27 Oct 2026
Planted by Streams of Water
What if Psalm 1 isn't primarily about you?
Many Christians read Psalm 1 and immediately ask,"Am I living like this?" Am I avoiding sinful influences? Am I delighting in God's Word enough? Am I bearing fruit as I should? But the more closely we examine ourselves, the more we discover that we fall short of the picture Psalm 1 paints.
In this episode, Pastor Ed takes us beyond a moral checklist and into the heart of the Gospel. Psalm 1 first points us not to ourselves, but to Jesus Christ, the truly Blessed Man. He alone perfectly delighted in the Father's will, resisted every temptation, and fulfilled God's righteousness completely. The good news is that the Blessed Man of Psalm 1 stood in the place of sinners so that His righteousness could become ours through faith.
Drawing on the rich insights of the Lutheran Confessions and the writings of Martin Luther, this sermon explores what it means to be a tree planted by streams of water, nourished not by our efforts but by God's gifts of Word and Sacrament.
In this message you'll discover:
Why Psalm 1 first describes Christ before it describes Christians.
The difference between trusting in your performance and trusting in Christ's righteousness.
How God plants and sustains His people through Baptism, the preached Word, Absolution, and the Lord's Supper.
Why believers can endure suffering, grief, temptation, and hardship while remaining rooted in faith.
The comfort of knowing that "the Lord knows the way of the righteous."
Psalm 1 is not the story of sinners climbing their way to God. It is the story of Christ, the perfectly righteous One, who came to save sinners and plant them beside the living waters of His grace. Because He stands forever, all who are found in Him will stand forever as well.
Blessed is the Man of Psalm 1, and blessed are all who are found in Him. Rooted in Christ and nourished by His Word, they shall stand forever.
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