Sermons and Such at First Lutheran, Houston

Sermon for Pentecost Sunday that contrasts the time before and after the giving of the Spirit.

A Look at Mother's Day in light of some cultural movements.

Peter's audience needed a pep talk. So do we. Here's one.

Sermon for Easter 3, 2023. A look at the "unbelievable" nature of the post-resurrection narratives.

A look at Jesus teaching on the "Office of the Keys"

A look at overcoming the forces of darkness and living in light of the resurrection.

A look at the question of justice.

A look at the Lord's Supper on the night that Jesus instituted it.

The entirety of Lazarus' story from John 11 was the Gospel. This sermon looks at Jesus' and the disciple's choice to go into Judea, an area known to be dangerous to them.

This sermon looks at the story of the man born blind in John 9.

Sermon for Lent 3, 2023

Jesus and Nicodemus for the Second Sunday of Lent. 

Sermon for Lent 1, 2023

Sermon for Ash Wednesday.

Sermon for Transfiguration Sunday

Sermon for Epiphany 5, 2023

The text is read throughout the sermon. From Micah 6:1-8. 

Based on 1 Corinthians 1, the fools of the world vs. the wisdom of the cross. 

Jesus calls the disciples to ministry and disrupts their lives. 

A look at how gentle God is in dealing with our sin. And a consideration of how baptism is of daily meaning for the Christian. 

The Festival for the Name of Jesus (January 1) falls on a Sunday this year, so this sermon will consider Jesus' name and the power within it. 

The light of Christianity amidst the culture of death. 

Thoughts on what it really means to be human as we consider the incarnation on Christmas Eve. 

Sermon for Advent 3. 

Two sermons for Advent, one on the beauty of swords being beaten into plowshares, and one on the kind of character of John the Baptist. 

The first for Pentecost 23 looks at how, not so much how the world is ending, but how the world as we have known it is ending. The second is for Christ the King Sunday. Jesus isn't asking to be king; he's proclaiming that he IS king. 

Sermon for All Saints Sunday

Sermon for Reformation Sunday

Sermon for Pentecost 20 2022

A look at Jeremiah and the healed leper as a way of dealing with frustration. 

What does Jeremiah's land acquisition have to tell us about God? 

The parable of the unjust steward. What lessons might this parable have for us? After all, the main character is dishonest!

A look at the famous parable from Luke 15. 

Sermon for Pentecost 13. A look at Jesus command to rid of everything we own if we are to be his followers. 

A look at humility. 

A look at the debate between Jesus and the synagogue leader who criticized Jesus for healing on the sabbath. 

Just going for alliteration...both Gospel texts are from Luke 12. 

A sermon on Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Well, it is almost the Fourth of July...this sermon walks through Galatians 5 and the nature of Christian freedom.

A look at the Luke 8 story of Jesus casting demons into swine. Is this story REALLY true? If so, what does that tell us about the nature of the world? 

Looking at the nature of our faith using the Athanasian Creed as a guide. 

How to know when the Spirit is at work. 

Has God left us? 

A look at competing desires. The text is the healing of the man who was lame for 38 years, John 5:1-9. 

A look at Acts 11:1-18 and how institutions fail, but God's will is still done. 

Sermon for Easter 4

Sermon for Easter 3, 2022

Sermon for Easter 2, 2022

Sermon for Easter Sunday 2022

Theories on the atonement, and the scriptural references. 

Sermon for Maundy Thursday 2022

Jesus is not a fake tough guy. Far from it! 

A look at Mary's anointing of Jesus' feet. 

Sermon for Lent 4, 2022

A look at our habit of excuse making in the life of the church. 

Luke 13;31-35. On building a Christian world in the midst of Herods. 

A look at our consumption in a fragile age. 

Two Sermons: Epiphany 7 and Transfiguration

Listen to find out what is in them! 

On the demand for Jesus to do everything for us...Christians are not utopians. 

A reminder about Law and Gospel with a look at Psalm 19 and Luke 4. 

A look at the Baptism of Jesus...

A brisk walk through John 1:1-18. 

The last class wrapping up the subject. For now. 

This sermon looks at a variety of news stories and contrasts them with the beautiful humanity we see in the beginning of the Christmas story. 

This sermon for Advent 2 looks at John being a voice in the wilderness and how we are called to be the same. 

This wraps up the Greek view of demons, looks at current issues to be on guard against (ahem, "Jesus Calling"), and begins a look at the New Testament. 

Is Christ the King of the whole world? Or just the church? And what difference would it make? 

A continuation of our Sunday School class on demons/demonology. We look at more of the Babylonian and ancient Hebrew understand of demons and exorcisms. 

This is the recording of a recent class on demons. I was asked to put it out there for later consumption so here you go. There are parts of the class where class members made comments or asked questions, but as they were too far from the microphone could not be heard. So if it seems as though I am jumping around a bit, that is why. 

This sermon considers the depth of the problem of sin in light of offering evidences to unbelievers. 

The Gospel lesson is Mark 10:46-52, the healing of Bartimaeus and his subsequent following of Jesus. We have our own blindness and our own difficulties in following Jesus. 

This sermon is based on Mark 10:35-45 where the disciples ask to sit at Jesus' right and left. In what way are we being led by ambitions "Gentiles" and what does Christianity teach us about leadership? 

In the end, we either live by God's rule or we believe we are God. You see this quite clearly in the story of the rich young ruler. 

A sermon that looks at demonic activity past and present. 

On the argument among the disciples about who was the greatest. 

This sermon considers civilization in light Peter's confession of Jesus as the Messiah and the 20th anniversary of 9/11 

The first sermon looks at legalism in the scripture and in our own day. The second looks at "muscular Christianity" through the eyes of that famous Syrophoenician woman. 

This sermon for Pentecost 13 considers where home is. (Hint: for the Christian, it is wherever Jesus is.) I also included the recording of the congregation singing "Abide with Me." 

Wisdom vs. Knowledge: which is better? 

After vacation and some technical difficulties, here are two sermons from August 1 and 8. Both focus on portions of John 6...for the most part. 

The Bible includes many, many stories of victory. So why are Christians embarrassed to make that proclamation and instead always play defense? 

How and when and where does God's Kingdom grow? In the most unlikeliest of places.

This sermon attempts to grasp the way the nature of God - His being three eternal person who have always known peace and love among one another - speaks to our own lack of contentment. 

A word on not being ashamed of the Word of God. 

Sermon for Easter 5, 2021. This sermon looks at the way Christians can too often become cynical or pessimistic when we, in fact, have very good reasons to be optimistic. (I grant that "pessimistic" and "optimistic" are not necessarily biblical words, but hopefully they do not do the ideas injustice.)

Easter 7 Sermon: You Are Not of This World

More importantly, does anyone care? 

Sermons for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. 

Reflections on Hebrews 5 and the concept of priest vs. pastor. Yes, the Gospel is right in the middle of it all. 

Some thoughts on baptism, daily repentance, and the call to holiness.

A look at 2 Corinthians 4. 

Given the freeze here in Texas and some recent sad news, this sermon looks at the challenges of living in a fallen world and the promises that are offered in baptism. 

This sermon looks at two Old Testament passages (which will be quoted in the sermon itself) to answer the question of what Christians can hope in. 

A look at Paul's teaching on meat sacrificed to idols in 1 Corinthians 8. Surely a culture-shaping passage! 

The Gospel lesson did not make it into the recording, so I'll type it in here. The basic theme - given Jesus' calling of the fisherman disciples - is that the basic message of Christianity is really quite simple, even though we try to make it more difficult than it is. It's so easy, even these fisherman got it, and so can we. 

14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

19 And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.

20 And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

A look at Jesus' call to follow him. What might the costs be, especially in a changing society? 

We look at humans in theology this week. 

In the midst of tumultuous times, do our baptisms have anything to say about our ultimate loyalties? 

A day late perhaps, but the message really never changes, does it? 

We begin to look at the question of what really is a human. 

A sermon for Christmas 2, 2021

Sunday School Class on Evolution, Part 6

Joshua, Jesus...what's in a name? Sermon for Advent 4

We begin to dig into Joshua Swamidass' book, The Genealogical Adam and Eve. 

A look at the way God uses ordinary people - like Mary and John - while we only pay attention to the extraordinary. 

Sunday School Class on Evolution, Part 4

This sermon looks at John the Baptist and asks whether we still have the bite that he had as a prophet of God. 

This is the third class on the topic of evolution. If you notice what seem to be skips, there are times when I cut out audience conversation because it is hard to hear.

This is the second class on the topic of evolution. If you notice what seem to be skips, there are times when I cut out audience conversation because it is hard to hear.

This is the first class on the topic of evolution. If you notice what seem to be skips, there are times when I cut out audience conversation because it is hard to hear. 

This sermon looks at the parable of the talents and the incredible value of hard work. Perhaps we don't say that often because we do not want to confuse it with our message of salvation by grace apart from good works? 

The story of the Bible is a story of survival, not only of the texts themselves, but their clear meaning through the centuries. 

The sermon for Pentecost 20 looks at Jesus' infamous words regarding giving to God what is God's and to Caesar what is Caesar's, 

The sermon for Pentecost 19 which looks at the parable of the Wedding Banquet from Matthew 22. 

A look at confronting sin and asking which should win out, grace or truth? 

The main text for this sermon is Exodus 3 when Moses encounters God in the burning bush and gives his proper name. What does that have to do with Jesus? A lot! 

This sermon looks at Paul's description of "Spiritual worship" in Romans 12. Yes, it is a little echo-y at first but soon the audio is perfect. 

Do we need to defend Jesus in his exchange with the Syrophenecian woman in Matthew 15:21-28? This is the sermon for First Lutheran's August 16 worship service. 

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Weeds) and cancel culture. 

A look at Esau despising his birthright. 

Sermon for Pentecost 5. 

Sermons for Pentecost and Holy Trinity Sundays

Adult Baptism/Confirmation Class #4

This is the eighth of an 8-week class I taught several years ago for adults who were to be baptized. It is a primer on the Bible, a look at Luther's Small Catechism, and a study of Galatians. It can only be a summary, but it is a good start to one's life of faith.

This is the seventh of an 8-week class I taught several years ago for adults who were to be baptized. It is a primer on the Bible, a look at Luther's Small Catechism, and a study of Galatians. It can only be a summary, but it is a good start to one's life of faith.

This is the sixth of an 8-week class I taught several years ago for adults who were to be baptized. It is a primer on the Bible, a look at Luther's Small Catechism, and a study of Galatians. It can only be a summary, but it is a good start to one's life of faith.

This is the fifth of an 8-week class I taught several years ago for adults who were to be baptized. It is a primer on the Bible, a look at Luther's Small Catechism, and a study of Galatians. It can only be a summary, but it is a good start to one's life of faith.

This is the third of an 8-week class I taught several years ago for adults who were to be baptized. It is a primer on the Bible, a look at Luther's Small Catechism, and a study of Galatians. It can only be a summary, but it is a good start to one's life of faith.

This is the second of an 8-week class I taught several years ago for adults who were to be baptized. It is a primer on the Bible, a look at Luther's Small Catechism, and a study of Galatians. It can only be a summary, but it is a good start to one's life of faith.

This is the first of an 8-week class I taught several years ago for adults who were to be baptized. It is a primer on the Bible, a look at Luther's Small Catechism, and a study of Galatians. It can only be a summary, but it is a good start to one's life of faith. 

On God's grace and our responsibilities

A look at what Peter says about growing into faith. 

A look at the text from Peter 2 on Good Shepherd Sunday, 2020. 

Jesus fulfills the Old Testament Law and Prophets. So why don't Christians have more knowledge of the Old Testament? 

What does peace look like in the age of pandemic? 

With paganism being such a great option, why am I a Christian, again? 

Who is the man on the cross? 

On the meal we are not having tonight...

Sermon for Palm Sunday

The audio quality is not what I would hope for. I had to pull it off of our YouTube Live feed. Alas. The Gospel lesson is John 9, the story of the man born blind. The main gist of the sermon is that Christianity is not only about comfort, but it is also about truth. This is an age where the truth is being revealed and that is a good thing. Also, Jesus is THE Truth!

Temptation and Victory: A sermon for Lent 1

We'll look at whether the critics of Christianity can possibly be right when they consider it a massive con job. 

This sermon looks at the difference between seeking to love God in all things and doing the minimum we can to stay in God's good graces. 

Really Lutherans, its okay to do good works. Your neighbor needs them. 

A sermon for Epiphany 2 on the gifts Christians have and new temptations in a technological age. 

Sermons and Such is a podcast produced by First Lutheran Church in Houston. First Lutheran is a traditional congregation and a member of the North American Lutheran Church. Their pastor, Evan McClanahan, preaches from the 3-year lectionary. This podcast is meant to offer members a chance to hear the sermon if they are unable to be present as well as offer prospective visitors a sense of what goes on at First Lutheran any given Sunday. If it also benefits other Christians, wonderful!