Christ The King Lutheran Church

06/19/2026

THE COST OF FOLLOWING JESUS

Everything worthwhile comes at a cost, including following Jesus. Sometimes Christians talk as if Christianity is always happy and joyful. As if following Jesus is the easiest thing in the world.

Do you know who didn’t talk like that? Jesus! Jesus told his followers: “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:37-39).

Does that sound easy? No way! Jesus tells us that if we follow him, we should expect to have people we love like parents or children push us away because of our faith. If we follow Jesus, we should expect to carry a cross, like missed opportunities and harsh words for our faith. If we follow Jesus, we might even lose our lives for Jesus’ sake. That’s quite a cost to following Jesus.

So why would anyone follow Jesus? Because Jesus did all of that for you! Jesus was betrayed by his closest friends for you, so you can know that God will never leave you. Jesus gave up his life on the cross for your sins, so that you can know that you are forgiven and saved.

Dear friend, do you want life? Follow Jesus. It’s worth it!

Pastor Nathan

06/08/2026

God loves you sincerely! Do you believe that? It’s true! Jesus died for you. Jesus washed away your sins in baptism. Jesus makes you holy and blameless. Jesus loves you sincerely. That love from Jesus is what leads Christians to love others–even our enemies. Jesus’ love empowers Christians to overcome evil with good. When it’s hard to fit in… Overcome evil with good. When criticism comes… Overcome evil with good. When you feel rejected or worthless… Overcome evil with good. When the ones you love the most hurt you the most… Overcome evil with good. I hope you can watch this sermon: “Overcome Evil with Good.” Jesus loves you!

God loves you sincerely! Do you believe that? It’s true! Jesus died...

06/05/2026

THE REAL GUILT REMOVER

Every one of us deals with guilt. What is it for you? An embarrassing moment from your childhood that you can’t erase from your memory? A foolish thing that you did as a teenager or in college that you’ve never been able to escape? That lie that you told your closest friend, and you’ve never been able to come clean? That wrong desire in your heart that you so wish would go away, but it stays?

How do you try to remove your guilt? Do you try to do good things to make up for it? Do you try to suppress it deep down in your soul? Do you scream when no one else is around? That doesn’t work.

God says, “‘Although you wash yourself with soap and use an abundance of cleansing powder, the stain of your guilt is still before me,’ declares the Sovereign LORD” (Jeremiah 2:22). It is impossible to remove your guilt, no matter how hard you try to scrub.

So God provided the real guilt remover. Do you know what it is? “The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Jesus’ blood shed for you on the cross is the real guilt remover. Your sin has already been paid for by Jesus. You don’t have to try to hide it. You don’t have to live with regret. By faith in Jesus, you’re forgiven! Jesus’ blood for you on the cross is the real guilt remover.

Pastor Nathan

06/03/2026

UNFAILING LOVE

What do you turn to each morning for the strength to face another day? We all have our morning routines. Is it a cup of coffee? A morning jog? A few minutes of scrolling? Each of us searches for something to help us face another long day.

There’s something better than coffee or a morning jog or internet memes. Know what it is? God’s unfailing love! Here’s a morning prayer that Moses prayed thousands of years ago: “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:14).

Nothing can satisfy you like the unfailing love of God. Sure, coffee tastes good, but soon the cup is empty. No matter how long you live, you will never see the end of God’s love for you. Sure, exercise can get your blood flowing. But nothing satisfies your heart like the blood of Jesus which he shed for you on the cross. You’re forgiven. You’re loved. You’re saved! Sure, our minds love to be distracted by whatever can take our thoughts away from the worries of this world. But nothing takes those worries away like believing in God’s presence in your life and trusting in God’s promise of eternal life in heaven.

Do you want strength for each new day? Try a time-tested morning routine. Pray with Moses, “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.”

Pastor Nathan

06/01/2026

Our God is the God of the broken. The God of the crushed. The God who called darkness into light. The God who formed man from dust. The God who sent his own Son. The God of unfailing love. How can we broken, sinful creatures, make it through today? Only by the unfailing love of God. How can we make it through tomorrow? Only by the unfailing love of God. The Christian prays to the Lord, “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:7-14). God’s unfailing love uncrushes the crushed. God’s unfailing love unbreaks the broken. I hope you can watch this sermon: “I Am a Broken Creature Who Trusts in God’s Unfailing Love.” Jesus loves you!

Our God is the God of the broken. The God of the crushed. The God who called darkness into light. The God who formed man from dust. The God who sent his own ...

06/01/2026

LIFE IS HARD

“Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10). Isn’t that the truth? People live about seventy or eighty years. Even the best of those years is filled with trouble and sorrow. Then we’re gone. We die. That shouldn’t surprise us. Life is hard.

Those words were written by Moses about 3,500 years ago. So much has changed over the past 3,500 years: Technological advances. Global exploration. New inventions. Yet, life hasn’t really changed. People still live about seventy or eighty years. Even the best of those years is filled with trouble and sorrow. Then we’re gone. We die. Life is hard. That hasn’t changed in 3,500 years.

Why? Because the real problem in life hasn’t changed. Do you know what it is? Sin. We sin against God in our thoughts and our words and our actions. Sin and its consequences make life hard. No technology can erase sin. Life is hard because you and I daily sin against God and against each other.

This is why we need Jesus. Jesus came to save you from your sins. Jesus suffered and died in your place to win for you forgiveness and eternal life. The best this world can offer is maybe seventy or eighty years of trouble and sorrow. Life is hard! So turn to Jesus. He offers forgiveness, hope, and eternal life.

Pastor Nathan

05/29/2026

WAIT QUIETLY

“Patience is a virtue.” At least, that’s how the old saying goes. Maybe because patience is so rare. No one likes to wait. Whether it’s waiting for your birthday or waiting to hear back from that job interview or waiting for a friend to reach out or waiting for the pain to go away… No one likes to wait.

That makes faith in God difficult, because faith involves waiting. Waiting for God’s timing. Waiting for God’s plan to unfold. Waiting for the unseen to be seen. Faith involves a lot of waiting.

But no one likes to wait. So what do we say? “God, where are you? God, what is taking so long? God, why don’t you care about me? God, when will this end?”

The Bible quietly reminds our impatient hearts, “The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD” (Lamentations 3:25-26).

God promised the world a Savior. Thousands of years passed. Did God keep his promise? Yes! Jesus came. Jesus promised that he would rise from the dead. For three days, his followers cried and cried. Did Jesus keep his promise? Yes! Jesus rose from the dead.

Whether it’s three days or thousands of years, we have a God who always keeps his promises. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Faith always involves waiting. It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Pastor Nathan

05/28/2026

Does it matter whether I do good works? All religions talk about doing good. In fact, most religions teach that it’s by doing good that you and I are saved. Does it matter whether we do good works?

The Bible has an amazing, unexpected answer: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

I hope you can watch this short video devotion about how we are saved by God’s grace and created to do good works for his glory.

God bless you as you live for him!

Pastor Nathan

05/27/2026

THE NARROW ROAD

“But everybody’s doing it!” That’s one of the easiest ways to justify our actions. The logic seems solid: “If everybody is doing it, it must be right, right?” It’s so natural to go along with the crowd. To find your “group” and accept whatever they accept.

Except everybody could be wrong. In fact, Jesus warns us that often most people will be wrong. Often the majority will be heading in the wrong direction. Jesus taught, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

Jesus pictures life as having two roads. Not lots of different paths. Just two roads. One road is broad and wide. Lots of people are walking on it. Sounds good, doesn’t it? “Everybody’s doing it!” But here’s where that road leads: “To destruction.” It doesn’t matter if everybody is doing it. Everybody could be wrong!

The other road is narrow. Only a few people find it. It can look pretty deserted. Why would we want to walk on it? Because of where it leads: “To life.” Life under God’s grace on earth and eternal life in heaven. True life and salvation are found only in Jesus and his death and resurrection for us.

Are you following everybody, or are you following Jesus? Take the narrow road!

Pastor Nathan

05/25/2026

You are a Spirit-filled Christian. Do you think about that? God wants you to! As we watch God pour out his Holy Spirit on his people on Pentecost, we learn three amazing things that God the Holy Spirit does for God’s people. First, the Holy Spirit takes cowards and makes them courageous. He turned Peter from a denier of Jesus into a bold proclaimer of the Gospel. Second, the Holy Spirit gives different gifts to every Christian, like speaking in tongues or giving generously or serving selflessly. Finally, the Holy Spirit focuses our hearts on Jesus, for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21). I hope you can watch this Pentecost sermon about the work of the Holy Spirit: “Spirit-Filled.” God bless you!

You are a Spirit-filled Christian. Do you think about that? God wan...