Pastor Kory’s Page - January 2026

A New Year is a great time to start some new habits, especially when it comes to your life in Christ. On that note I want to invite you to participate in one or both of our new weekly Bible studies. Here is a little preview of both Bible studies:

Beginning on Sunday, January 18th, our new topic will be “Man and Woman in Christ.” I invite you to join us for this study in the sanctuary at 9:00 AM each Sunday. This study will run through Sunday, February 22nd. Over the course of those six Sundays, we’ll discuss both Old and New Testament Scripture passages which speak about marriage, singleness, sexuality, chastity, homosexuality, and more.

This is a very relevant topic at any time but even more so in our current culture. Going back to Genesis chapter three, we see that Satan’s first attacks on God’s creation centered on the relationship between our first parents, Adam and Eve. However, Satan sought to destroy more than just the connection between this couple. He attacked God’s creation of man and woman, made to “image” Him to one another and the surrounding creation. Satan went after the very culmination of God’s creation: the first marriage and family, and with it, all subsequent marriages and families on earth. 

You don’t need me to tell you that marriage and family life is still under attack. Satan isn’t very creative. He continues to undermine the relationships between men and women, husbands and wives, parents and children, and more. The distortions we see of God’s design for man and woman are nothing new. As far back as the time of Abraham, we hear about the city of Sodom, known for its public practice of homosexuality (Genesis 19). Today, Christians are confronted with transgenderism, pornography, and societal disdain for getting married and having children. Our new Bible study will offer a respectful setting in which we can discuss challenging issues like these.

Also, beginning on Wednesday, January 21st, our new midweek Bible study will look at each of the 27 books of the New Testament. I invite you to join us each Wednesday at 10:00 AM in the Fellowship Hall. I also make a recording of most of our Wednesday Bible studies. If you miss a week or would like to view the recording to keep up with what we’re studying, please let me know.

On January 21st, we’ll begin with an introduction to the New Testament and an overview of the Gospel of Matthew. Each week, we’ll look at the basic setting of each book, answering the “Who, What, When, and Where” questions surrounding it. We’ll also discuss the structure of each book and its major themes. Time will also be allotted for reading some key passages in the longer books, and, in the case of shorter books, reading most or all of them together in class.

If you’d like to gain a better understanding of the New Testament and how it all fits together – and shouldn’t we all want that? – then, please join us on Wednesdays this year as we walk through Matthew through Revelation!

In Christ,

                   Pastor Kory Janneke

In Bible study on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, we discussed the care of God's creation. We looked at Psalm 24:1 and were reminded that the earth, along with everything and everyone in it, belongs to the Lord. This means that God is the Owner and we are stewards of His blessings in this world.

We listened to a presentation on the stewardship of the Buffalo National River from St. Matthew member and Ozark Society representative, Dr. David Peterson. 

I shared about a document produced by our church body's Commission on Theology and Church Relations entitled Together with All Creatures: Caring for God's Living Earth. This document describes a Lutheran understanding of the surrounding environment and our role as caretakers of it. Click here to view the full document or click here to read an abbreviated version. You can also contact the church office if you'd like for us to print a copy for you.  

- Pastor Kory

"The Immanuel Gospel"

Pastor Kory's Page - December 2025

We recently began a new Church Year. Our congregation follows a 3-Year Lectionary, which refers to an organized plan of Scripture readings which flow through the life of Christ each year. Year A of the Lectionary especially focuses on the Gospel of Matthew. In light of that, I’m also choosing to focus on Matthew’s Gospel this year and during other upcoming seasons of the Church Year such as Epiphany and Lent.

The Gospel of Matthew begins with a detailed family genealogy of Jesus. Surprisingly, though, Matthew goes to some lengths to point out to the reader that Jesus’ family tree is filled with many rotten branches! You can read Matthew’s account of Jesus’ genealogy for yourself in Matthew 1:1-17. Jesus’ own lineage demonstrates how He lives up to the name that is bestowed upon Him in Matthew’s Christmas story: “She [Mary] will bear a son, and you [Joseph] shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Jesus had a relatively common name for a Jewish boy: Yeshua. However, in His case, this name pointed to His identity and mission. He is the Lord God Himself come into our world not to condemn it, “but in order that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17). 

In addition to our Lord’s personal name, Jesus, Matthew uniquely highlights another name from the Old Testament and applies it to Jesus. Matthew continues, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord has spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel’ (which means God with us)” (Matthew 1:22-23). Here, Matthew is quoting Isaiah 7:14, part of a prophecy which was originally delivered to Israel’s wicked king Ahaz. Matthew dusts off this 700-year-old passage and appropriately shows how it is fulfilled in the Person of Jesus. He alone is truly God With Us. 

In one of my favorite aspects of Matthew’s Gospel, he chooses to conclude the entire book with Jesus’ promise which corresponds to His name given in 1:22-23. We often call these closing words the Great Commission: “Jesus came and said to [the disciples], ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” As Jesus taught His disciples between His resurrection and ascension, He promised that He would always be our Immanuel, God With Us! What a comfort it is to know that your Immanuel is with you, not just around Advent and Christmas when we remember Jesus’ birth and these special names, but all through the year and all through your life – Jesus Christ abides with you, just as He has promised.

In the coming year as we continue to look closer at Matthew’s Gospel, we’ll see how Matthew has a close relationship with the Old Testament. (He refers to it more than any other New Testament writer.) Matthew also features large swaths of Jesus’ teaching. Bible scholars note five extended “discourses” in this Gospel, most notably the Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5-7. Matthew’s Gospel also proclaims the fact that God’s kingdom or “reign” has come down to us in the Person and work of Jesus. I look forward to considering this and much more as we hear Matthew’s words in the coming weeks and months!

In closing, I just want to point out a theme for this year (which is printed at the top of your weekly bulletin): “Called to Discipleship.” Just as our Lord called Saint Matthew and many others to follow Him, He continues to call us as His baptized people to do the same each day. 

The Lord bless you this Christmas and through the New Year as you follow Him faithfully!

In Christ,

                        Pastor Kory Janneke