Browse 369 Sermons

God often puts hardship in our lives, and, just like Job, we often can't help but wonder why. As Christians we must remember that God works all things for our good. One such way he does this is by using hardships to help us remember that our lives in this sinful world are temporary, and that we will spend eternity with God in Heaven.

When Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, the people there were amazed because he taught with authority. Unlike the so-called experts of the law, or false prophets that have come and gone, Jesus spoke the true Word of God, as only God could do. We see Jesus is the one true prophet of God and examine how he serves as a mediator for us.

When we spread the good news of free salvation in Jesus Christ to our friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers, we are fishers of men and women. However, just like with regular fishing, we must understand there is an investment required, and we must understand how to use the tools we have been given.

We have the great news of salvation through Jesus Christ, but sometimes we find ourselves struggling to share it with others. Even when talking with friends, we can upset them just by telling them they need a savior. We can look at the apostle Philip's evangelism to Nathanael for help and comfort when we do our own evangelism.

Jesus' baptism, which is when he was visibly anointed, serves many purposes for our benefit. Most importantly, it makes it abundantly clear that he is the king of all creation, and he is true God who became true man to save us.

When people see Jesus as just a child in the manger, or just a man dying on a cross, or just a wise man with teachings of kindness, they deny his deity. Other people deny him as their savior outright, including Christians whose beliefs fall into legalism or antinomianism.

Like Simeon when he held the baby Jesus, we can boast about our Savior and the salvation he brought. We do this by reading and hearing God's Word, by living our lives as Christians, and by sharing the good news of our LORD's incarnation with our friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers.

The fourth candle on the Advent wreath which we light is the Angel candle. God sent angels to deliver the messages of Jesus' birth, and they will take part in delivering the message of Jesus' return. We know their messages are from God because angels appearing in all their glory is a miracle in and of itself.

The third candle on the Advent wreath which we light is the Shepherds' candle because God first gave the good news of our savior's birth to shepherds. We see the significance in that because Jesus is the shepherd of all Christians, and because the shepherds were average people who would effectively spread the good news to others.