This recording is a condensed version of the sermon preached at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mankato, Minnesota on August 9, 2026. You can watch the full recording on our YouTube Channel.

Sermon Text: Jeremiah 7:1-11 (NKJV)

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 “Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD!’” 3 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 4 “Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD are these.’ 5 “For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, 6 “if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, 7 “then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. 8 “Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. 9 “Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, 10 “and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’? 11 “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the LORD.

The Dangers of Comfortable Christianity

1. Trusting in the Gift, not the Giver

2. Confessing with our Lips, not our Lives

This weekend we consider a hymn by Norwegian hymnwriter, Nicolai Grundtvig, "Built on the Rock the Church Doth Stand." This hymn echos themes from Matthew 7, 1 Peter 2 and 1 Corinthinans 6, which all describe the Christian Church, and the believer's connection to Christ and His Word. 

One of the most beautiful aspects of this hymn is the emphasis on what really makes a "church." It is not a building. It is not beauty, or size. It is the Means of Grace, where the Spirit works through the Word of God and the Sacraments to bring lost sinners into His family by grace, and keep them in the faith. This hymn emphasizes God's grace, and the Means by which the Church is created and preserved. But it also points to the importance of churches teaching the truth, and administering the Sacraments rightly. We should gather where those things are present, because where the Means of Grace are, there God is, and there His people will be. 

May this also be true in and among us! Lord, bless our gathering together around your Word and Sacrament, in Your church and with Your people. Help us to praise your name, and declare it faithfully to others!

Devotion

Announcements

Prayer List 

Convention Review

Hymn of the Day

This recording is a condensed version of the sermon preached at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mankato, Minnesota on August 2, 2026. You can watch the full recording on our YouTube Channel.

Sermon Text: Psalm 119:161-164 (NKJV)

Princes persecute me without a cause, But my heart stands in awe of Your word. 162 I rejoice at Your word As one who finds great treasure. 163 I hate and abhor lying, But I love Your law. 164 Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous judgments.

Theme: The Greatest Treasure is Revealed in God's Word

Our hymn for this weekend is a modern hymn, written by "Rusty" Edwards and published in 1987. It calls upon the Christian, and upon every sinner to "Praise the One who..." has done great things for us and for our salvation. This includes bring the light of the Gospel into our dark world; frees those who are imprisoned by sin, death and the devil; preaches the Good News of forgiveness of sin; heals our sicknesses, protects and provides for us in this life; blesses the children, has power over the devil and his forces; gives us the refreshing waters of His Word; who is the God-Man, who died for our sins and rose again from death, and make us one with God and with other believers. 

In Psalm 146 we read: "Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! 2 While I live I will praise the LORD; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being... 6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, 7 Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners. 8 The LORD opens the eyes of the blind." 

We praise the LORD our Triune God, we Praise Jesus our Savior from sin and death!

Join us in praising Jesus this weekend for the rich treasure He offers us by His grace!

Devotion

Announcements

Prayer List 

Convention Review

Hymn of the Day

This recording is a condensed version of the sermon preached at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mankato, Minnesota on July 26, 2026. You can watch the full recording on our YouTube Channel.

Sermon Text: Matthew 12:46-50 (NKJV)

While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.” 48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

Theme: Christ’s Family Comes First

Devotion

Announcements

Prayer List 

Convention Review

Hymn of the Day

This recording is a condensed version of the sermon preached at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mankato, Minnesota on July 19, 2026. You can watch the full recording on our YouTube Channel.

Sermon Text: 1 Timothy 6:6-12 (NKJV)

“Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

Theme: The Truly Rich Life

This weekend our service theme focuses on true riches, and the danger of trusting in the "riches" of this life. Our hymn study this weekend is on "Consider How The Birds Above" (WS 789) by Lutheran pastor and hymnwriter, Stephen Starke. This hymn is based on the words of Jesus in Matthew 6, which use the creation as an illustration of God's love, concern and care for you and me. Jesus says:

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:25-34)

The hymn is a beautiful poetic retelling of those words of Jesus. The birds and the lilies teach us something about the nature of God, and assure us that He will also (even more) take care of us. 

The hymn also warns against the danger of greed, just as Jesus does, and Paul does in 1 Timothy 6. We live in a time and place which is extremely affluent, and as a result, what Paul describes is taking place before our eyes. "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:9-10)

How sad that so many who have been brought to know Christ are being led away from him because of the abundance they have in this world! How sad that many who have not come to know Christ are being prevented from knowing Him because they see no need for God or for a Savior in their life! May the LORD continue to keep us from falling into the trap of greed because of the blessings He bestows upon us or those around us.

LORD, help us to treasure the greater blessings of your Kingdom, blessing which cannot be lost or taken away from us, but are ours, through faith, for all eternity! Bless our worship of you with truly thankful hearts, this weekend, and every day of our lives!