Are you willing to lose your life for the sake of Christ and the Gospel?

That’s going to be the focus of the sermon this week. I will be preaching on the Gospel text in Mark 8 where Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, but then tells Jesus not to do what the Christ is meant to do for the sake of the fallen creation.

Peter is rebuked and then Jesus exhorts the disciples…and the whole crowd around him…to take up their cross and follow him. Peter’s mind was on the things of man rather than the things of God. Too often our minds are the same. We need to be reminded that the good things and aspirations of this life are not the highest good. Despite what our culture would say, saving out life here and having our best life now is not what Christ promised us on the cross.

Instead, Christ Himself and the Gospel of life that he gives to us give us hope and peace for the life to come so that regardless of our circumstances in this life we remember that we have eternal life with Christ. Christ took up his cross, laying down His life for you and gives you eternal life. Now we continue to boldly proclaim that good news to the rest of the world as well.

You can see all of the readings, hymns, and so on, in the service folder below so you can prepare your heart and mind to hear God’s Word and receive His good gifts this weekend.

I look forward to seeing you soon!

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Blessings on your day!

In Christ,
Pastor Demski

Service Folder

Take a moment to listen to Issues, Etc. as they discuss the liturgy for this weekend’s services.

LCMS Thematic Summary:

By the Cross of Our Lord Jesus, We Inherit Life Everlasting with God

In His covenant with Abraham, the Lord promised to be with him, to bless him and to make him “the father of a multitude of nations.” It is “an everlasting covenant” in Christ Jesus, the seed of Abraham who is blameless before God Almighty. All who believe in this Lord Jesus are the offspring of Abraham and are blessed “throughout their generations” (Gen. 17:1–7), because the Christ has suffered many things. He was rejected and killed, and after three days He rose again (Mark 8:31). To comprehend this theology of the cross, we must set our minds “on the things of God,” and not “on the things of man” (Mark 8:33). “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Therefore, having been “reconciled to God by the death of his Son,” much more “shall we be saved by his life” (Rom. 5:10). Baptized into His cross and resurrection, “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” and by faith we rejoice in the hope of His glory (Rom. 5:1–2).

Published by pastordemski