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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
  • Palm Sunday | John 12:20-43 | Hosanna! A Cry for Help

    Palm Sunday | John 12:20-43 | Hosanna! A Cry for Help
    Mar 29 2026
    Palm Sunday John 12:20-43 March 29, 2026 Their brother had just died. They were overwhelmed with anger, sadness, and confusion. How could this have happened? What should they do now? They had called for help, but no one came. Have you ever felt this panic before in your life? The pain of death has started to take hold. Have you felt this fear? Has death touched someone close to you? Your brother, your husband, your wife, your parent, your child? In these moments, nothing else seems to matter. Everything that once existed in life is now gone. This is how Mary and Martha felt when their brother, Lazarus, died in the chapter right before the Gospel reading at the very beginning of our service today. They were overwhelmed with sadness and disappointment. Jesus was their friend, but he didn’t arrive when they called for him. He didn’t even appear for the funeral. Have you ever felt the loneliness of Mary and Martha? Have you ever been angry or confused with God? Have you walked through a cemetery, looking at the dates carved into the stone markers, realizing it has been a long time since the graves of your brothers, sisters, husband, wife, or children were closed? It has been a long time since something has happened. It often seems like no one is coming to help. Jesus made Mary and Martha wait. Why? To show them that he weeps with them, shares their sadness, but also to reveal his power over death, which is the power of the resurrection in him. He answers the pleas of God’s children at the right time, but that time is unknown to us. So what does the Gospel reading about the raising of Lazarus have to do with today’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem? Everything. It was those crowds that witnessed Jesus calling Lazarus out of the tomb, who couldn’t stop talking about this great sign. Others couldn’t help but run to see this miracle worker, this man, this King, who called Lazarus by name, raised His friend from the dead, and gave him life. This is why crowds gathered on Palm Sunday. They lined the streets to celebrate the One who is the resurrection of the dead. This raises the question: why have you come and entered this sanctuary today? Why do you gather around the One who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey? What were you expecting when you drove to church this morning? Well, when you come to church, you bring everything that weighs you down—your sorrow, sadness, and guilt. The challenges of marriage and raising a family, losing a job, being betrayed by a friend, a cancer diagnosis, and the endless confusion and grief over losing a loved one. So, what can this Jesus on a donkey do about all of that? Would your life be different if you met the One whose name we sing about today? The death and decaying body of Lazarus remind us of the sin we carry. Our lives are filled with disappointment, the stench of our sinful ways, and decaying bodies. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, reached out and grasped for control of their lives in the Garden of Eden. They ate what was forbidden. They tasted what they believed to be good and brought sin into the world through their disobedience to God’s command. But how much more do we not only taste what is bad, what is sinful, but also feast on it as we turn away from God’s Word and the gathering with His saints in the worship of His Son, the King? How often do we find ourselves caught up in sin and in the grave of spiritual death? But this is exactly why Jesus entered the world and into Jerusalem in today’s Gospel — to save sinners, to redeem them, and to remove the stench of death that clings to your flesh. Through death, He becomes the life for all the living. This is why He came — to raise the dead and give you His life! And this is what the Word of God does: it proclaims and grants you the forgiveness of sin and gives life to those who have died in Christ Jesus. This morning, we dedicated a Gospel Book in memory of Kevin Franks. The book’s beauty and adornment highlight the true beauty of God’s Word. Just as the Gospel nourished Kevin with the Good News, forgiveness, and the life of his Savior, Jesus Christ, throughout his life, Jesus continues to speak to us through this same Word today. A Word that calls us to gather, turn, and line the aisle of this sanctuary so we might hear the voice of our Savior, just as Kevin heard this same voice as he gathered with his family and his brothers and sisters in Christ every Sunday, to hear and receive the words of eternal life and resurrection joy. In fact, it’s precisely for this reason that the crowds lined the streets of Jerusalem with their joyful hosannas. The good news of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead through His Word spread quickly. Those who saw this miracle couldn’t stay silent; instead, they were compelled to fill the streets with their cries. And for this, they also shouted, “Hosanna,” loudly and passionately, ...
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    14 mins
  • Lent 5 – Midweek | Matthew 16:13-28 & John 20:19-23 | The Office of the Keys

    Lent 5 – Midweek | Matthew 16:13-28 & John 20:19-23 | The Office of the Keys
    Mar 26 2026
    Lent 5 – Midweek Matthew 16:13-28 & John 20:19-23 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Last week, we began discussing the Office of the Keys. The Small Catechism asks, “What is the Office of the Keys?” The Office of the Keys is that special authority which Christ has given to His church on earth to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent. We primarily focused on how the Office of Keys is an office of authority anchored and possessed by the Church. This week, we move on to how pastors exercise the Office of the Keys in the Office of Holy Ministry. The Small Catechism asks, What do you believe according to these words (The words read in our two readings this evening)? I believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by His divine command, in particular when they exclude openly unrepentant sinners from the Christian congregation and absolve those who repent of their sins and want to do better, this is just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself. In this way, the Pastor is not acting for himself, but in the stead and by the command of Jesus Christ. This is why, in the absolution at the beginning of the Divine Service, the pastor says, “As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins…” The pastor announced the grace and forgiveness of Jesus, as one who has been properly called and by the authority of the Office that Jesus instituted. None of this is of a pastor’s own accord, but of Jesus’. But as we discussed last week, we struggle with the idea and concept of authority. This struggle begins in childhood when a babysitter or teacher gives you instruction, and you respond or mutter under your breath, “You aren’t the boss of me.” But they were, and for some of you, they still are, because the parent delegated the authority of their office to the teacher or babysitter. The parent did this, so there would be someone to protect you from harm and danger, to help you learn, to lead you in the way of growing in knowledge and truth. As time passes and you get older, you could make a living from the complaints and frustrations you have with a foreman or a manager you perceive as incompetent. Still, they are the ones who have been placed in positions of authority. And whether we like it or not, their position is one to consider for the well-being of the people who serve and work under them. Now, like the prophet Jonah, many pastors have actually tried to avoid God’s call to serve His Church. They may be like Jonah, disobedient souls who don’t want to deal with difficult people, like those of Nineveh, so they disobey God’s calling. Or they have fallen in love with the world and its glamor, unable to imagine leaving home with only God’s Word in their hand and heart. Yet, others (including myself) feel a deep sense of incapability, thinking, “How could I assume an office of such responsibility?” But in times such as these, a pastor must remember, it is Jesus who sends them. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” St. Paul is quoting the prophet Isaiah here, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.” Pastors are called and sent, not of their own accord, but like the prophets and apostles, by God’s direction and Word. Pastors are undershepherds of the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. They receive their authority and instruction from Jesus and His Word alone. And like all teachers, leaders, or anyone who has held a position of authority in your life, pastors are sent to provide guidance, so you don’t end up in trouble. They are there to help you avoid causing harm to others. They carry the shepherd’s crook of God’s Word to combat the forces of darkness that seek to lead you away from God. And they are sent to pursue you if you stray. But they also stand ready to announce the Gospel, the forgiveness of sins to all who confess their trespasses. Still, there are sadly times when the sheep do not repent, when they permit themselves to be caught in the thicket of stubbornness and sin, and as the Small Catechism says, the openly unrepentant sinner [is excluded] from the Christian congregation. These sheep are not permitted through the gate, to the rail of the Lord’s Supper, until they repent. This is often referred to as excommunication. This can be a difficult task because emotions, feelings, and relationships are involved. When a sinner refuses to repent and is often no longer among the congregation, there is sadness among the flock, because a sheep has wandered away from their home and is refusing to return to their brothers and sisters in Christ. These ...
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    11 mins
  • The Fifth Sunday in Lent – Judica | John 8:42-59 | There's No Hiding from God

    The Fifth Sunday in Lent – Judica | John 8:42-59 | There's No Hiding from God
    Mar 22 2026
    The Fifth Sunday in Lent – Judica March 22, 2026 John 8:42-59 Today isn’t one of the Gospel readings that gets you excited to say, “This is the Gospel of the Lord.” “Praise to you, O Christ!” But in some ways, Judica Sunday, appears like a downer all the way around. Judica means “Judge me.” But who wants to be judged? This Sunday marks another wave of changes in the Divine Service. We begin with the Litany, emphasizing the next two weeks as a time for special devotion and prayer. We remove the Gloria Patri from the end of the introit, Nunc Dimittis, and any other part of the Divine Service, removing the little praise that remains in this difficult season of Lent. Still, now we have covered and veiled the cross of Jesus, so we cannot even see our Savior. What’s up with that? Today marks the start of Passiontide, a short season within Lent. It is characterized by the veiling of crosses in the church, symbolizing anticipation for Good Friday. The crosses are neither removed nor forgotten; instead, they are veiled during the final weeks of Lent as a humble sign of reverence for the cross and the Passion of Christ Jesus. Often, a gauzy black material, similar to a widow’s mourning veil, is used rather than a solid woven cloth. This allows the outlines of the crosses to remain visible while hiding the finer artistic details of the body of Christ. Have you ever considered that when a widow veils herself, it might be for mourning, as a tradition or a way of dress, but it could also be done unconsciously to hide oneself from the world? Interestingly, the Church is the bride of Christ, so it might be appropriate for us to grieve and mourn at this time. But maybe not in the way you expect. No, our mourning and sadness must be over our sin, the hidden transgressions that led Jesus to go to the cross and die for us. Now, the practice of veiling the cross or crucifix comes from the closing verse of today’s Gospel reading, which is why we veiled the crucifix at that time. It said, “they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.” (John 8:59) The idea of hiding oneself is easy to understand if you’ve ever played hide and seek. When Jesus hid Himself, it simply means that He was avoiding being seen. It wasn’t quite the time for His Passion. Do you know who else hid themselves in Scripture? Adam and Eve, that’s who. After they had fallen into sin, realized they were naked, made loincloths for themselves, it says, And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8) It’s fascinating, really. First, they try to hide their physical bodies from one another through the use of clothing, but then they attempt to physically hide from God, their Creator. So, the text goes on with Adam and Eve, But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) Now, don’t interpret this as a literal calling by God, implying that He doesn’t know where Adam and Eve are at the moment. Instead, God is using a rhetorical question here as a figure of speech to make a point. “You are the stewards of my creation, and you believe you can hide from me? What have you done?” We read in the book of Jeremiah, Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:24) Adam and Eve could not hide themselves from their Lord, and neither can you. This is what the entire season of Lent leads us to understand: we cannot hide our sins from God, our Father and Creator. But we try, don’t we? We try to hide from God just as we try to hide from our family, friends, and neighbors. We silence our phones so we don’t have to talk with a friend or relative we’ve been arguing with. We hide our eating disorders in the drawer of our desk. We bury our anxiety and depression behind the smiles on our faces. We disguise our anger towards others with a handshake and a smirk. We use apps, or Apple's new option for public and private web browsing on their computers, phones, and tablets, so you can hide web activity that isn’t suitable for public viewing, such as porn or gambling addictions. A challenge in all of this is that, by hiding from each other, you’ve become so disconnected from God’s Word and the severity of your sin that you don’t even realize how serious your secret sins are. But just as Your Father in heaven knew the faults of Adam and Eve, He knows your faults and failures. You cannot hide from your Creator or the one who is your Judge. When you try to hide yourself, you no longer see Jesus or hear His Word. This causes you to join the Jews in the Gospel today, blind to your Savior and the reason He came—to ...
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    11 mins
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