This week, Peace Lutheran celebrates our Rally Day! That means Sunday School, adult book club, and Coffee Hour are all starting back up. Join us this week to reflect on Luke 15:1-10, and celebrate our Rally Day with us as Jesus reminds us that being found means being gathered into community, into joy, and into the life we share together as the body of Christ in the world. 

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Lost sheep, shepherd, Christian living, God’s heart, modern parable, progressive theology, Southwest Michigan, Berrien County, inspiration, progressive Lutheran, church life, ministry, real talk, practical faith, mission, God’s love, Gospel of Luke, New Testament, searching, being found

You know that hour, don’t you? That still, quiet hour after two AM when your family is asleep, but your mind is wide awake. This is the time when your internal accountant takes over, calculating the costs of bills you have to pay and choices you have to make. Jesus knew that human beings are natural calculators, and in today’s Luke 14:25-33 reading, he asks his followers to consider the true costs of following him. Luke 14:25-33 is a challenging passage where Jesus describes how his followers must hate their families. Does he really mean that we have to despise our loved ones and be alone to be good Christians? In this week’s sermon, Pastor Travis explains the surprising ways this passage reflects God’s love.

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Cost, worrying, anxiety, sacrifice, family, biblical teaching, modern parable, Gospel of Luke, progressive theology, Southwest Michigan, Berrien County, faith, inspiration, progressive Lutheran, church life, ministry, real talk, practical faith, God’s love

Do you remember middle school lunch tables? Everyone knew exactly where they were allowed to sit. If you ever tried to sit in the “wrong” spot, it didn’t take long for you to be reminded, even with just a look. Today, Pastor Travis guides us to reflect on Luke 14 verses one and verses seven through fourteen, in which Jesus attends a dinner party and has some valuable lessons to provide along the way. Listen until the end to learn how today’s Gospel can be an antidote to society’s status anxiety.

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compassion, modern parable, Gospel of Luke, helping others, progressive theology, Southwest Michigan, Berrien County, faith, Jesus, inspiration, progressive Lutheran, church life, ministry, real talk, practical faith, God’s love, life change,  human connection, spiritual journey, radical hospitality, generosity, status anxiety, hosting, belonging

Imagine your back being permanently bent, so that you are completely unable to stand straight. It might hurt; you would certainly struggle to complete the tasks of daily life. Today, we discuss Luke 13:10-17, in which Jesus heals a woman facing exactly this challenge. Tune in to find out the surprising answers this story holds to some of life’s questions, including how it can help us deal with the heaviness of grief.

Watch the full service here: Sunday Morning Worship

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Sabbath healing, compassion, modern parable, Gospel of Luke, helping others, progressive theology, Southwest Michigan, Berrien County, faith, Jesus, inspiration, progressive Lutheran, church life, ministry, real talk, practical faith, God’s love, transformation, life change,  human connection, spiritual journey, grief, hypocrisy, authority, religious law

Wildfire ecologists sometimes have a crazy job to do: they burn the forest… on purpose. It’s called a controlled burn, and it actually benefits the forest. This week, Pastor Travis guides us to reflect on Luke 12:49-56, where Jesus tells followers that he has come not to bring peace to Earth, but division. Tune in to hear how, similar to a controlled burn, Jesus’s divisive fire purifies and transforms us. Stay until the end to find out how to apply this week’s Gospel reading to your own life and seize the benefits of Jesus’s fire. 

You know that moment at the grocery store when the cashier asks, “Would you like to round up to support…?” It’s really awkward sometimes, isn’t it? You might have just come in for milk, and now you’re being asked to fund global change. But those tiny choices can change us.

This week, Pastor Travis guides us through reflection on Luke 12:32-40, in which Jesus encourages disciples to invest our hearts and live fully into God’s reign. Tune in to learn how you may be misguided about supporting your favorite causes. Stay until the end to find out how this week’s Gospel reading can help us grow into reflecting God’s kingdom of abundance rather than reflecting the fear and scarcity so prevalent in the world around us. 

Tags: inclusive church, Christian, faith, money, finance, generosity, connection, ministry, purpose, Bible, Lutheran, ELCA, real talk, spiritual, inspiration, challenge, Gospel of Luke, rounding up

In a world full of advertisements vying to turn our precious attention towards material goods, how do we tune in to the one voice that really matters? This week, tune is as Pastor Wayne Shearier guides us to reflect on Luke 12:13-21, which Jesus uses to warn us about the dangers of valuing material possessions over our relationships with God. Plus, continue listening to the podcast to discover the real origin of sin.

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Christian podcast, inclusive church, affirming church, parable, progressive theology, Michigan, ELCA, biblical teaching, Gospel of Luke, community, following Jesus, faith, Luke's Gospel, divine love

What’s the correct way to pray? How often should we pray? Is it better if our eyes are open, or closed? This week’s Gospel is Luke 11:1-13, wherein Jesus responds to one of his disciples asking how to pray. In today’s sermon, Pastor Wayne Shearier reflects upon how this gospel reading can guide us to look beyond surface level questions about prayer. Tune in to discover the power and the purpose of prayer.

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Jesus parables, modern parable, progressive theology, church podcast, Southwest Michigan, Berrien County, following Jesus, discipleship, sermon podcast, biblical teaching, ELCA, inclusive church

What do a broom-wielding Martha, a monastery-leading Mary, and a jealous pastor in a church parking lot all have in common? They’ve all met the same dragon—the one that whispers, "Lord, don’t you care?"

In this inspiring and imaginative sermon, Pastor Travis weaves together legend, scripture, and modern-day ministry to explore the story of Mary and Martha in Luke’s Gospel—and how their legacy invites us to live with clarity, compassion, and courage.
Rather than choosing between service or stillness, faithfulness or feeling overlooked, we’re invited to ask a deeper question: What is Jesus calling me to today?
Through heartfelt storytelling and grounded wisdom, you’ll hear how Martha’s complaint became her calling, how comparison can turn into blessing, and how your quiet endurance might just be your greatest gift.

If you’ve ever felt unseen, overworked, or tempted by envy—this message is for you. Let’s face our dragons. Let’s find our “one thing.” And let’s do it together.

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Mary and Martha, Luke 10, comparison, jealousy, spiritual burnout, faithfulness, discipleship, Christian calling, church life, Christian encouragement, serving others, stillness and service, Jesus teachings, spiritual focus, modern parables, sermon inspiration, progressive Lutheran, dragon slaying faith, Christian podcast, Martha's story, presence over perfection

Hijacked by Mercy: A Good Samaritan Story for Today

After a week of singing road trip songs and guiding kids through faith adventures as “Navigator Travis,” Pastor Travis brings us a sermon that flips the map. In this fresh and deeply relatable take on the Parable of the Good Samaritan, we’re reminded that eternal life isn’t about staying on schedule—it’s about pulling over.

Jesus reroutes the question from “Who is my neighbor?” to “Will they survive without you?”—and suddenly, the path of faith leads us into the very places we’re tempted to avoid. Whether it’s a literal ditch or a spiritual detour, this message calls us to go and do likewise.

Expect honesty, challenge, and hope—as we’re invited to show up with compassion, interrupt our plans, and become the kind of neighbor who changes lives.

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Good Samaritan, neighbor, compassion, mercy, justice, Luke 10, Jesus parables, VBS sermon, modern parable, helping others, eternal life, Christian action, progressive theology, church podcast, Southwest Michigan, Berrien County, Pastor Travis, spiritual detour, ditch theology, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, radical love