January 8, 2026

Today's Reading: Catechism - Table of Duties: To Everyone

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 2:1-3:11; Romans 1:18-32

“The commandments...are summed up in this one rule: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Romans 13:9)

I urge…that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone. (1 Timothy 2:1)” (Small Catechism, Table of Duties, To Everyone)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Do you want to fulfill God’s Law perfectly? It isn’t difficult. Jesus said to one of the Pharisees who questioned him about the Law that loving God with every fiber of your being and loving your neighbor as yourself is how you keep God’s Law. Easy-peasy, right? Just love God and your neighbors perfectly, and you have it all sorted out!

Except it isn’t that easy, is it? St. Paul tells Timothy that we should pray for everyone. Since all of Holy Scripture applies to all of us, those prayers for everyone are part of loving God perfectly, because He has given us those neighbors for whom we should pray. Even the neighbors we don’t necessarily like or even want to pray for. Oops.

No matter how much you try, you will never be able to be perfect or keep God’s Law perfectly; it is impossible because of sin. You just can’t do it. But that doesn’t mean you give up on it, either. For the command has been given to us to love and pray for our neighbors, regardless of our ability (or even desire!) to do it properly.

And that is actually the comforting part of these commands of God. Even though He knows you can’t do it perfectly, He still gives you the opportunity. Just like learning a new skill or a new sport, God sends His Holy Spirit to teach, guide, and coach you in the way you should go. He puts all kinds of neighbors in your life so that you can learn how to love them and how to care for them with your words, actions, prayers, and more.

He has recreated you in your Baptism as His own child. He continues to speak to you and teach you through His Word and your pastor’s sermons and Bible classes. He forgives you in confession and Absolution. And he forgives, sustains, and strengthens you in the Lord’s Supper, too.

All of these things He does for you, even though you so often fail spectacularly at keeping His Commandments and loving your neighbors. So take heart and go boldly out into this world and love your neighbors as best you can, pray for them, and give thanks for their presence in your life, knowing that when you do fail, the Blood of Christ covers even those sins.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Called by worship to Your service, Forth in Your dear name we go, To the child, the youth the aged, Love in living deeds to show; Hope and health, goodwill and comfort, Counsel aid, and peace we give, That Your servants, Lord, in freedom May Your mercy know and live. (LSB 848:4)

Author: Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Wichita Falls, TX.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Work through the first ten chapters of Matthew and learn more about who Jesus is. As you move through this study, you’ll ponder the theological, practical, and historical considerations of the text. With ample room for personal notes, this study will have you feeling confident in your understanding of Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew 1:1-11:1 of the new Concordia Commentary Bible Study Series is available now.

January 7, 2026

Today's Reading: 1 Peter 4:12-19

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 1:1-14, 22-28; Habakkuk 1:1-3:19; Romans 1:1-17

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:12-13)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

“Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it? Then answer: ‘I do, by the grace of God.’” This is the most difficult question of all to ask (and even answer!) in the Rite of Confirmation. I have known pastors in years gone by who left it out of the rite because it was so uncomfortable, and also because “This is America, persecution will never happen here!”

It may well be that wide-scale suffering of Christians will never happen here. Then again, Satan is a wily foe, and you never know what he has planned next. But look at what St. Peter urges of the Christian: “Do not be surprised” when it comes. After all, your Lord Christ was the Son of God in the flesh, the Savior, and look how he was treated by those who opposed Him. Rejected, scorned, despised, and that was even before the Romans got hold of Him!

What makes you think that you should be spared the same fate as the One who lived your life and died your death? That’s why St. Peter says you should not be surprised. This sinful world hates the truth, and as one of the baptized, you are also of the truth, so you should expect some pushback from sin, death, and the Devil.

But don’t miss the last sentence, because it isn’t all bad news. Rejoice that the world treats you so, because their derision towards you is a sign that you are Christ’s. And if you are Christ’s, He has promised to come again in glory for you on the Last Day to gather you with all the faithful into the New Creation and the wedding feast of the Lamb that has no end. So, don’t despair when the world treats you poorly. Know that your eternity is secure in Jesus. Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, before whom all in heaven and earth shall bow, grant courage that Your children may confess Your saving name in the face of any opposition from a world hostile to the Gospel. Help them to remember Your faithful people who sacrificed much and even faced death rather than dishonor You when called upon to deny the faith. By Your Spirit, strengthen them to be faithful and to confess You boldly, knowing that You will confess Your own before the Father in heaven, with whom You and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for Persecuted Christians)

Author: Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Wichita Falls, TX.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Work through the first ten chapters of Matthew and learn more about who Jesus is. As you move through this study, you’ll ponder the theological, practical, and historical considerations of the text. With ample room for personal notes, this study will have you feeling confident in your understanding of Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew 1:1-11:1 of the new Concordia Commentary Bible Study Series is available now.

January 6, 2026

Today's Reading: Matthew 2:1-12

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 66:1-20; Luke 3:21-38

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:10-11)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Strange men visiting from a foreign country, stately men bowing down to a toddler, and very odd gifts being given—the Feast of Epiphany can certainly seem a bit weird, can’t it? Observed only thirteen days after Christmas, it may seem a bit of an odd celebration, with this focus on foreign visitors and the aftermath.

But isn’t this the whole point of the Son of God becoming Man? To come in the flesh for the salvation of the world? To temporarily veil the Glory of God in Jesus so that He may fulfill all of God’s Law for us?

That’s what the gifts from the foreign visitors mean, too. They point to Jesus’s work for us and for our salvation. Gold, a gift fitting for a king, the one who rules in power and might from His throne. But this one isn’t only a king. He also serves as priest (and ultimately the perfect sacrifice), so it is also proper that he be given frankincense, the aroma of which reminds people of the rising of their prayers to God’s throne, and the smoke reminding them that God receives their sacrifice. And don’t forget the myrrh. This is the most difficult one, for it is the spice and balm of death, used to obscure the smell of decay. Already as a child, Jesus is reminded of what is to come: his suffering and death for all.

In all of this, Jesus is revealed to the world as the one sent from God to be the Savior of mankind. The Wise Men certainly didn’t make this kind of journey for every royal child born; there is something exceptional here. Just as creation would later mark Jesus’ death with darkness and an earthquake, his birth was also marked and noted by creation; a star that blossomed in the sky and led them to seek out the child on a journey that lasted for many months and crossed entire empires.

All of this is done to reveal the light that no darkness can overcome. The brilliance of Christ's purifying light shines in our dark world to draw all to his saving Word and work. Christ has been revealed to the nations and to you so that you may trust that this One is your Savior and Lord.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Once far off but now invited, We approach Your sacred throne, In Your covenant united, Reconciled, redeemed, made one. Now revealed to eastern sages, See the Star of Mercy shine, Myst’ry hid in former ages, Myst’ry great of love divine. (LSB 409:2)

Author: Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Wichita Falls, TX.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Work through the first ten chapters of Matthew and learn more about who Jesus is. As you move through this study, you’ll ponder the theological, practical, and historical considerations of the text. With ample room for personal notes, this study will have you feeling confident in your understanding of Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew 1:1-11:1 of the new Concordia Commentary Bible Study Series is available now.

January 5, 2026

Today's Reading: Genesis 46:1-7

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 65:8-25; Luke 3:1-20

“I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.” (Genesis 46:3-4)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Several years ago, I received a Divine Call away from my home state. It was an existential crisis for me to move away, even though I knew it was at the Lord’s direction and that He would guide me along the way. Now, I’ve returned “home” from that “exile” and everything is perfect, right? Of course not!

Jacob also doesn’t want to leave the Promised Land he had been given by God, even though it was God’s plan for him to do so. He wants to stay where he is because that was how he understood God’s promise to Abraham, his grandfather. But the Lord’s plans for us often follow unexpected detours.

Like Jacob, we want to bypass struggle and get straight to glory. We are sure we know better than God how our lives should play out, so we doubt God’s plans and direction. Except our all-powerful God isn’t tied to one place. Sure, Canaan is the land He promised to Jacob, but this time in Egypt is only one small step on the road of God’s people being established for eternity.

God told Abraham this would happen (in Genesis 15); it was the plan all along for Jacob’s family to live in Egypt for generations and to grow there into the nation that Moses and Joshua would lead back “home.” The Lord God did not desert His people, even when it seemed so. He had a future planned for them from the start, and He guided them to it.

In a similar way, the years away from family for me were difficult. Even so, the Lord’s work was being done; His great nation was being made in His way and on His schedule. Even now, I’m not really “home.” I won’t be until the Last Day when the true Promised Land is revealed in the New Creation.

That’s the underlying truth of Jacob’s move, and of your life. No matter how this world may change for Christians, God’s mercy remains unchanged. His guiding hand will lead you home to the inexplicable glory of His presence that you see veiled now in preached Word and Sacramental Gifts, but then face to face.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, because of Your tender love toward us sinners You have given us Your Son that, believing in Him, we might have everlasting life. Continue to grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may remain steadfast in this faith to the end and finally come to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. (Collect for Steadfast Faith)

Author: Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Wichita Falls, TX.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Work through the first ten chapters of Matthew and learn more about who Jesus is. As you move through this study, you’ll ponder the theological, practical, and historical considerations of the text. With ample room for personal notes, this study will have you feeling confident in your understanding of Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew 1:1-11:1 of the new Concordia Commentary Bible Study Series is available now.

January 4, 2026

Today's Reading: Matthew 2:13-23

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 63:15-65:7; Luke 2:41-52

“And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’” (Matthew 2:14-15)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

There is a deep thread of exodus that flows through Holy Scripture. And so often, that exodus crosses a body of water. God calls his people out of Egypt and across the Red Sea. Joshua leads the Israelites across the Jordan River into Canaan. Jacob wrestles with an angel at the Jabbok. Even Noah and his family in the ark is a kind of exodus: at God’s command, they flee sinful earth, cross over the waters, and step ashore in a new land, unburdened with the sin of the past. And John the Baptist conducts much of his ministry at and in the Jordan.

Over and over again, this image repeats itself in God’s Word. God’s people end up in Egypt so that God can preserve them from a famine, but that isn’t their ultimate home. Even the Promised Land they return to under Joshua’s leadership isn’t their ultimate home. There are more exoduses to come.

The ultimate exodus for God’s people is the one from death to eternal life in the New Creation. And that exodus can’t happen unless the way, the path to that life, is blazed and made known. So Jesus goes into Egypt, into the historic land of bondage and slavery, to establish that way.

He is put into the shoes of every child of God and begins a journey out of that land of sin and death, bondage and slavery. He is called out of that place by God onto the way prepared by John the Baptist to show us the way to eternal life and righteousness.

And in this journey, Jesus is made into Israel, reduced to one. He is the entirety of the Christian Church contained in one man. He becomes man to lead sinful humanity into perfection and righteousness.

God the Father calls Jesus out of Egypt as a child so that He may later call him out of death and into life again on Easter Sunday. Jesus goes into death for you to pull you out of death and into life by His Word, your Baptism, and His Supper.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, You have poured into our hearts the true Light of Your incarnate Word. Grant that this Light may shine forth in our lives; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen (Collect for The Second Sunday after Christmas)

Author: Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Wichita Falls, TX.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Work through the first ten chapters of Matthew and learn more about who Jesus is. As you move through this study, you’ll ponder the theological, practical, and historical considerations of the text. With ample room for personal notes, this study will have you feeling confident in your understanding of Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew 1:1-11:1 of the new Concordia Commentary Bible Study Series is available now.

January 3, 2026

Today's Reading: Introit for Second Sunday After Christmas - Psalm 8:1, 4-6; antiphon: Psalm 8:2

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 63:1-14; Luke 2:21-40

“Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.” (Psalm 8:2)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Christmas provides us with a unique lens to contemplate Psalm 8:2. Almighty God stills the enemy and the avenger. To still in the Hebrew is “lehashbit.” It is where we get the word “sabbath.” It means to cease or to put rest. In the context of God’s enemies, it means He stops them dead in their tracks. Those wicked forces at work by the demonic or our own sin (think Herod) are stopped dead in their tracks from derailing the Lord’s plan of redemption. But how does He do this? Through the mouth of babies and infants! Not with the blunt force of angelic or earthly armies, not with an iron fist, but through the weakest and most vulnerable, babies and infants. God defeats the violent and arrogant lies of Satan, the world, and our sinful flesh with what the wisdom of the world would call “weak” or “foolish.” Think of this: While Jesus is the Son of God, rightly ordering the existence of the universe, He was a vulnerable baby dependent upon the arms and milk of His blessed mother! And this “weakness” begins the downfall of death and the devil. And the strength of weakness continues; beaten, bloody, and mocked on the cross, the gates of Heaven open to us, and the strength of Hell is slammed shut. And what does the Apostle Paul say, “God chose the weak in the world to shame the strong…so that no human being might boast before God.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29) Christ within you, and you within Christ through Word and Sacrament, your faith clings to Him alone! And that faith which hangs on the Gospel causes the accuser and the powers of darkness to quake. Not because you are strong, but because you are as weak and helpless as a baby, and your strength is in the God-man born, crucified, raised, and ascended for you, our Lord Jesus! So at Christmastime, learn from St. Mary, “magnify the LORD and rejoice in God Your Savior.” Join with the blessed St. Paul and boast all the more gladly in your own weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon you (2 Corinthians 12:9).

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

You still the wicked’s very boast, Establish strength to the utmost, By babes and mouths of infants small, Our enemies in silence fall. (Metered version of Psalm 8:2 to the tune of Vom Himmel Hoch found in LSB 358. Stanza written by Rev. Matthew Synnott)

Author: Rev. Matthew Synnott, associate pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Peoria, Illinois.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Work through the first ten chapters of Matthew and learn more about who Jesus is. As you move through this study, you’ll ponder the theological, practical, and historical considerations of the text. With ample room for personal notes, this study will have you feeling confident in your understanding of Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew 1:1-11:1 of the new Concordia Commentary Bible Study Series is available now.

January 2, 2026

Today's Reading: Galatians 4:1-7

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 62:1-12; Luke 2:1-20

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The word Paul uses for time here is "chronos," meaning clock time. The ticking of seconds. The seconds turned to minutes. The minutes adding to hours. The passing of days and the unfolding of history. And all of it, Paul says, was being directed by God toward one great moment: "When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son." God stepped into the very timeline He created and directed it to its “fullness.” Born of a woman. Born under the Law. Why? So that slaves would become sons! So that orphans might be adopted. We were slaves to sin, chained to whatever empty promises caught our fancy: A life gratified by performance and defined by failure or pride. A life satiated by pleasure and defined by the excess or the lack. All of it occupying our “chronos” time until we slept in the dust of death and inherited the eternal hopelessness of Hell. But Christ Jesus, the true Son, entered that time to bring upon us the eternal status of beloved children of God. So when you look in the mirror, what do you see? A disappointment? A success story? Neither lie defines you nor gets the last word. The truth is far deeper: You are a baptized child of God the Father and a sibling of Christ Jesus; destined for the eternal inheritance, the resurrection of our bodies unto eternal glory and righteousness. That is who you are. Slaves to sin and the law cling to whatever the world says gives them value—titles, looks, surgical adjustments, opinions, success. But not you. You are no longer a slave. You are a son. And if a son, then an heir. Loved, redeemed, secure in the freedom to look at God and say, “This is my Father, and I am His beloved.”

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Heavenly Father, in the fullness of time, You sent forth Your Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem us and make us Your children. Grant that we who have received adoption through Baptism may live in the fullness that comes from Your eternal grace, may walk in the freedom of Your love and worship You as the only True God with Jesus Christ, our Lord, and the Holy Spirit; the Three in One and the One in the Three. Amen.

Author: Rev. Matthew Synnott, associate pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Peoria, Illinois.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Work through the first ten chapters of Matthew and learn more about who Jesus is. As you move through this study, you’ll ponder the theological, practical, and historical considerations of the text. With ample room for personal notes, this study will have you feeling confident in your understanding of Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew 1:1-11:1 of the new Concordia Commentary Bible Study Series is available now.

January 1, 2026

Today's Reading: Luke 2:21

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 61:1-11; Luke 1:57-80

“And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” (Luke 2:21)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

There is something remarkable and yet so subtle in the Christmas story: the Holy Child of Bethlehem is not called Jesus until the eighth day when He is circumcised. Before verse 21, He is referred to as the baby, the child, Christ, and Lord, all glorious titles, but the personal, saving name of Jesus is bestowed upon Him in the covenant of circumcision. This is not merely a name His parents have placed upon Him from their own whims. It is the Name given by the Father in Heaven. “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Jesus means “YHWH saves.” This is God’s covenant Name for His Son. And Jesus lived by it to completion. He is what His Name declares: YHWH saves. From His circumcision to His crucifixion, from that first cut of blood to the New Creation of His resurrection, Jesus fulfills the meaning of His Name for you and me. And now, you who are baptized, you are in His Name. You have been baptized into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). You are clothed in Christ. His Name is on you even as you now dwell in His Name. When the Lord sees you, He does not remember your sin or your shame, but sees the beloved child now dwelling safely in the shelter of the Name of Jesus, “YHWH Saves!” So call upon His Name. Live under His Name. And rejoice that, as Acts 4:12 says, “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” The Name was given, the flesh was cut, the covenant fulfilled. Your name was given, the Water and the Word applied, and now the salvation declared in the Holy Name of Jesus is yours.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord God, You made Your beloved Son, our Savior, subject to the Law and caused Him to shed His blood on our behalf. Grant us the true circumcision of the Spirit that our hearts may be made pure from all sins; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Author: Rev. Matthew Synnott, associate pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Peoria, Illinois.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Work through the first ten chapters of Matthew and learn more about who Jesus is. As you move through this study, you’ll ponder the theological, practical, and historical considerations of the text. With ample room for personal notes, this study will have you feeling confident in your understanding of Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew 1:1-11:1 of the new Concordia Commentary Bible Study Series is available now.