| Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 Recently, one of our Daily Devotions caused a number of our readers to respond with stories from their past. One of the sweetest was this which was shared by Jeanette Eaton. We thank her for letting us see this vignette of a Christian household. It was a blessing to me as I pray it will be to you. Pastor Klaus Every once in a while one of the Daily Devotion listeners shares a story with me that is worth repeating. One such story came from Jeanette Eaton. Eaton shares how years ago her mother baked a cake (chocolate, of course) for a church picnic the family was to attend. As Eaton went out the back door, she saw the cake and gave it a test. She put her finger in it and, well, this is how she told me: "I went ahead and put my finger in it. And oh so good, but I wasn't smart enough to cover it up, and I just went on outside." "Later, of course, my mother was displeased. Mom was displeased, but it was daddy who lined us up and asked, 'Who did it?' Of course, nobody confessed. Daddy took each of us into the kitchen, saving me for last because I was the oldest. When he took me to the kitchen, he put my finger in the hole. Just as a leopard can't change its spots, a third-grader can't change her finger size. I had been discovered and was rightly punished. "But I learned something that day. And, even though I did my share of more bad things, I never told my daddy another lie. Daddy knew that. I'm glad he did. That's because later when I was confronted and accused of lying, my daddy just said, 'She may be guilty of a lot of things, but she's not a liar.'" Now there are a lot of ways I could use Eaton's story. Allow me to say this. Each day you and I commit many sins. Each day the Lord discovers us in those sins and because of His Son's sacrifice forgives us of them. In these things our story is like Eaton's. But I wonder how many of us can say, "I learned something that day"? I wonder how many of us can confess, "I never did that sin again"? It would be a good thing if we did. You see, repentance is not just being sorry for what we've done in the past; it's striving not to repeat the sin in the future. It's the second part of repentance that's hard; it's the second part I'm going to have to work at. And I invite you to join me in trying. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I truly am sorry for my sins. Now I pray that my faith may be of a quality that I am sorry enough to leave behind those sins and habits of which I am repentant. This I ask in Jesus' Name. Amen. |
Adopt-A-Flame at Martin Luther School!
School is fast approaching. Help teachers and students at Martin Luther School in Joplin prepare for a great new year. School starts August 17. There are several ways you can help...
Option 1. Complete backpack: Purchase a backpack and fill with all items needed. Please label with the grade level.
Option 2. Send supplies: Send individual items from the graded list.
Option 3. Send gift cards: Purchase $20 Wal-Mart or Target cards to buy backpack kits.
Option 4. Adopt a teacher: Send gift cards for a teacher. Joplin stores: Target, Wal-Mart, Lowes, Office Max, Hobby Lobby and Michaels. Amazon cards are also helpful.
Class lists are available here. Thanks for being a blessing to school ministry in Joplin!
Martin Luther School
2616 Connecticut Avenue
Joplin, Missouri 64804
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It's Time to start thinking about our MEN'S RETREAT!!The ninth annual T-3 Men's Retreat is set for Friday-Sunday, September 23-25, 2011. This promises to be another great experience for the men of St John's and other Lutheran congregations in the St. Charles area. In fact, men from all over the metro area have joined this special time in the past. Men 18 years of age or older are eligible and they need not be Lutheran to attend. The retreat will be held at Mark Twain State Park at the Si Coburn Group Camp. This is a beautiful setting for a weekend of adventure and growth. The theme of this year's retreat is "Respectable Sins" and the study times during the retreat will be spent exploring the areas of our lives where we have come to accept less than God might want from us.
The retreat will feature great food and a lot of activities A scramble golf tournament, fishing tournament, trap and skeet shooting competition, and euchre tournament all take place on Saturday morning. If none of these interest you, you may choose to spend time reading, hiking , biking, site seeing, or napping. Prizes are awarded to tournament winners at dinner on Saturday evening. Campfires on Friday and Saturday nights provide the opportunity to get to know others better under the stars. Music is a big part of the camp experience and you will enjoy hearing and singing familiar songs with the 100+ men who typically attend. The culminating worship service on Sunday morning is a special time of praising God for all His gifts to us and a great way to prepare us to return to our homes and lives.
The cost of the retreat is only $42 and this includes meals and a commemorative tee-shirt. Attendees have the option of staying in group cabins or tent camping on the grounds at no additional charge. You can even arrange to stay in a local motel near the camp at reduced rates if you like.
A brochure with all information and a registration form will be available soon in the narthex. You can also register online at www.t3mensretreat.org using PayPal. It is really easy and you can see pictures of the camp and facilities there, too.
This is the year for you to go to the T-3 (trap-tackle-tees) Retreat. Sign up, meet new friends, bring old friends, and join in the fun of growing your faith. For more information, contact Don Hugo at Zion –636 441-7425 ext 246 or home 636 441-9954.
