Gospel: John 15:9-17 (Easter 6: Series B)
Jesus will suffer, die, and rise again for them. By this love, they are forgiven. By this love, they are made His friends: Friends of God.
Contributors
David Schmitt
David Schmitt (MDiv, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis; PhD, Washington University, St. Louis) is the Gregg H. Benidt Chair of Homiletics and Literature, Professor of Practical Theology, and Chair of the Practical Department at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO.
Most Recent
Gospel: John 15:1-8 (Easter 5: Series B )
Jesus is the vine. You are His branches. And God the Father delights to bring the inside out.
Gospel: John 12:12-19 (Palm Sunday: Series B)
As we gather for Palm Sunday, John invites us to simply experience the wonder of Jesus, the Lord of all, who does His work in humility.
Gospel: Mark 10:32-45 (Lent 5: Series B)
James and John come before Jesus and request positions of honor in His coming Kingdom. While we may be surprised at their actions, we understand their desires. They are interested in upward mobility.
Gospel: John 3:14-21 (Lent 4: Series B)
Jesus enters this world’s darkness and brings us the life-giving power of God’s light.
Gospel: John 2:13-25 (Lent 3: Series B)
At times, our Church struggles with clutter which distracts us from what is most important: Listening to our Lord and gathering at His table where we are fed.
Gospel: Mark 1:21-28 (Epiphany 4: Series B)
God’s people have gathered in worship while there is a war going on, and this war has two opponents: The Kingdom of Satan and the Kingdom of God. There is no middle ground.
Gospel: Mark 1:14-20 (Epiphany 3: Series B)
But Jesus comes to us today and reminds us that He has the power to make disciples in the midst of conflict and suffering.
Gospel: John 2:1-11 (Epiphany 2: Series B)
We like to close with something great. We even have a saying for this behavior: “Saving the best for last.” God Himself has a way of saving the best for last.
Gospel: Mark 1:4-11 (The Baptism of Our Lord: Series B)
John has been preaching a radical vision of God, where God holds people accountable for their sin and calls them to repent. What will Jesus do?
Gospel: Mark 13:24-37 (Advent 1: Series B)
Jesus desires for us to watch. The question, however, is, “How do we watch for the return of Jesus?”
Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46 (Pentecost 25: Series A)
In this context where death looms large, Jesus reveals a kingdom where life looms even larger.
Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30 (Pentecost 24: Series A)
The tragedy of this parable is not the failure to serve. It is the failure to truly know your Savior.
Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13 (Pentecost 23: Series A)
The parable is harsh. It judges. If you do not believe, you will not be saved. But let us pause for a moment and think about why Jesus is telling the parable.
Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12 (All Saints Day: Series A)
Jesus breaks through our barriers in His beatitudes. He shatters our conceptions of the blessed life and opens the Kingdom of God to all people.
Gospel: Matthew 21:23-27 (28-32) (Pentecost 17: Series A)
Jesus invites us to practice a faith that is bold. He invites us to trust in Him, without calculations.
Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16 (Pentecost 16: Series A)
Imagine a world where love is given to the least. That is what Jesus is inviting His disciples to do in His parable this morning.
Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35 (Pentecost 15: Series A)
In this parable, notice how Jesus invites us to consider that forgiveness is something more than a moment. It is a way of grace that extends throughout an entire kingdom.
Gospel: Matthew 18:1-20 (Pentecost 14: Series A)
Sunday after Sunday, God’s people appear to have it all together… which makes you wonder why Jesus even continues to come. After all, everything is great among God’s people here.
Gospel: Matthew 13:44-52 (Pentecost 8: Series A)
These parables invite us to consider the mysterious way of the reign of God. The Kingdom of God comes by grace to those who are seeking and not seeking it.
Gospel: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 (Pentecost 7: Series A)
In Christ, God promises to forgive sin and bring about new life: Life after being canceled.
Gospel: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 (Pentecost 6: Series A)
We cannot control the resistance of people to God’s Word, but we can trust in God’s power and promise to work through His Word.
Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30 (Pentecost 5: Series A)
Jesus did not come to be first. He came to be faithful, faithful to His Father’s mission for you.
Gospel: John 7:37-39 (Pentecost Sunday: Series A)
Whether we are sheltering at home on Pentecost or gathering together in church, we have reason for praise. Jesus Christ is the source of the Spirit and that Spirit will never fail.
Gospel: John 17:1-11 (Easter 7: Series A)
A wonderful intimacy, eternal and beyond our understanding, lies beneath the surface of these words. What is even more wonderful is how this intimacy is also ours. Through the saving work of Jesus, this intimacy is extended unto us.