Daily Email: Thursday, September 29, 2016
"Temptations to Sin"
17 And he said to his disciples, "Temptations to sin[a] are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.[b] 3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him."
"Increase Our Faith"
5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 6 And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."Unworthy Servants"
7 "Will any one of you who has a servant[c] plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and recline at table'? 8 Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and dress properly,[d] and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink'? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, 'We are unworthy servants;[e] we have only done what was our duty.'"
Did you notice that command from Jesus? " ...and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him." How many of you would do that? Seven times, the same sin, the same day. You'd begin to question the person's sincerity, wouldn't you? I know I would. Yet, Jesus doesn't say anything about judging a person's sincerity. And the truth is, we can't see into a person's heart. We don't know what a person's heart really looks like.
At the same time, we are to have the mind and heart of Christ. How many times do you sin against Christ on a daily basis? How many times does he forgive you even when you don't repent, even when you don't ask for it? HE FORGIVES YOU COMPLETELY.
And another thing... Don't we say in the Lord's Prayer, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us"? If we want Christ to forgive us completely and totally, shouldn't we be willing to forgive completely and totally as well?
Note that Jesus isn't saying that there is a limit to his forgiveness. He isn't saying that on the eighth time we can withhold forgiveness. When he uses the number 7, or 70 times 7 as he says in another place in the Gospels, we can be sure that he is talking about total, complete, and unending forgiveness.
Lastly, this is not a suggestion, it's a command. We are his servants and he is our Lord. We do what he says, and when we have done all that he has commanded, we have no business going to him expecting his favor or anything extra. We can't even expect everything to go well with the person we forgive. All we can expect is that, at the end of the day, we can say, "We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty."
Let us pray: Holy Spirit, give us the strength and ability to forgive and keep on forgiving as Jesus commanded to. Amen.
______________________________________________________________________________________
CALENDAR
Thurs- Karate 6-7:30; Lutheranism 101 6pm
Sat- Oktoberfest 4-10pm; Worship 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Chapel 11; Holy Yoga Workshop 3-5pm
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Loren Howard 11- Savannah Masters
Ushers- Dave Winter, Gary Scott, Larry Schulze, Scott Schulze
Altar- Set up- Don Hance; Clean Up- Sandy Robine
Elders- Sat- Randy Sweet; 8:30- Jason Cluver; 11- Charlie Figura
Greeters- 8:30- Lew and Dianne Feldkamp; 11- Mike and Naomi Johnson
Lay Readers- Sat- Marcia Sevier; 8:30- Tim Linke; 11- Karen Benton
Piano- Sat and Sun 8:30- Barb Dreyer; 11am Molly Hendershot
Organist- (No organ this weekend)
Projectionists: Sat- Toni Mauch; 8:30- Terry McKenzie
________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: What time of the year is the month of Kislev?
If you can help with any of these call Kelsey at 573-803-7826 or reply to this email, and I will forward the info to her.
Daily Email: Wednesday, September 28, 2016
"Greeting"
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus,
2 To Timothy, my beloved child:Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
"Guard the Deposit Entrusted to You"
3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to[a] a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,[b] 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.[c] 13 Follow the pattern of the sound[d] words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
Some people are always downers. They like to share the bad news. They want to be the ones who are "realistic" and tell it like it is, but they don't ever do it in an encouraging and loving way. Do you like to be around those types of people? I know I don't. I like to be around people who tell the truth, but do it in love. I like to have people around me who encourage me in spite of the circumstances.
Paul is an encourager. He doesn't sugarcoat things. He tells things like they are, but he is also sure to tell things how they really are about Jesus and about faith in him. In this passage he is encouraging Timothy, a pastor, to keep on dong what he's doing, to not be ashamed of the Gospel, to guard the good deposit entrusted to us.
He also tells Timothy that there will be suffering, that there will be pain, but that we should fight through it and push toward the finish line.
I encourage you to be encouragers today! I encourage you to keep fighting the good fight of faith! I encourage you to finish the race. Grab hold of that peace that passes all understanding. Grab hold of that eternal life to which you were called. Grab hold of Jesus and don't let go!
Jesus loves you and so do I!
Prayer: Lord, make us to be a church that is full of love and peace, a church that encourages and tells the truth in love. Amen.
______________________________________________________________________________________
CALENDAR
Wed- Worship at Oak Pointe 10am; Choir 7pm
Thurs- Karate 6-7:30; Lutheranism 101 6pm
Sat- Oktoberfest 4-10pm; Worship 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Chapel 11; Holy Yoga Workshop 3-5pm
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Loren Howard 11- Savannah Masters
Ushers- Dave Winter, Gary Scott, Larry Schulze, Scott Schulze
Altar- Set up- Don Hance; Clean Up- Sandy Robine
Elders- Sat- Randy Sweet; 8:30- Jason Cluver; 11- Charlie Figura
Greeters- 8:30- Lew and Dianne Feldkamp; 11- Mike and Naomi Johnson
Lay Readers- Sat- Marcia Sevier; 8:30- Tim Linke; 11- Karen Benton
Piano- Sat and Sun 8:30- Barb Dreyer; 11am Molly Hendershot
Organist- (No organ this weekend)
Projectionists: Sat- Toni Mauch; 8:30- Terry McKenzie
________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Name a vision of Zechariah and what it meant.
Thanks Pat!
If you can help with any of these call Kelsey at 573-803-7826 or reply to this email, and I will forward the info to her.
Daily Email: Tuesday, September 27, 2016
1 The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.
"Habakkuk's Complaint"
2 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
and you will not hear?
Or cry to you "Violence!"
and you will not save?
3 Why do you make me see iniquity,
and why do you idly look at wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
strife and contention arise.
4 So the law is paralyzed,
and justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
so justice goes forth perverted.
2 I will take my stand at my watchpost "Write the vision; 4 "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
In this reading for today, Habakkuk is fed up with what he sees. He sees destruction. He sees the world falling away from God. He sees trouble everywhere. "Justice never goes forth."
Sound familiar? All we need to do is watch the news and we can see the same things Habakkuk saw. There is indeed nothing new under the sun. Since Adam and Eve first sinned there has been strife and war. There has been a sense of injustice. There has been wrongdoing that we have had to see. Back in the 1930s and 40s it was Hitler and the Third Reich, before that it was Stalin, before that, in our own nation, it was a civil war. I could go back from generation to generation and you would see that this world has been falling apart since the beginning. It will, indeed, be brought to a wretched and complete end.
As soon as you start holding on too tightly to the world, you will be deeply disappointed, full of distress and frustrated. You will become full of grief like Habakkuk seems to be in the beginning of his prophecy. If you are looking for relief in the world or for God to take over and make everything perfect, you are going to have to wait till judgment day.
We can mourn, complain, and be bitter about what is going on in the world. That's a pretty miserable life isn't it.... or we can live by faith.
Living by faith is much more than just knowing that you will go to heaven when you die. That's a big part of it, but it's not the total of it. Living by faith means knowing that God is in control even when it seems as though He isn't. Living by faith means knowing that God is protecting you from the evil one each and every day. Martin Luther put it well when he said, "Though devils all the world should fill all eager to devour us. We tremble not. We fear no ill. They shall not overpower us." That is what living by faith is all about. It is about surrendering our very fears to God Almighty and knowing that He truly is GOD ALMIGHTY.
So the next time you are in despair about the strife over race, the current political climate, the two presidential candidates, the economy, or whatever other fearful flavor of the day there is, remember what the Lord says. "It seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay." The day of the Lord is coming! It is coming for you either on the day you take your last earthly breath and start taking your eternal breath, or when He returns to restore the world back to what He created it to be, perfect, sinless and beautiful beyond imagination. In either case you're good to go. Until that day, have patience and peace knowing that you and all those you love who are believers in Christ, are in His hands forever! Live by faith!
Prayer: Lord, we know that the righteous person will live by his faith. Make me not to live by the trouble I see in the world, but help me to live by the faith you have given me that I may have true peace and rest. Amen. |
______________________________________________________________________________________
CALENDAR
Tues- Quilting 9-2
Wed- Worship at Oak Pointe 10am; Choir 7pm
Thurs- Karate 6-7:30; Lutheranism 101 6pm
Sat- Oktoberfest 4-10pm; Worship 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Chapel 11; Holy Yoga Workshop 3-5pm
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Loren Howard 11- Savannah Masters
Ushers- Dave Winter, Gary Scott, Larry Schulze, Scott Schulze
Altar- Set up- Don Hance; Clean Up- Sandy Robine
Elders- Sat- Randy Sweet; 8:30- Jason Cluver; 11- Charlie Figura
Greeters- 8:30- Lew and Dianne Feldkamp; 11- Mike and Naomi Johnson
Lay Readers- Sat- Marcia Sevier; 8:30- Tim Linke; 11- Sandy Robine
Piano- Sat and Sun 8:30- Barb Dreyer
Organist- (No organ this weekend)
Projectionists: Sat- Toni Mauch; 8:30- Terry McKenzie
________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: In what year did Haggai receive the Word of the Lord and begin writing his prophecy?
(Pat King is back! Thank the Lord for her funny and clever answers to brighten our day!)
If you can help with any of these call Kelsey at 573-803-7826 or reply to this email, and I will forward the info to her.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "St. John's Group Email" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to stjohnswarrenton+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "St. John's Group Email" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to stjohnswarrenton+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Daily Email: Tuesday, September 27, 2016
1 The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.
"Habakkuk's Complaint"
2 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
and you will not hear?
Or cry to you "Violence!"
and you will not save?
3 Why do you make me see iniquity,
and why do you idly look at wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
strife and contention arise.
4 So the law is paralyzed,
and justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
so justice goes forth perverted.
2 I will take my stand at my watchpost "Write the vision; 4 "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
In this reading for today, Habakkuk is fed up with what he sees. He sees destruction. He sees the world falling away from God. He sees trouble everywhere. "Justice never goes forth."
Sound familiar? All we need to do is watch the news and we can see the same things Habakkuk saw. There is indeed nothing new under the sun. Since Adam and Eve first sinned there has been strife and war. There has been a sense of injustice. There has been wrongdoing that we have had to see. Back in the 1930s and 40s it was Hitler and the Third Reich, before that it was Stalin, before that, in our own nation, it was a civil war. I could go back from generation to generation and you would see that this world has been falling apart since the beginning. It will, indeed, be brought to a wretched and complete end.
As soon as you start holding on too tightly to the world, you will be deeply disappointed, full of distress and frustrated. You will become full of grief like Habakkuk seems to be in the beginning of his prophecy. If you are looking for relief in the world or for God to take over and make everything perfect, you are going to have to wait till judgment day.
We can mourn, complain, and be bitter about what is going on in the world. That's a pretty miserable life isn't it.... or we can live by faith.
Living by faith is much more than just knowing that you will go to heaven when you die. That's a big part of it, but it's not the total of it. Living by faith means knowing that God is in control even when it seems as though He isn't. Living by faith means knowing that God is protecting you from the evil one each and every day. Martin Luther put it well when he said, "Though devils all the world should fill all eager to devour us. We tremble not. We fear no ill. They shall not overpower us." That is what living by faith is all about. It is about surrendering our very fears to God Almighty and knowing that He truly is GOD ALMIGHTY.
So the next time you are in despair about the strife over race, the current political climate, the two presidential candidates, the economy, or whatever other fearful flavor of the day there is, remember what the Lord says. "It seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay." The day of the Lord is coming! It is coming for you either on the day you take your last earthly breath and start taking your eternal breath, or when He returns to restore the world back to what He created it to be, perfect, sinless and beautiful beyond imagination. In either case you're good to go. Until that day, have patience and peace knowing that you and all those you love who are believers in Christ, are in His hands forever! Live by faith!
Prayer: Lord, we know that the righteous person will live by his faith. Make me not to live by the trouble I see in the world, but help me to live by the faith you have given me that I may have true peace and rest. Amen. |
______________________________________________________________________________________
CALENDAR
Tues- Quilting 9-2
Wed- Worship at Oak Pointe 10am; Choir 7pm
Thurs- Karate 6-7:30; Lutheranism 101 6pm
Sat- Oktoberfest 4-10pm; Worship 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Chapel 11; Holy Yoga Workshop 3-5pm
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Loren Howard 11- Savannah Masters
Ushers- Dave Winter, Gary Scott, Larry Schulze, Scott Schulze
Altar- Set up- Don Hance; Clean Up- Sandy Robine
Elders- Sat- Randy Sweet; 8:30- Jason Cluver; 11- Charlie Figura
Greeters- 8:30- Lew and Dianne Feldkamp; 11- Mike and Naomi Johnson
Lay Readers- Sat- Marcia Sevier; 8:30- Tim Linke; 11- Sandy Robine
Piano- Sat and Sun 8:30- Barb Dreyer
Organist- (No organ this weekend)
Projectionists: Sat- Toni Mauch; 8:30- Terry McKenzie
________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: In what year did Haggai receive the Word of the Lord and begin writing his prophecy?
(Pat King is back! Thank the Lord for her funny and clever answers to brighten our day!)
If you can help with any of these call Kelsey at 573-803-7826 or reply to this email, and I will forward the info to her.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "St. John's Group Email" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to stjohnswarrenton+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Holy Yoga Workshop this Sunday 3-5pm
Daily Email: Monday, September 26, 2016
62 For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
3 How long will all of you attack a man
to batter him,
like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.
They take pleasure in falsehood.
They bless with their mouths,
but inwardly they curse. Selah
5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
9 Those of low estate are but a breath;
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
10 Put no trust in extortion;
set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, set not your heart on them.
11 Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
according to his work.
I want to focus on these verses today
"3 How long will all of you attack a man
to batter him,
like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.
They take pleasure in falsehood.
They bless with their mouths,
but inwardly they curse."
In every church there are those who are like the very people that David describes in the verses above. They are passive aggressive. They are those who will be nice to you to your face but will talk about you behind your back. They are those who will put little seeds of trouble in places where there was none before, who will stir stuff up to get their way. They gossip. They tear down. They ruin relationships. They use their positions of authority to bring down others. They cause all sorts of trouble.
Are you one of these people? Have you been gossiping? have you been calling all off your friends about someone instead of talking to the person yourself just the two of you? Matthew 18:15 has this to say to you. "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you've won your brother over."
Another passage from Matthew 5:23 says, "If your offering your gift at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you. Leave your gift there at the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift."
I am praying that God's Word convicts some of you reading this today to stop breaking the 8th commandment. Stop cutting others down. Stop talking badly about the plans of others in the congregation. Stop trying to find every reason to not do something and everything wrong with everything.
Instead, speak well of your brothers and sisters in Christ! Build each other up! Confess your sins to each other! Forgive each other! Stop only trying to get what you want for yourself and work towards the goal of getting what the Lord wants for His people.
And to those who have been victims of this kind of trouble, do what David did. Put your hope in the Lord alone! Wait for him in silence. Don't retaliate. Don't seek revenge. If you do, you'll be no better than they other person. Trust in the Lord for your peace and your joy, and He will give it to you.
Let us pray: Lord God, forgive me for breaking the 8th commandment by tearing down the efforts of others, for talking about people with whom I disagree instead of talking to them, and for tearing down instead of building up. Help me to build up my brothers and sisters in Christ with my words and actions and to deal with conflict the way You want me to by giving and receiving forgiveness freely. Amen.
_________________________________________________________________________________
CALENDAR
Tues- Quilting 9-2
Wed- Worship at Oak Pointe 10am; Choir 7pm
Thurs- Karate 6-7:30; Lutheranism 101 6pm
Sat- Oktoberfest 4-10pm; Worship 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Chapel 11; Holy Yoga Workshop 3-5pm
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Loren Howard 11- Savannah Masters
Ushers- Dave Winter, Gary Scott, Larry Schulze, Scott Schulze
Altar- Set up- Don Hance; Clean Up- Sandy Robine
Elders- Sat- Randy Sweet; 8:30- Jason Cluver; 11- Charlie Figura
Greeters- 8:30- Lew and Dianne Feldkamp; 11- Mike and Naomi Johnson
Lay Readers- Sat- Marcia Sevier; 8:30- Tim Linke; 11- Sandy Robine
Piano- Sat and Sun 8:30- Barb Dreyer
Organist- (No organ this weekend)
Projectionists: Sat- Toni Mauch; 8:30- Terry McKenzie
________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Who interpreted the writing on the wall and what did the writing on the wall mean?
(Thanks for the answer Pat King!)
It was interpreted by Daniel, who was living their in captivity.
If you can help with any of these call Kelsey at 573-803-7826 or reply to this email, and I will forward the info to her.
