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St. Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lombard Illinois

St. Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lombard Illinois

Written by: St. Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church
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Christianity Ministry & Evangelism Spirituality
Episodes
  • Farming God’s Way
    Feb 26 2026
    So, are you listening? Are you speaking? Are you growing? Are you learning? Are you living?
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    19 mins
  • Passover
    Feb 24 2026
    Passover 3 1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You can't eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. 3 But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, 'You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.' " 4 "No! You will certainly not die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" 10 And he said, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid." 11 Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" 12 The man replied, "The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate." 13 So the Lord God asked the woman, "What have you done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 14 So the Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than any livestock and more than any wild animal. You will move on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life. 15 I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel. 16 He said to the woman: I will intensify your labor pains; you will bear children with painful effort. Your desire will be for your husband, yet he will rule over you. 17 And he said to the man, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'Do not eat from it': The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust." 20 The man named his wife Eve because she was the mother of all the living. 21 The Lord God made clothing from skins for the man and his wife, and he clothed them. 22 The Lord God said, "Since the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever." 23 So the Lord God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove the man out and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:1–24 [CSB] We may not see...understand or accept the reason...or think it deserving... This...the result and consequences of sin... …especially since it was not us...but our first parents...who did it...who began this journey... Why should we be held accountable for them? Why should we be blamed...we didn't ask to inherit this mess! But we have to stop and think. Let’s go ahead and drop the original...the first...and just ask about our own individual sins. Sure, but then we will do what Adam and Eve did...won't we? We are all ready and willing to then blame our parents...or the devil...or anything...else... Yet they remain ours...and they are because of us. But this is Lent. And so...today...we could stand before God...naked...ashamed and guilty... If we chose to try and justify ourselves in anyway… And that which we fear...would overwhelm us with terror...and...dread... So… think along those lines… what are you going to say to Him? What's to be done? This day and age...though...we are all about denial, changing the rules and the definitions...so that we don't have to feel so bad...because if there are less things we do wrong...well...then... They tell us… out there… that we then… need not fear and tremble... ...as we will surely not die...at least not as soon as we once did...we are on the way to finding its cure all on our own... Yes, we will cheat it...we will beat it… so no… don't… let’s not call sin, sin. Let’s not deal with it as we used to. Live and let live. Or...not too long ago it was all about cover-up. Pretend to be good...put on a good face...at church especially...and maybe no one will notice... …and maybe God is at least pleased that I try.... But… there ...
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    15 mins
  • What Is This All For?
    Feb 19 2026
    What Is This All For? 12 Even now— this is the Lord’s declaration— turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. 13 Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster. 14 Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind him, so you can offer a grain offering and a drink offering to the Lord your God. 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion! Announce a sacred fast; proclaim a solemn assembly. 16 Gather the people; sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the infants, even babies nursing at the breast. Let the groom leave his bedroom, and the bride her honeymoon chamber. 17 Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, "Have pity on your people, Lord, and do not make your inheritance a disgrace, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'" 18 Then the Lord became jealous for his land and spared his people. 19 The Lord answered his people: Look, I am about to send you grain, new wine, and fresh oil. You will be satiated with them, and I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations. Joel 2:12–19 [CSB] What are the ashes drawn in the shape of the cross on our foreheads for? To bring out that mark God already has made on you. When He baptized you into His name...into His Son...on the Cross where He punished Jesus instead of destroying you... Like He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Like He did other nations. Like He did Israel. Like He will the whole world. Why? Because we deserve to be!Disaster is right on our doorsteps! You think not? People are sneering...fists raised...yes, they are saying they can do what they want...they are defying God. Hear them? Listen to what is really being said: “Ha! We can do what we like. Watch and see! And we will do it again! So where...where… is your God when I do it to His face? Where is He who calls all that we like to do...all what I want to do...evil…? Where is He to punish what He calls sin?” God says, "From dust you were taken and to dust you will return..." No one escapes death. No one. God will not be mocked. He says that, "The wages of sin is death."That is what God told Adam because of his and his wife's sin. Yes, and to dust the world will be reduced to also... …soon now...maybe here in America sooner than Africa. I don't know. But remember, Nineveh repented. God spared them for several generations—over 200 years I think it was. Pray America... pray Illinois… and Lombard… repents also… repents—before it is too late. Yes, because... 12 "even now," declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. 14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God? Even so, still....all returns to dust. But only those with the sign of the cross on them will be raised to newness of life. Only those who return to the Lord will be saved...those who return to the place where that mark was made. This is what Lent is for. To mark us again for our burial. Yes, as we know what the consequences of sin are. Death. Yes, from dust we too were taken and will return... But with that mark...made with water… and Word…we won't stay there. 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; 16 gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. We have...we are...it is called Lent. It is called the application of ashes...consecrating you again for burial...with Christ...in that living and ever flowing Water...the very waters of life... So that we will be spared eternal destruction...flames and ash... To be instead raised to eternal life. Take the ash now...death now...so that life eternal is ours later. Yes, Lent is preparation for our death now, but only for Easter later—our very own Easter. Easter...our Easter, is only possible with the Cross...with Jesus' death...and our death in Him...in Water...in Word...in this life...in this world...with its ways.... Lent is a time to fast and pray. To die to self. To die to sin. To switch our focus. To remove things in our lives that distract and blind us from the truth...for that which brings death and destruction.... Yes, to focus on dying...to let our sin nature die again...to drown it...that those things of sin to be removed...cleared away...cleaned off...the things that entrap us again in this world...in sin...that bring God's wrath and doom...fire and ash.... ...let...
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    16 mins
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