Solid Food

Do we need to be dis-oriented to be re-oriented? Do we need to empty the contents of a cup to fill it with new? In this thought-provoking and inspiring sermon, Pastor Tim Delkeskamp of Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks, CA, examines the impact of the Holy Spirit. The pouring out and the filling up. And why we never have to be afraid.

This inspiring talk by Addie Behm, Ascension Lutheran Church of Thousand Oaks, California's Youth Director, recounts the experiences of our youth joining youth from St. Julie Biliart, building houses in Tecate, Mexico. Those hands,

As our 2017 confirmands reaffirm their baptism in Christ, Pastor Tim Delkeskamp of Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks reaffirms their -- and our -- being in the life everlasting.

Have you heard the story of the two seas? The River Jordan flows into the Sea of Galilee which is filled with many species of fish and is home to a wide variety of animals and birds, providing life-giving benefits and beauty. And the Jordan flows into The Dead Sea, which is bitter and toxic. The difference is, the river also flows out of the Sea of Galilee, while the Dead Sea holds its intake. There is a parallel between this story and our own lives, notes Pastor Steve Herder of Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks, California. We take in, and we give out in order to lead our healthiest lives. In this sermon, Pastor Steve talks about his dream of the heart, and how its four chambers that take in and give our parallel a healthy existence for a believer and for the church – all four must be functioning.

In this wonderfully uplifting Mother’s Day sermon, Reverend Dr. Tim Delkeskamp of Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks, California, recounts the quote, attributed to Michelangelo, that “The job of the sculptor is to liberate the sculpture from the stone” – and goes on to compare that to the job of mothers. He talks about the Grandma of one of the teens who first integrated a high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957, how she answered the girl’s fears and stress by telling her, “You are God’s idea”-- to be where she was, who she was at that time. Mothers and grandmothers impart that priceless knowledge to their children of Whose they are. Asks Pastor Tim, “Can you believe that you have infinite worth, that you’re not junk, that Jesus wouldn’t have died for you if you were junk?  You have infinite worth. Can you believe that about yourself? Can you? We all mess up all the time and yet we remain a royal priesthood.” Find out more by taking 15 minutes to listen.

What does the Biblical story of Jesus' appearance to travelers on the Road to Emmaus have to say to us today? The Reverend Dr. Paul Gravrock of Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks, California reminds us in this sermon about how sometimes, we are buried so deeply in our own grief or concerns, we don't see the Good News right in front of us. Pastor Paul makes the point that "Stewardship is everything we do after we say, 'I believe.'" 

Do you know the Lord? Are you a Christian? "I'm not the one to ask," said the old farmer -- in an anecdote recounted by Reverend Dr. Tim Delkeskamp. He told the evangelist to ask the people around him. Ask his banker, his family, his friends. They know how he spends his time and money and energy. The answer should show what he believes in, what he holds dearest. It's something to think about: what do our actions show about our beliefs? 

“Grace wins, even when it doesn’t seem like it or feel like it,” says Reverend Dr. Timothy Delkeskamp in this Easter sermon. Do we have the courage to live this way, knowing that Grace wins every time? Even in times of despair and challenge, even when we feel wronged? Pastor Tim talks about the newness of the Easter story every year, and how it makes that journey – knowledge in our heads to our hearts. Hear and be uplifted.

“The deep meaning of the cross of Christ is that there is no suffering on earth that is not borne by God.” So said the great German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was hanged by the Nazis for his resistance to Hitler on April 9, 1945. On this anniversary of Bonhoeffer’s death, Ascension Lutheran Church Pastor Steve Herder delves into Bonhoeffer’s writings on God’s presence with us in our sufferings. Christ’s grace, the ultimate reassurance.

In this sermon, Reverend Dr. Timothy Delkeskamp of Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks, California, talks about bones of man and breath of God. Ruach is the ancient word referring to breath, wind or spirit; you will find references to this throughout the Bible. God’s answer, when asked about His identity, I am, leads to the conclusion that every breath we take is a prayer. Find out how.

“Jesus is Lord” – when we Christians acknowledge this central fact or our lives, it makes us different. Though here in America we are not persecuted for our faith, as in places like North Korea and Somalia, we are different from others around us, which is not always an easy thing. In this sermon, Reverend Dr. Timothy Delkeskamp of Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks, California, talks about this phrase, what it means, how it challenges – and delivers – us.

The season of Epiphany is a time of realization and discovery. Listen as Reverend Dr. Paul Gravrock of Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks, CA preaches on how this impacts us today. From the Gospel of John, 1:29-42.

The words are familiar: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord's face shine upon you and give you peace. There is more to them than you may have realized. Pastor Steve Herder of Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks, California goes deeper into this time-honored benediction, bringing new-old meaning that will uplift and inspire you for the year ahead.

In this Advent sermon, Pastor Jack Ledbetter talks about John the Baptist's questioning of Jesus -- "Are you the one?" When we enter the season of Advent, we're encountering the real thing, today. We need to know, we want to know.