St John Lutheran Church & School

"Teaching That Astonishes"
August 8, 2026
And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He [Jesus] entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. (Mark 1:21-22)
As a pastor, I drive a sensible and dependable vehicle. But when a friend offered me a ride in his Corvette, I jumped at the opportunity. The car was stunning to look at and, after some squirming, impressive to sit in. Riding only a few inches off the ground, my friend put the machine through its paces. In first gear, I was thrown back. In second gear, I was firmly compressed into my seat. In third gear, I understood why the Corvette is a sports car with a lot of muscle.
Before long, we came upon a parked police car. My friend hit the brakes in a hurry. The 18-wheeler we left in our smoke squealed to find the speed limit. Everybody slowed down, on both sides of the road, which is the point: the Corvette had the power; the 18-wheeler with the big diesel engine had the power, but it was the parked police car that had the authority.
Who is the “authority” in your life? I’m not asking who can make you afraid. A bully may terrorize and a dictator may intimidate, but they should never have the authority. A person’s authority should be that individual that he or she respects and honors. And that respect should be given, not because it is demanded or because of some real or imagined compulsion, but because it has been earned.
There is no one who deserves our honor and respect more than Jesus. Those who heard Him here on earth would attest that He taught as one with authority. He taught people to love their enemies and do good to those who persecuted them. He told all who would listen that God wanted people to show their appreciation for His love by how they lived and the sincerity of their hearts—not by the money they put into the temple treasury.
But as important as Jesus’ teachings are, His authority is based on much more. Leaving His throne in heaven, Jesus came to earth and substituted Himself for sinners, that means all of us. There was nothing logical about His sacrifice. Nevertheless, because of His suffering, stripes, and crucifixion, all who trust in Him as Savior know that they are forgiven and life eternal is their future. It is the kind of thing that only a loving Lord would do. It’s the kind of action that gives Him the authority worthy of our worship.
WE PRAY: Heavenly Father, Ruler of the universe, teach me to submit to Your wisdom and authority in all that I say and do. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
From “God’s Authority,” a devotional by Rev. Dr. Kenneth Klaus, former Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
Reflection Questions:
1. Name three people you would consider an “authority.” What kind of authority do they have?
2. Jesus speaks with authority. Why should we listen?
3. How is living according to God’s authority helpful to us?

"Getting to Jesus"
August 6, 2026
Immediately He [Jesus] made the disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side … and … He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It’s a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out His hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:22a, 23b-33)

I wonder what was going on in Peter’s head. I mean, there’s not much logic in what he said: “If it’s You, command me to come to You on the water.” How would that command prove it was Jesus? How would it prove anything, really?

In the end, the whole story proved one thing—that Peter’s faith wasn’t strong enough to keep him going. He needed Jesus to fish him out of the lake.

But there’s another time when Peter jumped out of a boat to come to Jesus, and that was after Jesus rose from the dead. You’ll remember the story in John 21—how Jesus stood on the shore in the dawn light, while the disciples were in a boat not too far out. Jesus called to them to cast their nets out on the right side, and immediately they caught so many fish they couldn’t haul them in. And John said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”

And once again, Peter jumped out of the boat and made his way as fast as he could to Jesus.

But now things are different. Peter isn’t trying to do miracles. He just wants to get to Jesus as fast as he can! So he swims to Jesus in all his clothes. And he pays the price later when he has to sit around in soggy underwear.

Peter doesn’t care—and why? Because he’s sitting with Jesus, the One who fished him out of his own grief and shame after Peter denied and abandoned Jesus during His trial and ex*****on. Jesus has forgiven him, most likely during that private meeting they had on Easter morning (see Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5). And now Peter is a man in love. He can’t bear to be away from Jesus for even five minutes, even to stay dry. His heart is set on Jesus, and nothing else matters.

WE PRAY: Lord, I want to love You this way. Please give me a heart like this. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Reflection Questions:

When you love someone with all your heart, how do you act?
Which is more important in Jesus’ eyes—the ability to do miracles, or love?
What has Jesus done for you in your own life? Share if you are willing.

"Confessing Jesus as Lord"
August 5, 2026
For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, … “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For “everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.” … So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:5-6a, 8b-13, 17)

This passage used to cause me a lot of trouble when I was a teenager. I had some evangelical friends, and we read that bit about confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and we turned it into a scary requirement. We thought, “That means I have to make a scary, public confession of my faith in Jesus—the more public, the better. Basically, it has to be embarrassing and painful. And I have to use those exact words, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ or else it won’t count.”

You can see all the problems in this, right? As immature Christians, we were making God’s salvation all about what we do, not about what God does. We created a new law for ourselves.

But that’s a huge mistake. Paul wasn’t setting up a rule for us to follow so we could guarantee our own salvation! No, he was describing what happens naturally to anyone who believes in Jesus. The Holy Spirit plants faith in our hearts, and then that faith overflows into our lives. God handles the whole thing from beginning to end—not us.

It’s actually quite hard to hide your faith in Jesus, even if you want to! Things come flying out of your mouth that make it clear you belong to Jesus, whether you meant to say that or not. You promise to pray for people in trouble. You turn down an invitation to breakfast, as you’ll be in church at that time. You do something that seems natural to you but surprises the non-Christians around you—for example, lending your car to a neighbor, or forgiving someone who’s spread rumors about you. And then people want to know why. And they ask you!

The Lord handles our salvation from beginning to end, not us. Jesus is the One who suffers and dies for us; who rises from the dead for us; and who gives us His Holy Spirit. And the Spirit lives in us, doing His work, even when we aren’t conscious of it.

WE PRAY: Jesus, You are my Lord; please live in and through me, so that the people around me can come to trust in You, too. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Reflection Questions:

What does it mean, to have a lord? Why do we call Jesus that?
It’s easy to see Jesus living through some people. Name one, and explain how you see Jesus in their lives.
Tell about a time when God surprised you by using you to speak about Him.

We invite you to memorize Ephesians 4:29 with us this week.

Memorizing Scripture is a valuable practice for Christians, even in a digital age. Join us each week as we hide God's Word in our hearts.

Learn more at lcms.org/memoryverse.

"Strange Comfort"
August 4, 2026
[God said:] “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut in the sea with doors, … and prescribed limits for it … and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’? … Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this.” (Job 38:4-8a, 10a, 11, 16-18)

I feel sorry for Job. Not only does he lose his riches, his children, and his own good health, but he has to put up with his friends trying to explain his suffering. And since their answers are usually “You must have sinned somehow,” their speeches are no comfort at all.

But then God Himself shows up. And He’s not there to supply Job with answers about evil. He’s there to ask more questions. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” He demands. We get four chapters of amazing poetry as God lists all the wonders Job can’t explain. And in the end Job admits, “I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

That seems like God’s whole point—as if He said, “You are a human being with human limits. You can’t even understand the world you live in. How could you understand why evil things happen? You wouldn’t understand the answer if I told you.”

And Job is satisfied with that. Why?

I think it’s because God cared enough to show up. He cared enough to tangle with Job and his questions. Job loses the argument, but that’s okay. He goes away knowing that what has happened to him is a mystery, not a punishment, and God is still in control of the universe, whether Job can understand it or not. This is a God who can be trusted—a God who cares enough to show up.

And that’s what we have, too, isn’t it? In our own experiences with suffering, our hearts cry out, “Why is this happening? Where is God?” And for us, too, God has humbled Himself and come to be with us—not as a terrifying vision this time, but as the Man Christ Jesus. Jesus has taken the fight against evil into His own hands. He carries our griefs and bears our sorrows, all through His life, all the way to the cross—where He destroys them. Jesus’ death is the death of evil; and His resurrection is the end of death itself for everyone who trusts in Him. Now, until the day Jesus returns, we may still suffer, but our suffering is transformed; Jesus carries it together with us, and will utterly end it on the Last Day. He has already won that victory.

WE PRAY: Lord, I don’t understand much, but I see that You are with me. Thank you. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Reflection Questions:

Has anyone ever blamed you for bringing some suffering upon yourself? How did that feel?
Does it help to have someone stay with you when you suffer? Why or why not?
How does Jesus make a difference when suffering comes into your life?

We invite you to memorize Ephesians 4:32 with us this week.

Memorizing Scripture is a valuable practice for Christians, even in a digital age. Join us each week as we hide God's Word in our hearts.

Learn more at lcms.org/memoryverse.

"Rescued"
August 3, 2026
The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry to Him reached His ears. (Psalm 18:4-6)

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, David composed this psalm after the Lord delivered him from all of his enemies. Death and destruction had truly surrounded him. Torrents of destruction threatened to sweep him away. Many enemies, including King Saul, repeatedly tried to kill him, but the Lord heard the psalmist’s cries for help and rescued him. We, like David, lived under the threat of death. The cords of death entangled us and confronted us like a snare or a trap. Nothing but eternal destruction awaited us because we disobeyed God’s Law. We sin against God and others, and death is the just penalty for sin. We cannot, on our own, escape the cords of death.

We were completely entangled in sin and its penalty of death. Holy Scripture reports that David the psalmist entangled himself in the same way. Yet we know that David repented. When confronted with his guilt, his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah, David acknowledged his sin and cried out to the Lord in words that shape our prayers as well: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:1-2). The only answer to the entanglement of sin and death is God’s abundant mercy. Trapped by sin and death, we cry out to God for help because we know that in His heavenly temple, He heard our prayers and came down to save us.

God the Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, came down from heaven to rescue us. We are saved from death because Jesus was not saved from it. As He hung on the cross, Jesus’ enemies mocked and challenged Him “If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross. … He saved others; He cannot save Himself” (Matthew 27:40b, 42a). Jesus did not save Himself. He did not come down from the cross. He confronted the torrent of destruction and the snare of death that trapped us. The entangling cords of death were lifted from us and placed on Jesus. By His death and resurrection, Jesus broke the chains of sin and death. God heard our prayers for help and came down to save us. By faith, Jesus’ victory has become our victory. We have been rescued. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

WE PRAY: Lord, I cried for help and You rescued me. Strengthen me daily to serve You by serving others. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.

Reflection Questions:

Have you ever felt completely entangled in sin?
Did you seek—and find—God’s mercy in your predicament? What Scriptures were key for you during this difficult period?
How has God shown the world grace, mercy, and peace through the work of Jesus Christ?

"O Living Bread from Heaven"
August 2, 2026
“My Lord, You here have led me To this most holy place And with Yourself have fed me The treasures of Your grace; For You have freely given What earth could never buy, The bread of life from heaven, That now I shall not die.”

How would you prepare your home for a visit from the Lord? The preparations might involve some serious housecleaning, new clothing, special meal preparations, and the personal cleansing of repentance. When God came down from heaven to meet with the people of Israel, He did not leave the preparations to human imagination and choice. He established the standards for the meeting. When God called to Moses from a burning bush, He told the prophet to remove his sandals because that meeting place was holy ground. When God came down to Mount Sinai to speak to His people, the Israelites were to cleanse themselves before gathering at the mountain, but they were not to go up the mountain or touch it. Those who transgressed would be put to death. According to God’s direction, the tabernacle, or tent of meeting, was established. The ark of the covenant rested in the most holy place, or Holy of Holies, separated from the rest of the tabernacle by a heavy woven curtain. Above the mercy seat, the ark’s cover, God would meet with His people.

As God established His covenant with His people, Moses and the priests and elders of Israel were invited into the Lord’s presence. “They beheld God, and ate and drank” (Exodus 24:11b). During worship, we too are invited to enter God’s presence to eat and drink and celebrate His new covenant of grace and forgiveness as we partake of Jesus’ body and blood. How do we prepare to receive such a sacred gift? We come to the table of the Lord as we are, repentant sinners in need of forgiveness. We come in faith, trusting in the words of our Lord: “This is My body … This is My blood” (see Matthew 26:26-28). In the Lord’s Supper we receive Jesus’ true body and blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of our sins.

The temple veil, separating the presence of God from the people, was torn in two when Jesus died on the cross. By His death, Jesus opened a “new and living way” into the presence of God “through His flesh” (Hebrews 10:20). During the Sacrament of Holy Communion, we come into God’s presence to receive Jesus’ body and blood. We come with faith in Jesus’ promise and at His invitation: “Take, eat; this is My body … Drink of it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant.” In this most holy place, we eat and drink in God’s presence and proclaim our Savior’s death until He comes again.

WE PRAY: Jesus, living Bread from heaven, I praise You for the gift of Your body and blood, given and shed for me. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, “O Living Bread from Heaven” which is number 642 in the Lutheran Service Book.

Reflection Questions:

If God were visiting your home today, what would you do to welcome Him?
What does God offer us when we come into His presence in Holy Communion?
How does Jesus’ death and resurrection open a “new and living way” into the presence of God?

"That Coming Day"
August 1, 2026
[Jesus said] “In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:2-4)

Our King has promised to come again, but He did not tell us when. He wants us to be ready for Him at all times. On the very night of His betrayal, as Christ was bidding His disciples farewell in the intimacy of the upper room, He promised them that He would be preparing a place for them and, more than that—that He would be returning for them—to take them with Him!

How can anyone possibly misunderstand this promise of Christ: “I will come again.” The disciples understood it. They believed it. They preached it. They looked forward to it with joy. The second-to-last verse of the New Testament gives expression to their hope and confidence: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20b).

Christian faith is meaningless if it does not embrace Christ’s Second Coming. Christian faith thrills to the assurance of Christ’s return. The world as a stage shall have served its purpose. Every man shall have played his part to the end. All the children of Adam and Eve shall be summoned for a last curtain call. From the depths of the sea they shall come and from long forgotten cemeteries, from freshly covered graves, and from hospital nurseries. Every human has an appointment to be there, and no one will be late.

Everyone will be present: the greatest of all time and those who lived briefly in some far corner of the earth in the distant past. Christ, the King, will preside in power and glory. It will be the time of final and complete judgment. Those who have known Christ, have trusted in Him, believed in Him, have loved Him, have served Him, will have nothing to fear. They await the King’s coming with happy anticipation. As the apostle Paul reminds us, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Their sins were atoned for when Christ died on Calvary. Their confidence is that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. But those who rejected Jesus Christ, those who have rejected the invitation to believe on Him as their Lord and Savior, will not have that day to look forward to.

At this moment, there is still time to say in sincere faith, “I believe in Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for me and who will come again to judge the living and the dead.” The early Christians had a one word greeting, “Maranatha,” the Lord is coming. They cheered one another with it at the beginning of a new day. They comforted one another with it when they were about to die. They encouraged one another with it when they went out bravely to face martyrdom. This is a word to throw out over all unknown and ominous futures: “Maranatha!” The King is coming. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

WE PRAY: Heavenly Father, Your Son will return and no one knows when. Help us to be ready. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Based on “The King Is Coming,” a sermon by Rev. Dr. Armin Oldsen, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour

Reflection Questions:

Have you ever stayed, even overnight, in a mansion? What was that like?
What does it mean that Jesus Himself is preparing a place for believers?
What do you think the Second Coming of Christ will be like?