"Dan is a Son and He is Home" — Funeral of Daniel E. Heidemann — August 21, 2026

"Dan is a Son and He is Home" — Funeral of Daniel E. Heidemann — August 21, 2026

Author: Rev. Christopher Gillespie August 22, 2026 Duration: 19:00

Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Let us remember with thanksgiving what God has done through His servant Daniel E. Heidemann.

Dan was given life by his Creator and was born on January 21, 1954, in Sheboygan, the child of Lester and Marion (Habeck) Heidemann. On February 21, 1954, at one month old, he received the gift of Holy Baptism in his own home at the hands of the Rev. E. Zapf and became a child of God. On April 7, 1968, at this altar, he publicly confessed his faith and was confirmed, and was given the words of his Lord to carry with him: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” He received the precious gift of the Lord’s life-giving body and blood. On February 29, 2008, he received the gift of a beloved companion in his wife, Bonnie M. Backhaus, and with her the gift of children and grandchildren: Adam and Danielle, and Cameron, Thomas, and Caleb. God blessed Dan’s life with many special people as he served God in his vocations at home, church, work, and in the community — on the family farm he grew up on, at Fleet Farm Auto Service, the FS Waldo Feed Mill, Gehl Corporation, and the Kohler Company. Finally, on August 7, 2026, God blessed Dan with a holy death and took him home to rest in the arms of Jesus to await the resurrection of the dead. He will be laid to rest in St. John’s Lutheran Church Cemetery, at the congregation where he was baptized into Christ, confirmed in the faith, and fed at the Lord’s Table all his life.

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord. We give thanks to God our Father through Jesus Christ, our Lord, for our brother Daniel.


In the quiet community of Random Lake, Wisconsin, Preaching and Teaching from St. John Ev. Lutheran Church (Sherman Center) offers a steady voice of Lutheran tradition and scriptural reflection. This podcast is an extension of the congregation's life, featuring sermons and lessons grounded in the confessional standards of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Listeners will hear the consistent, expository teaching of Rev. Christopher R. Gillespie, which aims to draw the community deeper into the Word. The content is shaped by an unconditional subscription to the Unaltered Augsburg Confession, providing a clear theological foundation for every discussion. Episodes are recorded within the context of regular worship and study at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church & School, reflecting the rhythm of parish life. It is a resource for members and those curious about confessional Lutheranism, seeking thoughtful engagement with Christian doctrine. The tone is pastoral and instructional, focusing on the gifts found in Lutheran teaching. By tuning in, you join a gathering centered on scripture, much like the physical congregation in Sherman Center. This audio ministry serves to enlighten and reinforce faith through deliberate, careful biblical exposition. The podcast functions as a digital sanctuary for reflection, learning, and spiritual nourishment, extending the church's mission beyond its geographical walls. It is for anyone seeking substantive religious content from a specific, traditional Christian perspective.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Preaching and Teaching from St. John Ev. Lutheran Church (Sherman Center), Random Lake, Wisconsin
Podcast Episodes
The Sin Offering—Leviticus (4:1-2) 5:1-10 (11-13) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:23
Leviticus 4:1–2 (NKJV)1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be don…
The Burnt Offering—Leviticus 1:1-17 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:58
Leviticus 1:1–17 (NKJV)1 Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, yo…
"A Handful of Flour" Trinity 15 2026 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:36
Elijah has just come off the brook Cherith. It dried up because there was no rain, God’s doing because Ahab had married a woman from Sidon and Israel was bowing to her god. Her god couldn’t make it rain. Now the Word of…
Holy Cross Day—1 Cor. 1:18-25; John 12:20-33 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:29
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,And bring to nothing the unders…
Sunday’s OT and Epistle—1 Kings 17:8–16; Gal. 5:25—6:10 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:47
1 Kings 17:8–16 (NKJV)8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 10 So he arose and went…
Moses Sets Up the Tabernacle—Ex. 40:1-3, 16-38 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:32
Exodus 40:1–3 (NKJV)1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, and partition off…
"He Came to Be Your Estate" Friday of Trinity 14 (observed) 2026 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:03
Everything the farmer was building toward — security, a settled soul, many years, take your ease — Christ has, as a man, in a body, for you. He built no barn. He had nowhere to lay His head. He owned one coat, and soldie…
God’s Wrath Is Poured Out upon Idol Worshipers—Ex 32:15-35 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:27
15 And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written. 16 Now the tablets w…
The Worship of the Golden Calf—Exodus 32:1-14 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:41
1 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought…