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

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

By: 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.

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Episodes
  • The Third Sunday after Trinity | Luke 15:1-10 | Missing the Mark

    The Third Sunday after Trinity | Luke 15:1-10 | Missing the Mark
    Jun 21 2026
    Trinity 3 June 20, 2021 Luke 15:1-10 This past week, I was at Fort McCoy for a promotion ceremony, and it reminded me of the days I traveled to the base for military training. One of the basic skills a soldier must learn early in their military training is land navigation. Technology is great, but if you can't find your way with a compass and a map, you might be in serious trouble when the batteries die or GPS goes dark. Almost every school I’ve attended for my military career has included a land navigation course. It always pained me to see a fellow student just one degree off the mark and fail to find their way to the target destination. You see, being just one degree off with your compass is all it takes to lead you astray and off course. The 1 in 60 rule states that for every degree you are off course, you will miss your target or destination by a mile to the east or west for every 60 miles traveled. That's not good and shows how quickly someone can get lost. Sin affects us in similar ways. To sin is to miss the mark. It's to miss the target or destination you are meant to reach. It means not acting according to the commandments or living in accordance with God's will. When someone misses the mark or sins, they begin to drift away from their Father in heaven. It may be a small sin, or it may be the complete denial of wrongdoing. Still, when this happens, the Christian starts wandering away from the Church, becoming lost, much like a soldier or sheep in the wilderness of life. Today, the Gospel begins by saying the “tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear [Jesus].” This builds on the end of the previous chapter, when Jesus says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” So, who comes to listen to Jesus? It’s, as you heard in last week’s Gospel, “the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.” (14:21). So, it's you and everyone else who suffers from the original sin of Adam and Eve. Still, the Pharisees and the scribes are recorded as grumbling that “this Man” would receive these sinners. Hearing the grumbling, Jesus turns and tells the Pharisees and Scribes the parable of the lost sheep. Hear how He speaks to the Pharisees and Scribes: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?” (v.14) In our world and in the Church, we might be tempted to view the problem mathematically and say, they only lost one of one hundred sheep - not too bad, that’s a 99% success rate. But the shepherd in the parable still departs - in search of the one sheep, going against our instincts and measures of success to bring the lost one home. One must be careful to notice throughout the dialogue that Jesus is speaking directly to the Scribes and Pharisees. He is saying to them, “It is you who have lost the sheep.” Now, He is calling on them to hear His words and imitate His love toward sinners—those who have wandered away from the God of Israel. This coming Thursday (June 25th), the Lutheran Church observes the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession. In essence, the Augsburg Confession is the main and foundational document of the Lutheran Church. Among the articles presented about 496 years ago are Articles Four on justification and Five on the office of Holy Ministry. Justification is the truth and teaching that our forgiveness rests solely on the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, and nothing else. The ministry or the preaching office is based on the command of Christ Jesus Himself to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments as He has established for His Church on earth. An interesting nuance in the layout of the articles of the Augsburg Confession is that they always begin with, "Our churches teach that…," except in one place, between articles four and five. Article five starts by saying, "So that we may obtain this faith, the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted." Why the change? Because of the establishment of the office of Holy Ministry, the office of shepherding God's flock was created to administer justification (the forgiveness) to God’s people. The two articles are closely connected. What does any of this have to do with the Gospel today? The Pharisees cared more about their own wellbeing than for their neighbors or the people they were leading. They were not journeying, seeking, rescuing, or restoring the lost sheep of Israel. Instead, they were grumbling that Jesus would accept sinners. But Jesus does accept sinners, “the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind,” you and me. And for our justification, the forgiveness of sins, He died on the cross and now sends His under-shepherds (the pastors) to care for you by administering the sacraments and preaching His Word of law that should lead you to repentance, but then...
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    11 mins
  • The Second Sunday after Trinity | Proverbs 9:1-10 & Luke 14:15-24 | Scripture is Always Leading to the Feast

    The Second Sunday after Trinity | Proverbs 9:1-10 & Luke 14:15-24 | Scripture is Always Leading to the Feast
    Jun 14 2026
    The Second Sunday after Trinity June 14, 2026 Proverbs 9:1-10 & Luke 14:15-24 The first reading this morning came from the book of Proverbs. In many ways, the book of Proverbs can be difficult to understand. A reason for this is that a proverb often requires the reader to meditate on it to grasp its deep meaning and truth. You see, proverbs are usually short sayings that express deep, universal truths regarding life. So how might one begin to understand this proverb? Well, throughout the generations, the Church has confessed that Scripture interprets Scripture. Meaning, the key to understanding a verse, passage, or book of the Bible often resides in another verse, passage, or book of the Bible. Alright, so how are we to understand this morning’s Old Testament reading from the Book of Proverbs? By using today’s Gospel reading. The reading from Proverbs began, “Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars.” To begin, what has Proverbs already said about wisdom? For this, we go to the concluding verse today, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” This fear that produces wisdom is nothing other than the First Commandment, “You shall have no other gods.” What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things. So, who builds the house? It is God who constructs the house of wisdom and knowledge. The seven pillars symbolize the house, and the Lord’s tabernacle built by Moses and Solomon, the place where God came to be with His people, Israel. In the second verse, the Proverb says, “She (Wisdom) has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table.” In other words, the meal has been prepared for the guests. And here, you should hear the words of today’s Gospel as Jesus said, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many.” Both the Old Testament reading and the Gospel begin with the preparation of a great banquet, as if they are mirroring one another. Just as Jesus said, many were invited, and the servants went out to tell those who were invited to come to the feast, the Proverb said, She (Wisdom) has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.” It’s interesting that in the original Hebrew, the word for “Whoever is simple” is “Gullible.” So, “Whoever is gullible, let him turn in here! To him who lacks sense she says, ‘Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.’” Being “gullible” or “lacking sense” in this case means being foolish or vulnerable to deception. In a way, these people sound like those who were invited to the same banquet Jesus was speaking about in the Gospel, when the servant said, “Come, for everything is now ready.” The first person responded to the servant, saying, “I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.” Or the second guest who said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.” Or even the third who responded, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.” The things that are causing those who have been invited to the feast to be vulnerable or fall for deception are the things of this world, the people and things of this life. Take a moment and consider for yourself how you have been gullible, how you’ve permitted yourself to be led to lack sense, the ways you have not heard the call of God, the call of Wisdom to come to the house and temple of God, where He has prepared a banquet for you. Have you been gullible to the voice of the world, have you acted without sense like those who have been invited to the great banquet that has been prepared? Surely you have, as the Psalmist wrote, you were conceived and born in sin. (Psalm 51:5) For this, you must repent, hear God’s call, and return. But if a servant of God approaches you, often a pastor or sometimes a brother or sister in Christ, to invite you or a loved one back to the banquet of God, how do you think this conversation usually unfolds? What do you believe a person’s demeanor and attitude are during such an exchange? Well, this depends on the Christian’s maturity in the Christian faith. And I believe this story plays out with these verses from the Proverb, Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,...
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    13 mins
  • The First Sunday after Trinity | Luke 16:19-31 | Preparing for the Chasms of Life

    The First Sunday after Trinity | Luke 16:19-31 | Preparing for the Chasms of Life
    Jun 7 2026
    The First Sunday after Trinity June 7, 2026 Luke 16:19-31 The Trinity season begins in earnest today with the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man. This is a familiar Gospel, today, that draws the lines between falling in love with earthly glory and heavenly glory. The Rich Man depicts many people of the world who see glory in what you wear, what you consume, who you keep company with, while Lazarus depicts those who, on the surface, appear poor and lowly, who bear the weight of many crosses of this life. As the parable illustrates, both men die, and we learn that earthly glory has an end, while heavenly glory begins for those who have faith in Christ Jesus. At life’s end, the Rich Man is taken to Hades, meaning hell, when he dies. Lazarus, the poor man who bore many crosses in life, being poor in health and wealth, was brought into God’s eternal presence. Which one do you wish to be? It’s also interesting to note that while Lazarus could be seen and heard asking for mercy throughout his earthly life, the Rich Man didn’t raise his voice for mercy until the reality of eternal damnation began. Now, none of us imagine being the Rich Man, nor do any of us picture sitting at the city limits of Tomah begging for help. However, as my family just returned from vacation, we traveled many miles across this country and saw quite the divide and chasm in life, between those who see themselves as rich and those who see themselves as poor. Sure, in some cases, these scenes occur on a street corner where one person begs for help, while another drives by in a Tesla or Mercedes. It might also be seen as homes in different neighborhoods with shingles falling off the roof and graffiti on the front, whereas other neighborhoods feature well-maintained lawns and inviting walkways. It’s fascinating to see how significant the divide can be within a single community or even an entire country. In a way, these divides often keep the wealthy unaware of the struggles that surround and threaten them, while those in need continually strive for the perceived riches of their neighbors across the railroad tracks, maybe even the ones behind the wheel of a Tesla or a Mercedes. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with having earthly wealth, just as there is nothing wrong with lacking wealth. A key question to ask today is this: where do you place your faith and trust in this life, no matter your status, wealth, or place in this life? Do you place your trust in status and the world around you? Or do you place your trust in Jesus Christ? If you place your trust in the things of this world, you might gain temporary glory today, but it is fleeting. If you trust in Jesus, it’s eternal. However, the gift of God’s love, forgiveness, and eternal life does come with a cost; it involves crosses, disappointments, and misfortune. It’s through these ways that God uses a refiner’s fire to test man’s faith. (1 Peter 1:7) Not fun, huh? But it can be necessary to cultivate a life of prayer and reliance on your Father in heaven and the only Son He sent to redeem you. Now, in the life of Good Shepherd, today, we have some children receiving Bibles to grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God, and to receive faith through the words of Jesus. But we are also celebrating the graduation of one of the congregation’s sons as he prepares to go off to college. These children receiving Bibles today will still need a parent to guide them in reading the Scriptures and support them through challenges, and for this, God has given these young children parents to point them to Jesus. In another sense, if any of you were like me when I graduated from high school, I left for college believing that I not only knew everything but also no longer needed help in life. Looking back, I realize I was very impressionable, and college became one of the most challenging times of my life. Why? Because I thought I had it all—that I had achieved something simply by earning a diploma, through the completion of Confirmation, by leaving my home and my church. However, these are just some of the most dangerous days in a person’s life. Because while the pursuit of knowledge is worthwhile, the new freedoms that come in adulthood bring many dangers and risk achieving worldly glory at the expense of heavenly and eternal glory. And this is where the opening hymn for today, “Let Us Ever Walk With Jesus,” can teach and guide not only the young Christian heading to college but also those receiving their Bibles today, along with all of us, on how we should live this life. The first stanza highlights how you are to walk with Jesus by following His perfect example. Now, you won’t be able to do this; the devil, the world, the flesh, and the people around you, in and out of classes, will attempt to lure you away from Jesus and His peace through their teachings, the extracurriculars, or ...
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    11 mins
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