The Twin Steeples Podcast

This weekend we are celebrating the Festival of Reformation. Reformation is almost synonymous with the name of Martin Luther. The Lutheran Reformation restored the true teachings of God's Word which had been lost or corrupted by the Roman Catholic Church, such as Justification by Grace, the Authority of God's Word, the Priesthood of All Believers, as well as the true teaching on the Lord's Supper. Luther loved music and believed that music was to be used to God's glory and in the instruction of the Christian faith. Because of this he wrote many hymns which were intended to teach the Christian faith to young and old alike. This weekend we will be singing several hymns which were written by Martin Luther. One of those was the hymn he wrote to teach the truths of the Lord's Supper. This is hymn 313 in The Lutheran Hymnal: O Lord, We Praise Thee. 

In contrast to the view of the Anabaptists and Reformed theologians, Luther upheld the Scripture's teaching of the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament. As Jesus clearly stated, Christ's body and blood are present in the Lord's Supper "in, with, and under" the bread and wine. This hymn clearly teaches Jesus words: “Take, eat; this is My body.”  and “This is My blood of the new covenant" (Matthew 26:26,28).

The opening verse proclaims: "Thou with Thy body and Thy blood didst nourish our weak souls that they may flourish."

Luther also teaches that the Lord's pours out His rich blessings to us through this Sacrament. "That Thy blood should bless and sustain me."

In the final verse Luther points to the strength which the Spirit imparts to the Christian through the Means of Grace to live lives that honor God and serve our neighbor. "May God bestow on us His grace and favor to please Him with our behavior and live as brethren here in love and union." This thought reflects the words of the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 2:24 - "who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed."

Lord, bestow Your blessing of forgiveness on us as we receive Your Supper this weekend. Work in us through this Sacrament that we might live for you as the Apostle Paul prays in 2 Corinthians 13:11: "Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you." Amen!

Devotion

• Romans 11:11-24

Announcements

• Review
  • Trunk or Treat
  • College Bible Study
• Upcoming
  
  • Church Choir
  • Men’s Breakfast
  • Red Cross Blood Drive
  • Ladies Bible Study
  • Worship
    • Communion
    • Bible Class: James 2:24 and Matthew 16:19
    • Sunday School: Sodom and Gomorrah
  • Joint Reformation Service
  • Sophomore Expedition
  • Women's Book Club
  • Outreach Meeting
  • Immanuel Building Committee

Prayer List 

• Jim Lien - Hospice
• Lynette Roehl
• Kathy Greve’s Sister Becky - Uterine Cancer
• Marvin Schweim
• Austin and Kathryn Hanel - Charlotte Irene Hanel
• Reformation/All Saints Day
• Mission in Bangladesh

Hymn of the Day:

• TLH 266 “O God, Our Lord, Thy Holy Word”

This recording is a condensed version of the sermon preached at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mankato, Minnesota on October 25, 2026. You can watch the full recording on our YouTube Channel.

 

Sermon Text: Ephesians 6:1-4 (NKJV)

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2  “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3  “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” 4  And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. 

 

Theme: God's Recipe for a Good Life

 

This weekend the focus of our service will be on the desire of God to save all people and how he uses the institution of the family as a means to accomplish that. God is the ultimate authority, but He bestows His authority on human institutions to carry out His blessings upon mankind. One of the most important of these is the family and the role of parents. If they don't do what God calls them to do, the result can be catastrophic. This hymn is the oldest Christian hymn, dating to the end of the second century.

Written by the Church Father, Clement of Alexandria, it describes Jesus using Biblical pictures like: Shepherd, King, Lord, Word, High Priest, Guide, Pride, Staff, Song and Christ. In these roles, God desires to feed and nurture our faith and bring us to the eternal home He has opened for us by His death and resurrection.

He uses His Word (v.4) and the Sacraments of Baptism (v.1) and the Lord's Supper (v.3) to accomplish this.

But parents also play an important role. They are to bring their children to the Word and Sacraments at an early age (infancy - v.5), so that they grow in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Christian Education is God's calling to parents and to His Church on earth. May we be faithful in this important calling as caretakers of God's children! 

Devotion

• Romans 11:1-10

Announcements

• Review
  • Quarterly Voters’ Meeting
  • Ladies’ Auxiliary
• Upcoming
  
  • Church Choir
  • Men’s Breakfast
  • Ladies Bible Study
  • Worship
    • Bible Class: Polygamy and Seeming Contradictions
    • Sunday School: The Birth of Isaac Announced
  • Trunk or Treat
  • College Bible Study
  • Board of Elders
  • Board of Education

Prayer List 

• Jim Lien - Hospice
• Lynette Roehl
• Kathy Greve’s Sister Becky - Uterine Cancer
• Gary Schufft - foot surgery
• Terri Halvorson - goiter surgery
• Karen Frank’s father John - health issues
• Austin and Katherine Hanel - baby girl
• College Bible Study
• Mission in India 

Hymn of the Day:

• TLH 383 “Seek Where Ye May to Find a Way”