St. John's Lutheran ChurchWarrenton, MO: 12/10/14

ST. JOHN'S MISSION STATEMENT
As the body of Christ, we strive to make disciples of all, focusing on the next generation, through growing...

UP in God's Word and Sacrament
OUT into the community by caring for physical and spiritual need
TOGETHER in fellowship to build lasting relationships in Christ

Memorize it! Get used to it! Live it! It is YOUR mission statement as a member of St. John's Lutheran Church!!!
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DEVOTION:

Acts 20:7-12

⁷On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. ⁸There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. ⁹Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. ¹⁰Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!" ¹¹Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. ¹²The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

As I read this again this morning in my daily Bible it made me laugh again. Here's Paul preaching and teaching away till well in the night. A young man is sitting in a windowsill and falls asleep, then proceeds to fall out of the window to his death. He fell asleep during Paul's preaching...... Did you catch that? I don't know how many times I've been preaching or

teaching away in worship or even Bible/confirmation and I'll look over and there will be someone with their eyes closed. I'm surprised I haven't caught anyone snoring yet.

It makes me feel better about myself and my preaching to know that people even fell asleep while listening to the Apostle Paul, the guy who wrote 13 books in our Bible.

Yet, this isn't the funniest part. Paul goes down to the street where the dead boy's body lay, throws himself over him and revives him. I guess it was kind of a holy resuscitation. He exclaims to the people, "Don't worry! He's alive", then he gets up, goes back upstairs and says, "Now where was I?" HE KEEPS PREACHING GOD"S WORD!

If that was me, I'd be done for the night. If you ever catch me raising someone from death, that'll be the last thing I do for that day. Yet, Paul sees the opportunity and he also knows that this will probably be the last time he gets to share God's Word with them, because he will soon go to Jerusalem where he will be accosted by the unbelieving Jess there who will have him arrested and eventually sent to Rome where he will be placed on house arrest and write many letters but never get back to the people he loves.

Which brings me to my final point; how important and urgent is getting the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection out to those you love and to those who need it? Is it so important that you will stay up all night teaching and sharing God's Word with a person w3ho is lost? Will you go the extra mile or ten to make sure someone has and knows the good news? Will you give all that you have and all that you are to make sure the gospel has free course in our community and throughout the world? My prayer for you is that God renews your zeal for the Gospel like He continues to do in me.

There are times when I get worn out by the disappo9ntments, temptations, and struggles of this world. I don't really want to go on. Yet, God the Holy Spirit, works in me to keep producing His fruit. He keeps motivating me to do his will . He keeps giving me grace to overflowing so that I may give it to others! My prayer is that He does the same for you, that He renews your zeal for the gospel and your agape (love of God) for others.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, work in the hearts of those who are weary and heavy burdened. Give them rest for their souls and zeal to be revived in Your work. Amen.

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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ:   ( A harder one.) Was it considered a sin to eat "unclean" meat in the first Christian church? Provide proof of your answer. (Hint: the answer can be found in Romans.) It was only a sin if it caused someone else to sin. God gave Peter a vision of all kinds of animals, both clean and unclean, and he told Peter in this vision to "kill and eat", proclaiming that all meat was clean. Yet, some who were weak or misunderstanding in their faith didn't think it was right and because of their conscience still didn't eat meat. There was also the case that there was often meat that had been sacrificed to idols that was then sold in the marketplace afterward. Paul commands the people to stay away from such meat.

So the answer is yes and no, "no food is unclean in and of itself, but if anyone regards a food as unclean then for him it is unclean." Read Romans 14:13-21
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TODAY'S QUIZ: What was the name of the boy who fell out of the window when Paul was preaching?
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CALENDAR:
Wed- Board of outreach 10am; Dinner 5:30; Hymn sing 6:15; worship 6:30
Thurs- Karate 5pm; Praise Band 6pm
Sat- Men's breakfast 8am; Little Lambs Christmas program 2pm; Worship 5pm
Sun- worship 8:30; Bible Study and Sunday school 9:45; Choir rehearsal 9:45; worship 11; elders meeting noon; LL program #2 2pm
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WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS WEEK
Acolytes-   Wed- Sophie Tinnin 8:30- Dustin Toedebusch  11- Jacob Winn
Altar guild- Set up- Ruth Walters; Clean up- Wanda Turnure
Greeters- 8:30- Don and Donna Sherman; 11- Joan Sexton
Communion Assistants- Sat- Jim Rahn; 8:30- Don Turnure 11- Dave Winter
Lay Readers- Sat- Jim Rahn, 8:30- Jacob Nagel, 11- Kailyn Blechle
Ushers- Wed- Dae Winter, Gary Scott, Larry Schulze, Scott Schulze- Sunday: Allan Dreyer, Lew Feldkamp, Kent Jacobsmeyer, Paul Klover
Projectors- Sat-- Pam; Sun 8:30- Schaumberg      11-- ???????????
Pianists/organists: Sat- Barb Dreyer; Sun- Gene Hilgendorf      11am- Molly Hendershot
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NEWS:
MEN'S BREAKFAST THIS SATURDAY AT 8AM!!
Come and join us for some good breakfast and Bible study following!!
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START MAKING PLANS ANDD INVITING PEOPLE FOR CHRISTMAS EVE AND DAY WORSHIP!!
Christmas Eve worship is at 7pm and 10pm
Christmas Day worship is at 10am
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BEVERLY WAALEN VISITATION AND FUNERAL IS THIS COMING MONDAY MORNING, Dec. 15.
Visitation-- 10-11am
Funeral-- 11am
Burial at Jefferson Barracks to follow
Memorials may be made to St. John's.

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ADVENT DINNER AND WORSHIP CONTINUES TONIGHT!
Supper at 5:30
Your elder will be calling you to direct you as to when to bring food! Please come to all of the dinners though! Yu can't beat fried chicken and tons of great sides every Wednesday night! A small free will donation is appreciated to offset the cost of the chicken. Please also make sure you bring your dishes home after supper! And please be aware that they will not be washed.

Worship at 6:30
Our worship theme is COME, LORD JESUS! Focusing on the Lord's Prayer and the Common table prayer, we will talk about what it means that we want our Lord Jesus to come INTO US.

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OFFERING ENVELOPES ARE READY TO BE PICKED UP IN THE NARTHEX!!
Please go by your name, not your old envelope number. All numbers have changed. Make sure you get yours next time you are at church!!!
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POINSETTIAS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FOR CHRISTMAS EVE AND DAY!!
The sign up sheet is on the counter in the narthex or you can call Marilyn to order yours. You can take yours home with you after Christmas Day!! Please sign up by December 14. Cost is $13.50 each. Many purchase them in honor or in memory of a loved one.
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LADIES AID INVITES ALL LADIES TO JOIN THEM FOR A CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10 AT NOON AT DENNY'S. This is in place of the regular ladies aid meeting.
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A VOLUNTEER IS NEEDED TO BE A DELEGATE TO THE MISSOURI DISTRICT CONVENTION IN SPRINGFIELD, MO JUNE 14-16
All voting members (men or women) are eligible. In order for our congregation to have a complete voice we need to have complete representation! Please call me or reply to this email if you would like to serve your church in this way!!

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PRAYER REQUESTS: (If you have a prayer request please reply to this email or call me at 636-359-1061)
For TOM and AMANDA MILBURN who lost their baby girl Jaina this morning due to a congenital heart defect.

For the FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF BEVERLY WAALEN as she passed from death to eternal life Sunday evening.

For MARIE HARVEY, sister in law of Lil's daughter Cheri, who had stage 4 cancer and is only 56.

For Tony Verme, father in law of Lil's daughter Cheri, who is still dealing with severe illness and may be nearing the end of his life

For TODD PONDER, former band teacher/director and friend to many at St. John's, who suffered a massive stroke and can't do anything but move his eyes. He is unable to breathe on his own. Here is a link to a fund that was started to help the family as they will have astronomical hospital and rehab bills for a long time to come. At the bottom of the page it also has updates as to his progress. http://www.gofundme.com/hp1ed8?pc=mb_em

For ROSETTA JONES who fell and broke her wrist and is recovering from surgery on it at Delmar Gardens.

For OUR CONTINUED FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND SPEECH in the United States, that we would continue to be able to freely speak the truth even in the face of opposition.

For our NATION'S MILITARY LEADERS AND SOLDIERS as they figure out what to do about the imminent threats from ISIS.

For MILLIONS OF CHRISTIANS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, who are being persecuted to the point of death for their faith.

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St. John's Lutheran Church
Warrenton, MO

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Daily Devotion: Wednesday Dec. 10, 2014