Genesis 18:17-33 (ESV)
17 The Lord said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen[a] him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him." 20 Then the Lord said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether[b] according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know."
22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, "Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" 26 And the Lord said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake."
27 Abraham answered and said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And he said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there." 29 Again he spoke to him and said, "Suppose forty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of forty I will not do it." 30 Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there." He answered, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there." 31 He said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it." 32 Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it." 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
Does God change his mind? Well, it depends on your perspective. From God's perspective, no. He always knew how humans would act and react, and he always knew how he would respond to it. At the same time, when God has mercy on us after he has pronounced judgment, it looks like he does change his mind after all.
So what is prayer for? Prayer is for us to recognize and see God's will in our lives, whether he shows mercy or he shows judgment, whether he takes away suffering or uses that suffering to bring us closer to him. We can say, with confidence "Thy will be done", because we know it will be.
God knew that there wouldn't even be ten righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah. He knew that they would not repent and turn to Him. So, even though Abraham pleaded for the two cities, god already knew what was going to be done.
In the same way, He already knows all of those who will come to Him in confession and repentance and receive His forgiveness. He also knows that He is going to use us to bring many people to faith. So, when we pray, we are in essence, putting into motion, God's will for our lives. Pray is a reaction and interaction to God's will for us.
Let us pray: Lord, you are the author and director of my faith. Direct me in paths of righteousness for Your name's sake. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right and willing spirit so that I may serve you and your will quickly is done in my life. Amen.
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17 The Lord said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen[a] him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him." 20 Then the Lord said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether[b] according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know."
22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, "Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" 26 And the Lord said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake."
27 Abraham answered and said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And he said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there." 29 Again he spoke to him and said, "Suppose forty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of forty I will not do it." 30 Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there." He answered, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there." 31 He said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it." 32 Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it." 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
Does God change his mind? Well, it depends on your perspective. From God's perspective, no. He always knew how humans would act and react, and he always knew how he would respond to it. At the same time, when God has mercy on us after he has pronounced judgment, it looks like he does change his mind after all.
So what is prayer for? Prayer is for us to recognize and see God's will in our lives, whether he shows mercy or he shows judgment, whether he takes away suffering or uses that suffering to bring us closer to him. We can say, with confidence "Thy will be done", because we know it will be.
God knew that there wouldn't even be ten righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah. He knew that they would not repent and turn to Him. So, even though Abraham pleaded for the two cities, god already knew what was going to be done.
In the same way, He already knows all of those who will come to Him in confession and repentance and receive His forgiveness. He also knows that He is going to use us to bring many people to faith. So, when we pray, we are in essence, putting into motion, God's will for our lives. Pray is a reaction and interaction to God's will for us.
Let us pray: Lord, you are the author and director of my faith. Direct me in paths of righteousness for Your name's sake. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right and willing spirit so that I may serve you and your will quickly is done in my life. Amen.
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CALENDAR
CALENDAR
Tues- Quilting 9-2; Council 7pm
Wed- Ladies Aid Luncheon at Denny's noon
Thurs- August newsletter deadline; Lutheranism 101 7pm
Fri- Youth return from NYG
Sat- Church basement reserved noon; Worship 5pm
Sun- worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Worship 11; Church basement reserved 11am
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WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Zack Hoelscher 11- Hannah Johnson
Ushers- Alan Hofeldt, Tim Linke, Rich Talbert, Don Turnure
Altar- Set up- Marilyn Foster and Sue Ruhl; Clean Up- Cheryl Bettlach
Elders- Sat- Randy Fischer; 8:30- Don Turnure; 11- Jim Rahn
Greeters- 8:30- Randy and Patty Sweet; 11- Joan Sexton
Lay Readers- Sat- Sandra Perricone 8:30- Christy Winn; 11- Jim Rahn
Piano (Saturday and Sunday)- Molly Hendershot
Projectionists: Sat- ???? ; 8:30- Erv Yoder; 11- Gus
Fri- Youth return from NYG
Sat- Church basement reserved noon; Worship 5pm
Sun- worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Worship 11; Church basement reserved 11am
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WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Zack Hoelscher 11- Hannah Johnson
Ushers- Alan Hofeldt, Tim Linke, Rich Talbert, Don Turnure
Altar- Set up- Marilyn Foster and Sue Ruhl; Clean Up- Cheryl Bettlach
Elders- Sat- Randy Fischer; 8:30- Don Turnure; 11- Jim Rahn
Greeters- 8:30- Randy and Patty Sweet; 11- Joan Sexton
Lay Readers- Sat- Sandra Perricone 8:30- Christy Winn; 11- Jim Rahn
Piano (Saturday and Sunday)- Molly Hendershot
Projectionists: Sat- ???? ; 8:30- Erv Yoder; 11- Gus
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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: What is a "lapis lazuli" from Isaiah 54:12?
(From Pat King)
First off, way to go, Don! Since I don't follow football, I did not know there was a third dude named Cush. So kudos to you!
Now for today's quiz. Lapis Lazuli is an opaque stone made from lazurite, calcite, and pyrite, with small amounts of other minerals. The name means "blue stone" from the Latin and Persian languages. And according to people who are into the whole crystal thingie, they believe it helps connects the spiritual and physical planes – because the pyrite makes little dots that they think look like stars in the otherwise blue stone. Which is why they use it for meditation. But then, they're a bit wackadoodle.
I'm guessing God likes it because it's pretty.
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TODAY'S QUIZ: What does the word "Sabbath" mean?
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NEWS!!!! (Lots of new news so make sure you read it all the way through!!)
COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT!!
If you're on the church council please make plans to be there!
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HOLY YOGA EVERY MONDAY NIGHT AT 7PM!
Jesus + exercise= AWESOME! Please join Amanda Nordwald as she leads you through different poses, stretches, exercises and even devotions! This is a great way to get fit and grow in God's Word at the same time! A $5 donation is suggested.
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CELEBRATION BIKE RIDE ON SUNDAY, JULY 31!!! PLEASE JOIN PASTOR!!
Pastor will be ending his 1,000 mile journey at the Katy Trail at 1:30pm on Sunday August 31!! We will bike from the trailhead in Treloar to Blumenhoff Winery in Dutzow, approximately 11 miles.
Admission to this event is any donation to www.leadachild.org. If you've already donated you're good to go!
Let me know if you'll be participating!
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ST. JOHN'S ANNUAL FLOAT TRIP COMING UP LABOR DAY, SEPTEMBER 5!!
Would you like a relaxing and peaceful day on the river in God's creation? Do you want to grow in fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ? Come and join us!
Here are the details:
1. Meet at 9:30am at Ozark Outdoors www.ozarkoutdoors.net
2. PRICES
canoes $20 per person
kayaks- $28 per person
rafts- $29 per person
tubes are $25 per person
If you have your own equipment it is $30 per craft to ride the bus.
Children ages 7-12 are $15 and 7 and under are free
3. What you will need:
sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, food, beverages, a good attitude.
4. Contact Teresa Scott to sign up
cell- 636-359-0274
work- (Schraer HVAC) 456-5041
Remember, this is a float, not a race. It is a leisurely float down the river with lots of stops along the way!
If you choose to spend the weekend, please make camping, motel, or cabin arrangements through Ozark Outdoors or with Onondaga State Park www.mostateparks.com. Hiking and cave tours are also available in Onondaga State Park.
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T-3 MEN'S RETREAT COMING UP SEPTEMBER 23-25 AT MARK TWAIN LAKE!
Go to www.t3mensretreat.org for details or give me a call at 636-359-1061.
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GUN CLUB OUTING COMING UP SATURDAY, AUGUST 13!!!
Our next Gun Club outing will be at Whetstone Creek Conservation Area Gun Range on Saturday, August 13, from 9am-Noon. You can either bring your own guns and ammo to shoot at the range or we will have a whole range set up for a special "fam fire" (armed forces code for familiarization fire) on a separate range for those who don't own a gun but would like to learn to shoot and learn about various types of firearms. Paul Brockfeld and others will have several different firearms and ammo to use for $20 per person. Please sign up on the sheet on the counter in the narthex so we know how many are coming and who is or is not bringing their own guns and ammo.
Directions to the range: DO NOT follow the signs to Whetstone Creek. If you follow the signs, you will not go to the firearms range. From Warrenton take I-70 to the Williamsburg exit. At the top of the ramp turn right and head north into Williamsburg. At the first stop sign go straight (Sign will tell you to turn left to go to Whetstone Creek CA - do not turn left). At the second stop sign go straight. Road will turn to gravel as you leave Williamsburg. Once road turns to gravel it is approximately 2.3 miles to the range on the right. Parking lot is before the range.
Directions to the range: DO NOT follow the signs to Whetstone Creek. If you follow the signs, you will not go to the firearms range. From Warrenton take I-70 to the Williamsburg exit. At the top of the ramp turn right and head north into Williamsburg. At the first stop sign go straight (Sign will tell you to turn left to go to Whetstone Creek CA - do not turn left). At the second stop sign go straight. Road will turn to gravel as you leave Williamsburg. Once road turns to gravel it is approximately 2.3 miles to the range on the right. Parking lot is before the range.
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LADIES AID SUMMER LUNCHEON WEDNESDAY, JULY 20 AT NOON AT DENNY'S!!!!
All ladies are invited!! Make sure you sign the list on the counter in the narthex by Sunday, July 17 so reservations can be made.
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VBS "CHRISTMAS IN JULY" WILL BE HELD MONDAY, JULY 25-THURSDAY, JULY 28
Supper begins at 5:30 each night.
Program begins at 6pm and goes till 8pm!
Volunteers and food is needed! Please sign up on the donation and volunteers sheets on the table in the narthex or call Kelsey at 573-803-7826 to volunteer or donate.
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RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 4!!
Help is needed for making calls and appointments, and also for the day of the drive we need strong people to move tables and chairs, a person to register donors, and another to serve refreshments. The Red Cross has cut back on their help, which puts an extra load on the hosts. Call Marilyn at 456-2888 to volunteer!! v
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STEPHEN MINISTRY NEEDS MORE STEPHEN MINISTERS!!
Stephen ministry is a one on one caring ministry in which a person goes through 50 hours off training to be a better listener and care giver. Even if you don't become an active Stephen Minister, this training is beneficial just for your daily life!
Please consider going through the training! It is very beneficial.
And please consider becoming a Stephen Minister. It has been a huge help and benefit to our congregation for the last 13 years, and I would love to see it grow!
Call me at 636-359-1061 to let me know you're interested. Or go to www.stephenministry.org to learn more about it.
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SCRIP PROGRAM CONTINUES!!
Here's how it works:
Here's how it works:
1. Pick up an order form from the counter in the narthex or from Marilyn in the office.
2. Mark how many cards you would like to order from each retailer you use, and fill in the totals. (If you need help, stop by the office or talk to Marilyn or ask me after worship.)
3. Attach a check to your order form made out to St.John's.
4. Marilyn will place the order on a certain date each month.
5. Pick up your cards from your church mailbox.
6. Use your cards just like money at the various stores.
Please use this program! It is an easy way for you to help YOUR church raise money for its ministries!
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OPERATION BACKPACK FOR JULY IS INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED SNACKS AND OATMEAL PACKETS!!!
Remember this is for the poor and needy children of our community and county that often receive two breakfast and lunch at school, and have very little or no food at home.
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GENERAL PRAYER
For BOB RUHL who is recovering from gall bladder surgery and is dealing with three weeks of hiccups.
For the HARGROVE FAMILY as they mourn the loss of Dave's dad Charles.
For the SCHULZE FAMILY at thesuddden death of Larry and Jeri's son in law Randy from a freak work accident . Visitation will be this Saturday at McCoy Blossom Funeral Home in Troy.
For LIL WINTER who will begin therapy for piriformis syndrome today and who is still awaiting surgery on her shoulder.
For LAW ENFORCEMENT EVERYWHERE, that we would keep the 4th commandment and honor those who serve and protect us from evildoers.
For THOSE MOURNING THE LOSS OF LOVED ONES IN NICE, FRANCE. That the Lord would give them peace in this very tragic time.
For MARIANNE LINKE, who is recovering from surgery. She is recovering well at home.
For BRIAN TAMPOW, a friend of Steve and Toni Mauch, who has an inoperable tumor near his carotid artery and will need to go through extensive chemo and radiation treatment.
For CHERYL, a cousin of Tony and Sandra Perricone, who is going through breast cancer treatment right now.
For DENISE SCHLESSELMANN as she finishes up her current mission work in the Czech Republic and makes her decisions for her future.
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