4-16-2026

Good Morning!

            Luke 13:13; “And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.”

    There was a lady who suffered from a disabling spirit.  She suffered for eighteen years.  Jesus saw her suffering and he touched her and healed her.  Eighteen years, which is a long time to be all bent over, unable to stand up straight, always in pain; eighteen years is a long time indeed.   It is hard to imagine suffering like this for eighteen years; it is even harder to imagine the joy that this woman must have felt.  She was in pain all that time.  She probably never had a good night’s sleep; she probably didn’t interact with her neighbors much; she probably had few friends.  She didn’t really live; it was more of an existence wondering if tomorrow would be any easier than today.  She lived like that for eighteen years before she was healed.

    How long have we lived in pain?  How long have we let the weight of a past sin keep us awake at night?  Perhaps it has changed the way you have interacted with other people.  If the pain is from a fight or argument with a family member, some had to “choose” who they “sided” with.  If you battled substance abuse, and lost, you may have lost a spouse or parent or child through the painful event.  Maybe you said something, took something, left something, or just ran in a moment of panic and left everything in a shambles.  It has played on your mind and weighed on your heart the whole time.

    The devil loves those times and events.  He loves to keep telling you that you have gone too far.  He loves to tell you that there is no way back.  He loves for you to have a disabled spirit, one that knows no healing, one that knows no hope.  The devil wants you to suffer from this condition for years; actually, he wants you to suffer your whole life.  He wants your spirit disabled so that you will not listen to God.  The devil wants you to think that what God is saying is not for you.

    Yet God is speaking to you, through his Word and through his sacrament, he is reaching to you with his words of healing.  Those words, “you are forgiven.”  God offers you those healing words and no matter what the sin, what the past painful event, God forgives you and wants you to be healed.  He wants your spirit to be enabled to hear his words and to trust his promise.  He wants your spirit to live in harmony and communion with His Holy Spirit.  God wants to renew in you that clean heart.  God seeks to give you the power to heal the wounds that exist in our lives and in our relationships.

    No matter how long you have suffered from the pain of sin, no matter how long you have been weighed down; God forgives your sins, all of them, whether you have carried them for eight days or eighty years; God forgives you.  Trust his promise and stand upright and throw off the weight of sin that disables your spirit.  Live in God’s mercy.

Father, by your great mercy we have hope.  Because of your unfailing love we fear no sin.  Lead us to trust in your unquenchable desire to have us live with you in your kingdom.  Guide and protect us.  Be with those who are still burdened by the weight of sin.  Bring them healing and hope.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

4-15-2026

Good Morning!

Hebrews 7:22; “This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.”

    A number of years ago, I had a neighbor who was trying to sell some bred cows.  He advertised them at a certain price.  Someone from a fair distance away came and wanted to buy them.  The man gave him 10% of the price as a down payment.  He told him he would pay the balance when he came back to get the cows.  The man never came back so my neighbor still had the cows plus he had the 10% down payment.  The first man guaranteed he would pay the balance, when he didn’t, he forfeited the down payment.

    This is part of how we view Baptism.  In Baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit as a down payment towards our salvation and Jesus is the one who guarantees the payment.  Jesus has already paid the price for our salvation and, in Baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit as the down payment for the completion of our salvation; that is eternal life with our glorified body.  That is the promise that we have.  That is why we ae encouraged to “remember our Baptism.”  It is the sign of God’s grace, active and alive in our hearts and lives right now today.

    We live in this Baptismal grace, this undeserved promise of God’s eternal love and mercy.  We always have it.  No matter what we did or what we said.  No matter how we treated others or our own body; nothing we have ever done can separate us from God’s love and mercy.  No matter how terrible things were or are, we live in God’s grace.  We simply trust in his mercy to sustain us.

    I remember talking with a friend who was counselling a young woman.  She was about 30 at the time and she had had an abortion when she was 15.  Her parents, her boyfriend’s parents, her boyfriend at the time; they all told her it was the right thing to do, it was easy and she could just go on with her life.  It was easy for everyone but her.  For years, she was racked by guilt and shame.  When she finally started talking to my friend, he wanted her to join his church.  She declined, finally telling him her story.  She was convinced that he would turn away in disgust but instead he pronounced God’s forgiveness on her.  He told her that she is a baptized, redeemed child of God and that God has forgiven her.  She was elated, the weight of years of pain and agony were being lifted from her shoulders and she finally looked forward to the coming day.

    You may or may not have an experience like that in your life but, if you are baptized, you have that same Baptismal grace in your life.  Nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, for he is the guarantee of that love.  He is the proof of that love.  God invites you to free yourself of that pain; hear his promise so come and take it in your heart and life.

Gracious Father, your amazing love carries me through this turbulent life.  As the storms gather, I trust in your unchanging love and find shelter in you.  Be with those who are struggling with the pains and sorrows of life.  Keep them mindful of your mercy given to them in your Baptism.  Help them to cling to your grace and favor as your dear children.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

4-14-2026

Good Morning!

        Philippians 3:13; “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,”

     Are you one who practices multi-tasking?  It is a word that means we are doing more than one task at a time.  Many equate this with using the phone, the computer and maybe carrying on a conversation at the same time.  It is supposed to be a sign of a harried yet skilled management of time.  According to many psychologists, it cannot happen.  You cannot multi-task.

    The reason for this statement is that our attention is singular; you pay attention to one thing at a time.  If you are using the phone, using the computer, and carrying on a conversation, psychologists will tell you that you do one of these and ignore the other two while you perform that task.  You may have all three (or more) activities on in front of you but you focus on one at a time.  Your focus may be short, as little as a few seconds, but that focus is one at a time.  You focus on one activity and then the next and then back but it is one at a time.

     Why is this a question?  Because as Christians we need to be focused on moving forward and we need to forget the past.  We cannot keep looking back at our past sins and past pains and keep moving forward.  When you look back, you stop going forward.  When you look back, the devil and the world have you looking back at the pain.  You focus on the pain and the devil tries to convince you that you should stay focused on the pain.  The devil wants you to stay in the past, in the pain and sorrow.

    This is why the Apostle Paul tells us to forget what is behind us.  We need to forget the past and move forward by God’s grace.  When we focus on the past, all of our past failures and shortcomings remain the focus.  The devil wants you to remember the pain you caused to your neighbor or your friend or to your family member.  He wants you to remember the pain you experienced.  He wants you in the past separated from God’s grace, alone in the pain and uncertainty.

    This is why Jesus came to forgive your sins, in order to put the past behind us forever.  The past that is full of sorrow and disappointment is to be left behind.  Jesus came to give you forgiveness and to give you the certainty and the hope for tomorrow.  Jesus gives us the reason to look forward; the certainty of life everlasting is waiting for us.  Our promised life in eternal joy and bliss waits.  So, look forward and forget the past; this is the secret to our joy.

Gracious Father, in you we have our hope for tomorrow.  Help us to leave the past behind and to go forward in the certainty of our salvation.  Be with those who are always looking back and suffering in the past.  Guide them by your Spirit to find the comfort in looking forward to the certainty of their salvation.  Help all your children to live in the joy of your wonderful, bountiful grace.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

4-13-2026

Good Morning!

      Galatians 3:1; “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.”

     Who has bewitched you?  It is something that happens; something like a moth is attracted to a flame or a light bulb.  It is hard for those who are bewitched to pull away, even when we know better.  That is what Paul was telling the Galatians when he wrote them this letter.  Who has bewitched you that you have strayed from the true Gospel of Jesus.

    The Galatians had fallen and followed a twisted view of the Gospel.  The Galatians had become legalistic Christians.  They added some requirements to their faith.  Some were the reintroduction of Jewish traditions and the requirements of “Thou shalt do this;” failure meant that you were somewhat less of a Christian.

    It is fascinating that the struggles of Christians in the 1^st century aren’t a whole lot different that Christians in the 21^st century.  Both generations live in a society that is predominated by unbelief and paganism.  It is easier; the decisions are far simpler but the path is very slippery.  To constantly say, “you have to do this” or “you can’t do that” makes the freedom that Christ gave us unattainable.

    Often times, legalistic Christians suffer.  We suffer because we swing from a self-centered, self-induced pride in our actions.  We thank God we are not like those sinners and then expect God to “deliver” on the list of goods we determine we deserve.  Then we suffer from a painful realization that we have failed to live the perfect life and we suffer in despair because we see our shortcomings as a cause for God to “zap” us with trials, troubles, and difficulties.

    We are often bewitched by the thought that everything is earned instead of it being a truly free gift.  We are bewitched by the thought “nothing is free” and “there has to be a catch.”  These worldly bewitching thoughts are the flame that draws us to the fire of pain and sadness.  This is just another way for the devil to beset us with his yoke of slavery.

    Jesus freed us from this yoke; don’t put it back on.  Don’t let “have to” and “can’t” rule your life.  Rather let God’s love lead you.  Do you have to attend church? Not to be saved.  Do you have to attend communion? Not to be saved.  Do you have to do a set number of “righteous works” in order to please God?  Our works fall far short of being pleasing to God.  What pleases God is love; love for Him by placing our trust in him and his promise over everything and in loving one another.  This occurs when the love that God shows to us flows through us because of his Spirit living in us.

    We don’t “have to” but we should “want to” do things that show God our love and gratitude for his amazing grace and love.  If we fall short, we are still redeemed children of God washed by the blood of the Lamb.  If we do show love, God’s love will prevail.

Father, help me to keep love for you as my guiding decision.  Lead me to act in love and not in judgment or anger.  Help those who struggle and despair when they fail to keep your law and see that it is by faith we are saved.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

4-12-2026

Good Morning!

              2 Samuel 22:36; “You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your gentleness made me great.”

     There is a story of a brave man who, as he was driving home from work, noticed some children playing in an old, abandoned building.  Just as he drove by, there was a huge explosion and he saw the building erupt in fire.  He stopped and ran inside to find the children.  By the time he found them the exit was blocked by the flames.  He remembered the old building had a huge furnace in the basement.  He herded the children into the walk-in furnace and pulled the huge iron door shut.  Inside that old furnace, they were safe from the inferno around them.  The man comforted the children telling them that they were safe and would soon be back with their families.  They were shielded from certain death and kept calm by the man’s gentle nature.

    This is what God does for us.  He shields us from certain destruction.  He saw our pain; he saw our danger and rescued us.  Jesus experienced our pain.  He walked among us to give us hope.  He gives us salvation.  His death on the cross paid for our sins.  His resurrection from the grave sealed the promise of our resurrection.  We are shielded from the fire that the devil hurls at us.  We are protected from the wickedness that the world tries to pour out upon us.

    Even in this salvation, God is gentle with us.  He calls us by his Word.  His Spirit continually guides us back into the safety of his shield of mercy.  It is here that we are kept safe from the fire of the devil.  Regardless of the many ways that the devil tries to attack us; we are under God’s shield.  The fears and uncertainty of this life and covered by God’s grace.  He calls you to listen to his Word of grace.  He calls us to be comforted by his tender words of forgiveness.  He shields us with his tender love and mercy.  Our hope is secure.  We can trust this shield.

    Because of God’s mercy, because of this shield, we can stand tall; we are great.  We can stand up to the devil and his attacks.  We can see his attacks for what they are; they are lies.  God loves you and wants you to be his child.  God desires that you live under him in his kingdom, safe and secure.  This is what God’s shield does for us; it gives us the comfort we need in the battles that the devil launches at us.  God shield protects you from all the devil throws at you.  Behind his shield, you are safe.

    We can hide be this shield, comforted by the gentleness of God’s loving mercy.  We can hide there safely until we are reunited with him in eternal paradise.  We can trust him to protect us from all that we face.  We can trust him to bring us the shield that is our salvation.

Gracious Father, your mercies are new to us every day.  Guard us by your shield of mercy that we may have salvation.  Be with those who are struggling with the battles of this life and feel that they are fighting this struggle on their own.  Save them by your mercy.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

4-11-2026

Good Morning!

     Hebrews 4:9; “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”

     After a long day of work, we are often tired.  We lie down and sleep.  We rest but often times it is not a full or complete rest.  We wake the next day and sometimes let out a huge sigh as we think of the day ahead.  We are thinking of the project that we began a few days ago and now we are in the middle and we still have a few days left until the project is complete.  We sigh as we see the end no closer than the distance, we have already travelled.  We have rested some but not completely.  We only get the complete rest when the project is done.  Then we can rest the rest of completeness.

    This is the type of rest that God gives to us, the rest that he took on the Sabbath.  It was the rest of completion; it was the rest of perfection, of wholeness.  This is not the rest of the weary; this is better.  This is the rest received when a task is finished when the job is done.  It is the rest of satisfaction at a work completed and a task finished.  This is the rest that God had when he completed creation.  He wasn’t weary from the task; he was satisfied for all was “very good” and existing as he designed it.

    The good news of the Sabbath is that we are invited to participate in this rest.  To live in perfect equilibrium between the outgoings and incomings of the life; to a contented heart; to peace that passes all understanding; to the repose of the will in the will of God; and to the calm of the depths of the nature which are undisturbed by the hurricanes which sweep the surface, and urge forward the mighty waves. This rest is holding out both its hands to the weary souls of men throughout the ages, offering its shelter as a harbor from the storms of life. This is God’s will and invitation for us and to us.

    So, when life struggles are great, we look forward to God’s blessings.  We can look to him in complete confidence that we will have rest.  We have contentment far deeper than this world can grasp.  It is a peace that the world can never offer or understand.  It is God’s holy rest and we are partakers in it.  We are partakers because Christ went before us, completing our work of salvation, entering his rest so that we would also enter into our rest.

   No matter how great the task here on earth, no matter how grueling the job is; God’s rest waits for us.  No matter what the devil or the world tries to throw upon our backs, in an effort to cause us to work ourselves to exhaustion; God holy rest is there for you.  You can rest secure in the certainty that your victory is won and your salvation is secure.  You can rest in the contentment of the task completed.  We can recline in God’s loving arms, knowing that we are safe.

Gracious Father, in you we have rest.  Give us the comfort and the contentment of your loving arms.  Father, there are many who do not know your rest; they only know the rest that the world deceives them with.  It is not rest; it is a lie.  Bring them into your Sabbath Day’s rest.  Bring them to the knowledge and faith of their salvation.  This we ask in the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

4-10-2026

Good Morning!

             Matthew 6:20; “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

    A few years ago, we took the high school kids to the Black Hills for a concert.  We stayed in a cabin in the Lead- Deadwood area; the place where gold is lore.  Men would pack up, sometimes with their families, and try and stake a claim and try to strike it rich.  This is the thing that many see as part of the American dream; man strikes it rich through good luck and hard work.  Even though these stories of men panning for gold are legendary and part of our lore; successes were few and far between.  Most of the time, this dream ended in total failure; sometimes catastrophically. 

    Most came with little more than the clothes that they wore.  As the small amount of money they had was spent, they would have to go to work for someone in order to fund their dream.  They often ended up as little more than serfs for the local supply stores.  Sometimes, if the husband was killed, his wife and family would have to try to go back to where they came from.  Sometimes, if the wife couldn’t afford to leave, she would often end up “working” in one of the local saloons.  The effect of “gold fever” was many times a destroyed life.

    We may not have “gold fever” but we many times place far too much emphasis on material items.  We measure our value by stuff.  What is always fascinating is that few ever have enough stuff.  No matter how much one has, there is someone who has more and we want to have more as well.  This “fever” can, and often does, cause pain in families and distress in relationships.  It may not end with the tragedies of the gold rush days but pain and sadness.  When we place our hope in stuff, when our treasures are here on earth; we are seldom satisfied or content.

    Jesus gives us a treasure that no amount of money can buy.  He makes us wealthy beyond any human measure.  He gives us eternal salvation; he gives the hope to face today because of the certainty of tomorrow.  He comforts us with his Holy Spirit.  His Word nourishes us and gives us the rest that we need.

   So, if you find yourself in the downward spiral of wanting “more, more, more;” remember you will never be fully satisfied, you will never be completely content.  You will always crave more and worry about what you have; you will have no rest and even less peace.  Realize that it is the world that tells you it is all about the toys you have.  God tells you it is about the relationships you have; first with Him and then your brothers and sisters.  That is the measure for which we should strive.  We should look at how much we love and not how much we have.  God’s gift to us is the certainty of our eternity.  God’s gift is the gift of life.  It is the answer to the “fever” that greed can cause.

Father, grant me the wisdom to trust in your promise.  Help me to see that the world’s fever is only an illness.  Show me that your healing grace is all that will satisfy life.  Be with those who are spiraling out of control.  Bring them safely home, in Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret