St. Stephen Podcasts

July 25, 2010

Lessons:

Ezekiel 18:1-4
Matthew 15:7-14

Sermon:

Church: “A Gathering Of Believers”
1. An example “taken” from the gathering
2. Lessons learned by the believers
Acts 5:1-11 (NIV)

1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. 7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” 9 Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

 

 A Day In The Courts Of The Lord (1) - What Is Church? [64:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

July 18, 2010

A worship service using as its basis a paper presented by the Rev. Todd Ohlmann to the 29th Convention and 50th Anniversary of the Church of the Lutheran Confession.  That paper can be found here.

 

 Hope For The Future [63:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

July 11, 2010

Lessons:

Galatians 6:1-10; 14-16
Luke 10:1-12: 16-20

Sermon:

Recognize The Conduct Of Royalty
1. Conscientious of the Lord’s will (v. 1-7)
2. Reflective of the Lord’s mercy (v. 8-15)
3. Blessed of the Lord’s hand (v. 16-20)
1 Samuel 24:1-20 (NIV)

1 After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 2 So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.

3 He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4 The men said, “This is the day the LORD spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’ ” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.

5 Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6 He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.” 7 With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

8 Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. 9 He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? 10 This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the LORD’s anointed.’ 11 See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. 12 May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. 13 As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you.

14 “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? 15 May the LORD be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.”

16 When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And he wept aloud. 17 “You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. 18 You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the LORD delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. 19 When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the LORD reward you well for the way you treated me today. 20 I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.

 

 The Attitude Of Christ's Humility - Is It In You? [62:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

July 4, 2010

Lessons:

1 Kings 19:14-21
Luke 9:51-62

Sermon:

Give Me Liberty (In Christ)…Or Give Me Death!
1. The Law brings Bondage
2. But Grace brings Liberty
Galatians 5:1 (NKJV)

1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

 

 God's Grace Throughout His-Story... [66:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

June 27, 2010

Lessons:

Zechariah 13:7-9
Luke 9:18-24

Sermon:

Let Me Tell You About THE Good Confession!
1. The good confession points to Christ
2. The good confession is based on God’s Word
3. The good confession produces blessings
1 Timothy 6:12-13 (NASB)

12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate…

 

 Faith In God's Promises Allows Us To Serve Him Boldly! [57:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

June 20, 2010

Lessons:

2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15
Luke 7:36-50

Sermon:

Christ Lives In Me
1. It means that someone had else had to leave
2. It means that all of life is affected
3. It means that I am an epistle to the world
Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)

20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

 

 Our Father Forgives Because Of Christ! [46:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

June 13, 2010

Lessons:

1 Kings 17:17-24
Luke 7:11-17

Sermon:

God’s Word is A Message About Sin and Grace!
1. Through His Law God reveals our sin
2. Through His Gospel God bestows His grace!
Romans 3:19-24 (NKJV)

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

 

 Rejoice In God's Love & Grace - It Is Undeserved! [41:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

June 6, 2010

Lessons:

1 Kings 8:22-23,41-43
Galatians 1:1-10
Luke 7:1-10

Sermon:

Graduate Today “With Honors”
1. Because today is more than about your “honorable mention”
2. Because today is about living to honor…again and again
Galatians 1:10 (NIV)

10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

 

 God's Love Is A Model For My Own [59:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

May 30, 2010

Lesson:

Romans 5:1-5

 

 Confirming Our Good Confession [61:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

May 23, 2010

Lesson:

John 15:26-27

Sermon:

Witnessing 101
1. From “The Tower Of Power”
2. To “The Pentecost Hour”
Genesis 11:1-9 (NIV) and
Acts 2:1-21 (NIV)

Genesis 11:1-9: 1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” 5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” 8 So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel —because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Acts 2:1-21: 1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 ” ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ “

 

 Celebration Of The Work Of The Holy Spirit [62:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download