Bloghardt's Reflector

St. Matthew 13:44-52 – Pentecost 11 - 2008
St. Mark Lutheran Church, Conroe, TX
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In the Name of Jesus. Amen. Dear saints of God, you are the pearl of great price, you are the treasure in the field, you are the fish caught in the dragnet which they picked out as good.

You are the ones that Jesus sells all that He has to acquire. He takes everything He has – even His own life – and gives it up to have you as His own.

My treasure. My pearl! My good fish! For the joy of it He does it – He purchases you from your sins, from death, and from the power of the death not with gold or silver but with His holy and precious blood and innocent suffering and death. (2^nd Article)

St. Matthew 11:25-30 – Pentecost 9a
St. Mark Lutheran Church, Conroe, TX
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In the name of Jesus. Amen. O what wretched man I am. Tired. Weary. Unable to do good. The good that I want to do, I don't do. The very things I hate, I do.

My sins weigh me down, like a weight on my back that I can't get rid of, like a sickness with no cure that saps my strength, and leaves me just... tired. And with all my will, I fight to be good just once, to pull myself up the hill but I just can't do it.

And when I look at my life, I see only my sins. The war – the constant battle between what I should do, and what I end up actually doing. From the good that I want to do, and the evil that I do daily and much. The war between Christ in me and my constant failures... And it seems that I'm losing...

St. Mathew 10:29 – Pentecost 6A – 2008
St. Mark Lutheran Church, Conroe, TX
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In the Name of Jesus. Amen. Don't fear. Don't fear dying. Don't fear living. Don't fear what they will do to you. Don't fear what you can't control. Don't fear what's around the corner, tomorrow, or the next day. Don't fear losing those your life. Don't fear losing your love ones. Don't fear losing anything.

Don't fear because you have a Father in Heaven. A Father who makes everything work out for you in Christ. The good, the bad, the ugly, the things that seem accidents, the things that seem rigged, the wins, the loses, everything works out for your salvation in Christ.

St. Matthew 19:5 – Lindsay Jonnson & Landon Reed Wedding
St. Mark Lutheran Church, Conroe, TX

In the Name of Jesus. Amen. Clearly, our Lord Jesus loves

St. Matthew 6:24-34 – Pentecost 2A (2008)
St. Mark Lutheran Church, Conroe, TX
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In the name of Jesus. Amen. He calls us oligopistoi. That not-so-little Greek word means, “little faith ones.” Or “ye of little faith.”

Little Faith ones, why do you worry? Little faith ones, why do you fret? I take care of the birds of the air. I take care of the lilies in the field. Aren't you more important to Me than the birds and lilies? If you know that, why do you worry?

The Father has saved you. He has bought you back from your sins, from your unbelief. Not because you are faithful, but because His Son was faithful unto death in your place.

Life and salvation given to you in the forgiveness of sins. And if you have heaven itself, then you have everything. Not a worry or care at all – your sins are forgiven. So no worrying, oligopistoi!

But, worry worry worry is what we do. We excel at it. We worry about tomorrow. We worry about our future. What we will do, eat, wear. We worry about our health. Then, we worry about your wealth. Worry about dreams, what we will be, what will happen to our job. Worry about little things, big things, and temporary things. Worry Worry Worry.