St. James Lutheran Church and School (LCMS)

08/31/2026

Spiritual Discipline: One chapter from each Testament a day. In just one month, you'll have read over sixty chapters of God's Word. More importantly, you'll spend thirty-one more days hearing the voice of your Good Shepherd.

May God grant us willing hearts to meditate upon His Word, that we may be shaped by His truth and strengthened in faith through Jesus Christ.

"Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart." (Jeremiah 15:16)

08/31/2026

08/31/2026

Monday: Blessed Eyes That See Christ

“Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see.” (Luke 10:23)

Jesus tells His disciples that they’re blessed because they see what prophets and kings longed to see. They were seeing the fulfillment of God’s promises: the promised Seed of Abraham had come. The Son of God had taken upon Himself our flesh and was walking among His people.

The blessing wasn’t merely that the disciples had witnessed something historically remarkable. They were seeing the Savior promised throughout the Old Testament. Abraham rejoiced to see Christ’s day (John 8:56). Moses wrote of Him. David sang of Him. Isaiah prophesied concerning Him. The entire Old Testament points forward to the coming Redeemer. And now Christ has come.

Yet we are blessed in another way. We have not physically seen Jesus walking the roads of Galilee, but we have His Word. We hear the testimony of the apostles. We receive Christ’s gifts through His appointed Means of Grace. In Holy Baptism, Christ places His name upon us. In Holy Absolution, He speaks forgiveness to sinners. In the Holy Supper, He gives His true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.

Faith doesn’t depend upon our ability to manufacture an emotional experience of God’s presence. Faith rests upon Christ's objective promises. This is especially important when we feel spiritually weak. Our feelings change. Christ’s Word doesn’t. The same Lord who came down the road to the wounded man continues to come to wounded sinners through His Word and Sacraments.

The Christian life therefore begins not with what we do for Jesus, but with what Jesus has done for us. The lawyer asked, “What shall I do?” But the Gospel directs our eyes somewhere else: Look to Christ. You aren’t saved because you see perfectly. You’re saved because Christ has perfectly accomplished your salvation, and the Holy Spirit creates and sustains faith through the Gospel.

Discussion (Adults)
What does Jesus mean when He says that the disciples' eyes are “blessed”?
Why is it important that Christianity is grounded in God’s promises fulfilled in Christ?
How does trusting God’s Word differ from relying upon your feelings?
How do Word and Sacrament direct your eyes away from yourself and toward Christ?
Where are you tempted to look for assurance of salvation apart from Christ’s promises?

Discussion (Children)
Who is the Savior promised in the Old Testament?
How do we learn about Jesus today?
What does Holy Baptism give us?
Why can we trust Jesus even though we cannot see Him with our eyes?
Where does Jesus promise to give us His forgiveness?

Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the promised Seed who came to save sinners. Open our eyes through Your Word that we may see You rightly and trust Your promises. Keep us from looking for salvation in ourselves, our feelings, or our works. Fix our eyes upon Your cross and empty tomb. Preserve us in the true faith through Your Word and Sacraments, and keep us faithful until we see You face to face. Amen.

08/30/2026

Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity - 8/30/26

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08/30/2026

Twelfth Sunday after Trinity - 8/23/26

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08/28/2026

Friday: He Has Done All Things Well

“Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.’” (Mark 7:36-37)

The crowd gives us the perfect conclusion to this miracle: “He has done all things well.” That statement reaches far beyond the healing of one man. Jesus has done all things well. He fulfilled the Law perfectly. He resisted every temptation. He loved sinners. He healed the sick. He proclaimed the kingdom of God. He willingly went to the cross. He suffered the wrath of God in our place. He shed His blood for the forgiveness of sins. He rose bodily from the grave. He ascended into heaven. He continues to gather His Church through His Word. He gives forgiveness through His Sacraments. And He will return in glory. Even when we cannot understand what He is doing, we can trust that He does all things well.

This’s particularly important when God's providence doesn’t look “good” according to our expectations. We may experience illness. Disappointment. Loss. Conflict. Unanswered questions. Prayers that seem to go unanswered. But the cross teaches us that God’s work cannot always be judged by appearances.

At Calvary, everything appeared to have gone terribly wrong. Yet that was precisely where Christ was accomplishing salvation. The Christian therefore learns to say: “He has done all things well.” Not because every earthly circumstance is pleasant. Not because we understand everything. But because we know Christ. And Christ has proven His love for us at the cross.
The miracle in Mark 7 points toward the greater miracle still to come. Christ will return, the dead will be raised, creation will be restored, and His people will see Him face to face. Then there will be no impediment. No sin. No death. No sorrow. No sickness. No fear. And with perfected ears and perfected tongues, we will praise our Savior forever.

Until that day, Christ continues to speak. He speaks through His Word. He speaks forgiveness through His ministers. He speaks His promises in Baptism. He gives His body and blood in the Sacrament. He has opened our ears. He has loosed our tongues. And He will finish what He has begun. He has done all things well.

Discussion (Adult)
What does the crowd's confession, “He has done all things well,” teach us about Jesus?
Why can Christians trust Christ even when circumstances appear to contradict His goodness?
How does the doctrine of the resurrection affect the way you view present suffering?
What does it mean for you personally that Christ has begun His “Ephphatha” work in you?
What are some ways your household can regularly confess, “He has done all things well”?

Discussion (Children)
What did the people say about Jesus?
Did Jesus do anything wrong?
What did Jesus do for us on the cross?
What will happen when Jesus returns?
What is one thing you can thank Jesus for today?

Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, You have done all things well. Thank You for becoming man for us, keeping the Law for us, suffering and dying for our sins, and rising again to give us eternal life. Thank You for opening our ears through Your Word and loosing our tongues to confess Your name. Keep us faithful until the day when You return and raise us from the dead. On that day, remove every remaining impediment of sin and make us perfectly Your own. Until then, keep us hearing Your Word, receiving Your gifts, and confessing Your saving name. Amen.

08/27/2026

Spiritual Discipline: One chapter of the Old and New Testaments a day. God's Word does more than inform us. It transforms us. Through the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit shapes, forms, and molds God's people into the likeness of Christ.

The goal is not simply more information. The goal is deeper repentance, stronger faith, greater hope, and lives of joyful service.

"Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." (John 17:17)

08/27/2026

Thursday: Guard Your Ears and Loosen Your Tongue

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

The miracle of Mark 7 teaches us something important about the Christian life: Having received hearing, we must guard what we hear. Having received a loosed tongue, we must use it rightly. We live in a world filled with voices. News. Entertainment. Social media. Podcasts. Advertisements. Political commentary. Music. Videos. Messages from friends. Messages from strangers. Our phones can place thousands of voices in our ears every day. Yet none of these voices can forgive your sins. None can raise you from the dead. None can give you eternal life. Only Christ can.
This doesn’t mean that every piece of secular information is necessarily sinful. It does mean that Christians must exercise discernment. What we repeatedly listen to shapes our thinking, desires, attitudes, and speech. God therefore calls us to give special attention to His Word. Read Scripture. Hear the preaching. Receive the Sacrament. Teach your children the Catechism. Pray together. Sing God’s Word. Talk about the things of Christ in your home. Don’t allow the world’s noise to become louder in your household than the voice of God.

But there’s another side to the miracle. Christ also looses tongues. A Christian’s mouth is no longer meant to be governed by the old Adam. Instead of gossip, we can speak words that build up. Instead of complaining, we can give thanks. Instead of cursing, we can bless. Instead of cowardice, we can confess Christ. Our confession doesn’t earn salvation. Rather, it flows from the faith Christ has already given us. The Christian therefore asks: “What am I hearing?” and “What am I saying?” Those are good questions for every household to ask.

Discussion (Adult)
What voices compete for your attention during an ordinary week?
How can excessive media consumption affect your spiritual hearing?
What practical changes could help you make Scripture and the Divine Service priorities?
How can your speech become a means of serving your family, coworkers, neighbors, and fellow Christians?
How can we speak the truth firmly without becoming proud, cruel, or self-righteous?

Discussion (Children)
What are some things you listen to every day?
What is the most important thing for Christians to hear?
Why should we listen to God's Word?
What are some good things we can say to other people?
What should we do when someone says something mean about Jesus?

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, guard our ears from voices that lead us away from Your truth. Give us wisdom to use our time and attention faithfully. Make Your Word precious to us. Guard our mouths from gossip, anger, complaining, dishonesty, and sinful speech. Give us tongues that bless, encourage, confess, teach, and give thanks. Give us courage to confess Jesus Christ faithfully and humility to speak the truth in love. Amen.