Love God Most (God.LGBTQ.You. 1 - Pastor Mike)

Love God Most (God.LGBTQ.You. 1 - Pastor Mike)

Author: 922 Ministries April 13, 2026 Duration: 39:07

This series aims to move beyond social media snippets and explore Christianity and sexuality with biblical depth, empathy, and "dripping compassion".
The Question Before the Questions Before diving into the complex "what abouts" regarding pronouns, policies, or specific Bible passages, this sermon poses one fundamental question: "Do you love God the most?". Drawing from Matthew 22, Pastor Mike highlights Jesus’ teaching that the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This means placing God’s Word above personal desires, cultural trends, and even church traditions.
The sermon outlines two primary reasons why we must prioritize God’s perspective in the conversation on sexuality:
1. God always speaks the truth: Unlike human experiences or cultural shifts that can be mistaken, God's Word is always right, true, and faithful.
2. God always acts in love: God is the definition of love, demonstrated most clearly through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, who took on the "muck and mire" of our sin so we could be washed pure.
Pastor Mike shares the stories of individuals like Beckett Cook, St. Augustine, and Rachel (a lesbian student at Yale), all of whom discovered that finding God was "bigger and better" than their sexual passions. Their lives testify that when we are persuaded by God's character of truth and moved by His gospel of love, we are finally ready to navigate the nitty-gritty questions of identity and orientation.

What to Expect in This Series: This sermon is a commitment to a holistic, five-week journey. In the coming weeks, the church will tackle:
* Imitating the God of love in our hospitality and mercy.
* Imitating the God of truth regarding specific passages in Genesis, Leviticus, and the New Testament.
* Practical questions regarding same-sex attraction, gender identity, and how the church should respond to the LGBTQ community today.
Join us as we commit to being here for the "whole thing," starting not with ourselves, but with God.


Each week, the communities of St. Peter Lutheran and The CORE in Appleton, Wisconsin, gather to explore faith, life, and scripture. This audio feed brings those weekly sermons directly to you, offering a consistent source of reflection and teaching grounded in Lutheran Christian tradition. You'll hear messages that connect ancient biblical wisdom to the realities of modern living, tackling topics from everyday relationships and personal struggles to the broader call to community and service. The voices from 922 Ministries-The CORE & St. Peter Lutheran aim to provide more than just information; they seek to foster a deeper understanding and a practical, resilient faith. Whether you're a long-time member, a spiritual seeker, or someone simply curious about a thoughtful perspective on Christianity, this podcast serves as an accessible way to engage with these teachings on your own schedule. It’s like having a regular, grounded conversation about what it means to live with purpose and hope, drawn directly from the heart of a Wisconsin ministry. Tune in for a straightforward, substantive addition to your weekly routine.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

922 Ministries - The CORE & St. Peter Lutheran
Podcast Episodes
Practice Gratitude (Ultimate Gratitude List 1 - Pastor Mike) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:14
Gratitude lists are everywhere — but does yours actually work? Research says daily gratitude can boost happiness, improve sleep, and decrease depression. Oprah tried it for a decade. Scientists have studied it. And yet m…
Chosen. Welcomed. Sealed. (Ultimate Gratitude List 1 - Pastor Jared) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:40
Most of us measure our relationship with God by how hard we grip faith. Whether we're doing enough. Whether we've cleaned up enough.But that's not Christianity.Dig into one of the most misunderstood — and most comforting…
Don't Overcomplicate It (Adulting with Jesus 3 - Pastor Mike) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:45
Steve Jobs promised the iPhone would change everything. He was right — including the way we think about dating, marriage, and having kids. But some things haven't changed.In week 3 of Adulting with Jesus, Pastor Mike exp…
The Hard Launch (Adulting with Jesus 3 - Pastor Steve) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:08
Noah and Zoe have been "just talking" for a while. They like the connection — but they're not ready for the commitment. And honestly? A lot of us approach marriage and family the same way.In week 3 of Adulting with Jesus…
Friends and Your Forever  (Adulting with Jesus 2 - Pastor Timothy) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:43
Do you have a 2am friend? You know the one — the person whose name you'd dial at 2 in the morning when you're stranded on the side of the road, and you already know they'll show up. If you can't think of a name, this mes…
Friends Shape Your Future (Adulting with Jesus 2 - Pastor Bill) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:25
We've never been more connected — and yet loneliness is at an all-time high. What's going on? And what does it have to do with growing up in your faith?In week two of Adulting with Jesus week 2, we dig into one of the mo…
Owned or Borrowed? (Adulting with Jesus 1 - Pastor Jared) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:41
Adulting is hard. Higher pressure, a more public stage, a brain that's still developing, and a gap between your income and the life you thought you'd be living by now. In week 1 of Adulting with Jesus, Pastor walks throu…
Owning Your Faith  (Adulting with Jesus 1 - Pastor Mike) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:03
Imagine waking up your first Sunday at college, two hours from home, and realizing that for the first time in your life the choice to come to church is entirely your own. Welcome to adulting.In Week 1 of Adulting with Je…
But What About… Part 2 (God.LGBTQ.You. 5 - Pastor Mike) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:30
How should followers of Jesus think — and live — when it comes to LGBTQ questions? In this final message of our five-week series, Pastor Mike opens the Bible to walk through five of the most common questions people are s…
Christ Redeems what you Regret (Bad Parents 5 - Pastor Steve) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:43
Some Christians have dramatic conversion stories. Others can only shrug and say, "I don't know — I guess I was just raised that way." Is the second kind of story really less of a miracle?In this message from our "Bad Par…