It is with gladness that we confess that our worship service is permeated with God’s Word. It is filled with it; and this isn’t by accident. Rather, our services are filled with the Word because it is through it that our merciful God, the God of Hope, grants us perseverance and comfort.
Tag Archives: Advent
A New Prophet
The Law, with its thunder and lightning, was set in place to show us our sins and bring us to repentance. Yet, the Lord promised through Moses – and has made good on it – another Word, the Word of Gospel. By the Good News of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection, we are set free from sin and we will live eternally with Christ, our Lord and brother.
A Revelation of Pardon
We rejoice because in the Incarnation of Christ, the glory of the eternal God is revealed to us. It is revealed to us for this purpose: that our captivity to sin be ended, our iniquity pardoned, and we receive from the Lord’s hand double forgiveness according to His great mercy.
Every Word is Possible For God
With these words, all the promises of God concerning the birth of the Messiah come to fulfillment. By these words, the Holy Spirit caused the virgin Mary to conceive in her womb the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God. He who created all flesh became flesh for us to redeem us from all sin, from death, and from the power of the devil – for nothing will be impossible with God.
The Sun Rises
This Sun promised by God, would be His own Son, Jesus Christ. The healing that He brings is the forgiveness He earned for us by His perfect keeping of the Law and by the giving of His life in trade for ours. The healing He gives is the free, full, and complete forgiveness of sins.
The Lord is Our Righteous King
We have true peace and true comfort, even in this sinful world. We have a true and righteous king who dwells among us for our good, who reigns to our abundant blessing. Today He is with us, and He will remain with us throughout this new year and unto all time. He is our righteousness and our peace, even Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Witness of John the Baptist
Text: John 1:19-28 It wasn’t just a simple fact-finding mission when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to John. By then, he had, for a little while, been baptizing with water for repentance and forgiveness of sins and preaching about the coming of the Messiah. Many people heard John’s preaching and believed. St.Continue reading “The Witness of John the Baptist”
The Messiah We Need
Text: Matthew 11:2-11 “You can’t always get what you want. No, you can’t always get what you want. But…sometimes, you get what you need.” These were the words the great poet Mick Jagger sang on a 1969 single from The Rolling Stones. The jury’s still out on what the specific meaning of the song isContinue reading “The Messiah We Need”
The Annunciation
Text: Luke 1:26-38 “Ask a sign of the Lord your God,” the Lord said to King Ahaz in Isaiah 7. “Let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” The Lord had sent the Isaiah the prophet to King Ahaz to assure him that Judah’s enemies in the north would not overtake her. TheContinue reading “The Annunciation”
What was Written in Former Days
Text: Romans 15:4-13 St. Paul wrote in his second letter to Timothy: “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faithContinue reading “What was Written in Former Days”
