DEVOTION: Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. Romans 12:17
Revenge is sweet.
How sweet? To find an answer to that question, I would encourage you to speak to Anna, a dentist in Poland. Last month, Marek, her ex-boyfriend -- the fellow who had just dumped her -- asked Anna to help him treat a toothache.
Anna decided to take the high road and treat the tooth like a professional. That was her intention.
But when Anna saw Marek in her chair, she gave him a massive dose of anesthetic and removed every tooth in his mouth. Then, having finished her work for the day, she wrapped his jaw in bandages and left her office.
As for Marek, when he awoke, he knew something wasn't quite right, but he had to get home and look in the mirror before he understood the immensity of his problem, and the intensity of his ex-girlfriend's thirst for revenge.
Yes, revenge is sweet, but it isn't necessarily God-pleasing. At least that's what Paul was trying to convey to the folks at Rome. Certainly, those Christians who were undergoing persecution for their faith had reason enough to want to give the Romans a dose of their own medicine.
"Revenge may be sweet," says Paul, "but don't you take it."
That was probably for a number of reasons. First, Paul knew a Christian with a vengeful heart was not going to be thanking the Savior for the work He had done to save us. Second, revenge-seeking Christians would not give a powerful witness to the world. Lastly, seeking revenge pretty much wipes out the words of Jesus who told us to love our enemies and do good to those who persecute us.
Now I don't know if you're one of those, "I-don't-get-mad, I-get-even" people. If you are, you might want to reevaluate and repent of your position.
Yes, revenge may be sweet but ultimately doing what the Lord has asked of us is sweeter still.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, You remained silent even though You had every reason to seek revenge on the many that railroaded You to the cross. Grant us a new heart that will forgive those who have earned our disrespect. In Your Name. Amen.
PS - And in case you're wondering how the story is turning out, Marek is planning to have dental implants; his new girlfriend dumped him and, Anna, the dentist, is being investigated for medical malpractice. (Personally, I think they're going to have a hard time finding a jury that will convict her for pulling the teeth of an ex who asks for free dental work.)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Name one thing that Proverbs says about having money or wealth. (Provide the chapter and verse.) "Honor the Lord with your wealth." is the one Dianne Hance came up with. Do you know any?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TODAY'S QUIZ: What does Proverbs say about having a fool for a son? (You sons out there need to quit being fools!)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CATECHISM:
Question: Of whom does this article speak?
Answer: It speaks about Jesus Christ-- His person and work.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CALENDAR:
Thurs- nothing
Fri- assemble newsletter 9am
Sat- worship 5pm
Sun- worship 9; Sunday school and Bible class 10:15; worship 11am
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEWS:
SUNDAY WORSHIP TIME FOR THE EARLY SERVICE WILL CHANGE ON JULY 1 to 8:30am!!!
The voters approved the continuation of the 11am service and to move the early service time to 8:30 beginning July 1, to provide more time in between services for Bible class and Sunday school.
Let's continue to praise the Lord wherever we are! God is good ALL THE TIME, and all the time GOD IS GOOD!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
MONEY GIFT SURVEY
A survey has been placed in your mailboxes to ask your opinion as to how to spend the remainder of a trust we received a few months ago for $140,000. Please fill them out and place them in the box provided by this Sunday, May 27, so that we can take care of this matter in a timely and God pleasing manner!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEW MEMBER LUNCHEON WILL BE ON SUNDAY, JUNE 10 IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE LATE SERVICE.
All of our new members are invited as guests!!!
All of our other, long term members, are asked to join us and to bring a dish to share!!!
This will be a wonderful time to get to know each other and to join together in fun and fellowship!
Please sign up on the sign up sheet on the counter in the narthex.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
WIDOW'S GROUP TO START JUNE 10!!!
Did you know that there are close to 30 widows in our congregation? Wouldn't it be great if they all got together to enjoy one another's company, to support each other, and to pray for each other? Evelyn Sherman is starting a widow's SOCIAL TIME at her house beginning June 10 at 1:30pm. Please call her at 456-4734 if you want to join this group at their first time together. This is for widows only!! Her address 1504 Angela Ct. in Warrenton.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL WILL BE JULY 16-20!!! 5:30-8pm each night!!! Our theme is going to be "Jump In with Jesus"
We will review and learn about some of the many Bible stories that take place in and around water.
Mark your calendars today to attend and to help out if you are able! This is a great fellowship and growing time for all who get involved!!!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CAMP, FLOAT, OR FEAST TRIP ON JUNE 22-24
Our fellowship group is planning a float trip for June 22-24!!! Mark your calendars now! You can just come for the Saturday evening meal or to camp, or you can just come for the float trip on Sunday morning. Or you can do ALL THREE! It is all up to you! If you have any questions at all, please call Teresa Scott at 636-359-0274 or email her at tscott@usmo.com!!
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
THE CHURCH DIRECTORY WILL BE UPDATED THIS SUMMER
If you have a new address or phone number please, please, please call Marilyn and let her know. Or just reply to this email and I will get her the corrected info!! Thank you!!
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
MISSION AND SERVICE TRIP TO SOUTHERN INDIANA AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY JULY 8-14
There is still room for just about anyone to go!!! You need to be 14 years old or be accompanied by a parent.
Please call Pastor at 359-1061 if you want to go! It is going to be a great time.
Accomodations will be a Best Western while we are there.
We are going to be working hard to clean up and repair many people's homes throughout the week!! NO SLACKERS OR LAZY PEOPLE NEED APPLY! There will be plenty for everyone to do regardless of skill level or ability! I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO SIGN UP TODAY!!!!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ALPHA CLASS EVERY TUESDAY AT 6:30 PM!!!
All are welcome to join us every Tuesday to learn more about our own faith, to learn about the world around us, and to grow in the Spirit and in fellowship with each other.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
STEWARDSHIP SPOLIGHT FOR THE MONTH OF MAY IS LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF AND HUMAN CARE
Lutheran World Relief is often the first to arrive when disaster strikes in this country and around the world. If you care to donate to this cause make your checks payable to St John's and clearly makr the designated envelope for Lutheran World Relief. As always these donations should be over and above your normal tithes and offerings.
Revenge is sweet.
How sweet? To find an answer to that question, I would encourage you to speak to Anna, a dentist in Poland. Last month, Marek, her ex-boyfriend -- the fellow who had just dumped her -- asked Anna to help him treat a toothache.
Anna decided to take the high road and treat the tooth like a professional. That was her intention.
But when Anna saw Marek in her chair, she gave him a massive dose of anesthetic and removed every tooth in his mouth. Then, having finished her work for the day, she wrapped his jaw in bandages and left her office.
As for Marek, when he awoke, he knew something wasn't quite right, but he had to get home and look in the mirror before he understood the immensity of his problem, and the intensity of his ex-girlfriend's thirst for revenge.
Yes, revenge is sweet, but it isn't necessarily God-pleasing. At least that's what Paul was trying to convey to the folks at Rome. Certainly, those Christians who were undergoing persecution for their faith had reason enough to want to give the Romans a dose of their own medicine.
"Revenge may be sweet," says Paul, "but don't you take it."
That was probably for a number of reasons. First, Paul knew a Christian with a vengeful heart was not going to be thanking the Savior for the work He had done to save us. Second, revenge-seeking Christians would not give a powerful witness to the world. Lastly, seeking revenge pretty much wipes out the words of Jesus who told us to love our enemies and do good to those who persecute us.
Now I don't know if you're one of those, "I-don't-get-mad, I-get-even" people. If you are, you might want to reevaluate and repent of your position.
Yes, revenge may be sweet but ultimately doing what the Lord has asked of us is sweeter still.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, You remained silent even though You had every reason to seek revenge on the many that railroaded You to the cross. Grant us a new heart that will forgive those who have earned our disrespect. In Your Name. Amen.
PS - And in case you're wondering how the story is turning out, Marek is planning to have dental implants; his new girlfriend dumped him and, Anna, the dentist, is being investigated for medical malpractice. (Personally, I think they're going to have a hard time finding a jury that will convict her for pulling the teeth of an ex who asks for free dental work.)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Name one thing that Proverbs says about having money or wealth. (Provide the chapter and verse.) "Honor the Lord with your wealth." is the one Dianne Hance came up with. Do you know any?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TODAY'S QUIZ: What does Proverbs say about having a fool for a son? (You sons out there need to quit being fools!)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CATECHISM:
Question: Of whom does this article speak?
Answer: It speaks about Jesus Christ-- His person and work.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CALENDAR:
Thurs- nothing
Fri- assemble newsletter 9am
Sat- worship 5pm
Sun- worship 9; Sunday school and Bible class 10:15; worship 11am
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEWS:
SUNDAY WORSHIP TIME FOR THE EARLY SERVICE WILL CHANGE ON JULY 1 to 8:30am!!!
The voters approved the continuation of the 11am service and to move the early service time to 8:30 beginning July 1, to provide more time in between services for Bible class and Sunday school.
Let's continue to praise the Lord wherever we are! God is good ALL THE TIME, and all the time GOD IS GOOD!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
MONEY GIFT SURVEY
A survey has been placed in your mailboxes to ask your opinion as to how to spend the remainder of a trust we received a few months ago for $140,000. Please fill them out and place them in the box provided by this Sunday, May 27, so that we can take care of this matter in a timely and God pleasing manner!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEW MEMBER LUNCHEON WILL BE ON SUNDAY, JUNE 10 IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE LATE SERVICE.
All of our new members are invited as guests!!!
All of our other, long term members, are asked to join us and to bring a dish to share!!!
This will be a wonderful time to get to know each other and to join together in fun and fellowship!
Please sign up on the sign up sheet on the counter in the narthex.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
WIDOW'S GROUP TO START JUNE 10!!!
Did you know that there are close to 30 widows in our congregation? Wouldn't it be great if they all got together to enjoy one another's company, to support each other, and to pray for each other? Evelyn Sherman is starting a widow's SOCIAL TIME at her house beginning June 10 at 1:30pm. Please call her at 456-4734 if you want to join this group at their first time together. This is for widows only!! Her address 1504 Angela Ct. in Warrenton.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL WILL BE JULY 16-20!!! 5:30-8pm each night!!! Our theme is going to be "Jump In with Jesus"
We will review and learn about some of the many Bible stories that take place in and around water.
Mark your calendars today to attend and to help out if you are able! This is a great fellowship and growing time for all who get involved!!!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CAMP, FLOAT, OR FEAST TRIP ON JUNE 22-24
Our fellowship group is planning a float trip for June 22-24!!! Mark your calendars now! You can just come for the Saturday evening meal or to camp, or you can just come for the float trip on Sunday morning. Or you can do ALL THREE! It is all up to you! If you have any questions at all, please call Teresa Scott at 636-359-0274 or email her at tscott@usmo.com!!
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
THE CHURCH DIRECTORY WILL BE UPDATED THIS SUMMER
If you have a new address or phone number please, please, please call Marilyn and let her know. Or just reply to this email and I will get her the corrected info!! Thank you!!
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
MISSION AND SERVICE TRIP TO SOUTHERN INDIANA AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY JULY 8-14
There is still room for just about anyone to go!!! You need to be 14 years old or be accompanied by a parent.
Please call Pastor at 359-1061 if you want to go! It is going to be a great time.
Accomodations will be a Best Western while we are there.
We are going to be working hard to clean up and repair many people's homes throughout the week!! NO SLACKERS OR LAZY PEOPLE NEED APPLY! There will be plenty for everyone to do regardless of skill level or ability! I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO SIGN UP TODAY!!!!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ALPHA CLASS EVERY TUESDAY AT 6:30 PM!!!
All are welcome to join us every Tuesday to learn more about our own faith, to learn about the world around us, and to grow in the Spirit and in fellowship with each other.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
STEWARDSHIP SPOLIGHT FOR THE MONTH OF MAY IS LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF AND HUMAN CARE
Lutheran World Relief is often the first to arrive when disaster strikes in this country and around the world. If you care to donate to this cause make your checks payable to St John's and clearly makr the designated envelope for Lutheran World Relief. As always these donations should be over and above your normal tithes and offerings.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PRAYERS:
For the FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF MARGIE GLASTETTER, Marcella Linke's mother, who is being laid to rest today.
PRAYERS:
For the FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF MARGIE GLASTETTER, Marcella Linke's mother, who is being laid to rest today.
For PAM BROWN who fractured her back on Saturday, she is recovering at Progress West and should be able to go home this week.
For KARIN KLAUSTERMEIER'S DAD, BOB LAMPEN, who has finished his radiation treatments and is now awaiting chemo treatments that will begin on May 30.
For CAROLINE BUELTMANN who is recovering at her daughter's home from some heart troubles and is doing much better.
For PAUL TOEDEBUSCH who is undergoing more treatments for cancer.
For DOLORES DEBLAZE as she deals with chemo treatments for stage four lung cancer.
For JEANETTE KOEHLER who is recovering well at the Cedars.
For JONAS BORCHERT, grandson of Don Nolte, who is improving well and is gaining strength as he deals with his cancer.
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