A Pastoral Approach: Bible Study on Revelation 7:9-17, October 30, 2013

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 30, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Revelation 7:9-17 This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.

The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

A Pastoral Approach: Bible Study: The Book of Concord, Augsburg Confession 3, 4, & 5

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 27, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on The Book of Concord. This Bible Study uses Concordia Publishing House's Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions as a basis for our study. Please feel free to follow along.

The Bible Study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

A Pastoral Approach: Sermon for Reformation Day, October 27, 2013: Matthew 11:12-19

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 27, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 11:12-19. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

Sermon for Reformation Day, October 27, 2013: Matthew 11:12-19

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The text this morning is from the Gospel of Matthew, the 11th chapter:

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Thus far the text.

Dear friends in Christ,
     Today is, of course, the day that we celebrate the Reformation.  No, let me start again, one does not simply celebrate the Reformation itself, but we celebrate what it is that the Reformation returned to us, namely the free gift of the eternal Gospel in repentance and the forgiveness of sins.

     You see, by the 16th century, the Church was tolerating awful doctrines in their midst that make us focus on ourselves and the work that we do.  Horrendous.  It was teaching that we had to be good people in order to get to heaven.  Ridiculous.  It was teaching that we had to do good works to get to heaven.  Horrible.  It was teaching that we would be judged by our works, and we better measure up or else we won’t go to heaven right away.  Wretched.  This is not what the Church, the true Church, the orthodox and catholic church, our Church, has EVER taught.  We teach grace.  We teach freedom in Christ.

     So, in reality, you do not have to be a good person to go to heaven.  Jesus is the good person for you.  In reality, you do not have to do good works to get to heaven.  Jesus did the good works for you.  In reality, you do not have to be judged by your works, which is good because you would NEVER measure up to perfection.  In reality, Jesus tells you to be judged by HIS works, because He WAS and IS perfect.

A Pastoral Approach: Growing in Christ Bible Study - Jonah

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 24, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Jonah. This Bible Study is based on the curriculum from Concordia Publishing House's Sunday School curriculum, "Growing in Christ," a curriculum for all ages, helping to teach parents and teachers the material God in Christ wishes His children to learn to trust more in Him.

The Bible Study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

A Pastoral Approach: Bible Study on Matthew 11:12-19, October 23, 2013

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 23, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 11:12-19. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.

The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

A Pastoral Approach: Bible Study: The Book of Concord, Augsburg Confession 1 & 2

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 20, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on The Book of Concord. This Bible Study uses Concordia Publishing House's Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions as a basis for our study. Please feel free to follow along.

The Bible Study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

A Pastoral Approach: Sermon for October 20, 2013, Luke 18:1-8

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 20, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Luke 18:1-8. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

Sermon for October 20, 2013: Luke 18:1-8

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The text this morning is from Luke’s Gospel, the 18^th chapter:

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. ...[and then He said] will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” 

Thus far the text.

Dear friends in Christ,

     The widow keeps on coming to the judge, Jesus says.  She gets him to the point where she almost wears him down, that point where your fingernail is almost chewed down to the nail bed.  It hurts, but not as much as it’s going to when your teeth come back to rip that last little bit off.  The nail comes off, a little blood at the end, and agonizing pain follows.  Almost as bad as when you run your little toe into the table.  You have a few choice words.  But the pain remains.  

     And so the judge decides to relent, for giving her what she wants is much easier than giving her more time to rip his nails off.  Giving in to the widow will be better than living with the agonizing pain of encountering her day after day after day.  Giving in to this widow is going to be ever much less painful than withstanding yet another nagging woman in his life.  

     You see this judge was unrighteous.  And though he may not have realized it, he was doing to the widow what the widow’s adversaries were doing to her.  He was making it so that he was the bad guy.  He was now her adversary.  The one whom God had set in a position of power and authority and justice was doing injustice.  He loved himself, but he had no love for God, and even much less love for his neighbor.  He cared not for the plight of those whom he could help.

A Pastoral Approach: Bible Study on Luke 18:1-8, October 16, 2013

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 16, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Luke 18:1-8. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.

The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

A Pastoral Approach: Growing in Christ Bible Study - 2 Kings 5:1-14

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 15, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on 2 Kings 5:1-14. This Bible Study is based on the curriculum from Concordia Publishing House's Sunday School curriculum, "Growing in Christ," a curriculum for all ages, helping to teach parents and teachers the material God in Christ wishes His children to learn to trust more in Him.

The Bible Study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

A Pastoral Approach: Bible Study: The Book of Concord, The Athanasian Creed

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 13, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on The Book of Concord. This Bible Study uses Concordia Publishing House's Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions as a basis for our study. Please feel free to follow along.

The Bible Study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

A Pastoral Approach: Sermon for October 13, 2013, Luke 24:44-53

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 13, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Luke 17:1-10. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

Sermon for October 13, 2013, Luke 24:44-53

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The text this morning is from Luke’s Gospel the 24^th chapter:

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things...Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them...  

Thus far the text.

Dear friends in Christ,

     You are my witnesses, Jesus says.  Well, perhaps the text is more that you ARE witnesses.  But we are witnesses to all that Jesus has said and done and will ever do.  And we are only witnesses because Jesus is the faithful witness, the one who reveals to us the Father, witnessing to His compassion and love, but also His wrath and justice.  

     For this is what Jesus does.  Jesus witnesses to the Father, and the Spirit witnesses to the Son, and being called through the Spirit, we are witnesses of the Holy Trinity.  We not only observe what it is that our God has given us to know about Him, but we also go and witness about Him.

     For this is what we find in the text, we find a pattern, a rhythm, if you will, that the early Church themselves found.  In the appearing of Christ in their midst, which is at the beginning of this passage of Luke, they realized that there was something Christ was showing them.  He appeared, He taught them, they had a meal together, then Christ went out into the world.  

A Pastoral Approach: Growing in Christ Bible Study - 2 Kings 2:1-15

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 10, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on 2 Kings 2:1-15. This Bible Study is based on the curriculum from Concordia Publishing House's Sunday School curriculum, "Growing in Christ," a curriculum for all ages, helping to teach parents and teachers the material God in Christ wishes His children to learn to trust more in Him.

The Bible Study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

A Pastoral Approach: Bible Study on Luke 24:44-53, October 9, 2013

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 9, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Luke 24:44-53. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.

The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

A Pastoral Approach: Sermon for October 6, 2013, Luke 17:1-10

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 6, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Luke 17:1-10. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

Sermon for October 6, 2013, Luke 17:1-10

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The text this morning is from Luke’s Gospel, the 17^th chapter:

And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 

Thus far the text.

Dear friends in Christ,

     You know what the problem is?  The problem is that we look at the mustard seed and we say, “My goodness, I must have faith SMALLER than a mustard seed.  I haven’t moved any trees lately.  I haven’t done anything great.  I guess I really don’t believe all that much in Jesus if I can’t do incredible things.”  But that’s not what Jesus is talking about.  Because we rip these few words out of context, we start to focus so hard on the ability to do incredible things with our faith, that we miss what Jesus is ACTUALLY talking about.

     When the disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith, does anyone notice what Jesus does?  He doesn’t say, okay.  He doesn’t do it.  He doesn’t actually answer them in any way that they were expecting.  Instead of increasing their faith, it becomes clear from this passage that Jesus is saying they already have everything they need.  In fact, Jesus is saying that THEY’VE MISSED THE POINT of everything He’s been saying.  And so, too, have we.

A Pastoral Approach: Growing in Christ Bible Study - 1 Kings 18

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 3, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on 1 Kings 18. This Bible Study is based on the curriculum from Concordia Publishing House's Sunday School curriculum, "Growing in Christ," a curriculum for all ages, helping to teach parents and teachers the material God in Christ wishes His children to learn to trust more in Him.

The Bible Study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

A Pastoral Approach: Bible Study on Luke 17:1-10, October 2, 2013

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 2, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Luke 17:1-10. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.

The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.