Preaching and Teaching from St. John Ev. Lutheran Church (Sherman Center), Random Lake, Wisconsin
St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church & School (Sherman Center) is in Random Lake, Wisconsin, and is served by Rev. Christopher R. Gillespie. St. John Lutheran is God's place for Christians to gather around our Lord's Word and be enlightened by His gifts. We are a congregation of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). We unconditionally subscribe to the Unaltered Augsburg Confession. St. John Lutheran School has been approved for accreditation through the accreditation process of the National Lutheran School Accreditation of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.
All episodes(263)
- StandardSummaries onlySunday’s OT and Epistle—Deuteronomy 10:12–21; 1 Cor. 1:4–8
Published Oct 3, 2026
12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good? 14 Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it. 15 The Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their desc
- StandardSummaries onlyIsrael Departs from Sinai—Numbers 10:11-14a, 29-36
Published Oct 2, 2026
Numbers 10:11–14 (NKJV)11 Now it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle of the Testimony. 12 And the children of Israel set out from the Wilderness of Sinai on their journeys; then the cloud settled down in the Wilderness of Paran. 13 So they started out for the first time according to the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses.14 The standard of the camp of the children of Judah set out first according t
- StandardSummaries only"The Same Pilate," Friday of Trinity 17.
Published Oct 1, 2026
September 30, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyFriday of Trinity 17 (observed)
Published Oct 1, 2026
September 30, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Second Passover—Numbers 9:1-14
Published Sep 30, 2026
Numbers 9:1–14 (NKJV)1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: 2 “Let the children of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. 3 On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time. According to all its rites and ceremonies you shall keep it.” 4 So Moses told the children of Israel that they should keep the Passover. 5 And they kept the Passover
- StandardSummaries onlySt. Michael and All Angels—Daniel 10:10-14; 12:1-3
Published Sep 29, 2026
1 “At that time Michael shall stand up,The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;And there shall be a time of trouble,Such as never was since there was a nation,Even to that time.And at that time your people shall be delivered,Every one who is found written in the book.2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,Some to everlasting life,Some to shame and everlasting contempt.3 Those who are wise shall shineLike the brightness of the firmament,And those
- StandardSummaries only"The Thirst that Swells" Trinity 17 2026
Published Sep 28, 2026
“And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’ But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go” (Luke 14:2–4).
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Priestly Blessing—Numbers 6:22-27
Published Sep 28, 2026
Numbers 6:22–27 (NKJV)22 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,And be gracious to you;26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,And give you peace.” ’27 “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”
- StandardSummaries onlySunday’s OT and Epistle—Proverbs 25:6–14; Ephesians 4:1–6
Published Sep 26, 2026
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Levites Are Called to Serve as Priests—Num. 3:1-16, 39-51
Published Sep 25, 2026
Numbers 3:1–16 (NKJV)1 Now these are the records of Aaron and Moses when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab, the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he consecrated to minister as priests. 4 Nadab and Abihu had died before the Lord when they offered profane fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar minis
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Lord Commands a Census of Israel—Numbers 1:1-4, 17-19, 45-54
Published Sep 24, 2026
1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: 2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually, 3 from twenty years old and above—all who are able to go to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies. 4 And
- StandardSummaries only“When and As He Willed” — Friday of the Trinity 16 (observed) 2026
Published Sep 24, 2026
Everyone wants to know why he was healed twice. The two touches teach that faith comes in stages: first you see a little, then you see more. You may have heard the sermon with the eye doctor in it, “Better one, or better two?” It’s comforting, and it’s a lie, because it makes the healing wait on the patient. If the second touch is about your progress, then your sight depends on the one thing the text never mentions. But the blind man does nothing. He is led, touched, asked, and touched again. Ev
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Day of Atonement—Leviticus 16:1-17 (18-19) 20-22, 34
Published Sep 23, 2026
Leviticus 16:1–22 (NKJV)1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the Lord, and died; 2 and the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.3 “Thus Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering, and of a ram as a bur
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Profane Fire of Nadab and Abihu—Leviticus 10:1-7
Published Sep 22, 2026
Leviticus 10:1–7 (NKJV)1 Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. 2 So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. 3 And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying:‘By those who come near MeI must be regarded as holy;And before all the peopleI must be glorified.’ ”So Aaron held his peace.4 Then Moses called Mishael
- StandardSummaries onlySt. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist—Matthew 9:9-13
Published Sep 21, 2026
Matthew 9:9–13 (NKJV)9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are
- StandardSummaries only"A Word With Nothing Under It Yet" Trinity 16 2026
Published Sep 21, 2026
Two seconds. He said stop. He touched the bier; the bearers froze. He spoke to the dead, and the dead sat up talking. She held that word with the boy still dead for about as long as it takes to say it.
- StandardSummaries onlyJeremiah: Chapters 21-22 — September 20, 2026
Published Sep 21, 2026
22 Thus says the Lord: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word, 2 and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, you who sit on the throne of David, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates! 3 Thus says the Lord: “Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you inde
- StandardSummaries onlySunday’s OT and Epistle—1 Kings 17:17–24; Eph. 3:13–21
Published Sep 19, 2026
You have stood where the widow stood and thought what she thought. The diagnosis, the phone call, the casket: God has remembered, and this is the bill. You are half right. Death is the wages of sin, and you have earned it. But you have read the sentence wrong. God’s man came to her house not to collect but to lie down on the dead and give him breath. God’s Son came to yours the same way, unasked, and laid His living body on your death at the font. He did not wait for your words. You had none; th
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Ministry of the Priests Begins—Leviticus 9:1-16, 22-24
Published Sep 18, 2026
Leviticus 9:1–16 (NKJV)1 It came to pass on the eighth day that Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. 2 And he said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a young bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the Lord. 3 And to the children of Israel you shall speak, saying, ‘Take a kid of the goats as a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering, 4 also a bull and a ram as peace offer
- StandardSummaries only"Asking the Son for His Papers" Friday of the Trinity 15 (observed)
Published Sep 17, 2026
Hear the two little words. Moses was faithful in the house. Christ is faithful over it. Moses, a servant. Christ, the Son. And these men sit in Moses’ seat. Which makes Luke 20 this: servants in a house have stopped the Son at the door of His own house and asked Him to produce His papers. They’re standing in a building. They want to know what right He has to be in it. And He built it.
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Restitution Offering—Leviticus 5:(14-16) 17—6:7
Published Sep 17, 2026
Leviticus 5:14–17 (NKJV)14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 15 “If a person commits a trespass, and sins unintentionally in regard to the holy things of the Lord, then he shall bring to the Lord as his trespass offering a ram without blemish from the flocks, with your valuation in shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, as a trespass offering. 16 And he shall make restitution for the harm that he has done in regard to the holy thing, and shall add one-fifth to it and giv
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Sin Offering—Leviticus (4:1-2) 5:1-10 (11-13)
Published Sep 16, 2026
Leviticus 4:1–2 (NKJV)1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them,
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Burnt Offering—Leviticus 1:1-17
Published Sep 15, 2026
Leviticus 1:1–17 (NKJV)1 Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock—of the herd and of the flock.3 ‘If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. 4 Then he shall pu
- StandardSummaries only"A Handful of Flour" Trinity 15 2026
Published Sep 14, 2026
Elijah has just come off the brook Cherith. It dried up because there was no rain, God’s doing because Ahab had married a woman from Sidon and Israel was bowing to her god. Her god couldn’t make it rain. Now the Word of the LORD sends the prophet where? To Sidon. To a widow.She is at the gate gathering two sticks. He asks her for water. She goes. He calls after her: bring me a morsel of bread too. She stops and tells him the truth. You heard it. A handful of flour. A little oil. Two sticks. One
- StandardSummaries onlyHoly Cross Day—1 Cor. 1:18-25; John 12:20-33
Published Sep 14, 2026
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the me
- StandardSummaries onlySunday’s OT and Epistle—1 Kings 17:8–16; Gal. 5:25—6:10
Published Sep 12, 2026
1 Kings 17:8–16 (NKJV)8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel o
- StandardSummaries onlyMoses Sets Up the Tabernacle—Ex. 40:1-3, 16-38
Published Sep 11, 2026
Exodus 40:1–3 (NKJV)1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, and partition off the ark with the veil.Exodus 40:16–38 (NKJV)16 Thus Moses did; according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did.17 And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up. 18 So Moses raised up the ta
- StandardSummaries onlyLord Renews His Covenant with Israel–Ex. 33:1-3 (4-5); 34:1-10, 27-35
Published Sep 10, 2026
Thursday, September 10, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"He Came to Be Your Estate" Friday of Trinity 14 (observed) 2026
Published Sep 10, 2026
Everything the farmer was building toward — security, a settled soul, many years, take your ease — Christ has, as a man, in a body, for you. He built no barn. He had nowhere to lay His head. He owned one coat, and soldiers rolled dice for it while He died. He was stripped of everything a man can have, so that when God asks “whose will those things be,” the answer over you is: they are His, and He has willed them to you.
- StandardSummaries onlyGod’s Wrath Is Poured Out upon Idol Worshipers—Ex 32:15-35
Published Sep 9, 2026
15 And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written. 16 Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.”18 But he said:“It is not the noise of the shout of victory,Nor the noise
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Worship of the Golden Calf—Exodus 32:1-14
Published Sep 8, 2026
1 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”2 And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were
- StandardSummaries onlyLabor Day: Warning Against Idleness—2 Thess. 3:1-15
Published Sep 7, 2026
Labor Day2 Thessalonians 3:1–15 (NKJV)1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you.5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the p
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Sunday of the Ten Lepers — September 6, 2026
Published Sep 6, 2026
All ten believed and all ten were cleansed by the bare Word; nine were preached out of Christ by the priests in God's name, with a Bible verse, and thought they did well. 'Your faith has saved you' is Christ's verdict overruling theirs: not the going, not the offering, faith alone because Christ alone was already cleansing.
- StandardSummaries onlyJeremiah: Chapter 20 — September 6, 2026
Published Sep 6, 2026
Last week Jeremiah smashed a jar in the garbage valley. This week we find out what it cost him: Pashhur, the chief officer of the temple police, beats him and locks him in the stocks overnight, and Jeremiah opens his mouth and says the worst thing anybody says to God in the Old Testament — O LORD, You induced me, and I was persuaded (Jer. 20:7). Then watch one word walk through the next five verses: God prevailed over him, his friends expect to prevail against him, and they will not — because ni
- StandardSummaries onlySunday’s OT and Epistle—Proverbs 4:10–23; Gal 5:16–24
Published Sep 5, 2026
Proverbs 4:10–23 (NKJV)10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,And the years of your life will be many.11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom;I have led you in right paths.12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,And when you run, you will not stumble.13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;Keep her, for she is your life.14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,And do not walk in the way of evil.15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;Turn away from it and pass on.16 For they do not s
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Sabbath Law—Exodus 31:12-18
Published Sep 4, 2026
12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Work shall be done for six days, but the sev
- StandardSummaries only"Strive to Enter but Only through Christ" Friday of Trinity 13 (observed) 2026
Published Sep 3, 2026
You probably heard “strive to enter” your whole life as one more thing you’re failing at. But the truth is you were never strong enough. Jesus said it. Many will seek and will not be strong enough, and you’re not the exception. There’s no version of you — better rested, better disciplined, more sincere, twenty years further along — that gets through that door under your own strength.
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Ransom Money—Exodus 30:11-16
Published Sep 3, 2026
11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 12 “When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them. 13 This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs). The half-shekel shall be an offering to the Lord. 14 Everyone included among those who are nu
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Priestly Garments—Exodus 28:1-43
Published Sep 2, 2026
29 “So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment over his heart, when he goes into the holy place, as a memorial before the Lord continually. 30 And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord. So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually.31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 There shall b
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Ark of the Covenant—Exodus 25:1-22
Published Sep 1, 2026
Exodus 25:1–22 (NKJV)1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. 3 And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; 4 blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; 5 ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; 6 oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; 7 onyx
- StandardSummaries onlyMoses Receives the Law upon Tablets of Stone—Ex 24:1-18
Published Aug 31, 2026
Exodus 24:1–18 (NKJV)1 Now He said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. 2 And Moses alone shall come near the Lord, but they shall not come near; nor shall the people go up with him.”3 So Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the Lord has said we will do.” 4 And Moses wrote all the words of the L
- StandardSummaries only"He Had Compassion On You" Trinity 13 2026
Published Aug 30, 2026
He brought you to the inn. This is the inn. He has paid the innkeeper. The bill isn’t yours, and He has said: whatever more it costs, I will repay when I come again.Your wounds — bound. Your name — His. Your body — fed with His body. Your sin — forgiven out loud, by name. He had compassion.
- StandardSummaries onlyJeremiah: Chapter 19 — August 30, 2026
Published Aug 30, 2026
Jeremiah 19 (NKJV)1 Thus says the Lord: “Go and get a potter’s earthen flask, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the elders of the priests. 2 And go out to the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the Potsherd Gate; and proclaim there the words that I will tell you, 3 and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will bring such a catastrophe on this place, that wh
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Second Coming in Judgment—Matthew 25:31-46
Published Aug 29, 2026
31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 f
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Parable of the Talents—Matthew 25:14-30
Published Aug 28, 2026
14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the gro
- StandardSummaries only"Jesus has 'ephphatha-ed' you!" - Trinity 12, August 30, 2020
Published Aug 27, 2026
From the archive: originally preached and published August 30, 2020. Jesus opened your ears and mouth when He baptized you. He put His fingers into your ears, spoke to you, and washed your sins away. When you were born, you could not hear God's words. But when you were reborn, Jesus opened your ears and your mouth. He said, Be opened! And you confess Jesus as Lord and God.
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins—Matthew 25:1-13
Published Aug 27, 2026
1 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and tri
- StandardSummaries onlyCapernaum Needed to Hear "For You" — Friday of Trinity 12 (observed)
Published Aug 27, 2026
So here’s the only question that matters. You’re about to come up to this rail and get closer to Christ than anybody in Capernaum ever got. He won’t be down the street from you. He’ll be in your mouth. What makes that a mercy and not a woe?
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Faithful Servant—Matthew 24:43-51
Published Aug 26, 2026
43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make hi
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Parable of the Fig Tree—Matthew 24:32-42
Published Aug 25, 2026
32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37
- StandardSummaries onlyTrinity 12 2026
Published Aug 24, 2026
August 23, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJeremiah: Chapter 18 — August 23, 2026
Published Aug 24, 2026
God sends Jeremiah to a shop near the clay pits — a wheel, a kiln, and a heap out back of the pieces that didn't come out right. The Hebrew word for that tradesman is yotzer, the one who forms. It is the same word God uses in verse 11 for what He is making now: a disaster. The Potter is still at the wheel, and the vessel is not fired yet — which is why He says, "Return now every one from his evil way" (Jer. 18:11).
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Great Tribulation—Matthew 24:15-31
Published Aug 24, 2026
15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in wint
- StandardSummaries only"Dan is a Son and He is Home" — Funeral of Daniel E. Heidemann — August 21, 2026
Published Aug 22, 2026
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Let us remember with thanksgiving what God has done through His servant Daniel E. Heidemann.Dan was given life by his Creator and was born on January 21, 1954, in Sheboygan, the child of Lester and Marion (Habeck) Heidemann. On February 21, 1954, at one month old, he received the gift of Holy Baptism in his own home at the hands of the Rev. E. Zapf and became a child of God. On April 7, 1968
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Predicts the Signs of the End—Matt. 23:37–24:14
Published Aug 22, 2026
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 An
- StandardSummaries onlyWoe to the Scribes and Pharisees—Matthew 23:1-36
Published Aug 21, 2026
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Greatest Commandment—Matthew 22:34-46
Published Aug 20, 2026
34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments han
- StandardSummaries only"Where the Eagles Gather" Friday of Trinity 11 (observed)
Published Aug 20, 2026
August 19, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyQuestions About the Resurrection—Matthew 22:23-33
Published Aug 19, 2026
Matthew 22:23–33 (NKJV)23 The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, 24 saying: “Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. 25 Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. 26 Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh. 27 Last of all the woman died also. 28 Th
- StandardSummaries onlyRender to Caesar the Things That Are Caesar’s—Matt. 22:15-22
Published Aug 18, 2026
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. 16 And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. 17 Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the tax money.”So they
- StandardSummaries only"The Mercy Seat is Jesus Christ" Trinity 11 2026
Published Aug 17, 2026
Two men go up to the temple at the hour of the lamb, blood being shed a few steps away in plain sight. One of them never mentions it — his religion is complete without the blood, and that religion sits in the pew and climbs into the pulpit. The other says one sentence, and the word he uses is not the ordinary word for mercy. It is the mercy-seat word: let the blood be over me. And the mercy seat is no longer a gold lid in a room no one may enter. It is a Man.
- StandardSummaries onlyJeremiah: Chapters 16-17 — August 16, 2026
Published Aug 17, 2026
Last week Jeremiah called God a stream that runs dry and his own wound incurable. This week God uses that same word of the human heart — "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jer. 17:9) — and then, five verses later, the man with the incurable wound asks to be healed anyway: "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed" (Jer. 17:14). He even gives God back the name he'd thrown at Him as an accusation, calling Him the fountain of living waters (Jer. 17:13). Chapter 16 is how he got the
- StandardSummaries onlySt. Mary, Mother of Our Lord: Luke 1:39-55; Galatians 4:4-7
Published Aug 15, 2026
46 And Mary said:“My soul magnifies the Lord,47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,And holy is His name.50 And His mercy is on those who fear HimFrom generation to generation.51 He has shown strength with His arm;He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.52 He has put down the mighty from their thro
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers—Matthew 21:33-46
Published Aug 14, 2026
33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. 37 Then
- StandardSummaries only"You pray to be stood up; Christ stands you up!" Friday of Trinity 10 (observed) 2026
Published Aug 13, 2026
You are not told to stand. The verb is passive. To be made to stand. You are told to beg that somebody would do it to you. There it is — the last thing you wanted. You cannot even get up on your own, and the text will not give you a better technique. By whom?
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Parable of the Two Sons—Matthew 21:28-32
Published Aug 13, 2026
28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”They said to Him, “The first.”Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Fruitless Fig Tree—Matthew 21:18-27
Published Aug 12, 2026
18 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree,
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Cleanses the Temple—Matthew 21:12-17
Published Aug 11, 2026
12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying ou
- StandardSummaries onlyTwo Blind Men Receive Their Sight—Matthew 20:29-34
Published Aug 10, 2026
29 Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. 30 And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”31 Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”32 So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”33 They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be
- StandardSummaries onlyJeremiah: Chapters 13-15 — August 9, 2026
Published Aug 10, 2026
God’s word for what He made Israel to be is clinging: “as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel… to cling to Me” (13:11). The sash that stops clinging rots in a hole by the river and is good for nothing.Then watch what happens to the man who preached it. In chapter 14 the people cry that they are “called by Your name”(14:9), that their wound has no healing (14:19), that God has become a stranger. In chapter 15 Jeremiah says the same words back — “I am
- StandardSummaries only"The tears of your Savior settle it" Trinity 10 2026
Published Aug 10, 2026
Jesus cries twice in the Gospels — once at a grave, and once outside a church. The grave we understand. The other one is worse, and it is the only thing in that whole city worth crying about. You can read God's oath that He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked and still lie awake wondering whether He meant it about you — but the tears of your Savior settle it.
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Predicts His Passion a Third Time—Matthew 20:17-28
Published Aug 8, 2026
17 Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, 18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.21 And He said to her, “Wh
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard—Matt. 20:1-16
Published Aug 7, 2026
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the e
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Rich Young Ruler—Matthew 19:16-30
Published Aug 6, 2026
16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”18 He said to Him, “Which ones?”Jesus said, “ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yo
- StandardSummaries only"Without Leaving the Others Undone" Friday of Trinity 9 2026 (observed)
Published Aug 6, 2026
Jesus comes to dinner and will not wash His hands. The mint was never commanded — grain, wine, flock, that is what God said to tithe — but a tenth of the mint costs nothing, and being seen to give it is worth a great deal, so justice gets stepped over on the way to the herb garden. Christ does not cancel the mint; He keeps the weightier matters and the little ones both, and leaves not one undone. He keeps none of it for Himself: the hands He would not wash at that table are the hands they nailed
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Blesses the Children—Matthew 19:13-15
Published Aug 5, 2026
13 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Teaches on Marriage and Divorce—Matthew 19:1-12
Published Aug 4, 2026
4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Parable of the Unforgiving Servant—Matthew 18:21-35
Published Aug 3, 2026
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, say
- StandardSummaries onlyJeremiah: Chapter 11-12
Published Aug 3, 2026
August 2, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"He Was Faithful the Whole Time You Were Not" Trinity 9 2026
Published Aug 3, 2026
Jesus tells the parable of the unjust steward immediately after the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Johann Gerhard saw why: Christ knows how easily we misuse that teaching for carnal security, taking the sweetest thing God ever said and turning it into a permission slip. Paul answers that man with a desert full of graves. Israel was baptized into Moses, ate the same spiritual food, drank from the Rock that was Christ, and two of them reached the Promised Land. The warning lands on t
- StandardSummaries onlyIf Your Brother Sins—Matt. 18:15-22
Published Aug 1, 2026
August 1, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyWho Is the Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven—Matt. 18:1-14
Published Jul 31, 2026
July 31, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"Holiness Runs Down from God and Never Back Up" Friday of Trinity 8 2026
Published Jul 30, 2026
The men haggling in the temple courtyard knew which oaths could be collected on. Swear by the gold and you're bound; swear by the temple and you can walk away. Jesus calls that blindness: holiness runs down from God to the thing and never back up, and the temple is holy only for Him who dwells in it. We do the same arithmetic with our years and our giving, wanting a righteousness we can audit. But the altar was holy before you got here, and the gift on it is Christ's own body and blood.
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection—Matt. 17:22-27
Published Jul 30, 2026
July 30, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyA Boy Is Healed—Matthew 17:14-21
Published Jul 29, 2026
July 29, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Transfiguration—Matthew 17:1-13
Published Jul 28, 2026
1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”5 While he was still speaking,
- StandardSummaries only"You Were Carried Through the Door Before You Could Walk" Trinity 8 2026
Published Jul 27, 2026
Two cries stand side by side in this Sunday's readings: "Lord, Lord" and "Abba, Father." The first belongs to an applicant outside the office door with his accomplishments in a folder; the second to a child who never wondered whether he was allowed in the house. Jesus doesn't dispute the applicants' resume. He disputes that it ever mattered. What every false prophet wants is to turn sons back into applicants.
- StandardSummaries onlyJeremiah: Chapter 10
Published Jul 27, 2026
July 26, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyTake Up Your Cross and Follow Me—Matt. 16:24-28
Published Jul 27, 2026
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his w
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Confession of Peter and His Rebuke—Matthew 16:13-23
Published Jul 25, 2026
July 25, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Pharisees and Sadducees Seek a Sign—Matthew 16:1-12
Published Jul 24, 2026
July 24, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Feeding of the 4,000—Matthew 15:32-39
Published Jul 23, 2026
32 Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”33 Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?”34 Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.”35 So He commanded the multitude to sit dow
- StandardSummaries only"They kept the husk and threw the kernel away." Friday of Trinity 7 2026
Published Jul 23, 2026
Understand who these men were. They weren’t villains twirling their mustaches. They were the serious ones, the ones who had given their lives to God’s Word — memorized it, fenced it, defended it. And somewhere in all that guarding, the Law stopped being food and became a club. They could stand in a field full of grain, watch hungry men eat, and see nothing but a violation. Sabbath rules kept to the letter; the mercy the Sabbath was made to deliver, scattered to the wind. Shell without kernel. Re
- StandardSummaries onlyA Canaanite Woman Trusts Jesus’ Word—Matt. 15:21-31
Published Jul 22, 2026
21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”23 But He answered her not a word.And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”25 Then she came and worshiped Him,
- StandardSummaries onlyOut of Man’s Heart Proceed Evil Thoughts—Matt. 15:1-20
Published Jul 21, 2026
15 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”16 So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat w
- StandardSummaries onlyJeremiah: Chapter 9 — July 19, 2026
Published Jul 20, 2026
Incomplete
- StandardSummaries only"I Have Compassion on the Crowds" Trinity 7 2026
Published Jul 20, 2026
July 20, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Walks on the Water—Matthew 14:22-36
Published Jul 20, 2026
22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Feeding of the 5,000—Matthew 14:14-21
Published Jul 18, 2026
14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”17 And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”18 He said, “Bring t
- StandardSummaries onlyJohn the Baptist Is Beheaded—Matthew 14:1-13
Published Jul 17, 2026
9 And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her. 10 So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. 11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
- StandardSummaries only"He Crossed the Sea for This" Friday of Trinity 6 2026
Published Jul 16, 2026
The Gerasene demoniac was a man no one could bind. James names the wisdom that builds a life like that: earthly, unspiritual, demonic, breeding envy and self-seeking until it makes "every evil thing." Then Jesus crosses the sea to unclean pagan ground for this one man, and with a single word, "Come out," He drowns Legion under the water. The man is left sitting, clothed, in his right mind. That is his Baptism, and ours, where the same word of Christ still drowns what binds us and seats us at His
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Parable of the Dragnet—Matthew 13:47-58
Published Jul 16, 2026
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
- StandardSummaries onlyParables of the Kingdom—Matthew 13:36-46
Published Jul 15, 2026
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Parable of the Wheat and the Tares—Matthew 13:24-35
Published Jul 14, 2026
34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:“I will open My mouth in parables;I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Purpose of Parables—Matthew 13:10-23
Published Jul 13, 2026
18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stum
- StandardSummaries onlyJeremiah: Chapter 8 — July 12, 2026
Published Jul 12, 2026
“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.” (Jer. 9:23–24, NKJV)
- StandardSummaries only"Christ’s clean heart is reckoned to you" Trinity 6 2026
Published Jul 12, 2026
If God came down from His throne to make peace with you, you can walk across the parking lot to make peace with your neighbor. Forgive him as you have been forgiven. That’s you offering your gift — yourself, your whole reconciled life, laid down in thanks and in love for the brother.
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Parable of the Sower and the Seed—Matt. 13:1-9
Published Jul 11, 2026
1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth
- StandardSummaries onlyA Tree Is Known by Its Fruit—Matthew 12:33-50
Published Jul 10, 2026
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of jud
- StandardSummaries onlyA House Divided Cannot Stand—Matthew 12:22-32
Published Jul 9, 2026
22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Heals on the Sabbath—Matthew 12:9-21
Published Jul 8, 2026
9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then He said to
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Is Lord of the Sabbath—Matthew 12:1-8
Published Jul 7, 2026
1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him
- StandardSummaries onlyJeremiah: Chapter 7 — July 5, 2026
Published Jul 6, 2026
Lord God, You will not be housed in walls or bought with ceremonies, and You see through every lie we tell ourselves at Your gate. Tear down our false trust, and give us the faith that hears Your voice and follows it. Let us dwell not in a house made with hands but in Christ, the true Temple, torn down and raised for us. Amen.
- StandardSummaries only"The freedom no country can give you" Trinity 5 2026
Published Jul 6, 2026
This is the freedom no country can hand you, and no fireworks can celebrate. It is not the open sea where you answer to no one and drown alone, but the net of the love of Christ, where you are held so fast you cannot be lost. The free conscience, finally forgiven, is not the one that answers to nothing. It is the one that no longer has to run, because the blood of Jesus has already answered for it. You were caught alive in the water of your Baptism. You are held in that net every time the words
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Preaches Repentance and Faith—Matt. 11:20-30
Published Jul 6, 2026
20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mi
- StandardSummaries onlyJohn the Baptist Sends Disciples to Jesus—Matthew 11:2-19
Published Jul 4, 2026
2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the
- StandardSummaries onlyConfessing Christ Before Men—Matthew 10:32–11:1
Published Jul 3, 2026
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Promise of Persecution—Matthew 10:16-31
Published Jul 2, 2026
16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, bu
- StandardSummaries onlyWednesday of Trinity 4 (observed) 2026
Published Jul 2, 2026
So hear this, you who are afraid your faith is too small, you who lie awake wondering whether you’ve become a cloud without water. That very fear is the Holy Spirit still at work in you. The wilderness generation did not lie awake worrying that they had fallen away; they were sure of themselves. The man who cries “help my unbelief” is not the apostate. He is the one Jesus heals. Your salvation does not hang on the strength of your faith but on the faithfulness of your Savior, and Jude tells you
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Sending Out of the Twelve—Matthew 9:35–10:15
Published Jul 1, 2026
Matthew 9:35–10:15 (NKJV)35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out
- StandardSummaries onlyTwo Blind Men Are Healed—Matthew 9:27-34
Published Jun 30, 2026
Join the congregation of St. John in prayer each day at 9 a.m. CST. We meet as a congregation for Divine Service each Sunday at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., and on festival days, where God serves us with His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation.WEBSITE: https://sjrl.org SUPPORT: https://sjrl.org/donate SERVICE BULLETINS: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1omip_adCkH9LlnL8LXWUWdYG-tMl-VXg&usp=drive_fs LINKS: https://linktr.ee/stjohnrandomlake
- StandardSummaries only"The Teacher Who Is Mercy Itself" Trinity 4 2026
Published Jun 29, 2026
You have been somebody's disciple since the day you were born, and Jesus warns that you never rise above your teacher — given enough time, you simply become him. The world is a blind guide that trains us to judge first and forgive slowly, and we have become blind guides ourselves, reaching for the speck in a brother's eye with a plank in our own. But there is another Teacher: Jesus is the Father's mercy in the flesh, who takes our score-keeping heart to the cross and trains us in Baptism, Word,
- StandardSummaries onlySt. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles: Acts 15:1-21; Galatians 2:1-10
Published Jun 29, 2026
Acts 15:1–21 (NKJV)1 And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conver
- StandardSummaries onlyA Girl Is Raised and a Woman Is Healed—Matthew 9:14-26
Published Jun 27, 2026
READINGMatthew 9:14–26 (NKJV)14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do
- StandardSummaries onlyMatthew the Tax Collector—Matthew 9:9-13 (June 26, 2026)
Published Jun 26, 2026
Matthew 9:9–13 (NKJV)9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic—Matthew 9:1-8 (June 25, 2026)
Published Jun 25, 2026
The First Commandment is not chiefly about the gods we refuse to build, but about the trust of the heart: whatever it clings to in the day of trouble is its god. Jerusalem clung to its walls and its waters and never looked to the Maker, and when God called it to mourning it answered with a feast and the creed of the hopeless — eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. To such hardened impenitence the Law can only speak its terror: no atonement, even to death. Yet atonement is precisely the word the Go
- StandardSummaries only"Cursed on the tree so the barren tree could live." Friday of Trinity 3 (observed) 2026
Published Jun 25, 2026
A fig tree in full leaf promises fruit and has none. Jesus curses it, then walks into a temple just as green — crowded, busy, alive to the eye — and finds the same thing: a house of prayer turned into a market, all show and no figs. James names it a third time: a church that seats the rich man in the good place and the poor man at the footstool. Leaves without fruit. Dead faith — the kind the demons have, who believe and tremble.But the cure is not "grow your figs or be cursed too" — that is onl
- StandardSummaries onlyNativity of St. John the Baptist: Luke 1:57-80
Published Jun 24, 2026
June 22, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyTwo Demon–Possessed Men Are Healed—Matthew 8:28-34
Published Jun 23, 2026
June 23, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyTrinity 3 2026
Published Jun 22, 2026
June 21, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Stills the Storm—Matthew 8:23-27
Published Jun 22, 2026
June 22, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJeremiah: Chapter 4-5
Published Jun 22, 2026
June 21, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Heals Peter’s Mother-in-law—Matthew 8:14-22
Published Jun 20, 2026
June 20, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant—Matthew 8:5-13
Published Jun 19, 2026
June 19, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Cleanses a Leper—Matthew 8:1-4
Published Jun 18, 2026
June 18, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"There's Always More Where That Came From" Friday of Trinity 2 (observed) — June 17, 2026
Published Jun 18, 2026
For twelve years, she had been unclean — exiled from the assembly, emptied by physicians who took everything and healed nothing. So she comes to steal a cure from the fringe of Jesus' garment, certain that God's mercy runs out as everything else has. But His power goes out from Him, and nothing is subtracted: she came to take a cure and leaves a daughter. There is always more where that came from.
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Wise Man Builds His House on the Rock—Matthew 7:15-29
Published Jun 17, 2026
June 17, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Is the Narrow Way—Matthew 7:1-14
Published Jun 16, 2026
June 16, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyLay Up for Yourselves Treasure in Heaven—Matthew 6:19-34
Published Jun 15, 2026
June 15, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"Blessed are you who eats bread in the Kingdom of God now!" Trinity 2 2026
Published Jun 14, 2026
Jesus is not condemning farming, buying or selling, or marriage. Fields, oxen, and wives are gifts of God, given from His own hand. Abraham had fields. Jacob had livestock past counting. God Himself instituted marriage in Eden. The sin is not in the things. The sin is in the ranking. Each man looked at the gift in his hand and the Giver at his door, and he feared losing the gift more than he feared the Giver.
- StandardSummaries onlyJeremiah: Chapter 3
Published Jun 14, 2026
June 14, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Lord’s Prayer—Matthew 6:1-18
Published Jun 13, 2026
June 13, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyLove Your Enemies—Matthew 5:38-48
Published Jun 12, 2026
June 12, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"A mustard seed faith in the Lord of heaven and earth moves mulberry trees" Friday of Trinity 1 2026
Published Jun 11, 2026
The Lord’s Supper is not given to profitable servants who have earned a seat. It is given to unprofitable ones. Given precisely where the Law has done its work — where you know you have been the scandal, where you know your forgiveness came out thin and grudging, where your faith on its best day is the size of a mustard seed. “Lord, increase our faith” (Luke 17:5).
- StandardSummaries onlySt. Barnabas, Apostle: Acts 11:19-30; 13:1-3
Published Jun 11, 2026
June 11, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyYou Shall Not Give False Testimony—Matthew 5:33-37
Published Jun 10, 2026
June 10, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyYou Shall Not Commit Adultery—Matthew 5:27-32
Published Jun 9, 2026
June 9, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyYou Shall Not Murder—Matthew 5:21-26
Published Jun 8, 2026
June 8, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"The poor one has a name. Lazarus. God is my help." Trinity 1 2026
Published Jun 7, 2026
June 7, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJeremiah: Chapter 2
Published Jun 7, 2026
June 7, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyChrist’s Righteousness Fulfills the Law—Matt 5:13-20
Published Jun 6, 2026
June 6, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Sermon on the Mount: The Beatitudes—Matthew 5:1-12
Published Jun 5, 2026
June 5, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus’ Ministry and the Call of the Fishermen—Matthew 4:12-25
Published Jun 4, 2026
June 4, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"The age to come arriving in this age, located, given out" Wednesday of Holy Trinity 2026
Published Jun 4, 2026
The font is where Nicodemus's question died. Where the Sadducees' question died. You went into that water still carrying the old premise — still asking what resurrection could possibly mean, still uncertain whether the age to come is anything more than this age with the dying removed. And you came out having been given something you did not generate, extra nos, outside yourself, from the One whose Name was spoken over you. The Holy Spirit begot you. The old Adam did not survive. You are already
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Temptation of Our Lord—Matthew 4:1-11
Published Jun 3, 2026
June 3, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Baptism of Our Lord—Matthew 3:13-17
Published Jun 2, 2026
June 2, 2026
- StandardSummaries only“You are the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this?”
Published Jun 1, 2026
You look, and you live. You do not first understand, and then live. The teacher came carrying everything he knew and was handed two things he could do nothing with: a birth he could not perform and a cross he could only behold. And even the looking is not the last small work left to his credit — the eyes that turn to the lifted Son are opened by the same Spirit who blows where He wills, the birth of water and the Spirit, not of the will of the flesh, not of any man's deciding. It is given the wh
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Genealogy of Jesus—Matthew 1:1-17
Published Jun 1, 2026
June 1, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlySunday’s OT and Epistle—Isaiah 6:1-7; Rom. 11:33-36
Published May 30, 2026
May 30, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Life of the Church—Acts 2:37-47
Published May 29, 2026
May 29, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"The Holy Spirit makes you a temple of His glory" Ember Wednesday of Pentecost 2026
Published May 28, 2026
He is coming upon you, by His Spirit. He is drawing you with the net of His Word. And He is doing more than draw you — He is making His home in you.
- StandardSummaries onlyPeter Calls the Church to Repentance—Acts 2:22-36
Published May 28, 2026
May 28, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyPeter’s Sermon on the Prophet Joel—Acts 2:14-21
Published May 27, 2026
May 27, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyPentecost Tuesday: Isaiah 32:14-20; Acts 8:14-17; John 10:1-10
Published May 26, 2026
Pentecost TuesdayMay 26, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyPentecost Monday: Acts 10:34a, 42-48; John 3:16-21
Published May 25, 2026
Pentecost MondayMay 25, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJeremiah: Chapter 1 — May 24, 2026
Published May 25, 2026
Catechesis Handouts: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1pZdcXSqajaj87tLsZPrMEaBw-n8gDQUT&usp=drive_fs
- StandardSummaries only"The Spirit gives you the peace Christ bought" Pentecost 2026
Published May 25, 2026
He who scattered at Babel gathers here at Pentecost. He who divided the tongues there of evil, now unites them here for good. The same Spirit. The same fire. At Babel, God came down and scattered. At Pentecost, God came down to gather, and He gathered by preaching. Not by making the nations speak one language. By making the one Gospel spoken in every language. Every tongue heard the same thing: the Spirit gives you the peace Christ bought.
- StandardSummaries onlySunday’s OT and Second Reading—Genesis 11:1-9; Acts 2:1-21
Published May 23, 2026
May 23, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyMatthias Is Chosen to Fill Judas’s Office—Acts 1:12-26
Published May 22, 2026
May 22, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Opens the Scriptures to the Disciples—Luke 24:44-53
Published May 22, 2026
May 21, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!” Friday of Exaudi (observed) 2026
Published May 21, 2026
May 20, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyMark Records the Command to Preach the Gospel—Mark 16:9-20
Published May 20, 2026
May 20, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Commission to Baptize and Teach All Nations—Mt. 28:16-20
Published May 19, 2026
May 19, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Prays for All Who Will Believe in Him—John 17:20-26
Published May 18, 2026
May 18, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlySunday’s OT and Epistle—Ezekiel 36:22-28; 1 Peter 4:7-14
Published May 16, 2026
May 16, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Prays for the Apostles—John 17:11-19
Published May 15, 2026
May 15, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyCatechesis: Ascension of Our Lord—Acts 1:1-14
Published May 14, 2026
May 14, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"Your flesh and blood is at the right hand of the Almighty" Ascension (observed) 2026
Published May 14, 2026
The angels asked: Why do you stand gazing? He is not up there, away, unreachable. He fills all things. He is here — in His word, in His sacrament — as surely as He was on the mountain before the cloud came. The cloud did not remove Him. It revealed Him. As the One who sits at the right hand of the Father. As the One who, in that human nature, fills all things. As your Brother, enthroned.
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus’ High Priestly Prayer—John 17:1-10
Published May 13, 2026
May 13, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyAsk and You Will Receive—John 16:23b-33
Published May 12, 2026
May 12, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyYour Sorrow Will Turn to Joy—John 16:16-23
Published May 11, 2026
Monday, May 11, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJeremiah: Introduction
Published May 10, 2026
May 10, 2026
- StandardSummaries only“The Father Himself loves you… pray!” Rogate 2026
Published May 10, 2026
May 10, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"Water. Word. That is the sign. It was always his" — Funeral of Donald Thiel
Published May 10, 2026
May 8, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlySunday’s OT and Epistle—Numbers 21:4-9; James 1:22-27
Published May 9, 2026
May 9, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Work of the Holy Spirit—John 16:5-15
Published May 8, 2026
Friday, May 8, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"Christ went where you could not go" Friday of Cantate (observed) 2026
Published May 7, 2026
The new commandment is a finished love. Christ made it on a cross. He gives it to you here in water and word and bread and wine. It is yours. The commandment and the gift are one. Faith and love are baked together like one loaf. Christ holds the one, and you hold the other, and there is no separating them. Christ went where you could not go, so that you could love as you have been loved.
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Comforter in Persecution—John 15:26—16:4
Published May 7, 2026
May 7, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe World’s Hatred—John 15:18-25
Published May 6, 2026
May 6, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyAs the Father Loved Me, I also Have Loved You—John 15:9-17
Published May 5, 2026
May 5, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyI am the Vine—John 15:1-8
Published May 4, 2026
May 4, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"Draw from the well of His salvation, Jesus." Cantate 2026
Published May 4, 2026
This is the advantage. Not God near in the way you wanted. Better than that. The Spirit who convicts — your sin named and buried, Christ’s righteousness declared and given, the ruler’s judgment executed and delivered — doing his work here, in this service, for you.
- StandardSummaries onlyHeidelberg Disputations: Thesis 27-28 — May 3, 2026
Published May 4, 2026
Heidelberg DisputationsHandout: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1pZdcXSqajaj87tLsZPrMEaBw-n8gDQUT&usp=drive_fsThesis 27: "Actually one should call the work of Christ an acting work (operans) and our work an accomplished work (operatum), and thus an accomplished work pleasing to God by the grace of the acting work."Thesis 28: "The love of God does not find, but creates, that which is pleasing to it. The love of man comes into being through that which is pleasing to it."
- StandardSummaries onlySunday’s OT and Epistle—Isaiah 12:1-6; James 1:16-21
Published May 2, 2026
May 2, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Peace of Christ—John 14:27-31
Published May 1, 2026
May 1, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"His commandment is eternal life" Friday of Jubilate 2026
Published May 1, 2026
The Father commanded the Son to suffer and enter His glory. The Son obeyed. The Father gave Him over for your trespasses and raised Him for your justification. Christ was raised by the Father, and that resurrection is the Father's seal on every word the Son ever spoke. The empty tomb says: this Word is true. This commandment is life. The grave could not hold the One who carried the Father's commandment, and the grave will not hold those to whom He has spoken it.
- StandardSummaries onlyFellowship with the Holy Trinity—John 14:19-26
Published Apr 30, 2026
Thursday, Apr 30, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyIf You Love Me, Keep My Commandments—Jn 14:12-18
Published Apr 29, 2026
April 29, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyI Am in the Father and the Father in Me—John 14:7-11
Published Apr 28, 2026
April 28, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyHeidelberg Disputations: Thesis 25-26
Published Apr 27, 2026
Heidelberg DisputationsApril 26, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Way the Truth and the Life—John 14:1-6
Published Apr 27, 2026
April 27, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"Come receive what Chronos cannot touch!" Jubilate 2026
Published Apr 27, 2026
Two kinds of time run through this Gospel. Chronos, which counts every loss and draws its conclusions. And kairos, which speaks the word of the risen Christ into the middle of those losses and names them for what they are: labor pains, not graves.
- StandardSummaries onlySunday’s OT and Epistle—Lamentations 3:22-33; 1 Peter 2:11-20
Published Apr 25, 2026
April 25, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Shepherd Knows the Sheep—John 10:22-42
Published Apr 24, 2026
April 24, 2026
- StandardSummaries only“The friends of the Bridegroom cannot mourn as long as He is with them” Friday of Misericordias Domini 2026
Published Apr 23, 2026
The Bridegroom gives you new wineskins. He gave them to you at the font, where He drowned the old garment and clothed you in His own. The robe you wear before God is His obedience, His death, His resurrection. He does not repair what you bring. He replaces it. This is the grace that cannot be patched onto anything — it must be received whole, given whole, or it is lost.
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Is the Good Shepherd—John 10:7-21
Published Apr 23, 2026
April 23, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Is the True Shepherd—John 9:35—10:6
Published Apr 22, 2026
April 22, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Pharisees Excommunicate the Healed Man—John 9:13-34
Published Apr 21, 2026
April 21, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyA Man Born Blind Receives His Sight—John 9:1-12
Published Apr 20, 2026
April 20, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"The Shepherd stayed when it cost Him His life" Misericordias Domini 2026
Published Apr 19, 2026
The hireling runs. That is the only fact Jesus gives you about him. He sees the wolf coming, and he runs. The sheep scatter, the wolf takes what it wants, and the hireling is already down the road. Jesus does not tell you the hireling's reasons. He does not need to. The man ran. That is his whole character, stated in a single act. Set that figure next to the Good Shepherd, and you have the entirety of the Gospel for this Sunday: He stayed.
- StandardSummaries onlyHeidelberg Disputations: Thesis 23-24
Published Apr 19, 2026
Heidelberg DisputationsApril 19, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlySunday’s OT and Epistle—Ezekiel 34:11-16; 1 Pet. 2:21-25
Published Apr 18, 2026
April 18, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Is Confronted by the Unbelieving Jews—John 8:42-59
Published Apr 17, 2026
April 17, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Truth Shall Make You Free—John 8:31-41
Published Apr 16, 2026
April 16, 2026
- StandardSummaries only“Fear and joy together. That is the life of faith.” Friday of Quasimodo Geneti (observed) 2026
Published Apr 16, 2026
You want joy without the terror of standing before the God who raises the dead. Or you settle for dread with no hope of mercy. The women leave the tomb with both, and Matthew does not apologize. He tells you: this is what the resurrection does. It gives you fear and joy together, because the One you meet at the empty tomb is both Judge and Savior, both Holy God and your Brother.
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Is the Light of the World—John 8:12-30
Published Apr 15, 2026
April 15, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Woman Caught in Adultery—John 7:52–8:12
Published Apr 14, 2026
April 14, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Nobleman’s Son Is Healed—John 4:43-54
Published Apr 13, 2026
April 13, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"Faith is born from the breath of God" Quasimodo Geneti 2026
Published Apr 12, 2026
April 12, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyHeidelberg Disputations: Thesis 22
Published Apr 12, 2026
Heidelberg DisputationsApril 12, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlySunday’s OT and Epistle—Ezekiel 37:1-14; 1 John 5:4-10
Published Apr 11, 2026
April 11, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Ordains the Apostles—John 20:19-31
Published Apr 10, 2026
April 10, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Eats Broiled Fish in the Upper Room—Luke 24:33-49
Published Apr 9, 2026
April 9, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"The risen Christ opens what we cannot" Easter Tuesday 2026
Published Apr 9, 2026
April 8, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Is Revealed in the Breaking of the Bread—Luke 24:28-35
Published Apr 8, 2026
April 8, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Disciples on the Road to Emmaus—Luke 24:13-27
Published Apr 7, 2026
April 7, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Resurrection—Matthew 28:1-15
Published Apr 6, 2026
April 6, 2025
- StandardSummaries only"The women came to the tomb expecting death. They found life!" Easter Day 2026
Published Apr 6, 2026
April 5, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"Christ is risen. He has called you by name!" Easter Dawn 2026
Published Apr 6, 2026
April 5, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"The Son of David is the answer to every one of David's cries" Good Friday Tenebrae 2026
Published Apr 4, 2026
You have been singing David's words all evening. The psalms of this service are the prayers of a man hunted by enemies — "Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men, who plan evil things in their heart" (Psalm 140:1–2). David wrote those words. He knew what it was to have his own counselor betray him, his own son conspire against him, his own people turn their backs. But when Jesus crossed the Kidron, David's prayers found their final answer. The Son of David walked into eve
- StandardSummaries only"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up!" Good Friday Chief Service 2026
Published Apr 4, 2026
You are here this afternoon because the Holy Spirit has not finished building. He still calls by the Gospel. He still places stones. The cornerstone holds. The building rises. The Church endures — not by your effort, not by any human strategy, not by the wisdom of her architects — but by the blood of the Lamb laid into the earth's foundation, and raised again on the third day.
- StandardSummaries onlyHoly Saturday
Published Apr 4, 2026
Saturday, April 4, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"God comes all the way down, down to the floor, down to the cross" Holy Thursday 2026
Published Apr 3, 2026
April 2, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"I looked, but there was no one to help" Holy Wednesday 2026
Published Apr 1, 2026
April 1, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"The righteous Man is inconvenient to us" Holy Tuesday 2026
Published Mar 31, 2026
March 31, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"Zechariah saw it all. Isaiah saw it all!" Holy Monday 2026
Published Mar 30, 2026
March 30, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"Given for you. Given to you. Full of His forgiveness!" Palm Sunday 2026
Published Mar 29, 2026
March 29, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlySunday’s OT and Epistle—Zechariah 9:9-12; Philippians 2:5-11
Published Mar 28, 2026
March 28, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Side Is Pierced—John 19:25-42
Published Mar 27, 2026
March 27, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Is Crucified—John 19:1-24
Published Mar 26, 2026
March 26, 2025
- StandardSummaries only"You do not believe, because you are not of My sheep" Wednesday of Judica 2026
Published Mar 26, 2026
March 25, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Faces Pontius Pilate—John 18:28-40
Published Mar 25, 2026
March 25, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus’ Betrayal and Arrest—John 18:1-27
Published Mar 24, 2026
March 24, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyA New Commandment Is Given—John 13:21-38
Published Mar 23, 2026
March 23, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyHeidelberg Disputations: Theses 21
Published Mar 23, 2026
Heidelberg DisputationsMarch 22, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad" Judica 2026
Published Mar 23, 2026
March 22, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlySunday’s OT and Epistle—Genesis 22:1-14; Hebrews 9:11-15
Published Mar 21, 2026
March 21, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Is Anointed at Bethany—John 12:1-11
Published Mar 20, 2026
March 20, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus’ Death and Burial—Matt. 27:45-66
Published Mar 19, 2026
Thursday, March 19, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"There is mourning, and there is rejoicing, all the way through Lent" Wednesday of Laetare 2026
Published Mar 19, 2026
March 18, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe King of the Jews Is Mocked—Matt. 27:27-44
Published Mar 18, 2026
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Faces Pontius Pilate—Matt. 27:1-26
Published Mar 17, 2026
Tuesday, March 18, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"The One who is going to Jerusalem to die is the one who feeds you" Laetare 2026
Published Mar 16, 2026
March 15, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Faces the Sanhedrin—Matt. 26:57-75
Published Mar 16, 2026
Monday, March 16, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlySunday’s OT and Epistle—Isaiah 49:8-13; Galatians 4:21-31
Published Mar 14, 2026
Saturday, March 14, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane—Matthew 26:36-56
Published Mar 13, 2026
Friday, March 13, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Celebrates the Passover—Matthew 26:17-35
Published Mar 12, 2026
Thursday, March 12, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"There is One whose heart was not like yours" Wednesday of Oculi 2026
Published Mar 12, 2026
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Is Anointed at Bethany—Matthew 26:2-16
Published Mar 11, 2026
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyHeidelberg Disputations: Theses 16-18
Published Mar 10, 2026
Heidelberg DisputationsMarch 18, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyPalm Sunday—Matthew 21:1-17
Published Mar 10, 2026
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
- StandardSummaries only"No, Satan. Christ has died for me, and I am forgiven!" Oculi 2026
Published Mar 9, 2026
Sunday, March 8, 2026
- StandardSummaries onlyThe LORD Makes His Covenant With Israel—Ex 23:20–24:18
Published Mar 9, 2026
Monday, March 9, 2026