Jesus appears to His disciples for a third time after the resurrection, and this time they are fishing on the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus first called disciples (Peter, Andrew, James, John) to leave their life of fishing and to come and follow Him and be fishers of men.  They left everything to follow Jesus, and now, it appears, they have gone back to their former ways of fishing for fish.   Maybe Peter, because of His denial, didn't feel like he could be a fisher of men like Jesus had called him to be.  Maybe he thought his sin was too great, that he was unworthy to serve Christ.  Jesus speaks with Peter and asks him a question three times (probably reminding him of his three times denial) and bringing Peter back to that first call: fishing for people, taking care of the Good Shepherd's sheep. 

Message 05/04/2025 - Peter, A Fisher of Fish? - Text: John 21:1-19

Babies can hear the voice of their mother early on while they are still in the womb.  The first of many voices, but mom's will always be the one they hear the most.  Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”  As the Good Shepherd, Jesus lays down His life for His sheep to give them eternal life.  He calls us by the Gospel, because Jesus has the words of forgiveness, love, and eternal life.  How often do we hear Jesus' voice? 

Message 05/11/2025 - The Good Shepherd's Voice - Text: John 10:22-33

Jesus talks about the connection of the joy of childbirth to the joy of His return.  As a woman goes through the sorrow (pain) of childbirth, when she meets her baby face to face, the feeling turns to joy.  For the disciples, as Jesus was taken from the earth, died on the cross, the disciples went through the sorrow (pain) of His death.  Soon that sorrow would turn to joy in the resurrection.  For us we have the promise of our sorrow (pain) turning to joy as well.   

Message 05/18/2025 - From Sorrow to Joy - Text: John 16-12-22

Jesus gives words to the disciples to bring them peace.  Because there are times coming where there will not be peace in the world for them.  There will be trials, tribulations, trouble.  Amidst of all that, the disciples are told to take heart, because Christ has overcome the world.  Maybe the same words can be applied to us as we go through trials, tribulations, trouble in our own lives.   

Message 05/25/2025 - Take Heart. I Have Overcome - Text: John 16:23-33

In what we know as the “High Priestly Prayer” Jesus prays specifically for those who will believe in Him through the Word.  Who are those who believe in Him through the Word? You.  Me.  All of us who have believed after Jesus prayed this prayer, praying for… us.  He prays that we would be one just like He and the Father are one.  He prays that He would be in us and that His love would be in us, and that we would join Him and see His glory.  

Message 06/01/2025 - Jesus Prays For You - Text: John 17:20-26

Our Life IN Christ also means a life IN the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the One who creates faith in us.  In Acts chapter 2 we see the Holy Spirit works in the lives of God’s people so they can hear the Gospel in their own language.  Jesus had promised, before He ascended into heaven, to send the Holy Spirit who would lead them into all truth.  The truth of His life, death, and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins, and for eternal life. This timeless truth for all people. 

Message 06/08/2025 - The Day of Pentecost - John 14:23-31 & Acts 2:1-21

As we celebrate Trinity Sunday, we confess our faith in the Triune God, that being three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, yet One God.  In the Gospel reading, the Jews claim that Jesus has a demon in Him, to which He makes an even more outrageous claim, that being that He is the great "I Am," that He IS God, that He is the One who was there before Abraham, that He was there in the burning bush with Moses.  Yet, regardless of how crazy those words would have sounded to the Jews, they were indeed the truth, Jesus IS God, one person of the Trinity, in unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and this belief is what we still confess today. 

Message 06/15/2025 - You Can't Spell Triune Without Unite - Text: John 8:48-59

Last week we heard the Jews claim Jesus had a demon inside Him.  This week we see Jesus healing a demon possessed man.  Before He does, Jesus asks, “what is your name?”  The response is “Legion.” Just how many demons is a legion?  In the Roman military a legion was 4,000-6,000 soldiers.  I can’t imagine being possessed by one demon let alone thousands!  And even then, these thousands of demons knew WHO Jesus was and the power that He had over them, because the call Jesus by name, and then add "Son of the Most High God." The only other place that phrase is found is when the angel tells the virgin Mary that Jesus "will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High."  Jesus is the Son of the Most High God, who shows us His love and grace, and to this legion of demons, He shows mercy. 

Message 06/22/2025 - Legion of Demons - Text: Luke 8:26-39

Jesus set His sights on Jerusalem because He is preparing for His death (and resurrection).  As He travels He planned to enter a Samaritan village, but because His sights were sent on Jerusalem, the people do not receive Him. We heard in the Gospel last week that some people did not receive Jesus after He drove out a legion of demons from a man.  Jesus is rejected many times during His ministry on earth, but He still dies for those who reject Him.  How do you feel when you tell people about Jesus and they do not receive Him or His Word? 

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