Author: admin

September 25, 2024

Broadcast

                          Humility -- Part 3
                           Proverbs 25:11-12
                              09/25/2024


        11   A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a
             setting of silver.
        12   Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise
             reprover to a listening ear.  (ESV)

        Yesterday we heard Solomon's words about quickly taking
   offense, about quickly making an issue public to the harm of our
   neighbor and ourselves.  Today he continues with the wisdom to be
   open to instruction and learning.
        A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting
        of silver.  Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is
        a wise reprover to a listening ear.


        There was only one perfect Man, and the religious leaders of
   His day caused Him to be nailed to a cross.  You and I, on the
   other hand, can and do make mistakes, have misunderstandings, and
   always need to learn.

        How do we handle criticism?  Do we turn away, stop our ears,
   and attack the one who is trying to improve us?  Or do we
   respectfully listen, ponder the words, and seek to remove any
   dissension which our actions may have caused?  As the ones
   offering criticism, do we go on the attack with accusations, or
   do we discuss the situation calmly and without suggesting an evil
   intent behind the actions?

        Solomon would have us open to learning, to hearing another
   point of view, and responding with thanks.  As we consider the
   criticism, we may disagree, we may not change our actions, but we
   will have gained an insight to the impact of our words.  We may
   determine that we have not truly reflected God's love, thus we
   may confess our sin and receive forgiveness.

        During this election season, especially, we need to realize
   that Jesus Christ was willing to die for all people, that all are
   precious in His sight.  Therefore, we need to speak and act with
   respect, showing love to our neighbor.  May our Lord grant us the
   wisdom to treat each person, even those with whom we may not
   agree, with love and honor.  Amen.

September 24, 2024

Broadcast

                          Humility -- Part 2
                           Proverbs 25:7-10
                              09/24/2024


        7b   What your eyes have seen
        8    do not hastily bring into court, for what will you
             do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to
             shame?
        9    Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do
             not reveal another's secret,
        10   lest he who hears you bring shame upon you, and
             your ill repute have no end.  (ESV)

        King Solomon had a lot to say about humility and how that
   affects our relationship with our neighbor.
        What your eyes have seen do not hastily bring into
        court, for what will you do in the end, when your
        neighbor puts you to shame?  Argue your case with your
        neighbor himself, and do not reveal another's secret,
        lest he who hears you bring shame upon you, and your
        ill repute have no end.


        How fitting Solomon's words in today's cancel culture.  If a
   person acts or says something which if found offensive, they are
   not given a chance to privately repent, but are immediately
   ostracized, boycotted, shunned, fired, or assaulted on social
   media or other public venues.  Even if the actions or words were
   done decades earlier, there is no chance for redemption.

        How does Solomon suggest we deal with offense?  He says what
   Jesus later said, deal privately with the matter to preserve each
   party's reputation and standing.  The person complaining also has
   reasons to be canceled, so no one comes out the winner.  Rather,
   love your neighbor, show respect, and work out differences
   privately.  This seems like wise advice from the wisest man who
   ever lived.

        May our Lord grant us the wisdom to love our neighbor by
   showing them respect.  Amen.

September 23, 2024

Broadcast

                          Humility -- Part 1
                            Proverbs 25:6-7
                              09/23/2024


        6    Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence
             or stand in the place of the great,
        7a   for it is better to be told, ``Come up here,''
             than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.
             (ESV)

        The theme of this week's readings is humility.  How can we,
   who have confessed that we are by nature sinful and unclean,
   place ourselves above others as the paragon of virtue?  Rather,
   because we know that our help is in the name of the Lord who made
   heaven and earth, that which we do reflects glory upon Him.  If
   we are to be given praise and honor, let it be given because we
   have been saved from sin, death, and the power of the devil by
   the innocent suffering and death of Jesus Christ.  Our glory is a
   gift given to us because He is risen from the dead, lives, and
   reigns through all eternity.

        This week's Old Testament lesson comes from Proverbs, words
   of King Solomon preserved by scribes in the Temple.

        Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or
        stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be
        told, ``Come up here,'' than to be put lower in the
        presence of a noble.


        Jesus later told a group of Pharisees, scribes, and lawyers
   the same thing.  Rather than seek worldly honor, show humility.
   If honor is due, let someone else bestow it upon you.  Otherwise,
   it is your own ego speaking out of arrogance.  That never wins
   friends or influences people.

        We are called to love God above all things, and to serve our
   neighbors.  Therefore, let others stand in the place of honor.

        May our Lord grant us humble hearts which seek first the
   kingdom of God and His righteousness.  Amen.

September 20, 2024

Broadcast

                       The Widow's Son -- Part 5
                             1 Kings 17:24
                              09/20/2024


        24   And the woman said to Elijah, ``Now I know that
             you are a man of God, and that the word of the
             LORD in your mouth is truth.''  (ESV)

        This week we have been looking at the account of Elijah
   raising the son of the widow of Zarephath.  The son's
   resurrection the dead foreshadowed Jesus rising from the dead.  A
   greater lesson, where Jesus took up His life again, all the
   others in the Bible who were called forth from the grave were
   given new life by the power of God.

        Our committal service at a graveside include a prayer that
   God keep the remains of our loved ones save until the
   resurrection of the dead.  Jesus Christ has promised to return to
   judge the living and the dead, to give life everlasting to those
   who believe in Him.  This is the promise of which Saint Paul
   spoke: ``If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and
   believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will
   be saved.''[2]

        Elijah gave the boy for whom he had prayed back to his
   mother, the widow of Zarephath.  ``And the woman said to Elijah,
   `Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the
   LORD in your mouth is truth.'''

        As we see God's grace, love, and mercy in action, we respond
   with praise and thanksgiving.  We confess that the word of the
   LORD is truth, that salvation is by God's rich grace alone, for
   the sake of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ alone.

        This is the message of hope that we hear each Sunday as we
   gather at 9:00 a.m.  at Trinity Lutheran Church.  Come join us to
   hear again of God's love and mercy.  May our Lord grant you the
   hope of knowing your sins are forgiven, that you know of God's
   love, and look forward to the resurrection.  Amen.
   ____________________

   2. Romans 10:9 (ESV)

September 19, 2024

Broadcast

                       The Widow's Son -- Part 4
                             1 Kings 17:23
                              09/19/2024


        23   And Elijah took the child and brought him down
             from the upper chamber into the house and
             delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said,
             ``See, your son lives.''  (ESV)

        You and I, given our own power, cannot raise anyone from the
   dead.  This is also true of Elijah even in regards to the widow's
   son in Zarephath.  Elijah prayed that God would restore the life
   of the boy, and God allowed the boy to revive.

        Prayer changes things.  God, through the Psalmist, said:
   ``and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and
   you shall glorify me.''[1] Jesus also instructed His disciples,
   and us, to pray, ``Thy will be done.''  As children, we do not
   know the unintended results of our prayers, which is why we ask
   God to accomplish that which is best, even if it is not exactly
   that for which we prayed.  Many times our prayers for healing and
   blessings are answered with a resounding ``yes,'' while at other
   times the same requests may bring ultimate harm.

        Elijah prayed that the boy's life might be restored, a
   prayer which God answered according to Elijah's request.  ``And
   Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber
   into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said,
   `See, your son lives.'''

        When we pray for temporal blessings, even for continued good
   health and well-being, we pray, ``Thy will be done.''  When we
   pray for spiritual blessings, the forgiveness of sins, stronger
   faith, the hope and comfort of the resurrection, God's promise is
   always an answer of ``yes.''  Because our sins are forgiven, we
   have the hope of life everlasting.

        May our Lord grant us faith to trust in His promises, to
   know that through Jesus Christ we have the forgiveness of our
   sins, and the hope of our own resurrection.  Amen.
   ____________________

   1. Psalms 50:15 (ESV)

September 18, 2024

Broadcast

                       The Widow's Son -- Part 3
                             1 Kings 17:22
                              09/18/2024


        22   And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah. And
             the life of the child came into him again, and he
             revived.  (ESV)

        Each Christian confesses and believes that Jesus Christ rose
   physically from the dead.  Because Jesus was without sin, the
   grave could not hold Him.  His death on the cross paid the price
   of our sin.  His resurrection will become our resurrection.
   Therefore we confess in the Apostles' Creed, ``I believe in the
   ... forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the
   life everlasting.''

        Our faith in the promise of a bodily resurrection is
   certainly based on the empty tomb discovered on Easter Sunday.
   However, God, working through both the Prophets and Apostles,
   showed that all people will rise again, for He permitted the
   resurrection of several people in the Old and New Testaments.

        Elijah, who was staying in a chamber in the home of the
   widow of Zarephath, had taken the widow's dead son.  He prayed
   God's blessing on the boy and the widow.  ``And the LORD listened
   to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him
   again, and he revived.''

        Does this mean that God will answer all prayers for an
   immediate restoration of life in the way He answered Elijah's
   prayer?  No, for God never promised that miracle at our request.
   However, the widow's son does point us both to Jesus'
   resurrection, and to our own resurrection.

        Therefore, we continue to pray for those we love, for those
   in need, asking that God's almighty will be done, that He
   accomplishes all things for the good of those who trust in Him.

        May our Lord grant us faith to trust in Him, that His
   answers to our prayers are for our ultimate blessing.  Amen.

September 17, 2024

Broadcast

                       The Widow's Son -- Part 2
                           1 Kings 17:19-21
                              09/17/2024


        19   And he said to her, ``Give me your son.'' And he
             took him from her arms and carried him up into the
             upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his
             own bed.
        20   And he cried to the LORD, ``O LORD my God, have
             you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom
             I sojourn, by killing her son?''
        21   Then he stretched himself upon the child three
             times and cried to the LORD, ``O LORD my God, let
             this child's life come into him again.''  (ESV)

        The hope of each Christian is the result of two facts.
   First, Jesus Christ bore the guilt of our sin upon the cross,
   thereby reconciling us to God the Father.  Second, Jesus burst
   forth from the tomb, showing that the grave cannot hold one who
   has been declared holy and righteous in God's sight.

        In both the Old and New Testaments, God, working through His
   prophets and apostles, raised several people from the dead.  This
   week's Old Testament lesson concerns the son of the widow of
   Zarephath who was taking care of Elijah.  Her son became ill and
   died.
        And [Elijah] said to her, ``Give me your son.'' And he
        took him from her arms and carried him up into the
        upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own
        bed.  And he cried to the LORD, ``O LORD my God, have
        you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I
        sojourn, by killing her son?''  Then he stretched
        himself upon the child three times and cried to the
        LORD, ``O LORD my God, let this child's life come into
        him again.''


        Elijah proclaimed his own helplessness and called upon God
   to grant this extraordinary miracle.  The Christian believes that
   death is but a temporal sleep from which we will awaken.  Our
   prayers, our hope, is for the resurrection of the body and life
   everlasting when Jesus comes to judge the living and the dead.

        May our Lord grant us faith that holds to the promise of
   life in heaven.  Amen.

September 16, 2024

Broadcast

                       The Widow's Son -- Part 1
                           1 Kings 17:17-18
                              09/16/2024


        17   After this the son of the woman, the mistress of
             the house, became ill.  And his illness was so
             severe that there was no breath left in him.
        18   And she said to Elijah, ``What have you against
             me, O man of God?  You have come to me to bring my
             sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my
             son!''  (ESV)

        Saint Paul wrote: ``If you confess with your mouth that
   Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from
   the dead, you will be saved.''[1] This week's readings deal with
   God restoring life to people who had died.  In the Old Testament
   we hear of the widow of Zarephath, the woman who continued to
   care for Elijah, at the death of her son.  In the Gospel lesson,
   we hear of Jesus raising the widow's son in the town of Nain.

        Jesus' resurrection is unique because He did not
   subsequently die, whereas the two sons in this week's readings
   did later pass away.  But, both of these resurrection stories
   tell us that God indeed can and does raise people from the dead.
   This brings us the hope that we, too, shall rise again.

        After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the
        house, became ill.  And his illness was so severe that
        there was no breath left in him.  And she said to
        Elijah, ``What have you against me, O man of God?  You
        have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to
        cause the death of my son!''


        The widow understood that death is the result of sin.  She
   here confesses that she and her son have gone against God's law,
   thus they will face temporal death.  In this we are like the
   widow and her son, facing the future, knowing that we rightly
   deserve punishment for our transgressions.

        Yet this story brings hope, which we will discover in the
   next few days.

        May our Lord grant you faith that trusts in Him, that gives
   you hope.  Amen.
   ____________________

   1. Romans 10:9 (ESV)

September 13, 2024

Broadcast

                Seek First the Kingdom of God -- Part 5
                             1 Kings 17:16
                              09/13/2024


        16   The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the
             jug of oil become empty, according to the word of
             the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.  (ESV)

        Faith in God requires knowledge of His promises, agreement
   that His Word is true, and trust that He will do as He says.
   Jesus said: ``But seek first the kingdom of God and his
   righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.''[4]

        The drought which caused God to supply ample bread to the
   widow of Zarephath to feed her household and Elijah was the
   result of the people of the northern kingdom of Israel turning
   from God to idols.  The drought was a call to repent, to seek
   first the God who provides food, clothing, shelter, and all we
   need to sustain this body and life.

        The righteousness of God is the free gift of salvation from
   sin, death, and the power of the devil which is given for the
   sake of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  As we trust
   in God, we know that He will act to preserve us for eternity, to
   bring us to live with Him in everlasting righteousness,
   innocence, and blessedness.

        God fulfills His promises.  ``The jar of flour was not
   spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the
   word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.''

        Please join us at 9:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church to
   hear of God's rich love, grace, and mercy.  The message of faith
   is simple, our sins are forgiven for the sake of the suffering,
   death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  In the same way the
   widow of Zarephath did not earn the flour and oil, but received
   the gift for three years, so do we simply receive the gift of
   eternal life.

        May our Lord grant us faith to know and trust in Him alone.
   Amen.
   ____________________

   4. Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

September 12, 2024

Broadcast

                Seek First the Kingdom of God -- Part 4
                             1 Kings 17:15
                              09/12/2024


        15   And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and
             he and her household ate for many days.  (ESV)

        Our Lord God keeps His promises, including the promise to
   provide all we need to support this body and life.  The prophet
   Elijah, 850 years before Jesus said, ``Seek first the kingdom of
   God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added
   unto you,''[3] called the widow of Zarephath to act in faith.
   ``Bring me a morsel of bread,'' he asked the widow.  Take the
   last of your flour, the last of your oil, trust in God, and
   provide for the prophet He has sent to proclaim His Word.

        What an act of trust, what an example of faith was displayed
   by the widow.  Hungry, concerned that this prophet would consume
   her last provisions, she nevertheless trusted in God more than
   her own understanding.  ``And she went and did as Elijah said.
   And she and he and her household ate for many days.''

        How do we understand this miracle?  Can we expect that
   people who have faith in the one true God will never face the
   problems of life?  Of course not.  But they never face the
   problems alone, for God is with them and has promised to care for
   them.  His great mercy endures forever.

        As we fear, love, and trust in God above all things, we come
   to know of His mercy and grace.  Jesus told us to pray, ``give us
   this day our daily bread,'' not because we need to beg for those
   things we need, but to acknowledge that our heavenly Father
   provides for us even before we ask.  That prayer speaks of our
   faith in God, and proclaims His loving kindness.

        May our Lord grant that we trust in Him at all times and in
   all His promises.  Amen.
   ____________________

   3. Matthew 6:33