Mateo 16:21-26 I confess freely and openly this morning that the phrase: the cross or the couch? is not something that originated with me. I’m not savvy enough to come up with memorable phrases like that. Rather, it is a phrase that a professor in college would often use. He
English Sermons
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On Christ the solid rock I stand
By Pastor Seth Haakenson on September 5, 2020Matthew 16:13-20 After two years of hearing Jesus teach and seeing his miracles, the people of Israel had ample time to form an opinion of him. So, the question Jesus poses to his disciples is eminently proper. “Who do the people say I am?” He doesn’t ask the question because
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God’s Mercy Extends to All
By Pastor Seth Haakenson on August 29, 2020I have to say this text has grown on me throughout the week. At first glance I said to myself, “Okay. This text is about Jesus taking the Gospel to the Gentiles and showing that all people (not just the Jews) are to be included in the New Testament church,
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Faith in yourself will sink you. Faith in Jesus will save you.
By Pastor Seth Haakenson on August 22, 2020Jesus had spent the afternoon feeding the five thousand. He was hoping to spend it alone away from the crowds. Verse 13 tells us Jesus “withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” But upon reaching the shore, Jesus realized that there was not going to be any alone time.
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Where we see problems, God sees possibilities.
By Pastor Seth Haakenson on August 15, 2020Did you know that this is the only miracle of Jesus that is recorded in all four Gospels? Whenever something is repeated in the Bible, it signals that God is emphasizing it for us. Obviously all that God says in the Bible is important, but the death of Jesus, for
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Christ can give you more. (Matthew 13:44-52)
By Pastor Seth Haakenson on August 8, 2020Last Sunday I made the comment that death has a way of prioritizing the more important things of life. It focuses us on what really matters, and perhaps more importantly, what doesn’t matter. The truth is most of the stuff of life doesn’t really matter. It’s not that it’s not
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The Christian lives as wheat among weeds
By Pastor Seth Haakenson on August 1, 2020If you happened to be present last Sunday, you may remember that the Gospel lesson dealt with the Parable of the Sower. And whether Pastor Radunzel preached on that particular text or not, the overall worship theme was The Christian is planted by the Word and produces fruit. In other
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God is generous with his seed. Be generous in your use of it, too.
By Pastor Seth Haakenson on July 25, 2020One of the challenges in preaching on this text is the sheer familiarity with it for so many. And yet, we all know that is easy to hear the words someone says without paying attention to what they are actually saying. Perhaps your wife has made the comment on a
Sermones en español
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¿Cuál será? ¿La cruz o el sillón?
By Pastor Seth Haakenson on September 12, 2020Mateo 16:21-26 Confieso libre y abiertamente esta mañana que la frase: ¿la cruz o el sillón? no es algo que se originó conmigo. No soy lo suficientemente inteligente como para pensar en frases memorables como esa. Más bien, es una frase que un profesor en la universidad usaba. Decía, “¿Cuál
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Mi fe se basa en Cristo, el Hijo del Dios Viviente
By Pastor Seth Haakenson on September 5, 2020Mateo 16:13-20 Después de dos años de ver los milagros de Jesús y escuchar sus enseñanzas, el pueblo de Israel tuvo tiempo suficiente para formarse una opinión de él. Entonces, la pregunta que Jesús les hace a sus discípulos es eminentemente adecuada. "¿Quién dice la gente que soy?" No hace
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La misericordia de Dios se extiende a todos.
By Pastor Seth Haakenson on August 29, 2020Debo decir que este texto ha crecido en mí a lo largo de la semana. A primera vista me dije a mí mismo, "Bien. Este texto es acerca de Jesús llevando el Evangelio a los gentiles y mostrando que todas las personas (no sólo los judíos) deben ser incluidas en
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La fe en ti mismo te hundirá. La fe en Jesús te salvará.
By Pastor Seth Haakenson on August 22, 2020Jesús había pasado la tarde alimentando a los cinco mil. Esperaba pasarlo solo lejos de las multitudes. El versículo 13 nos dice que Jesús se retiró él solo en una barca a un lugar solitario". Pero al llegar a la orilla, Jesús se dio cuenta de que no iba a
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Donde vemos problemas, Dios ve posibilidades
By Pastor Seth Haakenson on August 15, 2020¿Sabían que este es el único milagro de Jesús que está registrado en los cuatro evangelios? Cada vez que algo se repite en la Biblia, es una señal de que Dios lo está enfatizando para nosotros. Obviamente todo lo que Dios dice en la Biblia es importante, pero la muerte
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Cristo puede darte más. (Mateo 13:44-52)
By Pastor Seth Haakenson on August 8, 2020El domingo pasado hice el comentario de que la muerte tiene una forma de priorizar las cosas más importantes de la vida. Nos enfoca en lo que realmente importa, y quizás más importante, lo que no importa. La verdad es que la mayoría de las cosas de la vida no
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El Cristiano vive como el trigo entre la mala hierba
By Pastor Seth Haakenson on August 1, 2020Si vieron el video del domingo pasado, puede que recuerden que el sermón se trataba de la Parábola del Sembrador. El pensamiento principal fue que el cristiano es plantado por la semilla de la Palabra. En otras palabras, la pregunta que se hizo el domingo pasado fue: ¿Cómo se convierte
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Dios es generoso con su semilla. Sé generoso en su uso, también.
By Pastor Seth Haakenson on July 25, 2020Uno de los desafíos de predicar sobre este texto es la gran familiaridad con él para muchos. Y sin embargo, todos sabemos que es fácil escuchar las palabras que alguien dice sin prestar atención a lo que realmente están diciendo. Tal vez su esposa ha hecho el comentario en varias
Pastors
Pastor Steven Radunzel
Assistant Pastor - Retired
Pastor Seth Haakenson
Lead Pastor
Team Members
Pastor Steven Radunzel
Assistant Pastor - RetiredGraduated from Norhtwestern College, in Watertown, WI and received a Divinity Degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, in Mequon, WI, in 1979. Pastor Radunzel has further earned a Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology from the IL School of Professional Psychology in 1991. Pastor Radunzel has served at Immanuel since 1996.
Team Members
Pastor Seth Haakenson
Lead PastorAlthough Pastor Haakenson was born in Youngstown, Ohio, he grew up on the U.S. Mexican border in Douglas, Arizona. There he attended public schools until enrolling in Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota. Following his graduation in 2000, Pastor Haakenson went on to pursue his Masters of Divinity at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. While there, he served as a vicar in Puerto Rico where he became fluent in Spanish. Upon graduating from the seminary, Pastor Haakenson’s first public ministry assignment was as a missionary to the Dominican Republic. Later, he accepted a Divine Call to begin a Spanish-speaking ministry in Milwaukee, WI. In 2013 Pastor Haakenson switched gears somewhat and became the Campus Pastor of Nebraska Lutheran High School in Waco, Nebraska. That led him to where he currently serves his Savior, right here in Waukegan, IL at Immanuel Lutheran. It’s interesting to note that God has blessed Pastor Haakenson once again with the privilege of establishing a Spanish-speaking ministry alongside the already established congregation at Immanuel. He is also blessed to have his wife, Monica, and his four daughters (Anna, Natalia, Micaela, Eva) serve God alongside him.