Walnut Grove Lutheran Church Podcasts

Faith is not wishful thinking but confident trust in the God who keeps His promises. By faith, Noah built, Abraham obeyed, and Sarah believed—because they trusted the unseen yet faithful Christ who would come. Faith looks beyond what is visible, holding fast to Jesus, who makes the impossible possible and brings life out of death.

Because Christ has loved us with a self-giving love, we are called to love one another with that same kind of love in our daily lives. Even as we grieve the reality of death, we do not grieve as those without hope, for Jesus died and rose again. When He returns, He will gather His people to Himself forever, and until that day we live in love while we wait in sure hope.

Through His death and resurrection, Christ has raised us into a new life that is hidden with Him in God. We are called to take off the old clothing of sin and self, and put on the new garments of compassion, kindness, humility, and love. Clothed in Christ, we live each day as His new creation, reflecting His grace in all we do.

Jesus, though fully God, humbled Himself by taking on the form of a servant and going all the way to the cross for us. In His self-giving love, we see that true greatness is found not in grasping for power but in laying our lives down in service. Because Christ went down in humility, God exalted Him above every name—and in Him, the way down is the way up.

“Growing Up Together” centers on Christ as the head of the Church, who calls us into unity and maturity through His grace. As we each use the gifts He’s given, we build up His body in love, growing to reflect His character and truth more fully. Anchored in Him, we move toward spiritual maturity side by side, so the world sees the fullness of Christ alive in His people.

“Spirit-led Living” begins with fixing our eyes on Jesus, who fulfilled the law perfectly and now pours out His Spirit to empower us. As we yield to Him daily, the Spirit shapes our hearts to bear His fruit—love, joy, peace, and more—reflecting Christ’s own character in our lives. Walking in step with the Spirit keeps us close to Jesus and makes our lives a living testimony of His transforming grace to the world.

In Acts 22:30–23:11, Paul stands before a divided and hostile council, facing conflict not with fear, but with courage rooted in his faith. Despite the chaos, God uses Paul’s boldness and wisdom to reveal the gospel even in the most challenging circumstances. That night, the Lord stands by Paul and assures him that his mission is not over—he will testify in Rome. When we face conflict for the sake of Christ, we are never alone; God gives us courage and stands with us.

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas are thrown into prison, but God breaks their chains with an earthquake—not just to free them, but to reveal His power and grace. Instead of escaping, they stay and share the gospel, leading their jailer and his household to faith in Jesus. This story shows that true freedom isn’t just release from physical bondage, but new life in Christ. When God breaks chains, He sets hearts free.

In Acts 11, Peter recounts how God broke down the barriers between Jews and Gentiles by pouring out the Holy Spirit on all who believe. What once seemed unclean or unreachable is now embraced by God’s grace through Jesus Christ. This moment challenges the early church—and us—to rethink who belongs in the family of God. When God breaks barriers, He invites us to join Him in a mission that includes everyone, everywhere.

In Acts 9, Saul is struck blind on the road to Damascus so that he can finally see the truth about Jesus. His physical blindness mirrors the spiritual blindness that had kept him from recognizing God’s grace. Through the power of Christ and the obedience of Ananias, Saul is healed, baptized, and called into a new life. Sometimes God must break through our resistance to open our eyes to His mercy and mission.

When the Spirit comes, God’s presence is no longer distant but dwells within His people. At Pentecost, the promised Holy Spirit filled ordinary believers with boldness, power, and the ability to speak the gospel to every nation. This outpouring marks the beginning of a new era where all who call on the name of the Lord are saved. The same Spirit who empowered the early church is still moving today—filling, transforming, and sending us out for God’s mission.

In Luke 24:36–53, the risen Jesus appears to His disciples, speaking peace to their fear, showing the power of His resurrection, and giving the promise of the Spirit. He opens their minds to understand the Scriptures and commissions them as witnesses of His victory over death. His ascension is not a farewell but a beginning, as they are clothed with power from on high. In Christ, we receive peace for our fears, power for our mission, and the promise of His presence always.

In Luke 19:1–10, grace comes home when Jesus enters the house—and heart—of Zacchaeus, a man lost in greed and shame. Though the crowd saw only a sinner, Jesus saw a son in need of saving and called him by name. That day, grace broke through the walls of status and sin, bringing repentance, joy, and restoration. When grace comes home, salvation follows, because Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

In Luke 15:11–32, Jesus reveals the heart of the Father through the parable of the prodigal son—a heart full of mercy, longing, and lavish grace. The father runs to the repentant sinner, not with condemnation, but with open arms and a feast of restoration. He pleads with both the wayward and the self-righteous, desiring that all His children live in the joy of His love. This is the Father’s heart: patient, generous, and always ready to welcome us home.

In Luke 11:1–13, Jesus responds to His disciples’ request with a model prayer that centers on God’s holiness, kingdom, provision, forgiveness, and guidance. He not only teaches what to pray, but reveals the heart of a Father who loves to give good gifts to His children. Prayer is not a ritual to perform but a relationship to pursue—with boldness, persistence, and trust. When we ask, seek, and knock, we find that the Father is eager to answer, especially by giving us the greatest gift of all: the Holy Spirit.

The Word of God accomplishes more in this world than we can dare dream of.  After all, God created our world with words.  The Word of God smashes rocks.  The Word of God is sharper than a two edged sword.  The Word of God never returns to God without producing something.  it’s worth listening to.

In Luke 4:14–21, Jesus declares in the synagogue that He is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy—the one anointed to bring good news to the poor, liberty to the captives, and sight to the blind. On that day, grace itself spoke through Him, proclaiming the arrival of God’s favor. His words were not just ancient promises, but present reality in His person and mission. In Jesus, grace is not an idea—it is a voice, a presence, and a power that transforms lives today.

The Bible, in many places and ways, calls us to 'Rejoice always! Give thanks and trust in God at all times.' Easy enough to do when life is going the way we want. How can we do this in the midst of grief, injustice, uncertainty, and doubt? Is it just a matter of confessing we are falling short and being forgiven? Or does GOD have something more in mind for us? With three readings (Psalm 66:1-7; Philippians 4:4-9; Matthew 5:1-12), and examples from three people in congregations he served, and his own life, Pastor Craig invites us to consider our options.

We are to welcome one another. Indeed, central to the Christian gospel and way of life is fellowship and reconciliation, with God and with one another. This is vividly illustrated in Paul’s dramatic little letter to Philemon, in which the apostle urges Philemon to welcome back his runaway slave Onesimus, now as a brother and coworker in the faith.

In 2 Corinthians 4:5–18, Paul reminds us that though we are fragile like jars of clay, we carry the priceless treasure of the gospel. Our weakness reveals that the surpassing power belongs to God, not to us. Though outwardly we waste away, inwardly we are being renewed by God’s grace day by day. This momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal glory far outweighing it all, as we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.