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The Shepherd’s Voice – Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Tomah, WI

The Shepherd’s Voice – Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Tomah, WI

Auteur(s): Good Shepherd Lutheran Church - Tomah WI
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Welcome to The Shepherd’s Voice, the podcast ministry of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Tomah, Wisconsin. Each episode shares Christ-centered preaching, Bible teaching, and encouragement for your walk of faith. Rooted in the historic Lutheran confession, we proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified and risen for the forgiveness of sins.

Whether you’re a lifelong Lutheran, exploring the Christian faith, or seeking hope in daily life, The Shepherd’s Voice offers clear Law and Gospel preaching, devotionals, and reflections grounded in God’s Word.

Join us as we lift high the cross of Christ and connect listeners to the Shepherd who knows His sheep by name.

Copyright 2025 All rights reserved. Christianisme Pastorale et évangélisme Spiritualité
Épisodes
  • Advent 1 - Midweek | Luke 1:26-38 | The Angel Gabriel Comes to Mary

    Advent 1 - Midweek | Luke 1:26-38 | The Angel Gabriel Comes to Mary
    Dec 4 2025
    Advent Midweek 1 – The Angel Gabriel December 3, 2025 Luke 1:26-38 As we begin our Wednesday evening services this year, the theme will be the Angels of Advent. Now, to begin, we need to remember who angels are. Throughout the Scriptures, angels are spiritual beings; they are warriors, and they often pray for man. As Jesus says in the Gospel of Matthew, they see His Father’s face and do His will. Angels are not to be trifled with. But the most basic definition of the word “angel” is “messenger.” Angels are messengers of God who bring His news to mankind. While we meditate on the Angels of Advent over the next three weeks, only one of these angels will have a name, and that is tonight – Gabriel the archangel. It’s also interesting that, while Michael, the other known archangel, is mentioned throughout the Scriptures, Gabriel is the one sent to announce both the conception of John the Baptist and Jesus. Now, meditating on Gabriel’s message tonight, let’s begin with how he was received by Mary. As Gabriel arrived, the text said she was troubled by him and his words. After all, in our hymn we sang, “The angel Gabriel from heaven came, with wings as drifted snow, with eyes as flame.” There’s an image for you, and not one easily discerned. But the angel Gabriel perceives Mary’s fears, which is why he tells her, “Do not be afraid, Mary.” The word “afraid” here originates from the Greek φοβος; you might hear in the background the word “phobia,” which means fear or terror. What has your heart filled with fear and terror this Advent? What kind of news or messages have sunk your heart in depression, filled you with dread and anxiety, and caused you terrors throughout the night? Do you worry about your children and their faith? Have you been laid off? Did a doctor deliver the news, the news you feared, that you have cancer or another life-altering diagnosis? This, of course, leads to the questions of a racing mind. Will my children receive eternal life? How will I pay the bills or buy Christmas presents? Will the cancer or ailment consuming my flesh take my life? Mary was told by the angel Gabriel as she was filled with fear, “Do not be afraid.” This is the angel’s message for you, no matter your fears: “Do not be afraid.” Why? Because God is with you, Christ is with you. You see, the angel Gabriel’s entire message fulfills Old Testament prophecy, beginning with Genesis 3, as God the Father promises Eve an offspring who will come to defeat the Devil and the sin they brought into this world. But this prophecy is also mentioned in our first reading tonight from Isaiah, as he wrote, Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) And this text from Isaiah really gets to the heart of Gabriel’s message to Mary, she is going to bear a Son, Jesus, the One whose name will be Immanuel, which means God with us. In a very physical way, Immanuel takes His place within the womb of Mary. He is God with her, and one of the messages of the Advent season is that Immanuel is God with you in the midst of the darkness of your fears. And this should be your prayer throughout the troubles of life, for the only Son of God to abide with you. In fact, as we began the service tonight, our words and actions remind us of this truth as the candle entered this darkened sanctuary, and we sang… “Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, the light no darkness can overcome.” “Stay with us, [abide with us] Lord, for it is evening, and the day is almost over.” “Let your light scatter the darkness and illumine Your Church.” Remember these words and pray them when darkness in life surrounds you, when fear and terror grip your heart. Then recall how your Savior came to you through the waters of Holy Baptism. Remember how the light of His Word enters your ears just as it was brought into this sanctuary tonight and dwells in your heart. Remember how His flesh and blood have been placed upon your lips and how your Savior remains with you, even now. Remember this... because when darkness falls upon you, Jesus is your light. He is your Immanuel; He is God with you. This is the angel Gabriel’s message for Mary, and it is His word for you. +INJ+ Rev. Noah J. Rogness Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Tomah, WI www.goodsheptomah.org
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    8 min
  • Advent 1 | Jeremiah 23:5-8 & Matthew 21:1-9 | The Christian Life is Preparation for Christ to Come

    Advent 1 | Jeremiah 23:5-8 & Matthew 21:1-9 | The Christian Life is Preparation for Christ to Come
    Nov 30 2025
    First Sunday in Advent November 30, 2025 Jeremiah 23:5-8 & Matthew 21:1-9 The lights sparkling on the homes around Tomah signal that Christmas is coming. The number of emails you’re receiving is a warning to you that Christmas is coming. The change in music on the radio alerts you that Christmas is coming. The colors adorning the altar, the candles in the wreath, all announce, Christmas is coming. But it’s not here yet. It’s hard for us to understand because we live in a world that rushes everything. We’re in a rush to grow up, to get to the store, and to jump into relationships and the gifts that come with marriage before the vows have been said… However, today we begin the season of Advent, a time for slowing down, prayer, and meditation. To review, the word Advent means “to come.” The Old Testament reading from Jeremiah provides the well-known prophecy of God the Father raising a righteous branch, Jeremiah wrote, Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’ (Jeremiah 23:5-6) Then two verses later, Jeremiah says again, Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but ‘As the LORD lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.” (Jeremiah 23:7-8) The thing about prophecies is that they are always looking forward; they focus on what is to come. As Paul wrote to the Colossians, “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Colossians 2:17) The words of Jeremiah are a shadow of what will come, namely, the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, born to the Virgin Mary in the little town of Bethlehem. He is the righteous branch, who will take the curse of sin and death, your sin and death, to the tree of the cross, so from it, His righteousness, His forgiveness might be extended and declared upon you. In a way, the Christian is always hesitantly and slowly walking in the shadows of the cross; the cross guides you through this life, including the sadness you feel, the grief you experience, the anger filling your heart, the disappointment with family and friends, and the sense of abandonment. While these instances are all emotions you feel, they are also the shadows surrounding you; they are the crosses you bear. However, like the people of Israel, you lack patience as these crosses weigh on you. Israel was never patient. They wanted to save themselves. So you try to save yourself by taking the burdens of life into your own hands. But if you reflect on the Old Testament readings today, the cross of Jesus is ultimately what will lead the offspring of Israel to dwell in their own land, the land of milk and honey, the new heaven and the new earth, paradise. Yet, those who lined the streets that first Palm Sunday did not truly understand the prophecies of God; instead, they sought an earthly king, an earthly kingdom. This Jesus, the Messiah, was to come and fulfill their prayers and petitions of Hosanna, now, to save them from their earthly oppressors in a rather immediate manner. Like you, they wanted to see instant gratification. They wanted instant relief. But can you rush God? Can you make Him work on your timeframe? Looking back at Scriptures, the fulfillment of prophecies rarely happened instantly. This serves as a good reminder and lesson today, as the world rushes into Christmas without taking time to prepare for Christ’s coming and its true meaning. Christians learn and relearn the discipline of patience, and how prayer strengthens your faith to wait on the coming of Jesus Christ. This is why we started the Divine Service today by prayerfully reciting the Litany. This historic prayer, which often replaces the Prayer of the Church because of its length, dates back to the fifth century. Martin Luther appreciated it so much that he created two different versions. Recently, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod has highlighted the importance of praying the Litany not only during the Divine Service but also at home. Why? Because this lengthy prayer helps us learn to pray and petition God to have mercy on us, it teaches us patience, which is invaluable during a season of the year when patience is seldom found. It also teaches dependence. For this reason, just as the true exercise of the Advent season is countercultural, the slowness to decorate, the wait to set up a tree, or fill its trunk with presents, ...
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    10 min
  • Thanksgiving | Luke 17:11-19 | Come to the Great Meal of Thanksgiving

    Thanksgiving | Luke 17:11-19 | Come to the Great Meal of Thanksgiving
    Nov 27 2025
    Thanksgiving (Observed) November 26, 2025 Luke 17:11-19 In preparation for this week, we recently watched a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving in our house. It’s a classic, isn’t it? You got Peppermint Patty inviting herself and others over to Charlie Brown’s for dinner. Charlie Brown goes with the flow, being a good friend, and even though he has family plans to visit Grandma, he still tries to host his friends. Who does that? Amid everything, Charlie Brown enlists Snoopy’s help in preparing the meal. Then, of course, there’s the scene where they all sit down around the Ping-Pong table to unknowingly enjoy a feast of popcorn, candy, and buttered toast prepared by Snoopy and Woodstock, the little yellow bird. (This is the part that gets the children laughing hysterically. What child wouldn’t want candy and popcorn for dinner?) But this is also when Peppermint Patty’s expectations for a perfect Thanksgiving meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing weren’t fulfilled. Peppermint Patty boils over, and her anger rises to the surface. But look, she invited herself over, invited others without asking, set her own expectations for Thanksgiving, and then threw a temper tantrum when things didn’t go as she had thought they would. In a way, there are parts of this story that you can all relate to at Thanksgiving, aren’t there? The uninvited guests, the failure to achieve the perfect holiday, opinions on what food should or should not be served, the minefield, and arguments between family and friends. Honesty, when Thanksgiving is presented like this, who wants it? But isn’t this an image of your lives? A challenge is how you handle unfulfilled expectations, not only today, but throughout life: do you lash out, yell, and scream, or do you learn to call out to God for His mercy, for His peace and forgiveness, His patience? Look at the Ten Lepers in the Gospel this evening. The disease that covers their skin has not only rendered them unclean, but it’s also forced them to live apart from their family; there’s no holiday or feasting for them, just a realization they cannot help, nor heal themselves, as they dwell in isolation. The only thing these lepers can do is cry out for mercy, and that is exactly what they do when they see Jesus; they cry out with every ounce of their hoarse voices, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Interestingly, here, all ten lepers call out together, “Have mercy on us.” They see themselves as a collective community in their misery. This is interesting because of the widespread American belief that the family’s togetherness is the main focus of Thanksgiving, even though we live as individuals the rest of the year. Peppermint Patty confesses this idea after recovering from her meltdown, that what’s most important is spending time with friends and family. Spending time with family and friends is good; it’s actually a gift from your Father in heaven. But as you look at these Lepers, only one of them now returned to thank Jesus for the gift of being cleansed, forgiven, and returned to his family. A Samaritan. Someone who wasn’t even seen as a friend, much less a member of the family of Israel. Yet, he gets it and returns to Jesus to give Him thanks for the mercy, forgiveness, and new life he received in the Words of Jesus. This is important because the Leper can now reunite with his family, eat and break bread with them, drink from the same cup, and be part of fellowship and community. This is pretty cool. Many of us have separated ourselves not only from our families but also from each other due to the leprosy of sin that goes well below the skin and penetrates the heart. We boil over when family and friends invite themselves over, we get upset when the menu for the big dinner isn’t just right, and we struggle to navigate the emotional landmines planted between us and by us during these days of family gatherings. In light of this, we must once again learn to confess the leprosy of sin and to stop being individuals; instead, we must call out to God for mercy, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” In a way, this reflects what we do as we will soon sing the words of the Sanctus. We sing as a family, “Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to the Son of David,” and in this way, we pray to be saved, we ask for God’s mercy, to be cleansed, and forgiven of all our sins. And then approach this rail on bended knee to receive the greatest meal of Thanksgiving in the flesh and blood of your Savior Jesus Christ. In fact, throughout many parts of the Scriptures and the history of the Church, this meal, the Lord’s Supper, is called the Eucharist or εὐχαριστέω, which means “to give thanks.” Because of this, it’s the greatest Thanksgiving meal you could receive, as through it, you share in the meal of God’s eternal family, where you receive the...
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    10 min
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