September 18, 2025

Today's Reading: Catechism: Daily Prayers: Asking a Blessing & Returning Thanks

Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 1:1-2:10; Haggai 1:1-2:23; 1 Timothy 1:1-20

The children and members of the household shall go to the table reverently, fold their hands, and say: The eyes of all look to You, [O LORD,] and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. (Ps. 145: 15–16) Then shall be said the Lord’s Prayer and the following: Lord God, heavenly Father, bless us and these Your gifts which we receive from Your bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

All things come from God, and it is good to thank Him for them. Many Christians can relate to the experience of gathering around the dinner table with their families, folding their hands, bowing their heads, and thanking God for His gifts. But so frequently, growling stomachs and eager mouths will speed through their words of prayer to get to the meal. Martin Luther’s mealtime prayers, perhaps unintentionally, can help slow things down for us. In the Scripture from Psalm 145, we are reminded that everything that we have in life, down to the last crumb, is a gift from God, intentionally given to fulfill our wants and needs. In this Scripture, we are told that we not only receive the things we need, but the things that we desire as well! God gives to us as He sees fit, without any merit or worthiness on our part, out of the goodness and mercy of His heart. People work hard to earn money to provide for themselves and their families, but this, too, comes from God Himself as a means to take care of His creatures! As we know in the explanation of the Lord’s Prayer, He doesn’t just give Daily Bread to the people who ask Him and thank Him for it, but to each and every person on earth, even to evil people! Even the animals and plants of this world receive their fill directly from their creator. In this mealtime prayer, we thank God for all that He has given to sustain our bodies, not as an obligation, but as grateful children of God thanking Him for the gifts he has given us. We also give thanks to God as a reminder to ourselves of the daily goodness of God that we receive through God’s love and mercy alone. When we pray before our meals, we fill our bodies with thoughts honoring our Lord and the words of His promises before we fill them with the gifts He has provided for our daily lives.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Be present at our table, Lord; Be here and ev'rywhere adored; Thy creatures bless, and grant that we May feast in paradise with Thee. (LSB 775)

Rev. Benjamin Heinz, pastor of Athens Lutheran Church in Athens, TN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.

September 17, 2025

Today's Reading: Luke 15:1-10

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 36:1-23; Philemon 1-25; Colossians 4:1-18

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’So he told them this parable: ‘What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:1-7)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Be honest. What would you do in this situation? If you were the shepherd from this parable, would you have gone to find the lost sheep? This shepherd had ninety-nine perfectly good sheep and a single one that went away. The ninety-nine sheep were perfectly safe and healthy with the shepherd, but to find the one, he’d have to leave them all behind in open country, where wolves, bears, lions, or robbers could come and take them for themselves. Not to mention, going alone into the wilderness, the shepherd could run into these predators as well. There wasn’t even a way for the shepherd to know if the lost sheep would still be alive by the time he found it! For all he knew, it was already dead. And besides, it was that sheep’s own fault that it had wandered off! From a practical perspective, seeking out the one lost sheep doesn’t make logical sense. But that doesn’t matter to the Shepherd. This Shepherd, Jesus Christ, was willing to put His life on the line for the sake of a single sheep, for you. Yes, you fall into sin constantly, you stray from the Lord who loves you, but every time, He comes to find you. His death on the cross pays the price for your wandering and retrieves you from the clutches of the devil, the world, and your very own sinful nature. The shepherd of this parable is so unlike us all and what we creatures would choose to do precisely because He is our perfect Savior, our Creator and Redeemer, who denies Himself for the sake of us, His creation.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

We are Yours; in love befriend us, Be the guardian of our way; Keep Your flock, from sin defend us, Seek us when we go astray. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hear us children when we pray. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hear us children when we pray. (LSB 711:2)

Rev. Benjamin Heinz, pastor of Athens Lutheran Church in Athens, TN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.

September 16, 2025

Today's Reading: 1 Timothy 1:5-11, 12-17

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 35:1-7, 16-25; Zephaniah 1:1-3:20; Colossians 3:1-25

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:15-17)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Saint Paul knew about living a life of sin. Before he had been brought to Christ, the man who was once Saul persecuted and murdered Christians for a living. Without a doubt, he preached to people who knew of his past, and may have even known other Christians whom Saul had destroyed. The memory of his life before coming to Christ likely never left Paul. When Paul writes, referring to himself as the foremost of sinners, he means it. These words come from deep in his heart. But these words do not apply to Paul alone; they apply to us as well. While we may not have persecuted Christians or murdered, we have all strayed far from the Law of God. No sin is less damnable than another. Every offense we have ever committed, no matter how inconsequential they may often seem, condemns us. We deserve death and Hell for the sins that we have committed. Yet, Saint Paul finds great comfort and shares it with all of us: though we are all sinners of the worst regard, Christ has still won mercy for us. The Gift of redemption in Christ Jesus comes to us even in our undeserving state, each one of us being a chief sinner in our own right. Paul knew the true sweetness of the Gospel because he knew the true depths of his sin. Paul knew how severe his offenses against God were, but in receiving the promises and Gifts of our Lord, he also knew the lengths to which Christ’s forgiveness and redemption extend. When we examine ourselves and know our sin, we do this not to beat ourselves up to earn God’s favor, but to truly repent before God of all we have done against Him. When we recognize the depth of our sinfulness, we do not despair, but instead are driven back to Christ. When we receive God’s mercy, we understand how beautiful a Gift is won for us in Christ’s death and resurrection. These words from First Timothy help us to see the truth of our sinfulness, but the richness of the Gospel that we receive from our loving Savior.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Chief of sinners though I be, Jesus shed His blood for me. Died that I might live on high, lived that I might never die. As the branch is to the vine, I am His and He is mine. (LSB 611:1)

Rev. Benjamin Heinz, pastor of Athens Lutheran Church in Athens, TN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.

September 15, 2025

Today's Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-24

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 34:1-4, 8-11, 14-33; Nahum 1:1-3:19; Colossians 2:8-23

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel.” (Ezekiel 34:11-14)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus’ promise to be our Good Shepherd is one of the most memorable and comforting words in our Christian faith. Our Lord has promised to claim us, to feed us, to lead us, and to protect us. But God’s promise to be a Good Shepherd to His people was not something that our Lord Jesus pulled out of nowhere. Throughout the Old Testament, the Lord God promises to shepherd His people Israel. Jesus’ promise to be the shepherd of His people would be familiar to them, as similar words had been brought by the psalms and prophets of old. In the book of Ezekiel, God tells the people of Israel that He Himself would search for His sheep, that He would seek out those who were lost. Surely, God does this time and time again in Scripture when He delivers His people from evil, like His deliverance of Israel from exile in Assyria and Babylon, but His promises are all the more realized and completed in the person of Jesus Christ, who Himself, in flesh, comes to deliver, lead, and care for His people. The Lord, our Shepherd, came to dwell among us and to shepherd us directly. Through His death and resurrection, He rescues His sheep from sin, death, and the power of the devil. In the work of the Holy Spirit, our Lord Jesus gathers together all those sheep who had been scattered by the Fall and brings them to Himself in his generous love. Though we scatter and stray, falling into our sin, our Lord seeks us out, brings us to repent, forgives us, and renews us through His unending mercy and goodness. Finally, when our last hour comes, we will be brought to new pastures, to Paradise, where we will remain as His sheep forever and will scatter and stray no more.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, But yet in love He sought me and on His shoulder gently laid and home rejoicing brought me. (LSB 709:3)

Rev. Benjamin Heinz, pastor of Athens Lutheran Church in Athens, TN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.

September 14, 2025

Today's Reading: John 12:20-33

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 33:1-25; Jonah 1:1-4:11; Colossians 1:24-2:7

“Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. ‘Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? “Father, save me from this hour”? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven: ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.” (John 12:25-33)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus knew what had to happen. He knew the death that was quickly approaching him. His heart weighed heavily within Him because He knew what pain awaited Him on the cross. But He went. He went out of obedience to the Father, knowing that it was needful to glorify God and to save humanity. The creator of the universe allowed Himself to be humiliated, tortured, and hung upon a cross all out of His love and mercy for His creation. And in that creation, His crucifixion on that very cross is the central and most significant event in its history. Our lives are fundamentally tied to the saving work done on the cross through which Christ has made us His own children and redeemed us, rescuing us from the threat of death and eternal damnation. In our church and many other church bodies, we celebrate Holy Cross Day in remembrance of the victory of this all-encompassing event. Christ’s death on the cross is central to our whole lives, defining our identities and shaping our eternal realities. Thanks be to God that Christ Jesus came as a humble servant to set us free once and for all.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Merciful God, Your Son, Jesus Christ, was lifted high upon the cross that He might bear the sins of the world and draw all people to Himself. Grant that we who glory in His death for our redemption may faithfully heed His call to bear the cross and follow Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Rev. Benjamin Heinz, pastor of Athens Lutheran Church in Athens, TN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.

September 13, 2025

Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 14 - Psalm 30:2-5; antiphon: Psalm 30:11a, 12b

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 32:1-22; Hosea 1:1-14:9; Colossians 1:1-23

“For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

It does not always feel like God’s anger is for a moment. In the midst of suffering, in the midst of what feels like direct punishment from God for some sin we have committed, it does not feel like the moment will end. Struggles and hardship bring us to tears, and we cry for what seems like days at a time. When someone we love dies, that sting certainly isn’t for a moment. It can follow us for the rest of our lives. We may find ourselves thinking that if God’s favor is for a lifetime, then maybe we don’t have His favor. We look at the endless night of weeping around us and think the morning will never come. It seems those who say, “Joy comes with morning,” have no idea what they’re talking about or are hopelessly optimistic. King David, the author of this Psalm, however, does know what he’s talking about. The man faced death many times and escaped with his life. He sinned against God constantly and yet was still a man after God’s own heart. He knows that God can and will bring him back from the depths of Sheol, of Hell. David’s confession here is that yes, pain and suffering come and come down hard, but God’s steadfast love and mercy are forever. David acknowledges that relief from sin and the suffering coming from it may not be given in his lifetime. But there is a greater hope, a greater promise to come that gives him the strength to say there is a morning after this night, and weeping will turn to joy. And what hope and promise is this? The savior, Christ Jesus, Who did not shy away from pain and suffering, but took on human flesh to live our broken and hard life to redeem it. Jesus, who took on all our sin and we nailed to the cross to be the final sacrificial Lamb, Whose blood washes us clean and makes us righteous before God. Jesus, Whose resurrection from the dead brought defeated death forever and turned the night of weeping to the morning of joyous Easter. David confesses even centuries before Jesus was born that there will come a time when sorrow and weeping are no more. The favor of the Lord is given to us because of Christ. We endure suffering and pain, but we look with hope toward the morning when all of that will be no more.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

This is the sight that gladdens - what peace it doth impart! Now nothing ever saddens the joy within my heart. No gloom shall ever shake, no foe shall ever take the hope which God’s own Son in love for me has won. (LSB 467:3)

Deac. Emma Heinz, registrar for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.

September 12, 2025

Today's Reading: Philippians 4:1-23

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 31:1-21; Philippians 4:1-23

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

“Do not be anxious.” I am anxious about everything from making phone calls to whether I’m a good enough employee, mom, or wife. It is easy for me to be anxious and to hear “do not be anxious” as an anxiety-inducing rule that I cannot keep, even if I try really hard. The same may be true for you. Even if you don’t get anxious about things that ultimately are not worth it, there are genuine worries we face in life, from seemingly small things, like grades, to the state of this broken, sinful world; there’s always something to worry about. And still, Paul says, “Do not be anxious.” Paul knew about anxiety-inducing circumstances. He had been run out of towns, beaten to within an inch of his life, imprisoned and freed, and as he wrote this letter, he was in his final imprisonment in Rome, which led to his martyrdom. He would die for the faith, and yet he says not to be anxious. Paul echoes the words of Jesus, the Man Who suffered and died that all men might live a new life in Him. These words are not meant to condemn but to comfort the troubled heart. It is an invitation to let go of the things we try so hard to control. To let go of the things that are too heavy for us to carry. Instead, we take our burdens to God in prayer, knowing He hears us and answers us. To combat our anxious hearts and busy thoughts, He gives us His peace. Through His Word and Sacraments, God fulfills His promises of peace and salvation. Christ’s death and resurrection bring life to you, a life of hope and confidence. Confidence that God, your Father, gives you all you need according to His wisdom. Confidence that you are justified by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. Confidence in knowing that even when anxiety, suffering, and even your own death comes, you need not fear. Jesus is bigger than whatever you will face and has already defeated sin, evil, and death. Dear one, remember the God of all comfort claims you as His own. He will neither leave you nor forsake you.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Yea, Lord, 'twas Thy rich bounty gave my body, soul, and all I have in this poor life of labor. Lord, grant that I in ev'ry place may glorify Thy lavish grace and help and serve my neighbor. Let no false doctrine me beguile; and Satan not my soul defile. Give strength and patience unto me to bear my cross and follow Thee. Lord Jesus Christ, My God and Lord, my God and Lord, in death Thy comfort still afford. (LSB 708:2)

Deac. Emma Heinz, registrar for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.

September 11, 2025

Today's Reading: Catechism: Daily Prayers: Morning & Evening Prayer

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 29:1-24; Philippians 3:1-21

“For into Your hands I commend my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.” (Luther’s Morning & Evening Prayers)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

If you are not familiar with Luther’s morning and evening prayers, I recommend you check them out and say them often. They are good prayers, and praying is good. You won’t get extra piety points for praying them, but they offer a simple and clear message about who you are (God’s child through Baptism), where you land in the grand scheme of the cosmos (redeemed sinner, whose sins were paid for by Christ Jesus’ death and resurrection), and give a good opening and closing line to your day (beginning and ending with asking for deliverance from evil and forgiveness of sins). It’s all familiar enough language to us, but it is the endings of these two prayers I want to focus on.

Both prayers end with the same two sentences, and if you can’t learn the whole of the two prayers, I encourage you to memorize this. “For into Your hands I commend my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me that the evil foe may have no power over me.” These two lines hold great weight. We often think of short little prayers like these as simple prayers for little kids, but pay attention to the words. Commending means to entrust someone with something, knowing they will care for it appropriately. We commend ourselves and everything (not just the things that affect us directly, but everything) to God. And then we ask that the evil foe may have no power over us. To tackle this, I have another “little kid prayer” to talk about. “Now I Lay Me Down,” a common kid’s prayer, ends with, “If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” At first, the two lines seem at odds. One prays that the evil foe may have no power over us. The other, apparently admitting defeat, at least asks that God take our souls to heaven when death does catch up to us. Luther’s ending lines are a profession that even in death, the evil foe has no power over you. Because rather than die eternally, you have been given life forever in Christ. Even when the evening of our life comes, we know we will wake on a new and brighter morning. So we pray these prayers (daily), knowing that we belong to God, Who has conquered the evil foe. You are commended to God, go forth in joy, knowing your sins are forgiven and you will not die eternally.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Guard us waking, guard us sleeping, and when we die, may we in Your mighty keeping all peaceful lie. When the last dread call shall wake us, then O Lord, do not forsake us, but to reign in glory take us with You on high. (LSB 877:3)

Deac. Emma Heinz, registrar for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.