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March 20, 2026

Broadcast

                       Food for Thought - Part 5
                             John 6:12-13
                              03/20/2026


        12   And when they had eaten their fill, he told his
             disciples, ``Gather up the leftover fragments,
             that nothing may be lost.''
        13   So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets
             with fragments from the five barley loaves, left
             by those who had eaten.  (ESV)

        Sunday's Gospel lesson was Saint John's account of the
   feeding of the 5,000 men, plus women and children.
        And when they had eaten their fill, he told his
        disciples, ``Gather up the leftover fragments, that
        nothing may be lost.''  So they gathered them up and
        filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five
        barley loaves, left by those who had eaten.


        God blesses us well beyond our needs.  What seemed to be so
   little, fives loaves of bread and two fish, was enough to feed
   5,000 men, plus women and children.  They were filled, yet the
   disciples gathered twelve large baskets of leftovers.

        Jesus gives us of His body and blood in and under the bread
   and wine of the Lord's Supper.  For two thousand years this
   heavenly food has nourished the Church, and there is enough to
   last through all eternity.

        Last Sunday the Church prayed:
        Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new
        every morning; and though we deserve only punishment,
        You receive us as Your children and provide for all our
        needs of body and soul.  Grant that we may heartily
        acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all
        Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience.


        This miracle gives us food for thought.  Please join us at
   Trinity Lutheran Church on Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. as we
   ponder more about God's abundant goodness, love, and mercy as
   given to us through Christ Jesus.

        May our Lord grant that we find our life in Him, both
   physically and for all eternity.  Amen.

March 19, 2026

Broadcast

                       Food for Thought - Part 4
                             John 6:10-11
                              03/19/2026


        10   Jesus said, ``Have the people sit down.'' Now
             there was much grass in the place.  So the men sat
             down, about five thousand in number.
        11   Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given
             thanks, he distributed them to those who were
             seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.
             (ESV)

        Sunday's Gospel lesson was Saint John's account of the
   feeding of the 5,000 men, plus women and children.
        Jesus said, ``Have the people sit down.'' Now there was
        much grass in the place.  So the men sat down, about
        five thousand in number.  Jesus then took the loaves,
        and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to
        those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as
        they wanted.


        The words are familiar.  Jesus always gave thanks to God for
   the food and drink which He received.  This is good, for it
   acknowledges that all we need to sustain this body and life is a
   gift from our heavenly Father.

        Yet the words of Saint John also echo the words we hear each
   Sunday as we gather to receive the Lord's Supper.  ``Our Lord
   Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread.  And
   when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His
   disciples, saying, `Take and eat, this is My body which is given
   for you.'''

        Both our physical nourishment and our spiritual nourishment
   are a gift from God.  Last Sunday the Church prayed:
        Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new
        every morning; and though we deserve only punishment,
        You receive us as Your children and provide for all our
        needs of body and soul.  Grant that we may heartily
        acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all
        Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience.


        This prayer is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

        May our Lord grant us faith to see and acknowledge His
   gracious goodness which sustains us now and for the life to come.
   Amen.

March 18, 2026

Broadcast

                       Food for Thought - Part 3
                             John 6:5,8-9
                              03/18/2026


        5    Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large
             crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip,
             ``Where are we to buy bread, so that these people
             may eat?'' ...
        8    One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's
             brother, said to him,
        9    ``There is a boy here who has five barley loaves
             and two fish, but what are they for so many?''
             (ESV)

        Sunday's Gospel lesson was Saint John's account of the
   feeding of the 5,000 men, plus women and children.
        Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large
        crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip,
        ``Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may
        eat?'' ...  One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's
        brother, said to him, ``There is a boy here who has
        five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for
        so many?''


        The disciples knew there was a problem, the people who
   followed Jesus would need to eat.  Although the disciples could
   find a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish, they knew their
   own efforts would fail.  Jesus, however, had the matter well at
   hand.  In the same way the disciples' efforts at feeding the
   5,000 was doomed, so are our efforts to pay the price of our own
   sins against God and neighbor.  Jesus also has that matter well
   at hand.

        Last Sunday the Church prayed:
        Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new
        every morning; and though we deserve only punishment,
        You receive us as Your children and provide for all our
        needs of body and soul.  Grant that we may heartily
        acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all
        Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience.


        God gives us our daily bread through the work of farmers,
   through the work of processing plants and transportation
   companies and all the people who produce and distribute the food
   we eat.  God gives us the forgiveness of sins through His Word of
   truth, both as we hear it and as it is joined with the bread and
   wine in the Lord's Supper.

        May our Lord grant us faith to see and acknowledge His daily
   gifts, both of bread and redemption.  Amen.

March 17, 2026

Broadcast

                       Food for Thought - Part 2
                               John 6:4
                              03/17/2026


        4    Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at
             hand.  (ESV)

        Sunday's Gospel lesson was Saint John's account of the
   feeding of the 5,000 men, plus women and children.  Saint John
   noted not only the place, the wilderness, but the time of year:
   ``Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.''

        What is the significance of this?  The Gospel of John does
   not directly speak of the Lord's Supper, which Jesus gave to the
   Church the night He was betrayed.  From the other Gospel accounts
   we know that Jesus was celebrating the Passover when He took the
   bread and wine, saying, ``This is My body, this is My blood.''
   The rest of this chapter in John's Gospel speaks of Jesus being
   the ``Bread of Life.''  Over the centuries since John wrote, many
   theologians have suggested that this chapter is truly about the
   sacrament of Communion, that the feeding of the 5,000 opens the
   discussion of this gift of life and salvation which Jesus gives
   the Church.

        Last Sunday the Church prayed:
        Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new
        every morning; and though we deserve only punishment,
        You receive us as Your children and provide for all our
        needs of body and soul.  Grant that we may heartily
        acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all
        Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience.


        In this prayer we confess that we deserve God's wrath, but
   He gives us His mercy.  We have sinned against Him, we have
   sinned against our neighbor, yet He provides for both our
   physical and spiritual needs.  It is because of God's love that
   we receive our daily bread.  It is because of God's love that we
   receive the forgiveness of our sins which leads to life
   everlasting.

        May our Lord grant us faith to see and acknowledge His daily
   mercies.  Amen.

March 16, 2026

Broadcast

                       Food for Thought - Part 1
                              John 6:1-3
                              03/16/2026


        1    After this Jesus went away to the other side of
             the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.
        2    And a large crowd was following him, because they
             saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.
        3    Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat
             down with his disciples.  (ESV)

        The Collect is a brief prayer which the Church appoints for
   each Sunday.  It is usually related to the Gospel or Epistle for
   the Sunday.  In the historic series of readings, some of the
   collects have been in use for almost fifteen centuries.  Because
   the love of God is never ending, and He does not change, our
   liturgical prayers do not need to change.

        Sunday's Gospel lesson was Saint John's account of the
   feeding of the 5,000 men, plus women and children.  There in the
   wilderness, Jesus used five loaves of bread and two fish to
   satisfy the physical needs of the crowds.  He answered the
   prayer, ``give us this day our daily bread,'' even before the
   crowds were aware they had no provisions.

        After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea
        of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.  And a large
        crowd was following him, because they saw the signs
        that he was doing on the sick.  Jesus went up on the
        mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.


        Last Sunday the Church prayed:
        Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new
        every morning; and though we deserve only punishment,
        You receive us as Your children and provide for all our
        needs of body and soul.  Grant that we may heartily
        acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all
        Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience;
        through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and
        reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
        forever.


        This prayer, which we will discuss this week, is both for
   physical and spiritual blessings.

        May our Lord grant that we acknowledge His love and mercy,
   that He knows and cares for us, body and soul.  Amen.

March 13, 2026

Broadcast

                          Come Home - Part 5
                              Luke 11:28
                              03/13/2026


        28   But he said, ``Blessed rather are those who hear
             the word of God and keep it!''  (ESV)

        On Sunday we prayed the historic Collect for the Third
   Sunday in Lent.
        O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be
        gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and
        bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast
        faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth
        of Your Word.


        We pray that God shower us with His grace, love, and mercy
   so that we may have the comfort of knowing our sins are forgiven
   for the sake of the death and resurrection of Jesus.  We pray
   that our friends and families and neighbors who do not know the
   true peace of God which comes from His mercy, come to faith and
   receive the gift of everlasting life.

        Jesus said: ``Blessed rather are those who hear the word of
   God and keep it!''

        In this case, the word ``keep'' is not a command to obey,
   but a desire to treasure the Word of God, to hold it in a place
   of honor, to protect the truth of God's grace and love.  To keep
   God's Word is to make it our most prized possession, something we
   daily ponder and study and learn.

        Thus the Church invites you to come home to the Father's
   house, to receive for yourself the full measure of His peace.
   You have the opportunity to learn more of the truth of God's Word
   each Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. when you are invited to join us
   at Trinity Lutheran Church.

        May our Lord grant that we know of His unchangeable Word,
   that His mercy never fails, and that He desires us to know the
   truth of His love.  Amen.

March 12, 2025

Broadcast

                          Come Home - Part 4
                              Luke 11:27
                              03/12/2026


        27   As he said these things, a woman in the crowd
             raised her voice and said to him, ``Blessed is the
             womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you
             nursed!''  (ESV)

        On Sunday we prayed the historic Collect for the Third
   Sunday in Lent.
        O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be
        gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and
        bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast
        faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth
        of Your Word.


        In this prayer we ask God to grant to each of us faith which
   trusts in Him for all things.  We know that God works through
   external means, through the Word and Sacraments to create faith,
   through our jobs and vocations to provide for our daily bread.
   Each day we also stray from the truth of His Word, which is why
   we daily ask Him to forgive us our trespasses.  In turn, we serve
   God by serving our neighbor.

        There is a form of religion, however, which does not save.
        As [Jesus] said these things, a woman in the crowd
        raised her voice and said to him, ``Blessed is the womb
        that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!''


        What the woman said is indeed true, and we certainly hold
   Mary as an example of faith.  Yet, many times the trappings of
   religion, the traditions, the works of those who have gone before
   us, blinds us to the truth of God's Word.

        When the form of religion, when the history of religion,
   when the traditions of religion take our eyes off of Christ Jesus
   as our Redeemer, we do not hold fast to the unchangeable truth of
   God's Word.  When we rely on our own works, our own good
   behavior, we do not embrace the truth of God.

        May our Lord grant that we embrace and hold fast the
   unchangeable truth of His Word, that we may have a firm and
   steadfast faith in Him.  Amen.

March 11, 2026

Broadcast

                          Come Home - Part 3
                             Luke 11:23-26
                              03/11/2026


        23   Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever
             does not gather with me scatters.
        24   When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person,
             it passes through waterless places seeking rest,
             and finding none it says, I will return to my
             house from which I came.
        25   And when it comes, it finds the house swept and
             put in order.
        26   Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more
             evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there.
             And the last state of that person is worse than
             the first.  (ESV)

        On Sunday we prayed the historic Collect for the Third
   Sunday in Lent.
        O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be
        gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and
        bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast
        faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth
        of Your Word.


        Although we don't like to admit that we live in a binary
   world, the truth is simple.  You cannot be neutral about the
   message of Christianity.  Jesus said: ``Whoever is not with me is
   against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.''
   Either we are filled with evil, or we are filled with the Holy
   Spirit.  Either we desire to sin, or we repent of our daily
   failures.

        Jesus also explained that our spirit cannot remain empty.
        When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it
        passes through waterless places seeking rest, and
        finding none it says, I will return to my house from
        which I came.  And when it comes, it finds the house
        swept and put in order.  Then it goes and brings seven
        other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and
        dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse
        than the first.


        Our prayer is for all who hear the Word of God to truly
   believe it and to trust in Christ Jesus as their Savior from sin
   and death.  Our prayer is that we daily repent, and daily study
   God's Word, and daily trust in God above all things.

        Grant this, Lord, for the sake of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

March 10, 2026

Broadcast

                          Come Home - Part 2
                             Luke 11:20-22
                              03/10/2026


        20   ``But if it is by the finger of God that I cast
             out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon
             you.
        21   When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own
             palace, his goods are safe;
        22   but when one stronger than he attacks him and
             overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he
             trusted and divides his spoil.''  (ESV)

        On Sunday we prayed the historic Collect for the Third
   Sunday in Lent.
        O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be
        gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and
        bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast
        faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth
        of Your Word.


        In this prayer, we confess that our redemption from sin,
   death, and the power of the devil is because of God's great mercy
   and love alone.  We admit that all who have left the household of
   faith, who no longer trust in Jesus Christ for their hope of
   eternal life, have done so because their spirit is filled with
   the lies of the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh.

        Jesus said:
        ``But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out
        demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
        When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace,
        his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he
        attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor
        in which he trusted and divides his spoil.''


        The strong man, Satan, jealously guards against the truth of
   God's Word.  Yet, Jesus is the One who is stronger, who overcomes
   him and takes away his power.  Jesus earned this victory over sin
   and death by His crucifixion and resurrection.  The empty tomb
   shows that death no longer has power over Him.  In turn, Christ
   Jesus promises that He will raise us up from the sleep of
   temporal death to take us with Him for eternity.

        May our Lord grant us faith to trust in the Word of God
   proclaimed by Jesus, that He is the One who defeated Satan for
   all time for our redemption.  Amen.

March 9, 2026

Broadcast

                          Come Home - Part 1
                              Luke 11:14
                              03/09/2026


        14   Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When
             the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and
             the people marveled.  (ESV)

        Yesterday the historic prayer of the Church was for those
   have strayed from the truth of God's Word, the truth that we are
   redeemed from sin and death because of God's great love.
        O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be
        gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and
        bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast
        faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth
        of Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord,
        who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one
        God, now and forever.


        Daily we are tempted by the devil, the world, and our own
   sinful flesh.  We desire to turn from that which is right and
   true, only to embrace that which becomes harmful.  Yes, that
   which tempts us may look and sound delightful, but it leads to
   spiritual destruction and eternal death.

        Saint Luke recorded a time when Jesus cast a demon from a
   mute man.  On this occasion our Lord spoke of our spiritual
   condition, that we are either filled with the Holy Spirit, or we
   are filled with the evil of sin.

        ``Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the
   demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people
   marveled.''

        This week, while we look at the Prayer of the Church, we
   will see how Jesus overcame sin and death for our redemption.

        May our Lord grant that we hear His Word and trust in Him
   alone.  Amen.