Reflections

August 1, 2023 Today's Reading: Romans 8:28-39 Daily Lectionary: Judges 14:1-20 , Galatians 3:1-22 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?  (Romans 8:31-32) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Romans 8 is a favorite chapter of so many Christia...

July 31, 2023 Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 7:6-9 Daily Lectionary: Judges 13:1-25 , Galatians 2:1-21 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.  (Deuteronomy 7:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Deuteronomy. A Bible book titled “The Law Again,” essentially. These ar...

July 30, 2023 Today's Reading: Matthew 13:44-52 Daily Lectionary: Judges 7:1-23 , Galatians 1:1-24 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”  (St. Matthew 13:44) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. of Jesus. Amen. Fill in the blank: “I would give everything I have for _____!” For wh...

July 29, 2023 Today's Reading: John 11:1-44 Daily Lectionary: Judges 6:25-40 , Acts 15:6-21 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (St. John 11:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus are people important to Jesus. They had become very dear friends throughout the time of Jesus’s ministry, and you see that in the message the sist...

July 28, 2023 Today's Reading:   John 10:1-10 Daily Lectionary: Judges 6:1-24 , Acts 14:19-15:5 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.  (St. John 10:7–9) In the Name + of...

July 27, 2023 Today's Reading:   Romans 8:18-27 Daily Lectionary: Judges 4:1-24 , Acts 14:1-18 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.  (Romans 8:26) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Yesterday we considered how it is that the Holy Spirit brings us to faith. That it is all...

July 26, 2023 Today's Reading: Luther’s Small Catechism, Third Article Part 1 Daily Lectionary: Judges 3:7-31 , Acts 13:42-52 What does this mean? I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.  (Small Catechism, The Third...

July 25, 2023 Today's Reading: Mark 10:35-45 Daily Lectionary: Judges 2:6-23 , Acts 13:13-41 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”  Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which...

July 24, 2023 Today's Reading:   Isaiah 44:6-8 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 24:1-31 , Acts 13:1-12 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last;  besides me there is no god.”  (Isaiah 44:6) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Today, we tend to think that one of the worst jobs in the world was that of the Old Testament prophet. We see them stan...

July 23, 2023 Today's Reading: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 23:1-16 , Acts 12:1-25 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’  (St. Matthew 13:29-30) I...

July 22, 2023 Today's Reading: John 20:1-2, 10-18 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 10:1-25 , Acts 11:19-30 “Mary”  John 20:16 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the resurrection account there are a lot of people who are scared, perplexed, even doubting this all took place.  Their faithful disciples had a hard enough time believing the message they first heard, let alone from a woman for whom Jesus had remov...

July 21, 2023 Today's Reading: Acts 11:1-18 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 8:1-28   “Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. And I heard a voice saying, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.  Acts 11:6-7 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Bible is full of people having all sorts of interesting visions. Today we hear of Peter having a bizarre idea! The Jews we...

July 20, 2023 Today's Reading: Joshua 7:1-26 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 7:1-26 , Acts 10:34-48 “I beg you, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession to Him”  Joshua 7:19 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.  You can’t escape your sins for the as the Psalmist says you were born in sin.  “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in...

July 19, 2023 Today's Reading: Luther’s Small Catechism, Apostle’s Creed: Second Article Part 3 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 6:6-27 , Acts 10:18-33 -in order that I might be His own, live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness; even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true. In the Name + of Jesu...

July 18, 2023 Today's Reading: Romans 8:12-17 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 5:1-6 , Acts 10:1-17 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Slavery isn’t something we really think of today in terms of ourselves.  If slavery is ever mentioned it's usually associa...

July 17, 2023 Today's Reading: Isaiah 55:10-13 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 4:1-24 ,  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You’ve all seen rain and snow fall down from the sky.  You’ve also probably studied the natural water cycle in science class as well.  In our reading from Isaiah we can easily picture the Word of God like rain or snow, falling down to water things and produce good crops.  Isaiah is not j...

July 16, 2023 Today's Reading: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 3:1-17 , Acts 9:1-22 “Behold, a sower went out to sow.”  Matthew 13:3b In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. Let's start off right away by saying these parables are not about you.  They are not about you  and your role in them or anything else that is about you and what you can do for Jesus.  Don’t ev...

July 15, 2023 Today's Reading: Introit to Pentecost 7: Psalm 103:15-19 ; antiphon: Psalm 103:8 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 2:1-24 , Acts 8:26-40 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Psalm 103:8 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Today’s text from Psalm 103 is what I typically call a “commercial passage” of Scripture. What I mean by this is that we typically see...

July 14, 2023 Today's Reading:  Daily Lectionary: Joshua 1:1-18 , Acts 8:1-25 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.  Joshua 1:5 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Our English Bibles don't lead us down the path of understanding what's going on in the Old Testament and how it is connected to...

July 13, 2023 Today's Reading:  Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 31:10-31 , John 21:1-25 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Gospels speak about two charcoal fires that have some pretty significant meaning.  As Jesus is being put on trial Peter is warming himself by a charcoal fire in the courtyard.  It...

July 12, 2023 Today's Reading: Luther’s Small Catechism, Apostle’s Creed: Second Article Part 2 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 30:1-9, 18-33 , John 20:19-31 “purchased and won me from all sins, from death and the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood, and with His inno­cent suffering and death.” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Christian God speaks of the crea...

July 11, 2023 Today's Reading: Romans 7:14-25a Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 27:1-24 , John 20:1-18 “For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”  Romans 7:15 In the Name of Jesus, Amen. I’m sure you are like most people who hear the word “sin” you think of the things you have done. In our reading today, Paul does mention the sins he hates, but he also says the power of sin, which is...

July 10, 2023 Today's Reading: Zechariah 9:9-12 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 25:1-22 , John 19:23-42 “Return to the stronghold, You prisoners of hope. Even today I declare That I will restore double to you.” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What a weird statement from Zechariah today, “prisoners of hope”.  What does it mean to be a prisoner of hope? Remember that the people of Israel had been in the ha...

July 9, 2023 Today's Reading: Matthew 11:25-30   Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 24:1-22 , John 19:1-22 “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed by all that is thrown at you?  Family, school, friends, social media trends,  or other things.  What about being overwhelmed with how God might view you a...

July 8, 2023 Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 6: Psalm 91:2, 9-10 ; antiphon Psalm 91:1 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 22:22-28:12 , John 18:15-40 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. (Psalm 91:1–2 ESV) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You live in occupied territory. You...