Author: admin

February 12, 2026

Broadcast

                        Growing Plants - Part 4
                               Luke 8:8
                              02/12/2026


        8    ``And some fell into good soil and grew and
             yielded a hundredfold.'' As he said these things,
             he called out, ``He who has ears to hear, let him
             hear.''  (ESV)

        On Sunday we prayed:
        O God, the strength of all who put their trust in You,
        mercifully grant that by Your power we may be defended
        against all adversity.


        Jesus told His disciples about the sower who planted the
   seed of God's Word.  ``And some fell into good soil and grew and
   yielded a hundredfold.''  Faith in Jesus Christ is bound to bring
   forth the fruits of good works.

        How are these fruits of good works an answer to the Collect,
   the prayer of the Church?  How do good works defend against all
   adversity?

        The fruits of faith are not simply the things we do to help
   others.  Yes, visiting the sick, helping the poor, feeding the
   hungry are certainly good works.  But faith brings more than
   showing love to our neighbors.

        Saint Paul wrote to the congregation in Galatia:
        But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
        patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
        self-control; against such things there is no law.[1]


        These fruits of the Spirit are also good works which flow
   from faith and trust in God's rich grace and mercy.  At times God
   removes the adversity of life.  At times God uses the adversity
   of life to strengthen our faith.  He gives us the hope of life
   everlasting, the assurance that even the most difficult trials
   cannot separate us from His love.

        May our Lord grant us faith which bears the fruits of love,
   hope, patience, and faithfulness even as we trust in Him.  Amen.
   ____________________

   1. Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

February 11, 2026

Broadcast

                        Growing Plants - Part 3
                               Luke 8:8
                              02/11/2026


        8    ``And some fell into good soil and grew and
             yielded a hundredfold.'' As he said these things,
             he called out, ``He who has ears to hear, let him
             hear.''  (ESV)

        On Sunday we prayed:
        O God, the strength of all who put their trust in You,
        mercifully grant that by Your power we may be defended
        against all adversity.


        A sower went out to plant seeds.  Some of the seeds landed
   on the road where it could not grow.  Some of the seeds landed on
   rocks where they grew for a while, but the roots were not deep,
   so the plant withered away.  Some of the seeds were choked by the
   weeds.  Then Jesus said: ```And some fell into good soil and grew
   and yielded a hundredfold.' As he said these things, he called
   out, `He who has ears to hear, let him hear.'''

        Saint Paul told the congregation in Rome that faith comes by
   hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.[1] Those who are
   willing to hear, who do not reject the Word of God, come to know
   of the Father's love which caused Him to send His Son to redeem
   us from sin and death.  The good news of salvation by grace
   through faith for the sake of Christ Jesus makes an immediate
   difference.  As the Holy Spirit creates faith in our hearts which
   trusts the Word of God, our perspective changes.

        We begin to see the lies of this world, the false teachings
   which demand that we overcome all things by our own strength.
   Despair is replaced with hope.  The fear of death is replaced
   with the knowledge that we have eternal life with Christ Jesus.

        May our Lord grant us faith to hold firmly to Christ Jesus
   and the promise of life in Him.  Amen.

   ____________________

   1. Romans 10:17

February 10, 2026

Broadcast

                        Growing Plants - Part 2
                              Luke 8:5-7
                              02/10/2026


        5    ``A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he
             sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled
             underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.
        6    And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it
             withered away, because it had no moisture.
        7    And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up
             with it and choked it.  (ESV)

        On Sunday we prayed:
        O God, the strength of all who put their trust in You,
        mercifully grant that by Your power we may be defended
        against all adversity.


        How does the Word of God, the seed which was sown, defend us
   from all adversity?  How is the Parable of the Sower an answer to
   this prayer?

        For many people, the Word of God serves no lasting good.
   They resist the good news that Christ Jesus bore our sins, that
   for His sake we are forgiven.  Where there is forgiveness there
   is everlasting life.  Yet this message falls on deaf ears.
        A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some
        fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the
        birds of the air devoured it.  And some fell on the
        rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it
        had no moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the
        thorns grew up with it and choked it.


        Many things get in the way of God's Word.  Some people
   simply refuse to hear of the Father's love for His creation.
   Others fall away from the Church when things get difficult, or
   leave the Church when things are going well.  No matter the
   reason, the Word of God that falls on unreceptive ears can bring
   no comfort, no hope, no joy.  Those who do not hear reject God's
   Word because of the hardness of their heart, because of the lies
   of the devil, or the desires of their own sinful flesh.

        May our Lord grant us ears to willingly hear His Word, that
   faith and trust in Him may grow for our temporal and eternal
   blessing.  Amen.

February 9, 2026

Broadcast

                        Growing Plants - Part 1
                              Luke 8:4-8
                              02/09/2026


        4    And when a great crowd was gathering and people
             from town after town came to him, he said in a
             parable:
        5    ``A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he
             sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled
             underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.
        6    And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it
             withered away, because it had no moisture.
        7    And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up
             with it and choked it.
        8    And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded
             a hundredfold.'' As he said these things, he
             called out, ``He who has ears to hear, let him
             hear.''  (ESV)

        On Sunday we prayed:
        O God, the strength of all who put their trust in You,
        mercifully grant that by Your power we may be defended
        against all adversity; through Jesus Christ, Your Son,
        our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy
        Spirit, one God, now and forever.


        As we look at this week's prayer of the Church, the Collect,
   we do so in light of faith.  Faith is knowledge of God's rich
   grace and mercy.  With that knowledge comes agreement that the
   Word of God, which speaks of His undeserved love towards all
   sinners, is true.  Finally, faith trusts that Word, which bears
   the fruits of good works.

        And when a great crowd was gathering and people from
        town after town came to him, he said in a parable: ``A
        sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some
        fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the
        birds of the air devoured it.  And some fell on the
        rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it
        had no moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the
        thorns grew up with it and choked it.  And some fell
        into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.'' As
        he said these things, he called out, ``He who has ears
        to hear, let him hear.''


        This week we will look at the Word, and the comfort and hope
   it brings in times of adversity.

        May our Lord grant us ears to willingly hear of His love as
   shown in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

January 23, 2026

Broadcast

                      You are the Christ - Part 5
                             Mark 8:34-35
                              01/23/2026


        34   And he called to him the crowd with his disciples
             and said to them, ``If anyone would come after me,
             let him deny himself and take up his cross and
             follow me.
        35   For whoever would save his life will lose it, but
             whoever loses his life for my sake and the
             gospel's will save it.''  (ESV)

        On January 18, the Church celebrated the Confession of Saint
   Peter.  We prayed:
        Heavenly Father, You revealed to the apostle Peter the
        blessed truth that Your Son Jesus is the Christ.
        Strengthen us by the proclamation of this truth that we
        too may joyfully confess that there is salvation in no
        one else.


        The Church is built on the Confession of Peter, that Jesus
   is the Christ, the One who died and rose again for our salvation
   from sin, death, and the power of the devil.  How, then, do we
   live as Christians?

        And he called to him the crowd with his disciples and
        said to them, ``If anyone would come after me, let him
        deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For
        whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever
        loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save
        it.''


        We are called to remain faithful to Christ Jesus even in the
   face of persecution and rejection.  The devil, the world, and our
   own sinful flesh conspire to pull us from the love of God.  We
   may not be martyrs in that we lose our lives because of our
   faith, but we are rejected by this world for confessing that
   Jesus is the Christ.

        That confession of our faith shows that we fear, love, and
   trust in God above all things.  In so doing, we know that we have
   life everlasting in Jesus Christ, for He has redeemed us from sin
   and death.

        Please join us at Trinity Lutheran Church this Sunday, and
   every Sunday, at 9:00 a.m. to receive more of this good news.

        May our Lord grant that we confess Jesus as the Christ and
   trust in Him alone.  Amen.

January 22, 2026

Broadcast

                      You are the Christ - Part 4
                             Mark 8:32b-33
                              01/22/2026


        32b  And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
        33   But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked
             Peter and said, ``Get behind me, Satan! For you
             are not setting your mind on the things of God,
             but on the things of man.''  (ESV)

        On January 18, the Church celebrated the Confession of Saint
   Peter.  We prayed:
        Heavenly Father, You revealed to the apostle Peter the
        blessed truth that Your Son Jesus is the Christ.
        Strengthen us by the proclamation of this truth that we
        too may joyfully confess that there is salvation in no
        one else.


        Did Peter, does the Church, truly understand what it means
   that the Christ is found in the cross and resurrection?  The
   disciples, even after the resurrection, expected the political
   Messiah.[1] In the same way, there are misunderstandings in the
   Christian Church, which means we need to go back to the Word of
   God to truly know of salvation by grace through faith for the
   sake of Christ.

        And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.  But
        turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and
        said, ``Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting
        your mind on the things of God, but on the things of
        man.''


        Jesus did not mince words.  False doctrine is satanic.  The
   devil, the world, and our own sinful desires suggest that the
   Christ is not the One who died for our redemption from sin and
   death, but an example that we can successfully follow.  His
   perfect obedience to the law is something we can obtain, which
   says that we can, by our own strength, be saved.

        Yes, this is taught in some congregations.  But our help is
   in the name of the Lord, not our own abilities.  We daily sin, we
   daily turn our backs on God, yet He, for the sake of Christ Jesus
   grants us forgiveness.  Saint Paul lamented this sad truth, and
   Saint Peter, in denying Christ on the night He was betrayed,
   lived this truth.

        May our Lord grant that we seek the forgiveness of our sins
   in Christ Jesus alone.  Amen.



   ____________________

   1. See: Acts 1:6-7

January 21, 2026

Broadcast

                      You are the Christ - Part 3
                           Mark 8:29,31-32a
                              01/21/2026


        29   And he asked them, ``But who do you say that I
             am?'' Peter answered him, ``You are the Christ.''
             ...
        31   And he began to teach them that the Son of Man
             must suffer many things and be rejected by the
             elders and the chief priests and the scribes and
             be killed, and after three days rise again.
        32   And he said this plainly.  (ESV)

        On January 18, the Church celebrated the Confession of Saint
   Peter.  We prayed:
        Heavenly Father, You revealed to the apostle Peter the
        blessed truth that Your Son Jesus is the Christ.
        Strengthen us by the proclamation of this truth that we
        too may joyfully confess that there is salvation in no
        one else.


        What does it mean that Jesus is the Christ?  How did Jesus
   define the work of the Messiah?
        And he asked them, ``But who do you say that I am?''
        Peter answered him, ``You are the Christ.'' ...  And he
        began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer
        many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief
        priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three
        days rise again.  And he said this plainly.


        The word ``Christ'' is Greek which means ``the anointed
   one.''  It is used to translate the Hebrew word ``Messiah.''
   Therefore, Jesus' answer to Peter is very important.

        There are two views of the Messiah or the Christ in the Old
   Testament.  The popular one is that of the Victor, the Conqueror,
   who brings peace and prosperity.  This is the political Messiah,
   the Messiah expected by the Jews at the time of Jesus, the Christ
   proclaimed by many today.  With this view of Christ, we overcome
   the world even while we are in the world.  This will happen on
   the last day, but not yet.

        Jesus speaks of the Suffering Servant, the sinless Son of
   God who bears the cross and dies for the sins of all people.  He
   defeated death, proving that we, on the last day, will rise
   again.  We find the Christ, not in victory, but in the cross as
   He pays the price of our transgressions.

        May our Lord grant that we trust in Jesus, not for temporal
   blessings, but as our eternal Savior.  Amen.

January 20, 2026

Broadcast

                      You are the Christ - Part 2
                             Mark 8:27-28
                              01/20/2026


        27   And Jesus went on with his disciples to the
             villages of Caesarea Philippi.  And on the way he
             asked his disciples, ``Who do people say that I
             am?''
        28   And they told him, ``John the Baptist; and others
             say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.''
        29   And he asked them, ``But who do you say that I
             am?'' Peter answered him, ``You are the Christ.''
             (ESV)

        On January 18, the Church celebrated the Confession of Saint
   Peter.  We prayed:
        Heavenly Father, You revealed to the apostle Peter the
        blessed truth that Your Son Jesus is the Christ.
        Strengthen us by the proclamation of this truth that we
        too may joyfully confess that there is salvation in no
        one else.


        ``And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of
   Caesarea Philippi.  And on the way he asked his disciples, `Who
   do people say that I am?'  And they told him, `John the Baptist;
   and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.'''

        Who is Jesus?  Several surveys ask the question, ``Do you
   believe in Jesus?'' but fail to ask ``Do you believe Jesus is the
   Son of God?''  A majority of people believe that Jesus truly
   lived, but that He is simply a good man, a spiritual man, or a
   great teacher.[1] We contend, however, if Jesus is not who He
   claimed to be, then He is the most evil of all people.  Faith in
   Christ Jesus as the Son of God, as the Redeemer of the world,
   gives us hope and comfort in times of distress and need.  If He
   lied to us, then He ought not to be followed at all.

        But, like Peter, we confess that Jesus is the Christ.  This
   means that He is the Son of God, the Redeemer from sin and
   eternal death who was promised to our first parents.  As the
   sinless Son of God, He bore our sins upon the cross.  Therefore,
   in Him we have the promise of eternal life because our sins are
   forgiven for His sake.

        May our Lord grant that we truly believe Peter's confession
   about Jesus.  Amen.



   ____________________

   1. See:      https://www.barna.com/research/perceptions-of-jesus-
      christians-evangelism-in-the-uk/
      https://www.barna.com/research/what-do-americans-believe-
      about-jesus-5-popular-beliefs/

January 19, 2026

Broadcast

                      You are the Christ - Part 1
                             Mark 8:27-29
                              01/19/2026


        27   And Jesus went on with his disciples to the
             villages of Caesarea Philippi.  And on the way he
             asked his disciples, ``Who do people say that I
             am?''
        28   And they told him, ``John the Baptist; and others
             say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.''
        29   And he asked them, ``But who do you say that I
             am?'' Peter answered him, ``You are the Christ.''
             (ESV)

        Yesterday, January 18, the Church celebrated the Confession
   of Saint Peter.
        And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of
        Caesarea Philippi.  And on the way he asked his
        disciples, ``Who do people say that I am?''  And they
        told him, ``John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah;
        and others, one of the prophets.''  And he asked them,
        ``But who do you say that I am?'' Peter answered him,
        ``You are the Christ.''


        We believe, teach, and confess that the way we answer this
   question determines how we are comforted during the trials on
   earth, and how we will spend eternity.  Therefore the Church
   prays:
        Heavenly Father, You revealed to the apostle Peter the
        blessed truth that Your Son Jesus is the Christ.
        Strengthen us by the proclamation of this truth that we
        too may joyfully confess that there is salvation in no
        one else; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who
        lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God,
        now and forever.


        The questions before us this week: who is Jesus, and what
   does it mean that He is the Christ?

        May our Lord grant that we know His Son and trust in Him for
   our salvation.  Amen.

January 16, 2026

Broadcast

                   The Baptism of Our Lord - Part 5
                           Matthew 28:18-20
                              01/16/2026


        18   And Jesus came and said to them, ``All authority
             in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
        19   Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
             baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
             the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
        20   teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
             you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end
             of the age.''  (ESV)

        Last Sunday we prayed:
        Father in heaven, at the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan
        River You proclaimed Him Your beloved Son and anointed
        Him with the Holy Spirit.  Make all who are baptized in
        His name faithful in their calling as Your children and
        inheritors with Him of everlasting life; through the
        same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord,  who lives and
        reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,


        The Church is God's gift to the world through which He gives
   the gift of the forgiveness of our sins.  Where there is
   forgiveness, there is eternal life.  His grace, love, and mercy
   is given to us through His Word and the sacraments which Jesus
   bestowed on the Church.

        After Jesus rose from the dead, and before He ascended into
   heaven, He met with His disciples.
        And Jesus came and said to them, ``All authority in
        heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore
        and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
        the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
        Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have
        commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the
        end of the age.''


        From that day until He returns in glory to judge both the
   living and the dead, the Church will proclaim the good news of
   salvation by administering the sacraments and proclaiming the
   Gospel.

        Please join us at Trinity Lutheran Church this Sunday at
   9:00 a.m. to hear of God's mercy, to receive the peace of knowing
   your sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ Jesus.

        May our Lord grant us faith to trust in Him for the
   salvation of our souls.  Amen.