Jesus Prepares Us for His coming through the Means of Grace

Monday November 13, 2017 Text: Matthew 25:1-12 Speaker: Pastor Matthew Ude Festival: Trinity Tags: 2nd coming / eschatology / judgement day / last day / means of grace / ten virgins / wise and foolish virgins Passages: Matthew 25:1-12

The parable of the ten virgins is a warning that we need to be prepared for His coming. Unfortunately we all to often are the foolish one who are not prepared. In His grace Jesus prepares us through His word and sacraments.

By His Love We are His Children

Monday November 6, 2017 Text: 1 john 3:1-3 Speaker: Pastor Matthew Ude Festival: All Saints Day / Trinity Tags: 144000 / heaven / heroes of faith / saints / white robes Passages: 1 john 3:1-3

The heros of faith, which we call saints, do not disappoint us because we already know that they are sinners like us. Despite their sin the Lord chose them to be His children, as He chose us in our sin. Because we are His children, we will never “fit in” in this world. As His children we want to be just like our Father, righteous and holy.

The Word of Truth is the Heritage of the Sons of God

Sunday October 29, 2017 Text: John 8:31-36 Speaker: Pastor Matthew Ude Festival: Reformation Tags: grace alone / heritage / inheritance / reformation / scripture alone / sons of god Passages: John 8:31-36

The Jews thought that they had received the inheritance of Abraham. But they didn't understand the true heritage was the promises of God. We also received this heritage, from Abraham, from the apostles, from Luther. Not through our genetic ancestry, but through our baptism which makes us the children of God.

Honor the King, Love the Lord Who Saved You

Tuesday October 24, 2017 Text: Matthew 22:15-22 Speaker: Pastor Matthew Ude Festival: Trinity Tags: give to ceaser / kingdom of god / nation / nationalism / zionism Passages: Matthew 22:15-22

Background The Pharisees were the ultimate nationalists. And they thought this was the correct understanding of the Old Testament. Israel was God’s Kingdom. To promote and support a free Jewish nation was the will of God. To support a foreign ruler over Israel was contrary to the will of God. It was blasphemy. The

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers

Tuesday October 10, 2017 Text: Matthew 21:33-46 Speaker: Pastor Matthew Ude Festival: Trinity Tags: cornerstone / kingdom of god / vineyard / wicked vinedressers Passages: Matthew 21:33-46

The Lord did everything for the Israelites. After all the He did for them they rejected Him. Therefore the kingdom was taken from them and given to the Gentiles. The Lord plan of salvation is not the type of plan we would come up with. Nevertheless having seen it we rejoice in it.

The Laborers In The Vineyard

Monday September 25, 2017 Text: Matthew 20:1-16 Speaker: Pastor Matthew Ude Festival: Trinity Tags: grace / laborers / parables / vineyard / works Passages: Matthew 20:1-16

WE RECEIVE BY HIS GRACE WHAT WE DO NOT DESERVE We have no chance if we come before His throne demanding what we think is right and what we think He might owe to us. For we deserve nothing, but if we admit this and come on the basis of His grace we receive everything.

Jesus’ Forgiveness Is Without Limit. What About Yours?

Monday September 18, 2017 Text: Matthew 18:21-35 Speaker: Pastor Matthew Ude Festival: Trinity Tags: forgiveness / repentance / unforgiving servant Passages: Matthew 18:21-35

Jesus has forgiven all the sins you have ever committed. There is nothing that any fellow human can do to you that can come anywhere near the severity and debt which you owe to God and He has forgiven you, therefore you also should forgive and let it go.

Christ is the Rock on Which We Stand

Monday August 28, 2017 Text: Matthew 16:13-20 Speaker: Pastor Matthew Ude Festival: Trinity Tags: bishop of rome / confession / homoiousia / homoousion / one substance / person of christ / peter / pope / rock / son of god Passages: Matthew 16:13-20

The focus of this passage is Jesus not Peter. It is Jesus and what Peter says about him that is the foundation of the Church. The Church stands because it is built on this truth that Jesus is the Son of the Living God. This truth is not something of man, but this is the declaration of the Father that He has revealed to Peter and us. Jesus also then makes a declaration, that the gates of heaven are open.

God So Loved the WORLD

Monday August 21, 2017 Text: Matthew 15:22-28 Speaker: Pastor Matthew Ude Festival: Trinity Tags: canaan / canaanite woman / faith alone / grace Passages: Matthew 15:22-28

This means that all people are saved by grace through faith, regardless of ethnicity, gender, nationality, language, cultural heritage, profession, church affiliation, or any other man made division. In the Old Testament the Lord commanded the Israelites to wipe out the Canaanites, and yet even then those Canaanites who repented were saved and those Israelites who did not believe were condemned. So also Jesus condemns the Israelites because of their unbelief andwickedness but saves this repentant Canaanite woman by Grace through faith. For with the Lord there is no partiality.

Call Upon Me In The Day of Trouble, I Will Deliver You

Tuesday August 15, 2017 Text: Matthew 14:22-33 Speaker: Pastor Matthew Ude Festival: Trinity Tags: faith / prayer / walking on water Passages: Matthew 14:22-33

It is not possible to explain away this miracle. You might hallucinate seeing a man walking on the water, but you certainly can’t hallucinate walking on the water yourself. Peter is either lying or this really happened as it says. The power that held Peter up did not come from his faith but from Jesus. Peter begins to sink not because Jesus’ power was weakened by his unbelief, but because Jesus used this opportunity as the ultimate object lesson. In desperation, in weakness, Peter cries to the Lord, and the Lord saves him.

Speaker Pastor Matthew Ude