A Famine Not of Bread

Click here to listen to this sermon. “And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over” (Matthew 14:20). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Every time I hear the story of the feeding of the five thousand, I’m reminded of my Grandma Moeller. No matter what hour of the day or how many people showed up unexpectedly, she could feed them and take care of them. No one ever left her table hungry. Perhaps you had a mother or grandmother like that. In the days before microwaves and pre-packaged foods, Grandma was a wizard at improvising and stretching a meal. Although she never would have been mistaken as a gourmet chef, she could turn a small beef roast and a few potatoes into more than enough for twelve. A loaf of Old Home bread, a brick of cheese, and a quart of ice cream made the most delicious “lunch” when people came visiting at night. How she was able to do that, I don’t know. It’s probably a l...

Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! What is the Sacrament of the Altar? That’s a good place to start. We’ve got to know what it is first before we discuss its blessings and benefits. Ask this question and you’ll get loads of answers from various people: a symbol… a ceremony… a sacrament… a sign… even a sacrifice. But the only answer that holds is what comes from the Lord Himself. He ought to know. After all, He instituted and mandated this Sacrament on the night when He was betrayed. It’s His Supper. It is His last will and testament. He speaks His words. He connects His words to physical elements. His words are the chief thing. What is most important are His words. So let’s listen to the words of our Lord Jesus once again: “As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks He broke it and gave it to His disciples saying, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is given for you. This do in remembra...

"Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. “Now when Jesus heard [about the death of John], He withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by Himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed Him on foot from the towns. When He went ashore He saw a great crowd, and He had compassion on them and healed their sick. Now when it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, ‘This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ But Jesus said, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ They said to Him, ‘We have only five loaves here and two fish.’ And He said, “Bring them here to Me.’ Then He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over” (Matthew 14:20). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Every time I hear the story of the feeding of the five thousand, I’m reminded of my Grandma Moeller. No matter what hour of the day or how many people showed up unexpectedly, she could feed them and take care of them. No one ever left her table hungry. Perhaps you had a mother or grandmother like that. In the days before microwaves and pre-packaged foods, Grandma was a wizard at improvising and stretching a meal. Although she never would have been mistaken as a gourmet chef, she could turn a small beef roast and a few potatoes into more than enough for twelve. A loaf of Old Home bread, a brick of cheese, and a quart of ice cream made the made the most delicious “lunch” when people came visiting at night. How she was able to do that, I don’t know. I...

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.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I’m sure you’ve heard this before: “There’s no such thing as a stupid question.”   It’s my experience that this is the kind of thing said at a question and answer session when nobody is asking questions.   It’s meant to encourage more interaction between the speaker and listeners.   And it’s been said so often that it’s become a truism—an “accepted fact of life.”   But is it true? No, there really are stupid questions—at least questions that have less merit than others.   Some people seem to ask questions just to gain attention.   Others people like to “play devil’s advocate” or “stir up the pot a bit.”   A few already know the answer but want to test the speaker or to prove their own expertise.   And some people just plain don’t think before they speak.   So, yes, there are stupid questions.   But have you ever noticed how a skillful teache...