Reflections

October 1, 2025 Today's Reading: Amos 6:1-7Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 2:16-37; Matthew 6:16-34 “So as soon as all the men of war had perished and were dead from among the people, the Lord said to me, ‘Today you are to cross the border of Moab at Ar. And when you approach the territory of the people of Ammon, do not harass them or contend with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession.' …Rephaim formerly lived there… a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim; but the Lord destroyed them before the Ammonites, and they dispossessed them and settled in their place, as he did for the people of Esau, who live in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites before them and they dispossessed them and settled in their place even to this day… ‘This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.'” (Deuteronomy 2:16-19, 20b, 21-22, 25) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly. The people of Israel are preparing to enter the land of Canaan. This retelling of the events beginning the forty years' wandering reinforces the truth of what will come for them in Joshua. The Lord will fight for them. The Lord will send their enemies fleeing before them. Moab, Ammon, and Edom are filled with unfaithful people. People to whom the Lord is faithful in His covenant promises. He promised them lands and prosperity, which they have. He even restrains Israel against them. All of these promises are known to the Israelites from Genesis. These unfaithful heathens still enjoy the rain falling on the just and the unjust alike from a faithful God. How much more will He be faithful to His people, Israel? The promises of God are all gathered together as proof of what is to come. In the garden, he promised to send the Seed of the woman to crush the Serpent's head. Jesus, the only Son from Heaven and Mary's Son, is the Messiah Israel awaited. All of creation was groaning for salvation. In Jesus, it is here. God's greatest promise was delivered by Christ's death to destroy the power of Satan for you, dear Christians. He has marked and is preserving you in His baptismal grace, delivering you into salvation. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. O Lord, You delivered Your promises to your people of old, and You have delivered Jesus to all mankind. Keep us steadfast in your grace, that we may receive the eternal life promised therein, in Jesus' name. 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.

September 30, 2025 Today's Reading: 1 Timothy 6:6-19Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 1:37-2:15; Matthew 6:1-15 “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (1 Timothy 6:6-10) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Money has no more character. It cannot be good or evil. It makes no choices. It cannot be tempted. Money cannot be righteous either. It simply is. Like so many things in creation, money is a First Article gift that we abuse. Money provides us with a way to trade toil for goods. Since the fall, we have eaten only by the sweat of our brows. I can break the ground myself and raise grain to make bread. I can also labor for someone else, trading my sweat for money and my money for bread. Greed for selfish gain, the love of money, brings about all manner of evil. St. Paul offers this warning under the Seventh Commandent. We should not look to defraud or deprive our neighbor, but help them keep and improve what is theirs. God's Word here serves to turn us from our selfish sins. Instead, He would have us dwell in contentment. It's not a contentment we generate from within. This is a contentment given to us by the Gospel. In Jesus, our Lord, we have received forgiveness in water, Word, and the Body and Blood of Jesus. Our Lord's generosity flies in the face of our greedy desires. What use are small things like money? We have a treasure stored up in the heavens. Jesus has forgiven our debt and continually refreshes us in that forgiveness. Not only that, but He also sent us the Holy Ghost, bringing the Third Article Gift of faith. Through Him, we receive the very thing that clings to this forgiveness. The Holy Spirit continues to gather us together as a church to hear and receive. We have received the goods from His hand, forgiveness by His blood, and faith itself to trust this promise. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. O God, our Father, You have graciously given us all that we need for this Earthly life. Guide our hearts into contentment for our temporal gifts and exceeding joy over the eternal gifts of salvation and eternal life by the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whose name we pray. 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.

September 29, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 10:17-20Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 1:19-36; Matthew 5:21-48 “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!' And he said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.'” (Luke 10:17-20) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. These seventy-two men, proclaimers of the nearness of the Lord's kingdom, were appointed to go ahead of Him, proclaiming and healing the sick. They were amazed that Jesus' command came with the power to accomplish His work. This is the same Son of God who commands the heavenly host, as St. Michael and His angels expelled Lucifer and his angels. For our position in time and space, all that may seem fanciful. It's not. Jesus has written the names of all of us, His baptized, in the Book of Life. His name, marking us in Holy Baptism, can even come with these words from Martin Luther's Baptismal Rite. “Therefore, depart, you unclean spirit, and make room for the Holy Spirit in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (LSB Agenda, p. 13) That's a little exorcism. The expulsion of Satan isn't little. But it's short enough to escape our attention. Yet, in the baptismal waters, Jesus' command and the water do exactly that. That was when you first received the forgiveness of sins. Even Satan himself has no claim on you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Everlasting God, You have ordained and constituted the service of angels and men in a wonderful order. Mercifully grant that, as Your holy angels always serve and worship You in heaven, so by Your appointment they may also help and defend us here on earth; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, 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.

September 28, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 16:19-31Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 1:1-18; Matthew 5:1-20 “The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' … [Abraham] said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'” (Luke 16:22-24, 31) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. This telling of Jesus is missing a key marker. St. Luke doesn't introduce it as a parable. “So He told them this parable…” (Luke 15:3a). The parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the loving father, and the dishonest manager are all connected under that introduction. But the Rich man and Lazarus is set apart by a rebuke of the Pharisees and a command concerning divorce. This nameless rich man, whom the Pharisees might even know, has no repentance. He still begs Abraham to command Lazarus to serve him. In perfection, both of them certainly would, but they cannot cross over. The rich man also demands a greater effort by God to save his brothers; someone raised from the dead, like the parables of loss. Here, Jesus is showing an unending love. They may not be convinced, but Jesus IS going to die for the sins of those brothers. And He'll rise again from the dead. Jesus' death and resurrection is even for the brothers of that rich man. We won't know on this side of the resurrection on the Last Day. Still, I like to think that they did receive repentance and faith. Baptized into Jesus and hearing His Word, you have received His Gifts of repentance and faith. He has turned you from the unbelief and unrepentance that were yours once before. He has and continues to forgive your sin, and the sins of all believers. He is showering you with the promise of Lazarus, to be carried off to the bosom of Abraham. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Lord let at last Thine angels come, to Abraham's bosom bear me home, that I may die unfearing; and in its narrow chamber keep my body safe in peaceful sleep until thy reappearing. And then from death awaken me, that these mine eyes with joy may see, O Son of God, Thy glorious face, my Savior and my fount of grace. Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, my prayer attend, and I will praise Thee without end. Amen. (LSB 708:3)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.

September 27, 2025Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 16 - Psalm 119:73-75, 77; antiphon: Psalm 119:76Daily Lectionary: Malachi 3:6-4:6; Matthew 4:12-25“I know, O Lord … that in faithfulness you have afflicted me” (Psalm 119:75)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The Psalmist attributes his affliction to God's “faithfulness” or “trustworthiness.” The Hebrew word we have here is where we get our “Amen.” You've learned in the Small Catechism that “Amen” means “Yes, yes, it shall be so.” Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you.” In the Greek, it's simply, “Amen, Amen, I say to you.” Jesus is trustworthy, and we give our “Amen” to his faithfulness! So, back to the Psalm. How do we make sense of God afflicting us “in his faithfulness”? If anything, it seems like the opposite. When we experience various afflictions, diseases, troubles, or frustrations, it seems that God is being unfaithful to us, that he is withholding his promises, that he is not listening, that he has forsaken us, that he has forgotten us. But God's “faithfulness” is connected to something more than our feelings and experiences. Dare we say that God's faithfulness is connected to something greater than even his own feelings? His faithfulness is connected to his “steadfast love.” After God destroyed the world in the flood, he set the bow in the clouds as a sign that he would never again destroy the world in that manner. He gives himself a sign that he might see and remember his love and mercy! When God promised to kill every firstborn in Egypt, he gave his people a sign. They were to paint their doorposts with the blood of the Passover lamb, and when he saw the blood, he would remember his love and mercy and pass over their homes. When God afflicts me, it is a sign of his faithfulness and steadfast love. It is a reminder that his hands have “made and fashioned me” and that I live only by his mercy. He has created me by his hands, he has redeemed me by his Son's pierced hands, and should he pierce my heart with affliction, he will do it in faithfulness and steadfast love toward me. He will not forget me forever. He will never leave me nor forsake me. He hears my prayer and promises to give me life according to his Word. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.God knows full well when times of gladness Shall be the needful thing for thee. When He has tried thy soul with sadness And from all guile has found thee free, He comes to thee all unaware And makes thee own his loving care. (LSB 750:4) Rev. David Woelmer, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Smithville, 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.

September 26, 2025Today's Reading: Matthew 4:1-11Daily Lectionary: Malachi 2:1-3:5; Matthew 4:1-11“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The Spirit that descended upon Jesus at his Baptism now leads him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Jesus, the “anointed one,” faces the first test of his office as Savior of the world. But notice what temptations are thrown his way! He is tempted to 1) turn stones into bread, 2) test God's will, and 3) deny God's kingdom. Sound similar? The Lord's Prayer takes its source from Jesus' inner life. The Gospel of Luke records that Jesus prayed at his Baptism (Luke 3:21). In his baptism, he prays according to God's name (1st Petition), and in his temptation, he applies God's kingdom (2nd Petition) and will (3rd Petition) to our daily life (4th Petition). After we are baptized, we can expect temptations to come. When we fast or forsake the pleasures of this world, the devil will tempt us to serve our fleshly lusts. When we place ourselves under God's will, the devil will tempt us to question God's provision. When God gathers us into his lowly kingdom, the devil will tempt us with the fame and fortune of this world's kingdoms. But in Christ, we will rise victorious over the devil. In Christ's Spirit, we will resist the temptations of the flesh. We do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. We have a Savior who knew no sin but was made to be sin for us, that we might be righteous in him. Christ proceeds from his baptism and temptation to his ministry. He begins to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” as he offers the assurance of the forgiveness of sins (5th Petition), protects his people from temptations (6th Petition), and delivers them from evil diseases and afflictions (7th Petition). Already in our Lord's life, his prayer is taking shape. As the Lord's Prayer has its root in his life, it now has its root in ours. The Lord's Prayer forms us into Christ's baptism and temptation, and it prepares us for lives of service in his name and kingdom, and according to his will. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Mark how the Lamb of God's self-off'ring Our human sinfulness takes on In the birthwaters of the Jordan As Jesus is baptized by John. Hear how the voice from heaven thunders, ‘Lo, this is My beloved Son.' See how in dovelike form the Spirit Descends on God's Anointed One. From this assurance of God's favor Jesus goes to the wilderness, There to endure a time of testing That readied Him to teach and bless. So we, by water and the Spirit Baptized into Christ's ministry, Are often led to paths of service Through mazes of adversity. (LSB 600:1, 2) Rev. David Woelmer, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Smithville, 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.

September 25, 2025Today's Reading: Catechism: Table of Duties - To Bishops, Pastors and PreachersDaily Lectionary: Malachi 1:1-14; Matthew 3:1-17“He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.As Lutherans, we teach that when the water of Baptism is joined to the Word of God, it becomes a true Baptism, and when the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper are joined to the Word of God, it is the true Body and Blood of Jesus. But what about the Pastor? When the man is joined to the Word of God, does he become a “true man” with some special gift that the ordinary layperson cannot receive? Not at all. When a man becomes a Pastor, he is placed into an office, like that of a child to a parent, a husband to his wife, or a father to his child. His office is that of a servant to a master. This is why Pastors are called “Ministers.” They are servants. As a child serves his parent, the Pastor serves God the Father; as a husband serves his wife, the Pastor serves the church; as a father serves his child, the Pastor serves the children of God in his congregation. This is also why, in some places, a Pastor is called a “Father.” But when the Pastor is placed in this office, the focus is never on him or his work. He is not put into a human institution or office, but a divine institution! The Pastor serves and points people to Jesus, who instituted the Office of the Holy Ministry.So, what does the Pastor serve? He is not in the catering business where he serves whatever he or the people want. No, he is in the Word business. He is a servant of the Word. One of the requirements listed in 1 Timothy 3 is that the man must be “able to teach.” This is less about teaching style, use of technology, classroom management, or creativity, but more about faithfulness to the Word, both in teaching and practice. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message and handle rightly the Word of truth in teaching, but he also does so in practice. The Bible says that teachers will be judged with greater strictness. If they teach others, they should teach themselves, lest they fall under the judgment of God. Thus, the pastor must be “above reproach.” This is not that he must be fully blameless and free from all sin (which is impossible), but that he does not disqualify himself from teaching publicly by falling into outward, manifest sins. If he fails to meet or keep these qualifications, he cannot be or stay a pastor, lest he offend God and others and become the hypocrite who “judges those who practice such things and yet does them himself” (Romans 2:3). What a comfort it is that Jesus, the Chief Shepherd of our souls, sends his under-shepherds to proclaim Christ's “sound doctrine” to all the world!   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Seek where you may To find a way That leads to your salvation. My heart is stilled, On Christ I build, He is the one foundation. His Word is sure, His Works endure; He overthrows All evil foes; Through Him I more than conquer. (LSB 557:1) Rev. David Woelmer, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Smithville, 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.

September 24, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 16:1-15Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:22-38; Nehemiah 10:1-13:31; 1 Timothy 6:3-21“And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The “sons of this world” in this parable are like the people of Amos 8. They are shrewd in their dealings with money but use their shrewdness for deception and deceit. They appear to provide for the poor and needy, but enslave them for their purposes. It is puzzling that the master would commend this dishonest manager who has not only wasted his possessions for months (and maybe even years!), but who, after he is fired, continues to deal deceitfully. He knows he is too weak to dig and too proud to beg, so he acts shrewdly. He needs friends, so until word spreads that he has been fired, he will call his master's debtors and settle their debts. One hundred measures of oil become fifty, one hundred measures of wheat become eighty, and zero friends become two friends. So, the master commends this “son of the world,” not for his dishonesty but for his shrewdness. What does such shrewdness look like for the “sons of light?” They also operate in this world with “unrighteous mammon,” but the difference lies in their end. What did the manager's shrewdness get him? It got him friends who have temporary dwellings. What does the Christian's shrewdness get him? It gets him friends in the “eternal dwellings.” The shrewdness of the Christian is this: although he knows that money will fail, he uses it while he still can. He uses the “unrighteous mammon” of this world to accomplish the work of Christ's Church. And what is the goal? That the Word of God would make us friends of Christ in the eternal dwellings. When he was fired, the dishonest manager was as good as dead. He had nothing else to lose. Money had already failed him, and now he simply needed a home. The same is true for the sons of light. But the difference is that they already have a “friend” who has promised them an eternal home. They have Christ's Gospel that assures them of a good future. So, how do they relate to the Law and this world? They deal shrewdly with it. You say that I am a sinner? I am, and I have Christ, the friend of sinners. You say that I am dead? Though I die, yet shall I live in Christ, who died for me. You say that I am a debtor? I am, and I have a heavenly manager who didn't simply overlook my debts, but who paid them in full by his atoning blood. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.My heart's delight, My crown most bright, O Christ, my joy forever. Not wealth nor pride Nor fortune's tide Our bonds of love shall sever. You are my Lord; Your precious Word Shall guide my way And help me stay Forever in Your presence. (LSB 557:4)Rev. David Woelmer, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Smithville, 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.

September 23, 2025Today's Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-15Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:1-21; 1 Timothy 5:17-6:2“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.What Paul “urges” and “desires” in this letter aren't the kind of new and made-up laws and commandments you find when God's Word is neglected, nor are they the kind of additional, burdensome, domineering rules that a lazy father has to come up with when he feels his house is out of control. No, these practical words from Paul that have to do with everyday life find their source in God's teaching. Why pray for all people, especially rulers? There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who desires the salvation of all people. The rulers are people who need saving, too, and they especially need prayers as they maintain the peace and quietness that men, in their anger and quarreling, need. The man whose hands are too quickly lifted in anger against his children should instead offer holy hands in prayer, especially with his family. The woman whose beauty is flaunted immodestly, whose body is adorned materially, and whose voice is magnified unsuitably should instead adorn herself modestly, in godliness, and with good works in quiet submissiveness. Why is the family ordered in this way? God's teaching is such that Adam, who was formed first, failed to keep his house in order. He was not deceived, but the woman was deceived, and his quiet submissiveness to the devil's deceit was to blame. “She took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6). She is a transgressor, and he is a successor to her sin, but from them both will come an intercessor. As all have sinned in the one man Adam, so will all be saved in the one man, Jesus Christ. Yes, Eve and all her offspring will be saved through childbearing—through the birth of Jesus Christ. The seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent, and his faithfulness to his bride, his unconditional love for her, and the holiness with which he adorns her will be her salvation. He will adorn her with true beauty, everlasting treasures, and self-control. He will be the husband every man aspires to be, with eternal devotion to his bride, offering her his holy hands pierced on the cross, interceding for her to the Father, and praying for her at all times and in every place with thanksgiving. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Seek Him alone Who did atone, Who did your souls deliver. O seek Him first, All you who thirst, For grace that fails you never. In ev'ry need Seek Him indeed; To ev'ry heart He will impart His blessings without measure. (LSB 557:3)Rev. David Woelmer, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Smithville, 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.

September 22, 2025Today's Reading: Amos 8:4-7Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 7:1-4; 8:1-18; Ezra 1:1-10:19; 1 Timothy 5:1-16“The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: ‘Surely I will never forget any of their deeds'” (Amos 8:7) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.When Jesus says that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27), he reveals man's propensity to switch everything around. The Sabbath rest has become a Sabbath test for the Pharisees, and in their eyes, Jesus has failed the test. He has failed the Sabbath. Now, the people during Amos' time have also inverted the gift of the Sabbath. They ask when the new moon, a time dedicated at the first of every month for sacrifices to God, and the Sabbath, a time of handing over one's work and time to God, will be over. They have turned the Father's house into a house of trade. They want the time of sacrifice to end, and the time of profiteering to begin. They want to get a move on, get out of the church, and get going with their iniquity and deceit, their trampling of the needy and destruction of the poor. But God will not have any of it. He despises such “vain offerings.” He hates their new moons and appointed feasts. He is burdened by their hypocrisy and false worship. So when they lift their hands, he hides his eyes; when they voice their prayers, he closes his ears (Isaiah 1:13-15). Even worse, God swears that he will never forget their evil deeds! Sin grieves God. His wrath and anger are quickly kindled. His “record of debt … with all its legal demands” stands against all men (Colossians 2:14). Someone must pay that debt, right that wrong, and bear the punishment of sin. For the wicked, that “record of debt” stands before God's face (Hosea 7:2). He remembers their iniquity (Hosea 8:13). It is even engraved on the tablet of their heart (Jeremiah 17:1) as their sins remain heaped high as heaven (Revelation 18:5). David prays in Psalm 109, “May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!” But you, dear Christian, find that in Christ, that record of debt is canceled, those legal demands are fulfilled, the injustice is forgiven, and your sins are atoned for. Your debt is forgiven in its entirety! It is taken away from you. God sets it aside, nails it to the cross, disarms your enemies, shames the devil, and triumphs over Hell itself. “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). God remembers the sins of the wicked, but he will never remember your sins. They are forgiven, removed, forgotten, and drowned in the depths of the sea, never to rise again. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Seek whom you may To be your stay; None can redeem his brother. All helpers failed; This man prevailed, The God-man and none other, Our Servant-King Of whom we sing. We're justified Because he died, The guilty being guiltless. (LSB 557:2) Rev. David Woelmer, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Smithville, 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.

September 21, 2025Today's Reading: Matthew 9:9-13Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 5:1-16; 6:1-9, 15-16; 1 Timothy 4:1-16“As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.' And he rose and followed him” (Matthew 9:9)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.If you have seen the popular TV Series, “The Chosen,” then you know that the producers use artistic license when they portray Matthew as quirky, uptight, anxious, and obsessed with numbers. While his character adds fun humor to the series, it also helps demonstrate that the Twelve disciples were men, just like we are, with all their foibles and failures, their quirks and quibbles. However, we would miss the point if we stopped there. God's Word teaches us to look further into the lives of these men. It reveals the spiritual kingdom that they, and we, have been called into! And this is where Matthew plays such a significant role in the revelation of God's kingdom. His name, “Matthew,” gives it away. He is “a gift” to the kingdom, “a gift” to Christ's Church. One thing to notice about our reading from Matthew 9 is that Matthew's house becomes the location of Christ's kingdom! It is a place of hospitality for Christ, for other tax collectors, and for other sinners. Jesus has come not to call the righteous, but sinners. Matthew is a sinner, and he is the one whom Jesus calls. So it is that this sinner becomes a gift, this sinner's house becomes God's house, and this sinner's life is used by God for more gift-giving. What a “gift” Matthew is to us! He was called not only to follow Jesus but to write the Holy Gospel for the upbuilding of Christ's Church. His Gospel is truly the gift that keeps on giving, and through him, Christ still speaks his message of forgiveness for sinners. Through Matthew, Christ still calls men to “Follow me,” and Christ still reclines at table, though now in the houses in which we gather! The holy wounds of our Physician are the balm that heals our wounded heart, it is the peace that flows from sin forgiven, it is the joy that lifts our soul to heaven, and his Body and Blood give us the faith and hope to walk with God, so that we, with Matthew and all the saints who have gone before us, might be a “gift” to others. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O Son of God, our blessed Savior Jesus Christ, You called Matthew the tax collector to be an apostle and evangelist. Through his faithful and inspired witness, grant that we also may follow You, leaving behind all covetous desires and love of riches; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Rev. David Woelmer, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Smithville, 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.

September 20, 2025Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 15 - Psalm 119:137-140, 142; antiphon: Psalm 119:144Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 4:7-23; 1 Timothy 3:1-16“Righteous are you, O Lord, and right are your rules. You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness and in all faithfulness. My zeal consumes me, because my foes forget your words. Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it. I am small and despised, yet I do not forget your precepts. Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true. Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight. Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live.” (Psalm 119:137-144)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Do you delight in God's Commandments? So often, the Commandments and precepts of God can feel like a weight we carry in this life, a burden that keeps us from what we really want to do. And part of that comes from how we often see the Law and what we read and hear about it. The Law is almost always talked about in “do's” and “don'ts” based on how we have failed to keep God's Law. We are told how we have given in to temptation, how we have hurt our neighbor and not loved them properly, how the Law says that without Jesus, we deserve death and Hell. These things are true, of course, but they don't bring to mind the same words of the Psalmist, who delights in the Law of the Lord. The truth is, as much as the Law shows us our sinfulness, it really, truly shows us the goodness of God! From the very beginning of the world, God set His Law in place in the universe. Before the Fall into sin, the Law was simply the way things were. Our God is a good God who desires an ordered creation, a world in which His creatures do not kill one another or steal from each other, where husbands and wives love each other as Christ and His bride, the Church, love one another, and where His people are righteous and close to Himself. When we “delight” in the Laws of God, we recognize that our Lord wants what is best for us and desires to be near to us. We know that God uses this Law, even in this broken world, to guard and defend us from evil. In these verses of Psalm 119, the Psalmist speaks against those who have forgotten the Law of the Lord, but praises Him for His righteousness that guides His creation and promises to remember God's Words and precepts. As baptized Christians, we are given freedom from the fear of the law through the death and resurrection of Jesus. In this freedom, we have the ability to, like the Psalmist, delight in the goodness of the Law and work to keep it, not out of fear or a desire to earn salvation, but out of love for God and our neighbor. God has kept the law in all fullness for us, and that is something we may truly delight in.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The Law of God is good and wise And sets His will before our eyes, Shows us the way of righteousness, And dooms to death when we transgress. (LSB 579:1)Rev. Benjamin Heinz, pastor of Athens Lutheran Church in Athens, TN.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.

September 19, 2025Today's Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-6Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 2:11-20; 4:1-6; 1 Timothy 2:1-15“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:1-6)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Following the teachings of Scripture is not always an easy task. We are encouraged, and even commanded, to pray, think well of, and even give thanks for people we might not necessarily want to. In the book of 1 Timothy, Paul writes that we are to give thanks and pray for our leaders and others who rule over us. At the time of this writing, that would have been the government of the Roman Empire, the very same empire that was actively persecuting Christians. Yet, God still placed the rulers in charge, even if His reasons are unknown to man. Through rulers, good and bad, the Lord provides for His creatures. We are to give thanks to God for the things he accomplishes through them, and to pray that God would guide them away from evil deeds. But we are to pray for them in a different way, as well. We are told in our reading for today that we are to pray for our rulers and for all people because the Lord desires for all people to believe. We pray for the good and the evil, for the people we agree with and the people that we disagree with, for the people we know well and people who are strangers to us, that all may know and call upon the name of our Lord. When we are faced with enemies in this world, we are called to remember that they, too, were created by God and that He desires to be reconciled with them. It is not an easy task to love your enemy or to pray for the one who persecutes you, but it is what we are called to do as ones who have already been reconciled with God. We do all of this only through the grace of Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed for all people.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Teach us the lesson Thou hast taught: To feel for those Thy blood hath bought, That ev'ry word and deed and thought May work a work for Thee. (LSB 852:3)Rev. Benjamin Heinz, pastor of Athens Lutheran Church in Athens, TN.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.

September 18, 2025Today's Reading: Catechism: Daily Prayers: Asking a Blessing & Returning ThanksDaily Lectionary: Nehemiah 1:1-2:10; Haggai 1:1-2:23; 1 Timothy 1:1-20The children and members of the household shall go to the table reverently, fold their hands, and say: The eyes of all look to You, [O LORD,] and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. (Ps. 145: 15–16) Then shall be said the Lord's Prayer and the following: Lord God, heavenly Father, bless us and these Your gifts which we receive from Your bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. All things come from God, and it is good to thank Him for them. Many Christians can relate to the experience of gathering around the dinner table with their families, folding their hands, bowing their heads, and thanking God for His gifts. But so frequently, growling stomachs and eager mouths will speed through their words of prayer to get to the meal. Martin Luther's mealtime prayers, perhaps unintentionally, can help slow things down for us. In the Scripture from Psalm 145, we are reminded that everything that we have in life, down to the last crumb, is a gift from God, intentionally given to fulfill our wants and needs. In this Scripture, we are told that we not only receive the things we need, but the things that we desire as well! God gives to us as He sees fit, without any merit or worthiness on our part, out of the goodness and mercy of His heart. People work hard to earn money to provide for themselves and their families, but this, too, comes from God Himself as a means to take care of His creatures! As we know in the explanation of the Lord's Prayer, He doesn't just give Daily Bread to the people who ask Him and thank Him for it, but to each and every person on earth, even to evil people! Even the animals and plants of this world receive their fill directly from their creator. In this mealtime prayer, we thank God for all that He has given to sustain our bodies, not as an obligation, but as grateful children of God thanking Him for the gifts he has given us. We also give thanks to God as a reminder to ourselves of the daily goodness of God that we receive through God's love and mercy alone. When we pray before our meals, we fill our bodies with thoughts honoring our Lord and the words of His promises before we fill them with the gifts He has provided for our daily lives. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Be present at our table, Lord; Be here and ev'rywhere adored; Thy creatures bless, and grant that we May feast in paradise with Thee. (LSB 775)Rev. Benjamin Heinz, pastor of Athens Lutheran Church in Athens, TN.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.

September 17, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 15:1-10Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 36:1-23; Philemon 1-25; Colossians 4:1-18“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.'So he told them this parable: ‘What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:1-7)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Be honest. What would you do in this situation? If you were the shepherd from this parable, would you have gone to find the lost sheep? This shepherd had ninety-nine perfectly good sheep and a single one that went away. The ninety-nine sheep were perfectly safe and healthy with the shepherd, but to find the one, he'd have to leave them all behind in open country, where wolves, bears, lions, or robbers could come and take them for themselves. Not to mention, going alone into the wilderness, the shepherd could run into these predators as well. There wasn't even a way for the shepherd to know if the lost sheep would still be alive by the time he found it! For all he knew, it was already dead. And besides, it was that sheep's own fault that it had wandered off! From a practical perspective, seeking out the one lost sheep doesn't make logical sense. But that doesn't matter to the Shepherd. This Shepherd, Jesus Christ, was willing to put His life on the line for the sake of a single sheep, for you. Yes, you fall into sin constantly, you stray from the Lord who loves you, but every time, He comes to find you. His death on the cross pays the price for your wandering and retrieves you from the clutches of the devil, the world, and your very own sinful nature. The shepherd of this parable is so unlike us all and what we creatures would choose to do precisely because He is our perfect Savior, our Creator and Redeemer, who denies Himself for the sake of us, His creation.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.We are Yours; in love befriend us, Be the guardian of our way; Keep Your flock, from sin defend us, Seek us when we go astray. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hear us children when we pray. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hear us children when we pray. (LSB 711:2)Rev. Benjamin Heinz, pastor of Athens Lutheran Church in Athens, TN.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.

September 16, 2025Today's Reading: 1 Timothy 1:5-11, 12-17Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 35:1-7, 16-25; Zephaniah 1:1-3:20; Colossians 3:1-25“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:15-17)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Saint Paul knew about living a life of sin. Before he had been brought to Christ, the man who was once Saul persecuted and murdered Christians for a living. Without a doubt, he preached to people who knew of his past, and may have even known other Christians whom Saul had destroyed. The memory of his life before coming to Christ likely never left Paul. When Paul writes, referring to himself as the foremost of sinners, he means it. These words come from deep in his heart. But these words do not apply to Paul alone; they apply to us as well. While we may not have persecuted Christians or murdered, we have all strayed far from the Law of God. No sin is less damnable than another. Every offense we have ever committed, no matter how inconsequential they may often seem, condemns us. We deserve death and Hell for the sins that we have committed. Yet, Saint Paul finds great comfort and shares it with all of us: though we are all sinners of the worst regard, Christ has still won mercy for us. The Gift of redemption in Christ Jesus comes to us even in our undeserving state, each one of us being a chief sinner in our own right. Paul knew the true sweetness of the Gospel because he knew the true depths of his sin. Paul knew how severe his offenses against God were, but in receiving the promises and Gifts of our Lord, he also knew the lengths to which Christ's forgiveness and redemption extend. When we examine ourselves and know our sin, we do this not to beat ourselves up to earn God's favor, but to truly repent before God of all we have done against Him. When we recognize the depth of our sinfulness, we do not despair, but instead are driven back to Christ. When we receive God's mercy, we understand how beautiful a Gift is won for us in Christ's death and resurrection. These words from First Timothy help us to see the truth of our sinfulness, but the richness of the Gospel that we receive from our loving Savior. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Chief of sinners though I be, Jesus shed His blood for me. Died that I might live on high, lived that I might never die. As the branch is to the vine, I am His and He is mine. (LSB 611:1)Rev. Benjamin Heinz, pastor of Athens Lutheran Church in Athens, TN.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.

September 15, 2025Today's Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-24Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 34:1-4, 8-11, 14-33; Nahum 1:1-3:19; Colossians 2:8-23“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel.” (Ezekiel 34:11-14)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus' promise to be our Good Shepherd is one of the most memorable and comforting words in our Christian faith. Our Lord has promised to claim us, to feed us, to lead us, and to protect us. But God's promise to be a Good Shepherd to His people was not something that our Lord Jesus pulled out of nowhere. Throughout the Old Testament, the Lord God promises to shepherd His people Israel. Jesus' promise to be the shepherd of His people would be familiar to them, as similar words had been brought by the psalms and prophets of old. In the book of Ezekiel, God tells the people of Israel that He Himself would search for His sheep, that He would seek out those who were lost. Surely, God does this time and time again in Scripture when He delivers His people from evil, like His deliverance of Israel from exile in Assyria and Babylon, but His promises are all the more realized and completed in the person of Jesus Christ, who Himself, in flesh, comes to deliver, lead, and care for His people. The Lord, our Shepherd, came to dwell among us and to shepherd us directly. Through His death and resurrection, He rescues His sheep from sin, death, and the power of the devil. In the work of the Holy Spirit, our Lord Jesus gathers together all those sheep who had been scattered by the Fall and brings them to Himself in his generous love. Though we scatter and stray, falling into our sin, our Lord seeks us out, brings us to repent, forgives us, and renews us through His unending mercy and goodness. Finally, when our last hour comes, we will be brought to new pastures, to Paradise, where we will remain as His sheep forever and will scatter and stray no more. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, But yet in love He sought me and on His shoulder gently laid and home rejoicing brought me. (LSB 709:3)Rev. Benjamin Heinz, pastor of Athens Lutheran Church in Athens, TN.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.

September 14, 2025Today's Reading: John 12:20-33Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 33:1-25; Jonah 1:1-4:11; Colossians 1:24-2:7“Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. ‘Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? “Father, save me from this hour”? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.' Then a voice came from heaven: ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.' The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.' Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.' He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.” (John 12:25-33)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus knew what had to happen. He knew the death that was quickly approaching him. His heart weighed heavily within Him because He knew what pain awaited Him on the cross. But He went. He went out of obedience to the Father, knowing that it was needful to glorify God and to save humanity. The creator of the universe allowed Himself to be humiliated, tortured, and hung upon a cross all out of His love and mercy for His creation. And in that creation, His crucifixion on that very cross is the central and most significant event in its history. Our lives are fundamentally tied to the saving work done on the cross through which Christ has made us His own children and redeemed us, rescuing us from the threat of death and eternal damnation. In our church and many other church bodies, we celebrate Holy Cross Day in remembrance of the victory of this all-encompassing event. Christ's death on the cross is central to our whole lives, defining our identities and shaping our eternal realities. Thanks be to God that Christ Jesus came as a humble servant to set us free once and for all. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Merciful God, Your Son, Jesus Christ, was lifted high upon the cross that He might bear the sins of the world and draw all people to Himself. Grant that we who glory in His death for our redemption may faithfully heed His call to bear the cross and follow Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.Rev. Benjamin Heinz, pastor of Athens Lutheran Church in Athens, TN.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.

September 13, 2025Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 14 - Psalm 30:2-5; antiphon: Psalm 30:11a, 12bDaily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 32:1-22; Hosea 1:1-14:9; Colossians 1:1-23“For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.It does not always feel like God's anger is for a moment. In the midst of suffering, in the midst of what feels like direct punishment from God for some sin we have committed, it does not feel like the moment will end. Struggles and hardship bring us to tears, and we cry for what seems like days at a time. When someone we love dies, that sting certainly isn't for a moment. It can follow us for the rest of our lives. We may find ourselves thinking that if God's favor is for a lifetime, then maybe we don't have His favor. We look at the endless night of weeping around us and think the morning will never come. It seems those who say, “Joy comes with morning,” have no idea what they're talking about or are hopelessly optimistic. King David, the author of this Psalm, however, does know what he's talking about. The man faced death many times and escaped with his life. He sinned against God constantly and yet was still a man after God's own heart. He knows that God can and will bring him back from the depths of Sheol, of Hell. David's confession here is that yes, pain and suffering come and come down hard, but God's steadfast love and mercy are forever. David acknowledges that relief from sin and the suffering coming from it may not be given in his lifetime. But there is a greater hope, a greater promise to come that gives him the strength to say there is a morning after this night, and weeping will turn to joy. And what hope and promise is this? The savior, Christ Jesus, Who did not shy away from pain and suffering, but took on human flesh to live our broken and hard life to redeem it. Jesus, who took on all our sin and we nailed to the cross to be the final sacrificial Lamb, Whose blood washes us clean and makes us righteous before God. Jesus, Whose resurrection from the dead brought defeated death forever and turned the night of weeping to the morning of joyous Easter. David confesses even centuries before Jesus was born that there will come a time when sorrow and weeping are no more. The favor of the Lord is given to us because of Christ. We endure suffering and pain, but we look with hope toward the morning when all of that will be no more.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.This is the sight that gladdens - what peace it doth impart! Now nothing ever saddens the joy within my heart. No gloom shall ever shake, no foe shall ever take the hope which God's own Son in love for me has won. (LSB 467:3)Deac. Emma Heinz, registrar for Higher Things.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.

September 12, 2025Today's Reading: Philippians 4:1-23 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 31:1-21; Philippians 4:1-23 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.“Do not be anxious.” I am anxious about everything from making phone calls to whether I'm a good enough employee, mom, or wife. It is easy for me to be anxious and to hear “do not be anxious” as an anxiety-inducing rule that I cannot keep, even if I try really hard. The same may be true for you. Even if you don't get anxious about things that ultimately are not worth it, there are genuine worries we face in life, from seemingly small things, like grades, to the state of this broken, sinful world; there's always something to worry about. And still, Paul says, “Do not be anxious.” Paul knew about anxiety-inducing circumstances. He had been run out of towns, beaten to within an inch of his life, imprisoned and freed, and as he wrote this letter, he was in his final imprisonment in Rome, which led to his martyrdom. He would die for the faith, and yet he says not to be anxious. Paul echoes the words of Jesus, the Man Who suffered and died that all men might live a new life in Him. These words are not meant to condemn but to comfort the troubled heart. It is an invitation to let go of the things we try so hard to control. To let go of the things that are too heavy for us to carry. Instead, we take our burdens to God in prayer, knowing He hears us and answers us. To combat our anxious hearts and busy thoughts, He gives us His peace. Through His Word and Sacraments, God fulfills His promises of peace and salvation. Christ's death and resurrection bring life to you, a life of hope and confidence. Confidence that God, your Father, gives you all you need according to His wisdom. Confidence that you are justified by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. Confidence in knowing that even when anxiety, suffering, and even your own death comes, you need not fear. Jesus is bigger than whatever you will face and has already defeated sin, evil, and death. Dear one, remember the God of all comfort claims you as His own. He will neither leave you nor forsake you.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Yea, Lord, 'twas Thy rich bounty gave my body, soul, and all I have in this poor life of labor. Lord, grant that I in ev'ry place may glorify Thy lavish grace and help and serve my neighbor. Let no false doctrine me beguile; and Satan not my soul defile. Give strength and patience unto me to bear my cross and follow Thee. Lord Jesus Christ, My God and Lord, my God and Lord, in death Thy comfort still afford. (LSB 708:2)Deac. Emma Heinz, registrar for Higher Things.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.

September 11, 2025Today's Reading: Catechism: Daily Prayers: Morning & Evening PrayerDaily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 29:1-24; Philippians 3:1-21“For into Your hands I commend my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.” (Luther's Morning & Evening Prayers)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.If you are not familiar with Luther's morning and evening prayers, I recommend you check them out and say them often. They are good prayers, and praying is good. You won't get extra piety points for praying them, but they offer a simple and clear message about who you are (God's child through Baptism), where you land in the grand scheme of the cosmos (redeemed sinner, whose sins were paid for by Christ Jesus' death and resurrection), and give a good opening and closing line to your day (beginning and ending with asking for deliverance from evil and forgiveness of sins). It's all familiar enough language to us, but it is the endings of these two prayers I want to focus on.Both prayers end with the same two sentences, and if you can't learn the whole of the two prayers, I encourage you to memorize this. “For into Your hands I commend my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me that the evil foe may have no power over me.” These two lines hold great weight. We often think of short little prayers like these as simple prayers for little kids, but pay attention to the words. Commending means to entrust someone with something, knowing they will care for it appropriately. We commend ourselves and everything (not just the things that affect us directly, but everything) to God. And then we ask that the evil foe may have no power over us. To tackle this, I have another “little kid prayer” to talk about. “Now I Lay Me Down,” a common kid's prayer, ends with, “If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” At first, the two lines seem at odds. One prays that the evil foe may have no power over us. The other, apparently admitting defeat, at least asks that God take our souls to heaven when death does catch up to us. Luther's ending lines are a profession that even in death, the evil foe has no power over you. Because rather than die eternally, you have been given life forever in Christ. Even when the evening of our life comes, we know we will wake on a new and brighter morning. So we pray these prayers (daily), knowing that we belong to God, Who has conquered the evil foe. You are commended to God, go forth in joy, knowing your sins are forgiven and you will not die eternally.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Guard us waking, guard us sleeping, and when we die, may we in Your mighty keeping all peaceful lie. When the last dread call shall wake us, then O Lord, do not forsake us, but to reign in glory take us with You on high. (LSB 877:3)Deac. Emma Heinz, registrar for Higher Things.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.

September 10, 2025Today's Reading: Philippians 2:12-30Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 9:1-13; 10:18-29; 2 Kings 13:1-18:8; Philippians 2:12-30“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Good works get a bad rap in the Lutheran church. We proudly confess that we are saved by grace and not by good works. And that's correct; I'm not about to undo 500+ years of good Lutheran teaching. However, we can't just throw good works out entirely, and St. Paul's writing to the Philippians says as much. He charges the church to continue obeying God's will and Paul's teaching. He explains that God works through them to accomplish good works according to His will. Paul wants the Philippians to live out their Christian lives faithfully, which means being obedient to the Lord. In saying, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,” Paul does not mean for the people to work hard enough with enough reverence to earn salvation. For one thing, that opposes what he teaches and what Christ teaches, and for another thing, it's impossible for us to accomplish, hence the need for Jesus in the first place. To work out your own salvation really means to work outwardly from your salvation towards others. It is a command to do good works, not because that is how you earn salvation, but because it is by those works that God's will is done among us. And as baptized children of God, having been made new, from the inside out, we are now to live as Christians. Paul is not giving the Philippians a mandate to earn their salvation. He is encouraging them and reminding them of what Christians do: good works for the sake of others. God worked the ultimate good through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus on the cross, by Whose death and resurrection we are made right with God Almighty, and the benefits thereof are given freely to you in the waters of Baptism, the Body and Blood of Communion, and the words of Absolution. Your good works do not and cannot gain you salvation. Salvation is the free Gift of God. Rather, the good works you do flow outwardly from the salvation you have been given. So go forth, good and faithful servant, knowing that God has prepared work for you so that you might bless others because of the love of Christ Jesus.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O Spirit, who didst once restore thy Church that it might be again the bringer of good news to men, breathe on thy cloven church once more, that in these grey and latter days there may be those whose life is praise, each life a high doxology to Father, Son, and unto Thee. (LSB 834:4)Deac. Emma Heinz, registrar for Higher Things.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.

September 9, 2025Today's Reading: Philemon 1-21Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 6:1-23; 2 Kings 6:24-8:29; Philippians 1:21-2:11“That you might have him back forever, no longer as a bonderservant, but more than a bonderservant, as a beloved brother” (Philemon 16)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Philemon is a short book and can seem an odd inclusion to the New Testament. It seems more like a private letter Paul is sending rather than something millions of people would read for centuries after it was written. The contents of the letter are this: Onesimus, a slave, runs away from his master, Philemon, to Paul. Paul, after catechizing Onesimus, decides to send him back to Philemon. Paul also sends Onesimus with a note, asking Philemon to receive Onesimus back, not as a slave but as a brother in Christ. Paul's request of Philemon is not a small one. As a slave, Onesimus had no rights, no legal recourse, and could've been killed for running away from his master. Paul is asking for Onesimus' life to be spared and that Philemon treat him as an equal—as brothers, coheirs, in Christ. This was likely difficult for Philemon. Onesimus had wronged him, run away from him, broken both the legal Roman laws and the Law of God (honor authority and whatnot). Instead, Paul charges Philemon to forgive him and treat him as he would treat Paul. Paul is saying, “Do not look upon Onesimus according to the world but according to Christ Jesus.” These words are also a charge and conviction to us. How many of us would like to treat those who sin against us according to the law? How many times has a sister gotten back at her brother for breaking her toys, or a brother taken revenge on his sister for stealing his money? The same can be asked of full-grown adults, who “know better.” It is easy to get revenge. It is harder to forgive. Paul is asking Philemon to do the harder thing for the sake of Christ. It is because of Christ that Philemon can look in love upon his former slave and forgive him. It is because of Christ that Paul can sit in prison and yet remain faithful. It is because of Christ that you and I can look upon others as someone for whom Christ died. Not only that, God looks upon us as someone redeemed by the blood of His only Son. When God looked upon Onesimus and Philemon, He saw His Jesus. When God looks upon you, He sees Jesus. When we look at one another, we ought to see Jesus. Paul's charge is to forgive as we have been forgiven. Go forth, forgiven child of God, knowing that where there were once enemies, there are now brothers and sisters in Christ.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Jesus sinners doth received; also I have been forgiven; and when I earth must leave, I shall find an open heaven. Dying still to him I cleave; Jesus sinners doth receive. (LSB 609:7)Deac. Emma Heinz, registrar for Higher Things.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.

September 8, 2025 Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 5:9-27; Philippians 1:1-20“loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” (Deuteronomy 30:20)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.God keeps His promises. He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that He would give them the Promised Land, and now, the Israelites are about to cross the Jordan River into that land. God keeps His promises. God promised Israel He would be their God and they would be His people. And because of that promise, they are given this hard word to remind them they are set apart from other peoples with other gods. The Lord has made them His own. The Lord took on Himself the burden of keeping the covenant in the stead of Abraham because He knew Abraham couldn't, and neither would his descendants. And in spite of the Israelites, the covenant remained because it was contingent on the Lord, not the actions of sinful man. God keeps His promises. God kept the greater promise of a savior. God made Abraham the father of many nations by sending Jesus Christ to save sinners. Jesus kept the law of God and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice to cover the sins of the people. Even while we were still sinners, wandering after other gods, Christ died for us. Now, having been washed in the waters of Baptism, we are made God's holy people, and because His words have claimed us as His own, the forgiveness of sins and eternal life are yours. He promises where the Word is, there He is also, in, with, and under the bread and wine of His Holy Supper. God promises to be your life and length of days, that you may dwell in His presence eternally, not on the condition that you keep His command, but because Christ Jesus has clothed you in righteousness. God keeps His promises to you and for you.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The God of Abraham praise, Whose all sufficient grace shall guide me all my pilgrim days in all my ways. He deigns to call me friend; He calls Himself my God. And He shall save me to the end through Jesus' blood. (LSB 798:3)Deac. Emma Heinz, registrar for Higher Things.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.

September 7, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 14:25-35Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 4:38-5:8; Ephesians 6:1-24“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:28)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Jesus gives examples of people who measured the cost of their goal and ultimately stepped away from it. A man would not build a tower if he could not pay for it. A king would not go to war if he knew he would lose. Neither man followed through. Jesus says anyone who does not hate his father and mother cannot be his disciple. At first glance, this is against what Jesus teaches at other times: “Love your neighbor as yourself,” but if we take it in the context of the later verses, what is Jesus saying? A man building a tower who runs out of money not even halfway through loses quite a lot: financial stability and his reputation. A king going to war against a stronger army loses even more: his kingdom and his life. What does a disciple of Jesus stand to lose? What is the cost of discipleship?The answer is everything.. Jesus says anyone who will not take up his own cross and follow Christ cannot be a disciple. Anyone who is not willing to leave family, fame, fortune, or anything else is not a faithful follower. By this word, we are convicted. In our sin, we cannot follow God's law perfectly. We are unable and unwilling. We cannot afford to be a disciple of Christ and gain eternal life. The cost is too high because the cost is total obedience to God, and we, fallen sinners, are not capable of such a thing. Immediately following this passage in Luke, Jesus tells the parable of the good shepherd, in which the shepherd leaves everything behind to find the lost sheep, risking his life—risking everything. This shepherd finds the lost sheep and returns to the fold, having successfully fulfilled his goal, unlike the men from before. The good shepherd decided the reward was worth whatever the cost may be. Of course, the good shepherd in the parable is our Good Shepherd, Christ Jesus. God measured the cost of reconciling humanity to Himself and saving us from sin, death, and the devil. He knew that it was a high price to pay: the death of His only Son. The Son took on human flesh, lived, suffered, and died because, though the cost was high, He was the only one Who could pay it. In His death and resurrection, Jesus paid the price for the redemption of the world. Rather than having to earn our place as His disciples, His children, He gives it freely to us, in the Word and Sacraments. The cost of discipleship is high, but it has been paid, and the benefits are yours.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O merciful Lord, You did not spare Your only Son but delivered Him up for us all. Grant us courage and strength to take up the cross and follow Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.Deac. Emma Heinz, registrar for Higher Things.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.

September 6, 2025Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 13 - Psalm 119:28-32; antiphon: Psalm 119:27Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 4:8-22, 32-37; Ephesians 5:15-33“I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame!” (Psalm 119:31)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Psalm 119 is the big one. This long psalm is the longest chapter in Scripture at a whopping 176 verses. Arranged in sections based on the Hebrew alphabet, there are recurring themes that run through it. Like a friend who can talk about a single subject and everything that touches upon it for hours, so Psalm 119 keeps coming back to the same topics. The Law. Sin. Salvation. Hope. Sorrow. The desire to do good works. It's like the psalmist put a short album on continuous repeat.So it is in this section. It begins with sorrow and a fervent prayer to learn God's law. Though the writer has announced that he has set God's way of faithfulness before him, yet he still fears being put to shame and needs God to work on his heart before he can live according to God's Commandments. You get the sense that the writer is writing this not long after falling into sin. He is struck by the terrors of God's perfect Law in his conscience. He desires to keep the Law, setting it before his eyes, but the intensity of it sounds as if the writer was a devastated child who was caught after disobeying his parents on something big.Where is help to be found, for the psalmist and for you? When your conscience attacks you, run to the testimonies of the Gospel. Run to the accounts where the Holy Spirit testifies of God's love for you in Christ. Set Jesus' compassionate miracles in front of you, where He helps those who cannot help themselves. Read again how forgiveness is given, though no one deserves it. Hear how God's own blood shed on a cross was enough to stave off God's anger at you. See how Jesus restores Peter after he denied Jesus. Marvel at how Jesus appeared to Paul and saw him not for his past sins, but instead showed him mercy. Reflect on this Son made man, who quenched the Father's anger in His wounds. And don't forget to go to your pastor, as well! Your pastor is given to teach these testimonies of grace to you and to apply them. Listen to your pastor's sermons with greater interest, for though he is sent to preach the Law that exposes your sins, yet he also is sent to preach the Gospel and unburden your conscience. With Jesus set before you, you can cling to God's testimonies of grace and never be put to shame.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The Law reveals the guilt of sin And makes us conscience stricken; But then the Gospel enters in The sinful soul to quicken. Come to the cross, trust Christ, and live; The Law no peace can ever give, No comfort and no blessing. (LSB 555:8)Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

September 5, 2025Today's Reading: Ephesians 4:25-5:14Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 2:19-25; 4:1-7; Ephesians 4:25-5:14 “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.There is a false teaching that says that no one could be lost if they have ever come to saving faith. Popularly going by the slogan, “Once saved, always saved,” this is a horrible false teaching. One reason this is so horrible is that it leads people to think that it does not matter if they lead a sinful life or not, because they're automatically in, no matter what. But that's not what our Scripture reading says.Today, Paul warns the Ephesians to “not grieve the Holy Spirit.” Grieving the Holy Spirit is when a believing Christian nevertheless turns to a life of intentional, willful sin against the Ten Commandments. We see this with King David, who lost the Holy Spirit for many months after he slept with Uriah's wife. There are various other Scriptural and life examples as well where someone had the faith and lost it. When the Holy Spirit is grieved, He flees the person's heart and takes saving faith with Him, too. This is one reason why sexual sin is especially dangerous. It is a faith killer.Once saved, always saved? No. But what we can say, and are glad to say, is that even the lost can be found. Even when Christians fall into sin, God calls them to renewed repentance for all their sins. No one living is hopeless. No one living is outside of God's desire to redeem. God wants all to be saved, to repent and believe in the Gospel. Our sins abound. We would be lost without the mercy of Jesus. But He is merciful. He gave His life for sinners. He died for all sins - even future sins that haven't been done. He defeated death for us by His glorious resurrection. Now He sends His Holy Spirit by His Word, even when people have turned away. By that Word, the Holy Spirit comes. He brings the unrepentant to repent, and the repentant to faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit can restore faith to those who have fallen away - He did with King David, after all. He sent Nathan the prophet, whose words of the Law broke David's hardness of heart, and whose words of the Gospel restored David to saving faith. Then, as a fruit of saving faith, the Holy Spirit restores the forgiven believer to holiness of living.The Holy Spirit has sealed you for the day of redemption. He did not come to sanctify sin, but He did come to sanctify you. And through faith in Christ alone, you remain God's temple, and the Holy Spirit dwells in you. Continue in this faith and in a God-pleasing life!In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Let me be Thine forever, My faithful God and Lord; Let me forsake Thee never Nor wander from Thy Word. Lord, do not let me waver, But give me steadfastness, And for such grace forever Thy holy name I'll bless. (LSB 689:1)Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

September 4, 2025Today's Reading: Catechism: Who Receives This Sacrament Worthily?Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 2:1-18; Ephesians 4:1-24Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training. But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: ‘Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.'  But anyone who does not believe these words or doubts them is unworthy and unprepared, for the words ‘for you' require all hearts to believe. (Small Catechism part 6, “Who receives this Sacrament worthily?”)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The Lord's Supper can be confusing, especially when it comes to church fellowship. The issue of closed Communion has been tough to understand, let alone explain to friends and family of other churches not in fellowship with your church. But the issue all comes back to what Holy Scripture says about worthiness. 1 Corinthians 11:27-30 is the place to find this. Go read it.Worthy eating of the Lord's Supper does not mean “better than you” eating. Worthy eating is based on faith in these words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” Those who confess this Christian faith in the same way are welcome to take, eat, and drink. Since the Sacrament harms people who eat it unworthily, closed Communion protects them. If someone does not believe this bread IS Jesus' body and the wine IS His blood, if they disagree about the Gospel or original sin, they do not have the same confession of the faith. And the Sacrament would harm them, even while it helped you.It's like prescription medicines. Prescription medicines help the people for whom they are prescribed, but they harm people for whom they are not prescribed. So it is with the Lord's Supper, the medicine of immortality. Those who share the same faith in Christ and His Words, and confess this faith the same are like those who have the same sickness and are prescribed the same medicine. They can safely take the Sacrament together. But loved ones, friends, and neighbors who do not believe this nor confess this the same should wait until they come to the same faith and the same confession. For Scripture says, unworthy eating harms them. This is why closed Communion matters.But closed Communion does not mean lovelessness, either. We want people to be worthy. We want family who don't agree with us, or friends of a church not in fellowship with us, to be able to take Communion. We also just want them to take it safely. So perhaps the best approach is to say, “Let's make that happen. Let's go, ask the pastor to teach us. I'll be your sponsor and sit in your classes with you.” Then, you both may be able to safely take the Sacrament together in the only worthy way. God grant His Word and Spirit to bring unity where there is division.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.At Your feet I cry, my maker, Let me be a fit partaker Of this blessed food from heaven, For our good, Your glory, given. (LSB 636:6)Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

September 3, 2025Today's Reading: 1 Kings 19:1-21Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 19:1-21; 1 Kings 20:1-22:53; Ephesians 3:1-21“And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched [Elijah] and said, ‘Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.'” (1 Kings 19:7)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.On the run from the enraged Queen Jezebel, Elijah went as far as he could go. But it wasn't far enough. Exhausted in the wilderness, alone and having no food, that was the least of the prophet's problems. For if Queen Jezebel's army caught up to him, Elijah was a dead man. And his own power and strength could not save him.This is your problem, too. In the wilderness of this life, you also cannot go the whole way by your own power and strength. Relying on your own abilities gets you into the middle of a wilderness, exhausted and all alone. Do not think too highly of your strength. See how little ability you have to keep God's Commandments perfectly. To make things worse, the threat of certain death for your sins looms over you as well. You cannot overcome your own mortality. Your own power and strength cannot save you.Elijah was spared when God sent an angelic messenger with a word of grace. That word was, “Arise and eat.” This is truly a word of God's grace, because it promised and gave to Elijah what he had not deserved. This Word brought Elijah a heaven-sent food. It was bread from heaven, a new manna for a new wilderness journey. Elijah ate, not just once but twice. In other words, God gave Elijah this word of grace and this heavenly bread, again and again, because it gave him strength, hope, and life that he did not have.You also are like Elijah. All you can rely on is God's Word of grace in Christ Jesus. His cross has won salvation for all sinners. His empty tomb has defeated your death. Now, His gracious Word carries to you the life and salvation His cross won. Here is life for you! You are not alone anymore, because through faith, God mystically joins you to Him. You no longer have to rely on your own power and strength, for you have God's gracious promise in Jesus. Even better, God's Word of grace directs you to arise and eat a new food from heaven in the Sacrament of the Altar. Arise and eat, again and again. In the Body and Blood of Jesus, there is strength, hope, and life for you. The journey is too great for you, but not if you go by the strength of this new heavenly manna.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.My Lord, You here have led me To this most holy place And with Yourself have fed me The treasures of Your grace; For You have freely given What earth could never buy, The bread of life from heaven That now I shall not die. (LSB 642:2)Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

September 2, 2025Today's Reading: Hebrews 13:1-17Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 18:20-40; Ephesians 2:1-22“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The Lord helps you. And not because of anything you have done to merit this gracious favor. And also not because of who you are, who you are related to, or how much you have. Instead, God gives divine help to you simply out of grace, giving you better than you have deserved.For you are a sinner who should be judged by God. You have not always loved God above all things. You likewise have not shown brotherly love at all times to your neighbor. You have acted selfishly. You have spoken what you should not have said. Your thoughts have been tainted with sinful desires like lust or revenge. What is worse, you are unable to help yourself when it comes to making God pleased with you. You cannot charm God, wrapping Him around your little finger to get special treatment.So why would the Lord ever want to be your helper? On account of Jesus' perfect life in your place, His sacrificial death, and His blood shed to cover your sins. “He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, death and the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.” (Explanation to the 2nd Article of the Creed, the Small Catechism). There is nothing in you that merits God's divine help, but there is everything in Jesus' death in your place that merits this.And He gives this great salvation to you freely. Free gift! No strings attached! No conditions put upon receiving it! It is for you. God loved us when we were His enemies. So for this reason alone, He helps. And the help God gives is 100% done by Him. He does everything for you and your salvation. You simply receive. That's what faith in Christ does. Faith holds to Jesus and His promises made in Holy Scripture, which cannot be broken. Therefore, you can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Since Christ has full atonement made And brought to us salvation, Each Christian therefore may be glad And build on this foundation. Your grace alone, dear Lord, I plead, Your death is now my life indeed, For You have paid my ransom. (LSB 555:6)Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

September 1, 2025Today's Reading: Proverbs 25:2-10Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 18:1-19; Ephesians 1:1-23“Do not reveal another's secret, lest he who hears you bring shame upon you, and your ill repute have no end.” (Proverbs 25:9b-10)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Some words were never meant to be said. Proverbs teaches that the secrets of your neighbor are not to be shared. A secret is anything kept from general awareness that would bring shame if it were revealed. Whether it's a secret crush, a regrettable past incident, or a fear few others know, no one likes to have their secrets made public.Sometimes you have to speak, though. If the secret is dangerous to that person or to others, or to someone's property, this should not stay secret. Because this is no longer about covering shame. This is about protecting a person. If a friend tells you he is suicidal, you need to tell people in authority who can help. The friend might not want you to. They might say they won't trust you again if you do tell. But you need to help that person, and there are good ways to work through this situation. One good way is to encourage the other person that they should tell their harmful secret to people who love them. Parents, teachers, pastors, police officers, God gave us these authorities for such reasons. But promise to be with your friend the whole way and support them as they reveal their secret. It may be hard for them, but it is easier if you or another friend is with them.Where someone could be harmed, a secret must be told, and in the best situation, by the person who has that secret himself. But where it's a matter of covering someone's shameful and regretted words, actions, or thoughts, then secrets should be kept hidden. In Eden, God covered Adam and Eve's shame by clothing them with animal skins. God did not speak about how shameful they were. Instead, God shed blood - the first blood shed in Scripture - as a way to cover the shame of our first parents. Jesus likewise covers shame by His blood. Romans 10:11 says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” So Jesus takes our shame away as the pure Gospel that faith clings to is preached. The Lord's Supper likewise applies Jesus' blood on you. And shame is covered and removed.Proverbs directs us to speak like God. Since God does not uncover shame, let us not uncover our neighbor's shame. Let us speak the truth in love, having love so that our neighbor's personal shame is not revealed. In this way, we treat our neighbor the way that God has treated us.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Help us that we Thy saving Word In faithful hearts may treasure; Let e'er that Bread of Life afford New grace in richest measure. O make us die to every sin, Each day create new life within, That fruits of faith may flourish. (LSB 693:2)Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

August 31, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 14:1-14Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 16:29-17:24; 2 Corinthians 10:1-13:14; 2 Corinthians 9:1-15“Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.It has been said that pride was the cause of the devil's fall from a good angel into an evil one. This view was held by some early Christians, and also by Martin Luther. About pride, Luther also said, “Whoever trusts and boasts that he possesses great skill, prudence, power, favor, friendship, and honor has also a god, but not this true and only God." (LC I:1.10). Pride is defined as the love of one's own excellence. But where one loves himself and his excellence above all things, he turns himself into his own false god.  Jesus, God's Son made man, knows pride is dangerous. So He teaches the wedding feast parable. Those taking the highest place at a wedding reception will be humbled and forced to sit lower. There is no higher place at a wedding reception than the seats where the bride and groom sit. Imagine the audacity of a guest kicking the groom out of his place of honor! But that's what pride does. Pride kicks Christ, the Bridegroom of the Church, out of His central place of honor.What is the lowest place at a wedding reception? Perhaps the lowest place I can think of is if the wedding is in the middle of winter, and they have valets parking the cars. A shivering valet sits, waiting for the next car, but is not welcome to eat or drink. This would definitely be the lowest place at a winter wedding. So it will be for those who upstage Christ. They will be taken from the banquet, forced to do uncomfortable labor, and unwelcome to eat at the heavenly feast.But those who take the lowest place will be raised. These are repentant Christians who look in faith to Jesus for their salvation. So you who tremble because of your sins and rejoice in the Gospel that frees you, will be raised to honor on the Last Day. Christ, who died and rose, is the bridegroom. The Church is His Bride. So the sinner who trusts this Gospel for his salvation is raised to the highest place, the place of the Bride, along with all believing Christians. A bride rejoices in the love of her bridegroom and the new union they have together. So it is for the Church who believes in the Gospel of Jesus' love, rejoices to hear it again, and is united even deeper in love and faithfulness together at the very end.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O Lord of grace and mercy, teach us by Your Holy Spirit to follow the example of Your Son in true humility, that we may withstand the temptations of the devil and with pure hearts and minds avoid ungodly pride; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

August 30, 2025Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 12 - Psalm 75:1-2, 6, 9; antiphon: Psalm 75:7Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 12:20-13:5, 33-34; 1 Kings 14:1-16:28; 2 Corinthians 8:1-24“We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near.” (Psalm 75:1)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Tomorrow's introit reminds us of this blessed reality: the Name of the Lord is near. In fact, it is so near, it is upon you!These are some awesome and particularly appropriate words for an introit—psalm verses for entering our Lord's sanctuary and being brought into His presence.You were given the ability to call on our holy and Triune God at your Baptism, when the Lord used your pastor to speak and wash you into new birth from above. In those joyous moments, the Name of the Lord came near as He placed His name upon you! “I baptize you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Now the name of the Lord is so near, it is on you. In you. At Baptism, you were blessed with the Gift of calling on Him in prayer. Praying, praising, and giving thanks. God brings you, His child, to talk with Him “as dear children ask their dear father.”The Word of the Lord continues bringing His name near. Your pastor preaches. In Bible Class, you are taught that Word, as His name comes near. The Word is spoken in conversations of encouragement among faithful family and friends, and that brings God's name near, too.Of course, the high point of every Lord's Day is when the Name of the Lord is near, coming with the holy and precious Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Here is the greatest moment of the presence of God. The clearest, most felt and experienced nearness of God and His Name. With His own flesh and blood, Jesus brings the name of God in, with, and under Him to permeate you, bless you, and nourish you with His forgiving and saving presence. Where His name is, there He is to make you His own.So here we are, entering the sanctuary of the Holy Trinity, with His name washed onto us from Baptism and repeatedly placed on us with Word and Sacrament. With that holy name upon us, Jesus, who makes His name near, makes us worthy to enter His church building and receive Him yet again in Word and Sacrament, and we respond with giving thanks.We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. (Psalm 75:1)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Baptized into Your name, most holy, O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I claim a place, though weak and lowly, Among Your saints, Your chosen host. Buried with Christ and dead to sin, Your Spirit now shall live within. (LSB 590:1)Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

August 29, 2025 Today's Reading: Mark 6:14-29Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 11:42-12:19; 2 Corinthians 7:1-16“Some said, ‘John the Baptist has been raised from the dead.'”  (Mark 6:14)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus has a “creepy” cousin. You know the one: the “wild man.” He hung out in the wilderness, ate bugs, and went off on the sins of Herod, knowing full well that it could get him arrested and imprisoned – or worse. But like St. Bartholomew, he also held nothing back and spoke the truth. The most infamous truth he preached was against the sham of a marriage that Herod had with his brother's ex-wife. He called Herod and his “wife” out on their adultery, and she was livid. She ended up forcing Herod's hand in having John thrown into prison. Then, in one of the cringiest moments in Scripture, Mrs. Herod's daughter (Herod's niece-turned-stepdaughter) dances seductively, and he promises her whatever she wants. Her mother manipulates her to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. (The Herods are textbook examples of dysfunction and cruel behavior.)These events haunted Herod. He felt guilty and was superstitious that John might come back and torment him, or that God might punish him for this. Not only this unbelieving king, but the local people thought about all this, too. They were mesmerized by John and wondered if he was a prophet or even the Christ. And in the midst of the arrest, disappearance, and now beheading of John, “Some said, ‘John the Baptist has been raised from the dead.'”Earlier, some were confused that John was the Christ. Now, some were confused that the Christ was John. People tend to misunderstand and become confused about a great many things when they try to understand God apart from His Word.Not so with you. The Lord delivers His Word to you. He has called you to faith in the true Christ, supported by the preaching and preparation of St. John the Baptist. He witnesses the truth of the Gospel through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus, along with His many martyrs, including “Creepy John” – St. John the Baptist.John the Baptist has been raised from the dead? Soon. He has fallen asleep in Jesus, and is safe and blessed with the Lord, until the day when Christ Jesus will call him from his grave, join his head to his body, and glorify and resurrect John (and you and me) to live with him forever.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, You gave Your servant John the Baptist to be the forerunner of Your Son, Jesus Christ, in both his preaching of repentance and his innocent death. Grant that we, who have died and risen with Christ in Holy Baptism, may daily repent of our sins, patiently suffer for the sake of the truth, and fearlessly bear witness to His victory over death; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

August 28, 2025 Today's Reading: Catechism: How Can Bodily Eating and Drinking Do Such Great Things?Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 11:1-26; 2 Corinthians 6:1-18Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. (Small Catechism, SA)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Augustine had a lot to forgive. He was a wild child who knowingly avoided the Lord. His father was a pagan, but his mother was a Christian, so he was no stranger to the Church. Still, he was not a fan. This spiraled into one bad choice after another, so Augustine believed many false teachings and Manichean philosophies, lived in sin, fathered a child without marrying the mother, and still refused the biblical pleadings of his own mother.As a Manichean, he believed that the soul was good and the body was evil. Augustine would have a hard time wrapping his brain around a biblical unity of body and soul. This would carry over to the Lord's Supper. For Augustine, before coming to faith, the Eucharist would be extremely difficult to understand. How could the good and holy God take on flesh that would be evil? And how would He then take on flesh, in and with something earthly like bread? It's all so confusing; How can bodily eating and drinking do such great things?It is not just the bodily eating and drinking that does these things. The Lord works a miracle with the Sacrament. Each and every time, the Word of God, along with the eating and drinking of that bread and wine, gives the real and true flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. And that flesh and blood is not evil or corrupt, like the early Manichean Augustine thought. It is Body and Blood that is good and perfect and holy, placing your God into you, so you taste and see that the Lord is good!In time, God rescued Augustine from his sin and brought him to faith. The extremely intelligent scholar and great speaker became a humble catechumen and member of the Church, and later, a great bishop and saint.Augustine had a lot to forgive. You do, too. That is precisely why our good and holy Lord took on flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary. That is also precisely why He gives us His holy and precious Body and Blood in the Eucharist. As the perfect and holy body of Jesus enters you, your corrupt body is sanctified from within. Forgiveness, life, and salvation are given through these words, Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins so that you may be strengthened and preserved in body and soul to life everlasting. Amen.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Thy body, giv'n for me, O Savior, Thy blood which Thou for me didst shed, These are my life and strength forever, By them my hungry soul is fed. Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood Be for my soul the highest good! (LSB 619:1)Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

August 27, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 13:22-30Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 9:1-9; 10:1-13; 2 Corinthians 5:1-21“Strive to enter through the narrow door… And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 13:24a, 29)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. St. Monica encouraged her son, Augustine, toward the narrow door. She lived out her faith as an example. She prayed for her son and sought advice from her pastor and bishop, St. Ambrose. Yet it felt like nothing she did could move her son to faith.Meanwhile, Augustine seemed to stray further from the narrow door of Christ and into the wide open perils of the day. His education introduced him to unbiblical and anti-Christ philosophies. In our times, we might say that he went off to school and partied, never checking out the campus ministry. He even fathered a baby outside of marriage.There was nothing Monica could do to make Augustine go to the narrow door. For that matter, nothing that Augustine could do or say or think would get him to that door either. But that's the point.The Holy Spirit is the One who calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies. God answered Monica's countless prayers favorably and eventually brought Augustine to faith. He turned him around and crafted Augustine into one of the greatest pastors and teachers of the faith in the history of the Church. But all of that had nothing to do with Augustine's or Monica's choices. It was the work of God.The Spirit led Augustine, as He has led you, to the saving Gospel of Christ. The broad and easy road of this world is tempting and looks fun, but it only leads to death and destruction. Looking for other paths and entrances only leads to “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” It is the narrow door of Christ alone that brings you salvation.  Be comforted, dear friends in Christ! In this passage, Jesus tells you that you have already been called to faith. You don't need to look any further. The Holy Spirit has gathered you and multitudes from east and west, from north and south, to recline at table in the kingdom of God. As you receive the Holy Eucharist at His Table, He gives you the forgiveness and strength to continue the way to and through the narrow door of Jesus to be resurrected and live with Him eternally. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O God, who is the Comforter of those that mourn, and the Salvation of those that hope in You, who graciously regarded the tearful pleading of saint Monica for the conversion of her son Augustine: grant, we implore You, that we may truly lament our sins and be made worthy to obtain Your gracious pardon; through 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 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

August 26, 2025 Today's Reading: Hebrews 12:4-24 (25-29)Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 8:22-30, 46-63; 2 Corinthians 4:1-18“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Peace. In the news, we hear about working toward peace in places like Israel and its neighbors, Russia and Ukraine, China, North Korea, and many more. We can define this word regarding international politics as getting along with other nations and ending any conflict and violence. Yet so much more is packed into the word “peace.”Peace can describe the perfect relationship of God and humanity, of an individual with everyone else, and all creation. God created everything, relating to it all in His peace. On the other hand, Satan and his cronies despise God and His peace. They work at frustrating His peace among people and creation. Sadly, all too often, we are willing to jump on the bandwagon of working against God's peace by making everything about ourselves. “Me! Me! Me!” we cry, fixating on what makes me happy, even if it is not good or helpful or loving for others. Old Adam isn't very peaceful, is he?The Lord speaks through the author of Hebrews today, telling you to strive for peace and holiness. Your old sinful self could never do this. Christ Jesus, however, can and did. With His suffering, death, and resurrection, He restored our peace with God. This peace is now delivered by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has called you by the Gospel, enlightened you with His gifts, sanctified and kept you in the true faith. As He does this, He is drawing you back into a healed and restored relationship with God—that is His peace!That's right! As God's baptized child, you have received His peace. Now you live in faith, and God tells you here in Hebrews to continue in that peace. Strive for it. Work towards it. Be an instrument of God's peace with everyone. How? You strive for peace as you encourage others to hear His Word and receive His Sacraments. You strive for peace as you live out your faith by loving and serving your neighbor, placing them and their needs above your own. And the Spirit does exactly that, giving God's peace to you and through you.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord be our light when worldly darkness veils us; Lord, be our shield when earthly armor fails us; And in the day when hell itself assails us, Grant us your peace Lord: Peace in our hearts, where sinful thoughts are raging, Peace in Your Church, our troubled souls assuaging, Peace when the world its endless war is waging, Peace in Your heaven. (LSB 659:3,4)Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

August 25, 2025Today's Reading: Isaiah 66:18-23Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 7:51-8:21; 2 Corinthians 3:1-18“The time is coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they shall come and shall see my glory.” (Isaiah 66:18b)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the Harry Potter Wizarding World, non-magical people are called “Muggles,” or for a more vulgar slur, “Mud Bloods.” The Israelites who first heard Isaiah preaching today's reading would have heard the Hebrew word “goi” (nations) and would have had very better-than-you, condescending attitudes. How dare Isaiah preach Law to them, and that God would gather these Mud Blood Gentiles to Himself?!The history of the world has taken a very different turn, and so many times the tables were turned, and Gentiles have persecuted the descendants of Israel with better-than-you, condescending views. Whether we have participated in or ignored this particular sin, we all fall into the trap of thinking too highly of ourselves, and join the ancient Israelites.Still, the Holy One of Israel brings you joy today as He proclaims that He gathers His Church not only from the Children of Israel, but from lowly goi like you!    The Lord gathered all to see His glory at the birth of Jesus. God demonstrated that Christ was for all when He announced the birth to humble Jewish shepherds in Bethlehem, senior citizens in the Temple like Simeon and Anna, and to the goi, with Wise Men traveling from other lands to see “He who has been born King of the Jews.”The Lord gathered all to see His glory at Calvary. At the moment when it seemed least likely and looked like a horrific defeat, God was displaying His perfect and holy glory. In the crucified Jesus, we see a perfect and loving God who gave His life for us all. This ultimate compassion has no equal and truly shows the glory of the Lord.The Lord gathered all to see His glory at the resurrection of Christ. First, He had angels announce it to women (turning upside down any cultural expectations). Then, He appeared to His apostles. And later, hundreds of others. In a little while, He called St. Paul to preach to the goi all over the Roman Empire, and the other apostles gradually expanded their mission through the known world.Someday, the Lord will gather all to see His glory at the Last Day. Every tribe, people, and language will see the coming of the Lord of the Nations and King of Creation. He will raise all the dead and give eternal life to you and all believers in Christ. The Holy One of Israel desires to gather all to see His glory, and in faith, live with Him forever.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.We are called to stand together With the saints of ages past, With the patriarchs and prophets In the faith they once held fast; Promises and hopes they treasured Now we find fulfilled at last! (LSB 828:1) Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

August 24, 2025Today's Reading: John 1:43-51Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 5:1-18; 1 Kings 6:1-7:50; 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:17“Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Philip said to him, ‘Come and see'... Nathanael answered Him, ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!'” (John 1:46, 49)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. For Nathanel, also known as Bartholomew, there was “no skin off my back” for telling the truth. He tells it like it is, even if the truth wouldn't be popular or well-received. “An Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” (v. 47) Philip knows this. He knows that this man of truth needs to meet Jesus. Although he doesn't hold back his skepticism that anything good could come out of Nazareth, Christ has compassion and lets Bartholomew know. Whatever hurt, brokenness, or time of prayer he went through under that fig tree, Jesus saw him and knew him. Now, the Son of God and King of Israel was calling him to be His disciple.Are you one who tells the truth, even if it is not popular or well-received? Or is there deceit in your life—lies and cover-ups for your secrets and exaggerations? No matter what, Jesus comes to you. The Son of God has seen you under your “fig tree.” Just like He saw Adam and Eve under their fig leaves with all of their shame and brokenness, but He doesn't leave you there in despair, He brings comfort out of knowing He sees you. Jesus has compassion on our first parents, on Bartholomew, and on you. At the fig tree, it is not a sense of “Oh! I've been caught!” but a comfort that the Son of God and King of Israel cares for you and calls and gathers you to Himself!Bartholomew met a rather gruesome end in this earthly life. You see, Bartholomew was martyred for telling the truth of Christ in Armenia. Sadly, proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the Son of God meant there was “skin off his back,” as St. Bartholomew was skinned alive and then killed. Yet we rejoice that this wasn't the end for Batholomew; this holy martyr is alive in Christ. This saint in whom there is no deceit is resting in perfect peace with the King of Israel right now, awaiting the Day of Resurrection, when his skin and his entire body will be resurrected and glorified, to live eternally with the Son of God whom he preached.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, Your Son, Jesus Christ, chose Bartholomew to be an apostle to preach the blessed Gospel. Grant that Your Church may love what he believed and preach what he taught; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

August 23, 2025Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 11 - Psalm 117; antiphon: Psalm 96:6a; 115:18Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 3:1-15; 1 Kings 3:16-4:34; 2 Corinthians 1:1-22“The faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.”  (Psalm 117:2)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.These words are easily said, but not so easily believed. God's faithfulness endures… forever? Forever is a long time. A lot can happen in that timespan. Whatever good things have happened and will happen, plus whatever bad things have happened and will happen, all that is included in “forever.” That's a lot of good and evil, a lot of laughter and a lot of tears, a lot of triumph and a lot of sickening loss. It is not easy to believe that God's faithfulness endures forever. Especially when you're on the receiving end of sorrow, grief, shame, hurt, addiction, loss, or any other affliction of body and soul, possessions, and reputation. Where is God's faithfulness then?But to be honest, faith in God's love and faithfulness to what He has promised in the Gospel is never easy. Instead, faith would be impossible if it were up to you. In good times, you would not think that you needed to trust in God's faithfulness. You would simply expect it, as you expect the light to turn on when you flick a switch. And in bad times, you would despair that God has forgotten to be faithful. You would hurt in your soul, thinking that God decided to forget you and leave you to figure your mess out for yourself. Neither attitude would foster saving faith in the heart.The good thing is, God's faithfulness endures forever for you, in Christ. In Jesus' cross, you see the epicenter of God's faithfulness for you, forever. In every time and circumstance, God's faithfulness in Jesus remains. What if you are smug and content, thinking little of Jesus' salvation and focused on other things more? Nonetheless, God's faithfulness remains in Christ. He calls you to repent, but His love for you remains. Jesus' blood redeems even those lost in apathy. And what if you despair of salvation? Even then, God's faithfulness remains in Christ. See the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And if He has taken away your sin by His death, there is nothing more that can condemn you.The Holy Spirit creates faith in Christ for you. This is not the believer's responsibility! This is the work of the Holy Spirit. Saving faith is what He does. We even know where the Holy Spirit works: the preaching of the pure Gospel, the Absolution, Baptism, the Lord's Supper, in the context of the liturgy. Since the Holy Spirit and not you is responsible for saving faith, it is much easier to believe in God's faithfulness, even when things are bad. Just be in the Word! The Holy Spirit will take care of the rest.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure By the cross are sanctified. Peace is there that knows no measure, Joys that through all time abide. (LSB 427:4)Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

August 22, 2025Today's Reading: 1 Kings 2:1-27Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 2:1-27; 1 Corinthians 14:1-16:24; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13“Keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.” (1 Kings 2:3)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.1 Kings 2 is quite the bloody chapter. King Solomon's reign began with bloodshed. He put Adonijah, his older (half-)brother, to death. Isn't Solomon supposed to be a God-pleasing person? He just heard God's promise to sustain him if he remained faithful to God's Word and walked according to it. But then, Solomon goes out and executes his half-brother!We have to understand the situation and the vocation and calling Solomon had. First, the situation. Adonijah was covetous. He desired the throne while pretending to come in peace. But his words revealed the treachery of his heart. Adonijah asked to be wed to Abishag, who had been married to David. That's completely disgusting, but it was likely intended as a political marriage only, for Adonijah knew the people of his time well. He knew that if they saw anyone marry King David's widow, that man should be seen as equal to David in power. Adonijah hated that Solomon had been made king over Israel and not he himself, so Adonijah set off to gain public support, to win the hearts of the people over, that he might depose Solomon from the throne when he became strong enough. The political marriage to Abishag was the first step in his wicked plot.We also should remember that Solomon had the vocation of being a king. As king, Solomon had the responsibility to bear the sword against anyone who would overthrow the rightful ruler. God has established rightful government and commands rightful authorities to be honored (4th commandment). So a believing king would first humble himself and repent of his own sins, trust in God's Word, have faith in the coming Christ, and live according to God's Word. But as a king, this would also include the duties of executing certain enemies of the state.Solomon was not the only king whose reign was marked by bloodshed. Jesus also fits in this category. As our King of Kings, Jesus' reign is marked by His bloodshed. By the shedding of His blood for our sins, Jesus began His rule as the King of Kings. His crown is made of thorns, His throne is made of wood. His rule is not one of violence but of peace in the heart. He also defeated our enemies who wanted to unseat Him from being king—sin, death, and the devil. Since He conquered them for us, we are safe through faith in Him.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Gone the past, unknown the future—Grace supplies my daily breath; Strong in Christ through death's dark valley, Firm and faithful unto death. (LSB 753:3)Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

August 21, 2025Today's Reading: Catechism: What is the Benefit of This Eating and Drinking?Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 1:1-4, 15-35; 1 Corinthians 12:14-31What is the benefit of such eating and drinking? These words: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins;” show us that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. (Small Catechism, 6th Chief Part)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Does your soul hunger for the Lord's Supper? It should. You should desire the Lord's Supper as one of the highest Gifts of God, for there are benefits, great Gifts, and advantages for taking this Sacrament as Christ instituted it.But what's that? You don't see the advantages? This doesn't look like a great Gift? You think the bread is weird and tastes nothing like normal bread? You think the wine is kind of funky, and you still question if you, as a minor, should be drinking alcohol? (Unless you are the kind that is already into drinking—in which case, you should look at what God says about honoring authority in the 4th commandment, repent, confess your sins, and receive the Gospel from your pastor).Despite what your reason and senses say, the words of Jesus speak much differently! (In Matthew 26:28, Jesus says that His blood is shed for the forgiveness of sins, and in Luke 22:19-20, Jesus says His Body and Blood are given for you in the Sacrament.) Trusting in your reason and senses is always a bad way to go when it comes to the things of God. Just as trusting in a deceitful person usually means that you are likely to be deceived. How deceitful are man's reason and senses, corrupted by our fallen nature!In the Sacrament, forgiveness, life, and salvation are yours. Whether or not you think you need forgiveness, life, and salvation, Jesus says you need this. Otherwise, He would not say, “Take, eat. Take, drink.” But He says these words. Therefore, He knows you need these Gifts. You need forgiveness because you are a sinner, and you need forgiveness in this Sacramental way, too. You need life—you need to eat this Sacramental fruit from the Tree of Life. And you need salvation, or you would be lost. With the faith that trusts these words “Given for you,” you have these three benefits. Forgiveness that takes the weight off your conscience. Life from the very veins of the Son of God. Salvation and rescue from your spiritual enemies: sin, death, and the devil. Who wouldn't hunger for such a great Sacrament?In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.He who craves a precious treasure Neither cost nor pain will measure; But the priceless gifts of heaven God to us has freely given. Though the wealth of earth were proffered, None could buy the gifts here offered: Christ's true body, for you riven, And His blood, for you once given. Amen. (LSB 636:1)Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

August 20, 2025Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:1-13Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 12:1-25; 2 Samuel 13:1-19:43; 1 Corinthians 12:1-13“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.” (1 Corinthians 12:1)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.There are a bunch of strange, hare-brained ideas out there. This is especially clear when the topic of “spiritual gifts” comes up. Some churches think this means people in the Holy Spirit start speaking in gibberish, which they call ‘speaking in tongues.' Some throw their hands up, roll around, or bark like a dog because they feel that they're filled with the Holy Spirit. Good grief. That's not how the Holy Spirit works. Others think “spiritual gifts” refers to created abilities and skills, from understanding people to working with electrical outlets. But then, why would Scripture call these “gifts of the Holy Spirit” when they're more like gifts of creation? Spiritual gifts are more than just skills and abilities. Remember, the Holy Spirit's role is that He “calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the Holy Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith” (Small Catechism, Creed, 3rd article explanation). So the Holy Spirit creates and sustains faith in people's hearts so that they believe in Jesus as their savior. He does this by the Word and sacraments. Therefore, it stands to reason that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit have something to do with edifying the faithful and assisting the Church on earth.Keep in mind the Holy Trinity when reading 1 Corinthians 12:4-6. Paul says, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.” God, Lord, and Spirit refer to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God the Father has various gifts of creation and vocational calling. He empowers these activities so that by doing your vocation, He is there enlisting you to help sustain His creation. The Lord Jesus has “varieties of service.” This especially refers to the Office of the Ministry that stands in the stead of Christ and by His Command. Yet in this one Office of the Ministry, there are different roles, from an assistant pastor to a professor to a missionary or a hospital chaplain.The Holy Spirit thus has a variety of gifts, too. He gave certain miraculous Gifts in the period right after the New Testament. But these are no more. Now, the Holy Spirit confines Himself to the normal churchly ways—by your pastor's preaching, baptizing, the Lord's Supper, your own study of God's Word, and devotional life. Here are the Spirit's primary Gifts today, not to mention faith in Christ and the love that comes from faith. God strengthen you in these true Gifts of the Spirit.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Heavenly Father, grant that we are not misled into strange teachings, but kept in the simple teaching of Scripture as we have come to know it by the Catechism. Amen.Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

August 19, 2025Today's Reading: Hebrews 11:17-31 (32-40); 12:1-3Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 11:1-27; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34“By faith…” (Heb.11:17a)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Hebrews 11 is called “the great chapter on faith,” and it's obvious why. Every Lutheran should cherish this chapter, because all over the place it says, “By faith.” That's a big part of the Lutheran, Biblical teaching. In this chapter, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, and others are examples of saving faith in God's Word and promises. These were people like you and me who trusted in God's promises throughout their lives and situations. Those promises were all fulfilled in Jesus. So the Old Testament faithful looked ahead in faith to Jesus, the Messiah who was to come.But there's even more in this chapter. If you notice, only certain events are mentioned in Hebrews 11, and other significant events are not. For example, nothing is said about Isaac getting married to Rebekah. Nothing is mentioned about Jacob seeing the heavenly staircase with angels going up and down on it. Nothing is mentioned about Moses delivering God's sacrificial system of worship to the people, though all these things were also clearly acts of faith. Other noble and important acts did not make the list, either. Something else is going on here than just a list of mere examples to try to be like.The specific Old Testament events in Hebrews 11 all point to Jesus. Jesus certainly fulfills the entire Old Testament, as He says in Luke 24, John 5, and many other places. Old Testament people, places, and events prefigure and point to the greater fulfillment that Jesus gives. So Jesus is like Isaac, the son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1), who was also offered as a sacrifice according to God's will. Jesus is like Esau, who gives up His birthright and His blessing to God's sinful people who are more like Jacob. Thus, we get the full blessing of our heavenly Father simply by God's grace. Jesus' blessing is like Esau's in that He is assigned to serve us, which He does by the Word and the Sacraments in the context of the liturgy. Like Moses, Jesus would rather stand for God's Word and God's people, even if He would be mistreated by the world. Like Moses, Jesus endured even before Pontius Pilate because He was intent on following God's will and holding to God's invisible Word. And Jesus is our new Passover lamb, who died to save us from death and now gives His own body to eat in the Lord's Supper.Forgiveness, life, and salvation are for you. You do not earn these, nor do you merit getting them. But as free Gifts of God's love in Christ, they are promised and offered for you, too. Like the heroes of faith, may you also trust in your Savior in every situation and point others to Him as well.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Grant our hearts to remain ever faithful to Your Son, O Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ.Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

August 18, 2025Today's Reading: Jeremiah 23:16-29Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 7:18-29; 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:16“[The Lord says] ‘I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.'” (Jeremiah 23:21)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.You cannot rightly judge a preacher based on his personality, his popularity, or his effectiveness. You cannot rightly judge a preacher based on how many or how few people come to hear him. You cannot rightly judge a preacher based on how you feel about him. God instead directs you to judge a preacher on how his preaching and teaching align with God's Word.Only Scripture is the fountain and source of our theology, our teaching, our practice, how we worship, how we live, and who we are. We must remember that, so the devil does not lead us astray. The devil has his own prophets, who preach according to whatever the modern sensibilities are at the time. We are caught up in the world, surrounded so much by the world's ideals that we are not even aware of them. This is the poisoned air we breathe, and we don't even realize how much the world has taught us to follow it.But a preacher who preaches the Word rightly is to be highly honored, for he teaches the Word that is always true and always constant, even when the world shifts on unstable footing. In season or out of season, when that Word is loved or if that Word is despised, yet he stays constant and true to God's Word. He proclaims the Law in its full strictness to self-righteous sinners are brought to repentance. And he proclaims the Gospel in its full sweetness to crushed sinners, so they are given the spiritual relief, comfort, and peace that God gives us in His Son.Jesus crucified, risen, and forgiving is the content of every true sermon. It doesn't matter if it's a regular Sunday, the first Sunday in Lent, or even on Christmas Day. Faithful pastors still proclaim Jesus, bloody but wonderful. They proclaim and apply this Word to you in all your situations in this life. And they proclaim Jesus much more than they proclaim themselves, their thoughts, their ideas, and their experiences. Pastors whom God has called and ordained to the office of the Holy Ministry who preach this have God's approval. Therefore, they have the approval of every true Christian as well. God grant you to learn His Word so you know even more where it is being proclaimed in its purity.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.In these last days of great distress, Grant us, dear Lord, true steadfastness That we keep pure till life is spent Your holy Word and Sacrament. (LSB 585:2)Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.