Pastor Sullivan's Blog

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Jesus gives us a great and precious promise in today’s gospel lesson. “ Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will received, that your joy may be full. ” Christ promises you that the Father will hear your prayers prayed in His name. And note that Jesus doesn’t call Him, “my Father’ but “the Father.” He is Jesus’ Father according to Jesus’ divine nature. Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God of the same substance as the Father. But by faith in Christ He is your Father as well. Paul says, “ You did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’ ” ( Romans 8:15). Through Holy Baptism you have been regenerated, rebirthed, and born again so that you are sons and daughters of God the Father and co-heirs with Christ of every heavenly blessing. You have the Spi...

Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Today our Lord teaches us to pray. This is a lesson that you need often because the devil, your adversary wants to convince you that you are not worthy to pray. He tells you that you deserve none of the things for which you pray and too often you believe that, so you don’t pray as you should. The world in which you live insists that your prayers are ineffective. Too often, you feel the same way, wondering why the Lord hasn’t answered your prayer. So you don’t pray as often as you should. Your own flesh tempts you to imagine that self-reliance is more godly and pious than humbly asking the Lord for what you need. Your flesh likes the sound of worldly aphorisms like “God helps those who help themselves.” So you imagine if you just work harder at things, that’s better than prayer and reliance upon the Lord. It is because we are hounded by the devil, influenced by the wicked world, and tempted by our sin...

Order of Holy Communion - Pg. 15 Hymn # 201 Jesus Lives, the Victory's Won Hymn # 458 Our Father, Thou in Heaven Above Hymn # 413 I Walk in Danger All the Way   Introit With voice of singing, declare, pro- | claim | this, *             Utter it to the end of the earth. Al- | le- | lu- | ia! || “The Lord has redeemed His servant | Ja- | cob!” *             Alleluia! Al- | le- | lu- | ia! (Isaiah 48:20b) || Make a joyful shout to God, all the | earth! | - *             Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise | glo- | ri- | ous. || I cried to Him with my | mouth, | - *             And He was extolled | with | my | tongue. || Certainly God has | heard | me; *             He has attended to the voice | of | my | pray-er. ∙ || Blessèd be God, who has not turned away my | pray-er, ∙ | - * ...