The Joshua Victor Theory

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Today’s Old Testament reading from Genesis 2 is one of the few brief glimpses of life in the goodness and perfection that God made us for, before mankind’s fall into sin. It’s also a foundational Bible passage of who we are and what we were created for as human beings. God makes Adam in the midst of the Garden of Eden—the original paradise. So who are we? The creation of mankind comes as the highest and most tender parts of the story of existence—God had made everything else which was good—all living plants and animals. But then He pulls aside and with special care and attention, as a potter working with raw clay to make a new vessel, and God personally shapes and forms Adam out of the dust of the earth. His very chemistry was linked to the ground that God would give him to farm. And yes, after Adam sinned, God would promise “ dust you are, and to dust you shall return ”—Adam would die and return to the earth f...

See also the catechetical hymn that I wrote as a paraphrase of the commandments and their explanations, to use as a sermon hymn:   http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com/2017/06/a-hymn-on-ten-commandments.html Sermon Outline: ·          The most widely recognized set of laws—often represented with the symbol of two stone tablets. But how well are they known, individually? Name by heart? 1 st Table, 2 nd Table (Jesus made this division—Love God, Love neighbor). Which is the first? “ I am the Lord…out of the house of slavery …” or “ You shall have no other gods before me ?” Numbering is not so important; content is; don’t reduce. ·          In Proverbs 1, Solomon describes the foolishness of violent and greedy men, and says that their plans for evil are in reality setting an ambush or a trap for their own lives (Prov. 1:18-19). The point is that they are greedily pursuing their own interests, b...

Into a Net that Christ Prepares Text: Joshua V. Schneider Meter: CM (86 86) Melody: MCKEE (LSB 653 In Christ there is No East or West) 1. Into a Net that Christ Prepares A world of sinners swim His Gospel promises He shares And whole, encircles them. 2. Though nets may strain, they will not break His church, it firm shall stand, For this confession it shall make: “Christ is Living God and Man!” 3. Before His holiness we cry: “Have mercy, Lord, on me!” And on our knees hear His reply, “From all your sins be free!” 4. “Caught live for purposes my own, Gifts I bestow on you; Are to be used as I have shown, Serve them as I have you.” 5. Beholding Christ with unveiled face, His image we will take; Drawn on our service He will trace, To live for other’s sake. 6. Into the world the Gospel casts The joy of Christ’s new life! Releases us from dreadful blasts, Of sin and bitter strife. 7. God’s kingdom prospers by His grace ...

**See also in the following post my new hymn composition to match this text: "Into a Net that Christ Prepares"** In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. After a long night of fishing in the Lake of Genessaret, or Galilee, and with nothing to show for it, Peter was likely ready for a good nap. But Jesus was pressed by the crowds nearby and needed a place to teach them from. Jesus was new to Peter—He had just healed Peter’s mother-in-law and other sick people in the neighborhood, shortly before this. No doubt Peter was thankful. So when Jesus hops into the fishing boat and asks for a short row away from shore, so Jesus has room to teach the gathered crowd from Peter’s fishing boat, Peter willingly accepts. But when the sermon is over, Jesus asks something that is sure to make Peter look ridiculous to the other fisherman. Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch. It’s against all fisherman’s logic; and perhaps feeling a lit...

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. In our Old Testament reading we have a beautiful story of forgiveness and mercy. Joseph forgives his brothers the terrible sins they committed long ago against him—selling him as a slave, lying about his death to their father, and their hatred. After their father’s death, he tenderly consoles their fears and assures them that he doesn’t want revenge, but that all is truly forgiven. It pictures what Jesus commands in our Gospel reading: “ Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” The verses of our lesson explain how we become merciful like our heavenly Father, and to conform ourselves to the pattern of Jesus, so that as the reading also says, that we would be fully-trained , just like Jesus, our Great Teacher. After all, the picture of Joseph’s mercy, and all other human stories and examples of mercy, are small reflections of the perfect mercy of Jesus, who sought no vengeance against His enemies, but forgav...

* As the Sermon hymn, we sang "For all the Faithful Women" from the Lutheran Service Book, #855, with verse 8 about Mary, and this added verse I composed about Elizabeth:  Elizabeth the barren Had drunk the cup of woe. The faithful child of Aaron Would soon have joy to know. Young John the Baptist, leaping, In Spirit knew His Lord, By womb and mouth revealing The greatness of our God.  In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Today’s Gospel reading tells us of the encounter between two miracle moms and their Spirit-filled sons, who were still growing in their wombs. Great things had been prophesied of both of these preborn boys—Jesus was to be great and called holy—the Son of God. Miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit, in the Virgin Mary, who had been with no man; she carried the Holy Child (Luke 1:32, 35). John the Baptist was also to be great before the Lord and “filled with the Holy Spirit, even...