Category: Sermons FOR YOU

In sermons FOR YOU, Higher Things makes available preaching that gives listeners Christ-focused, Gospel drenched, sacramental sermons FOR YOU with the earnest hope that the Holy Spirit uses these preachers to give comfort and consolation to you, that you may rejoice in God’s baptismal grace and peace which are FOR YOU in Christ Jesus today and always.

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Sermons FOR YOU

“The Lord Sees You and Saves You” Oculi – Lent 3 2019

Stress. Daily troubles. Tragedies. Sins. Death. Devil. Hell. In the midst of all that, in our own whirlwind of trouble, we’re broken, desolate, afflicted, all alone. Or so it seems. Sure, what we see is all the mess of this life. Just darkness. Just slavery. Just sin, death, devil, hell. The real question, though, isn’t what you see. The real question is what the Lord sees and what the Lord does.

Text: “My eyes are ever toward the Lord because He takes My feet out of the net.” (Ps 25:15)

Preacher: Pastor Aaron Fenker, Bethlehem and Immanuel Lutheran Churches, Bremen, KS

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Sermons FOR YOU

“What Jesus Do You Want?” Reminiscere 2019

In dealing with the Canaanite Woman, Jesus shows the disciples the folly of their pride while the Woman keeps her eyes on the real and true Savior.

Text: Matt. 15:21-28 (One Year)

Preacher: Pastor Eric Brown, Trinity Lutheran Church, Herscher, Illinois

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Sermons FOR YOU

“A Farmer Went to Plant Seed” Lent 1 Midweek – Matthew 4:3

Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

Text: Matthew 4:3

Preacher: Pastor Donavon Riley, St. John Lutheran Church, Webster, MN

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Sermons FOR YOU

“Command and Promise” Invocavit 2019

Temptation. The devil’s worst is when he uses God’s own word, but inverts the command and the promise. Jesus, though, restores faith in the promise and overcomes the devil’s temptation for you.

Text: Matt. 4:1-11 (One Year)

Preacher: Pastor Jacob Ehrhard, St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church, Chicago, Illinois

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Sermons FOR YOU

“[Jesus’] divine power has gifted us everything for life and godliness” Ash Wednesday 2019

Everything gifted? Yes, everything. All means all. Everything means everything. Nothing left out. All gift. Everything’s gift. Everything for life. Everything for godliness. Jesus gives. We receive. “Faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, love.” All these are a gift from the Lord. He gifts everything for life and godliness.

This doesn’t quite jive with our views of Lent and repentance and even absolution. We turn Lent into our time to shine. “Fasting…is certainly fine outward training.” Our flesh shouldn’t be in control. Like Paul said a few weeks ago, “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” We turn our repentance into the credit that earns the absolution.

Text: 2 Pt 1:2–11 (One Year)

Preacher: Pastor Aaron Fenker, Bethlehem and Immanuel Lutheran Churches, Bremen, KS

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Sermons FOR YOU

“Mercy looks like a cross” — Quinquagesima 2019

Jesus has to die for sinners, but when we don’t see that as the greatest expression of love, the religion seems pointless. The Holy Spirit reveals to us who the Son of David is and opens our mouth to beg for mercy, then to eat and drink it.

Text: Luke 18:31-43 & 1 Corinthians 13 (One Year)

Preacher: Pastor Harrison Goodman, St. Paul Lutheran Church in Carroll, Nebraska

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Sermons FOR YOU

“The Purpose of God’s Word” Sexagesima 2019

Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, shelters His tender shoot from the pecking of Satan’s beak, from the suffering rays of the midday sun, and from the encroachment of the thorny cares of this world. This Word came forth from the Father’s mouth to forgive, to give life, and to take you into eternal salvation.

Text: Isaiah 55:10-13; Luke 8:4-15 (One Year)

Preacher: Pastor Christopher Gillespie, St. John Ev. Lutheran Church — Sherman Center, Random Lake, WI

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Sermons FOR YOU

Septuagesima 2019 – 1 Corinthians 9:26-27

Only the Gospel and Christ’s gifts can strengthen us to get on with the long, hard pull of a war that rages, that’s fought for our salvation. Only the Gospel and Christ’s gifts can secure the victory. Only the Gospel and Christ’s gifts keep us safe in the dirty, disagreeable business of fighting against sin, death, and hell.

Text: 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 (One Year)

Preacher: Pastor Donavon Riley, St. John Lutheran Church, Webster, MN

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Sermons FOR YOU

“He will Die… You will Shine” – Transfiguration 2019

“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.”

Text: Matt. 17:1-9 (One Year)

Preacher: Pastor George Borghardt, Immanuel Lutheran Church – Bossier, LA

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Sermons FOR YOU

“Jesus Fills Up the Lord’s Word to Save You” – Candlemas 2019

The Lord’s Word gets filled up. It gets fulfilled. It gets done. Laws cherished and obeyed. Promises kept, made good on. The Lord takes care of it all Himself. It’s all done in Jesus. Jesus cherished the Laws and did them purely and with a pure heart. Jesus kept the promises of salvation. He not only did them, He finished them.

Text: Lk 2:22–40 (One Year)

Preacher: Pastor Aaron Fenker, Bethlehem and Immanuel Lutheran Churches, Bremen, KS