Advertise on podcast: Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church – Flagstaff, Arizona - Sermons

What happens after a heart transplant? You care for the gift you’ve received. The same is true of the new life Christ gives. We fight sin, return to God’s Word, receive the Lord’s Supper, and remember his promise in Baptism. Our hope rests in the heart he gives.

A sheep can wander away without ever deciding to leave the flock. Spiritual drifting often happens the same way—one missed Sunday, then another, until someone is gone. God calls the whole congregation to notice, encourage and lovingly bring one another back. Discover why God’s people gather in this message from Hebrews 10:23–25.

God’s grace is meant to flow through us. Like a healthy heart receives blood and pumps it throughout the body, the Christian heart receives God’s forgiving love and passes it on to others. Refusing to forgive blocks that flow and reveals a heart indifferent to the mercy it has received. God continually assures us that Christ has erased our debt. By his grace and power, we can extend that forgiveness to those who have sinned against us.

Firefighters are trained to run toward danger while everyone else is running away. God calls every Christian to show that same courage—not with hoses and ladders, but by warning others about sin and pointing them to their Savior. Listen to “Every Christian: A Spiritual First Responder,” based on Ezekiel 33:7–11.

Like Odysseus longing for Ithaca, Christians journey through storms toward their true home. We are not abandoned castaways. Jesus has opened heaven to us, and the Holy Spirit travels with us, strengthening and praying for us until our sacred odyssey ends in the glory God has promised.

What you believe about Jesus shapes both this life and eternity. In Matthew 16:13–20, Peter boldly confesses Jesus as the Messiah and Son of the living God. Discover how this Spirit-given faith provides forgiveness, courage, and confidence—even when life brings uncertainty, suffering, or the frightening reality of death.

When God does not answer immediately, faith can be tested. The Canaanite woman refused to abandon Jesus. She knew he alone had the power and mercy she needed. Hall-of-fame faith keeps praying, trusting that Christ hears us and will bless us according to his perfect wisdom and love.

Picture riding through thick fog, unable to see the road ahead. Your heavenly Father can see what you cannot. This sermon explores how Romans 8 gives us confidence to trust God’s promises and keep pedaling, even when we don’t understand where the road is leading.

Five loaves. Two fish. Thousands of hungry people. The disciples did the math and knew they did not have enough—but they forgot that Jesus could multiply. What limited gift, ability, or opportunity are you holding back because it seems too small? Bring it to Jesus and see what he can do.

What determines your value? Is it what others think of you, what you accomplish, or how well you fit in? Jesus’ parable of the priceless pearl points us to a better answer. Your value is revealed by the price Jesus willingly paid to wash away your sins and make you his own forever.

Satan patiently waits for moments when we lower our guard and become vulnerable to temptation. That is why Scripture calls us to be alert, self-controlled, and firm in the faith. We do not resist Satan through willpower alone. Jesus walks with us, strengthens us through his Word, and gives us faithful Christians who can encourage us and help keep us accountable.

Is gentleness the same as weakness? Jesus was gentle, but he was certainly not weak. True Christian gentleness is power under God’s control. Discover how Jesus’ gentleness toward us gives rest to our souls—and empowers us to respond differently when others test our patience.

God called Noah to build an ark, and Noah responded with faithful, steady obedience. But behind Noah’s faithfulness was something greater: the faithful God who always keeps his promises. This message reminds us that Jesus sticks with us in mercy and empowers us to live faithfully, one small act of service at a time.

Trials remind us that we are not the masters of our lives. God is. But because he is good, we can trust him to bring us through weakness, fear, uncertainty, and hardship. His goodness does not fail, and his grace gives us strength to keep going.

Kindness is tougher than we often think. It keeps loving, serving, and doing good even when people are ungrateful. God has been kind to the ungrateful and wicked—including us. Through Christ and the Holy Spirit, we can show that same resilient kindness to others.