Peace Lutheran Sermon Podcast
by Pastor Travis Wilson
Do you ever wonder where your life and faith or spirituality connect? Pastor Travis Wilson seeks to answer that question and provide real-life examples each week from the Bible. If you want to explore God and being a Jesus person in the world, join us for our weekly adventure.
Episodes
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November 1, 2026 - Blessed, Even Now | All Saints Sunday 2026
How do we remember a life that means more to us than words can express? On All Saints Sunday, Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church remembered eighteen people whose lives were woven into the story of our congregation. Through memories of handmade cards, homemade banana bread, faithful service,...
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October 25, 2026 - Juxtaposed by the Spirit | Bishop Julie Schneider-Thomas
What do a palm tree, a cornfield, and the Swiss Alps have to teach us about the Holy Spirit? On Reformation Sunday, October 25, 2026, Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church celebrated 125 years of ministry in South Haven, Michigan. We were honored to welcome Bishop Julie Schneider-Thomas of the...
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October 18, 2026 - Pentecost 21 - Whose Image Is This? | Matthew 22:15–22
Whose image do you carry? And what happens when we forget that every person we encounter bears the image of God? In a world filled with political advertisements, competing loyalties, and seemingly endless divisions, Jesus' words about paying taxes to Caesar take on surprising relevance.…
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October 11, 2026 - Pentecost 20 - Beyond the Invitation
Beyond the Invitation | Matthew 22:1–12 As Peace Lutheran Church prepares to celebrate 125 years of ministry, Pastor Travis Wilson wrestles with Jesus' unsettling wedding banquet parable in Matthew 22:1–12. Can an invitation still leave someone feeling unwelcome? This sermon holds the parable's...
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October 4, 2026 - Pentecost 19 - The Vineyard Was Never Ours
Scripture: Isaiah 5:1–7; Philippians 3:4b–14; Matthew 21:33–46 Speaker: Pastor Travis Wilson Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church | South Haven, Michigan What happens when caring for something slowly turns into believing we own it? In Jesus’ parable of the vineyard and its tenants, Pastor Travis...
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September 27, 2026 - Pentecost 18 - Your First Answer Is Not Your Last Answer
Your First Answer Is Not Your Last Answer Jesus tells a story about two sons: one who says yes but never shows up, and another who says no but eventually changes his mind and goes. Against the unexpected backdrop of a South Haven Homecoming disrupted by fire and cancellation, Pastor Travis…
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September 20, 2026 - Pentecost 17 - When Grace Doesn’t Feel Fair
What happens when God’s generosity disrupts our carefully kept scorecards? In Matthew 20:1–16, Jesus tells a story about workers, wages, resentment, and a vineyard owner whose generosity refuses to follow the rules we expect. Pastor Travis Wilson explores the uncomfortable possibility that grace…
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September 13, 2026 - Pentecost 16
Peter asks Jesus a very human question: How many times do I really have to forgive? Jesus’ answer pushes beyond counting and into a deeper question about what grace does to us. In this reflection on Matthew 18:21–35, Pastor Travis Wilson considers forgiveness, accountability, resentment, and the...
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September 6, 2026 - Pentecost 15
What does love actually require of us when there is a real neighbor standing in front of us? Returning from a twelve-week sabbatical, Pastor Travis reflects on Paul’s words in Romans 13:8–14: “Owe no one anything, except to love one another.” This is more than sentimental love. It is love that...
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Pentecost 4, 2026: Guest Dr. Lori Tate
Today we are joined by spiritual director Dr. Lori Tate, who guides us through reflection on Genesis 21:8-21. This complicated story contains deep truths about our roles in life and our relationships with God. Listen until the end for your weekly dose of spiritual inspiration.
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Easter 2, 2026: The Resurrection
It’s a strange way to start a resurrection story: with people hiding behind locked doors, unsure if it’s safe to step outside. Join us today for the second sermon of the Easter season in which we are reflecting on the timely story John 20:19-31, wherein Jesus appears to his disciples after the...
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Easter 2026: Grace is Unbound
It started... with an earthquake. Today we are celebrating Easter, the culmination of the Lenten season. We are reflecting on the resurrection story from Matthew 28:1-10, which depicts the resurrection as a more life-changing, destabilizing event than it is sometimes portrayed. Tune in today to...
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Good Friday 2026: Grace in the Darkness
Today, we don’t come to be comforted. We come to bear witness. In this episode, listen in for four powerful reflections on different parts of the crucifixion story as we observe Good Friday. Tune in to observe this important holy day with us and let yourself feel the solemnity and sorrow of the...
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Lent 5 - March 22, 2026
Have you ever found yourself in a place you didn't expect to be—and didn't quite know how to get out of? Most of us don’t get out of these situations all at once, but other people help us extricate ourselves in small but significant ways. Today, we are reflecting on John 11:1-45: the story of…
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Lent 4 - March 15, 2026
Most of his life, people talked about him instead of talking to him. They would stand nearby and whisper. Sometimes not even quietly. "Why is he blind?" "Was it something his parents did?" "Did someone sin?" Imagine hearing people debate your life like that. Like you're not even standing there....
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Lent 3 - March 8, 2026
Most of us have places that we go when we don't want to run into anyone. Places we can move through without being noticed. Sometimes we’re tired, and carrying things that we don’t want to explain to other people. Today we’re reflecting on John 4:5-42, in which Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a...
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Lent 2 - March 1, 2026
We all have questions. Some questions, we might feel unable to even ask. This week, we are reflecting on John 3 1:17, in which Nicodemus questions Jesus and Jesus explains the importance of being born again in the Holy Spirit. In today’s sermon, Pastor Travis explores how Jesus meets us in...
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Lent 1 - February 22, 2026
All of us have experienced loss. Grief can cause doubt to creep in: did we take a wrong turn somewhere? Today we read Matthew 4:1-11, in which Jesus is tested in the wilderness and has these same feelings. In this week’s sermon, Pastor Travis guides us through the ways this passage can help us in...
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February 18, 2025 - Ash Wednesday
Today we are reflecting on the Ash Wednesday tradition of receiving ashes. In an era more performative than ever before, we have the chance today to bear witness to something greater than ourselves. Join us today in observing one of the most meaningful holidays in the church calendar. Tags Lent,...
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February 15, 2026 - The Transfiguration
Have you ever gone camping, and nothing seems to go right? Maybe you woke up to puddles of water under your tent, or you just couldn’t get the rain fly right? Today, we are reflecting on Matthew 17:1-9: the Transfiguration of Jesus. We try to make the perfect spaces for God, just like how we try…
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February 8, 2026 - Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
There’s a stretch of road in every town that everybody knows is broken. We all know where these gaps are. We pass them. We drive around them. We shake our heads and mutter, “Somebody should really fix that.” Today, we read Isaiah 58:1-12 and Matthew 5:13-20; in this sermon, Pastor Travis reflects...
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February 1, 2026 - Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) Have you seen the news recently? It certainly does not feel like the meek are inheriting the earth. Today we are reflecting on Matthew 5:1-12: Introduction to The Sermon on the Mount. This week, Pastor Travis guides us in...
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January 25, 2026 - Third Sunday After Epiphany
Have you ever stepped out of a dark room into sudden, overwhelming light? At first, it’s too much. You flinch. You blink. Your whole body resists. But if you stay with it—if you give your eyes time to adjust—you start to see what was already there. That is what repentance is like. Today we are...
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January 18, 2026 - Second Sunday After Epiphany
We’re used to thinking that we have to have our lives all together before we follow Jesus. Right? I mean, Jesus is Jesus, and he doesn’t want to see me at anything less than my best! But that isn’t how it goes in John’s gospel. Today we are reflecting on John 1:29-42, in which Jesus begins his...
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January 11, 2026 - First Sunday After Epiphany
You know that moment when someone tries to pay for your coffee, and you’re like, “no, I’ve got it!” and suddenly you’re in this awkward standoff at the register? Why do we do this? Why is it so hard to just “thank you,” and let someone bless us? Today, we are reflecting on Matthew 3:13-17: the...
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January 4, 2026 - Epiphany
If you’ve ever been lost – not knowing where to go next, not knowing where to turn or who to turn to – this is the episode for you. Today we begin celebrating Epiphany with Gospel reading Matthew 2:1-12. As we begin 2026, listen until the end to hear God’s solution for any time we lose our way....
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December 24, 2025 - Christmas Eve
Merry Christmas! In our Christmas Eve service, we reflected on Gospel reading Luke 2:1-20 to celebrate the most powerful weapon ever brought to earth – not a bomb, or a sword, but a baby. Stay until the end for some powerful holiday inspiration. Tags Christmas Eve, birth of Christ, peace, Advent,...
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December 21, 2025 - Advent 4
Join us today for the fourth Sunday of Advent; we would love to see you at our Christmas service this week, either in person or virtually. Today, we are reflecting on Gospel reading Matthew 1:18-25: the touching story of Joseph’s perspective of the immaculate conception. Listen in for timely...
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The Shoot Rises: December 7, 2025 - Advent 2
At this time of year, we’re all about the cozy, gentle parts of life. We love curling up in a soft blanket with a warm cup of cocoa. Yet our Gospel reading this Advent service features John the Baptist. He’s loud, abrupt, and never once gives off cozy energy. Listen in for the vital message this...
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November 30, 2025 - Advent 1
Are we there yet? It's a question every parent hears from the back seat over and over, even when the trip has barely begun. But it's not just kids who ask it. We all want to know where we are in the timeline. We want certainty, but the truth is, only God knows when the promised Second Coming of...
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November 23, 2025 - Christ the King Sunday
This week’s Gospel reading is Luke 23:33-43, in which Jesus is crucified at Golgotha alongside two criminals. Today, Pastor Travis ties this powerful reading to what it really means to be a baptized Christian. Listen until the end for deeply meaningful inspiration about your own baptism and faith...
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November 16, 2025 - Pentecost 23
We hear “apocalyptic” and we think of disaster movies—end of the world, doom and gloom, everything going up in flames. Yet despite today’s Gospel being a type of “apocalyptic literature,” today Pastor Travis has timely and encouraging messages to share about this week’s reading: Luke 21:5-19....
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November 9, 2025 - Pentecost 22
There’s a type of question called a “magical question,” because they make everyone in the room want to answer. Things like, what’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Or, what’s your favorite building in town, and why? In today’s Gospel reading, Luke 20:27-38, some Sadducees ask Jesus a less...
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November 2, 2025 - All Saints Sunday
This week, we celebrate All Saint’s Day with Gospel reading Luke 6:20-31. It’s an uncomfortable Gospel reading, where Jesus tells the full they will go hungry and the happy that they will mourn. Listen until the end of today’s sermon as Pastor Travis reveals the surprisingly uplifting message…
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October 26, 2025 - Reformation Sunday
Have you ever wondered how much shipping is going to be, and then relaxed when you get to checkout and shipping is free? Or maybe you’ve wondered how much parking costs somewhere, only to heave a sigh of relief when you find that free parking spot? We all love to get something free of charge, but...
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October 19, 2025 - Pentecost 19
The marks we carry on our bodies – scars, wrinkles, even freckles – tell a story. This week’s sermon focuses on today’s first reading, Genesis 32:22-3, in which Jacob wrestles with and is marked by God. Listen in for a powerful reflection on how meeting God changes us all. Tags Jacob, Israel,...
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October 12, 2025 - Pentecost 18
Have you ever called a top-notch tech support line—but then, after waiting on hold, finally getting through, and detailing your complicated tech crisis, you’re asked “have you tried turning it off and on again?” Today, our first reading is 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c, in which Namaan, a powerful Syrian...
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October 5, 2025 - Pentecost 17
You’re scrolling through your phone, minding your own business, when suddenly—ding, ding, ding—your family group text explodes. Family group texts are messy, complicated, and sometimes overwhelming, but they’re also where identity gets passed down. Now, what if I told you that you’re already part...
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September 28, 2025 - Pentecost 16
You spend your whole life thinking about thresholds. The threshold to your home, the gate to your estate, the line between you and everyone else. You believe these lines protect you and keep everyone else at bay. But what falls to the wayside when we care about our thresholds more than our...
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September 21, 2025 - Pentecost 15
Have you ever sacrificed something at work or school to help someone else? Today we are reflecting on Luke 16:1-13, where Jesus tells the curious story of a dishonest manager who cheats his employer and then is commended by that same employer for having acted so shrewdly. Join us as Pastor Travis...
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September 14, 2025 - Pentecost 14
This week, Peace Lutheran celebrates our Rally Day! That means Sunday School, adult book club, and Coffee Hour are all starting back up. Join us this week to reflect on Luke 15:1-10, and celebrate our Rally Day with us as Jesus reminds us that being found means being gathered into community, into...
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September 7, 2025 - Pentecost 13
You know that hour, don’t you? That still, quiet hour after two AM when your family is asleep, but your mind is wide awake. This is the time when your internal accountant takes over, calculating the costs of bills you have to pay and choices you have to make. Jesus knew that human beings are...
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August 31, 2025 - Pentecost 12
Do you remember middle school lunch tables? Everyone knew exactly where they were allowed to sit. If you ever tried to sit in the “wrong” spot, it didn’t take long for you to be reminded, even with just a look. Today, Pastor Travis guides us to reflect on Luke 14 verses one and verses seven…
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August 24, 2025 - Pentecost 11
Imagine your back being permanently bent, so that you are completely unable to stand straight. It might hurt; you would certainly struggle to complete the tasks of daily life. Today, we discuss Luke 13:10-17, in which Jesus heals a woman facing exactly this challenge. Tune in to find out the...
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August 18, 2025 - Pentecost 10
Wildfire ecologists sometimes have a crazy job to do: they burn the forest… on purpose. It’s called a controlled burn, and it actually benefits the forest. This week, Pastor Travis guides us to reflect on Luke 12:49-56, where Jesus tells followers that he has come not to bring peace to Earth, but...
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August 10, 2025 - Pentecost 9
You know that moment at the grocery store when the cashier asks, “Would you like to round up to support…?” It’s really awkward sometimes, isn’t it? You might have just come in for milk, and now you’re being asked to fund global change. But those tiny choices can change us. This week, Pastor…
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August 3, 2025 - Pentecost 8
In a world full of advertisements vying to turn our precious attention towards material goods, how do we tune in to the one voice that really matters? This week, tune is as Pastor Wayne Shearier guides us to reflect on Luke 12:13-21, which Jesus uses to warn us about the dangers of valuing…
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July 27, 2025 - Pentecost 7
What’s the correct way to pray? How often should we pray? Is it better if our eyes are open, or closed? This week’s Gospel is Luke 11:1-13, wherein Jesus responds to one of his disciples asking how to pray. In today’s sermon, Pastor Wayne Shearier reflects upon how this gospel reading can guide…
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July 20, 2025 - Pentecost 6
What do a broom-wielding Martha, a monastery-leading Mary, and a jealous pastor in a church parking lot all have in common? They’ve all met the same dragon—the one that whispers, "Lord, don’t you care?" In this inspiring and imaginative sermon, Pastor Travis weaves together legend, scripture, and...
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July 13, 2025 - Pentecost 5
Hijacked by Mercy: A Good Samaritan Story for Today After a week of singing road trip songs and guiding kids through faith adventures as “Navigator Travis,” Pastor Travis brings us a sermon that flips the map. In this fresh and deeply relatable take on the Parable of the Good Samaritan, we’re...
About this show
Do you ever wonder where your life and faith or spirituality connect? Pastor Travis Wilson seeks to answer that question and provide real-life examples each week from the Bible. If you want to explore God and being a Jesus person in the world, join us for our weekly adventure.
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