Immanuel Lutheran School

“Jesus Brings Light”. Immanuel Lutheran Church in Medford shares this Epiphany message.

Immanuel Lutheran Church was live!

https://fb.watch/i0upS9-B59/?mibextid=cr9u03

God has everything under His control-Give thanks to the Lord!

https://fb.watch/g3QsvnNvFi/?mibextid=89stFX

Here is this weeks service from Immanuel. We are no longer live streaming the 8 am service regularly.

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”

Many Christians struggle with their prayer life. On the one hand prayer is the easiest thing of all, it is simply talking to God because you are a believer. Like other areas of life, the more we think about prayer, the more we can question why and how it works and whether or not we are doing it correctly. If this is you, don’t feel too bad, even the closest followers of Jesus asked him to teach them how to pray. This is what today’s gospel is all about. Today we have a very simple theme on what can be a complicated and difficult subject. Our sermon theme is: Pray

Most children look with great anticipation to those times and events when they will receive a gift. Birthdays and Christmas are the usual times when people receive gifts but other events warrant them as well. A question in today’s gospel as Jesus enters into the home of Mary and Martha is: What is so important for God himself to come into this world and personally deliver to people individually? Today Jesus speaks of one thing that is needed by each and every person. Our sermon text for today is the Gospel of Luke and our theme is Do You Have What It Takes?

Once when asked about what is the greatest law Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Each of today’s readings has something important to say about love, especially loving one’s neighbor. Our sermon text for today is the Gospel of Luke and our theme is "What Is Your Story?"

God is not silent. To rebellious sinners God speaks words of wrath and condemnation through the law. To broken and contrite sinners God speaks the wonderful good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. God’s Word is living and active and it is the means by which God creates a people for himself. Everything depends on the Word of God. For this Word to be heard God in the past sent prophets and apostles. Today he continues to send out pastors, teachers, evangelists and missionaries. Our focus for today is that God Delivers His Word..

The season of Pentecost is the season of God’s presence in this world through his church. For God to have a people to be his own God must take lives damaged and broken by sin and put them back to order. Last week we encountered a man who once had a home but who became demon possessed. Jesus healed that man and allowed him to “return home” better than ever. Today we encounter in Jesus’ teachings a call to order in our own lives as we follow him. There are so many things today that compete for our time, our money, our loyalty, our devotion. We desire to have so many things in our lives but in the end there is room for Only One to have the top place in our heart.

We are now in the season of Pentecost which may be referred to as the non-festival season of the church year. We do not leave the central message of Christ and his work in our lives and in our world. These many weeks of Pentecost are a celebration of who we are as the church, the body of Christ, in this world and the work we are able to do in him. Apart from Christ we can do nothing, everything depends on grace. This week we encounter Christ healing a demon possessed man who is a Gentile. The scope and the power of Christ are on full display. This week’s message is based on Luke 8:26-39.

This week we celebrate the Holy Trinity. Once a year we publicly speak aloud the longest of the three ecumenical (shared by all) creeds, the Athanasian Creed. We believe, teach, and confess very specific things about God. We believe that God is three persons who all act in harmony bringing about our salvation. What we believe and confess is critically important for our salvation, so much so that the creed ends with these words: Whoever does not faithfully and firmly believe this cannot be saved. What we believe about God is important, equally important is living daily in our words and in our actions as if we know God personally and represent him to the world.