Best St James Lutheran Church Podcasts (2024)

1
Fruity Christians 19:10

2M ago19:10

19:10

Jesus wants you to bear fruit. This is not a new teaching of Jesus. He did not leave it up to us to figure out what a good work is and what it is not. He told us, in Ten Commandments. Ten Commandments which tells us not only what not to do, but also tells us those good works we are to do. So how's your fruit? God's original vine, Old Testament Isra…

1
The Good Shepherd We Need 18:49

2M ago18:49

18:49

Do we even need a Good Shepherd anymore? Don't put me in your box... or your pasture. I'm free. Time to put the Good Shepherd out to pasture. But do sheep make good shepherds? Or are we being duped? Because that happens a lot these days, doesn't it? Maybe I could use some help. but not too much! I still want to be free! To do what I want. So, who t…

1
Two Months 18:12

2M ago18:12

18:12

A lot can change in two months. In the reading from Luke it was Easter evening, the disciples were afraid and hiding, and their hearts were troubled and doubting. But in the reading from Acts, approximately two months later, how different the disciples are! But what changed? The pure spiritual milk that caused them to grow up was the Law of Moses, …

1
Exactly What You Need 18:21

3M ago18:21

18:21

Jesus knew exactly what they needed. Those disciples who were consumed by guilt, confused, and afraid. They should have done more. What did the future now hold for them? Would they be stoned or crucified? But Jesus knew exactly what they needed. First is forgiveness for their guilt and shame. But still more they needed, Jesus knew. They needed inst…

1
Death is Dead! 10:41

3M ago10:41

10:41

The women went to the tomb. They expected death. Of course they did. So when they get to the tomb and the stone is rolled away and dead is not there, they are confused, they are alarmed, they are scared. What happened to death? They hope, they want to hope, that the message of the angel might be true. That there might be life... Death is what we se…

1
This Is the Day the Lord Has Made 7:08

3M ago7:08

7:08

You have heard, O child of God, the story of your God this night. But these are not just the story of your God. These are your stories. Which is why we remember and celebrate Baptism this night. For Baptism is what makes these stories your stories. And baptized into Christ, you are baptized into HIs story, His history. But not only that -- this too…

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The Wisdom of God 13:52

3M ago13:52

13:52

I don't know if you ever paid much attention to the first part of the first sentence of the Old Testament reading we heard tonight. We hear it every year, but like me, you maybe just skipped over it. Because what comes after it is so vivid, so striking. All that Jesus did. All that happened to Him. Oppressed, judged, and taken away. But it all star…

1
It's All About the Lamb 11:11

3M ago11:11

11:11

At the Passover, it was all about the lamb. The lamb that was slain, the lamb whose blood was poured out and painted on their doors to protect them from the angel of death that passed through the land of Egypt that very night, and the lamb that was them eaten. Every year after that, God commanded the people of Israel to keep this feast. And so they…

1
Holy Wednesday Meditation 5:42

3M ago5:42

5:42

Who would you die for? A family member or loved one? Maybe. Someone who risked their life for you? Perhaps. A stranger? Probably not. Someone who hurt you or a loved one? Absolutely not! That's what makes tonight's Word of God and what Jesus did so incredible. Christ died for the weak, the ungodly, sinners, and enemies. To not only make us His own,…

1
Holy Tuesday Meditation 5:39

3M ago5:39

5:39

Many people want to make a name for themselves. They want people to remember them after they die. But we have seen in recent years how poor and fickle that can be. Those once considered heroic are now deemed shameful. Very few are those who will be able to survive such a purge. But we heard of such a one tonight. This woman who gave a flask of very…

1
This Man 9:17

3M ago9:17

9:17

And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way Jesus breathed his last, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God! For now, God has highly exalted Him. God has bestowed on Him the name that is above every name. For He is not dead, but alive! Risen from the tomb in which Joseph laid him. So we do not confess with the centurion, …

1
40 for Life -- Elijah -- Food for Life 12:50

3M ago12:50

12:50

40 days and 40 nights Elijah walked, until he reached Horeb, the mount of God. The mount where God appeared to Moses in the burning bush. Now where God would speak to Elijah. A 40 day and 40 night trek for Elijah, from death to life. Elijah's story is important for us. He had just finished one of the greatest prophetic victories of all time, defeat…

1
Promise Fulfilled 18:43

3M ago18:43

18:43

Has anyone ever broken a promise made to you? Have you ever broken a promise you made? I don't know of anyone who would say no to either of those questions. So maybe in our day and age, we should have a new saying to reflect the times. Promises, like the date on a gallon of milk, are meant to expire. But today we heard of our God who both makes and…

1
40 for Life -- Jonah -- Repentance for Life 11:33

3M ago11:33

11:33

40 days and 40 nights. That's how long Nineveh had. Forty days, Jonah cried out, and Nineveh will be overthrown. What would you have done? If you are given 40 days, what would you do? I think we would try to save our lives. That's what the people of Nineveh did. At the preaching of the Word of the Lord, Nineveh was transformed from a den of iniquit…

1
Merciful Serpents? 18:54

4M ago18:54

18:54

The people of Israel were in trouble. Deep trouble. They were dying. So God had mercy on them and sent fiery serpents among them. Wait! What? The people were dying not because of the serpents, they were dying because of their unbelief. They were dead and dying in their trespasses and sins. Their unbelief was the problem. The serpents were the solut…

1
40 for Life -- Israel -- God's Discipline for Life 11:48

4M ago11:48

11:48

40 days and 40 nights. Actually, that sounds pretty good if you're Israel in the wilderness. They would have taken that in a heartbeat! What they got instead was 40 years. That's not how God planned it, of course. Of the twelve spies they sent into Canaan, to spy it out, to see how they might go in, ten of the twelve told them not to go. So the peo…

1
Zeal for You Consumes Him 18:04

4M ago18:04

18:04

What if I were to burst into a house and start tearing it apart as Jesus did? Well, it depends on whose house it is! Unless... it's MY house! Then I can do whatever I want to it. So when Jesus goes into the Temple that day, and begins overturning tables and driving out the animals, some thought He had not right to do so. But they were wrong. The Te…

1
40 for Life -- Moses -- God's Presence for Life 12:00

4M ago12:00

12:00

For 40 days and 40 nights Moses was on Mount Sinai. For 40 days and 40 nights the presence of the Lord and the glory of the Lord appeared like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain. For 40 days and 40 nights Moses was in the presence of God, in the cloud, listening. God had much to say. God spoke both Law and Gospel to Moses. Words of life.…

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The Lot, not the Little 20:34

4M ago20:34

20:34

Who do people say that I am? But who do you say that I am? I think that is usually the contrast that catches the attention of most people from the Holy Gospel that we heard this morning. The difference between what the crowds are saying about Jesus and what the disciples are confessing about Jesus. But I wonder if that's really the right contrast f…

1
40 for Life -- Noah -- Cleansed for Life 10:55

4M ago10:55

10:55

For 40 days and 40 nights the rains fell upon the earth. 40 days of death so that there could be new life. 40 days is a long time for us. If you're like me, it's hard to keep up your Lenten discipline for 40 days. Because like the earth in Noah's day, the sin of Adam and Eve has metastasized in me. I am the one who needs cleansing. Now, we are stil…

1
Our Isaac 18:36

4M ago18:36

18:36

God has a funny way of showing His love. One that might cause us to ask -- Uh, God, do you love me? This season of Lent is about struggle. Our struggle against sin. Our struggle against satan and his temptations. Abraham and his struggle was unique. But what does God want you to do? And what do you not want to do? Where is the struggle in your own …

1
Dying Christians or Dying Christians? 12:41

4M ago12:41

12:41

This is who you are (pointing to ash cross on my forehead). You are a Christian, marked with the sign of the cross in your baptism. But you are a dying Christian, a dust and ashes Christian, because you are a sinner. And the wages of sin is death. So unless Jesus returns first, you are going to die. People don't usually want to talk about that. We …

1
Listen to Him! 17:52

4M ago17:52

17:52

Rabbi, it is good that we are here. That may be the understatement of the year! It is good to be here, with Jesus, in His glory. So Peter wants to stay. And notice... Jesus does not rebuke Peter. Yes! Peter got it right! Well... partially. You want to stay here, you want to be with Jesus in His glory, listen to Him. He will tell you, He will teach …

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Crossing the Finish Line from Time to Eternity 17:44

5M ago17:44

17:44

It is said of great athletes -- truly great athletes -- that they have not only exceptional talents and abilities, but they also make others around them better. St. Paul in the Epistle today mentioned athletes and competing. He says that Christians should be like that -- and even more! For we're not competing for a perishable wreath, or crown, or t…

1
Jesus' Cleansing Word 16:23

5M ago16:23

16:23

Sometimes people can surprise you. Someone you thought was mean might do something nice. Or someone you thought nice suddenly does something really mean. And so it was that day in the synagogue in Capernaum. He looked like a regular teacher, but He surprised them. He wasn't. They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had au…

1
Caught in the Net of Life 19:11

5M ago19:11

19:11

Fishers of men, huh? Here's what my question would have been. Which men? 'Cuz don't send me to Nineveh, like you did Jonah! No way! Not those men! I'll fish for men, but not in that sea! 'Cuz that's what we do, isn't it? We pick and choose. This person is worth it, that person is not. But that's not how Jesus does things. Not how He thinks. So Jona…

1
The Day Everything Changed 17:23

5M ago17:23

17:23

It started the same. It ended very, very different. People from all over were coming to John to be baptized. And just another man from Galilee, coming up out of the Jordan, after being baptized, was no big deal. Until it was. For then, it was seen and heard that this was, in fact, no ordinary man from Galilee. For on no other did the Spirit descend…

1
That First Step 17:57

6M ago17:57

17:57

Arise! Isaiah says. And the Wise Men did. They arose, they got up from their homes and went to Jerusalem. Then guided by the Scriptures they went to Bethlehem. And guided by the star, they found the one they were looking for. A child. The one born king of the Jews. They are a treasured part of the Christmas story, the visit of these men from the Ea…

1
The Inflating Joy of Jesus 16:36

6M ago16:36

16:36

If your neighborhood is like mine, there have been lots of Christmas decorations lighting up the night these past few weeks. And if your neighborhood is like mine, then among those decorations have been some rather large inflatable figures. And if your neighborhood is like mine, those figures now lie dead on the ground, all the air, all the spirit,…

1
Full of Grace and Truth 13:44

6M ago13:44

13:44

The Word became flesh. The eternal God was born a man. Perfect God and perfect man in one person. Born to Joseph, born of Mary, in the little town of Bethlehem. He was given the name Jesus, the name chosen not by His earthly father or mother, but by His true Father, His heavenly Father. For the Word becoming flesh was not a lowering of God, but an …

1
The Son Who Fights For Us 14:38

6M ago14:38

14:38

There was about to be a war. One enemy would have been enough, but now two had joined forces. The future was uncertain and seemed gloomy indeed. These were dark days. So the Lord sent his prophet, Isaiah, to the king, King Ahaz, to say to him -- do not be afraid. They will not win. And this is the sign the Lord will give you of this -- the virgin s…

1
A Better House, A Forever House 18:39

6M ago18:39

18:39

It just didn't seem right. God's house was a tent. It was a nice tent, to be sure. A special tent, not like the ones we sleep in and take camping. But it was still a tent. And that just didn't seem right to David. So as we heard in the Old Testament reading, David, bless his heart, says -- I'm going to fix this! I'm going to build God a house. Ther…

1
The Night Will Soon Be Ending -- The Light that Has No End 11:30

6M ago11:30

11:30

It's always darkest before the dawn, as the saying goes. Which is what Scripture tells us, too. That this world is not progressing toward utopia. This world is not getting better. But as we have been thinking about this Advent season, into this darkness God has shined His light. The light of His love. The light of His promise to give life to a dyin…

1
Pointing to the Gift 18:37

6M ago18:37

18:37

It's now just about a week until Christmas. You might have your tree up already, and maybe there is even a gift already under it waiting to be opened in a week. But what if it doesn't have a tag? Then you have a problem. Then you have to try to figure it out. Investigate. Well, I submit to you today that's exactly what the Pharisees were doing with…

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The Night Will Soon Be Ending -- the Light of the World in the Manger 11:39

6M ago11:39

11:39

Last week, we considered that the light of creation revealed not a perfectly ordered creation, but one that was formless and void. But that God, by His Word, brought order to His creation, and it was good. Until, that is, man brought darkness and disorder back again. But a good and gracious and lovingly persistent God could not, would not, stand id…

1
The Joy of Christmas Is the Gift of Forgiveness 18:44

7M ago18:44

18:44

How appropriate to have a baptism today! The Second Sunday of Advent, when John the Baptist always makes his appearance. John was the one who came to prepare the way for this. Because this is why the Son of God came into our world -- to make lost and condemned sinners His own. His own children. Children with hope and a future. John was simply prepa…

1
The Night Will Soon Be Ending -- The Light of Creation 12:09

7M ago12:09

12:09

At the dawn of creation, God said, Let there be light, and there was light. But what did that light reveal? An earth that was without form and void. But just as soon as the night was ending, so was the formlessness, void, chaos and disorder of creation. God quickly brought order to His creation. But if the night would soon be ending, it would quick…

1
Rending the Heavens 18:30

7M ago18:30

18:30

Rend the heavens! Tear open the heavens! The nuclear option. Show 'em who's boss, God. Perhaps you've thought that, too. Wished that, too. When sin and evil and the enemies of the church and the truth seem to be winning. A little shock and awe might just be what they need. The problem is... the God we want to rend the heavens and come down and brin…

1
Always the Shepherd of His Sheep 14:57

7M ago14:57

14:57

A shepherd gathers his sheep. They know as long as he is there, they are safe. They look to him and he looks out for them. Their lives are intertwined. And that is how it will be on the Last Day. For He not only knows us -- we know Him. So Come, Lord Jesus!By Rev. James Douthwaite

1
Thanksgiving in Changing Times 11:20

7M ago11:20

11:20

Sing to the Lord of harvest. Thanksgiving isn't really about the harvest anymore, though it may have started that way. Our food supply -- here in the United States at least -- is so stable we take it for granted. Small farms that are still around know, though, how precarious things are. To them, a good harvest is still a big deal. And a cause to gi…

1
Gifts from a Loving, Trusting Father 16:36

7M ago16:36

16:36

Trusting is risky. It is much safer and shrewder to trust no one. But to close yourself off in such a way is not good. And to live in such fear and paranoia is, in fact, not living at all -- but is, I would say, the very opposite: dying. So as we heard in the Holy Gospel today, God shares with us, and trusts. And He began by sharing his life with u…

1
Jesus Top of Mind 17:28

7M ago17:28

17:28

I'm sure you could provide your own story, of a time something went undone, and by the time you got to it, it was too late. That is what the parable Jesus tells us today would have us consider. Because with Jesus' return and the coming kingdom of heaven, there is going to be a time when it is too late. And you don't want to be on the wrong side of …

1
Fearless Saints in Christ 17:10

8M ago17:10

17:10

A scared world needs a fearless church. All Saints Day reminds us that whatever happens in this world and in your life, you are safe and secure. You are not alone. You have a heavenly Father who holds you in His hands and close to His heart. You might be a mess! But you are blessed. You are a dearly loved child of God. Yours is the kingdom of heave…

1
The Peace of Jesus in a World of Violence 19:44

8M ago19:44

19:44

And so it is with all that in mind that we come to the Holy Gospel for this day, where we heard Jesus speak of violence. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah …

1
A Tale of Two Kingdoms 16:53

8M ago16:53

16:53

Do not be deceived! What you heard today is not about coins, but about kingdoms. It is not about taxes, but about truth. It is not a real question, it is a trap. They are trying to bait Jesus into saying something they can then use against him. And the Pharisees are thinking about and looking for the wrong kingdom. Jesus is, in fact, restoring His …

1
Royal Robes, Royal Joy 18:18

8M ago18:18

18:18

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Thus said the apostle Paul in the Epistle we heard today. Words of admonition, of encouragement, I need. I wish forgiveness meant not j…

1
From the Garbage Heap to the Kingdom of God 12:34

9M ago12:34

12:34

Rubbish. Trash. Garbage. That's what St. Paul calls everything he has in this world compared to Christ. His position, his esteem, his accomplishments, his knowledge, his righteousness. All of that, he says, is nothing, worthless, compared to Christ. How different the servants in the vineyard and their thinking in the parable Jesus told today. Paul …

1
The Yes-Yes Faithful Son 17:38

9M ago17:38

17:38

So to create chaos in your life is the very thing Jesus has come to do! If you're looking for a Jesus to make you feel good about yourself or pat you on the back and say keep up the good work -- find another Jesus. Because the nice, comfortable, sinful life you've settled into is not good. So Jesus doesn't want to leave you there. He wants to stir …

1
On the Field of Battle -- Victorious! 19:39

9M ago19:39

19:39

The commemoration of Saint Michael and All Angels is a bad news / good news kind of day. For, we heard -- Woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short! All of the readings we heard today spoke of this war. But all of the readings we heard today also spoke of victory! So alth…

1
What's in God's Heart 18:50

9M ago18:50

18:50

Peter always takes Jesus' teaching to heart. He doesn't always understand it correctly! But he takes it to heart. So, he asks Jesus, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times? Imagine his surprise when Jesus completely zorches that thinking. I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. Wh…

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