DEVOTION: Psalm 138English Standard Version (ESV)
Give Thanks to the Lord
Of David.
138 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.[a]
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.[b]
4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.
I like the beginning of verse eight. "The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me." This is at the same time both comforting and freeing. It takes the pressure to succeed off of me. I am not the one who is going to make S.t John's grow. He is. At the same time, He works through me, and that is freeing, because I know that if I remain in His Word and hold fast to His truth, the Holy Spirit will flow through me. And also, when I fail or when I miss the mark and sin, God will work through me to bring me to repentance and increase my faith. He will use even my failures to fulfill his purpose for me.
He will do the same for you. You have a purpose, and the Lord WILL fulfill his purpose in you. Your choice is whether you will rest and let him do it or fight against him. Just know that if you fight against him and his will, he will still fulfill his purpose for me, but you'll just be miserable as he does.
I see it every day, and so often I experience it 9n myself. People walk around miserable, unfulfilled, and unsatisfied. They look at the world judgingly, forgetting that they are part of the world, and forgetting that they can either be part of the problem or part of the solution. I see people who are always wringing their hands over all the bad stuff going on in the world, but never allowing the Holy Spirit to do the good work in them.
What kind of person are you going to be today? My prayer for you is that you are the same person that the psalmist, David, is here, and that you thank the Lord with your whole heart.
P.S. Thank the Lord for his wondrous creation today as you enjoy the eclipse. He is the one who made the sun, moon, and stars and set them in motion, and he is also the one, who one day, will bring it all to an end. Who knows, maybe it will be today!
Prayer: Lord, I thank you with my whole heart for you are the one who made me and you will fulfill your purpose for me. Amen.
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CALENDAR:
Mon- ECLIPSE MANIA!! Little Lambs begins for 4 year olds
Tues- Little Lambs begins for 3 year olds; Quilting 9-2
Wed- Oak Pointe worship 10am; Stephen Ministry 6-7pm
Thurs- Karate 6:15-7:45; Lutheranism 101 6:30
Fri- Newsletter assembly 9am
Sat- Men's breakfast 8am; Worship 5pm
Sun Worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school 9:45
Sat-
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS WEEK:
Acolyte- 8:30- Sarah Cluver; 11- Cameron Faerber
Ushers- Alan Hofeldt, Tim Linke, Rich Talbert, Don Turnure
Altar- Set up- Marilyn Foster; Clean Up- Cheryl Bettlach
Elders- Sat- Jason Cluver; Sun- 8:30- John Hachtel; 11- Al Benton
Greeters- 8:30- Doug and Ruth Walters; 11- Joan Sexton
Lay Reader- Sat- Judy Koprowski; 8:30- Erv Yoder, 11- Roy Bohning
Organist- Ned Quest
Pianists- Sat- Kathy Barrow
Projectionist: Sat- Kathy Fischer; Sun, 8:30- Schaumberg 11- Masters
TELLERS: Team #4
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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ :
What instructions did God give to Ezekiel to symbolize or enact the Israelite's exile to Babylon? Ezekiel 12:1-16
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TODAY'S QUIZ: What is the parable that Ezekiel told of the cooking pot all about?
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NEWS!!!!
ADULT CHOIR REHEARSALS WILL RESUME WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30 AT 7PM!!!
All people high school age or older who love to sing and have fun are strongly encouraged to attend! Ability to read music is not necessary but is helpful.
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WORK DAY, SATURDAY, SEPT 9, 8-Noon.
Several projects need to be done and the more helpers we have, the quicker they will get done.
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DO YOU HAVE A THRIVENT FINANCIAL ACCOUNT OR POLICY?
You maybe eligible to receive money for Little Lambs or Good Shepherd!! Go to www.thrivent.com/choicedollars to check it out!
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HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED BECOMING A PASTOR OR DEACONNESS?
If so, Rev. Scott Holder, admissions counselor from Concordia Seminary, will be here on Thursday, September 14 from 1-6pm. He is interested in meeting with students of all ages, elementary school age through adults. Appointments are individual, informal, and family/friends are welcome to come with you. Appointments are not necessary but encouraged. If you are interested in scheduling a specific time, call Pastor Holder at 314-505-7225 or email him at holders@csl.edu
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MORE LAY READERS NEEDED!!
As quite a few of the lay readers we have had to stop doing it for one reason or another, we are in need of a few to take their place. If you would like to serve the Lord in this way, please respond to this email with your willingness and the service you would prefer to do it in. If you have questions, email or call/text me at 636-359-1061
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MEN'S BREAKFAST THIS SATURDAY, AUGUST 26 at 8am!!
Pastor will be out of town at a meeting this Saturday. Please mark your calendars appropriately.
VOTER'S MEETING THIS SUNDAY AT 9:45!!
biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, and sausage!!
We'll continue the video study from "The Case for Christ".
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LITTLE LAMBS GOLF OUTING, Sunday, Sept. 10
Registration- 12:30
Shotgun start- 1pm
Dinner and Prizes- 5pm
Cost- $60 per person
Two person scramble format
Hole Sponsorships available for $50 a piece (Think advertising)
Call Karin or Lisa at 456-2888 or pick up a registration form from the office!
ANNUAL LABOR DAY FLOAT TRIP
Place: Ozark Outdoors
Time: Meet at 9am
Canoes- $25 per person
Kayaks- $30 per person
Rafts- $31 per person (Children 7 and under free, and 7-12 are $15)
Tubes- $25 per person
Rides on Ozark busses are still $30 if you have your own equipment.
Call Teresa at 359-5041 or email her at tscott@usmo.com to sign up!
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OUR NEXT FIFTH SUNDAY CELEBRATION WILL BE ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29… REFORMATION SUNDAY!! TO CELEBRATE THE 500TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEGINNING OF THE REFORMATION AND THE POSTING OF THE 95 THESES BY MARTIN LUTHER ON THE CASTLE CHURCH DOOR IN WITTENBERG, GERMANY!!
It is going to be a blowout celebration! Mark your calendars today to make sure you are there to enjoy the celebration!
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OPERATION BACKPACK ITEMS COLLECTED FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST IS SOUP AND RAMEN NOODLES. Please bring items up to church and put them in the tub marked "Backpack Blessings".
GENERAL PRAYERS:
For GEORGE HOELSCHER who is HOME and is recovering from kidney failure and chemo treatments.
For CAL TAMELER who is HOME and is recovering from surgeries and a heart attack.
For LIL WINTER who is meeting with doctors today to 1. Have her ovaries removed, and 2. Have gall stones removed.
For ANGIE BRUNSON, who is dealing with blood clots and an infection after a trouble from a hysterectomy.
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PRAYERS FOR OUR MILITARY PERSONNEL:
For SAM HARGROVE deployed in Amman, Jordan and DAN DREYER deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, that the Lord would keep them safe from harm during their service and bring them home safely.
For DAVID TATE stationed in Japan, COLTON FIGURA stationed in California, and ALEX WALTERS, stationed in Tennessee. That God would bless their service to our country and keep them safe as they all await possible deployment.
For CALEB FIGURA AND VINCE MASTERS who are both serving our country in the National Guard and take time out of their lives, jobs, and families to go on duty several times a year.
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