Jesus ascended into heaven where he rules over all things. Do you know what that means for you and me? Who is King? Jesus. Who is our Lord? Jesus. Everything is just a footstool for his feet. Do you hear of wars and rumors of wars? They are under Jesus’ feet. Jesus is my Lord! Is your heart filled with frustrations and fears? They are under Jesus’ feet. Jesus is my Lord! Are you plagued by sin and guilt? Even those sins are under Jesus’ feet. Jesus is my Lord! Life on earth often doesn't make sense. The bad guys often seem to win. But you know the real story: Jesus won! Jesus came to earth to save us, and then he returned to heaven to rule for us. I hope you can listen to this Ascension Day sermon: “My Lord.” Jesus loves you!

If you want to make a list of “Important People Whom God Should Raise from the Dead,” the Bible says, “A single lady with no family.” We say, “Really?” Jesus says, “Absolutely. There is no one more important than her.” If you want to make a list of “Super Important Good Works that Give Glory to God,” the Bible says, “Sewing clothes for widows.” We say, “Really?” Jesus says, “Absolutely. There is nothing better that can be done in my name.” If you want to make a list of “Ways God Carries Out His Will in Our Lives,” the Bible says, “Letting us die.” We say, “Really?” Jesus says, “Absolutely, so that you can rise.” I hope you can listen to this sermon about how God raised Tabitha from the dead: “Pins and Needles.” Just like Tabitha, you matter to God. Your life matters to God. Jesus loves you!

There are a lot of things that Christian churches do. Have you noticed that? What should our church be focusing on? Doesn’t it seem complicated? It doesn’t have to be. Here’s what the first Christian church focused on: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). That doesn’t sound complicated, does it? It’s simple. Church is meant to be simple. That first Christian church devoted themselves to God’s Word and to caring for each other as a family in Christ. Isn’t that what we want for our churches? I hope you can listen to this sermon: “Simple Church.” Jesus loves you!

Every sheep needs a shepherd. At least, that’s what the Bible says. According to the Bible, every person is a sheep. Every person is following someone. It’s just a matter of whom you’re following. So, whom are you following? I hope it’s Jesus. He’s the Good Shepherd! In fact, he laid down his own life to save us. The Bible encourages pastors like me with these words, “Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). Every sheep needs a shepherd. I hope Jesus is your Good Shepherd, and I also hope you have a pastor who points you to Jesus. Here’s a Good Shepherd Sunday sermon: “Every Sheep Needs a Shepherd.” Jesus loves you!

We’re constantly surprised by how life goes, aren’t we? From the catastrophes in our world to the sin in our hearts to the unexpected miracles that God performs all around us, we’re constantly surprised by life. But we don’t have to be. When you trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection, you know that anything is possible, right? When you know and believe that God raises the dead, there aren’t surprises anymore. In fact, the reason we’re so often surprised is that we haven’t been paying attention to God’s Word. I hope you can listen to this message of hope based on Jesus’ resurrection and the promises of God’s Word: “Why Does This Surprise You?” Jesus loves you!

Because Jesus rose, you don’t have to be afraid. Because Jesus rose, your home is in heaven. Because Jesus rose, you are forgiven. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Not just for a day. Forever! God wants the Easter message of Jesus’ resurrection to change your life. Because of hope, everything is different. I hope you can listen to this sermon about the hope that Jesus resurrection gives us: “Because of Hope.” Jesus loves you!

“If it’s not a happy ending, it’s not the end.” Have you heard that before? For a Christian, it’s true! One day, because of Jesus, our dead bodies will rise. One day, because of Jesus, our heavy hearts are going to be filled with inexpressible joy. Until then, we have the sure promise of God’s Word. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Jesus died for you. Jesus rose for you. Because of Jesus, your sins are forgiven. Because of Jesus, you have a home in heaven. You can trust him! In every trial, in every heartache, even in the face of death, your risen Savior smiles at you and says, “If it’s not a happy ending, it’s not the end!” I hope you can listen to this Easter sermon. Jesus loves you!

The answer to sin isn’t people sacrificing something to God. The answer to sin is that God sacrificed himself for us. “He has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26-28). Jesus sacrificed himself for us once for all to do away with sin. By faith, your sins are forgiven. By faith, your salvation is complete. By faith, eternal life is yours. Want to know if you’re loved? Look at the cross! Want to know if you’re cared for? Look at the cross! Want to know you’re forgiven? Look at the cross! I hope you can read or watch this Good Friday sermon: “Once for All.” Jesus loves you!

There is great joy in seeing the face of someone who loves you. If she could talk, our baby daughter would tell you that. When she sees the face of someone who loves her, a big smile lights up her whole face. There is great joy in seeing the face of someone who loves you. That’s what Holy Week is all about: Seeing the face of the One who loves us. Jesus! This Holy Week, fix your eyes on Jesus. You won’t regret it! See his great love for you. Here’s the Bible’s encouragement: “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2). I hope you can listen to this Palm Sunday sermon: “Fix Your Eyes on Jesus.” Jesus loves you!

Food is a blessing from God, but you and I need more than food. Your soul is hungry too, so feed your soul. Self-control is so hard. I know it! Especially when it comes to food. But realize something: Often your cravings aren’t actually for food or drink. That’s why they don’t go away when you eat or drink something. You are craving something deeper. Something more. Your soul yearns to know that you are loved and special. Your heart longs to be filled with forgiveness and purpose. Your soul is craving the Bread of Life. If you feed your soul regularly, I bet you’ll find it easier not to over-indulge your body. I hope you can listen to this Lenten sermon: “The Seven Deadly Sins: Gluttony.” Jesus loves you!

God’s people often go through difficult times. Contrary to what we expect, being a believer in Jesus does not mean that life is easy. Instead, we get weighed down by the burdens of life, the guilt of sin, and the pressures that every new day brings. Are you going through one of those difficult times right now? Listen to God’s promise: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you” (Isaiah 43:1). No matter what you face, you are not alone. God is with you! You have a Savior—Jesus! He smiles and says: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” I hope you can listen to this sermon: “When You Pass Through the Waters…” Jesus loves you!

Just one little spark can start a wildfire that destroys a million acres. Once a fire gets started, it’s hard to put out. Like lust and adultery. One little spark can start a fire that devastates families and destroys marriage. That’s why the Bible warns: “Do not lust in your heart” (Proverbs 6:25). Do you? Sexual temptations are all around us. From pornography to sexually explicit TV shows and movies, our hearts are constantly exposed to temptation. Watch out! One little spark can set the world on fire and fill your life with shame. Yet, remember who would gather around Jesus to hear him? The tax collectors and the prostitutes. Why? Jesus promised forgiveness and cleansing for those who struggled with sexual sin. He offers those same blessings to you and me. I hope you can listen to this Lenten sermon: “The Seven Deadly Sins: Lust.” Jesus loves you!

A Super Bowl commercial has been getting a lot of attention among Christians. Do you know which one? “He Gets Us.” Did you see it? While it’s certainly true that God “gets” all of us, we need something more. We need God to save us from our sins! He has. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17). Jesus doesn’t just get us. Jesus saves us! I hope you can listen to this sermon about the heart of the God’s message: “He Saves Us.” Jesus loves you!

Isn’t it a blessing to be used by God? God didn’t make you a sloth. He made you with a purpose. He gave you gifts and abilities that other people need. He created you to live in service to God and others. Instead of thinking, “I wish I didn’t have to do anything today,” pray, “God, use me today. Give me opportunities today to serve others. May whatever I do give you glory.” Every day of your life has purpose and meaning, because Jesus gave it to you! So, “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:22-25). I hope you can listen to this Lenten sermon: “The Seven Deadly Sins: Laziness.” Jesus loves you!

“Christianity is foolish.” Do you hear people say that? How about: “Believing in God is so old-fashioned. We’ve progressed beyond needing all those old religious beliefs.” Don’t be surprised. Here’s how the Bible talks about the “foolishness” of Jesus’ cross: “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). God purposefully saved the world in a way that was contrary to human wisdom. In a way that seems foolish. Because it’s not through wisdom that we’re saved. It’s through faith. It’s through believing in the message of the cross. If a being a fool means clinging to the cross of Christ, I’m a fool. I hope you are too! I hope you can listen to this sermon: “The Foolishness of the Cross.” Jesus loves you!

Anger is an awful thing, isn’t it? It consumes our thoughts. It clouds our minds. It leads to foolish actions. Anger is an awful thing. But Jesus offers us another way. Hopefully, you’re familiar with the idea of laying your sins at the foot of Jesus’ cross. Every day, we repent. We humbly lay our sins at the foot of Jesus’ cross and trust in Jesus’ forgiveness. Here’s what we need to learn: To lay other people’s sins at the foot of Jesus’ cross too. Whose sins did Jesus die for? Everybody’s. Instead of angrily carrying the burden of other people’s sins on your heart, lay them at the foot of Jesus’ cross. There you’ll find peace. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:25-32). I hope you can listen to this Lenten sermon about the deadly sin of anger and the forgiveness found in Jesus. God bless you!

There’s one word that we say to God more than any other word: “Why?” I bet you ask God that question. What are your “whys” today? “Why does it hurt? Why did the cancer come back? Why doesn’t she love me? Why do I feel this way? Why can’t I get a job? Why did he die?...” There’s a whole book in the Bible about that. The story of Job addresses this question: Why do believers in God suffer so much? Here’s what we learn: We don’t need to know the “why” to trust in God. When we understand God’s love to us in Jesus, we realize that God is good, all the time, even when his goodness is hidden in sorrow. God gives us the good and the bad. God gives us the glad and the sad. And God asks us to trust in him at all times, even through tears. I hope you can listen to this sermon: “Why?” God bless you!

The life God has given you is the best life for you. Do you believe that? The life God has given you is the best life for you. It’s hard to be content, isn’t it? There’s always something more we want… We need! Whose life would you like to have? Watch out! Envy fills our hearts and robs our lives of joy. When you see Jesus die for you on the cross, God wants to convince you of something: The life God has given you is the very best life for you. The secret to joy in life isn’t having more. The secret to joy in life is gratitude for what God has given you in Jesus. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). I hope you can listen to this Lenten sermon about the danger of envy and the gratitude that comes from Jesus. God bless you!

Do you ever feel like nothing? That’s an awful feeling, isn’t it? Jesus is so good and so powerful and so gracious that he’s able to take even nothing and turn it into something awesome. The end of Romans 8 is the best part of the Bible for anyone who feels like nothing. Since God is for us, who can be against us? Nothing! Since God gave his own Son for us, what will God fail to give us? Nothing! Since Jesus has forgiven you, what can people accuse you of? Nothing! What can separate you from God’s love for you in Jesus? Nothing! I hope you listen to this sermon: “Nothing.” When it feels like you have nothing, when it feels like you are nothing, nothing can separate you from Jesus’ love. God bless you!

Last century, the Christian writer C.S. Lewis wrote a famous book called “Mere Christianity.” In it, he has a chapter on pride. Know what the title of that chapter is? “The Great Sin.” On Ash Wednesday, we heard about the great danger of pride. Pride trusts in its own self-righteousness. Pride looks down on everyone else. Pride wars against God. Pride lives in every one of us. It’s only the grace of God in Jesus that can disarm the pride in our hearts. Life isn’t a competition. You don’t have to make yourself look good. You are lovely, because you are loved by Jesus. In repentance, we turn to God and trust in his mercy: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13). I hope you can listen to this Ash Wednesday sermon about the dangers of pride and the comfort of Jesus’ forgiveness. God bless you!