Peace Lutheran Sermon Podcast

Today we are joined by spiritual director Dr. Lori Tate, who guides us through reflection on Genesis 21:8-21. This complicated story contains deep truths about our roles in life and our relationships with God. Listen until the end for your weekly dose of spiritual inspiration.

It’s a strange way to start a resurrection story: with people hiding behind locked doors, unsure if it’s safe to step outside. Join us today for the second sermon of the Easter season in which we are reflecting on the timely story John 20:19-31, wherein Jesus appears to his disciples after the resurrection. Pastor Travis reflects on how Jesus met his disciples in this uncertain place, and how Jesu...

It started... with an earthquake. Today we are celebrating Easter, the culmination of the Lenten season. We are reflecting on the resurrection story from Matthew 28:1-10, which depicts the resurrection as a more life-changing, destabilizing event than it is sometimes portrayed. Tune in today to immerse yourself in one of the most powerful stories in the Bible. Tags Life change, He is risen, Easter...

Today, we don’t come to be comforted. We come to bear witness. In this episode, listen in for four powerful reflections on different parts of the crucifixion story as we observe Good Friday. Tune in to observe this important holy day with us and let yourself feel the solemnity and sorrow of the crucifixion.  Tags Lent, suffering, Judas, Simon Peter, discipleship, personal relationship with Jesus C...

Have you ever found yourself in a place you didn't expect to be—and didn't quite know how to get out of? Most of us don’t get out of these situations all at once, but other people help us extricate ourselves in small but significant ways. Today, we are reflecting on John 11:1-45: the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. This Gospel reading is a story of rebirth, not just for Lazarus, but...

Most of his life, people talked about him instead of talking to him. They would stand nearby and whisper. Sometimes not even quietly. "Why is he blind?" "Was it something his parents did?" "Did someone sin?" Imagine hearing people debate your life like that. Like you're not even standing there.  Today we are reflecting on John 9:1-41, in which Jesus heals a blind...

Most of us have places that we go when we don't want to run into anyone. Places we can move through without being noticed. Sometimes we’re tired, and carrying things that we don’t want to explain to other people. Today we’re reflecting on John 4:5-42, in which Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well. Tune in today to notice the ways Jesus finds you in ordinary moments when you least expect it....

We all have questions. Some questions, we might feel unable to even ask. This week, we are reflecting on John 3 1:17, in which Nicodemus questions Jesus and Jesus explains the importance of being born again in the Holy Spirit. In today’s sermon, Pastor Travis explores how Jesus meets us in conversation in our own lives to answer the questions we ask, not in spite of our faith, but because of it. ...

All of us have experienced loss. Grief can cause doubt to creep in: did we take a wrong turn somewhere? Today we read Matthew 4:1-11, in which Jesus is tested in the wilderness and has these same feelings. In this week’s sermon, Pastor Travis guides us through the ways this passage can help us in our own lives. Listen until the end to reaffirm your faith and enter into the spirit of Lent. Tags Gri...

Today we are reflecting on the Ash Wednesday tradition of receiving ashes. In an era more performative than ever before, we have the chance today to bear witness to something greater than ourselves. Join us today in observing one of the most meaningful holidays in the church calendar.  Tags Lent, performance, prayer, choice, judgement, faith, private life, privacy, audience, Heaven, social media,...

Have you ever gone camping, and nothing seems to go right? Maybe you woke up to puddles of water under your tent, or you just couldn’t get the rain fly right? Today, we are reflecting on Matthew 17:1-9: the Transfiguration of Jesus. We try to make the perfect spaces for God, just like how we try to set up the perfect campsite, but God lives with us in our imperfect lives. Tune in for your weekly d...

There’s a stretch of road in every town that everybody knows is broken. We all know where these gaps are. We pass them. We drive around them. We shake our heads and mutter, “Somebody should really fix that.” Today, we read Isaiah 58:1-12 and Matthew 5:13-20; in this sermon, Pastor Travis reflects upon these passages to show us what God has to say about these gaps that we pass every day.  Tags Gosp...

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) Have you seen the news recently? It certainly does not feel like the meek are inheriting the earth. Today we are reflecting on Matthew 5:1-12: Introduction to The Sermon on the Mount. This week, Pastor Travis guides us in reflection on this uplifting passage, and ends with inspiring messages about how we can bring the headlines...

Have you ever stepped out of a dark room into sudden, overwhelming light? At first, it’s too much. You flinch. You blink. Your whole body resists. But if you stay with it—if you give your eyes time to adjust—you start to see what was already there. That is what repentance is like. Today we are reflecting on Matthew 4:12-23. This week, Pastor Travis speaks about uniting to follow Jesus in community...

We’re used to thinking that we have to have our lives all together before we follow Jesus. Right? I mean, Jesus is Jesus , and he doesn’t want to see me at anything less than my best! But that isn’t how it goes in John’s gospel. Today we are reflecting on John 1:29-42, in which Jesus begins his public ministry and calls four fishermen to be his first disciples. Listen to the end to reaffirm your d...

You know that moment when someone tries to pay for your coffee, and you’re like, “no, I’ve got it!” and suddenly you’re in this awkward standoff at the register? Why do we do this? Why is it so hard to just “thank you,” and let someone bless us? Today, we are reflecting on Matthew 3:13-17: the story of Jesus’s baptism. Listen until the end to find out the inspiring, yet comforting, messages this p...

If you’ve ever been lost – not knowing where to go next, not knowing where to turn or who to turn to – this is the episode for you. Today we begin celebrating Epiphany with Gospel reading Matthew 2:1-12. As we begin 2026, listen until the end to hear God’s solution for any time we lose our way.  Tags King Herod, Gospel of Matthew, magi, appearance of Christ, wise men, New Year, community, king of...

Merry Christmas! In our Christmas Eve service, we reflected on Gospel reading Luke 2:1-20 to celebrate the most powerful weapon ever brought to earth – not a bomb, or a sword, but a baby. Stay until the end for some powerful holiday inspiration. Tags Christmas Eve, birth of Christ, peace, Advent, choice, power, ministry, faith, Southwest Michigan, South Haven, progressive Lutheran, theology, worsh...

Join us today for the fourth Sunday of Advent; we would love to see you at our Christmas service this week, either in person or virtually. Today, we are reflecting on Gospel reading Matthew 1:18-25: the touching story of Joseph’s perspective of the immaculate conception. Listen in for timely messages this underappreciated passage holds this holiday season. Tags Jesus, the virgin Mary the mother of...

At this time of year, we’re all about the cozy, gentle parts of life. We love curling up in a soft blanket with a warm cup of cocoa. Yet our Gospel reading this Advent service features John the Baptist. He’s loud, abrupt, and never once gives off cozy energy. Listen in for the vital message this surprising passage holds for us today going into Advent. Tags Gospel of Matthew, comfort, disruption, g...

Are we there yet? It's a question every parent hears from the back seat over and over, even when the trip has barely begun. But it's not just kids who ask it. We all want to know where we are in the timeline. We want certainty, but the truth is, only God knows when the promised Second Coming of Christ will happen. Join us today for our first service of Advent to explore how God’s promises...

This week’s Gospel reading is Luke 23:33-43, in which Jesus is crucified at Golgotha alongside two criminals. Today, Pastor Travis ties this powerful reading to what it really means to be a baptized Christian. Listen until the end for deeply meaningful inspiration about your own baptism and faith journey.  Tags #crucifixion #GospelofLuke #baptism #realtalk #ChristTheKing #practicalfaith #progressi...

We hear “apocalyptic” and we think of disaster movies—end of the world, doom and gloom, everything going up in flames. Yet despite today’s Gospel being a type of “apocalyptic literature,” today Pastor Travis has timely and encouraging messages to share about this week’s reading: Luke 21:5-19. Listen in now for some surprising Biblical inspiration.  Check out the video shown at the beginning of the...

There’s a type of question called a “magical question,” because they make everyone in the room want to answer. Things like, what’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Or, what’s your favorite building in town, and why? In today’s Gospel reading, Luke 20:27-38, some Sadducees ask Jesus a less magical question — in fact, they ask a trick question to trap Jesus into saying the resurrection isn’t real...

This week, we celebrate All Saint’s Day with Gospel reading Luke 6:20-31. It’s an uncomfortable Gospel reading, where Jesus tells the full they will go hungry and the happy that they will mourn. Listen until the end of today’s sermon as Pastor Travis reveals the surprisingly uplifting message this passage holds for us.  Tags Gospel of Luke, progressive theology, community, hospitality, generosity,...