Podcasts about reading luke

Reading Luke 24:4-9 where the women enter the tomb looking for the body of Jesus, and two angels appear to them and tell them that He is not here but He has risen. Visit wwutt.com for all of our videos!

Reading Luke 24:1-3 on the morning of the resurrection, when the women come to the tomb of Jesus and find the stone rolled away and the body of Jesus is gone. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Full-chapter, Jesus-centered Advent readings, rooted in themes of longing, preparation, incarnation, and hope. Each passage invites joyful anticipation of Christ's coming. May this daily rhythm of listening to God's Word shape your heart in this season of waiting

Full-chapter, Jesus-centered Advent readings, rooted in themes of longing, preparation, incarnation, and hope. Each passage invites joyful anticipation of Christ's coming. May this daily rhythm of listening to God's Word shape your heart in this season of waiting

Reading Luke 23:50-56 where Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in a linen shroud and buried it in his own tomb, later to rise from the dead. Visit wwutt.com for all of our videos!

Reading Luke 23:46-49 as Jesus is dying on the cross and He yields His spirit into the hands of the Father, having accomplished what the Father had sent Him to do. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Full-chapter, Jesus-centered Advent readings, rooted in themes of longing, preparation, incarnation, and hope. Each passage invites joyful anticipation of Christ's coming. May this daily rhythm of listening to God's Word shape your heart in this season of waiting

Reading Luke 23:44-45 where we read of the three hours of darkness that came over the land as Jesus died on the cross, and the curtain in the temple was torn in two. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

November 27, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 17:11-19Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 1:1-28; 1 Peter 1:1-12“[the lepers] lifted up their voices, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.'” (Luke 17:13)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Today, we celebrate the blessed and historic feast of American Thanksgiving and try to keep the sarcasm off our faces. Pilgrims and Indians ate together, got along perfectly, and avoided arguing about politics. If you sprinkle some Jesus on it, there's a sermon in there about who you're thankful to. The problem is, I'm bad at it. All I can do is hang onto the losses. The what could have beens. I can come up with something to say at the table, but my heart just isn't in it most years. I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me a long list of stuff I can't list here because of word counts. This is most certainly true. Still, it's easier to find two things missing than all the ones there. That's why trying to be more thankful doesn't work for long. We don't need Thanksgiving sermons here. We need Jesus healing the least of these. Us. This is more than just a reminder to look on the bright side. Leprosy sermons aren't about feeling better with your lot in life; they're about Jesus helping people who can't help themselves. He's not with the worthy, but the outcasts, the unclean, and even helps those who don't know what thankfulness really is. Even the nine who fail to return are still healed. Because Christ isn't in it for the thank yous. He did it because He loves them. He bears the cross for them. And He loves you. It isn't measured in how many things you can list at the table to give thanks for. It's measured in the cross. Only Samaritan was truly thankful because thankfulness isn't halfhearted praise, but going back to the source for more. True thankfulness is getting seconds because that means more to whoever cooked for you all day than anything else. Go to the Thanksgiving Meal. The Eucharist. Communion. Then, go back for more. Thanksgiving is just returning to it over and over, heaping everything else that wasn't enough on a pile, and rejoicing in forgiveness and mercy for it all. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Even so, Lord, quickly come To Thy final harvest home; Gather Thou Thy people in, Free from sorrow, free from sin, There, forever purified, In Thy garner to abide: Come with all Thine angels, come, Raise the glorious harvest home. (LSB 892:4)Author: Rev. Harrison Goodman, content executive for Higher Things.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

Reading Luke 23:39-43 where the two thieves next to Jesus on the cross speak to Him, and one asks Him to remember him when Jesus comes into His kingdom. Visit wwutt.com for all of our videos!

Reading Luke 23:32-38 where Jesus is nailed to His cross, and from there He looked at those who were killing Him and prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 23:26-31 where Jesus is on His way to be crucified, carrying His cross, and on the way He ministers to some women who are weeping behind Him. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

November 23, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 23:27-43Daily Lectionary: Daniel 3:1-30; Revelation 20:1-15“One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!'But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.' And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.'And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.'” (Luke 23:39–43)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The thief on the cross shows that in someone's last moments, they are the most honest with themselves. Crucifixion gave someone a lot of time to reflect on their life as they suffocated to death, their sins exposed before every person who witnessed the event and to themselves. The first thief thought that the kingdom of Christ was of this world. He had a prosperity Gospel that proclaimed that if he believed in Jesus, all of his problems would go away. He wanted a savior who brought down the heavenly armies and not only lowered him from the cross but also brought down the Roman Empire. This view of Jesus misses the purpose of his first coming. The second thief was aware of his sin and why he was hoisted up to die.This second sinner was exposed and had nothing to hide behind. He knew he needed a savior and, more importantly, who was his savior. He had faith that Jesus had something better than this life of sin, and he believed that Jesus was the only way to get there. We have the same faith as the second thief because we also know that we offer nothing to our savior, but we believe that he will have mercy on us as he did to that fellow believer.We have the assurance that we will see Jesus in Paradise when we receive his name in Baptism. We are no better than the thief who was crucified for his crimes. Like the thief, we are given faith, and that faith is sustained until God takes us home. We have continual assurance of what Jesus does for us when we receive him through his Word and the Sacraments. So on our deathbeds, as our weak bodies draw our last feeble breaths, we can look back to the promises of God and be confident that we will be with Jesus in Paradise.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord Jesus Christ, You reign among us by the preaching of Your cross. Forgive Your people their offenses that we, being governed by Your bountiful goodness, may enter at last into Your eternal Paradise; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.Author: Jonah Clausen, seminary student at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

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

Reading Luke 23:18-25 where Pilate tries to convince the people that Jesus is innocent, but he unjustly turns Jesus over to the people to be crucified anyway. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 23:13-16 where Jesus continues to be questioned by Pilate, who finds Jesus to be innocent of the charges brought against Him, but fears man rather than God. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 23:1-12 where Jesus is brought before Pilate and Herod to be questioned, and the two rulers became friends in doing the same evil. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

When Jesus said "some standing here will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God," what did He mean? Pastor Heath Lambert unpacks this challenging passage and reveals why the kingdom isn't just a future event - it's a present spiritual reality you can enter today.Timestamps0:00 - Introduction and the question0:47 - Reading Luke 9:271:37 - Why this passage is so confusing2:25 - Common interpretations: Future events2:56 - Pentecost, resurrection, crucifixion, transfiguration theories4:13 - A different approach: Kingdom as present reality4:38 - Luke 10:9-11: The kingdom has come near5:10 - Luke 11:20: The kingdom in Jesus's miracles5:43 - Luke 16:16: Entering the preached kingdom6:09 - Luke 17:21: The kingdom in your midst6:33 - Luke 18:16: Children and the kingdom6:47 - What the kingdom of God actually is7:45 - How to enter the kingdom right now8:15 - The disciples experienced it when they believedKey Topics The Confusing Statement - Why Jesus's words about not tasting death puzzle readersThe Future Event Problem - Why viewing the kingdom as only future creates difficultiesMultiple Kingdom Theories - Pentecost, resurrection, crucifixion, and transfiguration interpretationsKingdom as Present Reality - How Luke's Gospel presents the kingdom as here and nowFive Key Kingdom Passages - Luke 10, 11, 16, 17, and 18 revealing the kingdom's natureThe Kingdom Definition - A spiritual realm where God is in charge and seen to be in chargeInhabiting the Kingdom - How people enter through repentance and faith in ChristAlready and Not Yet - The kingdom is present now but comes in fullness in the new heavens and earthChildlike Faith - How to enter the kingdom today through trusting JesusScripture ReferencesLuke 9:27 - Jesus's statement about seeing the kingdomLuke 10:9-11 - The kingdom has come nearLuke 11:20 - The kingdom comes through Jesus's miraclesLuke 16:16 - The kingdom is preached and enteredLuke 17:21 - The kingdom in your midstLuke 18:16 - Children and the kingdom of GodAbout The Ten Commandments BookHeath Lambert's new book "The Ten Commandments: A Short Book for Normal People" is now available. This accessible guide explains how God's commands apply to modern life without requiring theological education. Perfect for personal study, evangelism, or gifts to friends, neighbors, and family.Order now and download a free chapter at fbcjax.com/tencommandmentsHave a question you'd like answered? Send it to markedbygrace@fbcjax.com

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

Reading Luke 22:66-71 where Jesus is brought to trial and asked if He is the Christ, and the reply that Jesus gave has been debated by skeptics but it couldn't be more clear. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 22:54-62 where Peter denies three times that he knows Jesus, just as Jesus told him that he would, and then Peter goes out and weeps bitterly over his sin. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 22:47-53 where Jesus is betrayed into the hands of those who want to put Him to death, but even in His arrest He continues to teach of what the Scriptures say. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

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

Reading Luke 22:39-46 where Jesus and the disciples go to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, and Jesus exhorts them to pray that they may not fall into temptation. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 22:35-38 where Jesus prepares His disciples for what is to come, and points to Isaiah 53 being about Himself, who will go and die and rise again. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 22:24-34 where Jesus tells His disciples not to lord authority over each other but that the least among them will be the greatest in the kingdom of God. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

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

Reading Luke 22:19-23 where Jesus passes the bread and the cup to the disciples and says to them, "Do this in remembrance of me," in memory of the sacrifice He gave. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 22:14-18 where Jesus eats the Passover meal with His disciples, and He institutes the Lord's supper, applying these elements of the meal in a new way. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 22:1-13 where Judas under the influence of Satan enters into this plot to betray Jesus, but all of this is under the sovereign hand of God. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

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

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

Reading Luke 21:29-38 where Jesus finishes His discourse on the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem, encouraging the disciples to remain steadfast until the end. Visit wwutt.com for all of our videos!

Reading Luke 21:25-28 where Jesus prophesies about the coming of the Son of Man surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple, and what does this mean. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 21:20-24 where Jesus continues His prophecy to the disciples about the eventual destruction of Jerusalem, that they may trust in the Lord to deliver them. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 21:10-19 where Jesus tells the disciples about the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, but first they would experience persecution and must hold fast. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 21:5-9 where Jesus tells His disciples about what to expect before the temple is destroyed and Jerusalem is trampled on by Gentiles, and then the end will come. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 21:1-4 where Jesus and the disciples observe a widow put in all that she had into the offering box because the people who should have been taking care of her hadn't been. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 20:41-47 where Jesus counters the questions of the Pharisees and Sadducees by asking one of his own: whose Son is the Messiah, if David calls Him Lord? Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 20:27-40 where Jesus is challenged by the Sadducees on the resurrection of the dead, and He not only answers their question but shows their beliefs are wrong. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 20:19-26 where the chief priests and scribes attempt to trap Jesus in a question that will get him in trouble with the authorities, but what He says instead causes them to marvel. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 20:9-18 where Jesus tells the parable of the wicked tenants, exposing the Pharisees for the plot to kill Him, and showing how the kingdom of God will be given to others. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 19:45 to 20:8 where Jesus cleanses the temple, and when His authority is challenged, He responds to the Pharisees with a question their sin won't let them answer. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 19:28-44 where Jesus enters Jerusalem to the shouts and praises of the people, in fulfillment of prophecy, and yet the people do not know who He really is. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 19:11-27 where Jesus tells the parable of the Ten Minas as He comes to the end of His journey to Jerusalem and in response to the disciples about the coming of the kingdom. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 19:1-10, that famous story where Jesus passes through Jericho and stops at the house of Zacchaeus, a tax collector who repents and is justified by faith. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 18:31-43 where Jesus tells the disciples what is going to happen when He gets to Jerusalem, and He also heals a blind man on the way to Jericho. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 18:24-30 where Jesus confronts the young ruler about his wealth and self-righteousness, challenging him to give it up and follow Jesus to have eternal life. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 18:18-23 where Jesus has a conversation with a rich young ruler, who believes he is righteous by his wealth and his works, but Jesus exposes him to the truth. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Reading Luke 18:15-17 where the disciples try to hinder children from coming to Jesus, and Jesus rebukes them and says even they must receive the kingdom of God like a child. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!