September 8, 2026

Today's Reading: Galatians 5:16-24

Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 5:9-27; Philippians 1:1-20

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:19-23)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

An ancient Christian document, known as “The Didache,” begins, “There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between these two ways.” This well reflects what Saint Paul writes to us in Galatians. The works of the sinful flesh is the way of death, eternal death, separation from God. Those works of the flesh at first look tempting, enticing, maybe even fun. Yet every single one of them leads to death, to denying the good and holy Law of God, and leads us away from Christ Jesus. Every single one every time.

But there is a different way, the way of life. This way is not based on your good works but on the good work of Christ Jesus, who gave His life as a sacrifice on the tree of the cross to forgive your sins, every single one, every time. The Way, as the earliest Christians were called, looked not to themselves but to Jesus for their salvation and entrance into the Kingdom of God.

In the waters of Holy Baptism, you have been washed clean of your sins, from the works of your flesh, and given a new, resurrected life as you were joined to Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. This new life which He has gifted to you is Holy Spirit empowered to live in the way of life, to show forth in your daily life the fruits of the Holy Spirit, to walk in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These fruits don’t earn us any brownie points with God, our parents, or our pastor, but they are the thankful response to all that Christ Jesus has done for us. In joyful response to all Christ Jesus has done for us, we daily remember our Baptism, drown our old Adam who loves the works of the flesh and the way of death, and rise to new life empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk in His ways, the way of life in Christ Jesus, our Savior.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O God of mercy, God of might, In love and pity infinite, Teach us, as ever in Thy sight, To live our lives in Thee. (LSB 852:1)

Rev. Daniel Voth, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, ND.

September 7, 2026

Today's Reading: Proverbs 4:10-23

Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 4:38-5:8; Ephesians 6:1-24

“Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.” (Proverbs 4:13)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Legos come with instructions. Furniture from IKEA comes with instructions. Your teacher gives you instructions. Your parents give you instructions. All these are very helpful to complete a task or tasks throughout life. Without them, you might still get the Legos built or figure out how to change your wiper blades, eventually.

So when the author of Proverbs says, “Keep hold of instructions,” we might be tempted to think about some simple instructions for how to get things done, like building a bird house or baking a cake, or maybe how to have a good life with lots of friends and money and power and few enemies. But this instruction is so much more. We’re told not to let it go, not to lose it or let it slip through our fingers. We’re told to guard, to preserve it, not just some of it, but all of it, because this is an instruction in your life. Not what keeps you breathing, but your eternal life, salvation in Christ Jesus.

Instruction here is another way to say “all the teachings of the Scriptures”. Central to the teaching, all the instruction, is Jesus Christ, who gave His blood on the tree of the cross to forgive your sin and grant you life eternal with Him. This instruction is what you are or have been taught in catechesis classes and in the preaching of your pastor each Sunday. It is faith and knowledge of Christ Jesus crucified and resurrected for the forgiveness of all your sin. This instruction in Christ Jesus is your life, here in time, and for eternity.

So guard it well. It should be held onto tighter than your phone. Guard it includes feeding it, regularly attending the Divine Service to hear the preaching of the Word, to be reminded that you are a baptized child of God, to receive the Absolution of all your sins, and to eat of Christ’s body and drink of His blood for the assurance that your sin is forgiven, eternal life, and salvation are yours. This instruction should be the single most important thing in your life that you guard and cling to always, because this instruction is nothing less than Jesus.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord, help us ever to retain The Catechism’s doctrine plain As Luther taught the Word of truth In simple style to tender youth. (LSB 865:1)

Rev. Daniel Voth, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, ND.

September 6, 2026

Today's Reading: Luke 17:11-19

Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 4:8-22, 32-37; Ephesians 5:15-33

“Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice;and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.Then Jesus answered, ‘Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’And he said to him, ‘Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.’” (Luke 17:15-19)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Ten are healed of their leprosy. One returns to the dwelling place of God with man, to Jesus, to give God praise for his healing. He gets much more than he expected, for at the conclusion of the encounter, Jesus declares, “Rise and go. Your faith has saved you.” “Made well” doesn’t capture what Jesus says very well. This leper was made well when he, along with the other 9, obeyed the word of the Lord and went to find a priest. This leper, on account of faith in Jesus, is saved.

So here we can talk about objective justification, the theological term for Jesus paying the price of the sins of the whole world. Not one sin, not one sinner, has not been forgiven by Jesus’ sacrifice on the tree of the cross. For God so loved the world, all of it, every man and woman of all time and history and into the future, that He gave His only Son as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Just as all ten lepers were healed, so by the work of Jesus, the sin of the world is forgiven.

Then comes subjective justification, which applies to the individual. This is the work of Jesus on the tree of the cross for you. It is the justification of the individual sinner before God on account of Christ Jesus. This is for God so loved insert your name here that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will be saved, that you will be saved. Of the 10 lepers, only one here is declared saved through faith in Jesus.

This leads us to praise God where Jesus is found, in His Word and Sacraments, at church. We go to the place Jesus has promised He will be so that we can praise Him, sing Him our thanks, and glorify His name for His work to forgive us, give us life and salvation, to join the Samaritan leper at Jesus’ feet in reverent thanksgiving for all His Gifts to us.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O be our great deliv’rer still, The Lord of life and death; Restore and quicken, soothe and bless, With Your life-giving breath. (LSB 846:3)

Rev. Daniel Voth, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, ND.

September 5, 2026

Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity 14 - Psalm 84:1-2a, 4, 10b, 11b; antiphon: Psalm 84:9-10a

Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 2:19-25; 4:1-7; Ephesians 4:25-5:14

“I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Psalm 84:10)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Fancy hotels and apartments have doormen. These are the guys who stand all day outside, rain or shine, who open the doors for guests, who carry their bags and supplies, and who keep out troublemakers. Doormen don’t get to enjoy the fancy dinners at those hotels put on for paying guests. Doormen are almost never invited to stay for lunch with one of the apartment residents. They just stand at the door. They just welcome those who are invited, and block the way of those who would bring shame to the place.

It is better to be a doorman in the house of God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. He who would be everything, makes himself nothing. For in the kingdom of God, it is the last who are first and the first who are last. Everything is backwards and flipped upside down. Therefore, the doorman at God’s house is better than the owner of the wicked tent. The servant is better than the master. The one who eats a scrap from God’s kitchen is better than those who feast apart from Him.

We see this with Jesus, who is the ultimate doorman of God’s Kingdom. He who is God’s Son and heir puts Himself at the door. He opens the way into God’s house by His death for our sins. Thus, heaven is opened and hell is closed for all who believe and continue in faith. The way to God’s house has been opened for you, and all by Christ, heaven’s ultimate doorman. Simply believe this, and you are God’s guest, those who get to come into His house and feast at His banquet.

Jesus also carries all your burdens. You can bring to God your burdens by prayers. When you do, Jesus shoulders these burdens. He lifts you up when you are weighed down. He knows your sorrows and hurts, bearing those as well. All so that you might not be crushed under their heavy weights.

Finally, Jesus keeps out the riffraff. Those who will not believe in Jesus’ salvation cannot enter heaven’s gates. They cannot pass through the door into God’s house of blessing. It’s not that God doesn’t want unbelievers to be saved. God wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. But it depends on faith in Christ, and not by our works. To those who do not believe, Jesus calls them to repent and believe in His Word and salvation. That way, they might no longer be riffraff, but God’s children, thus able to come into God’s house by faith, too.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

By Your blood, the door is open, That which leads to heavenly bliss. Guard and keep us, Lord, forever, In the faith that gives us this. (original poem)

Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.

September 4, 2026

Today's Reading: Ephesians 4:1-24

Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 2:1-18; Ephesians 4:1-24

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-12)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

These are some of the most misunderstood words in Holy Scripture. The question is, who does the work of ministry? Is it the apostles, prophets, etc.? Or is it all the saints? In recent years, many churches, pastors and even denominations have said that it is the saints who do the work of ministry. That means all the people are ministers, every believer a minister, every believer a missionary, and so it goes. Pastors simply are CEOs to get the people to do ministry acts.

But this is not the original Lutheran teaching. The original Lutheran teaching is that Ephesians 4:11-12 refers to apostles, prophets, etc., namely those men who held the Office of the Holy Ministry as God’s pastors. And these men in the Office of the Holy Ministry alone do the work of the ministry. Not all Christians are ministers (see also 1 Corinthians 12:29). This original Lutheran teaching is found in one of the writings of the Lutheran Confessions of 1580. One place comments on Ephesians 4:8-12, saying: “And [Paul] enumerates among the gifts specially belonging to the Church pastors and teachers, and adds that such are given for the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” (Treatise 67, Triglot pg. 523). Faithful Lutherans throughout the centuries have pledged to teach no other teaching except that which comes from Scripture and is confessed by these Confessions.

Why does it matter who does the works of the ministry? The answer involves the doctrine on which the Church stands or falls, justification. We are right with God not by our works, but on account of Jesus Christ, who was crucified for our sins and is risen from the dead. Therefore, the highest worship of Jesus is faith in Him. Faith receives. Faith is like the hand that holds onto the gift of forgiveness in the Word and the Sacraments. Therefore at worship, the most important thing is that faith receives, not that faith gives. It is muddle-headed to offer up our works—even religious works—as the highest worship. So faith is content to receive, and shuns doing.

At the same time, it is not wrong to confess your Christian faith in your circle. It is great for all Christians - lay people, youths, parents, and pastors, to confess your faith to men as God gives opportunity. Technically this is not the ministry, and you are not under any command of God that you must. It is a fruit of faith, and you are free to do this in your calling, wherever and whenever God gives you opportunity. May you confess boldly in such times.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O Lord, grant us to know Your Word and not be misled. Amen.

Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.

September 3, 2026

Today's Reading: Catechism: What is the benefit of this eating and drinking?

Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 19:1-21; 1 Kings 20:1-22:53; Ephesians 3:1-21

“What is the benefit of this eating and drinking? These words, ‘Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,’ show us that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.” (Small Catechism VI.2)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

God has a powerful Word. When there was nothing, God spoke, and a whole world came into being. When God sent Word by His prophets, what they predicted came true. God brought about what seemed impossible at the time—the most unlikely thing to happen—and yet God did it. When God commanded a fish to both swallow Jonah and to be the first submarine in human history, carrying Jonah to Nineveh, the fish did it. When God’s Son made man spoke, His Word was also powerful. Storms were stilled. Lepers were cleansed. The deaf heard. The blind saw. Dead people became living again.

So it is no surprise that the words “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins” also are powerful. In the Lord’s Supper, these words place God’s own forgiveness in the body and blood of Jesus which is in and with the bread. All who take the Sacrament eat the body and drink the blood of Jesus. But only those who take it in faith in these words receive forgiveness there. God’s Word puts this forgiving body and blood in the bread and wine. Faith receives forgiveness from there.

And an even greater gift is that this forgiveness is not alone. It comes with other gifts of God as well, brought by His powerful Word. For life and salvation also are companions of forgiveness. It’s as if they were friends who cannot be separated. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. What kind of life? Life before God. Renewed life by the forgiveness of sins that Jesus’ death won and that the Sacrament seals to you. And eternal life too! The Lord’s Supper is the medicine of immortality, the true fruit of the tree of life, that all who eat of it and also have faith in these words find this life that God gives. Here, salvation is received as well. Forgiveness is the word spoken by God on the last day to His believers. And the Sacrament brings that end-time forgiveness and salvation to His believers now as the first taste of heaven.

So come when your pastor offers the Sacrament, and come spiritually hungry. You will be fed, because the powerful Word of God makes this food to be equally as powerful.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

“For Your consoling Supper, Lord, Be praised throughout all ages! Preserve it, for in ev’ry place The world against it rages. Grant that this sacrament may be A blessed comfort unto me When living and when dying.” (LSB 622:8)

Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.

September 2, 2026

Today's Reading: 1 Kings 18:20-40

Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 18:20-40; Ephesians 2:1-22

“Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.” (1 Kings 40:38)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Take that, false prophets of Baal. You, who outnumbered Elijah 450 to 1, still lost. What a wimpy god you cried out to to show his so-called power. It didn’t matter how you cried out loudly for him to hear. It didn’t matter how much you limped (though it was funny for the faithful to see, we’ll grant you). It didn’t matter how much of your own blood you stupidly shed when you cut yourselves. Wouldn’t you know, false gods always demand the blood of their followers. But it didn’t work. Your sacrifice that looked oh-so-nice on that altar that morning was untouched by any divine being. The meat just sat there and stank, drawing who knows how many flies.

That’s because the real God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God of the Israelites, who is also known as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—this is the God of your downfall, O prophets of Baal. This is the God who hides Himself so that no one by his earthly human wisdom will ever find him. You guys sure couldn’t. God hid Himself so well that it seemed like Elijah was the only believer left. Yet God’s weakness is greater than all your power, all your political influence, all your earthly advantages. So it is that God may hide Himself even now. Maybe He is making those who hate Him think He is weak and powerless, yet He plans to overturn them when their strength is at its strongest.

The true God poured out His sacred fire on an offering drenched in water. Here, He proves that what is impossible for man is no sweat to the God who made all things from nothing. Oh, so no one can make a wet sacrifice burn? Pour some more water on. God’s got this. After all, this sacrifice is also like the sacrifice that would save sinners: Jesus’ death on the cross! This is the ultimate sacrifice of God, the one that fulfills all other sacrifices—even this sacrifice of Elijah. Elijah’s sacrifice was drenched in water and yet still burned completely when God sent the fire. And Jesus also was drenched in water—drenched at the Jordan River when He was baptized. But this watered-down sacrifice still faced the fire of God’s anger at the cross, that your sins would be atoned for and your salvation secured. Your false god Baal can do nothing, O prophets. And at the end, you tragically see what following a false god gives - that is, only death. Meanwhile, the God of Elijah gives life.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word and faith until our end. Amen.

Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.

September 1, 2026

Today's Reading: Galatians 3:15-22

Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 18:1-19; Ephesians 1:1-23

“If the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.” (Galatians 3:18)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Abraham is perhaps more like a Christian than an Israelite. Technically, there was no way Abraham could be an Israelite. Israelites were descendants of Jacob, who was later named ‘Israel.’ Jacob was Abraham’s grandson. So there was no possible way Abraham could ever be Jacob’s descendant. Abraham could never look back in his family history and find his grandson as his ancestor. So technically, Abraham was not an Israelite at all.

He is called a patriarch, one of the founding fathers of the Scripture and its teaching. In the New Testament, the Jewish teachers pointed to Abraham as the father of their religion of following the Law. These Jewish teachers who did not believe in Jesus as God’s Son, and therefore could not believe the Gospel, pointed to Abraham as their theological founder. It’s as if they said, “Look at Abraham who obeyed God, and thus God loved him. Therefore, you also need to obey God by following the Law completely, so that God might love you, too.”

Therefore, in many ways, Abraham stands as the father not of the Jewish religion, but of the Christian religion! Abraham is not the founder of any works-righteous religion, as Paul showed. Rather, Abraham stands as one of the best Old Testament examples of faith in Christ. God gave Abraham an inheritance —the land of Israel— by a promise. This land would belong to Abraham and to his offspring. And Abraham believed this promise God made. Abraham believed God when He promised that this old man would have a son through Sarah, and that in this promised son, all nations of the world would be blessed. And it was only by this faith that Abraham was right with God.

Who is this promised son of Abraham? It is not merely Isaac, though he was one, too. The real promised son of Abraham is Jesus (see Matthew 1:1). Jesus is the one Abraham believed in and was redeemed by. Trusting in Jesus makes one right with God, apart from one's works. Just as Abraham was right with God, not because of what he had done or how he had obeyed, but rather, simply by trusting God’s Word and promises. Now God’s promises of eternal life and salvation are centered on Jesus. Now Christ, who died for sinners and rose again, proclaims forgiveness for sinners. Be like Abraham. Believe those promises, and you are right with God.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Heavenly Father, reassure me that I am right with you, not based on my inability to follow the Law, but simply because I trust your promises of forgiveness and salvation in Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.