Faithful Lutheran Christians say it this way: “We are not saved eternally by doing good works. We are saved by faith in Jesus alone.” That’s what the Bible teaches.
But sharp-thinking people ask, “Well, isn’t faith something that you do? No one else believes for you, so faith must be something you do. It must be a good work.” It’s easy to understand how people can draw that conclusion, but the logic is wrong.
All analogies limp. But consider this one: Suppose you fell off your cruise ship, and you were drowning in the ocean. Thankfully, one of your fellow passengers noticed your frantic splashing and quickly threw you a lifesaver. You grab hold, and he pulls you back onto the deck. Now, who gets the credit for saving your life: you or your fellow passenger? I suppose you could argue that you would’ve died had you not grabbed hold of the lifesaver, and you could pat yourself on the back for a job well done. But the truth is, all credit rightfully goes to the one who first provided the lifesaver and then pulled you on board. Your faith in the buoyancy of the lifesaver and the strength of your new-found friend saved you. It wasn’t your work; it was his.
That’s what the Old Testament believer Abram discovered about the salvation of his soul. Getting to heaven wasn’t about him or what he did. It was all about God’s promises and, most importantly, his fulfillment of those promises. Yes, Abram believed those promises, but he didn’t deserve the credit for that. God did. Amazingly, when the broken sinner Abram believed God, God declared him righteous, perfect, free from sin, and fit for heaven. It wasn’t Abram’s doing. It was God’s.
And the same is true for us. Christian faith does not save us from our sins because our faith is ever perfect. It saves us because the One in whom we are placing our trust is perfect, powerful, loving, and forgiving. We are saved by faith in Christ alone.
Prayer:
Jesus, help me see that you are the perfect one to trust forever. Amen.
(The LORD) took (Abram) outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Genesis 15:5
Imagine the headline: “One-hundred-year-old man and ninety-year-old wife have baby.” No self-respecting newspaper would consider printing it. Such an outlandish story would only be fodder for the tabloids. Readers would be more likely to believe that little green men had recently arrived from Mars.
So when curious readers discover the story of Abraham and his wife Sarah in the pages of Genesis, it’s not surprising that the account is often dismissed as a myth. After all, who would honestly believe that such a thing was possible?
Christians would, and the reason is simple: because that’s the whole point of Christian faith. Why should Christians have a faith that expects them to believe things that are possible? That’s no faith at all. That’s just observation.
But Christian faith believes the impossible, like when God took that worn out, childless man, pointed out the array of heavenly stars on a cloudless night, and said, “So shall your offspring be.” In other words, “That’s how many children will be in your family!”
Abraham was no fool. He understood how impossible it was. St. Paul later commented how Abraham “faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead” (Romans 4:19).
But did those facts destroy his faith? Hardly! They hardened his faith since he was “fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised” (Romans 4:21). Abraham and Sarah’s situation was so impossible, so desperate, that the only one who could create that child was the same powerful One who had brought the universe into being with a word. Why would Abraham want to place his trust in anyone less than the only One who can truly do the impossible?
And why would we? Believing possible things is nothing special. The Christian faith is. It believes the impossible, and our powerful Savior never disappoints.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, grant me your Holy Spirit that I might confidently believe your impossible promises and put my trust in you alone. Amen.
[Jesus said] “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:33,34
I’m as blind as a bat without my glasses, profoundly nearsighted. Without my spectacles, I need to hold a book just inches from my face in order to see the print clearly. If my glasses were ever broken or lost, I’d have great difficulty knowing what was coming my direction.
Isn’t that a fitting description of our lives in this world? Aren’t we forced into living life nearsighted, worrying about the here and now, because we can’t see the future? So doesn’t it make sense to pile up as much security as we can today because we can’t know what tomorrow might bring? Seeing is believing, right?
This is why we find safety and peace in creature comforts. As long as we are surrounded by them, all is good. But when those worldly treasures begin to evaporate—when we lose our job, our house, our spouse, our health, our lives—our knees begin to wobble.
All of which makes Jesus’ directive in Luke 12 so interesting, “Sell your possessions,” he says, “and give to the poor.” Jesus isn’t actually demanding we divest ourselves of every worldly asset immediately, but he is calling us to get our priorities straight and not be so near-sighted. Sooner or later, we will need to surrender what we have in this life.
So, Jesus urges, why not begin practicing now? Why not begin looking beyond the things of this world to the things of the next world? Because as wonderful and comforting as the “stuff” of this world might be, it doesn’t last. It is quickly passing away. (See Matthew 24:35.)
And what does letting go of our grip on the things of this world demonstrate? Christian faith. One of the things that makes the Christian faith so valuable is that it’s farsighted. It sees and longs for God-given, eternal treasures “…that,” Jesus says, “…will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.”
We need such farsighted faith because we aren’t close to these heavenly treasures right now. But, through faith, we see them with 20/20 vision. And their everlasting luster prompts us to ease our grasp on our nearby but quickly fading fortunes.
Prayer:
Jesus, give me such farsighted faith. Amen.
What requires greater faith: walking on a tightrope extended one inch above your backyard or on one suspended over the Grand Canyon’s widest and deepest chasm?
The answer is obvious. There’s not much risk involved if the worst that can happen is some grass stains on your new white socks. But a head-first tumble into the rocky bottoms would ensure your speedy death.
It’s safe to say that we all want life to be easy and relatively risk-free, like that backyard scamper across a low-hanging tightrope. But often we feel suspended high above the Grand Canyon without a net, wondering whether our next step will be our last. At those times it’s natural to ask, “Where is God? Why is he allowing me to face these challenges and feel these anxieties?”
The irony is that those challenges are no accident; they’re divinely purposeful. When Jesus’ disciples once feared for their lives on a boat in the midst of a ferocious storm, Jesus lay sleeping in the stern. They wondered aloud whether Jesus would do anything to help them, but when the Master finally woke up, he wondered aloud why they were so afraid. At the height of their anxiety, Jesus showed his power by silencing the winds and waves, prompting them to ask, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Matthew 8:23-27).
What we sometimes fail to appreciate is that Christian faith is not normally conceived and nurtured in the soft, green fields of life. Growth requires unforeseen visits to the rocky and treacherous desert, where we are compelled to recognize that there is no one to help—except Jesus, that is. Only then we see his power and love in a way that had previously been unrecognized, and Christian faith grows.
Yes, Jesus allows—even sends—challenges into our lives, not because he loves us a little but because he loves us much. He knows best how Christian faith grows best. It grows through challenges.
But with those challenges, he also sends his saving promise, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”
Prayer:
Jesus, help me endure the challenges you send, as I cling forever to your saving promises. Amen.
How would you describe faith? Many people think faith requires you to close your eyes tightly and to step into the abyss without any idea of what may happen. You cross your fingers and hope for the best.
When trouble strikes, someone might say to you with the best of intentions, “You just have to have faith.”
There’s just one problem. You need to ask, “Faith in what, in whom?” Too often the response is, “You need to have faith in yourself.”
But that poses an even bigger problem because we have so little control over what happens, and no one can predict the future. If we could, we would have avoided the trouble in the first place! Putting faith in ourselves is true blindness, silliness.
The Christian faith is different. It’s not blind because it’s not based on thin air. It’s based on real facts, on a real person who did and does real things—even impossible things.
Some people think Christians are silly. “You actually believe that Jesus Christ walked on water?” they ask with a smirk. “You actually believe he raised people from the dead, and that he rose from the dead himself?” they wonder.
Of course, Christians do. After all, why would they want to put their faith in someone who cannot walk on water? What good reason would they have to trust someone who could not conquer death?
The Christian faith is not wishful thinking. It’s raw confidence based on the knowledge that the Christ in whom Christians put their hope foresees all things and controls them—yes, even evil and trouble—for the eternal good of his people (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28). It’s a certain expectation and assurance that in the end, Jesus alone saves now and forever.
Prayer:
Jesus, help me place my confidence in you alone for all things. Amen.
Are you an optimistic person? Or do you live each day expecting a bunch of problems? Maybe your life has been difficult, and you have chosen to cope by expecting more troubles. Maybe you are more comfortable calling yourself a realistic person. The truth is, God promises many things in his Word, but an easy life is not one of them.
That is why it is important to understand what it means to live by faith. A good place in the Bible to read about living by faith is in the book of Hebrews chapter 11. This chapter gives a snapshot of historical figures who trusted in God’s promises. Each of them endured some very scary times by trusting that God had something much better in store for them. Each of them knew that this earth was not their real home. They were looking ahead to a much better place. They were looking forward to living forever with God because he promised to send them a Savior.
The fascinating thing about the people listed in Hebrews chapter 11 is that all of them died before their Savior, Jesus came down to earth to pay for their sins. Did this mean they missed out on God’s promise? Absolutely not! They simply took God at his word. They trusted that when God makes a promise it’s as good as done! Hebrews 11:16 says, “they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”
How can you live by faith? Trust in God’s promises!
Prayer:
Dear God, please help me to always trust in your promises. What you have promised will come true! You sent your Son into the world to take away my sins and he will come again to bring his believers to heaven! Help me to always live by faith and trust in you. Amen.
Pastor: Today we observe a national holiday that honors those whose labor contributes to our well-being. Our theme is Labor for the Lord. God values productive and honest labor, and blesses it.
Opening Hymn: CW Supplement 777, Now Let Us All in Hymns of Praise”
Invocation
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen
Call to Worship
P: God said, “Six days you will labor and do all your work,
C: But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord.”
P: Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
C: And I will give you rest.”
P: We come in the name of the Holy Spirit, resting from our labors,
C: Let us worship God this day!”
Confession and Absolution
C: Lord of life, I confess that I have not lived the life of which I’m capable. I have gifts which I have not used, and gifts which I’ve misused. I have not loved you above all others, and failed to love my neighbor as myself. Have mercy and forgive and strengthen me for your service.
P: Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ. There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ, and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen
Prayer of the Day
Heavenly Father, we are blessed to be given work to do and the ability to do it. Finding satisfaction in the work we do is a gift from God that gives meaning to our lives. Fill us with your Spirit so that we might live as faithful servants of Jesus our King and do all our work as for the Lord. Keep us ever grateful for these blessings. In Jesus’ name, Amen
The Word on Work
Reading 1: Work is ordained by God. Some have the misconception that labor originated as a result of the Fall into sin. They assume that it is part of the curse that descended upon humanity after the Fall. But that’s not the case. God’s commission for humans to work was prior to the Fall. In fact, the first one to work was God himself. The Bible declares that God worked in Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” By doing his creative work, God sanctified labor as holy and good and blessed.
Then, after creating the first human, God commissioned him to work. Genesis 2:15 records: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” This was before the Fall. It happened in a time of blessing. This means that our labor is a part of God’s blessing. We were created in God’s image, and part of that image is that we are created to do God’s work on earth as his agents and in his stead. God cares for the world, so we work to take care of it, just as he cares for other people, so we work to care for them in his name.
Reading 2: Work is a blessing because it enables us to experience fulfillment in life. God looked at his work and declared: “It is good!” in Genesis 1:31. We, too, can find satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment in our labor. It is a high and holy privilege to be able to create, serve and provide for ourselves and others through our work.
Work has three purposes: to provide money or resources to supply the necessities of life; to provide satisfaction for a job well done; and to serve God. In order to serve God in our work, we need to follow his commands. His Word gives us the manner in which we are to perform in relation to our employer: Ephesians 6:6-7 “Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.”
Reading 3: Work is honorable. All professions and all kinds of work, assuming they are legal and Biblically ethical, are honorable before the Lord. There is no difference between sacred and secular work. All work brings glory to God and fulfillment to you, if it is done to God’s glory. 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.”
Work also provides an opportunity for witness. Wherever we are, we reveal a powerful message, both verbal and nonverbal, by the way in which we perform our work, our attitude, and the way we treat others. We are Christ to the world. The world today needs this powerful witness to the reality of Christ and the difference that he makes in his followers. Matthew 5:14-16 says: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
P: But as important and valuable as work is, there is one arena in which our labor holds no value to God. That is in our salvation. The one work that we cannot do is that of our own salvation from sin, death, and hell.
Usually one has to work to have success. But this principle doesn’t apply to the most important thing in life—eternal life. Our work does not precede it. Ephesians 2:8-9 states: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.” Our sinful nature disqualifies us from eternal life and no amount of hard work on our part can change that! Christ’s saving work of living the perfect life we couldn’t live, dying the sacrificial death we deserved for sin, and rising again in victory over death…this is the work that did it all for us! Christ’s work earned our salvation.
Now we seek to work for God and with God, not to earn salvation, but out of thanks for it. Ephesians 2:10 affirms the place of work in our lives. It states: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We are not saved by our work, but we are saved for good work. As those created in the image of God, we carry out his workmanship in the labor which we do in his name and for his kingdom.
Congregational Hymn, CW 484, “Brothers, Sisters, Let Us Gladly”
Sermon—Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:18-26
“There is Meaning in Life”
1. Not in human achievement
2. But in God’s announcement
2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything
is meaningless.”
18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? 23 All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.
24 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Rise for congregational hymn CW 270, “We All Believe in One True God”
Offering (Greet one another, sign the friendship register, and a brief note to the missionary insert.)
Prayer
P. O God the Father, who planted a garden in Eden laboring in the soil to create your earth-born man; O Christ the Son, who labored in the woodshop and upon the cross; O Holy Spirit who works within and without us to bring the Kingdom to this earth, work within and without us now, we pray.
All: Make us strong and faithful laborers in your body, the Church, that it might be strengthened by the love you have shown us.
Make us effective and peaceable laborers among the governments of the earth that wisdom, peace, and justice might prevail.
Make us compassionate and tireless laborers among all those who suffer any sort of need, that we may be instruments of your healing and comfort.
Make us diligent and listening laborers in this place of worship that the community around us might see our love for one another and give glory to our Father in heaven.
Make us happy laborers of your Gospel message, that those who mourn may be assured of your powerful resurrection and the joy of life eternal.
All this we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
Communion at Emmanuel follows pages 21-24–The Sacrament–in the hymnal. Communion Hymns 307 and 309.
St. John’s continues below.
Benediction
May you be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of God. (Colossians 1:9-10)
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look on you with favor and + give you peace.
Amen
Closing Hymn, CW 518, “Forth in the Peace of Christ We Go”
Please, during this Befriend A Mission Month, also sign your name, share a brief message/Bible verse, etc. on the Missionary greeting inside each register,
Also, as you leave today’s service, please give your completed Friendship Register sheet to an usher or pastor.
✠Announcements ✠
Activities for the week of September 1-September 7
Sun.
8:00 A.M.
Emmanuel Worship with communion
10:00 A.M.
St. John’s Worship
11:00 A.M.
St. John’s Evangelism Committee meeting
11:15 A.M.
Bible Information Class at St. John’s
Mon.
LABOR DAY
Tues.
8:00 A.M.
St. John’s School/Little Lambs First Day of School
8:15 A.M.
St. John’s School Opening Service
9:00 A.M.
St. John’s Elders meeting
6:00 P.M.
Hands In Prayer meeting at St. John’s
Wed.
1:40 P.M.
St. John’s School/Little Lambs Early Release
6:30 P.M.
St. John’s Worship
Thurs.
12:00 P.M.
St. John’s Ladies Aid lunch and meeting Fall LWMS Mission Offerings will be collected.
6:00 P.M.
Griefshare at St. John’s lower level begins (1 of 13 weeks)
Fri.
Sat.
6:00 P.M.
Concert on the Ball Diamond featuring Koine
Theme for Next Sunday September 8 , 2019Emmanuel 8:00a.m. Worship & Church Picnic at Montello City Park: “God’s Creation”
8:00 A.M.
Emmanuel Worship
10:00 A.M.
St. John’s Worship & Church Picnic at Montello City Park
12:00 P.M.
St. John’s/Emmanuel Softball games vs. Princeton & Green Lake at Montello City Park
INTERCESSORY PRAYERS – For those hospitalized, ill, shut-in and facing trials: Evie & Ron Blada, Liola Crown & son Terry, Agnes Dassow, Lilah Farrell, Xzander Jahr, Chris Krause (Gordy & Linda’s son), Earl “Pete” Laun, Robert Lederer (Jackie & Jeanne Buchholz’ father), Delvin Mittelsteadt, Mark & Peggy Russell (Elsa’s son & daughter in-law), Karl Whitrock, Shirley Wilkens – (added this week: Xzander Jahr, Earl “Pete” Laun )
– For our St. John’s member Delores Peterson age 82 called home on 8/22 (private funeral in Jefferson)
– For Alexandria, Brianna, Gracie & Lacey Buehrens, Bob & Carolyn Buehren’s grand & great-granddaughters, who were baptized at home yesterday (8/31)
– For Phyllis Farrell who will celebrate her 97th birthday on Tuesday (9/3)
– For Little Lambs Preschool & St. John’s Lutheran Elementary School that begins on Tuesday (9/3)
THANK YOU LuAnn Zieman for arranging today’s special Labor Day service and for our lay readers…at Emmanuel: Darrell Buchholz, Brian Ninneman and Wayne Stelter…and at St. John’s: James Henke, Joe Zauner and Zeb Zuehls.
THANK YOU The Crown family wishes to thank everyone for gifts of remembrance for Harley. May the Lord bless us all through these gifts.
OLD ST. JOHN’S CHURCH DOORS Please let Ciara know if you are interested in the old St. John’s church doors, currently stored in the old teacherage.
ST. JOHN’S CHURCH DOORS To keep updated on the St. John’s Church Door Project, check out the bulletin board located in the Information Room at St. John’s. The given donation did not cover the full cost of our new doors so donations are still accepted to help offset the remaining cost.
FRIENDSHIP REGISTERS Please complete the friendship register page each week. This helps your pastor and other church leaders stay in touch and keep contact information up to date. Thanks!
ST. JOHN’S SUNDAY SCHOOL will begin Sunday, September 15 at 8:30a.m. at St. John’s. Ages 3 through 6th grade, member or not, are all invited to come! Please help spread the word!
USHER AND GREETER SCHEDULE If you are signed up to be a St. John’s usher and/or greeter, please pick up your hard copy of Aug/Sept in St. John’s Information Room. Schedules will be available for pick up every 2 months.
GRIEFSHARE The next 13-week session of Griefshare will start this Thursday, September 5 at 6:00p.m. in the lower level at St. John’s. If you have any questions or concerns, please call Mark Emond (608) 697-1600.
CONCERT ON THE BALL DIAMOND is this coming Saturday, September 7 at 6:30p.m. at St. John’s. Bring your lawn chair and come enjoy music, food and fellowship!
This year, the cost for this event for St. John’s is between $3,400 – $4,000. If you wish to donate to help offset the remaining cost, please call 608-297-2866, email scsecretary@stjohnsmontello.org or stop by the office. Thank you!
CHILDREN’S CHURCH BAGS Check out our new Children’s Church Bags that are located in the Information Room at St. John’s and entry way at Emmanuel. Children: use during the service as you please and return them to the tree at the end of each service! A big thank you to St. John’s Hand In Prayer group for donating towards the bags and to you guys, Gene Crook & Jack Steuck, for building the wooden trees. Thank you to you gals, Ciara Neuhauser & Blake Seeley, for making the children’s church bags for Emmanuel and St. John’s.
CHECK OUT OUR UPDATED INFORMATION ROOM This room is located at the top of St. John’s link way stairs and the church entry way. Here you will find bulletin boards labeled “Home Missions” and “LWMS”. Home Missions will provide information on what’s going on at St. John’s church and school, events, educational and youth group updates. You will also find informational brochures and magazines, usher and greeter schedules, the church newsletter, children’s coloring sheets and crayons and other miscellaneous information related to our church and school. Please help yourself!
ACH What is ACH? Automated Clearing House is an electronic payments network use by individuals, businesses, financial institutions and government organizations. The network functions as an efficient, electronic alternative to paper checks. It allows funds to be electronically debited or credited to a checking account, savings account, financial institution general ledger account or credited to a loan account. Please pick your form up in the Information Room or the office and get started today!
FORWARD IN CHRIST Please do not turn in any past Forward in Christ magazines as we no longer accept them due to the personal information that is provided inside. Thanks!
MEDITATIONS New “Meditations” WELS daily devotional booklets are available in the church entry (many thanks to our generous members for donating!) The new ones begin today, September 1st.
CHRISTIAN ONE-LINERS (from a WELS pastor): “Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.”
SCHOLASTIC BOOKFAIR St. John’s is looking for an individual(s) who would want to run the Scholastic Book Fair. This has been a big success for our school and students in the past and we would love to continue this. Call the office if you or someone you know is interested!
JOYFUL WITNESS will begin rehearsals on Sunday, Sept. 8th at St. Paul’s, North Fond du Lac under the direction of Jeff Krumbein. The first rehearsal will be from 5:30 – 7:30p.m. Our area WELS choir welcomes new singers to enjoy the fellowship and music that proclaims Christ the Savior and His redeeming grace! Singing traditional and contemporary arrangements, the choir is open to high school students and all adults. This year’s concerts will also include a children’s choir and will be held the weekend of December 13th. Find us at: joyfulwitness.net or @JoyfulWitness on Facebook!
SEPTEMBER IS BEFRIEND A MISSION MONTH AT ST. JOHN’S. WHAT’S THAT? The Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society supports WELS missions in 3 ways: prayer, encouragement, & giving. Missions & missionaries are assigned to our St. John’s & Emmanuel LWMS groups biannually. Although our support of these missions continues for 2 years, our Beaver Dam Circuit also assigns each church in the circuit a “Befriend A Mission Month.” Our task is to create a shower of support during that month by increasing our prayers, sending a few more notes & emails, & giving a little extra for missions. LWMS also uses the month to increase awareness of WELS missions among ALL church members–our Little Lambs, our day school & SS children, our teens & young adults, our adults, & even our older adults in care facilities. Prayer, encouragement, & giving are tasks which have no age-limitations! We can ALL be a friend! So when we ask YOU to join us by sending a note or signing a card, by saying a prayer, or by giving a little something extra to missions, we hope you will! Supporting mission & missionaries and getting to know some of them personally are joy-filled opportunities!
FALL MISSION OFFERINGSwill be collected by LWMS during September at both churches. Please use the collection container at the church where you are a member–In the church entrance both at Emmanuel and at St. John’s. WELS mission projects that will benefit from your gift are these Beaver Dam Circuit projects: Home Mission—Outreach to Asians and World Mission: Ukraine Project. Other projects to be decided at next summer’s LWMS convention are posted by the collection container. These offerings are important to many missions and are welcome from everyone with a heart for missions!
316NOW MISSION FESTIVAL ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29Learn about the ministry committed to proclaiming grace across China NOW. Special Freewill Offering for 316NOW at both services. Guest speaker is one of the administrators of this ministry. Schedule for the day:
8:00 a.m. Emmanuel Mission Festival service
9:30 a.m. Learn about 316NOW’s Sheep to Lambs Initiative (school classroom)
10:00 a.m. St. John’s Mission Festival service
11:15 a.m. Luncheon in St. John’s lower level for EVERYONE! (Freewill Offering)
12:00 noon 316NOW power point presentation by guest speaker . . . come learn more!
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:1,2
Have you ever had nights where you just can’t take your mind off of something? You toss and turn. You may even get up to check your e-mail or read a book just to take your mind off your concerns. Unfortunately, when we get our minds stuck on things, they’re usually things we don’t want to think about or shouldn’t be thinking about.
God’s Word has some great advice when we struggle with our thoughts. God reminds us to think about him! Instead of dwelling on things that stress us out or tempt us to sin, God says, “Think about me and what I have already done for you!” He tells us that we have been raised with Christ. That is another way of saying that Jesus defeated death and the devil for us. It’s not merely a possibility, it is the reality!
Since you have been raised with Christ, think about all the great blessings you have because of Jesus. Think about the forgiveness you have for all your sins and the eternal life of joy that is yours right now. Think about how anxious your loving heavenly Father is to hear from you and help you with whatever is keeping you awake at night. Don’t let the matters of your life stress you out. Think about something better. Think about Jesus!
Prayer:
Lord, keep me from being overwhelmed by the problems I experience. Rather, help me think about what you have done for me. You sent your Son into this world to take away my sins, and you have made a place for me in heaven! Thank you, Lord! Amen.
John was surprised. He was talking to his close friend Bob. The conversation revolved around finances and retirement. Bob said, “I have no worries. I am a wealthy man.” This caught John completely off guard. They worked together. Their families were close. They were next-door neighbors. The last thing John would have imagined was that Bob was wealthy.
But Bob wasn’t referring to worldly wealth. He was referring to spiritual wealth. Bob knew what Jesus had done to save him and his loved ones from their sins. Bob knew that Jesus had risen from the dead and promised to give eternal life to all of his followers. And Bob knew that this same Jesus promised always to provide for him. So when Bob looked ahead to his retirement, he had nothing to worry about.
True wealth and a truly rich life can only come from God. He is the source of everything we have and enjoy. He demonstrated his undeserved love and forgiveness in Jesus. He assures us that nothing we truly need is ever lacking. A truly rich life is ours when we rely on God’s compassionate care along with his abundant blessing.
What a mistake we make when we selfishly live our lives for ourselves and leave God out of the picture. We rob ourselves of our most important relationship and alienate ourselves from the very one who can satisfy the longing in our souls. If we live our lives only for ourselves we will spend the next life by ourselves, separated from our loving God forever.
Thankfully, that does not need to be the case. Thankfully, through Jesus, our loving God has provided forgiveness even for those times we live for ourselves and leave him out of the picture. Because of the forgiveness Jesus won for us, God promises that we will spend our eternity in his loving presence. Knowing this means having a rich life now and into eternity.
Prayer:
Thank you, Lord, for providing for my every need. Fill me with gratitude and thanksgiving for making my life rich through your grace and blessing. Amen
Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. . . . The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. James 5:10,11
It is said that patience is a virtue. But that does not mean it is easy to come by. It is hard to be patient. It becomes especially difficult when the challenges of life become more intense. So, how does a person live a patient life?
We can start by considering those who were patient in the past. The prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord are a good example. In spite of being persecuted for proclaiming God’s Word, they patiently waited for the Lord to carry out his will.
The prophets were able to be patient because they had confidence in God’s ability to act at the right time and in the right way. This trust is the very heart of patience.
It is also what we are expressing every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer and say, “Your will be done.” This request requires patience to wait for the Lord to bring about his good will. While we may desperately want God to follow our timetable, he has his own. He works according to his wisdom for which there is no comparison. He also works according to his power for which there is no equal. Both of these traits are combined with his undeserved love. That is why we can live a patient life. We have every confidence God has everything in control, and his plans take every nuance into account.
There is one additional source of patience, we can turn to. It is Jesus, our Savior. In undeserved love and patience, he did not deal with us as our sins deserved. He forgave us. He washed us clean and declared us not guilty—not only once, but daily and without limit. He also intercedes for us and assures us everything will work together for our blessing. Knowing this provides us with the ability to live a patient life.
Prayer:
Lord, forgive me for my impatience. Give me the strength of faith I need to say your will be done. Amen.
Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
