St. John's Lutheran ChurchWarrenton, MO

Fwd: The Lutheran Hour: March 29, 2015

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From: Lutheran Hour Ministries

Date:03/28/2015 9:15 PM (GMT-06:00)

To: revklaus@hotmail.com

Subject: The Lutheran Hour: March 29, 2015

Sermon Text for March 29, 2015

"Show Me" #82-30

Presented on The Lutheran Hour on March 29, 2015
By Rev. Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
(Unclean)
Copyright 2015 Lutheran Hour Ministries

Text: John 19:17-18

Christ has died and Christ has risen. The suffering Servant who gave His life for our salvation is the Lord we proclaim. The risen Redeemer, who conquered death is the Savior whose praises we sing. God grant Christ crucified and risen live in us all. Amen.

Near the geographical center of the U.S. of A. sits the state of Missouri. While some may dismiss Missouri as being just one of many "fly over states," the people of that state take considerable pride in their history, their accomplishments, and their unofficial motto, "THE SHOW ME STATE." Now if you ask them, "How did you get that name?" they will reply, "We don't exactly know"; and they don't. The explanation I like best dates back to1897. It was in that year that Missouri sent Willard Duncan Vandiver to Washington D.C. to serve as their Congressman. With more than a passing physical resemblance to Mark Twain and because he could turn a phrase as good as any, Duncan soon made his mark in the nation's capital. In short, he was selected to serve on the prestigious U.S. House Committee on Naval Affairs and was asked to be one of the Speakers at Philadelphia's Five O'Clock Club.

According to the story, Duncan disagreed with the accuracy of one of the speakers who had preceded him. When it was his turn to address the group, Duncan got up and began this way: "I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me."

Now the only reason I bring this up is because, in recent decades it seems as if everybody is an honorary citizen of Missouri. That's, because every one of us says, "You have got to show me." It's true, you know. People have become quite skeptical and more than a few are downright cynical.

People want proof. They want proof that our globe is warming. They want proof that Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. They want proof and until they get that proof the official explanations will be doubted, disregarded, derided, and denied by significant numbers of our neighbors... and maybe by us.

Now there is a simple reason most of us are wary of putting our trust in anyone or anything; there is an easy explanation as to why so many of us have become doubting Thomases. That simple reason is this: so many of the people and institutions whom we were once certain we could trust have bent, folded, spindled, and mutilated the truth. They have put a spin on things which should have been unspinnable; they have stretched the truth like it was a funhouse mirror.

Sure, we expect advertisers to make their claims. Still, not every toothpaste can make our teeth the whitest; not every laundry soap can make our shirts the brightest; not every insurance company can be the cheapest, and not every car can be the greatest. We expect politicians to present their own personal political philosophies, but when will we hear one of them get up and honestly confess, "I'm sorry for what I said and the things I did. I was wrong"? But the reason for our lack of trust goes deeper. How can we trust when our nearest and dearest friends betray us and reveal our secrets? How can a man or woman learn to trust again when they find the love of their lives has deliberately broken their marriage vows; has trampled on the trust which had so lovingly been given?

No, I can understand why you might join with the folks from Missouri and adopt "Show me!" as your unofficial motto. I can understand why, before you believe anything or trust anybody you want to see proof; absolute, unassailable, unqualified, unreserved, unconditional proof. My friends, you have a right to feel that way about many things; but that list of 'many things' should not include Jesus. Yes, I know it's frightening to see the seamy, sad, sorrowful, sinful sides of so many influential pastors and priests. Still, because Jesus' disciples have their flaws and failings, you should not give up on the possibility of being given or believing in Divine truth. Do not join the ranks of those who have concluded that one god, if there is a god, is the same as any other; and one religion's set of beliefs is just as good, or just as bad, as any other.

Does what I'm saying sound familiar? Is it possible that this doubting, show-me attitude is something you've heard from a dear friend or close family member? I wouldn't be surprised. Just recently I received a very short letter from a young man. Having accidentally heard a Lutheran Hour broadcast, he felt compelled to write, and I'm quoting his entire letter: "Dear Pastor Klaus, you began your sermon with the words: "Christ is risen!" Well, Jesus didn't rise from the dead, because when His followers placed Him in His tomb, He wasn't dead." Now this fellow is hardly alone in his beliefs. There are many others who, over the years, have told me they believe the same.

Their beliefs are sincere and heartfelt. Some of these folks have even added, "I wish I could believe differently, but I can't." They tell me, "I can't believe because we have only one book which says what happened to Jesus. Along with that, we have to recognize back in those days medicine was really primitive. I think it is quite possible that the Romans, who crucified Jesus, were wrong. I think Jesus was alive when they put Him in His borrowed grave. I think He revived and when He got out of that grave, people naturally thought He had risen from the dead."

So there you have it, my friends. Before you are two, diametrically opposed positions. The doubters have their truth which says, Jesus didn't die on a cross and Christians have their truth which holds the Savior "suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried." No matter how you try, the bottom line is this: one of us is right, the other is wrong. And while many arguments can be avoided by agreeing to disagree, that is not the case here. There is simply too much at stake for believers to say to unbelievers, "No big deal, you believe what you want and I'll believe what I want and nobody will be the worse for it." No, Christians can't do that because, if we're right... if Jesus really did conquer death through His unprecedented resurrection, then we can be sure that He is God's Son, the Savior of the world. We can be sure that all who believe on Him as Savior will be forgiven of their sins and rescued from damnation; but we can also be sure that if someone doesn't believe in the Christ as his Redeemer, he remains condemned.

All of which leads me to ask, "Is there anything that I can say to those who are demanding, "Show me"? Well, to be honest, I wouldn't have asked the question if I didn't have a few answers which may be of help to you who need to be shown why I believe Jesus was dead. The first reason I have is the Roman mindset. People who were crucified were slaves or came from the lower segments of society. When someone like Pontius Pilate condemned a person to the cross, they died. They died publicly and they died painfully. The thinking was: "Hey, everybody, take a good look at this cross. This is what happens when you mess with us and disobey our laws." To let a crucified person live would be completely counterproductive to what the Romans were trying to accomplish.

Here's reason #2. While the Romans didn't invent crucifixion, they did it so often, that it almost became an art form for them. When the rebellion of Spartacus the Gladiator was put down in 71 B.C., some 6,000 slaves were crucified along the road between Capua and Rome. None of the 6,000 survived. In 3 B.C., after a rebellion in Judea, the Roman procurator Quintilius Varus crucified 2,000 people. None of them survived. When Jerusalem was besieged in the year 69 A.D., the Romans ran out of wood because they were crucifying as many as 500 people a day. None of those many hundreds lived. Indeed, I know of only one man who ever survived the cross and that was because the Roman general ordered that he should be taken down.

Do you need to be shown proof why Jesus was dead? Fine. Here's another proof. The Romans used professional soldiers, often a four-man execution squad, to crucify those who were condemned to death. If those soldiers bungled the job and the condemned managed to survive, the soldiers lives would have been forfeit. Tell me, if you had been a Roman soldier, would you have slipped up? I don't think so.

But there are other reasons you can be sure Jesus died that day on a cross. Whenever Hollywood shows Jesus being crucified, they have Him suspended, hanging peacefully on a cross about thirty feet in the air. That's usually not the way it was. The Romans were a practical people. Those soldiers didn't want to climb a ladder just to crucify someone. No, they merely took the wooden crosspiece of the condemned, lifted it up, and attached it, and him, to an upright which was permanently set into the ground. In all probability those soldiers could almost look the dying person in the eye.

They most certainly could see the individual move; and the crucified did move. Sometime try hanging onto a chin-up bar for a long period of time. You will find it is very difficult to breathe. It was the same for a person being crucified. To get some air he had to push up on the nails which had been pounded through his feet and pull up on the nails hammered through his wrists. Of course, doing that is incredibly painful and the position is hard to maintain. Eventually the crucified would slump back down. Then the process would be repeated. Up and down. Up and down. Finally the crucified no longer had the strength or willpower to push up and he would die of asphyxiation. And if that person took too long in his dying, the Roman soldiers would simply hasten the process by breaking the legs of the condemned. Without the use of his great leg muscles the crucified person had to use his arms alone. Soon those muscles would give out and death would come. All this the soldiers could monitor from their up close, ring-side seats.

Yes, Jesus died on the cross of Calvary. And if you think that medicine was too primitive to measure the arrival of death, then you should know that John, one of the eyewitnesses who was there that day, reports that when the Romans speared Jesus' heart, 'at once there came out blood and water.' I encourage you to go to a coroner or a pathologist and ask him what it means when "blood and water" comes out of a corpse. I can tell you what he will say. He will tell you that means a person has been dead for a while. You see, as long as your heart is beating, your blood's clear serum and the red corpuscles are mixed. But when your heart stops, the heavier red cells settle out. In other words, Jesus was dead, and He had been dead for a while.

And for those of you who think the Bible is the only book which reports Jesus' death, not so. The Jewish Talmud says, "On the eve of the Passover Yeshu [Jesus] was hanged [or crucified]. ... Since nothing was brought forward in his favor he was hanged on the eve of Passover." Ulla, who lived in Palestine at the end of the third century wrote, "And do you suppose that for (Yeshu of Nazareth - Jesus of Nazareth) there was any right of appeal? He was a beguiler, and the Merciful One hath said: "Thou shalt not spare neither shalt thou conceal him."

But there's more. In his Annals, the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus said, "Christus ... was executed at the hands of the procurator Pontius Pilate." Another ancient historian, Lucian of Samosata tells us, "(Christ was) the man who was crucified in Palestine." Then there is the Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus who said Jesus was 'a wise man...a doer of startling deeds... (who) gained a following both among many Jews and many of Greek origin. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him. And the tribe of Christians, so named after him, are not extinct at this day.'

So there you have it. I have shared all of these arguments to help those of you whose hearts are saying, "Show me!" I have done so not to drag you into a logical acceptance of Scripture, but so you may see there is a great deal of weight to the Bible's truth which speaks of Jesus' crucifixion. Time does not allow me to explain how Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection were prophesied 100s of years before He was born in Bethlehem. Time has not allowed me to tell you how, during His life, He did miracles which only God's perfect Son could do, nor was I able to tell you how He resisted every sinful temptation which Satan laid before Him and how Christ lived a perfect life on our behalf.

No, I have concentrated this message on the importance of Jesus' death. But there is one thing which must be said before this message concludes. It begins with the great evangelist, Dwight L. Moody, who began a series of meetings in Chicago. The first Sunday night, October 8, 1871, Moody spoke to a great crowd. He covered the story of Jesus' passion right up to the Savior's trial before Pilate. As Moody came to the end of his message, he turned to Matthew 27:22, where Pilate asked the Jerusalem crowd, "What shall I do then with Jesus, who is called Christ?" Moody concluded his message with the words, "I wish you would take this text home with you and turn it over in your minds during the week, and next Sabbath we will come to Calvary and the cross and we will decide what to do with Jesus of Nazareth."

Speaking in later years, Moody called that conclusion to his address, 'the greatest mistake' of his life. That's because, even as the soloist was singing the final hymn, "Today the Savior calls, for refuge fly, the storm of justice falls and death is nigh,' the Chicago fire engines began to sound on the street as they made their first contact with the great Chicago fire. At the end Moody's hall was in ashes and over 1,000 people had lost their lives. Moody never saw that congregation again, and, doubtlessly some of those to whom he spoke on that Sunday night died in that blaze.

Well, I will not repeat Moody's mistake. The audience size of The Lutheran Hour means that this will be the last message about Jesus that some in our listening audience will hear. By this time next week, on the Sunday when the church celebrates the Savior's glorious resurrection, you will have breathed your last and those you leave behind will mourn you. That is why this sermon will not end without me saying, "Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and He needs to be your Savior, too. Jesus came into this world and dedicated His entire life to the process of saving you. By God's grace, and His omnipotent power, Jesus shouldered every sin you have committed and carried those sins to the cross. There, when He was crucified, your sins went with Him. When He willingly gave up the ghost, those sins died and so did their condemnation. Now there is forgiveness, complete and clear, for all who are brought to faith by the Holy Spirit.

My friends, do you need me to show you that Jesus has died and risen? If so, I encourage you to look to Scripture and hear Thomas, the disciple who, when confronted with the truth of a living, death-conquering Jesus, gladly proclaimed, "My Lord and my God." Look to the Apostle Paul who once had been a persecutor and murderer of Jesus' followers. Paul was struck down by the vision of the risen Lord and then raised up to proclaim, "it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead" Acts 17:3 (ESV). If you have never considered the truth that Jesus wants to be your Savior, do not let this day end as it has begun. The Savior lives and because He lives, you can, in faith, live also.

To that end, if we can be of help, please call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.

LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for March 29, 2015
Topic: Unclean

ANNOUNCER: Now Pastor Ken Klaus responds to questions from listeners. I'm Mark Eischer.

KLAUS: And a good day to you, Mark. I see we have a topic here I don't think we've ever touched upon before. I'm, if you'll excuse the expression, all ears.

ANNOUNCER: Well, that's good because this topic deals with musical instruments. It concerns an incident that happened many, many years ago; but I think it also speaks to some issues we find in churches nowadays.

KLAUS: What's the background?

ANNOUNCER: When our listener was a college student, he played in a musical group that went around to various churches to play in their worship services.

KLAUS: You have a man who is using his talents to praise the Lord. No problem so far.

ANNOUNCER: One Sunday they were setting up to play and the pastor of the church came out to greet them and told them they could play all their instruments except for one. He told them they could not play the saxophone.

KLAUS: With apologies to Cannonball Adderley and Charlie Parker, the saxophone has not always been my favorite instrument either.

ANNOUNCER: But that wasn't the issue. The pastor said they could play any other instrument they wished, but not the saxophone. That was strictly off limits, and why do you suppose that was?

KLAUS: Because the pastor had once been bitten by a rabid sax player? I can't guess.

ANNOUNCER: No, the pastor said the saxophone was a dirty instrument.

KLAUS: A little Brasso, a clean cloth would fix that.

ANNOUNCER: That's not what he meant by dirty. Have you ever heard anything like this before?

KLAUS: Well, I thought I had heard just about everything, but this is new to me. Normally here on The Lutheran Hour we try not to second guess pastors in their decisions. On this occasion, I think I can go way out a limb and say that to the best of my knowledge, the Bible doesn't condemn the saxophone or call it a dirty instrument.

ANNOUNCER: Why can you make such a bold statement?

KLAUS: Two reasons. First, I don't know of any instrument that the Bible has designated as being dirty or inherently sinful. The second reason, I'm pretty sure the Bible doesn't condemn the saxophone because the saxophone wasn't invented until 1840; long after the Bible was written.

ANNOUNCER: So where does this ban on saxophones come from?

KLAUS: I'm just guessing, but I think the pastor was probably trying to fend off the sounds of any modern music in his church. Brass instruments would have been Biblical, even some percussion, and even some reed instruments are mentioned in Scripture. But a saxophone has a sound which is absolutely unique and definitely is connected with our modern age and certainly not a more traditional time.

ANNOUNCER: And keeping in mind, this incident happened many years ago. At that time I believe the saxophone was primarily associated with jazz and raucous rock and roll; so the pastor probably was concerned about the negative connotations it might evoke.

KLAUS: A modern equivalent might be the use of heavily distorted electric guitar, or rap, or hip hop that the listener might associate those things with negative images and messages from the culture at large.

ANNOUNCER: Could it also be the pastor was just making up rules where Scripture is silent?

KLAUS: You mean was he treading a bit on Christian freedom? Yes, that could be. Pastors must always be on guard against making up rules at times when the Lord is silent. We should not create legal burdens for others in areas where the Lord has not spoken.

ANNOUNCER: Sort of what St. Paul was getting at in 1 Corinthians, chapter 8, when he talked about eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. He said we shouldn't let our freedom become a stumbling block for others.

KLAUS: And the Lord said the same thing to the Apostle Peter when he let down a sheet. He said, "Don't make unclean that which I have made clean." It could be too, Mark, that the pastor was taken somewhat by surprise and he was afraid a saxophone in the service might cause some eyebrows to be raised. So, the pastor just avoided problems all together by just keeping the saxophone out.

ANNOUNCER: How would you sum all of this up for us today?

KLAUS: I think the pastor could have declined to have a saxophone play at his church for any number of reasons; perhaps because it might have drawn attention to itself and gotten in the way of the message, or because he hadn't prepared his people; but he shouldn't have forbidden it on the grounds that a saxophone is a dirty instrument.

ANNOUNCER: I suppose it's like a lot of things God has created for our use. They are not inherently sinful in and of themselves, but they could always be used for sinful purposes.

KLAUS: And Christ has redeemed them and us.

ANNOUNCER: Important to keep in mind. Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Music Selections for this program:

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

"Cross of Jesus, Cross of Sorrow" arr. Henry Gerike. Used by permission.

"All Glory, Laud, and Honor" From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)

"Sing, My Tongue, the Glorious Battle" From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)

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Thursday, March 26, 2015

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

"The High Priestly Prayer"

March 26, 2015

"When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You'" (John 17:1).
Read John 17.
Jesus has finished His Last Supper and offers a special prayer before leading His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. We call it the High Priestly Prayer because Jesus our great High Priest offers prayers for Himself, His apostles, and all who believe in Him.

Jesus first prays that God the Father would glorify Himself through Jesus' coming death. The Roman cross was never connected with glory; it was a symbol of shame and dishonor. St. Paul would call it a "stumbling block to the Jews" and "foolishness to the Gentiles" (1 Corinthians 1:22). The Jews stumbled over the idea that God would let His own Son suffer and die on a cross, rather than sit in glory on a throne. The Gentiles thought it foolishness that you could receive salvation through someone else's execution.

Jesus prays to His Father to keep His eleven disciples in His Name. He is about to leave this world, so He asks the Father to keep them in faith, that believing they may share the one true Gospel, which brings salvation by God's grace through faith for Jesus' sake.

The final part of Jesus' prayer touches us, and all who have heard and believed the words of the apostles. May we glorify Him by trusting in Jesus as our only Savior from our sin and death, and tell others of His great and incomparable love.

THE PRAYER: Lord God, as You glorified Your Son Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection, keep us in Your Name through this true faith, and bless us to share it with all those around us. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

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MISSION STATEMENT:   As the body of Christ, we strive to make disciples of all, focusing on the next generation through growing
UP in God's Word and Sacraments
OUT into the community by caring for physical and spiritual needs
TOGETHER in fellowship to build lasting relationships in Christ.
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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ:     What was the job/responsibility of a Levite? They were the priests and caretakers of everything holy. They were priests among all of the people so they didn't have an allotment of land for themselves. They were to receive a tenth of the land within each of the other tribes.

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Today's QUIZ: What were Eli's son's names and what happened to them?

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CALENDAR:
Thurs- Karate 5:30; Praise band practice 6pm

Fri- Newsletter assembly 9am
Sat- WORK DAY 8-noon; Worship 5pm
Sun- PALM SUNDAY Worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Worship 11; Choir rehearsal 9:45
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WORSHIP WORKERS:
Acolyte- Wed- Jacob Winn; 8:30- Ian Brunson, 11- Kailyn Blechle
Ushers- Wed- Marv Hendershot, Don Luebke, Don Nolte, Dave Callies: Sun- Figura family
Altar- Wed Candles Terry Mckenzie; Sun Set up- Cheri' Hofeldt, Clean Up- Lynn Russell and Elaine Schauer
Communion Assistants- Sat- Randy Fischer; 8:30- Don Turnure; 11- Charlie Figura
Greeters- 8:30- Rob and Julie Schaumberg 11- Dan and Lisa Rausch
Lay readers- Sat- Marcia Sevier; 8:30- Sandra Perricone ; 11- Kailyn Blechle
Sat Pianist- Molly Hendershot
Organist: Melissa Pedersen
Projectionists: Sat- Perricone; 8:30- Terry McKenzie; 11- ??????
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NEWS:

OUR CHOIR BEGINS THEIR SPECIAL CANTATA "Come Walk With Me" THIS SUNDAY, PALM SUNDAY!!

Invite your friends, especially those without a church, to "Come Walk With Us" through holy week!

There is no other week like it in all the church year. It is a wonderful experience as we walk with the disciples and Jesus through Palm, Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday!

Please make every effort to be at St. john's at every worship! You will be blessed!

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STEPHEN MINISTRY NEEDS YOU!!

Stephen Ministry Leadership Training will be held April 12-18, 2015 in St. Louis at a hotel near the airport. If anyone is interested in being part of this ministry, and wants more details, call Joanne Hachtel, 636-745-8711.

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RESULTS OF SPECIAL VOTER'S MEETING

After a presentation by Kent Jacobsmeyer, and a bit of discussion, It was decided by the voters that there would be two committees set up to move us forward in a timely manner with this bulding project. Volunteers are welcome and needed for both committees, but especially the finance committee.

Brief Explanation and duties of committees:

1. Planning Committee

Who/How many? 6-10 voting members

How long? Approximately 3-6 months

What to do? (Scope off work)-- Communicate with members of St. John's to determine what our needs and goals of a building are. Work to develop "Scope off work" that is used to determine if current plan meets our needs or a new plan needs to be developed to meet the current needs of the church.

Attributes of committee members- creativity, communication, ability to network with all members of the church

Outside assistance: Elmer Wind, Wind architecture has volunteered his time to assist in helping the Planning committee develop a proper scope of work and the criteria to look at when selecting an architect.

2. Finance Committee:

Who/how many- 1-3 voting members

Term- beginning to end of project

Task- Provide the voice of fiscal responsibility when determining the building project's needs vs. wants and be the checks and balances when decisions are made where capital is required and expenses are incurred.

Attributes needed- strong fiscal understanding, fund raising capabilities, analytical

Outside assistance, Dennis Klussmann with LCEF has worked with several church in the same situation as we are in now. Dennis can work with us to help us determine the availability of financing as well as general guidelines of Capital Campaign programs.

Both of these committees will begin their work as soon as they can be established and a meeting date and time can be reached.

Please pray for them as they work for the good of the church and as God guides them!

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LAST MIDWEEK LENTEN SUPPER AND WORSHIP Wednesday, SUPPER 5:30; WORSHIP 6:30!!

Menu: Fried chicken, potatoes, corn, rolls, and DESSERT

Worship Theme: "Calling Us Home..... "

Invite your friends and neighbors!! Enjoy some good food, great fellowship, and God's Word all in the span of two hours!!

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CHURCH WORK DAY SATURDAY, MARCH 28 8am-noon!!

The board of trustees needs your help!!

All sorts of work will need to get done! Bring your tools, paint brushes, gloves, and whatever else you may have that would be useful for work!

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FELLOWSHIP REFRESHMENT SIGN UP SHEET NEEDS TO GET FILLED UP!!!
Here's what we have so far:
Mar 29- Erv Yoder
Apr 5- EASTER BREAKFAST
Apr 12- Hachtels
Apr 19- ???
Apr. 26- ???
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ST. JOHN'S YELLOW PAGES
If you didn't get your business card in this month's newsletter get them in to the office for the April newsletter!! This advertising is free to members. Many times members call and ask if there are members who are in a certain business or profession. People would always rather do business with fellow church members when they can.
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DO YOU HAVE A KROGER CARD? ENROLL IT IN THE COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM!!!
Register online and have it swiped each time you shop.
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SAVE THE DATE!!!! OUR FIRST ANNUAL FALL CARNIVAL WILL BE HELD SEPTEMBER 12, 2015!!!
We are looking for ideas for carnival games and also donations of carnival game prizes for the vent. Please donate prizes into the cardboard box in the narthex. Also, if any one has an idea for a carnival game, or a game itself they would like to donate please contact Joanna Hoelscher at 636-485-0635 or Karla Christophene at 314-397-1375.

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TRAVELING FELLOWSHIP GROUP TRIP TO THE CLYDESDALE FARM AND THE JEFFERSON CITY STATE PENITENTIARY ON SATURDAY APRIL 11!!
We will visit the Warm Springs Ranch, World headquarters of the Budweiser Clydesdale OPERATION. After the tour of the ranch and some refreshments compliments of Budweiser, we will enjoy lunch at Settler's Inn. After that we are on to Jeff City for a tour of the historic Missouri State Penitentiary. An ICE CREAM BREAK us scheduled at Central dairy to round out the day. Reservations and tickets have to be purchased so it is NECESSARY that you SIGN UP NOW!!! Complete cost will be determined by number of people going.

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PRAYER REQUESTS:

A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING For DANIELLE MEINE, a senior at WHS, whose cancer seems to be in remission.

For PAM BUELTMANN'S friend ALEX and his family, as his brother passed away on Monday.

For DAVE KOHRS who has stopped receiving chemo treatments.

For BONNIE FRENZIA who is spending some time in Delmar Gardens for rehab.

For John Wehmueller, brother in law of Tony Perricone, who has just been diagnosed with prostrate cancer and will soon begin treatment.

For Brenda Schouten, aunt of Ptony Perricone, who has been treated for a cancerous tumor around her aorta. Although currently being treated with chemo, the tumor has grown about an inch larger than last month.

For OUR CONGREGATION AS WE SLOWLY MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR BUILDING PROGRAM!!

For OUR DCE INTERN, KELSEY OVERBECK, that the Lord moves a congregation in need of her abilities to call her into full time DCE ministry.

Prayer request from Pam Bueltmann

Just received word from Alex that his brother Thomas James Cedillo age 66 passed away yesterday. He was a bachelor, but had sisters and brothers.

Pamb

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

DEVOTION: The people grieved for Benjamin, because the Lord has made a gap in the tribes of Israel. Judges 21:15

Nothing hurts more than when a loved one strays from God.  In the Scripture above the Israelites are mourning because the whole tribe of Benjamin was pretty much destroyed by the other tribes of Israel. They were destroyed because they had completely turned away from God and now they were suffering the consequences of their sins. They had done some awful and terrible things against the other tribes and so the other tribes took vengeance on them.

If you have a loved one, a family member, or even a beloved church member that has turned away from god, I feel your pain. Every day I think of folks who no longer come to church, family members who have turned away from God, and people who because of bitterness, anger or guilt cannot bring themselves to repentance and to turning back to the Lord. It hurts my heart, and I'm sure it hurts God's heart even more. it is heartbreaking.

I want to urge you to not give up hope. Keep praying. Keep caring for and loving that person. Keep doing all that you can do to bring them back into the fold and into faith.

Remember what Jesus has done for you to bring you back, to buy you back! He went all the way to the cross for you!  He died for you!

The good news is that He rose from the dead for you too, so at the end of the day, after all the heartbreak is done, you can fall into Jesus' arms and rest in His grace forever!

Let us pray: Lord, bring back those we love that have fallen from the faith and those who are slipping away. Give us the courage, strength and will to love them and pray for them. Help us all, as a whole church family, to care for those who are on the fringes and those who have fallen away that they may see Your love and live. Amen.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MISSION STATEMENT:   As the body of Christ, we strive to make disciples of all, focusing on the next generation through growing
UP in God's Word and Sacraments
OUT into the community by caring for physical and spiritual needs
TOGETHER in fellowship to build lasting relationships in Christ.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ:     What was the city that was renamed Dan called before the Danites conquered it and settled there?

Judges 18:28-29 The city of Dan used to be called Laish (Thanks Dianne for continuing to be so faithful in answering these questions every day.)

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TODAY'S QUIZ: What was the job/responsibility of a Levite?

_______________________________________________________________________________

CALENDAR:

Wed- Supper 5:30; Worship 6:30; Choir 7:15
Thurs- Karate 5:30; Praise band practice 6pm

OUR CHOIR BEGINS THEIR SPECIAL CANTATA "Come Walk With Me" THIS SUNDAY, PALM SUNDAY!!

Invite your friends, especially those without a church, to "Come Walk With Us" through holy week!

Please make every effort to be at St. john's at every worship! You will be blessed!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

STEPHEN MINISTRY NEEDS YOU!!

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

RESULTS OF SPECIAL VOTER'S MEETING

Brief Explanation and duties of committees:

1. Planning Committee

Who/How many? 6-10 voting members

How long? Approximately 3-6 months

Attributes of committee members- creativity, communication, ability to network with all members of the church

2. Finance Committee:

Who/how many- 1-3 voting members

Term- beginning to end of project

Attributes needed- strong fiscal understanding, fund raising capabilities, analytical

Both of these committees will begin their work as soon as they can be established and a meeting date and time can be reached.

Please pray for them as they work for the good of the church and as God guides them!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The board of trustees needs your help!!

All sorts of work will need to get done! Bring your tools, paint brushes, gloves, and whatever else you may have that would be useful for work!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For DAVE KOHRS who may be stopping chemo treatment today.

For BONNIE FRENZIA who fell several times last Friday and will be spending some time in Delmar Gardens for rehab.

For John Wehmueller, brother in law of Tony Perricone, who has just been diagnosed with prostrate cancer and will soon begin treatment.

For OUR CONGREGATION AS WE SLOWLY MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR BUILDING PROGRAM!!

For OUR DCE, KELSEY OVERBECK, that the Lord moves a congregation in need of her abilities to call her into full time DCE ministry.

For DAVE TINNIN'S MOM, JANE, as she continues to recover from several strokes and seizures.

For WILMA WEIGLE as she is having a lot of difficulty with congestion and possible pneumonia. .

For DANIELLE MEINE, a senior at WHS, a friend to many kids at St. john's, and a rider on Karin's bus since kindergarten, who has a very serious form of cancer.

For DENISE SCHLESSELMANN as she continues to work hard to bring the people of the Czech Republic to Christ. .

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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

DEVOTION: When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother she said, "I solemnly consecrate my sliver to the Lord for my son to make a carved image and a cast idol..... Now this man, Micah, had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some idols and installed one of his sons as his priest. In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. Judges 17:3 and 5

That's not good. You can be sure that when a passage ends with that phrase it's not going to end well, and it didn't. Eventually the tribe of Dan came and overtook Micah and took his silver and his idols and is priest, and he was left with nothing, and now whole tribe had a false priest and false gods.

It's not going to end good for you if you have false gods either. And by false gods I mean anything you hold as more important than the one true God. That includes money, stuff, pride, comfort, etc.   If God were to ask you to give something up for His sake what would you have the hardest time giving up????? MAYBE IT IS TIME TO GIVE IT UP SO IT DOESN'T COME BETWEEN YOU AND GOD!

The other moral of this story is that you can't set up your own religion, a religion that suits only you. If you do it is false. You can't pick and choose what to believe. You can't set up your own priests (pastors). You can't make your own carved images and call them gods. You can't live the way you want to live and how you see fit and call it your religion unless you want a false religion.

You must surrender and submit to Almighty God! You must give in to his will. That's the only way it works. Submit to Him means you say that His will is your will, that what He wants is what you want. Live in that today!

Prayer: Lord, help me to have no other gods but you. Make me get rid of everything that I tend to hold as more important than you. Give me Your will that I may do it. Amen.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MISSION STATEMENT:   As the body of Christ, we strive to make disciples of all, focusing on the next generation through growing
UP in God's Word and Sacraments
OUT into the community by caring for physical and spiritual needs
TOGETHER in fellowship to build lasting relationships in Christ.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ:     What was Samson's dad's name? Manoah (Good job Pam and Dianne)

__________________________________________________________________________

TODAY'S QUIZ: What was the city that was renamed Dan called before the Danites conquered it and settled there?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

CALENDAR:

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

Wed- Supper 5:30; Worship 6:30; Choir 7:15
Thurs- Karate 5:30; Praise band practice 6pm

OUR CHOIR BEGINS THEIR SPECIAL CANTATA "Come Walk With Me" THIS SUNDAY, PALM SUNDAY!!

Invite your friends, especially those without a church, to "Come Walk With Us" through holy week!

Please make every effort to be at St. john's at every worship! You will be blessed!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

STEPHEN MINISTRY NEEDS YOU!!

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

RESULTS OF SPECIAL VOTER'S MEETING

Brief Explanation and duties of committees:

1. Planning Committee

Who/How many? 6-10 voting members

How long? Approximately 3-6 months

Attributes of committee members- creativity, communication, ability to network with all members of the church

2. Finance Committee:

Who/how many- 1-3 voting members

Term- beginning to end of project

Attributes needed- strong fiscal understanding, fund raising capabilities, analytical

Both of these committees will begin their work as soon as they can be established and a meeting date and time can be reached.

Please pray for them as they work for the good of the church and as God guides them!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The board of trustees needs your help!!

All sorts of work will need to get done! Bring your tools, paint brushes, gloves, and whatever else you may have that would be useful for work!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For DAVE KOHRS who may be stopping chemo treatment today.

For BONNIE FRENZIA who fell several times last Friday and will be spending some time in Delmar Gardens for rehab.

For John Wehmueller, brother in law of Tony Perricone, who has just been diagnosed with prostrate cancer and will soon begin treatment.

For OUR CONGREGATION AS WE SLOWLY MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR BUILDING PROGRAM!!

For OUR DCE, KELSEY OVERBECK, that the Lord moves a congregation in need of her abilities to call her into full time DCE ministry.

Monday, March 23, 2015

DEVOTION: The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. Judges 13:24

We see this theme over and over again. A woman is unable to conceive. The Lord, through an angel, visits the woman and promises her a child. The woman has the child. The child grows to become a leader of the people.  Even though the leader always seems to have a flaw, God uses the man to do great things.

So it was with Samson. He was a Nazirite. That meant he was set apart for the Lord's work even before he was born. Samuel was a Nazirite. Elijah was a Nazirite. And John the Baptist was a Nazirite. All were set apart for the Lord's work and all did great things. Yet they were also all humans.

Samson was no different. His fatal flaw was being enticed and attracted to beautiful, yet foreign and unbelieving women. Delilah was one of them.   Delilah was able to get him drunk and cut off all his hair, which was against the Nazirite vow.   When he broke the vow he and his parents had made to God, God's strength left him.

Still, at the end, when he repented, even though his eyes had been gouged out, his strength gone, and doomed for death, God gave him back his strength one last time to do His purpose of defeating the Philistines.

God can use us too! In spite of our selfishness, sinfulness, and many weaknesses; God can work through us to perform His will. The best thing for us to do is simply as Him for the power, strength, and ability to do what needs to be done and then get out of the way and let Him work His power.   How do you think God wants to use you today?

Prayer: Lord, you know my weaknesses and shortcomings, in spite of them, use us to serve you and love others! Help us to stand back and let you work through us. Amen.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MISSION STATEMENT:   As the body of Christ, we strive to make disciples of all, focusing on the next generation through growing
UP in God's Word and Sacraments
OUT into the community by caring for physical and spiritual needs
TOGETHER in fellowship to build lasting relationships in Christ.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ:     Who was Gideon? Gideon was a judge who led Israel in many battles and won, even though they seemed weak and unable to win.

______________________________________________________________________________________

TODAY'S QUIZ: What was Samson's dad's name?

__________________________________________________________________________

CALENDAR:

Mon- Confirmation 5-6:15

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

Wed- Supper 5:30; Worship 6:30; Choir 7:15
Thurs- Karate 5:30; Praise band practice 6pm

OUR CHOIR BEGINS THEIR SPECIAL CANTATA "Come Walk With Me" THIS SUNDAY, PALM SUNDAY!!

Invite your friends, especially those without a church, to "Come Walk With Us" through holy week!

Please make every effort to be at St. john's at every worship! You will be blessed!

__________________________________________________________________________________

A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE WAS HAD BY ALL AT CAMP WINDERMERE THIS PAST WEEKEND!

Thirteen 7th and 8th graders, Gary Hoelscher, Tammy Miller, Kelsey Overbeck, and Pastor went to Camp Windermere where they spent the weekend with 450 other 6-8 graders from around the Missouri District.

All were filled with the Holy Spirit as they sang, listened to speakers, ate lots of good food, and wore themselves out as they had lots of fun at the camp playing basketball, hiking, going to the gift shop, and meeting new Christian friends!

A special thank you to all who have and continue to support this special endeavor to help youth grow in their faith so that they can continue in that faith through adulthood all the way to eternal life.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

STEPHEN MINISTRY NEEDS YOU!!

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

RESULTS OF SPECIAL VOTER'S MEETING

Brief Explanation and duties of committees:

1. Planning Committee

Who/How many? 6-10 voting members

How long? Approximately 3-6 months

Attributes of committee members- creativity, communication, ability to network with all members of the church

2. Finance Committee:

Who/how many- 1-3 voting members

Term- beginning to end of project

Attributes needed- strong fiscal understanding, fund raising capabilities, analytical

Both of these committees will begin their work as soon as they can be established and a meeting date and time can be reached.

Please pray for them as they work for the good of the church and as God guides them!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The board of trustees needs your help!!

All sorts of work will need to get done! Bring your tools, paint brushes, gloves, and whatever else you may have that would be useful for work!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For John Wehmueller, brother in law of Tony Perricone, who has just been diagnosed with prostrate cancer and will soon begin treatment.

For OUR CONGREGATION AS WE SLOWLY MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR BUILDING PROGRAM!!

For OUR DCE, KELSEY OVERBECK, that the Lord moves a congregation in need of her abilities to call her into full time DCE ministry.

For DAVE KOHRS who began chemo treatment last Tuesday.

2 prayer requests from Tony Perricone

I would like to add 2 prayer requests to the list. My brother in law John Wehmueller has just been diagnosed with prostrate cancer and will soon begin treatment. My aunt Brenda Schouten has been treating for a cancerous tumor around her aorta. Although currently being treated with chemo, the tumor has grown about an inch larger than last month. They both need the blessing of Jesus and our prayers. Thank you! The Perricones.

St. John's Lutheran Church
Warrenton, MO

Fwd: The Lutheran Hour: March 29, 2015

Sermon Text for March 29, 2015

"Show Me" #82-30

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Prayer request from Pam Bueltmann

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Monday, March 23, 2015

2 prayer requests from Tony Perricone

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