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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.

Copyright 2025 All rights reserved. Christianity Spirituality
Episodes
  • Lent 1 Midweek | Luke 7:36-50 | Learning to Forgive

    Lent 1 Midweek | Luke 7:36-50 | Learning to Forgive
    Feb 26 2026
    Lent 1 – Midweek (Absolution) February 25, 2026 Luke 7:36-50 Dear Brothers and Sisters, This Lenten season, we will use the midweek services to meditate upon Confession and Absolution. We began this evening’s service, as we’ll do each midweek service throughout this season of Lent, with confession and absolution from the service of Compline. Now the service of Compline dates back to the fourth century as a sort of bedtime prayer, and for this reason, Compline means completion, to pray at the completion of the day and one of the most important aspects of this service is the rite of Confession and Absolution, that there would be peace within the home and among one another before laying one’s head down to sleep, especially since no one truly knows if they would awake the next morning. For this reason, a verse from the Psalms that comes to mind is that of Psalm 4, Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. (Psalm 4:4) The Apostle Paul builds upon the verse by writing to the Ephesians, Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. (Ephesians 4:26-27) Reflect upon this: how often do you go to bed angry? Surely, some of you are whispering to yourselves, never. However, you can see from both verses I just read to you how anger and sin are intimately related. So let me ask you this: how many of you go to bed still caught up in sin? Meaning, going to bed without forgiving each other for an argument, a hurtful word, taking someone else’s property, or an unfaithful act within a relationship? Honestly, when it comes to understanding the two parts of Confession from the Small Catechism, “First that we confess our sins, and second that we receive absolution...” a great challenge for people is absolution — forgiving those who have sinned against you and caused you harm. Now, of course, absolution—the forgiveness of sin—occurs after someone confesses their sins. But when absolution is not granted or given, your husband, wife, father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, friend, or co-worker remains in chains and is imprisoned by the sin they have confessed to you. Now, culture, your friends, AI (on the internet), poorly written self-help books, and sometimes your feelings, all tell you that it’s okay not to forgive, to withhold forgiveness from someone who has hurt you. I understand that forgiveness can be tough, but it’s better for Christians not to seek help or understanding about spiritual matters from the world, but from the Scriptures. As Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15) The words of Jesus highlight a serious need for us to consider how we approach forgiveness and the act of forgiving one another, even when it’s difficult, when the sin of another has cut deep and left a lasting scar. A common refrain in families is, “They hurt me for the last time.” Or “Fool me once, but…” Or “They’re never going to change.” But do these words confess faith and confidence that the Holy Spirit can change people’s lives? Do you lack faith in God to transform the heart of an erring brother or sister in Christ? Or do your words resemble those of the Pharisee in the second reading tonight from the Gospel of St. Luke? The Pharisee in the second reading only saw a sinful woman, one who was unclean, probably a prostitute or adulterer, because her sins were great; he didn’t see how she could be forgiven. And this offers another perspective for us to consider. Most often, we focus more on the severity of our neighbors’ sins than on our own sinful nature, or that it’s sinful of us to refuse to forgive someone who is contrite and sorry for their transgression. And for this reason, these words of Jesus tonight should not only call you to account for the sins you have failed to forgive, but also be a comfort not only to those who have hurt and caused you harm, but also to you, a poor, miserable sinner yourself. Jesus said, Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” How wonderful it is that we can forgive one another just as our dear Savior forgives us. This entire season of Lent leads us to the cross of Calvary, where Jesus not only took the place of a murderer and insurrectionist but also bore your sin and endured the judgment for it by dying on the cross for you. But even there, as Jesus hung between two criminals, the sins and faith of one were confessed, and what did Jesus say to him? “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23...
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    10 mins
  • Lent 1 (Invocabit) | Genesis 3:1-21 & Matthew 4:1-11 | Bring the Battles of Life to the Cross

    Lent 1 (Invocabit) | Genesis 3:1-21 & Matthew 4:1-11 | Bring the Battles of Life to the Cross
    Feb 22 2026
    Lent 1 (Invocabit) February 25, 2026 Matthew 4:1-11 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I want to begin today by highlighting some of the first battles throughout American history. So, to begin, the first battle of the Revolutionary War was the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. The first battle of the Civil War was the bombardment of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, in April 1861. The first battle of WWI occurred at Liege in August 1914. The first battle of WWII was the Battle of Westerplatte in September of 1939. But America didn’t formally enter the war until December 1941. The first battle of the Korean War happened in Seoul, South Korea, also before the Americans entered the fray. While the initial battle of the Vietnam War for American forces was the Battle of Ia Drang in November 1965, the first battle of the Vietnam War was the Battle of Ap Bac in January 1963. The war on terror started in Afghanistan in November 2001, but major ground troops didn’t enter active combat until Operation Anaconda in March 2002. (I was there) So, what’s the point of all of this? In war, there are many battles, and these often begin before the war officially starts, but few wars are ever won or finished in a single battle. The season of Lent leads us to the battle of Calvary, where Jesus, the victor, will be nailed to the cross for the sins of the world. But this battle and war began long before that first Holy Week. Today, we hear of two such battles in the Old Testament reading and the Gospel. In the Old Testament reading, the first battle and conflict in Scripture occurs between your first parents and the serpent. It began with the temptation of the devil as he said to Eve, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’” It all began with temptation, a desire for what was not given to Adam and Eve, along with pride and the wish to be like God, rejecting the Creator’s Word and instruction. Sadly, this is just the first conflict of many, as Adam and Eve will turn against one another in an instant, as Adam’s first response to the fall was to say, “The woman you gave me, it’s her fault.” This sin of Adam and Eve was passed down to their sons as well, as pride and insecurity tempted and led Cain to rise up and kill his brother, Abel. Sadly, you are no different from this first family, as you experience deeply personal and interpersonal battles throughout your life. When alcohol, drugs, gambling, the overuse of technology, or pornography become not just temptations but full-blown addictions, you are quick to refuse blame for turning to these vices—similar to Adam—blaming the bad company who tempted you or the husband or wife whom you believe pushed you to seek fulfillment in these ways, due to fractured and unfulfilled expectations and relationships. In reality, if we’re being honest, we are like Adam, blaming God for our troubles, saying, “The woman you gave me, it’s her fault.” We blame God for the temptations and conflicts of our lives. But St. James writes in his epistle, Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:13-15) This final verse captures the struggle with temptation perfectly and how sin is born out of temptation and finds a home within your heart, Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:13-15) Temptations throughout life begin within you, the old Adam, the sinful man that dwells within your heart, and for this reason, your true enemy in all of this is not your husband or wife, your brother or sister, a father or mother, it’s you. Why, because, like Adam and Eve, you do not listen, hear, or obey God’s Word. You don’t. In a fantastic way, St. James follows up his words regarding temptation by saying, Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:19-21) If only you and I were so eager to be quick to hear and slow to speak, how much more could we communicate with each other and have love one another. How much more would we be able to hear and receive the Word of God, which, as St. James says, is able to save your souls? Ultimately, the struggles and conflicts of life persist because we continually turn away from God’s Word and instruction and because of this, we are not only fighting against alcohol, drugs, ...
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    10 mins
  • Ash Wednesday | Matthew 6:16-21 | Why Do You Fast?

    Ash Wednesday | Matthew 6:16-21 | Why Do You Fast?
    Feb 19 2026
    Ash Wednesday February 18, 2026 Matthew 6:16-21 The Old Testament reading this evening from the prophet Joel began by saying, Yet even now, declares the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. The prophet Joel is pleading for the people of Israel to repent and return to the Lord. He warns that if they continue to conduct themselves in ways against God’s will, there will be armies of locust that will come upon the unrepentant people, destroying everything in their path. A sign or practice that the prophet Joel prescribes for Israel’s repentance in the text is fasting. Repentance and fasting have long been associated with one another. King David fasted, wept, and mourned not only the brief life of his son but also the sins of adultery and murder that led to the boy’s death. Upon hearing the call to repentance through the prophet Jonah, the people of Nineveh fasted, repented, and turned from their evil ways. In accomplishing what Israel could not do during the Exodus as they wandered through the wilderness for forty years, Jesus was led into the wilderness for forty days, fasting. In fact, tonight’s Gospel, Jesus says, “And when you fast…” So why do Lutherans struggle so much with the concept of fasting? Because it’s considered “Roman Catholic.” Have you ever noticed how sometimes people oppose something just because another group believes in it? How contrarian! However, as explained above, this perspective rejects the Lutheran understanding of “Sola Scriptura” – Scripture alone. Sola Scriptura states that Scripture alone speaks and guides the Christian faith, and the teachings of the church must align with it. Now, for this reason, Scripture never explicitly demands fasting, but from the examples just mentioned, you can see not only how the practice went hand in hand with repentance but was also highly expected. Even Martin Luther (1483­–1546) promoted the practice of fasting for two reasons, he wrote: “Of fasting I say this: it is right to fast frequently in order to subdue and control the body. For when the stomach is full, the body does not serve for preaching, for praying, for studying, or for doing anything else that is good. Under such circumstances God’s Word cannot remain. But one should not fast with a view to meriting something by it as by a good work.” Isn’t this something? Christian fasting is meant to grow our hunger for God’s Word and forgiveness. It’s not intended to earn forgiveness as good works, which is why we are not like Roman Catholics or many evangelicals, for that matter; we cannot earn salvation this way. But we can learn through practice where our life needs changing, where repentance is necessary, and where our faith is struggling. Think about this: if the doctor told you that you had cancer and needed to fast for twenty-four hours for a blood test to get the right medicine, you’d do it in a heartbeat. You’d do it because you can’t imagine not talking to your father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, or friend ever again. Here’s the thing: if we don’t examine ourselves, recognize which sins are not only running through our veins but also controlling us, and learn to confess them, then we can’t be sure we’ll have a tomorrow in heaven with the people we care about so deeply. We need to understand which sins control us and require confessing to receive forgiveness. Alright, so what does it mean to fast? Contrary to popular belief, fasting isn’t just about abstaining from food and drink; it’s about reducing or going without. Therefore, fasting can include anything that controls you. So, what is controlling your life and hindering your faith and the vocations God has entrusted to you? Is your phone glued to your hand while your children or grandchildren play on the floor in front of you, begging for your attention? Begging you to read a book to them? Do you happily stop for breakfast every morning on your way to work, but have no money to give to the church to care for the hungry and needy? When was the last time you went out of your way to visit a shut-in brother or sister from the church? When we fast and reduce the things that control us and hinder our faith, the relationships we have, and the vocations God has given us, we not only realize how little of these things are truly necessary, but also recognize how much God already provides. The season of Lent is an opportunity for us to fast, not only from food and drink, but the things that have become gods and idols in our lives. Do you find it hard to put your phone down? Start today by placing it in another room of your house in the evenings, spend quality time with your family, work on a puzzle, enjoy a meal around the dinner table, read ...
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    10 mins
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