Welcome to the archive of sermon messages from St. Peter Lutheran Church in St. Albert, Canada. Each week we look at another section of God's Word and apply it to our lives. God bless your listening!
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"No pain, no gain." It's a common axiom when training for an athletic competition, but how many people actually live by it? Most people have an aversion to pain and suffering and would rather take the easy way out. This is exactly why so many reject Jesus. He came to suffer and die, and he calls his disciples to do the same. But where there is pain, there is also great gain. Listen to this week's sermon to hear what Jesus has to say about the role of suffering in the Christian life.
"Everyone Welcome!" It's a beautiful sentiment for a church to share, but, honestly, would any church say anything different? Would any actually say that only a certain kind of person is welcome, or that you aren't welcome? Sadly there was one - the temple in Jerusalem! But despite a long history of division, Jesus came to bring peace and unity, between people and - much more importantly - with God. Listen to this week's sermon to learn not only how Jesus heals fractured human relationships, but reconciles you to God.
Perhaps no greater contrast can be made than that of light and darkness. These universal concepts have been incorporated into religious imagery around the world, but what does the Bible have to say on light and darkness? How should Christians view themselves and their role in the unbelieving world? Listen to this week's sermon to hear how God transforms us from darkness into light.
Which is scarier - the prospect of being swallowed by a giant fish, or looking honestly in the mirror? If the answer seems obvious, it might be worth listening to Jonah's story again. It's a soul-bearing tale of sinners who begrudge God's grace, and a God who patiently deals with us. Listen to this week's sermon to find out whether your anger is justified or not.
When is a church not a church? When it's been converted into a restaurant or a skate park. When is the church not a church? When Christians worship in a gym or dining room. What even is the church? That's the question, and its answer is more than theological trivia, it is vital for you and your faith. Listen to this week's sermon to learn what the Holy Christian Church is and why it matters so much for you.
Do you have a price tag? What would it take for someone to buy control of you? We like to think of ourselves as our own masters, but the Bible reveals the grim reality of the chains we were born into. The good news is those chains don't hold us anymore. Listen to this week's sermon to hear about the price Jesus was willing to pay—all to set you free and become your Lord and Redeemer.
If God created a perfect world, then why do we experience the hardships and heartaches that are so common to modern life? In a word, the answer is "sin" - both the first sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and our continued sin. What may be even more impressive than God the Father's creative powers, though, is his compassion. Listen to this week's sermon to hear how your Heavenly Father fixed the fall into sin.
Are you thirsty? Do you feel a gaping void in your life? Are there things that drive you to your knees in despair or cause you to clench your fists in frustration? There's nothing wrong with having a need. Where the trouble can arise is what we do to try to quench that thirst. On Pentecost Sunday, we consider Jesus' own promises of rivers of living water that will flow within us because of his Spirit. Listen to this week's sermon to hear what Pentecost continues to mean for your life.
What do you do when you feel like you have no hope left - when the doctor says the "C" word, or when you just want to withdraw from the world? Revere Christ as Lord in your heart. It sounds simple, but it's a bit more complicated (and even more of a blessing) than at first glance. Listen to this week's sermon to hear how keeping Christ as Lord means a world of difference during suffering.
There are few pictures of Jesus sweeter than as your Good Shepherd, but what makes it really beautiful is how he fends off danger with something as simple yet powerful as his voice. Listen to this week's sermon to hear how your Good Shepherd keeps you safe and gives you life to the full.
Are you missing some hope? It's only been a couple weeks since Easter, but I bet it didn't take long for the excitement to fade in favour of life's daily to-dos and disappointments. Where do you go to find some hope again? As the two disciples on the way to Emmaus learned, hope is closer than you think. In fact, hope is walking right beside you. Listen to this week's sermon to learn where to find this living hope—and how hope came to find you first.
The last time that Jesus was called a king, Jerusalem was stirred too. Herod was so outraged, he ordered the murder of all the baby boys in Bethlehem. Had it not been for divine intervention, Jesus wouldn't have lived to see the age of three. 30+ years later, Jesus is called a king again, and the results are eerily similar: the city is stirred, murderous plots arise - only, there would be no divine intervention this time... at least for Jesus. But the story of Palm Sunday isn't about the ways that God kept his Son safe. It's the story of how God saved you. Listen to this week's sermon to gain
What if? It's a question often asked in regret, out of fear... or after a close call. Asking it can even make us sweat when we consider just how narrowly we escaped utter disaster. In Psalm 124, David asks us to imagine a terrifying alternate reality—and to remember who rescued us from it.
Death is the great equalizer. No one escapes it. It awaits us all. The question isn't what we should do about it, but how we can come to grips with it. Jesus showed his glory on the day he raised Lazarus from the dead, which not only teaches us about his power over life and death, but also teaches us how we can approach death with joyful sadness. Listen to this week's sermon to hear how you are often like Martha, and how you can be more like Jesus when you face death.
Are you happier as a Christian than you would be otherwise? Thanks to Jesus, yes! But are you also sadder as a Christian? That's probably true, too. Psalm 126 helps us understand why—and reminds us that God has a plan for our tears.
Where is God when bad things happen? Why do bad things happen at all? Jesus gives an answer: "These things happened so that the works of God might be displayed." Yet, far from being self-serving or aura-farming, these works are displayed not just to Jesus' glory but for your eternal good. Listen to this week's sermon to see the Light of the World revealing the purpose for his coming.
There's a reason people say, "Don't make promises you can't keep." Because broken promises often lead to broken trust and broken relationships. Have you kept all your promises to God? More importantly, has God kept all his promises to you? The psalmist helps us answer the question: Can we count on God to keep his promises?
What would you want to drink after eating a cookie? How about after spending a day out in the winter cold? Or maybe (wishful thinking?) after an hour mowing the lawn in the heat of the summer? Not all thirst is created equal. There are specific things we crave to quench our various thirsts. What do you crave when the consequences of your actions catch up to you? What do you crave when the circumstances of life are less than desirable? The craving isn't necessarily bad; the things we choose to quench it often can be. Listen to this week's sermon to hear how Jesus quenches all our thirst in the
Grace is good. But we need more. Where do we turn for help with more than just a guilty conscience? Where do we turn for help? The psalmist directs us to lift our eyes higher than the mountains to our powerful and present God.
What has been the lowest point in your life? What can you do when you're in those kinds of moments? You can do what the psalm-writer does: call on the Lord for mercy. Listen to this week's devotion to hear how he answers.
Have you been watching the Winter Olympics lately? It's always amazing to see what world-class athletes can do. But maybe it also leads you to wonder how much (or how little) of it you could do. Could you take a pair of ski jumping skis and take the leap off the 140m ski jumping tower? Probably not... In this week's Gospel, Matthew shows us a world-class performance by Jesus, only in this case, it's not something obscure like doubles luge; it's our daily, lived experience, just done better. Listen to this week's sermon to learn why Jesus' perfect performance means more than a gold medal for yo
Which do you think is harder - moving forward knowing that difficult times are ahead, or moving forward not knowing anything about what's waiting for you? Jesus knew he had hardship and the cross waiting for him at the end of his life. But it was precisely that his resolute spirit to complete his mission that earned his Father's praise on his Transfiguration day. And thanks to it, we don't have to wonder what waits ahead in our futures - it's all only good forever! Of course, that doesn't make the waiting any easier, especially when we have troubles and sorrows now. Listen to this week's sermo
Are these dark winter mornings making it hard for you to get out of bed with a smile? Do you fantasize about escaping somewhere warm and sunny, where your problems melt away? Listen to this week's sermon to hear about how even on the gloomiest mornings, you have a reason to rise and shine—because the Son shines on you.
What's on the top of your Christmas wish list this year? Is it just another entry in a long list of gifts that scratched an itch for a while, but sits gathering dust somewhere now? Listen to this week's sermon to hear about the only thing that can give you lasting satisfaction forever... and why you should be careful what you wish for.
Do seasonal tidings of joy sometimes feel superficial to you? Does "Christmas cheer" seem like little more than wishful thinking? Optimism and happy thoughts may be all nice and rosy, but if that's all Christmas is, it doesn't fix the real problems in our lives. Listen to this sermon to find out how Jesus gives us so much more than just a rosy outlook—he gives us a new reality.
