Redeemer Lutheran Church Mandan

09/08/2026

"The Augsburg Confession remains one of the foundational statements of belief for Lutherans today," writes WELS President Mark Schroeder. ". . . Being familiar with the Augsburg Confession will help you see more clearly the biblical basis for what you believe."

They were laymen. They were courageous political leaders. And they were faithful Lutherans. Theirs is a truly fascinating story—an account of incredible courage, life-or-death drama, and unwavering conviction. It was the summer of 1530. Nine years earlier, Emperor Charles V…

09/08/2026

There isn’t your truth or my truth, only His truth that sets you free.

09/08/2026

Verse of the Day
John 15:18
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by p

09/08/2026

Through My Bible Yr 03 – September 08
Joshua 9
The Deception by Gibeon
1 When all the kings who were west of the Jordan in the hill country, [1] in the Shephelah, [2] and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea [3] as far as Lebanon (the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites) heard what had happened, 2 they gathered together with one purpose: to wage war against Joshua and Israel.

3 However, when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, 4 they responded by coming up with a clever scheme: They gathered their provisions as if they were going on a trip. [4] They loaded worn-out sacks on their donkeys and wineskins that were worn-out, split, and mended. 5 They put worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and they put on worn-out clothing. All the bread in their provisions was dried out. It had begun to crumble. 6 Then they came to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal and told him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a land far away. So now, make a treaty with us.”

7 The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us. How can we make a treaty with you?”

8 They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.”

So Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”

9 They said to him, “Because of the Name of the Lord your God, your servants have come from a land very far away. For we heard the report about him and all that he did in Egypt 10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were in the area east of the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth. 11 Our elders and all the inhabitants of our land said to us, ‘Take in your hand provisions for the journey and go to meet them. You should say to them, “We are your servants, so now make a treaty with us.”’ 12 This bread of ours was hot when we packed for the trip at our houses on the day we set out to come to you. Now, look, it is dried out and has become crumbs! 13 The wineskins were new when we filled them. Look, they have burst! Look at our clothing and our sandals. They wore out because of the great length of the journey.”

14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but they did not seek the word of the Lord. 15 So Joshua made peace with them. He made a treaty with them to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore an oath to them.

16 But three days after they had made the treaty with them, the Israelites heard that they were their neighbors, that is, that they were living among them. 17 So the people of Israel set out and came to the Gibeonites’ cities on the third day. Their cities were Gibeon, Kephirah, Be’eroth, [5] and Kiriath Jearim. 18 But the people of Israel did not attack them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. So the whole community grumbled against the leaders.

19 All the leaders said to the community, “We swore an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, so now we are not able to touch them. 20 This is what we should do with them: We will keep them alive so that there will not be anger against us because of the oath that we swore to them.” 21 Then the leaders said to the community, “They shall live!” So they became wood cutters and water carriers for the whole community, just as the leaders had advised concerning them.

22 Then Joshua summoned them and said to them, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live very far away from you,’ when in fact you live right among us? 23 So now you are cursed! The name ‘slave’ will never be removed from you. You will always be wood cutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

24 They answered Joshua, “Your servants were told very clearly that the Lord your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to exterminate all the inhabitants of the land from your presence. We feared greatly for our lives because of you. That is why we did this. 25 So here we are, in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your eyes to do to us, do it.”

26 So that is what he did to them. He saved them from the hand of the people of Israel so that they did not kill them. 27 On that day Joshua designated them as wood cutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the Lord, for the place the Lord would choose, until this very day.

Footnotes
Joshua 9:1 Or highlands. The word traditionally translated hill country is the same Hebrew word that means mountain. But in many cases, as it does here, it refers to highland regions, not to a mountain peak. This translation retains the traditional rendering hill country for the highland regions of Israel.
Joshua 9:1 The Shephelah is the region of foothills west of the central mountain range of Israel.
Joshua 9:1 Hebrew Great Sea
Joshua 9:4 The meaning of this sentence is uncertain.
Joshua 9:17 The stop mark ′ is inserted into some names as a pronunciation guide. The double vowel in Beer should not be read as one syllable, Beer, but as two syllables, Be-er.

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

Bible reading from Joshua 9 (EHV)

09/08/2026

"[Jesus said] 'Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven' " (Matthew 18:18).

When a Christian continues to live in sin despite repeated warning from other Christians, that sin is bound to them. It is like a heavy chain they cannot break. As long as they persist in it, they remain guilty before God. Since that is already true in heaven, wouldn’t you want them to know it here on earth? By warning them, you give them the opportunity to turn from their sin and live.

Because when a sinner acknowledges their sin, turns from it, and trusts in Jesus for forgiveness, that burden is loosed. The chains are removed. They are forgiven. Jesus has already paid for that sin by his death on the cross. Forgiveness was won long before they ever sought it.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to confident speak what is true before you in heaven here on earth. Amen.

Thank God for brothers and sisters in Christ...

09/07/2026

Verse of the Day
Philippians 2:13
For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by

09/07/2026

Through My Bible Yr 03 – September 07
Joshua 8
The Capture of Ai
1 The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid. Do not be overwhelmed. Take with you the whole military force [1] and get ready to go up to Ai. You see, I have given the king of Ai into your hand with his people, his city, and his land. 2 You shall do to Ai and its king just as you did to Jericho and its king, but its plunder and its livestock you may take as spoils of war for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city on the west side of it.”

3 So Joshua and the whole military force got ready to go up to Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand men, strong warriors, and sent them out during the night. 4 He commanded them, “See to it that you set up an ambush against the city on its west side, not very far from the city. All of you are to be on alert. 5 Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. When the men of Ai come out to face us just as they did the first time, we will flee from them. 6 They will come out after us until we lure them away from the city, because they will say, ‘They are fleeing from us just as they did the first time!’ and we will flee from them. 7 Then you are to spring up from the ambush and seize the city, and the Lord your God will give it into your hand. 8 When you have taken the city, you are to set the city on fire. According to the word of the Lord you are to act in this way. Look, I have commanded you.”

9 So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the place for the ambush. They lay hidden on the west side of Ai, between Bethel and Ai. But Joshua spent that night among the people of the main force.

10 Joshua got up early in the morning, and he mustered the people. Then he went up—he and the elders of Israel—leading the main force of the people to Ai. 11 The whole military force that was with him went up and advanced. They arrived opposite the city, and they camped north of Ai. The valley was between Joshua and Ai. 12 He had taken about five thousand men and set them as an ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

13 This is how they positioned the people: The whole army that had come from the camp was north of the city, but the detachment in the ambush was west of the city. That night Joshua went out into the middle of the valley.

14 When the king of Ai saw this, the men of the city got up quickly and went out to face Israel in battle—the king and all his people—at the chosen place [2] facing the Arabah. But he did not know that there was an ambush for him west of the city. 15 Then Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled toward the wilderness. 16 All the people that were in the city were marshaled to pursue them. As they pursued Joshua, they were lured away from the city. 17 So not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. They left the city open and pursued Israel.

18 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Point toward Ai with the javelin that is in your hand, because I will give Ai into your hand.” So Joshua reached out toward the city with the javelin that was in his hand. 19 The ambush force quickly sprang up from its place and came running as soon as he reached out his hand. Then they went into the city, took it, and quickly set it on fire.

20 The men of Ai turned to look behind them, and, to their surprise, the smoke of the city was rising to the sky! They were not strong enough to escape this way or that, because the people of Israel who had been fleeing toward the wilderness turned back against the pursuers. 21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush force had taken the city and that smoke was rising from the city, they turned back and struck the men of Ai. 22 Then the other Israelites came out of the city against the men of Ai so that they were trapped in the middle of Israel, with some Israelites on this side of them and some on that. So Israel struck them down until there was no one left, no survivor, no escapee. 23 But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.

24 When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai who were in the open country of the wilderness, into which the men of Ai had pursued them, and when all of the men of Ai had fallen by the edge [3] of the sword so that they were finished off, then all Israel turned back to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword. 25 All those who fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand—all the people of Ai. 26 Joshua did not lower his hand that held the javelin until he had completely destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 But the livestock and the plunder from that city the Israelites took as spoils of war for themselves, according to the word of the Lord that he had commanded Joshua.

28 Then Joshua burned Ai and reduced it to a mound of rubble, which lies in ruins to this day. 29 He hanged the king of Ai on a tree [4] until evening. When the sun was setting, Joshua gave the command, and they took down his co**se from the tree and threw it at the entrance to the gatehouse of the city. Then they erected a large heap of stones over him, which remains to this day.

The Altar at Mount Ebal
30 Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, 31 just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded the people of Israel. According to the directions written in the Book of the Law of Moses, it was an altar of uncut stones, upon which no one had used an iron tool. They offered up burnt offerings to the Lord on it, and they also sacrificed fellowship offerings.

32 There on the stones Joshua wrote a copy of the Law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the people of Israel.

33 All Israel with its elders and officers and its judges were standing on both sides of the ark facing the priests from the tribe of Levi who held the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. Both the resident aliens and the native-born stood there, half in front of Mount Gerizim and half in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded previously, so that the people of Israel could be blessed.

34 After that, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, exactly as all of it is written in the Book of the Law.

35 There was not one word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read aloud before the whole assembly of Israel, including the women, the children, and the aliens living among them.

Footnotes
Joshua 8:1 Literally the people of war
Joshua 8:14 The battle site may have been chosen by either army or dictated by the terrain.
Joshua 8:24 Literally mouth
Joshua 8:29 Or wooden pole

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

Bible reading from Joshua 8 (EHV)

09/07/2026

Jesus Makes Us Forgivers, Not Tattletales – September 7, 2026
Listen to Devotion

Read: Matthew 18:15-20
[Jesus said] “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.” Matthew 18:15

Jesus Makes Us Forgivers, Not Tattletales
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

How many brothers and/or sisters do you have? Whatever that number is—whether zero, one, two, or five—Jesus adds to that number. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus talks about your brothers and sisters. But he is not talking about the children in your earthly family. He is talking about your spiritual family—your fellow Christians.

Why are Christians your spiritual siblings? Because, just like you, God has made them his children through faith in Jesus. You share the same heavenly Father and the same Savior. Jesus is your brother. That makes you family.

In your earthly family, perhaps you have a rule against tattling. Tattling means spreading the news about something wrong another person did—not because someone needs protection, but because you want to get that person in trouble.

Jesus does not want Christians to tattle on each other. Simply telling other people what someone did wrong does not solve the problem. It can hurt that person and divide God’s family even more.

So, Jesus gives us a powerful tool to use. Jesus knows that earthly families will sin against each other. He also knows that members of his spiritual family will sin against each other. So, Jesus gives us the power and authority to forgive sins! He teaches us to speak lovingly and privately with someone who has sinned—perhaps even against you. Jesus gives every Christian the right to approach that person and say, “What you did was wrong and sinful. It hurt someone else.”

That’s not the same thing as tattling. We do not approach the person to embarrass or defeat them. We want to “win them over”—to restore a brother or sister. It’s like welcoming them back as family. The goal is to hear them confess their sin, so that we can say, “I forgive you! And God forgives you, too!”

Tattling pushes people away. Forgiveness sends sin away and welcomes people back—like family! Because Jesus has forgiven you and made you a part of his family, you can lovingly help restore a brother or sister.

Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for forgiving my sins and sending them far away. Give me the love and courage to speak gently when someone sins against me. Help me forgive as you have forgiven me and strengthen your spiritual family. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

Who are some people in your church family?
What wonderful words can you say when someone is sorry for hurting you?
Questions for Elementary Age Children

What is the difference between tattling and asking a trusted adult for help?
Why does Jesus want us to speak privately and lovingly with someone who has sinned against us?
Questions for Middle School and Above

What might tempt you to tell other people about someone’s sin before speaking with that person?
If someone asked, “What gives you the right to forgive my sins?”, how would you explain the authority Jesus gives his believers?
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

How many brothers and/or sisters do you have?...

09/07/2026

"[Jesus said] 'If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over' " (Matthew 18:15).

With these words, Jesus wants you to know that you are your brother’s or sister’s keeper.

Deliberate, unrepentant sin is dangerous. Left unchecked, it destroys people’s faith.

If a brother or sister repents of their sin, they receive full and immediate forgiveness through Jesus Christ. The Savior who died for every sin has already paid for theirs as well. Wouldn’t you want them to know that? Wouldn’t you want to be the one to tell them that good news?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, strengthen me to act as my brother’s and sister’s keeper. Thank you for allowing me to tell your people what they need to hear. Amen.

You are your brother’s or sister’s keeper...

09/07/2026

The only true source of help in any time of need. Nothing is too big or too small for Him to assist. Just ask.