Holy Cross Lutheran Church

Sermon | ”The Value of Community” Part 1 | September 18

Never in the history of the world have people had more opportunities of channels or ease of access for connecting with other people. Yet, many find themselves lonelier and more isolated than ever before. We crave community and connection--being known and seen and understood. For a world just like this, Jesus has formed His body the church--a bunch of broken image-bearers bound together by Christ, who made them to be a part of Him. As this body, we are empowered to offer to one another and to our world, what is longed for and needed, our full presence. Seems simple, but it is one of the most valuable gifts we have to give. Do you give it? Do you need more of it from others?

Sermon | ”Broken Beauty” | September 11

One doesn't have to have teenage daughters to understand BODY IMAGE is a big deal. The well-being of our daughters AND sons hinges on a healthy body image. Well, the Apostle Paul uses the metaphor of the body as a description for the church (the gathering of saints) more than any other. He too wants the communion of saints to have a healthy body image, both in the way the Church thinks about herself and as she relates to the non-believing world. Today we'll discover what Paul sees as a healthy Body Image for the church of his day and ours.

Sermon | ”YOUR Cross” | September 4

The cross has become a central image of the Christian church because Jesus died on it and then rose again. However, Jesus' first reference to a cross is not his own; it was the cross that his disciples would carry. Following Jesus has from the very beginning been a life of dying...dying to yourself...dying to what else might seem more important. It's crazy that anyone says "yes" to this!! Yet, because Jesus already did, and besides us, there's a whole world of people that he died for, can we do anything else?

Sermon | ”Holy Conflict” | August 14

We call Jesus the Prince of peace at Christmas time, the truth is that by bringing us His teachings and His truth He often causes division among people. The truth has a way of doing that.

Sermon | ”Birds, Flowers and Sheep, Oh My!” | August 7

Stress, worry, anxiety...unfortunately, for far too many people, these are everyday realities. Standing in sharp contrast to these realities are the words of Jesus, "Do not worry about your life..." As disciples of Jesus, what are we to do with this disconnect? If we have worry and stress, are we NOT in the kingdom? If we grow anxious about our lives--are we failing at being a follower? These are great questions, and like the disciples of Jesus' day, we too need more explanation. In today's text, Jesus spends time unpacking what it means to be rich toward God, helping us have a kingdom attitude toward possessions and seeing stress and anxiety as opportunity.

Sermon | ”The Kingdom Economy” | July 31

When Christ came to earth, ushering in God's Kingdom, He provided the definitive way to live - by giving Himself away...even unto death. Unlike kings of the earth, who seek more wealth, power and position - Christ made Himself poor, appeared in weakness, and took up the role of servant rather than master. This is the economy of God's kingdom - and as followers of Christ, we are called to live in like manner. We must be aware when sin creeps in, calling greed to rear its vicious head and poison our relationships with others. Rather than live close-fisted, Christ calls us to live open-handed.

Sermon | ”How to Pray” | July 24

Abiding in Jesus, means striving to be in relationship with God the Father the way that Jesus was. That's no small task. Thankfully Jesus offers guidance on how to live in and lean into that relationship as He teaches His disciples how to pray. Yet, when Jesus teaches this, He not only gives them words to say and topics to cover, but also offers them illustrations of what the relationship looks like. Big picture--the key to this relationship and living in it well is holding all of that together.

Sermon | ”Fully Present” | July 17

The story of Martha and Mary is well-worn. The character of both women have been directed throughout the generations, begging each of us to discover whether we're a Mary or a Martha. Sadly, the two have often been pitted against one another suggesting one kind of character is bad while the other is good. But, what if, as we'll discover this week, the two aren't in competition. But rather, Jesus is giving His disciples a clear strategy for mission and ministry.

Sermon | ”Law That Gives Life?” | July 10

Love God and love your neighbor... "Do this and you will live" Jesus says. Sounds simple until you try it. A lawyer once tried it and found that, for him, it didn't lead to more certainty of eternal life. It doesn't take living very long as a follower of Jesus before we find ourselves in the same place--less confident of our salvation the more we strive to live in obedience. How can these laws give life as Jesus says? Jesus answers with the story of the Good Samaritan, and the key to his answer is not just finding yourself, but also Jesus, in his story. Do that, and you will live.

Sermon | ”From Following to Going” | July 3

As we learned last week, Jesus is laser focused for the mission before Him. He has set His face toward Jerusalem and will now live out the WAY of salvation for all of humanity - through His death and resurrection. This week, Jesus makes clear to those who follow Him, that they too are called to the mission - called to bring good news to people's bad news! In fact, He declares the world is full of bad news. And so, with the same degree of focus, Jesus calls His followers to be goers. AND, He gives a stunningly simple strategy on how to go.