Divine Savior Church-santa Rita Ranch Sermons

Every Spiritual BlessingI love seeing people wearing the T-shirts that say “Blessed.” Do you feel “blessed” even when nothing is going right?  In this glorious passage that begins the letter to the Ephesians, Paul launches an avalanche of praise for God.  In the original language, it is one long breathless sentence. He begins by summarizing what he is so excited about: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing!” Paul is in prison! Not so blessed, right? Yet, he feels incredibly blessed. He begins articulating the blessings we have been given in Jesus and the reason we can truly feel “blessed” and have a greater hope.Support the show

A message for Easter Sunday.Support the show

Jesus rides into Jerusalem to accolades and cries of joy. But he also rides into Jerusalem as the promised Son of David sent as the sacrificial Lamb of God. To many in the crowd, nothing was more scandalous than this. It’s the same for so many in the crowds of this world today. Support the show

How often in this life we see justice turned upside down. The innocent are condemned as guilty and the guilty are set free. But that is our story as we witness the scandal of the innocent One being condemned in our place. Support the show

The lies at his trial: He opposes payment of taxes! He’s like all those other riot-starting Messiah/Kings! The hypocrisy of the Sanhedrin to accuse Jesus of starting a riot and then starting one themselves. Pilate and Herod become friends. All of these opposing political forces working together in the end. This doesn’t smell right.  Support the show

Jesus taught that sin loves darkness. It’s no surprise, then, that his betrayal and arrest would take place in the cover of night. But Jesus forces the darkness of sin into the light. His words, “you betray the Son of Man with a kiss” reveal the scandalous truth that Jesus was betrayed by someone in whom he has put his trust, someone he loved.Support the show

There are many times when it’s just best for us not to know the future. Yet, Jesus was fully aware of how God intended to redeem this world from its rebellion and sin. God’s plan is so scandalous (that the Father was willing to sacrifice his Son) that Jesus asks for another way. There is no other way and Jesus is resolute in his determination to move forward. Support the show

Ever since the Enemy first rebelled, his greatest goal has been the destruction of everything and anything good that God has made. As a liar and deceiver, he has succeeded in leading us astray time and again. But now Satan has set his sights on the ultimate prize—the Son of God, the promised Savior of the worldSupport the show

Not only has God been generous with us by giving us stuff. He has also given us time and talents. He has given us these spiritual “gifts” in order to use them to make a difference in the lives of others. Why? To reflect his light and love in the world around us. We offer our bodies and lives as “living sacrifices” to thank God for his grace and mercy to us! All of our gifts work together for the common good of all. When we are using our gifts generously for each other, the whole community benefits. So let’s use them! Let’s be generous with our gifts! Because He was generous with his gifts to us!Support the show

Like a parent giving their children money so they can experience buying someone a present, God gives us gifts so we can experience generosity by experiencing being generous. We not only experience generosity from God as recipients. We experience generosity as God allows us to be in on the giving. We become channels through which God pours resources to meet the needs of others. When we give generously, we will never lack anything. The more we give the more we get. Our generosity not only gives God thanks… it honors Him and shows we trust Him. When we give, we truly get so much more of what we wanted in the first place.Support the show

There are two things we can focus on: what we have, or what we don’t have. It is going to be a lot more helpful to focus on what we have. That opens our eyes to see the amazing generosity God has shown us! He has been generous to us in his creation, in his providence, in saving us, and in having mercy on us. God is generous with us even when you don’t think He is. Let’s stop focusing on what we don’t have, and give thanks for what we do have! Let’s celebrate the generosity of God!Support the show

This series has focused on you – how you can become a new you in this new year. You don’t live your life in a vacuum though.  You have relationships with others – many others. You are interconnected with other people – your spouse, your children, your friends, your coworkers, your neighbor. All those relationships will be affected by what you do and what you don’t do.  So, what will the new you do?  Thanks be to God that his grace allows us to work through our relationships in repentance and forgiveness, restore and rebuild, and enjoy the blessings of the people God has placed around us. Support the show

To change your life for more than one month and for more than one year will require some serious power. The dedication necessary must come from a capable source. In your Baptism, which connects you to Jesus’ own, the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit has been at work to give you a rebirth and to renew you daily. This empowers you to be the new you that God has declared you to be through his miraculous power. Support the show

How can you live a new life that becomes identified as good and joyful by those around you?  When you know that a burden of guilt and shame can no longer hang on your shoulders. When you aren't living to measure up to a perfect standard, but you live in the joyful understanding that that standard has been met for you by Jesus Christ. Then you are free - free to be a light shining that same grace to those around you. Support the show

When you look ahead to a new year and the new you that you will be, do you hope external things will change?  Do you hope that this year will be the one that is different?  Do you find yourself saying, “This year will be better than last, and it has got to be better than the one before that. Easier, more fun, more relaxed, more enjoyable.”? What if the change that is needed isn’t external, but internal? Jesus spoke statements of blessing that may shock us at first, but they help us understand how the new perspective of faith allows us to see God’s blessing in every situation. Support the show

Everyone’s talking about them and pointing them out: the latest and the greatest products, programs, and apps promise to transform your life in the new year, if you will just commit to them. The message of Jesus isn’t something new. It’s been spoken and reviewed for thousands of years, yet Jesus has the power to make you new. He does so as the lamb of God that John had to point out – the lamb of God who takes away sin. In Jesus, you know that it is your faithful God who has committed himself to make you new. That is the foundation for what we can expect in this series. Support the show

A Christmas message from Pastor AptSupport the show

We need a king. God’s people needed a king. They tried finding leadership, guidance, and protection in human judges and kings. But it didn’t work. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes. They needed a king. Those imperfect kings pointed ahead to the King we truly needed. King David, in particular, as a shepherd-king, was a picture of the king Jesus was coming to be. All of the Bible points us to the King we need. All of those promises were fulfilled when an angel told Mary she would have a child who would be our King. A King who would reign in righteousness forever. This King was born into our world, won the victory over our enemy, and sits on the throne of our hearts and God’s throne in heaven forever. Jesus is the King of kings!Support the show

As we get to the end of Old Testament history, we see how God never abandoned his people. They turned their backs on Him, but He continued to be gracious and merciful. They were unfaithful but He was always faithful. He kept all of his promises. And that is just what they needed to lead them to trust his BIG promise – sending Jesus into this world. During the Advent season, we need this same confidence that God will come as He promised. He always does, always shows mercy, time after time. He doesn’t abandon his people. He guides us. He provides for us.  And He is always ready to forgive. He proved that when He kept his promise to send Jesus into our world.Support the show

From the beginning, we have so often chosen to make our own standards of what is good and right. Our own codes of morality.  No matter how well we might think that works, it won’t help us if it doesn’t line up with God’s standard of morality. We have fallen so far short and gotten so off track from that standard. Which created all kinds of damage in our lives and collateral damage in the lives of those around us. The influences we often listen to point us to live by our own codes of morality instead of God’s. That won’t help us. But God, who loves us, had a way to give us his morality, his righteousness, as a gift. He also provided a way for us to be encouraged, influenced, & shepherded back to the life He offers us. He did that all through Jesus. The One promised to come.Support the show