This week Pastor Laitinen and Pastor Zarling interview Pastor Wayne Laitinen, Jeremy’s father. We discuss Luke 15:1-3, 11-32. It’s the story of a cruddy son, a cranky brother, and a crazy father. It’s the story of how we Christians can be the younger son who misuse the inheritance of forgiveness, life and salvation our heavenly Father gives us. It’s the story of how we Christians can be the older son who looks down on others who are caught in sin and unbelief. It’s the story of two sons who want the Father’s stuff, and all the Father wants to give them is a relationship with himself.
Most of all, it’s the story of our heavenly Father’s crazy, reckless, wasteful, prodigal love for his children. But it’s also a story told by the third son – the perfect son of God who rejoices when his lost and dead siblings are found and made alive again – through him.
Stay thirsty, my friends. Quench that thirst in the Water of Life.
THIRSTY 11 (Dey / Laitinen / Zarling)
This week Pastor Laitinen and Pastor Zarling interview Pastor Drew Dey from First Evangelical Lutheran Church in downtown Racine. Pastor Dey was assigned from the Seminary to First Evan last spring so we discuss call day and assignments into the public ministry. First Evan and Water of Life also share a joint Lutheran elementary school called Wisconsin Lutheran School, so we talk about the unity needed in operating a school between two churches.
We study Luke 13:1-9 and 1 Corinthians 10:1-13. We discuss why bad things happen to people. We examine the eastern religious concept of karma and why Christians shouldn’t believe in it. Because Pastor Dey and Pastor Zarling are Star Wars fans, we deliberate how these eastern religious concepts display themselves throughout Star Wars canon. For the super Star Wars fans we even delve into Grey Jedi!
Stay thirsty, my friends. Quench that thirst in the Water of Life.
THIRSTY 10 (Zarling Laitinen Jared & Cady Sunsdahl)
Pastor Jeremy Laitinen & Pastor Michael Zarling - looking at this week's Bible readings from 2 Thessalonians and Amos.
Stay thirsty, my friends - and drink deeply from the water of life!
THIRSTY 9 (Laitinen / Pagel / Zarling)
THIRSTY 8 (Zarling Wierschke Laitinen)
This week Pastor Laitinen and Pastor Zarling interview Pastor David Wierschke who serves at Trinity Lutheran Church in Caledonia, WI. Pastor Zarling and Pastor Wierschke invite Pastor Laitinen to join them this summer as they bike for beer to the various beer gardens in Milwaukee. We talk about the need for pastors and people to go on retreats, much like the disciples did on the mountain with Jesus before heading down into the valley of suffering and death.
We discuss the Gospel lesson for this Sunday where Luke writes about Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus. We talk all things Transfiguration – Jesus’ exodus, why Moses and Elijah, the voice of the Father from the cloud, coming down the mountain to carry the cross of discipleship, and more. Then we also discuss the Epistle and Old Testament lessons where Moses is wearing a veil after being in the presence of the glory of the Lord.
Stay thirsty, my friends. Quench that thirst in the Water of Life.
THIRSTY 7 (Zarling Selle Laitinen)
THIRSTY 6 (Laitinen / Ring / Zarling)
This week Pastor Laitinen and Pastor Zarling interview Principal David Ring. Mr. Ring currently serves as the principal at Wisconsin Lutheran School (WL) in Racine, WI. Water of Life, where Pastor Zarling serves, is one of the two congregations that support WLS. We discuss the blessings and woes of School Choice at Wisconsin Lutheran School and Shoreland Lutheran High School as we discuss the blessings and woes of Jesus’ beatitudes in Luke 6:17-26. We talk about how the beatitudes are not a New Testament version of the Ten Commandments on how to live. Rather, through Christ, the beatitudes are statements of fact. They are descriptions of Christ and the disciples of Christ.
We also discuss 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 where St. Paul mentions this thorn in the flesh. It seems like Paul was crazy for boasting in his weakness. We wonder how we can teach the children, teenagers, and adults in our spiritual care to accept their weaknesses, and even learn to boast in them.
THIRSTY 5 (Kock / Laitinen / Zarling)
THIRSTY 4 (Laitinen Zarling Hundley)
THIRSTY 3 (Laitinen Zarling Laitinen)
THIRSTY 2 (Zarling Laitinen Bauer)
Pastor Laitinen and Pastor Zarling have begun a new season of Thirsty podcasts in 2022. This year we are studying the upcoming Gospel lesson and other Scripture readings for Sunday morning, digging into the doctrine, and applying God’s Word to the lives of God’s people. Each week we will also have pastors, teachers, missionaries, professors, and lay people as guests.
Our first guest is Pastor Tom Bauer, the campus pastor at Shoreland Lutheran High School. We discuss Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding at Cana in John 2:1-11 and how we have a God who takes care of us most often with ordinary, mundane, daily bread type of gifts and miracles. We also discuss Pastor Bauer’s and Pastor Laitinen’s ministry to youth. We consider the difference between relating to youth and being relevant to the youth – knowing that teens can easily pick out being fake.
Stay thirsty, my friends. Quench that thirst in the Water of Life.