Sermons
These are the weekly messages shared by Pastor Mattil with the members of Grace.
Videos of recent sermons are available from the Home Page.
Latest Sermons
Being with Jesus – An Example
August 22, 2010 Luke 19:1-10 Being With Jesus. So far we’ve considered how the first disciples were changed because they had been with Jesus and that being in a faith relationship with Jesus is what makes all the difference in one’s life. After all, the Pharisees had been with Jesus, but it did not have the same effect on them as it did on... [Read more]
Being With Jesus – Relationships
Last week I started a series of messages called “Being With Jesus.” I asked you to think about how consciously being with Jesus makes a difference in your lives. We know in our heads that Jesus is always with us. But having a conscious awareness of His presence in our hearts is what makes a difference in our daily walk. We talked about the impact... [Read more]
Being With Jesus – Part 1
August 8, 2010 Acts 4:1–13 (NIV) The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening,... [Read more]
Some Thoughts on Prayer
August 1, 2010 A priest, a minister and a guru sat discussing the best positions for prayer, while a telephone repairman worked nearby. “Kneeling is definitely the best way to pray,” the priest said. “No,” said the minister. “I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven.” “You’re... [Read more]
Sermon Series for August
Want some encouragement? Some suggestions for getting your life in order? How do others do it? Maybe this sermon series will be just the thing you need. During the month of August, the theme for Pastor Mattil’s messages in worship is “Being With Jesus.” Read More →
Carrots, Eggs and Coffee Beans
July 25, 2010 A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how awful things were for her. It was all too hard for her. Nothing was working out the way she had planned, the way she had dreamed, the way she wanted them to be. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.... [Read more]
To Whom Do You Pledge?
July 4, 2010 Is this a Christian Nation? That question is being posed repeatedly these days. People continue to lament the removal of prayer from public schools, the prohibitions against nativity scenes on public property and an increasing animosity towards Christians from many government officials. Is this a Christian Nation? [Video clips of “Call... [Read more]
United With Christ To Serve
June 13, 2010 Philippians 2:3-8 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality... [Read more]
Not-So-Secret-Service
Acts 9:1-20 1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey,... [Read more]
We Are The Church
Someone sent me something earlier this year entitled, “The Wisdom of the Dakota Indians.” The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, passed on from one generation to the next, says that when you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount. That sounds self-evident. It is good advice. It makes sense. If you find yourself... [Read more]
Who’s Your Guide?
May 23 2010 John 16:5-16 How many of you have GPS systems? How many of you use them? They are amazing little inventions and they can be very useful if they are working properly. About three years ago I got one that plugged into my old handheld computer – it was one that would talk to you. It had multiple problems, not the least of which was that... [Read more]
All’s Right with the World?
May 16 2010 The year’s at the Spring And day’s at the morn; Morning’s at seven; The hillside’s dew-pearled; ... [Read more]
The Mother Hen
May 9 2010 Mother’s Day Last Sunday afternoon I took my mother down to San Antonio to see her sister. They were having a surprise 80th birthday party for my Aunt Grace. I was glad I was able to go. I saw cousins I had not seen for almost ten years. It was good to listen to everyone reminiscing about their childhood, all of the scrapes and... [Read more]
Who’s Your Hero?
April 25, 2010 John 10:11-16 I’ve been traveling a lot recently for conferences and meetings. That means when I am home, I spend longer hours in the office and making visits. Arriving back in town after one of those trips and staying up here at church late, I decided to surprise my wife by bringing home dinner. I do that every now and then,... [Read more]
Precious in His Sight
April 18, 2010 One of our members died a week ago Friday. Clara Kaiser. Some of you knew her. Many of you did not. Clara was already a member here when I got here. She was very faithful in attendance as her schedule permitted. When I first arrived, Clara was still working. She worked at several corner grocery markets, including the one right across... [Read more]
No Other Name
April 11, 2010 Second Sunday of Easter John 20:30-31 30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Are you still celebrating the Resurrection?... [Read more]
This Changes Everything
Easter Sunday April 4, 2010 (Setup by removing all the chancel furnishings – Altar, pulpit, lectern, font, whatever possible. In our case we left the processional cross and surrounded it with lilies. Start with HE IS RISEN) So how did you react when you walked in here today? You may have seen it earlier when you came for the breakfast or the Easter... [Read more]
Living Outside the Tomb
Nine dots in a 3×3 grid. The task is to connect the nine dots with four straight lines without lifting your pen or pencil from the page until you have drawn all four lines. Go ahead and try it right now. Did you figure it out? Unless you have seen this before, most people struggle with this task because they limit themselves. They are reluctant... [Read more]
How’s Your Attitude
March 28 2010 Homily for Confirmation Sunday How’s your attitude? It makes all the difference in the world. A woman woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and saw that she only had three hairs on her head. She smiled and said to herself, “I think I’ll braid my hair today.” And she did. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw... [Read more]
Kingdom, Power, Glory, Amen!
March 21 2010 A young boy called the pastor of a church to ask him to come by to pray with his mother who was very ill with the flu. The pastor knew the family and was aware they attended another church down the road. So the pastor asked, “You go to Pastor Jones’ church – shouldn’t you be asking him to come pray with your mom?”... [Read more]
Forgive, Don’t Tempt, Deliver from Evil
March 14, 2010 A story is about old Jack and old John, two board members of the same Church who were always at odds with each other. They were constantly at each others’ throat especially in board meetings. When one of them said “yea,” you could be assured that the other would say “nay.” So, one day old Jack dies and... [Read more]
Daily Bread
March 7 2010 There were these two boys who lived with their Grandma. As they were about to go to bed, they knelt down first to say their prayers. The older boy started to pray. He prayed about the day he had and about everything he had done. When he finished, the younger boy began his prayer, but he prayed much louder than his brother. He was almost... [Read more]
Kingdom Come and Will Be Done
Februrary 28 2010 A little boy was asked if he prayed when he attended church, and he answered that he always did. On being questioned further as to the content of his prayer, he explained that he always said the same prayer when the others in the congregation made their silent prayer just before the sermon. “I just say the little prayer mother... [Read more]
Father, May Your Name Be Holy
February 21, 2010 Cowboy Poetry by Bill Jones Jake, the rancher, went one day to fix a distant fence. The wind was cold and gusty and the clouds rolled gray and dense. As he pounded the last staples in and gathered tools to go, The temperature had fallen, the wind and snow began to blow. When he finally reached his pickup, he felt a heavy heart. From... [Read more]
Love
February 14, 2010 We all know today is Valentine’s Day. But if you look on the church year calendar, you find that today is also the day of Transfiguration, when Jesus revealed His glory as God to three of His disciples. In Mark’s Gospel it is described this way: Mark 9:7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud:... [Read more]
Victory in Defeat
January 31, 2010 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly... [Read more]
Speak the Truth of Life in Love
January 24 2010 (This message was based on materials provided by “Lutherans for Life”) Years ago in a large city, there was an unexpected strike of the subway workers in the middle of the week. At 5:00 p.m., thousands of people left their offices and made their way down to the trains that they thought would take them home. But nothing was... [Read more]
God’s Use of Words
January 17, 2010 I’m going to put a couple of sentences on the screen and I want you to read them to yourself and think about what they mean. A woman without her man is nothing. A woman: without her, man is nothing. The man dropped the bullet in his mouth. The man dropped, the bullet in his mouth. We communicate with words, but we don’t always... [Read more]
God’s Use of Bread and Wine
January 10, 2010 A pastor shared a story of a time he was particularly burdened in his ministry. He was assisting with communion distribution, and it was the custom in that congregation to greet people as they came to the communion rail by saying, “The Lord be with you,” to which the congregation replies “and also with you.” Because... [Read more]
God’s Use of Water
January 3, 2010 Twenty five years ago one of my seminary professors authored a Bible Study entitled “God’s Use of the Ordinary in the Means of Grace” (Francis Rossow, CPH, 1985). I recently came across that study and worked my way through it again, and that is the basis for the series of messages that I am starting today. Last Sunday I reminded... [Read more]
