A Famine Not of Bread

"The Resurrection of Jesus" by James I Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! The sisters were frantic when their brother Lazarus took ill. They realized that unless something was done soon, he would not live much longer. The prospect of losing their brother was painful and frightening. In fear and frustration, Martha and Mary did the right thing. They brought their need to Jesus. That is something for us to think about carefully. We, too, have urgent and frightening needs. It may be sickness and the threat of death, such as this family faced. It may be the loss of a job or a troubled marriage … a wayward child … loneliness … a pet sin or addiction that is controlling our lives. Wh...

Click here to listen to this sermon. This sermon is from a series written by Rev. Paul L. Beisel and published by Concordia Publishing House.

"Healing the Man Born Blind" by Vasily Surikov Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Once there was a man who walked in darkness. It was not that he chose to, just that he was blind from birth. And people had all sorts of theories why. Many assumed that terrible punishments came on certain people because of their own sin or the sin of their parents. But Jesus explained to His disciples that God had a different reason in this case. “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world” (John 9:3-5). It was a puzzling statement. But Jesus made it clear that though suffering is a result of sin in this world, not all suffering is a direct punishment for specific sin. In this case, God allowed the man...

Click here to listen to this sermon. This sermon is from a series written by Rev. Paul L. Beisel and published by Concordia Publishing House.

Click here to listen to this sermon. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”   (Exodus 17:7). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! “Is the Lord among us or not?” That’s what the Israelites demand at a place called Rephidim. Not, “Why is God letting this happen to us?” Or “What is the Lord up to?”, but “Is God even here like He said He’d be?” Talk about change. Three chapters ago, in Exodus 14, the Lord had led them across the Red Sea on dry ground before drowning the Egyptian army in pursuit. The people of Israel sang God’s praises for their deliverance in Exodus 15. Then in chapter 16, the people complained that there was no food, and so God fed them with manna and quail in the wilderness. Now the people are openly quarreling with God’s appointed shepherd, testing the Lord. “Is the Lord among us or ...

Click here to listen to this sermon. This sermon is from a series written by Rev. Paul L. Beisel and published by Concordia Publishing House.

"The Calling of Abraham" by Alexander Ivanov Click here to listen to this sermon.

Click here to listen to this sermon. This sermon is from a series written by Rev. Paul L. Beisel and published by Concordia Publishing House.

Click here to listen to this sermon. “Satan, hear this proclamation: I am baptized into Christ! Drop your ugly accusation, I am not so soon enticed. Now that to the font I’ve traveled, All your might has come unraveled, And, against your tyranny, God, my Lord unites with me” ( LSB #594, v. 3). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! The Jordan River water slowly trickles off Jesus’ wet head. The hot sand glues itself to His damp feet. Behind Him the famous river snakes along; before Him the ancient serpent lays in wait. Still drenched with baptismal water, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Heaven and hell are about to exchange blows. And in the celestial realm, you can hear a pin drop. You may be tempted to view the fight as a spectator, to cheer for your Big Brother who is about to blacken the eye of the bully from below. But you are not just a fan in the stands. No, you are in Christ . In Jesus, all hum...

"Adam and Eve" by Lucas Cranach the Elder Click here to listen to this devotion. Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were na...