St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church

05/18/2026

05/18/2026

Proverbs 16:3 – “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

Prayer...
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
Lord, in Your holy and powerful name you have once again come to me. So, I commend this new week into Your hands. Send your Holy Spirit to lead, guide and direct me in all things. Take control of every day, every plan, and every decision I will make. Let your holy will be at work in my life. Let this week be filled with Your presence, peace, and favor. I give to you my schedule, my work, and my goals. Go before me and make every crooked path straight. Help me to trust You in everything I face this week. Thank you for being with me always. I begin this week with You, O Lord. In the name of Jesus this I pray. Amen.

05/18/2026

Sunday May 17, 2026

GOSPEL John 17:11b-19

Title: "The Real Lord's Prayer"

Jesus prayed…
“Dear Father in heaven… I will be no longer in the world… but my faithful will remain behind.
I have given them your word… and the world has hated them because they are not of the world… just as I am not of the world.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world… but that you keep them from the evil one.
They are not of the world… just as I am not of the world.
As you sent me into the world… so I have sent them into the world.

I have a couple of friends who are Amish Their names are Enis and Menno. We both hunted the same property when I hunted near Chili, WI. Their way of life must be fraught with all kinds of difficulties but I like the simplicity of it.

Think about it. They are separate from the world… and all the taxes… being off the grid so to speak. They are separate from the rat race. They are separate from the perversion of the world… and the fraud… corrupt businesses… and scammers. They are separate from the hostilities and anger of our culture. Can you imagine no TV and no bad news from the media!!!

I even kind of like the no hassle clothing, especially the suspenders.

Yeah… but something inside me knows better.

I see the façade.

But the inner workings are fraught with sin.

Prick us and we all bleed the same selfishness and dark inner desires.

And finally, is this what God really wants???

Listen to our Lord’s prayer (the real Lord’s Prayer)… “I do not ask you [Father] to take them out of the world, but that you keep them
from the evil one. Let them be in the world, but not of the world.”

Jesus prayed this on the night He would be betrayed, the night he shared His last supper with them. It was mere hours before things were going to go haywire: betrayed, beaten, tortured, death on a cross.

Yet… notice… the prayer wasn’t for Himself. The prayer was meant for His apostles and us.

You see, the joy and promise of being a follower of the Lord was about to unravel. Everything they had come to know would appear to be a ruse. So, Jesus prays that His Father in Heaven would give His friends GREAT strength to endure.

Bad things can… and do happen to good people. I’m talking about the righteous in Christ.

Evil sometimes seems to get the upper hand. Good people (like Jesus and us) only seem to get the short end of the stick.

Life isn’t fair.

I’ll go a little bit further.

The faithful… and the God-pleasing… are “marked” people. Marked with the cross of Christ. Marked by servanthood… humility… even suffering and shame. And therefore… an open target for the evil in the world. In the words of a good friend of mine, “Turn your cheek… and you can expect the other to get slapped, too.”

As a Christian you and I are not given a GET OUT OF THE WORLD FREE CARD. And this is where the devil does some of his best work.
Hardships come, and they come to all. But when they come to the faithful we must take a step back and be wise. Jesus never promised we would be exempt from hardship or pain. I sometimes wonder how many people have left the Christian faith because they felt they deserve better. they believed God would give them better than a life of humility and self-sacrifice.

We call this prayer of Jesus in John 17…
1. “The HIGH Priestly Prayer…
2. or “The Real Lord’s Prayer”.

That’s because Jesus prays it for us. Jesus doesn’t pray that he won’t have to suffer he prays for the suffering of others.

But not only that.

He prays for our faith to prevail. Jesus knows that our faith sometimes is determined by how well things are going for us in life.
He knows how dangerous that is. When the winds of doubt and despair… trial and tribulation… pick up… our faith is tested.

And this is where the devil works his very best. The temptation is to turn on God and blame Him for our troubles. This is why Peter writes to us today, “Be sober, and vigilant. Your adversary the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

Think back to when times got tough. Maybe you experienced the death of a loved one. Maybe you’ve been through a painful conflict with a church member or pastor.

I can’t tell you how many people have given up their faith because going to church only reminds me of the pain I felt at a funeral service. Or… going to church only reminds me of people who crushed my spirit. Or, I don’t want to be associated with hypocrites. Something turned them off. The devil rejoices over such separation.
The very balm that’s needed to cure the pain and sorrow is rejected.

Running away from reality and God’s graces in Christ never solves anything.

Folks: This is precisely why our Lord also prays, “Keep them in Your name.”

Your Lord and Savior knows what’s needed. We are people baptism into the powerful name of Christ. There is our justification. And there is the means by which we can practice love with one another and overcome hardships and conflicts.

And I point you to the altar of God’s LOVE. There you will find a feast to nourish you with His life-giving, life-saving body and blood.
Communion with God through Christ is our salvation.

Think about that for a moment.

Let that sink in.

God comes to us to have communion—oneness—with us.

God is not pro-separation.

Christ has come to bring us into communion with Him.

The world we live in is coming more and more undone every single day. Things are bad, and they’re only getting worse. Fear not! Despair not! Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Take heart and be at peace. Your Lord prays for you in the midst of this trial and tribulation. He doesn’t pray that you never experience pain and sorrow while living your life of faith in a faith-hating, Christ-hating world. He doesn’t pray that you never bear crosses.

Bearing crosses is the very epitome of life in a fallen and sinful world, and everyone bears them. Christ prays that we bear our crosses faithfully. He prays that you will know that… no matter what the situation is… you will know He is ever-present. He Himself endured all things… and in all things He is there in your heart.

Abraham Lincoln was quoted as saying to His generals,
"The reason why many Generals fail in battle is because they wait until the last hour to pray.
The reason why others succeed is because they have gained their victory on their knees long before the battle comes.
Anticipate your battles, fight them on your knees and you will always have the victory."

AMEN

05/13/2026

Prayer for Guidance and Strength.

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. AMEN.
Heavenly Father, Your love transcends all my knowledge and understanding. Your grace and love are clearly my salvation in and through my Savior, Jesus. This is why I commit this week into Your hands. Guide my decisions, illuminate my path, and help me make choices that honor You. Strengthen my heart to trust Your plan above my own understanding. Let every action I take reflect Your glory, and may Your wisdom flow through all areas of my life this week. Fill me with Your Spirit, granting clarity, perseverance, and courage to face challenges with faith and hope. AMEN

05/13/2026

Sunday May 10, 2026
Mother's Day

2 Timothy 1: 5
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”

Here’s a Mother’s Day riddle.

I'm thinking of a word that's FOUR LETTERS long. It begins with the letter “L” and ends with the letter “E”. When I think of my mom I often think of this word. What is it?

That’s right… Late!!!

We were often LATE for things like a vacation because my mom had to remember everything my dad forgot.

What is it about your mom that others see in you? People who knew my mom say I have her height, her hair and her smile.

But what most people don’t know is that I also have my mother’s FAITH.

When people study you what it is of your mother they see in you???

I wish children adopted all the best mannerisms, language and attitudes of their mothers.

But that’s not always true.

Kids pick up on both the good and the bad their do and say as well as their attitudes and beliefs.

Just this past week I have witnessed some pretty disturbing things.
I saw a child slapped in public for screaming out loud. I saw a child running around in a department store like a wild animal with mom oblivious to their actions. And I heard a mother cuss out her little boy with every four-letter word I knew plus a few more I’d never heard before. I know its not all mom’s fault. I’ve often asked myself, “Where’s dad? How come He’s not around?” Now you tell me, how will these children look and act when they’re on their own and parents???

So… this past week I couldn’t help but to think of my mom. For the sake of my message this morning and the Bible verse I chose for this message, I want to share with you something personal about my mom.

My first memories of my mom are of her reading the Bible to me before bed at night. And, before she left my bedside she always said this prayer with me, "Now I Lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. And if I die before I wake. I pray the Lord my soul to take." I am a product of my mother’s life and faith.

Let me explain… (and some of you know the story because you were at her funeral).

My mom lost her mother when she was only ELEVEN YEARS old.
She never spoke much of this because it’s so tragic and it left behind trauma. Like most traumas this one was swept under the rug.

After my mom’s mother died she was left to care for her two younger brothers. The youngest brother was mentally handicapped like my brother was. Her dad became severely depressed. So, my mom needed to look after her brothers and my grandfather at the tender age of twelve. Can you imagine attending Junior High and High School yet coming home to “WHO KNOW’S WHAT” with a family like this?

So, as it turns out she never spoke much of her mother.

Finally, about a year before she died she gave me the date her mother died… May 6, 1947. As many of you know I was born on May 6 (fourteen years later).

How ironic.

Is that just a coincidence?

I think my mom struggled to make sense of that (everyone has a hard time making sense of me).

I suppose it went through her mind at times, “What could it mean that I should have a son on the day my mother died? Is God playing some kind of cosmic trick on me? Or, is God making good out of some tragic bad?” I suppose thoughts like these were the reason she never shared with me the date of her mother’s death.

But as time went on I’ve made sense of it. I am who I am IN PART because of who and what my mom was, and how she endured her life.

I’m talking about the faith that sustained her.

God often works in mysterious ways. I think we all have to learn that truth.

Why??? Because the mystery of mysteries is not about what happens to us. It’s the mystery behind all things.

God is hidden. His true nature is revealed in the suffering, death and resurrection of Hos Son, Jesus. The God’s we create need to be appeased… pleased… served and lorded over us.

But not our God. Behind the mystery of mysteries is a God who came down to earth to be one of us. to serve us, to suffer for us,to die on a cross for us and rise again for us that we would have life on earth abundantly… and life eternal. God loves us so much that He would send His only begotten Son to that whosoever shall believe in Him might have eternal life.

Most people have their parents to thank for their Christian faith, especially their mom. My mom’s dad never took her to church (according to my mom). So… I’ve often wondered, How did she know all those Bible stories so well? And how did she become so faithful?

One day I asked her about all this. Her answer surprised me. It turns out her mother read Bible verses to her before bed at night and took her to Sunday School at a church where she was baptized.

Then she said.., “Just because my mother died… doesn’t mean God didn’t care!”

And then she said something that really threw me for a loop, “Mom loved me and that’s what God wanted. She was a Christian…
and so am I.” After all that happened to her growing up this was the shining light in her dark story. Her mom was a Chrisitan and that would be her story, too. How does the Bible say it, "You can kill the body but you can’t kill the soul!!!" The soul of my family’s faith (on my mother’s side) was spared by a woman who took her daughter to church. It was spared by the Holy Spirit who kept the faith alive in my mother’s heart through my grandmother (Estell Robideau). That saved her. And that saved me… too.

You moms and grandmothers out there who love Jesus never give up. Your faith shapes the hearts of your children. Its powerful and undeniable. You can’t see the Holy Spirit work. But He does and His work bears fruit in your children. That’s because God chose you to be their mom. So… if you love Jesus… there is hope that your children will love Jesus as well.

For the Apostle Paul’s young friend and understudy (Timothy) it was the same story. Timothy knew Jesus because His mother EUNICE knew Jesus. And… Eunice… knew Jesus because her mother LOIS knew Jesus. The women in Timothy’s life were a mouthpiece and example for God.

Make no mistake about it salvation is a gift of God given through His Son, Jesus. It is by faith we receive this salvation. The Holy Spirit works this faith. All of this is a gift of God given by His grace. Only through the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus may our children be saved.

But how do we receive this faith??? The Bible says, “How can they hear the word of God unless someone proclaims it? And how can they proclaim it without being sent???” Mothers are a gift of God sent into a child’s life to bring the Gospel in a very special way.

So… Eunice and Lois shared Jesus with Timothy. Just like Estell and Patricia shared Jesus with me. The old saying is true, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

So, Mother’s Day is really a good time to thank all Christian women in our congregation. But its also a good time to be reminded how the Christians faith grows and continues the church on earth.

Henry Ward Beecher said of mothers, "The mother's heart
is the child's schoolroom." Foreshadowed behind the Gospel message you will often find a mother’s heart. So let us bless our moms… and hold them in the highest esteem. Amen

05/12/2026

Sunday May 3, 2026
"I will Return"

John 14:1-6 –
[Jesus said] "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.
In My Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.
You know the way to where I am going.
Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way?’
Jesus said to him, ‘I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
When you hear these words… what did you think of? FUNERALS???

I must have used this Bible passage dozens of times for funerals.

Most of the time I concentrate on that part of this passage that speaks of “MANY ROOMS” (or… as the King James translates it… MANY MANSIONS).

But they apply to so much more than just the death of a loved one!!!

So today… this Bible passage stands apart from a funeral.

For they are… indeed… words for your life at all times.

What came to my mind as I prepared this message for you is “simplicity”.

Jesus uses SIMPLE LANGUAGE to comfort His disciples who are young in the faith.

In fact, they kind of sound like the way I used to speak to my kids when I dropped them off for preschool in the morning…

"Dad’s going to work now.
But don’t you worry.
I’ll be back before you know it.
And when I get here…
I will take you home with me."

I spoke this way to my kids because sometimes they were nervous about me leaving them.
I remember one of my daughters used to really freak out when she saw me walk out the door!!!

So… I used simple language with her… to help her understand it’s going to be okay.

In much the same way… Jesus speaks words of simplicity to His disciples.

The context here is important.

He’s about to face something extremely difficult… soon… very soon.
• arrested… and mocked…
• betrayed… and beaten…
• Humiliated beyond reason...
• and nailed to a cross to die.
Those moments ahead would be horrible and terrifying for them.

Their faith in Him would be tested to the brink of breaking.

So… He prepared them with simple words of love.
"I’ll be back…
And then I will take you to be with me. Everything will work out for the best.
We will be together soon."

Such simple language!!!

Even a child would be reassured.

And it all came true.

1. He did suffer and die a horrible death on a cross.

2. He did come back from the dead…

3. And He did return to His disciples

It just goes to show that God cares for His people in ways we will never understand.

Simplicity…

It’s the way of the Gospel.

It’s so simple…
• You don’t earn God’s love.
• It’s a free gift.
• God gives it.
• Faith takes hold of it.
You and I do nothing but receive it.

God does it all by way of His Spirit.

We complicate it.

But the basics are not rocket science.

The difficulty is… you can’t always understand things beyond that.

We’re like ants trying to figure out why the rain is falling.

You just can’t make sense of everything.

Especially how the circumstances are playing out in your life right now.

Salvation is simple… Life is not.

What we have is this…
• Jesus on the cross.
• Jesus raised from the dead.

What we have is… God loves us.

What we don’t have is all the WHYS… WHENS and HOWS.

So… we trust everything that is happening to us… is under God’s sovereign right hand of power.

Simplicity...
“Jesus loves me… this I know…
for the Bible tells me so!”

So… Jesus used simple words… and simple language to comfort His disciples.
And that’s what we need right now…

My friends… Do you believe God cares?

• He knows we’re confused and angry.

• He knows about the shootings… the wars… the stealing… the fraud.

• He knows about the price of gas.

• He knows about the cost of living.

• He knows about disease… cancer… death and dying.

• He knows about those who stand against the church and the faithful.

• He knows our struggles to remain faithful through it all.
So… he offers simple… and clear promises meant to reassure us of His love and care.

1. I will be back.

2. And when I return… I will be with you again.

He is Risen!!!

Sometimes life can make you feel like a toddler.

Day after day… life is dropping you off in some lonely… God-forsaken situation.

And there you stand.
1. Lonely and forsaken…
2. Frightened and confused.
All you want to do is go home and be at peace.

And so Jesus says…
"Let not your hearts be troubled.
Believe in God; believe also in Me.

Then… with simplicity and clear language he goes on to say…
“In My Father's house
there’s a place prepared for you.
And I am coming to take you there.”

Simple… clear words of reassurance.

Simple words to trust.

And God knows… there’s nothing like faith to calm the troubled soul.

In closing… I’ll let you in on a little story.

The preschool my kids attended was run by one of the congregations I served.

My office was just down the hall from where my kids were.

Just steps… seconds away.

So close… I could hear the children play.

So… when I left… I didn’t go far.

One of the preschoolers began to call me “THE BOSS!” (like Bruce Springstien).

Sometimes when I dropped my kids off… I would say to the class… “The boss will be back soon!”

The preschool teacher would just smile.

To this day… I sometimes whisper that to one of my daughters who needs to hear it… “The boss will be back!”

Just think how reassuring it can be to hear that your FATHER’s in charge of EVERYTHING!!!

Jesus said it this way…
“If you know Me…
you know the Father.
Believe me…
I and the Father are one.”

Jesus is the boss.
• Everything created answers to Him.
• Everything belongs to Him.
Yet… He’s the One who laid down His life for righteousness’s sake for lost and lonely winners like us.

He’s the One who conquered death that you might live forever.

Need I say more?

AMEN!!!

05/12/2026

Sunday May 3,2026

Let’s see if you can say the King James version of the 23rd Psalm by memory… You say the second part of the verse with me…
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
He is Risen!!!

Sometime ago I compiled a LIST of what I consider to be “The most foolish animals on the Face of our Planet”.

I shared it with you in another sermon for other reasons.

I’ve updated that and would like to share it with you again (in case you’ve forgotten).


1. 10: Snakes
Snakes are foolish. They’re concerned about only two things… EATING and SCARING the life out of PEOPLE LIKE ME.

Living your life only to eat… and frighten people… seems awful foolish to me.

But… I will give snakes this: they do what they do very well.

9: Ants
Ants work all the time… and ants never ask for a raise. Foolish…

8: Polar bears
Polar Bears live only in the Artic.

But… they could live anywhere they please. If you had the choice between the North Pole… and the Bahamas… where would you live? Enough said…

7: Lemmings
Lemmings do what everyone else does.

If one of them jumps off a bridge… they all do.

And we all know you’re not supposed to jump off a bridge… just because someone else does.

6: Salmon
Salmon are born… swim to the ocean… and then swim back home.

All they do is swim and be food for bears and people who are concerned about their cholesterol.

If salmon weren’t so foolish… they would get an AT-HOME-JOB and market PORK as low fat.

5: Cows…
Cows get milked and end up as hamburger… Prime Rib… and T-bones.

Everything about them says… “Let’s have dinner on me!!!”

Not wise.

4: Foxes
Foxes have a reputation of being smart. I’ll give them that. But they’re still foolish.

You see… they could be a LAP DOG. (they’re about the right size and weight for it).

Instead… they want to be known as smart.

And so rich people hunt them for fun… when they could be eating treats… and sleeping on pillows.

3: The Ostrich
The Ostrich has allowed its reputation to be sullied by people who think they bury their heads in the sand.

Ostriches don’t do that.
But… they haven’t corrected anyone yet. So, now they’re the “poster bird” for avoidance and aversion.

2: Turkeys
The myth about Turkeys is that they look up during a rainstorm… and drown.

Although that’s not true… it was kind of foolish to become the “main entre” for one of America’s most popular holidays.

And… the number one most foolish animal on the face of our planet: Sheep

Sheep are fluffy and cute… but they have hooves.

Everyone knows hooved animals belong outside.

Animals with paws… like cats and dogs… can be inside… Hooved animals have to be outside.

Being outside can be cold… and dangerous.

And there are hungry predators out there.

So, sheep end up being needy and a bit edgy.

If sheep weren’t so foolish, they would have worked harder on evolving paws like dogs and cats.

And that’s why sheep are my number one foolish animal.

I did leave out one animal from my list (pause).

This animal would have easily knocked out sheep from the number one spot.

But… because their foolishness is so incredible… so unbelievable… they stand alone.

1. You see… this animal is endowed with the gift of a conscience.

Yet… this animal often makes a conscience decision not to use its consciousness for it’s own well-being… and the welfare of others.

This is foolishness!!!

2. This animal was created with a soul and spirit… as to have a unique relationship with its Creator.

Yet… this animal will often reject and deny the existence of its Creator.

And because of that… it misses out on having an amazing and enriching relationship with him.

3. This animal has the unique ability to communicate through spoken and written language.

Yet… this animal will often waste this unique and wonderful gift on things like… vulgarity… and gossip… inuendo and slander… and even attacks against its Creator!!!

How foolish is that… when that amazing gift of communication could be used for an intimate relationship with its Creator???

4. This animal was given a heart with the capacity for a noble, and even “inspired” love.

Yet… this particular animal is well known for
• its anger… abusive nature… hatred… prejudice… and injustice.

And it’s the only animal that goes to war with members of its own species.

5. This animal is endowed with the largest BRAIN in the animal kingdom.

Yet this animal can’t figure out how to solve such important issues as…
• Poverty…
• Hunger…
• And homelessness.

And… again… with its huge brain… this animal will still…
• litter… and pollute…
• bring other animals to the point of extinction…
• and disregard the importance of family and religion at its own expense.

That my friends is foolishness!!!

If this animal were really wise… do you know what it should do???

It should exchange places with sheep (if those sheep would be so foolish as to allow that).

You see… wise sheep have a Shepherd.

And… sheep learn to listen to that Shepherd… and follow after Him.
You see… a Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.

And most sheep believe this… and listen to the voice of that Shepherd.

And He gives them so much.

They know that the Shepherd is so Good and Caring that He would even lay down His life for them when danger and death comes.

If only that THE MOST FOOLISH ANIMAL ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET could exchange places with sheep.

Just think of all they would inherit!!!

Things like…
1. Clear… and well-defined paths to follow… so they don’t get lost!
2. Everyday filled with the faith and trust that the Shepherd is in charge… and everything is going to be okay!

3. A sense of a deep abiding love…

4. And a home in green… protected pastures… with a forever home promised… awaiting them!

Yes… sheep have their issues.

They have hooves instead of paws.

But you want to know a little secret???

Just between you and me… the “most foolish animal on the face of the planet” doesn’t have hooves

They have feet.

And if they were really… really wise… they would use those feet…
• And their conscience…
• And their spirit…
• And their heart…
• And their brain
for walking with a really… really GOOD SHEPHERD… and get to know Him better!!!

Enough said.

AMEN!!!

04/03/2026

Easter Worship Service Sunday at 9am. Theme: "The Butterfly and the Resurrection of Jesus"

04/03/2026

Good Friday Tenebrae Worship at 6pm tonight. Theme: "The Lamb"

04/01/2026

Palm Sunday
Sunday March 29, 2026

Matthew 21: 8-9
A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

What did the palm leaf say to the congregation?

“I’m frond of you all!”

Poor, poor Palm Sunday. I couldn’t even find a good joke about it.

Palm Sunday doesn’t get much love. There are no flowers: no beautiful poinsettias, no magnificent Easter Lillies. Just a leaf from some sort of grass that doesn’t even grow around here.

When it comes to churchy celebrations… Palm Sunday takes a back seat to almost everything.

So, most people aren’t into it. Even the procession from the Narthex to your pew is getting old.

It wasn’t always that way. When I was a kid, we used to take our Palm Fronds home. We hung them on the wall of our bedroom.
They stayed there until Palm Sunday the next year as a symbol of what they meant.

What they meant… (PAUSE)

Well… what do they mean???

Let me surprise you. Palms mean “The Fickle Pickel”.

I know you don’t know what that is, so let me tell you.

Back in my Sunday School days (some 60 years ago) I had this odd… sort of eccentric Sunday School teacher in the first grade. Her name was Miss. Schaefer. She was memorable to say the least.
She was always coming up with these odd and weird characters to reinforce Sunday School stories.

One Palm Sunday she brought to Sunday School “The Fickle Pickel”.
Who could ever forget him. The Fickel Pickel was this stuffed toy pickle about the size of a watermelon. She sewed on him two eyes… a nose… and a mouth… two arms and two hands.

Then… she pinned a small palm frond in his right hand. He waved it whenever he was happy. He held it as his side when he wasn’t.

So… we heard the story of Palm Sunday from the Bible… and “The Fickel Pickel” waved his little Palm frond from the time Jesus entered into Jerusalem… until He went to the Temple.

Then guess what?

Jesus cleared the temple of the money changers. The Fickle Pickel held his frond low and didn’t wave it for Jesus. Nothing much good seemed to happen for Jesus so the Fickle Pickle never waved it again until Easter morning.

Do you know why?

From Palm Sunday until Easter morning Jesus made more enemies than friends. A lot more enemies. Even His disciples doubted much He did. They even ended up leaving Him on the day He was betrayed.

The point???

The Fickle Pickel was a HYPOCRIT.

That’s the first time I heard that word.

Just think… I learned what the word hypocrite when I was SIX or SEVEN years old.

A hypocrite is a “The Fickle Pickel”.

I learned that FRUITS of the FAITH grow out of trust for Jesus.

PALM SUNDAY… a PALM FROND… Hypocrite… and fruits of the faith.

And that’s what Palm Sunday is to me.

The Good News… of course… is that “The Fickel Pickel” would wave his palm branch once more.

You know when that was…

Easter morning… when “The Fickel Pickle” learned Jesus still oved Him… and changed Him… and opened up heaven’s door for him.

The Palm Frond… (PAUSE)

We are…
• Inconsistent… unfaithful…
• Capricious… impulsive…
• Wavering… often uncommitted… people.

The good news???

Our Lord Jesus is…
• Faithful… steadfast...
• Purposeful…committed…
• Gracious and filled with mercy…

The Lord Jesus is everything we aren’t.

He’s everything we need to be.

And… He’s come to fulfill all the holes in our lives.

When people like you and I believe on Him… we receive the Holy Spirit.

Then we repent and grow… and thus there are fruits of the faith.
On the first Palm Sunday Jesus Christ enters Jerusalem.

There He is being praised and honored.

People are amazed at His preaching and teaching.

They’re stunned by His “signs and wonders” (healing, casting our demons… giving sight to the blind… and hearing to the deaf)

In fact… just before entering Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday… he raised Lazarus from the dead.

It was a great time for people who followed Jesus… and admitted it.

So… Jesus rides into Jerusalem.

Everyone is waving their banner of praise and honor!!!

It’s the Palm branch.

Everyone wants to be on His side.

They shout… “Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.”

But it wouldn’t last long.

Now you know the rest of the story.

For the most part people only care about…
• Their reputation and pride.
• Their peace and security…
• Their health and well-being…
• Their possessions and property.
• Taxes… their rights… oppression… and who gets what.

Is anyone thinking about their sinful condition?
• Their need for heart-felt worship of God…
• The effects of adultery in their lives…
• The seriousness of their coveting… and licentiousness…

Hypocrisy… in only a few short days, many of these same people will be shouting, “Crucify Him!”
• He didn’t delivery.
• He didn’t give us what we want.
• He’s not my God!!!
• He can’t even save Himself.

We’re no different.
• We go to church…
• We sort of praise God…
• And we go home feeling pretty good about ourselves.

And then what???

Is it back to your comfortable life of sin?

Is there fretting and blame because God doesn’t produce when we pray?

Doesn’t take long to go from singing hymns in our pews… to cursing God in our cars.

That’s our story.

And… that’s the narrative of the PALMS.

Palms… green as they are.

They tell us a nasty truth.

We’re Fickle Pickels.

But not Jesus.

He’s tried and true.

There’s another narrative here.

Someone isn’t fickle and hypocritical.

Someone sticks to His WORD… HIS LOVE OF GOD… and His love for you.

Jesus said it many times before Palm Sunday… “I must suffer many things… be rejected… die… and rise again.”

He rode into Jerusalem… and hiked all the way up Golgotha… disregarding all the hypocrisy.
And because He was faithful… your narrative changes.

His story is now your story.

Love did that.

And the Holy Spirit is at work in your heart helping you along.

Now your life goes hand-and-hand with the love of God in Christ Jesus.

It’s a story of dying to sin.

It’s a story of rising to Christ.

It coincides with your baptism.

It involves true confession and repentance.

No hypocrisy because its heart-felt… because it’s prompted by the Holy Spirit.

These palms you hold may lack flowers… fragrance and color… but none-the-less… they are an indication of your salvation.

I’ve read that the PALM is the SIGN of an OASIS in the desert.

When you see one you know there’s hope.

Now it’s a sign for you.

A sign of honesty… truth… and trust in Christ.
It’s a sign in the desert of life.

It leads you to still water.

My deepest prayer is that your PALM SYMBOL… when you see it… will help you think of Your Lord and Savior/Redeemer.

AMEN