Concordia Sermons

Many people think of heaven as a place “out there.” And though it is true that when we die, we “depart to be with Christ” (Philippians 1:23), heaven’s ultimate resting place will be in a reconstituted creation. Heaven, then, is not finally a different place, but a different state – a state that is free from sin, death, and the devil.

The promise of heaven may be glorious, but the stark reality is, as Jesus alludes to in this parable, that not everyone will live with God in heaven. This is not by God’s dream or design, however. Jesus consistently addresses and warns against hell so that we may escape such a damnable destiny.

Most people know that there is something wrong with this world. The tragedy, death, and despair of our world makes us cry out for something better – something heavenly. The apostle Paul addresses this yearning for something better in Romans 8 and reminds us that the reason we yearn for a better life is because there is a better life!

Retirement involves more than playing golf and lounging around! When Moses led the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, he was 80 and his brother Aaron was 84. Just because you retire doesn’t mean that God can’t use you to do amazing work! What work is God calling you to do for Him?

Many people take work home with them, either physically or emotionally. Some people are always on call or working on projects and are never able to stop. Other people carry the emotional weight of their work on their shoulders and are never able to relax. On Labor Day weekend, we look at the importance of balancing work and rest and note how in the Ten Commandments, a mandate to rest goes hand in hand with a mandate concerning relationships in the family.

Key to any Christian budgeting is giving. Solomon reminds us, Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10). When we trust God to give back to Him what He has given us, our faith in Him to provide for all of our needs grows by leaps and bounds.

A recent feature in Psychology Today asked, “Is Your Job Killing You?” It’s no secret that some people do not like their jobs and feel like they are slowly having the life sucked out of them. How do you survive when your work gets hard? By remembering that, ultimately, even in a trying job, you can still serve God. This is what Joseph had to remember when he worked for Potiphar. His job was so bad that it landed him in jail! But God ultimately came through for Joseph and He will come through for you too.

Many people want to pray, they just don’t know how! Thankfully, Jesus gives us a great way to pray in His prayer – the Lord’s Prayer. But this prayer is not just a prayer to be recited, it’s a prayer to be followed. Praying for everything from God’s glory to forgiveness for sins to our daily needs are all appropriate topics in prayer. In this message, we tease out how this prayer can be a pattern for our praying.

The Hebrew word for “health” is shalom which describes not just our physical health, but our mental, spiritual, and emotional health as well. God wants us to be healthy in all aspects of our lives. The foundation for holistic health, however, is our spiritual health. In this message, we discuss how all these areas of health intersect with each other.

Many people struggle with feelings of worthlessness and unworthiness. They forget that they are made in God’s image. However, when we remember this fact, we can rest assured that it is in Him that we find our worth and can then develop a healthy self-image

Many people struggle with out-of-control debt. God’s call is that we steward the resources He has given us faithfully and avoid debt as much as possible. Yet, there is one debt God wants us to have: the debt to love each other. On Pastor Tucker’s 25th Ordination Anniversary, President Kieschnick shares how the continuing debt to love each other is part of the pastoral ministry and every Christian’s ministry.

As Christians, we are called to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Holding love, or grace, and truth and tension can be difficult. Sometimes, we are tempted to tell someone the truth self-righteously, lambasting them to make a point. Other times, we are tempted to avoid a tough conversation, preferring to offer them instead encouragement even when they need to be confronted in sin. When Jesus meets a woman caught in adultery in John 8, He holds grace and truth in perfect tension. He does not condemn her, but He also does not sanction her sin.

When someone wounds you deeply, to put it mildly, it is difficult to forgive. Yet, forgiveness is what we are called to by God, for God Himself is forgiving. The prophet Jonah despised this attribute of God. He says, “I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (Jonah 4:2). Yet, if we do not forgive, we are bound by those who hurt us. When we forgive, however, we are freed!

According to a study conducted by the AARP, 44 million people struggle with loneliness. This same study found 35% are chronically lonely, a 15% from ten years ago. Loneliness is epidemic. Jesus can sympathize with our loneliness. In His hour of deepest need – as He was on His way to the cross – His dear disciples were scattered. It is because of Jesus’ loneliness that He makes the promise to never leave us alone.

Many people struggle with finding time for God in Bible study and prayer. For husbands and fathers, being rooted and grounded in these things is especially important, since they are called to lead their families spiritually. On Father’s Day, we reflect on the promise that a man who is grounded in God’s Word has the strength to lead his family faithfully and well.

God is in the business of asking people to do seemingly strange things. In the book of Hosea, God asks the prophet to take a prostitute as a wife. The prophet and the prostitute – what a combination! But through this odd coupling, God teaches Israel about being faithful to Him. Will we be faithful to God, even during difficult times?

We all have regrets. Past mistakes, failings, fallings, and sins can scar our souls in significant ways. How do we move past these things and live with the chazowns that God has given us? The key is Godly sorrow, otherwise known as repentance. Rather than beating ourselves up over our past mistakes, we need to sorrowfully bring them to Christ so that he can forgive them and give us a fresh start.

During Memorial Day weekend, we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice serving our country. We also remember that every life will eventually end. With this in mind, it is worth it to ponder whether or not we are living with eternity in mind. For Paul, what matters most is “knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection.” For this is the key to eternal life. Does this matter the most to us too?

Now that we have discovered our spiritual gifts and have thought about our vocations, how can we move toward intentionally living out God’s purpose for our lives? This is where having a plan of action comes into play! Jesus notes that for building projects and in wars, there is always a plan of action. Do you have a plan of action for your life? You need to be ready and set to go!

There are three other major spokes in our vocational wheel. They include our health, our work, and our finances. The goal in these areas is that we would be, as Paul writes of himself, “commended in every way” (verse 4) even when things get difficult, as they certainly were in Paul’s life. We want to be found faithful.