Podcasts about reading matthew

George shares his powerful journey from addiction to grace, demonstrating how the gospel's true message breaks cycles of sin and religious performance when properly understood.• George was a 24-year-old alcoholic and porn addict when he first encountered God in 2007• Initial freedom through salvation gave way to legalistic Christianity that created deeper bondage• Five years of religious performance led to suicidal thoughts despite being heavily involved in church• The turning point came when God spoke to him during a suicide attempt in his garage• Understanding his value and identity in Christ broke the cycle of guilt and condemnation• Reading Matthew 6 with fresh eyes revealed how God saw his worth beyond his performance• Freedom came not through fighting temptation harder but through embracing his true identity• Religious legalism creates a mindset that makes freedom impossible by focusing on sin management• True transformation occurs when believers see themselves as already free rather than constantly fighting sin

Reading: Matthew 5:10-16Speaker: Simon from Open Doors The post Open Doors Sunday 2025 first appeared on Minehead Baptist Church.

Thank you to Dave, Ed, Earl, and Don for being part of the service. Happy birthday to Ruth, and Mary! Our dear Dorothy Graham has passed away. We pray for her family. Click here to read her obituary. A celebration of her life will take place on May 31st, 2025 at 1pm at our church building. Songs from this service: We Praise Thee O God - https://youtu.be/I2M3CjpV_Wc -- Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah - https://youtu.be/kx-lXR_ibbM -- To God Be The Glory - https://youtu.be/1aTqMxmxl -- Christ Is Risen - https://youtu.be/YrEJBX0Bsvo -- Low in the Grave He Lay - https://youtu.be/vJ9jVYsBcLM?t=4 -- Christ The Lord Is Risen Today - https://youtu.be/aeumNq6IELg -- He Lives - https://youtu.be/qF6aBDS3drA -- Hallelujah, What A Savior - https://youtu.be/MWOvD06hJqM Ed reads from the poem "Easter" by Latayne C Scott: https://latayne.com/incite-blog/easter.php Scriptures from this service: Song Leader - Psalm 66:1-5; 66:8-9; 66:16-17. Communion - Mark 9:17-19; 9:20-23; 9:23-24; 9:25; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:19-20; 20:24-29. Reading - Matthew 28:1-10. Sermon - Matthew 26:47-75; 27:1-66; 28:1-20. Closing - Ephesians 1:15-21. [accordion][accordion-item title="NIV Copyright" state=closed]Scripture quotations marked (NIV) taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version© NIV© Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.[/accordion-item][/accordion]

Easter Sunday Sermon. Reading Matthew 28:1-10

Reading: Matthew 28:1-15Speaker: Paul McCabe The post Easter Sunday – He is Risen! first appeared on Minehead Baptist Church.

April 19, 2025Today's Reading: Matthew 27:57-66Daily Lectionary: Exodus 13:17-14:9; Hebrews 7:1-22“Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” (Matthew 27:64)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The church leaders go to great lengths to make sure that there will be no confusion about the death of Jesus. Jesus died and is buried. Saturday is a day of silence. Nothing is written about what transpires from Friday evening until Sunday morning other than the placing of the guards at the tomb of Jesus. Silence covers the world. The Son of God is silent. The Son of Man, The Son of God, rests on the seventh day. He rests on the Sabbath. He will rise from the dead on the eighth day, finalizing His work of conquering death.On this day, Christians all around the world are reflecting on the time of Christ in the tomb. Vigils are held, and Scriptures are read in the sanctuaries. In Christian homes, there is silence as the death of the Son of Man is remembered. In the midst of our silence, there is a lot of noise. Noise from sin, satan, and the world. The noise of a fallen creation is the complete corruption of God's Holy creation. The chaos we experience in life. The reality of broken homes. The struggle with broken relationships. The confrontation of death at any age. The Old Adam in us reminds us that we are tired from all the chaos. Satan still lays out his temptations before us as we are drawn into secular activities surrounding Easter. We feel as if the world is against us, and we are flailing in the deep end of the pool of life. The desire for silence consumes us, but it does not come.On this day, many of our sanctuaries are preparing for the Easter Services. As post-pentecost churches, we know the rest of the story. We know that the silence is not permanent. The tomb will be opened, and Christ will rise from the dead. Death is conquered. No longer is there silence in the world as the gates of the grave are burst open. All of Christ's words come to fruition. He will suffer, He will die, and on the third day, He will rise from the dead. His rest in the tomb on the Sabbath is the final rest He takes. Today, as we enter into His Sanctuaries, He works while we rest and receive the Gifts He gives to us in His Means Of Grace. We receive the promise that we, too, will rise from the grave on the Last Day.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O God, creator of heaven and earth, grant that as the crucified body of Your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with Him the coming of the third day, and rise with Him to newness of life, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Holy Saturday)-Rev. Timothy Davis, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Visit the timeless rhythms of the Christian life with award-winning author Harold L. Senkbeil. As he addresses the concerns and pressures of the world today, you'll discover that even while the world is dying, Christ's death brings about life. True life. One that He offers to you. Order Now!

Jesus ministry on earth began with the message to repent, turn back to God, and follow.

Concluding sermon in our current series in Matthew. Reading: Matthew 23:33-39

The Brandons are back! This season we are going through Matthew's Gospel again – this time, reading it under American authoritarianism, as literature written under authoritarianism, and written against authoritarianism. Get reintroduced to a Jesus whose social imagination was relentlessly critical of the attachments, avarice, and agendas of authoritarianism.This season we're going to do it a little different: each episode will have a guest co-host to join us in exploring the text....Read LIT online: https://www.litbible.net/matthew-introMore about the Liberation & Inclusion Translation: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1...Opportunity Walks by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

6th sermon in our current series in Matthew. Reading: Matthew 23:13-32

The forth sermon in our series in the book of Proverbs | 'Wisdom for Life'Sermon: 'Where Can I Find Wisdom'Series: Proverbs | 'Wisdom for Life'Reading: Matthew 11:1-24 & Proverbs 8:22-31Preacher: John NicolRecorded 6th April, 2025S18E05

The events of Holy Week, the last week of Jesus' life, before He rises from the dead on Easter.

5th sermon in our current series in Matthew. Reading: Matthew 23:1-12

When we mock Jesus, we say "no" to all He says and to the life He brings.

Jesus is there for those who believe Him and believe that He can heal them, but He is against those who are trying to trick Him and who do not believe.

4th sermon in our current series in Matthew. Reading: Matthew 22:15-46

Thank you to Earl, Jan, Ed, Mike, Dianne, and Don for being part of the service. Songs from this service: The Steadfast Love Of The Lord - https://youtu.be/KJYf9KnxwbQ -- Great Is Thy Faithfulness - https://youtu.be/IiQzzc41z5Q -- A Common Love - https://youtu.be/zeSrqEGwWok?t=6 -- Does Jesus Care - https://youtu.be/uSw1_q2lP3M -- 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord) - https://youtu.be/1F9p_zAcpy8 -- My Faith Looks Up To Thee - https://youtu.be/TTw0ijOnvcc -- Goodness Of God - https://youtu.be/ZUPwC3AEQOs Scriptures from this service: Communion - Romans 5:8; John 3:16; Ephesians 1:13-14. Reading - Matthew 25:14-21. Sermon - Romans 3:20; 3:25; 3:27; Hebrews 13:5; Lamentations 3:21-26; Matthew 9:29 (KJV); Hebrews 13:5; Galatians 5:22-23. Closing - Psalm 18:1; 18:1-3. Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash [accordion] [accordion-item title="NIV Copyright" state=closed]Scripture quotations marked (NIV) taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version© NIV© Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.[/accordion-item][/accordion]

March 19, 2025Today's Reading: Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23Daily Lectionary: Genesis 22:1-19; Mark 7:1-23And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Matthew 2:14-15)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.St. Joseph has a small but very important role to play in the history of salvation. He is only featured in the infancy narratives of Jesus and in His genealogy. He is referred to again in the story of Jesus teaching in the temple as an adolescent, though not by name. Then, he disappears from the story. Presumably, St. Joseph died when Jesus was a teenager or a young man. The Bible doesn't say for certain, but when Jesus entrusts His mother, Mary, to the care of His beloved disciple, John, it confirms that Joseph was no longer around to care for Mary.Despite his almost cameo appearance in the biblical narrative, Joseph's role is very important. First, in a very simple way, Joseph was entrusted with taking care of the Christ child along with His mother. While he was not Jesus' father by blood, he was a father in office. He was the legal guardian and adopted father of Jesus, and so Jesus was legally part of Joseph's family tree. By willingly taking on this role when He was called by God through the voice of an angel, Joseph confirms the goodness and necessity of dads, and he provides an example of the kind of sacrificial love dads should have for their families. Any young men who read the story of Joseph who hope to be dads one day, or who have already become dads, should be encouraged by his example and selfless service to his wife and child.But Joseph also plays a spiritual role in the history of salvation. In carrying out his role as the guardian of Jesus, he takes Him to Bethlehem to be born and then into Egypt to hide from Herod's wrath. He brings Him back out of Egypt after Herod's death and settles in His hometown of Nazareth. His guardianship of Jesus fulfills prophecies that show Jesus to be the Son of God. “This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.'”In his adopted fatherhood, Joseph also reveals the Fatherhood of God and the divine Sonship of Jesus. Thanks be to God for the service of St. Joseph, and for all fathers.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, from the house of Your servant David You raised up Joseph to be the guardian of Your incarnate Son and the husband of His mother, Mary. Grant us grace to follow the example of this faithful workman in heeding Your counsel and obeying Your commands; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for the Festival of St. Joseph)-Rev. Jacob Ehrhard, pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church and School in Chicago, IL.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Visit the timeless rhythms of the Christian life with award-winning author Harold L. Senkbeil. As he addresses the concerns and pressures of the world today, you'll discover that even while the world is dying, Christ's death brings about life. True life. One that He offers to you. Order Now!

3rd sermon in our current series in Matthew. Reading: Matthew 22:1-14

March 5, 2025 Today's Reading: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21Daily Lectionary: Genesis 1:1-19; Mark 1:1-13“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It's always fascinating that the Gospel reading for Ash Wednesday, the day we put very visible ashes upon our foreheads as a sign of our repentance, is the one in which Jesus says not to let your good works be seen by others. So what did we just do then? Don't we want to be seen? Don't we want the good works, carried out in faith, to be seen by the world? Just a few verses earlier, Jesus does say, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16 ESV) Don't our good works at least get people to ask why anyone would do these things? At least start a conversation? They may. But remember, Jesus is criticizing those who do things in order that they might be praised for them. And that's a far more present danger than putting some ashes on in public. Who doesn't love praise? Yes, please thank me for helping others in need. Shower me with gifts to show how much you appreciate my awesome praying skills. Maybe those aren't your go-to works. But when we start expecting rewards for doing the right thing, then our hearts are far from being in the right place. It is better to do good with no praise at all than to do good in order to get something for me out of it. This is how Christ does His greatest work of all. There isn't anyone patting Him on the back for going up on that cross on the day He goes. They're all telling Him that they'll pat Him on the back if He comes down. There's no one telling Jesus how awesome He is for bearing the sins of the world. They're scoffing at His inability to do anything for Himself. However, by Jesus' very public work of dying on that cross and paying for all our sin, He saved us all. Our sins are forgiven. Our shame has been carried. Our death has been overcome. And we're made God's children, clothed in His righteousness, and given a seat at His table. As far as the ashes go, ask what they're there for. I mean, it's possible you might do it for praise. But probably, the response of the world will be, “What did you do to your forehead?” However, if they're there to remind you of your repentance, then they are well and good. For in repentance, we turn from our sinful hearts and look forward to the sure and certain hope of Christ's forgiveness and the resurrection that He has for us. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Death you cannot end my gladness: I am baptized into Christ! When I die I leave all sadness To inherit paradise! Though I lie in dust and ashes Faith's assurance brightly flashes: Baptism has the strength divine To make life immortal mine. (LSB 594:4)-Rev. Eli Davis, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Grants Pass, OR.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Visit the timeless rhythms of the Christian life with award-winning author Harold L. Senkbeil. As he addresses the concerns and pressures of the world today, you'll discover that even while the world is dying, Christ's death brings about life. True life. One that He offers to you. Order Now!

First sermon in our continuation of Matthew gospel: Reading Matthew 21:1-22

February 24, 2025Today's Reading: Matthew 11:25-30Daily Lectionary: Job 19:1-12, 21-27; John 8:1-20“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. On this day, the Church remembers Matthias, the thirteenth of the Twelve Apostles. As the book of Acts starts, the Eleven figure that they need a replacement for Judas, who betrayed Jesus and died a horrible death. But doesn't it feel like the Gospel reading assigned for this festival doesn't quite fit? Does replacing Judas sound like an easy yoke for Matthias? Does facing death by confessing Christ sound like a light burden? We might ask the same question. This world inflicts heavy burdens on us. We face rejection for confessing Christ. We face addiction, depression, loneliness, and fear. Where's this rest that Jesus promises? When will all these things end? At our death? But what about now? What does rest look like now?However, we first must know what rest is. Rest isn't simply the cessation of work. Rest isn't simply the end of doing something difficult. Rest isn't turning off your brain or simply sleeping. Our world defines rest that way. But how do you feel after doom-scrolling for hours? How do you feel after binge-watching shows all evening? Or when you've done nothing at all. How do you feel after enduring work all day and waking up the next day, only to do it all over again? It's not rest you receive, no matter what our world calls it. Josef Pieper, in his book Leisure, the Basis of Culture, explains it this way: The highest form of rest comes from the festival. And at the heart of every festival is worship. You don't turn off your brain, or sleep, or do nothing when there's a festival. Instead, they are often very busy. But the doing is in service to the joy, rather than because it is necessary.Today is a festival. We celebrate St. Matthias, the apostle whom Jesus chose, that His Word would be proclaimed. There's a feast at the festival, a feast at the center of our worship, and the feast is Christ Himself. Facing the world? Christ says, “Take and Eat; this is My body.” Facing addiction, depression, loneliness, and fear? Christ says, “Take and drink, My blood shed for your forgiveness.” Doing nothing doesn't prepare us for fighting these battles. Christ putting Himself in us does. Because rest doesn't come from inaction. Rest comes from the feast in worship, which brings the strength to endure the world.Jesus Himself is who eases the yokes of this world and lightens the struggles we face. And Jesus gives you His Body and Blood in His feast for that purpose. This is why the Church has so many feasts, including the weekly feast celebrating Christ's resurrection from the dead every Sunday. We need the festival. We need the joy it brings. We need the rest it provides. We need Jesus. And here He is.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.At the Lamb's high feast we sing Praise to our victorious King, Who has washed us in the tideFlowing from His pierced side. Alleluia! (LSB 633:1)-Rev. Eli Davis, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Grants Pass, OR.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Lead Pastor Josh Carstensen continues our Sermon on the Mount series. What if everything you thought about rules, sacrifice, and righteousness was about to be radically redefined? In this part of His sermon, Jesus delivers a powerful and pivotal message - a moment of fulfillment, challenge, and transformation - turning 1,500 years of tradition into a call for something deeper, harder, and far more beautiful. It's a statement that surprised everyone when He said it and one that we still grapple with today. Jesus freed us from the Old Testament law and gave us something much harder. Are you ready to wrestle with what it means to truly follow Him? Thank you for listening to this message from Northwest Hills Community Church in Corvallis, Oregon, on January 19, 2025, at 9:30am. You can find us online at nwhills.com. Key Moments 00:00 Welcome 01:04 Message: Radically Redefining Rules 02:05 A Prayer for Our Nation 04:26 Reading Matthew 5:17-20 11:05 The Heart Behind the Laws 17:48 Jesus Fulfills the Law 27:35 The Importance of the Old Testament 31:39 Reflecting on Our Motivations

A Sunday sermon by Pastor Brett Deal. In the middle of the second century, around AD 160, a Christian by the name of Justin found himself in a deep discussion about the Messiah with a Jewish teacher named Trypho. For two days, they dialogued back and forth about the belief of Jesus' people that He was the long-awaited Messiah. Together they discussed from the richness of the Old Testament. Justin expressed the gospel of Jesus as the fullness of the Law and the fulfillment of the Prophets. Whole chapters of his record, passed down through the centuries as his Dialogue with Trypho, are little more than long recitations of Scripture. At one point, Justin entreats Trypho and those with him to “learn of us, who have been taught wisdom by the grace of Christ.” Having just had a great conversation about word order and the implication of how we read them, this phrase lights up the page. Justin could have said he'd learned grace by the wisdom of Christ; this might even fit our approach to biblical learning better. But instead, he says he learned wisdom by the grace of Christ, and now he longs to share what he's learned with others! At the base of the mount with Jesus, where He will begin to unpack for us wisdom, we are taught by His grace. Reading Matthew 5.1-20, we find the Beatitudes which challenge our understanding of blessedness. We are charged to take to heart what it really means to be salt and light in this world. Jesus' grace is the key which opens the door to true wisdom. Craig Keener challenges us when, reflecting on these verses, he says, “Religious people without transformed hearts will have no place in the kingdom.” Beloved, as we learn at the feet of Jesus our Messiah on this mountainside of life, may we learn the wisdom that only comes to us by the grace of Christ, for that is the way to true spiritual transformation.

January 6, 2025Today's Reading: Matthew 2:1-12Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 66:1-20; Luke 3:21-38“When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him…” (Matthew 2:3)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Herod had a problem: he wanted to be first. It is why his life was a constant rat race. It was why he, an Idumean, usurped the Jewish throne. It was why he entertained Caesar and borrowed his legions. It was why he styled himself Herod ‘the Great.' It was why he married into the last remnants of the great Jewish houses to insert himself into a genealogy and birthright that was not his. It was why his family tree was heavy with fratricide, patricide, matricide, and murder. He killed at least one of his wives, their two sons, his brother-in-law, his mother-in-law, and his grandfather-in-law. Yet Herod still had a problem: he was not first. Despite his treaty marriages and mass murders, Herod remained last. Another claimant to the throne was and is and forever will be the rightful Heir. When the Magi came to seek after the One who had been born King of the Jews, Herod was troubled. And when Herod was troubled, all of Jerusalem knew the wrath that was brewing. The pretender-king's sin rolled down on others. The Magi listened first to God. He preserved them from Herod's wrath and instead led them to the true King—the King who does not demand to be first because He truly is first. Indeed, the whole earth is but His footstool and even that analogy does not do His grandeur justice! He was present at creation and saw humanity plunge the world into sin. He knows the wrath this world deserves. But Jesus is not the King who merely takes what is rightfully His; He redeems it. This is why He, the first, became the last. He suffered the pain and agony that our sins would demand so that we would be freed from the punishment we deserve. For this magnificent work, Jesus is the sole King to whom God the Father says: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Through Baptism into His name, His birthright is transferred to us. We are grafted into His family tree and are empowered by His Holy Spirit to rise forgiven each day– made first by Him.In the Name + of Jesus, the first and last. Amen.What joy to know, when life is past, the Lord we love is first and last, the end and the beginning! He will one day, oh, glorious grace, Transport us to that happy place beyond all years and sinning! Amen! Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! Crown of gladness! We are yearning for the day of Your returning! (LSB 395:6)-Rev. Donald Stein, pastor of Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Rockton, IL.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

We're back! Brandon and Brandon pop out of their winter hibernation to share how their plans for Season 7 changed after the US election. But will they see their shadows?...Read LIT online: www.litbible.net/matthewMore about the Liberation & Inclusion Translation: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1...Opportunity Walks by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

December 28, 2024Today's Reading: Matthew 2:13-18Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 52:13-54:10; Matthew 2:13-23“‘A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.'” (Matthew 2:18)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Where was God when Herod's soldiers went house to house slaughtering toddlers? Why does He seem so far away? It seems deep down like we spend more time defending God than He spends defending us. It seems like tragedy is where we need to protect the idea of God, not where we actually expect Him to protect us. Here's a fortune cookie slogan about God's plan that makes it not sound so horrible. Here's something besides His word to make us seem content when we aren't. Some poem about footprints and sand. Some parable about blind folks and an elephant. All of them attempt to answer the issue behind any religion that claims its god is loving. Why is there evil?Rachel weeps for her children and refuses to be comforted because they are no more. This is not the time for the footprints poem that isn't actually in the Bible. I don't have any good excuses here. Not because God doesn't explain it. Because we don't like the answers He gives. We want a God that gives us free will. Freedom from suffering. It was everything Herod sought. He prayed to the god of security and made rite sacrifices. He wanted to be in control, not face hardship or hurt. So, if I'm being honest, I can relate more to Herod than to Christ, who left the glory and security of heaven to be born in a manger, smuggled across borders only to die on a cross.  We'd rather a Herod than a Christ, as long as he's on our team. We want security from God every bit as much as we want security from God. We can recoil at the price Herod was willing to pay for it, but we all play the same game on a smaller scale. You might not sacrifice thousands of lives, but statistically, more women enter planned parenthood for an abortion identifying as Christian than not. And men, spared from having to sacrifice this way to the god of choice, still find plenty of other ways to chase the same securities. All we're doing is quibbling over the price we're willing to pay for them. So He acts.  Jesus didn't stop Herod from massacring children. He worked salvation in the middle of it. He entered to face it and carve a path through death to resurrection. It makes the object of our salvation closer to us when things fall apart. That's where God puts Himself for you. When we have no good answer, God gives you His cross, not a trite explanation or a poem about footprints. God isn't with us to be strong when we are weak. But to be weak too, for us. It gives us hope for those lost. And it gives us forgiveness for those sins we dare not speak out loud. Even your abortion is forgiven. Because explanations are resigned to how things are now, but the cross looks forward to an empty tomb.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Amen.  -Rev. Harrison Goodman, content executive for Higher Things.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

December 26, 2024 Today's Reading: Matthew 23:34-39Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 49:22-26; 50:4-51:8, 12-16; Matthew 1:18-25“‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. They killed Stephen. They threw rocks at him until he was dead. He prayed for their forgiveness while they did it. Stories of martyrdom get… more creative from there. Flaying. Burning. Quartering. Beheading. Also, people are mean to us on the internet sometimes.  When the martyrs come up, Christians today bicker over what actually makes for genuine persecution. There are modern-day martyrs. People really killed for the crime of faith. The thing is, I don't think Jesus warns us about it so that we can lean into how bad it is, finding martyrdom in every comment section.  The church is left with Christ's words here, along with the story of Stephen, for two reasons. First, so that we would not be surprised if it happens. It is not a sign things are broken. It is not a sign of God's absence. It is a sad reality that Christ Himself bore for us. Secondly, though, it is to point us toward what to look for should we find it. Stephen didn't lament those who stoned him. He prayed for their forgiveness. Jesus didn't ignore Jerusalem. He wept over it, knowing Stephen and all the rest of the prophets and martyrs, and then rode into the city to conquer. Not by outkilling the killers. By bearing their sins unto death. He knew they'd reject Him. He still died for them. The focus doesn't seem to be on resistance. Or even lamenting every barb the church has taken. It's always been the forgiveness of sins that grants us certain life in the face of death. We live in uncertain times. We know now the future. So we're told to cling to a love so strong it would weep for Jerusalem, who would not believe, yet die for her anyway. Stephen is remembered as a martyr. But Jesus is remembered as the God made man who died and rose again to grant Stephen's prayers. In Christ, the martyrs live. And in Christ, there is forgiveness, even for those who throw stones.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Heavenly Father, in the midst of our sufferings for the sake of Christ grant us grace to follow the example of the first martyr, Stephen, that we also may look to the One who suffered and was crucified on our behalf and pray for those who do us wrong; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.-Rev. Harrison Goodman, content executive for Higher Things.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Christmas x Matthew 1-2Your daily crossover of faith and fandom! Experience daily Biblical encouragement from nerdy Christian podcasters, bloggers and content creators. Join the Nerd of Godcast community at www.NOGSquad.com

December 24, 2024 Today's Reading: Matthew 1:18-25Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 44:21-45:13, 20-25; Daniel 10:1-12:13; Isaiah 48:1-22; Revelation 12:1-17“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:18)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. Mary was engaged to Joseph, but she got pregnant. From the Holy Spirit. From hearing the Word. She's totally still a virgin. And Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. That means he didn't believe her, which is probably not unfair. You have to admit how it looks.  Maybe that's why the world doesn't understand the reason for the season. Nobody was converted by Christmas decorations. Look at the nativity and tell me someone could look at it and proclaim, “Hey, look, that baby is fully God and fully man, Son of the Father, born of the virgin. He's going to die on the cross and rise from the dead to forgive us our sins.” You have to admit how it looks. You're not going to figure this out on your own. It has to be revealed. So an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and explained it. To all of Nazareth, Mary looked unfaithful. And a little crazy because she stuck to the story. Yet she is blessed among women because she is the mother of God. Joseph looked like an old fool, yet he believed where so many didn't. The more they believe, the worse they look.  Especially to the Pharisees, who look so amazing all the time. They weren't perfect, just good at hiding what was wrong. Excusing it. Blaming others. Anything but confessing what's wrong to be sin and hoping God would be merciful to sinners, which is sort of the whole point of the religion. The believing Mary and Joseph looked like sinners and fools. The unbelieving Pharisees looked righteous.  We love to measure how things look. But how does Jesus look hanging on the cross where He saved the world that couldn't save itself? This is foolishness to the wise. He became the same. To dwell in creation, alongside us, in sin and misery. God almighty became an infant. God with us. He knows what He looks like. It's ok. Nobody figures it out on their own. It's always been revealed. Because faith comes by hearing, not looking. Look at the manger. Look at the cross. It doesn't look like much. No wonder the world mocks us. Christ came to assume your weakness and carry your sins. The ones others belittle you for. The ones you hide so well. The ones that prove you don't measure up. The ones that make you look like a bad Christian. The ones it's easier to hide or excuse. He saves you from your sins. All of them.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. O God, grant to us ears to hear Your promises that our eyes may perceive Your glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.-Rev. Harrison Goodman, content executive for Higher Things.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

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November 20, 2024Today's Reading: Matthew 28:1-20Daily Lectionary: Daniel 1:1-21; Matthew 28:1-20And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28:18)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It's only been a few weeks since the election. This is being written months before it ever takes place, but that doesn't change the message. Elections always end up the same way: there is a winner and a loser. There will be people who rejoice and people who are angry, sad, and maybe even afraid. There will be people who will think their savior has come and those who think doom has come. Maybe you don't pay too close attention to elections, maybe you do, maybe they bring you anxiety and fear, or maybe you feel uncertain about the future. Well, if so, Jesus brings you Good News. Regardless of which nations rise and which nations fall, Jesus Christ is the King on the throne. Christ has all authority not only in heaven but on earth as well. Christ has made the world his footstool, and He is the Lord over all things. But unlike the leaders of this world, elected or not, He is not a greedy ruler. He is not cruel, He is not selfish, He is not corrupt, and He does not fall in any other way to sin that affects those who hold the office or those who rule. Instead, Jesus is gracious. He is merciful, He is just, He is gentle, He is perfect, He is eternal. To confess that Christ is king is a confession of confidence and hope. Jesus is the Lord over your life, and He is a good and gracious Lord. One can imagine the disciples were rather anxious about going out into the world after Jesus ascended into heaven. Their teacher, master, and Lord left them alone on that hilltop following the great commission. Yet, they would go into the world clinging to the promise He gave them. They would go on teaching and preaching the Good News of Jesus before hostile rulers, councils, emperors, and more. They would go on confessing Jesus Christ and Him crucified, holding to the promise that He made them. They would know that Christ the King would be with them always, to the end of the age, because He promised them. This is who Christ is: He is the Lord of all, the Lord who keeps his promises. To all people, and Christ keeps his promises to you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Christ be my leader by night as by day; Safe through the darkness for He is the way. Gladly I follow, my future his care, Darkness is daylight when Jesus is there. (LSB 861:1)-Rev. Caleb Weight, associate pastor of Peace In Christ Lutheran Church in Hermantown, MN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Spend time reading and meditating on God's Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House. 

Reading Matthew 19 this week, something really caught my attention. Jesus asks a simple question when challenged in verse 4: "Have you not read?" It made me pause. When Satan tempted Him, Jesus responded, "It is written," but with these guys, He throws the ball in their court.This line, "Have you not read?" isn't just a question; it's a challenge. It's like Jesus is saying, "You should know this from the scriptures." And it hit me: am I digging into the Bible enough? Knowing God's word isn't just about reading; it's about understanding His will for our lives. Let's make sure we're not just flipping pages but really soaking up what God is telling us.

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November 15, 2024 Today's Reading: Matthew 26:57-75 Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 30:1-24; Revelation 15:1-8; Matthew 26:57-75 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.”After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:69-75)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.A great spiritual battle in the history of the world is unfolding. On the one side, Satan and the demons. Along with Satan are those who serve him as they work to bring Jesus to the cross: the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, the chief priests, Caiaphas, Herod, and, of course, Judas. On the other side is Jesus, and those who belong to Him, foremost would be His Apostles. Of the Apostles, Peter stands out. He had promised Jesus, “Though [the other Apostles] fall away because of you, I will never fall away” (Matthew 26:33).Who can Jesus depend on? As it turns out, not Peter. This preeminent Apostle folds under pressure: “Then [Peter] began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, ‘I do not know the man [Jesus].' And immediately the rooster crowed” (Matthew 26:74).  Is there any hope for Peter? If it depends on Peter, no, there is no hope. But if it depends on Jesus, there is hope. He's the One going to the cross for Peter's sin and the sin of the world. He's the One who made the promise to keep all those the Father has given to Him (John 17:6-12), and that includes Peter. For Peter, it is the Word of the cross; it is life and salvation, even over against his doubting and denial.The Word of the cross comes to you and me. Over against our doubting and denial, we hear the Lord's promise. We hear His Word forgiving our sin, and where there is the forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. (Small Catechism, “The Benefit of the Sacrament of the Altar”)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Praise for Your great apostle So eager and so bold, Thrice falling, yet repentant, Thrice charged to feed your fold. Lord, make your pastors faithful To guard Your flock from harm, And hold them when they waver With Your almighty arm. Amen. (LSB 517:10)-Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NMAudio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Spend time reading and meditating on God's Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

November 13, 2024 Today's Reading: Matthew 26:20-35Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 26:1-19; Revelation 13:1-18; Matthew 26:20-35Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you,for this is my blood of the [new testament], which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:26-28)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus is with His Apostles in the Upper Room, preparing to go to the cross to die. Three days later, He will be raised from the dead. Forty days later, He will ascend to Heaven, leaving His Apostles and His church here on Earth.Jesus is the Lord who will not leave His people alone. Ascended to Heaven, He will never not be with His church. So, on the night when He was betrayed, He gave His church a mandate. He instituted the Gift by which He would bodily be with His church until he comes again.Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the [new testament], which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”Until that day, when He comes with glory to judge both the living and the dead, He remains with His Church. He brings us again and again into His remembrance, forgiving our sin.In the midst of the church, He is with us in his Body and Blood. Among the people He loves, He is proclaiming His Father's Name (cf. Hebrews 2:11-13), cleansing us of all sin, declaring us innocent of all guilt, and covering all of our shame. Here, among us, with us, He is bestowing on us the wealth of His cross.That's what Jesus was doing in that Upper Room with his Apostles. A Man on His way to death— He was instituting His Last Will and Testament so that upon His death, the wealth of His cross would be freely given out to His beneficiaries, to all those He calls into His Church (cf. Hebrews 9:15-16). It's His Gift. Christ instituted it. It is life itself, instituted by Christ for us Christians to eat and drink.The sureness and certainty of this Gift depends upon Him alone. We do not make the Sacrament, nor does it derive any authority or worthiness from us. It is His Body and His Blood. Your sins are forgiven.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Your body and Your blood, Once slain and shed for me, Are taken at Your table, Lord, In blest reality. (LSB 628:3)-Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NMAudio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Spend time reading and meditating on God's Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

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November 6, 2024 Today's Reading: Matthew 23:13-39Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 8:18-9:12; Matthew 23:13-39“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23:25-28)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. How do we want to use the holy Law? We might think of having the Law as either a puppy or a wolf. A puppy we can control; a wolf kills us. The Pharisees and teachers of the law did teach the Law. But it wasn't a killing Law. It was law as a way to act right and look clean on the outside, like cleaning a cup to look good while ignoring the poison inside. That's having the Law as a puppy. It won't kill you. At the end of the day, you end up using the Law the way you want.In this way, using the Law to outwardly guide your life will make it appear clean, letting you hope that it makes you clean inside, too. But the Law won't cleanse the conscience. The inside remains unclean.The Lord uses the Law as a wolf coming at the sinner with a killing accusation. You can't control the Law, finding the use for it you want. Rather, the Law puts to death the Old Adam. When the Old Man of sin falls dead to the Law, then the Gospel cleanses the conscience, forgiving the sin. In this way, the sinner is made clean not by cleaning up the outside but by the Lord speaking the Gospel to him. This is the new, cleansed, inner man, the man of faith, the New Adam. Jesus says to the teachers of the law, “First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.” This is Jesus' gift to you: He cleanses your inside, your conscience, by His Gospel. He justifies you. Then, from a clean heart, your works are clean as they are done in faith toward Him. And when your works aren't clean (which is, after all, every day), it is, again, repentance. Repentance is the Law accusing you, then the Gospel turning you back to Jesus, forgiving you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Heavenly Father, I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.-Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NMAudio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Spend time reading and meditating on God's Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

​FOR LINKS to all our podcasts, visit the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN TEACHING PODCAST DIRECTORY:ON APPLE PODCASTS APP: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/orthodox-christian-teaching-podcast-directory/id1680765527ON SPOTIFY APP: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ALQ9YkJ0hhZ20GGZv7MH9?si=hVv_aqKtSrypyTLr1YZQIQ

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Gary concludes his interview with Jonathan Sedlak about his new book, Reading Matthew, Trusting Jesus. Sedlak's study examines the rhetorical unity of Jesus' answers in Matthew 24, showing that the discourse's literary features exclude any delay or transition between periods of fulfillment. Get Jonathan's book here: https://athanasiuspress.org/products/reading-matthew-trusting-jesus-christian-tradition-and-first-century-fulfillment-within-matthew-24-25

Jonathan Sedlak offers clarification on two important points of his book, Reading Matthew, Trusting Jesus. 

In this first part of his interview with author Jonathan Sedlak, Gary introduces listeners to Jonathan and his new book, Reading Matthew, Trusting Jesus. This academic work on the long history of Christian interpreters and their views on the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 25-25 is fascinating and important. Their conversation ran more than an hour, so we split it into two parts. Get Jonathan's book here: https://athanasiuspress.org/products/reading-matthew-trusting-jesus-christian-tradition-and-first-century-fulfillment-within-matthew-24-25