Daily Email: Tuesday, February 14, 2017

DEVOTION: 

Leviticus 19:1-2 New International Version (NIV) 19 The Lord said to Moses, 2 "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

9 When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God. 11 "'Do not steal. "'Do not lie. "'Do not deceive one another. 12 "'Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. 13 "'Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. "'Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight. 14 "'Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord. 15 "'Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. 16 "'Do not go about spreading slander among your people. "'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the Lord. 17 "'Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt. 18 "'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.   Wow, at first glance these look like the ten commandments, but as you look closer these are different.  They are sort of like the commandments, but not the same.  Actually, If you were to look at the explanations to the commandments as they are found in the Small Catechism, you would see a lot of what is spoken by God to Moses here. The commandments aren't as easy as don't talk back to mom and dad, or don't stab anyone, they are essentially what the Lord Himself says in verse 2.  "Be holy (perfect) as I, the Lord your God, am holy (perfect)."   That's it.  In a nutshell God requires perfection and you aren't.  You're doomed.  There's no coming back from it. There's no restart button.  There's no, I messed up this time so I better get it right tomorrow.  And the other truth is that when we put these commandments on others by judging them without first judging ourselves, we are doing a great disservice to them, causing them to be in despair, instead of giving them the joy, peace, and rest of the Gospel that God truly wants them to have.  This is why He sent Jesus!  So I urge you to stop trying to prove yourself to God.  Stop living in fear of His judgment, and start living in the restfulness of His grace.  Then, and only then, when you are living out of love and peace instead of fear and loathing, will you truly be able to do the things that God asks of you in the verses above, and you will do them for the right reasons.  Let us pray: Lord, help me to live out your commands in the love, mercy, and grace that you intended for me, so that others may know that same mercy and grace.  Amen.

 

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

CALENDAR

Tues- Board of Outreach meeting 8am; Quilting 9-2; Trustees meeting 7pm

Wed- Ladies Aid noon; Choir 7

Thurs- Newsletter deadline; Lutheranism 101 6:30pm

Fri- Bible Study at Hendershots 7

Sat-  Men's breakfast 8am; Worship 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school 9:45; Voters meeting 9:45

__________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:  
Acolyte-  8:30- Gus Klaustermeier 11- Lydia Miller

Ushers-  Allan Dreyer, Lew Feldkamp,  Kent Jacobsmeyer, Paul Klover

Altar- Set up- Lucille Luebke; Clean up- Sandy Robine

Elders-  Sat- Roy Bohning; 8:30- Al Benton; 11- Steve Robine
 
Greeters-  8:30- Jim and Vickie McRae; 11- Marv and Molly Hendershot

Lay Readers- Sat- Roy Bohning; 8:30- Erv Yoder??? (Erv is out of town.  Anyone want to take this for him?); 11- Steve Robine

Piano-  Molly Hendershot

Organist- Barb Dreyer

Projectionists: Sat- Kathy Fischer; 8:30- Schaumberg; 11-   Lydia Miller
________________________________________________________________

YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Who was Korah?

Korah was a descendant of Esau and led a rebellion against Moses.

 

(From now on, you can assume that the answer is from Don Nolte unless I tell you otherwise.  THANKS DON!)

 

______________________________________________________________________

TODAY'S QUIZ:  Who were the Amalekites and what were the Israelites supposed to do to them?

_______________________________________________________________________

NEWS!!!! 

WE STILL NEED TO GET BACK A FEW OF THOSE BABY BOTTLES! 

Please bring them back asap so we can get the money in and so I can get the bottles back to their rightful owners. 

____________________________________________________________________

STEPHEN MINISTRY IS LOOKING FOR SOME NEW STEPHEN LEADERS

If you love caring for others and consider yourself a leader, this is the perfect way for you to serve the Lord and your church family!

 

The Stephen Leader training is April 23-29 at the Renaissance Hotel by the airport this year and the cost of the training is covered by the church.  If you choose to stay at the hotel you will have to pay for that yourself.  It's only a 35 minute commute to the training from Warrenton.

_________________________________________________________________________

TRAVELING FELLOWSHIP GROUP IS GOING TO FULTON ON SATURDAY, APRIL 8!

The group will be boarding a charter bus at 7:45am that day, first heading to the Auto World Museum, secondly to The Copper Mine Restaurant for lunch, and finally to the Churchill Museum before heading home.  They will arrive home around 5:30 that evening.  The cost will be around $65 including lunch, but the more people that go, the cheaper it will be. 

YOUTH STEAK DINNER AND AUCTION WILL BE MARCH 25!

OUR YOUTH STEAK DINNER AND AUCTION HAS BEEN MOVED BACK A MONTH AND IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 25!  Also, THANK YOU LETTERS to those church members who donated last year are in your church mailboxes!!

OPERATION BACKPACK ITEMS COLLECTED FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY ARE CANNED FRUIT AND VEGETABLES!

Any size can, and any kind of fruit or vegetable is appreciated.    Place them in the receptacle marked "Backpack Blessings" in the narthex.

__________________________________________________________________________________

AGAPE DONATIONS ALWAYS ACCEPTED!!

Any nonperishable food items, diapers, toiletries, etc.!!

 

Perishable food items can be taken directly to Agape at 713 Powell St. in Warrenton.  Call 456-4645 to find out when they're open or for more info.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

YOUR KROGER CARD CAN EARN MONEY FOR LITTLE LAMBS

Go to www.kroger.com/communityawards and register your card today!!

__________________________________________________________________________________________GENERAL PRAYER

For the FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF PASTOR MICHAEL PIPER, (pastor at St. Paul's, New Melle) as they mourn his loss.

 

For ROSE DEPEW, mother of Randy Sweet, who has been moved to the DePaul Rehab facility and is improving. She began to speak a few intelligible words yesterday  . 

 

For PETE FRENZIA who is recovering from back surgery at University Hospital in Columbia. .

 

For CAROL BRAZEE who is recovering from a lung infection at home

 

For Mim Dunn's nephew DAVID HAHN who is dealing with severe throat cancer.

 

For BARB PERRICONE who is home on hospice care.

 

For LOIS BOEGER'S MOM, EVELYN TOEDEBUSCH,  who has been on hospice care for the last few months and slows down a little more every day, but is doing well.