St. Stephen Lutheran Church

06/19/2026

Jesus' Compassion Is The Reason This Helpless World is Ripe For The Gospel

06/18/2026

The Good News of Jesus' Good Guts

06/17/2026

Join us this Friday at 6:00 PM for a game night and taco bar. Bring the family! bring a game! bring a friend! 300 Moorpark Way.

06/17/2026

If you could only see the way Jesus sees you!

06/16/2026

To Be Evangelical

06/15/2026

https://youtu.be/YWWmGNLem3I

What does it truly mean to be evangelical? Drawing from Matthew 9, where Jesus sees the crowds with compassion—harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd—we're invited to see ourselves through Christ's eyes. The imagery is humbling yet liberating: we are wandering sheep, prone to getting lost, falling over, and finding ourselves in dire situations we cannot escape on our own. But here's the beautiful paradox: when we recognize our helplessness, we discover the magnitude of Jesus' compassion. The Greek word used here literally means 'good guts'—that deep, visceral feeling of love that moved God to become human and spill His blood for us. This evangelical view transforms everything. It means we stop painting fake apples on trees or taping them to branches, pretending we're bearing fruit through our own efforts. Instead, we trust entirely in the gospel as the seed that grows and bears genuine fruit. When we grasp how lost we truly are, Jesus becomes infinitely larger in our eyes—not as a distant judge, but as the shepherd who left heaven itself to find us. This perspective doesn't just change how we see ourselves; it revolutionizes how we see the world around us, transforming despair into optimism and fear into urgent, compassionate mission.

00:00 -

06/11/2026

Your flesh will do anything to squirm away from the call to repent but the law cuts off every escape leaving Jesus as the only way out.

06/10/2026

The doctor of souls

06/08/2026

https://youtu.be/HX02VqKsArk?si=Wi2yC59A-7NXhJL0

This teaching explores one of the most challenging yet essential aspects of Christian faith: understanding the proper distinction between Law and Gospel. Drawing from Matthew's account of his own calling as a tax collector, we discover how Jesus masterfully applies both Law and Gospel to different hearts and situations. The sermon unpacks Hosea's profound statement that God desires steadfast love rather than sacrifice, revealing that God doesn't want our proud religious performances but our repentant hearts. Through the contrast between the Pharisees' self-righteousness and the tax collectors' humility, we see ourselves reflected in both groups. The teaching challenges us to examine how our sinful nature constantly tries to either minimize our own sins by condemning others or excuse our sins by excusing others. Most importantly, we're reminded that Jesus came as a doctor for the sick, a Savior for sinners, and that His grace is complete and sufficient for every hidden shame and secret failure we carry. This isn't just theological theory but a daily art we must learn through experience, recognizing when we need the Law's conviction and when we need the Gospel's comfort, both for ourselves and for those we encounter.

00:00 -

06/03/2026