July 13, 2025 Text: Colossians 1:1-14

Dear Friends in Christ,

A young couple brings their first child home. No hospital worker is there to change a diaper or monitor the baby’s vital signs. The reality hits, dad and mom you are responsible for this child. For some parents they feel inadequate. Surveys continue to show that fathers and mothers of infants through teens don’t feel equipped to handle the pressures and challenges of parenthood. Discipline, faith matters, social media, sex and other topics many parents just want to avoid. Their inadequacy is a detriment to society.
St. Paul struggled with his inadequacy as an apostle. He constantly reminded his readers, like he does in verse 1, that his calling was from God. “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother.”
Parents need this same reminder. Your calling as parents is the will of God. God has placed you over your child for the child’s well-being. Be confident in exercising that God-given authority because it is pleasing to God.
The Colossian Christians struggled with feelings of inadequacy. Paul calls them “saints and faithful brothers in Christ,” but they were starting to doubt the sufficiency of Christ to make them holy and faithful. They needed this reminder as do we . . .
“GOD ALONE QUALIFIES US”
The Colossians were getting this background noise that Christ alone was not enough to secure their salvation. They were being encouraged to do good things in order to assure their eternal destiny. Instead of Christ alone, it was Christ and the works of the Law.
When we feel deficient, we try to make up the deficiency ourselves. What effort can I improve on? What commitment can I be better at? What decision do I need to re-think?
Paul directed the Colossians and us to the sufficiency of God. Paul writes, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you, since we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints.” (v. 3-4)
Where does this faith come from? “The hope laid up for you in heaven . . . the word of truth, the gospel…. strengthened with all power…giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” (v. 5, 11-12). God alone qualifies us to enter heavenly life and to meet the challenges of life.
We can all feel inadequate on occasion. Ever been around a group that has a skill you don’t have? Maybe you start comparing yourself to a neighbor or friend and feel deficient. Remember this, if they have adequacy in a certain area of life it is only because God has granted this skill or ability.
The same is true for you. You have adequacies and skills that others don’t have. God qualifies you. He allows you to serve neighbor in his Kingdom.
We must admit where we are inadequate. Before a holy God. Those secret sins that have our inner voice talking to us. The harm we have caused others. The compassion we do not show when we should. Your adequacy before God comes down to you and what you do. This is not the teaching of the apostles.
God’s formula is not Christ and the works of the Law. Rather, it is Christ alone. Verses 13-14 make this clear, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
When you hear that inner voice accusing you, hear another voice – the voice of Christ releasing you from your sins and drowning out the voice within. We have forgiveness in Christ alone and his finished work for us. In Christ we are completely qualified to share in the heavenly inheritance.
Gianna Jensen knows that well. She was born alive after a failed saline abortion. She weighed only two pounds, and the abortionist had to sign her birth certificate. She has cerebral palsy because of oxygen starvation during the attempted abortion. They said she would never sit up, crawl or walk. She does all three and even competes in marathons. She has addressed Congress and the British House of Commons.
As a child she was bullied and taunted. Others told her she was a burden on society. She didn’t buy into the hatred. Today, she speaks of her experience at venues across the world. She admits that she has more joy than she can express because of the obstacles God has enabled her to overcome.
For Gianna her adequacy is from God. Your adequacy is from God. God alone qualifies you to share in the inheritance of the saints. Be the adequate and qualified parent, grandparent, spouse, child, employee or employer He has called you to be.
Amen.

July 6, 2025 Text: Galatians 6:1-10, 14-18

Dear Friends in Christ,

Many of you may remember the TV show My Three Sons. It starred Fred MacMurray as Steven Douglas a widower with three sons. The series ran for 12 years. The first half of the series was in black and white and featured three sons that were all his. By the time of the color version, he had two of his sons and an adopted son.
The oldest son in the earlier part of the series was named Mike. He eventually got engaged to Sally and an episode focused on their wedding plans. The comedy and sadness of the episode was that Sally’s mom took over. Church, flowers, what guests to invite, reception etc. For the couple it was getting out of hand and was taking away their joy. In one scene, where everybody is doing the planning except them, they try to sneak out of the house to elope. Steve follows them out of the house and says something profound. He asks them what they are doing, and they say they just want to get away for a simple wedding because of all the interference. He then says, “It is ok to think about yourselves, but have you thought about us. What we are all giving up. You are leaving our homes for the first time. We will miss having you around. This is all difficult for us as well.” I just shook my head in agreement. In true TV sitcom fashion, they return to the house and eventually get married, and Mike gets written off the show.
So much of life is like that scene. We get into situations, and it is all about us. We forget the other side of the table. Let’s sit down together today and answer . . .
“WHY DO WE DO THE THINGS THAT WE DO?”
If we see another’s perspective is that a burden? Christ is exhorting us to bear one another’s burdens. Our brothers and sisters in Christ need our encouragement and support. Sometimes that can be difficult to do when bad decisions are being made. We are to restore someone in gentleness. We forgive them and stand by them in those times of suffering. It is what we do.
Why do we do it? Because it makes us a good Christian? Because we like bearing burdens? Do we do it because we think we are fulfilling the Law? Do we do it because we think we will get a payback? Or maybe we do it to feel good about ourselves. We don’t have problems like they do.
Christ is stern in his warning that we be doing it for the right reason. What is the right reason?
We forgive our neighbor because we want them released from their guilt. We listen, we comfort, we counsel because we want them to live in joy and have peace of mind. Our works don’t lead us to sinful pride but to humble service.
The fact is the only way we can do we do for someone else is because of Someone Else. By nature, we only care about ourselves. That scene in My Three Sons really hit home. How can we better focus on the burden of the other?
Because Someone Else, Jesus Christ, has freed us from thinking about ourselves. “Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (v. 14a). We are slaves to sin and the Law. The cross of Christ has freed us. The cross was once looked at as a defeat. Jesus turned the cross into a place of victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil. We do for someone else, our fellow believers, because Someone Else, Jesus Christ has done what He did for us.
A missionary in Mexico went out of his way to have pastries on hand to serve a group of refugees. The pastries were not essential, and he got asked, “Why are you doing this? These refugees don’t even believe in Jesus.” “Yes, I know,” the missionary told them, “But I believe in Jesus.”
In Christ we are new creation. Because of our cross connection to Christ and empowered by the Spirit, we are crucified to the world and made alive in Christ. In a spirit of gentleness, we restore our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we help them to bear their burdens. It is the thing to do. Now you know why.
Amen.

June 29, 2025 Text: 1 Kings 19:9b-21
Dear Friends in Christ,
King Henry V of England stands outside the French town of Harfleur. They have crossed the channel, and Henry is going after what he feels is his rightful claim – France. They are on the way to Paris, but Harfleur stands in the way. The English soldiers are tired, weary, and disillusioned, but good King Hal knows it is now or never. He must rally and encourage his men.
As Shakespeare tells it, Henry gives a speech to stir their English blood, and in that rallying cry, he utters the famous words, “Once more unto the breach!” He is saying, “get back at it and take the castle. There is still work to do.” People still use those words to rally the frustrated in the important and mundane. Sports, combat, school, job. Don’t give up, “once more unto the breach!”
Poor Elijah was feeling the frustration as he fled from Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab who wanted him dead. But God had to encourage Elijah because there were still tasks to complete. We know the feeling that Elijah had. Life can be a drain. We can get pretty low sometimes. But the Lord has the encouragement that we need. Listen to it today when you get . . .
“FRUSTRATED”
In this profession we get to hear a lot of frustrations. With family. With healthcare. With politics. With weather. With traffic. With others. With society. With prices. We could name 10 more but let’s stop there before you get frustrated with the preacher!
People didn’t care much for the prophet/preacher Elijah. He brought a message that went against their worship of Baal and the other gods. During the reign of King Ahab, the Lord had to hide Elijah. He had to provide him with sustenance to survive. He was on the run. The frustration is boiling over because he cannot see that there is anything more that he can do.
Elijah is afraid. He fled to the south and in the wilderness, he actually asks to die. Elijah is done. The frustration has boiled over. As we pick it up in our text, Elijah is hiding in a cave and Elijah is not afraid to tell God what he really thinks. The people have thrown down your altars, they have killed your prophets and now they are after me.
Have you ever been there? You have. Many of you. I call it bringing you in off the ledge. You get so frustrated with things going on around you that you want to jump into some abyss that will take your frustration away, just like the English army under Henry V.
But God still had work for Elijah to do. God had not abandoned Elijah. The situation was not good. But God was still in control. He was feeding and providing shelter for his prophet. Notice that God allows Elijah to voice his frustration. He allows you the same thing. He hears you. He knows. He puts you back on track.
How did it happen for Elijah? In the wind? No. In the earthquake? No. In the fire? No. It came in a voice. A low whisper. A calming tone.
Back when Karson played Pony baseball and I was his coach, we rallied in the top of last inning and took the lead when Karson hit a bases clearing double. He then went out to pitch with a slim lead. The bases got loaded and we still needed two outs. He was getting frustrated. I went to the mound and just talked with him. There was no big speech. Just a calming voice. God gave you this talent, smile and get these next two batters out. He did and all the boys got a dilly bar to celebrate the comeback.
God doesn’t bring the dilly bar’s but He provides the calming voice. God still has work for you to do and He knows frustration is not going to help or get the job done. He assures you of Christ’s victory. God has not abandoned you. I cannot say this enough in a sermon . . . God is in control. He is victorious for us in Christ Jesus. God is patient. Elijah after God’s words still voiced the same frustration. His words don’t reflect his change, but his actions do. He continued his work for the Lord’s kingdom.
Like Elijah God feeds and nourishes you in Word and Sacrament. He invites us to lay out what is on our minds. He listens. The Lord promises with His words that you are not alone. His Church will go on. He sends you and I out, with frustrations in check, to declare Christ’s victory over sin and death, because there is still work to do.
Once more unto the breach! Each and every day.
Amen.