Podcasts about reading matthew

Thank you to Earl, Dianne, and Don for being part of the service. Happy birthday this week to Earl and Peter, and happy anniversary to Ruthu & Kranti. Songs from this service: Above All Else - https://youtu.be/qcihEmfBPtQ -- Cornerstone - https://youtu.be/h4KGkH7naKY -- King Of Kings - https://youtu.be/IVumVrkbq4s -- How Firm A Foundation - https://youtu.be/sKrJECG_0Uw -- Hark the Gentle Voice - https://youtu.be/faeQ1RBwphU Scriptures from this service: Communion - 1 Peter 1:3-9. Reading - Matthew 22:29-30. Sermon - Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 1:67-71; 1:75; Luke 3:15-16; Acts 2:22-24; Romans 8:31-32; 8:35; 8:37-39; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 4:1-2; 2 Corinthians 13:5-6; Galatians 1:6; Ephesians 1:3-4; Philippians 2:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 2:6-8; 2:11-12; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; 4:4-5; 2 Timothy 2:11-13; Titus 2:1-2; 2:6; 2:12-14; Philemon 1:6; Hebrews 10:35-36; James 1:16-18; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 2:1-2; 2 John 1:5-6; 3 John 1:3; Jude 1:17- Revelation 7:9-10; 7:12. Closing - 2 Timothy 3:14-17; John 1:14. [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]

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." - Matthew 28:18

So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves." - Matthew 27:24

Reading: Matthew 6:1-18, Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 45 1. Necessary 2. Proper 3. Continual

June 29, 2025 Today's Reading: Matthew 16:13-19Daily Lectionary: Joshua 4:1-24; Acts 9:23-43“Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'” (Matthew 16:16)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.What's the point of Peter's confession? He gets it right. Jesus is not just a reincarnated Moses or Elijah. He's not just another religious figure with good ideas on how to be kind to one another. Jesus asks His disciples, “Who am I?” not to trap them but to reveal to them who He is. Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, the one all of Scripture points to as the one who will save and deliver God's people. There's more to it than that, though, more to Peter's confession than even Peter realizes.This confession is one that is seen with eyes of faith. It's the confession that the church, the baptized community, makes every Sunday in the Creed. It is your and my confession when we remember our baptisms: that we are united to Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God who saved us from our sins. Peter is not handed the keys to the “pope mobile” here to guide the church in confessing. No, friends, this is the beginning of Peter's confession—or rather, his struggle against his own flesh to continue to confess boldly in season and out of season.And then there's Paul. Paul is the persecutor turned pastor to the Gentiles, whose ministry is defined by suffering as Jesus suffered, for the sake of the Gospel and being content in all things. Paul's confession was all things to all people. Not sacrificing the substance or truth, but truly embodying that Christ Jesus, the Son of the Living God, came into the world to save sinners “of whom I am the foremost” (1 Timothy 1:15).Confession of who Jesus is matters. He's not Moses or Elijah or John the Baptist. He is the Christ who took on our flesh and came into the world. The Son of the Living God to save you that this might be revealed to all who hear His Word and open their eyes of faith as Peter's and Paul's were. When you stand and confess the Creed, you see those witnesses around you but know that there's a whole host of witnesses saying it who have gone before you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Merciful and eternal God, Your holy apostles Peter and Paul received grace and strength to lay down their lives for the sake of your Son. Strengthen us by your Holy Spirit that we may confess Your truth and at all times be ready to lay down our lives for the one who laid down His life for us, even Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.- Justin Chester is a seminary student at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN.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.

His master said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master." - Matthew 25:21

"Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." - Matthew 24:44

Then he said to them, "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." - Matthew 22:21

He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers." - Matthew 21:13

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." - Matthew 18:6

But Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." - Matthew 14:16

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." - Matthew 13:44

"You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." - Matthew 12:34-37

"Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." - Matthew 10:39

When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." - Matthew 9:28

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them. - Matthew 5:1-2

But he answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" - Matthew 4:4

"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). - Matthew 1:23

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.

In this bible study, we cover Matthew 5.1-12 looking at the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are a list of 8 statements from Jesus, each with a promise. “Blessed” - happy, joyful, on the right path- is the person who follows each of Jesus' calls. This includes a call to be poor in spirit, to mourn our sinful state, to be meek, to thirst for righteousness, to show mercy, to be pure of heart, to be a peacemaker, and to rejoice in persecution.The Beatitudes are a progressive ladder, with each separate step being critical to understand before attempting the next step. Some of the steps are easier for some than others, and that's ok, but we need to take these one at a time, and do our best to follow Jesus' call. Keeping in mind that on our own, without the help of the Holy Spirit, we are not capable of any of them. Outline:00:24 - Introduction to Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount02:10 - What is sanctification? 02:58 - Prayer03:43 - Reading Matthew 5.1-1204:54 - What are the Beatitudes?The name “Beatitude” comes from the LATIN: BEATUS - bā-ˈä-təs (“Bay a tues”) The Greek is μακάριος makarios mak-ar'-ee-osEnglish - “Blessed,” “Bless-ed” or “happy” 1 Peter 1.8Think of the Beatitudes as a road map, better yet, think of it as a ladder. A step ladder of the sanctification process. 07:53 - Matthew 5.3 - Blessed are the POOR IN SPIRIT 08:05 - What does it mean to be poor in spirit?STEP 1 - Be humble. Realize you are nothing without God. John 15.5Php 2.3-4Read Luke 18.9-14.Pro 16.1813:51 - Matthew 5.4 - Blessed are THOSE WHO MOURN14:06 - What does it mean to mourn in the Bible?Gen 23.2 - Abraham mourned the loss of his wife SarahRom 3.23Rom 6.23READ Rom 7.24-25 - 8:1-2Prov. 28:13STEP 2 - Mourn your sin.20:01 - Matthew 5.5 - BLESSED ARE THE MEEK20:14 - what does it mean to be meek? What is meekness?Meekness is not weaknessMeekness is power under controlMatt 11:28-30READ John 18:1-6. Jesus gives us an example of meekness under control in the Garden of Gethsemane.STEP 3 - Be meek, Power under control.Matthew 5.6 - BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 25:55 - What is Righteousness? How is Righteousness defined in the Bible?Isa 64.6Rom 3.22Titus 3.4-7God is the ultimate source of all righteousness. So to hunger and thirst for Righteousness is to hunger and thirst for people to have a right relationship with their creator. STEP 4 - Have a hunger to see people with a right relationship with God. Hunger for people to be saved. 32:27 - Matthew 5.7. BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL 32:32 - What does it mean to be merciful? What is Mercy? What is the difference between Grace and Mercy?What does it look like to be Merciful? Forgiving someone even when they do not deserve to be forgiven. Forgive someone even if they don't even seek your forgiveness.Mat 6.14-15Rom 12.18STEP 5 - Show mercy. Let go and let God!37:56 - Matthew 5.8. BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART.What does the world say about your heart, and what does the Bible say?Jer 17.9Article: https://www.gotquestions.org/pure-in-heart.htmlPsalm 51:10, STEP 6 - Pray and plead for the Lord to create a pure heart in you.43:19 - Matthew 5.9 - BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS 43:26 - What is a peacemaker?What is peace? שָׁלוֹם šālômPro 18.21Isa 9.6Rom 10.17STEP 7 - be a peacemaker - not a mayhem manifestor48:43 - BLESSED ARE THE PERSECUTED2 tim 3.12Luke 6.22https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/whatever-happened-to-the-twelve-apostles-11629558.htmlJohn 16.33Support Iron Sheep Ministries: https://Ironsheep.org/donateListen to the podcast: https://anchor.fm/ironsheepContact Dave & the ISM team: info@ironsheep.orgBe notified of each new teaching, join the email list: http://eepurl.com/g-2zAD

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.

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/

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!

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!

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

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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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​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

​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

​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