Skip to main content
#
St. Peter Lutheran Church
home
contact us
our facebook page youtube
Donate

Online Videos -> Orders -> Sermoncast -> Blog

Study & Share Sermon Blog

This is Pastor Jared's weekly sermon info and his weekly Study and Share devotional Bible study. Unless otherwise noted all sermons and studies are copyright Jared Stillions 2020-2023. The devotional Bible studies may be reproduced & shared for personal, non-sale use, provided this copyright notice is included. The studies are formatted two to a page to make sharing it easier. Weekly posts go live at 9:00 AM on Sundays. 

You can find his sermon podcast on the sermon-cast page. Check back each Sunday for new content. The podcast will soon be listed with major services. 
Why not put them on the same page? Due to limitations of our website builder.

By the way, here's the Lutheran Confessions, The Book of Concord, online and in the public domain. These writings, including Luther's Small & Large Catechisms are frequently referenced in these devotional studies. The Confessions are the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church and a faithful exposition of the Bible. You could say they are squared, leveled, and plumb by and to the Bible itself.  

Sunday, January 21 2024

Our Security 
Mark 1:14-20   
The Holy Spirit compels John the Baptizer, the prophet Jonah, & us to take a risk 

Current Series:
God's Grandeur 
The Holy Spirit at work in our lives. 

Study & Share Insert
...#1 Look carefully at vv14-15; what can you learn about the gospel/good news? Hint- look for 6 things. See Matthew 4:17; Luke 24:47; Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:17-18; Galatians 1:3-5 to expand your list.

Download the rest (*.pdf) SS_2024-01-21_Epi03 

Posted by: Pr. Jared AT 09:00 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
Sunday, January 14 2024

Our Bodies 
1 Samuel 3:1-20   
The Holy Spirit dwells in our bodies like living Temples 

Current Series:
God's Grandeur 
The Holy Spirit at work in our lives. 

Study & Share Insert
...#1 Review 1 Samuel 2:12-17, 36 for the context of the bad news in vv13-14, 17-18. How does this initial truthfulness & trustworthiness establish what v20 states? See Proverbs 13:17; Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 16:10-12, 19:11-27; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

Download the rest (*.pdf) SS_2024-01-14_Epi02 

Posted by: Pr. Jared AT 09:00 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
Sunday, January 07 2024

Our Lives  
Mark 1:4-11   
The Holy Spirit tears through our illusions, directing us to new & lasting life 

Current Series:
God's Grandeur 
The Holy Spirit at work in our lives. 

Study & Share Insert
...#2 How does St. John’s call to repentance to both Jews & Gentiles anticipate what St. Paul will write later? See Romans 1:16, 3:29-30, 10:12-15; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:26-28, 5:6; Ephesians 2:13-22, 3:5-10; Colossians 3:11

Download the rest (*.pdf) SS_2024-01-07_BaptismJesus 

Posted by: Pr. Jared AT 09:00 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
Sunday, December 31 2023

Today is the eighth day of Christmas, just like the old song goes. Christmas is such good news that it takes 12 days to celebrate it fully. No sermon this week as we celebrate our annual Lessons & Carols service, hearing the story of our Savior's birth from its promise in the Old Testament to its fulfillment in the New Testament. 

Today we'll observe our celebration of the Festival of Our Lord's Epiphany, comemorating the historical day that the Wise Men, or Magi, brought the infant Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myhrr. During coffee time we'll have a king cake, and according to the south Texas tradition, whoever finds the baby in their piece of cake gets to bring tamales next week for coffee time. Good luck!
(Yes, we know Epiphany is properly January 6, 13 days after Christmas.)

Study & Share Insert
...#4 How did you become a child of God (vv12-13)? Who has helped you grow & how? Praise God right now for those people who showed & told you about Jesus’ birth. See Small Catechism: Apostles’ Creed II, Holy Baptism; available bookofconcord.org; John 3:1-8; Romans 6:1-11, 8:14-17, 9:8; 1 Corinthians, 4:14-17; 2 Corinthians 6:16b-18; Galatians 3:26, 4:4-7 Ephesians 1:5-14; 2 Timothy 1:5-7

Download the rest (*.pdf) SS_2023-12-31_EpiphanyLC  

Posted by: Pr. Jared AT 09:00 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
Sunday, December 24 2023

Christmas Eve
Overlooked  
Luke 2:1-20   
God desires nearness to humanity so much that he is willing to risk being overlooked in manger 

Christmas Day
Not Forsaken  
Isaiah 62:6-12   
When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, we became heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:4, 7b)

Current Series:
Love in the Ruins 
Empty buildings and landscapes reflect the distance between us and God. 

Study & Share Insert
...#4 Consider the hymns in today’s service. Which one adds insight for you today? What does add? Share your insight and how it matters with someone else. (Review this service on our website. By the way, we sing all the Christmas hymns we know between the Christmas Eve, Day, & Lessons & Carols services.) 

Download the rest (*.pdf) SS_2023-12-24_ChristmasEVE  

Posted by: Pr. Jared AT 04:00 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email
Sunday, December 24 2023

No Castle or Throne  
Luke 1:26-38   
God desires human lives lived to the fullest, and nothing is impossible with God. 

Current Series:
Love in the Ruins 
Empty buildings and landscapes reflect the distance between us and God. 

Study & Share Insert
...#1 If St. Mary knew her Bible stories (& she probably did) how do the following give credence to the Gabriel’s words in v37? See Genesis 12:1-5, 15:1-6, 17:1-6, 15-19, 18:9-15, 25:19-24, 30:1-2, 22-24; Judges 13; 1 Samuel 1:1-20, 2:1-10; 2 Kings 4:8-17; Psalm 113:9; see also Number 27:1-11 & this odd story- Genesis 38

Download the rest (*.pdf) SS_2023-12-24_Advent04  

Posted by: Pr. Jared AT 09:00 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
Sunday, December 17 2023

A Lonesome Voice  
John 1:6-8, 19-28   
With confidence & humility, one voice tells our ears the truth our eyes can’t see 

Current Series:
Love in the Ruins 
Empty buildings and landscapes reflect the distance between us and God. 

Study & Share Insert
4. St. John points away from himself & to Jesus. Consider the Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grunewald (c. 1515). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isenheim_Altarpiece How does the painting’s symbolism inspire your actions during Advent & Christmas? How does it expose your failures? 

Download the rest (*.pdf) SS_2023-12-17_Advent03

Posted by: Pr. Jared AT 09:00 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
Sunday, November 26 2023

It’s You or Them  
Matthew 25:31-46   
God judges the living & dead, for life & punishment 

Current Series:
Judgment 
Just and merciful, not scary 

Study & Share Insert
...#1 Notice how the story unfolds. First, the sheep & goats are separated, next the sheep’s blessing is announced, then their works are described, finally they are surprised at their righteous works. What does the Old Testament tell us about such vindication? See Psalms 17:2, 24:5, 26:1, 35:24-27, 37:6, 43:1; 54:1, 98:2, 103:6, 135:14; Isaiah 34:8, 58:8, 61:1-2; Jeremiah 51:10; Joel 2:23; Micah 7:9-10

Download the rest (*.pdf) SS_2023-11-26_ChristKing  

Posted by: Pr. Jared AT 09:00 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
Sunday, November 12 2023

Get Action!  
Matthew 25:1-13   
God judges our “meh” response to his gospel 

Current Series:
Judgment 
Just and merciful, not scary 

Study & Share Insert
...#6 How can you explain to a pre-Christian the connection between v13 & the guaranteed, imminent return of Jesus? See Matthew 24:31; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 2 Peter 3:10

Download the rest (*.pdf) SS_2023-11-12_Pent24  

Posted by: Pr. Jared AT 09:00 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
Sunday, November 05 2023

Hey Y'all, Watch This  
Matthew 23:1-12   
God judges our prideful competition & showing-off toward one another 

Current Series:
Judgment 
Just and merciful, not scary 

Study & Share Insert
...#1 What do 11:28-30, 12:1-8, & 15:1-20 add to the context? How does Jesus’ critique include (or not) something like “you can’t get there [righteousness] from here [right behavior]? See Romans 3:22-26; 1 Corinthains 1:26-31; Ephesians 2:4-9

Download the rest (*.pdf) SS_2023-11-05_Pent23AllSaints  

Posted by: Pr. Jared AT 09:00 am   |  Permalink   |  Email

St. Peter Lutheran Church
100 N Promenade St | Hallettsville, TX 77964 | (361) 798-2808