The Good News From The Gardens Podcast

Part 4 of 4 part series, Tough Lovin' Ezekiel 18:1–4, 25–32 & Matthew 21:23–32 What if God is less interested in punishing our past than redeeming our future? Ezekiel challenges the people who believe they are trapped by the sins of those who came before them, reminding them that God calls each person to turn and live. Jesus’ parable of the two sons offers the same surprising grace: one says “...

Part 3 of 4 part series,Tough Lovin' “God’s outrageous, upside-down grace often offends our human sense of fairness.” Jonah 3:10–4:11 & Matthew 20:1–16 What happens when God is more generous than we think people deserve? Jonah is furious when God spares Nineveh, while Jesus tells a story about workers who receive the same wage despite working vastly different hours. In both stories, God’s grac...

Part 2 of 4 part series,Tough Lovin' Others may intend evil, but God can make all things work toward good. Genesis 50:15-21 & Matthew 18:21-35 What do we do when someone has hurt us—and we finally have the opportunity to hurt them back? Joseph’s brothers fear that Joseph will repay their evil with evil. Instead, Joseph chooses grace, recognizing that “even though you intended to do harm to me,...

Part 1 of 4 part series on Tough Lovin' Though it often seems more easily said than done, loving the unlovable is possible with guidance from our scriptures. Ezekiel 33:7-11 & Matthew 18:15-20 Love is not always easy, comfortable, or popular. Sometimes love requires us to speak the truth when silence would be simpler. In Ezekiel, God calls the watchman to warn others. In Matthew, Jesus gives u...

Part 3 of 3 part series on keeping the Sabbath. Deuteronomy 15:1-2, 7-11 & Luke 15:11-32 God's vision for Sabbath has always reached beyond personal relaxation. Every seventh year Israel was called to release debts and care generously for those in need. Jesus paints the same picture in the parable of the prodigal son, where a forgiving father throws a feast instead of demanding repayment. God'...

In this message Pastor Nicole Eastwood (Assistant to the Bishop of FL-Bahamas Synod of ELCA) brought the Good News to both Nativity and St. John Lutheran congregations. Through Isaiah 56:1, 6-8, and Matthew 15:21-28, Pastor Nicole delivered a message rooted in God's mission of inclusive grace to all peoples. What do World Cup Football (soccer), the Canaanite woman of Matthew 15, two small congrega...

Part 2 of 3 part series on Sabbath. Genesis 2:1-3; John 15:9-15 The very first full day humanity experienced was not a workday—it was a day spent with God. Before Adam and Eve accomplished anything, they rested in God's presence. Jesus echoes that same invitation centuries later when he tells his disciples to abide in his love. Sabbath reminds us that our value comes not from what we produce but f...

Part 1 of 3 part series on keeping the Sabbath. Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Matthew 11:28-30; 12:9-14 Busy schedules, overflowing calendars, and constant demands leave many people exhausted. Yet long before burnout became a modern problem, God gave the Sabbath as a gift of freedom. Moses reminds Israel that Sabbath is rooted in liberation from slavery, while Jesus invites all who are weary to come to him...

Part four of four part series on The Lord's Prayer Matthew 6:9-13 & Colossians 2:6-19 What does Jesus really mean when He teaches us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread”? Is it only about food, or is it about something much deeper? In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus invites us to trust our heavenly Father for everything we need. In Colossians, Paul reminds us to be rooted and built up in Christ...

Part three of four part series on The Lord's Prayer Luke 11:1-13 & Hosea 1:2-10 What does it really mean to pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done”? Is it simply a hope for heaven someday, or an invitation to let God reign in our lives today? In Luke 11, Jesus teaches His disciples to pray with bold trust, while the prophet Hosea reveals a God whose kingdom is built not on power, but on rel...

Part two of four part series on The Lord's Prayer Matthew 6:5-13 & Psalm 138 What comes first when we pray? Before our needs, our worries, or our plans, Jesus teaches us to begin with God: “Hallowed be thy name.” But what does it mean to keep God's name holy? In Psalm 138, David praises God with his whole heart because God's steadfast love and faithfulness never fail. This Sunday, we'll discov...

Part one of four part series on The Lord's Prayer Luke 11:1-3 & Genesis 18:20-32 What kind of relationship does God want with us? In this week's scriptures, Abraham boldly speaks with God about the fate of Sodom, while Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, beginning with the simple yet profound words, “Our Father.” Neither passage portrays a distant or indifferent God. Instead, we encounter a G...

REWIND! This podcast originally aired October of 2025. Pastor Steve is with kids at Camp Lutherock in NC, and then on vacation.  A new message will drop the week of Monday July 6, 2026. 2nd Timothy 1:1-14 Paul’s letter to Timothy is a personal message of encouragement. In the face of hardship and persecution, Timothy is reminded that his faith is a gift of God. He is encouraged to exercise that fa...

REWIND! This podcast originally aired January of 2025. Pastor Steve is with kids at Camp Lutherock in NC, and then on vacation. A new message will drop the week of Monday July 6, 2026. Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 In this scripture and message we hear Luke’s account of John’s baptism of Jesus. Jesus' baptism was God’s affirmation/anointing/kick off of God’s mission to the world through Jesus. Jesus was bap...

Part three of three part sermon series on the Creeds.  Acts 2:1-18 & Matthew 28:16-20 The disciples admittedly could not accomplish Christ’s mission by their own courage, wisdom, or strength. They needed the gift of the Holy Spirit. So do we. In Matthew, Jesus sends his followers into the world; in Acts, the Spirit equips them for the journey. Martin Luther reminds us in his explanation of the...

Part two of three part sermon series on the Creeds.  1st Cor. 1:18-25 & John 1:1-18 What kind of God enters the world not with power and prestige, but through vulnerability, flesh, and a cross? In John, the eternal Word becomes flesh and dwells among us. In Corinthians, Paul dares to proclaim a crucified Messiah—foolishness to some, scandal to others, yet the very wisdom and power of God. At t...

Part one of three of a sermon series on the Creeds Genesis 1:1-5; Matthew 6:30-34 In the beginning, God spoke light into the darkness, bringing order where there was chaos and hope where there was uncertainty. In Matthew, Jesus reminds us that the God who clothes the lilies and feeds creation is already holding tomorrow in loving hands. Both texts invite us to trust that the same God who separated...

Acts 2:1-21, 1 Cor. 12:3b-13, John 20:19-23 Listen to this message and celebrate the Spirit moving—calling, equipping, and sending God’s people of every age into lives of faith, courage, unity, and grace. Hear confirmation students Charlotte Johnsen, Max Roehl, West Roehl, and Mara Winsor affirm their baptismal promises through their statements of faith.  Click here to explore and support the mini...

Acts 1:6-14 & John 17:1-11 The disciples stood between promise and uncertainty. Jesus had ascended, and they did not yet know what would come next. So they gathered. They prayed. They waited together. In Acts 1:6–14, we are reminded that faith is not meant to be lived alone. When questions arise and the future feels unclear, God draws us into community for guidance, encouragement, and hope. To...

Acts 17:22-31 & John 14:15-21 What does it mean to share our faith in a world searching for meaning? In Acts Paul stands among people filled with questions, uncertainty, and spiritual longing. Rather than condemning them, he begins where they are and points them toward the God already near to them. We, too, live among neighbors, friends, and family members who are groping in the dark for hope,...

Building Blocks of Faith is an Easter series on the early church that teaches us the fundamentals of faith. John 14:1-14 In a world full of uncertainty, questions rise naturally from anxious hearts. In John 14:1–14, even the disciples—confused and concerned—dare to ask Jesus what they do not understand. And Jesus meets them there, not with frustration, but with reassurance: “Do not let your hearts...

Building Blocks of Faith: Easter series on the early church that teaches us the fundamentals of faith. Acts 2:41-47 What does it mean to truly live together? In Acts 2, the early believers didn’t just gather—they shared. Meals, resources, prayers, and praise flowed from a deep sense of belonging. They held all things in common, not out of obligation, but out of transformed hearts. And something be...

Building Blocks of Faith: Easter series on the early church that teaches us the fundamentals of faith. Luke 24:13-35 Two travelers walk a dusty road, weighed down by confusion and loss. They talk, they wonder—and Jesus is right beside them, though they do not yet see. How often do we miss him in our own journey? In the breaking of the bread, their eyes are opened: Look! See! Jesus is with us! This...

Building Blocks of Faith is an Easter series on the early church that teaches us the fundamentals of faith. John 20:19-31 & Acts 2:14a, 22-32 Everyone doubts; Jesus understands. Behind locked doors, the disciples wrestled with fear and uncertainty. Thomas gave voice to what many felt: “Unless I see, I will not believe.” Yet Jesus returned—not with rejection, but with peace. “Put your hand here...

An Easter message weaving the resurrection of Jesus, the awe and wonder of faith, and the iconic "Earthrise" photo of astronaut Bill Anders while aboard Apollo 8. Matthew 28:1-10 At dawn, the earth trembles, and so do our hearts. The women run from the tomb “with fear and great joy,” carrying the echo of heaven: “Do not be afraid.” When do you feel most alive—when everything is certain, or when ho...