In Sermons: showing 1-15 of 31

Inheritance Or Identity?

Contributed by Jay Winters on Jul 7, 2016

The parable of the Good Samaritan is a parable about identity couched in the lawyer's question about inheritance. Both are ours in Christ, but one is more important than the other.

Inheritance or identity? The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of those passages that we could probably all recite from memory if we had to. We know what happens - a man is traveling along the road, he is ambushed, left for dead, and then two religious guys are too busy or otherwise concerned ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Denomination: Lutheran

How Real Is The Holy Spirit? Series

Contributed by Jay Winters on May 30, 2015

Talking about MTV's the Real World and True Life shows, as well as the act of directing and producing as a way of getting at the truth of who the Holy Spirit is.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Three in One who sent the Holy Spirit that we might know His truth. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, MTV gave us our first ever "reality show", a thing called "The Real World" that came out in 1992. The first "Real World" ...read more

Denomination: Lutheran

What Kind Of A Legacy Will You Leave?

Contributed by Jay Winters on Jun 29, 2008

Peter and Paul Sunday is one in which we celebrate the legacies of these apostles, but they would remind us that we only that we celebrate Christ’s legacy in our lives.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Three In One who has reserved for us the crown of righteousness. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This year, over 600 students at Florida State are going to be the first people in their families to go to college. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:6-18

Denomination: Lutheran

How's Your Karma Doing?

Contributed by Jay Winters on Jun 28, 2008

You might think "How’s your karma doing?" is an odd sermon title for a Lutheran pastor. You would be right in thinking that, we don’t believe in karma, we believe in grace.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Three In One Who has justified us apart from our works. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Two Sundays ago I was in Tampa, Florida at the Campus Mission Confabulation, a ministry conference on how to effectively do campus ...read more

Denomination: Lutheran

Are You Religious Or Spiritual?

Contributed by Jay Winters on Jun 28, 2008

This week the texts seem to revolve around the idea that you can’t be "religious" but not "spiritual". It sounds like that tired line, "I’m spiritual but not religious". In the Gospel reading, I think it is interesting how Jesus heals both someone who wou

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Three in One who has come to call sinners home. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Up to 10 percent of the world’s population that does not attend church on a regular basis describes itself as “spiritual, but not ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:9-26

Denomination: Lutheran

Would You Rather Be Dead?

Contributed by Jay Winters on Feb 9, 2008

This Ash Wednesday sermon uses a scene from "Fight Club" as its major illustration - it attempts to show that Christ doesn’t just give us a second chance, but that He puts us to death (while taking on our death) in Baptism and give us the empty tomb.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Three In One who makes our lives more beautiful than what they could ever be on their own. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, About ten years ago, a movie came out that just about everyone saw. It was called “Fight ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:3-14

Denomination: Lutheran

Where Has All The Magic Gone?

Contributed by Jay Winters on Feb 7, 2008

This Transfiguration sermon seeks to show God’s face, Jesus, for who He truly is using the Wizard from the Wizard of Oz as a negative example - our God is no man behind a curtain.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Three In One who… Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I didn’t see the Wizard of Oz until just two years ago. Before that I had gotten to know the characters as they had been presented to me in pop culture here and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9

Denomination: Lutheran

Do You Remember Your Baptism?

Contributed by Jay Winters on Jan 13, 2008

Many times when we talk about our Baptisms we talk about the stories of our own Baptism and not the Baptism that started it all, not the story that started it all. The Gospel and the 2nd reading for this Sunday (Acts 10) both point to the over arching sto

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Three In One in whose Name we are Baptized. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, On April 23rd, 1978, in a small seaside chapel in San Juan, La Union, in the Republic of the Philippines, my father, speaking the local ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17

Denomination: Lutheran

Are You Looking Forward Or Backward?

Contributed by Jay Winters on Jan 10, 2008

Happy New Year’s Eve! As we look back to our past and the resolutions that we haven’t fulfilled, and look forward expectantly, we look to the forgiveness found in the cross of Christ.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Three In One who was our hope this year and is our hope for eternity to come. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, For many of us, our New Years resolutions seem to resemble carbon dating – where we can establish the date ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

Denomination: Lutheran

When Do You Know When To Quit?

Contributed by Jay Winters on Dec 30, 2007

This was the second to last Sunday in the church year. It has been an interesting journey through Luke. Next week we’ll finish up with Luke with his amazing account of the crucifixion. This week though, I kind of looked back on all of the sermons I’ve pre

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Three In One who gained our souls for us. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, When do you know that it is time to quit? In my youth, I was a swimmer. I was a sprinter. I detested the long races and loved the quick ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:5-9

Denomination: Lutheran

Who Are You At The Foot Of The Cross?

Contributed by Jay Winters on Dec 30, 2007

This was the last Sunday of the church year, Christ the King Sunday. And the reading seemed to be odd. Instead of a reading about the glorious majesty of Christ, we see Christ at His lowest point, the cross. It ends up, that since the glory of Christ is t

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Three In One who brings us into Paradise. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Throughout the history of the church, devoted men and women of God have experienced visions and dreams that have given them what felt like a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:33-43

Denomination: Lutheran

Do You Care About People More Than God?

Contributed by Jay Winters on Dec 30, 2007

This was a tough text to preach on. When I went to read what early church fathers had written or preached about this text, I found that it was skipped by almost everyone from Chrysostom to Augustine. So, where angels fear to tread....here goes a fool for

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Three In One who cares more than we could ever imagine. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 30 to 150 baby boys in the vicinity of Jerusalem died. 30 to 150 little boys were taken away from their mothers in this text. An ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:13-23

Denomination: Lutheran

What Are You Looking For? Peace? Series

Contributed by Jay Winters on Dec 27, 2007

A sermon for the first day of Advent, a church season that looks forward to the coming of Christ in Christmas and in the Resurrection. The next three Sundays are going to be following along the "what are you looking for?" theme and will all be taken from

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Three In One who gives us true peace. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, So…I guess there’s supposed to be a tree there (pointing to the place where it traditionally stands) pretty soon. Some of you were probably ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 2:1-5

Denomination: Lutheran

Is There Any Place You Would Rather Be?

Contributed by Jay Winters on Dec 27, 2007

A Christmas Eve Sermon addressing those who would like to be someplace else.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Three In One who is born this day. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Is there any place that you would rather be on Christmas Eve? I remember when I was growing up, Christmas Eve was always a night filled with joyous ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Denomination: Lutheran

What Are You Looking For? A Way Back? Series

Contributed by Jay Winters on Dec 24, 2007

This was the 3rd Sunday in Advent. The people in Jerusalem were looking for a way back...but what God gives them instead of a way back is a way forward, a way on.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Three In One who brings us the way of His holiness. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, There was once a water carrier in India whose job it was to bring water from the river to his master’s house. Day after day, he would ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10

Denomination: Lutheran