Category: Turn Your Radio On 2026

January 14, 2026

Broadcast

                   The Baptism of Our Lord - Part 3
                             Romans 6:3-4
                              01/14/2026


        3    Do you not know that all of us who have been
             baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his
             death?
        4    We were buried therefore with him by baptism into
             death, in order that, just as Christ was raised
             from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too
             might walk in newness of life.  (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.


        In the Collect, the prayer of the Church, we called upon our
   Heavenly Father to bless us because of the baptism of Jesus.  We
   believe, teach, and confess that Jesus reveals to the world the
   grace, love, and mercy of the Father.  We also believe, teach,
   and confess that the Holy Spirit creates and preserves in us the
   faith which trusts that Jesus' death and resurrection are for our
   salvation.

        Saint Paul wrote:
        Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized
        into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We
        were buried therefore with him by baptism into death,
        in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
        by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in
        newness of life.


        In our prayer, we certainly ask our Father to send the Holy
   Spirit to give us the faith to trust in Jesus' death and
   resurrection on our behalf.  We also ask for the faith to know
   that baptism is God's work to give us the benefit of our Lord's
   sacrifice, applying to each person who is baptized the
   forgiveness won for us on the cross.

        May our Lord grant us faith to hold to His promise of life
   everlasting for the sake of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

January 13, 2026

Broadcast

                   The Baptism of Our Lord - Part 2
                            Matthew 3:16-17
                              01/13/2026


        16   And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went
             up from the water, and behold, the heavens were
             opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God
             descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;
        17   and behold, a voice from heaven said, ``This is my
             beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.  (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.


        In the ancient Church, the celebration of the Epiphany, of
   the revealing of Jesus as the Son of God, was centered on three
   events.  The first was the visit of the Wise Men, the Magi, and
   the presentation of their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
   The second was the Baptism of Jesus.  The third was the Wedding
   of Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle.

        In the Baptism of Jesus, where He willingly placed Himself
   under the Law so to fulfill the Law on our behalf, we see all
   three persons of the Trinity.
        And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up
        from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to
        him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a
        dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice
        from heaven said, ``This is my beloved Son, with whom I
        am well pleased.


        All four Gospel accounts speak of the Trinity, of the Spirit
   resting on Jesus, of the voice of the Father.  The three Persons
   of the Triune God are in agreement, the salvation of all people
   is in accordance with God's will.

        May our Lord grant that we hear the voice of the Father who
   accepts the sacrifice of His Son for our redemption from sin and
   death.  Amen.

January 12, 2025

Broadcast

                   The Baptism of Our Lord - Part 1
                            Matthew 3:13-15
                              01/12/2026


        13   Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to
             John, to be baptized by him.
        14   John would have prevented him, saying, ``I need to
             be baptized by you, and do you come to me?''
        15   But Jesus answered him, ``Let it be so now, for
             thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all
             righteousness.'' Then he consented.  (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,


        In the Epiphany season we see Jesus, who is true man,
   revealed as the Son of God.  Nowhere is this more clear than in
   the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptizer at the Jordan River.
   Saint Matthew recorded:
        Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to
        be baptized by him.  John would have prevented him,
        saying, ``I need to be baptized by you, and do you come
        to me?''  But Jesus answered him, ``Let it be so now,
        for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all
        righteousness.'' Then he consented.


        John was the forerunner of the Christ, proclaiming,
   ``Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.''  He called
   people to recognize their sin, to confess their sin, and to flee
   to God's infinite mercy.  However, John recognized Jesus as being
   sinless, as having no need of repentance.

        By being baptized, Jesus willingly took upon Himself the
   sins of all people.  He was anointed both by the water and the
   Holy Spirit to become our Redeemer from sin and death.

        May our Lord grant that we recognize that Jesus was baptized
   for our salvation.  Amen.

January 9, 2025

Broadcast

                        The True Light - Part 5
                              John 1:1-5
                              01/09/2026


        1    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
             with God, and the Word was God.
        2    He was in the beginning with God.
        3    All things were made through him, and without him
             was not any thing made that was made.
        4    In him was life, and the life was the light of
             men.
        5    The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness
             has not overcome it.  (ESV)

        As the Christmas season ends and the Church enters the
   Epiphany season, we ponder the words of Saint John:
        In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
        God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning
        with God.  All things were made through him, and
        without him was not any thing made that was made.  In
        him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The
        light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not
        overcome it.


        Last Sunday the Church prayed:
        Almighty God, You have poured into our hearts the true
        Light of Your incarnate Word.  Grant that this Light
        may shine forth in our lives; through the same Jesus
        Christ, Your Son, our Lord,  who lives and reigns with
        You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.


        The Church exists, not to be morality police, not as the
   gathering place for the holy, but to bring the light of life into
   this sin-darkened world.  As members of Christ's Church, we seek
   to reflect the love of God which has called us from eternal death
   into the promise of heaven.

        All we do is a response to Christ Jesus, in light of the
   message, salvation is by grace through faith for His sake.  He
   promises to be with us.  We find Him where He promises, in the
   Word which is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; in
   Baptism where we are buried with Him and rise with Him; in the
   Lord's Supper where we receive His true body and blood under the
   bread and wine; and in absolution where He pronounces our sins
   forgiven.

        Please join us this coming Sunday, and every Sunday, at
   Trinity Lutheran Church at 9:00 a.m. to hear the good news of our
   Savior.  May our Lord grant you the light of His grace.  Amen.

January 8, 2026

Broadcast

                        The True Light - Part 4
                             John 14:13-14
                              01/08/2026


        13   Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that
             the Father may be glorified in the Son.
        14   If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
             (ESV)

        Last Sunday the Church prayed:
        Almighty God, You have poured into our hearts the true
        Light of Your incarnate Word.  Grant that this Light
        may shine forth in our lives; through the same Jesus
        Christ, Your Son, our Lord,  who lives and reigns with
        You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.


        We dare to approach the Almighty God, not because of
   anything we have done, but because He sent the true Light of the
   Incarnate Word to redeem us from sin, death, and the power of the
   devil.  All prayer comes from faith, trust that our heavenly
   Father will indeed answer our petition for our eternal benefit
   and for His glory.

        Even as we pray for temporal blessings, we pray as children
   who do not truly understand the consequences of our desires.  At
   times the best answer God can give is ``no,'' for the very thing
   we desire may be harmful.  At times the best answer God can give
   is ``wait,'' for all things are done in His time for the good of
   those who trust in Him.  At times the best answer God can give is
   ``yes,'' for the temporal blessing we seek is according to God's
   will.

        When we pray for spiritual blessings, for faith, for
   forgiveness, for wisdom, God always answers ``yes.''  Jesus told
   His disciples, and the Church: ``Whatever you ask in my name,
   this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If
   you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.''

        Thus, we are bold to pray, not because of our goodness, but
   because Jesus has invited us to pray in His name because of His
   righteousness.

        May our Lord grant us faith to pray without ceasing, to
   recognize that our heavenly Father hears us for the sake of His
   Son.  Amen.

January 7, 2026

Broadcast

                        The True Light - Part 3
                             1 John 1:5-7
                              01/07/2026


        5    This is the message we have heard from him and
             proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is
             no darkness at all.
        6    If we say we have fellowship with him while we
             walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the
             truth.
        7    But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
             light, we have fellowship with one another, and
             the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all
             sin.  (ESV)

        Last Sunday the Church prayed:
        Almighty God, You have poured into our hearts the true
        Light of Your incarnate Word.  Grant that this Light
        may shine forth in our lives; through the same Jesus
        Christ, Your Son, our Lord,  who lives and reigns with
        You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.


        The Collect, the prayer of the day, typically has a fixed
   form.  It begins with addressing God, using an appropriate title.
   Most often the Collect is directed to the Father, but may be
   addressed to any Person of the Trinity, or to the Triune God in
   general.  Normally we confess something which God has done in the
   past, as is true in this Collect, ``You have poured into our
   hearts the true Light of Your incarnate Word.''  Then comes the
   petition, that for which we are asking, ``Grant that this Light
   may shine forth in our lives.''

        Saint John, in his first epistle, wrote:
        This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim
        to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at
        all.  If we say we have fellowship with him while we
        walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
        But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we
        have fellowship with one another, and the blood of
        Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.


        Our good works reflect the light of the Son of God.
   Salvation from sin and death is given to us for the sake of the
   death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Good works follow, where
   we become the hands of God for the good of others.

        May our Lord grant us faith to walk in His light, and to
   reflect His love.  Amen.

January 6, 2026

Broadcast

                        The True Light - Part 2
                               John 1:11
                              01/06/2026


        11   He came to his own, and his own people did not
             receive him.  (ESV)

        Last Sunday the Church prayed:
        Almighty God, You have poured into our hearts the true
        Light of Your incarnate Word.  Grant that this Light
        may shine forth in our lives; through the same Jesus
        Christ, Your Son, our Lord,  who lives and reigns with
        You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.


        On this day of the Epiphany, where the Church celebrates the
   Gentile Christmas, the visit of the Magi who followed the light
   of the star to find the infant Jesus, we thank and praise God
   that He has revealed His mercy through His Son.  Christ Jesus is
   truly the incarnate Word of God.  In Him the darkness of sin and
   the gloom of death are defeated.

        Yet, Saint John proclaimed the truth of the darkness of sin.
   ``He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.''
   John later wrote: ``And this is the judgment: the light has come
   into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the
   light because their deeds were evil.''[1]

        King Herod sought to kill the infant Jesus because the Magi
   called Him ``The king of the Jews.''  The devil, the world, and
   our own sinful flesh would rather sit in darkness than to see the
   truth of our sin.  We would rather ignore the light of God's
   mercy, grace, and love.

        Yet wise men still seek the peace of knowing Jesus Christ as
   the incarnate Word, as our Redeemer who died and rose again to
   give us life everlasting.

        May our Lord continue to shine the light of His truth on us
   so that we may receive the gift of faith which trusts only in
   Him.  Amen.

   ____________________

   1. John 3:19 (ESV)

January 5, 2026

Broadcast

                        The True Light - Part 1
                              John 1:9-11
                              01/05/2026


        9    The true light, which enlightens everyone, was
             coming into the world.
        10   He was in the world, and the world was made
             through him, yet the world did not know him.
        11   He came to his own, and his own people did not
             receive him.  (ESV)

        Each Sunday, as we gather at God's invitation to receive
   from Him the gift of the forgiveness of our sins and life
   everlasting, we present to Him the prayer of the Church.  Each
   week this prayer, called the Collect, builds on the truth
   presented in the readings which we hear.  This last Sunday the
   Church prayed:
        Almighty God, You have poured into our hearts the true
        Light of Your incarnate Word.  Grant that this Light
        may shine forth in our lives; through the same Jesus
        Christ, Your Son, our Lord,  who lives and reigns with
        You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.


        Although the Gospel reading was about Jesus being taken to
   Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod, the Collect builds on
   the truth that the Wise Men sought the infant Jesus and came to
   worship Him.  Their prophetic gifts of gold, frankincense, and
   myrrh proclaimed Jesus as the King of the Jews, as true God, and
   the One who would die for the sake of all people.

        The Collect is drawn from the first chapter of John's
   Gospel:
        The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming
        into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was
        made through him, yet the world did not know him.  He
        came to his own, and his own people did not receive
        him.


        Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, the light no
   darkness can overcome.  In these waning days of the Christmas
   season, and as we prepare to celebrate the Epiphany tomorrow, we
   confess our Lord Jesus Christ as both true God and true man.

        May our Lord grant that the true light of His grace and
   mercy shine in you for your eternal blessing.  Amen.