Augustana Podcasts

Sermon Title: God Gives the Growth. Preacher: Pastor Jason Bryan-Wegner. Preaching Text: 1 Corinthians 3:1-11. In today's scripture, Paul does two important things to help us build up the church. The first is to emphasize that God gives the growth. We are co-workers with God called to build up the church as a community. The second thing Paul emphasizes is that when we build up the church, we build...

Sermon Title: Moving Together By Faith -- In Jesus. Preacher: Pastor Deb Kielsmeier. Preaching Text: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. This fall we are focusing on Paul's first letter to the Corinthians through the lens of our annual theme, "Moving Together By Faith." The church in Corinth was divided over many issues. Paul reminds them (and us) that their unity and their redemption is Jesus Christ alone.

Sermon Title: Why Do We Say "All Are Welcome" at the Communion Table. Preacher: Pastor Jason Bryan-Wegner. Preaching Text: Matthew 9:1-13. Today we take a closer look at the kinds of people who show up around the tables Jesus gather at, and who wants rules for who eats and who doesn't. Here's a hint: It's not Jesus.

Sermon Title: How Does Prayer Work? Preacher: Pastor Deb Kielsmeier. Preaching Text: Philippians 4:4-7. There are Bible verses that seem to promise that God will answer our prayers with whatever we ask. And indeed, we often see God's hand at work through prayer, sometimes miraculously. But other times, it seems as it God doesn't hear our requests and our prayers go unanswered. How do we make sense...

Sermon Title: How Should We Respond to Christian Nationalism? Preacher: Pastor Jason Bryan-Wegner. Preaching Text: Luke 4:1-13. Over the last several years, Christian Nationalism has become a prominent presence in American life. And though there has long been close relationships in many people's minds between "God and Country", Christian Nationalism brings both God and country to the brink of dest...

Sermon Title: Was Christ's Death the Punishment Needed for Our Salvation? Preacher: Pastor Jason Byran-Wegner. Preaching Text: Philippians 2:4-11. For centuries, faithful people have tried to explain what exactly happened when Jesus died on the cross. How did it change the nature of God's relationship with creation? What does it mean when we confess that Jesus the Christ died and rose again? Most...

Sermon Title: Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? Preacher: Pastor Deb Kielsmeier. Preaching Text: Romans 8:18-27. Life can be unfair. We live in a broken world among imperfect people whose actions and choices hard others. Innocent people suffer from war, abuse, disease, and climate change. The kingdom of God is "now, but not yet." In this world, we will suffer. But Christ walks with us and t...

Sermon Title: What Are Some Time-Tested Practices to Strengthen My Faith? Preacher: Deaconess Claire Schoepp. Preaching Text: Colossians 3:12-17. In this lesson, listen for the qualities that Paul uses to describe God's chosen people.

Sermon Title: If Jesus Promised Peace, Why Is There So Much Division Even Among Christians? Preacher: Pastor Jason Bryan-Wegner. Preaching Text: Galatians 5:16-6:2. We live in a world, both marked by sin, and blessed by God. It's both/and. The peace of Christ is present, but in the world as it is, it does not yet stand alone. What we focus on shapes whether we live in peace or discord.

Sermon Title: Is Salvation the Same as Going to Heaven? Preacher: Pastor Jason Bryan-Wegner. Preaching Text: John 6:35-40. Today we'll look at how salvation unfolds throughout Scripture, rooted in Jesus' words from the Gospel of John.

Sermon Title: Does Everything Happen for a Reason? Preacher: Deacon Stephanie Anderson. Preaching Text: Matthew 13:1-9. In today's passage, Jesus is gathered with a large crowd by the sea and tells the Parable of the Sower. In the parable, a farmer sows seeds, which fall on different types of ground: the path, rocky places, among thorns, and good soil. This story helps us wonder together, "Does Ev...

Anni Henry, Augustana's Youth and Family Minister helps us explore the practice of rest. Deaconess Claire Schoepp, Children and Family Minister, and Anni explore how God gives us the gift of sabbath so that all creation can rest. It may seem simple, but in our fast-paced lives, prioritizing time for rest can be a challenge. It's a good challenge though, we think. When we rest to spend time with Go...

Do pastors pray? Yes. And Pastor Jason Bryan-Wegner helps us to explore prayer and how it can weave into our lives. There are echos of other conversations with other staff members in this conversation between Pastor Jason and Deaconess Claire Schoepp, Children and Family Minister. You may find yourself surprised to find out some connections around mending God's world and prayer. Augustana, for who...

Sermon Title: Our Life in God. Preacher: Deacon Stephanie Anderson. Preaching Text: Luke 11:1-10. In today's passage, we hear a prayer that is familiar to our ears; the prayer that Jesus taught us and that we recite together at the communion table: The Lord's Prayer. Jesus is teaching his disciples how to pray and he does so with a prayer for all of the cosmos to be transformed to and for God's ki...

Stacy Eichman-Cardwell, Director of Adult Education at Augustana and Deaconess Claire Schoepp, Children and Family Minister at Augustana Lutheran Church have a conversation about forgiveness. What it is and what it isn't is something worth exploring especially with Stacy.

Sermon Title: Going the Extra Mile for Forgiveness. Preacher: Pastor Jason Bryan-Wegner. Preaching Text: Matthes 18:10-22. Forgiveness is both on of the most powerful elements of human relationship, and one of the most difficult to practice.

We are a part of mending God's world when we help those who are hurting or sick. Joann Arneberg, Faith Community Nurse at Augustana Lutheran Church has a lot of experience thinking about and working with people in need of healing. In this conversation with Deaconess Claire Schoepp, Children and Family Minister, Joann helps us expand our understanding of healing to include conversations around ment...

Sermon Title: Healing Through Service. Preacher: Deacon Stephanie Anderson. Preaching Text: Luke 10:25-37. Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan in response to a lawyer's question about inheriting eternal life and defining "neighbor." Through this parable, Jesus teaches that love and mercy towards others, regardless of their background, define what it means to be a true neighbor.

Have you ever had someone pick up the tab or drop by a meal just when you've needed it? Have you ever been a part of making sure that people have enough to eat who are struggling to make ends meet? Augustana's own Cathy Hendrickson, Director of Congregation and Community Life, and Deaconess Claire Schoepp, Children and Family Minister, have a conversation about the spiritual practice of feeding pe...

Sermon Title: Relying on God. Preacher: Deacon Stephanie Anderson. Preaching Text: Exodus 16:4-12. God promises to rain down bread from heaven, instructing the Israelites to gather only what they need. As they wander in the wilderness, this gift from God falls each day, serving as a daily testament to God's faithfulness and care. God not only satisfies their physical hunger, but also reassures the...