YouTube -- 15th Sunday after Pentecost (September 6, 2026)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, September 6, 2026.

Sermon -- 15th Sunday after Pentecost (September 6, 2026)

YOU ARE LIVING SACRIFICES.

ROMANS 12:1-8

In the name + of Jesus.

      This weekend, we observe Labor Day, a day on which we recognize the contribution that workers make to our lives.  I suppose that many would argue a day off of work is better than any day at work, but God has given us work as a blessing.  Consider God’s creation of Adam.  Moses wrote, “The LORD God took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to take care of it” (Genesis 2:15).  God put the man in the garden to work it.  This work was a blessing.  By it, the man would fill his days with purpose and provide for his family.  This was a practical way in which he would love his neighbor. 

     Work is not a curse.  When you feel like it is, it is because of sin which has warped everything.  After sin entered the world, the Lord told Adam, “The soil is cursed on account of you.  You will eat from it with painful labor all the days of your life.  Thorns and thistles will spring up from the ground for you” (Genesis 2:17-18).  Your labor has its own version of thorns and thistles—whether entitled customers, needless paperwork, or broken equipment.  All are the result of sin which makes work difficult and drudgery.  On top of that, our sinful nature prefers laziness over effort.  The book of Proverbs repeatedly gives warnings to the sluggard.  In general, those who are industrious find prosperity while those who are lazy suffer.  Besides bringing harm to himself, the sluggard produces nothing for his fellowman.  While work may be toil when you are engaged in it, you experience deep satisfaction when the task has been completed.

     Work is a good thing.  The Lord gives you the opportunity to do good works every day through your various vocations—as a worker, a parent, a spouse, or a citizen.  Other people are blessed by your good works.  St. Paul noted one way in which people are blessed by your labors: “Let [a man] work hard doing what is good with his own hands, so that he has something to share with a person who is in need” (Ephesians 4:28).  In this way, you are living sacrifices.  You give of your time and energy as you provide a service in your vocation.  This is a practical way in which you love your neighbor.  Through our labors, God is honored and our neighbor is blessed.  These are good things.

     It is sometimes said that Lutherans are opposed to good works.  Now, it is clear that we are not saved by our good works.  For, the Bible teaches us, “We conclude that a person is justified by faith without the works of the law” (Romans 3:28).  Nor do our good works contribute to our salvation.  If they did, we would have to deny that we are saved by grace alone.  If God’s salvation is a gift, then we did not earn it or contribute to it.  It is God’s good work done for our benefit.  But we cannot say that good works are unnecessary.  Our own Lutheran Confessions say, “Our churches teach that this faith is bound to bring forth good fruit.  It is necessary to do good works commanded by God, because of God’s will” (Augsburg Confession, Article VI, paragraph 1). 

     If anyone tells you that Lutherans oppose good works, he is either very sloppy with his words or he is dead wrong.  St. Paul wrote that “we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).  Good works do not save, but those who are saved are dedicated to good works.  It is God’s will for people to engage in good works.  This is why God has given you your labors.  God does not need your good works, but your neighbor does.  You are a living sacrifice, spending yourself to glorify God and to love and serve your neighbor.  If your faith is living and active, you will be living and active in your vocations and in good works. 

     This is what St. Paul wrote about in our epistle reading today.  “I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice—holy and pleasing to God—which is your appropriate worship” (Romans 12:1).  It is God’s mercy that motivates us to worship him with good works.  That is because Jesus Christ did his good work, which is to save sinners. 

     Jesus was a living sacrifice.  Jesus performed the good work of perfect obedience to his Father.  It was not merely avoiding sin; it was also pursuing and practicing good toward all.  He loved his neighbor—whether they were hurting or healthy, whether they were locals or foreigners, whether they were his allies or his enemies.  We have not been so willingly obedient.  Even our best works are flawed, as Isaiah testifies: “All our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth” (Isaiah 64:6).  Isaiah did not say that our sins are like filthy cloth.  Our righteous deeds are unclean because we are, by nature, unclean.  This is why we dare not take pride in our works before God.  But we have Jesus as our living sacrifice.  His pure work atones for our impure works.

     Even though we strive for good works, many of our works are not good.  Sometimes we do our works with resentment.  Sometimes we complain that our works are not getting what we consider to be proper attention or praise.  Sometimes we just don’t care to do the works at all.  Maybe we don’t want to be bothered.  Maybe we deem someone unworthy of our time and effort.  For these and for all sins, Jesus made himself a sin offering.  Jesus was not only a living sacrifice, he also died as a sacrifice for you.  All your sins were laid on him.  God’s wrath was redirected from you to Jesus.  By his sufferings and death, Jesus did the works that save you from divine judgment.  You are redeemed by Jesus’ works, not your own.  So, do not trust your own works, no matter how good you think they are.  You are saved by faith in Jesus.  He did the works, and you receive the reward.

     Now, in view of that mercy, we get to be merciful to others.  In thanksgiving for Jesus’ good work, we dedicate ourselves to good works.  We’ve been set apart from sin, death, and the devil.  We’ve been set apart for a good and godly life.  Jesus laid down his life to rescue us from our wickedness so that you and I could live in godliness.  You are a living sacrifice—living to serve others to the glory of God.

     To preserve us in this godliness, St. Paul urges, “Do not continue to conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you test and approve what is the will of God—what is good, pleasing, and perfect” (Romans 12:2).  One way or another, you are being taught.  One way or another, someone is preaching to you and influencing your thinking.  Such influence can be good or bad.  You come to God’s house to hear the word of the Lord.  Hopefully, you are reading your Bible or some devotional material throughout the week.  This regular meditation is important because the world is preaching to you nonstop.  The devil employs worldly thinking to entice you to abandon God’s word for what is popular and for what appeals to your sinful nature.  The more you listen to that, the more you will be conformed to the pattern of this world.  The more you conform to the pattern of this world, the less you will care about God’s word and his salvation—although the devil will convince you that you are still a good person and that God should reward you for that.

     Do not be swayed by popular opinions and behaviors.  History has shown that the masses can be in full agreement about an issue and be terribly wrong.  Besides that, the masses can change their minds about what is good and what is evil.  In generations past, when a man and a woman cohabited before they were married, it was called living in sin.  Today, most consider it foolish if couples don’t do that.  The world changes its mind quickly about what is good and what is evil.  God does not, but the world does.  So, “do not conform to the pattern of the world” (Romans 12:2).

     God created us and loves us.  What he says is always true, and it always stands.  Therefore, we listen to what our Lord says, knowing that he is looking out for our good both now and eternally.  The more you listen to the Lord, the more you will “be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2).  You will find joy in your life being a living sacrifice, and you will not consider it a major sacrifice to do so.

     For the most part, St. Paul describes how we all serve as living sacrifices in the church.  He wrote, “We have many members in one body, and not all the members have the same function.  In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.  We have different gifts, according to the grace God has given us.  If the gift is prophecy, do it in complete agreement with the faith.  If it is serving, then serve.  If it is teaching, then teach.  If it is encouraging, then encourage.  If it is contributing, be generous.  If it is leadership, be diligent.  If it is showing mercy, do it cheerfully” (Romans 12:4-8).  

     We all have ways that we can serve God’s people.  We all have talents, abilities, and interests which can benefit the body of Christ.  You don’t have to invent ways to do good works for your fellow Christians.  God places them right in front of you.  You serve according to your ability and where there is a need.  In this way, the whole body of Christ functions well and the whole body of Christ is served. 

     You are living sacrifices “holy and pleasing to God—which is your appropriate worship” (Romans 12:1).  But don’t get the idea that the only good works are the works done in the church.  A number of years ago, there was a woman who went to her church’s evangelism meeting.  They were given a pep talk and then sent out to their neighborhood to knock on doors.  As they were going, she said to the man who had teamed up with her, “I can’t believe I did not really do anything for Jesus until now.”  The man was confused.  This woman was the church secretary.  She sang in the choir.  She had raised her children and cared for her home.  Weren’t those things done for Jesus?

     You are living sacrifices.  Everything you do is done for God’s honor and for the good of your neighbor.  Your vocations may change over the years, but your place in God’s kingdom remains constant.  You are a living sacrifice.  Your good works may be known to all or invisible to all.  Either way, God knows them.  Your good works may be a special project or they may be the daily household routine.  No matter; God is pleased with them because Jesus has made you pleasing to him.  For, you are God’s handiwork—created for God’s honor, redeemed by God’s grace, and renewed for good works in God’s kingdom.  God’s work which was done for you is good, and the work God gives you to do is good. 

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Schedule update for St. John's Lutheran Church, Lake City, Minnesota

Here is a public service announcement for the schedule at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lake City, Minnesota.

NEW SERVICE TIME -- St. John's Divine Services will be changed to 9:00 AM staring Sunday, September 6.   We will retain this service time for the foreseeable future.

LIVE-STREAMING AND RECORDED SERVICES -- It should also be noted that our live-streaming will be competing with Bethany Lutheran Church.  The service may be delayed, beginning at 10:30 AM, or viewers may have to find it on our YouTube channel.  As of this writing, the service should still be broadcast on local channels as usual (Wednesdays at 7:00 PM on channels 13 and 18).

BIBLE BASICS CLASS will begin on Thursday, September 9, 7:00-8:30 PM.  It will be a class that covers the essential teachings of Scripture and will attempt to address any and all questions people have.  Details about the schedule can be found here.  To register, call St. John's at (651) 345-3523 or email pastor@stjohnslakecity.com. 

ADULT BIBLE CLASS to begin on Sunday, September 13 at 10:15 AM.  Our topic will be about the canonical books of the Bible, entitled, "Why These Books?"  Details can be found here.

SUNDAY SCHOOL will also begin on Sunday, September 13 at 10:15 AM.  We will begin in the church basement with a children's lesson before the children are dismissed to their respective classrooms.

YouTube -- 14th Sunday after Pentecost (August 30, 2026)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, August 30, 2026.

Sermon -- 14th Sunday after Pentecost (August 30, 2026)

o wn is Greek for "he who is."

THE LORD IS KNOWN BY HIS SALVATION.

EXODUS 6:2-8

In the name + of Jesus.

      It is happens often in Catechism Class when we get to the 2^nd Commandment.  The Commandment says, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:7).  The follow-up question is, “Well, what is his name?”  God gives us many names for himself, but I think the youth want something that seems familiar, as if I am going to say, “His name is Frank.” 

     In this brief section, God gives his name.  Three times, he says, “I am the LORD” (Exodus 6:2,6,8).  When you see that name written in all capital letters, it refers to a specific name that God gave for himself.  It means, “I AM.”  That tells us that the Lord is eternal and unchanging.  You and I change over time—from childhood to adolescence to adulthood to elderly.  Eventually, we pass away.  But the Lord is without beginning and without end.  He does not change.  He is always I AM.  The other thing “I AM” tells us about the Lord is that he is independent of everything.  If we managed to destroy our planet and every living thing on it, God would not have changed.  He does not depend on us for survival, for approval, or for glory.  But the Lord does not merely make himself known by his qualities.  He especially makes himself known by his deeds.  The Lord is known by his salvation.

     When the Lord appeared to Moses at the burning bush, he told Moses, “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name, the LORD, I was not known to them” (Exodus 6:3).  This seems to contradict what the Bible says back in Genesis.  There, we read, “Abram moved his tent and went to live by the oaks at Mamre, which are at Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD” (Genesis 13:18).  Elsewhere, Isaac and Jacob also built altars and called upon the LORD.  So, they clearly knew his name.  What does it mean that they didn’t know him as the LORD?

     The Lord makes himself known by his salvation.  The Lord told Moses, “I … established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they were residing as aliens” (Exodus 6:4).  Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob each received a promise from the Lord, but they never saw its fulfillment.  And they certainly did not see God’s salvation which he was about to bring about through Moses.

     The Lord told Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘I am the LORD.  I will bring you out from under the forced labor of the Egyptians.  I will deliver you from being their slaves.  I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment” (Exodus 6:6).  Moses and the Israelites would see the Lord perform great acts of power and judgment upon the Egyptians.  After the plagues, the Lord would save the people of Israel through the blood of the Lamb at the Passover.  When the Egyptian army would pin the people of Israel down on the shores of the Red Sea, the Lord would divide the waters so that Israel could pass through on dry ground.  The Egyptian army would pursue the Israelites, but the Lord would return the waters to their normal place and destroy Israel’s enemy.  Israel would witness a great victory—a victory in which they did nothing but watch God’s deliverance.  So, while the people of Israel knew the name of the LORD, they also witnessed his mighty acts of deliverance.  They knew the LORD as the one who delivers his people from bondage and brings them to the Promised Land.  The Lord is known through his salvation.

     You also know the Lord by his salvation.  The Lord became a man to deliver mankind from the bondage to sin and to death.  The eternal God entered our time.  The God who is independent of all things made himself dependent on Mary and Joseph.  He willingly accepted the mission for which his Father sent him into the world—to deliver sinners from their sins and the punishment they have earned, and to deliver people from their bondage of the grave.  The Lord will finally deliver you from a world of sin and sorrow to his promised Paradise.  The Lord is known by his salvation

     The Lord told Moses, “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment” (Exodus 6:6).  The Lord’s outstretched arm refers to his miraculous feats of power which he displayed against the Egyptians.  When Jesus performed miracles, he demonstrated his outstretched arm with power over creation, over illness and disabilities, and even over the demons.  But when he acted to deliver you from sin, death, and hell, he did not perform great feats of strength.  Nevertheless, Jesus’ salvation was done with outstretched arms. 

     Jesus went to the cross for you.  To set you free from the bondage to sin, Jesus bound himself to your sins and suffered the curse for you.  He who is worthy of all the majesty of heaven endured all the torments of hell to set you free.  Jesus bound himself to your death and was laid in a grave.  But he destroyed the bonds of sin and death when he rose from the dead.  Jesus did that so that you are no longer shackled to sin and death.  Jesus has won the victory over your enemies—a victory in which you did nothing but receive his salvation.  This is how God has revealed his identity to you.  The Lord is known by his salvation.  And since you have been baptized into his name, the Lord gives you your identity: You are the children of the Most High God.

     Sadly, there are many who try to establish their own identity apart from God’s design and God’s intention.  There are men who say they identify as women and women who say that they identify as men.  For some, this is a serious mental issue, and they need your mercy and your prayers.  For others, it is rebellion against God who created them male or female.

     While people creating their own identity and taking pride in it seems to be a modern phenomenon, it is nothing new.  Consider Adam and Eve back in the Garden of Eden.  God had created them as the crown of his creation.  They were made in the image of God.  They were created to love God above all things and to love their neighbor as themselves.  This is still God’s intention.  This is what all people were created to be.  But Adam and Eve were not content with what God had made them to be.  They were convinced they needed to establish a different identity.  They bought into the devil’s lie, “God knows that the day you eat from (the forbidden fruit), your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5).  Just as Satan was not content to be what God had created him to be, so he convinced people to do the same. 

     And is this not the root of all your jealousy and bitterness?  You see that God has blessed someone differently than you, and you feel cheated.  Your health is declining, and you become bitter.  Your job is not as exciting as someone else’s because you only pay attention to your challenges while you assume others bask in benefits and rewards.  Your marriage is not a Hollywood story, so you gaze at someone else’s spouse and think it would be better with him or her.  Repent. 

     This is what the Lord says, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.  You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).  To covet is to want something that God has chosen not to give you.  It is not merely being discontent, it is also telling God, “You should have given me better.  You blessed me according to your wisdom and love, but you are clueless.  I would rather have what you did not give.  I would rather be what you did not make me to be.  You should have given me a different spouse, different children, a different home, a different job, or a different body.  You are terrible at being a Father who is supposed to care for his children.”  How should the Lord respond to our covetous heart? 

     Repent.

     The God who created you knows you very well.  He knows the secrets of your heart.  And he knows that your heart deceives you when it assures you that all your feelings are justified and good.  This is what the Lord says: “The heart is more deceitful than anything.  It is beyond cure.  Who can understand it” (Jeremiah 17:9)?  Therefore, God tells you what he sees and knows.  He exposes your sinfulness to you.  He shows you that your sin makes you discontent.  He shows you that, because of your sin, you are never satisfied with your family, your job, or your body.  He wants you to know that you will never find contentment until the Lord himself provides it. 

     Rather than discard a corrupted humanity, the Lord acted to redeem it.  The Lord is known by his salvation, and he has acted to redeem you from your jealousy, your discontent, your bitterness, and any attempt to invent an identity apart from him.  The Lord has acted to restore mankind into what he had originally created them to be. 

He has renewed you in the waters of baptism.  No longer are you bound to your sinfulness.  The Lord has created in you a clean heart and renewed in you a right spirit.  With your renewed spirit, you know that it is good to align your life according to God’s word.  With your renewed spirit, the Lord enables you to find joy and contentment in your renewed identity.

     This renewal is on-going because the sinful nature still clings to you.  For some, this renewal will be a great struggle because temptation will always have a strong pull.  The world will tell you to exalt your feelings over God’s word and to exchange the image God renews in you for your own preferred identity.  If you are engaged in such struggles, you will need to cling to your Savior all the more—being guided by his word and strengthened by his sacrament.  It may be a hard battle, and that battle may go on for a long time.  But the Lord is a merciful and mighty Savior.  He stands with you in your struggles, and he upholds you in your weakness.  He is known by his salvation, and he will not abandon those who are struggling with their identity.  Victory, contentment, and peace will only be found in Jesus.

     The Lord reveals your true identity, and it is found in your baptism.  There, the Lord has applied to you the death and resurrection of Jesus.  He has put to death the sinner and raised you up a saint.  He who declares, “I am the LORD,” has put his name upon you to mark you as his very own.  You are a child of the Most High God—beloved, redeemed, and renewed for godly purposes.  The Lord is known by his salvation; and you are known by him as the ones he has saved.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

State Fairs, a comparison

We have now been to three state fairs--Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.  Here is a review.

The Michigan state fair is held at an Expo center in Novi.  It is what you would expect from a state fair being held in an expo center.  As state fairs go, it is very disappointing.  I doubt we'd have ever gone back if it weren't 10 minutes from our house.  They did have good parking, though.

We had heard the Minnesota state fair is the best in the US.  My assessment has the Minnesota and Wisconsin state fairs as equals.

What Minnesota does better: Wide streets/walking areas.  There were LOTS of people filling the streets throughout the fair, but the width of the streets made walking easy enough.  There were also lots of shade trees throughout the fair grounds.  It was not hard to find relief from direct sunlight.  Very nice!

What Wisconsin does better: Parking.  WAY better than Minnesota.  Maybe seasoned fair-goers would disagree, but as newbies, we found the parking to be lacking and the resultant backed-up traffic to be frustrating. I might also give Wisconsin a slight edge in the buildings and stages.

Next year, we will have to put Iowa's state fair to the test as some claim theirs to be the best in the US.

Minnesota and Wisconsin can hold their heads up high. Both fairs are outstanding. 

Local Tourist -- Minnesota State Fair

The Local Tourist is expanding his definition of " local" to include a larger radius.  That now extends to the Twin Cities.  We went to the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul on Friday, August 28.

Food items consumed: soft drinks (not getting into that soda vs pop debate here) in our souvenir cups, walleye on a stick, chicken shawarma, pork chop on a stick (HAD to; would you skip a cream puff at the Wisconsin state fair?), and fried Snickers on a stick.  Also enjoyed an Octoberfest from Summit Brewing Company. It did not disappoint. 

We saw a few live bands.  Not Quite Brothers from Iowa did a great job.  Started to see Socaholix, but wasn't getting into the Reggae much.

Here are just a few photos.  We did not take many, but chose to enjoy where we were rather than snap photos of it.