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Why Does David Stop Saying “He”? | Christ For You Psalm 23 | Baptism of Luke Townson Why does Psalm 23 suddenly change? Why does David begin by saying, “He makes me lie down… He leads me… He restores my soul,” and then, right in the middle of the Psalm, stop saying “He” and start saying “You”? Why does the Psalm become more personal exactly when David enters the valley of the shadow of death? You would expect the opposite. You would expect David to feel close to God in the green pastures and far from Him in the valley. You would expect him to speak to God when life is peaceful and speak about God from a distance when death gets near. But Psalm 23 does something surprising. In this sermon, Pastor Rojas shows how the deepest comfort of Psalm 23 is found in that sudden turn: “For You are with me.” The valley is not where God becomes distant. The valley is where faith stops merely speaking about God and begins speaking to Him. And the reason David can walk through the valley without fear is not because death is weak, but because Christ, the Good Shepherd, has already gone through death for His sheep. What does Psalm 23 teach us about suffering, death, Baptism, and the comfort of Christ? What does it mean that God does not always tell us why, but He does tell us where He is? And how does the Good Shepherd bring His sheep all the way through the valley and into the house of the Lord forever? Subscribe & Share: Spotify: Christ For You Português: Cristo Para Você Website: ZionWG.org Looking for a Lutheran Church near you? Support the preaching of God’s Word.

Can a Person Really Forgive Your Sins? | Christ For You John 20:19–31 | Easter 2 Can a man really forgive sins? Can a pastor really say, “I forgive you all your sins”? Isn’t that something only God can do? If Jesus won forgiveness on the cross nearly two thousand years ago, then how does that forgiveness get here to you now? And if it comes through the Word, why does that Word come through the mouth of a man? In this Easter 2 sermon, Pastor Rojas begins with Christ’s full satisfaction for all sin and then asks the question every Christian must answer: how do you get that forgiveness? If you cannot go back to Golgotha, and if merely standing at the cross would not have saved even those who were there, then how does the forgiveness Jesus won there get delivered here, to you, now? This sermon shows that God does not tell sinners to go find forgiveness. He brings forgiveness to them through His Word. But if forgiveness comes through the Word, then how do you hear that Word? Through a voice, a mouth, a man. And that is where many object. This sermon answers the common offense people take at absolution and shows from Scripture that Christians really do forgive one another, and that Christ has also instituted a public office in which pastors forgive sins in His stead and by His command. Above all, John 20 shows that Jesus is not merely giving information about forgiveness. He breathes the Holy Spirit on His apostles and says, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.” In other words, these words do not merely talk about forgiveness. They give it. This sermon shows why absolution is not arrogance, not Romanism, and not empty ceremony, but the living voice of the risen Christ for terrified sinners. If you have ever wondered how the forgiveness Christ won on the cross gets to you now, why a pastor can say, “I forgive you all your sins,” or why this matters so deeply for the guilty, the burdened, and the dying, this sermon is for you. Subscribe & Share: Spotify: Christ For You Português: Cristo Para Você Website: ZionWG.org Looking for a Lutheran Church near you? Support the preaching of God’s Word.

Does You Need Faith To Celebrate Easter? | Christ For You Easter Sunday Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Can the resurrection actually stand up to scrutiny? Why does Christianity make such enormous public claims about a man who was crucified, buried, and then seen alive again? Why was the tomb empty? Why were the disciples suddenly changed? Why did James go from unbeliever to preacher? Why did Saul of Tarsus, Christianity’s fiercest enemy, become its boldest preacher? And if Easter is true, then what does that mean for you?  In this Easter Sunday sermon, Pastor Rojas proclaims that Christianity is not built on myth, private feelings, or blind faith, but on what God did in real history. The resurrection was public. The tomb was empty. The witnesses were many. The apostles preached Christ risen immediately, boldly, and in the very place where He had been killed. This sermon walks through the facts of Easter and shows why the resurrection of Jesus is not a religious opinion, but a reality written into history.  But this sermon does not stop there. It goes on to answer the deeper question: why did this happen? Because sin is real. God’s wrath against sin is real. And so Christ came with a real body, real blood, real pain, real tears, and real judgment for real sinners. He took your guilt, bore your condemnation, carried your curse, and rose so that you would never doubt what His cross accomplished.  And then this sermon asks one final question: what happens now? Now you have peace with God. Now you have a new life to live. Now you have eternal life that death itself cannot steal. And because Jesus lives, those who died in Him live too. So Christians are allowed to be sad. But they are also really happy. Because Christ is risen, and we will see them again.  Subscribe & Share: Spotify: Christ For You Português: Cristo Para Você Website: ZionWG.org Looking for a Lutheran Church near you? Support the preaching of God’s Word.

What’s Actually Happening Tonight? | Christ For You Easter Vigil | John 20:1 and Matthew 28:1–7 Why does this service feel so strange? Why does everything feel so mixed up, so out of order, so full of both grief and joy at the same time? Why do we sing “Alleluia, Christ is risen” while the church is still dark, the tomb still seems sealed, and death still looks so real? And if Christ has already won, why does life still feel so broken? Why do prayers seem unanswered, suffering seem pointless, and graves still open for the people we love? In this Easter Vigil sermon, Pastor Rojas explores the deep strangeness of this holy night and why that strangeness teaches Christians how to live. On the surface, everything around Jesus’ death and burial looked like failure. The disciples fled. His enemies rejoiced. His body lay cold in the tomb. But underneath, the exact opposite was true. The angels rejoiced. The demons trembled. The Father was well pleased. And Christ was not defeated in death, but proclaiming His victory. Why does this night feel so different? Because it teaches you how to live by faith when your eyes give you the wrong story. This sermon is for those who look at their sin and wonder how they could possibly be forgiven. It is for those who look at the chaos of the world and think the devil is winning. It is for those who stand at graves, carry unanswered prayers, and wonder why everything still hurts if Christ has already changed everything. This sermon proclaims the answer with clarity and comfort: the victory is real before it is visible. Christ is risen. And because He is risen, your sins are forgiven, Satan is defeated, death is doomed, and what is now hidden will not stay hidden forever.  Subscribe & Share: Spotify: Christ For You Português: Cristo Para Você Website: ZionWG.org Looking for a Lutheran Church near you? Support the preaching of God’s Word

Where Is the Lamb? | Christ For You John 8:56 and Genesis 22 | Good Friday How could Abraham see Jesus’ day two thousand years before Jesus was born? What did Jesus mean when He said, “Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it and was glad”? What did Abraham see on Mount Moriah? Why does Isaac carry the wood? Why does he ask, “Where is the lamb?” And if a ram died in his place, why does that question still remain? In this Good Friday sermon, Pastor Rojas follows that question through Scripture until it is finally answered. Was Abraham only being tested, or was he being shown the day of Christ? Was he seeing the beloved son, the wood, the substitute, and the mountain where God would one day provide His own Lamb? Why did no angel stop the sacrifice on Good Friday? Why was there no substitute for Him? Because He was the substitute for you. This sermon shows that Jesus is the Lamb of God, the sacrifice God provided for Himself, the One who took your place, bore your sin, and opened heaven to you. If you have ever wondered what Abraham saw, where the lamb was, or what Good Friday was really about, this sermon is for you. Subscribe & Share: Spotify: Christ For You Português: Cristo Para Você Website: ZionWG.org Looking for a Lutheran Church near you? Support the preaching of God’s Word.

Is It I? | Christ For You Matthew 26:20–35, 69–75 | Maundy Thursday Could someone who truly loves Jesus still fall? Could a man be sincere, bold, loyal, and still collapse when it matters most? Could Peter really go from, “Even if I must die with You,” to, “I do not know the man”? And could the same thing happen to you? When Jesus says, “One of you will betray Me,” the disciples do not ask, “Is it him?” They ask, “Is it I?” Why? Because deep down, they know they are capable of more weakness, fear, and failure than they want to admit.  In this sermon for Maundy Thursday, Pastor Rojas explores Peter’s fall, the danger of self-confidence, and the uncomfortable truth that sincerity is not the same thing as strength. Peter was not lying when he promised loyalty. He meant it. He loved Jesus. But he was wrong about himself. He trusted his own devotion, courage, and resolve, and when the pressure came, he collapsed. This sermon presses that same question onto the hearer: What if I am not nearly as strong as I think I am? What if the real danger is not that I think I might fall, but that I think I never could?  But this sermon does not end in fear. It ends in the Gospel. Jesus knew exactly what His disciples would do. He knew Judas would betray Him. He knew Peter would deny Him. He knew the others would run. And still He stayed. Still He went to the cross. Still He suffered, bled, and died for weak men who would fail Him completely. And the same is true for you. Your hope is not that you are better than Judas or braver than Peter. Your hope is Christ alone. If you have ever wondered whether you could fall, whether your faith is weaker than you think, or whether Jesus remains faithful even when His people fail Him, this sermon is for you.  Subscribe & Share: Spotify: Christ For You Português: Cristo Para Você Website: ZionWG.org Looking for a Lutheran Church near you? Support the preaching of God’s Word.

Subscribe & Share: Apple Podcasts: Christ For You Spotify: Listen on Spotify Website: ZionWG.org/podcast Stay Connected: Email: [email protected] Website: ZionWG.org If this recording strengthened your faith, share it with others and leave a review. Your support helps more people hear the faithful preaching of Christ crucified and risen for you. Support Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church

Who’s Actually Right About Jesus? | Christ For YouMatthew 21:1–11 | Palm Sunday How do you know you have the real Jesus when so many voices claim to speak for Him? What do you do when the world, false teachers, politicians, skeptics, and even your own heart all say something different about Him? And if everyone has a version of Jesus, how can you know which one is true? In this sermon on Matthew 21:1–11, Pastor Rojas explores the chaos and noise surrounding Jesus as He enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The crowds are not united. The city is stirred up. People keep asking, “Who is this?” Some call Him the Son of David. Others call Him a prophet. The Pharisees want Him silenced. And in the middle of all that confusion stands Jesus Himself. This sermon shows that the problem has not changed. The noise is still here. The crowds never went away. This sermon shows why the answer is not to guess, follow the loudest crowd, or build a Jesus that suits you. The answer is to listen to Christ Himself. Jesus does not leave vague hints about who He is. He speaks plainly. He proves His words by mighty works. And then, once He has shown who He is, He goes to the cross so that you may know exactly who is dying for you: not a mere man, not a failed Messiah, but the Son of God in the flesh, your King who comes to save sinners. If you want to know the real Jesus, you must look to His cross, His Word, and His resurrection. There, and only there, certainty is found. Subscribe & Share: Spotify: Christ For You Português: Cristo Para Você Website: ZionWG.org Looking for a Lutheran Church near you? Support the preaching of God’s Word.

Subscribe & Share: Apple Podcasts: Christ For You Spotify: Listen on Spotify Website: ZionWG.org/podcast Stay Connected: Email: [email protected] Website: ZionWG.org If this recording strengthened your faith, share it with others and leave a review. Your support helps more people hear the faithful preaching of Christ crucified and risen for you. Support Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church

Subscribe & Share: Spotify: Christ For You Português: Cristo Para Você Website: ZionWG.org Looking for a Lutheran Church near you? Support the preaching of God’s Word

When I Feel Remorse, What Should I Do? | Christ For You Hebrews 9:11–15 What do you do when your conscience will not leave you alone? When the guilt is real, the memory is fresh, and no excuse seems strong enough? Why does remorse hurt so deeply? And why do all our usual ways of dealing with guilt fail to give peace? In this sermon on Hebrews 9:11–15, Pastor Rojas explores the difference between regret and remorse, the burden of a guilty conscience, and the false ways people try to deal with their sin apart from Christ. From distraction and excuse-making to self-punishment and despair, sinners are always trying to quiet the conscience without actually being cleansed. But Hebrews declares that the blood of goats and bulls could never perfect the conscience of the worshiper. Only Christ can. This sermon shows how Jesus, our great High Priest, entered the true holy place with His own blood and secured eternal redemption for us. It shows what “dead works” really are, why human effort cannot remove guilt before God, and how the blood of Christ purifies the conscience and gives real peace. If you have ever been burdened by what you have done, haunted by your past, or desperate for peace before God, this sermon is for you. Subscribe & Share: Spotify: Christ For You Português: Cristo Para Você Website: ZionWG.org Looking for a Lutheran Church near you? Support the preaching of God’s Word.

Subscribe & Share: Spotify: Christ For You Português: Cristo Para Você Website: ZionWG.org Looking for a Lutheran Church near you? Support the preaching of God’s Word

Support Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church Subscribe & Share: • Apple Podcasts: Christ For You • Spotify: Listen on Spotify • Website: ZionWG.org/podcast Stay Connected: • Email: [email protected] • Website: ZionWG.org If this recording strengthened your faith, share it with others and leave a review. Your support helps more people hear the faithful preaching of Christ crucified and risen for you.

Subscribe & Share: Apple Podcasts: Christ For You Spotify: Listen on Spotify Website: ZionWG.org/podcast Stay Connected: Email: [email protected] Website: ZionWG.org If this recording strengthened your faith, share it with others and leave a review. Your support helps more people hear the faithful preaching of Christ crucified and risen for you. Support Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church

Why Did Jesus Tell Them to Sit? | Christ For You Text: John 6:1–15 | Lent 4 Why would Jesus tell a starving crowd to sit down when there was no food in sight? Why command thousands of hungry people to recline as if a feast were about to begin when all they could see were five loaves and two fish? And why does God so often speak first and only later show His people why His Word was true all along? In this sermon on the feeding of the five thousand, Pastor Rojas explores the strange command at the center of the miracle and shows how the Lord repeatedly teaches His people to trust His Word before they can see the answer. From Noah building the ark before the rain, to Israel eating the Passover before the exodus, to singers praising God before Jehoshaphat’s battle, God calls His people to act on His promises before the victory is visible. And nowhere is that clearer than at the cross, where Jesus told His disciples not to let their hearts be troubled and that their sorrow would turn to joy—before they realized His death would save the world. This sermon shows how Christ trains His people to pray before they have a solution, to trust before they understand, and even to praise God while the problem is still there. Because when Jesus speaks, His Word comes first—and later we see that He was right all along. Subscribe & Share: Spotify: Christ For You Português: Cristo Para Você Website: ZionWG.org Looking for a Lutheran Church near you? Support the preaching of God’s Word.