Incarnation Lutheran Church

Incarnation Lutheran Church Incarnation; A church that cares! In the community at 15th & Keefe since 1917. A welcoming RIC .

06/04/2026

Mornings with Jesus
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
—Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)
My teen son, Mason, has been offered a job at a construction company for the summer. The owners are both in their seventies and desperately need a hardworking, dependable young person who can do all the heavy lifting for them. But Mason is hesitant to commit. He enjoys his free time and loves his friends. He’s concerned that if he takes this job, he’ll have to follow through. Showing up every day, Monday to Friday, means he’ll have to miss out on whatever fun things his friends plan during the summer weekdays.
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Fortunately, I have a God who doesn’t hesitate to commit. He promises to follow through on His vow to love me and even turned His promise into a covenant—a pledge that cannot be broken. His covenant lasts forever through thousands of generations. Even when I break my side of the agreement and make choices that I shouldn’t, He still abides by His. He continues to offer me forgiveness, mercy, and grace through His only begotten Son, Jesus, who took on my sins and nailed them to the cross with His very own body (1 Peter 2:24).
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It is Jesus’s commitment and His heavy lifting that lighten my load, redeem my soul, and remain faithful to me no matter what.
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—Claire McGarry
Faith Step:​ The next time you’re reluctant to commit to something, reflect on all that Jesus has committed to do for you and say yes!

06/04/2026

Today We Invite You to Rest in God’s Faithful Love
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
—Lamentations 3:22 (NIV)
Time to Think
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases."
—Thomas Chisholm
Time to Act
Think of one promise God has kept in your life. Thank Him for His faithfulness, even in seasons when you struggled to trust Him.
Time to Pray
Dear God, thank You for always remaining faithful to me. Help me trust Your love and follow You with my whole heart.

06/03/2026

Walking in Grace
But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
—James 1:25 (NIV)
The Bible app that I read most often commended me daily for my participation, and after a string of engaging with it for a consecutive 164 days—a record for me—on day 165, I forgot to log in. I initially brooded and chastised myself, as if missing a day meant that I failed in my mission to connect daily with the Lord.

But on the day that I neglected to log in, I realized that I had spent more time speaking with God directly in prayer. I took time to pour my heart out to God, starting with words of thanks and praise, progressing through to a full conversation, confession, and request for forgiveness. The conversation was deeper, more powerful, and more comforting than many I had during my 164-day streak of readings.

Still, I was disappointed in myself and what I perceived to be a lack of commitment to the Lord.

A few days later, a prayer popped up in the newsfeed of the Bible app that reminded me that being obedient to God is so important to living the life He creates us to live. And obedience isn’t measured solely by the number of days spent in an app, but by having a sincere relationship with Christ.

Thank You, God, that I don’t have to depend upon my own selfish ambition. You are always there for me to depend upon.

—Gayle T. Williams
Digging Deeper: 1 Corinthians 15:58; Ephesians 5:19

06/03/2026

Today We Invite You to Embrace the Joy of Walking Closely With God
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
—Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
Time to Think
"God is more interested in your heart than your habits.”
—Rick Warren
Time to Act
Spend a few quiet minutes with God today without worrying about doing it perfectly. Talk to Him honestly, just as you would with a trusted friend.
Time to Pray
Dear God, thank You for loving me even when I feel I’ve fallen short. Help me seek You with a sincere heart and grow closer to You each day.

06/02/2026

Mornings with Jesus
Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
—Luke 12:27 (NIV)
I headed down the driveway to retrieve my mail and noticed my neighbor going wild with w**d spray. I waved and said good morning.

“No matter how hard I try, I can’t get rid of all this,” he said, sighing.

“Poison ivy?” I asked.

“Nope. These pesky wild violets. Seems like no matter how much I spray, they come back every spring stronger than ever.”

I wished him luck. Then I went inside and took from a cabinet a juice glass that had belonged to my mother. In springtime, that glass became a wildflower-filled vase that rested on the windowsill above our kitchen sink. I ran water into it, headed back outside, and picked some wild violets.

Then I looked up toward heaven. “I got it, Mother,” I said. “Our first bouquet.”

I can hear her telling me the story of why violets were her favorite flower. “They’re one of the first signs of spring,” she said. But that’s not the main reason she loved violets so. “God does all the work,” she said. “All we have to do is enjoy them.”

My neighbor was still at it with his w**d spray while I raised the glass of violets to my nose and inhaled their sweet perfume. Thank You, God, for the wild violets of spring. And for a mother who loved them and passed her appreciation along to me.

—Jennie Ivey
Faith Step: Write a note to a relative or friend, reminding them of something special between the two of you and thanking them for it.

06/02/2026

Today We Invite You to Notice God’s Beauty in Simple Things
Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
—Luke 12:27 (NIV)
Time to Think
"The earth laughs in flowers."
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
Time to Act
Pause today to notice one small piece of beauty God placed in your path. Let it remind you that His care and creativity are woven into everyday life.
Time to Pray
Dear Lord, thank You for the simple gifts that brighten my days and point my heart toward You. Help me slow down, notice Your goodness, and live with gratitude for the beauty You place all around me.

06/02/2026

Devotional for the week of May 31, 2026

In Matthew 28:16-20, often referred to as “The Great Commission,” Jesus officially charges his disciples with tasks of teaching, discipling, and baptizing people of all nations and groupings. An assigned task or mission is the classic sense of the word commission. But what if we also considered Jesus’ charge to his disciples a co-mission—a mission together?

In John’s gospel, Jesus speaks plainly to the disciples about participating in, continuing, and even expanding upon Jesus’ work. Here in Matthew’s gospel, the resurrected Jesus declares his cosmic authority, having triumphed over even death, and then he immediately turns around to share that authority with the disciples. Their mission is Jesus’ mission: to build an inclusive community of compassion, mercy, and healing.

The work of Christ is shared work. We share it with one another, and we share it with Christ himself. The call to discipleship is always a community endeavor. In the liturgy for baptism, the gathered assembly affirms the newly baptized, saying, “We welcome you into the body of Christ and into the mission we share: join us in giving thanks and praise to God and bearing God’s creative and redeeming word to all the world” (ELW, p. 231).

Not one of us is tasked with saving the world by ourselves. Only Jesus could and would bear that responsibility, and even he chose to invite others into the work. It is by grace that we are counted among Jesus’ disciples. And it is within the community of grace that we continue to proclaim and manifest God’s kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven. We look to our community of faith for support, assurance, assistance, and solidarity as we partner with Christ and one another to bring God’s good news to the world.

06/01/2026

Walking in Grace
Joy comes in the morning.
—Psalm 30:5 (NASB)
At 4:26 a.m., BlueDog yawned loudly, stretched, and gave me a soft, short “woof.” I peered at the clock with one squinted eye and flipped the blanket over my head. “One more hour,” I mumbled. Cattle dogs thrive on routine. For several weeks following my husband, Randy’s, knee surgery, he needed to be driven to physical therapy in town, so I had to hustle in order to feed all of the animals before we left for his 8 a.m. appointments. BlueDog went out with me faithfully each morning to help with chores. Now that Randy’s knee was healed, I didn’t need to get up this early anymore.

For a week, I tried ignoring BlueDog. I tried grumbling. I even threw pillows. It didn’t faze him. He not only persisted, but he upped his game. He marched across the bed to stand on me, his nose millimeters from mine, which I sensed through the blanket. His stub of a tail wiggled so fast it shook his whole body, which shook my whole body. Joy cometh in the morning; mine cometh wrapped in fur. The second I giggled, BlueDog fell on me in a wriggling mass of sheer happiness. He knew he’d won.

How could I really get mad at his boundless enthusiasm? Wasn’t I complaining to myself just the other day that I didn’t have enough time to do my daily Bible study and devotions? Maybe my “canine alarm clock” was right on time.

Dearest God, I praise You for wet noses in the morning and this extra special time with You.

—Erika Bentsen
Digging Deeper: Nehemiah 8:10; Romans 15:13

06/01/2026

Today We Invite You to Welcome Joy Each Morning
Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
—Psalm 30:5 (NIV)
Time to Think
"Joy is the serious business of heaven.”
—C.S. Lewis
Time to Act
Begin your morning today by noticing one simple gift from God that makes you smile. Let gratitude set the tone for the rest of your day.
Time to Pray
Heavenly Father, thank You for the joy You bring into my life through both big blessings and small moments. Help me greet each new day with gratitude, hope, and a heart ready to receive Your goodness.

05/31/2026

Walking in Grace
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
—Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)
My mind and body were feeling the impact of world events and life stressors. Looking for a better way of handling them, I decided to try meditation.

Adjusting my earbuds as I settled into a comfy chair, I listened to instructor Jeff Warren saying, “Take a few deep breaths, then focus on your homebase. Meditation is about . . . choosing what to focus on.” Part of this meditation practice was to select what Warren called a homebase, something to pay attention to and come back to when distracted. Many choose their breath, but a homebase can be anything.

What would my homebase be? I tried my breath. That worked only to an extent. I tried the sensation of my body on the chair. That wasn’t wildly successful. The warmth of my hands? Nope, just didn’t feel right.

What did I hope to achieve through meditation? I wanted that Philippians 4:7 peace that passes all understanding, that Hebrews 6:19 anchor for my soul. So, what should I pick as my homebase? Suddenly the answer came to me. Jesus. He should always be my homebase, that to which my thoughts, my heart, my focus immediately and gently return whenever my mind is pulled toward the anxieties and challenges of this world.

I took a few deep breaths, then focused on Jesus. I deliberately chose to fix my thoughts upon Him. He is my homebase. Not just for ten to twenty minutes of meditation time, but all the time, every day. For each time I return to my homebase, I receive His peace, the anchor for my soul.

Lord Jesus, You are the homebase we all need. Thank You for being my rock, my shield, my shelter from the storm.

—Kim Taylor Henry
Digging Deeper: Colossians 3:1–2; Hebrews 3:1, 12:1–2

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1510 W Keefe Avenue
Milwaukee, WI
53206

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+14143721600

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