Some important new news this morning. Please read all the way through!
DEVOTION: John 14:1-14 English Standard Version (ESV)
I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life
14 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;[a] believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going."[c] 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.[d] From now on you do know him and have seen him."
8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me[e] anything in my name, I will do it.
Jesus is going against the popular way of doing things here. He is not being all-inclusive. He is not letting people believe whatever they want to believe about him. Some might even say he is being closed minded. What am I talking about, you ask? I am talking about Jesus' restrictive and narrow words, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
You aren't going to get to God, to heaven, to eternal life any other way. You won't get there by being good enough, whatever that means. You won't get there by your own knowledge. You don't have enough. You won't get there by staying away from all the bad stuff. It's too late, you were born into that bad stuff. You won't get there by living up to God's expectations, because you haven't.
The only way you are going to get to the Father, to see Him and to live with Him forever, is through Jesus! Through His perfect life, suffering, death, and resurrection you will get to the Father. Through His unconditional love and His will you will get to see the Father face to face. Jesus is it!
To those who reject this way, truth, and life this is offensive. They can't imagine a God who wouldn't let them live, do, and believe the way they want to. T us who are being saved, we understand that the Lord Jesus is trying to save us from ourselves. He knows that every other way and every other belief only leads to death, and He doesn't want death for us. He wants life.
This gives us the ultimate comfort, because we know that our salvation and our way to the Father is not dependent upon us. We can rest assured that our salvation is already accomplished. We don't need to fear losing our salvation every time we fall into temptation. We can rest comfortably in the rock of our salvation!
I urge you to trust in Christ's promise to you today that He is the way and the truth and the life and that one day you will make it home to your heavenly Father!
Let us pray: Lord, thank you for making the way for us back to you, for providing the only truth that we need, and forgiving us life here on earth and life eternal. Amen.
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CALENDAR:
Thurs- Little Lambs Roundup (closing program) 5:45; No karate
Fri- Graduation Dinner 5:30-6:30
Sun- Worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Worship 11am; Mother's Day
______________________________________________________________________WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS WEEK:
Acolyte- 8:30- Abby Vossen; 11- Kalene Masters
Ushers- Jim Huster, Alex Heitgerd, Tom Linke, Bob Linke
Altar- Set up- Don Hance; Clean Up- Joanne Hachtel
Elders- Sat- Roy Bohning; 8:30- Jason Cluver, 11- Al Benton
Greeters- 8:30- Lew and Dianne Feldkamp; 11- Al and Karen Benton
Lay Readers- Sat- Roy Bohning; 8:30- Allan Dreyer; 11- Karen Benton
Sat Pianist- Kathy Barrow
Projectionists: Sat- Mauch, 8:30- McKenzie; 11- Cluver
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Who became king after David? Solomon
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TODAY'S QUIZ: Who was Adonijah?
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NEWS!!!!
MARILYN FOSTER'S RETIREMENT LUNCHEON IS SUNDAY, MAY 21 AT NOON!
Let's shower her with gift cards and money to show our appreciation and send her into retirement with our love!
We will have fried chicken and cake, and we are asking each family to bring either a side dish or salad. Cake will be provided as well.
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FLOOD HELP WORK DAY THIS SATURDAY IN EUREKA!!!
If you'd like to help with flood clean up and recovery efforts, there will be a big group led by our Missouri district Early Response Team. Check in time is 8-8:30 at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Eureka, but if you can't make it by then, they will take you whenever you can get there and for as long as you can work.
I am planning on going. If you'd like to go with me, we'll meet at 7am at church! We'll be back home by 3pm. Let me know if you wanna go asap!
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OUR NEW CHURCH OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR WILL BE TERRY MCKENZIE!!
Please congratulate her and pray for her and for Marilyn as they work on making the transition and as she begins her ministry at St. John's.
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ARMED FORCES SUNDAY DOOR OFFERING WILL BE ON MAY 20 and 21!!
We will be a collecting a door offering to provide for Bible sticks for our soldiers. Most armed forces personnel can't take their phone or computers with them when they are deployed and paper Bibles are too inconvenient. Bible sticks are just the right size and can fit easily into a pocket and carried wherever they go. Each Bible stick cost $25 to make and to ship. There have been over 800,000 of these Bible sticks given to soldiers since it began and thousands of more ready to ship. They just need the funds to get them out the door.
Here's one testimony from a soldier. "I am coming back into the arms of the Father who has never forsaken me. This mp3 Bible came right on time, because I have been contemplating suicide."
Please make a note for yourself to bring some money for this very worthy ministry next weekend!!!
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LITTLE LAMBS ENROLLMENT FOR THE 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR IS OPEN!!!!
Student must be 3 for younger class or 4 for older class by August 1.
$45 nonrefundable registration fee required.
Registration packets can be picked up at Little Lambs during school hours and in the church office during non-school hours.
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OPERATION BACKPACK ITEMS COLLECTED FOR THE MONTH OF MAY IS CANNED FRUIT!!
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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.
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YOUR KROGER CARD CAN EARN MONEY FOR LITTLE LAMBS
GENERAL PRAYER
For all of our graduates, college: Kristen Toedebusch (graduated from college in December), Taryn Linke and Chris Groeber (if there are others that I am missing please let me know); High school: Conner Figura, Anna Hargrove, Ben Hoelscher, Shawn Jaeger, Conrad Schaumberg, Dana Sherman, Emma Tinnin, and Rebecca Winn that the Lord would bless them and keep their faith strong as they make transitions and move on to new things.
For all of our kids and teachers as they finish up the school year.
For PAT MANNESS as she undergoes more tests today.
For a FRIEND OF AL AND KAREN BENTON who is dealing with brain cancer.
For HUNDREDS OF OUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS WHO ARE DEALING WITH THE EFFECTS OF THE FLOOD.
For THE PEOPLE IN UGANDA who are beginning to die from starvation due to drought and famine.
For CAROL BRAZEE recovering from sinus surgery at home.
For KEN FOSTER recovering from back surgery at home.
For PAT KING, as she is recovering from knee replacement surgery at home.
For MARILYN FOSTER as she prepares for her retirement.
For PATTY SWEET'S MOTHER, Virginia, who is on hospice care and is nearing the end of her life.
For DANIELLE MEINE KRAMER, whose leukemia is back after a brief respite from it. She had it for several years while in high school. (She grew up riding Karin's school bus to school.)
For Mim Dunn's nephew DAVID HAHN who is dealing with severe throat cancer.
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.
