Who is a “Saint”? We use the word “saint” to talk about disciples, martyrs, and leaders of the Church throughout history. We use the word next to names from the pages of Scripture such as Peter, John, and Paul—the type of people we name churches after. On All Saints’ Day we use the word “Saint” as we remember those departed from us who are now with God in heaven. But most amazing of all is that God considers our lives holy and set apart because of Jesus’ sacrifice of His holiness for us. By His victory we are Saints by grace.

This week’s Audio Service is a rebroadcast from October 31, 2021. Please enjoy.

The word “Saint” is a pretty big word. We use it to talk about disciples, martyrs, and leaders of the Church throughout history. We use the word next to names from the pages of Scripture such as Peter, John, and Paul—the type of people we name churches after. On All Saints’ Day we use the word “Saint” as we remember those departed from us who are now with God in heaven. But most amazing of all is that God considers our lives holy and set apart because of Jesus’ sacrifice of His holiness for us. By His victory we are Saints by grace.

The Reformation is a celebration of Jesus Christ. Five hundred years ago Martin Luther found hidden light in the Word of God. He found a real reason to hope in Jesus Christ alone. Even though we all sin and fall short of the glory of God, we are welcomed into the sanctuary and refuge of God’s grace and love in Jesus. God is good!

This week’s audio service is a rebroadcast from 10/31/2021

God cares for us His family. Jesus wants all of us to feel as cared for as a nurtured child. In our lesson from Proverbs we are given the image of a woman and her family who are thriving because they have noble character built by the grace of God. The Apostle James  challenges us to be humble before our God. In this way we will be richly blessed and can live noble lives in the family of our great God and Father.

We can be confident that God is ultimately just and good. Jacob wrestled with an angelic messenger who finally blesses him. Jesus tells us a story about a woman who persistently petitions an unjust judge until he finally grants her justice. Our loving Father always hears our prayers. Though His answers may not always be what we want or expect we can forever be confident that God is always good.

NOTE: THIS WEEK’S AUDIO SERVICE IS A REPOST FROM OCTOBER 2021.

There is a mystery at the center of everything, and God gives us the sight to see it. Like the blind man that Jesus heals, when the eyes of our spirit open we see Jesus. The great secret is revealed: Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth.

God is faithful to His promises. His goodness and mercy are constant. Yet it is easy to miss this or lose sight of God’s goodness amidst the complexities of our lives. The blessing of a grateful heart is the best of things we could ever receive. In our reading of God’s Word we hear about the gratitude of Ruth when she finds a place that feels like home amidst people who are not her own. In our Gospel lesson Jesus heals ten men but only one of them returns to express his gratitude. In our epistle lesson Paul reminds his friend Timothy that we can build and rebuild a grateful heart by “remembering Christ Jesus raised from the dead.” Through Christ we can find our way to God with a grateful heart.

Jesus points out that living in a broken world we will often use the word “never.” By our own strength, many things we can imagine are not possible. But Jesus says, “All things are possible with God.” This means we can live in hope. With God the possibilities are infinite and eternal. What does that mean in your life?

A living and vital life of faith is a blessing from God. We need God’s continued encouragement in our pilgrimage. Through Paul’s letter, God would affirm the young Timothy in his service, encouraging him to remain steadfast in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Jesus gives His disciples and us encouragement in our daily living telling us that like a mustard seed, the smallest faith is great and good. By God’s grace we have a living faith in Him who is alive among us.

This Audio Service is a reposting from October 10, 2021. Please enjoy.
Jesus is confident that God is our eternal treasure. But He sees that we grasp for the enticing things of the world first. It can be a challenge to see past all that is ultimately empty and take to heart that God’s goodness and love is our eternal treasure. We celebrate the reality of Jesus who is the saving Christ, the living God, who is our eternal treasure.

The audio podcast for the Sunday, September 25, 2022 Worship service of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minnetonka, MN. Recorded by Pastor James Disney with music by Sue Blom. Produced and Edited by Aimee Munson  If you enjoy listening we encourage you to visit our website at www.blcmtka.org to learn more about our Church and to support this podcast.

Pastor James Disney

Music by Sue Blom

Produced and Edited by Aimee Munson

The audio podcast for the Sunday, September 18, 2022 Worship service of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minnetonka, MN. Recorded by Pastor James Disney with music by Sue Blom. Produced and Edited by Aimee Munson  If you enjoy listening we encourage you to visit our website at www.blcmtka.org to learn more about our Church and to support this podcast.

Pastor James Disney

Music by Sue Blom

Produced and Edited by Aimee Munson

The audio podcast for the Sunday,September 11, 2022 Worship service of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minnetonka, MN. Recorded by Pastor James Disney with music by Sue Blom. Produced and Edited by Aimee Munson  If you enjoy listening we encourage you to visit our website at www.blcmtka.org to learn more about our Church and to support this podcast.

Pastor James Disney

Music by Sue Blom

Produced and Edited by Aimee Munson

The audio podcast for the Sunday, September 4, 2022 Worship service of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minnetonka, MN. Recorded by Pastor James Disney with music by Sue Blom. Produced and Edited by Aimee Munson  If you enjoy listening we encourage you to visit our website at www.blcmtka.org to learn more about our Church and to support this podcast.

Pastor James Disney

Music by Sue Blom

Produced and Edited by Aimee Muns