Para Vista Lutheran Church

Good Friday: A Celebration of the Father's Love (Audio)

A message from Pastor Peter Steicke.

This is the week that changes everything.  Without Good Friday we're lost in our guilt and shame, alienated from God, and showing the worst of ourselves to others.  Without Easter we have a dead Jesus, empty promises, and nothing to pin our hopes on.

But through Jesus we have a living hope (1 Peter 1:3).  Everything Father God promised, all that he offers, every possible transformation, it all comes true because Jesus is alive.

If you don't feel that way, I invite you to investigate the Easter message anyway.  After all, those first followers didn't expect him to be alive even though Jesus foretold it.  He met them amid their doubts and fears, struggles and loss.

Likewise, Jesus meets you right where you are.  I invite you to join in celebrating Jesus, our living hope.

 

Good Friday: A Celebration of the Father's Love (Video)

A message from Pastor Peter Steicke.

This is the week that changes everything.  Without Good Friday we're lost in our guilt and shame, alienated from God, and showing the worst of ourselves to others.  Without Easter we have a dead Jesus, empty promises, and nothing to pin our hopes on.

But through Jesus we have a living hope (1 Peter 1:3).  Everything Father God promised, all that he offers, every possible transformation, it all comes true because Jesus is alive.

If you don't feel that way, I invite you to investigate the Easter message anyway.  After all, those first followers didn't expect him to be alive even though Jesus foretold it.  He met them amid their doubts and fears, struggles and loss.

Likewise, Jesus meets you right where you are.  I invite you to join in celebrating Jesus, our living hope.

 

Our Family Meal (Audio)

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 11: 23 - 26.

Bishop Andrew Brook

Our Family Meal (Video)

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 11: 23 - 26.

Bishop Andrew Brook

Jesus Came to Paint a Different Picture! (Audio)

Have you ever been in a conversation with somebody where you felt like you were just “talking past each other”? Do you know what I mean? It’s like you’re saying something … but they’re hearing something else … and they say something, but you don’t understand—it happens a lot when people are trying to give directions.

Or have you ever just gotten to the place where you said: “Do you want me to draw you a picture?”

I reckon Jesus was at that point when He rode into Jerusalem on a colt of a donkey—I reckon He felt like he had done all he could do. He had healed the sick … He had made the blind see again … He had fed hungry multitudes … He had touched lepers and cast out demons—isn’t that what the Messiah was all about? Healing and restoration and deliverance? And yet the disciples and the crowds had their eyes open for a warrior … a rebel … somebody to lead the revolt against those hated Romans. I reckon Jesus had gotten to the point where he just wanted to say: “Do you want me to draw you a picture of why I’m here?”—and He actually did.

And so … dramatically … and visibly … and clearly, Jesus arranged for the words of the prophet Zechariah to be fulfilled Zechariah, who many years before had said: “Rejoice, O daughter of Zion! Shout! Your king comes to you – triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” It was a dramatic message—it was a visible message—it was Jesus drawing a picture of why he had come to the world!

 

Bible Readings: Mark 11:1-11 (NLT)

Jesus Came to Paint a Different Picture! (Video)

Have you ever been in a conversation with somebody where you felt like you were just “talking past each other”? Do you know what I mean? It’s like you’re saying something … but they’re hearing something else … and they say something, but you don’t understand—it happens a lot when people are trying to give directions.

Or have you ever just gotten to the place where you said: “Do you want me to draw you a picture?”

I reckon Jesus was at that point when He rode into Jerusalem on a colt of a donkey—I reckon He felt like he had done all he could do. He had healed the sick … He had made the blind see again … He had fed hungry multitudes … He had touched lepers and cast out demons—isn’t that what the Messiah was all about? Healing and restoration and deliverance? And yet the disciples and the crowds had their eyes open for a warrior … a rebel … somebody to lead the revolt against those hated Romans. I reckon Jesus had gotten to the point where he just wanted to say: “Do you want me to draw you a picture of why I’m here?”—and He actually did.

And so … dramatically … and visibly … and clearly, Jesus arranged for the words of the prophet Zechariah to be fulfilled Zechariah, who many years before had said: “Rejoice, O daughter of Zion! Shout! Your king comes to you – triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” It was a dramatic message—it was a visible message—it was Jesus drawing a picture of why he had come to the world!

 

Bible Readings: Mark 11:1-11 (NLT)

How to Spend Your Life? (Audio)

Many times, Jesus said if we hoard our life, we would in the end lose it, but if we spent our life, we would gain it.

There’s no doubt we may exist longer if we only look after ourselves, but we may not ever actually live.

Today’s sermon explores the idea of how to spend our lives.

Pastor Paul Fielke

Bible Readings: John 12:20-28 (MSG)

How to Spend Your Life? (Video)

Many times, Jesus said if we hoard our life, we would in the end lose it, but if we spent our life, we would gain it.

There’s no doubt we may exist longer if we only look after ourselves, but we may not ever actually live.

Today’s sermon explores the idea of how to spend our lives.

Pastor Paul Fielke

Bible Readings: John 12:20-28 (MSG)

What are you looking at? (Audio)

“What are you looking at?” I was asked that question recently and I nearly blushed (harder to do at my age!). What we focus on has a lot to do with what we really see, and how we then make our decisions. The Bible has many examples of how things went wrong when people focused on the wrong things.  Christians today face the same temptations, and the Bible still gives the same solution: “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.” (Hebrews 12:2.)

Pastor Robert Voigt

Bible Readings: John 3:14-16 (NLT)

What are you looking at? (Video)

“What are you looking at?” I was asked that question recently and I nearly blushed (harder to do at my age!). What we focus on has a lot to do with what we really see, and how we then make our decisions. The Bible has many examples of how things went wrong when people focused on the wrong things.  Christians today face the same temptations, and the Bible still gives the same solution: “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.” (Hebrews 12:2.)

Pastor Robert Voigt

Bible Readings: John 3:14-16 (NLT)