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
The Bible is not a Buffet (Twisted Scripture 3 - Pastor Bill) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:32
Discover why treating the Bible like a buffet—picking what we like and skipping what we don't—leads to spiritual malnourishment. This message explores how we often embrace comfortable passages like John 3:16 or 'do not j…
When God Doesn’t Make Sense (Twisted Scripture 3 - Pastor Mike) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:54
Why are there so many different churches if there's just one Bible? This exploration of biblical interpretation reveals how different approaches to Scripture have created denominational distinctions. Discover the four co…
Are you reading the Bible wrong? (Twisted Scripture 2 - Pastor Mike) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:45
Ever had a conversation get completely twisted because of a simple misunderstanding? Pastor Mike shares a hilarious story about telling his coworker he was becoming a "pastor”…only to realize his friend thought he meant…
When Heroes Fall (Noah Unedited 5 - Pastor Mike) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:42
Discover how the Bible's unfiltered portrayal of Noah's shocking post-flood drunkenness offers profound wisdom for our spiritual journeys today. This message explores what happens when our spiritual heroes disappoint us…
Sin Survived the Flood (Noah Unedited Week 5 - Pastor Bill) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:43
This powerful message reveals how even after 120 years of faithful obedience, Noah fell into drunkenness and family dysfunction. Discover the striking parallels between Noah's fall and Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden, a…
God's Weapon Pointed at Himself (Noah Unedited 4 - Pastor Mike) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:23
Discover the profound biblical significance of the rainbow that goes beyond its modern cultural associations. After the devastating global flood, God established the rainbow as a covenant sign—a promise to never again de…
God Hung Up His Weapon For You (Noah Unedited 4 - Pastor Bill) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:28
Discover the profound biblical significance of the rainbow that goes far beyond what most people understand today. While our culture has assigned various meanings to this natural phenomenon, the original biblical meaning…