Reflections

November 17, 2025Today's Reading: Malachi 4:1-6Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 33:1-22; Jeremiah 34:1-36:32; 45:1-51:64; Matthew 27:11-32“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” (Malachi 4:5-6)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The prophet Malachi promises an Elijah. But what was Israel's problem that they needed an Elijah? Israel's great sin is that they were treating the Lord's altar as common. The Lord gathers Israel to his altar to receive the forgiveness of their sins, to be made holy by the Lord's institution of sacrifice. But Israel is treating his altar as common, even profane—they even call it not a holy Altar but a defiled table! (See Malachi 1:7, 1:12) Because they treat it not as the holy Altar where the Lord comes to them with blessing, but as a defiled table for empty religious rituals, Israel has been bringing not the proper, appointed sacrificial animals, but … trash. (See Malachi 1:7, 1:13-14)When she has despised the Lord's Altar, denigrating it as a common table, where has Israel left herself to go to receive the forgiveness of sins? What hope is there for the sinner separated from the Altar where God has placed his holy Name (Malachi 1:11)? Enter Malachi. He decrees the promise to save the sinner from the deserved decree of utter destruction (Malachi 4:16). It is the promise of an Elijah: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” Elijah? Elijah was, of course, in Israel some 450 years before Malachi's time. But Malachi is promising there will be another prophet who will stand in the office of Elijah. This prophet will do the “Elijah job” of bringing salvation for the sinner. As we know, that new Elijah is John the Baptist (Matthew 11:12-14), who, after baptizing Jesus in the Jordan, then declares: Jesus is the Lamb of God who is bearing the sin of the world! (see John 1:29) John, the new Elijah, has announced the greatest news of all. Jesus bears the sin of the world, every sinner of every generation! Your sin and mine. And where we, in our sin, have forgotten the Lord's Name and treated the gifts of holiness as common, we hear the voice of Jesus, and we know that his table is not common, not to be despised, but is nothing less than the holy gift of the Blood to forgive our sins. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord, where we have treated your gifts as common, where we have forgotten your Name bestowed upon us in Baptism, forgive. Gather us again to hear your Gospel; restore us as your holy people. For you alone, O Lamb of God, are the forgiver of sins, the Savior of the world. Amen. Author: Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

November 16, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 21:5-28 (29-36)Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 31:1-17, 23-34; Revelation 16:1-21; Matthew 27:1-10“[Jesus said,] ‘And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves,  people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.'" (Luke 21:25-28)In the Name +  of Jesus. Amen. When you see these things: things of evil governments laying hands on Christians, Christians being persecuted for the holy Name; things of your own sin, your own failures; things of the frustration of living as a Christian, wishing you could do better each day, but seeing the hopelessness of it all as you find yourself once again, as yesterday and the day before, falling to doubt, to fear, to lust, to the desire to control others, or to any other temptation—when you see these things, Stand, lift up your heads, for you belong to Baptism. And Baptism is not the sinner showing allegiance to God. It's God saving the sinner. It's your Lord using his appointed means to work the forgiveness of sins, to rescue from death and the devil, and to give eternal life to all who have faith in the words and promises of God. So despair not. Lift up your heads, for you belong to the life-giving water, rich in grace, a washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5)With each day, the world nears its final judgment. We see the signs all around. Despair not. We continue to rejoice in serving neighbor, in opportunities to work for peace and good order, in words spoken in kindness to acclaim our Lord's gift of life, extolling his institutions of family and home, of marriage of man and woman, of property and possessions, our Lord's institutions so often rejected by our fallen world. For we know that these things instituted by the Lord are his way of providing for us and our neighbor on Earth.We see our sin, our failures, and we fear. Despair not. Hear your Lord's Gospel and rejoice in the life of Baptism to which you belong. We stand and lift up our heads in faith. Luke 21:28: [Jesus said,] “Now when these things begin to take place, stand and raise up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O Lord, Almighty and always-living God, You gave great and precious promises to people who trust You.  Reign and lead our hearts and minds with Your Holy Spirit. Then we can continue to live forever in Your Son. Jesus lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.Author: Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

November 15, 2025Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 23 - Psalm 121:1-2, 5, 7-8; antiphon: Luke 21:33Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 30:1-24; Revelation 15:1-8; Matthew 26:57-75“The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.” (Psalm 121:5)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.“The Lord is your keeper.” Wow! Now that's a promise to grab onto. Not just any lord, but The Lord is your keeper, and his keeping covers your entire life, past, present, and future. If we're honest, we often go through the day totally unaware of how the Lord is keeping us under his protective care. We can manage most of the daily stuff put before us. Yet, all it takes is an illness, a near-miss car accident, the death of someone we know, or money problems to shake us up and cause us to realize how fragile life is and how quickly we can find ourselves in a helpless situation. The Lord is your keeper, whether you realize it or not. Psalm 121 is calling us to see that the Lord who made heaven and earth, who made you, is intimately involved in caring and providing for you. How can you be certain? He promised! The Lord put his name on you when he washed you with his Word in the waters of your Baptism. There you were adopted into the family of God. Your life was joined to Jesus, who promised to be with you all of the days of your life to the end of the age. He is keeping you! The Lord will keep you. That means you have a future. God promises it. He will keep you from all evil, so what have you to fear? “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). You have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit who is keeping you and your inheritance of eternal life safe and secure (Ephesians 1:13-14). The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in today and all the days unto eternity! Knowing you are being kept by the one who made you and all things, that means you are free to live each day without fear or doubt. Even if it seems the world and the entire universe are going up in smoke, remember, “Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words will not.” His word and his promises are yours. The Lord is your keeper.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24-25)Author: Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Anaheim, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

November 14, 2025Today's Reading: Matthew 26:36-56Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 29:1-19; Revelation 14:1-20; Matthew 26:36-56“Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?'” (Matthew 26:53-54) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Jesus is praying, the disciples are sleeping, and Judas is coming, leading a great crowd carrying clubs and swords. It's happening; the hour is at hand. It feels like a climactic scene from a Hollywood movie, heading to a final confrontation between the good guys and the bad. Jesus is not caught by surprise. He is in Gethsemane, praying fervently to his Father. He knows what is about to happen, and it is troubling his soul. Jesus prays, “Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me.” Yet, Jesus knows this is his mission; this is why he was born; this is his destiny, so he continues to pray, “Not as I will, but as you will.” The great crowd finally arrives with swords in hand. Peter draws his sword and draws first blood, cutting off the ear of the High Priest's servant. Jesus charges Peter to put down his sword and says, “Do you not realize I can ask my Father and at once he will send more than twelve legions of angels?” 60,000 angels! Yes, that's what we want, don't we? A cosmic battle between good and evil. Jesus with his sleepy disciples against a huge sword-wielding crowd, but now with an army of angels coming down to wipe all those bad guys out. That would make for a great movie, but it is not part of the script. The Scriptures must be fulfilled. God has a different ending in mind. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. That's how the scene plays out, and all is going according to plan. Fast forward to a Roman cross outside of Jerusalem on a dark Friday. Jesus might have been betrayed, arrested, tried, and crucified by sinners, but it is for sinners that Jesus traveled the road to his cross. He carried their sins, your sins, and the sins of the entire world and nailed them to the tree. The one who knew no sin became sin that we might become the righteousness of God. This is the Father's will. This is what Jesus willingly endured, so that your life might have a beautiful climactic ending. Dressed in the robe of Christ's salvation, you are welcomed into the glories of heaven by the angelic hosts of heaven and into the open arms of God your Father. Now that's a movie worth seeing.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.“From heaven's shining regions to greet me gladly come Your blessed angel legions to bid me welcome home.” (674:2)Author: Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Anaheim, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

November 13, 2025Today's Reading: Catechism: Table of Duties - To ParentsDaily Lectionary: Jeremiah 26:1-19; Revelation 13:1-18; Matthew 26:20-35“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Thank God for our parents. Without them, we wouldn't be here. It pleased God to continue his work of creation by giving you life through a mom and a dad. God continues to care, provide, and protect us through the parents he gives us. This is at least God's design and intention for the family, to see one another as a gift and to share life together in love. This is the heart of the Fourth Commandment, where God instructs children to honor their father and mother. In his Small Catechism, Luther explains that rather than despising and angering our parents, children should honor, serve, obey, love, and cherish them. To see our parents as a gift from God causes hearts to cherish and love them. Love can't help but bear the fruit of willful service and obedience. Looking at one another through the lens of a God-given gift makes all the difference. There is no “Commandment” for parents, though, is there? Yes, there are several places in Scripture where parents are instructed in how to raise and treat their children. Although the particular guidelines may differ, the lens prescription is still the same; see your children as a gift from God. When parents see their child as a gift from the hand of God, they see their role in a whole new light. Dads and moms become a portrait to their children of their heavenly Father, mirroring God's gracious love, his sacrificial care, tireless provision, and tender guidance and protection. This is the hands-on way of raising children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. The thing about parents is that they are sinners, too. I've never met a parent who doesn't have regrets or who hasn't wished they could do some things over. Parents need forgiveness, too, just like children. This is perhaps the most profound way a parent can teach their children the faith when a parent is on the receiving end of God's forgiving grace. God loves to give gifts. He gave his most precious gift, his very own Son, to die for the sins of the world, and “the world” includes parents. God has given parents the gift of a family to love and to care for. Sharing life together in Christ makes all the difference.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.“I the Lord will be your Father, Savior, Comforter, and Brother. Go, My children; I will keep you and give you peace.” (922:4)Author: Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Anaheim, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

November 12, 2025Today's Reading: Matthew 26:1-19Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 25:1-18; Matthew 26:1-19“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” (Matthew 26:2)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The hour has come; the time is at hand. The Son of Man is hours away from his cross. Jesus knew this, yet his disciples refused to believe it. The Scriptures pointed to this, and this is the reason Jesus was born: to die that he might save his people from their sins. News spread that Jesus was approaching Jerusalem, and the reception couldn't be more opposite, as opposite as faith and unbelief. When the chief priests and the elders of the people get wind that Jesus was coming near the city, guess what kind of welcome they are planning for him? They gather in the palace of Caiaphas, the High Priest, to plan how to secretly arrest Jesus and kill him. Isaiah's words about God's Messiah indeed are true: “He was despised and rejected by men.”  And yet God would use their scheming to accomplish his plan to save the world. Jesus stops in Bethany, two miles outside Jerusalem, at the house of Simon. While Jesus is reclining at the table, a woman pours expensive ointment on his head. The disciples become irate, thinking that is a waste of money, but Jesus has a different response: " What she has done is a beautiful thing to me.” He goes on to say, “She has done it to prepare me for burial.” The “Annointed One” has been anointed! The Passover Lamb is ready for the slaughter. “My time is at hand,” Jesus said. He would not be deterred. He knew what lay ahead of him over the upcoming hours, and yet Christ suffered for you. He endured the cross and bore your sins upon the tree that “you might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:21-24). Still to this day, Jesus, the Lamb of God, is rejected. Yet, the world's unbelief does not nullify what Christ accomplished on his cross. Jesus bore the iniquities of us all. So let us not be deterred to proclaim the Good News of Jesus, who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. There is no sin Jesus' blood did not cover. There is no sinner left out whom Christ did not die for. This is the awesome wonder of Christ's cross.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.“See, the Lamb, so long expected, Comes with pardon down from heav'n. Let us haste, with tears of sorrow, One and all, to be forgiv'n.” (345:3)Author: Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Anaheim, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

November 11, 2025Today's Reading: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, 13-17Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 23:21-40; Matthew 25:31-46“To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 2:14)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.God has made a decision for you. Do you realize that? God has made a choice for you and has called you to Himself. Do you slow down to stop and take time to think about that? You are a miracle of God's divine grace. God came to you through his Word and by his Spirit. He spoke to you, and you listened. He called you, and you came. He gave you a promise, and you believed. God chose to set his love on you; you are a miracle of God's saving grace. Not by the Law did God call you, but through His gospel. What does that mean? It means His decision for you is not based on your performance but upon His promise. God's decision for you is not conditional but unconditional. God didn't call you and say, “Come here, I've got a deal for you. I'll wipe the slate of your sin clean, I'll raise you from the dead, and I'll give you a permanent place in my incredible kingdom if you…” Nope! The law works that way, but not the gospel. You have been called by the gospel. You are a walking miracle of God's grace. God chose you in Christ. That means it has pleased him to give you everything Jesus won for you through his life, death, and resurrection as pure gift. No conditions. No checklist. No performance test. It's all yours in Jesus: complete forgiveness, God fully pleased with you, a life where he is working his good works through you, and everlasting life in his eternal kingdom. That's the decision God made for you. That's what Jesus accomplished for you. You have been called to simply receive it by faith – trusting in God's wonderful promises to you, and even your faith is His miraculous gift. God still calls you every day. When you wake up and open your eyes to a new day, God is calling you to rise and embrace the day, walking in His promises. He is at work in you and is keeping you in the very faith He has given you, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ! All gift; all for you. You are a miracle of God's amazing grace.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)Author: Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Anaheim, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

November 10, 2025Today's Reading: Exodus 3:1-15Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 23:1-20; Matthew 25:14-30“God also said to Moses, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.'” (Exodus 3:15a)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.We have a God who hears us; he never plugs his ears to our cries for help. We have a God who remembers; he never forgets but is faithful to keep his promises. We have a God who sees; he is intimately aware of the details of our lives. We have a God who knows; he is mindful of all we need, and he cares. This is the God who promised Abraham that he would be a father of a great nation, God would give his offspring a land to possess, and through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Those promises sounded pretty good to Abraham, almost too good to be true. All Abraham had to do to be on the receiving end of God's incredible promises was to believe him, and Abraham did. Abraham's descendants became an exceedingly large population after settling in Egypt; however, they became entrapped under a new pharaoh and forced to serve as his slaves. This went on for some 400 years; the people “groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help.” God heard, he remembered, he saw, and he knew (Exodus 2:23-25). So what does God do? He sends a rescuer to deliver his people from their bondage. God calls to Moses from out of a burning bush to go and deliver his people from an impossible situation. Moses is God's mouthpiece to deliver his message; God will do the work of rescuing through him. Moses went, and God delivered. We, like Israel, find ourselves in an impossible situation. We are slaves as well, helplessly shackled by sin and death with no good way out. So, what does God do? He sends a rescuer to deliver us out of our bondage. God himself comes to save us. Jesus comes to set us free and lead us into the Promised Land of his eternal kingdom. God hears our prayers and cries for help. He remembers his promises made to you, and he never forgets. God sees all, knows the things that weigh you down, and he continues to care for you. God sends a preacher to you to speak His Word for you that continues to set you free. “Your sins are forgiven.” “You are my beloved child.” “I will be with you to the end of the age.” “I have redeemed you; you are mine.”In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.In the midst of utter woe When our sins oppress us, Where shall we for refuge go, Where for grace to bless us? To Thee, Lord Jesus, only! Thy precious blood was shed to win Full atonement for our sin. — Lord, preserve and keep us In the peace that faith can give. Have mercy, O Lord! (LSB 755:3)Author: Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Anaheim, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

November 9, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 20:27-40Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 22:1-23; Matthew 25:1-13“Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” (Luke 20:38)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Dead men don't rise. That's what common sense will tell you. Dead is dead! That's what the Sadducees would have told you. Even though they were a Jewish sect, they did not believe in the afterlife and certainly not in the resurrection of the dead. As a matter of fact, they limited the authority of the Scriptures to the first five books of Moses; no resurrection there, so they thought. Ironically, they ask a riddle-like question about the resurrection to the one who is “the Resurrection.” Jesus takes the Sadducees right to the book of Exodus, where God declares to Moses, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Jesus masterfully demonstrated that God is the God of the living, not of the dead! It is passages like this one that Jesus had in mind when he taught his disciples on the evening of his resurrection, opening their minds to understand the Scriptures that “the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise again from the dead” (Luke 24:44-46). Jesus' resurrection made the impossible now possible; the dead do rise again to life. Jesus is “the Life” for the dead that they may live! Jesus' resurrection conquered the grave for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and for you!The tomb is still empty. Christ has been raised from the dead, and his resurrection means life for you. If Jesus is the “firstfruits of those who have died” (1 Corinthians 15:20), that means there are more fruits to follow. If Jesus is the “firstborn from the dead” (Colossians 1:18), that means there are more sons and daughters to follow. It is actually God's will that you who look to Jesus with eyes of faith shall have eternal life and be raised on the Last Day (John 16:40). Upon Jesus' answer to their question, the Jewish scholars said, “‘Teacher, you have spoken well,' and they no longer dared to ask him any questions.” Jesus has the last word, not death, not your sin, not your grave, nor your reason. Our Lord's cross declares to you that your sins are forgiven. His empty grave and resurrection proclaim to you that you, too, will one day rise and live with him forever.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Then by your resurrection you won for us reprieve – you opened heaven's kingdom to all who would believe (LSB 941:3)Author: Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Anaheim, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

November 8, 2025Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 22 - Psalm 115:2-4, 8, 17-18; antiphon: Psalm 115:11Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 20:1-18; Matthew 24:29-51“You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. “ (Psalm 115:11)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.“Stop! Don't do it!” Wouldn't you scream those words if someone you cared about was about to make a bad decision that you know they would regret later? Wouldn't it pain you to watch a person choose to believe a lie and then act on it, if you absolutely knew the truth of the matter and the consequences that would follow? Think about Adam and Eve standing at the base of the forbidden tree in the garden contemplating whether they should eat from it; as they reach out their hand to pluck a piece of fruit, don't you want to yell, “No! Don't do it!” Too late. They trusted their eyes and listened to a lie. They didn't believe God's word, and they didn't fear the promised consequences. Isn't that our problem, too, along with this world we live in? We can't help it, as the apostle Paul writes, “all have turned aside…there is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:12, 18). Our temptation is to rely on ourselves and believe we can manage our lives on our own. Even without realizing it, we are easily drawn to put our trust in those things that promise us happiness and success. We fear failure. We fear not being accepted. We fear being left behind and missing out. Like our first parents, we too are tempted to listen, to look, and to reach out our hand to grab onto a lie. Psalm 115 pleads with us, “No, don't do it.” Don't buy into the false gods of this world. They may seem to make promises, but they are all lies. There is only One who is trustworthy. There is only One who is committed to your good. He is the Lord God who made the heavens and the earth. The God who made you and keeps your life calls you to trust Him. He is both your help and your shield. The Lord knows what you need and is determined to care for you. The Lord knows those things that seek to attack and undermine your faith, so He wraps His shield about you. He promises never to forget you; no, He will bless you and shower His gracious love upon you. All of this God gives to you in Christ. Jesus is your help and your shield. He is your present help in times of trouble. He is your rock and your hiding place. He is your rescuer and defender. He is God's Savior for you. Trust him.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.A mighty fortress is our God, a sword and shield victorious; he breaks the cruel oppressor's rod and wins salvation glorious. (LSB 657:1)Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Anaheim, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

November 7, 2025Today's Reading: Matthew 24:1-28Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 11:1-23; Jeremiah 12:1-19:15; Matthew 24:1-28“But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.One of the perks of being a disciple was that you could ask Jesus questions when you had some alone time with him. Jesus was sitting down on the Mount of Olives, which provided the opportunity for his disciples to ask a burning question about the end of the age and the sign of his return. Jesus tells of some very difficult times in the days ahead. There will be wars and rumors of wars; that's disturbing. Jesus goes on to talk of nations rising against nations, famines and earthquakes, not pleasant days to live in. And if that's not hard enough, Jesus describes the attacks that will come upon one's faith. Nations will hate those who bear Jesus' name; many will fall away from the faith due to false teachers and following those who falsely claim to be “the Christ.” Believers will be betrayed, lawlessness will increase, and love will grow cold. Jesus paints a pretty dark picture, commenting, “If those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved.” The days that Jesus described sound all too familiar, don't they? Fighting, hatred, natural disasters, lack of daily necessities for many, attacks against the Christian faith, false teachers, these fit the times we are living in. In the midst of all this, Jesus holds out a promise, “The one who endures to the end will be saved.” That's not a very comforting promise if enduring to the end depends on us. How can we be certain we will not be one of those who “fall away” or who are led astray by false messiahs?The book of Hebrews (12:1-2) likens the days we live in to a race that we are running. Jesus himself entered the race by becoming a man. He ran the race and stayed the course, which led to a Roman cross. He endured the cross and its shame so that we might gain the prize of His salvation. So we run our race with endurance, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the founder and finisher of our faith. You see, enduring to the end doesn't depend on our running ability, but it depends on the one who has already run and has finished the race for you. In this world, we will have tribulation, yet we run and endure with our faith fixed on Jesus. He is our faithful deliverer who keeps us in the race and causes us to endure in him.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Anaheim, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

November 6, 2025Today's Reading: Catechism: Table of Duties - To WivesDaily Lectionary: Jeremiah 8:18-9:12; Matthew 23:13-39“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:22)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.God's gifts come in all sorts of packages. Think about Adam; the first gift God gave him was the gift of life. Adam was then given a garden to take care of, and from it, he received the gift of daily food. But then God gave Adam a very special gift fit just for him—a wife. God personally made her and then brought Eve to Adam. God blessed the gift of marriage, the gift of a husband, and the gift of a wife. It was very good. On the sixth day of creation, God established the vocations of husband and wife. Each is a gift to the other to be cherished and loved. Each loving one another with the kind of love that is selfless and self-giving, the kind of love that has the other's best in mind. God was pleased, He was happy, and He blessed them. So, when we hear the words, “wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord,” they are an invitation to love another in the same self-giving manner that marked the first marriage of creation before the Fall. These words call out to love another with the same kind of love that we ourselves have been loved with. After all, isn't this how Christ has loved us? Jesus humbled himself by becoming a man. Jesus submitted Himself to His Father's will even to the point of dying on a cross. Jesus loved us selflessly and sacrificially by laying down His life for us. Out of this love that Jesus has for us, we are set free to love one another – wives are free to love their husbands. This sort of love is radical. It flies in the face of our current culture, but isn't that the nature of the Gospel? It offends our inherent tendencies to take care of ourselves first and try to get what we deserve. Grace throws us and the world on its head. It frees us from focusing on ourselves. It compels us to ask, “How can I serve another?” This is the kind of love God is working in us. This is the kind of love a God-given marriage is built upon. God is the giver of all good gifts, and the gift of a husband and a wife is most certainly a gift to be treasured. May our Lord grant us the grace and working of His Spirit to love one another as Christ has loved us.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Christ the Savior, Christ the Servant, Be Your life in us displayed. (LSB 847:1)Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Anaheim, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

November 5, 2025Today's Reading: Jeremiah 7:1-29Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 7:1-29; Matthew 23:1-12“So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you.” (Jeremiah 7:27)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.God called Jeremiah to speak some hard words to hardened hearts. God was persistent. He kept sending His messengers to His people, yet they did not listen. God called them to repentance, and they did not answer Him. Instead, they followed their own plans; they refused to listen. They followed their own stubborn hearts, and as God said, they “went backward not forward.” It is an easy trap to fall into, turning a deaf ear to the voice of God. There are so many voices competing with His; we are confronted with choices to make and directions to take, and like Judah, we are inclined to listen and follow the ones that seem to fit our desires and feel good to us. Perhaps the bigger temptation is to “hear” God's words and then pick and choose what we listen to; you know, selective hearing. In our minds, we think we are going forward, and yet in truth, we are going backward.God is persistent. He is stubborn, too, more stubborn than we are. The Bible calls that particular characteristic of God “faithfulness.” God is faithful even when His people are not. Notice what God continues to do, even when His own people refuse to listen to Him; He sends a preacher. “Speak all these words to them…you shall call to them.” Yes, God knows the hardness of their hearts and the stubbornness of their ears, but He still speaks, and He still calls. God put another word into Jeremiah's mouth to speak to his wayward, hard-of-hearing people, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness'” (Jeremiah 33:14-16). God wasn't looking back but was looking forward to when He would send His Son to come and give hearing to deaf ears and cause hardened hearts to believe. By the word of Christ's cross, sinners are made righteous, sins are forgiven, and a new creation has begun. This word is for you. God is faithful!In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Dying to the sin of Adam, rising to a life of grace; we are counted with the righteous, over us the cross You trace. (LSB 404:4)Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Anaheim, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

November 4, 2025Today's Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5 (6-10) 11-12Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 5:1-19; Matthew 22:23-46“We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Paul was persistent. He was a man on a mission, literally, and his mission plan was simple: go into a city and find a synagogue, open up the Scriptures, and preach Christ from them. Some would believe, some would want to hear more, and others would aggressively oppose Paul's message about Jesus. Paul would eventually be run out of town, which would propel him to the next city, and he would do it all over again – preach Christ crucified and risen. And you know what? The Word worked! People believed! A church began! The Gospel spread! Paul visited Thessalonica on his second missionary journey, and it was ministry as usual. He entered the synagogue on three different Sabbaths, teaching from the Scriptures that Jesus, who was crucified and risen from the dead, is the Christ. Some believed, while others formed a mob and ran him out of town. The rioters justified their violent reaction by claiming, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.” Indeed, the gospel was having its way. Even in the face of the uproar and despite Paul being run out of town, a church was born. God, by His grace, caused ears to hear the Good News of Jesus, and He granted hearts to believe. Paul would later marvel about this work of the Holy Spirit among them, “For you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia…your faith has gone forth everywhere” (1 Thess. 1:6a-8a). Years later, Paul would continue to give thanks to God for their growing faith and for the fruit of that faith, their increasing love for one another. That same gospel word is still at work among us, turning the world on its head. God is still rich in his saving grace towards us sinners. The Holy Spirit is still at work within us, causing faith to grow and increasing our love for others. It is true, in spite of the opposition within and outside of us. God is true to His word; He is faithful in His promises –for this “we ought to give thanks to God.” This is the testimony of His church. This is our story too!In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Abide with me, O Savior, a firmer faith bestow; then I shall bid defiance to ev'ry evil foe. (LSB 587:2)Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Anaheim, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

November 3, 2025Today's Reading: Isaiah 1:10-18Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 3:6-4:2; Matthew 22:1-22“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18).In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Have you ever put on clothes thinking they were clean only to find out they are not? What about getting dressed up in your nicest clothes for a special occasion, looking in the mirror, and then, to your complete horror, you see they have stains! I think the worst is being nicely dressed and then spilling something on your clothes, staining them, and there's nothing you can do about it. The big problem with stains is that some of them become permanent. You can't get them out, no matter what soap you use and how hard you scrub. Sin is that way. It stains us. We are not aware how dirty and stained we are until we look into the mirror – the mirror of God's Word. Our first reaction may be to try to clean up the mess ourselves, scrubbing away, trying to make ourselves clean again. Or, like King David, we may try to cover them up. Maybe no one will notice, especially God. And like David, we discover that trying to hide our sins only makes matters worse. David finally turned to the only one who could deal with his sin permanently, once and for all. “I acknowledge my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,' and you forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5). God sent His prophet, Jeremiah, to His people whose hearts were filthy, stained with idolatry and all sorts of evil. “Come now,” God says, “let us reason together.” The Lord holds out an amazing promise; He will deal with their sins. He will not throw His people away or abandon them to the rag bin. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” God has washed you clean; no more stains, nothing to hide, nothing to cover up. He has washed you white in the blood of His Lamb, Jesus (Revelation 7:14). The stain of our sin is not permanent. God invites us to confess our sins, and He promises to wash us in the never-ending forgiveness of our Lord's precious blood. God did that in your Baptism, and those cleansing waters are still washing you clean. Now, there is real peace! There is real freedom, living under the cleansing flood of Christ!In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me Savior, or I die.(LSB 761:3)Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Anaheim, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

November 2, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 19:1-10Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 1:1-19; Matthew 21:23-46“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.For whatever reason, Zacchaeus sought to see Jesus. And in an ironic turn of events, it is actually Jesus who seeks after Zacchaeus. He spots him up a Sycamore tree and calls out, “Hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” Jesus was going to have church with Zacchaeus. He joyfully received Jesus and welcomed him into his house to share a meal around his table while listening to His words. What kind of people does Jesus gather around himself in church? Listen to the words of the grumbling crowd, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner!” Jesus was going into Zacchaeus' house to have table fellowship with a sinner. This is exactly who our Lord seeks out and who He chooses to gather to Himself…sinners. Broken people, both young and old, rich and poor, the well-behaved and the despicable…all sinners, all in need of a savior, and Jesus seeks them out and gathers them around a table in a home. Zacchaeus sought to find Jesus by climbing a tree, yet Jesus is the one who ended up seeking Zacchaeus and finding him because he was lost. The problem with being lost is that you cannot find your way home by yourself. A lost sheep is as good as dead. A lost coin is a dead asset, and a prodigal son has lost everything and has nothing…not even a bed to lie down at night. But this is why our Lord Jesus came, to seek and save those who are lost. This is why He climbed up the tree of a wooden cross to spill His precious blood for all those who are born lost. He seeks, He finds, He gathers, and He saves them. Those who were lost are found, and those who were dead are now alive. This is why our Lord walked through Jericho and had church with Zacchaeus.This is also the reason it has pleased our Lord to gather you and others like me. He gathers the lost, the broken, the dying—real sinners—unto Himself to deliver His word and gifts of life and salvation to you. Once we were lost, and now we are found, and once Jesus finds you, there's no way He's letting you go.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Here we have a firm foundation, here the refuge of the lost: Christ, the Rock of our salvation, Is the name of which we boast. (LSB 451:4)Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Anaheim, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.Looking Forward to Sunday Morning: Reflections on the Church Year - This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.  

November 1, 2025Today's Reading: Matthew 5:1-12Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Matthew 21:1-22“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Imagine the disciples and the huge crowd gathered around Jesus for the Sermon on the Mount. They nod to each of the Beatitudes, maybe with a little less boldness as Jesus continues. Perhaps they even look around to see how the other 11 are reacting. “Maybe I'm not perfect, but I've been pretty good at this one or that.” “I think I'm good enough; I don't talk without thinking. Like Peter.” “I think I'm good enough; at least I haven't cheated people in the past, like Matthew.” But Jesus isn't talking about being good enough in other people's eyes, He is speaking of holiness before God – pure in heart – a holiness in the heart.The thing is, there is nothing pure in your heart. The Lord declares, “Out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,  coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.” (Mark 7:21-22)  There is One who is pure in heart. Jesus Christ, our Holy God in the flesh – He alone is truly pure in heart. At your Baptism, in the Blessed Exchange, the Lord cleansed you entirely, taking all of the filth and wretchedness from your heart and trading it for all the righteousness, holiness, and purity of Jesus' heart!That Baptism was “not just plain water, but it is the water included in God's command and combined with God's word.” (Small Catechism, Baptism, 1). So with God's Word, that water delivered Jesus and His forgiveness, rescue, and salvation. You were made blessed and holy by the Holy Spirit. There is daily war against the new creature – the saint that God made at your Baptism. You face horrible hardships all of the time; some of them known only to you in the recesses of your emotional health. Non-Christians harass the Church and her baptized saints. We are weak when facing temptations. We all have our great afflictions. Before Christ returns, the afflictions will increase.You are not good enough. But Christ is perfect and pure. And He gifts you with being pure in heart, holy, and blessed. You belong to Him as His baptized saint. You sing with those saints now in the Church Militant, and one day, Christ will resurrect you and gather you with all His saints to stand before Him, arrayed in white, washed in the Blood of Jesus, and singing His praises forever.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Behold a host, arrayed in white, Like thousand snow-clad mountains bright! With palms they stand; Who is this band Before the throne of light? These are the saints of glorious fame, Who from the great affliction came And in the flood Of Jesus' blood Are cleansed from guilt and shame. They now serve God both day and night; They sing their songs in endless light. Their anthems ring As they all sing With angels shining bright. (LSB 676:1)Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 31, 2025Today's Reading: Matthew 11:12-19Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 32:28-52; Deuteronomy 33:1-29; Matthew 20:17-34“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence” (Matthew 11:12)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “Lord, I thank you that I am not like other church bodies: Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, the Baptists…” Sound familiar? Just a few days ago, we heard Jesus tell us about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The sinful pride of the Pharisee clouded his thoughts on all things spiritual, and he ended up thinking he was doing a good job being righteous.It's easy for Lutherans to fall into that same trap around this time each year. In some strange twist of irony, as we talk about not focusing on our works, we champion our “saved by grace through faith” as if it's something we think and do. We end up turning belief into a work! And as if that wasn't bad enough, we convince ourselves that this work of belief is superior to our Roman friends' works adding to their faith.  Guess what?! BOTH of those ideas miss the mark. The kingdom of heaven suffers violence when you consider faith something you have done. The kingdom of heaven suffers violence when one thinks that her works are needed to join with faith to make one right with God. The kingdom of heaven suffers violence any time when one Christian takes pride that he is better than another.Having been warned against pride, and knowing that sometimes we are the ones inflicting violence, we also take comfort from Jesus today. The Comforter of Priceless Worth has brought you to repentance and delivered the unlimited forgiveness of the Lord to you. You are made right with God by His divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in you.Our dear Savior does forewarn that the Church will indeed suffer. Christ Our Mighty Fortress does not promise to shield you from every persecution, hardship, or violence against His kingdom. He will not necessarily let you avoid the attacks. But He will be with you throughout them, always. Sometimes He will prevent or diffuse the violence. At other times, the comfort simply is that He endures it with us.Your dear Christ Himself is the kingdom of heaven in the flesh, and He suffered violence for you. Our Great Captain bared His arms, as He was stripped and nailed to the cross. Our prayer for deliverance from evil was answered as He endured the thorns, nails, and so much more, to pay the price for any violence that you have inflicted. And He supports and carries you through any violence that you endure until He returns for you, when we, with all His saints and martyrs, will raise a mighty chorus to His praise forevermore.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Amen, Lord Jesus, grant our prayer; Great Captain, now Thine arm make bare, Fight for us once again! So shall Thy saints and martyrs raise, A mighty chorus to Thy praise Forevermore. Amen. (LSB 666:4)Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 30, 2025Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 21 - Psalm 50:1-2, 14-15; antiphon: Psalm 50:23Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 31:30-32:27; Matthew 20:1-16“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; the one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” (Psalm 50:23)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You know our situation. As human beings, we are conceived and born sinful; there is no good in us to do anything right. None of us could ever offer thanksgiving that is perfect in God's eyes. No one could sacrifice anything that would glorify God. How could we ever be shown the salvation of God?! How can this verse from the upcoming introit make sense?Jesus continued giving perfect thanks to the Father, sacrificing himself once and for all on the cross. That was the greatest moment of God's glory, showing His ultimate mercy to all in the suffering and death of Christ crucified. Look to the crucifix. See Jesus in all His glory, pouring out God's mercy on you. In that sacrifice of His that glorifies God, you are made His. There you are shown (and given) the salvation of God!While Christ's giving thanks perfectly showed God's glory in giving mercy for all, He still delivers the benefits and blessings of that thanksgiving. “Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks…” “In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks…” In the Last Supper, Jesus gives thanks to His Father in heaven. The Church picked up on that detail and has often used a name for the Lord's Supper: the Holy Eucharist. Eucharist is simply a Greek word for “Thanksgiving.”But here is the awesome thing: the Last Supper was not about the disciples giving thanks; Jesus gave thanks! The Eucharist today is not about you and me giving thanks, or even your pastor. It is Jesus giving perfect thanks on your behalf!The salvation of God was purchased and won for you at the cross. Now, the salvation of God is delivered to you through Baptism, Absolution, the proclamation of the Gospel, and through the Holy Eucharist! At His altar, Christ once again offers thanksgiving as His sacrifice, and that glorifies God. The Lord feeds you His body and pours His blood into your mouth, showing (and nourishing you with!) the salvation of God!Dear Baptized friends, your Jesus eucharists for you! And your Jesus IS the Eucharist for you, feeding you the salvation of God with His Body and Blood.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Praise we Him, whose love divine Gives His sacred blood for wine, Gives His body for the feast – Christ the victim, Christ the priest. Alleluia! (LSB 633:2) Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 29, 2025Today's Reading: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 31:1-29; Matthew 19:16-30“No one came to stand by me, but all deserted me… But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed.” (2 Timothy 4:16,17)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Even St. Paul felt isolated at times. While standing in court, defending the faith, where were his friends, other pastors, and Christians whom the Holy Spirit brought to faith through his preaching? Anyone who could have been supporting was scattered like the apostles on Holy Thursday. Satan and his minions wanted Paul to feel alone, overwhelmed, cut off from Christ and His Church. Then maybe Paul would lose his strength and will to preach Christ crucified.The devil also wants you to feel isolated. All alone. “Divide and conquer,” the saying goes, and that tends to be the demonic method.Maybe it feels like your friends have deserted you, that they are all having a good time without you while you are stuck home that weekend. Or you are the only one in your class who actually respected the teacher and did the work she assigned. Maybe you are the only one around who is actually remaining chaste and not giving in to the constant daily sexual temptations. You feel alone. No one came to stand by me, but all deserted me.St. Paul reminds you here that all is not lost. Even though he had no other human comfort at that time, he was not alone. But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me. Christ comforted him throughout this trial and hardship. The Lord gave him peace throughout the persecution, with the sure and certain hope of the resurrection that got him through it all.You are not alone either. The Lord blesses you with His comforting and encouraging presence. You are His beyond the shadow of a doubt through Holy Baptism, which bound you to Christ in a way that He will never abandon you. He speaks His Word to you by reading and proclaiming His Scriptures to you. And He nourishes you with His own Body and Blood, so that He dwells inside you!So let the devil rage all he wants. He can taunt and criticize, and suggest doubts to you. But he cannot cut you off from God. Christ will never desert you. You belong to the Lord! The Lord stands by you and strengthens you!  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Satan, I defy thee; Death I now decry thee; Fear, I bid thee cease. World, thou shalt not harm me Nor thy threats alarm me While I sing of peace. God's great power Guards every hour; Earth and all its depths adore Him, Silent bow before Him. (LSB 743:3)Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 28, 2025Today's Reading: John 15:(12-16) 17-21Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 30:1-20; Matthew 19:1-15“I chose you out of the world.” (John 15:19)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. As we remember the Apostles of our Lord throughout the year, we might feel sorry for a few of them. Poor Simon “the Zealot” and Jude (a.k.a. Judas, or Thaddeus). They are some of the more obscure of Jesus' disciples. They definitely don't get the attention of Peter, James, and John. They don't even get the word count for Saint Andrew or Saint Nathanael Bartholomew. We don't know a single word that Simon actually spoke, and only one question from St. Jude is recorded. We practically know nothing except their names. In the Gospels, Jude is almost always mentioned by the name Judas, but every instance of that includes “NOT ISCARIOT.” Imagine your greatest claim to fame being that you were NOT the guy with the same name who betrayed Jesus. And then poor Simon, he might as well always have the moniker “NOT PETER.”Yet there is one thing certain, that we can celebrate; Jesus chose them to be His apostles. They were not picked because they were the most quoteworthy, eloquent speakers. They were not selected because they had the right experience, or talents, or pedigree. Simon was not chosen because of his zealot politics, nor Jude for being “not Iscariot.” Saints Simon and Jude were chosen, by the grace of God, in His mercy, to be the simple, often-forgotten human hands, feet, and voices of Christ.That love of Christ encouraged them as they carried His Gospel as His disciples, missionaries, pastors, and apostles. They preached the Word of the Lord and baptized. They forgave sins and fed the Church Christ's Eucharist. And so we end up with two contrasts: the love of Jesus and the hatred of the world.Saints Simon (not Peter) and Jude (not Iscariot) were prepared by Jesus for the hatred of the world. The world hated Him first, and would hate them. Eventually, they suffered death at the hands of those who hated them and Jesus. These faithful Apostles are said to have been martyred at the same time, Simon (not Peter) sawn in half, while many say that Jude (not Iscariot) was beaten to death with a club.Even through the violent end to their time on earth, Jesus's love sustained them through the world's hatred. Our dear Lord knows these saints infinitely more than just their names: Simon, “Not Peter,” and Jude, “Not Iscariot.” He preserved them in the one, true faith at their martyrdom and welcomed them into His presence, where they now await the resurrection with the Risen Savior who chose them and loves them completely.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Praise, Lord, for Your apostles, Saint Simon and Saint Jude. One love, one hope impelled them To tread the way renewed. May we with zeal as earnest The faith of Christ maintain, Be bound in love together, And life eternal gain. (LSB 518:28)Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 27, 2025Today's Reading: Genesis 4:1-15Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 29:1-29; Matthew 18:21-35“And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him.” (Genesis 4:15)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” (Genesis 4:9)  Even after his heinous act is done, Cain does not appear repentant at all. He has committed the first murder and shrugs it off. “Not my problem.” What is behind all of this? Jealousy…and a lack of faith. That's at the heart of this all. That is the reason that Cain's sacrifice was not acceptable to God. Yes, Abel sacrificed a lamb and shed its innocent blood, and Cain some of his crops. But Cain was going through the motions without “fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” While Abel believed the Lord and participated in this liturgy of sacrifice, Cain apparently was doing something Mom and Dad told him he should do, and not really believing in the Lord who acts in His liturgy.Cain then attacked his brother and shed his innocent blood. The first murder in history. The first recorded death. No earthly eyes witnessed this horror, but it was not hidden from the Lord God.God calls Cain out. “The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.”  He lets him know that he hasn't gotten away with it. And even without witnesses, Cain knows that others will want justice, or even revenge. He fears capital punishment, so the Lord marks Cain. We don't know how, but in some way, God makes it known that no one is to lay a hand on him. He is guilty, but freed from his punishment.You are like Cain. You daily commit sins which no earthly eyes witness, yet they are not hidden from the Lord God. You have moments of participating in liturgy simply because Mom and Dad told you that you should, and not because you “fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” Although you are guilty, you are freed from punishment.The Lord put a mark on you, too! And not just a mark to prevent others from executing you to punish your crimes. At His holy font, the Lord God called you, and marked you “with the sign of the holy cross both upon your forehead and upon your heart, marking you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified.” Then He marked you permanently with the washing of water and the Word, granting you forgiveness, rescue, and salvation. You are not just marked safe from punishment; you are given full pardon and made righteous!In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Abel's blood for vengeance Pleaded to the skies; But the blood of Jesus For our pardon cries. Lift we, then, our voices, Swell the mighty flood; Louder still and louder Praise the precious blood! (LSB 433:4,6)Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 26, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 18:9-17Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 28:1-22; Matthew 18:1-20“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other.” (Luke 18:13-14a)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “Great sermon, Pastor, THEY really needed to hear that!” When your pastor hears something like that, his heart sinks, and he knows he did not communicate well. No one should ever listen to a sermon and think it's Law was for everyone else.“Boy, I'm sure glad I'm not some self-righteous Pharisee, looking down on other people!” Can you hear the irony in that? We cannot read this passage and have pride regarding our penitence, as if we can see that judgy Pharisee and celebrate that we aren't him. When we do that, we are exactly what he was. Same sin. Same absence of repentance.In this parable, Jesus is not giving you an example to follow. It is not that the Tax Collector did the right thing and God rewarded him.The Holy Spirit moved this man's heart to repentance. He convicted him of his sin and made his wretchedness abundantly clear. Having brought him to repent, the Spirit delivered forgiveness, life, and salvation. The man was justified—made right with God!  The Holy Spirit sat you in the pew this morning, not because you were any better than the others who were there, not even because you were any better than the people who were absent and skipping church. He brought you there to be convicted of your sin. He placed you in that pew to hear the Word of the Lord read and preached, placing that mercy in your ears. He brought you up to that rail to receive the Holy Eucharist, and have Jesus Christ's Body and Blood placed inside of you, to fill you with God's mercy and change you from within.Our dear Lord gathered you with a church full of “tax collectors” who, with you, desperately need Jesus and His mercy. When all was said and done, after the Gifts of Christ were freely given, the benediction was spoken or chanted, a hymn was sung, and you went to your house justified. Indeed, God is merciful to you and me, sinners!In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty and everlasting God, You are always more ready to hear than we to pray and always ready to give more than we either desire or deserve. Pour down on us the abundance of Your mercy; forgive us those things of which our conscience is afraid; and give us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask except by the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 25, 2025Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 20 - Psalm 56:10-13; antiphon: Psalm 56:3Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 27:1-26; Matthew 17:14-27“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” (Psalm 56:10-13, 56:3)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What can man do to me? A lot. Wars, robberies, lies, deceit, intimidation, oppression—there's plenty man can do to me. And put a bunch of people in a mob, let mass hysteria take root, and the devastation of what man can do goes to unfathomably dark depths. Can man do all of that to me? All of this assumes that our battle is against our fellow man, fellow man either as one person who is trying to harm me, or even as many people assembled into a movement to control or intimidate others. But what if that is not our true struggle, even though it may certainly be what our eyes see people doing around us? Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.In our fear of what men can do to us, our Lord uses His servant David to give us this Psalm to pray (“When I am afraid,” 56:3). In this Psalm, our Lord reminds us that he is delivering us from our true enemy, the enemy driving people to all sorts of sin, including murders, violence, robberies, lies, intimidation, and all the rest—the devil. Our enemy is the Evil One, Satan, and his evil spirits, the demons. When we fear this (as we should in our sinful flesh), the Psalm teaches us to put our trust in the Lord. Then, when we fear our Lord (for he is Holy God), we find that He is standing before us with nail prints in His hands. And His nail prints are for us. He went to the cross for us. Seeing our Lord as the One who suffered for us, we finally see that we need fear nothing or no one. For in His death, Jesus has defeated our enemies of sin, death, and the devil.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord Jesus, by your blood you have redeemed me from sin, death, and the devil. Let Satan hear this proclamation: I am baptized into Christ! Let your Word of Gospel destroy Satan's ugly accusation. Keep me, Lord Jesus, in the promise you bestowed upon me at the font of Baptism. Deliver me from the Evil One and the tyranny of his demons, and by your Word, keep me steadfast in your Word. Amen. (Paraphrased from LSB 594:3)Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 24, 2025Today's Reading: Catechism: Table of Duties - To HusbandsDaily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 25:17-26:19; Matthew 17:1-13“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. (1 Peter 3:7) Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. (Col. 3:19)” (Catechism, Table of Duties)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Who would've guessed that our Lord's first Gift to mankind would end up such a problem? Genesis 1:26-27: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,' … So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”Simple: Male and female, one flesh, marriage (Genesis 2:24), children and family (Genesis 1:28). Then it crashes. Adam not protecting his bride but betraying her (“The woman … she gave me the fruit … and I ate,” [Genesis 3:12]); David not protecting his bride, but committing adultery (2 Samuel 11); the Pharisees teaching that a man can divorce his wife by simply writing the proper divorce papers; until we get to our generation where we can see Satan's affliction of families: self-centeredness, abuse, control, power-struggle, deceit, adultery, absence of love—all coming under Jesus' rubric, “because of the hardness of your hearts” (Mark 10:5-9).It's time for the honorable groom to enter the room—the husband who loves his bride, honoring her with his own Name, protecting her, forsaking any claim of control or superiority, even giving himself over to death for her! Jesus is the Groom. You're a member of his Bride, the Church. Ephesians 5:25-27: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” The husband who has not loved his wife as Christ loves his Bride, the Church (which is every husband) is again gathered by Jesus to his Word of forgiveness, to the promise of the washing of water with the word.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord of life, bless every marriage. Rescue the husband from self-centeredness or desire to control; let him rejoice in being the giver of gifts to his wife. Let the man awaiting an honorable bride commend himself to your compassion; provide him with a wife according to your will. Let the man not given to marriage (1 Corinthians 7:6-8) rejoice in interceding for the marriages of his neighbors and in speaking encouragement to them. Let every husband rejoice in your Gift of marriage, but even more so in the certainty that you, O Christ, are our Groom who cleanses your Church in the washing of Baptism. Amen.Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 23, 2025 Today's Reading: Matthew 13:54-58Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 24:10-25:10; Matthew 16:13-28“And coming to his hometown [Jesus] taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?'” (Matthew 13:54-58) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The fact of James reminds us of Jesus' humanity. Jesus has been going around healing the sick, restoring lame hands (Matthew 12:13), giving sight to the blind and voice to the mute (Matthew 11:27ff.), and more. Then Jesus goes into the Nazareth synagogue teaching the Gospel, astonishing people (Matthew 13:54).Who is this Jesus? How could anyone, seeing Him and hearing Him, have failed to ask that question? But while His divine works of power and teaching astonish people, the simple fact of James, along with Jesus' other brothers and sisters, brings home the comforting fact that Jesus is truly human: “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? Are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where did this man get all these things?” (Matthew 13:54ff.)Jesus is fully human, along with us. He didn't just drop out of the sky as some spirit wearing a human-flesh costume, but came as a baby from a mother (Matthew 13:55). He grew up humanly, learning to crawl, then perhaps how to use eating utensils, how to tie his shoes, just like us. Fully, completely like us in every way, except without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Then, human, along with us, but without sin, he took all sin upon himself (2 Corinthians 5:21). Where is your sin now? It's not with you. It's with Jesus. He who has no sin, took it (1 John 3:5). He carried it to the cross as the Lamb of God bearing the sin of the world (John 1:29).Now, in your life of repentance, your confession of your sin is not a good work that makes you better. Rather, it's your confession that Jesus Christ, true Man, is your Lord (Philippians 2:8-11) who has taken your sin upon himself and put it to death in his own Body on the cross. It is your confession that because Jesus Christ has been bodily raised up from the dead, you, too, belong to the resurrection of the body and life everlasting (Romans 6:9-11).In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.We give thanks for James, your brother, Who at Jerusalem Told of your love for Gentiles, in Your Name, welcoming them. Let us rejoice in salvation that we too, by Your grace, Extend Your invitation To all the human race. Amen. (Paraphrase from “By All Your Saints in Warfare,” LSB 518:27)Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 22, 2025Today's Reading: Matthew 16:1-12Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 21:1-23; Deuteronomy 22:1-24:9; Matthew 16:1-12“[Jesus said,] ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:11-12)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Your warning: “Beware of the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees!” Good. But what's that? The Pharisees and Sadducees are different from one another, far different. You will hear the Pharisees as you walk around Jerusalem and out into the towns and villages. To hear the Sadducees, you go to the big, impressive, resplendent Temple around which Jerusalem is built. The Pharisees. They teach the Law. Not the Law as the Ten Commandments by which God accuses the sinner, driving the sinner to the Gospel. Rather, they teach the law as commands, instructions, guidelines, tithing, and rules you must follow to live a clean life. By living this clean life, you can justify yourself, earning eternal life. The Sadducees. They're largely from the well-to-do priestly families. They teach a worthiness found in human pretension: the wealth or stature you gain and show off. So focused on worldly worthiness are they that they have little concern with matters of eternal life, even teaching there is no resurrection of the body, no Heaven, no eternal life, no angels (e.g., Matthew 22:23, Acts 23:8). So if there is no resurrection of the body and eternal life, what need is there to hear the justification of the sinner before God?Sadducees or Pharisees—you end up at the same place with each. Whether you hear the Sadducees teach that you need no justification since there is no Heaven anyway, or you hear the Pharisees teach that you need to be justified in order to avoid damnation but you gain this justification by your own works of law, in both cases you need no justification freely given the sinner by Jesus. Beware of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus says. That is, beware of any teaching that you don't need to be justified before holy God; beware of any teaching that you do need to be justified, but this justification is something you can accomplish by your own works, feelings, or intentions. Rather, turn to the one thing both the Pharisees and Sadducees together rejected: Jesus Christ crucified. Turn to the one word the Pharisees and Sadducees would never allow you to hear: the Gospel of the sinner freely forgiven and justified. In short, turn your back on the Pharisees and Sadducees; Jesus is your justification. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord Jesus, turn me from any thought that there is no life in eternity and my life ends here on Earth; turn me from any thought that I can make myself worthy of eternal life by my own worthiness. By the preaching of your Gospel, turn me always to you, the Savior for every sinner unto eternal life. Amen.Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 21, 2025Today's Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 20:1-20; Matthew 15:21-39“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:1-5)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Pray for your pastor. Actually, pray for all pastors. As we see in Paul's instructions to young pastor Timothy, the Lord gives the pastor much to do.The Lord cares for His Church as a Groom cares for his beloved Bride (see Ephesians 5:25-27). As the Bride of Christ, the Church is always about the business of the forgiveness of sins—the Large Catechism even says that “everything in the Church is ordered toward the forgiveness of sins.” In order that people would hear this forgiveness of sins and be given faith that they are justified, the Lord instituted a particular office in the Church to do just that, to teach the Gospel and administer the Sacraments. The Lord instituted this office (sometimes referred to as the Office of Holy Ministry or the pastoral office) as a great Gift for the sinner. It is also a great burden for the man ordained into the Holy Office. For he is to be faithful with the Lord's Word and caring and gentle with the Lord's sheep—a great burden, but at the same time also a great Gift of being set before the Lord's people as a servant bestowing the Lord's Gifts.The Office of Holy Ministry is a great Gift for every sinner. So pray for your pastor. Pray that he be diligent and caring in studying Holy Scripture and in proclaiming the Gospel to every sinner, and in faithfully administering the Sacraments as instituted by the Lord. And pray that he may have much joy in being a servant to you and to all the Lord's people given to his care, delighting always in preaching Christ crucified for the justification of the sinner. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O Lord, Holy Groom to your Bride the Church whom you love, give faithful and diligent men as pastors to serve your Gifts to your people. Let them be faithful to your Scriptures, which are able to make sinners wise unto salvation through your Holy Name. Let them have much joy in serving your people, rejoicing always in proclaiming the Gospel, dispensing your Sacraments of forgiveness and life, and giving to sinners your good counsel of Law and Gospel. And let your people listen with ears of faith. Amen.Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 20, 2025Today's Reading: Genesis 32:22-30Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 19:1-20; Matthew 15:1-20“A man wrestled with [Jacob] until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the day has broken.' But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.'” (Genesis 32:26)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We start out thinking about what God wants us to do to improve and progress in our Christian life, and we find ourselves stuck in anxiety, having no joy in life.We start out this way because, with the Law written on our hearts, we try to progress and improve according to the measurements of the Law.But look at the Lord coming to Jacob: No self-improvement instructions, no mystical teachings of being more spiritual, no nonsense of how to be a Christian on fire or anything like that. But a wrestling match, the Lord giving himself to be thrown around by the sinner. Yet, there's no confusion—the Lord has the power, not Jacob. For, as the Lord lets Jacob wrestle him, the text tells us, “When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him” (Genesis 32:25).Jacob knows the Lord has the power. So why doesn't Jacob stop wrestling? Doesn't he know God can destroy him with just a word? Jacob's not naïve. But he wants the blessing (which is precisely what God wants to give). Genesis 32:26: Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me" (Genesis 32:26).The Lord swore the blessing to Abraham and Isaac, Jacob's grandfather and father. The blessing promises the Savior in Abraham's lineage. The word of blessing defeats death, crushes the devil's head, and justifies the sinner, so that by faith in the promise, Abraham was justified. The blessing goes to Abraham's children, including Jacob, including you and me, and our children.God wants the sinner to hold onto him for the blessing like a wrestler refusing to let go.With the blessing, we're done with the Law and its measurements for an improved Christian life. We hold on to the Gospel, not letting go of the promise. When God says, “Take and eat, Take and drink … my body, my blood for the forgiveness of your sins,” it is God blessing you. You may now say to your God, “I will hold on to you for the blessing.” He never forgets the blessing he swore to you.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Thy strong Word, bespeaks us righteous; Bright with Thine own holiness, Glorious now, we press toward glory, And our lives our hopes confess. Alleluia, alleluia! Praise to Thee who light dost send! Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia without end! (LSB, 578:3)Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.`Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 19, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 18:1-8Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 18:1-22; Matthew 14:22-36“[Jesus said,] ‘Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on Earth?'” (Luke 18:8)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus is giving you the Gift of prayer by presenting to you a judge who is so ridiculously bad that no reasonable person would waste time asking a favor of this judge. This judge neither fears God nor respects any man. He couldn't care less about protecting the innocent, caring only for his own convenience and well-being—an unrighteous judge.Pray, says Jesus, like an emptied widow petitioning this judge until the judge finally gives up and says, “I'll give her justice, so that she will not beat me down with her continual coming.” (Luke 18:7)Is Jesus calling his own Father an unrighteous judge? That, of course, is not the point of comparison. In the parable's last verse, Jesus presses the point He is making for us: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on Earth.” (Luke 18:8) We live either by faith or by the Law. We're justified by faith or by works of the Law. As Paul reminds us, no one is justified by the Law (Romans 3:19-20); rather, the sinner is justified by faith (Romans 5:1-2).The Pharisees and Teachers of the Law taught how to come before God with something to give him and how to live by the Law. Jesus rescues us from their school of Law, standing us before His Father in his own righteousness. Since the Law always accuses, anyone arguing their righteousness by the Law already stands condemned! So, how do we stand before the Father? Come to the Judge as a sinner, as an emptied-out widow. Stand before the Judge expecting a thoroughly ridiculous judgment: that the one who has nothing, who deserves nothing, that one God declares most blessed of all. Stand before your Lord holding nothing but the Gospel promise. Faith clings to the promise. Faith can't help but pray. After all, the person justifying himself by the Law doesn't need to pray. Why pray if you're sanctifying yourself by your own works? You're already in good shape, so there is no need for pleading. But knowing that no person can justify himself, we can finally see that the one who lives by the Law dies by the Law. So life comes as Gift! The sinner, standing before God with no righteousness earned, now lives by faith in the righteousness of Christ Jesus, faith in the promise, faith that Jesus justifies the sinner by the Word of grace. And faith prays. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty and eternal Lord, You command us to pray, and You promise to hear and answer us. Give us Your Holy Spirit, then He can lead and reign in our hearts in everything. Then we can live in true faith, trusting in You. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 18, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 10:1-9Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 17:1-20; Matthew 14:1-21“Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.' But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.' I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.” (Luke 10:9-12)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.God's promises remain the same, regardless of whether people hear them or not, whether they receive them or not, whether they reject them or not, whether they martyr the disciple or not.For the towns that rejected these promises, the promises are still there. They just don't get any part of them. They have heard, they have seen, and they have said “no thanks.” But they probably were not that polite about it. And notice that after the rejection, the acclamation that “the kingdom of God has come near to you” is the same. They don't get to push away God's kingdom because they did not like it. The promises are still there. The promises just speak against that town now. This was St. Luke's lot. As one of those sent by Jesus, he would see this firsthand, not just in this account but in his whole life. Some would receive the word with joy, being overjoyed and happy that the kingdom of God had come near to them. Others would not, and this is what led to the end of Luke's life. He is traditionally thought to have been martyred by being crucified or hanged on an olive tree. But you, dear Christian, can rejoice, for the Kingdom of God has come near to you. This is not in condemnation, where the dust of the feet of the 72 speaks against you. This is in consolation, where the words of your pastor (indeed, the words of Christ) testify for you that you are forgiven and redeemed, and that truly, God's kingdom has come near to you.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, our Father, Your blessed Son called Luke the physician to be an evangelist and physician of the soul. Grant that the healing medicine of the Gospel and the Sacraments may put to flight the diseases of our souls that with willing hearts we may ever love and serve You; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 17, 2025Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 19 - Psalm 74:18-19, 21, 20a, 22a; antiphon: Psalm 74:2aDaily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 15:19-16:22; Matthew 13:44-58“Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs, and a foolish people reviles your name. Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts; do not forget the life of your poor forever. Have regard for the covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame; let the poor and needy praise your name. Arise, O God, defend your cause; remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day! Do not forget the clamor of your foes, the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually!” (Psalm 74:18-22)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.This is what we are dealing with. This is why we should not get too comfortable in the world. At its best, that world tolerates us Christians. It likes us (sometimes) because we can be “good for society.” At least, that's how it's sometimes said. But other times, we get lectured about how we Christians are indeed very bad for society, so bad that they need to be removed from the conversation altogether. Hang out in some dark internet places and you'll hear that one. Regardless of whether we Christians are tolerated or reviled, the answer is not to curry favor with the world. The answer is not to seek to wade in and adopt the ways of the scoffing enemy, the foolish people, and the habits of the wild beasts. Because that's not where life lies. Down that way, only death. Instead, we get the privilege of calling upon the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of Angel armies. When the world makes and promptly breaks its covenant, we have a God who remembers His covenant with His people. We have a God who hears our prayers and whose ears behold our cries, all for the sake of Jesus. The world can do its worst. But you are forgiven, you are freed, you are a child of God. Nothing can change that.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Though hordes of devils fill the land All threat'ning to devour us, We tremble not, unmoved we stand; They cannot overpow'r us. Let this world's tyrant rage; In battle we'll engage. His might is doomed to fail; God's judgment must prevail! One little word subdues him. (LSB 657:3)Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 16, 2025Today's Reading: Catechism: Table of Duties - Of CitizensDaily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 14:1-2, 22-23, 14:28-15:15; Matthew 13:24-43“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior.” (1 Timothy 2:1-3)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.How often do you pray for the leaders of your country? And I mean really pray for them. Even if you don't like them. Even if you (or your parents) did not vote for them? I can hear it now… “Pr. Lackey, I don't want to pray for them because they are evil and doing wrong!” (I have heard people say this!) Here is the deal: Everyone needs our prayers. All the time. The high and the low, the sick and the healthy, those inside the church and those outside of it. Those in power and those not in power. St. Paul here gives us a specific reason why we should pray for those in power. It is so that “we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” Because chaos and war are ugly and provide a ripe environment for sin to grow and fester. Because some people will destroy their faith when the times get hard. You think it doesn't make a difference, but it does. So, we are duty-bound as Christians to pray for those in authority. This isn't just the government either. It's all authorities in your life—fathers, mothers, police officers, judges, governors, presidents, vice presidents. Oh, and a spot of prayer for your pastor wouldn't go amiss either. But remember: prayer is a Gift! The fact that we have the ear of the Lord of all Creation, the one true God, is great news. He hears us—all of us—for the sake of Jesus. So pray joyously, knowing that your prayers will be heard. All for the peace that passes all understanding.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word; Curb those who by deceit or sword Would wrest the kingdom from Your Son And bring to naught all He has done. Lord Jesus Christ, Your pow'r make known, For You are Lord of lords alone; Defend Your holy Church that we May sing Your praise eternally. O Comforter of priceless worth, Send peace and unity on earth; Support us in our final strife And lead us out of death to life. (LSB 655)Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 15, 2025Today's Reading: Matthew 13:1-23Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 13:1-18; Matthew 13:1-23“And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matthew 13:3-9)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.This can feel like one of those “Sunday School” stories that you've heard a million times before. And maybe you have. Maybe when you were little, your Sunday School teacher taught you this, and she had you color a picture or maybe even gave you a little bag of seeds. Hopefully, those seeds did not end up like most of the seeds in the story. Nevertheless, this parable has great significance for our lives as Christians. The sower (Christ) sows the word of God. If you've ever seen the work of a sower, especially as it is traditionally done, the sower's sowing is… very haphazard. He takes a bag of seeds, slings them by his side, then takes a handful of them and just… chucks them as he walks. The seeds get everywhere, exactly like Jesus says. Far contrast to the cornfield in front of my house, where the seed machine probably has a count of every kernel they put in the ground. I like Jesus's way better. But these seeds do not all meet the same fate. That's part of business when the seeds are evenly covering everything. Some of them have no soil to grow in, so they become food. Some whither and die because of persecution. But others, others absolutely blossom. They are kept in growth by the care and tending of God. They are kept alive by the giver of growth. Your faith is kept alive by the giver of faith. You have ears to hear, and you have heard. And the word does not return void! The sower waters your faith with the preaching of the Gospel, and feeds it by giving you His own Body and Blood. Thanks be to God.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The sower sows; his reckless love Scatters abroad the goodly seed, Intent alone that all may have The wholesome loaves that all men need. Though some be snatched and some be scorched And some be choked and matted flat, The sower sows; his heart cries out, “Oh, what of that, and what of that?” Of all his scattered plenteousness One-fourth waves ripe on hill and flat, And bears a harvest hundredfold: “Ah, what of that, Lord, what of that!” (LSB 586:3-5)Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 14, 2025Today's Reading: 2 Timothy 2:1-13Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 12:13-32; Matthew 12:38-50“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:8-13)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.It is very possible, even likely, that suffering will come your way because of your faith. Now, it may not look like it did for St. Paul. There is a high probability that you will not be locked up in prison for your faith or eventually martyred as he was. But… you may have (and probably already have) some tense moments. Turning down an invitation to do something because it's happening on Sunday morning, right smack dab in the middle of Divine Service time. Witnessing to a friend or classmate when pressed that, no, this is what Christians believe about _____, and you might have had to find another table at which to eat lunch. Big or small, earth-shattering or just kind of annoying, all Christians are going to suffer for their faith in some way. St. Paul knew this full well, and so he was very careful to pass on to Timothy that this would be the case.But what is the point, really? Why should we even bother with it? Why should we even care? St. Paul tells us, beloved in the LORD. This matters for the state of your soul, this matters for the forgiveness of sins, this matters for eternal life. You have already died with Jesus in the waters of Baptism, and so you are raised with him to live too. It doesn't matter what the world says about it or you.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Let us gladly die with Jesus. Since by death He conquered death, He will free us from destruction, Give to us immortal breath. Let us mortify all passion That would lead us into sin; And the grave that shuts us in Shall but prove the gate to heaven. Jesus, here with You I die, There to live with You on high. (LSB 685:3)Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 13, 2025Today's Reading: Ruth 1:1-19aDaily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 11:26-12:12; Matthew 12:22-37“And she said, ‘See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.' But Ruth said, ‘Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.' And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.” (Ruth 1:15-18)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Ruth could have just gone. It would have been easy for her to do so. It's usually easier to go with the flow and do what is expected. Ruth could have just gone back to her sister-in-law, back to her people, and back to her gods. But there is the sticking point… “back to her gods.” That's the worst part. Ruth knows that she cannot do that. She sees that Naomi's God is… well, actually God. Capital “G” God vs lower case “g” god. Ruth here is not just choosing between Naomi and her family. She is choosing between life and death. She chooses correctly. It's also interesting where they end up after our reading. They go to Bethlehem! There, they meet Boaz, always considered to be a type of Christ in the Old Testament (a type is someone who points forward to Christ). Ruth chooses life (or, more accurately, she is chosen by God) and is called into the people of God. Sound familiar? It should! It's exactly what happens to us. The Holy Spirit creates faith in us to bring us out of Moab, out of the land of the little “g” gods of idols, of sin, of death, and into Bethlehem, the house of bread, that is the church, where someone better than Boaz, Christ himself, feeds us the very bread of life.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Faithful God, You promised to preserve Your people and save Your inheritance, using unlikely and unexpected vessels in extending the genealogy that would bring about the birth of Your blessed Son. Give us the loyalty of Ruth and her trust in the one true God, that we, too, might honor You through our submission and respect and be counted among Your chosen people, by the grace of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and the Holy Spirit, who reign together with You, now and forever.Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 12, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 17:11-19Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 11:1-25; Matthew 12:1-21“When he saw them he said to them, 'Go and show yourselves to the priests.' And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, ‘Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?' And he said to him, ‘Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.'” (Luke 17:14-19)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Jesus is not really a “you scratch my back and I scratch yours” kind of guy. Too often, we are tempted to imagine salvation as some kind of contract or transaction. I once heard someone say, “When the praise goes up, the blessings start coming down.” Yeah… not how that works. We especially see that this is not the case here in our Gospel reading for today. Because Jesus does what he normally does. He heals someone with a terrible affliction. He does this all the time. He casts out demons, sometimes a lot of demons from one person. He heals the lame to walk about. The blind have their eyes opened. The deaf have their ears unstopped. Those who are mute can speak again. Especially notable is His healing of lepers. Leprosy was a social, physical, and religious death sentence. If you contracted leprosy, you were cast out of society, and you were also considered “unclean.” So, for Jesus to have mercy upon these people is very kind indeed. Jesus does the same thing to you every Sunday. You, dear listener, in all likelihood do not have leprosy. But you do have something worse: sin. Jesus responds to our weekly (and daily!) cries for mercy with boundless compassion, acting through your pastor to forgive your sins with the words of Absolution and the Sacrament of the Altar. But notice what happens after. Nine of the lepers take the healing and take off, not one word of thank you. And do you notice… they were still healed. Jesus doesn't afflict them with their leprosy again because he doesn't get a thank you. For that, we can be thankful because we are never as thankful as we ought to be. We are forgiven of sins we don't even know about. But Jesus is faithful. He keeps his promises. Thanks be to God.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, You show mercy to Your people in all their troubles. Grant us always to recognize Your goodness, give thanks for Your compassion, and praise Your holy name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 11, 2025Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 18 - Psalm 34:2-4, 17; antiphon: Psalm 48:1aDaily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 9:23-10:22; Matthew 11:20-30“My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:2-4)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Here is a fun little exercise. What are you proud of? What do you boast in? What's on your t-shirt when you walk out of your house? What's on that baseball cap you wear all the time? Stickers on your car? Maybe a sports team, a particular brand, a school you attended (or hope to). Or maybe you're really, really good at something. Maybe you can just absolutely sink a three-pointer, or you are convinced that your grilled cheese is the best, crispiest, gooiest grilled cheese with just the right balance of butter, cheese, and bread. It's good to take stock of these things eventually, and I am not telling you to stop being proud of these things. Your college football team is great fun, I am sure, and I know my grilled cheeses are always to my taste at least. It would be silly to make those things the base of your salvation, but you would be surprised what people do make their boast in. Eternally, I mean. It's the really cool, high-up, attractive, and shiny things that people really like to put their fear, love, and trust in. Things like their works. Or their vocations. Or how well they do their vocations. Things that make us look really good, really pious, really on fire for what God has given us. To be sure, your vocation is a good thing, and you should strive to carry it out faithfully. Your neighbor really, really needs your good works. But it is not on those that you are saved. Your salvation, your soul's boast? It is all the Lord. It is all his doing. It is all what Christ has done for you. How He has saved you. How Jesus has paid the price for everything you do, yes, even when you get a little too into… well, you. In your Baptism, He washes you. In the Lord's Supper, God himself feeds you. Every. Single. Week. Now that's really something to boast about.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Here we have a firm foundation, Here the refuge of the lost: Christ, the Rock of our salvation, Is the name of which we boast; Lamb of God, for sinners wounded, Sacrifice to cancel guilt! None shall ever be confounded Who on Him their hope have built. (LSB 451:4)Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 10, 2025Today's Reading: Matthew 11:1-19Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 9:1-22; Matthew 11:1-19“Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:11-15)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.I love reading about John the Baptist. John the Baptist is so delightfully strange that it really catches my eye each time, no matter how many times I have read this section of St. Matthew's gospel. Here is a man who has lived basically all his adult life on the fringes of society. He eats bugs, he dresses in a camel pelt (remember, delightfully weird), and he just blows up the Pharisees. What a job! Best of all, Jesus says that none born of woman is greater than John the Baptist!Hold up, what? Now that always confuses me to no end. What does that mean? Is Jesus just hyping up his friend and cousin, John the Baptist? Could be, but the operative thing (and what matters most for you, beloved in the Lord) is the next sentence. “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (v. 11) That means me, that means you, that means everyone! We are greater than John the Baptist, not because John is bad in any way, but because Jesus is the greatest, and he gives that greatness to us in his death and resurrection! This is even better news because of what comes right after. The Kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and will continue to until Christ returns. You may never suffer one iota for Christ, or you may lose your life, probably somewhere in between. But regardless, you cannot be taken out of the kingdom of heaven because you were given the ears to hear, and you have heard.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.When all the world was cursed By Moses' condemnation, Saint John the Baptist came With words of consolation. With true forerunner's zeal The greater One he named, And Him, as yet unknown, As Savior he proclaimed. (LSB 346:1)Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 9, 2025Today's Reading: Catechism: Table of Duties - Of Civil GovernmentDaily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 8:1-20; Matthew 10:24-42“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrong-doer.” (Small Catechism- Of Civil Government) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.In all likelihood, if you're listening to this, you're probably not a criminal. But you're still a sinner. And you still struggle with this, just like everyone else. Because you, like everyone else, are hardwired to absolutely. Despise. Authority. In all its forms. You can see this if you pop way back to Genesis. Our first parents were given a law: do not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the Garden. One rule. One law. Directly from the one authority, the Almighty LORD, who was in their midst. Broken, promptly. Ever since then, we have been hardwired to buck and kick against authority. All of creation has as well. Ever tried to ride a wild horse? Or get a donkey to go where he really doesn't want to? You learn very quickly that authority does not come naturally to us. We hate it. We resist it. Because we have the same illness that Adam and Eve had. We want to be like God. Hence, Dr. Luther's admonishment here in this table is for our good. Because, like he says, rulers are not a terror to good conduct, to the “good guys,” but to bad conduct. It is through the arm of civil government that God grants us peace in our days. Will there be bad government? Absolutely. History is rife with examples of not just bad, but downright evil governments. And we are citizens of this Kingdom here on this earth, good or bad, and we have to keep the Fourth Commandment, good or bad. So yes, there will be bad kingdoms. But God will sort them out. He always does. But as for you, dear saints in Christ, revel in the fact that you are ultimately a subject of the kingdom of heaven, and that supersedes anything on Earth.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O merciful Father in heaven, because You hold in Your hand all the might of man and because You have ordained, for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do well, all the powers that exist in all the nations of the world, we humbly pray You graciously to regard Your servants, our President; the Congress of the United States; our Governor; and all those who make, administer, and judge our laws; that all who receive the sword as Your ministers may bear it according to Your Word; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. (Bidding Prayer)Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 8, 2025Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 7:1-19Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 7:1-19; Matthew 10:1-23“For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 7:6)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.What does it mean to be “holy to the LORD?” In the rest of our Deuteronomy reading, we see the LORD giving specific instructions to the people of Israel to destroy all the religious items of the people whose land they are about to inhabit. Breaking down altars, chopping down pillars, dashing idols into pieces… sounds fun… but why? What does that have to do with being “holy to the LORD?” The truth is, you cannot serve two masters. Israel should have learned this lesson long ago. The golden calf incident, right after their deliverance from Egypt, should have been the beginning and end of this idolatrous streak. But if you read the rest of the Old Testament, this is not he case. The people of Israel CONSTANTLY struggle with idolatry, chasing after the power of other nations by worshipping their gods. Because that's what it's all about. It's about getting what you want. Baal can make it rain… or so his followers say. Other gods can grant you children, at least that's what their devotees claim. But these mute idols are just that… mute idols. They are powerless images that, at best, mean you're directing your worship towards a bit of wood and stone, and at worst, a demon in disguise. Either one is bad. But there is good news, beloved in the Lord! God has called you, yes, little old you, out of the darkness and into his marvelous light! Through the might of His Son Jesus, He has conquered all idols, calling all his people throughout time back to him to be a people holy to the Lord. In the flock of God… that's holy to the Lord. You are holy to the Lord.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Let us also live with Jesus. He has risen from the dead That to life we may awaken. Jesus, You are now our head. We are Your own living members; Where You live, there we shall be In Your presence constantly, Living there with You forever. Jesus, let me faithful be, Life eternal grant to me. (LSB 685:4)Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 7, 2025Today's Reading: 2 Timothy 1:1-14Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 6:10-25; Matthew 9:18-38“who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,” (2 Timothy 1:9-10)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Vocation can be an overwhelming thing to think about. It's really tempting to reduce vocation down to one thing: what do you do for money? Are you a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, or a grocery store worker? Do you work in a factory where you make little metal bits that combine with other little metal bits to make even bigger metal bits? Or maybe you are in high school and you make your coin by grilling hamburgers at the local baseball field (been there!). The temptation of the doctrine of vocation is to zero in on just your “for money job” and try to be the best that you can be at it. But that's only one facet of the doctrine of vocation! Your vocations (plural!) are everything in life that God has called you to do! That can sound a little overwhelming, and well, it is. You will not do it all right the first time. Maybe even the second time, too. You will fail. But does your sin and failure mean that you are doomed? By no means! The “holy calling” is that of a forgiven child of God. Your status as that child was given to you, not on the merits of you and your work, but on the merit of His dear Son, Jesus. Our works are, at their very best, stained and filthy. We do not do them perfectly. If you've been paying attention for ten minutes, you know that. But the crimson flood of the blood of Jesus cleanses you from those stains and those sins. God's grace, given through Jesus, is what proclaims you as a forgiven and redeemed child. Thanks be to God for that.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Christ, the way that leads unfailing To the Father's home on high, Christ, the truth that frees the captive, Christ, the life that cannot die. Mediator to the Father, Sacrifice and great High Priest: Lead us to Your heav'nly mansions, There to share Your wedding feast. (LSB 540:5)Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 6, 2025Today's Reading: Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 5:22-6:9; Matthew 9:1-17“Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.” (Habakkuk 1:3-4)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The days are evil. That's written somewhere, and it could not be more true. What I just said would be true no matter who was in charge, where you lived, or what church you attended. You look around and you see the wicked prospering, and you, you little innocent lamb, always seem to be seeing the gleam of the teeth of the wolf in the darkness. Nothing is going right. Everything is going wrong. We're dying out here, God. Got any help? The good news is that, yes, God does indeed have help. His son Jesus is our refuge and fortress. Jesus is the place where we can flee and fly to when it's all falling apart and even when it seems to be going well. Your sins are forgiven, and your eternal life is guaranteed! The devil, the world, and your sinful flesh can only put up a fight for so long. Satan (and his minions) know that their time is short because when Christ returns, none of what the prophet Habakkuk describes will fly. God will make it right on the Last Day. How do I know? Because that is what God has promised. We have been given a foretaste of it in the work of Jesus. I'm looking forward to that day.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Heavenly Father, God of all concord, it is Your gracious will that Your children on earth live together in harmony and peace. Defeat the plans of all those who would stir up violence and strife, destroy the weapons of those who delight in war and bloodshed, and, according to Your will, end all conflicts in the world. Teach us to examine our hearts that we may recognize our own inclination toward envy, malice, hatred, and enmity. Help us, by Your Word and Spirit, to search our hearts and to root out the evil that would lead to strife and discord, so that in our lives we may be at peace with all people. Fill us with zeal for the work of Your Church and the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which alone can bring that peace which is beyond all understanding; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. (Prayer for Peace in the World).Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 5, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 17:1-10Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 5:1-21; Matthew 8:18-34“Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,' you must forgive him.” (Luke 17:3-4)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Rebuking is the fun part. You've been hurt badly. Their words ring in your ears, and one part of you cannot believe what you just heard. “They called me WHAT?” “I can't believe they did that.” But that other part of you starts digging down, mining the depths of the Law to try and get them. There it is. You've got them now. Like an attorney about to play the winning bit of evidence, you triumphantly display it. “What about the 8th commandment?!” you cry. A little rush of triumph. That did it. That took the air out of their tires. Shoulders droop, tears flow. Out come the words. “I'm sorry.” What's your next move? Your sinful flesh has the answer. Leave them to sit in the mess that they have made. Draw it out. Make them feel it. Make them sting. Make them hurt like they hurt you. But that's the sinful flesh talking, and that's not how we as Christians are called to act toward those who are repentant. Because that's not how God acts toward us. You know your sins. You know your fallen state. You know that your transgressions are too many to count. You know that God doesn't deal with us as we deserve, that the blood of Jesus cleanses all our sins, and that the Lord's forgiveness means that we are spotless before Him. So, what do you do with your friend who sinned against you? Treat them exactly as God has treated you, and give them the same words. “I forgive you.” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O God, our refuge and strength, the author of all godliness, by Your grace hear the prayers of Your Church. Grant that those things which we ask in faith we may receive through Your bountiful mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

October 4, 2025 Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 17 - Psalm 119:162, 164-165, 167; antiphon: Psalm 119:166Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 4:21-40; Matthew 8:1-17 “I hope for your salvation, O Lord, and I do your commandments. I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil. Seven times a day I praise you for your just and righteous decrees. Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. My soul keeps your testimonies; I love them exceedingly. I hope for your salvation, O Lord, and I do your commandments.” (Psalm 119:162, 164–165, 167; antiphon: v. 166) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Tomorrow's introit is from nearly the end of the great psalm with its 176 verses. Here, the psalmist hopes for the salvation of the Lord. An antiphon opens and closes the recitation of a Psalm or introit. It gives us a lens of sorts to view the text. Verse 166 gives us a thumbnail of the Christian life. Live in your salvation, do the Commandments, fail, remember your Baptism, wash, rinse, repeat. We long for His salvation day after day. Rejoicing in God's Word is also our life in Christianity. It's interesting that Jesus speaks to us the same way we pray the Psalms about Him. We rejoice at the great treasure in His work. He'll sell all that He has, giving up His life for you, the treasure in a field. No price is too great for Him. He even gives us the spoils of His victory. He clothes us in a robe of His righteousness. Martin Luther and others taught that verse 164 was the basis of the medieval church's “hours” prayer. The hours: Matins, Prime, Terce, Sext, Nones, Vespers, and Compline were prayed in monasteries throughout Europe. They took a literal approach to praying. And there's no harm in that. Muslims pray five times a day. Couldn't we do the same or more? Shouldn't we? Yes, we ought. But our prayer accomplishes something. The dead Muslim god can do nothing. But our Jesus hears our prayer. He has the power to save us. Moreover, He does exactly that, forgiving and refreshing us day by day. We end as we began. Live in your salvation, do the Commandments, fail, remember your Baptism, wash, rinse, repeat until the day that salvation dawns. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. O Lord, grant to your faithful people pardon and peace that they may be cleansed from all their sins and serve you with a quiet mind; Through Jesus Christ, your son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.Rev. Jason Kaspar, pastor of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, La Grange, Texas.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you'll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.