Category: Sermon

This I’m sure is something that will be said plenty in the month of February. After all, it is the time we celebrate Valentine’s Day. The day when it is important to make sure that the people you love know that you love them.   But what got me to thinking is the fact that there should not be just one day set aside to tell each other or show one another we love them. Isn’t it something that we should do all the time? After all, we hear it all the time from our God. When we hear the Gospel message that “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16) we are reminded that God loves us. He loves us unconditionally. I imagine that there are not too many people we know who love us like that. Or at least we know of. But knowing that God sent Jesus to us so that we could be with Him forever is something that we know every day of our lives. So when you get the chance to celebrate your love for one other this month and all year long, remember that you have a God who loves you no matter what. He loved you so much to save you from your sins. And He will always love you.

Enjoy your time with those you love this month.

            As a Christian who attends a Lutheran church, am I to choose between these two days and decide which one I should celebrate with my family? I say, NO. Be a proud Lutheran and celebrate the heritage of our church body in which Martin Luther’s ideas of Reformation were that of: Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide and Sola Gratia all through Solus Christus. These ideas started a reformation of the church at the time. Most of us would say these ideas have held the test of time and are as relevant in the 1500’s as they do in 2022. I would agree that we should celebrate these free gifts of God not just on Oct. 31st but everyday of our lives. So what about the other Oct. 31st, Halloween? Is there room for two celebrations? YES. Halloween is an opportunity to dress up in a costume, pretend to be someone else and get treats. But more importantly we get to tell the Devil he didn’t win. Dressing up in a costume is a way to celebrate the freedom we have been given by the life, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We have nothing to be afraid of when the Devil does everything in his power to persuade us to follow him instead of God. We are poking fun of him when we dress up. Although, we don’t have to put on the Elvis wig, sunglasses, white jumpsuit and sing “Blue Suede Shoes” to show the Devil who’s the boss. We do that every time we pray. Every time we open our Bible. Every time we look to God for help, instead of other sources. So celebrate. Eat your German Lutheran (brats and sauerkraut) dinner to celebrate the Reformation and follow it up with some well deserved Halloween candy that your kids shouldn’t eat a lot of (but you have no problem helping them out). After all, we wouldn’t have any of this opportunity without the free gifts God has given to us through His Son Jesus Christ. Enjoy!

The seven weeks of Lent are devoted to reflection upon the suffering and death of Christ. But Lent is also a time to hear again the words of the Lord. As Jesus attested: “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). It is appropriate during this season of Lent to give attention to the words of life that Jesus spoke while in the very midst of death. These words from the cross are his “CrossWords.”

In this Lenten series, CrossWords, the services address the following themes:

· “Father, Forgive Them”

· “You will be with Me in Paradise”

· “Behold Your Son; Behold Your Mother”

· “My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?”

· “I Thirst”

· “It is Finished!”

· “Father, Into Your Hands I Commend My Spirit”

I hope that you can join us as we begin this journey of Lent. We will have services at 12:15pm and 6pm each week. Come and be a part of the St. Peter’s family as we prepare our hearts and minds for the ultimate sacrifice Christ pays for our sins.

In His Service,

Thank you! I just wanted to begin by saying, Thank you, to all of you for calling me to be your pastor. My family and I feel very welcome by all of you we’ve met and are looking forward to meeting you all who we haven’t had the chance to meet yet. The move to Kansas has been smooth and I attribute that to God and His protection and also to the welcoming spirit of St. Peter’s.

With that being said… It is time that I get to know you. My plan is to make time to get to know each and every one of you. I am happy to make a visit to your home, work, out in the town or even here at church. The best way I can start to put names to faces is by seeing them, well yours and your family’s.

I would imagine that there are a lot of questions about what is in store for St. Peter’s in the coming days, months and years and I think I am asking a lot of them myself. Hopefully you are too. After all, this is our church given to us by God some 160 years ago. This has been quite an accomplishment and we should be celebrating that.

I can think of no better way to: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) than to be together while we are part of God’s church!

I am looking forward to rejoicing, praying and giving thanks with you all, for    everything that God has blessed us with here at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church.

In His Service,     

Pastor Jennings