We often experience darkness as a negative - the absence of light. But throughout Scripture, God meets people in the middle of the dark. And it is often there, in the beauty of the dark, that God's love and grace are revealed. This Advent, we are invited to experience Hope in the Dark. Texts this week: Luke 1:26-38 and Luke 1:46-55…

We often experience darkness as a negative - the absence of light. But throughout Scripture, God meets people in the middle of the dark. And it is often there, in the beauty of the dark, that God's love and grace are revealed. This Advent, we are invited to experience Hope in the Dark. Texts this week: Genesis 37:5-11, Acts 2:14-21, Matthew 1:18-24…

We often experience darkness as a negative - the absence of light. But throughout Scripture, God meets people in the middle of the dark. And it is often there, in the beauty of the dark, that God's love and grace are revealed. This Advent, we are invited to experience Hope in the Dark. Texts this week: Genesis 15:1-21 and John 20:1-16…

We often experience darkness as a negative - the absence of light. But throughout Scripture, God meets people in the middle of the dark. And it is often there, in the beauty of the dark, that God's love and grace are revealed. This Advent, we are invited to experience Hope in the Dark. Texts this week: Genesis 1:1-5, Song of Songs 1:2-6, and Exodus…

In our latest worship series we are looking at the stories that Jesus told - the parables that are so familiar to many of them. In this first sermon in the series, we hear the explanation that Jesus himself offered for the parables, Matthew 13:10-17. This passage gives us an invitation to dig deeper in our reading of all the parables, to read them …

What if now - in the middle of all that is happening - is the perfect time to be a community of faith? What if THIS is exactly what God has called us for? Together we dig deep into the story of Esther and discover the ways God is working behind the scenes in our lives. This week, we are looking at Chapters 7-9 of the Book of Esther…

What if now - in the middle of all that is happening - is the perfect time to be a community of faith? What if THIS is exactly what God has called us for? Together we dig deep into the story of Esther and discover the ways God is working behind the scenes in our lives. This week, we are looking at Chapters 5&6 of the Book of Esther…

What if now - in the middle of all that is happening - is the perfect time to be a community of faith? What if THIS is exactly what God has called us for? Together we dig deep into the story of Esther and discover the ways God is working behind the scenes in our lives. This week, we are looking at Chapters 3 & 4 of the Book of Esther…

What if now - in the middle of all that is happening - is the perfect time to be a community of faith? What if THIS is exactly what God has called us for? Together we dig deep into the story of Esther and discover the ways God is working behind the scenes in our lives. This week, we are looking at Chapters 1 & 2 of the Book of Esther…

Unprecedented. Unforeseen. Extraordinary. Unparalleled. To say that 2020 has been weird is like saying that Michael Jordan was a "pretty good" basketball player. It seems as though normal - the normal we expected and anticipated for our lives this year, the normal we have come to count on - normal has died. What does this mean for our lives and our…

What does the day of Pentecost say to us in the middle of a respiratory crisis; on the week that George Floyd was murdered and said "I can't breathe"? What does it mean when the crucified one - who was killed in a legal, brutal, public execution comes back and breathes on the disciples? Texts this week are Acts 2:1-21 and John 20:19-23. Our primary…

More Unsung Heroes of Scripture! The faithful women and men whose stories we often overlook when we read the Bible. Today we encounter Onesimus - A reminder that God remembers our names, and calls us to lives of purpose You can read the story of Onesimus in the book of PhilemonBy Pastor David L. Hansen

The last sermon from our Unsung Heroes of Scripture series. The story of the women who followed Jesus is one of the most consistently overlooked stories of the Bible - a story of faithful compassion, service, and generosity. Our Scripture for the day was Luke 8:1-3 and Matthew 27:54-56, 28:1-8By Pastor David L. Hansen

We are continuing to look at the Unsung Heroes of Scripture - the faithful women and men whose stories we often overlook when we read the Bible. Today we encounter Ananias - a faithful disciple who loved when it was hard, loved another who did not deserve his love. You can read the story of Ananias in Acts 9:1-22…

We are continuing to look at the Unsung Heroes of Scripture - the faithful women and men whose stories we often overlook when we read the Bible. Today we encounter Shiphrah & Puah - women who show us the power of ordinary people in the face of the trial of life. You can read the story of Shiphrah and Puah in Exodus 1 (Once again I am indebted to th…

Today we begin looking at the Unsung Heroes of Scripture - the faithful women and men whose stories we often overlook when we read the Bible. Our first Unsung Hero is Hagar - the slave who is overlooked and forgotten. Encounter in her story a new name for God. Read the story of Hagar in Genesis 16. (Cited in this sermon is the work of Dr. Wil Gafne…

We all have questions. Today, with Thomas the Apostle, we bring forward some of our questions. We tackle all sorts of little topics in this sermon: the Trinity, suffering, baptism, the role of Judas, and the classic: Will pets go to heaven. Listen as we wrestle with these questions - and wonder: What would you like to learn more about as you grow i…

Sermon for the Sunrise Service on Easter morning. Texts included Genesis 8:13-18, 9:8-13; Exodus 14:10-14, 21-31; 15:20-21; Romans 6:3-11; and John 20:1-18 Musical reflection: Wade in the Water, performed by Sweet Honey in the RockBy Pastor David L. Hansen

What does Easter mean for us while we are socially distanced and isolated from one another? How do we celebrate Easter behind closed doors? Text: Mark 16:1-8By Pastor David L. Hansen

What does the example of Jesus' last night on earth have to teach us during this time of quarantine? Sermon from our Maundy Thursday service, where we gathered on Zoom for worship. Text include John 13:1–17, 31b–35By Pastor David L. Hansen

Good Friday 2020 - a sermon preached during the Holy Week of quarantine, to and with the people of Spirit of Joy! Lutheran Church. An image of Mattias Gunewald's Isenheim Altarpiece discussed in the sermon can be seen here.By Pastor David L. Hansen

The story of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, experienced in the middle of the global COVID-19 pandemic. What does faith look like at this time? Texts include Matthew 21:1-11By Pastor David L. Hansen

Loving God's story is not just about learning to tell the story ourselves - learning to share our experience of God with others. It is also about learning to listen to God and to others, so that we can truly hear what God saying through the people we encounter. Texts include James 1:16-20 and 1 Kings 19:8-13. Visit us at sojoy.org/corona for more r…

This week, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we talk about what it means for us to be outside of the church building and still be the church -- How do we tell God's story where God has placed us? Readings include Romans 12:3-17By Pastor David L. Hansen

In the midst of the news stories, warnings, and precautions of a global pandemic, we gathered to hear God's Word of hope spoken to us. Texts include Acts 9:1-20By Pastor David L. Hansen

I'm so excited to introduce you to a new resource - 6 Minute Faith. We all want a deeper connection to God and our neighbors. But we don't always have the time for all-consuming spiritual practices. Life is busy! 6 Minute Faith invites us to grow giant faith through small changes. Watch our Facebook page for more info as this resource rolls out. ht…

On TV, in advertising, on the big screen - we are wrapped up in stories. But often in our faith we forget the power of stories to transform our lives and the world. Our current series, "I Love to Tell the Story," returns us to the power of the story of who God is and our relationship with God. Sermon 2: Whose Story? Scriptures include: Deuteronomy …

On TV, in advertising, on the big screen - we are wrapped up in stories. But often in our faith we forget the power of stories to transform our lives and the world. Our current series, "I Love to Tell the Story," returns us to the power of the story of who God is and our relationship with God. Sermon 1: The Power of Story Scriptures include: Psalm …

The hope and freedom found in the Ash Wednesday proclamation, "Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return" Preached February 26, 2020 at Spirit of Joy! Lutheran Church in The Woodlands, TexasBy Pastor David L. Hansen

The Transfiguration is one of those "church words" that is hard to make sense of. What happened, and what does it mean for our lives? Preached at Spirit of Joy! Lutheran Church of February 23, 2020 Texts: 2 Kings 2:1-12 and Matthew 17:1-9By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

By Pastor David L. Hansen

Pastor David Hansen, sermon for May 13, 2018. Talking about how having a purpose transforms our lives. “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman “Powers” referenced in passing is a service dog whom we blessed this Sunday.…

By Pastor David L. Hansen