The Joshua Victor Theory

Note to reader: Recently I've begun preaching from an outline, to try to sharpen my preaching skills, and so rather than a full manuscript, you have my outline below and the Sermon Talking points with Bible References. I may return to writing a full manuscript out soon, but want to work on better oral delivery. If you want to hear my full sermon, you can still access them on thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com Thanks for reading! Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Reading from Romans 5, especially verses 6-8: “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 1. Fascination with heroes (examples: real-life heroes—rescue workers, Japanese nuclear workers, soldiers protecting, great leaders, comics, m...

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Today we wrap up our sermon series on the Lord’s Supper. We’ve previously covered how we observe the Lord’s Supper at the institution and command of Jesus, how He taught that it is His true body and blood offered for us to eat and to drink, and what are the spiritual blessings and benefits of this blessed communion. Now we address the question of how we faithfully use that sacrament. Who comes to the altar to receive it, and how does a person receive the sacrament worthily—or for their good? The sermon talking points refer you to questions from the catechism and various Bible verses on this topic. The text for today is 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, where the apostle Paul addresses how the church had begun to misuse the Lord’s Supper: 17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place,...

The audio podcast of the sermon is available here: Knowing God is Near The sermon text is Psalm 77 and Luke 13:1-5, and the sermon is about how we as Christians respond to disasters like the one that has just hit Japan with a devastating earthquake and tsunami. At times like this, people might wonder whether God is near, or if He hears our prayers. The Psalm affirms that God is near even when His footprints are unseen, and that the way that we know God is near is through the saving acts of God in history, most clearly seen in the cross of Jesus Christ. That outpouring of God's love on the cross moves our hearts to mercy and compassion for those who are suffering. May the Lord be with all of our brothers and sisters in Japan!! May the God of all peace grant you consolation in a time of great loss and sadness!

Podcast available here The First Commandment

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Today we pick up where we left off two weeks ago, in our series on the Lord’s Supper. This month begins our weekly celebration of the Lord’s Supper, with the exception of March 27th, which will be a Children’s Sunday. The last sermon discussed the Biblical teaching of the “real presence”—that Jesus is truly present in His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper, for us to eat and to drink. That teaching is foundational to the topic for today: the spiritual blessings and benefit of the Lord’s Supper. The first and foremost blessing of the Lord’s Supper is described in Christ’s own words: “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:28). The biggest blessing of the Lord’s Supper is the forgiveness of sins. But don’t we get that elsewhere, you ask? Don’t we have the forgiveness of sins in our Baptism, or by hearing and believing in the ...