Our Savior Lutheran Church

05/14/2026

Do you ever feel lost?...

05/13/2026

Read: John 14:15-21
[Jesus said] I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. John 14:18-19

Nobody an Orphan!
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“It’s the Hard-Knock Life.” That’s a song from the musical Annie. Annie is a little girl who lives in an orphanage. She sings that life is hard because she has “no folks to speak of”—no mom or dad to take care of her. An orphan is a child without parents to care for them. That can feel lonely, scary, and sad. Who tucks you in at night? Who helps when you’re sick? Who gives hugs when you’re hurting? Children need someone to love them and care for them.

That’s why Jesus gave his disciples a very special promise.

On the night before Jesus died, he told his disciples he was going away. He was going to suffer, die, rise again, and later return to his Father in heaven. Imagine how the disciples must have felt hearing that. They had walked with Jesus, listened to Jesus, and leaned on Jesus. Now it sounded like he was leaving. Life without Jesus probably felt scary. Maybe a little like being orphaned.

But Jesus gave them this promise: “I will not leave you as orphans” (John 14:18). Jesus knew life in this world would still be hard. The devil is a roaring lion looking to devour us. A sin-broken world wants to bring us down. The enemy is even inside us—our sinful nature—looking for every opportunity to betray us. On our own we don’t stand a chance against any one of these enemies. But Jesus says you are not alone. You are not on your own. You are not forgotten. You are not an orphan.

Jesus may not be standing next to us where we can see him, but he is still with us. He promises to be with his people always. And he sends the Holy Spirit to help us, comfort us, and keep us close to him. The Holy Spirit works through God’s Word. He works through Baptism. He works through Holy Communion. Through these gifts, Jesus is with you. He forgives you, comforts you, and reminds you that you belong to him.

So when life feels lonely . . . when life feels scary . . . when you feel like no one understands . . . remember Jesus’ promise: “I will not leave you as orphans.”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we thank you that you have not left us as orphans in this hard and scary world. Keep us close to you in this life as we look forward to the day we will see you in eternal life. Amen.

This is a devotion from WELS Family Devotions:

Family devotions provided by WELS Discipleship

05/11/2026

Read: 1 Peter 3:13-22
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. 1 Peter 3:15-18

Is “Good Suffering” a Good Thing?

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

A long time ago, there was a brave Christian man named Polycarp (Polly-carp). His name may sound funny to us, but it means “full of fruit.” That was a great name for him because his life showed the fruit of faith—trusting Jesus, loving the truth, and staying strong.

Polycarp learned about Jesus from the apostle John, one of Jesus’ disciples. Later, Polycarp became a church leader who helped people stay close to God’s true Word. He taught people about Jesus and stood up for what was true, even when it was hard.

One day, Polycarp was arrested because he was a Christian. By then, he was an old man. The ruler told him, “If you say Caesar is lord instead of Jesus, I’ll let you go free.” But Polycarp would not do it. He would not pretend someone else was greater than Jesus.

The ruler warned him again and again. He threatened him with wild animals and fire. But Polycarp answered with brave words Christians still remember today: “Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and he never did me any wrong. How can I speak against my King who saved me?”

What made Polycarp so brave? It was Jesus. Polycarp knew that Jesus had suffered for him. Jesus suffered on the cross to take away his sins. Jesus died for him too. Jesus rose again for him. And Jesus had already made Polycarp his own in Baptism. That means Polycarp had hope.

Hope is not just wishing something good might happen. Hope is trusting that Jesus keeps his promises. Because Jesus lives, Polycarp knew that even if he was killed for being a Christian, they could never take away his Savior.

You may never face what Polycarp faced. No one may ever tell you to choose between Jesus and your life. But there may be times when someone laughs because you believe in Jesus. Someone may say church is dumb. Someone may make fun of what the Bible says. In those moments, it can feel hard to stand up for what you believe.

But Jesus is still with you. The same Jesus who gave Polycarp courage gives you courage too. He has saved you. He has called you his own. He has washed you in Baptism. He gives you hope that lasts forever. So, when it is hard to follow Jesus, remember Polycarp. Remember what made him brave. Jesus was his King. Jesus was his Savior. And Jesus is yours too.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me and saving me. Thank you for dying on the cross and rising again for me. Thank you for making me your child in Baptism. When it is hard to follow you, make me brave. Help me trust you, love your truth, and gently tell others why Jesus is my hope. Amen.

(This is a devotion from WELS Family Devotions)

05/04/2026

Read: Acts 4:8-12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

The NAME: Only Jesus Is the Name That Saves You.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

What’s in a name? Is a name just a word? A man named William Shakespeare (he lived a long, long time ago and wrote stories and plays) once said something like this: “A rose would smell just as sweet even if it had a different name.” In other words, he was saying, “Names don’t really matter that much.”

Hmm . . . do you think that’s true?

Let’s try something—when someone says your name, what do you do? You turn your head, right? You listen! Your name matters because it means YOU. Maybe it’s short. Maybe it’s long. Maybe people even have a nickname for you. Maybe your name will never be famous that people will ask you for your autograph—to sign your name on something of theirs. Think about your name. But your name isn’t just random letters. Your name helps people know you and call you. The people who love you? They love hearing your name—because it reminds them of YOU.

But there is one name that is more important than any other name ever. One name that is more powerful than every other name put together. That name is . . . Jesus. Why is the name Jesus so special? Because of what he did. Jesus saved the whole world. He died on the cross. He took away sin. He rose from the dead. Without his name, even life loses meaning. He won life forever—for you.

The Bible tells us about a time when Peter talked about Jesus’ name. Some leaders asked him, “How did you heal that man?” Peter didn’t hide it. He didn’t whisper. He said it loud and clear: “Jesus did it!” And then he said something really important: “There is no other name under heaven . . . by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10,12).

That means: Only Jesus can forgive sins. Only Jesus can open heaven. Only Jesus can make us God’s children. Best of all, God put his name on YOU. When did that happen? At your baptism. That’s when God said, “You belong to me.” So now when God hears your name . . . he smiles—because you are his. And when you hear the name Jesus . . . you can smile too—because he saved you!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for living and dying and rising again for the salvation of the whole world. Thank you for sharing your saving name with us so that we are yours now and forever in heaven. Amen.

Listen to this devotion here:

03/22/2026

Missed the sermon?

Catch it on our sermon podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/pastor-orie-s-sermon-podcast/2649485

Read it here on our sermon blog: https://open.substack.com/pub/oriethomford/p/cling-to-the-lord-of-life?r=1fhrtt&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

A sermon on Lent 5, the Shunnamite woman. The other readings were Romans 8:11-19 and John 11:17-35.

03/20/2026

What difference does it make?

Everything.

Join us this Easter as we celebrate the risen Christ!

Easter Sunday Worship, April 5th - 10:00 AM
Easter Brunch & Egg Hunt - 11:00 AM

📍Our Savior Lutheran Church
2420 E Agency St Burlington, IA

If interested, message us here or visit our website!
https://www.our-savior.church/

03/09/2026

Check out the podcast from our sermon this past Sunday: Shalom (peace)

A sermon on the 3rd Sunday in Lent, based on Exodus 17:1-7, Romans 5:1-8. and John 4:5-26.

03/02/2026

Check out yesterday's sermon on our podcast!

A sermon on Genesis 12:1-8, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, John 3:1-17. Preached on Lent 2 in Year A.

02/15/2026

Check out today's sermon on our sermon podcast.

A sermon preached on Sunday, 2/15/2025. It's Ash Wednesday. Since we don't hold services on weekday nights, we moved this service to a Sunday. Readings: Isaiah 59:12-20, 2 Corinthians 7:8-13, Matthew 6:1-21.

02/02/2026

Check out the sermon from this past Sunday!

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