Wedding of Dana LeFevre and Evan Petersen (August 7, 2026)

This sermon was preached at the Buhl Estate in Addison Oaks County Park in Leonard, Michigan.

THE LORD BINDS YOU TOGETHER FOR A BLESSED UNION.

ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12

In the name + of Jesus.

     The institution of marriage was designed by God.  It is still God’s plan, and it is still a good idea.  The Lord established marriage when he brought Adam and Eve together and blessed them.  The Scriptures remind us: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will remain united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).  Marriage is a blessed union where two become one—one household, one family.

     When God established marriage, he did it in a world that was still pure and perfect.  Marriage was not something God threw together quickly once sin entered the world.  Holy matrimony was established in a holy world; and God called it good.  It is still good, and it brings tremendous blessings to a man and a woman even in a sinful world.

     King Solomon spoke about the partnership of two people in his book of Ecclesiastes.  If you read through the whole book of Ecclesiastes, you will find that Solomon declared many earthly pursuits to be ultimately meaningless.  Regarding the marital union, however, Solomon found great blessing.  He wrote, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their hard work.  If one of them falls, his companion can lift him up.  Pity the person who falls and has no one else to lift him up.  What’s more, if two lie down, they can keep warm, but how can one person keep warm alone?  Though an attacker can overpower one person, two people together can stand up against him” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).

     This makes marriage seem quite practical.  And to be sure, there are benefits of joining your resources and your energies.  No longer do you pay twice the rent and twice the utilities.  You will not need to clean two homes and care for two yards.  But marriage is no mere arrangement of convenience.  You are not business partners.  You are not roommates.  Two individuals may pull apart, but a husband and wife are intertwined as one.  The Lord binds you together in a blessed union. 

     Now, the bad news.  Even though you are joined together in a blessed union, you still remain two sinners.  You will discover different opinions, different preferences, and possibly even different priorities.  The devil will use these to try to break up this union.  And the devil is sly enough to use pesky, little things to mount up into resentment and sarcastic zingers.  Right now, you can’t imagine that you will argue about how to fold towels or load a dishwasher.  Of course, engineers tend to think that there is a specific way of doing something, and you may not always agree on what that way is.  These are the things that stoke up self-importance at the expense of your spouse.  Even if you win the argument, the marriage takes the blow.

     If this marital union is nothing more than a business arrangement, you could just dissolve the partnership and look for new roommates.  But that is not the Lord’s design.  Jesus declares, “What God has joined together, let no one separate” (Mark 10:9).  The Lord binds you together in a blessed union, and it is a union that is inseparable and insoluble.  As God designed it, it is a union that is a blessing for both of you.

     To preserve this union between two sinners, the Lord has blessed you even more.  He has bound you to himself.  After considering, “Two are better than one” (Ecclesiastes 4:9), Solomon concludes, “A rope with three strands is not quickly snapped” (Ecclesiastes 4:12).  The Lord takes his own place in your marital union.  He is what truly will keep you bound to one another.  He will sanctify your marriage, protect it, preserve it, and produce peace and joy within it.  That is because the Lord has bound you to himself, and he has bound himself to you. 

     God the Son became a man to unite himself to humanity.  He has made your sins his own.  He was cursed for all our impatience, our self-importance, and our cutting remarks.  His death has paid the price for the sins of the world.  Now he is risen from death and lives and reigns for your good.  By becoming a man, he bound himself to humanity.  When you were baptized, he bound you to himself.  He is yours, and you are his.  This union is blessed above all others.  And “what God has joined together, let no one separate” (Mark 10:9).  

     The Lord Jesus is the Groom, and his Church is his Bride.  To win her for himself, he surrendered his life.  He shed his blood as the dowry.  With his holy, precious blood, he cleansed his Bride to be pure and innocent, free from all fault and flaws.  The Church, in turn, is devoted to her beloved Groom.  Just as she benefits from his love and care, so she willingly submits to him trusting that everything he does is done to exalt her.

     This mystery is reflected in your marriage.  Evan, you are the groom who does all things for the good of your bride—to bless her, to protect her, to provide for her, and to exalt her.  Dana, you are the bride who willingly submits to your husband—trusting that he seeks your good, encouraging him as he cares for you, and exalting him as the head of the house. 

     This is God’s plan for marriage.  It is still God’s plan, and it is still a good idea.  And God blesses this plan by uniting himself to you as he binds you together.  “A rope with three strands is not quickly snapped” (Ecclesiastes 4:12).  This bond will continue to be strengthened as you grow together in Christ.  He will strengthen and keep you in the one, true faith as you hear his words of grace and feast on his body and blood.  As you grow in Christ’s love, you will also increase in love for one another—forgiving one another, encouraging one another, consoling one another, praying with one another and for one another, and giving thanks together for all God’s blessings. 

     God binds you together today.  It is not a partnership for the sake of convenience.  It is a sacred institution which God established for the good of a man and a woman.  And you are doubly blessed, for your union includes the Savior who will be with you in all the ups and downs of life and who will bring you into the wedding feast of heaven.  The Lord brings you together for a blessed union—united to each other for life, and united together in Christ for life everlasting.  “A rope with three strands is not quickly snapped” (Ecclesiastes 4:12).  What God joins together, let no one separate—for it is a most blessed union. 

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

YouTube-- 11th Sunday after Pentecost (August 9, 2026)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, August 9, 2026.  The guest preacher was Rev. Phil Spaude who is retired.

Welcome to the world: Jordan Elsie Schroeder (August 8, 2026)

Our family has been richly blessed over the years in many ways.  Another rich blessing was bestowed upon us on Saturday, August 8 when our son, Caleb, & daughter-in-law, Caitlin, saw the birth of their fist child, Jordan Elsie.  She came in at 7 pounds, 9 ounces and 20 inches long.  The jury is still out on who she looks like between Schroeder and Boehler genes.  

Caleb noted that his favorite Green Bay Packer was Jordy Nelson. Now his daughter is Jordan Elsie. Note: Caitlin chose the middle name, so this is more coincidence than scheme.  Caitlin is a Lions fan.

She is the first grandchild for both sides.  Aunt Faith feels vindicated that there is finally another girl born to this family.  I have not seen Laura since Jordan's birth because I failed to tether her to the ground.  I can only hope she will return to Lake City with me.

I had hoped to have a photo of Caitlin with Jordan, but she may have felt less than photogenic in the hospital.  Sorry!

God bless and keep Caleb, Caitlin, and Jordan.

The uncles with the new Dad.  T-shirts courtesy of Nathanael.

Bible Information Class to begin Thursday, September 10

Ever wondered????

            Most people are interested in religion.  Many have ideas, but how can we know for sure what is right?  The Bible has the answers people crave.  If you have ever wondered what God says about mankind, about how we can be sure of eternal life, or other topics, this class is for you.  Long-time Christians will also benefit from a refresher on these things.

BIBLE INFORMATION CLASS will begin on Thursday, September 10.  Classes will be 7:00 – 8:30 PM.

The schedule for this class is:

09/10       God's Plan of Salvation
09/17       God Created a Beautiful Universe.
09/24       Why is the World So Crazy?
10/01       How did Jesus Save the World?
10/08       The End is Coming!
10/15       Why do We Need the Bible?
10/22       God Works through Holy Baptism.
10/29       God Works through Holy Communion.
11/05       God Gathers His Church.
11/12       A Conversation with God.
11/19       Our Spiritual Heartbeat
11/26       Thanksgiving; No Class
12/03       Love the Lord your God.
12/10       Love your Neighbor – Part 1
12/17       Love your Neighbor – Part 2
TBD        Take Good Care.

There is no cost.  All materials are provided.  Come with questions.  Come with friends.  Come and learn what God wants you to know.

Call (651-345-3523) or e-mail (pastor@stjohnslakecity.com) to register for this class. 

YouTube -- 10th Sunday after Pentecost (August 2, 2026)

Here is the service from Sunday, August 2, 2026.

Sermon -- 10th Sunday after Pentecost (August 2, 2026)

JESUS IS OUR PRICELESS TREASURE, AND WE ARE HIS.

MATTHEW 13:44-52

In the name + of Jesus.

      The chief hymn for today is “Jesus, Priceless Treasure.”  In it, we call Jesus our “Fount of purest pleasure.”  You would think that a hymn which exalts Jesus as our purest pleasure might have a peppy tune.  Instead, we have a tune that is quite serious.  I would argue that this is not a flaw.  This hymn is not a pop song; it is a fight song.

     Why is Jesus our priceless treasure?  The hymn tells us why; and as it does, it calls out our enemies—sin, death, and the devil.  Sin is our enemy, marking us for condemnation.  Death and the grave are our enemies; they seize all of us.  And Satan is our chief enemy.  His name means “Accuser” because he accuses and taunts us over our sins.  He even refreshes the memory and the shame of sins that happened years ago.  He doesn’t make up the charges, either.  He simply holds up the record that stands against us, and our conscience confirms that Satan’s accusations are accurate.  We have done what is evil, and we have failed to do what is good.  We have been overcome by our enemies.  But for us fights the Valiant One.  He has fought for us and won.

     Jesus is our priceless treasure because he has removed our offenses from us, because he has conquered the grave for us, and because he silences the devil for us.  Remember, the devil is a liar.  Even if he does not lie about the sins you’ve committed, he lies that your sins still cling to you.  Jesus has taken them away.  “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).  And so, we sing our fight song, even mocking our enemies:

        “Satan, I defy thee;
           Death, I now decry thee;
              Fear, I bid thee cease.
        World, thou shalt not harm me;
           Nor thy threats alarm me
              While I sing of peace.
        God’s great power Guards every hour;
           Earth and all its depths adore him,
              Silent bow before him” (Jesus, Priceless Treasure, stanza 3).

     Jesus told these brief parables about priceless treasures and the kingdom of heaven: “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again.  In his joy, he goes away and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls.  When he found one very valuable pearl, he went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:44-46). 

     Jesus is our priceless treasure, and for good reason.  There is nothing on earth that can rival him.  There is no other name given under heaven by which we are saved.  There are many who preach “How to” sermons which instruct you to avoid sins.  Only Jesus takes your sins away.  There are many medicines which can maybe prolong your life.  Only Jesus grants the resurrection to eternal life.  Psychologists can give you ways to cope with the guilt that Satan piles upon you.  Only Jesus can soothe a troubled conscience because he has crushed the Serpent’s head.  Jesus overrules the accusations of Satan.  He absolves you of all your guilt.  All these blessings Jesus delivers to you through word and sacraments.  This is why we continue to come to God’s house so we can receive all his benefits.  Jesus is the only refuge against the enemies of God’s kingdom.  The world might promise you treasure and glory, but they are momentary—if they come at all.  And none of them save.  Only Jesus does.  Jesus will deliver eternal pleasures and endless glories.  That is why he is the priceless treasure.

     Jesus’ parables speak about a man who gives up everything he has in order to attain the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of tremendous worth.  From this, you might conclude that you must give up everything in order to attain Jesus as your priceless treasure.  To be sure, there are some things that you have to give up if Jesus is to be your Lord and Savior.  We must give up our sins.  Forgiveness is not an excuse to return to our sins.  You’ve been set free from them.  Why would you run back to them?  You’ve been set apart for a high and holy purpose.  Why would anyone despise that? 

     Those who bear the name of Christ want to live like him.  So, just as we sing our fight songs against sin, death, and the devil, we also fight against sin and temptation which would seduce us away from the kingdom of God.  St. Paul encourages, “Let us live up to what we have already attained” (Philippians 3:16).  Of course, you and I discover that, as much as we want to forsake our sins, they continue to happen.  And that is why we continue to need Jesus.  We flee to him for refuge against the enemies.  We need Jesus’ constant mercy and forgiveness.  The good news is: Jesus continues to be our Savior and our refuge.  He is our priceless treasure whose value never decreases.

     We give up other things too, although it would be more accurate to say that our Lord takes them away from us.  Our Lord pours out many blessings upon us throughout life.  As time goes by, the Lord withdraws them.  He may take away your money and possessions—either by a bad economy or natural disaster.  As difficult as that might be, other losses cut more deeply.  You will likely lose your parents.  You will bid farewell to friends.  You may lose your health, your hearing, your balance, or your memory.  We thank God for these blessings while we have them, but none of them will endure.  So, if these blessings can be lost, it shows us that we should not put our trust in them.  This is why the Psalmist wrote, “Who else is there for me in heaven?  And besides you, I desire no one else on earth.  My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:25-26).  As a treasure, only Jesus is priceless, and his word endures forever.

     In the end, the Lord withdraws everything from you until the last thing he takes from you is your breath.  In the end, the only thing you ever needed was Jesus; and he will not withdraw from you.  Jesus remains your priceless treasure.  His kingdom and his righteousness remain yours.  So, you do not really lose anything.  You will be reunited with all the faithful.  You will bask in the peace and glory of the Lord.  You will feast at the wedding banquet of the Lamb.  And your heavenly treasure will never perish, spoil, or fade.  This is why Jesus is your priceless treasure. 

     But if we consider this parable a little more closely, we will see that Jesus urges us to do the impossible.  He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again.  In his joy, he goes away and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44).  Have you sold everything, as much as you have, to buy this priceless treasure?  “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls.  When he found one very valuable pearl, he went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46).  Again, have you sold everything, as much as you have, and buy this valuable pearl?  Can you?  You know full well that we do not buy our way into the kingdom of God.  God’s grace is not a commodity that can be bought and sold.  Grace is a gift that is given, not purchased.

     What’s more, the parable says a man seeks and finds the treasure.  For some, this makes perfect sense.  There are Christians who ask others, “Have you found Jesus?”  That suggests it is up to us to find the kingdom of God.  But that is not how the Bible speaks.  The lost sheep does not find its way back to the shepherd.  It is lost.  It is helpless.  The enemies—sin, death, and the devil—have the sheep marked as easy prey, and it cannot escape them.  The sheep does not need directions; it needs rescue.  So, the shepherd goes out and finds the sheep.  And when he finds the sheep, he puts it upon his shoulders and brings it back to the safety of the flock.  It is just as Jesus said, “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).  It is our Lord who found you, rescued you, and brought you into his kingdom.  This is the work of one who saves, and there is no other Savior than Jesus. 

     So, let’s reconsider Jesus’ parables.  If Jesus is teaching about the kingdom of heaven, it is going to be about what the Lord is like and what the Lord does rather than about what you are like and what you do.  Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again.  In his joy, he goes away and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls.  When he found one very valuable pearl, he went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:44-46). 

     Jesus is our priceless treasure, but he also teaches that you are his priceless treasure.  Jesus came into this world to redeem it.  If he redeems it, that means there is a cost.  The cost for Jesus to redeem you and all creation was his life.  In other words, Jesus gave up everything, as much as he had.  God the Son left the glories and majesty of heaven to enter a corrupt, dying world.  God the Son took upon himself our flesh, submitting to the weaknesses we all know.  He subjected himself to the temptations of the devil, although he resisted them all.  He humbled himself to endure the slander and scorn of his enemies.  He took the blows of fists and whips.  He allowed himself to be spit upon and stripped bare.  The Almighty suffered in weakness.  The God of glory died in shame.  All this he did to redeem and rescue you.

     This is how greatly our Lord has valued you.  It has been said that something is only worth as much as people are willing to pay for it.  I always found it amusing when people would bring their treasures to the Antiques Road Show, and the appraiser would inform these people, “Your item is exquisite.  Something like this would sell for $20,000 at an auction.”  I wonder, do they ever find someone who ponies up $20,000?  After all, if no one thinks it is worth $20,000, what good was that appraisal?

     Jesus is your priceless treasure, and you are his.  Consider the value that our Lord has assessed you at!  He has purchased and won you from all sin, from death, and the power of the devil—not with gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent sufferings and death.  Jesus gave up everything, as much as he had, to acquire you for eternity.  All this he did so that you could be his own and live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.  You are the treasure which Jesus bought.  You are the pearl of great price.  You are worth the life of God the Son!  How dearly our Lord must love you! 

        Hence, all earthly treasure!
           Jesus is my pleasure;
              Jesus is my choice.
        Hence, all empty glory!
           Naught to me thy story
              Told with tempting voice.
        Pain or loss Or shame or cross
           Shall not from my Savior move me
              Since he deigns to love me (Jesus, Priceless Treasure, stanza 4).
     Jesus is our priceless treasure, and we are his, too.

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

Worship Notes: Children's Lessons

The children's lesson is a novelty within the Divine Service.  For almost the entirety of Christendom, the Church met without a children's lesson as part of the Divine Service.  

It should be noted that the Bible neither commands nor forbids children's lessons.  Although, proponents for children's lesson get close to accusing those who do not practice them as sinning against children.  They will cite the women bringing the children to Jesus for him to bless them, and especially Jesus rebuking the apostles for keeping them away.  Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" (Matthew 19:14).  The women did not bring their children to Jesus during synagogue worship.  So, to equate this verse with a children's lesson is a bit misleading.  

But if anyone insists on equating Jesus' blessing the children with children's lessons, then perhaps we should consider the earlier part of this reading: "Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them" (Matthew 19:13).  Is everyone comfortable with the pastor laying his hands on the children?  In our modern climate, I fear legal charges could arise.

I have heard some people go so far as to say, "If a church does not have children's lessons, they don't care about the children."  That charge is pure manipulation.  It also condemns centuries of churches and pastors who never had them.  

I opt to not include children's lessons in the Divine Service.  There are a number of reasons for this.  In no particular order, they include:

1)  It segregates part of the congregation.

Having a portion of the service for just one segment of the congregation is divisive.  If there is a lesson tailored to children, what about the teens?  What about twenty-somethings?  What about those newly married or recently widowed?  Doesn't Jesus have a special message just for them?

The Divine Service is where the entire family of God joins together for worship, regardless of sex, age, marital status, and so forth.  All sing together, pray together, and listen together.  As the children grow older, they will gain more from the service.  And they probably are getting more out of the service than parents realize.

2)  There are already many children's lessons.

St. John's is blessed to have a Lutheran elementary school in which Bible History lessons are taught daily.  There are also weekly chapel services.  And there is Sunday School.  These lessons are already tailored to their age levels.

If the parents are eager for the children's lesson to take place, I offer this solution: The parents can talk to their children about the sermon at home.  This reinforces for the entire family the theme for the day, and it teaches the children that the parents consider the sermon and the service worthy of meditation beyond Sunday morning.

3)  The children's lesson is a distraction from the liturgy.

The children's lesson interrupts the flow of the service as the pastor waits for children to come down from all parts of the sanctuary and settle in.  After the lesson, the children return to their seats.  Depending upon how long the pastor takes to teach the lesson, it is a five-minute break from the liturgy.  If a children's lesson is necessary, it can be done outside of the liturgical order.  And it is (cf point #2).

4)  The children's lesson teaches the children that the rest of the service is not for them.

This is the most grievous lesson learned from having children's lessons.  The children are summoned for a portion of the service which is "just for them."  If that part is for them, by implication the rest is not.  Why pay attention to the sermon when they already got their part done?  

Sadly, adults have also remarked that they get more out of the children's lesson than they do the sermon.  I suppose this is to be understood as an endorsement of the children's lesson.  I would consider it an indictment, either of the pastor delivering a poor, incoherent sermon or of the listener not wanting to put in the effort of intentional listening.  Sesame Street is easier to comprehend than 60 Minutes, but I hope adults would recognize that 60 Minutes has more substantive content.

5)  The children's lesson is a time for amusement.

Another appeal for the children's lesson is the response that comes from children when questions are asked of them.  After all, Kids Say the Darndest Things.  Everyone looks forward to a chuckle.  But if we come to church looking for a chuckle, we have missed the point of the Divine Service.  The entire Divine Service is a time when we stand in the presence of our Lord.  This is holy ground.  Whenever people encountered our Lord in the Bible, no one was yucking it up.  So, this levity is out of place for sinners yearning for God's mercy.  There is a time and place for amusement.  The Divine Service is not it. 

Every practice in the Divine Service deserves to be evaluated.  Some practices demonstrate reverence and avoid frivolity.  Other practices detract from the sense of awe and glory that is worthy of our Lord.  Not all practices are in the best interest of teaching the Christian faith, even if they are not strictly forbidden.