Sermons
The Holy Cross sermons are available in transcribed text or .mp3 audio format. Simply click on the “text” link to read the sermon or click on the “audio” link to listen and/or download the .mp3 audio file. Note: The sermons are listed by most recent. Typically, the text version is delayed by two months due to the transcription process.
April 27, 2025 – Second Sunday of Easter – Pastor Mark Bartels
“The Blessedness of Faith!” – Video: Vimeo, Facebook. Audio: Google
John 20:19-31 19
On the evening of that fi rst day of the week, the disciples were together behind locked doors because of their fear of the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you! Just as the Father has sent me, I am also sending you.” 22 After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 Whenever you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven. Whenever you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” 24 But Thomas, one of the Twelve, the one called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples kept telling him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my fi nger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26 After eight days, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your fi nger here and look at my hands. Take your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue to doubt, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30 Jesus, in the presence of his disciples, did many other miraculous signs that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
April 20, 2025 – Easter Sunday– Pastor Piet Van Kampen
“Christ is Risen Indeed!” – Video: Vimeo, Facebook. Audio: Google
1 Corinthians 15:13-20
13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is pointless, and your faith is pointless too. 15 Then we are even guilty of giving false testimony about God, because we testifi ed about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise, if it were true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then it also follows that those who fell asleep in Christ perished. 19 If our hope in Christ applies only to this life, we are the most pitiful people of all.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the fi rstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
April 13, 2025 – Palm Sunday– Pastor Mark Bartels
“An Attitude Like Jesus” – Video: Vimeo, Facebook. Audio: Google
Philippians 2:5-11
5 Indeed, let this attitude be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. 6 Though he was by nature God, he did not consider equality with God as a prize to be displayed, 7 but he emptied himself by taking the nature of a servant. When he was born in human likeness, and his appearance was like that of any other man, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
April 6, 2025 – Fifth Sunday in Lent– Pastor Piet Van Kampen
“Redefining Trash and Treasure in Christ” – Video: Vimeo, Facebook. Audio: Google
Philippians 3:8-14
8 But even more than that, I consider everything to be a loss because of what is worth far more: knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake, I have lost all things and consider them rubbish, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, which comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God by faith. 10 I do this so that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, 11 in the hope that in some way I may arrive at the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus also took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it yet, but there is one thing I do: Forgetting the things that are behind and straining toward the things that are ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal, for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
March 30, 2025 – Mission Festival – ELS Evangelism Mission Counselor, Rev. Brad Kerkow
“Celebrate the Father’s Compassionate Love!” – Video: Vimeo, Facebook. Audio: Google
Luke 15:1–3, 11b–32
1 All the tax collectors and sinners were coming to Jesus to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 He told them this parable:
“A certain man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all that he had and traveled to a distant country. There he wasted his wealth with reckless living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 He went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He would have liked to fill his stomach with the carob pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, and I am dying from hunger! 18 I will get up, go to my father, and tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
20 “He got up and went to his father. While he was still far away, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, hugged his son, and kissed him. 21 The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick, bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us eat and celebrate, 24 because this son of mine was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.
25 “His older son was in the field. As he approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the servants and asked what was going on. 27 The servant told him, ‘Your brother is here! Your father killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 The older brother was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him.
29 He answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I’ve been serving you, and I never disobeyed your command, but you never gave me even a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours arrived after wasting your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’
31 “The father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’”
March 23, 2025 – Third Sunday in Lent – Pastor Piet Van Kampen
“Directions Rerouted in Christ” – Video: Vimeo, Facebook. Audio: Google
Luke 13:1-9
1 At that time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 He answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? 3 I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too. 4 Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too.”
6 He told them this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it, but he did not find any. 7 So he said to the gardener, ‘Look, for three years now I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and I have found none. Cut it down. Why even let it use up the soil?’ 8 But the gardener replied to him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it. 9 If it produces fruit next year, fine. But if not, then cut it down.’”
March 16, 2025 – Second Sunday in Lent – Pastor Mark Bartels
“Tender Love for Rebels” – Video: Vimeo, Facebook. Audio: Google
Luke 13:31–35
31 In that very hour, some Pharisees came to him and said, “Leave, and go away from here, because Herod wants to kill you.”
32 He said to them, “Go tell that fox, ‘Look, I am going to drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal. 33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, because it cannot be that a prophet would be killed outside Jerusalem!’
34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I have wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you will say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
March 12, 2025 – 2nd Midweek Lent – Pastor Piet Van Kampen
“Recognizing Against Whom We Sin” – Video: Vimeo
Psalm 51:3-4
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
March 9, 2025 – First Sunday in Lent – Pastor Piet Van Kampen
“What is Lent All About?” – Video: Vimeo, Facebook Audio: Google
Deuteronomy 26:5-11
5 Then you will respond and say in the presence of the Lord your God, “My father was a wandering Aramean. He went down to Egypt and lived there as an alien with just a few people, but there he became a great, strong, and populous nation. 6 The Egyptians mistreated and afflicted us. They imposed hard labor on us. 7 We cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice, and he saw our affliction, our labor, and oppression.
8 The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and with great awe-inspiring acts and signs and wonders. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
10 So now, look as I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you have given me, Lord.”
Then set the basket down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God.
11 Then you, as well as the Levite and the alien who resides among you, will rejoice in all the good things that the Lord your God has given to you and your household.
March 5, 2025 – Ash Wednesday – Pastor Mark Bartels
“Realizing our Need for Repentance” – Video: Vimeo, Facebook. Audio: Google.
Psalm 51:1-2
For the choir director. A psalm by David.
When Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love. According to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
March 2, 2025 – The Transfiguration of Our Lord – Pastor Mark Bartels
“The Unveiled Gospel” – Video: Vimeo, Facebook. Audio: Google
2 Corinthians 4:3–6
3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing. 4 In the case of those people, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from clearly seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is God’s image.
5 Indeed, we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For the God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” is the same one who made light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ.
February 23, 2025 – Seventh Sunday After Epiphany – Pastor Piet Van Kampen
“Be Merciful as Your Father is Merciful” – Video: Vimeo, Facebook. Audio: Google
Luke 6:27-38
27 “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, offer the other too. If someone takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes away your things, do not demand them back.
31 “Treat others just as you would want them to treat you. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? To be sure, even the sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even the sinners do the same thing. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to be repaid, what credit is that to you? Even the sinners lend to sinners in order to be paid back in full. 35 Instead, love your enemies, do good and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the unthankful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. In fact, the measure with which you measure will be measured back to you.”
February 16, 2025 – Sixth Sunday After Epiphany – Pastor Mark Bartels
“The Blessedness of Believers” – Video: Vimeo, Facebook. Audio: Google
Jeremiah 17:5-8
5 This is what the Lord says.
Cursed is anyone who trusts in mankind,
who seeks his strength from human flesh,
and who turns his heart away from the Lord.
6 He will be like a juniper bush in the wasteland.
He will not see good things when they come.
He lives in a dry place in the wilderness,
in a salty land where no one lives.
7 But blessed is anyone who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by water.
It sends out its roots to the stream.
It does not fear the heat when it comes.
Its leaves will remain green.
It is not concerned about a time of drought.
It does not stop producing fruit.
February 9, 2025 – Fifth Sunday After Epiphany – Pastor Piet Van Kampen
“Leaving Everything to Follow Jesus” – Video: Vimeo, Facebook. Audio: Google
Luke 5:1-11
1 One time, while the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. 2 He saw two boats there along the lakeshore. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 Jesus got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. He sat down and began teaching the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water, and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered him, “Master, we worked hard all through the night and caught nothing. But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were about to tear apart. 7 They signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, because I am a sinful man, Lord.” 9 For Peter and all those with him were amazed at the number of fish they had caught, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “Have no fear. From now on you will be catching people.”
11 After they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.
February 2, 2025 – Fourth Sunday After Epiphany – Pastor Mark Bartels
“Called to Love” – Video: Vimeo, Facebook Audio: Google
1 Corinthians 12:27–13:13 27
You are the body of Christ, and individually you are members of it. 28 And God appointed in the church: fi rst apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then miracles, healing gifts, helpful acts, leadership abilities, kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all miracle workers? 30 Do all have healing gifts? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But eagerly seek the greater gifts. And now, I am going to show you a more excellent way. 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and know all the mysteries and have all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away everything I own, and if I give up my body that I may be burned but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not envy. It does not brag. It is not arrogant. 5 It does not behave indecently. It is not selfi sh. It is not irritable. It does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 It does not rejoice over unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never comes to an end. But if there are prophetic gifts, they will be done away with; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be done away with. 9 For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part, 10 but when that which is complete has come, that which is partial will be done away with. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see indirectly using a mirror, but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I was fully known. 13 So now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
January 26, 2025 – Third Sunday After Epiphany – Pastor Piet Van Kampen
“Praise the Spirit-Anointed Preacher!” – Video: Vimeo, Facebook. Audio: Google
Luke 4:14-21
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues and being honored by everyone.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. As was his custom, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed, 19 and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
20 He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
January 19, 2025 – Second Sunday After Epiphany – Pastor Mark Bartels
“Water into Wine” – Video:Vimeo, Facebook. Audio: Google
John 2:1–11
1 Three days later, there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.
3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine.”
4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with you and me? My time has not come yet.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Six stone water jars, which the Jews used for ceremonial cleansing, were standing there, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” And they did.
9 When the master of the banquet tasted the water that had now become wine, he did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew). The master of the banquet called the bridegroom
10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when the guests have had plenty to drink, then the cheaper wine. You saved the good wine until now!”
11 This, the beginning of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
January 12, 2025 – First Sunday After Epiphany – Pastor Piet Van Kampen
“When God Appeared, He Saved Us!” – Video: Vimeo, Facebook. Audio: Google.
Titus 3:4-7
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior toward mankind appeared, 5 he saved us—not by righteous works that we did ourselves, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and the renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs in keeping with the hope of eternal life.
January 5, 2025 – Second Sunday After Christmas – Pastor Mark Bartels
“God’s Covenant with Abraham” – Video: Vimeo, Facebook. Audio: Google. Text: PDF
Genesis 17:1–7
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless. 2 I will make my covenant between me and you, and I will make your descendants very numerous.”
3 Abram fell on his face. God spoke with him. He said, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you. You will be the father of many nations. 5 Your name will not be Abram anymore, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a large group of nations. 6 I will make you extremely fruitful, and I will produce nations from you. Kings will come out of you. 7 I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you as an everlasting covenant throughout their generations. I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you.