Sermon -- 12th Sunday after Pentecost (August 16, 2026)

FAITH TRUSTS WHAT IT HEARS, NOT WHAT IT SEES.

MATTHEW 14:22-33

In the name + of Jesus.

     The Lord had just fed the five thousand.  The crowds ate until they were full.  The apostles gathered up the leftovers, giving each of them a basket full.  Rather than bask in the praise of the crowd, Jesus sent everyone away—the crowds to their homes, the apostles to their boat.  Jesus, however, went up onto a mountain by himself to pray. 

     Occasionally, we pass over sentences in the Bible that seem to have little importance.  But listen again to this: “After he had dismissed the crowd, he went up onto the mountain by himself to pray.  When evening came, he was there alone.   In the fourth watch of the night” (Matthew 14:23,25) Jesus came to his disciples.  The fourth watch of the night was from 3:00 to 6:00 AM.  That means Jesus spent perhaps six or more hours in prayer.  I don’t know about you, but my sinful flesh finds anything more than five minutes to be a burden.  And should our Divine Service stretch out beyond an hour, we get antsy, check our watches, and offer some criticism.  This does not bode well for people whose goal it is to spend eternity in God’s presence.  Jesus, however, found it pure joy to spend lots of time pouring out his cares and concerns to his Father.  God be praised!  Jesus’ dedication to prayer atones for our lack of it.

     After his prayer, Jesus planned to meet up with his disciples.  But there was a problem: “The boat was quite a distance from shore, being pounded by the waves because the wind was against it” (Matthew 14:24).  To meet up with his disciples, Jesus would have to go to the middle of the Sea of Galilee.  So, that’s where he went.  The Lord of Creation overruled the laws of creation.  Jesus walked upon the waters to get to his apostles in the boat. 

     Familiarity with this miracle may reduce our reaction to, “Yeah, that was neat.”  The apostles had a whole other reaction.  “In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came toward them, walking on the sea.  When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and cried out in fear, ‘It’s a ghost’ (Matthew 14:25-26)!  And familiarity with this account might have us shaking our heads at the apostles, saying, “Why were they so terrified?”

     If you have seen The Chosen, you might have gained an appreciation for this event.  The Chosen is a TV series which depicts the life of Jesus and his apostles.  For the most part, they do a very good job showing these men with real personalities, and especially of demonstrating the humanity of Jesus.  On the episode where Jesus walks on water, they showed how the apostles might have seen it.  In the black of night, they could not see much of anything except for the splashing of waves over the bow of the ship.  The Chosen added lightning to the scene, which I guess was possible.  When the lightning flashed, the apostles caught a glimpse of a man coming out to them on the water.  With each flash, that figure got a little closer.  No normal person would conclude, “Oh, that’s our buddy.  Hey, that’s neat!”  To see a man approaching your boat in the black of night would scare anybody.  People don’t walk on water, but ghosts might. 

     “Jesus spoke to them at once, saying, ‘Take heart!  It is I!  Do not be afraid’” (Matthew 14:27).  I don’t think it mattered that the apostles had just witnessed Jesus feed the 5,000 with the loaves and fish.  That was an amazing display of Jesus’ power.  But this?!  Walking on water?  Peter put Jesus to the test: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28).  We should give Peter credit for this much—he did not fling himself over the side of the boat and say, “Well, if you can do it, so can I!”  He called on Jesus to say the word which enabled him to walk on water.  “Jesus said, ‘Come’” (Matthew 14:29)!  Once Peter had the command from Jesus, he stepped onto the water.  Peter listened to the command of Jesus because faith trusts what it hears, not what it sees.

     It is important to learn this lesson: We are right to hold God to his word.  When you pray, you can insist that Jesus live up to what he has promised.  That is not disrespectful; it is faith which knows and believes his promises.  It is the confidence that the Lord will never fail on his promises.  For example, Jesus promises to strengthen you against temptation.  So, when temptations come upon you, you can pray boldly that he will provide strength to overcome or an opportunity to escape it.   And you can hold him to that.  Faith trusts what it hears.

     We sin against God, however, when we hold God to promises he has not made.  After Jesus summoned Peter to come out on the water, we do not hear of the rest of the apostles saying, “Well, if he’s going out there, so are we!”  God did not give the command to them.  It would have been foolish to trust a word that was not given to them.  You, too, are a fool if you think Jesus’ word to Peter on the Sea of Galilee applies to you on Lake Pepin.  God could issue that command to you if he wanted, but he has not.

     Recognize what God has promised, and recognize what he has not.  He promises to supply your daily bread.  That means, he will always provide what you need to live.  But do you mistake your needs with your desires?  If God chooses to reduce your blessings so that you have to cancel Wi-Fi, vacation, and a gym membership, God did not fail you.  Those are nice, but they are not daily bread.  We sin against God when we fault God for failing to honor promises he did not make.  Repent. 

     Jesus summoned Peter to come out to him on the water.  He trusted that word.  “Peter stepped down from the boat, walked on the water, and went toward Jesus.  But when he saw the strong wind, he was afraid.  As he began to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’  Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt’” (Matthew 14:29-31)?

     Why did he doubt?  Because Peter was standing on water, and that’s not how water works!  Because the winds were whipping around him and the waves were crashing!  Peter assessed his situation and reasonably concluded, “What am I doing out here?”  Peter trusted what he saw and what he felt.  Can you blame him?  Well, Jesus did.  Peter, you had an authoritative word that the Lord would sustain you on the water.  “You of little faith, why did you doubt” (Matthew 14:31)?  Peter’s faith was in what he saw, not in the word he had been given.

     How often we trust what we see and feel and not what our Lord has said!  You can feel your stress level.  You can feel declining health.  You can see a strained budget.  You can see people who have no use for Jesus seeming to live a better life than you do.  You may even take up the lament of the Psalmist: “Have I really kept my heart pure for nothing?  Have I kept my hands clean in vain” (Psalm 73:13)?  This is why faith trusts what it hears, not what it sees.  What you experience can deceive you.  What you see can distort your focus. 

     Consider Noah.  The Lord had told him to build an ark because the world was going to be destroyed by a flood.  God said he would be patient for 120 years, and then judgment.  As Noah built the massive ark, he could not do it in secret.  There was no hiding it.  Noah must have endured mockery and scorn from whoever saw it.  How do you think Noah felt when he saw life go on as usual, when he saw the wicked continue shamelessly in their sins with no fear of judgment and no judgment coming—and that for decades!?  But Noah trusted what he had heard, not what he saw.  God had given his word, and God was faithful to it.  Judgment came upon the earth, but salvation was delivered to Noah and his family.

     And so also with you.  Faith trusts what it hears, not what it sees.  You know that a judgment is coming on the earth, and you also endure scorn as you wait patiently for it.  St. Peter warned in his second epistle, “In the last days scoffers will come with their mocking, following their own lusts.  They will say, ‘Where is this promised coming of his?  For from the time that our fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they have from the beginning of the creation’” (2 Peter 3:3-4).  But you know the word of the Lord, and you confess it every week: “He will come again to judge the living and the dead” (Apostles’ Creed).  Faith trusts what it hears, not what it sees.  God has given his word, and God will be faithful to it. 

     The Lord chooses not to dazzle us with marvelous displays.  The Lord showed Elijah a violent wind, an earthquake, or a fire.  But the Lord was not in those.  Then he spoke through a gentle whisper.  He still speaks through his word.  It might be appealing to see our Lord perform great, miraculous signs—or, to be like Peter and participate in it!  But the Lord does not want us to focus on what we see or feel.  Faith trusts what it hears.

     Jesus told us to listen to the prophets and apostles.  They have recorded God’s words so that we can read, learn, mark, and inwardly digest them.  Faith trusts what it hears, not what it sees.  For, if you had seen Jesus at his crucifixion, you would have seen a man who was detested, mocked, beaten ruthlessly, and languishing on a cross.  Sight says he was pathetic; faith says that he is worthy of praise because faith trusts the word which reveals the truth: “It was because of our rebellion that he was pierced.  He was crushed for the guilt our sins deserved.  The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).  Jesus Christ was crucified to atone for all our sins.  Faith knows that this is where salvation was won.  And faith clings to the words of absolution where that forgiveness is delivered. 

     Faith trusts what it hears, not what it sees.  When we see an infant brought to the font to have water poured on his or her head, it looks like nothing.  But the word of the Lord says, “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).  Faith trusts what it hears, not what it sees.  When we come to this altar, our eyes, hands, and mouths tell us this is bread and wine.  Jesus tells us, “This is my body. … This is my blood of the new testament, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28).  When you receive it, you may not feel forgiven, but Jesus says you are.  Faith trusts what it hears, not what it sees. 

     The apostle Peter had received a specific word from Jesus to come to him on the water.  As long as he focused on that word, he was safe.  When he focused on his own experience, it could have ended disastrously.  You and I are never called to put our trust in our senses, our reason, or our motives.  If you do, it will end disastrously.  Rather, you have been given specific promises from our Lord.  Faith trusts what it hears from him.  And as long as you trust in that, you are safe. 

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

Sermon -- Funeral for Kirsten Langfield (August 15, 2026)

+ Kirsten (nee: Kitchin) Langfield +

(January 22, 1965 – July 28, 2026)

THE RISEN SAVIOR GIVES US AN ENDURING HOPE.

1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18

In the name + of Jesus.

      St. Paul speaks about hope.  Perhaps a funeral sounds like a strange place to talk about hope.  When Kirsty was diagnosed with cancer, there was hope that treatments would provide a cure.  You hoped that she could resume running 5K races, and Greg hoped that he would finally beat her.  As the cancer progressed, there was a hope that God would work a miracle.  When the doctor told you that her condition was not going to get better, you hoped to make one more trip to England and see family there one more time.  That hope was fulfilled, but then you came back here to await a hopeless situation.  Kirsty’s death could not be averted.  When death comes, hopes and dreams die with it.

     But St. Paul assures you today that there is an enduring hope even in the face of death.  He wrote to the Thessalonian Christians who had been misled about death and the resurrection of the dead.  They feared that their fellow Christians had somehow missed out on the resurrection and eternal life.  So, Paul assured them that their hope was not misplaced, nor had it failed.  He wrote, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you do not grieve in the same way as the others, who have no hope.  Indeed, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then in the same way we also believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). 

     The risen Savior gives you an enduring hope.  This hope, however, does not mean that it doesn’t hurt right now.  Your sorrow and grief are genuine and natural.  Death hurts.  It is cruel because it rips our loved ones from us.  Grief does not mean a lack of faith.  Nor does it destroy your hope.  St. Paul points you to Jesus “so that you do not grieve in the same way as the others, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).  The risen Savior gives you an enduring hope.

     Kirsty’s work in biochemistry and with life science companies served to improve people’s lives.  Her work may have extended the lives of some people.  But no amount of research or medicine has allowed anyone to elude death.  Kirsty’s death resulted from cancer.  If not for cancer, it could have come from a car accident or heart failure or old age.  But the root cause for every death is always the same: sin.  The Bible reminds us, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).  While you will always remember Kirsty for her love of travel, for singing in the choir, and for the love she showed in caring for others—and you aren’t wrong—she was a sinner.  She, like all of us, did not live up to God’s commands.  Sin marks us all.  That is why death comes to us all.

     What hope is there in the face of death?  What hope do sinners have when we stand before God to answer for our lives?  Kirsty’s hope was not that she did more good than bad.  Your hope is not that, since you loved Kirsty, God must have shared your affection.  Rather, the only real hope anyone can have is in Jesus who came to deal with sin and death for us all. 

     In order to secure a full pardon for us, Jesus made himself accountable for all our guilt.  The wages of sin is death; therefore, Jesus laid down his life for us.  Jesus’ death is the payment for all our sin.  Jesus bore the punishment that sinners deserve.  Since Jesus has paid the price for all sins, we have an enduring hope at the final judgment.  We don’t need to bargain with God about how much we have done, tried to do, or wished we could have done.  You don’t need to present a resume to God and cross-your-fingers-hope that you are good enough for heaven.  The crucified and risen Savior assures us that our sins have been taken away from us.  This is our enduring hope.

     The Bible reminds us, “The blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).  That was applied to Kirsty when she was baptized in the name of Jesus.  There, Jesus clothed her in a garment of salvation.  There, Jesus marked Kirsty as a child of God.  And Kirsty continued to come to God’s house to be confirmed in God’s promises.  She came to this altar where she received the blood of Christ which bestows forgiveness and the body of Christ which has conquered death.  This is where Jesus gave her an enduring hope. 

     When Kirsty was seeking her green card to work in the US, she encountered many challenges.  There were limits in staffing, limits in office hours, and other frustrations.  But the green card was necessary if she were going to be gainfully and legally employed here.  There are also restrictions in entering heaven.  Jesus has removed one giant obstacle: He has taken away Kirsty’s sin.  But her body was still subject to death and the grave.  A sin-stained body cannot enter a sinless heaven. 

     The risen Savior gives you an enduring hope, even in death.  That’s because your crucified Savior is also your risen Savior.  Jesus’ resurrection proves his authority over the grave.  This authority serves Kirsty as well.  St. Paul wrote, “Indeed, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then in the same way we also believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:14).  Death does not get the last word.  On Judgment Day, Kirsty’s body will be raised in glory.  She will be raised with a body that is imperishable—it cannot die again, and incorruptible—it will not even get sick, weak, or frail.  The risen Savior gives you an enduring hope.  The grave has to give Kirsty back.  And if you cling to Jesus, you will be reunited with Kirsty and all the faithful.  This hope is backed by the death and resurrection of Jesus.  And since nothing can erase that, nothing can destroy this hope.

     St. Paul spelled out what the future will be when Jesus comes again.  “In fact, we tell you this by the word of the Lord: We who are alive and left until the coming of the Lord will certainly not go on ahead of those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them, to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17). 

     So, you see, you have not lost Kirsty.  She dwells with the Lord in peace, comfort, and joy.  You may grieve for some time.  It will hit you at random times and for strange reasons.  But you do not have to grieve like people who have no hope.  The risen Savior gives you an enduring hope which not even death can overcome.  Jesus lives.  Kirsty does too.  “Therefore, encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

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

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.