In John 16, Jesus doesn't deny that sorrow is real. Instead, He acknowledges it head-on! But He also promises: "Your sorrow will turn into joy." Christ carries us through pain not by removing it, but by being with us in it. And the joy He gives? It doesn't erase the sorrow. It reframes it. Because our joy is built on the resurrection promise: Because Jesus lives, so will we.
---------------------------------------
Takeaways:

• Jesus names your sorrow—but also reframes it through His resurrection
• God’s presence is real, even when unnoticed
• Joy in Christ doesn’t depend on understanding, but on His nearness
• We don’t see Jesus, but we hear Him—and faith comes by hearing
• The pain of this life, like labor, will give way to joy that lasts

---------------------------------------
Location: St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Gibbon (LCMS)

---------------------------------------
Subscribe: Subscribe for Christ-centered preaching that walks honestly through sorrow and anchors you in resurrection joy.
-------------------------------------------------------
#SorrowToJoy #John16Sermon #EasterSeason #LutheranPreaching #JesusStillSpeaks #FaithInTrials #LCMS #ResurrectionHope #ChristianEncouragement #SermonOnSuffering

You’ve felt it—that cold moment when fear whispers, “Maybe you don’t belong.”
Shame, exhaustion, or silence from heaven makes you wonder if Jesus has forgotten your name.

But into that fear, Jesus speaks: “I am the Good Shepherd.”

This sermon explores the comfort of knowing that you are not forgotten, not forsaken, and not alone. You belong to Jesus because He already claimed you before time began, laid down His life for you, and still calls you by name through His Word, Sacraments, and Church.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Takeaways:

• Jesus dies for you not to possibly make you His own, but because you already belong to Him.
• Shame and doubt whisper “You don’t belong,” but Jesus answers, “You are Mine.”
• The Shepherd’s voice still speaks today through Word and Sacrament.
• You are kept by Christ’s mercy, not your performance.
• Belonging to Jesus means you always have a place to return to.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Location: St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Gibbon (LCMS)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe for Christ-centered preaching that proclaims law and gospel, comfort and truth, every single week.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
#GoodShepherdSunday #YouBelongToJesus #John10Sermon #LutheranPreaching #LCMS #WordAndSacrament #JesusKnowsYou #BaptismalIdentity #GospelComfort #EasterSeason #SermonOnJohn10

What happens when fear locks the door — but Christ comes through anyway? In this sermon for Quasimodogeniti (the Second Sunday of Easter), we explore how Jesus still invades locked rooms and hidden fears with His wounds, His Word, and His Spirit. From the stunned disciples to the doubting Thomas, to us today, Christ meets fear with forgiveness, doubt with proof, and death with new life. Are you hiding behind locked doors of fear, guilt, or shame? Come and see the marks of His love, hear His living Word, and breathe in His Spirit anew.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Takeaways:

• Christ’s peace is a legal declaration, not a fleeting emotion
• His wounds are proof, not shame, and remain visible by choice
• Faith grows not by staring at doubts, but by touching Christ’s gifts
• Forgiveness is the foundation of all true Christian ministry
• God's gifts nourish us even when we cannot fully understand them

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Location: St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Gibbon (LCMS)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe: Subscribe for Christ-centered sermons that feed faith with God's Word and gifts.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
#EasterSeason #DoubtingThomas #ForgivenessOfSins #Resurrection #Quasimodogeniti #PeaceOfChrist #FaithOverFear #LutheranSermon #LCMS #ChristianMinistry