We just finished singing Martin Luther’s most famous hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. During communion we will sing another of Luther’s hymns, also very appropriate for Reformation Day: Lord, keep us steadfast in Thy Word. In this hymn we ask God, “Curb those who by deceit or sword would wrest the…

The Sadducees and Pharisees were two rival factions within the Jewish religious system. Perhaps a secular equivalent in our day would be the Republicans and Democrats: always contending with one another, each party looking to gain an advantage, whether materially or in the eyes of the public. In the…

In every Gospel text you can always find Jesus. He is the central content of all the Scriptures, even when His name is not directly mentioned. It’s no surprise to encounter Jesus in the Gospel text, but it might be a surprise to learn that today, you too, are part of the story. Jesus is on His way to…

When I was growing up, my mother taught me the importance of thankfulness. Over and over, until I had internalized the habit, she would make me look people in the eyes and say, “Thank you!” It was a good lesson, and I’m better off for having learned it. Some people think that Jesus is teaching us this…

Today Jesus teaches us of the two kinds of righteousness that we need in this life. We need righteousness before men. Without this, you will have a miserable life here on earth. And we need the righteousness that avails before God. Without this, you have no hope of life in heaven. As an example of each…

Today marks the beginning of my fifth year as your pastor. Jesus’ warning to “beware of false prophets” was the text read at my installation. It was appropriately read then, and it is still fitting today. The greatest danger to the Church does not come from the outside. It comes from within: from false…

On the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Jesus feeds five-thousand men with five loaves of bread. Today, on the Seventh Sunday after Trinity, Jesus feeds four-thousand with seven loaves. Because these two miracles have some obvious similarities, unbelieving scholars have suggested that they are just two different…

Today in our Gospel text we find the passage of Scripture that is most often quoted by unbelievers. People who believe that the Bible is a book of fairy tales written by delusional prophets who were high on mushrooms are nevertheless happy to quote this passage authoritatively whenever it seems helpful.…

In our text from the Gospel of St. Luke, Jesus tells a story, a parable, in order to explain the Kingdom of God. “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many” ( Lk 14:16 ). The man throwing the banquet represents God the Father. The banquet, to which He invites many, is God’s kingdom, which will…

Today, as you know, is a national holiday, Father’s Day. You may have noticed that I generally don’t allow secular holidays to intrude much, if at all, upon our worship. Today, I’m going to make an exception and speak on the subject about fathers. God, in His essence, defines fatherhood and shows us…