2015 T3 Men's Retreat Invite


 

2015 T3 Men's Retreat Invite
Register today for the 2015 T-3 Men's Retreat
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It's time to register for the T-3 Men's Retreat 
September 25-27, 2015-- Mark Twain Lake

Dear T-3 Men,
 
The 2015 T-3 Men's Retreat will be held on September 25-27 at Mark Twain.  Information sheets and registration brochures have gone to churches and should be available for pick-up.  Our website at www.t3mensretreat.org has been updated with some new information about this year's program and offerings.  Please mark your calendars and invite friends to join you at the retreat.  Get your registration in now.  The price of $45 has stayed the same and you can even pay using PayPal at the website.  We are getting a six-passenger golf cart through a Thrivent grant to use as a shuttle between the cabins and the dining hall to make it easier for anyone needing a ride.  Our theme this year is "Noah, a Real, Special Man" and I think you will find you will come away from the retreat uplifted and appreciative of God's covenant with His people.
 
Plan now to attend our thirteenth annual retreat and come enjoy the company of other men as we learn and play together.  

In Christ, 
Don Hugo 
T-3 Men's Retreat Committee
dhugo@zionharvester.org

Copyright © 2015 Zion Lutheran Church, All rights reserved.
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3866 S. Highway 94
Saint Charles, MO 63304

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Thursday, July 16, 2015

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). 

 

"
True Treasure" 
July 16, 2015  
Praying man(Jesus said) "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:19-20
The story begins about a month ago in Vancouver, British Columbia.

This story centers around a homeless man who has asked that his name not be shared by the news organizations, which have been telling his tale. The public part of the man's account began when he found a suitcase on the street. Understand, this was not just any old suitcase; this was a suitcase with $2,000 in it.

Now nobody can tell you whether the man was tempted to keep the money for himself.

No, we don't know that, but we do know the homeless man took the suitcase to the police and turned it in. Later on, he explained: it was "the right thing to do." Now that story touched other folks and some of them began to raise money to help the homeless man. More than $5,000 was raised to help give the man a new start.

Now nobody can tell you if that man had a "check list" of the ways that money could be spent.

No, we don't know that, but we do know the homeless man declined the money for himself and asked it be given to a local homeless shelter. They contributors gave him time to reconsider. When they saw the homeless man the next day, he gave them a note. The note reaffirmed his desire to have the shelter benefit from the gift, but the man had now added a request.

He said he would sure appreciate it if someone might help him find permanent employment. By saying that, it shows he understood the old adage: "Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, you feed him for his life."

You know, I wish the rest of the world were as wise as this nameless, homeless man.

Think about it for a moment. We are like that man in Vancouver. We've got nothing. But then the devil and the world walk in and say, "You know, you'd be happy if you owned this or had that or ...." Well, they come up with a million things that are supposed to make us happy.

And those things might do the trick ... for a short time.

But short-term satisfaction is not what we need. Short-term satisfaction doesn't change our circumstance or situation. What we need is something that lasts an eternity. Our happiness, hope and joy in life must be based on a gift that does not tarnish, which can't be lost or stolen.

And that's where the Lord steps in.

He says, "Here is My Son. Believe on Him as your Savior; rely on Him and your life now -- as well as throughout eternity -- will be transformed. Not only will you be forgiven all your sins, you will also have the assurance that the Lord is with you and always listening to you. Believe on Jesus as your Savior and you will have a home in heaven and a seat at the eternal banquet.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant that I have the wisdom to see the contrast between the time-sensitive gifts which are offered by the world and the devil and the eternal blessings which are provided by You, when we are given faith in the Savior. This I ask in His Name. Amen.
 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________
LAST TIME'S QUIZ: 
  Who was Cyrus and where is he first mentioned in Scripture?  King Cyrus of Persia was first mentioned in Isaiah 43:28
 
_________________________________________________________________________________________
TODAY'S QUIZ: Approximately what time period was Isaiah alive?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
CALENDAR:
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL ALL WEEK 5-8pm
Fri- Bible study at Hendershots 7pm
Sat- Worship 5
Sun- Worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school 9:45

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS:  
Acolyte-  8:30- Sophie Tinnin; 11- Jacob Winn
Ushers-  George, Gary, and Ben Hoelscher, and Brent Davis

Altar- Set up- Marilyn Foster and Sue Ruhl; Clean Up- Pam Linke
Communion Assistants- Sat- Dave Winter; 8:30- Steve McDowell; 11- Steve Robine

Greeters- 8:30- Pam and Tom Linke; 11- Marv and Molly Hendershot
Lay readers- Sat- Sandra Perricone 8:30- Steve McDowell  11- Steve Robine
Sat. Pianist- Tim Sherman
Sun Pianist- Doug Walters
Projectionists: Sat- Pam Bueltmann; Sun- Panhorsts
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEWS:

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL  "CROSS F.I.T." WANTS TO SEE LOTS MORE KIDS!! 
Where are all out St. John's kids?  Bring em out tonight for all sorts of fun! Supper is at 5 and fun starts at 5:30!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MISSIONARY AND PASTOR JONATHAN CLAUSING AND HIS FAMILY WILL BE AT ST. JOHN'S THIS WEEKEND. 

He and his family will be leaving to do mission work in Kenya later this Fall.  Come and hear him talk about what kind of mission work he will be doing and ways that you can support and encourage him and his family!
___________________________________________________________________________________________
SEVENTH ANNUAL GOLF OUTING WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 AT COUNTRY LAKES!!!  SIGN UP TODAY!!
 
Cost is $50 per person
 
Format is a 2 TWO person scramble this year. 
 
Registration at 7am
 
Shotgun start at 8am
 
Lunch and prizes at 1pm
 
Holes can be sponsored for $50 each.
 
All proceeds go to benefit our wonderful Little Lambs preschool.
 
Flyers are available on the counter in the narthex for those wishing to participate.
Call Alan Hofeldt at 456-3070 or the church office at 456-2888 to sign up you and 
 
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE HERE AT CHURCH ON TUESDAY, JULY 28!!
Volunteers are needed before the drive to make calls and set up appointments and the day of the drive to help out.  DONORS are also needed of course!  If you can help in any way call 456-2888 to let Marilyn know.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
CALLING ALL BAKERS!!!
If you have never been involved in one of our church activities (and even if you have), here is a new challenge for you!!  There will be a cake/dessert booth at the carnival on September 12!  The carnival will be open from 11am until dusk!  Donations of baked good and workers to man the booth will be needed!!  Desserts needing refrigeration cannot be accepted.  Work shifts will be for two hours beginning at 10am and will go till closing time.  To eliminate many, many phone calls, a sign up sheet has been placed on the narthex where you can volunteer!! 
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DO YOU HAVE A KROGER CARD?  ENROLL IT IN THE COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM!!!
Register online and have it swiped each time you shop. 
________________________________________________________________________________________________
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 event.  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.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PRAYER REQUESTS: 
For DICK PETERSON who is having surgery on his colon this morning in Kansas City.  It was postponed till today due to some chest pains Dick was having.  He is doing better today so they are going forward with the surgery.
 
For DENISE SCHLESSELMANN as she is in the USA for a short furlough and as she travels to gain more support for her mission work.
 
For CORA CLUVER'S DAD, who is recovering from a severe motorcycle accident that paralyzed him from the neck down.  
 
For DAVE AND CAROL KOHRS, who are BOTH on hospice care.
 

For OUR DCE INTERN, KELSEY OVERBECK, that the Lord's will is done concerning her call to a church to be a full time DCE.

 

For WILMA WEIGLE as she continues to deal with the after effects of a severe stroke almost two years ago.  


  




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Larry and Libby Pailer Auction, Sat, Aug 1

 Larry and Libby Pailer are moving and are having an auction to sell most of what's in their house. 
 
It will be Saturday, August 1 beginning at 10:30am. 
 
Go to http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/photopanel.cgi?listingid=2522040&category=0&zip=&kwd= to view the details and picture of many of the items to be sold. 

prayer for Dick Peterson

 Please pray for Dick Peterson as he will be having outpatient (hopefully) surgery on his colon tomorrow. 

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

DEVOTION:  "Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.  I, even I am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.  Isaiah 43:10c-11
 
The search for God continues, or should I say the search to claim that there is no God continues.  Either way, people have always and will continue to try to get rid of God, deny him, exclude him from their lives, claim that he is dead, claim that what he said about himself in the Bible isn't true, and so on and so forth. 
 
For the last few decades at least certain scientists and others have been trying to disprove the existence of God.  There was even a famous Time magazine article that claimed that God was dead.  It was going on way before this though.  Still, as scientists and mathematicians look at the hard facts and the stark probability that our planet and even our universe could've happened by random chance, they are overwhelmed with evidence that it simply cannot be so.  Here is a link to a video that explains it much better than I can. https://www.facebook.com/prageru/videos/909352269107630/
 
The FACT is that there is a God who exists.  Not only does he merely exist, but he is our creator and savior!  He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end, the one, true, and only God. 
 
Best of all, he is not a creator who wants to destroy us, nor does he want to misuse us for his own enjoyment.  He loves us and wants to take care of us forever.  He loves us so much that he sent his one and only son, Jesus, to be our Savior and Redeemer. 
 
He even loves you, poor and miserable sinner that you are, and he wants to have a better relationship with you.  The way to have that relationship is to simply surrender to his will.  Go to him with your weariness and your burdens and he will give you rest.  Go to him with your guilt and he will take it away and give you right spirit and a clean heart.  Go to him with your worries and troubles and he will remind you of his grace and forgiveness. 
 
Don't try to get rid of God, even more, don't begin to think that you don't need him or that he is of no help to you.  Trust in him with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path straight!
 
Let us pray:  Lord, help me to acknowledge you in all my ways so that you may straighten me out.  Amen.
 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________
LAST TIME'S QUIZ: How many chapters are there in the book of Isaiah?  Name three countries that God pronounced judgment against in the book of Isaiah. Arabia, Moab, Assyria, Damascus, Edom, Tyre 
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
TODAY'S QUIZ:  Who was Cyrus and where is he first mentioned in Scripture?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
CALENDAR:
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL ALL WEEK 5-8pm
Tues- Quilters 9-2; Bible Study 11:30-12:15; Trustees working on lights in quilting room 5-7, Trustee meeting 7
Fri- Bible study at Hendershots 7pm
Sat- Worship 5
Sun- Worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school 9:45

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS:  
Acolyte-  8:30- Sophie Tinnin; 11- Jacob Winn
Ushers-  George, Gary, and Ben Hoelscher, and Brent Davis

Altar- Set up- Marilyn Foster and Sue Ruhl; Clean Up- Pam Linke
Communion Assistants- Sat- Dave Winter; 8:30- Steve McDowell; 11- Steve Robine

Greeters- 8:30- Pam and Tom Linke; 11- Marv and Molly Hendershot
Lay readers- Sat- Sandra Perricone 8:30- Steve McDowell  11- Steve Robine
Sat. Pianist- Tim Sherman
Sun Pianist- Doug Walters
Projectionists: ??????
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEWS:

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL  "CROSS F.I.T." HAS BEGUN!!!
Please bring everyone you can!  This is a wonderful opportunity for outreach and to grow FIT in the cross of Jesus!
 
Supper starts at 5 and programming begins at 5:30!!
______________________________________________________________________________________________
TRUSTEES WORK NIGHT TONIGHT
The trustees will be working this evening beginning at 5pm to put new lights in the quilter's room.  They are in special need of anyone who has knowledge of electrical wires and fixtures, but will take anyone who can help!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
LADIES LUNCH TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, AT DENNY'S, AT NOON!
If you haven't signed up you are still welcome to join them, but please call the church office so that they know how many to expect!  456-2888.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
MORE PROJECTIONISTS ARE NEEDED FOR OUR SCHEDULE! 
 
All it takes is a finger to push a button and to be able to pay attention during worship.
 
As much as you all must appreciate having the projection of the worship service up on the wall every week, it won't be able to continue if we can't get people to volunteer just once a month. 
 
The people that are doing it are very faithful and will continue to be, but they are going to get burned out on it if they have to keep doing it every week.  Right now we only have five teams or individuals (three teams for Saturday and two for Sunday) who are doing it and one of them is only here less than half the year. 
 
If we could just get two more teams or individuals for Saturday and two for Sunday at the early service to commit to just once a month, It would be so much better for everyone involved!!
 
Please consider becoming a part of this very important part of our worship service so we can continue to have it for you!!
 
Below is the schedule, simply reply to this email with the dates you'd be willing to help! 
 
THANK YOU!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MISSIONARY AND PASTOR JONATHAN CLAUSING AND HIS FAMILY WILL BE AT ST. JOHN'S THIS WEEKEND. 
He and his family will be leaving to do mission work in Kenya later this Fall.  Come and hear him talk about what kind of mission work he will be doing and ways that you can support and encourage him and his family!
___________________________________________________________________________________________
SEVENTH ANNUAL GOLF OUTING WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 AT COUNTRY LAKES!!!  SIGN UP TODAY!!
 
Cost is $50 per person
 
Format is a 2 TWO person scramble this year. 
 
Registration at 7am
 
Shotgun start at 8am
 
Lunch and prizes at 1pm
 
Holes can be sponsored for $50 each.
 
All proceeds go to benefit our wonderful Little Lambs preschool.
 
Flyers are available on the counter in the narthex for those wishing to participate.
Call Alan Hofeldt at 456-3070 or the church office at 456-2888 to sign up you and 
 
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE HERE AT CHURCH ON TUESDAY, JULY 28!!
Volunteers are needed before the drive to make calls and set up appointments and the day of the drive to help out.  DONORS are also needed of course!  If you can help in any way call 456-2888 to let Marilyn know.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
CALLING ALL BAKERS!!!
If you have never been involved in one of our church activities (and even if you have), here is a new challenge for you!!  There will be a cake/dessert booth at the carnival on September 12!  The carnival will be open from 11am until dusk!  Donations of baked good and workers to man the booth will be needed!!  Desserts needing refrigeration cannot be accepted.  Work shifts will be for two hours beginning at 10am and will go till closing time.  To eliminate many, many phone calls, a sign up sheet has been placed on the narthex where you can volunteer!! 
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DO YOU HAVE A KROGER CARD?  ENROLL IT IN THE COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM!!!
Register online and have it swiped each time you shop. 
________________________________________________________________________________________________
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 event.  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.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PRAYER REQUESTS: 
For MARIANNE LINKE, who went home from the hospital last evening and is recovering from an undiagnosed weakness, dehydration, and severe shortness of breath.  She is doing much better now.
 
FOR THANKSGIVING FOR LIL WINTER, who is doing better than she has in years after successful surgery and recovery.
 
For DENISE SCHLESSELMANN as she is in the USA for a short furlough and as she travels to gain more support for her mission work.
 
For CORA CLUVER'S DAD, who is recovering from a severe motorcycle accident that paralyzed him from the neck down. 
 
For CARA KLAUSTERMEIER, who is recovering from surgery.  She is doing very well. 
 
For DAVE AND CAROL KOHRS, who are BOTH on hospice care.
 

For OUR DCE INTERN, KELSEY OVERBECK, that the Lord's will is done concerning her call to a church to be a full time DCE.

 

For WILMA WEIGLE as she continues to deal with the after effects of a severe stroke almost two years ago.  


  



The Lutheran Hour: July 12, 2015 "In Him!"



-------- Original message --------
From: Lutheran Hour Ministries <lh_min@lhm.org>
Date: 11/07/2015 9:16 PM (GMT-06:00)
To: Jeremy Klaustermeier <revklaus@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Lutheran Hour: July 12, 2015 "In Him!"

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Email Us button greenSermon Text for July 12, 2015 

"In Him!" #82-45

Presented on The Lutheran Hour on July 12, 2015
By Rev. Gregory Seltz, Lutheran Hour Speaker
(Do I Have to Go to Church to Be Saved?)
Copyright 2015 Lutheran Hour Ministries

The Lutheran Hour audio button

 

 

Text: Ephesians 1:3-14

The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians, chapter one: "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he has lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth" (Ephesians 1:7-10).

Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed, hallelujah! Amen.

Did you hear what the Apostle Paul just declared? He said, "In Christ Jesus we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins." The plan of God is to unite all things in Him, in Jesus. That's all things, not some things. Every person, not some elite few. In Him, all is accomplished. Outside of Him, all is still broken, dying, or dead! 

You see, in the opening verses of Ephesians, chapter one, Paul speaks of being in Christ more than eleven times. In Christ. But, what does that mean? What significance does that have for you and me? 

Well, more, much more than you may realize. You know, there's a big difference between being in and being out.

Explorer, Keizo Funatsu, knows that very well. Back in 1990, he was with a team completing the International Trans-Antarctic Expedition. The group was only sixteen miles away from the completion of their 3,725-mile journey. But that's when disaster struck.

Funatsu went outside around four-thirty in the afternoon to feed the sled dogs. He was just heading a few feet outside of his tent. He marked his trail with skis and was certain there was no danger. It was minus twenty-five degrees with only a moderate wind. But in the moments after Funatsu left his tent, the wind picked up and visibility vanished. He found his first ski marker stuck upright in the snow, but he couldn't find the second one. Thinking he wouldn't be outside very long, Funatsu hadn't worn his outdoor gear. But in a matter of seconds, he found himself stuck outside in an Antarctic whiteout.

Being inside and being outside suddenly made all the difference in the world. Being inside meant shelter, warmth and life; being outside started to look like a life-threatening situation at best. 

It was vital for his physical life to be in; inside all was well! Well, Paul says being in Christ, that's what is vital for your life, now and forever. The Bible says elsewhere: "for in him we live and move and have our being'" (Acts 17:28). It also says, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace" (Ephesians 1:7). Also, in 1 Corinthians it says, "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:22).

You see, in Jesus Christ, there is life. In Him, we have the shelter of forgiveness to save us from eternal death. And, dear listener, because of the death and resurrection of Jesus for you, because of His Word of life proclaimed to you today, you can, by faith, be in Jesus Christ as a gift given and as a gift received! Do you know that? Do you believe that? Or, are you still standing outside in a blizzard of hopelessness? Are you overwhelmed by the stinging winds of hurt or failure in this cold world? Take heart today! To be in means everything!

That's something Funatsu learned, at least in this world. He stayed by his skis for ten minutes, hoping the blizzard would slow down. But it got stronger. He tried to find the first ski closer to his tent, but the wind sent him off course. Suddenly, he couldn't find either ski. He started to shout for help, but the wind muffled his voice. He was so close to camp, but he was lost outside!

Funatsu dug through the icy surface. He fashioned a shallow snow cave in order to stay warm. The blowing snow, though, covered him very quickly. He kept shouting, but as darkness fell, he knew he would be outside overnight. Could he survive? Could he hang in there? It wouldn't take long for the cold to overwhelm him, the elements to overpower him.

But, as dawn came, with his feet freezing, Funatsu heard a faint voice crying his name over and over again. People were looking for him, searching for him, to bring him back inside where there was safety, warmth, medicine, and food to survive. He saw one of his colleagues coming right toward him. He was saved! Funatsu said, "I was very happy to see the people looking for me in the blizzard. I felt...love-everyone had watering eyes, crying and wet. I cried, yes, I cried too."

When you are overwhelmed by being outside, on your own, failing in your sins, flailing in your efforts, and broken by all that seems so out of your control, isn't it amazing to hear that help is looking for you? In fact, that's the picture that Paul paints about God. He doesn't just tell you to be in Christ, he says Christ comes looking for you and for me to make that happen. Because of our sin, we disconnect ourselves from the God who loves us. We remain trapped outside of joy, outside of peace, outside of strength, outside of help. Yet the Bible proclaims you have Someone seeking you. God says, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine" (Isaiah 43:1). Your Savior is calling your name, coming all the way to you with His grace, and mercy, and peace. He came to seek you and to save you. He rescues you so you can have life in Him! Being in Him changes your life. 

In Christ, God calls you inside His loving arms, offering you forgiveness and strength for life now and forever.

Being in Christ does mean that you are found by your Savior who is seeking you, with forgiveness for your sins and failures. But being in Christ also means having the power that faith in Him brings; to face the rigors and trials of life with strength and power that only being in Him can provide. You might say, "In Christ you have an eternal buoyancy when life is sinking. In Christ you have a life-giving source of oxygen when life is closing in all around you."

Buoyancy, breathing....just another way to describe the power of being in versus out. But, you didn't have to tell John Capes that. Capes was a sailor on a British submarine during World War II. As the submarine recharged its batteries at the surface of the sea off the coast of Greece, it hit a mine. The explosion rocked the submarine, tore it open, and sent it plunging to the bottom of the ocean. More than 250 feet below the surface, John Capes found himself thrown from his bunk and scrambling to survive. In the pitch-darkness he located a flashlight as his compartment filled with seawater. He dragged any surviving sailors he could find to the escape hatch and he placed an emergency breathing and buoyancy device on them. They clamored into the escape chamber. The depth of the submarine was more than twice the maximum tested depth for the equipment, but Capes had no choice. He opened the hatch and the air pulled him upward through the sea. His lungs felt like they would burst, but soon he found himself being tossed at the surface by the waves. None of his comrades survived, but Capes made it through a disaster in a miraculous way.

John Capes survived because he was in a place where there was life-saving oxygen. In a damaged and disabled submarine, Capes had an escape chamber and a breathing device. In a place where everything was sinking, Capes was in a location inside that provided real escape.

Well, for the things that really matter, the eternal things of God, the Bible declares that Jesus is that inside place of grace and life. It says, "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17). 

In fact, nothing else in the world holds, and protects, and saves like faith in Him; or as Paul says, nothing"will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39). 

Do you find yourself in the middle of a situation that makes you feel trapped? Do you feel helpless in the face of adversity and suffering? Well, dear friend, God is your Refuge and Strength right now. He is your ever-present Help during times of trouble. He is listening to your prayers. He is responding with peace that is even beyond your understanding and circumstances. Most of all, you are not alone. That's the power of faith in Christ. He is with you and will never leave you nor forsake you. Take heart! He will see you through.

John Capes survived the sinking of the sub but he could have still been lost and alone as he bobbed in the rough seas off the coast of Greece. After making his way to shore, he was found unconscious by two fishermen. Remember, this was a time of war and a British sailor was in grave danger in territory occupied by the enemy. But Capes said, "Always, at the moment of despair, some utterly poor but friendly and patriotic islander would risk the lives of all of his family for my sake." In fact, they not only did that for a moment, they gave him everything he needed for a year and a half, until he was finally rescued by a British ship and taken home!

That's just a glimpse of the persevering, sacrificing love that God has made available to you in His Son Jesus Christ. Your time of trial may last for a while. It may take some time for you to be brought through your grief and hardship, but you have a God who risked everything for your sake. He sent His One and only Son to deliver you from death. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus show you how serious God is about your rescue. You can take heart in all things when your faith is in Christ!

But there is even more. Your life is not merely a struggle to be overcome; it is an adventure in Christ for others. You and I not only get to receive the blessings of our Savior; we get to share them. Saved, even safe in our Savior's arms, we get to be ambassadors of His hope, His forgiveness, and His grace.

One of my favorite movies is Apollo 13. It recounts the story of a successful failure lunar mission that almost killed three astronauts aboard just after Neil Armstrong's historic walk on the moon. You may remember what happened. As the spacecraft made its way towards the moon, an oxygen tank exploded, damaging the main spacecraft. The three astronauts had to use everything at their disposal to return home safely. But, they weren't alone. Not only did the lunar module encase them with needed oxygen, water, and safety, back on earth, there were teams of experts rallying to chart their course and troubleshoot every obstacle that presented itself to bring them home.

The flight team, led by Gene Kranz, had to devise a plan to use the moon's gravity to bring a broken ship back to earth. Astronauts and engineers on the ground developed procedures to power up the spacecraft with the very last ounce of energy that the ship had, so that the exhausted flyers could reenter the earth's atmosphere safely. And all of this was done under the pressure of time constraints. 

In the day and age before computers, the team used slide rules to determine engineering needed for all of that; then they determined the exact pressure needed to provide a safe scenario for the spaceship's return to earth. The three astronauts, Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise, were in real danger, but even more importantly, they were in very good hands.

Well, today, my friends, so are you. As you make your way through life in this world, you are in good hands in Christ. As you face the challenges of life, no matter what they are, you are in good hands when you put your faith in Him. And, even when you try to share the love of Jesus with your family, or do your best to witness to people at work, or walk in the ways of Christ as you live your life, you don't have to be afraid because He is with you, protecting you, guiding you in all that you do in Him.

God is always working on your behalf and mine. He charted your way home through Jesus who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He equips you with His Word and sacraments. He gives you the gift of prayer so that you can cast all your cares upon Him, receiving His consolation and help. Your gracious God gives you everything you need for this adventure we call life. Paul testified to this gracious provision saying, "The grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 1:14).

Even the love you show and the witness you give, they're not your own works. The Bible says, "For we are [God's] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). 

When life is in Christ by faith, success is sweeter, failure is temporary, and trial is something to be overcome for a greater victory forever with Him in heaven. 

Decades after the Apollo 13 incident, former mission control leaders described what could have been viewed as a total failure as NASA's finest hour. A disaster was transformed into a triumph. 

When you are in Christ, even your failures, even the great disasters in your life, can be transformed by God into spiritual triumphs. The Bible says with confidence, "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28 NIV). You can trust God with your most difficult and devastating experiences. You can depend on God during your most daunting challenges. You can entrust the people you love to God for His mercy and grace. Your Savior God graciously provides you with security for life's adventure as you make your way through it and make His difference in the lives of people around you. 

The cross of Jesus Christ, His brutal death for our sins, at first it looked like a real tragedy; but that was the place of God's finest hour as His Son died to save you and me. The trials we face in this life, the crosses that you and I might bear, can become our finest hour too as God uses your difficulties to bring new life to you and to others. Remember that you are in Him and that changes everything.

What a difference it is to be in Christ. You're not out in the cold. You're not lost and helpless. You're not out on your own, shipwrecked in danger and hopelessness. You're not flying solo in life, out of touch with any help or direction. You are in Jesus Christ. That's God's promise to you today. It's delivered through His living Word proclaimed to you at this very moment. It is poured into your life through His holy baptism. It is made real as the presence of Christ dwells in you through His Supper.

Don't let your sins and straying leave you out in the cold today. Don't let your trials make you believe you are out of God's care. Don't let your weaknesses make you think you're outside of God's plan or purpose. No, dear friend, you have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you! Because of His grace, through faith in Him, you are included in the promise of His forgiveness and His eternal life. You're not on the outside when you put your faith in Him! Listen to God's Word today. Listen and believe it for yourself: "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he has lavished upon us." That's the power to live life now and forever. God bless you!

Amen.






LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for July 12, 2015 
Topic: Do I Have to Go to Church to Be Saved?

ANNOUNCER: Do we have to go to church in order to be saved? That's today's question for Pastor Gregory Seltz. I'm Mark Eischer. People excuse their absence by saying they can find God in nature, while they're fishing or even out on the golf course. 

SELTZ: Now, Mark, I don't know if I can find God on the golf course. Some people see miracles there; I mostly see clear evidence of original sin.

ANNOUNCER: Even so, church attendance isn't necessary for salvation, is it?

SELTZ: It's a great question, but I think it's a bit sad too. Church is something we get to do, not something we have to do. Believers gather to receive Christ's gifts, to encourage one another, to pray. Gathering for worship is not a requirement for salvation; it's a blessing of being saved.

ANNOUNCER: Would you say this question comes from a somewhat wrong understanding of Christianity, as if we need to please God in order to be saved?

SELTZ: That's a great point. For a lot of religions, going to a sanctuary is something you must do to please God. The Bible clearly debunks that saying that "Nothing we do can earn our salvation because we are incapable of even approaching God properly." The Bible says "no one is righteous" (Romans 3:10). "We all sin and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "We are actually dead in our sins and transgressions" (Ephesians 2:1). 

ANNOUNCER: And that's what makes being brought to Christ's church so special, right?

SELTZ: Yes, there you don't just hear about our need, you hear how God graciously solves our greatest problems and offers His salvation and solution as a gift! The Bible says, "God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, He made us alive in Jesus-by grace you have been saved-" (Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV).

ANNOUNCER: So whether it's going to church--or doing anything else that might be perceived as good or godly-that's not going to earn our salvation.

SELTZ: Exactly. Going to church, living a good life, a godly life, are actually results of being saved by grace. We call them fruits of faith. I love how the Apostle Paul outlined this for early believers. In Ephesians 4 and 5, he said, "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." And then I love how he says it this way, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us" (Ephesians 4:31-5:2). You see, a Christian life flows from God's love and Jesus' sacrifice for us. 

ANNOUNCER: In contrast to all other religions, Christianity is not a have-to way of life; it's a get-to way of life. 

SELTZ: And that's another reason we get to gather with fellow believers. We get to encourage one another. We get to receive the gifts of God's Word and sacraments together. 

ANNOUNCER: The book of Hebrews puts it this way: "Let us consider how to stir one another up to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:24-25).

SELTZ: That's a great verse. You hear the get-to emphasis in it. We get to make a difference in other people's lives. We get to meet together. It's important--especially as times get difficult and the day of Christ's return gets closer.

ANNOUNCER: It all highlights the value of being part of a faith community.

SELTZ: I'm glad you mentioned that, too. Let's think a little bit about God's wisdom in creating the church. Remember, the church is not a building; it is the saved people of God through Jesus. In a lonely and isolated world, think about the value of a community founded on God's unconditional love, new beginnings through Christ's forgiveness of sins, and constant strengthening through Christ's gifts. 

ANNOUNCER: All of which we need! 

SELTZ: Yes, think about the value of some Sabbath time--time away from our multi-tasking environment, our always-connected lives--to rest, to be refreshed by the hope, peace, and strength that Jesus provides....and even this, time for prayer, for reflection, for gratitude, and generosity. That's church.

ANNOUNCER: Remembering that Christians are, at the same time, both saints and sinners. That means churches won't be perfect.

SELTZ: No. No church is a perfect place, but it's meant to be a community of new lives in Jesus Christ, receiving God's encouragement, encouraging one another, and we're making an eternal difference in the world in which we live. That's huge. 

ANNOUNCER: So, the answer: by God's grace, we get to go to church. 

SELTZ: Absolutely. 

ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Seltz. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.





Action in Ministry for July 12, 2015 
Guest: Dr. Carol Geisler

ANNOUNCER: You're listening to The Lutheran Hour and next we're going to talk about a hidden treasure and how God brought it back into the light almost 500 years ago. That's all described in a new resource titled: A Treasure Revealed: Martin Luther and the Events of the Reformation, and joining us today is the author, Dr. Carol Geisler. Carol, thanks for joining us.

GEISLER: Thank you for the opportunity.

SELTZ: It's great to have you with us, Carol.

ANNOUNCER: My wife came up with a great description of this booklet. She says it's Luther in a nutshell.

SELTZ: There you go.

ANNOUNCER: Could you tell us, Carol, what does this book cover?

GEISLER: It covers the basic events of Luther's life; his studies of Scripture, his life in the monastery, his lecturing on the Bible. Then it covers his 95 Theses and then the events that really were set in motion by that as he came into conflict with the leadership of the church. And then it follows all the way through his life and the experiences he had. And then a little bit into the events of the Lutheran church and how it began, how it got started, and also, then, a few of his key teachings. That's how it ends.

ANNOUNCER: Very good. Who did you have in mind when you wrote this? 

GEISLER: I was thinking of readers who might be a little unfamiliar with the story of Luther or not know anything about him at all. I used to be a school principal and we often had parents come to our school who knew that Lutheran education was a good thing, but they weren't at all familiar with Lutheran teachings, or probably not even who Martin Luther really was. And I thought the booklet would help people like that, but I was also hoping that, in the story of Luther looking for...in his search for a merciful God, people reading the booklet, that if they were searching for that merciful God, too, they might see something of their own life in Luther's search; and that they might come to know Jesus Christ through seeing what happened and what transpired in his life.

ANNOUNCER: Excellent.

SELTZ: And that's an incredible thing. In fact, what I was thinking as you were talking there, your title A Treasure Revealed; in some sense we're talking about Luther, but what a message. That message compelled him. Why did you choose that title, A Treasure Revealed? 

GEISLER: Well, it's the idea that the treasure of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus, it's always been there. It's always been there in Scripture for us, but it was obscured through some of the teachings of the church at that time, in the 16th century, it wasn't necessarily just that Luther discovered it, it was that God revealed it to him as he studied Holy Scripture. So, in that sense, it was a treasure revealed by the grace of God in his study, in his preparation for his lectures that he came to see that that merciful God had, in fact, found him in Christ Jesus. That's the message that he had to share and the message we have to share. 

SELTZ: That's an incredible thing because even in our work here, we find that people think they're searching for God, they don't realize that God is searching for them with the message that really does hold. 

ANNOUNCER: And it's important to emphasize that the Reformation is not about an innovation in the church, but it's a rediscovery.

GEISLER: Right.

SELTZ: Right.

ANNOUNCER: ...finding that hidden treasure and once again God bringing it to life through the efforts of Martin Luther and others.

SELTZ: And that's the next question too, then, obviously this is about something that happened, but it's still relevant today. And, again, you were already hinting at that as well. Talk a little bit more about that. Why do these ideas and events of the 16th century still matter in the 21st century? 

GEISLER: That search for a merciful God; that is still going on in people's lives. They are still looking for answers. They're still hungry for...maybe they're looking for a kind of spirituality. Maybe they don't even know what they are looking for. But, God is still searching for them and so the teachings that Luther discovered that he saw revealed in Holy Scripture are the teachings that people need to hear today...that Jesus is still the Good Shepherd looking for the lost and that He is still the merciful God that people need to know.





Music Selections for this program:

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

"Jesus, Priceless Treasure" From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)

"Almighty God, Your Word Is Cast" From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)

 

 

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Sign Up for St. John's Little Lambs Golf Tournament - August 8

Welcome Friends and Past Participants.  Thank you for your past participation in our annual golf tournament benefiting Little Lambs Preschool.

This year's outing is coming up fast!  Only a few weeks remain until Saturday, August 8, when we will tee off once again at Country Lake Golf Club in Warrenton, MIssouri.  

In the past, it seems that many folks have had trouble fielding a 4-man team, so this year we will be trying out a 2-man format to make it easier for you.  Of course, we encourage you to recruit as many players as you can - friends, family, spouses -  the more the merrier and support for the cause!  If you wish to be paired up on a tee-box with another team, just let me know and I'll try to arrange it.  We have also lowered the entry fee to ONLY $50 per player and that includes lunch.

More details are on the attached file with entry flier and directions to the golf course. My email list may not be complete, so feel free to forward this to others who may be interested.  Contact me if you have any questions.  We look forward to having you join us on Saturday, August 8.

Alan Hofeldt
Event Coordinator
636-456-3070
alanhofeldt@yahoo.com