St. John's on the Hillside Lutheran Church—Milwaukee, WI

St. John's on the Hillside Lutheran Church—Milwaukee, WI St. John’s on the Hillside Evangelical Lutheran Church is a congregation that has served the Lord and our community since 1848. We are located at 804 W. Vliet St.

St John’s on the Hillside Evangelical Lutheran Church is a congregation that has served the Lord and our community since 1848. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53205.Our service times are Sundays at 10:00 a.m. Services last for about an hour. You are invited to join us afterward for coffee and treats at the Parish Hall, located immediately west of the church building at 814 W. It's the smallest building on

the property.For more information you may contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at (414) 263-1616.

06/17/2026

WHAT DO YOUR WORDS SAY ABOUT YOU?

Matthew 12:33-37 (EHV): 33 “Either make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad. Indeed, a tree is known by its fruit. 34 You offspring of vipers! How can you say anything good, since you are evil? For what the mouth speaks flows from the heart. 35 The good man brings good out of his good treasure, and the evil man brings evil out of his evil treasure. 36 I tell you that on the day of judgment people will give account of every careless word they have spoken. 37 In fact by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

“For what the mouth speaks flows from the heart.” Just take a few minutes to think about that, a moment to examine your heart by what comes out of your mouth. Jesus applied these words to the Pharisees, who criticized and condemned Jesus. The lies they spoke came from lying hearts. The evil words they spoke against him came from evil hearts. On the last day, their words will condemn them and show the world what was in their hearts.

But what do our words reveal about what is in our hearts? Are we boastful about our accomplishments? Do we speak about yourselves a lot? Do we like to hear ourselves talk? That’s evidence of sinful pride. Or do our words contain a lot of gossip and criticism of others? Such words speak of a judgmental heart. Do we use a lot of foul and vulgar language? What does that say about our heart?

On the other hand, “The good man brings good out of his good treasure.” When we speak kindly of our neighbor, people see a generous and kind heart in us. When we are quick to listen and slow to speak, people see a patient heart in us, a heart that puts our neighbor before ourselves. When we are quick to admit our faults, people see the humility of repentance in us. When we speak about Jesus and how blessed we are in him, people see the faith in our hearts.

So what does your mouth reveal about your heart? We see both, don’t we, because we have an old self and a new self. We live between the already and the not yet. We are already righteous in God’s eyes by faith in Jesus. We are already children of our heavenly Father and perfect in his sight. But at the same time we are continually repenting of what comes out of our old self. Lord Jesus, I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I pray that I will always praise and honor you with my mouth and lips! I ask you to forgive me for all that I have done wrong today, especially when I have spoken carelessly or my words have hurt and offended. I ask this in your name. Amen.

PONDER: Make an effort to listen to yourself today. Think: “Doest this come from my old self or my new self?”

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you th...
06/16/2026

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” Matthew 6:28-29

Jesus points us to the flowers as a reminder of God’s care. If the Lord clothes the fields with such beauty, how much more will He care for you?

Worry tells us everything depends on us. But these verses gently turn our eyes back to the God who provides daily for His creation and faithfully cares for His children.

06/16/2026

THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN

Matthew 12:30-32 (EHV): 30 “Whoever is not with me is against me. And whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven—either in this age or in the one to come.

Have you committed the sin against the Holy Spirit? If you have ever asked yourself that question in a serious moment of self-examination, you probably felt a shudder in your soul, a chill up your spine. I know that these verses bother Christians, because I have often had to explain them to conscience-stricken people in my ministry.

First, we should take the words of Jesus very seriously. Jesus spoke these words to warn us against unbelief. He was talking to the Pharisees of his age, who were very religious people. They took God’s law seriously and made every effort to keep it. But they did it because they thought they could earn their salvation. It was for that very reason that they rejected Jesus, even plotting to kill him. Worse, they rejected the working of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. The sin against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven because it is a sin of unbelief.

A couple of examples can help us understand the nature of this sin. When God brought the plagues on Egypt, five times Pharaoh hardened his heart. With the sixth plague, it says that God hardened his heart. He no longer had the chance to repent because of his repeated refusal to believe. Judas acted against his conscience because he loved money. But on the night Jesus gave his disciples the Lord’s Supper, the Bible says that Satan entered Judas’ heart. God gave him up to his own sinful desires.

Have you committed the sin against the Holy Spirit? If you have, then you are almost certainly not reading this devotion. In fact, you wouldn’t be asking yourself the question if you have committed the sin against the Holy Spirit. The question wouldn’t make you shudder in your soul or send a chill up your spine. You take this question seriously, because you DO believe in Jesus, and you are afraid that you might fall into sin and unbelief and cast it all away.

You should distrust yourself. Only, don’t distrust Jesus. Trust your Savior, who died to save you. Trust the Holy Spirit, who wants you to be saved as much as Jesus does and will continue to work in your heart.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief! Thank you for the warning today not to frustrate the work of the Holy Spirit in me or to cast him out of my heart. Keep me listening to your Word. Keep me growing in my faith. Own my heart until you come to take me to heaven. Amen.

PONDER: Why is our concern about our spiritual condition evidence of the Holy Spirit still working in us? How do Jesus’ words address the complacency of our old self?

06/15/2026

DON’T APOLOGIZE—TALK ABOUT JESUS!

Matthew 12:22-29 (EHV): 22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to him. Jesus healed him so that he was able to speak and to see. 23 All the people were amazed and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and every town or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and take his goods, unless he first ties up the strong man? Only then can he plunder his house.

Apologetics is a discipline in religion in which we defend our faith in a reasonable way. It has nothing to do with apologizing for what we believe. Jesus uses apologetics to answer the accusation of the Pharisees that he was driving out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons. Jesus answered them, “That doesn’t make sense, because then Satan would be working against himself.”

Sometimes we have to do the same thing. Someone may accuse you of being an unloving bigot because you believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven. A reasonable defense would be to say, “Well, if it is true that Jesus is the only way to heaven, wouldn’t it be unloving to say that he is not? I’d love the opportunity to show you why I believe this.”

Apologetics is not helpful if we just want to win an argument. It is helpful if we can bring the conversation back to the gospel and back to Jesus. That’s what Jesus did in the words above when he said, “But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” We win, not when we win an argument, but when we get a chance to teach more about Jesus.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, in the world today we often need to defend what we believe. First, make me more rooted and grounded in the Scriptures every day so that my faith remains strong. Second, teach me the art of turning every conversation into an opportunity to tell someone about you. I ask this in your name. Amen.

PONDER: Arguing your Christian faith rarely persuades anyone. Start with gentleness and respect, and then bring the conversation back to Jesus. Think about your most recent disagreement over matters of faith. How you might have responded in a more Christ-like manner?

06/14/2026

OUR GENTLE SHEPHERD

Matthew 12:15-21 (EHV): 5 Since Jesus was aware of this, he withdrew from that place. Large crowds followed him and he healed them all. 16 He ordered them not to tell others about him. 17 This happened to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: 18 Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I am well pleased. I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. 19 He will not quarrel or cry out, and no one will hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed he will not break. A smoldering wick he will not put out, until he leads justice to victory. 21 And in his name the nations will hope.

The prophet Isaiah gives such a beautiful description of Jesus’ ministry. He was not a rabble rouser. He was the opposite of what the Pharisees claimed he was. He was not someone who quarreled about everything. He simply taught the truth in a clear and gentle way. If anything, our text shows that he avoided conflict. He withdrew to a different place. He warned those who listened to him not to tell others about him at this time.

I have always found comfort in the description Isaiah gives of Jesus. “A bruised reed he will not break. A smoldering wick he will not s***f out.” Have you ever felt that your faith was weak, like a broken plant? Have you felt that your faith was in danger of being extinguished? We have a Savior who binds up the broken-hearted and strengthens the weak. Every time you blow out a candle and see that little spark and curl of smoke, you can remember these words about Jesus. He won’t let your little faith be s***fed out.

I hope that in my ministry I have ministered to God’s people as a gentle shepherd, like my Good Shepherd. That’s now always easy to do when people oppose you or attack you. But it is times like those when a gentle heart and soft approach is most important.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for being my gentle Shepherd—for being patient with me when I wander from your side; for being gentle with me when my faith is weak and fragile; and for being persistent when I am being stubborn. Help me to show the same gentleness as I minister to those you have placed into my care. Amen.

PONDER: When have you experienced Jesus’ gentleness and patience in your life? What situations tempt you to respond out of character with your Christian heart?

06/13/2026

THE HEART OF THE LAW

Matthew 12:9-14 (EHV): 9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” 11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

It’s hard to imagine religious leaders plotting to kill Jesus! How did that fit with their idea of keeping the law perfectly? How had they deceived themselves into thinking that they were the “righteous ones” who didn’t need a Savior?

The Pharisees had developed an extensive set of rules just for the Sabbath Day. For example, you couldn’t travel more than 999 steps from your house on the Sabbath, or you would be breaking the Sabbath. But they had an exception clause in their rulebook. If you left a lunch at someone’s house a mile away, you could say that was your temporary house and walk another 999 steps from there. In other words, the LETTER of the law became more important than INTENT of the law.

The Pharisees ignored the most important law—the law of Christian love. No commandment, and certainly no man-made rule, could supersede the law of Christian love. Could you heal a man on the Sabbath? That was a no-brainer. You would pull your sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath day. Why wouldn’t you heal a man with a withered arm?

This story reminds us that Jesus not only understood God’s law correctly, but that he also lived it perfectly for us as our Savior. The Pharisees twisted God’s law to make themselves appear righteous. Jesus fulfilled the law completely in our place. For us, the law is fulfilled in Christ and only in Christ.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I confess that I am not always clear on what the law requires of me. Continue to instruct me. Even more, give me an undivided heart that enables me to keep your commandments. And always, I trust in you alone for my salvation, for you alone are my righteousness before God. Amen.

PONDER: In what ways can Christians today become more focused on rules and traditions than on showing love and mercy? Why is it important to understand not only the letter of God's law but also its purpose?

06/12/2026

REST, NOT RULES

Matthew 12:1-8: 1 At that time, Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick heads of grain and eat them. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, what your disciples are doing is unlawful on the Sabbath.” 3 But he said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered God’s house and ate the Bread of the Presence, which was lawful only for the priests to eat, not for him or his companions. 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath days, the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6 But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. 7 Yet if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

In Israel today, hotel elevators are programmed to stop at every floor on the Sabbath day. Why? Because pushing the button to use the elevator is considered operating machinery, which is forbidden by the rabbinical rules of the Sabbath. Adding this man-made rule causes people to wait on every floor for the door to open and close. The result is less rest and not more rest! The Pharisees treated the Sabbath in the same way—rules to keep on the day of rest. By Jesus’ day, there were 39 different categories of rules containing hundreds of different specific applications.

Jesus taught them that the Sabbath was not about a list of rules but about himself. The word “sabbath” means “rest.” We find rest in Jesus and the forgiveness of sins. The real Sabbath is about Jesus, not about keeping rules. The law requiring rest on the Sabbath was given for God's people so that they would take time to find rest for their souls in the gospel.

It’s interesting to see how Jesus made his point. He went to the Scriptures to show that the law must always be interpreted in the context of the law of Christian love. He quoted Hosea 6:6: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” Today, our “sabbath,” our day of rest, should be all about knowing Christ and loving each other. We find rest when we gather to hear God’s Word and gather with God’s people to encourage one another.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, my soul finds rest in you and in you alone. Let my worship always be centered on you. Let my goal be to know you better. Bless the gatherings of your people so that we find rest for our souls. Amen.

PONDER: How do many rules make the Sabbath more work and lest restful? How would you respond to someone who said, “Sunday is my day to sleep in”?

06/11/2026

REST FOR THE SOUL

Matthew 11:28-30 (EHV): 28 “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

These are well-worn verses in our memories. Jesus gives us an invitation that beckons us to lay our burdens down at his feet. He offers the rest that only he can give us through the forgiveness of sins. This is the true Sabbath-rest that all the Sabbaths in the Old Testament pointed to—not rest for the body, but rest for the soul. The more we learn of Jesus, the more convinced we become that our sins are forgiven. What a joy to get relief from that burden of sin and guilt!

“Take my yoke upon you,” Jesus says. A yoke was used to enable two animals to pull together. Often an older animal was paired with a younger so that the younger learned from it. When we believe in Jesus, we are yoked with him—joined with him in our hearts and in our purpose in life. Jesus says that his yoke is easy, and his burden is light. But it doesn’t always seem easy. Laboring in Jesus’ kingdom often brings hardship and persecution. In chapter 10, Jesus talks about taking up our cross and following him. How can a cross be easy? It’s easy because we are yoked with Jesus. Whatever Jesus asks us to do is a joy to our new self, and we will find delight in doing it.

“Come to me, and I will give you rest,” Jesus says. There may be many burdens we have to carry in life, but the one burden we do not have to carry is the burden of a guilty conscience. Only Jesus can give us rest for our souls!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for taking the burden of my sin into your body and giving me rest for my soul! All other burdens in this world are light in comparison. The rest you give my soul lets me sleep at night in peace, knowing that all is right with my Father in heaven. I pray that I will never struggle against the yoke that binds me to you forever! Amen.

PONDER: Jesus promises rest for your soul. What burden are you carrying today that he is inviting you to place at his feet?

06/10/2026

IT’S REALLY QUITE SIMPLE

Matthew 11: 25-27 (EHV): 25 At that time, Jesus continued, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from clever and learned people and have revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, because this was pleasing to you. 27 Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him.”

We should not overthink the gospel or the message of salvation in Jesus. The Christian faith is more than a philosophy or a worldview. It is both far more profound and far simpler than a code of ethics or a moral compass by which people should live. The Christian faith is really about a person, a person named Jesus. Everything you want to know about God can be found in Jesus. God hid himself in Christ so that he could reveal himself through Christ. If you want to know God—not just speculate about him or philosophize about him—then get to know Jesus.

The little children understood this when they sat near Jesus. He took a child into his arms and told his disciples that they must become like little children if they wanted to enter the kingdom of God. Small children will either trust you or they will not. They will cling to those they trust, and they will run from those they do not. The little children trusted Jesus because in him they saw their kind and merciful God. Having such a childlike faith doesn’t mean that we want to know less about Jesus. It means we want to learn even more about him, because to know him is to know God. It’s really that simple.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I want to know you as only someone with a childlike faith can know you. I want to grow in my faith and my knowledge of you every day. But my sinful nature with its pride and doubts is always getting in my way. Send your Spirit into my heart so that every day my sinful nature can be put to death and my new self with its childlike faith can grow and flourish. I ask this in your name. Amen.

PONDER: What does childlike faith look like in your life? Are there areas where pride or doubt are making the gospel seem more complicated than it really is? How does knowing Jesus help you know the Father's heart toward you?

Address

804 W Vliet Street
Milwaukee, WI
53205

Opening Hours

10am - 11am

Telephone

+14142631616

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