Author: admin

October 29, 2026

Broadcast

               Knowing the Truth - Part 4
                      John 8:31-32
                       10/29/2026


 31   So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ``If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
 32   and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.''  (ESV)

 This week we are summarizing the teaching of the Reformation.  Salvation from sin, death, and the power of the devil is by God's grace alone, through faith alone, as revealed in the Scriptures alone.

 We believe, teach, and confess that the only proper source of doctrine and teaching in the Church is the Word of God, the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures alone.  The Bible is the Word of God, complete and inerrant.  All Scripture is written for our learning and for our blessing.  Every other book, every other teaching in the Church, must conform with the clear Word of God.

 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ``If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.''


 Jesus, the Word made flesh, points His disciples, and all who have faith in Him, to the Bible.  Both the Old and New Testaments witness to the truth of salvation by grace through faith for the sake of Christ.

 Therefore we pray:
 Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people.  Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace.


 May our Lord grant us willing hearts to hear and trust in His Word.  Amen.

October 28, 2026

Broadcast

               Knowing the Truth - Part 3
                     Romans 3:27-28
                       10/28/2026


 27   Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded.  By what kind of law?  By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.
 28   For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.  (ESV)

 This morning we continue to look at the heart of the message of the Reformation.  Salvation from sin, death, and the power of the devil is by God's grace alone, through faith alone.

 Saint Paul wrote:
 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law?  By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.  For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.


 Faith is not a positive feeling that everything will turn out well, or that we should be optimistic.  Faith is the means by which we receive Christ Jesus and His gifts.  It is not our work, but a gift given by the Holy Spirit as He comes to use in both God's holy Word and the Sacraments.  Faith is trusting in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our salvation.  The content of faith is not me and my work, but Jesus.

 When we say that someone has faith, we truly confess that they have Jesus.  When I ask to share my faith with you, I am asking you to hear about Jesus.  The truth is simple, Jesus is our only hope, our only comfort, and our only help in time of need.

 Therefore we pray:
 Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people.  Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace.


 May our Lord grant you faith in Christ Jesus so that you may receive all of God's gracious gifts of peace and comfort.  Amen.

October 27, 2026

Broadcast

               Knowing the Truth - Part 2
                     Romans 3:21-24
                       10/27/2026


 21   But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it --
 22   the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.  For there is no distinction:
 23   for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
 24   and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (ESV)

 This week we are studying the teaching of the Reformation.  This morning's focus is on God's undeserved love.  Salvation from sin, death, and the power of the devil is by God's grace alone.

 Saint Paul wrote:
 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it -- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.  For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,


 We believe, teach, and confess that we are redeemed because of God's love alone, which is found in Christ Jesus.  Our good works do not add anything to our salvation, they are the result of God's mercy which is given to us.  Christ Jesus, in His crucifixion and resurrection, bore not only the guilt of our sin, but the punishment as well.  His righteousness is credited to us, not because of our works, but because of God's grace.

 Therefore we pray:
 Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people.  Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace.


 May our Lord grant us His grace and mercy so that we are assured of our redemption from sin and eternal death.  Amen.

October 26, 2026

Broadcast

               Knowing the Truth - Part 1
                      John 8:31-32
                       10/26/2026


 31   So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ``If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
 32   and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.''  (ESV)

 This coming Saturday, the eve of All Saints' Day, the Lutheran Church celebrates the Reformation.  This is the day, in 1517, that Luther posted his 95 Theses concerning salvation and doctrine upon the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.  He desired not to create a new church body, but to rid the Roman Catholic Church of false doctrine and practice.

 We can summarize the Reformation in several simple statements.  Salvation from sin, death, and the power of the devil is by God's grace alone, through faith alone, as revealed in the Scriptures alone, for the sake of Christ Jesus alone.

 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ``If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.''


 The Reformation is about rediscovering the truth of the Bible without adding other sources such as tradition or human logic.  This week we will look at the Reformation teachings to discover the truth of God's undeserved love.

 Therefore we pray:
 Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people.  Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.


 May our Lord grant you the peace of knowing your sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ Jesus.  Amen.

October 23, 2026

Broadcast

                         The Vineyard - Part 5
                             Matthew 21:43
                              10/22/2026


        43   ``Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be
             taken away from you and given to a people
             producing its fruits.''  (ESV)

        Our prayer this week confesses that faith in Jesus Christ as
   our Redeemer from sin, death, and the power of the devil brings
   us the peace of knowing God's love.  Even during difficult times,
   we can rejoice in God, our Savior.  Faith in Christ Jesus brings
   forth good works where we serve God by serving our neighbor.
        O Lord, grant to Your faithful people pardon and peace
        that they may be cleansed from all their sins and serve
        You with a quiet mind.


        The kingdom of God is the assurance we have that Christ
   Jesus lived, died, and rose again to pay the price of our sins.
   We have God as our Father because we are reconciled to Him by His
   Son.

        There is an old saying, ``You cannot have God as your Father
   unless you have the Church as your mother.''  Those who reject
   the message of the Church, the message of salvation by grace
   through faith for the sake of Christ, will lose the hope they
   once may have had.  Jesus told the rulers of the Temple:
   ``Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away
   from you and given to a people producing its fruits.''

        We pray for all who hear these words that they may be part
   of the kingdom of God.  We pray that each one knows the peace
   which comes from knowing the Father's love, that we can face the
   disasters of this world with confidence that God is protecting us
   from eternal condemnation.  That is the message we proclaim each
   Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church.  Please
   join us.

        May our Lord grant us faith which trusts in Him alone.
   Amen.

October 22, 2026

Broadcast

                         The Vineyard - Part 4
                           Matthew 21:42-43
                              10/22/2026


        42   Jesus said to them, ``Have you never read in the
             Scriptures: `The stone that the builders rejected
             has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's
             doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?'
        43   Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be
             taken away from you and given to a people
             producing its fruits.''  (ESV)

        Jesus began His ministry by saying, ``Repent, for the
   kingdom of heaven is at hand.''  The kingdom of heaven comes
   without our works, without our efforts.  It is God's grace, love,
   and mercy in action.  The Father sent His only-begotten Son to
   pay the price of our sin, thus freeing us from the eternal
   punishment we so deserve.  Therefore, we pray:
        O Lord, grant to Your faithful people pardon and peace
        that they may be cleansed from all their sins and serve
        You with a quiet mind.


        Jesus told the rulers of the Temple a parable concerning a
   vineyard and the wicked tenants who desired to usurp the owner's
   authority.  God entrusted to us the care of this world and the
   well-being of our neighbors.  Have we responded any better than
   did the children of Israel who so often rejected God?

        Jesus said to them, ``Have you never read in the
        Scriptures: `The stone that the builders rejected has
        become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and
        it is marvelous in our eyes?'  Therefore I tell you,
        the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and
        given to a people producing its fruits.''


        Today the Church is the spiritual descendant of Abraham,
   joined to God by faith in Christ Jesus.  He was the stone
   rejected by the builders, crucified to protect their political
   power, and now our only hope for salvation.  The kingdom of God
   has been given to all nations, for Christ Jesus died for the sins
   of the world.

        May our Lord grant us faith in Christ Jesus, that we may be
   part of His kingdom.  Amen.

October 21, 2026

Broadcast

                         The Vineyard - Part 3
                           Matthew 21:37-41
                              10/21/2026


        37   ``Finally he sent his son to them, saying, `They
             will respect my son.'
        38   But when the tenants saw the son, they said to
             themselves, `This is the heir.  Come, let us kill
             him and have his inheritance.'
        39   And they took him and threw him out of the
             vineyard and killed him.
        40   When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes,
             what will he do to those tenants?''
        41   They said to him, ``He will put those wretches to
             a miserable death and let out the vineyard to
             other tenants who will give him the fruits in
             their seasons.''  (ESV)

        Our prayer this week is that God grants us forgiveness so
   that we may serve Him in peace and joy, recognizing that He is
   our only hope and comfort.
        O Lord, grant to Your faithful people pardon and peace
        that they may be cleansed from all their sins and serve
        You with a quiet mind.


        Jesus, several days before He was crucified, told the rulers
   of the Temple a parable which explained the coming judgment.  A
   man planted a vineyard and leased it to trusted tenants.  At the
   proper time, He asked the tenants for a share of the fruit of the
   vineyard.  The tenants ignored the request and killed those the
   master sent.

        ``Finally he sent his son to them, saying, `They will
        respect my son.'  But when the tenants saw the son,
        they said to themselves, `This is the heir.  Come, let
        us kill him and have his inheritance.'  And they took
        him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
        When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what
        will he do to those tenants?''  They said to him, ``He
        will put those wretches to a miserable death and let
        out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the
        fruits in their seasons.''


        Through most of the Old Testament history of the children of
   Israel, we find that they mostly rejected God and turned to false
   idols.  They tortured and killed the prophets sent to give them
   the news of God's grace and mercy.

        The arrogance of the tenants is the cause of their sad end.
   Even the chief priests and scribes recognized the result of              
   killing the Master's Son.  Unfortunately, they did not take that
   lesson to heart.

        May our Lord grant us faith to return to Him, trusting in
   His mercy alone.  Amen.

October 20, 2026

Broadcast

                         The Vineyard - Part 2
                           Matthew 21:35-36
                              10/20/2026


        35   And the tenants took his servants and beat one,
             killed another, and stoned another.
        36   Again he sent other servants, more than the first.
             And they did the same to them.  (ESV)

        In our readings for the next few weeks, we are looking
   forward to the consummation of the age when Jesus returns to
   judge the living and the dead.  Knowing that we cannot earn our
   salvation, we pray for God's grace to keep us in the one true
   faith.
        O Lord, grant to Your faithful people pardon and peace
        that they may be cleansed from all their sins and serve
        You with a quiet mind.


        At Jesus' first coming, those who should have recognized Him
   from their study of the Scriptures failed to see the fulfillment
   of God's promise to send a Redeemer.  The Church turned inward,
   looking at the trappings of power, not at the love of God.  The
   chief priests, the scribes, and the other leaders of the Temple
   lost sight of their stewardship of God's rich blessings, and
   sought to take what belongs to God for their own purposes.

        At the proper time, God the Father sent His Son into this
   world to claim that which is His own.  The love of God's people
   had grown cold.  Although the tenants knew they were not the
   owner of the vineyard, they had been in charge so long they
   actually forgot their obligations.

        And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed
        another, and stoned another.  Again he sent other
        servants, more than the first. And they did the same to
        them.


        Time and again God sent the prophets to say, ``Repent, for
   the kingdom of heaven is at hand.''  He longed to give to His
   people that which was good, both in time and in eternity.  Yet
   His people turned their backs and rejected to call to recognize
   their God.

        May our Lord grant us faith to hear His Word of grace and
   mercy.  Amen.

October 19, 2026

Broadcast

                         The Vineyard - Part 1
                           Matthew 21:33-34
                              10/19/2026


        33   Hear another parable. There was a master of a
             house who planted a vineyard and put a fence
             around it and dug a winepress in it and built a
             tower and leased it to tenants, and went into
             another country.
        34   When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his
             servants to the tenants to get his fruit.  (ESV)

        In these last weeks of the Church Year, we look forward to
   our Lord's second coming to judge the living and the dead.  As
   this creation passes away, as we look to the kingdom of glory
   where those who have not rejected God's love live eternally in
   His presence, we ask Him for faith to trust in Christ Jesus as
   our Redeemer.
        O Lord, grant to Your faithful people pardon and peace
        that they may be cleansed from all their sins and serve
        You with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ, Your Son,
        our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy
        Spirit, one God, now and forever.


        Jesus spoke of His return in several parables in the days
   after He rode into Jerusalem on the back of a young donkey.
        Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who
        planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a
        winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to
        tenants, and went into another country.  When the
        season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the
        tenants to get his fruit.


        Although this parable was spoken directly against the chief
   priests, the scribes, and the Pharisees, it is a warning for us
   as well.  The master of the house entrusts His creation to us as
   stewards.  We will be called to account for the way we use the
   time, talents, and treasure given to us.  Will the tenants in the
   parable acknowledge that the good vineyard is not their property,
   but simply a lease?  Will they attempt to take that which is not
   rightly theirs, ignoring the owner?

        May our Lord grant us faith to hear His Word, to trust His
   promise that He is coming again.  Amen.