2. For NORM BELINSKY, a friend of Jim and Vickie, who is nearing the end of his life due to cancer.
Two prayer requests from Vickie McRae
2. For NORM BELINSKY, a friend of Jim and Vickie, who is nearing the end of his life due to cancer.
Sermons from last two Sundays: Please watch and share!
Daily Email: Thursday, October 13, 2016
"The Parable of the Persistent Widow"
18 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'" 6 And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
A lot of people misunderstand this parable. They think that Jesus is saying that the more you bug Jesus, the more you are "persistent" in your prayers, the more likely God is to answer you. As if you can nag Jesus into giving you what you want. That's not what this passage is about. It's about the goodness, mercy, and grace of Jesus.
Sometimes, according to our timing, God seems to take longer to give us the justice, mercy, and help that we need. It isn't that God is taking too long, God's timing is always perfect. It's that he even in his timing he is giving you what you need. It may be a lesson in patience that you need. It may be a "toughening up" through suffering that you need. It may be a breaking down so that you repent that you need. It may be that you suffering leads to physical death which will ultimately lead to eternal life. God is ALWAYS working everything out for your good.
So don't quit praying. Keep your conversations with God going, but realize that God speaks back to you in His Word. You need to have your ears open. If you try to talk to someone on the phone but don't have the receiver anywhere near your ear, you're not going to hear the person on the other end. If you have your ear pressed up to the phone you'll hear a whole lot better.
Have your ear pressed up to God's Word while you talk to Him in prayer. Listen intently to what He has to say to you. When you do, you will realize that, even though he may not be blessing you in the way you want, He is truly blessing you in an even better way, and you will have that peace that passes all understanding!
Prayer: Lord, bless me through my prayers. Help me to not give up, but to trust that You are working everything out for my good and Your glory. Amen.
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CALENDAR
Wed- Choir 7
Thurs- Karate 5:30-7:30; Lutheranism 101 6:30pm
Sat- Worship 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Chapel 11; Bible Study with Kelsey at Imo's; (Lutherans for Life Sunday)
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WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Lydia Miller 11- Dulci Rahn
Ushers- George Hoelscher, Brent Davis, Gary Hoelscher, Ben Hoelscher
Altar- Set up- Terry Mckenzie ; Clean Up- Terry McKenzie
Elders- Sat- John Hachtel; 8:30- Jason Cluver; 11- Randy Fischer
Greeters- 8:30- Paul and Cindy Klover; 11- Dan and Lisa Rausch
Lay Readers- Sat- John Hachtel 8:30- Derek Ebert; 11- Paul Brockfeld
Piano- Sat- Kathy Barrow
Organist- Rachel Fisher
Projectionists: Sat- Kathy Fischer; 8:30- Julie Schaumberg
________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Who was Hanani? (The one in Ezra's time.)
The menu will be a surprise.
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Men's breakfast this Saturday at 8am!!
We'll do our next lesson of "Regrets, Reality, Restoration"
Men and boys of all ages are welcome to join us!
Let me know if you'll be there by Friday at noon please!
Daily Email: Wednesday, October 12, 2016
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom[a] you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God[b] may be complete, equipped for every good work.
4 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound[c] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
It used to be that most people liked to hear the TRUTH, the whole TRUTH, and nothing but the TRUTH; but it doesn't seem as though that is the case anymore. The truth is that it hasn't necessarily been the way it is for a very long time. Even back in Paul's day, as he is writing to Timothy, there were people who "will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths."
What about you? Do you balk at every time someone tries to give you advice, or even worse, when someone tells you that you are dong something wrong, that you are a SINNER?
Oh no, I used that word "sinner". Did you cringe when you saw that word? Did you turn off your ears? Are you looking for a different devotion to read, someone who tell you that you are a good person, that everything is fine, and that God will let you into heaven because you are good enough?
The trouble is that those things are NOT the truth! If you want to hear or read the truth, you will hear it from me and you will read it in these devotions. If you want to hear something that might make you feel good, but is far from the truth go somewhere else.
The truth is that you and I, and every human being, is a sinner. We would have been doomed to eternal death and destruction if it had not been for the Lord God having mercy on us and sending His one and only Son, Jesus to live a perfect life, suffer, die, and rise again. Jesus took our place on the cross, because God, in His infinite wisdom, knew that we couldn't pay the price ourselves.
Live in that truth! Live in that peace! Live in that TRUE JOY today! Stop only listening to people and to preachers who will tell you what you want to hear. Listen to people who will tell you the truth even when it's not nice, even when you don't want to hear it.
You're a sinner and you're saved by grace through faith! That's the TRUTH!
Prayer: Lord, bless us with preachers and teachers who will tell us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Amen.
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CALENDAR
Wed- Choir 7
Thurs- Karate 5:30-7:30; Lutheranism 101 6:30pm
Sat- Worship 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Chapel 11; Bible Study with Kelsey at Imo's; (Lutherans for Life Sunday)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Lydia Miller 11- Dulci Rahn
Ushers- George Hoelscher, Brent Davis, Gary Hoelscher, Ben Hoelscher
Altar- Set up- Terry Mckenzie ; Clean Up- Terry McKenzie
Elders- Sat- John Hachtel; 8:30- Jason Cluver; 11- Randy Fischer
Greeters- 8:30- Paul and Cindy Klover; 11- Dan and Lisa Rausch
Lay Readers- Sat- John Hachtel 8:30- Derek Ebert; 11- Paul Brockfeld
Piano- Sat- Kathy Barrow
Organist- Rachel Fisher
Projectionists: Sat- Kathy Fischer; 8:30- Julie Schaumberg
________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Who was Hanani? (The one in Ezra's time.)
Prayer request for Bob Ruhl
Daily Email: Tuesday, October 11, 2016
"Jacob Wrestles with God"
22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children,[a] and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, "Let me go, for the day has broken." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." 27 And he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." 28 Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,[b] for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed." 29 Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel,[c] saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered."
A very interesting, and yet mysterious passage of Scripture here, don't you think? It is both real, in that it really did happen, and yet also very allegorical and metaphorical at the same time. Jacob had been wrestling with God for many years. He fled from his brother Esau after he had conned him out of his birthright and also conned his dad, Isaac, out of the blessing. He fled, because he feared for his life.
Instead of facing his fears and dealing with his sin head on, he decided to flee from it all for many years. he continued to wrestle with God as he lived with his uncle Laban and took two wives from him, named Leah and Rachel.
Finally, he was forced to deal with his past and he heard that his brother Esau was coming toward him with his army of a family. It is the night before he finally has the confrontation with Esau that he has this very real wrestling match with God. Jacob didn't give up. He didn't give in. He didn't throw in the towel. He kept on wrestling until God finally put his hip socket out of joint. And even then he didn't let go of God until god blessed him. In this way, he showed his perseverance and his willingness to do whatever it took to make things right.
It is the end of the story that is the best for, when he finally meets up with Esau, he finds out that Esau had already forgiven him. He didn't have to strive with God as long as he did. He should've gone to Esau right away. Confessed his sin and received the consequences for it. Instead, he dealt with the grief, pain, and guilt of his sin for decades.
Let this be a lesson to you. Don't run from your sin! Don't hide from your guilt or from the one against whom you have sinned! Face it head on! Don't wrestle with God, REST WITH HIM!! For, "If we confess our sins, He, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness!
Prayer: Lord when I am striving with you, break me, so that I may give up to you and you may win over my life. Amen.
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CALENDAR
Tues- Quilting 9-2; Trustees 7
Wed- Choir 7
Thurs- Karate 5:30-7:30; Lutheranism 101 6:30pm
Sat- Worship 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Chapel 11; Bible Study with Kelsey at Imo's; (Lutherans for Life Sunday)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Lydia Miller 11- Dulci Rahn
Ushers- George Hoelscher, Brent Davis, Gary Hoelscher, Ben Hoelscher
Altar- Set up- Terry Mckenzie ; Clean Up- Terry McKenzie
Elders- Sat- John Hachtel; 8:30- Jason Cluver; 11- Randy Fischer
Greeters- 8:30- Paul and Cindy Klover; 11- Dan and Lisa Rausch
Lay Readers- Sat- John Hachtel 8:30- Derek Ebert; 11- Paul Brockfeld
Piano- Sat- Kathy Barrow
Organist- Rachel Fisher
Projectionists: Sat- Kathy Fischer; 8:30- Julie Schaumberg
________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Who was Artaxerxes?
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Daily Email: Monday, October 10, 2016
"My Help Comes from the Lord" A Song of Ascents.
121 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.
When you want to "keep" something, what do you do with it? Do you leave it out in the sun and rain? I had a baseball glove when I was a kid and I played with it a lot. It was my favorite glove I ever had. Unfortunately, I left it out one night and it rained really hard. It got wet and didn't work right after that. A little rain would've been ok, but it was sitting in a puddle for a whole day until I realized it. I didn't keep that glove because it was ruined.
The Lord keeps us. He doesn't leave us out in the sun or rain of our sin. He doesn't allow us to get ruined by the world. He keeps us safe from the evil one. Satan may tempt us and we may fall into temptation, but the Lord will always bring us back through temptation and grace so that we don't lose faith.
I urge you to hear the Lord's Word for you today, whether you are struggling with temptation, or you are going through a tough time, or you ae dealing with a sour relationship. Hear God's Word for you so that you may repent, receive refreshment from the Lord, and live forever with Him.
Know that the Lord is good and all good things come from Him!
Let us pray: Lord, thank you for giving us all that we need and KEEPING us for the day of salvation. Amen.
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CALENDAR
Mon- Confirmation 5:15-6:30; Holy Yoga 7pm
Tues- Quilting 9-2; Trustees 7
Wed- Choir 7
Thurs- Karate 5:30-7:30; Lutheranism 101 6:30pm
Sat- Worship 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Chapel 11; Bible Study with Kelsey at Imo's; (Lutherans for Life Sunday)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Lydia Miller 11- Dulci Rahn
Ushers- George Hoelscher, Brent Davis, Gary Hoelscher, Ben Hoelscher
Altar- Set up- Terry Mckenzie ; Clean Up- Terry McKenzie
Elders- Sat- John Hachtel; 8:30- Jason Cluver; 11- Randy Fischer
Greeters- 8:30- Paul and Cindy Klover; 11- Dan and Lisa Rausch
Lay Readers- Sat- John Hachtel 8:30- Derek Ebert; 11- Paul Brockfeld
Piano- Sat- Kathy Barrow
Organist- Rachel Fisher
Projectionists: Sat- Kathy Fischer; 8:30- Julie Schaumberg
________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Who was Artaxerxes?
Daily Email: Thursday, October 6, 2016
"Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers"
11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers,[a] who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." 14 When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19 And he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."
We might think that this passage is some sort of moral lesson about being thankful. We like people who are thankful. it is a good virtue to be thankful. But that's not what this lesson is about. It is about faith.
You see, when a person has faith in Christ, as did the Samaritan, he is able to act out in faith. He is able to go back and thank Jesus for what he had done. He is able to see what the Lord has done and respond IN FAITH.
When you have faith, you WILL respond accordingly. That is why Jesus says, "You faith has made you well". Jesus isn't talking as much about his physical wellness as he is his spiritual wellness. He is talking about how it is well with his soul.
Your faith has made you well too. Your faith has brought you the peace that passes all understanding. Your faith has brought you into a right relationship with God. Your faith has taken you from sin and death to eternal life with Jesus! Your faith has brought you to a place where you can praise and thank Jesus for all he has done.
I urge you, as a brother in Christ, to live by faith. LIVE BY FAITH and you will praise and thank him, not only on Sunday morning or Saturday night, but every day of your life with your words and actions.
Let us pray: Lord, help me to live by faith so that it may be well with my soul. Amen.
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CALENDAR
Thurs- Alzheimers Support Group 1pm; Karate 6-7:30; Lutheranism 101 6:30pm
Fri- Marilyn leaves for vacation
Sat- Worship 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Chapel 11; Youth Bible Study w/ Kelsey noon; Elder's meeting noon
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WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Nova Luebke 11- Kalene Masters
Ushers- Allan Dreyer, Lew Feldkamp, Kent Jacobsmeyer, Paul Klover
Altar- Set up- Lucille Luebke ; Clean Up- Joanne Hachtel
Elders- Sat- Steve Robine; 8:30- John Hachtel; 11- Dave Winter
Greeters- 8:30- John and Anna Hoenig; 11- Joan Sexton
Lay Readers- Sat- Judy Koprowski 8:30- Steve McDowell; 11- Christine Winn
Piano- Sat- Kathy Barrow
Organist- Rachel Fisher
Projectionists: Sat- Perricone; 8:30- Yoder
________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: What is the Feast of Purim?
______________________________________________________
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Jodi Baldwin's email has been hacked. If you get a suspicious email from citadelmom2010 please delete it! Thank you!
Daily Email: Wednesday, October 5, 2016
"A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus"
2 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men,[a] who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 The saying is trustworthy, for:If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.
Did you catch the last verse? Paul is going along talking about how we should be tough, how we should endure everything, how we should be hard working and not get involved too much in the matters of the world, and then he says, "If we are faithless, he remains faithful."
What does this mean? It means the same thing as when we sing in the famous children's hymn "I am weak but he is strong." Paul realizes that there are times when we don't have it all together. There are even times, moments in our lives, when we are faithless, where we fail to realize God's power in our lives. In our lack of faith, God is still faithful, because he cannot deny who he is. He is dependable to the end. He is always there. He will never leave us or forsake us.
Certainly we don't want to be faithless. It is miserable when we are. There is nothing more miserable and awful than being hopeless and faithless. Yet, when the Lord calls us to repentance, and calls us to faith, we can be sure that we will listen and heed his call. We will repent and we will believe.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being strong when we are weak and for being faithful when we are faithless. Help us to remain strong in you and to be continually strengthened by your grace. Amen.
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CALENDAR
Wed- Ministerial alliance reorganizational meeting 9-10; Choir 7pm
Thurs- Alzheimers Support Group 1pm; Karate 6-7:30; Lutheranism 101 6:30pm
Fri- Marilyn leaves for vacation
Sat- Worship 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Chapel 11; Youth Bible Study w/ Kelsey noon; Elder's meeting noon
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Nova Luebke 11- Kalene Masters
Ushers- Allan Dreyer, Lew Feldkamp, Kent Jacobsmeyer, Paul Klover
Altar- Set up- Lucille Luebke ; Clean Up- Joanne Hachtel
Elders- Sat- Steve Robine; 8:30- John Hachtel; 11- Dave Winter
Greeters- 8:30- John and Anna Hoenig; 11- Joan Sexton
Lay Readers- Sat- Judy Koprowski 8:30- Steve McDowell; 11- Christine Winn
Piano- Sat- Kathy Barrow
Organist- Rachel Fisher
Projectionists: Sat- Perricone; 8:30- Yoder
________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Who was Esther's uncle that took care of her?
Pat caught me in a moment of forgetfulness. Here is her answer if you can bear it. Hehe
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