by WELS (WELS Through my Bible in Three Years) on October 31, 2026 at 6:00 am

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-1031db.mp3 Listen to Bible reading Through My Bible Yr 03 – October 31 Romans 9:1-13 Romans 9 The Blessings of the True Israel 1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying—my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit 2 that I have great sorrow and continuous pain in my heart. 3 For I almost wish that I myself could be cursed and separated from Christ in place of my brothers, my relatives according to the flesh, 4 those who are Israelites. Theirs are the adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, came the Christ, who is God over all, eternally blessed. Amen. 6 This does not mean that God’s word has failed, because not all who are descended from Israel are really Israel, 7 and not all who are descended from Abraham are really his children. On the contrary, “Your line of descent will be traced through Isaac.” [1] 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are counted as his descendants. 9 For this is what the promise said: “I will arrive at this set time, and Sarah will have a son.” [2] God’s Choice Is Based on His Mercy 10 Not only that, but Rebekah also had children by one man, our forefather, Isaac. 11 Even before the twins were born or did anything good or bad, in order that God’s purpose in election might continue— 12 not by works but because of him who calls us—it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.” [3] 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” [4] Footnotes Romans 9:7 Genesis 21:12 Romans 9:9 Genesis 18:10 Romans 9:12 Genesis 25:23 Romans 9:13 Malachi 1:2,3 The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

by WELS (WELS Daily Devotions) on October 31, 2026 at 5:30 am

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20261031dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.” The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. Daniel 6:22-23 Trust in God To what degree will you trust your neighbors? Do you trust them enough to leave your car doors unlocked at night? Do you trust them enough to allow your children to play with theirs, or to let them babysit? Will you loan them your tools? Will you give them a key to your house? Just how far will your trust go? Daniel was faced with a similar question. How far was he willing to trust his God? When the king ordered that no one was to pray to anyone but the king himself, Daniel trusted God and prayed to him for help. When the king ordered Daniel thrown into the lion’s den, Daniel trusted in the Lord for deliverance. And we learn that the Lord delivered Daniel because Daniel trusted in the Lord. We have the same confidence to trust in God as Daniel did. We are able to trust God because of what he has already done for us. Even though we did not deserve it, he sent his Son to deliver the world from their sin. His Son paid the price we deserve. As a result, we don’t need to consider how far our trust will go. God has already demonstrated how far we can trust him. We can trust him completely and fully, in any circumstance. He has already delivered us from the consequences of our sin. We are innocent in his sight through Jesus. Now he will continue to work all things out for the good of those who love him. And ultimately, he will deliver us to paradise with him. May the words spoken in Daniel also be said of us, that we “trusted in God.” Prayer: Heavenly Father, allow me to continue to trust in you in everything, because I am innocent in your sight through Jesus. 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 Michael Seifert (FIC Features – FORWARD IN CHRIST) on October 30, 2026 at 7:29 pm

“The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help” (Psalm 18:4-6). The preacher felt blood on his hands. Experiencing spiritual distress It was

by Daniel Schmidt (FIC Features – FORWARD IN CHRIST) on October 30, 2026 at 7:26 pm

A preplanned Christian funeral service will give you one last opportunity to tell your dear ones what is dear to you. Picture this imaginary conversation between a pastor and a member: “Good morning, Mrs. Smith! How can I help you?” “Good morning, Pastor! I am thinking of planning out my funeral service and have some

by Kristi Meyer (FIC Features – FORWARD IN CHRIST) on October 30, 2026 at 7:22 pm

God guides a new pastor along an unusual route into the ministry, using many people to encourage him along the way. You likely have a picture in your head of a typical Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS) graduate: mid-20s, perhaps married with one or two young children, fresh-faced, and just getting started in the public ministry.

by Josh Birkholz (FIC Features – FORWARD IN CHRIST) on October 30, 2026 at 7:15 pm

Am I a cheerful giver? Could I be? For many of us, the topic of giving is one we scroll by quickly. Many of us have an aversion to talking about and reading about money. It’s rare we look forward to Stewardship Sunday like we look forward to a mission festival. Budget messages often bring

by Stephen Geiger (FIC Features – FORWARD IN CHRIST) on October 30, 2026 at 7:10 pm

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Give thanks in all circumstances? That can feel like a tough one. What if I’m suffering? Lessons about suffering God teaches us many things about suffering to help us understand how we can be thankful in the

by Mark Schroeder (FIC Features – FORWARD IN CHRIST) on October 30, 2026 at 7:05 pm

Martin Luther emphasized the existence of two types of kingdoms in this world—the spiritual kingdom, in which God works through the proclamation of the gospel and the use of the sacraments, and the secular kingdom, in which God works through earthly governments that exist only by his permission and will. The spiritual kingdom functions as

by Amanda Berg (FIC Features – FORWARD IN CHRIST) on October 30, 2026 at 7:02 pm

Discussing politics is a risky business in many settings today. Yet we can’t let that scare us into not discussing politics at home, because our children need a road map for how to have these conversations in a way that lets their lights shine as Christians. Although it may feel safer and easier, I don’t