Author: admin

June 11, 2026

Broadcast

                       Sins of Omission - Part 4
                              Luke 16:24
                              06/11/2026


        24   And he called out, ``Father Abraham, have mercy on
             me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger
             in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish
             in this flame.''
        25   But Abraham said, ``Child, remember that you in
             your lifetime received your good things, and
             Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is
             comforted here, and you are in anguish.''  (ESV)

        In the prayer of the Church this week we confess that we can
   only keep God's commandments because of His love, grace, and
   mercy.
        O God, the strength of all who trust in You, mercifully
        accept our prayers; and because through the weakness of
        our mortal nature we can do no good thing, grant us
        Your grace to keep Your commandments that we may please
        You in both will and deed.


        We continue the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus.  We know
   both had died, Lazarus being taken by God's angels to Abraham's
   side while the rich man was condemned.
        And [the rich man] called out, ``Father Abraham, have
        mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his
        finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish
        in this flame.''  But Abraham said, ``Child, remember
        that you in your lifetime received your good things,
        and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is
        comforted here, and you are in anguish.''


        Even in the torment of hell, the rich man could not help but
   try to be in control.  He desired that Lazarus, who he had
   ignored, now leave heaven to serve him.  That could not be,
   however, because one cannot pass from heaven to hell.

        Our sinful nature demands that we are in control.  Even if
   we cannot be bothered to help others, we ask that others may go
   out of their way to serve us.  Even after we are judged, we are
   unable to admit our sin.

        May our Lord grant us faith to trust in Him, to confess our
   sins, and so to receive forgiveness.  Amen.

June 10, 2026

Broadcast

                       Sins of Omission - Part 3
                             Luke 16:22-23
                              06/10/2026


        22   The poor man died and was carried by the angels to
             Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was
             buried,
        23   and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his
             eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his
             side.  (ESV)

        O God, the strength of all who trust in You, mercifully
        accept our prayers; and because through the weakness of
        our mortal nature we can do no good thing, grant us
        Your grace to keep Your commandments that we may please
        You in both will and deed.


        This week's Collect, the prayer of the Church, confesses
   that we cannot, by our own abilities, love God with our whole
   heart or our neighbor as ourselves.  We are forgiven because of
   God's grace, and respond by doing His will by keeping His
   commandments.  Because we are forgiven, we love God with our
   whole heart and reflect His love to our neighbors.

        The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus continues:
        The poor man died and was carried by the angels to
        Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried,
        and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes
        and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.


        Lazarus, whose name means ``Helped by God,'' was not saved
   because he was a poor, sick beggar who languished alone and
   neglected at the gate of the rich man.  Lazarus was saved because
   he trusted in God.  It is because of God's grace, love, and mercy
   that this child of Abraham was taken by God's angels to the
   everlasting feast in heaven.

        Being rich, being a prominent religious leader, did not save
   the Pharisee.  We know the rich man sinned against Lazarus by
   being indifferent, by neglecting him.  This shows the selfish
   nature of the rich man, poor towards those in need because he
   lacks faith in God.

        May our Lord grant us wisdom to trust in Him alone for our
   redemption from everlasting death.  Amen.

June 9, 2026

Broadcast

                       Sins of Omission - Part 2
                             Luke 16:19-21
                              06/09/2026


        19   There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and
             fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
        20   And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus,
             covered with sores,
        21   who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich
             man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and
             licked his sores.  (ESV)

        This week's Collect, the prayer of the day, asks God for
   mercy even though we sin against Him and our neighbors.
        O God, the strength of all who trust in You, mercifully
        accept our prayers; and because through the weakness of
        our mortal nature we can do no good thing, grant us
        Your grace to keep Your commandments that we may please
        You in both will and deed.


        There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine
        linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.  And at
        his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered
        with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from
        the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and
        licked his sores.


        The rich man, a Pharisee, was a religious leader.  Everyone
   looked at him and marveled at the blessings he had received from
   God.  He stood at the front of the Temple when he prayed, and
   asked the most learned of teachers to dine with him on the
   Sabbath.  Yet, even in his wealth and power, even as a religious
   leader, he forgot the teaching of the Law.  ``You shall love the
   Lord your God with all your heart, and your neighbor as
   yourself.''[1]

        Caring for Lazarus would have cost him nothing.  Lazarus
   desired the scraps, the leftovers, that which was surplus to the
   rich man's needs.  By being indifferent to Lazarus, the rich man
   also showed that he was actually indifferent to God.

        May our Lord grant that we may show love to our neighbor and
   help in times of need.  Amen.
   ____________________

   1. Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18

June 8, 2026

Broadcast

                       Sins of Omission - Part 1
                             Luke 16:19-21
                              06/08/2026


        19   There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and
             fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
        20   And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus,
             covered with sores,
        21   who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich
             man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and
             licked his sores.  (ESV)

        During the first several weeks of the second half of the
   Church Year, we look at the marks of the Church.  We believe,
   teach, and confess that the Church is the people of God gathered
   around God's Word and the Sacraments to receive from Him the
   blessing of the forgiveness of our sins and life everlasting for
   the sake of Christ Jesus.

        Our Collect, the prayer of the day, for Sunday clearly says
   that we are by nature sinful and trust only in God's grace, love,
   and mercy for our redemption from sin.
        O God, the strength of all who trust in You, mercifully
        accept our prayers; and because through the weakness of
        our mortal nature we can do no good thing, grant us
        Your grace to keep Your commandments that we may please
        You in both will and deed; through Jesus Christ, our
        Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy
        Spirit, one God, now and forever.


        The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus shows us that we can
   sin against our neighbor by doing nothing.
        There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine
        linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.  And at
        his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered
        with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from
        the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and
        licked his sores.


        In looking at this story which Jesus told, we will see the
   eternal effects of our sin and the source of hope, the clear Word
   of God which tells us of His mercy.

        May our Lord grant us faith to hear Him as He speaks to us
   through Moses and the Prophets.  Amen.

June 5, 2026

Broadcast

                    Do You Like a Mystery? - Part 5
                               John 3:17
                              06/05/2026


        17   For God did not send his Son into the world to
             condemn the world, but in order that the world
             might be saved through him.  (ESV)

        The story of the conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus
   does not answer the question, ``How can God be One yet three
   Persons?  How can we worship the Trinity in Unity neither
   confusing the persons nor dividing the substance?''  The mystery
   remains.

        Yet, this conversation explains the work of each person for
   our salvation.  The Father, who loves His creation, sent His Son
   to redeem us from sin, death, and the power of the devil.  The
   Holy Spirit creates and sustains the faith, the trust, each
   Christian has that Jesus' death and resurrection is for them.

        ``For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the
   world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.''

        Therefore the Church prays:
        Almighty and everlasting God, You have given us grace
        to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity by the
        confession of a true faith and to worship the Unity in
        the power of the Divine Majesty.  Keep us steadfast in
        this faith and defend us from all adversities; for You,
        O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, live and reign, one
        God, now and forever.


        We still study this mystery to learn more of God's love.
   That is why you should join us each Sunday at Trinity Lutheran
   Church at 9:00 a.m. to hear more about God's great love, grace,
   and mercy.

        God grant this for Jesus' sake.  Amen.

June 4, 2026

Broadcast

                    Do You Like a Mystery? - Part 4
                             John 3:13-16
                              06/04/2026


        13   No one has ascended into heaven except he who
             descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
        14   And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
             wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
        15   that whoever believes in him may have eternal
             life.
        16   For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
             Son, that whoever believes in him should not
             perish but have eternal life.  (ESV)

        This week we are looking at the Trinity, the Church's
   understanding of God, by studying the third chapter of Saint
   John's Gospel.  How did Jesus explain the mystery of faith to
   Nicodemus?  He looked back to the days when the children of
   Israel were in the wilderness.  Because they grumbled against
   Moses, and therefore grumbled against God, they were plagued by
   venomous snakes.  A lot of people were bitten and died.

        When the people repented, God told Moses to make a bronze
   image of a snake and elevate it on a pole.  Those who were bitten
   and looked in faith to the bronze serpent did not die.

        No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended
        from heaven, the Son of Man.  And as Moses lifted up
        the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man
        be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have
        eternal life.  For God so loved the world, that he gave
        his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not
        perish but have eternal life.


        The second Person of the Trinity, the One who came down from
   heaven, would also be lifted up on a wooden cross.  Those who
   look to the cross, those who trust that the death of the Son of
   God paid for their rebellion, will have life.

        The Father, out of love, sent His Son to bear the sins of
   the world.  That is the mystery of the faith.

        May our Lord grant that we may look in faith to Christ Jesus
   for the forgiveness of our sins.  Amen.

June 3, 2026

Broadcast

                    Do You Like a Mystery? - Part 3
                              John 3:9-12
                              06/03/2026


        9    Nicodemus said to him, ``How can these things
             be?''
        10   Jesus answered him, ``Are you the teacher of
             Israel and yet you do not understand these things?
        11   Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we
             know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but
             you do not receive our testimony.
        12   If I have told you earthly things and you do not
             believe, how can you believe if I tell you
             heavenly things?''  (ESV)

        This week we are looking at the Trinity, the Church's
   understanding of God, by studying the third chapter of Saint
   John's Gospel.  Jesus told Nicodemus, ``You must be born again.
   Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the
   kingdom of God.''

        Nicodemus said to him, ``How can these things be?''
        Jesus answered him, ``Are you the teacher of Israel and
        yet you do not understand these things?  Truly, truly,
        I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear
        witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive
        our testimony.  If I have told you earthly things and
        you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you
        heavenly things?''


        This is the mystery we ponder.  If we are not saved by our
   good works, if we cannot please God by our actions, how can we be
   assured of eternal life?  Frankly, if we don't have faith, if we
   have rejected the calling of the Holy Spirit, the message of
   Christianity is foolishness.  It was foolishness to Nicodemus, it
   was foolishness to both Jews and Greeks in Corinth, it is
   foolishness to modern ears.

        Of course, there is a lot in the world that is true that we
   don't understand, that we think makes no sense.  Our inability to
   unravel the mystery does not change the truth.  It shows that we
   need to learn more.

        May our Lord grant us faith to learn and understand His
   grace, love, and mercy so that we may have life everlasting.
   Amen.

June 2, 2026

Broadcast

                    Do You Like a Mystery? - Part 2
                              John 3:4-6
                              06/02/2026


        4    Nicodemus said to him, ``How can a man be born
             when he is old? Can he enter a second time into
             his mother's womb and be born?''
        5    Jesus answered, ``Truly, truly, I say to you,
             unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he
             cannot enter the kingdom of God.
        6    That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that
             which is born of the Spirit is spirit.''  (ESV)

        This week we are looking at the mystery of the Trinity, that
   we worship one God yet Three Persons.  The third chapter of Saint
   John's Gospel shows us the work of each Person.

        Nicodemus, a member of the ruling council of the Jews, came
   to ask Jesus about His teaching.  Immediately Jesus told
   Nicodemus, ``Unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom
   of God.''  No matter how good one is in keeping the law of God,
   and Nicodemus, as a Pharisee, was an outstanding example of the
   perfect pious man, you cannot earn heaven.

        Nicodemus said to him, ``How can a man be born when he
        is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's
        womb and be born?''  Jesus answered, ``Truly, truly, I
        say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit,
        he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born
        of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the
        Spirit is spirit.''


        Our new birth is not physical, but a gift of God given
   through baptism as the Holy Spirit uses the water and the Word to
   create faith.  It is the the work of the Holy Spirit to call us
   to God as we are shown our sin and as we hear the Gospel.

        This truth leads us to the definition of the Church, the
   people of God who are gathered in faith around the Word and
   Sacraments.  This truth leads us to the understanding that
   salvation is by God's rich love alone.

        May our Lord, the Triune God, grant us faith to hear and
   trust the Words given to us by Jesus Christ.  Amen.

June 1, 2026

Broadcast

                    Do You Like a Mystery? - Part 1
                              John 3:1-3
                              06/01/2026


        1    Now there was a man of the Pharisees named
             Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
        2    This man came to Jesus by night and said to him,
             ``Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from
             God, for no one can do these signs that you do
             unless God is with him.''
        3    Jesus answered him, ``Truly, truly, I say to you,
             unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom
             of God.''  (ESV)

        This week, in honor of Trinity Sunday, the sign by the road
   asks, ``Do you like a mystery?''  No, we are not talking Sherlock
   Holmes, but the doctrine of the Church.  What do we believe,
   teach, and confess?

        Trinity Sunday marks the division of the Church Year from
   following the life of Jesus from His birth, through His death and
   resurrection, to His ascension.  Unlike the other feasts during
   the year, today celebrates the Church's understanding of God.

        That is the mystery that we cannot solve.  The Bible, from
   the opening pages, shows us that God is One, yet God is three
   Persons.  Even the word which we translate as ``God,''
   ``Elohim,'' is plural.  Properly speaking, we can render the
   first verse of Genesis as ``In the beginning Gods created the
   heavens and the earth.''  The famous cry of the Old Testament,
   ``Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one,''[1]
   confesses the doctrine of the Trinity.

        Sunday's Gospel reading from the third chapter of John,
   clearly teaches the work of the Three Persons, as well as our
   need for a Savior.
        Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a
        ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and
        said to him, ``Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher
        come from God, for no one can do these signs that you
        do unless God is with him.''  Jesus answered him,
        ``Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again
        he cannot see the kingdom of God.''


        May our Lord bless us as we ponder this mystery of faith for
   our eternal salvation.  Amen.

   ____________________

   1. Deuteronomy 6:4

May 29, 2026

Broadcast

                          Pentecost - Part 4
                              John 14:27
                              05/29/2026


        27   Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
             Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not
             your hearts be troubled, neither let them be
             afraid.  (ESV)

        What is the result of the Holy Spirit creating the faith in
   our hearts which receives and treasures the Word of God?  It is
   the sure and certain knowledge that our Lord Jesus Christ
   suffered, died, and rose again from the grave to pay the price of
   our sin.

        Certainly, the Word of God, the Law, accuses us of sin.  You
   and I cannot escape the truth that we have broken the letter and
   spirit of God's Law by our actions and inactions.  You and I
   cannot escape the truth that we have harmed our neighbors, our
   friends, our families, by our selfish desires.

        The peace of God is not merely a pause in conflict.  It is
   the sure and certain knowledge that our sins are forgiven for the
   sake of Christ Jesus.  He told His disciples: ``Peace I leave
   with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I
   give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be
   afraid.''

        Because the Word of God brings us the Gospel, the proper
   work of our Savior, we are bold to pray.
        O God, on this day You once taught the hearts of Your
        faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy
        Spirit.  Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have
        a right understanding in all things and evermore to
        rejoice in His holy consolation.


        Please join us this Sunday at 9:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran
   Church to hear more of God's love, grace, and mercy as we
   celebrate Trinity Sunday, the first Sunday of the second half of
   the Church Year.

        May our Lord grant us the peace which is beyond
   understanding.  Amen.