Welcome to the sermon podcast from First Lutheran in Shelby, Ohio, with Pastor Rus Yoak.  What if "Not my problem" is in fact "your problem"?  What does the Bible have to say about being responsible for your neighbor and how do you even begin to do that?  Listen on... Ezekiel 33:7-11 33:7 So you, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 33:8 If I say to the wicked, "O wicked ones, you shall surely die," and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand. 33:9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, and they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life. 33:10 Now you, mortal, say to the house of Israel, Thus you have said: "Our transgressions and our sins weigh upon us, and we waste away because of them; how then can we live?" 33:11 Say to them, As I live, says the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?

Welcome to the sermon podcast for First Lutheran in Shelby, Ohio, with Pastor Rus Yoak.   It is more sacred to be barefoot...so would say my ancient (ahem) Appalachian ancestors.  Or at least, it is more fun...and maybe healthier.  But is it holy?  Listen on:   Exodus 3:1-5 3:1 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 3:2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. 3:3 Then Moses said, "I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up." 3:4 When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." 3:5 Then he said, "Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."

Welcome to the sermon podcast for First Lutheran in Shelby, Ohio with Pastor Rus Yoak What's in a name?  Well, ask Robert Balboa what is in a name...Don't know him?  How about Rocky Balboa...Him you know. So you know Rocky, or do you? Matthew 16:13-20 16:13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 16:14 And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 16:15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16:16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." 16:17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 16:20 Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Hello and welcome to the sermon podcast from First Lutheran in Shelby, Ohio with Pastor Rus Yoak.   This week:  When the unimportant become important and vice versa.    Luke 9: 46An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest."

Pastor Rus Says:    Welcome to this week's sermon podcast from First Lutheran Church, in Shelby, Ohio with Pastor Rus Yoak. When driving the most important thing you can do is keep your eyes on the road.  If you are driving up the side of a mountain, even more so...especially if there are no guard rails.     Matthew 14:22-33 14:22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 14:23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 14:24 but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. 14:25 And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. 14:26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. 14:27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." 14:28 Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." 14:29 He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 14:30 But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" 14:31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" 14:32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 14:33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Pastor Rus Says: Welcome to the sermon podcast from 1st Lutheran in Shelby, Ohio for 07/30/17 with Pastor Rus Yoak. I came across the word "Hygge" the other day as I was watching a news program.  I won't give a lot away but let me just say I am in favor of "Hygge"...in certain contexts... Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 13:24 He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 13:25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 13:26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 13:27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' 13:28 He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 13:29 But he replied, 'No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 13:30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'" 13:36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." 13:37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 13:38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 13:39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 13:40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 13:42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

Pastor Rus Says: Welcome to the sermon podcast for 1st Lutheran on July the 16th 2017, from Shelby, Ohio with Pastor Rus Yoak.  The Bible is full of odd passages that beg the question:  "Why do they do it that way?" and this week is no exception.  Today we look at odd farming conventions in the Bible, and even odder behavior from God almighty.    Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 13:2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 13:3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. 13:4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 13:5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 13:6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 13:7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 13:8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 13:9 Let anyone with ears listen!" 13:18 "Hear then the parable of the sower. 13:19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 13:20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 13:21 yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. 13:22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 13:23 But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

Pastor Rus Says: Welcome to the sermon podcast for July 9th, 2017 from 1st Lutheran in Shelby, Ohio with Pastor Rus.  What sort of burden are you carrying?  Is it heavy? In all likelihood you answered yes as it seems like we all are weighed down under this sort of trouble, but Jesus offers us an entirely different sort of thing when he promises that his yoke is easy.   Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 11:16 "But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 11:17 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.' 11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon'; 11:19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." 11:25 At that time Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 11:26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 11:27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 11:28 "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Pastor Rus Says:   Welcome to the sermon podcast for May 28th, 2017 from 1st Lutheran in Shelby, Ohio with Pastor Rus Yoak.   This week we ask the age old question: "Why didn't the Amish show up for work last Thursday?"  or better yet, "Are we there yet?"  Oddly the answers to both may be the same thing.  Listen on:   Luke 24:44-53 24:44 Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you--that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." 24:45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 24:46 and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 24:47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 24:48 You are witnesses of these things. 24:49 And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." 24:50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 24:51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 24:52 And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 24:53 and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

Pastor Rus Says,    Welcome to the sermon podcast for May 21st, 2017 from 1st Lutheran in Shelby, Ohio with Pastor Rus Yoak.    Who is Tenzing Norgay?  Only the second person to ever summit Mt. Everest.  Why is that important?  Listen on...   John 14:15-21 14:15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 14:17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. 14:18 "I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 14:19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 14:20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 14:21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them."