Hosanna Lutheran Church, LCMC

05/18/2026

Day of Pentecost - NL447

May 24, 2026

John 14:16-17

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

It helps to keep the pronouns straight. Often, one of the difficult tasks in reading scripture is determining the antecedents of pronouns. In our verses today, we can be grasped by the Word more thoroughly if we name the pronouns and their antecedents. In verse sixteen, there are two pronouns: “he” and “you.” The pronoun “he” refers back to the “Father,” i.e., the Father will give you another Helper. The pronoun "you” has an antecedent found in chapter thirteen, verse 28. There, those who are “at the table” become its antecedent, i.e., the Father will give those at the table with me another Helper, to be with those at the table with me forever. When we get to verse seventeen, the pronoun “he” does not refer to the Father but rather refers to the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive. The world does not see this Spirit of truth, nor does it know this Spirit of truth. This is in contrast to those gathered at the table with Jesus: they know the Spirit because the Spirit dwells with them and in them. Those gathered by the Word of God, Jesus Christ, have received the Helper, the Holy Spirit, while the world has not. That Spirit makes them incomprehensible to the world.

Prayers from those who long for the world to understand them and their faith…

Heavenly Father, apart from your Son, Jesus Christ, your judgments are unsearchable and your ways inscrutable, grant that we do not seek you outside of your Son in whom you have chosen to be revealed. For Jesus’ sake, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, apart from your Son, Jesus Christ, your judgments are unsearchable and your ways inscrutable. When even Jesus Christ becomes incomprehensible, as he is on the cross, so hold us in faith that we would cling to the promise and hear it: “Christ is Lord of heaven and earth!” For Jesus’ sake, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, apart from your Son, Jesus Christ, your judgments are unsearchable and your ways inscrutable. Give us to know that we stand under the authority of your Word, even as we may not understand it. For Jesus’ sake, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, apart from your Son, Jesus Christ, your judgments are unsearchable and your ways inscrutable. While you hide, unsearchable and inscrutable, you present to us our neighbors and, with a single imperative, tell us to love them. For Jesus’ sake, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, apart from your Son, Jesus Christ, your judgments are unsearchable and your ways inscrutable. As we love our neighbors, grant that we serve their needs, not our own, for self-righteousness and submission. For Jesus’ sake, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, apart from your Son, Jesus Christ, your judgments are unsearchable and your ways inscrutable. You have placed the Institute of Lutheran Theology in our midst. Though we cannot see its future, let us continue to trust that you have its future in hand and that you give us our work in supporting it through our labor, our prayers, and our treasure. For Jesus’ sake, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, apart from your Son, Jesus Christ, your judgments are unsearchable and your ways inscrutable. Hold us in the confidence that your Son is coming once again, this time in glory, so that our glory would be revealed as well. For Jesus’ sake, hear our prayer.

05/12/2026

Vanuatu Trip Update from Brad and Faith Halverson!

Dear Family and Friends,

We returned from Vanuatu on May 1. Thank you for all your prayers and different ways we were supported on this trip! It took a team: from caring for our kids, giving, praying us through the trip, etc….it is all appreciated! It was a beneficial time in many ways, both in building relationships with those there and accelerating the work of the gospel going on there through practical but important projects we were able to take part in.

Our Friends in Action short-term team consisted of two mechanics, a water project specialist, the FIA Director, and the two of us. Much of what the other team members focused on was preparations for an upcoming water project. They intend to drill wells later this year to provide fresh drinking water for about 30 communities in a remote area.

The primary thing that Brad worked on was making progress on getting four pre-fabricated housing units ready to be useable. He greatly enjoyed working with Reuben and the other Ni-Van workers to prepare and pour the concrete footings, and trench in the plumbing. Once complete, they will expand the housing capacity for future short-term teams, as well as local missionaries. Brad also headed up installing a hoop shelter between two 40 foot containers to protect equipment from the harsh environment.

Faith spent much of her time filling in wherever needed. She especially enjoyed assisting Jenni, the Ni-Van cook, and also getting to know the Pitman family by helping with the juggle of naps, homeschooling, and trips to town with their 4 kids. She also did a fair amount of much-needed organizing: both for equipment maintenance parts and also housekeeping supplies.

We would like to ask that you continue praying for us as we seek out the Lord for clarity on what our next steps should be. The trip confirmed our desire to remained involved in missions, and it was clear that FIA’s work there would benefit from another family living along-side the Pitman’s to share the load. However, we are still seeking clarity from God if we are the ones to fill that role at the moment, or if He has other plans for us right now. We are continuing to pray and trust God that his direction and timing is perfect.

God Bless,

Brad & Faith Halverson

05/11/2026

The Seventh Sunday of Easter - NL445

May 17, 2026

Luke 6:43-45

43 For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

In contrast to some ancient philosophers, the bible tells us that you are not what you do. This old maxim gave rise to many family names, such as “Carpenter,” “Miller,” and “Smith.” The bible, though, tells us that we do what we are. This simply means that sinners sin. They can’t help themselves; it’s in their nature. So we hear and confess regularly that “we are in bo***ge to sin and cannot free ourselves” or “we are by nature sinful and unclean.” These two statements, drawn from two of our liturgies for confession and absolution, name our human condition as a bad tree… a bad tree that cannot help but bear bad fruit. We have no choice; sinners will sin. No matter how well-behaved we sinners are… no matter how helpful and useful we are to our neighbors… no matter how righteous and sanctified our works appear… that behavior, help, and appearance is sin produced by sinners. There is no improving them. Righteousness and sanctification in our works are a deceit of Satan designed to take your attention away from Jesus Christ. The devil wants you to look at your works instead of Christ. “Trust your flesh, not Jesus!” he says. Only faith in Christ makes you and all other Christians a good tree that bears good fruit. Faith is yours, not by what you do, but by what you hear… by what you receive. That hearing and receiving is nothing less than the preaching of God’s Word and the Sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ. While you are in the flesh, the judgment of condemnation—that is, the judgment of sin—must be feared in every work.

Prayers on behalf of those who would flaunt their righteous deeds…

Father Divine, your Word teaches us that all our righteous deeds are like filthy rags. Draw us so close to Jesus Christ, your Son, that his light exposes those rags of ours so that we may confess that we have trusted in them rather than having faith in your Son. Draw us close, dear Father.

Father Divine, though our mortal flesh still adheres during these days of our baptism, grant that our gaze remains fixed on Jesus Christ and the faith he gives rather than the accomplishments of our flesh. Fix our gaze, dear Father.

Father Divine, though their labor be sin, set our hands to work being of use to our neighbors, not for the sake of our righteousness but because our neighbors have need of our labors. Set us to work, dear Father.

Father Divine, you have promised us the full and complete forgiveness of all our sins in and through Jesus Christ. Grant us such faith in this promise that we can work boldly and with much effect, confident that our sins are forgiven. Forgive us, dear Father.

Father Divine, you have placed on our lips the word of forgiveness in Jesus’ name; grant that we would be generous in speaking that word to neighbors who mean only to help. Give us such speech, dear Father.

Father Divine, you have established the Institute of Lutheran Theology in our midst. Grant that our labors would be of use to it as well. Make us useful, dear Father.

Father Divine, as we have been baptized into Christ, the potency of your Word has made two of us out of the one of us. Grant that, while this one human being is both sinner and saint, we would not lack your potent and powerful Word sounding in our ears. Let your Word sound, dear Father.

05/11/2026

The Scriptures Tell You Who You Are | Scripture First

In Luke 24, after the resurrection and before the ascension, Jesus once again tells the disciples that everything in Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms was always about him—and then he does what they could never do for themselves: he opens their minds to understand the Scriptures.

In this episode we wrestle with the deeply Lutheran claim that understanding Scripture isn’t mastering information, but standing under the Word as it exposes your sin and delivers Christ’s forgiveness.

And as Jesus ascends, he leaves his betrayers behind not with shame, but with a message powerful enough to create faith in all nations: repentance and the forgiveness of sins in his name.


https://mailchi.mp/lutherhouseofstudy/the-prosperity-gospeldebunked-10596214?e=552d354e31

05/11/2026

05/07/2026

The Reason We Are For Life

by Rev. Dr. Aric Fenske

He is risen! There is no greater For-Life message than these three words from the angel. God despises death so much that He was willing to be swallowed up by death Himself to destroy it from the inside and free the world from its icy cold grip.

Easter morning is our yearly reminder that God’s desire for mankind is that our lives never end! According to His own words, He laid down His own life, so that “everyone who lives and believes in Him shall never die” (John 11:26).

Our resurrected Lord truly is the Lord and giver of life. It is inconceivable to think that the same God who suffered crucifixion and death in order to destroy the curse of death would also approve of the wanton destruction of the very people for whom He died to grant everlasting life.

The Easter proclamation of “He is risen” is the reason we are Lutherans For Life.

We all know that in this world of sin and death, this Good News of Jesus is often met with anger and hostility. But we can’t let that discourage us. Before He died, Jesus prepared His disciples for this very thing. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). These words, “He is risen,” are the proof that Jesus has, in fact, overcome the world.

We can continue to share God’s message of life with confidence and hope because of these three beautiful words. He is risen! What comfort these words bring us! The resurrection of Jesus changes everything! It vindicates His entire earthly ministry—His miracles, His teachings, and His self-offering as a sacrifice for the sin of the world. The empty tomb is the confirmation that all transgressions have been forgiven, that the world has been reconciled to the Father in Heaven, and that death has been undone. The resurrection of our Lord proves that He is God of gods and Lord of lords.

The devil can rage with all his might. The world can fight against the Church and bring about all manner of death and destruction. But He is risen! Which means that they will never destroy Christ’s Church. Try as they might, they will never stomp out the flame that was lit on that Easter morning. The truth of God’s Word of life will continue to be proclaimed until the day that Christ returns. And nothing they do can steal Christ’s salvation from us. And so the Church sings,

Take they our life,

Goods, fame, child, and wife,

Though these all be gone,

Our vict’ry has been won;

The Kingdom ours remaineth.

(“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” LSB 656, st. 4)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, may this Easter season fill us with such “joy and peace in believing” that we may not only abound in hope (Romans 15:13), but that we may continue to be Gospel-motivated voices for life, boldly speaking the truth in love to the world around us.

Happy Easter! He is risen. He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

05/06/2026

Are We In Control of Our Hearts? | Scripture First

In this episode we drop into Jesus’ farewell discourse in John 14, right after betrayal and denial are on the table, and hear a line that’s often twisted into a condition: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

We unpack how, in context, Jesus isn’t laying down a test but describing what happens when faith is given—love and obedience flow from a heart changed by his promise, not produced by human effort.

In the language of Martin Luther, Christ doesn’t leave us to manufacture love or faith; he sends the Spirit of truth to dwell with us, so that we are not orphaned but authored by the Word that actually gives what it commands.

05/06/2026

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

05/04/2026

Happy May 4th!