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
Who is Calling, Please?
January 15, 2012 1 Samuel 3:1-10 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple... [Read more]
God’s Name on You
January 8, 2012 Numbers 6:22-27 The LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, `This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: ` “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” ‘ “So they will put my name... [Read more]
Let Your Light Shine
January 1, 2012 Tom Brady, after living a full life, died. When he got to heaven, God was showing him around. They came to a modest little house with a faded Patriots flag in the window. “This house is yours for eternity Tom,” said God. “This is very special; not everyone gets a house up here.” Tom felt special, indeed, and walked... [Read more]
Tis the Season to be Jolly
Christmas Day 2011 Most of you Know that I really love music. And this time of year has so much special music associated with it. We’ve heard and sung a lot of the Christmas Carols here at Church in the last few weeks. But there is a lot of other music that the world has attached to this season. “The Christmas Song” that speaks of “Chestnuts... [Read more]
Communication
Christmas Eve 2011 The email subject line read: “Polar Bear Attacks Man.” The message itself said, “Warning: The following pictures document an actual polar bear attacking a man. The pictures were taken while people watched and could do nothing to stop the attack! Reports from the local newspaper say that the victim will make a full recovery.”... [Read more]
O Come, O Come Immanuel
Isaiah 40:6–8 6 A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands... [Read more]
Prepare the Royal Highway
December 4, 2011 Isaiah 40:3-5 3 A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind... [Read more]
Comfort, Comfort My People
November 27, 2011 Isaiah 40:1–2 (NIV84) 1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. One of the old Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV shows was entitled “The... [Read more]
First Things First
November 20, 2011 Matthew 6:33: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” You have two choices: [A] You can get One Thousand dollars a day for a year, or [B] you can get one penny which would be doubled every week for one year?” Choose either option A or option B. This illustrates... [Read more]
Using What You’ve Got
November 13, 2011 1 Peter 4:10-11: “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through... [Read more]
Living as Fruitful Stewards of Time
November 6, 2011 Today, we begin our stewardship program Bearing Fruit for Jesus: His Grace and Power at Work Within You. And for this week, our focus is on being fruitful with our time. You all had an extra hour yesterday as we observed the government mandated end of Daylight Savings Time. So what did you do with that extra hour? Did you put it to... [Read more]
Our Unchanging God
October 30, 2011 The preacher’s five-year-old daughter noticed that her father always paused and bowed his head for a moment before starting his sermon. So one Sunday after the service, she asked him why he did that. He replied, “I’m asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon.” She thought about that for a moment and then... [Read more]
Need Any Help?
October 23, 2011 Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. You’re driving along on a trip. You printed out your route from Google Maps, or maybe you’re following the GPS on the dash or in your phone. You are happily cruising down the Interstate, but then it happens. You see the sign: Road Construction next... [Read more]
You Are The Message
October 16, 2011 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your... [Read more]
Death Swallowed Up
October 9, 2011 Isaiah 25:6-9 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine– the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will... [Read more]
Being with Jesus…Living on the Edge!
October 2, 2011 LWML Sunday (This sermon was based on a message delivered by Dr. Ken Klaus at the LWML Convention in Peoria in June 2011) At the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League convention held in Peoria this past June, Dr. Ken Klaus, Lutheran Hour Speaker Emeritus, spoke about his preparation for the ministry. His seminary profs schooled him... [Read more]
Meditations on all Three Lessons
September 25, 2011 Ezekiel 18:1–4, 25–32 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: “ ‘The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? 3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. 4 For every... [Read more]
Grace
September 18 2011Matthew 20:1-16 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. “About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, `You... [Read more]
Mercy
September 11, 2011Matthew 18:21–35 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.... [Read more]
Making Disciples
The prophet Joel wrote: I will pour out my spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days…And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Joel 2:28-29,32) There are three... [Read more]
Marriage
VIDEO CLIP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJUE8QJid8k Who do you believe? For years we have heard the prediction “one of every two marriages will end in divorce.” I did some checking this week. The census bureau doesn’t keep track of this stuff, but they refer you to the Centers for Disease Control, which for some reason is the organization... [Read more]
Change?
(The following was taken from a column by Stephen Henry, Publisher of the Levelland News-Press) “We’ve always done it that way!” The U.S. standard rail gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet 8.5 inches. Exactly. That is an odd number. Why is that gauge used? Because that’s the way they built them in England, and Englishmen built the U.S.... [Read more]
What’s That Smell?
August 7, 2011 About a month ago twenty of us went down to New Orleans for a Servant Event. It was a good trip. We worked hard and hopefully did some good. The guys all stayed in the same building, which was a storage container that had been converted into a bunk house. One of the boys thought it would be a good idea to place his dirty, sweaty, stinky... [Read more]
Death at Work
July 17, 2011 2 CORINTHIANS 4:5-12 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have... [Read more]
Treasure in Jars of Clay
July 10, 2011 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 7 But we have... [Read more]
Living Through Trials
June 5, 2011 1 Peter 4:12-17; 5:6-11 Today’s Epistle lesson speaks of living through all kinds of trials, and we all have them. I’m not talking about watching your team blow a big lead in the last quarter of the game, or the store being out of your favorite kind of ice cream. We get upset about trivial stuff like that all the time, things that... [Read more]
Witnesses of Hope
May 30 2011 1 Peter 3:15-22 15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their... [Read more]
Memorial Day Address
The following was part of our outdoor worship/picnic on Memorial Day Weekend 2011 Memorial Day, which falls on the last Monday of May, honors the men and women who died while serving in the American military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it begin shortly after the Civil War as a time set aside to honor the nation’s Civil War dead by decorating... [Read more]
The Church
What do you think of when you hear the word “Church?” There are probably as many different answers as there are people here this morning. Some think it is a place, a physical location, maybe a place of refuge and escape from the outside world. Some see it as a place to have spiritual needs met, and if one doesn’t work, they go looking for a... [Read more]
Good Shepherd?
May 15, 2011 John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” So why is this Shepherd called “Good?” Why does this shepherd Jesus dare to use the word good to describe himself? Is He saying that by comparison all the other shepherds are bad or at least inferior? What makes this shepherd so... [Read more]
