Messages From First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Concord, Ca

The women at the tomb remember Jesus' words, how He predicted His death and resurrection. They tell the great good news of His resurrection but nobody believes them.

Paul encourages us to forget what lies behind and press on toward what lies ahead. This means forgetting our sin and pressing on toward the return of Jesus and the resurrection of the dead.

Peter denies Jesus and hears a rooster crowing. Though the sound may haunt him, Jesus restores Peter and sends Peter to feed His sheep.

The parable of the prodigal son is a very well known story, but we often overlook one of the details: the severe famine. Don't forget the famine. God uses famines to point us back to forgiveness.

Jesus tells a parable of an vineyard owner who wishes to cut down a barren fig tree, the vinedresser intervenes on behalf of the tree to help it bear fruit. Jesus is the Vinedresser. He is chopped down in our place and through His death and resurrection be bear the fruit of the Spirit.

Jesus' weeps at the death of Lazarus. His tears show us that He is human, that crying is not a sin, and that crying is the proper response to death.

Jeremiah comes speaking a word of truth to Judah and Jerusalem, but they prefer to hear polite lies rather than the truth. We are often in danger of the same, but Christ comes with His good news of truth.

When Satan tempts Jesus, he assaults His identity saying "If you are the Son of God...prove it." He does the same to us "If you are a child of God, then why aren't you living that way?" But we look to Christ who was tempted for us, died for us, and rose for us and our salvation.

The sound of ripping cloth communicates grief, but God calls on us to rend our hearts and not our garments.

Paul writes that the final enemy to be destroyed is death. This means two things. First, death is always an enemy. Second, death will be destroyed by Christ's resurrection and return.

Psalm 1 contrasts the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. This theme is picked up on by the classic book and musical Les Miserables, particularly in the characters of Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert.

When we think of Simon Peter, we often think of a brash, daring, man who is not afraid to stick his foot in his mouth. But in Luke 5, we find a Simon Peter who is afraid and unworthy. His encounter with Jesus changes things forever.

When Jesus encounters a man with an unclean demon, He rewrites the man's story. He rewrites our stories as well for He is the perfect author of all creation who possesses all authority.

Sometimes it is hard to hear the Gospel. Sometimes the Law is all we can hear because we are helpless before a holy God. But the joy of the Lord is our strength and when we are weak, He is strong.

The first of Jesus' miraculous signs, turning water into wine, is the pattern and paradigm of all of Jesus' miraculous signs. Jesus transforms something. He manifests His glory. People believe in Him. God can transform any situation to His purposes and His mission of saving people.

When Jesus is baptized, the heavens are opened, God the Father speaks to His beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit descends. The same is true at our baptisms, and Jesus is with is in the water.