Pastor's Sermon Posted Pastor's Sermon Posted
Pastor Watt's Sermon for The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, October 1st has been posted on his sermon website. You can read it by clicking here.The text is

And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” And he called to him the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? (Mark 8:28-36, ESV)

From the Sermon:

Ah, but we are followers of Christ. We do bear the cross. Jesus told the disciples not to tell anyone because they hadn’t seen the cross yet. Peter missed it even when Jesus spoke about it plainly. We Lift High the Cross of Jesus Christ. Our Beautiful Savior is the one who showed us who God is by His death on the cross. We don’t have to look at how the world is treating us to see what God thinks about us. We haven’t and can’t please God by the things we do, but Jesus did please God once and for all. That’s the foolishness that is so difficult for us to see and understand. That God would send His only Son, in the flesh to suffer and die and rise again, for me… for you. God isn’t pleased with us because of anything we do, but because of what Jesus did. If we want to see God’s favor we look the cross. If you want to know about your relationship to God, you don’t look at your “blessings,” instead you look at God’s promises through the cross of Jesus.

Labels: Sermon, Worship

  ¶ 9/30/2006 01:56:00 PM 0 Comments

  Baptism Saves! by Steve Newell @ Extreme Theology
Steve Newell has a nice description of Christian Baptism on one of my favorite blogs, Extreme Theology. It's simple, straight forward, and worth reading.
Nice job Steve.
Read the article Baptism Saves.
Pastor Watt.

Labels: News, Theology

  ¶ 9/27/2006 09:01:00 AM 0 Comments

  Worship This Week - October 1, 2006
Worship This Week – October 1, 2006
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (LW, Series B)
Seasonal Emphasis: General description of Christian living in this present world
Today's General Theme: God gives hope to our earthly lives through the Gospel
Mood of Service: Determined/trusting/triumphant
Notes: The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not just one more concern in our lives, it is the center and focus of all we do. It gives meaning and purpose to our existence. When we come to trust our Savior for redemption, we don't simply squeeze Him into an already crowded agenda, we rather rebuild our lives with Him at the center so that He influences all facets of our existence.  (www.pericope.org)

Processional Hymn Dearest Jesus at Your Word - Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier -- 202 -- Lyrics
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 50:4-10
Epistle Reading James 2:1-5, 8-10, 14-18
Holy Gospel Mark 8:27-35
Hymn of the Day Chief of Sinners, Though I Be - Gethsemane -- 285 -- Lyrics
Recessional Hymn Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me - So Nimm Denn Meine Hande – 512 -- Lyrics under copyright

Labels: Worship

  ¶ 9/24/2006 12:00:00 PM 0 Comments

  There's News from Nigeria Pastor Watt's brother and sister-in-law have posted a newsletter on their web page.
Nate and Teri are missionaires in Nigeria. You can check it out http://nateandteri.blogspot.com/

Labels: Missions, News

  ¶ 9/22/2006 02:07:00 PM 0 Comments

  Pastor's Sermon Posted Pastor's Sermon Posted
Pastor Watt's Sermon for The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 16th has been posted on his sermon website. You can read it by clicking here.The text is

31Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. 34And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” Mark 7:31-37 (ESV)

From the Sermon:

Jesus sighed. It seems like and insignificant detail, just some filler in the middle of the sentence. But I think it’s key to understanding what’s really going on here. Jesus sighed. Look at what sin has done! Look at the pain and separation it causes. Of course this man wasn’t deaf as a direct punishment for sin as those standing there might have thought. But sin in general is the cause. Sin in and among the human race brings sickness, disease, blindness, deafness, cancer, aids, and finally, ultimately, it brings death. When Jesus lets out a sigh we sigh right along with him. We sigh as we see the effects of sin all around us. We sigh with friends and neighbors dealing with their own problems, illness, suffering.

Labels: Sermon, Worship

  ¶ 9/22/2006 12:45:00 PM 0 Comments

  Pastors Sermon Posted Pastor's Sermon Posted
Pastor Watt's Sermon for The Fiftheeth Sunday after Pentecost, September 16th has been posted on his sermon website. You can read it by clicking here.The text is

1“And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you.  2You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.  6Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ 7For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? 8And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today? Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 6-8 (ESV)

From the Sermon:

But don’t think that His nearness to you ended with His death on the cross.  He promises to be with you always, to be near you always.  His love for you didn’t end when He breathed out His last time on the cross.  He didn’t stay dead, but rose again still a living and breathing person.  God and Man together in Jesus Christ, dead and buried, and raised again to life forever.  And that’s the risen Lord Jesus that makes promises to you.  It’s one thing to trust the promises of someone who has died.  It’s quite another thing to trust the One who has risen from death to life.  It’s the risen Lord that you can trust.  Just think, not only did He die to pay the penalty of sin; but He rose again from the dead.  If He can do that He can keep all His promises to you.  And He does.

Labels: Sermon, Worship

  ¶ 9/16/2006 11:16:00 AM 0 Comments

  Worship This Week - September 24, 2006
Worship This Week - September 24, 2006
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost (LW, Series B)
Seasonal Emphasis: General descriptions of Christian living in this world
Today's General Theme: Trust enables the Christian to serve God
Mood of Service: determined/trusting
Notes: We are called to serve God in a world where we meet a great deal of opposition. Our Lord Himself clearly warned us not to expect an easy time as we set out to serve in His kingdom. How can we find courage to respond to God? Today's worship tells us that such courage comes when we trust Him. (www.pericope.org)
Processional Hymn I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus - Stephanos -- 408 -- Lyrics
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 35:4-7a
Epistle Reading James 1:17-27
Holy Gospel Mark 7:31-37
Hymn of the Day Praise the Almighty, my Soul - Lobe den Herren, o meine -- 445 -- Lyrics
Recessional Hymn Savior Again to Thy Dear Name - Ellers -- 221 -- Lyrics

Labels: Worship

  ¶ 9/14/2006 01:37:00 PM 0 Comments

  Worship This Week - September 17, 2006
Worship This Week - September 17, 2006
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (LW, Series B)
Seasonal Emphasis: General descriptions of Christian living in this world
Today's General Theme: The Christian rejoices in worshiping God
Mood of Service: Joyful/spirited/majestic
Notes: God has done and continues to do so very much for us, how can we show gratitude to Him? Today's service emphasizes that worship is the expression of our thanks to our gracious Father in heaven. In worship we join other believers in publicly proclaiming what a great and good God we have! This is a day of joy and celebration and is important as an opportunity to educate our people on proper attitudes in worship. (www.pericope.org)
Processional Hymn Lord, Open Thou my Heart to Hear - Erhalt uns, Herr -- 197 (Text Under Copyright)
Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8
Epistle Reading Ephesians 6:10-20
Holy Gospel Mark 7:1,14-15,21-23
Hymn of the Day We Sing the Almighty Power of God - Ich singe dir -- 441 -- Lyrics
Recessional Hymn O Word of God Incarnate - Munich -- 335 -- Lyrics

Labels: Worship

  ¶ 9/11/2006 08:00:00 AM 0 Comments

  Pastor's Funeral Sermon for Leona Feuerborn Posted Pastor Watt's Sermon for Leona's Funeral , September 9th has been posted on his sermon website. You can read it by clicking here.
The text is

A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23, ESV)

From the Sermon:

I can’t answer your questions, really. I can’t fill your loss with cleverly crafted words. I won’t even try. What I will do today is talk about Jesus. I’ll do that because He is the only one who makes sense out of suffering. He’s the only one that takes the sting out of death. It is Jesus’ death that makes sense out of our sitting together today around this casket. That’s because of all the things people will talk about today, all the talk about Leona isn’t likely to include the fact that she was indeed a sinful person. She was born that way, she lived that way and she died that way. I know it’s true because we are here today looking over her body. St. Paul calls this the “wages of sin.” And a part of our mourning today is the idea that someday we’ll all be in Leona’s place. We might have nothing else in common, we might not know anything at all about each other, but that’s one thing we do. We know our lives will all end in death, a deserved death for sin. This is something that our Lord, our Shepherd Jesus Christ, has done something about.

Labels: Sermon, Worship

  ¶ 9/09/2006 07:06:00 AM 0 Comments

 

Pastor's Sermon Posted

Pastor Watt's Sermon for The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 10th has been posted on his sermon website. You can read it by clicking here.
The text is

Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.” (Joshua 24:1-2, 14-18, ESV)

From the Sermon:

Here the people have gathered before Joshua because they are just about to go into the Promised Land. They’re looking for marching orders, instructions on what to do next. But Joshua doesn’t just do that, he recounts with them what God’s been doing in their lives. He recounts the whole history of God working in the lives of His people. He reminds them exactly how they got to where they were right then. But he doesn’t just go back to recent history he goes all the way back to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He reminds the of God’s protection to Abraham in his travels, Isaac during his life, and how Jacobs family was saved from famine by going into Egypt. Then Joshua tells them again about how God delivered them from slavery in Egypt. How Moses came and showed God’s mighty hand to Pharaoh and secured their freedom. He reminded them of the scene of God’s protection at the Red Sea. How God parted the waters for them and closed up the waters on the Pharaoh’s army. And how God protected them as they wandered in the desert for 40 years, and again how He gave them the Promised Land, the land that they were now ready to occupy. It was a history of God’s protection and love.

Labels: Sermon, Worship

  ¶ 9/08/2006 09:32:00 AM 0 Comments

  Worship This Week – September 10, 2006 Worship This Week - September 10, 2006
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost (LW, Series B)
Seasonal Emphasis: General descriptions of Christian living in this world
Today's General Theme: The Christian finds joy in imitating Christ
Mood of Service: Joyful/Spirited
Notes: It is obvious that suffering is a common fact of life in this fallen world. Those who love and worship God are not exempt from this unfortunate feature of earthly existence. Does our Christian religion have anything to offer those who find themselves caught up in trouble and misery? Today's worship speaks to this concern. (www.pericope.org)
Processional Hymn With the Lord Begin Thy Task - Fang dein Werk -- 483 -- Lyrics
Old Testament Reading Joshua 24:1-2; 14-18
Epistle Reading Ephesians 5:21-31
Holy Gospel John 6:60-69
Hymn of the Day Do Not Despair, O Little Flock - Kommt her zu mir -- 300 (Lyrics under Copyright)
Distribution Hymns
Savior, Thy Dying Love - Winterton -- 374 -- Lyrics
Lord of Glory, Who Has Bought Us - Hyfrydol -- 402 -- Lyrics
Recessional HymnAlmighty Father, Bless the Word - Old Hundredth -- 216 -- Lyrics

Labels: Worship

  ¶ 9/05/2006 03:25:00 PM 0 Comments

 

Pastor's Sermon Posted

Pastor Watt's Sermon for The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, August 13th has been posted on his sermon website. You can read it by clicking here.
The text is

Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. (Psalm 34:9-14, ESV)

From the Sermon:

But God doesn't dole out to us what we deserve. Instead He gives us forgiveness. It is the best news we could ever hear. God has endured the punishment of hell for us. He's bled and died on the cross so that we don't have to face that terrible punishment for our sin. He speaks the words right into your ears so that you are in no doubt about it. Your Pastor speaks the very words of Jesus for you, "I forgive you your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." In the Lord's Supper that God will give to us next week, we'll have that forgiveness put right into us through the very body and blood of Jesus, in, with, and under the bread and wine. This God that forgives in this way can be fully loved. This God that forgives for the sake of His sacrifice on the cross can be fully trusted.

Labels: Sermon, Worship

  ¶ 9/01/2006 03:54:00 PM 0 Comments

  Family Bible Class - Walk Through the Liturgy - The Sermon and The Creed October 3, 2006
Family Bible Classes Resume
A Walk Thru the Lutheran Liturgy

This summer’s topic: A Walk Thru the Lutheran Liturgy
This Sunday we’ll look at The Hymns Lutheran's use in worship. Our topic is the Sermon and the Creed. These two parts of the liturgy go hand in hand. The Pastor proclaims the "teaching of the Apostles" and the creed is one way the congregation can test that what he's saying is according to God's Word.
Sunday at 10:30am.

Labels: Education

  ¶ 9/01/2006 11:17:00 AM 0 Comments