Lutheran Sermons | Pastor Joe McGarry: Recent Episodes
Pastor Joe McGarry
Sermon preached by Pastor Joe McGarry at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Kensington, CT
Sermon preached by Pastor Joe McGarry at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Kensington, CT
Sermon for December 19, 2021. Preached by Pastor Joe McGarry at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Kensington, CT.
Texts for the week
- Micah 5:2-5a •
- Luke 1:46b-55
- Hebrews 10:5-10 •
- Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)
Mary's response to the angel Gabriel's message is a model of what we can do when called by God in the midst of our daily lives.
Her actions in our text points to; [1] News that must be shared, [2] News that must be celebrated, and [3] News that must be lived.
It is my prayer that this Christmas season, we not only take time to celebrate with our friends and family all that this season brings, cookies, presents, family and friends.
But we also remember the promises of God. The promise of his son coming into the world to change the world.
"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…"
Sermon preached at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Kensington, CT.
Third Sunday of Advent Year C
Texts: Zephaniah 3:14-20 • Isaiah 12:2-6 • Philippians 4:4-7 • Luke 3:7-18
"What I believe we all need is to be reminded again and again about the promise of God. The promise of Joy given to you and me. A promise of Grace, Hope and love given to you and me. A promise that is given to us by Jesus. And John the Baptist recognized this and he knew he had to clear the way for Jesus to come to every one of us.
There are times when we need to clear the way so we can open ourselves up to the possibilities of Gods love.
So we come to church. We confess to God what we have done and what we have left undone and then we hear the good news—that God continues to love us and God forgives us all of our sins."
Sermon about going to see John the Baptist from the city. Preached for the Second Sunday in Advent on December 5, 2021 at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Kensington, CT.
Sermon for July 25, 2021 preached by Joe McGarry. Preached for the virtual service for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Kensington, CT.
This sermon was preached for an online service for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT. http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.joemcgarry.co
This sermon was preached for an online service for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.joemcgarry.co
This sermon was preached for an online service for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT. This is for Transfiguration Sunday.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.joemcgarry.co
This sermon was preached for an online service for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT. The preacher is Assistant to the Bishop Steven Wilco.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.joemcgarry.co
This sermon was preached for an online service for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.joemcgarry.co
This sermon was preached for an online service for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.joemcgarry.co
This sermon was preached for an online service for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.joemcgarry.co
This sermon was preached for an online service for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.joemcgarry.co
This sermon was preached for an online service for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.joemcgarry.co
This sermon was preached for an online service for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.joemcgarry.co
This sermon was preached for an online service for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.joemcgarry.co
This sermon was preached for an online service for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.joemcgarry.co
This sermon was preached for an online service for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.joemcgarry.co
This sermon was preached for an online service for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.joemcgarry.co
With the outbreak of the Coronavirus many churches around the country closed. Instead of having a regular service we live-streamed the service from Pastor Joe's living room.
What are some Biblical examples of Friendship? We will look at some examples when it comes to the life of King David.
Texts for the week: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Psalm 121, Matthew 14:22-33
Week one on our series of Friendship. What does it mean to be a friend?
Text for this week are. Hebrews 10: 11-25, Psalm 32, John 15:9-17
Transfiguration Sunday
This sermon is for Transfiguration Sunday 2020. Jesus and his disciples go up the mountain and Jesus is transformed. Peter offers to make dwelling places for Jesus, Elijah and Moses. This seems like a bad idea until we look at the history of tents, tabernacles and dwelling places throughout scripture.
- Exodus 24:12-18
- Psalm 2
- 2 Peter 1:16-21
- Matthew 17:1-9
Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
Our Relationships matter to God. This sermon continues with the Sermon on the Mount. Sometimes it is hard to hear the words of Jesus but Jesus wants the best for all of us.
- Deuteronomy 30:15-20 o
- Psalm 119:1-8
- 1 Corinthians 3:1-9
- Matthew 5:21-37
Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
Jesus said You are the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the world. What does that mean to you? How are you the salt and light?
- Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
- Psalm 112:1-9 (10)
- 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)
- Matthew 5:13-20
Pastor Joe McGarry preaches at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Kensington, CT. This sermon was preached on January 19, 2019.
John the Baptist experiences something amazing. He sees Jesus blessed by God, he shares his experience and they are invited to abide with Jesus. We learn how to do the same in our life.
- Isaiah 49:1-7
- Psalm 40:1-11
- 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
- John 1:29-42
Pastor Joe McGarry preaches at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Kensington, CT. This sermon was preached on January 12, 2019.
Jesus confused John the Baptist by asking to be baptized by him. But we see the importance of Baptism in Jesus' life as well as our lives.
Scripture for this week include
- Isaiah 42:1-9
- Psalm 29
- Acts 10:34-43
- Matthew 3:13-17
Pastor Joe McGarry preaches at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church on December 29, 2019. This is the last sermon for 2019.
FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS DAY
Year A and the Texts are * Isaiah 63:7-9 * Psalm 148 * Hebrews 2:10-18 * Matthew 2:13-23
Pastor Joe Mcgarry preaches at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church on December 24, 2019 (Christmas Eve).
NATIVITY OF THE LORD - Year A
- Isaiah 9:2-7
- Psalm 96
- Titus 2:11-14
- Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)
Pastor Joe McGarry preaches at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church on December 08, 2019. THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT Year A
- Isaiah 35:1-10
- Psalm 146:5-10
- James 5:7-10
- Matthew 11:2-11
Pastor Joe McGarry preaches at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church on December 08, 2019.
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT Year A
Isaiah 11:1-10 Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 Romans 15:4-13 Matthew 3:1-12
This sermon is preached at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church on December 1, 2019 by Pastor Joe McGarry. The text for the Sunday were Isaiah 2:1-5 • Psalm 122 • Romans 13:11-14 • Matthew 24:36-44
Advent 1
Pastor Joe McGarry preaches at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Kensington, CT.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.pastorjoemcgarry.com
Pastor Joe McGarry preaches at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Kensington, CT. This is All Saints Sunday.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.pastorjoemcgarry.com
Pastor Joe McGarry preaches at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Kensington, CT. This is Reformation Sunday.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.pastorjoemcgarry.com
Pastor Joe McGarry preaches at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Kensington, CT. The text for the week are Psalm 145 and Psalm 121.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.pastorjoemcgarry.com
Pastor Joe McGarry preaches at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT. The text is on Sarah and Abraham laughing when God tells them they will conceive a child.
September 8, 2019
This is a part of a sermon series on the 180 Day Bible Reading Challenge.
http://www.popkensington.org
http://www.pastorjoemcgarry.com
This is the start of a sermon series called "The Power of the Word of God". Pastor Joe McGarry Preaches at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT.
Sermon preached by Pastor Joe McGary at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT.
The texts for the week are Genesis 15:1-6 and Luke 12:32-40
popkensington.org
pastorjoemcgarry.com
This sermon is preached by Pastor Joe McGarry at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT.
The texts for this week are Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23 and Luke 12:13-21
popkensington.org
pastorjoemcgarry.com
This sermon is preached by Pastor Joe McGarry at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT.
The texts for this week are Genesis 18:20-32 and Luke 11:1-13
popkensington.org
pastorjoemcgarry.com
Pastor Joe McGarry preaches on the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Kensington, CT.
Pastor Joe McGarry preaches on the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Kensington, CT.
Pastor Joe McGarry preaches on the First Sunday in Advent at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Kensington, CT.
This sermon was preached at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT but Pastor Joe McGarry.
This sermon is preached by Pastor Joe McGarry at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT.
Pastor Joe MCGarry preached this sermon at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT. The readings for the day are 2 Samuel 11:1-15, Psalm 14, Ephesians 3:14-21 and John 6:1-21.
Pastor Joe McGarry preaches at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT. After the disciples preached, healed and fed the crowds they needed a a time apart. Jesus leads them, teaches them and encourages them to rest. The texts used for this sermon are from 2 Samuel 7:1-14a, Psalm 23, Ephesians 2:11-22 and Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
Check out more about Pastor Joe at pastorjoe.me
Check out more about Prince of Peace Lutheran Church go to princeofpeacelutheran06037.com
Be blessed.
Pastor Joe McGarry preaches at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT. This sermon is a little tough to read, it is about the beheading of John the Baptist. Pastor Joe explores our call as disciples and how we can all be the church in the world today. The texts used for this sermon are from 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19, Ephesians 1:3-14 and Mark 6:14-29.
Check out more about Pastor Joe at pastorjoe.me
Check out more about Prince of Peace Lutheran Church go to princeofpeacelutheran06037.com
Be blessed.
Pastor Joe McGarry preaches at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Kensington, CT. This is Pastor Joe's first sermon as the Pastor of Prince of Peace. The texts used for this sermon are from 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10, 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 and Mark 6:1-13
Check out more about Pastor Joe at pastorjoe.me
Check out more about Prince of Peace Lutheran Church go to princeofpeacelutheran06037.com
Be blessed.
Pastor Joe McGarry preaches at Faith Lutheran Church Gardner, MA. This sermon is about the Kingdom of God and how important it is for us to have an idea of what we think the Kingdom of God looks like. Pastor Joe gives a couple of examples from his life and challenges you to think about it yourself.
The texts used for this sermon are from Mark 3: 20-35 and Genesis 3: 8-15
Check out more about Pastor Joe at pastorjoe.me
Check out more about Faith Lutheran Church at faithgardner.org
Be blessed.
Welcome to the Second Sunday of Advent Year A. This sermon was preached at Faith Lutheran Church in Gardner, MA. At the heart of our Advent preparation stands John the Baptist, who calls us to repent and make a new beginning. As the darkness increases we turn toward the light of Christ’s coming. For Christians he is the root of Jesse, the righteous judge who welcomes all, especially the poor and meek of the earth. We wait with hope for that day when the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and there will be no more hurt or destruction. From the Lord’s table we are sent in the spirit of John the Baptist to proclaim that in Christ the kingdom of God has come near. The scripture readings for the day are Isaiah 11:1-10, Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19, Romans 15:4-13 and Matthew 3:1-12.
Be blessed wherever you are today. Pastor Joe preaches at Faith Lutheran Church - Gardner, MA at 9:00 am and 10:15 am. It was an amazing day of worship. Too often we talk about the divisions in our world, In today's sermon Pastor Joe talks about the things that unite us.
Sermon preached at Faith Lutheran Church Gardner, MA by Pastor Joe McGarry. Sermon Title is "What if?" Lectionary 18, Year C 11th Sunday after Pentecost
Welcome to Holy Trinity Sunday Year C. This sermon was preached at Faith Lutheran Church in Gardner, MA. Holy Trinity Sunday falls after Pentecost Sunday. What is the Trinity? What difference does it make in our lives? The scripture readings for the day are Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31, Psalm 8, Romans 5:1-5 and John 16:12-15
elcome to the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost Season B. This sermon was preached at Faith Lutheran Church in Gardner, MA. On September 20th we started a six week series called “What is the Church?” This week the sermon focused on the question “What is Worship?”. The scripture readings for the day are Daniel 4:34-37 and John 4:21-30. To listen to all the sermons in this series click here.
Enjoy the latest episode of Sacred Life with Pastor Joe McGarry.
In this sermon Pastor Joe explores these ideas:
- Asking the question “What is Church?”
- The conversation needs to go deeper than a specific type of worship. So to better understand worship and our role in it, there are a few things that we need to know. It’s all about us and it’s all about God.
- Each of us has a battle raging within our hearts over what we love most—God or something else and we call that something else an idol.
- There is diversity in what people think worship is and the importance of worship in our lives.
- In our gathering on Sunday mornings, we come together to give expression to the faith of the Church. We gather to express, both verbally and physically, what is important to our community, both our faith community as well as the larger community.
- When we connect our stories with God’s story in worship. It has a powerful impact on who we are and how we respond to and share God’s love with the world.
Welcome to the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost Season B. This sermon was preached at Faith Lutheran Church in Gardner, MA. We started “What is the Church?” series. The scripture readings for the day are 1 Corinthians 12: 12-26 and Matthew 28: 18-20. To listen to all the sermons in this series click here.
In this sermon Pastor Joe explores these ideas:
- The word “church” creates a host of diverse images. To some a church is a building. To some, church is an institutional organization. To others, church is equivalent to a one-hour worship assembly.
- If we were to define the church, we might employ something simple and straightforward, such as: The Church is a spiritual community organized to do God’s will.
- The church is made up of individuals and those individuals are often described as a “body”, a living community. As an organized community, the church does have structure. It requires leadership. It has a mission. It initiates plans. It gathers to meet for worship and education, fellowship, prayer and more.
- A description of the history of the Lutheran Church in Gardner, MA.
Sermon for Easter Sunday 2015 by Pastor Joe McGarry. This sermon was preached at Faith Lutheran Church Gardner, MA.
Reflections from the Thief who hung next to Jesus before he died.
I really don’t know how to talk with God. I heard Jesus talk about prayer so that’s what I have been doing all day. Praying for my life.
We hear the crowds yelling outside crucify him, crucify him! crucify him! We think that Barbas is going to be crucified but then they bring in Jesus. He is barely able to stand. Did the crowds really release Barabas and decide to crucify Jesus?
Pilate comes back and questions Jesus again. I watch as Jesus stands there not saying a word. In frustration Pilate leaves.
We are all brought to Gogatatha. James and I are hung on the cross. Our arms are tied to the beams and our feet are tied around the post. This is no way to die.
Then I see Jesus. I was wondering why he wasn’t with us — he is covered in sores and he can barley stand. He wasn’t tied to the cross his hands and feet were nailed into the cross.
James is on Jesus’ left and I am on his right. This isn’t any normal crucifixion. Mobs of people are there just because of Jesus. There are Pharisees mocking him, the Roman soldiers are casting lots for his clothes. They are offering him sour wine on a stick, and Jesus is taking it all in — he is not saying a word.
James starts to yell at Jesus too — “Get us down from here!! They say that you can do that, why don’t you save us? Don’t you care?”
Jesus slowly lifts his head and says “Father Forgive them for they do not know what they do.”
Forgiveness, from the cross? I can’t imagine — what is going on here? James does not slow down and I can’t stand it anymore.
Out of sheer exhaustion James quiets down and the Pharisees lose interest. But I can’t get Jericho out of my mind. I can’t forget Jesus’ eyes, his words, I can still feel his hand on my shoulder. And so I call over to him, though it’s getting hard to breathe and talking makes it that much harder.
He is in bad shape — exhausted, in excruciating pain, back oozing, breath labored. He isn’t going to last long. I can see that. But somehow I can see beyond all that. He was the Messiah, is the Messiah, no matter what those priests and Romans and Pharisees have done to him.
And when he dies, he will be with God. In a few hours, maybe less, He will reign in that Kingdom he told us about.
“Jesus,” I call.
He opens his eyes. They are the same eyes, the same piercing, loving, honest eyes.
“Jesus,” I say, “when you come into your Kingdom, would you remember me?”
His words are labored, his lips parched, but I can still hear him pretty well. “Truly, I say to you….” His voice cracks, then is stronger for a moment. “Truly, this very day you will be with me in Paradise.”
His eyes droop. He is fading quickly now. But I believe him. I do! That’s what gets me through those next few hours – knowing that God loves me that Jesus loves me and that I will be with him in paradise.
Sermon preached on March 8, 2015 at Faith Lutheran Church in Gardner, MA by Pastor Joe McGarry.
Sermon preached on March 1, 2015 by Pastor Joe McGarry at Faith Lutheran Church in Gardner, MA.
Sermon preached on February 22, 2015 by Pastor Joe McGarry at Faith Lutheran Church in Gardner, MA.
Sermon preached on January 8, 2012 by Pastor Joe McGarry at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Baldwinsville, NY.
Sermon for November 7, 2010. Pastor Joe McGarry preaches at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Baldwinsville, NY.
Sermon for Reformation Sunday 2010. Sermon preached by Pastor Joe McGarry at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Baldwinsville, NY.