November 2, 2025
Today's Reading: Luke 19:1-10
Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 1:1-19; Matthew 21:23-46
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
For whatever reason, Zacchaeus sought to see Jesus. And in an ironic turn of events, it is actually Jesus who seeks after Zacchaeus. He spots him up a Sycamore tree and calls out, “Hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” Jesus was going to have church with Zacchaeus. He joyfully received Jesus and welcomed him into his house to share a meal around his table while listening to His words.
What kind of people does Jesus gather around himself in church? Listen to the words of the grumbling crowd, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner!” Jesus was going into Zacchaeus’ house to have table fellowship with a sinner. This is exactly who our Lord seeks out and who He chooses to gather to Himself…sinners. Broken people, both young and old, rich and poor, the well-behaved and the despicable…all sinners, all in need of a savior, and Jesus seeks them out and gathers them around a table in a home.
Zacchaeus sought to find Jesus by climbing a tree, yet Jesus is the one who ended up seeking Zacchaeus and finding him because he was lost. The problem with being lost is that you cannot find your way home by yourself. A lost sheep is as good as dead. A lost coin is a dead asset, and a prodigal son has lost everything and has nothing…not even a bed to lie down at night. But this is why our Lord Jesus came, to seek and save those who are lost. This is why He climbed up the tree of a wooden cross to spill His precious blood for all those who are born lost. He seeks, He finds, He gathers, and He saves them. Those who were lost are found, and those who were dead are now alive. This is why our Lord walked through Jericho and had church with Zacchaeus.
This is also the reason it has pleased our Lord to gather you and others like me. He gathers the lost, the broken, the dying—real sinners—unto Himself to deliver His word and gifts of life and salvation to you. Once we were lost, and now we are found, and once Jesus finds you, there’s no way He’s letting you go.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Here we have a firm foundation, here the refuge of the lost: Christ, the Rock of our salvation, Is the name of which we boast. (LSB 451:4)
Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Anaheim, CA.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.
Looking Forward to Sunday Morning: Reflections on the Church Year - This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week’s readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.
November 1, 2025
Today's Reading: Matthew 5:1-12
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Matthew 21:1-22
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Imagine the disciples and the huge crowd gathered around Jesus for the Sermon on the Mount. They nod to each of the Beatitudes, maybe with a little less boldness as Jesus continues. Perhaps they even look around to see how the other 11 are reacting. “Maybe I’m not perfect, but I’ve been pretty good at this one or that.” “I think I’m good enough; I don’t talk without thinking. Like Peter.” “I think I’m good enough; at least I haven’t cheated people in the past, like Matthew.” But Jesus isn’t talking about being good enough in other people’s eyes, He is speaking of holiness before God – pure in heart – a holiness in the heart.
The thing is, there is nothing pure in your heart. The Lord declares, “Out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.” (Mark 7:21-22)
There is One who is pure in heart. Jesus Christ, our Holy God in the flesh – He alone is truly pure in heart. At your Baptism, in the Blessed Exchange, the Lord cleansed you entirely, taking all of the filth and wretchedness from your heart and trading it for all the righteousness, holiness, and purity of Jesus’ heart!
That Baptism was “not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s word.” (Small Catechism, Baptism, 1). So with God’s Word, that water delivered Jesus and His forgiveness, rescue, and salvation. You were made blessed and holy by the Holy Spirit.
There is daily war against the new creature – the saint that God made at your Baptism. You face horrible hardships all of the time; some of them known only to you in the recesses of your emotional health. Non-Christians harass the Church and her baptized saints. We are weak when facing temptations. We all have our great afflictions. Before Christ returns, the afflictions will increase.
You are not good enough. But Christ is perfect and pure. And He gifts you with being pure in heart, holy, and blessed. You belong to Him as His baptized saint. You sing with those saints now in the Church Militant, and one day, Christ will resurrect you and gather you with all His saints to stand before Him, arrayed in white, washed in the Blood of Jesus, and singing His praises forever.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Behold a host, arrayed in white, Like thousand snow-clad mountains bright! With palms they stand; Who is this band Before the throne of light? These are the saints of glorious fame, Who from the great affliction came And in the flood Of Jesus’ blood Are cleansed from guilt and shame. They now serve God both day and night; They sing their songs in endless light. Their anthems ring As they all sing With angels shining bright. (LSB 676:1)
Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 31, 2025
Today's Reading: Matthew 11:12-19
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 32:28-52; Deuteronomy 33:1-29; Matthew 20:17-34
“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence” (Matthew 11:12)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
“Lord, I thank you that I am not like other church bodies: Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, the Baptists…” Sound familiar? Just a few days ago, we heard Jesus tell us about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The sinful pride of the Pharisee clouded his thoughts on all things spiritual, and he ended up thinking he was doing a good job being righteous.
It’s easy for Lutherans to fall into that same trap around this time each year. In some strange twist of irony, as we talk about not focusing on our works, we champion our “saved by grace through faith” as if it’s something we think and do. We end up turning belief into a work! And as if that wasn’t bad enough, we convince ourselves that this work of belief is superior to our Roman friends’ works adding to their faith.
Guess what?! BOTH of those ideas miss the mark. The kingdom of heaven suffers violence when you consider faith something you have done. The kingdom of heaven suffers violence when one thinks that her works are needed to join with faith to make one right with God. The kingdom of heaven suffers violence any time when one Christian takes pride that he is better than another.
Having been warned against pride, and knowing that sometimes we are the ones inflicting violence, we also take comfort from Jesus today. The Comforter of Priceless Worth has brought you to repentance and delivered the unlimited forgiveness of the Lord to you. You are made right with God by His divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in you.
Our dear Savior does forewarn that the Church will indeed suffer. Christ Our Mighty Fortress does not promise to shield you from every persecution, hardship, or violence against His kingdom. He will not necessarily let you avoid the attacks. But He will be with you throughout them, always. Sometimes He will prevent or diffuse the violence. At other times, the comfort simply is that He endures it with us.
Your dear Christ Himself is the kingdom of heaven in the flesh, and He suffered violence for you. Our Great Captain bared His arms, as He was stripped and nailed to the cross. Our prayer for deliverance from evil was answered as He endured the thorns, nails, and so much more, to pay the price for any violence that you have inflicted. And He supports and carries you through any violence that you endure until He returns for you, when we, with all His saints and martyrs, will raise a mighty chorus to His praise forevermore.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Amen, Lord Jesus, grant our prayer; Great Captain, now Thine arm make bare, Fight for us once again! So shall Thy saints and martyrs raise, A mighty chorus to Thy praise Forevermore. Amen. (LSB 666:4)
Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 30, 2025
Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 21 - Psalm 50:1-2, 14-15; antiphon: Psalm 50:23
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 31:30-32:27; Matthew 20:1-16
“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; the one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” (Psalm 50:23)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
You know our situation. As human beings, we are conceived and born sinful; there is no good in us to do anything right. None of us could ever offer thanksgiving that is perfect in God’s eyes. No one could sacrifice anything that would glorify God. How could we ever be shown the salvation of God?! How can this verse from the upcoming introit make sense?
Jesus continued giving perfect thanks to the Father, sacrificing himself once and for all on the cross. That was the greatest moment of God’s glory, showing His ultimate mercy to all in the suffering and death of Christ crucified. Look to the crucifix. See Jesus in all His glory, pouring out God’s mercy on you. In that sacrifice of His that glorifies God, you are made His. There you are shown (and given) the salvation of God!
While Christ’s giving thanks perfectly showed God’s glory in giving mercy for all, He still delivers the benefits and blessings of that thanksgiving.
“Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks…” “In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks…” In the Last Supper, Jesus gives thanks to His Father in heaven. The Church picked up on that detail and has often used a name for the Lord’s Supper: the Holy Eucharist. Eucharist is simply a Greek word for “Thanksgiving.”
But here is the awesome thing: the Last Supper was not about the disciples giving thanks; Jesus gave thanks! The Eucharist today is not about you and me giving thanks, or even your pastor. It is Jesus giving perfect thanks on your behalf!
The salvation of God was purchased and won for you at the cross. Now, the salvation of God is delivered to you through Baptism, Absolution, the proclamation of the Gospel, and through the Holy Eucharist! At His altar, Christ once again offers thanksgiving as His sacrifice, and that glorifies God. The Lord feeds you His body and pours His blood into your mouth, showing (and nourishing you with!) the salvation of God!
Dear Baptized friends, your Jesus eucharists for you! And your Jesus IS the Eucharist for you, feeding you the salvation of God with His Body and Blood.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Praise we Him, whose love divine Gives His sacred blood for wine, Gives His body for the feast – Christ the victim, Christ the priest. Alleluia! (LSB 633:2)
Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 29, 2025
Today's Reading: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 31:1-29; Matthew 19:16-30
“No one came to stand by me, but all deserted me… But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed.” (2 Timothy 4:16,17)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Even St. Paul felt isolated at times. While standing in court, defending the faith, where were his friends, other pastors, and Christians whom the Holy Spirit brought to faith through his preaching? Anyone who could have been supporting was scattered like the apostles on Holy Thursday. Satan and his minions wanted Paul to feel alone, overwhelmed, cut off from Christ and His Church. Then maybe Paul would lose his strength and will to preach Christ crucified.
The devil also wants you to feel isolated. All alone. “Divide and conquer,” the saying goes, and that tends to be the demonic method.
Maybe it feels like your friends have deserted you, that they are all having a good time without you while you are stuck home that weekend. Or you are the only one in your class who actually respected the teacher and did the work she assigned. Maybe you are the only one around who is actually remaining chaste and not giving in to the constant daily sexual temptations. You feel alone. No one came to stand by me, but all deserted me.
St. Paul reminds you here that all is not lost. Even though he had no other human comfort at that time, he was not alone. But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me. Christ comforted him throughout this trial and hardship. The Lord gave him peace throughout the persecution, with the sure and certain hope of the resurrection that got him through it all.
You are not alone either. The Lord blesses you with His comforting and encouraging presence. You are His beyond the shadow of a doubt through Holy Baptism, which bound you to Christ in a way that He will never abandon you. He speaks His Word to you by reading and proclaiming His Scriptures to you. And He nourishes you with His own Body and Blood, so that He dwells inside you!
So let the devil rage all he wants. He can taunt and criticize, and suggest doubts to you. But he cannot cut you off from God. Christ will never desert you. You belong to the Lord! The Lord stands by you and strengthens you!
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Satan, I defy thee; Death I now decry thee; Fear, I bid thee cease. World, thou shalt not harm me Nor thy threats alarm me While I sing of peace. God’s great power Guards every hour; Earth and all its depths adore Him, Silent bow before Him. (LSB 743:3)
Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 28, 2025
Today's Reading: John 15:(12-16) 17-21
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 30:1-20; Matthew 19:1-15
“I chose you out of the world.” (John 15:19)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
As we remember the Apostles of our Lord throughout the year, we might feel sorry for a few of them. Poor Simon “the Zealot” and Jude (a.k.a. Judas, or Thaddeus). They are some of the more obscure of Jesus’ disciples. They definitely don’t get the attention of Peter, James, and John. They don’t even get the word count for Saint Andrew or Saint Nathanael Bartholomew. We don’t know a single word that Simon actually spoke, and only one question from St. Jude is recorded. We practically know nothing except their names.
In the Gospels, Jude is almost always mentioned by the name Judas, but every instance of that includes “NOT ISCARIOT.” Imagine your greatest claim to fame being that you were NOT the guy with the same name who betrayed Jesus. And then poor Simon, he might as well always have the moniker “NOT PETER.”
Yet there is one thing certain, that we can celebrate; Jesus chose them to be His apostles. They were not picked because they were the most quoteworthy, eloquent speakers. They were not selected because they had the right experience, or talents, or pedigree. Simon was not chosen because of his zealot politics, nor Jude for being “not Iscariot.” Saints Simon and Jude were chosen, by the grace of God, in His mercy, to be the simple, often-forgotten human hands, feet, and voices of Christ.
That love of Christ encouraged them as they carried His Gospel as His disciples, missionaries, pastors, and apostles. They preached the Word of the Lord and baptized. They forgave sins and fed the Church Christ’s Eucharist. And so we end up with two contrasts: the love of Jesus and the hatred of the world.
Saints Simon (not Peter) and Jude (not Iscariot) were prepared by Jesus for the hatred of the world. The world hated Him first, and would hate them. Eventually, they suffered death at the hands of those who hated them and Jesus. These faithful Apostles are said to have been martyred at the same time, Simon (not Peter) sawn in half, while many say that Jude (not Iscariot) was beaten to death with a club.
Even through the violent end to their time on earth, Jesus's love sustained them through the world's hatred. Our dear Lord knows these saints infinitely more than just their names: Simon, “Not Peter,” and Jude, “Not Iscariot.” He preserved them in the one, true faith at their martyrdom and welcomed them into His presence, where they now await the resurrection with the Risen Savior who chose them and loves them completely.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Praise, Lord, for Your apostles, Saint Simon and Saint Jude. One love, one hope impelled them To tread the way renewed. May we with zeal as earnest The faith of Christ maintain, Be bound in love together, And life eternal gain. (LSB 518:28)
Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 27, 2025
Today's Reading: Genesis 4:1-15
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 29:1-29; Matthew 18:21-35
“And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him.” (Genesis 4:15)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” (Genesis 4:9) Even after his heinous act is done, Cain does not appear repentant at all. He has committed the first murder and shrugs it off. “Not my problem.”
What is behind all of this? Jealousy…and a lack of faith. That’s at the heart of this all. That is the reason that Cain’s sacrifice was not acceptable to God. Yes, Abel sacrificed a lamb and shed its innocent blood, and Cain some of his crops. But Cain was going through the motions without “fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” While Abel believed the Lord and participated in this liturgy of sacrifice, Cain apparently was doing something Mom and Dad told him he should do, and not really believing in the Lord who acts in His liturgy.
Cain then attacked his brother and shed his innocent blood. The first murder in history. The first recorded death. No earthly eyes witnessed this horror, but it was not hidden from the Lord God.
God calls Cain out. “The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.” He lets him know that he hasn’t gotten away with it. And even without witnesses, Cain knows that others will want justice, or even revenge. He fears capital punishment, so the Lord marks Cain. We don’t know how, but in some way, God makes it known that no one is to lay a hand on him. He is guilty, but freed from his punishment.
You are like Cain. You daily commit sins which no earthly eyes witness, yet they are not hidden from the Lord God. You have moments of participating in liturgy simply because Mom and Dad told you that you should, and not because you “fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” Although you are guilty, you are freed from punishment.
The Lord put a mark on you, too! And not just a mark to prevent others from executing you to punish your crimes. At His holy font, the Lord God called you, and marked you “with the sign of the holy cross both upon your forehead and upon your heart, marking you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified.” Then He marked you permanently with the washing of water and the Word, granting you forgiveness, rescue, and salvation. You are not just marked safe from punishment; you are given full pardon and made righteous!
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Abel’s blood for vengeance Pleaded to the skies; But the blood of Jesus For our pardon cries. Lift we, then, our voices, Swell the mighty flood; Louder still and louder Praise the precious blood! (LSB 433:4,6)
Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 26, 2025
Today's Reading: Luke 18:9-17
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 28:1-22; Matthew 18:1-20
“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other.” (Luke 18:13-14a)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
“Great sermon, Pastor, THEY really needed to hear that!” When your pastor hears something like that, his heart sinks, and he knows he did not communicate well. No one should ever listen to a sermon and think it’s Law was for everyone else.
“Boy, I’m sure glad I'm not some self-righteous Pharisee, looking down on other people!” Can you hear the irony in that? We cannot read this passage and have pride regarding our penitence, as if we can see that judgy Pharisee and celebrate that we aren’t him. When we do that, we are exactly what he was. Same sin. Same absence of repentance.
In this parable, Jesus is not giving you an example to follow. It is not that the Tax Collector did the right thing and God rewarded him.
The Holy Spirit moved this man’s heart to repentance. He convicted him of his sin and made his wretchedness abundantly clear. Having brought him to repent, the Spirit delivered forgiveness, life, and salvation. The man was justified—made right with God!
The Holy Spirit sat you in the pew this morning, not because you were any better than the others who were there, not even because you were any better than the people who were absent and skipping church. He brought you there to be convicted of your sin. He placed you in that pew to hear the Word of the Lord read and preached, placing that mercy in your ears. He brought you up to that rail to receive the Holy Eucharist, and have Jesus Christ’s Body and Blood placed inside of you, to fill you with God’s mercy and change you from within.
Our dear Lord gathered you with a church full of “tax collectors” who, with you, desperately need Jesus and His mercy. When all was said and done, after the Gifts of Christ were freely given, the benediction was spoken or chanted, a hymn was sung, and you went to your house justified. Indeed, God is merciful to you and me, sinners!
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Almighty and everlasting God, You are always more ready to hear than we to pray and always ready to give more than we either desire or deserve. Pour down on us the abundance of Your mercy; forgive us those things of which our conscience is afraid; and give us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask except by the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 25, 2025
Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 20 - Psalm 56:10-13; antiphon: Psalm 56:3
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 27:1-26; Matthew 17:14-27
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” (Psalm 56:10-13, 56:3)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
What can man do to me? A lot. Wars, robberies, lies, deceit, intimidation, oppression—there’s plenty man can do to me. And put a bunch of people in a mob, let mass hysteria take root, and the devastation of what man can do goes to unfathomably dark depths.
Can man do all of that to me? All of this assumes that our battle is against our fellow man, fellow man either as one person who is trying to harm me, or even as many people assembled into a movement to control or intimidate others. But what if that is not our true struggle, even though it may certainly be what our eyes see people doing around us? Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.
In our fear of what men can do to us, our Lord uses His servant David to give us this Psalm to pray (“When I am afraid,” 56:3). In this Psalm, our Lord reminds us that he is delivering us from our true enemy, the enemy driving people to all sorts of sin, including murders, violence, robberies, lies, intimidation, and all the rest—the devil.
Our enemy is the Evil One, Satan, and his evil spirits, the demons. When we fear this (as we should in our sinful flesh), the Psalm teaches us to put our trust in the Lord. Then, when we fear our Lord (for he is Holy God), we find that He is standing before us with nail prints in His hands. And His nail prints are for us. He went to the cross for us. Seeing our Lord as the One who suffered for us, we finally see that we need fear nothing or no one. For in His death, Jesus has defeated our enemies of sin, death, and the devil.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Lord Jesus, by your blood you have redeemed me from sin, death, and the devil. Let Satan hear this proclamation: I am baptized into Christ! Let your Word of Gospel destroy Satan’s ugly accusation. Keep me, Lord Jesus, in the promise you bestowed upon me at the font of Baptism. Deliver me from the Evil One and the tyranny of his demons, and by your Word, keep me steadfast in your Word. Amen. (Paraphrased from LSB 594:3)
Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 24, 2025
Today's Reading: Catechism: Table of Duties - To Husbands
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 25:17-26:19; Matthew 17:1-13
“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. (1 Peter 3:7) Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. (Col. 3:19)” (Catechism, Table of Duties)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Who would’ve guessed that our Lord’s first Gift to mankind would end up such a problem? Genesis 1:26-27: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,’ … So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Simple: Male and female, one flesh, marriage (Genesis 2:24), children and family (Genesis 1:28). Then it crashes. Adam not protecting his bride but betraying her (“The woman … she gave me the fruit … and I ate,” [Genesis 3:12]); David not protecting his bride, but committing adultery (2 Samuel 11); the Pharisees teaching that a man can divorce his wife by simply writing the proper divorce papers; until we get to our generation where we can see Satan’s affliction of families: self-centeredness, abuse, control, power-struggle, deceit, adultery, absence of love—all coming under Jesus’ rubric, “because of the hardness of your hearts” (Mark 10:5-9).
It's time for the honorable groom to enter the room—the husband who loves his bride, honoring her with his own Name, protecting her, forsaking any claim of control or superiority, even giving himself over to death for her!
Jesus is the Groom. You’re a member of his Bride, the Church. Ephesians 5:25-27: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”
The husband who has not loved his wife as Christ loves his Bride, the Church (which is every husband) is again gathered by Jesus to his Word of forgiveness, to the promise of the washing of water with the word.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Lord of life, bless every marriage. Rescue the husband from self-centeredness or desire to control; let him rejoice in being the giver of gifts to his wife. Let the man awaiting an honorable bride commend himself to your compassion; provide him with a wife according to your will. Let the man not given to marriage (1 Corinthians 7:6-8) rejoice in interceding for the marriages of his neighbors and in speaking encouragement to them. Let every husband rejoice in your Gift of marriage, but even more so in the certainty that you, O Christ, are our Groom who cleanses your Church in the washing of Baptism. Amen.
Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 23, 2025
Today's Reading: Matthew 13:54-58
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 24:10-25:10; Matthew 16:13-28
“And coming to his hometown [Jesus] taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?’” (Matthew 13:54-58)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
The fact of James reminds us of Jesus’ humanity.
Jesus has been going around healing the sick, restoring lame hands (Matthew 12:13), giving sight to the blind and voice to the mute (Matthew 11:27ff.), and more. Then Jesus goes into the Nazareth synagogue teaching the Gospel, astonishing people (Matthew 13:54).
Who is this Jesus? How could anyone, seeing Him and hearing Him, have failed to ask that question? But while His divine works of power and teaching astonish people, the simple fact of James, along with Jesus’ other brothers and sisters, brings home the comforting fact that Jesus is truly human: “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? Are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where did this man get all these things?” (Matthew 13:54ff.)
Jesus is fully human, along with us. He didn’t just drop out of the sky as some spirit wearing a human-flesh costume, but came as a baby from a mother (Matthew 13:55). He grew up humanly, learning to crawl, then perhaps how to use eating utensils, how to tie his shoes, just like us. Fully, completely like us in every way, except without sin (Hebrews 4:15).
Then, human, along with us, but without sin, he took all sin upon himself (2 Corinthians 5:21). Where is your sin now? It’s not with you. It’s with Jesus. He who has no sin, took it (1 John 3:5). He carried it to the cross as the Lamb of God bearing the sin of the world (John 1:29).
Now, in your life of repentance, your confession of your sin is not a good work that makes you better. Rather, it’s your confession that Jesus Christ, true Man, is your Lord (Philippians 2:8-11) who has taken your sin upon himself and put it to death in his own Body on the cross. It is your confession that because Jesus Christ has been bodily raised up from the dead, you, too, belong to the resurrection of the body and life everlasting (Romans 6:9-11).
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
We give thanks for James, your brother, Who at Jerusalem Told of your love for Gentiles, in Your Name, welcoming them. Let us rejoice in salvation that we too, by Your grace, Extend Your invitation To all the human race. Amen. (Paraphrase from “By All Your Saints in Warfare,” LSB 518:27)
Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 22, 2025
Today's Reading: Matthew 16:1-12
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 21:1-23; Deuteronomy 22:1-24:9; Matthew 16:1-12
“[Jesus said,] ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’ Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:11-12)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Your warning: “Beware of the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees!” Good. But what’s that? The Pharisees and Sadducees are different from one another, far different. You will hear the Pharisees as you walk around Jerusalem and out into the towns and villages. To hear the Sadducees, you go to the big, impressive, resplendent Temple around which Jerusalem is built.
The Pharisees. They teach the Law. Not the Law as the Ten Commandments by which God accuses the sinner, driving the sinner to the Gospel. Rather, they teach the law as commands, instructions, guidelines, tithing, and rules you must follow to live a clean life. By living this clean life, you can justify yourself, earning eternal life.
The Sadducees. They’re largely from the well-to-do priestly families. They teach a worthiness found in human pretension: the wealth or stature you gain and show off. So focused on worldly worthiness are they that they have little concern with matters of eternal life, even teaching there is no resurrection of the body, no Heaven, no eternal life, no angels (e.g., Matthew 22:23, Acts 23:8). So if there is no resurrection of the body and eternal life, what need is there to hear the justification of the sinner before God?
Sadducees or Pharisees—you end up at the same place with each. Whether you hear the Sadducees teach that you need no justification since there is no Heaven anyway, or you hear the Pharisees teach that you need to be justified in order to avoid damnation but you gain this justification by your own works of law, in both cases you need no justification freely given the sinner by Jesus.
Beware of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus says. That is, beware of any teaching that you don’t need to be justified before holy God; beware of any teaching that you do need to be justified, but this justification is something you can accomplish by your own works, feelings, or intentions. Rather, turn to the one thing both the Pharisees and Sadducees together rejected: Jesus Christ crucified. Turn to the one word the Pharisees and Sadducees would never allow you to hear: the Gospel of the sinner freely forgiven and justified. In short, turn your back on the Pharisees and Sadducees; Jesus is your justification.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Lord Jesus, turn me from any thought that there is no life in eternity and my life ends here on Earth; turn me from any thought that I can make myself worthy of eternal life by my own worthiness. By the preaching of your Gospel, turn me always to you, the Savior for every sinner unto eternal life. Amen.
Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 21, 2025
Today's Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 20:1-20; Matthew 15:21-39
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:1-5)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Pray for your pastor. Actually, pray for all pastors. As we see in Paul’s instructions to young pastor Timothy, the Lord gives the pastor much to do.
The Lord cares for His Church as a Groom cares for his beloved Bride (see Ephesians 5:25-27). As the Bride of Christ, the Church is always about the business of the forgiveness of sins—the Large Catechism even says that “everything in the Church is ordered toward the forgiveness of sins.” In order that people would hear this forgiveness of sins and be given faith that they are justified, the Lord instituted a particular office in the Church to do just that, to teach the Gospel and administer the Sacraments.
The Lord instituted this office (sometimes referred to as the Office of Holy Ministry or the pastoral office) as a great Gift for the sinner. It is also a great burden for the man ordained into the Holy Office. For he is to be faithful with the Lord’s Word and caring and gentle with the Lord’s sheep—a great burden, but at the same time also a great Gift of being set before the Lord’s people as a servant bestowing the Lord’s Gifts.
The Office of Holy Ministry is a great Gift for every sinner. So pray for your pastor. Pray that he be diligent and caring in studying Holy Scripture and in proclaiming the Gospel to every sinner, and in faithfully administering the Sacraments as instituted by the Lord. And pray that he may have much joy in being a servant to you and to all the Lord’s people given to his care, delighting always in preaching Christ crucified for the justification of the sinner.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
O Lord, Holy Groom to your Bride the Church whom you love, give faithful and diligent men as pastors to serve your Gifts to your people. Let them be faithful to your Scriptures, which are able to make sinners wise unto salvation through your Holy Name. Let them have much joy in serving your people, rejoicing always in proclaiming the Gospel, dispensing your Sacraments of forgiveness and life, and giving to sinners your good counsel of Law and Gospel. And let your people listen with ears of faith. Amen.
Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 20, 2025
Today's Reading: Genesis 32:22-30
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 19:1-20; Matthew 15:1-20
“A man wrestled with [Jacob] until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the day has broken.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’” (Genesis 32:26)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
We start out thinking about what God wants us to do to improve and progress in our Christian life, and we find ourselves stuck in anxiety, having no joy in life.
We start out this way because, with the Law written on our hearts, we try to progress and improve according to the measurements of the Law.
But look at the Lord coming to Jacob: No self-improvement instructions, no mystical teachings of being more spiritual, no nonsense of how to be a Christian on fire or anything like that. But a wrestling match, the Lord giving himself to be thrown around by the sinner.
Yet, there’s no confusion—the Lord has the power, not Jacob. For, as the Lord lets Jacob wrestle him, the text tells us, “When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him” (Genesis 32:25).
Jacob knows the Lord has the power. So why doesn’t Jacob stop wrestling? Doesn’t he know God can destroy him with just a word? Jacob’s not naïve. But he wants the blessing (which is precisely what God wants to give). Genesis 32:26: Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me" (Genesis 32:26).
The Lord swore the blessing to Abraham and Isaac, Jacob’s grandfather and father. The blessing promises the Savior in Abraham’s lineage. The word of blessing defeats death, crushes the devil’s head, and justifies the sinner, so that by faith in the promise, Abraham was justified. The blessing goes to Abraham’s children, including Jacob, including you and me, and our children.
God wants the sinner to hold onto him for the blessing like a wrestler refusing to let go.
With the blessing, we’re done with the Law and its measurements for an improved Christian life. We hold on to the Gospel, not letting go of the promise.
When God says, “Take and eat, Take and drink … my body, my blood for the forgiveness of your sins,” it is God blessing you. You may now say to your God, “I will hold on to you for the blessing.” He never forgets the blessing he swore to you.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Thy strong Word, bespeaks us righteous; Bright with Thine own holiness, Glorious now, we press toward glory, And our lives our hopes confess. Alleluia, alleluia! Praise to Thee who light dost send! Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia without end! (LSB, 578:3)
Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.`
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 19, 2025
Today's Reading: Luke 18:1-8
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 18:1-22; Matthew 14:22-36
“[Jesus said,] ‘Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on Earth?’” (Luke 18:8)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Jesus is giving you the Gift of prayer by presenting to you a judge who is so ridiculously bad that no reasonable person would waste time asking a favor of this judge. This judge neither fears God nor respects any man. He couldn’t care less about protecting the innocent, caring only for his own convenience and well-being—an unrighteous judge.
Pray, says Jesus, like an emptied widow petitioning this judge until the judge finally gives up and says, “I’ll give her justice, so that she will not beat me down with her continual coming.” (Luke 18:7)
Is Jesus calling his own Father an unrighteous judge? That, of course, is not the point of comparison. In the parable’s last verse, Jesus presses the point He is making for us: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on Earth.” (Luke 18:8)
We live either by faith or by the Law. We’re justified by faith or by works of the Law. As Paul reminds us, no one is justified by the Law (Romans 3:19-20); rather, the sinner is justified by faith (Romans 5:1-2).
The Pharisees and Teachers of the Law taught how to come before God with something to give him and how to live by the Law. Jesus rescues us from their school of Law, standing us before His Father in his own righteousness. Since the Law always accuses, anyone arguing their righteousness by the Law already stands condemned! So, how do we stand before the Father? Come to the Judge as a sinner, as an emptied-out widow. Stand before the Judge expecting a thoroughly ridiculous judgment: that the one who has nothing, who deserves nothing, that one God declares most blessed of all.
Stand before your Lord holding nothing but the Gospel promise. Faith clings to the promise. Faith can’t help but pray. After all, the person justifying himself by the Law doesn’t need to pray. Why pray if you’re sanctifying yourself by your own works? You’re already in good shape, so there is no need for pleading. But knowing that no person can justify himself, we can finally see that the one who lives by the Law dies by the Law.
So life comes as Gift! The sinner, standing before God with no righteousness earned, now lives by faith in the righteousness of Christ Jesus, faith in the promise, faith that Jesus justifies the sinner by the Word of grace. And faith prays.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Almighty and eternal Lord, You command us to pray, and You promise to hear and answer us. Give us Your Holy Spirit, then He can lead and reign in our hearts in everything. Then we can live in true faith, trusting in You. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 18, 2025
Today's Reading: Luke 10:1-9
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 17:1-20; Matthew 14:1-21
“Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.” (Luke 10:9-12)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
God’s promises remain the same, regardless of whether people hear them or not, whether they receive them or not, whether they reject them or not, whether they martyr the disciple or not.
For the towns that rejected these promises, the promises are still there. They just don’t get any part of them. They have heard, they have seen, and they have said “no thanks.” But they probably were not that polite about it. And notice that after the rejection, the acclamation that “the kingdom of God has come near to you” is the same. They don’t get to push away God’s kingdom because they did not like it. The promises are still there. The promises just speak against that town now.
This was St. Luke’s lot. As one of those sent by Jesus, he would see this firsthand, not just in this account but in his whole life. Some would receive the word with joy, being overjoyed and happy that the kingdom of God had come near to them. Others would not, and this is what led to the end of Luke’s life. He is traditionally thought to have been martyred by being crucified or hanged on an olive tree.
But you, dear Christian, can rejoice, for the Kingdom of God has come near to you. This is not in condemnation, where the dust of the feet of the 72 speaks against you. This is in consolation, where the words of your pastor (indeed, the words of Christ) testify for you that you are forgiven and redeemed, and that truly, God’s kingdom has come near to you.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Almighty God, our Father, Your blessed Son called Luke the physician to be an evangelist and physician of the soul. Grant that the healing medicine of the Gospel and the Sacraments may put to flight the diseases of our souls that with willing hearts we may ever love and serve You; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 17, 2025
Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 19 - Psalm 74:18-19, 21, 20a, 22a; antiphon: Psalm 74:2a
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 15:19-16:22; Matthew 13:44-58
“Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs, and a foolish people reviles your name. Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts; do not forget the life of your poor forever. Have regard for the covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame; let the poor and needy praise your name. Arise, O God, defend your cause; remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day! Do not forget the clamor of your foes, the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually!” (Psalm 74:18-22)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
This is what we are dealing with. This is why we should not get too comfortable in the world. At its best, that world tolerates us Christians. It likes us (sometimes) because we can be “good for society.” At least, that’s how it's sometimes said. But other times, we get lectured about how we Christians are indeed very bad for society, so bad that they need to be removed from the conversation altogether. Hang out in some dark internet places and you’ll hear that one.
Regardless of whether we Christians are tolerated or reviled, the answer is not to curry favor with the world. The answer is not to seek to wade in and adopt the ways of the scoffing enemy, the foolish people, and the habits of the wild beasts. Because that's not where life lies. Down that way, only death.
Instead, we get the privilege of calling upon the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of Angel armies. When the world makes and promptly breaks its covenant, we have a God who remembers His covenant with His people. We have a God who hears our prayers and whose ears behold our cries, all for the sake of Jesus. The world can do its worst. But you are forgiven, you are freed, you are a child of God. Nothing can change that.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Though hordes of devils fill the land All threat’ning to devour us, We tremble not, unmoved we stand; They cannot overpow’r us. Let this world’s tyrant rage; In battle we’ll engage. His might is doomed to fail; God’s judgment must prevail! One little word subdues him. (LSB 657:3)
Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 16, 2025
Today's Reading: Catechism: Table of Duties - Of Citizens
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 14:1-2, 22-23, 14:28-15:15; Matthew 13:24-43
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior.” (1 Timothy 2:1-3)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
How often do you pray for the leaders of your country? And I mean really pray for them. Even if you don’t like them. Even if you (or your parents) did not vote for them?
I can hear it now… “Pr. Lackey, I don’t want to pray for them because they are evil and doing wrong!” (I have heard people say this!)
Here is the deal: Everyone needs our prayers. All the time. The high and the low, the sick and the healthy, those inside the church and those outside of it. Those in power and those not in power. St. Paul here gives us a specific reason why we should pray for those in power. It is so that “we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” Because chaos and war are ugly and provide a ripe environment for sin to grow and fester. Because some people will destroy their faith when the times get hard. You think it doesn’t make a difference, but it does. So, we are duty-bound as Christians to pray for those in authority. This isn’t just the government either. It’s all authorities in your life—fathers, mothers, police officers, judges, governors, presidents, vice presidents. Oh, and a spot of prayer for your pastor wouldn’t go amiss either.
But remember: prayer is a Gift! The fact that we have the ear of the Lord of all Creation, the one true God, is great news. He hears us—all of us—for the sake of Jesus. So pray joyously, knowing that your prayers will be heard. All for the peace that passes all understanding.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word; Curb those who by deceit or sword Would wrest the kingdom from Your Son And bring to naught all He has done. Lord Jesus Christ, Your pow’r make known, For You are Lord of lords alone; Defend Your holy Church that we May sing Your praise eternally. O Comforter of priceless worth, Send peace and unity on earth; Support us in our final strife And lead us out of death to life. (LSB 655)
Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 15, 2025
Today's Reading: Matthew 13:1-23
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 13:1-18; Matthew 13:1-23
“And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matthew 13:3-9)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
This can feel like one of those “Sunday School” stories that you’ve heard a million times before. And maybe you have. Maybe when you were little, your Sunday School teacher taught you this, and she had you color a picture or maybe even gave you a little bag of seeds. Hopefully, those seeds did not end up like most of the seeds in the story. Nevertheless, this parable has great significance for our lives as Christians. The sower (Christ) sows the word of God. If you’ve ever seen the work of a sower, especially as it is traditionally done, the sower's sowing is… very haphazard. He takes a bag of seeds, slings them by his side, then takes a handful of them and just… chucks them as he walks. The seeds get everywhere, exactly like Jesus says. Far contrast to the cornfield in front of my house, where the seed machine probably has a count of every kernel they put in the ground. I like Jesus’s way better.
But these seeds do not all meet the same fate. That’s part of business when the seeds are evenly covering everything. Some of them have no soil to grow in, so they become food. Some whither and die because of persecution. But others, others absolutely blossom. They are kept in growth by the care and tending of God. They are kept alive by the giver of growth. Your faith is kept alive by the giver of faith. You have ears to hear, and you have heard. And the word does not return void! The sower waters your faith with the preaching of the Gospel, and feeds it by giving you His own Body and Blood. Thanks be to God.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
The sower sows; his reckless love Scatters abroad the goodly seed, Intent alone that all may have The wholesome loaves that all men need. Though some be snatched and some be scorched And some be choked and matted flat, The sower sows; his heart cries out, “Oh, what of that, and what of that?” Of all his scattered plenteousness One-fourth waves ripe on hill and flat, And bears a harvest hundredfold: “Ah, what of that, Lord, what of that!” (LSB 586:3-5)
Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
October 14, 2025
Today's Reading: 2 Timothy 2:1-13
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 12:13-32; Matthew 12:38-50
“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:8-13)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
It is very possible, even likely, that suffering will come your way because of your faith. Now, it may not look like it did for St. Paul. There is a high probability that you will not be locked up in prison for your faith or eventually martyred as he was. But… you may have (and probably already have) some tense moments. Turning down an invitation to do something because it’s happening on Sunday morning, right smack dab in the middle of Divine Service time. Witnessing to a friend or classmate when pressed that, no, this is what Christians believe about _____, and you might have had to find another table at which to eat lunch.
Big or small, earth-shattering or just kind of annoying, all Christians are going to suffer for their faith in some way. St. Paul knew this full well, and so he was very careful to pass on to Timothy that this would be the case.
But what is the point, really? Why should we even bother with it? Why should we even care? St. Paul tells us, beloved in the LORD. This matters for the state of your soul, this matters for the forgiveness of sins, this matters for eternal life. You have already died with Jesus in the waters of Baptism, and so you are raised with him to live too. It doesn’t matter what the world says about it or you.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Let us gladly die with Jesus. Since by death He conquered death, He will free us from destruction, Give to us immortal breath. Let us mortify all passion That would lead us into sin; And the grave that shuts us in Shall but prove the gate to heaven. Jesus, here with You I die, There to live with You on high. (LSB 685:3)
Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.
Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
