Concordia Sermons

One of the most common questions that people ask about the Old Testament has to do with the violent stories in it. In this section, God lays down some rules of engagement for war. We see that God is not bloodthirsty, but careful and thoughtful and uses battle not as a first, but as a last, resort.

God forecasts that the Israelites will eventually cry out for a king to lead them, which they do (1 Samuel 8:4-21). In this section, God reminds the people that any leader they have should be led first by God and His Word. A leader is at his best when he first follows the Lord.

God blesses the Israelites bountifully. But God also expects the Israelites to use their bountiful blessing to bless others. Israel’s generosity is to extend both to people to whom they are close and to people who are outside their social circles and national identity.

The ancient Israelites lived as monotheists in a polytheistic society. Anything that takes their attention away from the one, true God is spiritually dangerous. In this section, Moses instructs the people how to discern true religion from false religion.

Moses tells the Israelites that God will bountifully bless them material. With such bountiful blessing, however, comes the temptation to boast in what you have received and treat it as though you have earned it. Moses reminds the Israelites to remember that what they have are divine gifts of grace and not things they earn.

All of God’s commandments can be summarized in a single word: love. God’s commandments show us how to love Him and how to show His love to others. Indeed, God gives His commandments to us not out of harshness, but out of love. When we understand this, we can follow His commandments joyfully instead of begrudgingly.

Even as God was conceived of as near, as we discussed last weekend, the Israelites still feared the Lord and so they asked Moses to be their mediator. Ultimately, Moses fell short as a mediator because of his sin. This points to our need for a perfect mediator, given to us in Christ.

God had a unique relationship with Israel. Whereas most religions conceived of divinities as distant and detached, Israel had a God who was near to them and heard their prayers. God’s nearness is ultimately confirmed and fulfilled when God comes near to us in Christ. On Father’s Day, we celebrate how Christ brings the Father near!

In order to do well in the future, we need to learn lessons from our past – especially from our past mistakes. As Deuteronomy opens, Moses calls to mind some of the Israelites’ mistakes during their wilderness wanderings and encourages them to follow God into their future.

There is no shortage of anxiety about the problems we face – be those personal or cultural problems. Jehoshaphat, as a ruler in ancient Israel, faced an enemy that brought him great anxiety. But even in his anxiety, he turned to the Lord.

As we commemorate Memorial Day, we remember those who have given their lives while serving in our nation’s Armed Forces. The loss of life always brings with it grief. But, as Paul says, because of Christ, we do not grieve without hope.

The superscript of this psalm indicates it was written by “Heman, son of Korah.” This ancient Israelite honestly processes and records his depression. Along the way, he gives voice not only to what we may feel, but to where we can turn.

Interested in joining a group? Find out more information here! Concordia Groups Abuse and conflict in households have increased exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The story of Abraham and Lot provides a healthy model of dealing with conflict and an invitation to let go of our own wishes and desires for the sake of love.

Interested in joining a group? Find out more information here! Concordia Groups Being a mom is hard work! When God calls Ezekiel into ministry, He tells him upfront: “There will be many times when the Israelites will not listen – when they will be obstinate and stubborn. But you are still called to shepherd them – to be a prophet for them.” A mother’s calling is similar. Through all of a family’s ups and downs, we can give thanks for our mothers. Their love and leadership reminds us “that a mother has been among us.”

Pastors Tucker and McIntosh answer your faith-related questions!

Pastors Tucker and McIntosh answer your faith-related questions!

Pastors Tucker and McIntosh answer your faith-related questions!

Interested in joining a group? Find out more information here! Concordia Groups Peter was a follower of Jesus who denied knowing Jesus and thought his faith was fractured beyond repair. Yet, Jesus invited Peter back into a relationship with Him. Even when we struggle with faith, Jesus invites us to a relationship with Him, too!

Interested in joining a group? Find out more information here! Concordia Groups Peanut Butter and Jelly. Macaroni and Cheese. There are some things that just go together. For the early Jews, the Sabbath Day and worship went together – until the early Christians changed their worship day to Sunday. For them, resurrection paired with worship even better than the Jewish Sabbath, for Jesus’ resurrection became the centerpiece of their hope.

Interested in joining a group? Find out more information here! Concordia Groups We can sometimes think debates over a dead man coming back to life are new to our day and age. But people have long debated whether or not resurrection is possible. This was a debate between the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’ day. Old debates, then, our now our debates – and they are still worth having.