Word & Sacrament | Immanuel Lutheran, Joplin

Epizode

• Eighth Sunday after Pentecost — July 19, 2026 19.07.2026 16min

  Immanuel Lutheran Church Eighth Sunday after Pentecost — July 19, 2026 On the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, the people of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Joplin, Missouri gathered around Word and Sacrament to hear a promise large enough to carry every groan we bring with us: our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that is coming. With Pastor Christopher Ramstad away at the LCMS convention in Phoenix, we welcomed guest preacher the Rev. Ronnie Backs, who preached the Epistle from Romans 8 — and from the opening hymn to the closing blessing the whole morning pointed to a creation groaning for redemption and a God who is making all things new. “Glory to Be Revealed” (Romans 8) — the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Joplin, Missouri. Rev. Ronnie Backs’s Sermon on the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost: Groaning Now, Glory Coming Pastor Backs began by putting Paul’s own word in our mouths. Three times in the text the apostle uses the word groan, so — on the count of three — the whole congregation let out one deep, gut-wrenching groan together. We know that groan well: the sigh of disappointment and frustration, the weight of asking, “What is going to go wrong next?” Living in a sinful and broken world, we will meet all kinds of suffering. And yet Paul’s good news is that these troubles are only momentary. “For I consider,” he writes, “that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Creation itself groans, Pastor Backs reminded us, trapped in a “bondage to decay” that entered the world when our first parents fell into sin. We do not have to look far to see it — drought in one place and flooding in another, storms and wildfires and hurricane season, and bodies that simply do not work the way they once did (he got a knowing laugh over how long it takes just to get a doctor’s appointment). We groan too, having inherited a sinful nature all the way back from Adam and Eve, and compounding the brokenness by the selfish choices we make. Yet even here God shows mercy: He did not destroy His creation, but limited how far sin’s ruin could go, and He still reveals His almighty power in what He has made. Pastor Backs marveled at a Milky Way of roughly 100 billion stars, so vast that a beam of light — fast enough to circle the earth seven times in a single second — would take 100,000 years to cross it. To this little dot in that immense galaxy, God sent His Son. That is the heart of what we believe as confessional Lutherans: God reveals Himself most fully in His Word and in Jesus, who left His glory in heaven to be born in Bethlehem, to live a perfect life, to die as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, and to rise again on the first Easter — proof that death and decay are not the final answer. Now the Holy Spirit intercedes for us “with groanings too deep for words” when we do not even know what to pray. And on the Last Day, Christ will return in glory, raise our bodies as His own was raised, and make all things new — new heavens and a new earth where the former things are not even remembered, and there is no more weeping, no more suffering, no more death. So we do not wait as people who have lost hope. We wait, as Paul says, with eager expectation — and we let that joy show, so a decaying world can see there is a future worth being excited about. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” Romans 8:18–21 (ESV) The Children’s Message: Jesus Sees the Finished Picture "Jesus Sees the Finished Picture" — th
• Sixth Sunday after Pentecost — July 5, 2026 05.07.2026 14min

  Immanuel Lutheran Church Sixth Sunday after Pentecost — July 5, 2026 On the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, the people of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Joplin, Missouri continued their journey through Romans 7 — gathered on the Fourth of July weekend as our nation marked its 250th year. Pastor Christopher Ramstad preached the war that rages inside every believer, and the Gospel that answers it: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:25) — the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Joplin, Missouri. The War Within Every Believer Saint Paul does not hide his struggle. “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19). The Apostle knows the Law of God is good — the problem is not the Law, the problem is us. As Pastor Ramstad noted, this is where last week’s reading from Romans 7 left off: the Law is holy, righteous, and good. Our own conscience bears witness — the good we ought to do, we leave undone; the sin we ought to flee, we run toward anyway. That tug-of-war is the shared experience of every Christian. “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!“Romans 7:24–25 (ESV) Paul refuses to end in despair. Just when the back-and-forth threatens to overwhelm him, he lands on a rally cry of joy: Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. The question “Who will deliver me?” already has its answer — and His name is Jesus. United in the Problem — United in the Solution It was a fitting weekend to speak of unity: fifty states, one nation, 250 years. “United we stand, divided we fall,” the saying goes. But Pastor Ramstad pointed to a deeper unity. We are all united in one problem — sin — and we know it is deadly, for “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Yet we are even more deeply united in its solution. That shout of triumph, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord,” belongs to the whole gathered body of Christ as it hears the Word and receives the Sacrament. The freedom Christians treasure most is not merely life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is the freedom Christ won at the cross — freedom from sin, death, and the devil. And that freedom is not license to sin, but the joyful liberty to serve God and neighbor. “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!” (Romans 6:1–2). It is the same grace Pastor proclaimed earlier this summer from Romans 5: while we were still weak and ungodly, Christ died for us. A Children’s Message: The Heavy Stone Before the sermon, DCE Jason Glaskey called the children forward and hauled out a gym bag weighted with the biggest stone he could find. Volunteers tried to lift it — some could, none could carry it far. “We are not made to carry that kind of weight,” he told them. And yet every day we carry something far heavier: our sin. Pointing to the words on the sanctuary wall, the children read together, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus does not simply watch us strain; He takes the load all the way to His cross, and then He puts His own yoke on us — because a yoke is how He pulls with us the rest of the way home. Rest for Your Souls The Gospel appointed for the day is Jesus’ gentle invitation — the very promise that gives rest to our souls when the war within leaves us exhausted. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”Matthew 11:28–30 (ESV) This is where the sermon lands: your deliverance is already accomplished. In Holy Baptism you were joined to Christ’s death and His resurrection; the old Adam is drowned and a new person rises to wa
• Fourth Sunday after Pentecost — June 21, 2026 21.06.2026 18min

  Immanuel Lutheran Church Fourth Sunday after Pentecost — June 21, 2026 On the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, the people of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Joplin, Missouri gathered around Word and Sacrament to hear a bracing word from our Lord: “Have no fear.” On a Father’s Day morning — and just one day after a wedding and a full week of Vacation Bible School in God’s house — Pastor Christopher Ramstad preached Christ’s rally cry for His church from Matthew 10. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?” — the Gospel for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Joplin, Missouri. Worship on the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost Immanuel’s summer worship continues with a single service at 9:00 a.m., followed by Bible Class and Sunday School at 10:15. This Sunday was a Communion service in Divine Service, Setting Three, and the congregation confessed the Nicene Creed and received the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. We opened with “How Clear Is Our Vocation, Lord” (LSB 853) and sang “Lord of Our Life and God of Our Salvation” (LSB 659) as the Hymn of the Day. The appointed readings for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Series A, Proper 7) were Jeremiah 20:7–13, Romans 6:12–23, and the Holy Gospel from Matthew 10:5a, 21–33 (ESV). Each text pressed the same comfort: the Lord is with His people even when the world opposes them. This message continued our journey through the Season after Pentecost. Revisit the previous week’s message for the Third Sunday after Pentecost, and a closely related sermon on living under Christ’s name in a world that does not always welcome it from the Sixth Sunday of Easter — or browse them all in our sermon archive. “Have No Fear” — Christ’s Rally Cry for His Church Pastor Ramstad began where we all do — wanting a good “hype-up speech” for the hard mornings. We hear them in sports, in movies, in every great rally before the battle — like President Whitmore’s famous call to courage in the film Independence Day: So what does Jesus say as He sends out twelve ordinary, under-qualified men? Not what we expect: “Brother will deliver brother over to death… and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake.” That hardly sounds like encouragement. Yet Jesus does not send His disciples — or us — into the work of the kingdom alone or unequipped. Everything He commands, He has already done: He healed the sick, cleansed the leper, cast out demons, and raised the dead (Matthew 9). Then He turns to His followers and says, in effect, “Your turn.” A servant is not above his master; if they maligned the Master of the house, His household should expect no less. And then the rally cry the church can stand on: “Have no fear of them.” Look at the sparrows, Jesus says — two sold for a penny, and yet not one falls apart from your Father. How much more does He love and protect you? Pastor Ramstad even shared a Father’s Day surprise: a new birdhouse camera that caught two sparrows on Friday — and then a flock of squirrels he chased off to protect them. If a man gets that protective of birds, how much more the Creator who numbers the hairs of your head? “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”Matthew 10:29–31 (ESV) The heart of the sermon: “The one who endures to the end will be saved” — and that One is Jesus. He endured the cross, despising its shame, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. His enemies could not destroy the Head of the household; therefore they cannot destroy His house. That is our confidence — not our strength, but His. “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven.” A Children’s Message on God’s Care During the children’s message, Mr. Jason Glaskey set a small bird’s nest with a s
• Third Sunday after Pentecost — June 14, 2026 14.06.2026 17min

  Immanuel Lutheran Church Third Sunday after Pentecost — June 14, 2026 On the Third Sunday after Pentecost, the congregation of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Joplin, Missouri gathered the morning after a night of severe storms — and walked into a sanctuary transformed for the opening of Rainforest Falls Vacation Bible School. Pastor Christopher Ramstad preached on Romans 5:6–15 with a searching question: who is worth your whole life? The answer Paul gives is staggering — while we were still weak, ungodly, even enemies of God, Christ died for us. It is the heart of what this congregation confesses every week — Jesus Brings Life. Meet Him Here. Third Sunday after Pentecost — Worship Broadcast at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Joplin, Missouri (9:00 AM summer service). The Third Sunday after Pentecost: Who Is Worth Your Whole Life? “Who is worth your whole life?” Pastor Ramstad opened with that question, drawing on Paul’s words: “One will scarcely die for a righteous person — though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die” (Romans 5:7). We can imagine laying down our lives for the people we love most, or for a great cause — freedom, family, faith. But Paul presses the question further. How righteous would a person have to be before you would die for them? How good? And then he turns the whole question on its head: it is not about how worthy we are. It is about Jesus. The chancel and baptismal font at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Joplin, Missouri — where the baptized are joined to Christ’s death and raised to new life (Romans 6). Look at how Paul describes our actual condition. Not righteous. Not good. We were weak — not the strong, talented, strategic people God might have chosen, but, as Deuteronomy says, the fewest and the least. We were ungodly. We were enemies of God, standing under His wrath, for our sin rightly brings His judgment. And we were sinners — the Greek tense pointing not to an occasional stumble but to a continuous state, sin clinging to us like a disease. That is the unflattering portrait Romans 5 paints of every one of us. And yet — “at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” This is the turn that makes this passage so beloved. Not when we had cleaned ourselves up. Not once we had proven our worth. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus took our place at the cross, and now when the Father, seated as Judge, looks upon our sin, He sees instead His Son — the shed blood, the steadfast love, the perfection that covers you and me. As Pastor Ramstad put it: Jesus thinks you are worth fighting for. Jesus thinks you are worth dying for. And He did. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV) Scripture Readings for the Third Sunday after Pentecost The lectionary appointed for the Third Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 6, Series A) sets God’s claim upon His people beside the love that redeems them. The Old Testament Reading from Exodus 19:2–8a finds Israel at Sinai, where the Lord declares, “You shall be my treasured possession among all the peoples … a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” The Epistle from Romans 5:6–15 is the day’s sermon text — Christ dying for the ungodly, and the free gift of grace that abounds for many through “that one man, Jesus Christ.” And the Holy Gospel from Matthew 9:35–10:20 shows Jesus moved with compassion for the crowds, declaring the harvest plentiful and the laborers few, and sending out the Twelve with His own authority to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The Harvest Is Plentiful: Sent as Laborers Into His Field If Romans 5 shows us our condition and our rescue, the Gospel shows us where that rescue leads. Paul reaches all the way back to Genesis: as sin and death came into the world through one man, Adam, so grace and life come through one man, Jesus Christ — Adam a “type of the one who was to come.” The same Lord who reconciled enemies into s
• Second Sunday after Pentecost — June 7, 2026 07.06.2026 18min

  Immanuel Lutheran Church Second Sunday after Pentecost — June 7, 2026 On the Second Sunday after Pentecost, the congregation of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Joplin, Missouri gathered for its first combined summer service and heard a searching question from the prophet Hosea: where is your place? Pastor Christopher Ramstad preached on Hosea 5:15 — “I will return again to my place” — and the Holy Gospel of the calling of Matthew (Matthew 9:9–13), where Jesus seeks out a despised tax collector and declares, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” It is the heart of what this congregation confesses every week — Jesus Brings Life. Meet Him Here. Second Sunday after Pentecost — Worship Broadcast at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Joplin, Missouri (9:00 AM summer service) The Second Sunday after Pentecost: Where Is Your Place? “Where is your place?” Pastor Ramstad opened the sermon with that simple question. We tend to think about place in terms of location — the spot where the TV remote belongs, where the phone charges overnight, our seat in the pew. But Hosea 5:15 turns the question toward God: “I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face.” Where, in our lives, is God’s place? Communion chalice and liturgy for Holy Communion at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Joplin, Missouri — where Word and Sacrament meet the congregation each Lord’s Day. Hosea was sent to the northern kingdom of Israel — Ephraim — in the days of King Jeroboam II, to announce that judgment was coming. God painted the covenant as a marriage, and His people as an unfaithful bride who had chased after other gods and other securities: golden calves, false idols, foreign alliances, kings raised up to replace the King of kings. In Hosea 6 the people say the right words: “Come, let us return to the Lord.” But God answers, “Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away.” Their devotion was fleeting — here one moment, gone the next. So God speaks the word that Jesus Himself would later quote: “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice.” The sermon pressed the question home. We do the very same thing. We grant God access to an hour on Sunday, a prayer before meals, a devotional minute or two — and then try to keep Him out of the rest: our free time, our hobbies, our finances, our careers, our relationships, the way we parent, the friends we keep. The world around us works to keep God out of identity, marriage, and even life itself. But the God who knit us together in our mother’s womb cannot be compartmentalized or contained. He comes as the Judge of the living and the dead — of all of life, not part of it. The Law of Hosea hews and slays us, calling us to repentance and to seek the Father’s face once more. “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6 (ESV) Scripture Readings for the Second Sunday after Pentecost The lectionary appointed for the Second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 5, Series A) sets the call to repentance beside the grace that answers it. The Old Testament Reading from Hosea 5:15–6:6 sounds God’s longing for His wayward people and His desire for steadfast love rather than empty sacrifice. The Epistle from Romans 4:13–25 lifts up Abraham, who received the promise “not through the law but through the righteousness of faith,” trusting the God “who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.” And the Holy Gospel from Matthew 9:9–13 brings us to the tax booth where Jesus calls Matthew, then sits down to eat with tax collectors and sinners — the living picture of the mercy God desires. Jesus Calls Sinners: The Calling of Matthew If Hosea shows us the Judge, the Gospel shows us the Savior. Jesus was passing through Capernaum when He saw Matthew — a tax collector, an enemy of his own people, a man working for Rome and lining his own pockets. A wanted man whom nobo
• Trinity Sunday — May 31, 2026 31.05.2026 18min

  Immanuel Lutheran Church Trinity Sunday — May 31, 2026 On the Festival of the Holy Trinity, the congregation of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Joplin, Missouri gathered in a white-draped sanctuary to worship the triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In a sermon titled “Signature Style: God’s Unique Flair,” Pastor Christopher Ramstad opened the first pages of Holy Scripture and asked a compelling question: what does God’s creation tell us about who he is? The answer, drawn from Genesis 1 and 2, is as stunning as the world he made. Trinity Sunday — Worship Service at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Joplin, Missouri (10:30 AM) Festival of the Holy Trinity — Stained glass in the sanctuary of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Joplin, Missouri, depicting Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Festival of the Holy Trinity: God’s Signature on All Creation The Festival of the Holy Trinity is one of the most distinctive days in the church year. The paraments return to white. The Athanasian Creed is spoken — the ancient, full-voiced declaration of who our God is: Father Almighty, Son eternally begotten of the Father, Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son. Three persons, co-eternal, co-equal. One God. Pastor Ramstad opened with a reflection on signature styles — how an artist leaves a mark on a canvas, how a composer like Stephen Schwartz fills a musical like Children of Eden with an unmistakable sound, how a great director’s name in the credits tells you something about what you’re about to see. “Can you see his signature style in the things of creation?” he asked. And then: Genesis 1. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’ … So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:26–27 (ESV) Scripture Readings for the Festival of the Holy Trinity The lectionary for the Festival of the Holy Trinity draws from across Scripture to show the triune God at work. The First Reading from Genesis 1:1–2:3 recounts the six days of creation, concluding with God’s rest on the seventh. Psalm 8 — “What is man that you are mindful of him?” — invited the congregation into a meditation on human dignity within the vastness of God’s creation. The Epistle from Acts 2:14a, 22–36 placed the voice of St. Peter on Pentecost, proclaiming that the crucified and risen Jesus has been exalted to the Father’s right hand and now pours out the promised Holy Spirit. The Holy Gospel from Matthew 28:16–20 brought us to the mountain in Galilee, where the risen Christ commissions his disciples with the words that have marked every Christian baptism ever since: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Order Out of Chaos: What Genesis 1 Reveals About Our God Pastor Ramstad walked through the creation account carefully, pointing out a structure that’s easy to miss. Days one through three establish spaces — light and dark, sky and sea, land and vegetation. Days four through six fill those spaces — sun, moon, and stars; birds and fish; animals and humanity. This is not chaos. This is a God who creates with order, pattern, and purpose. And right from the opening lines, the Trinity is present. “The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). Later: “Let us make man in our image.” The Son was there — John 1:3 tells us that nothing was made without him. Father, Son, and Spirit, creating together from the very beginning. This is God’s signature style: three persons, one God, together making and sustaining all things. The crown jewel of that creation? You. When God makes human beings, he doesn’t simply speak them into existence from a distance. He gets hands-on. He puts his fingerprints on us. And his verdict — “very good” — is different from everything else. You are made in the image of God, and you matter to him. Sin, of course, fractures t
• Ascension of Our Lord — May 17, 2026 17.05.2026 19min

  Immanuel Lutheran Church Ascension of Our Lord — May 17, 2026 Ascension of Our Lord Joplin Missouri — on Sunday, May 17, 2026, Immanuel Lutheran Church gathered to celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord, observed on the seventh and final Sunday of the Easter season. Pastor Christopher Ramstad preached from Acts 1:1-11, exploring how Christ’s ascension is not just a dramatic exit — it is the bold opening of the church’s ongoing story as Spirit-filled witnesses to the ends of the earth. Ascension of Our Lord — Worship Service at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Joplin, Missouri (10:30 AM) Ascension of Our Lord in Joplin Missouri: The Story That Never Ends At Immanuel Lutheran Church in Joplin, Missouri, the Easter season concludes with one of the most underappreciated festivals on the church calendar. Ascension Day fell on Thursday, May 14 — exactly 40 days after Easter — but Immanuel observed it this Sunday, gathering to celebrate the risen Lord’s triumphant ascension to the right hand of the Father. As Pastor Ramstad reminded the congregation, this day marks not an ending but a new beginning: the church’s calling to be witnesses of the risen Christ, beginning in Jerusalem and extending to the ends of the earth. Ascension of Our Lord — Sunday worship at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Joplin, Missouri, May 17, 2026 Scripture Readings Three readings from Holy Scripture proclaimed the mystery of Christ’s ascension and the church’s Spirit-filled mission. The First Reading from Acts 1:1-11 described the risen Christ commanding His apostles to wait for the Holy Spirit, then being taken up into heaven before their eyes. The Epistle from Ephesians 1:15-23 declared that God seated Christ at His right hand “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion.” The Holy Gospel from Luke 24:44-53 described Jesus opening the disciples’ minds to the Scriptures, commissioning them as witnesses beginning from Jerusalem, and being “carried up into heaven.” “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (ESV) Sermon: The Book of Acts and Your Story Pastor Ramstad opened with a question he had posed to the high school Bible study the week before: “What one book — besides the Bible — changed your life?” Answers ranged from Hatchet to Lord of the Rings. What makes a story truly memorable? It needs a solid opening, a compelling plot, and an ending that sticks the landing. The Book of Acts delivers all three. Luke writes to Theophilus — whose name means “friend of God” or “loved by God” — and begins where his Gospel ended: with the Ascension. “Jesus was taken up,” Pastor Ramstad noted. “It’s passive. The Father did this.” Right from verse one, this is God’s story unfolding. The disciples asked: “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus redirected them: “You will be my witnesses.” The Greek word is martus — from which we get the English word martyr. Ten of the eleven apostles standing on that hillside would eventually give their lives for that witness. Bearing the name of Jesus comes with a cost — and a power. Jesus called it dunamis, the dynamite-power of the Holy Spirit: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” This same Spirit-empowered witness continues in the church today — including here in Joplin, Missouri. The Book of Acts ends with Paul in Rome, “proclaiming the kingdom of God with all boldness and without hindrance” — and then simply closes. No tidy resolution. Because the story is not over. The angels promised: “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go” (Acts 1:11). That promise is the ending of every Christian’s story. Pastor Ramstad applied this to those gathered on this Ascension Sunday: your story in Christ has a solid opening — Holy Baptism in the Triune name. A Spirit-
• Sixth Sunday of Easter — May 10, 2026 10.05.2026 15min

  Immanuel Lutheran Church Sixth Sunday of Easter — May 10, 2026 Sixth Sunday of Easter Joplin Missouri — On May 10, 2026 — Mother’s Day — the congregation of Immanuel Lutheran Church gathered for the Sixth Sunday of Easter to hear God’s Word on what it means to live as baptized Christians in a world that doesn’t always welcome the name of Jesus. Pastor Christopher Ramstad preached on 1 Peter 3:13–22, naming what many Christians feel: we are “profoundly blessed and sometimes profoundly stressed.” DCE Jason Glaskey connected Noah’s ark to Holy Baptism in a children’s talk that reminded God’s people — young and old — that we are never alone. Sixth Sunday of Easter — Mother’s Day Worship Service at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Joplin, Missouri (10:30 AM) Sixth Sunday of Easter in Joplin Missouri: Profoundly Blessed, Sometimes Profoundly Stressed On Sunday, May 10, the congregation at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Joplin, Missouri celebrated the Sixth Sunday of Easter at our 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM worship services. Pastor Christopher Ramstad preached on 1 Peter 3:13–22, and DCE Jason Glaskey connected Noah’s ark to baptism in a children’s talk that reminded God’s people — young and old — that we are never alone. This was also a joyful celebration of mothers and all who hold this vocation among us. Pastor Ramstad named what many Christians feel: we are vocationally blessed by God with callings as parents, workers, neighbors, and church members, yet sometimes profoundly stressed when living out those callings meets resistance. Peter wrote to scattered Christians facing the same tension and gave them this direction: always be prepared to make a defense of the hope that is in you — yet do it with gentleness and respect. As Pastor Ramstad put it, “God calls us with the gift of your tongue, with the gift of your words, to share the hope that we have with your neighbor.” DCE Jason Glaskey shares a children’s talk connecting Noah’s ark to Holy Baptism during the Sixth Sunday of Easter worship service at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Joplin, Missouri — May 10, 2026. “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” 1 Peter 3:15–16, ESV Scripture Readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter The readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter carried a common thread: God does not leave His people alone. In Acts 17:16–31, Paul stood before the philosophers in Athens and proclaimed the God they worshiped as unknown — the God who made the world, gives life and breath to all, and raised Jesus from the dead. In John 14:15–21, Jesus promised His disciples, “I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you.” And in 1 Peter 3:13–22, Peter pointed God’s scattered people back to their baptism as the anchor that holds through suffering and slander alike. Theological Reflection: Defending the Faith with Gentleness Pastor Ramstad unpacked the word “apologetics” from the Greek — apo (from) and logos (word). A defense of the faith is literally “from words.” God calls His people to speak Christ to their neighbors, not with hostility, but with gentleness, respect, and a good conscience. The sermon connected this directly to the Eighth Commandment: “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” Luther’s explanation calls us not only to avoid hurting our neighbor’s reputation, but to defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way. When our own name is slandered for Christ’s sake — and Peter says when, not if — the temptation is to attack back. But that is not the way of our Lord. Instead, Peter pointed to baptism: “Baptism now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurr
• Christ the Son of God | October 11, 2020 11.10.2020 20min

  Immanuel Lutheran Church Christ the Son of God | October 11, 2020 Worship Service for Pentecost 19 Rev. Gregory Mech | October 11, 2020 | Authority of Jesus: Christ the Son of God | Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost | Immanuel Lutheran Church ONLINE and IN-PERSON – Joplin, Missouri | 8:00 and 10:30 am Still Wearing Face Masks, Some Classes and On-Campus Activities Have Returned | In-Person Services and Holy Communion are back! Limited Seating. Learn more. Use these Easy Devotions and Daily Scripture Readings with your family! Taking Faith Home. Thank you for supporting Immanuel Lutheran financially. Learn more at immanueljoplin.com/GIVE. Martin Luther School is Joplin’s Lutheran School, serving children from age 2 through 8th grade. Learn more and receive a FREE Educational Success Consultation! Call 417-624-1403. Youth Ministry Wednesdays are beginning again! Watch our “COVID-19 House Rules” video to learn more. Grades 7/8 Confirmation Classes with Pastor Mech are also in session. Special thanks to all who helped to make this broadcast possible today:Rev. Gregory Mech, DCE Jason Glaskey, organist Betty Lingenfelter, the COVID Committee and Board of Elders. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.“ A portion of Psalm 23, a supporting text for today’s sermon from Pastor Mech, entitled “Christ the Son of God” from the “Authority of Jesus” sermon series. May God richly bless you as you are reminded of the heavenly feast that you are invited to because of the loving mercy of Jesus Christ. Welcome to Immanuel Lutheran Church! Christ, the Son of God October 11, 2020 Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost — Divine Service, Setting Four ♫ HYMN 537 “Beautiful Savior” Beautiful Savior, King of Creation, Son of God and Son of Man! Truly I’d love Thee, Truly I’d serve Thee, Light of my soul, my joy, my crown. Fair are the meadows, Fair are the woodlands, Robed in flowers of blooming spring; Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer, He makes our sorrowing spirit sing. Fair is the sunshine, Fair is the moonlight, Bright the sparkling stars on high; Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer Than all the angels in the sky. Beautiful Savior, Lord of the nations, Son of God and Son of Man! Glory and honor, Praise, adoration Now and forevermore be Thine! INVOCATION, CONFESSION and PRAYER In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19 Amen. Our help is in the name of the LORD,  Who made heaven and earth. Psalm 124:8 If You, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O LORD, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared. Psalm 130:3-4  We have come to hear God’s Word and call upon Him in prayer and praise. But first, let us consider our unworthiness to do so, and confess before God and anyone with us at this time that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition.  Let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of Almighty God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen. Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. INTROIT Isaiah 61:10, Psalm 146b I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; My soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
• The Christ and Prophet of God | October 4, 2020 04.10.2020 18min

  Immanuel Lutheran Church The Christ and Prophet of God | October 4, 2020 Worship Service for Pentecost 18 Rev. Gregory Mech | October 4, 2020 | Authority of Jesus: The Christ and Prophet of God | Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost | Immanuel Lutheran Church ONLINE and IN-PERSON – Joplin, Missouri | 8:00 and 10:30 am Still Wearing Face Masks, Some Classes and On-Campus Activities Have Returned | In-Person Services and Holy Communion are back! Limited Seating. Learn more. Use these Easy Devotions and Daily Scripture Readings with your family! Taking Faith Home. Thank you for supporting Immanuel Lutheran financially. Learn more at immanueljoplin.com/GIVE. Martin Luther School is Joplin’s Lutheran School, serving children from age 2 through 8th grade. Learn more and receive a FREE Educational Success Consultation! Call 417-624-1403. Youth Ministry Wednesdays are beginning again! Watch our “COVID-19 House Rules” video to learn more. Grades 7/8 Confirmation Classes with Pastor Mech begin on September 30. Special thanks to all who helped to make this broadcast possible today:Rev. Gregory Mech, DCE Jason Glaskey, organist Betty Lingenfelter, the COVID Committee and Board of Elders. Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Jesus’ words from Matthew 21, the Holy Gospel Reading appointed for today, the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost. We pray that God will build your faith strong in The Christ and Prophet of God, Jesus! Today is the first in a sermon series with Pastor Mech, entitled “The Authority of Jesus.” Welcome to Immanuel Lutheran Church. The Christ and Prophet of God October 4, 2020 Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost — Divine Service, Setting One ♫ HYMN 930 “All You Works of God” vs. 1,6 All you works of God, bless the Lord! All You angels, now bless the Lord; Come, you heavens and powers that be, Praise the Lord and His majesty!  Raise your voices high, praise and magnify, All you works of God, bless the Lord! Raise your voices high, praise and magnify, All you works of God, bless the Lord! Bless the Lord, all you pure of heart; All you humble, His praise impart; God the Father and Son adore, Bless the Spirit forevermore! Raise your voices high, praise and magnify, All you works of God, bless the Lord! Raise your voices high, praise and magnify, All you works of God, bless the Lord! INVOCATION, CONFESSION and ABSOLUTION In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination. Let us then confess our sins to God our Father. Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen. Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. INTROIT Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;     For His steadfast love endures forever! The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.    This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. Glory be to the Father and to the Son an