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Pastor Ralph’s Audio Sermons From December 2022 to September 2024 ————————————————————— September 29, 2024 Proper 21 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “A Recipe for Seasoned Disciples” Seasoned disciples are tolerant of those outside their circle. They are non-judgmental, kind, inclusive, loving. They marinate in God’s love. TEXT: Mark 38-41, 49-50
September 22, 2024 Proper 20 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “Children of the Heavenly Father” Our mission as disciples is to value people in the way God values people! TEXT: Mark 9:30-37
September 15, 2024 Proper 19 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “Lift High the Cross” To “Lift High the Cross” means to learn what God’s will is, which always involves serving others. TEXT: Mark 8:27-38
September 8, 2024 Proper 18 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “All Are Welcome” God’s love and healing power are NOT limited... TEXT: Mark 7:24-37
September 1, 2024 Proper 17 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “Being Right With God” We’re our best selves when our traditions and actions help us to be right with God and with others. TEXT: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 ————————————————————— August 25, 2024 Proper 16 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “Share a Little Bit of Your Love” Loving others, for us, is to be like breathing. So, we breathe kindness, compassion, forgiveness, generosity, LOVE. TEXT: John 15:9-17
August 18, 2024 Proper 15 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “Living Bread” This is both a sequel and a recap of last week’s sermon. We’re LIVING BREAD to others in kindness, compassion, ministry, etc. TEXT: John 6:51-58
August 11, 2024 Proper 14 at Faith Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “I AM Bread” When we’re kind to others... when we’re compassionate… when we genuinely say ‘I’m sorry’... when we say ‘I forgive you’... we’re BREAD to them. TEXT: John 6:35, 41-51
August 4, 2024 Proper 13 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “Food For Hungry Hearts” Being human means that we have hungry hearts. Our hearts growl with heart-hunger. God provides heart-food in every part of our lives. TEXT: John 6:24-35 ————————————————————— July 28, 2024 Proper 12 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA VIDEO VERSION WITH POWERPOINT SLIDES TITLE: “Enough and More Than Enough” There’s enough LOVE to calm every storm that comes our way. TEXT: John 6:1-21
July 21, 2024 Proper 11 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “Hunger of the Soul.” People are hungry for food, forgiveness, healing, and peace. TEXT: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
July 14, 2024 Proper 10 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “I Can See Clearly Now” Pray for those who are struggling physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. TEXT: Mark 8:22-25
July 7, 2024 Proper 9 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “Keep On Keeping On” God calls us to go out into the world and bring good news, healing, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and love. TEXT: Mark 6:1-13 ————————————————————— June 30, 2024 Proper 8 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “Healer of Our Every Ill” This is LIFE!” Most of the sermon is a three-act play. TEXT: Mark 5:21-43
June 23, 2024 Proper 7 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “Mega-Storm, Mega-Calm” Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. TEXT: Mark 4:35-41
June 16, 2024 Proper 6 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “God’s Crazy Garden” What we really need to do is to take our God-given seeds of kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and love, and scatter them EVERYWHERE. TEXT: Mark 4:26-34
June 9, 2024 Proper 5 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA VIDEO VERSION WITH POWERPOINT SLIDES TITLE: “Who Ya Gonna Call?” Jesus will forgive the unforgivable sin. TEXT: Mark 3:20-35
June 2, 2024 Proper 4 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “Do No Harm” When we harm another person, let’s TRIPLE our efforts to be kind, compassionate, and loving. TEXT: Mark 2:23--3:6 ————————————————————— May 19, 2024 Pentecost Sunday at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Erie PA TITLE: “God’s Language” God’s language is ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS the language of LOVE. (The message begins with a story from “Butterflies and Penguins: the Ralph & Jo Show.”) TEXT: Acts 2:1-21
May 12, 2024 Easter 7 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: Marinating in God’s Word Disciples of Jesus don’t marinate in hatefulness, hurtfulness, sin. Disciples of Jesus marinate in God’s Word, in God’s Love. TEXT: John 17:6-19
May 5, 2024 Easter 6 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “Love One Another” When we’re CONNECTED to Jesus, our lives are SATURATED with DIVINE LOVE. TEXT: John 15:9-17 ————————————————————— April 28, 2024 Easter 5 at Faith Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “The Vine and the Branches” We receive God’s divine love and we bring that love to others. TEXT: John 15:1-8
April 21, 2024 Easter 4 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “Jesus the Good Shepherd” Jesus is calling us into abundant life with him. TEXT: John 10:11-18
April 14, 2024 Easter 3 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “Resurrection Hope” HERE is where God gives new life... God is giving us new life NOW. TEXT: Luke 24:36b-48
April 7, 2024 Sunday after Easter at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “That You May Have Life” We can have that LIFE, that breath of God, that forgiveness, that peace, NOW, in the days ahead, and for all eternity. TEXT: John 20:19-31 ————————————————————— March 31, 2024 Easter Sunday at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “Easter Is Everywhere” Our calling as disciples is to recognize Jesus in all the places we go. TEXT: Mark 16:1-8 ————————————————————— February 19, 2023 Transfiguration at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA TITLE: “Watch Your Altitude!” When we’ve fallen down, Jesus lifts us with the power of the resurrection. Jesus gives us new life, and we become a transfigured church, making a difference in the world. TEXT: Matthew 17:1-9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ February 12, 2023 - 75th Anniversary of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA - SERMON (audio) February 12, 2023 - 75th Anniversary - BISHOP’S GREETINGS (audio) February 12, 2023 - 75th Anniversary - COMPLETE WORSHIP (audio) February 12, 2023 - 75th Anniversary - SERMON (video) February 12, 2023 - 75th Anniversary - BISHOP’S GREETINGS (video) February 12, 2023 - 75th Anniversary - COMPLETE WORSHIP (video) Let’s party like it’s 1948! The sermon begins with the early history of St. Paul’s. Jesus is the rock, the foundation of the church. We are living stones. TEXT: Matthew 16:13-19 and 1 Peter 2:1-9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ February 5, 2023 Epiphany 5 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA You are the salt of the earth, the light of the world, a city on a hill. Remember means to “jump into God’s story.” Jesus jumps into our lives! TEXT: Matthew 5:13-20 ————————————————————— January 29, Epiphany 4 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA Translating the Beatitudes into daily living. “Beloved are you!” Living our calling as disciples is challenging. God’s divine light is always with us. TEXT: Matthew 5:1-12
January 22, 2023 Epiphany 3 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA Jesus is the great light that shines in the darkness of our lives. Jesus calling disciples to “fish for people” means that Jesus wants to capture everyone’s heart. TEXT: Matthew 4:12-23
January 15, 2023 Baptism of our Lord at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA Jesus comes to us. God seeks us. Sometimes we need to pause and let go. But we don’t give up. God comes to us. God finds us. God gives to us. God embraces us with divine love. Love ripples! TEXT: Matthew 3:13-17
January 8, 2023 Epiphany at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Erie, PA The Magi, who followed the star were outcasts and foreigners. God guided them to the Savior. Seeking the Savior TOGETHER, God is always with us, guiding us. TEXT: Matthew 2:1-23
January 1, 2023 Sunday after Christmas at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Waterford, PA There’s a dark, ugly side to the world. Jesus came to be with us on our journey. TEXT: Matthew 2:13-23 ————————————————————— December 25, 2022 Christmas Day at Messiah Lutheran Church, Wesleyville, PA The shepherds were outcasts of society. The lowest were among the first to hear the divine, angelic announcement of Messiah’s birth. TEXT: Luke 2:8-20
December 24, 2022 Christmas Eve at Messiah Lutheran Church, Wesleyville, PA The message of the Christmas angels is good news from God for all people. God takes everything human and wraps it in swaddling clothes. Text: Luke 2:1-14
December 18, 2022 Advent 4 at Messiah Lutheran Church, Wesleyville, PA “Who needs Joseph?” An angel came to announce that Mary needed Joseph. This newborn baby needed Joseph. He was a righteous man. Text: Matthew 1:18-25
December 16, 2022 Blue Christmas at Messiah Lutheran Church, Wesleyville, PA Jesus receives our grief, our pain, our brokenness. Text: John 1:1-5, 14, 16 ————————————————————— |