St. John's Lutheran Church of Oakes, ND

09/06/2026

Divine Service for the 14th Sunday after Trinity
Recorded on 9/6/2026

The materials used in this recording are either licensed from Concordia Publishing House or are in the public domain.

09/02/2026

There are sequences in the lectionary that make me pause and wonder whether someone intentionally planned it that way or if it is just a happenstance of history, the providence of God beyond human knowing, that arranged it to be so. Let me be less cryptic: the last two weeks give us a building set of teachings that lead us to this week. Two weeks ago we dealt with the issue of identity, how it is rooted in Christ, and how we are tempted to chuck that aside for identities we try and manufacture on our own. Last week we heard about the clear distinction of the Law and the Gospel, how we are saved by grace alone through faith alone, and how the Law, though it is good, does not have the power to save us. And this week, that point is driven home. The final nail, as it were, is driven through human ambition before God. That nail is the holy Law of God. But even more, it emphasizes that even though we are unable to help ourselves in sin, we do have a Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord, who comes not by works, but as a gift.

Why the Law?The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity – 8/30/2026Galatians 3:15-22Rev. Dr. Christopher W. Brademeyer That portion from God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our Epistle lesson from St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians in the third chapter with special emphasis on verses tw...

08/30/2026

Divine Service for the 13th Sunday after Trinity
Recorded on 8/30/2026

The materials used in this recording are either licensed from Concordia Publishing House or are in the public domain.

08/26/2026

Please contact the Oakes Fire Auxiliary or Kalyn Haafke for more information.

"Our community has an opportunity to come together and support a family

First, thank you to everyone who has already reached out and offered to help. There has been an incredible outpouring of love and support, and we want to make sure we can coordinate that help in a way that is useful for the Lee family.

***Monetary Donations can be made for the family at FCCU.

Here are some of the current clothing needs:
Men’s:
Shirts: 2XL
Pants: 38x30
Shoes: 10.5

Women’s
Shirts: XL–2XL
Pants: approximately size 22
Shoes: 8.5-9

High School Female
Shirts: L–XL
Pants: size 14 (Large)
Shoes: 8.5

High School Male
Shirts: L–XL
Pants: 38x34 (L/XL)
Shoes: 11.5

JH Female
Does not like jeans
Shirts: M-L
Pants: size 8–10
Shoes: 9-9.5

Elementary Boy
Shirts: Boys size 14
Pants: Boys Size 12
Shoes: 5

Adult Male
Shirts: 2XL
Pants: L/XL
Shoes: 8-8.5

🍽️ MEALS
We are also looking for people who would be willing to help provide meals for the family as they navigate the days ahead. Even one meal can be a huge blessing and one less thing for them to have to think about.

https://mealtrain.com/e0y4gl

If you would like to donate clothing, provide a meal, or help in another way, please contact me directly rather than reaching out to the family. They are incredibly grateful for the support, but understandably, all of the offers and messages have become overwhelming.

Thank you, Oakes, for being the kind of community that shows up when people need it most. The family is so grateful for every prayer, donation, meal, and act of kindness. Every little bit makes a difference."

H/T Kalyn Haafke

The Lee family needs our support during this time. They have lost a lot due to a house fire.

08/25/2026

The Roles of Men and Women part 5
This week, we finished our discussion of the roles of men and women.

We finish our discussion about men and women's roles.

08/24/2026

The Roles of Men and Women part 4
Unfortunately, parts two and three were unable to be recorded due to computer problems.

We continue looking at men and women in the church. Unfortunately, ...

08/24/2026

The most central distinction we can know as Christians is that between God’s holy Law and His saving Gospel. If we do not know it, we will confuse these two. And if we confuse them, we will lose both of them, most especially, we will lose the Gospel. That is to say, if we do not understand this fundamental difference, we will never know the comfort and peace that comes by knowing the forgiveness of sins nor will we know the depth of our need for forgiveness or God’s will which the Law reveals. C. F. W. Walther, the very first president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, wrote that, “to rightly distinguish Law and Gospel is the most difficult and highest Christian art.” It is fundamental to our Christian understanding and, as such, a matter we must place a good deal of attention toward.

The Proper DistinctionThe Twelfth Sunday after Trinity – 8/23/20262 Corinthians 3:4-11Rev. Dr. Christopher W. BrademeyerThat portion from God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our Epistle lesson from the Second Epistle to the Corinthians in the third chapter with special emphasis on ...

08/23/2026

Divine Service for the 12th Sunday after Trinity
Recorded on 8/23/2026

The materials used in this recording are either licensed from Concordia Publishing House or are in the public domain.

08/20/2026

How would you describe the normal way that people navigate life? That is to say, what is the framework, the worldview, the basic beliefs about themselves and the world that people employ? There are, of course, many answers to a question that is formed this broadly. But, one of the major ingredients in how we Americans at this time navigate identity is what some scholars call expressive individualism. Though the idea goes back to the very first sin, the phrase “expressive individualism” was coined more recently and is still used by scholars to describe a particular way of understanding one’s place in the world.

This way of looking at the world has three major parts. First, people should turn inward to find truth and meaning. Second, this inner truth and meaning must be shown outwardly in order to be authentic. Third, traditional social roles, religious teachings, and cultural norms are all to be treated as secondary to these inner truths. This may take a bit of unpacking.

Much of the world around us tells us to look inward to find who we are, Scripture counsels us to look to Christ; in Him we find our identity.

Whose Am I?The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity – 8/15/20261 Corinthians 15:1-10Rev. Dr. Christopher W. Brademeyer That portion from God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Church in Corinth in the 15th chapter with special emphasis on...