Pastor Ike

Presentation of our Lord

Candlemas…. The Purification of Mary… The Presentation of our Lord at the Temple. A feast of the church since the fourth century, today we celebrate one of the great Canticles or hymns of the church, the song of Simeon or the Nunc Dimittis. “Lord, let your servant now depart in peace…” The righteous man Simeon, in Luke chapter 2, sees the Messiah and tells the Lord, he can now die in peace. After years of waiting, he has seen the salvation of the Lord. Waiting… One of the hardest things to do.

Ordinary means to do Great Things

On this 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany, we hear the story of Naaman who was healed by God through the ordinary means of dipping in the waters of the Jordan River seven times. God uses ordinary means to do Great Things. Join Pr. Ike and St. Matthew Lutheran Church as we focus on this great Biblical foreshadowing of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

On empty? What you need is….

The miracle at the Wedding Feast at Cana is Jesus’ first miracle. What was Jesus saying? Jesus not only meets us where we are, He gives us what we really need, even when we’re running on empty.

Confession of Peter

Jesus asks, “But who do you say that I am?” With that question, Peter answers rightly. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This scene of Peter’s Confession teaches us much about who it is we long to please, who Christ is, who gives us faith, and the work to which the church has been called in forgiving sin. Pastor Ike opens God’s Word as it confronts us and comforts us all at the same time.

The Baptism of our Lord

Pastor Ike Nicholson’s sermon on the Baptism of our Lord. In our Lord’s baptism, Jesus sanctifies the waters for our own baptism. This work of God, this means of grace, is not merely a symbol. It is, as the Bible teaches, for the forgiveness of sins. You are baptized. Your justification, God’s love for you, is not dependent on your feelings or your understanding. It is God’s claiming of you as His child. 

The Circumcision of our Lord

Some of you may be asking, “did I read that title correctly?“ The church has observed the circumcision of our Lord Jesus Christ, as it was his first shedding of blood as well as his first fulfilling of the Law. So, what can we say about the circumcision of Jesus Christ?pastor Ike preachers at this vesper service on the circumcision of our Lord.

Holy Innocents, Martyrs

Join St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Almena, Wisconsin on the Feast of the holy Innocents. Pastor Ike preachers on the powerfully moving event of King Herod’s ordering the death of every male child under the age of two in Bethlehem.

The Epiphany 2025

Epiphany is the celebration of the arrival of the Magi. And often ignored feast of the church, it is a clear statement that Christ came to save the world. The gifts presented to Jesus foreshadow his work and ministry as king, priest, and sacrifice.Join us, as Pastor Ike preaches on The Epiphany.

The Scandal of the Manger

We often think of the scandal of the cross, that our innocent Lord would suffer and die between two thieves, but the scandal of the manger? Join St. Matthew Lutheran Church for this Christmas Day message.

Mary’s song and humility

No one would say that they are arrogant. Yet, true humility seems to be elusive.Mary, the mother of our Lord, gives us insight into humility. It’s not an accident that the words humiliation and humility have the same root.