Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Christmas Eve 2016 7 PM service

Christmas Eve 2016 9 PM service

Jesus' birth is foretold in Isaiah 7:13-17, but it is difficult to understand how this "sign" would have meant much in the eighth century before Christ. The Apostle Matthew understood this and used this text to help us understand the birth of Jesus in Matthew 1:22-23: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us).” The point for us, as it was for Mary, is that the time of waiting is over!

The Gospel lesson today is Luke 4:16-21 where Jesus reads from the Scroll of Isaiah and alerts his audience that, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing ." Today we certainly understand this fulfillment refers to Christ, "Anointed to preach good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted and to release prisoners from darkness. Followers of christ know the freedom salvation brings is described in theses verses.

God's people have waited since the days of Moses (~1400 BC) for God to pour out his Spirit upon all people (Numbers 11:29). Joel 2:28-29 echoes this hope and affirms the promise is still valid (~600 BC). Psalm 47 helps us understand that we cannot fulfill our mission if we are left to ourselves... Jesus tells us to ask for the Holy Spirit in Luke 11:9-13. How does this all work today?

In the Book of Daniel King Darius appointed 120 satraps (governors) to rule throughout the Kingdom with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. Against Daniel, the administrators and a group of satraps convince King Darius to issue an edict warning that anyone praying to anyone but the king would be thrown into the lions' den. In the Book of Luke the Sanhedrin lead Jesus off to Pilate the Roman Governor for misleading the people against Rome, but Pilate finds no basis to charge him.

God’s people were in full rebellion after the death of Josiah in 609 BC. Jeremiah was shocked because no other nation had ever been so unfaithful (Jeremiah 2:11-13). God’s answer to their awfulness: Judgment and a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

In today's readings Isaiah and Peter saw God in his holiness and were brought to their knees as they were confronted with their own sinfullness. Isaiah, cleansed and forgiven, shouted "Here I am, send me", when God asked him to be his messenger to a sinful nation. After Peter saw the miraculous catch of fish and was terrified, Jesus told him, "Don't be afraid, now you will fish for people".

The Story of Jonah is different than we learned in Sunday school. Jonah rejected his mission to preach in Ninevah because he hated Ninevites (Jonah 1 and 4:1-3). God saved him with a great fish, and helped him fulfill his mission.

God judged King David as “whole-hearted” (I Kings 3:6; 9:4; 11:4; 14:8; Psalm 78:72; Acts 13:22) even though he committed terrible sins by murdering Uriah and adultery with Bathsheba. Paul reminds us that we are but jars of clay even as we show forth the glory of God! (II Corinthians 4:7). Apart from our Lord Jesus, human leaders are never perfect!

Biblical stories don't show us how we should live but how we in fact live. They show us how God works out His purposes for our lives and the world and that God is not in our stories but that we are in His. 1 Samuel's story of Hannah reminds us that a life of humility and gratitude, dedicated to God, is more fulfilling, surprising and far reaching than one could ever imagine.

Not so long after God delivered Israel from Egypt—about 4 months?—the people rebelled and asked Aaron to make them a golden calf. Their sin was catastrophic, and God wanted to destroy them all for breaking his commandments. Moses interceded and God spared most of them.

Israel was given a meal to help tell the story of their deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 12:1-11). Jesus’ meal reinterprets Passover and teaches us about a coming kingdom. We participate in this kingdom at communion and it points us to ever deeper experiences of love and grace (Luke 22:14-20).

In the Gospel according the St. Luke, Jesus taught us to "love our enemies". This particular text is hard for me to read, to understand much less to practice. In 1955, the communist in North Vietnam held a public court and condemned both of my grandfathers to death. The crime was not to join the communist party. All of my growing up years, my family doctrine was to hate the communist, the people who killed my grandfathers. The hate ran so deep that we can't escape it. In 1993, when I decided to return to Vietnam and later start Children of Peace International, my family members hate me for "helping the communist", my classmates called me communist sympathizer and ban me from coming to school re-union. The only saving Grace I have is the love from our Lord, Jesus. He commands me to pick up my cross and go to my brothers and sisters. I am a child of God, my only task in life is to live as Jesus lives. Harboring hate and seeking revenge were never what Jesus taught. In order for anyone to believe t

Like graphic horror movies that haunt us with frightening scenes we can't get out of our head, we all deal with besetting fears of various kinds. So did Abram, and that's why in Genesis 15:1-6 God says "Do not be afraid, Abram" because God Himself, honoring His covenant promise, serves as the ultimate "shield" against Abram's greatest fears--and ours.

Genesis 1-3 provides the backdrop for much of the Bible. We find two complimentary creation stories, and a terse telling of the first sins. We need to stay close to these stories to understand our place in God's Story.

This is a loaded question, because the answer itself is contingent upon understanding the motivation of the questioner. However, we know from Scripture that it is God's desire that no one perish but that everyone come to a place of repentance. (2 Peter 3:9). This includes our LDS friends and neighbors. The question then, turns inward for us, as we must ask ourselves the question: What kind of community do we want to be in order to invite our friends and neighbors to see the God calls us to himself and the gift of eternal life is not something that can be earned.

P James is asking for extreme charity from all in the congregation as we consider what God's Word says about being gay (LGBT).

What story are we telling when we try to explain reality? All knowledge is shaped by the knowledge and reality of God How does God help or hinder our scientific inquiry?

Aliens: The Bible doesn't mention life on other planets, this doesn't mean its not possible that life exists on other planets. Ghosts : Their are no ghosts wandering about the earth. The spirits of deceased humans inhabit one of two places: heaven or hell Zombies: They are called the walking dead, for some a lot of fun, however, definitely fictional and mythical creatures. Visions and Dreams: In recent years there have been many reports of people coming to faith in Christ through dreams and visions. Such events are entirely possible. God can and does communicate with his people however he chooses.