by Pastor Chuck Aden 7/3/11
Shepherd of Life Lutheran Chuch
Today was the 3rd sunday after Pentecost in the church year calendar and our sermon talked about the benefits of "yoking yourself to Jesus" to help you ease your burdens.
The following passages from the Bible were read before the sermon: Zechariah 9:9-12 "The Coming Ruler of God's People", Psalm 145:8-14 "The Lord is Gracious and Merciful", Romans 7:15-25 "I Do Not Understand My Own Actions" and Matthew 10:16-30 "Come to Me all Who are Weary".
Click here to listen to and share today's sermon titled "Burdens" with others. Click here to download the sermon and listen to it on your MP3 player.
How Heavy is Your Burden?
Today's burdens are tough. Parents are under job pressures and "paying the mortage" pressures. Kids all too often feel the pressure around the house from their parents. While our parents had their own pressures in the past (that they got through one way or another) that's not always a lot of comfort to get us through the day tomorrow.
The next time you feel like you can't carry your burden another step, ask Jesus to help you carry it. In Matthew 11:28 He says, " Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest".
How Does "Yoking to Jesus" Work?
Jesus doesn't "do it for you" while you watch in the shade with a cool drink. He's your "Heavenly partner" (think of it as a 50% 50% thing) to make sure you get through the hardest part of any "life road". To get Jesus as your "burden partner" you really just need to start out with three actions:
1. Pray - Step one is asking for help. Find a quiet place and tell Jesus where you are and what you need help with.
2. Trust - Prayers are not always answered immediately or even the way we expect or want them to be answered. Once you start praying, let Jesus be the pilot while you take the co-pilot seat. Trust that he'll get you where you need to go.
3. Follow - Where does Jesus want you to go? The only way to really find out is to "hang out with Jesus" a lot. Learn what Jesus thinks and what Jesus wants for you. How do you do that? Read the Bible and join a church. The more you search for Jesus, the more you'll find him. And the more you find him, the more you'll learn where he wants you to go with your life until the day you join him in Heaven.
Pray to, trust and follow Jesus for a while and soon you'll feel like He's carrying your whole burden!
Listen to Our "Burdens" Sermon Now
Click the audio player below to listen to our sermon "Burdens" with your computer speakers now. The sermon is based on Matthew 11:16-30 "Come to Me all Who are Weary". Click here to download the sermon and listen to it on your MP3 player.
You're Invited to Worship With Us!
If you're tired of carrying your burdens by yourself come visit Shepherd of Life Lutheran Church. We're all into the "Pray, Trust & Follow" method of "burden reduction" and we'd love to share our Church with you.
We meet every Sunday at 9:30am for worship at 30400 Grand Avenue Lake Elsinore, CA 92530 and we're looking forward to meeting you!
Need to talk now? Call us at 951-678-1561.
