Podcast appearances and mentions of Grace Lutheran Church

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

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

Isaiah lived during one of the saddest times in the history of God's people.  He saw God's judgment unleashed on his cousins to the north - the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their stubborn and consistent unbelief.  God sent the powerful nation of Assyria to conquer their land and carry off their people. Isaiah's message to people of Jerusalem and Judah was that the same fate was coming their way, too.  They had committed many of the same sins and had angered God just the same.  Isaiah called the people to repentance and warned them that God would come down in justice against them as well.  How sad it must have been for Isaiah to record his God given prediction of the future fall of his beloved city, Jerusalem.Yet God spoke hope to his people as well - to his people in Isaiah's day and ours.   Isaiah proclaimed the mercy and compassion, the forgiveness and love that God would show to his people in bringing back the remnant from captivity and to all believers in the sending of the Messiah to be our Savior from sin.  Indeed, the meaning of Isaiah's name is true, the LORD is our salvation. We are hoping that you will join us in reading one chapter of the book of Isaiah each weekday and then in listening in on our discussion of each chapter.    If you have any questions about this series or our Most Certainly True Podcast, please reach out to Pastor Hackmann at bhackmann@gracedowntown.org.  If you'd like to learn more about Grace Lutheran Church, check out our website www.gracedowntown.org.  

Matthew continues his witness of the Nativity of Jesus, but he doesn't give us a greeting card scene. Instead, he gives us political paranoia, mass murder, and a family fleeing in the night to save their child from assassination. There's Herod, so terrified of losing power that he orders the execution of every male child under two in Bethlehem. There are these mysterious magi from the east, following God's star, but do they really believe? And, sadly, the resulting martyrdom of the Holy Innocents. This isn't the sanitized version you'll find on Christmas cards. This is Matthew telling us that from the very beginning, the arrival of Jesus split the world into those who worshiped and those who wanted him gone.  The Rev. Joshua Heimbuck, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Ashland, OR, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Matthew 2.  To learn more about Grace Lutheran, visit gracelutheranashland.org. The Gospel of Matthew bridges Old and New Testaments, presenting Jesus as the promised Messiah who fulfills the Law we could never keep and establishes His kingdom of grace for all nations. Written by a tax collector transformed by pure grace, Matthew reveals Christ as the true Son of David and Emmanuel (God with us) who challenges us with the crushing demands of the Law in His Sermon on the Mount to the sweet comfort of the Gospel in His death and resurrection. From royal genealogy to glorious resurrection, this verse-by-verse study proclaims the One who conquered sin, death, and the devil for us, now delivering forgiveness, life, and salvation through Word and Sacrament as He remains with His church always, even to the end of the age.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

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

Isaiah lived during one of the saddest times in the history of God's people.  He saw God's judgment unleashed on his cousins to the north - the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their stubborn and consistent unbelief.  God sent the powerful nation of Assyria to conquer their land and carry off their people. Isaiah's message to people of Jerusalem and Judah was that the same fate was coming their way, too.  They had committed many of the same sins and had angered God just the same.  Isaiah called the people to repentance and warned them that God would come down in justice against them as well.  How sad it must have been for Isaiah to record his God given prediction of the future fall of his beloved city, Jerusalem.Yet God spoke hope to his people as well - to his people in Isaiah's day and ours.   Isaiah proclaimed the mercy and compassion, the forgiveness and love that God would show to his people in bringing back the remnant from captivity and to all believers in the sending of the Messiah to be our Savior from sin.  Indeed, the meaning of Isaiah's name is true, the LORD is our salvation. We are hoping that you will join us in reading one chapter of the book of Isaiah each weekday and then in listening in on our discussion of each chapter.    If you have any questions about this series or our Most Certainly True Podcast, please reach out to Pastor Hackmann at bhackmann@gracedowntown.org.  If you'd like to learn more about Grace Lutheran Church, check out our website www.gracedowntown.org.  

Pastor David BuchsGrace Lutheran Church, Little Rock, AR

Pastor David BuchsGrace LutheranChurch, Little Rock, AR

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

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

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

Isaiah lived during one of the saddest times in the history of God's people.  He saw God's judgment unleashed on his cousins to the north - the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their stubborn and consistent unbelief.  God sent the powerful nation of Assyria to conquer their land and carry off their people. Isaiah's message to people of Jerusalem and Judah was that the same fate was coming their way, too.  They had committed many of the same sins and had angered God just the same.  Isaiah called the people to repentance and warned them that God would come down in justice against them as well.  How sad it must have been for Isaiah to record his God given prediction of the future fall of his beloved city, Jerusalem.Yet God spoke hope to his people as well - to his people in Isaiah's day and ours.   Isaiah proclaimed the mercy and compassion, the forgiveness and love that God would show to his people in bringing back the remnant from captivity and to all believers in the sending of the Messiah to be our Savior from sin.  Indeed, the meaning of Isaiah's name is true, the LORD is our salvation. We are hoping that you will join us in reading one chapter of the book of Isaiah each weekday and then in listening in on our discussion of each chapter.    If you have any questions about this series or our Most Certainly True Podcast, please reach out to Pastor Hackmann at bhackmann@gracedowntown.org.  If you'd like to learn more about Grace Lutheran Church, check out our website www.gracedowntown.org.  

As Micah proclaims the LORD's coming victory for the sake of His people, the prophet turns our attention to the birth of the promised Savior. The Savior will be born not in Jerusalem, but in Bethlehem. He will be the King in the line of David who will shepherd God's people in security. The LORD will deliver His remnant from the nations, and all people will see that their idols are useless.  Rev. Carl Roth, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Micah 5:1-15.  To learn more about Grace Lutheran, visit graceelgin.org. “Majoring in the Minors” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the books of Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Micah, and Nahum. Although the books of these prophets are shorter, the Word of God they preached was important in the years leading up to the coming of the Christ, and that Word remains important for the Church today. Just as we still need to listen to their call to repentance over our idolatry, so we still need to heed their call to trust in the Savior, Jesus.  Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

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

Isaiah lived during one of the saddest times in the history of God's people.  He saw God's judgment unleashed on his cousins to the north - the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their stubborn and consistent unbelief.  God sent the powerful nation of Assyria to conquer their land and carry off their people. Isaiah's message to people of Jerusalem and Judah was that the same fate was coming their way, too.  They had committed many of the same sins and had angered God just the same.  Isaiah called the people to repentance and warned them that God would come down in justice against them as well.  How sad it must have been for Isaiah to record his God given prediction of the future fall of his beloved city, Jerusalem.Yet God spoke hope to his people as well - to his people in Isaiah's day and ours.   Isaiah proclaimed the mercy and compassion, the forgiveness and love that God would show to his people in bringing back the remnant from captivity and to all believers in the sending of the Messiah to be our Savior from sin.  Indeed, the meaning of Isaiah's name is true, the LORD is our salvation. We are hoping that you will join us in reading one chapter of the book of Isaiah each weekday and then in listening in on our discussion of each chapter.    If you have any questions about this series or our Most Certainly True Podcast, please reach out to Pastor Hackmann at bhackmann@gracedowntown.org.  If you'd like to learn more about Grace Lutheran Church, check out our website www.gracedowntown.org.  

Isaiah lived during one of the saddest times in the history of God's people.  He saw God's judgment unleashed on his cousins to the north - the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their stubborn and consistent unbelief.  God sent the powerful nation of Assyria to conquer their land and carry off their people. Isaiah's message to people of Jerusalem and Judah was that the same fate was coming their way, too.  They had committed many of the same sins and had angered God just the same.  Isaiah called the people to repentance and warned them that God would come down in justice against them as well.  How sad it must have been for Isaiah to record his God given prediction of the future fall of his beloved city, Jerusalem.Yet God spoke hope to his people as well - to his people in Isaiah's day and ours.   Isaiah proclaimed the mercy and compassion, the forgiveness and love that God would show to his people in bringing back the remnant from captivity and to all believers in the sending of the Messiah to be our Savior from sin.  Indeed, the meaning of Isaiah's name is true, the LORD is our salvation. We are hoping that you will join us in reading one chapter of the book of Isaiah each weekday and then in listening in on our discussion of each chapter.    If you have any questions about this series or our Most Certainly True Podcast, please reach out to Pastor Hackmann at bhackmann@gracedowntown.org.  If you'd like to learn more about Grace Lutheran Church, check out our website www.gracedowntown.org.  

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

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

Isaiah lived during one of the saddest times in the history of God's people.  He saw God's judgment unleashed on his cousins to the north - the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their stubborn and consistent unbelief.  God sent the powerful nation of Assyria to conquer their land and carry off their people. Isaiah's message to people of Jerusalem and Judah was that the same fate was coming their way, too.  They had committed many of the same sins and had angered God just the same.  Isaiah called the people to repentance and warned them that God would come down in justice against them as well.  How sad it must have been for Isaiah to record his God given prediction of the future fall of his beloved city, Jerusalem.Yet God spoke hope to his people as well - to his people in Isaiah's day and ours.   Isaiah proclaimed the mercy and compassion, the forgiveness and love that God would show to his people in bringing back the remnant from captivity and to all believers in the sending of the Messiah to be our Savior from sin.  Indeed, the meaning of Isaiah's name is true, the LORD is our salvation. We are hoping that you will join us in reading one chapter of the book of Isaiah each weekday and then in listening in on our discussion of each chapter.    If you have any questions about this series or our Most Certainly True Podcast, please reach out to Pastor Hackmann at bhackmann@gracedowntown.org.  If you'd like to learn more about Grace Lutheran Church, check out our website www.gracedowntown.org.  

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

Isaiah lived during one of the saddest times in the history of God's people.  He saw God's judgment unleashed on his cousins to the north - the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their stubborn and consistent unbelief.  God sent the powerful nation of Assyria to conquer their land and carry off their people. Isaiah's message to people of Jerusalem and Judah was that the same fate was coming their way, too.  They had committed many of the same sins and had angered God just the same.  Isaiah called the people to repentance and warned them that God would come down in justice against them as well.  How sad it must have been for Isaiah to record his God given prediction of the future fall of his beloved city, Jerusalem.Yet God spoke hope to his people as well - to his people in Isaiah's day and ours.   Isaiah proclaimed the mercy and compassion, the forgiveness and love that God would show to his people in bringing back the remnant from captivity and to all believers in the sending of the Messiah to be our Savior from sin.  Indeed, the meaning of Isaiah's name is true, the LORD is our salvation. We are hoping that you will join us in reading one chapter of the book of Isaiah each weekday and then in listening in on our discussion of each chapter.    If you have any questions about this series or our Most Certainly True Podcast, please reach out to Pastor Hackmann at bhackmann@gracedowntown.org.  If you'd like to learn more about Grace Lutheran Church, check out our website www.gracedowntown.org.  

Pastor David BuchsGrace LutheranChurch, Little Rock, AR

Pastor David BuchsGrace Lutheran Church, Little Rock, AR

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

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

When you've really blown it and you've wandered far from God and the guilt of your sins weighs heavy, what do you do? Do you run and hide? Do you make excuses? Or do you come back, empty-handed, with nothing but confession on your lips? That's exactly what the people of Israel do in Nehemiah 9. After rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and hearing once again the Word of God, they suddenly realize the greater walls that had crumbled: their faithfulness, their obedience, their relationship with the Lord. And so, in one of the longest recorded prayers in Scripture, the people confess, repent, and remember the steadfast love of their God.  The Rev. Nathaniel Brown, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Correll, MN, Trinity Lutheran Church in Bellingham, MN, Trinity Lutheran Church in Odessa, MN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Nehemiah 9.  From rubble to renewal, Nehemiah shows how the Lord rebuilds not just walls but hearts. Brick by brick and prayer by prayer, we follow God's people through repentance, courageous leadership, fierce opposition, covenant renewal, and joyful dedication. This verse-by-verse series keeps Law and Gospel front and center, tracing the story from burned gates to the greater Builder — Christ Jesus — who secures a city that cannot fall. Expect honest history, practical application, and the steady comfort of God's promises when the work is heavy and critics are loud. Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

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

Isaiah lived during one of the saddest times in the history of God's people.  He saw God's judgment unleashed on his cousins to the north - the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their stubborn and consistent unbelief.  God sent the powerful nation of Assyria to conquer their land and carry off their people. Isaiah's message to people of Jerusalem and Judah was that the same fate was coming their way, too.  They had committed many of the same sins and had angered God just the same.  Isaiah called the people to repentance and warned them that God would come down in justice against them as well.  How sad it must have been for Isaiah to record his God given prediction of the future fall of his beloved city, Jerusalem.Yet God spoke hope to his people as well - to his people in Isaiah's day and ours.   Isaiah proclaimed the mercy and compassion, the forgiveness and love that God would show to his people in bringing back the remnant from captivity and to all believers in the sending of the Messiah to be our Savior from sin.  Indeed, the meaning of Isaiah's name is true, the LORD is our salvation. We are hoping that you will join us in reading one chapter of the book of Isaiah each weekday and then in listening in on our discussion of each chapter.    If you have any questions about this series or our Most Certainly True Podcast, please reach out to Pastor Hackmann at bhackmann@gracedowntown.org.  If you'd like to learn more about Grace Lutheran Church, check out our website www.gracedowntown.org.  

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

Isaiah lived during one of the saddest times in the history of God's people.  He saw God's judgment unleashed on his cousins to the north - the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their stubborn and consistent unbelief.  God sent the powerful nation of Assyria to conquer their land and carry off their people. Isaiah's message to people of Jerusalem and Judah was that the same fate was coming their way, too.  They had committed many of the same sins and had angered God just the same.  Isaiah called the people to repentance and warned them that God would come down in justice against them as well.  How sad it must have been for Isaiah to record his God given prediction of the future fall of his beloved city, Jerusalem.Yet God spoke hope to his people as well - to his people in Isaiah's day and ours.   Isaiah proclaimed the mercy and compassion, the forgiveness and love that God would show to his people in bringing back the remnant from captivity and to all believers in the sending of the Messiah to be our Savior from sin.  Indeed, the meaning of Isaiah's name is true, the LORD is our salvation. We are hoping that you will join us in reading one chapter of the book of Isaiah each weekday and then in listening in on our discussion of each chapter.    If you have any questions about this series or our Most Certainly True Podcast, please reach out to Pastor Hackmann at bhackmann@gracedowntown.org.  If you'd like to learn more about Grace Lutheran Church, check out our website www.gracedowntown.org.  

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

Isaiah lived during one of the saddest times in the history of God's people.  He saw God's judgment unleashed on his cousins to the north - the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their stubborn and consistent unbelief.  God sent the powerful nation of Assyria to conquer their land and carry off their people. Isaiah's message to people of Jerusalem and Judah was that the same fate was coming their way, too.  They had committed many of the same sins and had angered God just the same.  Isaiah called the people to repentance and warned them that God would come down in justice against them as well.  How sad it must have been for Isaiah to record his God given prediction of the future fall of his beloved city, Jerusalem.Yet God spoke hope to his people as well - to his people in Isaiah's day and ours.   Isaiah proclaimed the mercy and compassion, the forgiveness and love that God would show to his people in bringing back the remnant from captivity and to all believers in the sending of the Messiah to be our Savior from sin.  Indeed, the meaning of Isaiah's name is true, the LORD is our salvation. We are hoping that you will join us in reading one chapter of the book of Isaiah each weekday and then in listening in on our discussion of each chapter.    If you have any questions about this series or our Most Certainly True Podcast, please reach out to Pastor Hackmann at bhackmann@gracedowntown.org.  If you'd like to learn more about Grace Lutheran Church, check out our website www.gracedowntown.org.  

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

Isaiah lived during one of the saddest times in the history of God's people.  He saw God's judgment unleashed on his cousins to the north - the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their stubborn and consistent unbelief.  God sent the powerful nation of Assyria to conquer their land and carry off their people. Isaiah's message to people of Jerusalem and Judah was that the same fate was coming their way, too.  They had committed many of the same sins and had angered God just the same.  Isaiah called the people to repentance and warned them that God would come down in justice against them as well.  How sad it must have been for Isaiah to record his God given prediction of the future fall of his beloved city, Jerusalem.Yet God spoke hope to his people as well - to his people in Isaiah's day and ours.   Isaiah proclaimed the mercy and compassion, the forgiveness and love that God would show to his people in bringing back the remnant from captivity and to all believers in the sending of the Messiah to be our Savior from sin.  Indeed, the meaning of Isaiah's name is true, the LORD is our salvation. We are hoping that you will join us in reading one chapter of the book of Isaiah each weekday and then in listening in on our discussion of each chapter.    If you have any questions about this series or our Most Certainly True Podcast, please reach out to Pastor Hackmann at bhackmann@gracedowntown.org.  If you'd like to learn more about Grace Lutheran Church, check out our website www.gracedowntown.org.  

Isaiah lived during one of the saddest times in the history of God's people.  He saw God's judgment unleashed on his cousins to the north - the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their stubborn and consistent unbelief.  God sent the powerful nation of Assyria to conquer their land and carry off their people. Isaiah's message to people of Jerusalem and Judah was that the same fate was coming their way, too.  They had committed many of the same sins and had angered God just the same.  Isaiah called the people to repentance and warned them that God would come down in justice against them as well.  How sad it must have been for Isaiah to record his God given prediction of the future fall of his beloved city, Jerusalem.Yet God spoke hope to his people as well - to his people in Isaiah's day and ours.   Isaiah proclaimed the mercy and compassion, the forgiveness and love that God would show to his people in bringing back the remnant from captivity and to all believers in the sending of the Messiah to be our Savior from sin.  Indeed, the meaning of Isaiah's name is true, the LORD is our salvation. We are hoping that you will join us in reading one chapter of the book of Isaiah each weekday and then in listening in on our discussion of each chapter.    If you have any questions about this series or our Most Certainly True Podcast, please reach out to Pastor Hackmann at bhackmann@gracedowntown.org.  If you'd like to learn more about Grace Lutheran Church, check out our website www.gracedowntown.org.  

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

Pastor David BuchsGrace Lutheran Church, Little Rock, ARIn this Bible study session, David Buchs explores the themes of God's promises, the trials faced by believers, and the significance of Psalm 34. He discusses David's life, the creation narrative, and the responsibilities of humanity in God's house. The conversation culminates in the promise of redemption found in Genesis 3, emphasizing the importance of faith and stewardship in the Christian journey.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Overview of Psalm 3401:52 Understanding God's Plans and Our Trials08:00 David's Confidence in God's Promises10:11 The Concept of God's House in the Old Testament17:21 Responsibilities of Humanity in God's Creation26:24 The Fall and Its Consequences33:55 The Promise of Redemption

Pastor David BuchsGrace LutheranChurch, Little Rock, AR

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

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

Isaiah lived during one of the saddest times in the history of God's people.  He saw God's judgment unleashed on his cousins to the north - the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their stubborn and consistent unbelief.  God sent the powerful nation of Assyria to conquer their land and carry off their people. Isaiah's message to people of Jerusalem and Judah was that the same fate was coming their way, too.  They had committed many of the same sins and had angered God just the same.  Isaiah called the people to repentance and warned them that God would come down in justice against them as well.  How sad it must have been for Isaiah to record his God given prediction of the future fall of his beloved city, Jerusalem.Yet God spoke hope to his people as well - to his people in Isaiah's day and ours.   Isaiah proclaimed the mercy and compassion, the forgiveness and love that God would show to his people in bringing back the remnant from captivity and to all believers in the sending of the Messiah to be our Savior from sin.  Indeed, the meaning of Isaiah's name is true, the LORD is our salvation. We are hoping that you will join us in reading one chapter of the book of Isaiah each weekday and then in listening in on our discussion of each chapter.    If you have any questions about this series or our Most Certainly True Podcast, please reach out to Pastor Hackmann at bhackmann@gracedowntown.org.  If you'd like to learn more about Grace Lutheran Church, check out our website www.gracedowntown.org.  

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

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

Isaiah lived during one of the saddest times in the history of God's people.  He saw God's judgment unleashed on his cousins to the north - the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their stubborn and consistent unbelief.  God sent the powerful nation of Assyria to conquer their land and carry off their people. Isaiah's message to people of Jerusalem and Judah was that the same fate was coming their way, too.  They had committed many of the same sins and had angered God just the same.  Isaiah called the people to repentance and warned them that God would come down in justice against them as well.  How sad it must have been for Isaiah to record his God given prediction of the future fall of his beloved city, Jerusalem.Yet God spoke hope to his people as well - to his people in Isaiah's day and ours.   Isaiah proclaimed the mercy and compassion, the forgiveness and love that God would show to his people in bringing back the remnant from captivity and to all believers in the sending of the Messiah to be our Savior from sin.  Indeed, the meaning of Isaiah's name is true, the LORD is our salvation. We are hoping that you will join us in reading one chapter of the book of Isaiah each weekday and then in listening in on our discussion of each chapter.    If you have any questions about this series or our Most Certainly True Podcast, please reach out to Pastor Hackmann at bhackmann@gracedowntown.org.  If you'd like to learn more about Grace Lutheran Church, check out our website www.gracedowntown.org.  

Isaiah lived during one of the saddest times in the history of God's people.  He saw God's judgment unleashed on his cousins to the north - the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their stubborn and consistent unbelief.  God sent the powerful nation of Assyria to conquer their land and carry off their people. Isaiah's message to people of Jerusalem and Judah was that the same fate was coming their way, too.  They had committed many of the same sins and had angered God just the same.  Isaiah called the people to repentance and warned them that God would come down in justice against them as well.  How sad it must have been for Isaiah to record his God given prediction of the future fall of his beloved city, Jerusalem.Yet God spoke hope to his people as well - to his people in Isaiah's day and ours.   Isaiah proclaimed the mercy and compassion, the forgiveness and love that God would show to his people in bringing back the remnant from captivity and to all believers in the sending of the Messiah to be our Savior from sin.  Indeed, the meaning of Isaiah's name is true, the LORD is our salvation. We are hoping that you will join us in reading one chapter of the book of Isaiah each weekday and then in listening in on our discussion of each chapter.    If you have any questions about this series or our Most Certainly True Podcast, please reach out to Pastor Hackmann at bhackmann@gracedowntown.org.  If you'd like to learn more about Grace Lutheran Church, check out our website www.gracedowntown.org.  

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

Pastor David BuchsGrace Lutheran Church, Little Rock, ARJesus heals a man who was deaf, highlighting the importance of hearing and faith. #HearingIsBelieving #LittleRock #GraceLutheran

Pastor David BuchsGrace Lutheran Church, Little Rock, AR

Anyone who has studied the Third Commandment in confirmation class has encountered Colossians 2:16–17, which answers the question, “Why don't Christians have to worship on Saturday (the Sabbath) as the Israelites did in the Old Testament?” St. Paul writes, “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance [literally, “body”] belongs to Christ.” Not only does this passage teach that under the New Testament Christians are not obligated to keep Old Testament ceremonial or political laws (although the moral Law does continue to apply to all people of all times and all places), but it also leads Christians to ask, “Why would we try to cling to mere shadows of our Savior, when He is really present in His Body, the church?” We have Jesus as our Bridegroom, so we lack nothing. Nevertheless, the New Testament does use types, examples and shadows from the Old Testament to teach us about life in Christ and in the church. We can gain insights into the New Testament Means of Grace by opening the Old Testament. Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Sarah to talk about the “Searching Scripture” feature in the September 2025 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “Sacramental Shadows” on Exodus 13 & 14. This year, “Searching Scripture” is themed “Opening the Old Testament” and will walk through ways that the Old Testament witnesses to Jesus Christ and His grace, mercy and peace, delivered through the holy Christian church. Follow along every month and search Scripture with us! Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.

Anyone who has studied the Third Commandment in confirmation class has encountered Colossians 2:16–17, which answers the question, “Why don't Christians have to worship on Saturday (the Sabbath) as the Israelites did in the Old Testament?” St. Paul writes, “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance [literally, “body”] belongs to Christ.” Not only does this passage teach that under the New Testament Christians are not obligated to keep Old Testament ceremonial or political laws (although the moral Law does continue to apply to all people of all times and all places), but it also leads Christians to ask, “Why would we try to cling to mere shadows of our Savior, when He is really present in His Body, the church?” We have Jesus as our Bridegroom, so we lack nothing. Nevertheless, the New Testament does use types, examples and shadows from the Old Testament to teach us about life in Christ and in the church. We can gain insights into the New Testament Means of Grace by opening the Old Testament. Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Sarah to talk about the “Searching Scripture” feature in the September 2025 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “Sacramental Shadows” on Exodus 13 & 14. This year, “Searching Scripture” is themed “Opening the Old Testament” and will walk through ways that the Old Testament witnesses to Jesus Christ and His grace, mercy and peace, delivered through the holy Christian church. Follow along every month and search Scripture with us! Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness. As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let's be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.