December 27, 2015: Jesus Christ, part 2

This week, Pastor Hodge continues his sermon from last week. Listen here as we go through Titus:

https://archive.org/details/02PastorMichaelHodgeasermononJesuspart2

Also, Molly did our children's sermon, and you can find the recording here as well.
And we hope you have a great week in Christ Jesus!

December 20, 2015: The birth of Jesus who is Savior, Christ and Lord

As we rapidly approach Christmas, we read the greatest true story of them all: the birth of Jesus. Many people only think and live for what is in this world. But, Jesus offers something infinitely better, and it is absolutely true! The angel proclaimed that Jesus was, and is, Savior, Christ and Lord. What is the personal application to this? Listen to Pastor Hodge as he delivers this sermon today.

Additionally, we also had Molly do our children's sermon; we also had the lighting of our Advent candles. Finally, Josiah and some of the DeKalb High School band sang special music for us. It is really good! And you can listen to all of these service elements here:

https://archive.org/details/PastormichaelhodgeThebirthofJesusourSaviorandLord

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

December 13, 2015: Preparing the way for John the Baptist

This week, as we continue to celebrate Advent, Pastor Michael Hodge expounds upon Luke 1:5-17 and Mark 1:1-7. John's life was a sacrificial one, preparing the way of Jesus to come. He was great in the sight of the Lord (Luke 1:15). Why? And what can be said of us in our faith? Listen to hiss sermon today to hear how his life was sacrificial, and ours is to be as well.

We also had some very special music we hope you enjoy. You can hear both of these service elements here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeThesacrificiallifeofJohntheBaptist

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

December 6, 2015: The quality and character of Joseph

This week, Pastor Hodge expounded on Matthew 1:18-26. We learn about Joseph's character when he finds out Mary is pregnant with a child. We see what he was like before they became engaged, and how Joseph's obedience to God led him to make all the right decisions, paving the way for the Son of God. Listen to this sermon today on how we are challenged to be obedient, and thus, loving.

Also, we had the lightning of our second Advent candle, and special music. We hope you are blessed by these as well.

You can hear all these service elements here:

https://archive.org/details/03PastorMichaelHodgeThelifeandcharacterofJoseph

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

November 29, 2015: A look aat Mary and the reality of Jesus virgin birth

This week, as we enter into the season of Advent, Pastor Hodge looks at the reality of Jesus' birth, and the truth about it. Some say it wasn't a virgin birth at all. But what did Mary do when she heard the news she was going to be pregnant, with no less than the Son of God? Listen to this sermon today to hear God's Word describe the situation, and how Mary trusted the Lord, in spite of the seemingly impossible.

We also had Molly Blobaum do our children's sermon today. We hope you are blessed by that as well.
You can hear these service elements here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgealookatMaryandtherealityofthevirginbirth

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

November 22, 2015: Being thankful (and bringing peace)

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for all that God has given us. This week, even though we are still 4 days from Thanksgiving when this sermon was given, we are told to give thanks in all things, and to be motivated during Thanksgiving for our Lord to bring peace to our world. Listen how this can happen by listening to our sermon today,

We also had Molly Blobaum give our children's sermon, and we also had special music by the Seldals and Karen Hannan. We hope you will be blessed by these service elements as well.

You can hear these service elements here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeColossians315

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

November 8, 2015: Selfishness

This week, Pastor Michael Hodge gave his sermon on selfishness. He gives examples of what he has seen in his pastorate. But in Christ, we are all to belong to be about each other: loving, serving, caring for each other. Listen today how this is a big problem, and how God's word solves it. Listen to his sermon today to find out how.

Also, we had special music by Roger, Pastor Hodge, Mark and  Karen. We hope you enjoy it.

You can listen to it by clicking here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorHodgesermonselfishness

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

October 25 and November 1, 2015: Good people doing good things, and expect persecution

As promised, we're going to catch up on sermons this week. Last week, Pastor Hodge preached about good people doing good things. This week, he talks about how in America, things are changing such that Christians should now expect persecution. It may be mild, it may be harsh, but one should expect it. How do we handle it? Listen to both sermons today.


You can hear both of these sermons here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeWhatgoodcanwedountiljesuscomesagaingoodpeopledoinggoodthings

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

October 18, 2015: Why good and bad things happen to "good" people

In this continuation of the series, Pastor Michael Hodge tells us why both good and bad things happen to Christians. Listen to this sermon here, along with his children's sermon, which he did this week.

You can listen to both sermons here:

  https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeWhybadandgoodthingshappentogoodpeople

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

October 11, 2015: Delayed recordings the rest of this month

For the rest of this month, our sound guy will be unavailable to upload our recordings, but hang tight...when he is able to, they will be up here. Thanks, everyone!

-Grace Free Lutheran Church production team

October 11, 2015: Why do good things happen to good people?

This week, Pastor Hodge concludes his series on why things happen to people with "why do good things happen to good people"? From a secular standpoint, the reason could be obvious. But from a spiritual standpoint, and from Jesus' view, what does it mean? Listen to his sermon here and find out?

Also, Molly Blobaum did her children's sermon today on greed. Listen on how we all have been greedy, and many continue to be, and what are the ramifications of that as believers?

You can listen to both of these recordings here:

https://archive.org/details/whydogoodthingshappentogoodpeople

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

October 4, 2015: Why bad things happen to bad people

This week, continuing in his series on bad things, we come to a sermon that you might think is pretty straightforward. Well, you reap what you sow, right? Yes, but it goes deeper than that, and the ramifications
can be much broader than one may think. Listen to his sermon today as to why bad things go beyond bad people.

Also, we had special music with the Sunday School kids, and we hope you are blessed by that as well.

You can hear these elements here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeWhybadthingshappentobadpeople

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

September 27, 2015: Why bad things happen to good people

This week, Pastor Michael Hodge continued in his series, and this week he talks about "why bad things happen to good people". Do you know Godly people who suffer, or who experience illness? Why does this happen? Listen to the Pastor's sermon, and find out!

Also, we had special music, and Molly Blobaum did our children's sermon on "salt". You can listen to all of these service elements here:

https://archive.org/details/03PastorMichaelHodgebadthingshappentogoodpeople

We apologize for the somewhat scratchy audio at times with our Pastor's sermon. Even so, we hope you will be able to receive its message, loud and clearly. And we hope you have a great week in Christ Jesus!

September 20, 2015: Two loaded questions: Why do bad people do good things, and why do good things happen to bad people?

And this is a loaded sermon from Pastor Michael Hodge! Using Scripture, we learn about the answer to these two questions. Now, the Bible doesn't explicitly answer every situation, but the overarching answers it does give. Listen to part 1 of his sermon series to hear the answers to these questions.

Also, we had Mark Fagerstrom  deliver his sermon on the Word of God, using flowers. Listen to his sermon to hear how he intertwines all of these.

You can hear both of these service elements here:


https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgebadandgoodpart1

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

September 13, 2015: Nate and Rhoda Jore ministry to Uganda update

This morning, the sermon time normally filled by Pastor Hodge was devoted to the ministry of Nate and Rhoda Jore, two of our missionaries we support that work in Uganda. We received permission from Nate to record the audio portion of the presentation. While a video was shown (sorry for the loss of audio for about 30 seconds...nothing was missed), even though you cannot see the video portion, just listen. I think it will be a blessing to you.

You can listen to it here:

https://archive.org/details/NateRhodaJorepresentation

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

September 9, 2015: Website is down

We are aware of this and working to restore service. We thank you for your patience!

September 6, 2006: No recordings this week

Hello everyone,

We apologize, but our sound engineer didn't record our sermon today. We hope to see you all on Rally Sunday starting at 9:30 AM, September 13, 2015!

August 30, 2015: Our conduct as the Second Coming of Jesus approaches

This week, Pastor Hodge expounded on 1 Thessalonians 5:12-23. There's a lot in these verses, but first, Pastor Hodge expounds on learning to be good, by the power of the Holy Spirit. We must do what God says is good to others, and then, how do we preserve goodness in our own lives as the Holy Spirit lives in us? Listen to find out how today.

Also, Mark Fagerstrom did his children's sermon on "phones". You can hear both sermons by clicking here:



https://archive.org/details/02PastorMichaelHodgeOurconductasthesecondcomingofJesus

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

August 23, 2015: Being children of the light and of the day

In this sermon, Pastor Hodge continues in his series, and preaches from 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11. When IS the second coming? As we further delve into the question, sure, we do not know the day or the hour. But as believers, how are we to be found at the second coming? Find out by listening to his sermon.

Also, we had special music, and we hope you are blessed by it.

You can hear both of these sermon elements here:

https://archive.org/details/02Beingchildrenofthelightandday

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

August 16, 2015: Waiting for the blessed hope

Today, Pastor Michael Hodge continued in his series on the return of Christ. As we wait, what are we to do? Pastor Hodge touched on this last week to some extent, but now goes into detail this week.

Also, we had Cierra do special music, and Mark Fagerstrom gave our children's sermon today. Due to a technical difficulty, there is no audio for the first 25 seconds or so; I apologize. Hang in there, it will come. :-) His sermon is on backpacks.

You can hear all of these service elements here:

https://archive.org/details/03PastorMichaelHodgeWaitingfortheblessedhope

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

Ausgust 9, 2015: Does God really expect that of me?

As Pastor Hodge continues in his series on the Second Coming, he expounds upon 2 Peter 3:10-18. Here, he reminds us, again, that this day will come like a thief in the night, but how do we live? Some people in ages past just sat back, did nothing, including not working, but that is wrong. How we are to live are found in these verses, and our Pastor's sermon, which we hope you are blessed by today.

And we had Mark and Micah sing "Be Thou My Vision". We hope you are blessed by that as well.

You can hear these service elements by clicking here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeDoesGodreallyexpectthatofme

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

August 3, 2015: The testimony of Dr. James Mistry

This week, while Pastor Hodge was out of town, we had Dr. James Mistry give his testimony, and we also had the VBS kids come up and sing some of their songs. We hope you are blessed by these; you can listen to the recordings here:





https://archive.org/details/02DrJamesMistrytestimony

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

July 31, 2015: AFLC 2015 Illinois District Bible Camp sermons are now online!

Here they are! I hope you are blessed by them, and I hope you can join us next year for them, Lord willing, in Cedar Lake, Indiana.

https://archive.org/details/2015AFLCIllinoisDistrictBibleCampSessions

July 26, 2015: Here, there, or in the air

This week, Pastor Hodge expounded on the book of Mark, chapter 13, verses 24 through 37. These verses deal with the second coming of Jesus. Over the years, some people have tried to predict the date (though Jesus explictly says that you do not know the day nor the hour that he is coming). But, he did tell us when that time was near. Are we near that time, and how should we live our lives if he is, or isn't coming in the immediate future? Listen to Pastor Hodge's sermon today to find out.

Today, we also had the Gideons do a presentation on their work, and how we can support them. The audio was recorded for this part of the service, even though a short video is presented. Even without the video, it is more than worth listening to. You will be blessed at their work, and how you can support them.

We had a mysterious battery failure with Molly Blobaum's children's sermon, so we don't have that today (sorry).
We do have special music, however, and we hope you are blessed by that.

You can listen to all of these service elements here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeMark132437

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

July 19, 2015: the Second Coming of Christ

Not many things have been misunderstood more as to how we should prepare for Christ's return. Some think we don't have to do anything else; we just sit, wait, and do nothing. Or, we try to predict the day it happens. But Jesus says we must do none of these. Instead, in prayer, in patience, and proclaiming the Gospel, we proclaim to the world Christ and him crucified, risen from the dead. We call on people to repent, or turn from their sins, and believe the Good News, as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Listen to Pastor Hodge as he digs into the details on these.

Also, we had Roger Seldal do special music, and Molly's children sermon was on "sticks". You can listen to all of these service elements by clicking here:

https://archive.org/details/03PastorMichaelHodgeTheSecondComing


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

July 12, 2015: The giving attitude

This week, Pastor Hodge expounds on the book of Mark, specifically chapter 12:41-44. We see Jesus as the treasury of the Temple here, and notices two things: people putting in large sums of money, and an old widow who gave two small copper coins, barely worth anything. Who gave more, and why? Jesus tells his disciples to learn who gave more, why, and how we are to give. Listen to his sermon today to know God's heart about giving, and to mirror that in our lives.

Also, we had Roger Seldal do our special music today, and we hope you are blessed by it.

You can listen to these recordings here:

 https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeTheGivingAttitudeMark124144

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

July 5, 2015: False teachers

Beware of false teachers! Sadly, in our day today, we have so many of them. One "pastor" has gotten a $60 million jet to travel around the country in. Others tell you to give lots of money, and you'll get many things or blessings in return. Pastor Hodge warns us of false teachers, how Jesus dealt with them, and how we should as well. Listen to his sermon today to find out how we can discern, rebuke and turn away from false teachers.

You can listen to Pastor Hodge's sermon here:

https://archive.org/details/01PastorMichaelHodgeBewareofFalseReligiousTeachers

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

June 28, 2015: Jesus asks a counter question

This week, Pastor Michael Hodge expounds on Mark 12:35-37. Here, we review the questions Jesus was asked, but then asks a counter question: How is it the Scribes say Christ is the son of David?

Why the answer to this question is so important, and remains so today, is found in Pastor Hodge's sermon. We hope you find it a blessing. And we also had the Pastor and his family do special music today; we hope this bless you as well.

You can hear these service elements here:

https://archive.org/details/02AcounterquestionfromJesusPastorMichaelHodge

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

June 14 and June 21: Mark 12:28 and Matthew 18:1-11

Hello everyone,

I was on vacation, but I finally am getting these two sermons uploaded. You know what: I haven't listened to these yet. But the second sermon is "How can I be a child again"? Listen to both sermons at your convenience.

We also had Molly Blobaum do the Children's Sermon on June 14, and we had special music on the June 14 service as well. I'd like to thank Jeff Taylor for filling in for me, and doing a great job at recording both!

You can hear all of these service elements here:

 https://archive.org/details/03PastorMichaelHodgeMark1228

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

June 7, 2015: A ridiculing question about resurrection, and no sermons for two weeks...

Pastor Hodge continued in the book of Mark, and we continue to find the Saducees and Pharisees questioning Jesus. But it takes a sinister turn here, as the Saducees, who did not believe in the resurrection, try to trap Jesus in his words. Instead, what they wind up doing is hearing the truth that they do not want to hear. Listen to Pastor Hodge and how this applies to us today.

We also had Amy Taylor do our special music on this Communion Sunday.

You can listen to both of these recordings here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeAridiculingquestionaboutresurrection

One more thing...

Our sound guy is not going to be able to post the sermons for the next two weeks, but they will resume after that. Thank you for your understanding.

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

May 31, 2015: A trap is set

Today, Pastor Hodge and Jesus go into politics. Well, not go into politics, but talk about politics. Jesus had to deal with the Pharisees, who were very conservative synagogue leaders, and Herodians, who were very liberal. They both agreed on one thing, though: they wanted to kill Jesus, because Jesus posed a threat to all of them. How does Jesus respond to their threat, and how does this apply to the politics and problems we have in this country today? Plenty. You WILL be challenged by this sermon; listen with an open mind, and ask God to reveal to you the truth as you listen to this. Furthermore, read Mark 12:13-17 to understand the context of all of this.

Also, we had Mark Fagerstrom deliver our children's sermon, and we also had special music today as well. We hope you are blessed by both of these. You can listen to all of these service elements here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeATrapisset

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

May 24, 2015:A parable of a vineyard, or resting in the authority of Jesus

Today, Pastor Michael Hodge continued in the book of Mark, specifically verses 1-12. Today, he preached upon interpreting parables correctly. How to do it, why cross-referencing Scripture is so important, and to look at things in their proper context.  Then, as an example, he takes apart the parable of the vineyard, as seen in these verses, as he then calls for an acceptance of God's authority. Listen to his sermon today.

We also had Molly Blobaum talk about Memorial Day in her children's sermon, and why it is so important, along with One whom we should remember every day.

You can listen to these service elements here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeAparableofavineyard

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

May 17, 2015: Questioning the authority of Jesus

This week, Pastor Michael Hodge did his sermon on questioning the authority of Jesus, and change. The Gospel never changes, and is never to be compromised, ever. But, how we deliver that message does change. A 100 years ago, even songs like "Amazing Grace" struggled to get into hymn books. Today, sharing the Gospel, or serving others, can take on different forms. And we must not rely upon one formula or method to show God's love to others. Furthermore, when we become like Pharisees and question Jesus' authority, we become unable to change ourselves. This week, Pastor Hodge challenges us to not question Jesus' authority, think of new ways of sharing the Gospel, and the love of God, to others.

We also had Roger Seldal do our special music, and Pastor Hodge also did our children's sermon today. We hope you are blessed by these elements in our service as well. You can hear these elements here:

https://archive.org/details/03PastorMichaelHodgechange

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

May 10, 2015: Christian love

Today, lots of people call things "love". I love a sports team. I love to do this or that. But what is true Christian love? One of our deacons, Gilbert Sebenste, illustrates that in his sermon today. You can hear his sermon, the children's sermon by Molly Blobaum, and the Sunday School kids singing our special music here:

https://archive.org/details/Romans12vs14thru16byGilbertSebenste

And, we hope you have a great Mother's Day. Thanks to all the moms who serve us well!

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

May 3, 2015: Faith that can move mountains

Today, Pastor Michael Hodge expounds on Mark chapter 11, verses 19-26. This is the section where Jesus talks about faith, and even small amounts of faith is powerful. In this sermon, Pastor Hodge talks about the object of faith, the natural expression of faith, and the effectiveness of faith, of which we desire highly. Understand more of what faith is all about by listening to his sermon today.

You can listen to his sermon here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgefaith

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

April 26, 2015: What's in a name?

This week, while Pastor Hodge was out of town, Mark Fagerstrom delivered his sermon today on what's in a name? We give names to our children, trying to be unique, or different, or more common. But in the Bible, God reveals himself as many names. Mark expounds on Revelation 1:4-8, and we see God has so many names, even Mark can't remember them all. :-) But listen to his sermon as to why we worship our God, through the many names He has been given, and given himself.

Also, we had Molly Blobaum's children's sermon on toothpaste. Just listen to it. :-) And, we also had Micah Fagerstrom and his friends sing "Amazing Grace" for us as our special music today. All of these recordings can be found here:

 https://archive.org/details/MarkFagerstromwhatsinaname

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

April 19, 2015: There is something wrong in the Temple!

This week, Pastor Hodge expounds on Mark 11:15-18. In essence, this is an understatement: just about everything was going wrong in the Temple of God. The Gentile Court was being misused, the Temple leaders didn't really care about God, and there really wasn't much worship going on. And then Jesus sees it, and things change in a heartbeat. What did that mean for those back then, and for us now? Listen to Pastor Hodge's sermon and find out!

We also had special music from Leslie Seldal, and Mark Fagerstrom had his Children's sermon this morning. You can listen to these as well.

You may listen to these service elements here:

https://archive.org/details/03PastorMichaelHodgeThereIsSomethingWrongInTheTemple

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

April 12, 2015: The peril of withering away

In this sermon, Pastor Michael Hodge shows us the danger of the church withering here in the United States. And like the fig tree, Israel was withering away. Oh, it looked healthy with healthy leaves....but there was no good fruit. But where is the heart of the people? Listen to this sobering sermon and our challenge today.

We're working on the microphone battery issue. It goes dead at the end of part 1, but it's back for part 2. No part of the sermon was missed. We apologize for the inconvenience.

In any case, you can listen to it here:

https://archive.org/details/02PastorMichaelHodgetheperilofwitheringaway

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

April 5, 2015: Easter

This Sunday was Easter, of course, and we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Here are three elements of our service today that were recorded:

1. Molly's children's sermon
2. Special Music: "Jerusalem" by Marilyn Matheson
3. Pastor Michael Hodge's sermon

You can hear all of these here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeEasterSermon

We hope you are blessed by all these, and may you have a great week in Christ Jesus!

March 29, 2015: The triumphant entry into Jerusalem

Today on Palm Sunday, Pastor Michael Hodge looks at Mark 1:1-11, and John 12:16. This is known as the triumphant entry into Jerusalem. We learn about the special events that led up to this event, and how Jesus was so misunderstood. People thought he was a political savior instead of THE Savior of the world. As a result, people went from praising him and shouting "Hosanna"...to "crucify him!" 3 days later. Listen to this sermon about how it all unfolded, and what it means for us today.

We also had special music, and you can listen to this, and the sermon, by clicking here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeTheTriumphantEntryOfJesus

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

March 22, 2015: The reward for following Jesus

This week, Pastor Hodge expounded upon Mark 10, verses 28-29. In these verses, we learn who is first in the Kingdom of God, and in heaven...and who is last. First, comes sacrifice. We must be ready to leave everything we have, and that we know for Jesus. We must sacrifice worldly possessions, as necessary, relationships and other things as we are led by God to do them. With this comes heartache, pain and suffering, but the rewards are great, as we see in Mark 10:30-31. And in verse 31, we have a final warning from Jesus about this. Listen to his sermon today and ask yourself the hard questions that are asked from Jesus.

We also had Molly Blobaum do our children's sermon today. we hope your children learn from it.

You can listen to both of these, here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeTheLastBecomeFirst

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

March 15, 2015: How to be a part of the Kingdom of God

Today, Pastor Michael Hodge continues in the book of Mark, chapter 10 verses 17-27. We come to the verses where the young rich man claims he has done everything to qualify for getting into heaven. And Jesus says he has done well, except for one thing. He commands him to sell all that he has, give everything to the poor, and follow him. What happens next is a lesson for all who are rich, and most of us, even the so-called "middle class", are very wealthy compared to the rest of the world. Everyone isn't called to give up all their possessions. If we had none, we'd have nothing to give financially. So, what did Jesus mean? Not to make money our God. Listen to Pastor Hodge expound on these verses.

We also had our special music, done by Roger and others, "Wonderful, Merciful Savior". We hope you enjoy it.

And, we apologize, but the new battery in our pastor's microphone mysteriously died towards the end of the sermon, but you'll get the gist of it with what is available. We apologize for the inconvenience.

You can listen to these recordings here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeHowToBeaPartOfTheKingdomofGod

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

March 8, 2015: the blessing of children

This week, Pastor Michael Hodge continues in the book of Mark, and focuses in on Mark 10, verses 13 through 16. So often today, life is devalued, and especially that of children. And in fact, in these verses, children are coming to Jesus, and the disciples are turning them away (rebuking them). But Jesus immediately tells the disciples how wrong that is. And, He responds to the children as well in a way that we, as believers, should all take heart of.

You can listen to Pastor Hodge's sermon, as well as our special music, done by Roger Seldal, here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeTheBlessingofChildren

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

March 1, 2015: An awkward question, a moral response

This week, Pastor Hodge looks at Mark 10:1-5. And, here, the Pharisees asks the question: Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? They were trying to entrap Jesus and cause him to stumble, looking to ultimately kill him. But here, Jesus responds with a question, and then explains their answer. Today, with high divorce rates, unfaithfulness and a lack of commitment, everyone---including our church---really needs to hear this and pay attention. Because the answer that Jesus gives here impacts all of us to the depth of the soul, regardless of whether you are single or married.

You can listen to this recording here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorHodgeMark10Anawkwardquestion

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

February 22, 2015: The importance of salt, or a disciple of Jesus

Today, Pastor Hodge expounded on....salt. Like many people, we put a lot of salt on our food to add flavor to it. But what does that symbolize for the Christian? Listen to Pastor Hodge's sermon and find out, as we study Mark 9:49-50.

Also, we had the Men's Choir give us our special music today, and Molly Blobaum did her children's sermon on chocolate chip cookies! OK, while it's a part of the sermon, it's really about temptation. You can listen to these recordings here:

https://archive.org/details/03PastorMichaelHodgeMark94950

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

February 15, 2015: Oh, be careful little hands what you do!

This week, Pastor Michael Hodge continued his series in the book of Mark, in verses 43-48. Here, Jesus issues very stern warnings about sin, and how terrible it is to sin against a holy God. If your hand causes evil, cut it off? Or if your eye does, gouge it out? Did Jesus really mean that? Listen to Pastor Hodge's sermon to understand what these verses really mean, and a reminder on how sinful...sin really is.

We also had Amy Taylor do our special music, and of course, Molly Blobaum had our children's sermon. You can listen to all of these here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeOhbecarefullittlehandswhatyoudo

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

February 8, 2015: Take this warning, seriously

Today, Pastor Michael Hodge expounded on Mark 9, verses 38-42. In these verses, a man was driving out demons in Jesus' name. But the apostles took exception to this, and tried to stop him. Jesus said that they must not hinder him, for whoever is not against Him is for him. Listen to his sermon today to understand how that applies today.

You can listen to this sermon here:

https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeTakeThisWarningSeriously

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

February 1, 2014: No services due to the winter storm

Due to the intense winter storm moving through the area, our service and all Sunday School classes on February 1, 2015 are cancelled.

January 25, 2014: Who is the greatest?

Today, Pastor Michael Hodge expounded on Mark 9:30-37. In these passages, Jesus spends time with the disciples, who then proceed to have a heavy discussion behind Jesus' back: who is the greatest amongst them? Jesus then asks them what they were talking about...and he gets nothing but the sound of crickets in return. He finally tells them what they were discussing, and tells them plainly who indeed is the greatest in the kingdom of God.

Today, how can we, as Christians, be a force in sharing the Gospel? Listen to Pastor Hodge's sermon today. Unfortunately, due to a technical error, the first part was cut off. But, listen to it...you'll catch up quickly.

Also, we had Molly Blobaum do our children's sermon, and then Roger Seldal did our special music. You can listen to all of these here:


https://archive.org/details/03PastorMichaelHodgeFirstMustBeLast

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

January 18, 2015: Lord, I know you can

Today, Pastor Hodge continued in his series in the book of Mark, specifically Mark 9:14-29. In his sermon, we look at faith, or lack thereof, and the ramifications of that. First, the disciples are questioned by the religious leaders. Then, in Mark 9:17-19, Jesus becomes a bit exasperated at the disciple's failure of their faith. We see how Jesus' perfect faith makes all things possible to him who believe, but also, we learn about the abuse and misuse of Mark 9:23 today. All of this leads us to how we can make our weak faith stronger. Listen to his sermon and find out how!

Also, we had Mark Fagerstrom do our children's sermon this morning. You can listen to both of these sermons here:


https://archive.org/details/PastorMichaelHodgeLordIKnowYouCan

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

January 11, 2015: Tough questions, solid answers

This week, after looking at the Transfiguration of Jesus last week, the disciples of Jesus had all sorts of questions. What does rising from the dead mean? Does this mean that Jesus has to die? Why does the Messiah have to rise? Why shouldn't they tell people about the transfiguration? These were great questions, and Jesus has some very important answers that apply to us today. Listen to his sermon on this page to find out how!

Also, we had Molly Blobaum deliver her sermon on New Year's resolutions. Listen to what the kids (and some of the adults) want to do in the new year!

You can hear these recordings by clicking here:

https://archive.org/details/02PastorMichaelHodgeMark9910

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

January 4, 2015: The Transfiguration

Today, Pastor Hodge looks at Mark 9:1-8, the Transfiguration of Jesus. What did this mean, and what does this mean to us today? Listen and find out!

We also had Karen Hannan play a Christmas tune that is quite popular in France. Have a listen as we wind down our Christmas celebration.

You can hear these recordings by clicking here:

https://archive.org/details/02PastorMichaelHodgeMark9thetransfiguration

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