The Good News From The Gardens Podcast

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...

Mark 14:26 to 15:47 Meditation begins at 17:17.  The Passion of Christ narrative, meditation, and cross interactive experience centered in the hymn Were You There?  Click here to explore and support the ministry of Nativity.

1st Cor. 11:23-26 John 13:1-17, 34b-35 On the night of betrayal and love, Jesus speaks not from a distance but from the floor, turning a final heart-to-heart conversation into a living command to love one another as he has loved us. A service featuring the Lord's Supper, and Stripping of the Altar in preparation of Christ on the cross. Click here to explore and support the ministry of Nativity.

Part of a sermon series on Heart to Heart Talks Crowds gather, cloaks spread, branches wave, and voices rise: “Hosanna!” In Matthew 21:1–11, Jesus enters Jerusalem not with force, but humility—riding a donkey, fulfilling hope in an unexpected way. The city asks, “Who is this?” It’s the same question that echoes within us. Is he a distant figure, a wise teacher, a disruptor—or the Savior who meets...

Part four of seven part sermon series on Heart-to-Heart Talks. John 9:1-41 In this gospel story from John, the disciples assume someone’s sin must explain a man’s blindness. But Jesus redirects the question. Instead of blame, he points to God’s work being revealed. The deeper issue in the story isn’t physical sight—it’s spiritual vision. While the man gradually sees, the religious leaders refuse t...

Part three of seven part sermon series on Heart-to-Heart Talks. John 4:5-42 Most encounters with strangers stay on the surface—a polite smile, a quick thank-you, a quiet moment shared without words. But sometimes a simple meeting becomes something deeper. At a well at noon, Jesus begins an unexpected conversation with a Samaritan woman. What starts as small talk becomes a moment of truth, revelati...

Part two of seven part sermon series on Heart-to-Heart Talks. John 3:1-17 Have you ever slipped into a place quietly, hoping no one would notice what you were curious about? In Gospel of John, Nicodemus does just that. After Jesus overturns tables in Jerusalem, igniting controversy, this respected leader comes by night—protecting his reputation while reaching toward the light. He believes Jesus is...

Part one of seven part sermon series on Heart-to-Heart Talks. Matthew 4:1-11 Jesus enters the wilderness hungry, exposed, and fully human. After forty days of fasting, the tempter strikes at his emptiness, urging an easy fix. This sermon explores how temptation so often meets us when we are tired, hollow, shaky, or “hangry”—when impulse feels stronger than wisdom. Jesus doesn't deny his hunger or...

Heart to Heart with Jesus On this Ash Wednesday, Jesus speaks to us about prayer, fasting, and treasure—not as religious obligations, but as an intimate conversation that reveals what we truly love and who we are becoming. Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-21 Click here to explore and support the ministry of Nativity

Conclusion of sermon series on Gifts That Keep on Giving. Matthew 17:1-9 On the mountain of Transfiguration, the disciples respond logically—preserving glory, offering hospitality. Jesus interrupts. This moment asks us to examine how often we react from habit or expectation. Faithful living may mean pausing, discerning, and staying open, so Christ shapes us by surprising grace and reveals himself...

Part five of six part series on Gifts That Keep on Giving. Matthew 5:13-20 Jesus names his disciples—then and now—as salt of the earth and light of the world. Scripture holds tension between private and public faith: Jesus sometimes calls for silence, yet often commands visible acts of healing and liberation. In a secular world, believers struggle to discern when and how to express faith amid fear...

Part four of seven part series on Gifts That Keep on Giving. Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes remind us why fewer, better-crafted words matter. Their poetic simplicity makes a radical message clear and memorable. Jesus challenges not only what we share, but how we share it. In this message let's contemplate the importance of good listening and deep discernment for God’s will through Jesus Christ. Cli...