RoboPreacher

all i did was waste your time Continuing Luther's story by way of the fifth chapter of Romans Last week we talked about how Luther had grown up on the myth that we have it in us to earn God’s good graces. Experience , though, had taught him something else ; namely how impossible that is…   Luther tried to pull it off, only to find out how untrustworthy our efforts are; they run out when we most need them and go astray when you least expect them to. This experience agonized Martin. And in that agony, he began to grow angry with God … Thankfully, Luther’s superior knew a thing or two about spiritual distress like this, and ordered Luther to go teach Bible at Wittenberg University.   This promotion was a healing balm for Luther. Remember? Because it FORCED him out of himself and into the Bible . And there , out of himself and in the Bible , he finally heard what the Bible had been saying all along! That it’s not about us and our effort...

is the only honest way to go A reading from Romans 1 ,  the book that  rearranged Martin Luther’s theological furniture. And it was all because of three little words; righteousness of God … Luther was the son of a miner; and just as his father’s mining enterprises showed promise , so did Luther. Seeing this potential, his folks planned to have Luther study law. And Luther, to his credit, did well in those studies.   In those day the only way a common person could climb the ranks, was to work in the courts for the royalty. Which was the path Luther’s folks wanted him to travel… Only, after a while Luther began having doubts about this route. Yes, he was making his way in the world ; but what about his way with God? Even before his vow to enter the monastery, Martin was wrestling with these thoughts. He had nearly died from a wound himself earlier that year, and tragically one of his friends did suddenly die. These experiences seem to ...

am i good for nothing A sermon on Peter & Cornelius' visions This encounter between Peter and Cornelius is so important that it’s recounted three different times in Acts! And it is important. It’s the story of how the Christian church began.   And for us this story holds a special importance, it’s the story of how our inclusion in the church began… The first real question the church wrestled with, wasn’t whether jewish people could be saved. That was a given. Of course jewish people would be saved, they’re God’s chosen!   No. The real question was, could folks like us, “ gentiles by birth, aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenant of promise, having no hope and without God;” whether we could be saved. (Eph. 2:11-12) And this episode between Cornelius and Peter answers that question; “ All receive forgiveness of sins through Jesus ’ name!” (Acts 10:43) In Jesus, a new age, post partiality, has dawned! Now...