by WELS (WELS Through my Bible in Three Years) on March 24, 2026 at 6:00 am

Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 24Luke 12:13-34 LISTEN HERE Through My Bible – March 24 Luke 12:13-34 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0324db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Luke 12 The Rich Fool 13 Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But Jesus said to him, “Man, who appointed me to be a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because a man’s life is not measured by how many possessions he has.” 16 He told them a parable: “The land of a certain rich man produced very well. 17 He was thinking to himself, ‘What will I do, because I do not have anywhere to store my crops?’ 18 He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and goods. 19 And I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your soul will be demanded from you. Now who will get what you have prepared?’ 21 “That is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” Do Not Worry 22 Jesus said to his disciples, “For that reason I tell you, stop worrying about your life, about what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 23 Certainly life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap; they have no warehouse or barn; and yet God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds! 25 And who of you by worrying can add a single moment to his lifespan? 26 Since you are not able to do this little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27 Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. But I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these. 28 If this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will he clothe you, you of little faith? 29 Do not constantly chase after what you will eat or what you will drink. Do not be worried about it. 30 To be sure, the nations of the world chase after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, continue to seek the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you. 32 Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not become old, a treasure in the heavens that will not fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Share this entryShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

by WELS (WELS Daily Devotions) on March 24, 2026 at 5:30 am

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260324dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” John 11:23-24 Words That Truly Comfort Many people feel uncomfortable at funerals. I remember hearing a comedian quip that he read a poll which said that the number one fear of Americans is public speaking, and the number two fear is death. He laughed, ‘So that means people would rather be in the casket than give the eulogy!’ A lot of people don’t like funerals. And the reason I hear most often is that people don’t quite know what to say. ‘I don’t want to say the wrong thing.’ ‘I don’t want to say something insensitive.’ ‘I don’t want to compound their pain.’ Have you ever felt like that? What do you say at a funeral? Someone’s mother, someone’s spouse, someone’s child, someone’s friend, is lying there in the casket. The family is grieving and aching. They’ll have an empty chair at the dinner table during the holidays. They won’t be able to make more memories with that loved one. Death has seen to that. And death seems so final and scary. Jesus had shown up at a funeral, and in a small interaction with a woman named Martha, whose brother had just died a few days before, Jesus gave her the words that truly comforted her! He said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” How could Jesus say such a thing? Martha’s brother had died. Isn’t death the end? Not at all! Jesus himself died. He was nailed to a cross, and after hours of enduring the physical pain of execution and the full wrath of God, he gave up his life. But he didn’t stay dead! No, he walked out of his grave, and he promises that all who put their faith in him will do the same one day! That is the greatest comfort that I have as a Christian. And that is what I share with those who are grieving the loss of a fellow Christian: They will rise again! Prayer: Dear Jesus, be with those who are mourning the loss of loved ones. Surround them with people who will comfort them with your promises of a resurrection. Amen.   Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

by Pam Johnson (WELS Family Devotions) on March 23, 2026 at 9:00 am

In her old age, God blessed her with a gift that she never expected....

by WELS (WELS Through my Bible in Three Years) on March 23, 2026 at 6:00 am

Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 23Luke 11:53 – 12:12 LISTEN HERE Through My Bible – March 23 Luke 11:53 – 12:12 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0323db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Luke 11 53 When he went away from there, the experts in the law and the Pharisees began to oppose him fiercely and to question him closely about many things. 54 They were plotting against him to trap him in something he said. [1] Warning Against Hypocrisy Luke 12 1 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands gathered together so that they were trampling on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3 So then, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. Fear God, Not People 4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that are not able to do any more. 5 But I will show you the one you should fear. Fear him who, after he has killed the body, has authority to throw it into hell. [2] Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? [3] And not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. 7 Why, even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So stop being afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows. Confess Christ 8 “I tell you, whoever confesses me before other people, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God. 9 But whoever denies me in the presence of other people will be denied in the presence of the angels of God. 10 Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 When they bring you before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourself, or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you should say.” Footnotes Luke 11:54 Some witnesses to the text add so they could accuse him. Luke 12:5 Gehenna Luke 12:6 Greek assarion, less than a half hour’s wage The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Share this entryShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

by WELS (WELS Daily Devotions) on March 23, 2026 at 5:30 am

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260323dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:17-21 Where Were You, God? “Where were you, God?” Have you ever found yourself asking that question? Where was God when your life was falling apart? Where was God then? Mary and Martha’s world was falling apart. Their brother, Lazarus, had been sick. And this wasn’t just a bug that knocked him out for a few days. It was obvious to his family that there wasn’t much hope he was going to recover. But this family had a special connection: a dear friend named Jesus! Jesus had healed other people before. ‘Surely Jesus will help our brother!’ Mary and Martha thought. So, they sent word for Jesus to come. But when Jesus got word that his friend Lazarus was sick, do you know what he did? He waited. And Lazarus died. What? That doesn’t seem right! Why wouldn’t Jesus sprint to the side of his buddy Lazarus and cure him in an instant? You know that sentiment from Martha, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” I don’t know exactly what Jesus was thinking and why he didn’t come right away to heal Lazarus before he died. The Bible doesn’t say. But we can have every confidence in Jesus and that he will do things in his way and in his time. Everyone has those times when they’re waiting for God to show up and fix this problem or that heartache. And we can turn to God in those times because he has already fixed our greatest problem—our sin! That’s why Jesus came. He came to take the sin of humanity and die so that our guilt would be taken from us. And like Lazarus, Jesus walked out of his tomb so that we could put our trust in him always. Prayer: Dear God, you know what is troubling my heart. Help me to trust in you and your plans for me. Amen.   Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

by WELS (WELS Through my Bible in Three Years) on March 22, 2026 at 6:00 am

Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 22Luke 11:37-52 LISTEN HERE Through My Bible – March 22 Luke 11:37-52 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0322db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Luke 11 Woes and Warnings 37 After Jesus spoke, a Pharisee invited him to have a meal with him. He went in and reclined at the table. 38 When the Pharisee saw this, he was amazed that he did not first wash [1] before the meal. 39 But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 Fools! Didn’t the one who made the outside also make the inside? 41 But give those things that are inside as a gift to the poor, and see, everything will be clean for you. 42 But woe to you Pharisees, because you give a tenth of mint and rue and every herb, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have done these things without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the best seat in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it.” 45 One of the legal experts answered him, “Teacher, by saying these things you are insulting us too.” 46 But Jesus said, “Woe to you legal experts too, because you load people down with burdens too difficult to carry, and you yourselves do not touch these burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you because you build monuments for the prophets, but your fathers killed them. 48 So you are witnesses and agree with what your fathers did, because they killed them, and you build their monuments. 49 For this reason the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles. Some of them they will kill and persecute, 50 so that this generation may be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed from the foundation of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary.’ Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation. 52 Woe to you legal experts, because you took away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were trying to enter.” Footnotes Luke 11:38 Greek baptizo (translated baptize in other contexts) The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Share this entryShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

by WELS (WELS Daily Devotions) on March 22, 2026 at 5:30 am

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260322dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’” “Everything is all right,” she said. 2 Kings 4:26 Everything Is All Right How could this woman possibly say that everything was all right? The son she thought she would never have, had died while sitting in her lap. And now she was saying everything was all right? She said this because in her heart, her son was not dead until the prophet Elisha had the last word. Little did she know that everything was all right. Through Elisha, God brought the boy back to life and returned him to his mother. How often did your parents have to tell you, “Everything is all right,” when you were little? They would say, “Everything is all right. There are no monsters under your bed waiting to gobble you up.” “Everything is all right. Even though you don’t feel well, I’ll give you medicine and take care of you until you feel better.” “The storm will soon pass. Everything is all right.” It is, you know. That’s not a mere wishful sentiment or a white lie. Everything is all right. It’s all right because the holy man of God—the God-man Jesus—came to show compassion to every distressed parent, every suffering child. Just as Jesus reassured a mourning mother outside of Nain that everything was all right and she should stop crying, so he reassures us that everything is all right when he promises that “everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” For every parent and child who has shed bitter tears, Jesus rose from the grave. Jesus rose triumphant from the grave and promises you that because he lives, everything is all right. Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for the promise of eternal life through you. Use this to remind me when times are tough that, in the end, everything will be all right. Amen.   Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

by WELS (WELS Through my Bible in Three Years) on March 21, 2026 at 6:00 am

Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 21 Luke 11:14-36 LISTEN HERE Through My Bible – March 21 Luke 11:14-36 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0321db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Luke 11 Jesus Drives Out Demons 14 Jesus drove out a demon, which was mute. After the demon had gone out, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. 15 But some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 16 Others were testing him by demanding of him a sign from heaven. 17 But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed. And a house divided against itself falls. 18 If Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? You say that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19 But if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So they will be your judges. 20 Yet if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks him and defeats him, he takes away that man’s full armor, in which he had trusted, and divides up his plunder. 23 “The one who is not with me is against me. The one who does not gather with me scatters. 24 When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, but does not find any. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house, the one I left.’ 25 When it returns, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and dwell there. The last condition of that man becomes worse than the first.” The Sign of Jonah 27 While he was saying these things, a woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “Even more blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” 29 As the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It is seeking a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31 The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But look, one greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But look, one greater than Jonah is here. A Lamp and a Lampstand 33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a hidden place or under a basket, but on a stand so that those who come in may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is good, your whole body is full of light. But when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore, see to it that the light that is in you is not darkness. 36 So if your whole body is full of light, without any dark part, it will be completely full of light, as when a lamp shines on you with bright light.” The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Share this entryShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

by WELS (WELS Daily Devotions) on March 21, 2026 at 5:30 am

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260321dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion As [Jesus] went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. …” Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. John 9:1-7 Why? Often, when we see someone struggling or suffering, we wonder: Why? Why is that man homeless? Why is that woman sick? Why does that family fight so much? Whenever we see unpleasant situations—whatever they might be—we wonder why. Jesus speaks about sin’s connection to struggles and suffering in the case of the man who was born blind: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” he said. Not every hardship is caused by a particular sin. The struggles and sufferings that many people experience are beyond their control. So why was he blind? That man was blind for two reasons. The first reason was because he was born in a sinful and cruel world. The impact of sin is terrible and enormous. It can be sickening and distressing. Suffering is the result of living in this sinful world, but Jesus teaches that not every experience of suffering in our lives is due to a particular sin we have committed. The second reason this man was blind is far more beautiful. He was born blind so that God could work through him. Jesus saw him and had mercy on him. He reached out to the man and healed his physical malady. Through this miracle Jesus revealed his power as the Son of God to give sight and heal. This is why God sent his Son. Sin destroys but Jesus restores. Prayer: Jesus, I know that, by nature, I am blinded by sin. Thank you for reaching out and healing me from my blindness through your Son and your Word. Open my eyes that I might see Jesus as the light of the world. Amen.   Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.