Deo Gloria Sermon for Reformation Sunday, November 1, 2020 Pastor Martin Bentz   Text: Matthew 10:16-23 Theme: Stand Firm to the End! The world may oppose you. But God will help you.   The year was 1994; the country, Iran.  Pastor Mehdi Dibaj was on trial for his life.  An upper-class Muslin man, Mehdi and […]

Matthew 9:35-38                                Equipping Christian Witnesses                                    10-25-20   Dear friends in Christ, “so what’s the plan?”  That is the question that came to my mind as I chatted with the chairman of our church property committee.  It was early summer.  After worship we walked outside to look at the landscaping.  Right around the front door weeds […]

Deo Gloria Sermon for October 18, 2020 Pastor Martin Bentz   Text: Ruth 4 Theme: Abundantly Blessed! Blessed to have a kinsman-redeemer Blessed to have a son and grandson Blessed to be included in the family line of the Savior   When we think of Ruth and the book that bears her name, the first […]

Sermon for October 11, 2020 Ruth 3   Dear friends in Christ, I think you will agree with me when I say that we hear about some pretty amazing marriage proposals now-a-days. There are stories about engagement rings hidden in cupcakes; banners asking “Will you marry me” towed behind a low flying plane; the same […]

Deo Gloria Sermon for October 4, 2020 Pastor Martin Bentz   Text: Ruth 2 Theme: First Impressions   Two weeks ago we began this sermon series on the book of Ruth entitled “The Family Tree.”  Together let’s watch a video that recaps chapter 1. So here’s an interesting quote: “You never get a second chance […]

Dear friends in Christ, just last week my daughter-in-law mentioned that her aunt asked her to keep the family Bible. Being a life-long Lutheran, I asked her “What does this mean?”  It meant that she would be charged with the task of tracing the family lineage.  Who married whom?  Were there any children?  When were […]

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; (Proverbs 3:9)   Honor the Lord with your wealth It’s an amazing request for you and me He gives us wealth to get the job done   How do you feel when someone takes you aside and says: “I have an important job for you!” What comes […]

Deo Gloria Sermon for September 13, 2020 Pastor Martin Bentz   Text: Psalm 63:3-5 Theme: The 7 Wonders of the Spiritual World Wonder #7 – God Satisfies Me!   If you listen closely to the conversations around you, you often notice a similar theme: “Phil just hasn’t found himself yet.”  “Jill is getting restless again.”  […]

Sermon for September 6, 2020 1 Corinthians 12:27   Dear friends in Christ, this weekend Americans pause to celebrate Labor Day.  As you may know, Labor Day is a federal holiday with a rich tradition.  It all goes back to the late 1800s.  That was the height of the American industrial revolution.  History tells us […]

Deo Gloria Sermon for August 30, 2020 Pastor Martin Bentz   Text: Psalm 119:105 Theme: The 7 Wonders of the Spiritual World Wonder #5 – God Guides Me!   I don’t know about you, but sometimes I don’t know what I’d do without Google maps.  I mean, I have a fairly good sense of direction […]