept every promise and prophecy he made to send a Savior. We peered into the manger and found in the Christ Child the greatest gift ever given. We found the Savior who is both truly God and truly human. Today we continue to celebrate with great joy because that Savior is the fulfillment of every promise our God has made. We celebrate how God guided human history to carry out his plan of salvation and make us children of God. So today open God’s g...
12.25.20 - The Greatest Gift: Peace Has Come (Micah 5:2-5a)
December 25, 2020 14:00 - 14 minutes - 9.94 MBChristmas is often a time of stress, frustration, even guilt. This year with pandemic and unrest, conflict and uncertainty all around us, that lack of peace has only been amplified. Yet Jesus Christ first came into this world to take our guilt away and give us peace! Today we celebrate the peace that comes through the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. We celebrate the miracle that The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us (John 1:14). Find real peace in Christ! The Bible reading ...
12.24.20 - The Greatest Gift: Hope Has Arrived (Luke 2:10-14)
December 24, 2020 18:00 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MBGiving and receiving gifts at Christmas is special. There is no doubt about it. Children especially enjoy the excitement of asking for gifts, then waiting for gifts, then finally, opening their gifts. Yet even adults find a special joy in exchanging gifts at Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we heard and sang of the greatest gift ever given. While that is a rather bold claim, it is true. You see, that gift—God’s gift—is found in a “poor, lowly stable, with the oxen standing by.” That gift was gi...
12.20.20 - A Christmas Mystery: The Mysterious King (2 Samuel 7:8-16)
December 20, 2020 17:00 - 23 minutes - 16.4 MBDuring Advent, the Lord solved mystery after mystery for us. He revealed clues and presented us with gifts through his prophet Isaiah. He painted for us the full picture of the coming Christ, but there is one more mystery to be solved—the Mysterious King. A thousand years before the birth of Christ, the Lord in his grace made a promise to King David of a coming King from his family line who would reign for all eternity and rule over a kingdom that would never end. Yet that King and that king...
12.13.20 - A Christmas Mystery: The Good News Mystery (Isaiah 61:1-3, 10-11)
December 13, 2020 15:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBCan we really be sure? Sometimes when you look back on accounts of historical events or you listen to someone recount how something happened, you might wonder if it really happened that way. Sometimes memories are foggy or accounts are missing key details. Sometimes what is recounted can almost seem too good to be true. Do we sometimes feel that way about God’s promises? God promises peace and freedom, comfort and forgiveness and life. Will he really come through? Is this good news or news t...
12.6.20 - A Christmas Mystery: The Mystery of the Messiah’s Messenger (Isaiah 40:1-11)
December 06, 2020 18:00 - 21 minutes - 14.5 MBOne of the greatest mysteries for God’s Old Testament people was two-fold: When will God prepare the way for the Messiah? How will God prepare the way for the Messiah? Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord revealed to his people that a messenger would be preparing the way in the wilderness calling God’s people to repent, to “prepare the way” for the coming King. In essence, that messenger would come to “prepare the way” for Christ through the hearts of God’s people. God would solve that myste...
11.29.20 - A Christmas Mystery: The Mystery of God's Saving Plan (Isaiah 64:1-9)
November 29, 2020 20:00 - 23 minutes - 16.4 MBWhy would God send a Savior to rescue a world filled with sinners who prefer to disobey him and even hate him? Why would God send a Savior to rescue a world full of people that daily fail him and deserve his holy judgment? Why would God send a Savior to rescue us? We know our own sins far too well. We know our guilt, and yet the Lord formulated a perfect plan to save us from our sins and bring us into his family. Ponder the mystery of God’s gracious plan today. Revel in the promises he has k...
11.22.20 - Ready for the End…When Christ Will Come in Glory (Matthew 25:31-46)
November 22, 2020 17:00 - 20 minutes - 14.2 MBWhy are we getting ready? What are we preparing for? We are getting ready for the Last Day, when Christ will come in glory to judge the living and the dead. For early Christians, the Last Day was a constant reality that could happen at any time. For Christians 2,000 years later, the Last Day seems like some abstract day that will happen sometime in the foggy future, but Jesus is coming back. Jesus will come in glory. Jesus will judge the living and the dead. We know our status as blessed sai...