Pastor Diana's Radio Sermon Transcripts

Radio Transcript week of August 31 2025 - THE “SACRIFICE OF ISAAC.”

THIS IS PASTOR DIANA SEAMAN, SERVING AT TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH IN CRESTLINE, OHIO.

GRACE, MERCY, AND PEACE BE UNTO YOU FROM GOD OUR FATHER AND OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS THE CHRIST.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRAYER.

OUR NEW TESTAMENT LESSON FOR TODAY IS TAKEN FROM HEBREWS 11:17-20, “BY FAITH, ABRAHAM, WHEN HE WAS TESTED, OFFERED UP ISAAC, AND HE WHO HAD RECEIVED THE PROMISES WAS READY TO OFFER UP HIS ONLY SON, OF WHOM IT WAS SAID, “THROUGH ISAAC SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE NAMED.”  HE CONSIDERED THAT GOD WAS ABLE TO RAISE MEN EVEN FROM THE DEAD, HENCE, FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING, HE DID RECEIVE HIM BACK.  BY FAITH ISAAC INVOKED FUTURE BLESSINGS ON JACOB AND ESAU.”

“AND HE WHO HAD RECEIVED THE PROMISES...”  WHAT PROMISES HAD GOD GIVEN TO ABRAHAM?  THE FIRST PROMISE CAN BE FOUND IN GENESIS 12:1-2, “NOW THE LORD SAID TO ABRAM, “GO FROM YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR KINDRED AND YOUR FATHER’S HOUSE TO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU.  AND I WILL MAKE OF YOU A GREAT NATION, AND I WILL BLESS YOU, AND MAKE YOUR NAME GREAT, SO THAT YOU WILL BE A BLESSING.”

ABRAHAM LIVED IN THE UR OF THE CHALDEANS.  ACCORDING TO THE CHRISTIAN STUDY BIBLE, “UR OF THE CHALDEANS WAS A GREAT CITY, WITH A TREMENDOUS CULTURE.  IT WAS ALSO A CITY IN DEEP SPIRITUAL DARKENESS.  THIS DID NOT LEAVE ABRAHAM UNTOUCHED.”

AND YET GOD SAW IN ABRAHAM, AS HE DOES IN MANY OF US, SOMETHING ON THE INSIDE THAT HE COULD MOLD AND SHAPE INTO ONE THROUGH WHOM THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH COULD COME – JESUS THE CHRIST.  BUT THAT WOULD BE MANY CENTURIES DOWN THE ROAD.

I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO BE A “FLY ON THE WALL” AS ABRAHAM TOLD SARA THAT GOD HAD CALLED HIM FROM THEIR COMFORTABLE HOME IN UR TO...WHO KNOWS WHAT.  AND WHO IS THIS GOD ANYWAY?  WE SERVE SO MANY OF THEM HERE IN UR.  AND BESIDES THAT ABRAHAM YOU’RE 75 YEARS OLD!  WHAT WAS HE THINKING?  AT LEAST IF I WERE IN SARA’S SHOES THAT’S WHAT I WOULD BE THINKING AND SAYING.  BUT LEAVE WITH HIM SHE DID.

BUT ABRAHAM AND SARA LEFT UR AND FOLLOWED A GOD THEY DID NOT KNOW.  HE HAD MUCH TO TEACH THEM.

ABRAHAM’S NEPHEW, LOT WENT WITH THEM BUT THEY PARTED COMPANY WHEN STRIFE BROKE OUT BETWEEN THEIR HERDSMEN.

IN CHAPTER 13, VS. 14, CHOOSES HEBRON.  LOT CHOOSES SODOM.  GOD BLESSES ABRAHAM FOR HIS CHOICE.  “LIFT UP YOUR EYES, AND LOOK FROM THE PLACE WHERE YOU ARE...FOR ALL THE LAND WHICH YOU SEE I WILL GIVE TO YOU AND TO YOUR DESCENDANTS FOREVER.  I WILL MAKE YOUR DESCENDANTS AS THE DUST OF THE EARTH; SO THAT IF ONE CAN COUNT THE DUST OF THE EARTH, YOUR DESCENDANTS ALSO CAN BE COUNTED.” WOW!  WHAT A PROMISE FOR MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE!  AND “BY FAITH ABRAHAM, WHEN HE WAS TESTED...”

THEN, IN CHAPTER 14 THERE IS THE WAR OF THE KINGS.  AFTER MELCHIZEDEK, THE KING OF SALEM, WAS DEFEATED, HE OFFERED TO ABRAHAM SOME OF THE SPOIL.  ABRAHAM REFUSED.  AND WE NO LONGER SEE MELCHIZEDEK AGAIN IN SCRIPTURE.  BUT HE POINTS TO JESUS WHO CAME ONCE AND FOR ALL TO PAY FOR OUR SINS ON THE CROSS.

ONCE AGAIN, GOD HONORED ABRAHAM FOR MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE WITH THE WORDS, “FEAR NOT, ABRAM, I AM YOUR SHIELD; YOUR REWARD SHALL BE VERY GREAT.”

I LOVE CHAPTER 15 BECAUSE I CAN SO RELATE TO IT AS I AM SURE THAT MANY OF YOU CAN.  ABRAHAM HAS A MOMENT OF DOUBTING GOD.  IN CHAPTER 15, VERSE 11 IT SAYS, “AND WHEN BIRDS OF PREY CAME DOWN UPON THE CARCASSES, ABRAM DROVE THEM AWAY.”  NOW LET’S TAKE A MOMENT AND PICTURE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR A 75+ YEAR OLD MAN TO BE DRIVING AWAY VULTURES.  HIS ARMS WAVING IN THE WIND, FLAPPING AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DRIVE THEM AWAY.

GOD FINALLY CALMS ABRAM DOWN AND A DEEP SLEEP FALLS UPON HIM.  AND GOD MAKES A COVENANT WITH ABRAM, “SAYING, TO YOUR DESCENDANTS I GIVE THIS LAND.”  IN ESSENCE, NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING YOU’VE DONE – LIKE FLAPPING YOUR ARMS IN THE AIR TRYING TO DRIVE VULTURES AWAY BUT IT’S ALL BECAUSE OF WHAT I’VE DONE.”

IT'S NOT UNTIL CHAPTER 21 THAT GOD’S LONG-AWAITED PROMISES ARE FULFILLED.  ABRAM AND SARA, NOW ABRAHAM AND SARAH, FINALLY HAVE A SON NAMED ISAAC.  AND THEN WE TURN TO CHAPTER 22 WHERE GOD ASKS ABRAHAM TO “TAKE HIS SON, HIS ONLY SON, ISAAC, AND SACRIFICE HIM.” 

WHAT KIND OF A GOD IS THIS?  WHEN IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THROUGHOUT THESE 25 YEARS OF ABRAHAM BLINDLY FOLLOWING GOD, “AND IT WAS RECKONED UNTO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS...”  GOD WAS NOW SEEMINGLY NEGATING HIS PROMISES.

SO TOO IN THIS WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE, THERE ARE MANY TIMES THAT IT SEEMS THAT ALL OF GOD’S PROMISES HAVE FOUND THEIR “NO” AND NOT YES IN JESUS CHRIST.  BUT WE KNOW THAT GOD ALWAYS KEEPS HIS PROMISES, AS HE DID TO ABRAHAM SO LONG AGO.  NOT AS WE OR ABRAHAM WOULD HAVE THOUGHT BUT AS GOD DEEMS BEST.

STAY TUNED NEXT WEEK FOR A CONTINUATION OF THE “SACRIFICE OF ISAAC.” AND NOW MAY THE PEACE OF GOD THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.  AMEN.    

RADIO TRANSCRIPT WEEK OF JULY 13 2025

RADIO SERMON – WEEK OF JULY 13, 2025 -  “PRODIGAL SON”  

THIS IS PASTOR DIANA SEAMAN, SERVING AT TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH IN CRESTLINE, OHIO.

GRACE, MERCY AND PEACE BE UNTO YOU FROM GOD OUR FATHER AND OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS THE CHRIST.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRAYER.

OUR GOSPEL TEXT FOR THIS MORNING IS THE STORY OF THE “LOST SON” OR THE “PRODIGAL SON.”  LUKE 15:11-31, “JESUS CONTINUED:  ‘THERE WAS A MAN WHO HAD TWO SONS.  THE YOUNGER ONE SAID TO HIS FATHER, ‘FATHER, GIVE ME A SHARE OF THE ESTATE. “SO HE DIVIDED HIS PROPERTY BETWEEN THEM.

NOT LONG AFTER THAT, THE YOUNGER SON GOT TOGETHER ALL HE HAD, SET OFF FOR A DISTANT COUNTRY AND THERE SQUANDERED HIS WEALTH IN WILD LIVING.  AFTER HE HAD SPENT EVERYTHING, THERE WAS A SEVERE FAMINE IN THAT WHOLE COUNTRY, AND HE BEGAN TO BE IN NEED.  SO HE WENT AND HIRED HIMSELF OUT TO A CITIZEN OF THAT COUNTRY, WHO SENT HIM TO HIS FIELDS TO FEED PIGS.  HE LONGED TO FILL HIS STOMACH WITH THE PODS THAT THE PIGS WERE EATING, BUT NO ONE GAVE HIM ANYTHING.

WHEN HE CAME TO HIS SENSES, HE SAID, ‘HOW MANY OF MY FATHER’S HIRED MEN HAVE FOOD TO SPARE, AND HERE I AM STARVING TO DEATH!  I WILL SET OUT AND GO BACK TO MY FATHER, AND SAY TO HIM:  FATHER, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST HEAVEN AND AGAINST YOU.  I AM NO LONGER WORTHY TO BE CALLED YOUR SON; MAKE ME LIKE ONE OF YOUR HIRED MEN.’  SO HE GOT UP AND WENT TO HIS FATHER.

“BUT WHILE HE WAS STILL A LONG WAY OFF, HIS FATHER SAW HIM AND WAS FILLED WITH COMPASSION FOR HIM; HE RAN TO HIS SON, THREW HIS ARMS AROUND HIM AND KISSED HIM.

THE SON SAID TO HIM, “FATHER, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST HEAVEN AND AGAINST YOU.  I AM NO LONGER WORTHY TO BE CALLED YOUR SON.’”

BUT THE FATHER SAID TO HIS SERVANTS,  ‘QUICK!  BRING THE BEST ROBE AND PUT IT ON HIM.  PUT A RING ON HIS FINGER, AND SANDALS ON HIS FEET.  BRING THE FATTENED CALF AND KILL IT.  LET’S HAVE A FEAST AND CELEBRATE.  FOR THIS SON OF MINE WAS DEAD AND IS ALIVE AGAIN; HE WAS LOST AND IS FOUND.  SO THEY BEGAN TO CELEBRATE.  HERE ENDS THE GOSPEL FOR THIS MORNING.

THERE ARE THREE PARABLES IN LUKE 15 THAT JESUS TELLS WITH REGARD TO OUR BEING OUT OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD.  IN VERSES 1-7 IS THE STORY OF THE LOST SHEEP;  VERSES 8-10 TELL THE STORY OF THE LOST COIN; AND FINALLY, IN VERSES 11-32 WE HAVE THE STORY OF THE “LOST OR PRODIGAL SON.”

THIS MORNING, WE WILL FOCUS ON VERSES 11-27.  VERSE 13 TELLS US OF THE YOUNGEST SONS HEART AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PARABLE, “NOT LONG AFTER THAT – AFTER THE YOUNGEST SON DEMANDED HIS SHARE OF THE PROPERTY – THE YOUNGER SON GOT TOGETHER ALL HE HAD, SET OFF FOR A DISTANT COUNTRY AND THERE SQUANDERED HIS WEALTH IN WILD LIVING.”  IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR HIM TO SPEND ALL THAT HE HAD AND NOT ONLY THAT BUT SCRIPTURE TELLS US THAT HE SQUANDERED HIS WEALTH IN WILD LIVING.

NOW WHAT IS HE TO DO?  AND ON TOP OF THAT, THERE WAS A SEVERE FAMINE IN THAT WHOLE COUNTRY!  THE LAST THING A JEWISH YOUNG MAN WOULD EVER WANT TO DO IS FILL HIS STOMACH WITH THE PODS THAT THE PIGS WERE EATING!  PORK BEING A TOTAL NO NO FOR A JEWISH PERSON.  BUT HE WAS SO HUNGRY HE WAS WILLING TO DO EVEN THAT.  “BUT NO ONE GAVE HIM ANYTHING.

SOMETIMES GOD HAS TO ALLOW US TO BE PLACED IN TOTAL DESPERATION BEFORE HE GETS OUR ATTENTION.  AND THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT YOUNG MAN.

REMEMBER IN THE BEATITUDES IN LUKE WHERE JESUS SAYS, “BLESSED ARE THE POOR.”   BECAUSE WHEN WE ARE POOR AND TOTALLY ON OUR BACK WE HAVE NO WHERE ELSE TO LOOK THAN UP TO GOD.  AND ONCE AGAIN, THAT IS WHERE THIS YOUNG MAN WAS.

FOR JESUS SAYS IN VERSE 17, “WHEN HE CAME TO HIS SENSES...”  THIS WAS HIS TURNING POINT.  THIS WAS THE POINT IN HIS LIFE, AND MANY TIMES IN OUR LIVES, WHEN GOD AND GOD ALONE CAN BRING US SALVATION THROUGH HIS SON, JESUS.

SO, THE YOUNG MAN TURNED HIS FACE TOWARD HOME.  WE SEE IN THE FOLLOWING FEW VERSES TH AT HE IS REHEARSING TO HIMSELF HIS WORDS TO HIS FATHER, HIS WORDS ASKING FOR AND BEGGIN FOR FORGIVENESS.  KNOWING THAT HE IS NOT EVEN WORTHY OF BEING CALLED A SON.  HE’S WILLING SIMPLY TO BE TREATED AND CALLED A SERVANT.

BUT IN VERSE 20, A FATHER’S HEART—OUR HEAVENLY FATHER’S HEART IS SHOWN IN FULL DISPLAY:  “WHILE HE WAS STILL A LONG WAY OFF, THE FATHER SAW HIM AND WAS FILLED WITH COMPASSION FOR HIM; HE RAN – HE RAN THE WHOLE WAY TO HIS SON, WHILE HIS SON WAS STILL A LONG WAY OFF AND THREW HIS ARMS AROUND HIM AND KISSED HIM.  WHAT LOVE OF A FATHER FOR HIS LOST SON AND OUR HEAVENLY FATHER FOR US.

CAN YOU IMAGIINE HOW DIRTY AND DISGUSTING THE SON WAS – AND MANY TIMES WE ARE- CARRYING ALL THE FILTH AND DIRT OF THIS WORLD.  THE SON’S CLOTHES, THOSE THAT HE STILL HAD ON WERE FILTHY AND DIRTY.  IN FACT, HIS WHOLE BODY WOULD HAVE BEEN FILTHY AND DIRTY.  AND HE WOULD HAVE “STUNK TO HIGH HEAVEN.”  HIS BREATH, WITH EVERY WORD HE SPOKE, WOULD HAVE REEKED SO MUCH WITH A FOUL ODOR.  THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT HIM THAT WOULD HAVE ENCOURAGED HIS FATHER TO EVEN EMBRACE HIM – BUT EMBRACE HIM HE DID.

AND THAT IS WHAT OUR HEAVENLY FATHER DOES WITH AND FOR US.  NO MATTER HOW DIRTY WE COME TO HIM.  WE ARE CLEANSED AND MADE WHOLE AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS.  AT THE CROSS AND ONLY AT THE CROSS, BECAUSE OF JESUS, HE EXCHANGES OUR FILTHY GARMENTS FOR HIS CLEAN GARMENTS.  AT THE CROSS AND ONLY AT THE CROSS, WE ARE MADE NEW AND WHOLE, AS THE PRODIGAL SON WAS,      BECAUSE OF JESUS AND ONLY BECAUSE OF JESUS.

SO THIS DAY, LAY ALL OF YOUR FILTHY GARMENTS THAT HAVE BECOME CONTAMINATED THROUGH THIS WORLD AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS.

AND NOW MAY THE PEACE OF GOD THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING, KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS THROUGH CHRIST, JESUS OUR LORD.  AMEN.