Readings
* Psalm 131
* Psalm 84
* Joel 3:1–21
* Romans 12:14—13:14
* Large Catechism, IV, 47–55

Festival
Today we celebrate the Festival of St. Timothy, Pastor and Confessor. Best remembered as a companion of St. Paul, St. Timothy grew up in a Christian household. After meeting Paul on his (Paul’s) second missionary journey, Timothy accompanied Paul on further missionary journeys and was with Paul in Rome. According to tradition, Timothy was martyred in Ephesus around AD 97, where he served as bishop after Paul’s martyrdom in Rome.

Reader
Corey J. Mahler


Copyright Notices
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from the Lutheran Confessions are from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, copyright © 2005, 2006 by Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To purchase a copy of Concordia, call 800-325-3040.

Readings
* Psalm 139
* Psalm 81
* Joel 2:18–32
* Romans 11:25—12:13
* Large Catechism, IV, 32–46

Reader
Corey J. Mahler


Copyright Notices
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from the Lutheran Confessions are from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, copyright © 2005, 2006 by Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To purchase a copy of Concordia, call 800-325-3040.

Readings
* Psalm 69
* Psalm 121
* Joel 2:1–17
* Romans 11:1–24
* Large Catechism, IV, 17–31

Reader
Corey J. Mahler


Copyright Notices
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from the Lutheran Confessions are from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, copyright © 2005, 2006 by Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To purchase a copy of Concordia, call 800-325-3040.

Readings
* Psalm 20
* Psalm 13
* Joel 1:1–20
* Romans 10:1–21
* Large Catechism, IV, 1–16

Reader
Corey J. Mahler


Copyright Notices
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from the Lutheran Confessions are from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, copyright © 2005, 2006 by Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To purchase a copy of Concordia, call 800-325-3040.

Readings
* Psalm 117
* Psalm 97
* Ezekiel 47:1–23
* Romans 9:19–33
* Large Catechism, III, 112–124

Commemoration
Today we commemorate Sarah. Wife (and half-sister) of the patriarch Abraham, Sarah followed Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeans on his journey to Canaan. Childless until old age, Sarah was eventually blessed with a son — Isaac — who would become the second of the three major patriarchs of OT Israel, and carry on the line of the promised Messiah. Sarah is remembered for her faithfulness and her hospitality. She was buried in the Cave of Machpelah, the same cave where Abraham would also later be buried.

Reader
Corey J. Mahler


Copyright Notices
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from the Lutheran Confessions are from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, copyright © 2005, 2006 by Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To purchase a copy of Concordia, call 800-325-3040.

Readings
* Psalm 15
* Psalm 126
* Ezekiel 44:1–29
* Romans 9:1–18
* Large Catechism, III, 99–111

Reader
Corey J. Mahler


Copyright Notices
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from the Lutheran Confessions are from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, copyright © 2005, 2006 by Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To purchase a copy of Concordia, call 800-325-3040.

Readings
* Psalm 44
* Psalm 124
* Ezekiel 40:1–4; 41:1–12
* Romans 8:18–39
* Large Catechism, III, 85–98

Festival
Today we celebrate the festival of The Confession of St. Peter. In response to Christ’s challenge: “But who do you say that I am?”, Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This — Peter’s confession — is the rock upon which the Church is built. As Christ makes clear, it is not “flesh and blood [that] [reveals]” this truth, but “[the] Father Who is in Heaven”.

Here in Matthew, and elsewhere in the NT, Christ makes clear that He gives the Keys to the entire Church, not to Peter alone, and with the Keys the power to bind and to loose: “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.” As the Smalcald Articles state:

> The Keys are an office and power given by Christ to the Church for binding and loosing sin. This applies not only to gross and well-known sins, but also the subtle, hidden sins that are known only to God. As it is written, “Who can discern his errors?” (Psalm 19:12).

It is truly this confession of Peter — that Christ is the Son of the living God — upon which the Church is founded, with Christ as cornerstone.

Reader
Corey J. Mahler


Copyright Notices
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from the Lutheran Confessions are from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, copyright © 2005, 2006 by Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To purchase a copy of Concordia, call 800-325-3040.

Readings
* Psalm 76
* Psalm 137
* Ezekiel 39:1–29
* Romans 7:21—8:17
* Large Catechism, III, 71–84

Reader
Corey J. Mahler


Copyright Notices
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from the Lutheran Confessions are from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, copyright © 2005, 2006 by Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To purchase a copy of Concordia, call 800-325-3040.

Readings
* Psalm 36
* Psalm 54
* Ezekiel 38:1–23
* Romans 7:1–20
* Large Catechism, III, 59–70

Reader
Corey J. Mahler


Copyright Notices
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from the Lutheran Confessions are from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, copyright © 2005, 2006 by Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To purchase a copy of Concordia, call 800-325-3040.

Readings
* Psalm 29
* Ezekiel 37:15–28
* Romans 6:1–23
* Large Catechism, III, 49–58

Reader
Corey J. Mahler


Copyright Notices
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from the Lutheran Confessions are from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, copyright © 2005, 2006 by Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To purchase a copy of Concordia, call 800-325-3040.