Podcasts about Beemer

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 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.

August 17, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 12:49-53 (54-56)Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 7:1-17; 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:22“[Jesus said,] ‘Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.'” (Luke 12:51)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.So much for that familiar Christmas hymn. So much for “peace on earth and mercy mild” (LSB 380:1). For Jesus says that He did not come to bring peace, but division! And not the kind you did in math classes when you were young. This is the kind where people are turned against each other, where families argue, or worse, when friends stop being friends.And we are stunned! How can this be? Isn't Jesus supposed to bring people together? Isn't it evil when people act stuck up, hateful, and unrepentant against each other? Absolutely, this is evil. This is all sinful, the result of self-righteous hearts that do not show mercy or love.  But Jesus is not saying He wants division! He is definitely not saying that He causes others to sin. As God's only Son, Jesus is sinless. God wants everyone to repent of their sins, hear the Gospel of Christ's merciful death for their sins and resurrection victory, and believe it. God wants all to be saved. Therefore, Jesus also does not want people to be divided.Yet that happens in this world where not all believe. Some hear the Gospel and reject it. The devil is hard at work. Others are led by the devil and their sinful nature to be merciless to others. So when Jesus says He came to bring division on earth and not peace, we must hear how He means it. He means that His Word of His forgiveness, mercy, and love is real for you. He means that His Word is truth in a deceived world. Jesus means that His baptizing applies precious promises to you that cannot be broken. Jesus means that His Body and Blood are put in your mouth to strengthen you in saving faith. And, He also means that the devil is against all of this, and riles up opposition. But what can the devil do? What harm can those who are against us do for whatever reason? If God is for us, and He is for us in Jesus, then no one can be against us. God in His wisdom even takes our hurts, emotional wounds, and hostilities against us and makes them work for our good. He even makes death and Satan work for our good. So in a divided world, we find all peace, hope, strength, and life in our Lord Jesus and His pure Word.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Merciful Lord, cleanse and defend Your Church by the sacrifice of Christ. United with Him in Holy Baptism, give us grace to receive with thanksgiving the fruits of His redeeming work and daily follow in His way; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, 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.

 was studying an online learning programme from Professor Scott Galloway, where he talked about Appealing To Human Instincts.  His take was from the strategy angle, but I realised that this same framework would be useful for sales too.  In sales we do our best to engage the client.  We try to develop sophisticated questions to help us unearth the stated and unstated needs of the buyer.  Professor Galloway's pedagogical construct can give us another perspective on buyer dynamics. The first Human Instinct nominated was the brain.  This is our logos, our rational, logical, analytical mode.  What are the unanswered questions and key internal conversations occupying the minds of our buyers.  If we can meet the buyer in their thought process, then we are more likely to be able to understand their needs and then be in a position to meet those needs.  We know that some buyers will be analytical types, for whom three decimal places is unremarkable when considering data.  Often though salespeople are big picture. Macro types who shun this level of detail because they feel it is boring.  They love the sale and abhor the paperwork which goes along with it.  I had two insurance salesmen in my home trying to get me to buy various policies.  What astounded me was they were middle aged, well experienced gentlemen and yet they couldn't fill out the paperwork correctly, so we had to do it again.  They loved the conversation with me but not the conversation with the fine print in the contract. The next instinct was the heart.  Our emotions are there for all to see, if the right stimulation is provided. We laugh, cry, get angry, become determined and give up, based around our emotional configuration at any point in the day.  Salespeople walk into a mine field of buyer emotions, with no way of knowing which particular configuration we have bumped into today.  Our job is to gauge as quickly as possible where the buyer is emotionally and how they prefer to communicate at that moment.  We know our tempers once frayed, tend to trigger a supreme impatience with everything.  Woe be tied a salesperson who cannot “kuki wo yomu” or read the air, as we say in Japanese, to understand this client needs another visit on a better day for them. Instinct number three was the gut.  This reminded me of Maslow's hierarchy of needs where survival was at the bottom and became the prism through which information and ideas were judged.  Company buyers are always bound firmly by risk reduction, budget stringencies, cash flow imperatives and fears for the future.  Everyone loves a bargain except salespeople, especially those salespeople who have commissions attached to the sale price.  Value is the only antidote for this price discount swamp fever infecting buyers.  Babbling on about features won't cut it.  Yet amazingly this is the step where many salespeople check out.  They never even attempt to consider scaling the summit. We had better migrate up the value scale and talk about the application of the benefits.   We need to lock in the evidence where this has worked magnificently somewhere else, for this buyer to feel safe that there are precedents.  The fourth instinct was sex appeal.  Buyers want to attract attention to themselves as capable, highly promotable, sexy beasts attracting a lot of favourable accord.  Our role is to make them look like heroes, legends, masters of the universe.  They want to elevate their worth, status and value within the organisation.  “Look at me, I am clever” they want to say. We become their instrument to promote that message by giving them our product or service, which becomes a game changer inside the client company. Salespeople have to be master jugglers, elevating many balls in the air at the same time.  We need to see our buyers in a holistic manner, to fully appreciate the tack we need to take buyer by buyer, because they are all different.  This takes a change in the sales mindset because most salespeople are focused on themselves, their commission, their Beemer upgrade and a thousand other things, which the buyer couldn't care less about.  So next time we sit down with a buyer, we need to make sure we are engaging all of their human instincts and appealing to them from many angles. 

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Today, we're thrilled to welcome two exceptional guests. Tim Wilson, the Chief Revenue Officer at ProductWind — a cutting-edge retail influencer marketing platform designed to help products launch and thrive organically online.  Joining him is Ken Beemer, Director of Client Growth at Acadia, where he drives partnerships that fuel business growth for our clients.  Together, they'll share insights on the evolution of ProductWind, why it's a game-changer for retail readiness and actionable strategies to launch products on e-commerce platforms successfully. Don't miss this exciting conversation—tune in now!   KEY TAKEAWAYS In this episode, Julie, Jordan, Tim, and Ken discuss: The Origin of ProductWind: Tim Wilson shares the backstory of ProductWind, which emerged from an innovative solution during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company's founder, Jason Kowalski, leveraged his experience at Amazon to create a self-service platform that automates promotions and transforms influencer marketing. Tim Wilson's Journey: With his vast experience at companies like Commerce IQ and Pattern, Tim joined ProductWind and embraced the challenge of solving key e-commerce problems. Impact on Clients: Ken Beemer, Acadia's Director of Retail Client Growth, reveals the impact of ProductWind on clients. He discusses various successful campaigns, including launches of new products, revitalizing stalled hero products, and boosting holiday sales. Self-Service Innovation: ProductWind shifted from managed services to a self-service platform, making it accessible and effective for brands of all sizes. The Algorithm Advantage: The secret sauce of ProductWind — marketing to the algorithm. This innovative approach ensures relevancy and maximizes visibility for any product, regardless of brand size or category. Roadmap to Success: What's next for ProductWind, including expanding into new markets like the UK and Germany, and focusing on enhancing data insights and usability.

Cam Beemer Talks Possible New Mixtape with YDTheIllest, Music Producing, New Orleans And More --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nolazine-network/support

The Rob Brown Show 11/26/24 hour 2 - Shane Beemer full 2710 Tue, 26 Nov 2024 13:07:41 +0000 aZKabHMsG4P45XDwrg6uasCwKRs3n6yZ sports The Rob Brown Show sports The Rob Brown Show 11/26/24 hour 2 - Shane Beemer Rob Brown is the newest addition to The Fan Upstate’s leading line-up of local talk shows! Rob has been in the radio business for over 14 years and his happy to now call the Upstate his home! The Rob Brown Show isn't your normal sports talk show. It's not yelling about stats or forcing contrived arguments for the sake of confrontation. The Rob Brown Show is your three hour daily escape from the mundane, and an adventure into the human side of sports. When Rob comes on the air, he isn't there to talk at you. Here's there to talk to you about the things that make sports fun and interesting. Rob will still tackle the controversial, and has no shortage of opinions about any and all sports topics that matter to Upstate South Carolina. But at the end of the day, The Rob Brown Show is a gathering place, a spot for sports fans of all walks of life to come together, laugh, joke and talk about sports the way that actual human beings want to do. When Rob isn’t on the air, he also plays music in an 80's cover band for fun. The Rob Brown Show, weekdays 9am to Noon on The Fan Upstate! 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. Sports False https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?feed

In this Episode, I feature special guest, Lona Beemer from the KC area. Lona is the Board VP for Found & Woven in Lee's Summit, Missouri. She is a dedicated real estate agent with a heart for Jesus. a love for people and is the wife to the dreamiest guy, and Gigi to six wonderful grandkids. In our authentic conversation. Lona shares her courageous ...  The full episode drops on November 25!

The Beemer Trap: How adopting your customers' nicknames for your brand can hurt you. Gen Z has a new app and it's already driving sales. Can you run ads on a chat application? Discord is trying. And what happens to AI when you unplug it — and it knows that you're doing it..Today's story links.

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia's Head of Retail Marketplaces Services Julie Spear. Today, we have two exceptional guests: Scott Ohsman, VP of Digital Commerce at Quickfire, and Ken Beemer, Director of Retail Client Growth at Acadia.  We'll be diving into Amazon's growing investments in live sports and media content, its impact on advertising, and what it means for brands and consumers alike. Make sure you tune in to find out more!   KEY TAKEAWAYS In this episode, Julie, Scott, and Ken discuss: - Sports broadcasts, ads, and watching live games. - Amazon Prime is a vortex for drawing consumers into its ecosystem. - Investments in live sports aim to increase audience reach and draw manufacturers and brands to sell on Amazon. - Amazon's massive first-party data offers unparalleled advertising and sponsorship opportunities. - Live sports could boost Amazon Prime sign-ups and leverage content for retention. - Amazon's scale allows for significant brand advertising with trackable results. - Amazon's investments, including Thursday Night Football and NBA rights. - The role of partnerships with entities like Dude Perfect to target younger demographics. - The need for a new mindset regarding Amazon advertising. - Full-funnel marketing and evolving metrics over the next three years. - Testing new opportunities on connected TV. - Sports broadcasting's evolution from major networks to tech players like Amazon. - Legacy deals and the transformative role of tech giants.

We catch up with the amazing athlete, Mike Beemer headed to Birmingham Alabama to the Masters CrossFit Games.  What are his expectations and what will this mean to him.

The cost of doing business includes far too many Beemer payments for the attorney profession.

Greg bell and Michael Beemer give the lowdown on the upcoming 2024 IPRF World Championships!

In this lively episode of "Beemer's Best Bets," Rich Beem, Michael Beem, and Sandy McIlree dive into the upcoming John Deere tournament. They also chat about Richard Bland's stellar performance in the senior US Open. Rich shares his excitement about his upcoming trip to the UK for the Queen Wood Cup, while Michael reminisces about past golf adventures with his dad. It's a fun-filled episode packed with golf insights and personal stories that golf fans and gamblers will love! The John Deere Tournament (00:00:00) Discussion about the John Deere tournament, its history, and the players participating. Golf Picks for the John Deere (00:02:49) Discussion of golf picks for the John Deere tournament, including Sungjae Im, Keith Mitchell, and Harry Higgs. Senior US Open and Richard Bland (00:08:32) Conversation about the senior US Open, Richard Bland's performance, and his coach, Tim Barter. Golf Trips to the UK (00:10:45) Discussion about previous golf trips to the UK, including playing at courses like North Berwick and Gullane, and the upcoming trip to the Queen Wood Cup. The Scottish Open and the Open Championship (00:13:10) Conversation about the Scottish Open, its increased attention, and the merging of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. Edinburgh Trip (00:16:36) Rich Beem discusses his upcoming trip to Edinburgh and his driving skills. Experiencing UK Golf Tournaments (00:17:14) Michael Beem and Rich Beem talk about the unique experience of attending golf tournaments in the UK. Golf Course Stories (00:21:33) Discussion about golf course experiences and jokes shared by caddies and players. Golf Picks and Strategies (00:22:42) Michael Beem shares his golf picks for the John Deere tournament and discusses the strategy behind his choices. Humorous Commentary (00:24:12) A humorous comment made by Colt during golf coverage is discussed. Merchandise and Social Media (00:26:00) The success and influence of a female golfer's merchandise sales and social media presence are mentioned. Closing Remarks (00:27:05) The podcast episode concludes with farewells and reminders to follow the hosts on social media.  

SEASON 6, PODCAST EPISODEOn this special podcast of Behind the Mitten Show with Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez:Gonzo and and Amy interview Carmen Beemer, the 2023-2024 National Cherry Festival Queen in Traverse City.In the interview Carmen talks about what the scholarship program has meant to her over the last year, and some of her favorite memories. She is a 2024 graduate of Michigan State University. A new queen will be announced on July 5. This year's National Cherry Festival continues through July 6, 2024.Learn more at cherryfestival.org.Behind the Mitten is Michigan's premiere travel radio show and podcast. Learn more at  amyandgonzo.com.Where are we going to be next week? We don't know. But tune in to find out.Follow John and Amy:Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemittenTwitterX at @BehindTheMittenInstagram at @BehindTheMitten

May 11, 2024 Today's Reading: Psalm 27:1a, 4-5, 10, 14; antiphon: Psalm 27:7Daily Lectionary: Numbers 13:1-3, 17-33; Luke 18:1-17Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27:14)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christianity is a waiting game. Much as you might want immediate results, the Psalmist teaches you that you have to wait. When affliction hits you, when there's suffering among your friends or family, when blessings are coming but they're not here yet, you'd love for God to step in immediately. But most of the time, God does not deliver His blessings, relief, or healing according to your preferred time schedule.So you have to wait for the Lord. You have to bear the affliction. You have to endure powerlessness. You can only anticipate the good that's coming sometimes. That's hard. Not only is that hard, that also can be faith destroying. Jesus' parable of the sower in Matthew 13 teaches that some receive the Word with joy for a time, only to fall away from it in times of persecution or suffering. Our sinful nature does not like to wait. Perhaps that's a good reason why God teaches us that we must sometimes.When God acts, He acts always at the right time. Whenever He withholds blessings, it is so your heart might learn to rely on His Word and promises. Suffering teaches reliance on God's Word for those who are willing to learn that lesson. Whenever God turns His face away in anger, it is so you might offer prayers to God and remind Him of His Word and promises that He has bound Himself to. When God allows suffering, it is so your heart learns that this world is not your friend but a valley of sorrows. But He also promises grace and every blessing to all who trust in His Word and conform their lives to living according to His Commandments.Therefore, Christianity is a waiting game of epic proportions. But as you wait for the Lord to show His mercy, you can be strong. Your heart can take courage. You can be bold. For God has not cast off His people forever. His anger may last a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime. In Jesus, God has acted for your eternal good and blessing. In Jesus' death, God was reconciling the world to Himself. By Jesus' death, the Christians' heart finds all strength and courage. He suffers for your sins so you do not fall under God's eternal anger. Jesus is forsaken by God so that you would never be. Nothing makes a heart so courageous and strong as hearing the Gospel, that Jesus died and rose for you and your sins are forgiven. He also died in the fullness of time. God always acts at the right time. And that's good enough for faith. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O Lord, grant that our hearts do not lose courage as we wait for Your mercy, but instead find strength in Your Word and promises given in Jesus. Amen.- Pastor. Robert Mayes is the pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church in Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols This collection of over 600 hand-drawn Christian symbols by artist and author Edward Riojas will teach you the extensive history of the imagery of the Church. Each symbol is a beautiful and historical connection to generations of Christians that have worshiped before you. A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols. Now available from Concordia Publishing House. 

May 10, 2024 Today's Reading: The Lord's Prayer - Fourth PetitionDaily Lectionary: Numbers 11:24-29, 12:1-16; Luke 17:20-37What is the 4th petition of the Lord's Prayer?  Give us this day our daily bread.  What does this mean? God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.What is meant by daily bread? Daily bread includes everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children, devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, self-control, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like. (Small Catechism, 4th Petition and explanation)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. God is not interested in man's soul only, but also man's bodily life. The same God who sent His Son to save sinners also spoke Creation into existence. The same Father who gives His Holy Spirit also provides material needs. Lutherans call it all “daily bread.” Not that you're going to eat shoes or weather, or slab some butter or jelly on faithful neighbors. These are also “daily bread,” just not that kind.  Rather, everything good is given to you by God. When we pray the Lord's Prayer, we pray that we realize this. But you probably don't think of it. If you saw God at work every time He was sustaining your being, you'd be shocked. You probably wouldn't be able to see anything else but God's hand giving gifts. From your socks to your comb, even the guy cooking fries at the restaurant you ate at last Saturday, God's hand is everywhere, on every vocation that's not sinful and is everywhere, giving daily bread.You don't always realize this because God keeps Himself hidden. In this way, God works to keep saving faith in Christ living. God does not want us to rely on sight, but on faith in Christ and His saving death and resurrection and the Word that proclaims this. When we rely on our sight, we're disappointed. That's when we see some people having more than others, instead of trusting that God gives all people daily bread at the needed time. Relying on sight also leads us from trusting in God's love when He withholds daily bread for a time. Yet, because Jesus has turned God's heart to us by His innocent suffering and death, believers can be full of hope even when everything else fails. Even if it's bad weather, or your shoes are stinky, or your government does shady things - God still gives you what you need. For He gives what you ultimately need- salvation through faith in His crucified and risen Son. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Heavenly Father, because you have such Fatherly love and mercy for those You have made, even sending us Your Son to die for our sins, teach us to always realize Your faithfulness to us. Amen.- Pastor. Robert Mayes is the pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church in Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols This collection of over 600 hand-drawn Christian symbols by artist and author Edward Riojas will teach you the extensive history of the imagery of the Church. Each symbol is a beautiful and historical connection to generations of Christians that have worshiped before you. A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols. Now available from Concordia Publishing House. 

May 9, 2024 Today's Reading: Luke 24:44-53Daily Lectionary: Numbers 11:1-23, 31-35; Luke 17:1-19And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. (Luke 24:50-51)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus ascends. You might wonder why this matters. It seems like the Ascension is the least important thing in the Apostles' Creed. Ascension Day is never seen as on the same level as Christmas and Easter. Ascension Day often gets ignored. Your church may not even have an Ascension Day service.But the Ascension is amazing! Notice what Jesus does when He ascends. He blesses His believers. But what is even more important is that Jesus never stops blessing His believers. While He ascended, meaning even as Jesus was being lifted up into God's immediate glory, Jesus speaks nothing but blessing. And now that Jesus has entered into God's heavenly presence with His body, it's like Jesus cannot stop blessing His people.A blessing is not just a pious-sounding wish. A blessing is not, “I hope something good happens to you, even though I can't promise that it will.”  Blessings in Scripture were powerful words that brought about good Gifts. In Genesis, Isaac could not repeat Jacob's blessing for Esau. His blessing gave a specific gift for the person who received it. Jacob's blessings for his 12 sons likewise were very specific. They were words of power to bring about what his Words spoke of. In the gospels, Jesus cannot bless someone who hates Him. He does not bless the devil, nor the Pharisees who denied that He was God's Son. Instead, Jesus blesses those who want to be close to Him and those who cannot bring themselves to Him. He blesses little children, Peter for confessing the truth about Jesus, and those who are not offended at Him. On the Last Day, Jesus will say to the faithful, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34)The Ascension means that Jesus gives unending blessing for you. His blessing is an ongoing reality and will be even past the world's end. That means when your conscience accuses you, you can instead rely on your ascended Lord, who does not accuse you but blesses you. If you face tragedy, loss, even death, the blessing of the risen Christ ascends over this and constantly speaks peace for you. His Word is a Word of power. Jesus cannot stop blessing you now in the preaching and the Sacraments. He who died for your sins and is risen now ascends into heaven with unending blessing on His lips. Amazing. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, as Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, ascended into the heavens, so may we also ascend in heart and mind and continuously dwell there with Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.- Pastor. Robert Mayes is the pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church in Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols This collection of over 600 hand-drawn Christian symbols by artist and author Edward Riojas will teach you the extensive history of the imagery of the Church. Each symbol is a beautiful and historical connection to generations of Christians that have worshiped before you. A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols. Now available from Concordia Publishing House. 

May 8, 2024 Today's Reading: Numbers 10:11-36Daily Lectionary: Numbers 10:11-36; Luke 16:19-31And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” And when it rested, he said, “Return, O Lord, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.” (Numbers 10:35-36)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The ark of the covenant was basically a very decorated, ornate box. It was a man-made thing. In Exodus 25, God gave Moses instructions on how the ark was to be built. Yet, despite it being a man-crafted thing, the ark was of divine origin. Therefore, the ark was both of God and of man. God designed it. Man built it.Moses speaks when the ark was moved or brought back. “Arise, O Lord!” “Return, O Lord!” But it was this man-made box that was being moved! People had to pick it up and move it every time they were marching to the next spot. The ark didn't do anything. It just sat there. It sounds like Moses was speaking to a box, and thinking this man-made box was God Himself!Moses is not committing idolatry, though. He says this because God used the ark of the covenant as His throne. 1 Samuel 4:4 speaks of “the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who dwells between the cherubim.” This referred to the two cherubs on the golden mercy seat lid that covered the ark. So when we see the ark in the Old Testament, we see it as the place where God chose to locate Himself in all His power, to give mercy in the proper way to His people. That's why even though the ark was picked up by men, it was still as though God Himself was moving. God Himself was leading, because He commanded by His Word where His people were to go or where they were to stop.Jesus is like the ark of the covenant. He is both of God and of man. Begotten of the Father from all eternity, yet born of the virgin Mary. Like the ark of the covenant, Jesus is where God has chosen to locate Himself in His power, to give mercy in the proper way to His people. This is what the Catechism teaches about Jesus. Basically, there are three points to remember about Jesus' divine and human natures: 1) These two natures are one person, 2) These two act as one for your salvation, and 3) The divine nature shares with human nature. And all for you and your salvation. The incarnate Son of God in human flesh lived perfectly in your place. He bore your sins. He suffered and died. He rose in your place as well. All so that you could come before God the Father safely, forgiven of sins, and cleansed from all unrighteousness. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Arise, O Lord Jesus, and rescue us from our enemies of sin, death, and the devil. Amen.- Pastor. Robert Mayes is the pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church in Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols This collection of over 600 hand-drawn Christian symbols by artist and author Edward Riojas will teach you the extensive history of the imagery of the Church. Each symbol is a beautiful and historical connection to generations of Christians that have worshiped before you. A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols. Now available from Concordia Publishing House.  

May 7, 2024Today's Reading: 1 John 5:1-8Daily Lectionary: Numbers 9:1-23; Luke 16:1-18[T]his is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4b)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Historians remember people in previous centuries who took over much of the world. These are the famous conquerors such as Alexander the Great, Attila the Hun, and Genghis Khan. These world leaders conquered much land and territory in their times. They led powerful armies, made treaties with other rulers, and in general, won a lot of their battles.Jesus is not on the list of world conquerors, not exactly. He never raised an army or took land. He never owned land Himself as far as we know. And it's even more definite that you are also not a world conqueror. You don't own land. You haven't raised an army or taken over cities. You take math and P.E. classes, for crying out loud. That's usually not what world conquerors do.Yet today St. John says in his epistle that you and all believers have overcome the world! Everyone who is born anew as a child of God has overcome the world! You are born anew at the font, that is, Baptism has given you a new birth and adoption in Jesus. Because of this, you are joined to Jesus mystically. We don't see it. You might feel different, you might not. But it is a reality. Baptism gives supernatural Gifts- being joined to Jesus, being given the Holy Spirit, adopted into God's family, forgiven of sins, and rescued from the devil. Faith receives these Gifts. Faith works with Baptism. Baptism joins you to Jesus mystically, like a branch is connected to the vine. Faith means that you are as a living branch and not a dead one. Both Baptism and faith are important and needed.Why does our faith overcome the world? Because by Baptism and through faith in Christ, we are joined to Jesus. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “I have overcome the world.” He has overcome the world by His righteous, innocent life because He never fell to temptation or believed the world's depraved ideas. Jesus has overcome the world also by sacrificing Himself to die for your sins which the world could not do, and rise again from the dead, which the world cannot overcome. Baptism joins you to Jesus. Faith receives Jesus' benefits. So because you are joined to Jesus who has overcome the world, you overcome the world as well. You are not on the list of world conquerors… but perhaps you, I, all believers, and Jesus especially, should be. As Romans 8:37 also reminds us, "We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The world seeks after wealth And all that mammon offers Yet never is content Though gold should fill its coffers. I have a higher good, Content with it I'll be: My Jesus is my wealth. What is the world to me! (LSB 730:3)- Pastor. Robert Mayes is the pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church in Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols This collection of over 600 hand-drawn Christian symbols by artist and author Edward Riojas will teach you the extensive history of the imagery of the Church. Each symbol is a beautiful and historical connection to generations of Christians that have worshiped before you. A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols. Now available from Concordia Publishing House. 

May 6, 2024 Today's Reading: Acts 10:34-48 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 8:5-26; Luke 15:11-32While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. (Acts 10:44-45)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The first believers in Christ's salvation were Jews. They grew up in the Jewish religion. The men were circumcised as infants. The people ate the clean foods Leviticus taught. They sacrificed at the temple when they came to Jerusalem for the annual feasts. Then, the savior promised in Scripture finally came. Jesus, the crucified and risen, was actually the Christ! Some Jews believed it and were brought into Christ's salvation.With this in mind, you can understand why the “Jewish” Christians were astonished in Acts 10. It shocked them when they heard Peter speak of a vision from God that led to a Gentile converting. It continued to shock their world when the Gift of the Holy Spirit poured out on Gentiles, too. We might think the Jewish believers were snobs. We might be tempted to think the Jewish believers were acting like popular kids who didn't want the chess club joining their lunch table. But that's not the case at all.It's more that the Jewish believers could not understand how the Gentiles did not follow God's Word before they became believers! God's Word commanded certain sacrifices, circumcision, kosher foods, rituals, Jewish feasts, etc. But the Gentiles came to faith apart from these parts commanded by God's Word! A Gentile was primarily a pagan idolater. A Gentile didn't mean a different ethnicity, but one who followed any of the non-Christian religions out there. And the Holy Spirit came upon them! It would be as if God had decided to zap an unbeliever at your school who heard the Gospel only once, and that day, he started going to your church and catechism class.The reason the Gentiles came to faith was that they heard the Gospel. What about the ceremonial laws? Jesus fulfilled them, including the sign of circumcision, the clean foods, the rituals, the sacrifices, and the feasts. All of it is fulfilled in Jesus, especially by His innocent suffering and death and His resurrection from the dead. Since Jesus has fulfilled all of the Law, the Old Testament ceremonial laws are now put aside. They were the shadow; Christ is the substance. The moral Law remains in place, but Jesus has kept this Law for you perfectly and done everything needed for your salvation. Hear God's Word and trust in Jesus, and you likewise have this salvation, too. Through faith, by the power of the Holy Spirit, you make a beginning at keeping the moral law too. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The Gospel shows the Father's grace, Who sent His Son to save our race, Proclaims how Jesus lived and died That we might thus be justified. (LSB 580:1)- Pastor. Robert Mayes is the pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church in Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols This collection of over 600 hand-drawn Christian symbols by artist and author Edward Riojas will teach you the extensive history of the imagery of the Church. Each symbol is a beautiful and historical connection to generations of Christians that have worshiped before you. A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols. Now available from Concordia Publishing House. 

May 5, 2024 Today's Reading: John 15:9-17 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 3:1-16, 39-48; Number 4:1-8; Luke 14:25-15:10“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”  (John 15:12)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Love is commanded. Therefore, this kind of love that Jesus speaks of is not a feeling. You cannot command anyone to feel a certain way. As much as you might wish to be able to command that hot girl in English class or the guy across the row in band to feel attraction to you, sadly, it doesn't work that way.The love that Jesus commands is action. Self-giving action, at that. This is not the kind of self-giving that a girl does when she finally gives in to pressure from her boyfriend to have sex. That's not self-giving, that's giving in. Jesus does not command sin, for sin is dangerous and destructive to people. Sex before marriage, for example, is a monstrous faith destroyer. That is why God set up His Commandments- to safeguard and protect you from dangers that would harm the good Gifts that God gives. Getting back to the self-giving nature of love, it is the kind of action that sacrifices money, time, a caring heart, and perhaps your popularity to help someone under affliction.Chief among the Commandments is love. Your love for fellow believers (especially in your congregation) is to reflect Jesus' love for you. You cannot truly know love, that is, without learning God's Word and believing the Gospel. You cannot truly show love where you are ignorant of the self-giving Jesus gave when He laid down His life for sinners. For Jesus not only commands love- He commands a specific love. This specific love mirrors Jesus' own actions for us.Because no one can keep this commandment by nature, we confess our lovelessness and receive Jesus' Absolution from our pastor as from God Himself. Our pastor's Absolution delivers forgiveness for our lovelessness. And it also refreshes us in Jesus' love for us. His love is action, meaning that in Confession and Absolution, Jesus is acting to communicate the righteousness He won for you by His death. Risen from the dead, Jesus has broken the power of death and defanged the devil. There is no condemnation for you who believe this. Therefore, receiving Jesus' love in the act of hearing the forgiveness of sins, we can then show the same kind of heart and forgiveness to those who sin against us lovelessly. God grant Your Spirit that we might! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.- Pastor. Robert Mayes is the pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church in Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols This collection of over 600 hand-drawn Christian symbols by artist and author Edward Riojas will teach you the extensive history of the imagery of the Church. Each symbol is a beautiful and historical connection to generations of Christians that have worshiped before you. A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols. Now available from Concordia Publishing House. 

May 4, 2024 Today's Reading: Psalm 66:1-2, 8-9, 20; antiphon: Psalm 66:16Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 26:21-33, 39-44, Numbers 1:1-2:34, Luke 14:1-24Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me! (Psalm 66:20)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. There is a common misunderstanding about prayer. Many people think that God hears prayers better if more people pray. That's why many people ask anyone and everyone to pray for their sick relative or their friend who is suffering. Now don't get me wrong. Christians should pray. God commands us in the Second Commandment to pray and use His name rightly. God also promises to hear us when we pray, and will answer our prayers by what is best in His good and gracious will.But it's not true that God hears prayers better if more people pray. The prayers of many are not louder to God than prayers made by just one. The amount of people who pray doesn't matter as much as the faith of the people who pray. Everywhere in Scripture, prayer is connected with faith in Christ. Those who have saving faith in Christ are heard and blessed. Those who do not have saving faith in Christ, or who pray to false gods, are not heard and not blessed. So, for example, God refused to hear the prayers of the unrepentant Israelites in Isaiah 1:5, whose hands were covered with blood - metaphorically speaking. Or consider when God spoke to the idolatrous Judeans who blended their worship with their idol-worshiping neighbors' worship. Jeremiah writes of this in Lamentations 3:44, saying, “you have wrapped yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through.”This is why the Psalmist today is so cheered that God hears his prayers. It is a sign that this psalm-writer is still in God's love and grace. He has not fallen out of saving faith in the Christ who was to come (who has come now, Jesus). Rather, the Psalmist is relieved that God hears His prayers because that also means that he will not be condemned like the unbelieving world.What about your prayers? If you don't pray regularly, repent and believe the Gospel, and then do it. Make prayer part of your routine, saying many private prayers throughout the day. Where God does not say yes right away, that does not mean you are lacking in saving faith. It might mean God has better plans. It might mean God wants you to wait a little bit so your heart is in better condition to appreciate His Gifts. But where God does answer your prayers with a resounding “yes,” you can be thankful, cheered, and moved just like the Psalmist. For your loving heavenly Father knows your needs, and by answering your prayers, it shows that you continue to be His dear child through faith in Christ. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Heavenly Father, continue to look on us in grace, that believing in Your Son and His salvation, we offer up regular prayers, trusting in Your good and gracious will.  Amen.- Pastor. Robert Mayes is the pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church in Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols This collection of over 600 hand-drawn Christian symbols by artist and author Edward Riojas will teach you the extensive history of the imagery of the Church. Each symbol is a beautiful and historical connection to generations of Christians that have worshiped before you. A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols. Now available from Concordia Publishing House. 

Vic Verchereau welcomes Carmen Beemer, who is the National Cherry Queen. The very first "Cherry" festival was held in May 1925, and was known at that time as the Blessing of the Blossoms. The first cherry queen was Gertrude Brown but the current National Cherry Queen is Carmen Beemer and she joins Vic Verchereau for a guided tour of one of Michigan's most famous festivals! Carmen is the 22-year-old daughter of Gary Godley and Shannon Beemer of Wayland. She is a 2020 graduate of Thornapple Kellogg High School and is in her senior year at Michigan State University where she majors in Horticulture Science with a minor in Crop and Soil Sciences. Driven by her adoration for the agricultural industry, Carmen aspires to continue to advocate for the cherry and all other agricultural industries indefinitely. Carmen would like to thank her hometown community for helping raise her over the years and we want to thank her for helping us mark our calendars for the 2024 National Cherry Festival! » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Subscribe to MBN's YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/

May 3, 2024 Today's Reading: Luke 13:18-35Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 26:1-20, Luke 13:18-35“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”  (Luke 13:24)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Years ago, adults were shorter. If you want proof, go to the country of the Netherlands sometime and take a tour of some of the old Dutch windmills. The doorframes between rooms in windmills are so short that no adult except those who are under 5'0 can walk in comfortably.A Dutch windmill door is a lot easier to enter than the narrow door Jesus speaks of. This is not a physical door, portal, or gateway. This narrow door is the way into eternal salvation on the Last Day. Jesus says many people will seek to enter salvation on the Last Day and won't be able to. The reason is they seek to enter it by their works, who they are related to, how much money they have, etc. And there's the problem - no one is good enough by his merits to enter. Being related to someone cool doesn't grant access. And money? Ha! What does money matter to God who created gold and silver by a mere word?Only One can enter that narrow gate by His works: our Lord Jesus Christ. It is as if that door is Jesus-shaped, and only He can go through it. As true God and man, Jesus was perfect under the Law. But Jesus did not want to be the only person to be saved eternally and enter that narrow door. So, He also gave up His perfect life to die for your death sentence. Jesus willingly took God's condemnation against your sins on Himself at His cross. Now He is risen, showing that your sins are paid for completely. Now Jesus lives, showing that all of God's anger at Your sins has been poured out. Jesus' resurrection shows there is a doorway through eternal death - and it leads through His grave.In Holy Baptism, you are joined to Jesus in His death and resurrection (Romans 6:1-6). Your sinful nature drowned in the font, and you rose up to newness of life. Baptism has joined you to Jesus' body (1 Corinthians 12:13). Baptism gives Gifts of life, rescue, and salvation. Faith gladly receives these Gifts that Baptism gives and continues to give every day. If you are joined to Jesus' body in your Baptism and trust in His salvation, you are also able to enter through that narrow, Jesus-shaped gate in Him. Joined to Jesus by Baptism and made alive through faith in Him, you also enter with Him into eternal salvation. Not by what you deserve - but by simply trusting the free salvation that is in Jesus. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Heavenly Father, keep us in the true saving faith, that mindful of Your baptismal grace, we may trust that we are joined to Your Son and enter with Him through the narrow gate into life eternal. Amen.- Pastor. Robert Mayes is the pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church in Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols This collection of over 600 hand-drawn Christian symbols by artist and author Edward Riojas will teach you the extensive history of the imagery of the Church. Each symbol is a beautiful and historical connection to generations of Christians that have worshiped before you. A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols. Now available from Concordia Publishing House. 

May 2, 2024 Today's Reading: The Lord's Prayer - Third PetitionDaily Lectionary: Leviticus 24:1-23, Leviticus 25:1-55, Luke 12:54-13:17What is the Third Petition? Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  What does this mean? The good and gracious will of God is done even without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also.How is God's will done? God's will is done when He breaks and hinders every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, which do not want us to hallow God's name or let His kingdom come; and when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His Word and faith until we die.This is His good and gracious will. (Small Catechism, 3rd Petition and Explanation)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When Scripture speaks of God's will, it simply means what God wants. And what does God want for you? First, to do for Him. Basically, the Ten Commandments. The Commandments are God's will, not suggestions. Whatever work is good, that is described by the Ten Commandments. God is pleased when these Commandments are done. So when you do these works, which Christians can only begin to do in this life, you are serving God. You also serve God when you serve your neighbor. The Catechism reminds us with every explanation to the Commandments that begins by saying, “We should fear and love God so that we…” Because of our sinful nature, we cannot keep the Commandments well enough to justify ourselves. So for this part of God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, God Himself must act.God wants second, for Him to do. God wants to rescue you from your sins and to redeem you. To do this, He sent His Son Jesus to die for you and to rise for your justification. Jesus, the perfect, spotless Lamb of God, was sent to die for your sins by God's good and gracious will. Now, having ascended, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit who speaks of Him. The Holy Spirit operates by the pure preaching of the Word and by the Sacraments. This, too, is God's will. Luke 7:30 says that the Pharisees and teachers of the law rejected God's will by not being baptized by John. So receiving the Sacraments is part of God's will. Not as a commandment to obey, but as a Gift of grace to receive. By the Means Of Grace, faith in Jesus is strong. God wants to declare you righteous by Jesus through faith in Him alone.These two ways are how God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven. By this, the will of our spiritual enemies is broken and hindered. God be praised. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Heavenly Father, guard our faith and our life so we believe Your Holy Word and walk according to Your Commandments, and that we entrust our lives to Your good and gracious will. Amen.- Pastor. Robert Mayes is the pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church in Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols This collection of over 600 hand-drawn Christian symbols by artist and author Edward Riojas will teach you the extensive history of the imagery of the Church. Each symbol is a beautiful and historical connection to generations of Christians that have worshiped before you. A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols. Now available from Concordia Publishing House. 

May 1, 2024 Today's Reading: John 14:1-14 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 23:23-44, Luke 12:35-53Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip?” (John 14:8-9a)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Poor Philip. He's trying to ask Jesus the right question, and Jesus just shakes His head. ‘Oh, Philip. Haven't you been paying attention to what I've been teaching you?  Shouldn't you know this by now?' You kind of feel bad for the guy. If you ever felt embarrassed in catechism or Sunday school when you asked a question everyone else thought was dumb, you'd feel worse if Jesus thought that!And it's not like James the Less (that is, the son of Alphaeus, not the brother of John) was doing any better. This apostle never says anything in Scripture. He is always silent, never daring to speak up. You'd feel bad for the guy, but you don't notice him! He's doing his best to pretend like he's a statue. Silent, unnoticed, hoping to skate by without any undue attention. The problem is, no one should be silent. We are called to confess Christ, to learn from Him, and to pray to Him.But Jesus came to gather only flawed people like Philip, James, and yourself around Him. Jesus does not come to gather the most eloquent speakers, the smartest kids in the class, or perfect physical specimens of beauty and strength. Jesus calls flawed people. He calls not only the timid and clueless. He calls sinners - sinners like Philip, James, and you. He calls people who deserve nothing but death and God's anger because of their greed, self-serving, and self-righteous thoughts.Yet to such flawed people like Philip, James, and us, Jesus gives His righteousness. This is not on the basis of our works but on the basis of faith in His works for us. His merits are applied to us. And His merits are not just the good works of a good, regular guy. This is the eternal Son of God, who is one with the Father and who makes the Father in all His goodness and mercy present to us. When God the Father comes to us in Christ, He also comes to create us anew. When we receive His Means Of Grace in faith, God takes our flaws and minimizes them. His Word and faith make us more courageous, more alive, without fear or shame. That makes us even more bold to confess Him to others. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, Your Son revealed Himself to Philip and James and gave them the knowledge of everlasting life. Grant us perfectly to know Your Son, Jesus Christ, to be the way, the truth, and the life, and steadfastly to walk in the way that leads to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.- Pastor. Robert Mayes is the pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church in Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols This collection of over 600 hand-drawn Christian symbols by artist and author Edward Riojas will teach you the extensive history of the imagery of the Church. Each symbol is a beautiful and historical connection to generations of Christians that have worshiped before you. A Complete Guide to Christian Symbols. Now available from Concordia Publishing House. 

Blaine is sunburned and Andy is Beemer-rich - don't get cocky.Covering:Albin 25 (Boat!)BMW R65BMW R100/7Benelli 350Wards-Riverside

We started with a review from one of Kim's old College roommates and we turn a sharp turn left i this episode from what we had planned.Lots of giddiness, first date stories, how we met,  and we ask the question:ARE SOUL MATES REAL?This one was unexpected but fun, we hope you enjoy it, and maybe it will cause you to reminisce about how you are your partner met?This was a fun one for us, we hope you enjoy!K&JSIGN UP FOR WORKSHOPS, RETREATS, AND APPLY TO WORK WITH KIM & JAMIE: bit.ly/WorkWithKimFitzpatrickCONTACT INFO:Private Coaching:jamie@fitzlifeconsulting.comkim@fitzlifeconsulting.com Kim:www.jamieandkimfitzpatrick.comIG: @kim_m_fitzpatrickTikTok: @kimmfitzpatrickFB: https://www.facebook.com/kim.p.fitzpatrickE: kim@jamieandkimfitzpatrick.comJamie: www.jamieandkimfitzpatrick.com IG: @jamiefitzpatrickentrepreneur FB: https://www.facebook.com/CoachJamieFitzpatrick/ E: jamie@jamieandkimfitzpatrick.com

How does a former bodybuilder go from carb-loading to eating for longevity and fertility with IVF? Here's a look at the journey of healthy eating from a fitness competitor turned nutrition coach in this conversation between Sara Beemer & Ben Grynol. Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://levels.link/itc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health. Look for new shows every month on Levels - Inside the Company, where we have in-depth conversations about how the Levels startup team builds a movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry.

“Float like a Cadillac, sting like a Beemer.” The ladies of Disney ReWINEd are back for their first episode of 2024, Rachel's pick: Cars! Adina pairs this with a sparkling rosé fit for Lightning McQueen himself, from a winery along Route 66. Rachel enlightens us with her immense knowledge of the racing world, while Adina breaks down some of the insane animation facts and numbers. Together they discuss the imagineering perfection that is Cars Land at DCA and give lots of love to a few of our behind-the-scenes talent. So sit back, start your engines, and rewind back to Cars! Cheers! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/disneyrewined/support

Blake Beemer was hired in June of 2022 to lead the Butler Baseball program as head coach. In his first season at the helm, Beemer guided the Bulldogs to conference series wins at Seton Hall and Georgetown, two of the four teams that made up the BIG EAST Championship Tournament field in 2023. Butler also won at #9 UConn (11-8) marking the highest win against a ranked opponent in program history! At the conclusion of the 2023 regular season, Butler's Joey Urban was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year. The Bulldog outfielder was later added to Collegiate Baseball's All-American Team for his outstanding efforts on the field. In the classroom, BU posted a team GPA of 3.38. Before arriving at Butler, Beemer was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Ball State for four seasons (2019-22), Beemer helped the Cardinals to a 123-65 record.

As the long-awaited D.N.A. results were coallated, the detectives found themselves in the grip of a profound anticipation. The prospect of finally putting a name to the elusive evidence from that brutal day in 1986 was on the horizon, and the atmosphere in the office was thick with the gravity of what that meant. For Detective Bub, his day off on May 29 was abruptly interrupted by a call that would resonate through the annals of the case. It was a technician from the crime lab, and the message he conveyed was simple yet earth-shattering: “It's a match.” The D.N.A. from the bite marks on Sherri Rassmussmen's arm was a match for LAPD Detective Stephanie Lazarus...Find out what happens now. Listen to the conclusion of, "Take the Beemer. Leave the Body, the Bullets and the Bite Marks..." Only on Kinda Murdery!CALL 888-MURDERY, that's, 888-687-3379, to share YOUR Kinda Murdery story or your story of living with a disability or other challenges, and you could inspire an episode of the show!Sources: https://allthatsinteresting.com/sherri-rasmussenhttps://www.oxygen.com/the-real-murders-of-los-angeles/crime-news/bite-mark-on-sherri-rasmussen-ties-stephanie-lazarus-tohttps://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/06/the-lazarus-file/308499/ https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/nbc-dateline-who-sherri-rasmussen-s-killer-nowThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5496890/advertisement

Hey Everyone! Apologies, I had something unforseen come up and couldn't finish recording. As a result, Part III, the conclusion of "Take the Beemer. Leave the Body, the Bullets and the Bite Marks, will come out a day late, TOMORROW Monday, November 6th, 2023 at 5PM PST. Thank you for understanding!Sincerely, ZevonThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5496890/advertisement

In the midst of an influx of new information, the DNA report from Jennifer Butterworth in the Sherri Rasmussen case, emerged as a unique and tantalizing clue. The report suggested a potential paradigm shift in the case: the murderer might be a woman. This was an anomaly in violent crimes and stood out from the usual pattern of male perpetrators. However, despite its intriguing nature, the report did not lead directly to a specific suspect. Unlike the plethora of cold hits that were directly pointing towards potential culprits due to Proposition 69, the Rasmussen case remained a mystery. The DNA clue, although significant, was like a lone piece of a complex puzzle, waiting for the other pieces to be found and assembled...Listen to PART II now, and find more of those puzzle pieces. CALL 888-MURDERY, that's, 888-687-3379, to share YOUR Kinda Murdery story or your story of living with a disability or other challenges, and you could inspire an episode of the show!Sources: https://allthatsinteresting.com/sherri-rasmussenhttps://www.oxygen.com/the-real-murders-of-los-angeles/crime-news/bite-mark-on-sherri-rasmussen-ties-stephanie-lazarus-tohttps://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/06/the-lazarus-file/308499/ https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/nbc-dateline-who-sherri-rasmussen-s-killer-nowThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5496890/advertisement

This week conversations from the 2022 Platte Valley Tech Days outside of Kansas City, MO. We'll visit with Joe Brinkman, Air Marshall for the state of Missouri, Mark Nelson, who hosted the event and is still riding a 90/6 his father owned and Jim DeBauer, who is still riding an R 75/6 he bought new in 1975. We'll also be joined by George Thomas at Airsupport BMW…we'll chat about best practices for new or novice airhead owners when navigating repairs and service needs and finding an airhead mechanic. Drop us a line at airheads247@hotmail.com Support the Airhead 247 Podcast by becoming a member of the BMW MOA—it's FREE. Follow this link 247.bmwmoa.org and use the code airheads247 to register for a FREE one year digital membership. It's a quick and easy process and a simple way to support this program.

In the dimming light of February 24, 1986, LAPD detectives stepped through the gates of a condo complex in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, their faces etched with stern concentration. The scene that awaited them was grim. Sherri Rasmussen, a 29-year-old nursing director and a newlywed of just three months, lay dead in her living room. She was found by her husband, John Ruetten, an engineer who had arrived home from work at precisely 5:55 p.m. As Ruetten pulled into his driveway, the first thing that caught his eye was the open garage door. Odd. The silver two-door BMW—a cherished engagement gift he had given to Sherri—was conspicuously missing...CALL 888-MURDERY, that's, 888-687-3379, to share YOUR Kinda Murdery story or your story of living with a disability or other challenges, and you could inspire an episode of the show!Sources: https://allthatsinteresting.com/sherri-rasmussenhttps://www.oxygen.com/the-real-murders-of-los-angeles/crime-news/bite-mark-on-sherri-rasmussen-ties-stephanie-lazarus-tohttps://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/06/the-lazarus-file/308499/ https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/nbc-dateline-who-sherri-rasmussen-s-killer-nowThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5496890/advertisement