December 30, 2012: Between two Advents

Right now, we're between Christmas and New Year's day, between two holidays. It's sort of an awkward time, because you don't want to go back to work, and yet it's a week inbetween with football and other things not normally seen in most weeks...and yet, it is a full business week with government offices and businesses mostly open.

However, spiritually, we are between two Advents in our lives as Christians: between Christ's first and second comings. And in that time frame, we must live as believers in Christ: in the Spirit until Jesus comes back. Listen to how we should do that in Pastor Michael Hodge's sermon for today.

Also, Katharine Spencer played "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" for us, and we have that recorded here too for your listening pleasure. To listen to them, click here:


http://archive.org/details/BetweenTwoAdvents

We hope you are blessed by these recordings, and that you had a blessed Christmas. And from all of us here at Grace to your family, we pray God's blessings on you in 2013!

December 23, 2012: The peace of Christ

As this is being typed, we're a week and a half past the terrible school shooting in Connecticut, and a few days after the day that the world was supposed to end...according to the Mayans. There's so much angst, so much confusion, so much anger, so much hatred in the world today. As we approach Christmas, let us remember that we have the solution to all of that...Jesus Christ! He is the only one who can provide the peace in our lives that we all seek. Listen to this sermon and be reminded of that as Christmas is upon us. And if you don't know Christ as your Lord and risen Savior, we invite you to listen, that you may know the peace that passes all understanding that we have!

Also, we had the lighting of our Advent candles, and our special music today was done by Roger Seldal and others.

You can hear all of these by clicking here:

http://archive.org/details/ThePeaceOfChristInAnUnhingedWorld

We hope you are blessed by all these recordings today, and may you have a joyous Christmas, with the peace of Christ in your heart!

December 16, 2012: The Lord of life

As we continue our celebration of the Advent season, and prepare our hearts of Christmas, we are reminded on this gloomy but mild day that God is the Lord of Life today. We go back to the foundations of our faith to remember today that God provides us with not only physical life, and those of everything around us, but eternal life. The question is: do you know if you are going to eternal life, to heaven? Listen to this challenging sermon to find out!

We also had Connie and Karen Hannan put together special music and our prelude, and we recorded these for your listening pleasure. And, we had the Spencers light the Advent candle and do the readings today. We hope you are blessed by these recordings.

You can hear them here:

http://archive.org/details/TheGodOfLife

May God bless you richly this week in Christ Jesus!

December 9th, 2012: Spiritual formation, part 8: Discipleship

On this cold and rainy Sunday, Pastor Michael Hodge shared with us the last in his series on spiritual transformation, as Christ transforms us by the power of the Holy Spirit, we become Christ's disciples. We witness to others and live out what we believe. And, we are martyrs if necessary, living our lives at all costs for Jesus. We encourage you to listen to this challenging message and meditate on the Scriptures that it is based of off.

Also, we had our lightning of the Advent candle, sacrifice. And Kaelynn Clark did our special music today.

You may listen to all these here:

http://archive.org/details/SpiritualFormationPart8DiscipleshipAndWitnesses

We hope you are blessed by all of this today, and pray you have a great week in Christ Jesus!

December 2, 2012: Spiritual formation, part 7: Holiness

On this partly sunny and near record warm day, Pastor Michael Hodge spoke about holiness. As we become more like Christ, we become holy, hating and acknowledging our sin more and more...while doing less and less of it. Find out how this is done by listening to his sermon today.

Also, we had the lighting of the first candle in Advent today. This candle symbolizes holiness...also the topic of our sermon today. The Fagerstroms were the first family up this week today, and other families will perform this ceremony in weeks to come.

Finally, Donna Seldal and Karen Hannan gave us our special music today; I think you'll really enjoy it. Donna really had a good song today!

You can listen to all these by clicking here:


http://archive.org/details/SpiritualFormationPart7Holiness

And we hope you have a great week in Christ Jesus!

November 25, 2012: Spiritual Formation, Part 6: Conformation/confirming to Jesus

On this chilly but partly cloudy day, Pastor Michael Hodge had a busy morning, and blessed us with two sermons. The first was the children's sermon, as he talked about feet. He taught the children that we can use or feet to walk and run with and for Jesus, and we sang about that at the end of the sermon. Next, our main sermon was on spiritual formation, and how we conform to Jesus. IF we are truly in Christ, then it will show not only by the transformation of our lives, but as we read God's Word, it becomes our desire to conform to His ways and His will.Pastor Hodge urges us to do this in our sermon today.

We also had special music with Roger and Donna Seldal, and Karen Hannan on piano. We hope you are blessed by that.

And, we hope you will be blessed by all of these, by hearing them. Just click here:

http://archive.org/details/SpiritualFormationPart6ConformationconformingToJesus

Due to a recording glitch, the sermon is in 3 parts, but if you click on the first one, the second and third ones will play automatically without skipping a beat.

May you have a great and thankful week in Christ Jesus!

November 18th, 2012: Spritual Formation, part 5: Inward change

On this unseasonably mild and mostly sunny morning, Pastor Michael Hodge continued his series on spiritual formation by talking about inward change. As we read God's Word and as it pierces our hearts, we are transformed. This is what the Bible calls "the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:2).
This is something that cannot be done on our own, but rather is done through the Holy Spirit, who opens our eyes to our sin and God's Word, and to help us align with God's Word.
We hope you are blessed by his sermon today.

And as we approach Thanksgiving, Mark Fagerstrom delivered our children's sermon. Using a grain of corn, he shows us how God multiplies that corn, and that we should be grateful for corn, and all the other things He provides for us.

Finally, we hope you are blessed with Roger and Karen's special music today.

You can find and listen to all of these things by clicking here:

http://archive.org/details/SpritualFormationPart5InwardChange

And we hope you have a blessed week, and remind ourselves of all the blessings God through Jesus Christ has given us as Thanksgiving approaches.

November 11, 2012: Spiritual formation, part 4: sanctification

On this windy but unseasonably mild and mostly cloudy Sunday morning, Pastor Hodge talks about the next step in spiritual formation that God does by his Spirit through us: sanctification. Once we repent and turn to Christ to be our Savior and Lord, our walk with Christ then becomes a lifelong process of growth. We no longer like sin, but hate it; we no longer live the way we once did, but live in faith, and repentance. Listen to Pastor Hodge's sermon on how all of this is done in the lives of a believer, and be blessed.

Also this morning, we heard from John Maulfair. His baby arrived at 23 weeks, way early. We as a church prayed for a miracle a few years ago, and God delivered one! Hear how our prayers a few years ago turned into a miracle for a now healthy two year old boy, who grabbed the microphone a few times (sorry!). Boys will be boys! :-)


You can listen to both of these items here:



http://archive.org/details/SpiritualFormationPart3-Sanctification

And, we hope you have a great week in Christ! Draw closer to Him this week.

November 4th, 2012: Part 3: Spiritual formation by spiritual transformation

On this partly cloudy and cool day, Pastor Michael Hodge delivered his sermon on spiritual transformation by Jesus, part 3 in his series of spiritual formation. He notes that working towards your faith is impossible---this is done by a heart transformation by the reading of the Bible, being convicted by it, and, by the Holy Spirit, convicted and bound to act. This is the only way the transformation of the heart can occur---not by works or effort on our part. We hope you are blessed by his sermon today. You can listen to it here:

http://archive.org/details/SpiritualFormationPart3-SpiritualTransformation

October 28, 2012: Spiritual formation, part 2: the heart

On this blustery and mostly cloudy Sunday, Pastor Michael Hodge continued his series on spiritual formation. He talked about how our hearts get changed by God. And, if not by God, than things of this world, which wwill lead us down a path of ruin.

While we were blessed by his sermon today, he got a little too passionate and accidently knocked his microphone out. While our audio engineer replaced the microphone, we lost about 1/4 of his sermon, which, when you listen to the parts that did get recorded, doesn't flow well without the missing piece. So, this week we regret that we don't have any audio of his sermon. We'll fix that issue for next week (actually, it already has been taken care of), and we apologize for the inconvenience.

October 21, 2012: What is your worldview?

On this sunny, breezy and mild morning, Pastor Hodge was out of town, so we had Steve Jameson from Freedom Lutheran Church north of Ottawa, IL preach our message this morning. His sermon was on "What is your worldview"? Unlike politicians who say that what they believe in their private, religious life has no bearing on their public lives and beliefs, God's Word is clear that not only is that not true---it's the definition of schizophrenia! So what is our worldview, and those of our elected officials, and everyone else...and why does it matter? Listen to Steve's sermon and be blessed by it today.


Also...we had special music with Roger Seldal, and our children's sermon about hymnals was done by Mark Fagerstrom. Listen to all of these by clicking here:

http://archive.org/details/WhatIsYourWorldview_238

And we hope you have a wonderful week in Christ Jesus!

October 14, 2012: Spiritual formation, part 1

On this mild and breezy Sunday morning, Pastor Hodge begins a series on spiritual formation: what it is, and how we can draw near to God through Christ.

Also, we had special music today, and we hope you are blessed by that!

You can find the links to both of these by clicking here...

http://archive.org/details/SpiritualFormationPart1

And we hope you have a blessed week in Christ Jesus!

October 7th, 2012: Prayer in a Christian's life

Prayer has a very important role in a Christian's life. It is our way of communicating to God through Jesus. The implications of this cannot be understated, and you can listen to Roger Scott's sermon, our guest speaker this week, by clicking on part 1.

Due to our older CD recorder, whenever he paused longer than a second or so, it started a new track. Just click on track 1 and it will flow naturally without you having to do a thing...except listen and be blessed. To begin, go here:

http://archive.org/details/Prayer_802

And we hope this is a blessing to you in Christ Jesus this week!

September 30, 2012: Jude, part 8: Rescue those influenced by false teachers

As Pastor Hodge concludes his series on Jude on this cool but sunny Sunday, he reminds us that many people have been taught things that are completely wrong about God. And even someone who teaches something 95% correctly is still a false teacher in the eyes of God, as nothing less than 100% must do. As a result, cults and false religions occur. When we see this happen to our family and friends, and to others...God calls us not to be passive about it. While only Christ can save, God uses us as messengers and representatives when we lovingly show people their errors. Learn more about this in his sermon today.

Finally, Mark Fagerstrom did our children's sermon today. Find out how Post-It Notes(tm) are a little bit like the Bible. Sound interesting? Give it a listen!





And to listen to these sermons, click here:

http://archive.org/details/JudePart8-RescuingThoseFromFalseTeachers
We hope you are blessed by these teachings today, and may you have a great week in Christ Jesus!

September 23, 2012 - Jude, part 7: Encouragement

As we continue on with the series from the book of Jude on this somewhat frosty morning, we are once again reminded just how devastating false teaching can be. But in the book of Jude, we are also encouraged: We have been given the Holy Spirit. If we are in the Spirit and are of God, then we can discern false teaching. Today, Pastor Michael Hodge tells us that despite the plethora of false teaching, it is to be expected...but we can detect it. And that should encourage us! If we remain in Christ, and read God's Word, he will not lead us astray. He will reveal to us what is false.
We hope you are blessed by this teaching today.

We also had Mark Fagerstrom deliver his children's sermon today about: chargers. We all need them, but what does this have to do with God? Listen to his sermon and find out!

Finally, we had special music. Just listen to it...nothing more to say except that. :-)

You may listen to all these items by clicking on the link here:

http://archive.org/details/JudePart7FalseTeachersButEncouragement

And may you have a blessed week in Christ Jesus!

September 16, 2012: Jude, part 6: False teachers: who?

David Koresh. Your best life now. Give and God will give you money right back. The false teachers and false teachings of our day have infiltrated the church in a huge way. In today's sermon, Pastor Hodge makes no bones about the destiny of false teachers, and their followers. Over 900 people died in the Jonestown Suicide, when Jim Jones had everyone commit suicide. False teachers and their teachings are extremely dangerous, and can and do lead people to Hell. What are some past and present falsse teachers, and how can we protect ourselves from them? In today's sermon, Pastor Hodge warns about these false teachings, and how to stay grounded in the truth.

We also had special music today. However, due to a glitch, I hit the record button a little early. Skip to about 6 minutes into that part of the recording to hear the service. And due to a CD recorder glitch, the last few minutes of the sermon were broken up into different tracks. If you click on the main one first, it will sequentially go through them, and you won't notice anything wrong.

We hope you find this sermon a blessing, and may you be blessed by Christ Jesus this week as you walk with him!

You can find the link to everything here:

http://archive.org/details/JudePart6FalseTeachersThenAndNow

September 9, 2012: Jude, part 5: False teaching, continued

The book of Jude just utterly hammers home the issue of damnable heresy when one listens to false teaching. In this sermon, Pastor Hodge talks about the consequences we have when we listen and do not discern false teaching. And, we also learn of the consequences of those who do teach falsely. But the good news is that in Christ Jesus, we aren't left to fend for ourselves! We have God's holy Word and the Holy Spirit to flush that nonsense out. We hope you are blessed by his sermon this morning. Due to some weird actions by our CD recorder, it's split into three parts.

Finally, Mark Fagerstrom gave us our children's sermon: umbrellas. Again, be blessed by his sermon this morning.

You can listen to both of these here:

http://archive.org/details/JudePart5FalseTeachersAndSomeGoodNews

And we hope that you have a great week in Christ Jesus!

September 2, 2012: Jude, part 4: False teaching, continued

The dangers of false teaching are very difficult to underemphasize. This is true if we're teaching our kids simple addition: if we tell them 1 plus 1 equals 3, then the math foundation that is laid will be wrong.

In the spiritual realm, however, it is much worse: false teaching has eternal consequences. And false teachers pay an extreme price for their teaching. Thus, anyone who stands before you teaching the Word of God needs to do so with trembling, because teachers will be held to a higher standard.

We hope you listen and understand the consequences of false teaching, and learn how to discern it when you do hear it...as there is a lot of it going on. May you be blessed by this teaching today.

We also hope you are blessed with Roger Seldal's special music...even with his cold, by the grace of God he got it done. :-)

You can hear both these items by clicking here:

http://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodge-FalseTeachersjudePart4

And, we hope you have a blessed week in Christ Jesus!

August 19, 2012: Jude, part 3

False teaching and wolves entering the church is nothing new. But it has arguably reached extreme levels in our world. Today, Pastor Michael Hodge warns of false teaching, and that true teaching should come from the Bible. He also gives specific examples in his sermon today that you should watch for, such as what the Bible really teaches on things like homosexuality and other sins. This is something the entire church needs to hear today.

Also, Karen and Connie gave us our special music today; we hope you enjoy it!

You can listen to both of those recordings right here:

http://archive.org/details/JudePart3FalseTeaching

We hope you have a great week in Christ, and may God bless you richly again this week!

August 12, 2012: Jude, part 2: Grace and forgiveness

Today, Pastor Michael Hodge continued on his series in the book of Jude. In Jude 2-5, we read about the condemnation about false teachers. However, we covered that last week, as well as how to watch for them. This week, we expound on the grace and forgiveness that is provided through Jesus Christ to those who repent and believe the Good News. And if you don't believe in Christ, would you consider what Pastor Hodge has to say about that, and the free gift of salvation?

Additionally, we had the Chierkolks, missionaries from Mexico, visit us today...and Todd Schierkolk gave an update on his work. Next, Mark Fagerstrom gave his children's sermon, and finally, Katherine Spencer gave us our special music this morning. All of these were recorded, and can be found at the player and links on this page:

http://archive.org/details/JudePart2GraceAndForgiveness

We pray you have a blessed week in Christ Jesus!

August 5, 2012: The book of Jude, part 1: False teaching

On this sunny and rarely pleasant morning so far this summer with low humidity and comfortable temperatures, we had some excellent teaching this morning. One of the things that is warned about consistently in the Bible is false teaching...and false teachers. In our society today, various churches preach sermons on anything but God. In the book of Jude we are called to watch out for this, calling those who teach falsely as "wolves", and they should be stopped. We are to use discernment with Scripture to ensure teaching is correct. We hope you are blessed and encouraged by Pastor Hodge's sermon, as he outlines this today. You can find the link to his sermon here:

http://archive.org/details/TheBookOfJudePart1FalseTeaching

Mark Fagerstrom gave us an update on our full-time pastor search. For those who missed it, please talk to Mark for details. Have a great week, and God bless!

July 29, 2012: Do what the Word says

This week, Sammy and Kelsey Weber, missionaries from Cameroon, came up to show us what God is doing through them and others there. While that part wasn't recorded (as it was part of a video and Powerpoint presentation), his sermon on doing what the Word says is linked below; we hope you find it a blessing, and as Sam says, that it would change you in some way.

Ruthie Taylor and Karan Hannan also did our special music this morning; we hope you enjoy it. And may you be blessed in Christ Jesus as you listen to these recordings, and may He work through you this week, and in the rest of your life.

Here is the link:

http://archive.org/details/DoWhatTheWordSays

July 22, 2012: Jonah, Part 3: Stubbornness

Pastor Hodge today continues to discuss the most stubborn prophet's behavior in part 3 of his series on Jonah. While we can be astonished that a prophet of God can be so pouty, are we any better in some or many cases?

And this morning, we also had special music with the Grace Notes and Connie Holliday on piano. Thanks to Connie for her help over the last few weeks!

You can listen to both recordings when archive.org is able to receive recordings again in the future. We'll  link to them here when they come back up and we are able to upload them.


And have a blessed week in Christ!

July 19, 2012: Illinois District Bible Camp recordings are now available!

From the July 16-19, 2012 Bible Camp in Cedar Lake, IN, David Olson and pastor Dana Coyle preached sermons each morning and evening that will challenge you and your walk with God. The first one had audio issues that were taken care of a few minutes in; we apologize for that, but otherwise, enjoy, be blessed and be challenged by the teaching of Christ through these men.

To hear the sermons, click here:

http://archive.org/details/IllinoisAflcBibleCampAtCedarLakeIndiana

July 15: Jonah, part 2: Obedience to the Lord

All Jonah had to do to complete God's will and his mission for him as a prophet...was to speak 4 words in their native language. Think about it: The book of Jeremiah and other prophets had years of suffering and torment from those who wouldn't listen to them, or God. But Jonah? All he had to do was say one sentence...repent, for God's wrath is coming...and Jonah fled. That's it...and when he finally did, the people indeed repented. Why do we make life so hard for ourselves? Isn't that God's call for us as well? Repent, and believe the Good News that Jesus Christ came to die for our sins? In Pastor Hodge's sermon today, we are reminded that God tells us to do just that.

Also, we had special music...and Mark Fagerstrom tells us why God is like a turtle. Really? Well, in at least one way, for sure...listen to his sermon, and the other parts of our service above, right here:

http://archive.org/details/JonaahPart2ObedienceToTheLord

May you have a most blessed week in Christ Jesus, serving our Lord today!

July 8, 2012: Obedience to the Lord

We are called to obey God at all times. Jonah has been called by some as the worst prophet ever, because of his direct and flagrant disobedience against God. Instead of warning Ninevah of impending punishment for their sins, he ran to flee from the Lord. But, as Jonah found out...you can run, but you can't hide. As Jonah ran, the Lord brought calamity onto him, and eventually, he gets swallowed up by a whale. It's then and there that Jonah realizes that we must obey the Lord; otherwise, serious consequences occur. As he repents, God gives him the strength and courage to do His will and complete the task he gave Jonah. But what about us? Learn about the lessons learned from Jonah, and how it applies to us today. Pastor Michael Hodge digs us into the first two chapters of Jonah, and what it means for us as believers: namely, actions have consequences.

We also had Mark Fagerstrom give his children's sermon enttitled, "The Weight Of Sin". You can listen to this short ssermon here as well.

You can listen to all of it here:

http://archive.org/details/TheStoryOfJonahDisobediencePart1

May God bless you as you listen to this teaching from God's holy Word.

July 1, 2012: The unity of the Church, part 2

In the second in his series, Pastor Michael Hodge preaches on the unity of the church. We hope you are blessed by his sermon.

Also, we had special music. In the recording, the special music starts, then the offering and hymn that follows is recorded, and then the sermon starts; obviously, you can skip the offering and hymn to follow. I was rather distracted as we had severe thunderstorms moving through during this time, and I wanted to make sure nothing too bad was going to happen, so I just kept the recording going. That said, I hope this blesses you! You can hear it here:

http://archive.org/details/UnityOfTheChurchPart2

And may you be drawn closer to our Lord this week!

June 24, 2012: Jesus' prayers, part 5

In the fifth of his 5 part series on Jesus prayers, Pastor Michael Hodge discusses an issue that is a major issue in churches today: Christian unity. God's word clearly teaches us about the unity of his church (John 17:20). He prays for his disciples, those who were yet to come, and for their unity. But, too often these days unity is done with abiblical doctrine. Learn what Jesus really meant when he prayed for his future disciples, and true Christian unity.

Additionally, the men's quartet sang our special music for us, and Mark Fagerstrom taught our children with his sermon today. You can listen to all of these by clicking here:

http://archive.org/details/JesusPrayersPart5


May you be blessed, and stay blessed in Christ this week!

June 17th, 2012: Love Inc. update and 5 things

On this partly cloudy and pleasant morning, Nathan Scott, director of Love, Inc.'s DeKalb county, Illinois chapter gives us an update on the ministry...and he also shared with us a sermon on 5 things we need to remember in our walk with the Lord. We hope you are blessed by the update on how Love Inc. is changing lives, and by Nathan's sermon today. You can find it here:

http://archive.org/details/5Things...andLoveInc.Update


We hope you have a wonderful week in Christ this week!

June 10, 2012: Jesus' prayers, part 4

On this very warm summer morning, Pastor Michael Hodge preached on Jesus prayer of sanctification from his disciples. Jesus not only desires our salvation, but once we are saved, he prays for our sanctification, or purification, of us to be able to say "no" to sin. How does this happen in our every day lives? Listen to Pastor Hodge's sermon to learn how.

Also, today, we were blessed by the Grace Notes Trio, and the song "Showers Of Blessing". We hope this song brings a heavy shower to blessing to you as you listen!

You can hear both the sermon, and the special music, right here:




http://archive.org/details/PrayersOfJesusPart4

Have a wonderful week in Christ, and may the Lord be with you always!

June 3rd, 2012: Jesus' prayers, part 3

On this partly cloudy and pleasant Sunday morning, Pastor Hodge preached the Word by teaching us about Jesus prayers of protection over us. Did you know that, if you are a believer, Jesus prays for the safety of his believers? To be clear, some are martyred and all must suffer for the faith. But, Jesus prays for his believers and to keep them out of harm's way, as it is the will of the Father. You can listen to this sermon here:


http://archive.org/details/JesusPrayersPart3

Also, Amy Taylor played "The King is Exalted" on flute for our special music today. May you be safe in God's hand this week, and may the Lord strengthen you in Christ Jesus for every work this week!

May 27, 2012: Memorial Day/The Prayers of Jesus, part two

Although it is a day early, we honored the men and women who fought for our freedoms, including the great freedom to worship and praise our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ...to bring glory to God the Father through Him. Mark Fagerstrom did just that in his children's sermon, and reminded us that, most importantly, we need to remember Jesus, and tell our families and friends about our immense need for a Savior.

Then, Pastor Hodge gave his 2nd sermon in a series of The Prayers of Jesus. You will this sermon, as well as the one from Pastor Michael Hodge, right here:

http://archive.org/details/ThePrayersOfJesusPart2




May you have a blessed week in Christ...and thanks to those who have served our country well on the battlefield.

May 20, 2012: Jesus' prayers

In our very warm but mostly sunny Sunday morning service today, we had a wonderful service glorifying Christ. First, Mark Fagerstrom gave his children's sermon. Using a bag of chalk, he describes how chalk, as written on the ground, washes away after a rain---but when Jesus washes away sin, it is permanent.

Normally, I don't record the hymns we sing. But, Karen Hannan's music teacher some 35 years ago joined Karen on the piano for "Oh, How I love Jesus". It's not the greatest mix in the world since I wasn't expecting it, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

Then, our youth choir came up to sing some songs, and then finally, Pastor Michael Hodge delivered his sermon on Jesus prayers, and who he prayed for.

Here is a link to the service elements that were recorded:

http://archive.org/details/JesusPrayers

We hope you enjoy all of it, and have a blessed week in Christ!

May 13, 2012: Happy Mother's Day!

Today, Grace Free Lutheran Church honored the mothers who bore the name well, those who have served and continue to serve in that honorable position.

First, Roger Seldal sang "Precious Memories", and then Pastor Michael Hodge expounded on the Biblical role of mothers on this Mother's Day.

You can hear both the song and the sermon here:

http://archive.org/details/MothersDayAtGraceFreeLutheranChurch

And have a blessed week in the Lord!

May 6, 2012: Following Jesus

When the Bible talks about following Jesus, what exactly does it mean?
What is required of us? Are there sacrifices to be made in our lives, or can we rest easy once we know that we are saved?

Pastor Jim Rasmussen from the AFLC Evangelism Ministry was our guest speaker this morning, and he told us in depth about the cost of following Jesus, and what it requires of us.

We also had the Gideons speak to us today. You may most recognize them as the people who put Bibles in many hotels, but they are much more than that! Listen to their talk at the link provided.

On this mild but stormy Sunday (yes, that is thunder you hear from time to time in the audio!), be blessed as you hear these talks today.

And thank you to Jeffrey Taylor on audio and Micah Fagerstrom on video for allowing me (Gilbert) to enjoy the service from ground level this morning.

You can listen to the sermon and presentation here:

http://archive.org/details/FollowingJesus_576

And may you have a blessed week in Christ!

April 29, 2012: The Vine, vinedresser and branches

Today, on this mostly cloudy and cool morning, Pastor Michael Hodge's sermon was about the relationship between the Vine, vinedresser and branch. In the Christian sense, of course, it's our relationship with God. How do we truly know that we are in Him, and a part of him? Pastor Michael Hodge expounds on that theme this morning. We hope you are blessed by his sermon.

Additionally, we had Mark Fagerstrom doing the children's sermon today, and we hope you are blessed by that. Additionally, we had two Special Musics in our service today. Kaelynn Clark sang "Jesus Loves Me (this I know)", and Pastor Hodge and Amy Hodge sang "Amazing Grace", with Roger Seldal on guitar.


You can find all of these, which were recorded and then uploaded here:



http://archive.org/details/AllegoryOfTheVineVinedresserAndBranch

May you be found in Christ always!

April 22, 2012: Fruit of the Spirit: Putting it all together

On this chilly but partly cloudy Sunday, Pastor Michael Hodge wrapped up his series on the Fruits of the Spirit...by talking about the Fruit of the Spirit. And how there are many different aspects, but only one true fruit of the Spirit. Listen how he puts this concept together by clicking here:


http://archive.org/details/FruitsOfTheSpirit-TheFruitOfTheSpirit

Also, Mark Fagerstrom delivered the children's sermon this morning. You can also listen to it at the link above.

We hope you have a blessed week, and may God continue to watch over you and our church members, growing closer to Him every day.

April 15, 2012: Fruits of the Spirit: Self-control

One of the marks of a true Christian is self-control. In our sermon today, Pastor Michael Hodge delivered his sermon about self-control. We are not holy and perfect yet, of course. But increasing as time goes on, we should exhibit more patience, less unrighteous anger, and be able to be tested in trials...and pass the test. What happened to the minister who was only given bread on dirty plates and cussed at for 3 days? Find out his victory in self-control by the power of the Holy Spirit, as you listen to Pastor Hodge's sermon on this cloudy, windy but mild Sunday morning.

Also, Ruth Taylor had our special music, and Mark delivered his children's sermon on What's In A Name? You can hear both of these by clicking on the link here:

http://archive.org/details/FruitsOfTheSpiritSelf-control

We had a slight audio issue with the Pastor's sermon that was fixed late in the sermon (a slight ringing/feedback noise); I apologize for that.

May you have a joyous and blessed week in the Lord!

April 8, 2012, Easter: He has risen!

Do you know what the true meaning of Easter is? Bunnies? Eggs? And what about Jesus? Listen to our Easter service in its entirety, and know what and why Christians celebrate Easter...I think you're going to learn something very profound. Click to listen here:

http://archive.org/details/HeHasRisenResurrectionSunday

Jesus has risen, and may you and your family know and be known by the risen Christ forever!

April 1, 2012, Palm Sunday: Group think

Today, on this cloudy but mild Palm Sunday morning, Pastor Michael Hodge talked about Jesus' triumphanl entry into Jerusalem. Most people in the crowd were all caught up in the emotion of the moment, and most in the group cheered...some just "because", but others had other evil thoughts. How should we respond to Jesus' entry as we begin Holy Week? With cheering as a prophet, a teacher as most did...or Someone else far greater? Listen to his sermon to find out.
Also, Marilyn gave us special music today, and we hope you are blessed by that!

As we enter into Holy Week, think about our Lord as he began his journey into a very dark...and a very wonderful week.

You can hear Pastor Hodge's sermon and our special music today right here:

http://archive.org/details/PalmSundayGroupThink
We apologize for the first minute of the sermon being cut off; it was due to operator error (sorry!).

March 25, 2012: Fruits of the Spirit - gentleness

Today, on this mostly cloudy but unseasonably mild morning, Pastor Michael Hodge continued his series on the fruits of the Spirit. Today, he talked about gentleness. One of things we should be seeing in our lives, and in spite of our circumstances is the fruit of gentleness. That even when things are going badly (or not so badly), we can have a gentle demeanor about us that comes not from us, but from God. Listen to how this should translate into our daily lives by clicking here:

http://archive.org/details/FruitsOfTheSpirit-Gentleness
Also, our special music was indeed special this morning, at least to tthis blogger. "Deep Deep Love of Jesus" is one of my favorite hymns of all time. Listen to it and be blessed! You can hear it at the link provided above.

May you walk with and be with and have Christ living within you, and have a blessed week!

March 18, 2012: Mark Fagerstrom - Psalm 130

On this record warm morning, things got a little crazy at Grace today. Pastor Jonathan Abel, scheduled to preach and talk about the missionary work he has been doing and what is coming up next, became ill and was unable to speak. Meanwhile, Pastor Hodge was out of town, so...Mark Fagerstrom stepped in at literallly the last minute to preach on Psalm 130. You can find his sermon here:
http://www.archive.org/details/Psalm130-MarkFagerstrom

We hope and pray that this blesses you today.

March 11, 2012: Fruits of the Spirit: faithfulness

On this mild and sunny Sunday morning, Pastor Michael Hodge continued his series on the fruits of the Spirit, with the emphasis on faithfulness. This thing is always true: God is always faithful, even when  we are not. Even under extreme persecution and death, we can overcome all evil by our faith in Christ, and one of the fruits that results is faithfulness---to the end. No matter what we are facing, what trial, in good times and in bad times, faithfulness is a result of a life lived in the Spirit. Listen to Pastor Hodge expound on this, and be blessed today.
We had 2 special musics today: Draw Me, Lord to open our service, and We Press On for our special music during the service in it's normal place. We hope you are blessed by that today as well.
You can listen to all of this right here:

http://www.archive.org/details/FruitsOfTheSpiritFaithfulness

And may God continue to richly bless you this week as He always remains faithful!

March 4, 2012: Fruits of the Spirit: Kindness and goodness

In our sermon today, on our partly cloudy but cold morning...Pastor Michael Hodge continued his sermon series on the fruits of the Spirit: kindness and goodness. Only true kindness and goodness come from and through God's Holy Spirit. Learn how that happens in our sermon today.
Also, we had special music, "He Walks With Me". We hope you are blessed by both of these
recordings today.

You can find them here:

http://www.archive.org/details/FruitsOfTheSpiritKindnessAndGoodness

February 26, 2012: Fruits of the Spirit: patience

As Pastor Hodge continues his series on the Fruits of the Spirit, on this windy and chilly but otherwise sunny Sunday morning, we learn today about patience. Don't we all want patience...right now? When we're stuck on a runway for hours waiting to take off, or wanting things to get done quicker? In this sermon, Pastor Hodge reveals that indeed, patience is a fruit of the Spirit, and tells us the Biblical example of how we can and must have more of it in our lives, because the Father, and his Son, were and are incredibly patient with us.

We also had Mark Fagerstrom give his children's sermon on the glasses he wears. Listen to understand the Biblical concept behind it. And finally, Mark, Pastor Hodge, Shawn, Roger, and Karen have special music for us...a quartet of singing.
I hope you are blessed by all of this today. Listen to all of these recordings here:
http://www.archive.org/details/FruitOfTheSpirit-Patience

February 19th, 2012: Fruits of the Spirit: peace and joy

This fine Sunday morning, Pastor Hodge talked about peace and joy, as a fruit of the spirit. He also talks about what peace and joy are NOT: they aren't manmade...no, true peace and joy comes straight from God himself, through the Holy Spirit, who brings us peace and joy no matter how badly the world is falling apart.
We apologize for starting the audio a few moments into the sermon, but I'm sure you will be encouraged nonetheless! Here it is:

http://www.archive.org/details/PeaceAndJoy_266

February 12, 2012: The Fruit of the Spirit

On this sunny, cold and blustery Sunday, Pastor Michael Hodge gave his sermon on the fruit of the Spirit. If Christ is within us, how can we tell? Pastor Hodge talks about what you should expect to see when we are living in the Spirit, even under evil circumstances or times.
Mark Fagerstrom gave us the children's sermon water. If you don't drink any fluids within 72 hours, you will likely die. So what happens when we don't read God's Word? Listen to his sermon and find out.

Finally, our special music had Roger Seldal and all the Grace Free Lutheran youth singing in a big choir today. We hope you are blessed by the music! You can find this and more, right here:

http://www.archive.org/details/FruitOfTheSpirit_408

May you love and serve our Lord and be blessed by him always!

February 5, 2012: The consequences of sin, part 3: Alcohol

Christians frequently can misunderstand Scripture. Some believe that alcohol cannot be taken by Christians, and yet, the Scriptures tell us that we can...but in moderation, as in many things. Today, Pastor Hodge talks about the consequences of sin in our lives as it relates to drunkenness. Sure, you may have heard quite a bit of this before, but this gets personal. I pray this sermon comforts or encourages you, if you or someone you know struggles with alcohol intake, or dependency on it.

We also had special music on this mostly cloudy but seasonably mild day today..."As The Deer". We hope you enjoy it!

The link to both the sermon and special music can be found below:

http://www.archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodge-ConsequencesOfSinpart3-Alcohol

January 29, 2012: Sin and its effects, part 3

On this mostly cloudy morning, with a fresh dusting of early morning snow covering the ground,
we had a wonderful time of worship, and then heard Pastor Hodge deliver his sermon on sins effects...throughout history, and in our lives, and what can be done to overcome sin.

Also, Mark Fagerstrom gave his sermon on the basis of our faith to our children this morning. Using the illustration of a toy building with plastic pieces, if you pull the foundation, the entire building collapses (the truth is also found in real life!). And so he asks the question, who or what is the foundation of your life?

Both Mark's and Pastor Hodge's sermons can be found at the link below. We hope you find them a blessing.

http://www.archive.org/details/SinAndItsEffectsPart3

January 22, 2012: Sin and its effects, part 2

On this icy Sunday with freezing drizzle, snow and blowing snow making roads a mess, we nevertheless came to worship and praise God. Pastor Michael Hodge gave the second part of his series on sin. Last week, it was about sexual sins; this week, it was about all the rest of them, and the consequences thereof. Listen and be challenged by this sermon, and also be warmed by the fact that God will forgive these sins, when we believe Him and repent of them.
But first, Mark Fagerstrom challenges us to chew on something. What is it? Listen to find out, right here:

http://www.archive.org/details/SinAndItsConsequencesPart2

January 15, 2012: Galatians 5:16-20: Detriments of sin

Pastor Michael Hodge preached from Galatians 5 on this sunny but cold Sunday morning, about walking in and by the Spirit. In this part of his series, we look how sin has a deterimental effect on our relationship with God, as well as our own lives, and the lives of others. Sexual sin is one of the worst sins, and Pastor Hodge shows how it can ruin our lives we live in this kind of sin.
Additionally, Mark Fagerstrom gave us our children's sermon this morning, and we also have our special music from this morning: It Is Well With My Soul.

You can hear all three of these right here:

http://www.archive.org/details/SinAndItsDetrimentalEffects

January 8, 2011: The battle rages on (part 1)

As Christians, we are constantly at war within our souls. On one hand, the devil pushes us to where we once were: lost, and mired in sin. On the other hand, God's Holy Spirit guides the believer into truth, love and goodness. That battle is in every believer until his or her death. How can God win this battle in us? Listen to part 1 of Pastor Hodge's sermon series on this, on this mostly sunny and mild Sunday morning,
by clicking on the link below. Also, we had some very good special music for you to enjoy as well.

http://www.archive.org/details/WalkInTheSpiritNotInTheFleshTheBattleRagesOn

January 1, 2011: Out with the old, in with the new

Pastor Michael Hodge preached on this sunny but very windy Sunday morning, the beginning of the new year, on making the old into the new. Please listen on how we can be transformed into the new person God wants us to be!

Listen to it by clicking on the link below:

http://www.archive.org/details/MakingTheOldIntoTheNew