St. John's Lutheran ChurchWarrenton, MO

The Lutheran Hour: March 9, 2014

-------- Original message --------

From: Lutheran Hour Ministries

Date:03/08/2014 9:15 PM (GMT-06:00)

To: revklaus@hotmail.com

Subject: The Lutheran Hour: March 9, 2014

The Lutheran Hour with Rev.Gregory Seltz

Sermon Text for March 9, 2014

"Life God's Way" #81-27
Presented on The Lutheran Hour on March 9, 2014
By Rev. Gregory Seltz, Lutheran Hour Speaker
(Why Is The Color Purple Displayed In Some Churches During Lent?)
Copyright 2014 Lutheran Hour Ministries

Text: Matthew 4:1-11

Christ is risen; He is risen indeed and because of Him we can face whatever life throws at us. Amen.

Today is the first Sunday in the church season called Lent. For those of you who might not know about such things, it is a penitential season, a time to take an honest look at yourself before God. It starts right after the day called "Fat Tuesday," on a Wednesday, called "Ash Wednesday." If you've heard about Mardi Gras, New Orlean's style or St. Louis style, you know about the tradition of having a final feast, a last "Fat Tuesday" fling before getting Ash Wednesday serious.

But here's the point; at the stroke of midnight on Ash Wednesday a season of sacrifice begins which points us to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus as He walked to the cross to bear the sins of the world and to make life possible again for all. So, if you practice the tradition of giving up something for Lent, that tradition is supposed to connect you with Jesus who gave up everything to save us. And, every person who takes up something for Lent, who engages in service to others or shows God's love in a special way, that also connects us with the self-sacrificial love of God shown in sending His only Son to save us.

And all of this, all of this is pointing to the Passion Story of Jesus. You see, Jesus' journey to the cross is often called the "Passion" of Christ. If you remember, that was the title of Mel Gibson's stirring movie about the last 24 hours before the death of Jesus. Passion is a good word to describe the focus of Lent. On the one hand it directs us to the suffering of Jesus that opened the door for our forgiveness and eternal life. The word passion comes from the Greek word that means: "to suffer." On the other hand, it's a word we can easily understand these days. We're told to do what we're passionate about, what we really love. Well, God directed His energy to what He really loved: you and me. So He sent His one and only Son to die in our place, to wash away our sins, and to open the door for us to life and hope that lasts forever.

But before Jesus faced the cross, before He preached, and taught, and healed, Jesus first encountered our greatest enemy, the devil himself, in the wilderness. Jesus endured testing and temptation. Matthew 4:1 says: "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."

Immediately after Jesus was baptized, right after He literally stepped into the waters of our own plight, our own journey, Jesus faced real trial and temptation, even beyond anything we could experience or imagine.

When you think about what was at stake in this event, I wonder why Satan so boldly played his hand this early in Jesus' public ministry. After all, He generally likes to tempt and discourage people from behind the scenes; that's a much more effective way.

But maybe this fallen rebellious angel had seen enough. He saw the miraculous Baby born in Bethlehem and he tried to end His life to no avail. And then all grew quiet. Jesus grew up and seemed fairly ordinary. Maybe this Boy wasn't the Son of God, right? But now, after God the Father spoke up at Jesus' baptism saying "This is My Son," I wonder if Satan was puzzled again. Jesus didn't fit the devil's idea of what God should be like.

In typical Satan fashion, the devil might not have believed what God said. So Satan approached Jesus in the wilderness and tried to shape Jesus into the kind of god he would construct in his devilish mind. Each of the temptations were attempts to make Jesus into what the devil thought he should be, derailing Jesus' messianic mission to save people and to bring eternal life into a world of death and sin.

Make Jesus into what he wanted, rather than receive Him for what He is. That's something we're tempted to do as well, right? We're skilled at telling God what He should be like, what He should do, when He should do it, and how the world would be a much better place if God just listened to us and followed our plan. We're good at designing life our way.

That's what the devil tried to do. We hear in Matthew chapter four: "The tempter came and said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread'" (Matthew 4:2-4).

Satan started each temptation with the words, "If you are the Son of God." You see, in the devil's mind, a real god would never tolerate hunger and discomfort. A real god would be about feeding his every desire.

Then the devil tempted Jesus again: "The devil took him to the holy city, set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said, 'If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "He will command his angels concerning you," and "On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone"'" (Matthew 4:5-6).

Pulling out an alleged Scriptural proof, the devil insisted that a real god would have his most fantastic whims and desires appeased at all times. Like a rock star on tour, Jesus should receive what He wanted, when and where He chooses. At least, that would be Satan's design for God.
Finally, we hear that third temptation: "Again, the devil took him up on a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, 'All these things I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me'" (Matthew 4:8-9).

The devil showed his true colors in this temptation. He wanted to be worshipped. He wanted to be God. He claimed to be able to give Jesus a life much better than God the Father could ever give Him. That was the devil's design for what God should be really like.

But it was a flawed design, wasn't it? Not just for Jesus and His mission, but for you and me too!

You see, the devil wants you to fall for his design for God, too. He wants you to believe that if God is really God, He would keep you comfortable. Why should you struggle or be wanting? And if you find yourself suffering, God must be falling down on the job or perhaps He shouldn't be Someone you should put your trust in anyway.

The devil wants you to believe that if God is really God, He would always support your lifestyle. Spending? God should give you enough so you can be pleased. Perfectionism and control? God should whip people into shape so that they start doing things your way. Sexual choices? God should let you feel good when and how you want to feel good. Habits? God should let you have some fun and not trouble you with personal, spiritual, or moral consequences.

And if God doesn't conform to your design? You should lash out at Him just like the devil did to Jesus in the wilderness. Or you can get so angry at Him you deny that He really exists. Or you can live as if He doesn't exist, happily pursuing life your way, putting yourself in the place of God.

Let me tell you, dear friend, there have been times where I have even asked God why He wasn't coming through the way I thought He should. I've wondered about grief and struggle, pain and injustice, a world that is broken and lives that are hurt. I've called out to God in prayer and asked Him about the way things are. But let me tell you this; it's okay to do that. God wants you to call out to Him. Just be ready for the answers He gives because He really loves you. He loves you even more than you know!

The Bible says, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV). God does care about each one of us. We hear it again in Psalm 34: "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted. He saves the crushed in spirit" (Psalms 34:18).

But the devil wants you to believe in his flawed design of God and His work. His design is to put you in control, even him in control and to put God at our beck and call. The devil wants you to believe in his design of God because he despises God's patience and forgiveness. Satan is infuriated by the fact that God came to us in the flesh as a lowly, humble, suffering servant to save us. He would love for you and me to buy into his flawed design of being on your own without God, because then you'll share in his miserable, lonely, empty existence and ultimate condemnation. What do they say, "Misery always loves company," even eternally!

But today, you get to see how Jesus handles all this; you see how Jesus exposes Satan's flawed design, showing how foolish it is to trust a flawed design when you have God's perfect design at your disposal. Seeing Him in action, Jesus in action for us, it encourages us sometimes, especially when we need it, doesn't it?

Have you ever heard of the "Products that Hate You" website? The subtitle is: "Design so bad, it hurts." The site highlights poorly designed products that make life very difficult. Featured on the site are some clunker computers and tech gear, some very ugly and poorly functioning vehicles, and a few odds and ends that make life miserable. One item listed is a hand dryer; you know; the kind that you find in public bathrooms. A woman commented about the product this way: "This is not a hand dryer, but a high-decibel, permanent-hearing-loss, scare-my-child-into-panicked-screams-of-terror, should-not-be-placed-in-a-restroom type of product that does nothing to save trees! I'd rather use paper than lose my hearing!"

Flawed design, painful consequences, and the list goes on. There's a baby Jacuzzi that causes the risk of electrocution, a bathroom sink knob so sharp that it injures hands when operated, and a computer accessory with an LED light that "shines with the fury of a thousand suns" blinding people who dare to use it.

We're notorious for design blunders, aren't we? It's good to see them in print, so we don't bring them into our lives! Well, the Bible tells us straight about how inept and foolish it would be to trust anything else but God's design for our lives! Isaiah, chapter 44 says it boldly:
The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house.....so he makes a god and worships it; he makes an idol and falls down before it.....a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself. (Isaiah 44:12-20)

Flawed Spiritual design, our track record speaks volumes. Personally designed gods are about as effective as "the celery-flavored Jell-O" that marketers tried to push in the 1950s. That's right, celery-flavored Jell-O. It didn't work. Neither does the god Satan tried to customize when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Neither do the gods we design for our convenience or comfort.

Satan tries to redirect Christ but the good news is this; Jesus answers, Jesus acts, not for Himself, not for Satan's temporal temptation for glory, He acts for you and me, faithful to the Father on our behalf. He lives life God's way for our salvation!

Remember when Jesus told us: "Don't be anxious for anything, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well" (Matthew 6:31-33). Life God's way means letting His design carry you through life, trusting that He is good, that He loves you, that He will take care of your life even when you don't think life is the way you'd like it to be at the moment.

When the devil tempted Jesus, He responded to each temptation with a Bible verse from the book of Deuteronomy. When tempted in His hunger, Jesus replied: "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God'" (Matthew 4:4). When tempted to jump off the temple as a test of God's care and protection, Jesus responded: "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test'" (Matthew 4:7). And when tempted to give His allegiance to Satan in order to gain immediate power and security, Jesus said, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve'" (Matthew 4:10).

God's Word, God's promises can be trusted even when things don't appear right for the moment. Jesus beat back the devil's temptations by focusing on the Scriptures, the words of a loving Father, One who could be counted on, worshipped, adored, and followed as the enduring source of life. All these words were originally spoken to the people of Israel who had been freed from slavery in Egypt and now were entering the Promised Land. God's design for their life had freed them and was leading them to this place of His continued care and provision.

The same is true of God's design for your life. When you struggle, God still cares for you. He is faithful. When you exercise self-control and go His way instead of caving in to your own temptations, God is with you. He is delighting in you and providing His strength and blessing. God's design for life is good. It works.

But, it's so easy to be tempted otherwise, isn't it? You may not always be convinced of God's goodness and grace for you. A long time ago, an aerodynamic scientist was asked by a biologist how a bumblebee was able to fly. After some quick calculations on the back of a napkin, the expert in flight replied, "They can't." According to the proportions of the bumblebee's wings and body, it was impossible to see how it could fly. The design just wouldn't work.

Sometimes people look at God's design for life like a scientist looks at a bumblebee. "It can't work!" they say. But it does!

But in spite of our brilliant objections and input, God became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ. Though naysayers sneered, the Baby in the manger became a Teacher with authority, a Healer with compassion, a Friend of sinners. Though the authorities raised their voices in objection, Jesus silently suffered and made His way to the cross. Though the crowd shouted doubt and criticism, Jesus cried out, "It is finished!" Though the powers that be placed a guard at the tomb, Jesus defeated death and rose again. Though the doubters continue to rage, Jesus Himself assures us, "For I have come down from heaven, he says, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me" (John 6:38), and "I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness" (John 12:46).

This is the gracious gift of life God's way. And Jesus' success over the devil's temptations literally means the world to us. The Bible says, "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him"(Hebrews 5:7-10 NIV).

Jesus' victory brings you the gift of eternal life. And, today, Jesus' victory in the wilderness temptation means that you, too, will have the help you need, when you need it, by the power of His Spirit to live life in His Name, now and forever! The Bible says, "For because [Jesus] himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are also being tempted" (Hebrews 2:18).

So, this Lent, this time of reflection about your life with God, whether you're having a wilderness challenge, or trying to make sense of life in struggle, or even dealing with the blessings of abundance, you don't have to figure that out on your own. Remember the buzz of the bumblebee, remember the unique message of the cross and the resurrection, remember that God's ways might not always appear right to us at the moment, but that in Christ you have a precious gift: God's strength, God's guidance, God's forgiveness, and the eternal hope He gives as His gift for you right now! God's way in Jesus will always see you through. You can count on that.

Amen.

LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for March 9, 2014
Topic: Why Is The Color Purple Displayed In Some Churches During Lent?

ANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Gregory Seltz responds to questions. I'm Mark Eischer and today one of our astute listeners says they've noticed that the colors used in church change throughout the year. So, why is the color purple now being displayed in churches during the season of Lent?

SELTZ: Wow! What an observant listener, Mark. I like that. That's great! As we enter the season of Lent, it's good to talk about the symbols that don some of our churches during the season.

ANNOUNCER: What do these colors all mean?

SELTZ: Over the years, colors have taken on meaning. This is true around the world, both inside and outside the church. What do you think of when I say "gold"?

ANNOUNCER: Wealth or royalty, maybe.

SELTZ: Right. How about "green"?

ANNOUNCER: The environment or plants.

SELTZ: I think of those same things too. That's how color work for us. They fuel our imagination. They set a mood. The church uses colors to do exactly that. The colors take us through what is called the church year. Our listener asked about purple during Lent. Well, purple points to our unworthiness before God, the King of kings. It is a color of repentance, confessing our sins to God and standing in awe of Jesus as He suffered and died for us.

ANNOUNCER: Okay. What are some other colors of the church year?

SELTZ: Well, as I cover the colors, let me describe a bit of the flow of the church year, too. Unlike a calendar year, the church year begins with the season of Advent. Advent begins around the beginning of December, four weeks before Christmas. The color is blue. Blue symbolizes hope and anticipation. It helps us remember what we're waiting for, hoping for to come.

ANNOUNCER: At the same time the color blue sometimes is used to talk about feeling down; the idea that maybe something important is missing.

SELTZ: That's the idea. Colors express feelings and ideas as well.

ANNOUNCER: And it's important for us to say that the church has always appropriated the fullness of the arts and of music all as part of its witness to the beauty of God's message of hope for the world in Jesus Christ.

SELTZ: That's true. So the colors mark seasons, emotions, feelings, ideas. I'm not sure what kind of church we would be if there wasn't beautiful music, beautiful art, windows that glow with the message of the Gospel, and the colors that surround us as we hear the Word of God, celebrate it, receive Baptism and the Lord's Supper. God's gifts do make the world a more beautiful place, so why not have some color to celebrate that, right?

ANNOUNCER: Right, and it brings us back now to the season of Lent.

SELTZ: Yes. As I've said, Lent is the color purple, a time of repentance and self-examination as believers prepare for the coming Passion of Jesus who suffered and died for our sins. It's a time when the church thinks long and hard about life, its purposes, and the Lord who came to bring that life to us abundantly as the suffering Servant for all!

ANNOUNCER: In that sense, Lent is preparing us for Easter, and the season of Easter is represented by the color white.

SELTZ: Now you're getting the hang of it, Mark. Yes, Lenten preparation gives way to God's Easter victory, the celebration of the risen Christ, who conquered death and offers His life to us all. So, you see white or you may also see gold during Easter, too, symbolizing the majesty of our victorious Savior over sin, death, and the devil.

ANNOUNCER: All right. So, I'm getting the impression here that the flow of the church year is trying to cover the life of Jesus and marking it with appropriate colors that convey anticipation and fulfillment.

SELTZ: Well said, and it does. The first half of the church year is called "the time of Christ." It proclaims the life of Christ from the prediction of His coming through His birth. It teaches about His ministry and miracles. It walks with Jesus in His suffering, death on the cross, and His resurrection from the grave. Then it tells of His promise to return and His ascension into heaven. After that, the color changes from white to red.

ANNOUNCER: It changes to red on Pentecost Day!

SELTZ: Right, red symbolizing the fire and power of the Holy Spirit for the mission of the church; Jesus through His church by the power of the Spirit. Pentecost Day is the day of the New Testament Church being born. It's also the beginning of the second half of the church year called "the time of the Church."

ANNOUNCER: And that's when the color green takes over.

SELTZ: It does, because it's time to get to work in the life we've been given to live! But, even before that, there is one Sunday all decked out in white, called the Sunday of the Holy Trinity. Before the season of the Church, again we're reminded of the God of the Bible, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, the One who makes all of this life and mission possible!

ANNOUNCER: And these colors help us to remember God's goodness for us in Christ and serve as a way of teaching that to others! Thank you for showing us the meaning of those symbols, Pastor Seltz. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Music Selections for this program:

"A Mighty Fortress" arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.

"O Lord, Throughout These Forty Days" arr. Henry Gerike. Used by permission.

"Go to Dark Gethsemane" From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)

"Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word" From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)

The Lutheran Hour: A New Look ... But the Same Message. Learn More!

Print this sermon	Sign up for LHM news	Daily Devotions
Visit lutheranhour.org	Change my email	Contact Us

subscribe / unsubscribe / visit our website

660 Mason Ridge Center Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63141
1-800-876-9880

Spring ahead 1 hr

Don't forget to set your clocks ahead tonight before you go to bed! See you in the morning for worship at 8:30 or 11 and Sunday school at 9:45!

Thurs. Mar. 6 , 2014

DEVOTION: "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God, my God..." The Story p.122
One of the highlights of my year every year is our youth mission/servant trip! We go to a place that is far enough away from home that the kids get to experience being away from home and all of its distractions and focus on the task at hand whether it be teaching little kids in a VBS as we have done previously, cleaning up after hurricanes or tornadoes, and the many other things we have done.

Part of the experience is the actual trip. It is the getting away from it all to experience new things and new people, and being away from the normal distractions of every day life. On July 6-11 we will be heading up to Lutheran Island Camp in Henning, MN to work with the camp in construction, in witnessing and ministering to the community and some will get to work in the care of horses at their Equestrian camp.

Yet, you don't have to take a "trip" to "Go and make disciples of all nations". Your mission "trip" your "servant event" begins once you step out your door and go to work or school. Your mission "trip" begins once you turn on your computer, tablet, or phone. It begins the moment you come into contact with anyone at all.

People are hurting wherever you go. People need the love of Christ wherever you are! By virtue of your baptism into Christ and the fact that you are a new creation YOU ARE A MISSIONARY!

Ruth was committed to her mother in law wherever she went but most importantly are her words "Your God will be my God." It didn't matter where Ruth lived, whether it was in Moab or Bethlehem. Wherever she lived the one true God was her God!

Realize today that wherever you go, THERE IS GOD! Live as a missionary before Him.

Prayer: Lord God, wherever you go I will go and where you stay I will stay. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me so that I may be your missionary. Amen.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
WEDNESDAY'S QUIZ: What is a kinsman (guardian) redeemer? The closest living relative to the husband of a widow. That relative was responsible for taking care of the widow and her property. Boaz was the closest living relative to Naomi (a cousin to Ruth's husband.)

______________________________________________________________________________

THURSDAY'S QUIZ: What was the name of the other daughter in law of Naomi?

_______________________________________________________________________________

CALENDAR:

Thurs- Alzheimer's Support Group 1pm
Sat- Bible class 4pm; worship 5pm; Set clocks ahead 1 hr for daylight savings time
Sun- worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school and Adult Bible Class (The Story Chapter 9); Elder's meeting noon; Widow's Group at Whispering Pines noon; H.S. Bible Study 5pm at China House Buffet
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND
Acolytes- 8:30- George Pezold; 11- Jacob Nagel
Altar guild- Set up- Terry McKenzie; Clean up- Joanne Hachtel
Greeters- 8:30- Tim and Kathleen Sherman; 11- Steve and Sandy Robine
Communion Assistants- Sat- Randy Sweet; 8:30- Don Turnure; 11- Steve Robine
Lay Readers- Sat- Randy Sweet; 8:30- Lois Boeger; 11am- Jacob Nagel
Sat. Pianist- Barb Dreyer
8:30 Ushers- Alan Hofeldt, Tim Linke, Rich Talbert, Don Turnure

Projectors- Sat- Perricones; Sun- McKenzie, 11- Sam Johnson
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEWS:

ASH WEDNESDAY WAS GREAT LAST NIGHT!!

It was great to see church packed tonight! 144 souls heard God's Word, received Christ's body and blood, praised the Lord, and enjoyed a great night of fellowship! A great way to kick off this Lenten season! I love my church!

A special thank you to the Shermans, McDowells, Jaegers, and Pezolds for providing a wonderful meal for all those people!

_)____________________________________________________________________________________________________

NEXT WEDNESDAY'S MENU AND WORSHIP TEXT:

Chili and all the fixin's, hotdogs, and dessert

Come and hear David's Psalm 32:1-7 "Blessed is the one whose transgression is FORGIVEN!"
___________________________________________________________________________________________

CHILDREN'S EDUCATION INITIATIVE

The Children’s Education Initiative is seeking to place an amendment on the November ballot that would allow people to receive a Missouri state tax credit for donations made to nonprofit corporations that provide funds to improve programs in public school districts, provide scholarships for students to attend parochial K-12 schools, or support special education services for children.

Our first task is to gain sufficient signatures to place the amendment on the ballot for voters to decide. More information and particulars about the amendment are available at www.ceimissouri.org or www.mo.lcms.org. This is a great way to provide tax credits to individuals and companies while enhancing the K-12 education of children in Missouri. Our Lutheran schools would use the foundation monies to provide financial assistance to families, thereby making our Lutheran schools accessible for more children.

More information will be shared on March 9th. If you are a registered voter, please stop by the table in the Welcome Center in the following weeks to sign the petition. You are not voting for the amendment but simply placing it on the ballot so that you and other voters can decide in November.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

LITTLE LAMBS ENROLLMENT IS OPEN FOR ST. JOHN'S MEMBERS AND FAMILIES!!!
There is a $30 nonrefundable registration fee. Students must be 3 or 4 years old by Aug 1. Enrollment for the community will begin April 1. For more info call Lisa Rausch or Karin Klaustermeier.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
PASTOR NEEDS SPONSORS FOR HIS BIKE ACROSS KANSAS!!
I will be biking across part of Kansas, about 250 miles in all, on June 7-9 to raise money for Leadachild.org. Lead a Child is a LCMS recognized service organization that provides funding for kids to attend schools, many of them Christian schools, in third world countries. It has provided A LOT for ministries and missions to help kids who would otherwise have NO EDUCATION in places like Guatemala, Kenya, Uganda, Mexico, and many other places. Please consider supporting me so that we can continue to support children throughout the world! As of January 1, I am also on the board of directors for this organization.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
THIS WEEK: THE STORY: CHAPTER 9 "The Faith of a Foreign Woman"
Come to Bible Study on Saturday night at 4pm or Sunday morning at 9:45 to get all your questions answered and to learn more about Ruth and why she is so important to us today.

___________________________________________________________________________________________
HELP FOR PARENTS TO GUIDE THEIR CHILDREN THROUGH THE STORY
A big part of The Story experience is that the whole family grows together in it as each person in the family reads it, you will all literally be on the same page. yet, it may be hard to get discussion going or to help you get started together. Are you looking for a way to connect with your kids as they and you read The Story together? There's help!

If you click the link below you will find parent pages for all age groups that you can use to connect with your kids at least once a week. Whenever your "together" time is, make it productive. It is a .pdf file of parent pages that goes from lesson one all the way through 31. Check it out and tell me what you think. I think they are excellent!!
https://assets1.mytrainsite.com/501196/the_story_parentpages_weeks1_31.pdf?r=1438

___________________________________________________________________________________________
PRAYER REQUESTS: (If you have a prayer request please reply to this email or call me at 636-359-1061)

FOR NANCY SPINIOLAS who fell and tore a muscle in her arm and had to get 21 stiches in it.

FOR ERNA VAN HORN who was put on hospice care yesterday due to inoperable and untreatable cancer.

FOR WENDELL AND MARY ANN ROEHRS who have decided to move down to the Lake of the Ozarks after losing their home to a fire.

THOSE WITH CANCER, the many among our family and friends who are struggling with cancer.

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING FOR A NEW BABY GIRL TO MARK AND JAYME VESSEL, an "almost" member of St. John's.

COUGAR CLIFFORD, 15 year old who had an accident playing in the snow on Jan 7 and broke his neck. He has undergone extensive surgery and is recovering but is still unable to move his legs.

JONAS BORCHERT, grandson of Don Nolte, as he continues to deal with cancer in his lungs.

DONNA HEITGERD recovering at Scott and Lani Heitgerd's from a broken hip.

Wed. Mar. 5 , 2014

DEVOTION: Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, "We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah."

This is quite a blessing. I don't think we do that enough anymore. We don't bless people. Oh, we say things like, "I will pray for you". or "God bless you.", but we don't bless people. Instead, too often, we curse. We criticize. We bring others down in order that we might, in some way, lift ourselves up.

I like that this blessing was part of a witness. The elders witnessed Boaz doing something very good, very special, something that was directly from the hand of God. Boaz was doing the right thing. He was taking care of Ruth and her whole family. he was doing the upstanding gentlemanly thing. That deserves a blessing!

So often we talk about the way the world is going as though we weren't part of it. We talk about it as though we had no part in it. We need to have a bigger part, and that includes living like Ruth and Boaz, doing the right thing! We also need to honor and lift up those who are doing the right thing, especially our young people. If we want to turn this nation and our own community around we need to be good examples and honor others that are good examples.

Let's be about blessing people today, especially on this Ash Wednesday. Let's turn from our sins and turn to God so that He can lift us up!

Prayer: Lord God, forgive our sins, give us peace, and help us to bless others who are doing Your will and living in Your grace. Amen.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
TUESDAY'S QUIZ: Who were the two sons of Naomi? Mahlon and Kilion

________________________________________________________________________________

WEDNESDAY'S QUIZ: What is a kinsman (guardian) redeemer?

______________________________________________________________________________

CALENDAR:

Wed- ASH WEDNESDAY!! Jonesburg Nursing Home worship 10:30; Warrenton manor worship 1pm; Supper 5:30; Worship 6:30; Choir 7:15pm

Projectors- Sat- Perricones; Sun- McKenzie, 11- Sam Johnson
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEWS:

ASH WEDNESDAY IS TONIGHT!!!! Make plans to attend SUPPER at 5:30 and Worship at 6:30!!!

Our theme is "Forgiveness and Peace in the Psalms"

Come for supper! Our jr and sr hi youth are hosting the dinners!! All proceeds go to help the youth help others and be witnesses to the world!

Menu: Fried chicken and all the fixin's on Ash Wednesday!

___________________________________________________________________________________________

CHILDREN'S EDUCATION INITIATIVE

___________________________________________________________________________________________

CHRISTIAN FAMILY SKATE DAY AT SKATE QUEST IN MONTGOMERY CITY ON SUNDAY, APRIL 6!!
I would like to gather as many FAMILIES together to go roller skating on Sunday, April 6. If we get 20 people or more we can get a group rate of just $5 per skater.

We would all meet there around 1pm and skate as long as we want!

Let me know if you want to participate!!!
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
PASTOR NEEDS SPONSORS FOR HIS BIKE ACROSS KANSAS!!
I will be biking across part of Kansas, about 250 miles in all, on June 7-9 to raise money for Leadachild.org. Lead a Child is a LCMS recognized service organization that provides funding for kids to attend schools, many of them Christian schools, in third world countries. It has provided A LOT for ministries and missions to help kids who would otherwise have NO EDUCATION in places like Guatemala, Kenya, Uganda, Mexico, and many other places. Please consider supporting me so that we can continue to support children throughout the world! As of January 1, I am also on the board of directors for this organization.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
THIS WEEK: THE STORY: CHAPTER 9 "The Faith of a Foreign Woman"
Come to Bible Study on Saturday night at 4pm or Sunday morning at 9:45 to get all your questions answered and to learn more about Ruth and why she is so important to us today.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10 ST. JOHN'S KIDS AND 5 OF THEIR FRIENDS PARTICIPATED IN THE 30 HOUR FAMINE IS THIS WEEKEND!!!

If you see the following kids around town or at church tell them you want to donate to the 30 Hour Famine Fundraiser: Or you can call pastor at 636-359-1061 or stop by church to donate. ALL MONEY RAISED GOES TO FEED STARVING CHILDREN AND HELP PEOPLE SUSTAIN THEIR OWN WAY OF LIVING THROUGH FARMING, EARNING A LIVING, OR FINDING CLEAN WATER SOURCES!!
Cara Klaustermeier
Isabella Linstruth
Ian Brunson
Emily Brunson
Shawn Jaeger
Siera Jaeger
Sam Johnson
Austin Heitgerd
Kailyn Blechle
Conner Figura

Make checks payable to "World Vision"

___________________________________________________________________________________________

HELP FOR PARENTS TO GUIDE THEIR CHILDREN THROUGH THE STORY
A big part of The Story experience is that the whole family grows together in it as each person in the family reads it, you will all literally be on the same page. yet, it may be hard to get discussion going or to help you get started together. Are you looking for a way to connect with your kids as they and you read The Story together? There's help!

If you click the link below you will find parent pages for all age groups that you can use to connect with your kids at least once a week. Whenever your "together" time is, make it productive. It is a .pdf file of parent pages that goes from lesson one all the way through 31. Check it out and tell me what you think. I think they are excellent!!
https://assets1.mytrainsite.com/501196/the_story_parentpages_weeks1_31.pdf?r=1438

___________________________________________________________________________________________
PRAYER REQUESTS: (If you have a prayer request please reply to this email or call me at 636-359-1061)

For PAUL a friend of Dianne Hance, who had a stroke and underwent serious surgery yesterday.

WENDELL AND MARY ANN ROEHRS who lost their home in a fire this past Friday night.

THOSE WITH CANCER, the many among our family and friends who are struggling with cancer.

JAYME VESSEL, an "almost" member of St. John's who is due to have a baby girl on the 17th, but it may come sooner due to frequent contractions.

COUGAR CLIFFORD, 15 year old who had an accident playing in the snow on Jan 7 and broke his neck. He has undergone extensive surgery and is recovering but is still unable to move his legs.

JONAS BORCHERT, grandson of Don Nolte, as he continues to deal with cancer in his lungs.

DONNA HEITGERD recovering at Scott and Lani Heitgerd's from a broken hip.

Fwd: Health Fair

-------- Original message --------

From: Peggy Privett

Date:03/04/2014 12:57 PM (GMT-06:00)

To: Peggy Privett

Subject: Health Fair

***Please post the attached flyer and pass it on to your Friends/Family/Business Associates!!***

Thank you,

Peggy Privett

Warren County Health Dept.

636-456-7474 fax 636-456-4966

Statement of Confidentiality: The information contained in this message may be privileged and confidential and protected from disclosure. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to the sender. Thank you.

Tues. Mar. 4 , 2014

DEVOTION: Now Elimelek, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. The Story p. 120

Sometimes when it rains it pours. I have known many people like Naomi who had their world come crashing down on them. Many have lost all of their family members in terrible tragedies. Others have found out that they or someone they know has an untreatable and/or incurable illness. Still others have lost jobs, gotten divorces, and millions of other things that this cruel world has to offer.

When things like this happen we can go a number of different ways. We can just give up, throw in the towel, and call it a life. We can get angry and bitter at the world and everyone around us. We can have a daily pity party and keep crying "Why me?" Or we can live in God's grace, know that God has a good plan for us, and let Him work it out in our lives.

If I were you I would choose the last one. It is the only one that really works. When we live in God's grace we know that the things of this world will only affect us for a time. If we let it effect us too much our lives turn out awful and we are left with nothing but sorrow and heartache. His grace, on the other hand, is sufficient forever, never fails, and always produces good fruit.

I urge you today, the day before Ash Wednesday, to get rid of all that bitterness, anger, self pity, and regret and lay it at Jesus feet where He will obliterate it forever. It is as far away from you as the east is from the west!

Prayer: Lord God, help me to be reminded of Your faithfulness so that I can reject and shrug off every evil thing the world tries to hand me. Amen.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
MONDAY'S QUIZ: What nationality was Ruth? She was a Moabite.

_________________________________________________________________________________

TUESDAY'S QUIZ: Who were the two sons of Naomi?

________________________________________________________________________________

CALENDAR:

Tues- Quilters 9-2; Bible Study 11:30-12:15

Wed- ASH WEDNESDAY!! Jonesburg Nursing Home worship 10:30; Warrenton manor worship 1pm; Supper 5:30; Worship 6:30; Choir 7:15pm

Projectors- Sat- Perricones; Sun- McKenzie, 11- Sam Johnson
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEWS:

ASH WEDNESDAY, TOMORROW NIGHT, MARCH 5!!!! Make plans to attend SUPPER at 5:30 and Worship at 6:30!!!

Our theme is "Forgiveness and Peace in the Psalms"

Come for supper! Our jr and sr hi youth are hosting the dinners!! All proceeds go to help the youth help others and be witnesses to the world!

Menu: Fried chicken and all the fixin's on Ash Wednesday!

___________________________________________________________________________________________

CHILDREN'S EDUCATION INITIATIVE

___________________________________________________________________________________________

For PAUL a friend of Dianne Hance, who had a stroke and underwent serious surgery yesterday.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "St. John's Group Email" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to stjohnswarrenton+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.

Mon. Mar. 3 , 2014

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).

"Trapped"
March 3, 2014
I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Psalm 32:5
Five-hundred-and-nine million dollars is a lot of dollars.

That's the amount of gold experts estimate is illegally being mined each year in South Africa. Lured by the opportunity of making it rich and keeping everything which is found has proven to be a mighty big temptation for many of the uneducated laborers of that country.

Of course, there are certain risks to illegal mining. For example, what happens if something goes wrong, and you find yourself trapped underground?

That is exactly what happened to a few hundred miners who were stealing from a mine near Johannesburg, South Africa. Realizing their situation, the miners called for help and a few of them were rescued. They were rescued, and then they were arrested.

When the remaining miners found out what had happened to their comrades in crime, they broke off communication with their rescuers. That means they have placed themselves in an untenable situation. Sooner or later these guys are going to have to give in and go topside. Sooner or later they must come out, be arrested, and face some sort of punishment.

The miners must be brought out, or they must be willing to let that mine become their cemetery.

There are no other options for those miners -- just like there are no other options for sinners.

You see, like those miners, humanity concluded we could do much better for ourselves by operating alone. Like those miners, we rejected the Lord's claims on us and, having decided we would be in complete control of our lives, we moved forward. It would have been a great plan if we had been able to pull it off.

May I tell you that in the history of humankind nobody has ever been able to pull it off? Sooner or later our sins will trap us. At that moment there are two directions we can go. We can either decide to stay where we are and die or we can let the Lord save us. Yes, there are many similarities between those miners and the sinners of the world.

Many similarities and one, big difference.

That difference is this: those saved South African miners will be arrested and punished for their sins, but we who repent and are saved by God's grace will find no such penalty awaits us. That's not because there is no penalty, but because that penalty has already been taken care of by our Savior.

Unbelievable! Can you imagine the son of a South African mine owner taking the punishment for these men who had been stealing from his father? Of course not! Still, that is what God's Son has done for us. He has carried our sins and died our death. Now, because of what Jesus has done, our rescue is made without any penalty to us.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I give thanks You have done the unthinkable: You have carried my punishment so I might be forgiven, free and saved. Now I pray for all those who are still captured by sin and living in the dark. Send Your Holy Spirit so they may be brought up and into Your Light. In Your Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour^®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

Print this devotion	Subscribe to this podcast!	Through the Bible in a Year Today Read: Leviticus 15-16; Mark 8:22-38
The Lutheran Hour	Sign up for LHM news
Pastor Klaus bio	Change my email address

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
WEDNESDAY'S QUIZ: How did Delilah take Samson's strength away? She cut his hair
________________________________________________________________________________
MONDAY'S QUIZ: What nationality was Ruth?

_________________________________________________________________________________

CALENDAR:

Mon- confirmation 5pm

Tues- Quilters 9-2; Bible Study 11:30-12:15

Wed- ASH WEDNESDAY!! Jonesburg Nursing Home worship 10:30; Warrenton manor worship 1pm; Supper 5:30; Worship 6:30; Choir 7:15pm

ASH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5!!!! Make plans to attend SUPPER at 5:30 and Worship at 6:30!!!

Our theme is "Forgiveness and Peace in the Psalms"

Come for supper! Our jr and sr hi youth are hosting the dinners!! All proceeds go to help the youth help others and be witnesses to the world!

Menu: Fried chicken and all the fixin's on Ash Wednesday!

___________________________________________________________________________________________

For PAUL a friend of Dianne Hance, who had a stroke and is undergoing serious surgery at 11am today (Monday).

Church is closed

Many roads are ice rinks. I-70 is closed. Church is closed today. Stay home and safe!

Use your free time to meditate on God's Word!

Have a blessed Lord's Day!

St. John's Lutheran Church
Warrenton, MO

The Lutheran Hour: March 9, 2014

Sermon Text for March 9, 2014

The Lutheran Hour: A New Look ... But the Same Message. Learn More!

Spring ahead 1 hr

Thurs. Mar. 6 , 2014

Wed. Mar. 5 , 2014

Fwd: Health Fair

Tues. Mar. 4 , 2014

Mon. Mar. 3 , 2014

Church is closed

My Blog List

Subscribe

Mission Statement

What We Believe

Blog Archive