Podcast appearances and mentions of Grace Lutheran Church

When he is seven years old, Joash becomes the rightful king of Judah in place of the usurper Athaliah. Joash's faithfulness to the LORD is evident in the repairs he oversees for the LORD's temple. Making use of the gifts of God's people in both money and skill, Joash draws the attention of Judah back to the place where the LORD has placed His name to distribute the forgiveness of sins. Nonetheless, the high places remain during Joash's reign, and he is forced to give tribute to Syria. Although a conspiracy brings an end to Joash's reign, his son Amaziah still becomes king in his place.    Rev. Ryan Ogrodowicz, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church and School in Brenham, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 2 Kings 11:21-12:21.  To learn more about Grace Lutheran, visit www.gracebrenham.org. "A Kingdom Divided” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Kings. The division in the kingdom of Israel in this part of history was greater than a matter of north and south. The biggest division was between the people and their God. Yet even as the people rebelled against the LORD as their King, still He remained faithful to call them back to Himself through His prophets, working through history to send the good and gracious King, Jesus Christ. 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

June 20, 2025Today's Reading: John 18:15-40Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 22:22-23:12; John 18:15-40“The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered him, ‘I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret.” (John 18:19–20)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Nobody pays attention to statistics. Something in us refuses to see ourselves with the crowds. We are always the outlier. People who live together before calling themselves married are 33% more likely to get divorced. 94% of teen drivers acknowledge the dangers of texting and driving, but 35% admitted to doing it anyway, and 21% of teen drivers involved in fatal accidents were distracted by their cell phones. Fine. Maybe. But… not me. So, we tell stories. That's the way to make people identify with what's going on. The mother who didn't abort. The refugee family struggling to make ends meet. We find ourselves in these people. Compassion takes over. They become souls, not numbers. And when it comes to this story, we know it so well, and more, we can see ourselves in it. Who hasn't been wrongfully accused? Taken issue with the government? Been betrayed? Abused? Humiliated? Who hasn't suffered? Of course, we see ourselves with Jesus. Technically, we know everyone's a sinner, and I know I'm not perfect, but if you saw what we do in context, you'd know that we always have a reason. You only steal from work because they don't pay you enough. You only yell because you've said it 100 times, and nobody listened. You only gossip because pretty sure it's true. You only spend every day self-indulging because of how unfair the world is. All of us have our reasons, and they become our everything. It's there that we can finally see ourselves in the scriptures. Jesus gave no excuses. It's everyone around Him. If you want to see your reflection in the story, look to Barabbas, the insurrectionist. The freedom fighter. Independence lover. Murderer. But if you knew why, you'd understand. Convinced he rebelled for all the right reasons, he self-justified. Look at Barabbas and know the truth: sin will always mask itself under the guise of righteousness. We will always find excuses for the ones we care about, most of all for ourselves. And so the crowds let Barabbas go free and cried to Crucify our Lord. The self-justifier is always easier to deal with in the long run than the brutally honest. If you want to find yourself in the scriptures, here you are. Barabbas is all of us. The sinner that goes free because Jesus is crucified. Jesus goes in his stead to be stricken, smitten, and afflicted. By Jesus' wounds, even Barabbas is saved.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth, The guilt of sinners bearing And, laden with the sins of earth, None else the burden sharing; Goes patient on, grows weak and faint, To slaughter led without complaint, That spotless life to offer, He bears the stripes, the wounds, the lies, The mockery, and yet replies, "All this I gladly suffer." (LSB 438:1)- Rev. Harrison Goodman, Higher Things Executive Director of Mission and Theology.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus' farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ's promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.

June 19, 2025 Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - The Seventh PetitionDaily Lectionary: Proverbs 22:1-21; John 18:1-14But deliver us from evil. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It's dark down here. There's a lot of evil in the world. It's one of the rare places we can agree with the atheists. The difference is that we can find an evil one, the devil, stirring the pot. We can label the roots of so many of the evil things men do to each other in the 10 Commandments. Even if you don't know the name of it, though, the prayer stands. We want to be free from it. Deliver us from evil. Deliver us from everything that works for our harm under the kingdom of Satan.  We pray in this Petition, in summary, that our Father in heaven would rescue us from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation, and finally, when our last hour comes, give us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven.  If you make this a future event, Christianity becomes nothing more than a race to the end, which is why so many Christians talk about life in heaven more than life today. If you see God delivering you from evil everywhere His name is hallowed, everywhere His kingdom is manifest, and everywhere His will is done, there can be comfort today, too. You were delivered from evil where God has brought you His holy name and given You His Holy Spirit. You can find deliverance from evil in God's church. Here, your sins are forgiven, and you are given an identity not rooted in shame and vice. Here, you are tied to the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting in a way that even the prince of this world cannot undo.  Here, you are kept safe and secure until, at last, you join the church triumphant at rest. In all of it, the comfort lies in the source of deliverance, not the distance you happen to be from the evil. God remains the source of every good, even in the face of death. He has already worked a blessed end for you upon the cross, that even in the darkest of days when evil seems to pervade everything, you can look to your victory in Christ's death and find certainty that you are already delivered. The difference between the church triumphant and the church militant, the saints in heaven and the saints on earth, isn't that one has been finally delivered, and the other doesn't get that yet. All of us are delivered from evil; it's just that some of us who are at rest can see it a little clearer.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.From evil, Lord, deliver us; The times and days are perilous. Redeem us from eternal death, And, when we yield our dying breath, Console us, grant us calm release, And take our souls to You in peace. (LSB 766:8)- Rev. Harrison Goodman, Higher Things Executive Director of Mission and Theology.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus' farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ's promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.

June 18, 2025 Today's Reading: John 17:1-26Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 20:5-25; Proverbs 21:1-31; John 17:1-26“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,” (John 17:1)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.” The hour has finally come for the Son to be glorified. Apparently, that wasn't when 5000 folks were willing to follow Him days out into the middle of nowhere just to listen to Him talk. Or in feeding all of them with five loaves of bread and two fish. Or in the water turned into wine that made Jesus the hero of the party. Or in walking on water. Or in the calming of the storm. Or in resisting the devil in the wilderness in a 40 day trial of wills. Jesus wasn't glorified in making everything look easy. He wasn't glorified in power. The hour where the Son of God was glorified was about the third hour, as He hung from the cross to be mocked by His enemies. Not in strength, but weakness. Not in being admired, but humiliated. Not in the things the world respects and we sinners covet, but as He was despised and we esteemed Him not. When He was stricken, smitten, and afflicted for you. There, He won for you eternal life. There, He reveals something of God we'd never otherwise see. Because that's what glory really means.Glory is a loaded word in the Bible. It doesn't just mean cool stuff. When the Bible says glory, it's a word for God's presence. It means God is actually there. The glory of the Lord is the presence of the Lord. So when angel choirs sang “glory to God in the highest” to shepherds, it was because God was present on earth, lying in a manger. When the glory of the Lord dwelt on Sinai, and a cloud covered it, and Moses entered the cloud, it was to talk to God who was present there. Where God locates Himself, His glory shines. God can work everywhere and anywhere, but that His glory shines in certain places means these are where He works with purpose for you.  The Son was glorified on the cross, and the word glory takes a new shape. This is where God wants to be present, not just everywhere, but for you. Not just in power, but in mercy. This is where the fullness of His will is revealed. Look at the Son of God suffer for you. He bears your sins. He bears your weakness today. And He wins for you a victory that none of these things can rob from you.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Go to dark Gethsemane, All who feel the tempter's pow'r; Your Redeemer's conflict see, Watch with Him one bitter hour; Turn not from His griefs away; Learn from Jesus Christ to pray. (LSB 436:1)- Rev. Harrison Goodman, Higher Things Executive Director of Mission and Theology.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus' farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ's promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.

June 17, 2025Today's Reading: Acts 2:14a, 22-36Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 17:1-28; Proverbs 18:1-20:4; John 16:17-33“this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” (Acts 2:23–24)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Peter preaches the best sermon I've ever heard. Jesus saves sinners. You're sinners. It's beautiful in its simplicity, but it completely shapes how to read the Old Testament. The plan and foreknowledge of God was to crucify the Son. For all the prophesy we look through in the Old Testament to find fulfilled in Jesus, there should be no surprise that Jesus dies and rises. David says concerning Him, “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life…” (Psalm 16:10-11) Through the cross. Out of the tomb. No other conclusion was possible. David spoke about the resurrection of Christ as if it was a given, even though it hadn't played itself out in time yet. The resurrection was a given. All the sins are atoned for. The wages of sin is death. So there can be no more death. Of course, there's a resurrection. This Jesus, you crucified, too. Foretold in the Old Testament, He bore your sins. Had there been no David, no Moses, no Patriarchs or faithful kings, Christ would have chosen to save you by bearing the same cross. It's a truth we know. But it also means the Old Testament is for you. Read it to find Jesus there. It's more than just a history of what happened before Christianity. It is the religion of all who have faith in the triune living God. The same religion. The same hope. The forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. That's yours now, too, because this Jesus, whom you crucified, is risen. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Jesus lives! The vict'ry's won! Death no longer can appall me; Jesus lives! Death's reign is done! From the grave will Christ recall me. Brighter scenes will then commence; This shall be my confidence. (LSB 490:1)- Rev. Harrison Goodman, Higher Things Executive Director of Mission and Theology.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus' farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ's promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.

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.  

June 16, 2025Today's Reading: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 16:1-24; John 16:1-16“‘To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man.” (Proverbs 8:4)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. There is an eternal Wisdom, begotten yet in existence before anything was. That's kinda hard to get one's head around. This Wisdom, involved in creation, is called a she by one known for wisdom. Which is kinda hard to get one's head around. I honestly think the weirdest part of it all is that this Wisdom who found such joy in creation actually wants to call out to us who wrecked it with sin. Wisdom calls to us. To untangle the web, we run to the simpler, less weird stuff when Scripture gets too weird. Scripture interprets Scripture. If our interpretation of Scripture from Scripture disagrees with the Nicene Creed, we messed up somewhere and made a heresy instead. That's bad. Let's start with the simplest stuff. God so loved the world that He sent Jesus to die on the cross and rise from the dead to save you from your sins. This Jesus is God of God, light of light, very God of very God. God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. The cross was never a plan B. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. This all means there is a pre-incarnate Christ. Before Christmas, the second person of the Trinity was still active. His will was always to save sinners. Before the foundation of the world, the Lamb was slain.  All this isn't just to wrinkle your brain at God being more complicated than we can understand. All this is to wrinkle your brain at God being simpler than we can comprehend. He loves you. Nothing you do can change that. He who made you in love knew you would sin, rebel, and hurt not only yourself but the rest of His creation, His children. He still loves you with unchanging and unchangeable love. This love was manifest when He died on the cross to bear your sins to save you. But if all the past can't change His love, it also means the future can't either. Number yourselves among those saved by the Wisdom that calls out to man in love. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Creator of the stars of night, Thy people's everlasting Light: O Christ, Redeemer, save us all And hear Thy servants when they call. (LSB 351:1)- Rev. Harrison Goodman, Higher Things Executive Director of Mission and Theology.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus' farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ's promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.

June 15, 2025 Today's Reading: John 8:48-59Daily Lectionary: Numbers 35:9-30; Acts 1:1-7:60; Luke 24:28-53“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.'” (John 8:58)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It's weird how happy folks were that Abraham was dead. They prefer their patriarch dead to win a fight. They have something they think is more valuable. Wealth, stability, power, ego. They'll march over the bones of Abraham to keep it and quote the Bible while they do. Genesis 25:8. “Abraham breathed his last and died.” Just… Without context. And so without the promise that He still lives. Hear Jesus' condemnation of them for what it is. We have the same idols. So when we see how happy the Jews are to have a dead Abraham if it means keeping their wealth and status, maybe we should be uncomfortable. It says plenty about our own priorities. More often than not, people's big issue with religion is not so much the idea of faith, but what it might mean. The Jews could convict Jesus of no sin yet called His teachings demonic. His greatest promise is also the biggest threat. They already have their king in Ceasar. In wealth. If that has to be built over the bones of the patriarchs and the prophets, that's just called progress. But Jesus dares to ask. What if there's more than just this life? Progress? Wealth? Power? He promises something that cuts to the heart of everything that sinners would build. If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death. The scriptures point to a Jesus who wants to bear the cross to save sinners, not reward those who think well of themselves with happiness. That's great in theory, but as it turns out, that might clash with some of your plans. If God is actually here to give you that salvation, it calls into question why so many things seem to come before His word. Treasure God's word above all. But the thing about Christ is, even when He isn't our treasure, we are His. Time and time again, He shows up and promises life to people who have other things going on. To Abraham, who had country, lands, and family; to the Jews, who had wealth and status; and to you. Each time, His call isn't to have less, but more. Remember who Jesus is. Before Abraham was, I AM. He is the God who saved Abraham. Who spoke to Moses and called Himself I AM. A name so holy it was not spoken. That's why they tried to stone Him. Not because He said He was old. Because He said He was God. But even this is a gift. It gives remembrance of fulfilled promises past, and certainty that future ones will be fulfilled, too. To what He must do for you. Die. Rise. Save. Abraham rejoiced to see this day because he was saved by Christ. Brought through death to life. That's yours, too. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty and everlasting God, You have given us grace to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity by the confession of a true faith and to worship the Unity in the power of the Divine Majesty. Keep us steadfast in this faith and defend us from all adversities; for You, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, live and reign, one God, now and forever. - Rev. Harrison Goodman, Higher Things Executive Director of Mission and Theology.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus' farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ's promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.

June 14, 2025 Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity - Psalm 16:8-11; antiphon: Liturgical TextDaily Lectionary: Numbers 32:1-6, 16-27; Luke 24:1-27Blessed be the Holy Trinity and the undivided Unity. Let us give glory to him because he has shown his mercy to us.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The doctrine of the Trinity is not revealed by God simply to confuse or imply that God isn't great at math. It's given that we may know that God draws near to save us. The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three gods, but one God. And now God is not simply a being far away in heaven. Christ is God, who came to earth to die on the cross and conquer death. The Holy Spirit is God, who is present in word and sacrament in your church for you.  “I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”In the doctrine of the Trinity, the creed simply explains the introit. You know where to find God at your right hand. Place it in the font and know you're baptized, and as sure as water is wet, you have put on Christ and are saved (1 Peter 3). Because Christ is risen from the grave, your flesh dwells secure in the resurrection even now. God has promised it belongs to you as sure as you're baptized. You know the path of life. Through the grave and out again. To be at the communion of the saints is to stand shoulder to shoulder with those who have already passed through the veil and know pleasures forevermore. Doctrine is heaven. Life is earth. But God uses His truth to confront the lives we live in sin, error, discord, labor, and sorrow with hope. The Trinity shows mercy to us sinners.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Triune God, be Thou our stay; O let us perish never! Cleanse us from our sins, we pray, And grant us life forever. Keep us from the evil one; Uphold our faith most holy, And let us trust Thee solely With humble hearts and lowly. Let us put God's armor on, With all true Christians running Our heav'nly race and shunning The devil's wiles and cunning. Amen, amen! This be done; So sing we, "Alleluia!" O Lord, have mercy on us. (LSB 505:1)- Rev. Harrison Goodman, Higher Things Executive Director of Mission and Theology.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus' farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ's promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.

June 13, 2025Today's Reading: Acts 2:1-21Daily Lectionary: Numbers 27:12-23; Luke 23:26-56“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.” (Acts 2:1)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus conquered death, and we figure everything's got to be different now. The Pharisees were still running the temple. Caiaphas still offered sacrifices there as High Priest, refusing to believe he had already sacrificed the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. The city was still under Roman occupation. The crowd still didn't do anyone any favors by paying attention to them. Remember who this crowd is. They cried for a revolution when Jesus rode into town on a donkey. They cried for a cross when He didn't deliver. On Pentecost, the Twelve didn't seek a crowd eager to hear them; the crowd heard a great noise and went to add to it. Pentecost wasn't the sanctioned and safe beginning of an enthusiastic church that took over the culture that we imagine.   We know the miracle of Pentecost—that tongues of fire danced over the apostles' heads while they preached in languages they never knew. The disciples were brought by God, not to preach to those who gathered together cheerfully after making all the right choices in the middle of it. They preached to the sinners who cried out for the death of God. They preached to the terrified. They preached to the confused who did their best and second-guessed it every step of the way. They preached to those who heard what God would call good and mocked it, then called the messengers drunk for it. They preached to us.  This is the crowd God sends preachers to. Peter preaches hope, not in an action plan for the future. Not in being on the side that made the right choices. Not even in being the ones who boycotted Target the first time things got weird. He preaches to the ones who put Jesus to death. He tells them Jesus died because of them and for them. Of the sins of all the sinners gathered that day, the selfishness, the arrogance, the anger, the idolatry are covered in the blood of God, which pays the price for the evil they work. The sinners are forgiven. The path forward is, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” It gives a new identity. Every nation gathered in Jerusalem was given a new identity that joined them together. Baptized. Christian. Those who called upon the name of the Lord and were saved.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord, With all Your graces now outpoured On each believer's mind and heart; Your fervent love to them impart. Lord, by the brightness of Your light In holy faith Your Church unite; From ev'ry land and ev'ry tongue This to Your praise, O Lord, our God, be sung: Alleluia, alleluia! (LSB 497:1)- Rev. Harrison Goodman, Higher Things Executive Director of Mission and Theology.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus' farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ's promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.

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.  

June 12, 2025Today's Reading: Genesis 11:1-9Daily Lectionary: Numbers 24:1-25; Luke 23:1-25“Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.” (Genesis 11:9)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Everybody wants a perfect little life. We all have a picture of it. This is how it needs to be so I can be content, happy, whole, and safe. Everybody wants the Tower of Babel. Those people were on to something. Look, there is nothing they couldn't do. Until God showed up and kicked over their sandcastle. We've been trying to rebuild the thing ever since. Every campaign promise and every daydream – unity – progress – greatness – utopia. We still want Babel. Because we think, “Here is peace. Here is where good happens, where God would be.” Then, your own little Tower of Babel crumbles behind your unfulfilled dreams, your candidates are not living up to promises, and your home life turns upside down. So we sit down here in the mess, depressed, hopeless, because all our plans of building a tower to heaven fell apart. Here's the thing. Heaven isn't just “up”. Which is good. If heaven is just “up,” then we're always going to be just short of it. If you have to build up, there's no hope at the bottom. You see it in how amazing your lives are here compared to how many others, and yet how miserable you are. Here's why God muddied up our language. Here's why He won't just give you your daydreams of a perfect life. It's not enough. There's always more to climb, and heaven isn't just up. He loves you too much to want you to spend your whole life with hope just out of reach. He didn't want you to think that a perfect life is the only place good things can happen. He isn't the kind of God who waits for us to figure out how to come up to Him. He comes down to us. Even us sinners. Us selfish, willing to climb over our neighbor in pursuit of our tower. Us idolaters, who find more hope in a new home than a living God. Us coveters, who ignore our lives as they play out in front of us, who keep lists of things we want to buy. For everyone who builds and ends up shy of heaven. For everyone who finds out the hard way sin never actually builds up but only tears down. For me, for you, Christ descended. To die. To rise. To save. It means there's hope at the bottom. It means God won't stay away from the mess. Even on your worst day, Jesus can't be uncrucified. His promise is still true. It is finished. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O Savior, rend the heavens wide; Come down, come down with mighty stride; Unlock the gates, the doors break down; Unbar the way to heaven's crown. (LSB 355:1)- Rev. Harrison Goodman, Higher Things Executive Director of Mission and Theology.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus' farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ's promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.

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.  

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.  

June 11, 2025Today's Reading: Mark 6:7-13Daily Lectionary: Numbers 23:4-28; Luke 22:47-71“And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.” (Mark 6:7)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus sends the Twelve out to preach and cast out demons. They only get to take a staff. They stay where someone will put them up; if not, it's dust from their boots. They healed the sick and cast out demons. But when I look at this, for the life of me all I can think about is what they didn't have. No money, no clothes, no safety net. Maybe it's because I have a lot of junk, but really, it's because I can't imagine life that close to the brink. I want extra. All I can see are the wolves. The pitfalls. The problems. That fear has been the shift in missions. For so many congregations, it's ceased to be about getting other people's help and turned into making sure we survive. All we can see is what we don't have. Not enough people. Volunteers. Money. Programs. Kids. We paint a picture of a church on the brink of extension, complain about it, and then act shocked nobody else wants to join.  This is who Christ sends the Twelve out to. Sinners who don't trust God enough. Sinners assaulted by demons. Sinners who are sick and suffering. He's still sending. We're still more focused on what we don't have than what we do. And repentance and forgiveness of sins are still being preached. There is real peace. Real healing.  Some will not hear it. Some will not receive it with joy. The kingdom of God is still manifest in the voices of the preachers—the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. God still uses the church to spread His word, which does not return empty. This is not what this church doesn't have. It's about what it does have. Peace. Jesus for sinners. The cross for you. What we have is precious. Worth praising. There's peace here. There's Christ here. Really here for you when everything else falls apart. When everything else is devoured, Christ will feed you, too. Everything the world is desperate for, we give away for free. And Christ is the one still doing the sending. The church grows by the power of the Holy Spirit. We couldn't stop it by our fear any more than we could stop it by our sin. Christ forgives both. And the church endures. It will stand unto the last, ever calling out mercy. We'll abide in a land of not enough because Christ speaks peace to us here. And that's enough.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, Your Son, Jesus Christ, chose Barnabas to be an apostle to preach the blessed Gospel. Grant that Your Church may love what he believed and preach what he taught; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.- Rev. Harrison Goodman, Higher Things Executive Director of Mission and Theology.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus' farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ's promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.

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.  

June 10, 2025 Today's Reading: John 10:1-10Daily Lectionary: Numbers 22:21-23:3; Luke 22:24-46“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When folks look around the sheepfold, it's a lot easier to find the robbers than the Lord. Jesus says, “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy.” That part, I see. That part we can't miss. The death. The destruction. The evil that doesn't just persist in a world of chance where storms and plagues come and go. There are the evils men do to each other. Sometimes even in the name of religion. Our Lord never contends the robbers being present. He warns us about them. Expect them. They're actually a sign you're in the right place. That He won't chase them out is the cause of all kinds of frustration, but He promises something even more peculiar.  Jesus doesn't stand back from what's wrong. He doesn't demand we earn His favor to fix it. He doesn't promise a perfect world. He promises the cross. He promises to come to the sheep. To rescue them. To carry the lost and bind up the wounded. He comes to make the dead live. He comes to bear the cross, not for the righteous, but for sinners. He came to die for you and for me. He came to be the lightning rod for everything wrong so we could finally stop pretending things were fine, blaming each other for what's wrong, and desperately trying to fix it without success. We cast each sin and evil upon the cross, where God bears them to the bitter end for us. And we hear the voice of the shepherd. It is finished. Your sins are forgiven you. Death is destroyed. And Jesus is risen from the grave.  Understand what the resurrection means. It is an apologetic of hope. Evil raged as hard as it could and still failed to keep Jesus dead. This is a religion carried forward on the backs of martyrs, not afraid to die because they saw someone prove it's not so permanent. They died alone and afraid. They saw what the robbers and thieves could do. And they sang hymns about the shepherd while they died at the hands of the thieves. And even here, Jesus leads them through the door. From the cross to the empty tomb. He rose. They live. And that's beautiful. And it's something that we can still hear today. The shepherd still speaks. He sends his undershepherds. They preach the gospel. There will still be others. Robbers. Don't hear them. They speak of not Jesus. But we'll sing hymns no matter what because the measure of our hope is still the voice of the risen shepherd.  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. Harrison Goodman, Higher Things Executive Director of Mission and Theology.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus' farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ's promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.

As Elijah journeys to the place where he will be taken into heaven, he invites Elisha to count the cost of following him as prophet in Israel. Elisha faithfully follows Elijah and asks that he would receive a double portion of the spirit upon Elijah. When Elisha sees Elijah taken up into heaven, he rightly recognizes God's activity and confesses that the prophetic word is the true power in Israel. The LORD answers Elisha's prayer and makes this plain to Elisha as he is able to part the Jordan River just as Elijah did before him. Right away, the LORD shows His people that Elisha is the prophet in whose mouth is the Word of God, which comes to pass and must not be mocked.  Rev. Carl Roth, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 2 Kings 2:1-25.  To learn more about Grace Lutheran, visit www.graceelgin.org. "A Kingdom Divided” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Kings. The division in the kingdom of Israel in this part of history was greater than a matter of north and south. The biggest division was between the people and their God. Yet even as the people rebelled against the LORD as their King, still He remained faithful to call them back to Himself through His prophets, working through history to send the good and gracious King, Jesus Christ. 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

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.  

June 9, 2025Today's Reading: John 3:16-21Daily Lectionary: Numbers 22:1-20; Luke 22:1-23“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. If you unpack the Bible verse everyone already knows, you find a religion nobody can fathom. It's nothing but Jesus on the cross for sinners. It binds us together without distinction, without exception, and leaves us with a different vocabulary. All the world talks about what's wrong. All the world condemns. But Christ did not come into the world to condemn it, but in order that it would be saved through His cross. You don't need to make the world better or even make it seem that way. You can call darkness dark because you see the light that conquers it. Forgives you who walk in it. Brings light that darkness would not overcome it. Which means the only reason there's darkness left is because folks want it that way. The light came into the world, but the people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. It's easy to sort through now, especially with that cross. Shine light on everything. What is light reflects light. What is dark flees the light. Not just because Christians are good and the world is evil. That's the lie the devil would have us believe, so we won't know what to make of our sins and would flee from the God who'd crucify them, even if it means running back to darkness. But whoever comes to the light shows what light does. It forgives. This is the work carried out in God. Christians take their sins to the light. To the cross, so they're not afraid to call their sins darkness. They know where light conquered darkness. And they know it was for them. It was for you. The darkness that flees the light is the darkness that doesn't want to become light. That doesn't want forgiveness. Shine light on everything and watch Christians rejoice in the forgiveness of sins, and there is no greater light, for this is the work of God. This is the peace we have. To not worry so much about the darkness anymore. Don't be afraid of it. Don't worry about outrunning it or outfighting it. You are brought to the light. This is the work God carries out over and over for you. So you won't have to measure your light; you can look to His cross. You can know that it's yours every single day for every single dark thing.   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O God, who gave Your Holy Spirit to the apostles, grant us that same Spirit that we may live in faith and abide in peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. - Rev. Harrison Goodman, Higher Things Executive Director of Mission and Theology.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus' farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ's promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.

June 8, 2025 Today's Reading: John 14:23-31Daily Lectionary: Numbers 21:10-35; Luke 21:20-38“Jesus answered him, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.'” (John 14:23) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word.” Faith, of course, is presupposed to the reader. I guess that's good. We assume Christians believe. But also, when we take faith for granted, all that's really left to talk about is what we want to come out of it. We assume the most important part of what Jesus said, then leave all of the stress on something that wasn't ever given to carry the weight. We focus on the word “keep.” We stress the word keep when we're set against a society that doesn't keep it as if we can stave it off somehow by what we do. We stress it when our kids mess up, when we mess up, and when the world messes up because “whoever does not love me will not keep my word.” And even when nothing's messed up at all, we think we did that by keeping something and proved something by it.Don't presuppose faith. See it for what it is. The gift of the Holy Spirit, who calls, gathers, enlightens, sanctifies, and keeps you. Jesus is not describing the outcome of a presupposed faith. He's describing what faith looks like. Pentecost celebrates that. God wants to speak. He preaches through men by the Gift of the Holy Spirit. He gives good Gifts to sinners. To you. To keep isn't measured in obedience. It's chiefly to treasure. By faith, we treasure the word God gives us, even when it paints us as sinners. Because it also tells us that Jesus saves sinners. Treasure that. Love what the world loves not. Love the cross and all that it brings. Love the place God put to death all evil and saved you from yourself. Love the life He gives that only comes on the other side of the tomb, but already belongs to you in your Baptism. This is the peace the world cannot give.  We live forgiven, rooted in the Gifts of the Spirit, of the gospel which calls, gathers, enlightens, sanctifies, and keeps, rejoicing in the promise Jesus makes, that you who love the Lord do treasure His word. The word speaks, and it shapes us. Each day, it forgives. Each day, it ties us to the great promise. Rise. Let us go from here.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O God, on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. - Rev. Harrison Goodman, Higher Things Executive Director of Mission and Theology.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus' farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ's promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.

June 7, 2025 Today's Reading: John 14:8-21Daily Lectionary: Numbers 20:22-21:9; Luke 20:45-21:19“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.” (John 14:16)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Holy Spirit is God, as much as the Father is God and the Son is God. We confess this truth every time we speak one of the Creeds. But if the Spirit is God, why don't we give as much attention to the Holy Spirit as we do to the Father and the Son?On the one hand, we probably should spend more time thinking about the Holy Spirit and praising Him for all that He does for us. Not only is He God, but we would be lost without the Holy Spirit. Luther reminds us in the Small Catechism that we “cannot by our own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ our Lord or come to Him.” It is the Holy Spirit who grants us saving faith in Jesus.  St. Paul also reminds us that it is only by the Holy Spirit that we can do good works, pleasing in God's sight. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control,” (Galatians 5:22-23). We literally could not be holy to God without the work of the Holy Spirit.But on the other hand, Jesus reminds us that in a way, this is what the Holy Spirit wants. Jesus calls the Spirit the “Helper.” The Holy Spirit acts as our helper by pointing us to Jesus. He directs our attention to Christ because it is Jesus alone who takes on our sinful flesh and suffers and dies for us. The Spirit teaches us all these things about Christ and brings them to our remembrance (John 14:26) by inspiring the prophets and apostles to write the Scriptures for us, and by working through the preaching of God's Word. That is how saving faith is created and sustained in us.Jesus, in turn, leads us to the Father (John 14:6) and shows us the Father's face (John 14:9). That is salvation. The faith of a Christian, the faith that is created by the work of the Holy Spirit, is always centered around Jesus Christ, our Lord.It is certainly good and right to praise God, the Holy Spirit, and acknowledge His work among us. And the best way to do that is to direct our eyes to Jesus and believe in Him. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty and ever-living God, You fulfilled Your promise by sending the gift of the Holy Spirit to unite disciples of all nations in the cross and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ. By the preaching of the Gospel spread this gift to the ends of the earth; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Pentecost Eve)- Rev. Aric Fenske, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran Church in Bear Creek, WI.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

June 6, 2025 Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost - Psalm 104:24, 27-28, 30; antiphon: Liturgical TextDaily Lectionary: Numbers 20:1-21; Luke 20:19-44“Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love. Alleluia.” (Liturgical text)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What's in your heart? If you're honest with yourself, most of it's not pretty! There's a good chance there's some anger toward your parents or teachers in there. Probably also some jealousy toward your friends or classmates who have newer cars, or bigger homes, or are smarter or more athletic than you. And I'm sure if you dug deep, you could find much uglier stuff than that.Not that this should surprise us. God's Word has plenty to say about our sinful hearts. Do you remember what God said before He told Noah to build the ark? “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Or how about Jesus, when He said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander,” (Matthew 15:19)? There's plenty of sin in each of our hearts.Thankfully, God has promised to put something else into our hearts. “And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them” (Ezekiel 11:19). That new spirit God promises to put in our hearts is none other than His own Holy Spirit!This is why Pentecost is such a big deal! The Father and the Son send forth the Holy Spirit so that God Himself can come and fill our hearts, just as we pray in the Introit for the day. Here, we learn that all three Persons of the Trinity work in perfect harmony and unity to grant us salvation. The Father sends His only-begotten Son. The Son lives, dies, and rises for our salvation. And the Father and Son send us the Spirit through Jesus' Word and Sacraments to create and sustain faith in our hearts, a faith which clings to the promise of forgiveness in Jesus.So even though our hearts are filled with sin and will be as long as we live, we don't despair. The Holy Spirit resides in our hearts, too! This means that we live as redeemed children of God, knowing that Christ has washed away our sin and won't count them against us.And if that weren't enough, the Holy Spirit changes our sinful hearts as He dwells in them. By His power, we learn to truly love. “We love God because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). And, because we learn to love God, we also begin to love one another (1 John 4:7). No wonder the Church prays, “Come, Holy Spirit!”  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord, with all your graces now outpoured On each believer's mind and heart; Your fervent love to them impart. (LSB 497:1)- Rev. Aric Fenske, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran Church in Bear Creek, WI.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

We have now come through Lent and the Easter season, including the Ascension of Jesus to His Father's right hand, and in June we celebrate Pentecost. In these studies, we have explored messianic prophecies in January through April, with an introduction to messianic typology last month. This month's study will deal with a prophecy that is not exactly messianic, but features prominently in the New Testament: in Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost. We also will explore the Old and New Testaments' witness to the Holy Spirit and His work then and now. Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Sarah to talk about the “Searching Scripture” feature in the June/July 2025 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “The Promised Spirit” on Joel 2:28–32 and Acts 2:1–22. 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.

We have now come through Lent and the Easter season, including the Ascension of Jesus to His Father's right hand, and in June we celebrate Pentecost. In these studies, we have explored messianic prophecies in January through April, with an introduction to messianic typology last month. This month's study will deal with a prophecy that is not exactly messianic, but features prominently in the New Testament: in Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost. We also will explore the Old and New Testaments' witness to the Holy Spirit and His work then and now. Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Sarah to talk about the “Searching Scripture” feature in the June/July 2025 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “The Promised Spirit” on Joel 2:28–32 and Acts 2:1–22. 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.

June 5, 2025 Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - The Sixth PetitionDaily Lectionary: Numbers 16:41-17:13; Numbers 18:1-19:22; Luke 20:1-18“Lead us not into temptation.” (The Lord's Prayer - The Sixth Petition)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.God doesn't tempt us. Why would He? He doesn't want us to sin. He suffered and died to free us from the power of sin and its consequences. He clearly doesn't want us to sin.As obvious as this seems, it's still important to be reminded of this. If God did tempt us, then we'd try to blame Him every time we mess up and sin. That's what Adam did. “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she deceived me and I ate” (Genesis 3:12). As if God were somehow responsible for their disobedience. How crazy!God tempts no one. He doesn't get any of the blame for our sinful thoughts, words, and deeds. We get the blame. “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (James 1:14). Our own sinful hearts tempt us to doubt God's Word and disobey His commands because that Old Adam is diametrically opposed to the things of God.Of course, the devil and the sinful world play a part, too. The devil is all too familiar with your sinful desires, and he will inflame those desires by urging and enticing you to follow your Old Adam instead of God. The world who hates God is also there, beckoning us to join them in loving ourselves and the world more than God. They surround us with sights, sounds, and opportunities that our sinful nature would love to partake of.We might say that temptations to sin come from everywhere but God! This is why Jesus teaches us to pray this petition. He knows that these temptations constantly surround us. He knows because He was “tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrew 4:15). During His earthly life, Jesus was tempted by the devil and the world, too. He knows how strong temptation can be. And He alone knows what is needed for us to overcome it.So Jesus teaches and invites us to pray to the Father in His name, asking that God would lead us through temptation when it comes and keep us from falling. And with this invitation is the promise that He will send us aid. He promises to instruct us in His Word, to strengthen us with His Spirit, and to guard us with His holy angels. And, thankfully, He also promises to forgive us when we fail, graciously keep us as His beloved children, and grant us the final victory over sin on the Last Day.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O God, who tempts no one to sin, guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our own sinful natures may not deceive us or lead us into false belief, despair, or other great shame and vice. And when we are attacked by these things, we pray that You would grant us to overcome them and win the victory; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen. - Rev. Aric Fenske, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran Church in Bear Creek, WI.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

June 4, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 19:29-48Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:23-40; Luke 19:29-48“Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes,” (Luke 19:42)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The people of Judea were welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem with shouts of joy, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38). The people were excited because they expected Jesus to bring them peace. But while they were shouting for joy, Jesus was weeping for them. He wept because even though the people were expecting peace, many of them weren't going to get it.Why? Because they didn't know the “things that make for peace.” You see, the Jews were only looking for worldly peace. They were longing for a new king like David, who would free them from Roman oppression. And they had hoped that Jesus was that guy. But He wasn't. At least not in the way they thought. Jesus didn't come to be an earthly king, to rule in an earthly kingdom and bring a worldly type of peace.Jesus came to bring us the “peace that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). That is, peace with God. And just what are the things that make for this peace? The death and resurrection of Jesus, of course! Through Jesus, for the sake of His innocent suffering and death, we are reconciled to our heavenly Father, and we live with the hope of everlasting life in the Father's kingdom. That hope cannot be taken from us, no matter what happens in this life.As Jesus rode into Jerusalem to win that peace for us, He knew that many of the Jews He encountered that day weren't going to receive it. They rejected Him because they were so obsessed with earthly things that they didn't want the peace that He brought.  We've got to be careful that we don't do the same thing. God has given us so many wonderful gifts, such as our families and friends, money, the ability to play sports, and the intelligence to get into a great college. While these can all be great blessings from God, we shouldn't think that these blessings are the source of our peace, at least not true, lasting peace. Sadly, friends can betray us; money can be taken from us. Popularity, looks, and health will all fade away. True peace only comes from Jesus. Thankfully, He wants you to have it, and He offers you what you need to have it. He gives you His Word along with His crucified and risen Body and Blood in the Sacrament of the Altar. When you receive the Word and Sacrament in faith, you receive the things that make for peace. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Thy work alone, O Christ, Can ease this weight of sin; Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, Can give me peace within. (LSB 567:3)- Rev. Aric Fenske, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran Church in Bear Creek, WI.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Martin Luther said in the preface to his Large Catechism:“Besides, nothing is more effectual against the devil, the world and the flesh and all evil thoughts than to be occupied with the Word of God, and to speak thereof, and meditate upon it; so that the first Psalm declares those blessed who meditate upon the law of God day and night. Undoubtedly, you will never offer any incense or other savor against Satan more efficacious than employment upon God's commandments and words, and speaking, singing, or thinking thereof. For this is indeed the truly holy water and holy sign from which he flees, and by which he is driven away. ”Join us in warding off the devil's temptations and growing in knowledge and appreciation of the truth of God and his love for sinners. We'll review these simple truths from the Scriptures and apply them into our lives as followers of Christ.  Grab your copy of Luther's Large Catechism in a stand alone paperback like the one found here. A version of Luther's Large Catechism with supplemental essays and further reading can be found here.  Luther's Large Catechism is included in the Book of Concord.  Grab your copy off the shelf or get your own copy here.  We hope you can join us to read through Luther's Large Catechism or at least listen in on the discussion. We'll read one Commandment/Article/Petition per episode.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.  

June 3, 2025 Today's Reading: Revelation 22:1-6 (7-11) 12-20Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:1-22; Luke 19:11-28“No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.” (Revelation 22:3)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When you think about heaven, what are the things you look forward to the most? Is it having your resurrected body? Maybe it's being reunited with your believing family and friends for all eternity. I, for one, am looking forward to that feast of rich food that God promises to Isaiah (Isaiah 25:6)!  Or maybe you look forward to not having the things that will be missing. When St. John was given his vision of heaven, he saw that there was nothing “accursed” there. There won't be anybody in heaven who hates you. You won't have all those terrible thoughts or do or say wicked things because your sinful nature will be gone, along with all other temptations. There won't be any sickness or disease or danger. No sin of any kind!These are certainly all wonderful things to look forward to. But St. John reminds us today that there's one thing (or one Person, rather) in heaven that should be our main hope. “The throne of God and of the Lamb” will be there. God the Father will be there. The Holy Spirit will be there. And Jesus will be there. God isn't some kind of door prize that comes along with heaven; He is what it's all about.Besides, what could be better than basking forever in the presence of the God who made you and loved you so much that He took on your flesh, suffered and died for you, and then came to you in the Word and Sacrament to grant you saving faith? Remember the 1st Commandment? “You shall have no other gods.” Hidden in this commandment is a wonderful promise. When you have the Triune God as your Lord, you have everything you could ever need and more! You don't need any other gods. There is nothing better than being in the gracious presence of God.Thankfully, we don't have to wait until heaven to enjoy the blessings of God's presence! Even now, God comes to us through His Means Of Grace, the Word and Sacraments to bless us. He comes to us to give us everything that we need to join Him in heaven. That would include especially the forgiveness of sins won by Jesus. But God also comes to us to give us the fruits of the Spirit, like patience, strength, repentance, and every Gift that we might need as we wait for the day that God gathers us to heaven.There truly is nothing better than being in God's presence—now and forever!In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O Christ, do Thou my soul prepare for that bright home of love. That I may see Thee and adore with all Thy saints above. (LSB 673:6 )- Rev. Aric Fenske, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran Church in Bear Creek, WI.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

June 2, 2025Today's Reading: Acts 1:12-26Daily Lectionary: Numbers 14:26-45; Numbers 15:1-41; Luke 18:35-19:10“So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” (Acts 1:21-22)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.After Judas' betrayal and gruesome death, his spot among the apostles was empty. It didn't take long for the remaining eleven to recognize that this spot needed to be filled. After all, Jesus chose twelve for a reason.I'm sure there were many different qualifications that the remaining eleven considered when the time came to select someone to fill that vacant spot, qualifications like those that St. Paul would later mention in his letters to Timothy and Titus (able to teach, above reproach, respectable, and so on; see 1 Timothy 3 or Titus 1). And yet, Peter points out one qualification that stood out among all the others. The man who would fill Judas' place among the Apostles needed to be an eyewitness of Jesus' ministry. It had to be someone who, like them, saw Jesus be baptized, heard Him preach, watched Him cast out demons and heal diseases, and most importantly, saw Jesus alive after His crucifixion.Why was this so important to Peter? Why couldn't a more recent convert to the faith take Judas' place? To put it briefly, Peter wanted you to know the things you've learned about Jesus, especially His resurrection, actually happened! As Peter would later write, these things are not “cleverly devised myths” (2 Peter 1:16). Those who first shared the Good News and then wrote it down for later generations, like us, saw Jesus do everything that was necessary for our salvation with their own eyes.   And that means that you can be absolutely sure that Jesus has accomplished everything that was needed for your redemption. Whenever the devil, the world, or your own sinful nature tempt you to doubt the things you've learned about Jesus, remember that multitudes of people saw it all happen. Your faith in Christ is not founded on made-up stories or on events that may or may not have happened. Your faith is founded on the historical events of Christ's birth, life, death, and resurrection for sinners.So, you can be certain that Jesus was baptized into your sins, that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for those sins, and that He rose again from the dead, defeating death and assuring you that the Father has accepted His sacrifice on your behalf. And if you can be sure of all that, you can also be sure that you will be raised with Christ to life everlasting.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.We know that Christ is raised and dies no more. Embraced by death, He broke its fearful hold; And our despair He turned to blazing joy. Alleluia! (LSB 603:1)- Rev. Aric Fenske, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran Church in Bear Creek, WI.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

June 1, 2025Today's Reading: John 17:20-26Daily Lectionary: Numbers 14:1-25; Luke 18:18-34“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.” (John 17:20)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.To me, these are some of the most amazing (and humbling!) words uttered by God in the entire Bible. In what we call the High Priestly Prayer, Jesus prays these words in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before He dies. And just look at what Jesus is praying for before He goes off to be tortured and die. He prays for “all who believe will believe in Me.” That means He was praying for you!Jesus was about to be betrayed by one of His closest companions and abandoned by the rest. He would be arrested and beaten and face unimaginable physical pain. He was going to bear the weight of every sin from every sinner. He was going to face the terrors of Hell itself as His own Father would forsake Him on the cross. Jesus knew that He had to face all these terrible things in the next few hours, and still, He took the time to think about and pray for you! Wow!And what did Jesus ask the Father on your behalf? He prayed that you would be one with Him along with all the other believers so that you would always be with Him. Jesus wants to be with you always, in this life and in eternity!Have things at home or at school ever been so messed up that you've felt like God has forgotten about you? Have you ever felt so ashamed or guilty about a sin that you've doubted if God could really ever love you? Do you ever wonder how you're going to make it through another day? When these doubts and fears come, just look at this Highly Priestly prayer again! Jesus didn't forget about you, even in His own most desperate hour! And He never ever wants to be apart from you.In fact, Jesus wants to be with you so much that He didn't stop at simply praying for it. He did what was necessary to make it happen. He willingly and gladly suffered, died, and rose again to defeat sin, death, and the devil for you. Then He sent out His apostles and built His Church so that He might come to you today in His Word and with His very Body and Blood to forgive, strengthen, and preserve you in the faith so that you would remain in Him and with Him forever. All this means that you can live (and die) in the confidence that you will always be with Christ, our Lord.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.For us He prayed; for us He taught; For us His daily works He wrought, By words and signs and actions thus Still seeking not Himself but us. (LSB 544:4)- Rev. Aric Fenske, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran Church in Bear Creek, WI.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

May 31, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 1:39-45 (46-56)Daily Lectionary: Numbers 13:1-3, 17-33; Luke 18:1-17“In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb.” (Luke 1:39-41)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  “With haste.” That means she went quickly. Mary didn't dawdle. She didn't waste her time. She got out of town and went to see her cousin. How long did it take? It was about 90 miles of a journey, so even going at a slow pace, she would have gotten there in a few days of travel. Even if she had taken a few days to pack and prepare for the journey, she would have gotten there about a week after the Angel Gabriel had visited her.So, with the Little Lord Jesus (one week from conception!) in her womb, Mary greets Elizabeth. At the sound of her greeting, St. John (six months from conception) leaps within his mother's womb because he is in the presence of His Lord! How big was Jesus at that time? Well, at four weeks, a baby is about .04 inches and .04 ounces. So, at one week? Not big at all! But there was God in the flesh, and John worships Him. The One who is mighty makes Himself weak. He scatters the proud but lifts the lowly. As He came to the lowly Virgin Mary, He still comes down to us, filling the hungry with His Body and Blood and clothing us with His righteousness. Your Savior is not a Savior who reigns from high above. He is a Savior who comes down to us. He is not a Savior who doesn't understand you or get what it's like to be in your place. Jesus knows you. He knows your pain and your weakness. He knows what it is like to grow up, to learn to read, to get hurt by nature and hurt by people, even close friends. He knows what it's like to be a child in the womb. He knows what it is like to be an infant, a toddler, a teenager. He knows what it's like to die and to rise again.Jesus comes for you. He comes to die that you might live.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Before he yet was born, He leaped in joyful meeting, Confessing Him as Lord Whose mother he was greeting. By Jordan's rolling stream, A new Elijah bold, He testified of Him Of whom the prophets told. (LSB 346:2)- Rev. Daniel Burhop, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Reese, MI.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

May 30, 2025Today's Reading: Introit for Easter 7 - Psalm 61:3, 5-8; antiphon: Psalm 61:1Daily Lectionary: Numbers 11:24-29; 12:1-16; Luke 17:20-37“So will I ever sing praises to your name, as I perform my vows day after day.” (Psalm 61:8)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  If you've gone through the Rite of Confirmation, you've made some vows. If you haven't, you're likely preparing to. During the Rite, the Pastor asks: “Do you intend to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord's Supper faithfully? Do you intend to live according to the Word of God and in faith, word, and deed to remain true to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even to death? Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?”  Those are not simple questions. These vows are made to God. Solomon warns us in Ecclesiastes 5:4-6, “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, ‘My vow was a mistake.'”Vows aren't something to say because someone else wants you to say them. Making vows that you don't intend to keep is a dangerous habit to get into. When you go through the Rite of Confirmation, you vow that you intend to be in church to hear God's Word, that you intend to live your life outside of church according to that Word, and that you will continue in this way to your death, even if someone were to kill you for it!So, what did, or what will you vow? “I do, by the grace of God.” Left on our own, we would fall away at the first sign of discomfort. But you are not on your own. The Lord who comes to you through His Word and Sacraments will continue to strengthen you in your faith as you go through life. This is why we don't want to stop hearing it! If you want to fulfill these vows, don't forget to do what David says, “So will I ever sing praises to your name, as I perform my vows day after day.” As you fulfill that first vow, to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord's Supper faithfully, He will cause you to live according to that Word and to continue in that Word. Listen to Solomon, and do not delay in fulfilling it!In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord, I my vows to Thee renew; Disperse my sins as morning dew; Guard my first steps of thought and will And with Thyself my spirit fill. (LSB 868:4)- Rev. Daniel Burhop, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Reese, MI.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

May 29, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 24:44-53Daily Lectionary: Numbers 11:1-23, 31-35; Luke 17:1-19“And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.” (Luke 24:50-51)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Think about those hands. Hands that were knit together in the womb of St. Mary. Hands that pressed up against that womb as they grew. Hands that grasped His mother's finger as she cradled Him in her arms. Hands that held St. Joseph's fingers as He learned to walk. Hands that did chores around the house. Hands that reached out to touch the lepers, the blind, the deaf, and the mute. Hands that reached out to grab Peter as he sank into the water. Hands that stopped a funeral procession in its tracks, touching the coffin of a young man and then taking that young man and giving him back to His mother. Hands that blessed the little children.Hands that overturned the tables in the Temple. Hands that dipped a towel in the water and washed the feet of His disciples that would run away, or, even worse, deny Him that night. Hands that broke bread and said, “Take and eat.” Hands that raised the cup and said, “Take and drink.”Hands that were pierced with nails. Hands that went limp in death. Hands that were laid in a grave. Hands that were shown to the Disciples on Easter Evening and to Thomas the next week.Now, as Jesus ascends into heaven, those nail-scarred hands are raised and lifted in blessing. Those hands were taken into heaven and seated at the Right Hand of the Father. Those hands, hands of the One who is True God and True Man, have a place in heaven.Those same hands now come to you in blessing. They work through the hands of your pastor who baptized you, who forgives, who delivers the Body and Blood of Jesus to you each week, and who raises His hands in blessing and says, “The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord makes His face shine upon you be gracious unto you, the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Crown Him the Lord of love. Behold His hands and side, Rich wounds, yet visible above, In beauty glorified. No angels in the sky Can fully bear that sight, But downward bend their wond'ring eyes At mysteries so bright. (LSB 525:3)- Rev. Daniel Burhop, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Reese, MI.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

May 28, 2025Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - The Fifth PetitionDaily Lectionary: Numbers 10:11-36; Luke 16:19-31And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.What does this mean? We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look at our sins, or deny our prayer because of them. We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them, but we ask that He would give them all to us by grace, for we daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment. So we too will sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against us.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Why should God give us what we've prayed for? So far in the Lord's Prayer, we've asked for God's Name to be hallowed in our life, His Kingdom to come to us, His will to be done to us, and for all the stuff that the 4th Petition asks for when we ask for daily bread. Why should God give us these things? We're just going to misuse them! Why should God give them to us? We don't deserve them.You don't give a perfectly cooked steak to a toddler. They won't appreciate it! You don't give a brand-new car to a 16-year-old. They'll just misuse it! You don't give a raise to the worker who takes extra long breaks and is always on their phones. He doesn't deserve it!So why do we think God will give us what we ask for? We'll just misuse His name as we don't live Holy lives according to it. We won't appreciate the gifts of His Kingdom. We don't deserve His Will to be done in our lives. So, why would God give them to us?“For the sake of Jesus Christ…”  When we come before God each week, we ask for forgiveness. We don't say, “I'll try harder.” We don't say, “I did better this week.” We say, “for the sake of Christ.” And the Lord hears that prayer and gives us what we don't deserve or appreciate fully and what we will just misuse.  Just as God deals with us, we can deal with others. Why should we forgive the friend who sins against us? Why should we help our brother who didn't help us? Why should we give things to others? Because God has looked past our sin and given us what we need and more. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Forgive our sins, Lord, we implore, That they may trouble us no more; We too, will gladly those forgive Who hurt us by the way they live. Help us in our community To serve each other willingly. (LSB 766:6)- Rev. Daniel Burhop, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Reese, MI.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

May 27, 2025Today's Reading: Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27Daily Lectionary: Numbers 9:1-23; Luke 16:1-18“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.” (Revelation 21:23-25)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “Katy, bar the door!”Where does that phrase come from? No one really knows. If you want, you can try to follow that rabbit hole, but it's probably not worth it. It is fun to say, though: “Katy, bar the door!”  What does it mean? Danger is coming! Shut the gates! Lock the doors! Doom is impending!Why do we shut gates? To keep the bad things out! The gates are shut at night when darkness rules. We batten down the hatches on the ship when the storm is coming. We tie down the tent when the wind picks up. We secure things so they aren't destroyed. We shut and lock the gates at night to keep the cold, the dark, and the scary things out. But the gates will not need to be shut any longer. That's what St. John tells us as he sees a picture of the New Creation. There, he sees a city with wide open gates that will never be shut because “there will be no night there.” No night, no darkness, no cold, no scary things. “Death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)  The former things have passed away. They are gone. That's the promise. That's why Jesus died. That's why Jesus was raised. That's why Jesus ascended. That's why Jesus will come again.The hatches won't need to be battened down. Katy won't need to bar the door! The gates will be open. Sin, death, and the devil will no longer be a threat. Doesn't that sound wonderful? No darkness that will cause us to stumble when we walk. No terrors of the night. No devil prowling around like a lion seeking to devour. No sin crouching at our door.  Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Wide Open Stand the gates adorned with pearl, While round God's golden throne The choirs of saints in endless circles curl, And joyous praise the Son! They watch Him now descending To visit waiting earth. The Lord of Life unending Brings dying hope new birth! (LSB 639:1)- Rev. Daniel Burhop, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Reese, MI.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

May 26, 2025Today's Reading: Acts 16:9-15Daily Lectionary: Numbers 8:5-26; Luke 15:11-32“One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” (Acts 16:16)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever been locked out? Maybe you left the keys in your car, pressed the button on the door, and then shut it, immediately having panic spread from your head to your heart. Perhaps you came home earlier than expected, and no one was home to let you in. Perhaps you arrived at work and realized you had left your keys back at home. What do you do?You look for a way to break in! Maybe someone left a window down or the back door unlocked. Or, you keep pulling the same locked door handle, foolishly thinking that it will open up this time. It doesn't work. What you need is the thing you do not have: the key.Lydia's heart was closed. The Lord had the key. “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” What did she hear? She heard about Jesus and His death and resurrection. She heard about the Gift of Baptism. She heard about how her sins were forgiven and how Jesus had broken down the gates of Hell to rescue those like her who were held captive.   We are at the end of the Easter Season and the Festival Half of the Church Year. Way back in Advent, at the start of the year, we prayed: “O Key of David and scepter of the house of Israel, You open and no one can close, You close and no one can open: Come and rescue the prisoners who are in darkness and the shadow of death” (O Antiphon for December 20th). Jesus heard your prayer.He has opened your ears, heart, and mind to hear and pay attention to His Word. When you were baptized, Jesus broke open your sin-locked heart and caused you to have faith in His promise. When He comes again, He will open up your grave on the Day of Resurrection.Locks can't keep Jesus out. He appeared to the Disciples in the Upper Room on Easter Evening, even though the doors were locked. He is in, with, and under the bread and the wine, with His very Body and Blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord, open now my heart to hear, And through Your Word to me draw near; Let me Your Word e'er pure retain; Let me Your child and heir remain. (LSB 908:1)- Rev. Daniel Burhop, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Reese, MI.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

May 25, 2025Today's Reading: John 16:23-33 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 3:1-16, 39-48; Numbers 4:1-8:4; Luke 14:25-15:10“[Jesus said,] ‘I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.'” (John 16:33)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The next time you are in church, count how many times the word “peace” is spoken or sung. I think you'll be surprised. “Peace” is all over the Divine Service! “In peace let us pray to the Lord…”; “Glory be to God on high and on earth peace;” “Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, grant us your peace;” “The peace of the Lord be with you always;” “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace.” It's even the last word you hear as the Lord places His name upon you in the benediction and sends you back out into the world: “The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”Why? Because in the world, you will have tribulation…people will sin against you…you will be mocked for your faith…, and your sin will cause problems. But take heart—Jesus has overcome the world.In the midst of tribulation, amid the chaos of a broken, bent, corrupt life…Jesus gives you peace. Does that mean that life gets easy? Does it mean we won't have arguments with our family and friends? No. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation.”  But take heart: Jesus has overcome the world.Jesus has suffered the wrath that we deserve because of our sins. He has paid the price for your friends that hurt you. He brings forgiveness and wholeness.The peace that Jesus talks about is not a worldly peace. It's not an absence of tribulation. It's a peace that takes our broken world and broken lives and makes them whole with His forgiveness. This is why we come back to church week after week.  In the world, we will have tribulation, but in the Divine Service, Jesus comes to you to give you peace. He is the Savior who comes, takes on our flesh, and brings His peace to the earth. He is the Lamb of God who gives you peace. He comes to you in, with, and under the bread and wine of His Supper and greets you with the same greeting He gave to His Disciples in the Upper Room on Easter Evening: “Peace be with you.”In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.- Rev. Daniel Burhop, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Reese, MI.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

May 24, 2025Today's Reading: Introit for Easter 6 - Psalm 55:4, 16-18; antiphon: Psalm 55:22Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 26:21-33, 39-44; Numbers 1:1-2:34; Luke 14:1-24“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  In the days of yore, before all farming was done by machines, the farmers used to attach their tools to cows or oxen to do the hard work of plowing their fields and getting them ready for planting. If you've ever helped to plant a garden, you likely know why. Getting the ground ready for seeds is not easy work. You have to get the rocks out. You have to smooth the ground to be relatively flat. You have to dig the holes for the seeds. You have to cover the seeds back over once they're sown so that they are protected from the scorching of the sun and the animals who would eat them for food. It's back-breaking labor. It's burdensome. You can see why these farmers passed the burden to their animals. It made things a lot easier.  You likely know burdens in your own life. You perhaps know that burden of manual labor. You perhaps know the burden of unending homework, responsibilities, obligations, and more. Additionally, you likely know the burden of Your sinful conscience. You remember that thought you had that was contrary to God's will. You remember the slander you spoke against someone nearby you. You remember the harm you did to those whom you should have helped. All of this is burdensome, let alone the burdens we know of the sicknesses and sorrows from living in this broken and sin-fallen world.  God has asked you to let Him bear this burden for you. “Cast your burdens on me,” He says. Jesus tells you that you are to come to Him, heavy laden, and He will give you rest. He takes the yoke of Your troubles, and He promises that He makes them easier. This is true most of all of that burdened conscience. He assures you that He has yoked that burden to His cross and buried it in His tomb. This means that as He has raised you as His own in Baptism, you no longer bear it all. It's gone as far as the East is from the West. You are now righteous in Him. So, as Your burden is cast upon Him, as You are righteous in Christ, He will not let you fall.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Blessed God, You are our strength and care in every circumstance. As we are burdened with the hardships of this life and our own sin, bless us to cast those burdens upon You that we would be confirmed as Your people forever. - Rev. Matthew Zickler, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Western Springs, IL.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

May 23, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 13:18-35Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 26:1-20; Luke 13:18-35“He said therefore, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.'” (Luke 13:18-19) In the Name + of Jesus.  As people, we like stories of victories, don't we? We love it when our sports teams win. We love for hard work to pay off. We love it when we see the fruits of our own labors come to fruition. All of these things bring us happiness and satisfaction, don't they?  But then Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed. If you have seen a mustard seed, you know they aren't much as far as seeds go. They aren't acorns that are large and sturdy looking. They aren't walnuts that you can see easily as they fall from trees. No, they're small and seem insignificant.  God's work often looks this way. It often looks like the Church isn't making much progress in the world. It often looks like we're not making much progress in being good Christians. It often feels like we're better at sinning than we are being faithful. And when you look at the cross, it's the same way. On the cross, Jesus doesn't look like a powerful God. He looks lowly. He looks like He's defeated, and Satan wins.  But then Jesus tells how a mustard seed grows. Yes, it looks insignificant, but it gets big enough for the birds to live in it and for them to be sustained by it. This cross is the same. Despite its lowly appearance, or actually even by it, Jesus accomplishes the greatest of things: the salvation of the world. By the seed of His body falling to the ground, the tree that grows in His resurrection provides for the needs of the many.  You see, this is how God works. The little bit looks insignificant, but through its insignificant appearance, God is bringing about great works. Even today, through the lowly waters poured on a baby, or the bread and wine of His Supper, there He is bringing the cross and resurrection to His people and sustaining them in His eternal love. It doesn't seem like much, but again, this is how God works. This means that when you see the things that don't look like victories, you can trust that somehow God is still working good things through it. Think of it: the cross is the worst possible thing— the death of the perfect Man, God in the flesh. But through it, God accomplished the greatest possible thing: the salvation of mankind. If He can do it there, He can do it in the worst things in Your life too. In fact, He promises that He will.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Heavenly Father, when we see the lowly things of this world and Your Kingdom, bless us to see them with the eyes of faith and trust in Your promises knowing that through these You accomplish the greatest things, most of all our salvation. Amen.- Rev. Matthew Zickler, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Western Springs, IL.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

May 22, 2025Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - The Fourth PetitionDaily Lectionary: Leviticus 24:1-23; Leviticus 25:1-55; Luke 12:54-13:17God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Have you ever wondered why there are people who aren't Christian, even who are opposed to Christianity, yet who acquire a great deal of worldly wealth and success? That's actually a common theme in the Bible. If you read the Psalms, you see the psalmists asking regularly how long their enemies will have success over them. So, you're in good company for asking the question. It's a logical question, too. If these people are opposed to God and even harming God's Church, why doesn't God cut them off from the money or things they have available to cause this harm?  Jesus gives us some commentary when He tells us that God “makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). So, what does Jesus say there? Well, in the words around this statement, Jesus tells His disciples to love even their enemies and to pray for those who persecute them. So, when you see these evil people receiving these good Gifts, it's a reminder to still love them, even if they're persecuting the Church, for you to pray for them.  But how could that be? How can we love our enemies and pray for those who seek our harm? Because God has first loved us. Because when we were still God's enemies, He sent His Son to die for the very sins that had put us at enmity with God in the first place. God is the One who loves and has even loved us. In fact, God loves those enemies that He's providing for, too.  Does this mean that there will be no justice? No, those who sinfully harm the Church because of their willful rejection of God's Word will not enjoy the eternal benefit of what Jesus has done. They are not saved by grace because they have rejected the faith that receives this grace. But God still loves them. And He loves you, too. May that knowledge draw you to receive all of His Gifts, even the bread on your table with thanksgiving.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. God you provide for all our needs of this body and life: clothing and shoes, house and home, loved ones, good weather, good government, friends, and all of the earthly Gifts we receive. Thank You for Your gracious care for us every day. Thank You most of all for the care You give to us in Jesus that will last forever. Amen. - Rev. Matthew Zickler, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Western Springs, IL.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

May 21, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 12:35-53Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 23:23-44; Luke 12:35-53“Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” (Luke 12:51) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Every year at Christmas time, I hear those familiar words of Handel's Messiah: “And His Name shall be called… Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” Of course, this is a quote from Isaiah 9:6, and it's clear that, ultimately, it's referring to Jesus. So with that, we rightly call Jesus by the title “Prince of Peace.”  But in Luke 12, we read Jesus saying that He didn't come to bring peace but division. Isn't that a contradiction? All the more, when we talk about Jesus in our day and age, if people know of Him, they think of Him as being really “nice.” So, what is this He's saying about not bringing peace but division?  Let's start with how He does bring peace. Paul tells us that the peace Jesus brings is with God (Romans 5:1). Our sin puts us in enmity with God, and so when our sin is forgiven, that enmity is overcome by peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace because He makes our peace with God for us. So, what about this division? That is between us and the world. Having been born anew in Baptism, in that washing of rebirth and renewal of water and the Spirit, we are different from the world. We no longer live for ourselves, for the truth of the world, but we live in the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  As we look at that, we see that there are a lot of places in the teaching of Jesus where He describes a separation. There is the separation between the wheat and the chaff, the sheep and the goats, the wise and foolish virgins, and the list keeps going. This separation is ultimately the church and the world. Yes, we ought to try to keep peace with those around us as much as we can. However, we have to realize that there are a lot of times when the world won't want to hear the Word of Jesus. They won't like hearing that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. All the more, they won't want to hear that they, too, are sinners. It's this that causes the division.  Thankfully, we see that Jesus is the One who made peace with the Father so that we could enjoy unity with Him. That does not make the divisions now unimportant. It means that they are a sad reality. But in Jesus, the joy of His peace will overcome the sadness of this time and bring us to eternal communion with Him and the Church throughout all days. Amen. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Blessed Jesus, in You we find our peace. We pray for Your coming that our sad divisions would cease and we would know the perfect unity of Your eternal Kingdom. Amen.- Rev. Matthew Zickler, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Western Springs, IL.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Martin Luther said in the preface to his Large Catechism:“Besides, nothing is more effectual against the devil, the world and the flesh and all evil thoughts than to be occupied with the Word of God, and to speak thereof, and meditate upon it; so that the first Psalm declares those blessed who meditate upon the law of God day and night. Undoubtedly, you will never offer any incense or other savor against Satan more efficacious than employment upon God's commandments and words, and speaking, singing, or thinking thereof. For this is indeed the truly holy water and holy sign from which he flees, and by which he is driven away. ”Join us in warding off the devil's temptations and growing in knowledge and appreciation of the truth of God and his love for sinners. We'll review these simple truths from the Scriptures and apply them into our lives as followers of Christ.  Grab your copy of Luther's Large Catechism in a stand alone paperback like the one found here. A version of Luther's Large Catechism with supplemental essays and further reading can be found here.  Luther's Large Catechism is included in the Book of Concord.  Grab your copy off the shelf or get your own copy here.  We hope you can join us to read through Luther's Large Catechism or at least listen in on the discussion. We'll read one Commandment/Article/Petition per episode.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.  

May 20, 2025Today's Reading: Revelation 21:1-7Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 23:1-22; Luke 12:13-34“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more.'” (Revelation 21:3-4)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Where is God? Everywhere, right? He's omnipresent, it's true. But here in Revelation, it says that the “dwelling place of God is with man.” How is that? On the one hand, we can acknowledge that it's a mystery. On the other hand, we can also recognize that throughout the Scriptures, we see God seeking to be with man. When Adam and Eve fell into sin, there was God, seeking them in the cool of the garden. When God visited Jacob, revealing to him the ladder to heaven, that place became “Bethel,” the “House of God.” When Moses was given the instructions for the Tabernacle, God said of the tent in it, the “Tent of Meeting,” “There I will meet with the people of Israel” (Exodus 29:43). So, this is not a new idea at the Resurrection of the dead at the end of time that we see in Revelation 21.  But what are we to make of this? To begin, as we often need to, we have to realize that the issue is sin. It's because of sin that we can't see God face-to-face. As God says to Moses, we can't see God and live (Exodus 33:20). That's why this is hard for us to understand. However, God came and met with us in Jesus. He came into a body. He came to a place, Judea and Jerusalem. In that place, He carried our sin to the cross so that by the life in the resurrection of His body in that place, now we have life and the victory over sin won by this forgiveness. Now, God meets with us in His Word, in the Waters of Holy Baptism, in His Holy Supper. He does this to deliver that forgiveness to us, to make us holy so that we can dwell with Him forever in that place.  What does this ultimately mean for us to understand how God is everywhere but in a place? Once again, we still have to say it's something of a mystery, but we can understand more of it in light of Jesus. Yes, God is everywhere, but He's made us to be in a place and He wants to be with us, which He does in Jesus in a very specific way. Through Jesus, then, we see that the fullness of God dwells in a man bodily (Colossians 2:9). It's Jesus that we'll see on that Last Day, and when we do, it will make a lot more sense. It will also be the greatest comfort as He promises to be with us and even wipe away our every tear.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Lord Jesus, thank you for meeting us in Your Word and Sacraments to cleanse our sin and prepare us to live with you forever on the Day of Your Return. Amen.- Rev. Matthew Zickler, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Western Springs, IL.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Revelation 21:1-6Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,“See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and be their God; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Do you teach them about the rapture? That's the question a woman asked me as I sat at Starbucks trying to write a sermon. On Thursdays before I preach, I usually head to a coffee shop or the library to write. It's not uncommon for someone to strike up a conversation—I guess it's not every day you see someone sitting in public with a Bible open.On this day, a woman and her husband sat at the same large table as me. I could feel her eyes on me. I knew what was coming. I made the mistake of looking up from my screen—and she got me.“So, are you a Bible student?” No, I'm a pastor here in New Pal.“Well, you're awfully young to be a pastor…” (Like I haven't heard that one before.) “What's your church?”When I said, “Cross of Grace Lutheran Church,” the back-and-forth stopped, and she proceeded to tell me how great her church and her pastor are. Then, either noticing my intentional body language—literally leaning away—or the way I kept glancing back at my half-written sermon, she ended the conversation with one last question:“Do you teach them about the rapture?”The rapture? I thought. I tried to come up with a kind response instead of simply saying, “Uh… no.”“Well, in my tradition, that's not something we focus on…” I said.And goodness, was she disappointed in that answer.“Well, you gotta teach them about the rapture. It's the most important thing.”The most important thing? There's so much I could have—should have—asked:What do you mean by rapture?Why is it the most important thing?What does your pastor say when preaching about it? Who do you think gets left behind—and why?But I had a sermon to finish, after all.I've never preached on “the rapture.” I don't think I've ever even preached on a passage from Revelation. So, wherever you are, lady, this one's for you. Because you're partially right—it is important for us to understand what the rapture is, the bad and harmful theology behind it, and what we might imagine in its place when we talk about life after death.Some of you know all about the rapture. Maybe you grew up in a more fundamentalist church or were terrified by the Left Behind series in the mid 90s. Others of you, good Lutherans that you are, may only have a vague idea of what it means. But all of us have been exposed to some version of this belief. Usually, when people talk about the rapture, it's part of a theology called dispensationalism. You may have never heard that word, but you've definitely seen signs of it—like every time you pass a billboard like this, now how'd that pan out? Or this… Or when you notice our culture's fascination with the apocalypse and end time predictions.Not to bore you too much, but the idea of the rapture was invented by a British preacher named John Nelson Darby in the 1830s. He took the traditional understanding of Jesus' return and split it into two parts. First comes the rapture: Jesus appears in the sky, snatches up born-again Christians, and whisks them off to heaven for seven years. During that time, God inflicts wrath on the earth and Christians watch safely from above. Then, after those seven years, comes the final return of Jesus to fight the battle of Armageddon (mentioned in Revelation) and establish an earthly kingdom.This whole timeline is a patchwork—stitched together from one verse in 1 Thessalonians, three from Daniel, and a single verse from Revelation. Behind all that is a bad theology and a harmful hermeneutic—a way of reading and understanding the Bible. First, this approach takes the Bible literally, as if Revelation were some sort of roadmap to the end times. But, as you've heard us say before, we mustn't read the Bible literally—we're called to read it literate-ly and seriously, taking into account the many voices and genres that make up Scripture. Revelation is apocalyptic literature, a kind of writing well known to the seven first-century churches it was written for. It's not a crystal ball—it's a prophetic vision full of metaphor and symbolic imagery, not a literal forecast of future events.Second, this theology takes a few out-of-context verses to offer false certainty about what's to come, rather than wrestling with the mystery of faith. The Bible gives us many different images of Jesus' return: a banquet in Luke, a wedding feast in Matthew, paradise, green pastures, even a return to Eden. But none of these say when this will happen. In fact, Jesus says clearly: “About that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36) Jesus doesn't want us trying to piece together a divine timeline. He wants us to live in hope and with trust.And perhaps the biggest thing the rapture gets wrong is this: the idea that we'll float off to heaven and away from all this; that our souls get to finally escape the pain of this world and just be with Jesus. But here's the thing: the Bible never says we're just souls that happen to have bodies. We are both—body and soul—and they will not be separated. Resurrection always includes the beautiful body God gave you.And what if—just hear me out—what if at the end of all things, we don't go to heaven… What if heaven comes to us?Which is exactly what Revelation says. God establishes a new heaven and a new earth here, in our midst, and God takes up residence with us. Doesn't that sound more like the God revealed to us in Jesus Christ? The God who entered into our suffering? The God who heals what is hurt? The God who accomplishes the divine plan through seemingly insignificant people, places, and things.It should be no surprise, then, that God would come down to this broken world—full of broken people—and heal it until there are no more tears, no more mourning or pain or death, and make a home here with us. That sounds like the God we know in Jesus.Lutheran theologian Barbara Rossing, an expert on the rapture and end-times thinking, says people are drawn to rapture theology because they want to see the Bible come to life. They want to connect Scripture with their own lives. They want to experience God—and think that can only happen if they leave this place.But the truth is: the Bible is coming to life and we do experience God—in this world, in our lives.The Bible comes to life everytime we feed someone who is hungry, give water to someone who is thirsty, wipe the tears trickling down one's cheek, visit the imprisoned and detained, relieve someone's pain, or welcome the immigrant. We are in the presence of God here on earth every time we come to the table, when we share meals with our friends and our enemies, or as Jesus says, when we love others as he loves us.Those acts—those holy, small, grace-filled acts—create little pockets of heaven on earth. They allow us to experience God right here and now, until that great day when God comes to live among us forever, making God's kingdom come and God's will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.So no—the rapture isn't the most important thing. But trusting that God will come down, give us new life, and dwell with us in a world made new, free of pain and suffering and death? Now that sounds more like it. Amen.

“Type” has to do with forms, shapes, patterns, images. People demonstrate “typical” behavior when they act in a similar pattern time and again. In typesetting, a block with a typographic character on it makes an image of that character on the page. Our first four Bible studies in this year's series have focused on straightforward messianic prophecies, which abound in the Old Testament. However, Jesus and His church are prefigured in other ways in the Old Testament. This is known as typology — seeing an Old Testament person or event (a “type”) as a pattern for a New Testament one (the “antitype”). This sort of interpretation is employed by the New Testament, which shows us how it can be done responsibly (and not fancifully!). For example, Jesus says, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life” (John 3:14–15). Here Jesus teaches about Himself and His work by pointing back to Numbers 21:4–9, with the bronze serpent that saved snakebitten Israelites (the type) corresponding to Jesus as One who was lifted up on the cross that we might look to Him in faith and be saved (the antitype). In this study, we will look at more typological connections between the Old Testament and New Testament. Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Sarah to talk about the “Searching Scripture” feature in the May 2025 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “Isn't That Typical?” on Typological Connections throughout Scripture. 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.

“Type” has to do with forms, shapes, patterns, images. People demonstrate “typical” behavior when they act in a similar pattern time and again. In typesetting, a block with a typographic character on it makes an image of that character on the page. Our first four Bible studies in this year's series have focused on straightforward messianic prophecies, which abound in the Old Testament. However, Jesus and His church are prefigured in other ways in the Old Testament. This is known as typology — seeing an Old Testament person or event (a “type”) as a pattern for a New Testament one (the “antitype”). This sort of interpretation is employed by the New Testament, which shows us how it can be done responsibly (and not fancifully!). For example, Jesus says, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life” (John 3:14–15). Here Jesus teaches about Himself and His work by pointing back to Numbers 21:4–9, with the bronze serpent that saved snakebitten Israelites (the type) corresponding to Jesus as One who was lifted up on the cross that we might look to Him in faith and be saved (the antitype). In this study, we will look at more typological connections between the Old Testament and New Testament. Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Sarah to talk about the “Searching Scripture” feature in the May 2025 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “Isn't That Typical?” on Typological Connections throughout Scripture. 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. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

It started with petty rulers battling for control of trade routes and cities. Four kings from the east swept into the land, crushing everyone in their path. Five local kings rose to resist and lost. Abram's nephew Lot was caught up and carried away like plunder. Abram, armed with his 318 servants and a steadfast faith in God, sought to redeem his nephew, thus serving as a type of Christ. What followed was a story of battle, victory against impossible odds, and a meeting with the mysterious priest-king, Melchizedek, who brings bread, wine, and blessing and makes for the second Christ-type in the chapter.  The Rev. Sean Smith, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Clarksville, TN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Genesis 15.  Genesis isn't just the start of the Bible; it's the foundation of everything. Creation, sin, judgment, grace, covenant, and promise all take root in this remarkable book. The stories are ancient, but their truths are eternal. In this new series from Thy Strong Word, Pastor Phil Booe and his guests walk verse by verse through Genesis, exploring how God reveals Himself as Creator, Judge, and Redeemer. From the grandeur of the cosmos to the struggles of ordinary families, Genesis introduces us to a God who speaks, acts, and keeps His promises. So, whether you've read it a hundred times or are just now cracking it open for a serious look, this series will help you see Genesis with fresh eyes—and a deeper faith. 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.

David speaks his last will and testament, prophetically looking ahead to his Son, Jesus—the faithful and righteous King who will reign over His people forever, defeating all enemies. Reflecting on David's own reign, the names and exploits of his mighty men are recorded. Their strength came from the Lord, who granted great victories through them for His people. These mighty deeds foreshadow the even greater works of Christ our Lord, who has saved us from our enemies. Rev. Ryan Ogrodowicz, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church and School in Brenham, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 2 Samuel 23:1-39.  "A Kingdom Unlike All the Nations” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Samuel. This time in Israel's history has its highs and lows, but the LORD's faithfulness never wavers. He provides His Word to be proclaimed faithfully through prophets like Samuel and Nathan. Even as princes like Saul and David sit on an earthly throne, the LORD remains King over His people, even as He does now and forever through the Lord Jesus Christ. 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