Sermon Audio: John 1:1-14, December 25, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 25, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on John 1:1-14. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Bible Study: Job 41:12-42:17, December 20, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 20, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 41:!2-42:17. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: Luke 1:39-56, December 20, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 20, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Luke 1:39-56. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Luke 1:39-56, December 20, 2015

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 according to Luke, the first chapter:

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     During this Advent season, it’s amazing how many things there are that work to distract us from our focusing upon the mysteries of the Incarnation of Jesus CHrist.  The Incarnation is an incredible moment, when the angel, Gabriel, spoke the Word of God to Mary, and through that Word, the Holy Spirit entered into her to conceive in her womb the Son of God.  The One who is eternal from all time, the one who has always been in existence with the Father and the Holy Spirit, comes into Mary and is made man.

     Mary has within her, growing, changing, developing, her son, who is the Son of God, and who would be named Jesus, the Christ.  Most of you know that Liz and I had our first baby this year.  And starting in August of last year, we watched through sonograms and fetal heart monitors the growth of our son, who was expanding her belly.  He developed from two cells to four to eight to sixteen to over 400 billion cells by the time he was born.  He developed a brain to think, eyes to see, ears to hear, a nose to smell, fingers to feel, feet to walk.  And we watched it all.

Bible Study: Job 39:1-41:11, December 13, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 13, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 39:1-41:11. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: Luke 7:18-28, December 13, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 13, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Luke 7:18-28. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon: Luke 7:18-28, December 13, 2015

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 according to Luke, the seventh chapter:

The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’ ” In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, “ ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     John, the prophesied herald of the coming of the Messiah, sat in prison, languishing under the rule of Herod.  He was not in kings’ courts, but in the king’s prison.  He was not in regal robes, but sackcloth.  But, he did his duty.  He was not blown about by false winds of doctrine, nor did he scratch itching ears by telling them what they wanted to hear.  He preached the good news that the Messiah was coming, he helped the people prepare the way of the Lord, he preached repentance and the forgiveness of sins.  And he did all of this unabashedly.  He made no apologies for his preaching, even if it offended a person, or, in John’s case, the most important person in the area, King Herod.  He preached the Word of God with no apologies.

     But, for that he was thrown into prison, for his preaching of the Law was too much to sensitive ears; it pricked the consciences of Herod and his wife, and they could not let it stand.  So, John sits in prison.  And his faithful disciples, those who had come out into the wilderness to hear the Word of the Lord, watched and waited with him.

Bible Study: Job 38:22-41, December 6, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 6, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 38:22-41. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: Luke 3:1-20, December 6, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 6, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Luke 3:1-20. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon: Luke 3:1-20, December 6, 2015

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 according to Luke, the third chapter:

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ” He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.” As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     In the Gospel text of today, we have John the Baptizer whose main job it was, as the last Old Testament prophet, the last prophet before the coming of the Messiah, to try to prepare the people of Israel for this Messiah.  He doesn’t prepare them by telling them to get the lights up on the house, or the ornaments on the tree, or the presents all wrapped.  In fact, except for being directly located in the Advent season, the time before we celebrate Christmas, you’d never know that this text had anything to do with Christmas, the birth of the Christ into human flesh.

     I mean think about it, we spend all this time before Christmas trying to get ready for the celebration of Jesus’ first coming in the flesh, and looking forward to His second coming at the end of time.  We decorate our houses, both inside and outside.  We decorate our church beautifully with garlands and lights and the tree.  We shop ‘till we drop.  We buy for almost anyone, really.  We search for all the right gifts, all the right wrapping paper, all the right bows.  We do so much to prepare for a single day located in a single season.

Sermon for the Funeral of +Arlene "Sis" Harriet Abrahamson+, December 5, 2015

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

The text this morning is from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, the 15th chapter:

I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperisahable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Thus far the text.

Dear Judy, Lee, Gary, and my dear friends in Christ,
     If you knew Sis, you knew her laugh.  I was remarking to her family the other day that it is sort of this combination between a light-hearted cackle and a giggle.  And it was somewhat infectious.  When you heard it, you couldn’t help but chuckle to yourself.  It was just very sweet.

     But as time went on with Sis, as I went to go and visit her, the laughs were further in-between.  It wasn’t because life wasn’t funny or there wasn’t humor, just that it was harder for Sis to laugh, or to talk, or to really do too much of anything she’d done before.  The reason why is simple: she was approaching her death.

Bible Study: Job 37:1-38:21, November 29, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 29, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 37:1-38:21. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: Luke 19:28-40, November 29, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 29, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Luke 19:28-40. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Luke 19:28-40, November 29, 2015

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 according to Luke, the 19th chapter:

And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     Advent is intrinsically tied to the Lenten season.  That is why this first Sunday of Advent is paired with a reading we would expect in Holy Week.  Advent and Lent are both penitential seasons, where we specifically look at our sin and repent so that we might better see our Savior.  In Lent, we examine our sinful state so that we might more cherish the cross of Christ, upon which the King of Glory took your place and died for the forgiveness of your sins.  And in Advent, we examine our sinful state so that we might more cherish the incarnation of Lord, that He came into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior.  And so He is.  But that’s not all of Advent.  In Advent, too, we examine our sinful state so that we might more look forward to the second coming of Christ, where He will finally, for all time, take away our sinful flesh and give us His glorified flesh in the resurrection from the dead.

     Perhaps this is not what we expect.  After all, the world moved on to Christmas after Halloween.  You all saw the decorations, the chintzy Christmas- and Winter-themed songs on radio stations, the advertisements.  The world expects us to skip this Advent season and just move into the feely-good season where everyone is happy, where gifts are given, where all is well, and Rudolph is on the TV.  But the Church does not move at the speed of the world.  We take our time.  We take four weeks of preparation, four weeks of introspection, four weeks or prayer, so that we might come to Christmas fully in awe of our Lord and what He has done, and even what He shall do again in His return.

Sermon: Luke 12:13-21, November 25, 2015, Thanksgiving Eve

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 25, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Luke 12:13-21. The sermon recording may be accessed by clicking here or in the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.


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

The text this evening is from the Gospel according to Luke, the 12th Chapter:

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     I just bought 35 pounds of peanut oil.  My sister and her fiancée are coming up for Thanksgiving, and we’re going to deep-fry a turkey this year.  You should have seen me in the store.  Here I was, in the store, trying to figure out how many gallons 1134 tablespoons made.  I mean, come on.  Who buys by the tablespoon, moreover, who eats peanut oil by a tablespoon serving size?  And who buys by the pound?  Why couldn’t they just give me the number of gallons?  That would just make sense, that’s why.  It equals about 4.4 gallons, by the way.  But I bought it.  All 35 pounds of peanut oil.

     And I’m excited. Deep-frying a turkey sounds delicious.  We also bought five pounds of sweet potatoes, three big bags of celery, a huge thing of butter, a ton of eggs, a bunch of stuff for pies.  And that’s just what we bought.  My sister is bringing up a bunch more.  They’re driving all through the night to spend a short part of the weekend with us.

     They’re driving to our home, a house that, in my opinion, is quite homey.  We’ve got a TV, a few beds, all of Elias’ toys.  We’ve got all of our toys, the computers, the devices, the things that make life a little more fun.  We’ve got beer, running water, some soda.  We’ve got a riding mower, a snow blower, and various other tools.  We’ve got furniture, the couch, the bookcases, the books, a desk, a crib, a dining room table.

     And none of it matters at all.  Not one bit.  The house, the stuff, the food, the beer, none of it matters.  And none of what you have matters for you.  At least, not really.  Like I said, it makes life more enjoyable, doesn’t it?  I mean, we here have all been so incredibly blessed by God in this country.  We have our freedoms, or liberties, our responsibilities, our stuff.  But none of it matters.  Because, when it all comes down to it, the saying is true: “You can’t take it with you.”

Bible Study: Job 35:1-36:33, November 22, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 22, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 35:1-36:33. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: Mark 13:24-37, November 22, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 22, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Mark 13:24-37. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Mark 13:24-37, November 22, 2015

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 13th chapter of St. Mark’s Gospel:

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     Stay awake.  Good advice.  Good advice if you’re driving through the middle of the night with your family in the car.  Caffeinate, caffeinate, caffeinate.  Stay awake.  Bad advice if your baby keeps waking you up at three o’clock and you can’t really get back to sleep.  Of course, the prescription to make it through that day is the same: caffeinate, caffeinate, caffeinate.

     But, Jesus doesn’t give you an option here.  It’s not good or bad.  Stay awake, He says.  You must stay awake.  You fall asleep, it’s bad news.  You could miss His return.  Stay awake or miss the show.  Stay awake or, like the parable in the text indicates, the Master won’t be happy and pleased with you.  Stay awake.

Bible Study: Mark 13:24-37, November 18, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on Mark 13:24-37 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on November 18, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Bible Study: Job 33:31-34:37, November 15, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 15, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 33:31:-34:37. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: Hebrews 10:11-25, November 15, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 15, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Hebrews 10:11-25. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Hebrews 10:11-25, November 15, 2015

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 tenth chapter of Hebrews:

And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     What would you do?  What would you do if you were one of those on the streets of Paris, facing an imminent threat, facing the very real chance that anything could happen and you could be next?  What would you do if you watched people around you gunned down or taken out by bombs?  What would you do?

     What would you do if the doctor gave you a diagnosis of cancer tomorrow and a prognosis of a few weeks to live?  What would you do if you lost all of your future plans in that moment?  What if you walked into work tomorrow and your boss fired you, downsized you, shuttered the doors of the business?  What would you do?  What would you do when the world goes down the tubes, when your life seems to be falling apart, when everything you thought you knew and loved turned out to be false or a lie?  What would you do?

Bible Study: Hebrews 10:11-25, November 11, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on Hebrews 10:11-25 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on November 11, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Bible Study: Job 33:1-30, November 8, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 8, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 33:1-30. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: Hebrews 9:24-28, November 8, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 8, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Hebrews 9:24-28. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Hebrews 9:24-28, November 8, 2015

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 Letter to the Hebrews, the fourth chapter:

For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     Imagine you are a Jew.  Imagine you live in the time before Jesus.  Imagine that you live a hundred miles away from Jerusalem and every year you must make the long trek, by foot and caravan, to that holy city and its Temple in order to bring the sacrifices required for the atonement of your sins.  Every year.  Every year, you have, not a vacation, but a journey to give to the priests bulls and goats and doves so that your sins may be taken away.

     It has to be every year, because only once per year is the high priest of the Temple allowed to go into the Holy of Holies.  The high priest, a sinner, is only allowed to approach God once per year, walking into the Holy of Holies with bells on his robe so that you can hear him when he moves.  And you want the high priest to keep moving, because if he doesn’t, he’s been killed for his sin, for his breaking the Law of God.  And if he dies, he has a rope tied around his ankle so that the other priests can pull him out without entering the Holy of Holies and dying themselves.

Bible Study: Hebrews 9:24-28, November 4, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on Hebrews 9:24-28 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on November 4, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Bible Study: Job 32:4-22, November 1, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 1, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 32:4-22. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: Revelation 7:2-17, November 1, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 1, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Revelation 7:2-17. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Revelation 7:2-17, November 1, 2015

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 Revelation of John, the seventh chapter:

Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel... After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     John has got to be amazed as he is in the middle of this revelation from God.  First, he seems to be taken from where he is, sitting in exile on the island of Patmos, and taken up to witness the largest, grandest, loudest, more joyful divine worship service he has ever seen.  That’s right, what John is witnessing is akin to what we do each and every Sunday when we gather; incidentally, that’s a reason why we do what we do.  John has witnessed it happening in heaven, we continue to do it on earth.
But beside that, John has got to be surprised and amazed.  He sees so much in heaven, but so much that seems to be beyond the languages he knows, and so he writes what he can, putting it in a way that we only scratch the surface of.

     For instance, take the 144,000.  Now does that mean that only 144,000 will be saved?  Of course not.  But to get 144,000, you multiply 12 by 12, 144, and then by 1000, a prophetic age, and you end up with John’s number.  Here this is signifying the church under the time of the 12 tribes of Israel, and then the church under the time of the twelve apostles, which is still today, and then the full completion of time.

Bible Study: Revelation 7:2-17, October 28, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on Revelation 7:2-17 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on October 28, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Bible Study: Job 32:1-3, October 18, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 18, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 32:1-3. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: Hebrews 4:1-16, October 18, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 18, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Hebrews 4:1-16. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Hebrews 4:1-16, October 18, 2015

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 Letter to the Hebrews, the fourth chapter:

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. …For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     Our text today picks up where last week’s left off, remember that the Resurrection is the primary hope of the Christian life, the day for which we all strive to reach, and it is a day that we have a taste of, even today as we approach the Lord’s table at His invitation to have a foretaste of the feast to come.  Christ keeps us faithful in this by providing His gifts to us, His means of grace.  That’s how you know that the rest of the Lord, the day of Resurrection, is open to you, that you come to His Altar to receive those things He has to give you, that you remember your Baptism, that you have received Holy Absolution for the pardon of all of your sins.

     His promise of rest to you still stands, for He was the one who was crucified and risen for the forgiveness of all your sins.  And as He is the Lord who has done this, and has promised His gifts to you, He has the power and the authority, sitting at the right hand of God, to give you this even today.  Today is a taste of the victory that is to come.  And every day that follows today is pure mercy, given by Jesus that we may revel in His salvation for us one more day in this sin-filled world, that we may do the good works that have been appointed for us to do, that we attempt to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a world that is hurting and suffering and fallen in their sin so that they may stand with us in the very same confidence we have this day.

Bible Study: Hebrews 4:1-16, October 14, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on Hebrews 4:1-16 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on October 14, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Bible Study: Job 31:1-40, October 11, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 11, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 31:1-40. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: Hebrews 3:12-19, October 11, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 11, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Hebrews 3:12-19. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Hebrews 3:12-19, October 11, 2015

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 Letter to the Hebrews, the third chapter:

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     Jesus is greater than Moses was.  That’s the message the author to this letter just gave to the Jews scattered throughout the land.  That’s like saying Akeley’s Paul Bunyan statue is better than Bemidji’s.  It's like saying the LWML looks better in pink.  It evokes a certain amount of distaste, disgust, and is sure to ruffle more than a few feathers.

     After all, if you’re a Jew, Moses is your guy.  He’s the greatest prophet, the greatest Law-giver, the greatest everything.  He’s the one who led the people out of Egypt.  He’s the one who parted the Red Sea.  He’s the one who prayed and manna and quail came to the people.  He’s the one whose touch caused water to flow from the rock.  He’s your guy.  If you’re a Jew, Moses is The Dude.

Bible Study: Hebrews 3:12-19, October 7, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on Hebrews 3:12-19 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on October 7, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: Hebrews 2:1-18, October 4, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 4, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on hebrews 2:1-18. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Hebrews 2:1-18, October 4, 2015

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 Letter to the Hebrews, the second chapter:

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. …Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. …Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. …he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     You may have heard the saying, “Doctrine divides.”  Usually, it’s employed in certain churches that push the idea that what you believe doesn’t matter, it’s what you do, or it’s what you feel, or as long as you’re sincere everything is going to be okay.  They claim that doctrine just messes up the Church; doctrine doesn’t really matter.  Doctrine is just the academic’s way of pushing into the Church.  Doctrine’s only for the people who need to feel smart.  Doctrine is just for those who aren’t really interested in just a simple faith, a simple life, a simple Jesus.

Bible Study: Hebrews 2:1-18, September 30, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on Hebrews 2:1-18 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on September 30, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: James 5:13-20, September 27, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on September 27, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on James 5:13-20. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Bible Study: Job 29:1-30:31, September 27, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on September 27, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 29:1-30:31. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Text: James 5:13-20, September 27, 2015

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 Epistle of James, the fifth chapter:

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     James is heartily concerned with the end of time, when Jesus will return and raise all who believe in Him into eternal life.  That’s everything that’s going on in this chapter.  James closes out his letter by giving us instructions on how it is that we should prepare for that end.  And we should, all of us, from the very youngest to the very eldest, be walking through this life to prepare for our end.

     We pray in the Lord’s Prayer that our Lord would deliver us from evil, and we know that as we pray that prayer we are asking that our Lord would give to us a blessed death, a death in which we are confident that He will fulfill His promises and take us to be with Himself in heaven, waiting until the resurrection from the dead.  This is what we should all desire.  We should all desire such a blessed end, and we should use all that God has given us to prepare for that.

Bible Study: James 5:13-20, September 23, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on James 5:13-20 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on September 23, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Bible Study: Job 27:13-28:28, September 20, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on September 20, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 27:13-28:28. Play the audio by clicking here.

Bible Study: James 3:13-4:10, September 16, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on James 3:13-4:10 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on September 16, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Bible Study: Job 24:1-27:12, September 13, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on September 13, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 24:1-27:12. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: James 3:1-12, September 13, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on September 13, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on James 3:1-12. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: James 3:1-12, September 13, 2015

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 Epistle of James, the third chapter:

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so…

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     Our tongues do marvelous things.  They speak words whose beauty declares truths of the world we have never seen or heard before.  Consider this poem by Oscar Wilde:

Requiescat by Oscar Wilde
Tread lightly, she is near
Under the snow,
Speak gently, she can hear
The daisies grow. 

All her bright golden hair
Tarnished with rust,
She that was young and fair
Fallen to dust. 

Lily-like, white as snow,
She hardly knew
She was a woman, so
Sweetly she grew. 

Coffin-board, heavy stone,
Lie on her breast,
I vex my heart alone,
She is at rest.

Peace, Peace, she cannot hear
Lyre or sonnet,
All my life's buried here,
Heap earth upon it.

     Wilde here writes of a deep love for his sister who tragically died of illness.  Though, when we hear it, perhaps we were taken to the graveside of one we love.  This is the power of words.  They transport us to a marvelous place, where we hear words we have always known, transporting us across the vast chasms in our mind to wherever it is the words take us.

Sermon for The Vigil of Repentance in Remembrance of the Victims of Abortion, September 12, 2015

This sermon was written for The Vigil of Repentance in Remembrance of the Victims of Abortion, held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on September 12, 2015. You may find out more about this service, and all of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod's efforts in the protection of the unborn by clicking this link. You may also play the audio of this sermon by clicking here.


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

My dear friends in Christ,
     Our Lord tells us, through His servant David, in the 139th Psalm, that our Lord is intimately involved in the forming of life, even from the moment of conception.  But it goes further than that.  If our Lord knits together every boy and girl formed in their mother, He has also guided even the process of conception, the making of this tiny human person.  It doesn’t matter how this child came to be, this child is beloved by God, whose sin, that original sin we have all inherited from our first father, Adam, that child’s sin was paid for by the death of Jesus Christ.  Every single person, whether a single second from conception or the oldest living person, whether the world esteems them valuable or able to contribute to society, whether they lay in a hospital bed forever, every single person is valuable, loved by, cherished by, redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ, for the blood of Christ was spilled for them.  And thus they should be valued by us.

     But, we have failed our Lord and we have failed our neighbors in our care towards those for whom Christ died.  In our many sins, we have failed.  But today, we recognize that we all have been negligent in our duties to protect those who are the least among us.  The least among us are those who will not receive the life given to them by their Creator but are killed through methods devised by wicked humanity.  The least among us are those who are suffering from the grief and shame of having an abortion.  The least among us are even those men who have had their children killed, even who have encouraged their children to be killed, and who are even now suffering under their grief.

Bible Study: James 3:1-12, September 9, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on James 3:1-12 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on September 9, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: James 2:1-10, 14-18, September 6, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on September 6, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on James 2:1-10, 14-18. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: James 2:1-10, 14-18, September 6, 2015

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 Epistle of James, the second chapter:

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it… What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     A man was walking in a forest one day.  And as he went, he noticed that all of the plants were dead.  Not one thing was alive.  The grass had withered, the flowers had drooped, even the trees were reminiscent of old ghostly bones cropping up from the ground.  It was not beautiful where he had expected beauty.

     Then, as he left the forest he found a field, and realized things were greening up again.  But, as he proceeded, he saw that on one side of him, everything was a primary color.  All the reds, blues, and yellows that you see were on his left.  All the mixes, the greens, browns, purples, oranges… they were all on his right.  And as he looked at them, he realized there was no beauty there either.

     He had expected to see things the way they should be.  The way you look upon a forest and expect to see the deep colors of life, with tracks on the ground, overgrown bushes, the signs that there is something staring back at you from within.  Or the way you look out at a prairie field in the sunset, with every color in the world staring back at you, nothing clashes, everything goes together and matches perfectly with the sun and all of its hues.  But the man saw death, and he saw division, neither one the way things were supposed to be.

Bible Study: James 2:1-10, 14-18, September 2, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on James 2:1-10, 14-18 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on September 2, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Bible Study: Job 23:8-17, August 30, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on August 30, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 23:8-17. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: Deuteronomy 4:1-14, August 30, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on August 30, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Deuteronomy 4:1-14. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Deuteronomy 4:1-14, August 30, 2015

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

The text this morning is from Moses’ Book of Deuteronomy, the fourth chapter:

“And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal-peor, for the Lord your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal of Peor. But you who held fast to the Lord your God are all alive today. See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today? “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children— how on the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’ And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom. Then the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice. And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments, and he wrote them on two tablets of stone. And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and rules, that you might do them in the land that you are going over to possess. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     Deuteronomy is a word that means the second law, or the second giving of the law.  We must remember that the Law of God is good and just and holy, and, as it was given to Israel, it was the basis of Israel’s covenant with God going into the promised land.  He gave them the Law, they said they would do it.  And if they obeyed the Law, if they kept the statutes and commands, they would live.

     But, God was under no false pretenses here.  He had led this people out of Egypt, parting the waters of the Red Sea, making them to walk through on dry ground, and at every turn Israel turned away from their God, from Him alone, and sought after false gods.  That is what happened at Baal-Peor: they took the Baal that the people of Peor worshipped and joined it together in some false wedding ceremony, giving Yahweh, their God, a wife that He never asked for.

Bible Study: Deuteronomy 4:1-14, August 26, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on Deuteronomy 4:1-14 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on August 26, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: Mark 7:1-13, August 23, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on August 23, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Mark 7:1-13. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Mark 7:1-13, August 23, 2015

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 according to Mark, the seventh chapter:

Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban” ’ (that is, given to God)— then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     You have to remember that the Pharisees and their ways were well regarded in the time of Jesus.  The way they did things were the way the Jewish people, for the most part, wanted to do things.  Their way of living was to be highly imitated.  Most people thought that the Tradition of the Elders, which was the name of the religious system of the Pharisees, was straight from the mouth of God.  

     The Tradition of the Elders was supposed to be an oral Law, kind of the extra instruction that God gave to the elders of Israel on Mount Sinai some 1500 years before Jesus.  Or at least that’s what everyone thought.  In reality, according to Jesus, this other testament of the Law was no more the Word of God than the closed caption systems on your favorite television show.  What the Tradition of the Elders did do, however, is spur people on to do good works in their attempt to keep the Law.  What it did badly was make people obedient to another law, not the Law from God, in order to be saved.

Sermon for the Funeral of +Josephine Rosella Oelrich+, August 22, 2015

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 John, the fifth chapter:

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 

Thus far the text.

Dear Dan, Jerry, Ron, Joan, all of Jo’s family, and my dear friends in Christ,
     My friend, your mother, your grandmother, your friend, Jo, has fallen asleep in our Lord Jesus Christ.  And this is a sad day.  For us.  It is an awful day for us.  For we mourn her loss.  She is gone from our presence here now and we miss her.  It wasn’t that Jo was in perfect health.  It wasn’t that she was young.  In fact, we all know, she was 93 and was suffering from cancer and pain.  She was dealing with much in her life, but, in her own stubborn way, she held on as long as she could in this life, but yet was prepared for the next.

Bible Study: Luke 7:1-13, August 19, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on Luke 7:1-13 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on August 19, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: Proverbs 9:1-10, August 16, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on August 16, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Proverbs 9:1-10. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Proverbs 9:1-10, August 16, 2015

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 Book of Proverbs, the ninth chapter:

Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.” Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     Frequently throughout the Book of Proverbs, Wisdom and Folly go together.  Now, it doesn’t mean that they’re friends; in fact, quite the opposite.  Wisdom is seen as a gift from the Lord, and Folly is seen as anything that goes against the Lord’s commands, His wishes, His righteousness.  Wisdom leads to life; Folly always leads to great death.

     And so, when Solomon wrote this proverb, he did so to teach those who would read it exactly what is the character of God’s wisdom and His invitation to such righteousness.  In fact, it’s made clear through this proverb that there will be some, in fact, many, who will avoid Wisdom and seek after their own ways, which always lead to Folly.

Sermon Audio: John 6:35-51 August 9, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on August 9, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on John 6:35-51. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: John 6:35-51, August 9, 2015

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 John, the sixth chapter:

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” …No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     Of the multiple things going on this reading for today, John tells us two major things.  First, Jesus is the bread of life, so that when one has Jesus they have life eternal.  And second, Jesus claims to be both God and the Messiah.  What’s amazing is that it is only because Jesus is God that He can redeem His people, and it’s only through His redemption of the world that He gives eternal life, and it’s only through bread and wine, food and drink, to stop your hunger and slake your thirst, that the redemption that is in Christ Jesus comes to us as often as we would have it.

     It is only because Jesus is the God-man, being God from before all time and being man, incarnate by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary, that He can redeem His people.  Only one who is both God and man could have won for the world the forgiveness of sins; only one who is both God and man could reconcile the two parties.  You see, our God has a holy Law, and the people whom He created are guilty of breaking that Law.  

Bible Study: John 6:35-51, August 5, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on John 6:35-51 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on August 5, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Bible Study: Job 22:22-23:7, July 26, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on July 26, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 22:22-23:7. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: Ephesians 3:14-21, July 26, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on July 26, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Ephesians 3:14-21. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Ephesians 3:14-21, July 26, 2015

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

The text this morning is from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, the third chapter:

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     The pericope today starts in a strange place.  “For this reason…”  What reason, we should ask?  Why is Paul bowing his knees before the Father of Jesus Christ?  Well, it goes back to the ending of last week’s Epistle Lesson, where Paul speaks of the local congregation: “In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

     Paul tells the Ephesians that, being a part of the larger Church, they “…are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.”  Then he tells them that they are being joined together, as a local congregation, are also being built together, so that when one looks at the Ephesians, they can say definitively, “God is there in that place.”

Bible Study: Ephesians 3-:14-21, July 22, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on Ephesians 3:14-21 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on July 22, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Bible Study: Job 22:12-21, July 19, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on July 19, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 22:12-21. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: Ephesians 2:11-22, July 19, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on July 19, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Ephesians 2:11-22. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Ephesians 2:11-22, July 19, 2015

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

The text this morning is from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, the second chapter:

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     Did you know that we are, each of us here, indebted to obey Luther’s Small Catechism?  It’s true.  Each of us, as we have been received into membership, confess and vow that we will continue to live out the Christian faith and be taught the Word of God according to what is contained in his Small Catechism.  We’d be good to remind ourselves of that.

     In that Catechism, as I’m sure you’ve all been reading it this week, you know that there are six chief parts, six things Luther draws upon to point us to the Christian life of faith: the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, Baptism, Confession, and the Lord’s Supper.  He says these things are the foundation of our faith, and if we knew no more than these, we would all live in peace and quietness, as we pray for each week.  And countless Christians, over the course of, especially, the last 500 years, have agreed.  That’s why the Catechism was taught in every home, and that’s why the Church confirmed the teaching of the father to his children.
 

Bible Study: Ephesians 2:11-22, July 15, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on Ephesians 2:11-22 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on July 15, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon Audio: Mark 6:14-29, July 12, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on July 12, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Mark 6:14-29. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Mark 6:14-29, July 12, 2015

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 according to Mark, the 6th chapter:

King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     It’s easy for us to focus on the story told in this text of John the Baptizer’s death at the hands of the evil Herodias.  So often, we think that the narrative is what matters, rather than what the story reveals.  And don’t get me wrong, the story is important.  But, how many of us know the story behind the story?

     Herod the Great was a man who had won great favor from Rome, but one who had also been driven mad with paranoia.  He had 14 children that we know of, killed three, ten wives, killed one, and was the man responsible for the Slaughter of the Bethlehem Innocents to attempt to murder the infant Jesus, who he saw as a threat to his throne.  The Herod in today’s text is one of Herod the Great’s sons, and ruled along with two of his brothers over certain areas in Israel.  This Herod does seem quite so crazy as his father, yet, having come from such a “distinguished” family, it’s not a surprise that Herod has just as many problems as his father did.

     In fact, he fell in love with his sister-in-law, Herodias, married to his brother Philip, and, not that it was right, but before Herodias even thought of divorce, she ran away with Herod and got married.  For a Jew, this would have been nearly unthinkable, as not only would the divorce that she would seek would be illegal, against the Law of God, but that she married her husband’s brother, which is only commanded after the death of the brother.  In many ways, she basically treated her new husband’s brother as dead, and so did Herod.  This would have caused many issues between them, especially as these two brothers, and even one more, ruled over different areas of Israel.

Sermon Text for the Wedding of Karly Sorensen and Jeremiah Ackermann, July 11, 2015

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

The text this evening is from John’s First Epistle, the fourth chapter:

…if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit… By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world.

Thus far the text.

Karly and Jeremiah, and my dear friends in Christ,
     Today is the day for which you have been waiting for so long: the day your marriage begins.  And I say it that way because, as you know, so often, the world gets caught up in the trappings of the wedding, thinking this is the start of everything good.  But, you both know, as baptized believers in Christ, this day is merely a day, a good day, but a day that Christ uses to bring you closer to Himself.

     In your Baptisms, as the water poured over your heads, marking you with the promise of the Word, the name of God, the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, God came to you to abide with you forever.  There, the Holy Spirit entered into you and has guided you, taught you, strengthened you, comforted you, all with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  And there, because you were claimed by the Holy Spirit, delivered Christ’s gifts of mercy and salvation, and loved by the Father, you were taught to love.

     For indeed, there is no greater love than the love of God towards you, the love that sent the Only Son from Heaven to come to earth, live perfectly, die, and be resurrected for you.  The love that you two share for one another is a mere fraction of this love.  It is a mere pittance here.  And you will see this in your marriage.

Bible Study: Mark 6:14-29, July 8, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin onMark 6:14-29 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on July 8, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Sermon: Mark 6:1-13, July 5, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on July 5, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Mark 6:1-13. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon: Mark 6:1-13, July 5, 2015

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 according to Mark, the 6th chapter:

He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     Jesus, this morning, by the inspiration of His Holy Word, by speaking of faith, the faith that has been given to you, shows us what it should look like to go out into the world and be a part of His mission.  This is such an important topic for us today, and it has been the topic of Christians for countless ages.  When I spread the Gospel, what should I expect?  What should I do?  What will the response be?

     Even our beloved Martin Luther, convinced that, after the Gospel had been freed from the Roman Catholic Church, now that the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone, and not faith and works, was being preached, the Jews of his beloved Germany would convert to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He thought, for sure, now that they would hear they had been freed from obedience to the Law of God for salvation, they would turn to the cause of the Reformation and join hands as fellow believers in Jesus Christ.  Yet, they would not turn.  They would not convert.  And Luther became angry and jaded, and in his old age sinned, saying many disparaging things about his fellow citizens.

A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Mark 5:21-43, June 28, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on June 28, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Mark 5:21-43. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon: Mark 5:21-43, June 28, 2015

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 according to Mark, the fifth chapter:

And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him …And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. ...And Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” …[Then Jesus said to the synagogue ruler,] “Do not fear; only believe.] [And Jesus] took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” …And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     I’ll be honest and tell you that as I prepared this sermon this week, I had in mind a much different direction for this text.  I’m going to encourage you to go check that direction out.  Go to our website, trinitybemidji.com, go to the staff page, look at my profile, go to my personal webpage, and there you’ll see all the sermons and Bible studies I’ve posted, and you can find Wednesday, the 24th’s Bible study on this text.

     But, suffice it to say, this is the story of the two daughters, one of whom was suffering from a physical malady and, because of something she couldn’t help, she was shunned, turned away, kept away from the Word of God and the forgiveness that is offered freely to the world.  The second daughter, the lovely little girl in her daddy’s eyes, had died.  And our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Resurrection, heals them both.  He saves them both.  He brings them salvation, not just physical healing, but actual salvation that will bring them to the end of time, safe and secure in the arms of Jesus.

     That’s what the sermon was going to be about.  And, in a way, I suppose it is.  But, now, this week, we have something else to talk about, too.  I know many of you are upset over the ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States.  I know many of you worry that our highest court has legalized sin.  I know that many of you are worried that this shall begin the persecution of the Church found in America.  I know many of you worry that this is the end of America as we know it.

Bible Study: Mark 5:21-43, June 24, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on Mark 5:21-43 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on June 24, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Bible Study: Job 21:22-22:11, June 21, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on June 21, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 21:22-22:11. Play the audio by clicking here.

A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13, June 21, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on June 21, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on 2 Corinthians 6:1-13. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13, June 21, 2015

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

The text this morning is from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians, the 6th chapter:

Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way… We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     The Corinthian Church was pretty messed up.  Paul and Timothy, writing this letter together, had heard what had happened since the first letter.  Do you remember 1 Corinthians, the fifth chapter?  Paul finds out that in the Corinthian church there is someone who is living in sin with his stepmother.  And do you know how the Corinthians were responding?  They were fine with it!

     The Corinthians were fine with sin!  They thought that since they were saved, since there was no necessity to obey the Law in order to be saved, everything was fair game!  So, in this case, this stepson said, “Hey, why not?”  And the Church said, “Yes, indeed, why not?  Go forth!”