A man by the name of Noam Arnon says that, in the early 1980s, he and a small team seized an opportunity to explore a cave in the Palestinian city of Hebron. When they did, they saw a stairway. They descended. At the bottom of the stairway was a corridor. At the end of the corridor, they found an opening where they descended even further. And it was here, Arnon says, that he found himself crawling through a two-chambered cave. In that cave, there was broken pottery. There were bone fragments and there was dust. As far as anyone knows, no one has entered the site since.
The cave that Noam Arnon describes is the traditional site for what the Bible calls, “The Cave of Machpelah.” The Cave of Machpelah was the burial place of Abraham and his family.
Picture yourself crawling through the cave. You move your flashlight back and forth. There’s nothing much to see; a few shards of broken pottery, a few fragments of bone, and dust.
Long before he died, Abraham himself understood what he was. “I am nothing but dust and ashes,” he said. Even though he was wealthy, Abraham knew that, in and of himself, he was nothing more than the tiny remnants that the Cave of Machpelah would one day contain.
That’s why the center of Abraham’s life was not Abraham. Rather, the center of Abraham’s life was the Lord. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Abraham trusted that the Lord would one day send someone who would wash him clean of his every sin; who would cover him in a blanket of holiness; who would take his soul home to heaven; and who would even, at the appointed time, raise up his bones from the Cave of Machpelah to live in glory forever.
God has made the same promise to us. Although our bodies will one day be nothing but dust and ashes, when Jesus returns, he will raise our bodies back to life to live in glory forever.
May this promise comfort you when life seems meaningless and when death seems final. May this promise inspire you to make the Lord the center of your life just as Abraham did.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, in those times when I crawl through the cave of my own frailties, fix my eyes on you. Amen.
St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church
313 East Montello St.
Montello, WI 53949
Emmanuel Ev. Lutheran Church
W1568 Evergreen
Lane
Montello, WI 53949
Pastor Peter Zietlow
W E L C O M E T O O U R C H U R C H We extend a warm welcome to everyone today, especially our visitors. In the bulletin you’ll find an outline of today’s service, a calendar of events and other bits of information. In the red hymn book you’ll find the songs we sing and the order of service that we follow. If you would like a large print hymnal or bulletin please ask one of our ushers and they will gladly assist you. Restrooms and nursery area are located in the parish hall at Emmanuel and in the lower level and link-way at St. John’s. It’s nice to have you visit today. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more, as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). Welcome to God’s house! May God bless our worship together.
608.297.2866
www.stjohnsmontello.org
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G O D ’ S W O R D F O R T O D A Y Faith-Life Expresses Itself in Fervent Faith-Filled Prayer – God has given most people the wonderful gift of speech. Through words, we communicate our thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Without words it would be much harder to express ourselves, a frustrating prospect! Our thoughts, ideas, and feelings need an outlet, and so does our faith-life! Faith looks for ways to express itself, and one way Christian faith does that is in fervent faith-filled prayer.
XP
R E P A R A T I O N F O R W O R S H I P X
We
prepare ourselves to worship the one Savior God by expressing our humble
repentance, offering our fervent prayers and singing our thankful hymns of
praise.
THE
GATHERING RITE ON THE WORD OF GOD & SERVICE OF THE WORD
Please stand
M:
In the name of the Father
and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit.
C: (spoken)
Amen.
OPENING HYMN 221 Blessed Jesus, at Your Word
Blessed
Jesus, at your Word
We are gathered all to hear you.
Let our hearts and souls be stirred
Now to seek and love and fear you,
By your teachings, sweet and holy,
Drawn from earth to love you solely.
M:
Oh, how I love your law!
C:
I meditate on it all
day long.
M:
Your commands make me
wiser than my enemies,
C:
for they are ever with
me.
M: I have more insight than all my teachers,
C:
for I meditate on your
statutes.
M:
How sweet are your words
to my taste,
C: sweeter
than honey to my mouth!
2All our
knowledge, sense, and sight
Lie in deepest darkness shrouded
Till your Spirit breaks our night
With the beams of truth unclouded.
You alone to God can win us;
You must work all good within us.
M: All
Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness,
C: so
that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
M:
Yet so often we have
despised God’s Word and failed to gladly hear and learn it. For this and all
our sins, we bow before God and humbly ask his forgiveness.
C:
Holy and merciful
Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful and that I have disobeyed you in
my thoughts, words, and actions. I have done what is evil and failed to do what
is good. For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity. But I am
truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord,
have mercy on me, a sinner.
3 Gracious
Savior, good and kind,
Light from Light, from God proceeding,
Open now our heart and mind;
Help us by your Spirit’s pleading.
Hear the cry your people raises;
Hear and bless our prayers and praises.
M:
God gave his Word so
“that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by
believing you may have life in his name”. The Scriptures testify about Jesus,
who lived a perfect life for you, died on the cross to pay for all your sins,
and rose again to assure you of your salvation. 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: (spoken)
Amen.
4 Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost,
Praise to you and adoration!
Grant that we your Word may trust,
Confident of our salvation,
While we here below must wander,
Till we sing your praises yonder.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
M: Let
us pray.
O Lord, your
ears are always open to the prayers of your humble servants, who come to you in
Jesus’ name. Teach us always to ask according to your will that we may never
fail to obtain the blessings you have promised; through Jesus Christ, your Son,
our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever.
C: (spoken) Amen.
Please be seated
XT
H E W O R D X
The
Lord Jesus speaks to us in Scripture reading, preaching and song.
FIRST
LESSONGenesis 18:20
(today’s sermon text)Summary:
Abraham’s prayer
Then the LORD said, “The outcry against
Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down
and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If
not, I will know.”
The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but
Abraham remained standing before the LORD.
Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the
righteous with the wicked? What if there
are fifty righteous people in the city?
Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of
the fifty righteous people in it? Far
be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked,
treating the righteous and the wicked alike.
Far be it from you! Will not the
Judge of all the earth do right?”
The LORD said, “If I find fifty righteous
people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have
been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes,
what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy
the whole city because of five people?”
“If I find forty-five there,” he said,
“I will not destroy it.”
Once again he spoke to him, “What if only
forty are found there?”
He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not
do it.”
Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry,
but let me speak. What if only thirty
can be found there?”
He answered, “I will not do it if I find
thirty there.”
Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold
as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”
He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not
destroy it.”
Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry,
but let me speak just once more. What if
only ten can be found there?”
He answered, “For the sake
of ten, I will not destroy it.”
PSALM 6 hymnal page 66
Men
sing first line, women sing second line, all sing refrains and Gloria.
SECOND LESSON Colossians 2:6-15
Summary:
Prayer is our privilege earned by Christ’s atonement
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as
Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the
faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
See to it that no one takes you captive through
hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic
principles of this world rather than on Christ.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives
in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head
over every power and authority. In him
you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a
circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ,
having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith
in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
When you were dead in your sins
and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with
Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its
regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away,
nailing it to the cross. And having
disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them,
triumphing over them by the cross.
VERSE OF THE DAYJohn 6:68
Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go? You have
the words of eternal life. Alleluia.
C:♫
Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! These words are written that we may believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Please stand
GOSPEL LESSON Luke
11:1-13
Summary:
Lord, teach us to pray
One day Jesus was praying in a certain
place. When he finished, one of his
disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his
disciples.”
He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“`Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in
heaven. Give us each day our daily
bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also
forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one'”
Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you
has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, `Friend, lend me three
loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I
have nothing to set before him.’
“Then the one inside answers, `Don’t bother
me. The door is already locked, and my
children are with me in bed. I can’t get
up and give you anything.’ I tell you,
though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet
because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given
to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks
finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for
bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake
instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to
give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give
the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
C:♫ Praise
be to you, O Christ!
Please be seated
HYMN OF
THE DAY 411 What a Friend We Have in Jesus
SERMONGenesis 18:20-33
“Let Us Pray”
Taking the opportunities God gives to exercise
our faith
Showing the attitudes God deserves in our life of
faith
Please stand
THE APOSTLES’ CREED hymnal page 41
Please be seated
X O F F E R I N G S O F G
I F T S & P R A
Y E R S X
THE
OFFERING
The ushers now gather the
“Thank-Offering.” Members of this
congregation show their thanks to God for all he has done for them by returning
a portion of their income to the Lord.
Through these free will offerings, this congregation and its ministries
are maintained. Guests need not feel
obligated to contribute. Please
also sign our Friendship Registers and greet one another.
Please stand
PRAYERS
The Offering Prayer, Prayer for God-Pleasing
Prayer and Intercessory Prayers are spoken by pastor. Please see announcements
for those on our Intercessory Prayers list.
LORD’S PRAYERhymnal
page43
Please be seated
HYMN 409 Come, My Soul, with Every Care
Please stand
CLOSING
PRAYER hymnal page 43
Please be seated
BLESSING
SOLO hymn 745, May the Peace of God
sung by Anna Glunn
1 May the peace of God our heav’nly
Father,
And the grace of Christ the risen Son,
And the fellowship of God the Spirit
Keep our
hearts and minds within his love.
Refrain And to him be praise for his glorious reign
From the depths of earth to the heights of heav’n.
We declare the name of the Lamb once slain—
Christ eternal, the King of kings.
2 May this peace which passes
understanding,
And this grace which makes us what we are,
And this fellowship of his Communion
Make us one
in spirit and in heart.
Refrain
As you leave today’s
service, please give your completed Friendship Register sheet to an usher or
pastor.
XAnnouncements
X
Activities for the week of August 18 – August 24
Sun.
8:00 A.M.
Emmanuel Worship
10:00 A.M.
St. John’s Worship
11:15 A.M.
Bible Information Class at St. John’s
Mon.
Tues.
6:00 P.M.
Joint Worship Committee meeting at St. John’s
Wed.
6:30 P.M.
St. John’s Worship
Thurs.
10:00 A.M.
Montello Care Center Devotion with
communion
Fri.
Sat.
10:30 A.M.
St . John’s lower level rental
Theme for Next Sunday August 25 , 2019
Pentecost 11:
“Set Your Minds on Things Above (not Earthly Things)”
8:00 A.M.
Emmanuel Worship
10:00 A.M.
St. John’s Worship with
communion
11:15 A.M.
Bible Information Class at St. John’s
11:00 A.M.
St. John’s School /Little Lambs Registration (gym) & Pictures (lower level)
INTERCESSORY PRAYERS
–
For those hospitalized, ill, shut-in and facing trials: Evie & Ron Blada,
David Broderick, Liola Crown & son Terry, Florence Dahlke, Agnes Dassow,
Marjorie Fabian, Lilah Farrell, Chris Krause (Gordy & Linda’s son), Pete
Laun, Robert Lederer (Jackie & Jeanne Buchholz’ father), Delvin
Mittelsteadt, Mark & Peggy Russell (Elsa’s son & daughter in-law), Karl
Whitrock – (added this week: )
–
For the family of Gordon Hoffman, Tracy’s father-in-law, called home on 8/10
– For Missions
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!
ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL & LITTLE
LAMBS REGISTRATION School
Registration is NEXT Sunday, August 25 at 11:00a.m. in St. John’s gym. If you
were enrolled last school year and/or have enrolled for this coming school
year, you received your summer registration packets via mail. If you didn’t,
please contact the office. In them, you will find everything you need to know
about registration and this upcoming school year. Are you new and/or need to
enroll?Call the office (608-297-2866),
email (scsecretary@stjohnsmontello.org) or stop by the office today!
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.
GRIEFSHAREThe next 13-week session of Griefshare will start 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.
ENDEAVOR BLOOD DRIVE
is Wednesday, August 21 from 1:00p.m. – 6:00p.m. at the Endeavor Fire
Department. Please call 1-800-REDCROSS or Ruth Jones 608-587-2646 to set up
your appointment today!
CONCERT ON THE BALL DIAMOND is 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 CHRISTPlease 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 September 1st.
CHRISTIAN
ONE-LINERS (from a WELS pastor): “Be
ye fishers of men. You catch ’em–He’ll clean ’em.”
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!
Attendance
Emmanuel
St. John’s
8-11 8-14
78
103 5
St. John’s Altar Committee
August 2019
Jennie Utke
&
Susan Brown
●●●
Welcome To Our Visitors!Please Sign Our Guest RegisterFind & Like us on FacebookVisit our website link:www.stjohnsmontello.orgPastor Peter Zietlow: (608) 408-7830
E-mail:zietlowPL6@hotmail.comLittle Lambs Director & Teacher
Mrs. Lynn Sellnow: 616-826-0816
K, 1st & 2nd
Grade Teacher Ms. Shelley Myers:
920-285-7554
3rd-5th Grade
Teacher Ms. Rachel Naumann: (847)
913-2135
Principal & 6th – 8th
Grade Teacher Mr. Larry Sellnow:616-822-6689
Church & School Secretary Ciara
Neuhauser: (608) 297-2866
Altar Ladies: Elaine Kelm: (920) 344-0025&Carolyn Rosenthal: 589-5036
Church & School Address/Mail: 313 E Montello St, Montello, WI 53949
Church & School E-mail:scsecretary@stjohnsmontello.org
●●●
Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6
If you’re a gardener in the Northern Tier of states in the United States, it is getting close to harvest time. The tomatoes are starting to turn as the proper number of days has passed since planting. The zucchini and squash are probably surpassing your ability to use them. As the days get a little cooler your flowers are in full bloom. A non-gardening neighbor stops by and says, “My, you have a beautiful garden!” But most non-gardening neighbors don’t have a clue what it takes to create such a garden.
A garden is a year-round process. Composting, mulching, hoeing, watering, fall cleanup, plowing or tilling, fertilizing lightly, compost spreading, fertilizing again, spring tilling, waiting until the soil warms for planting, summer care, and harvest make for much more work than meets the eye of a casual observer. The results can be seen, but the process is hidden.
Do we take for granted the spiritual gardening God has done in our souls? If we have had true confidence in Christ for some time, we may take that relationship for granted. The Apostle Paul reminds us to continue to live in Christ, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as we were taught.
Like garden plants that are rooted in the soil, we must ground ourselves in the Word of God. As plants draw from the soil vital nutrients and moisture, God’s Word gives all that we need for life with God now and forever. When we continue to learn more about God’s love in Jesus, especially from those whom God sends to teach us, we grow in our faith and knowledge of our salvation. God works in us the ability to live in thankfulness for all the blessings that we have in Jesus.
Prayer:
Lord, help me never forget your love for me, Christ. Help me to grow in him. Amen.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation. Colossians 1:21-22
How would you rate your relationship with God on a scale of 1 through 10? How would God rate it? Many people never bother to ask God what he has to say about his relationship with them. They think it is their prerogative to determine whether their relationship with God is good, bad, or ugly. Some think everything is okay between them and God. Others think God is out to get them and wants nothing good for them.
What does God have to say? First, he tells us that our evil behavior alienated us from him. God cannot and will not abide sin. We have sinned. Our evil behavior made us God’s enemies. We don’t want to hear this, but whether we want to hear it or not is irrelevant. God has declared it to be true.
But God doesn’t want to be our enemy. He loves us. So he sent his Son, Jesus, to suffer and die for our sins. All of our evil behavior was washed away by Jesus’ blood on the cross. Now God sees us as holy, sinless, perfect people. We are no longer God’s enemies. We have been reconciled to him.
Now, how would you rate your relationship with God on a scale of 1 through 10? Thank God that through Jesus, he has taken you from a 0 to a 10!
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I know that without your help I would be alienated from God because of my sins. I can never thank you enough for reconciling me to my Maker. Give me peace and joy this day knowing that I am no longer God’s enemy but his beloved and forgiven child. Amen.
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Colossians 3:16
When God speaks, it is appropriate to repeat those words and teach one another. God speaks to you in the words of the Bible, and those words are always useful for teaching. You can learn from every word of the Scriptures. Those words are also useful for admonishment, for rebuking and correcting. Every word of the Bible is true, so you can trust its standards and judgments. Its message about the saving work of Christ is the center of what God says, and when those words are impressed on your heart, you respond with gratitude.
Christians throughout the centuries have noticed that when the Holy Spirit fills their lives with the Word of God, many times they break out in song! Old Testament believers sang 150 different psalms. New Testament believers still sing those psalms, and they have added a rich number of hymns and songs to be sung when a Christian is feeling grateful to the Lord for all that he has done.
If you have ever had a Christian song running through your head, you know that you hardly have to be prompted to sing. It’s something that seems to come from deep within the soul, prompted by the Holy Spirit. Don’t fight it. Sing an old song, sing a new song, and keep singing to God, praising him and proclaiming what he has done for you. When God speaks, sometimes it’s the first response, and that shouldn’t bother you a bit. Just sing!
Prayer:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit give us lips to sing thy glory, tongues thy mercy to proclaim, throats to shout the hope that fills us, mouths to speak thy holy name. Amen.
Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?” Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” Genesis 18:10-14
Sometimes you just gotta laugh—the situation is so absurd that the only appropriate response is laughter. When Sarah, who was past childbearing age, heard the prediction that she would have a child within a year, she laughed. It was not really laughter with joy. It was more like the laughter of disbelief.
What Sarah didn’t take into account is that it was God talking. He was carrying out his plan of salvation, and when God tells you what he is doing for your salvation, a laugh of disbelief is an inappropriate response. Instead, when God speaks, you are encouraged to laugh with joy.
Even when you were still a sinner, Christ died for you. You just gotta laugh, because such mercy and grace are so unexpected. Don’t make it a laugh of disbelief. Laugh with joy.
Your sins are forgiven through faith in Christ. Even when you don’t feel forgiven, even when accusations are still there to try to make you feel guilty, God speaks the word of forgiveness, and you are genuinely and completely forgiven. You just gotta laugh with the joy that comes from a clean conscience.
No matter how bad it gets here on earth, God says that heaven is your home. No more sorrow or tears there—just rest and peace. Laugh with joy!
Prayer: (Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal – 79)
Oh, joy to know that you, my Friend, are Lord, beginning without end, the First and Last, eternal! And you at length—O glorious grace—will take me to that holy place, the home of joys supernal. Amen.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. Colossians 1:21-23
The Bible is filled with gorgeous promises for us. Even though we have thought and done evil things that have made us enemies of God, Jesus took the punishment for them on the cross. He had lived a perfect life and did not deserve to die, but he suffered hell and died anyway so that we would get the credit for his holiness. Because of his work, we appear without blemish and are free from accusation in the eyes of God, whose eyes are the only ones that count when it comes to eternal salvation.
We receive all of those blessings through faith in Jesus Christ. God makes those promises and then gives us faith to trust them. Without faith, all of those blessings and promises go unused, and we go to hell. However, through faith, we receive all of the blessings of the gospel, which include forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
If a friend of yours makes many promises and then breaks them, you learn not to trust that friend. If someone else makes many promises and always keeps them, you learn to trust that person. God speaks to us in the words of the Bible and makes many promises. He has always kept them, and he always will. When God speaks, believe him, and you will never go wrong.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, forsake me not! I trust your Word. Amen.
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42
Every culture has social rules that are to be observed when a visitor arrives. Some people greet visitors with a handshake, others with a hug. Some people offer a drink, while others prepare a whole meal.
Martha knew that when an important visitor like Jesus arrived, a bedroom had to be prepared and an appropriate meal had to be on the table at a decent hour. She wanted everything to be just right for her special guest.
What Martha didn’t realize was that Jesus, as the Son of God, was visiting to speak for her benefit. And when God speaks, the social rules change. Many cultural niceties can be observed, but the most important thing when God speaks is to drop everything and listen to what he says. Martha’s sister, Mary, was doing just that, and she was commended.
That’s because there’s nothing more important than the Word of God. When we get down to the most important things in life, that’s really all we need. Food keeps our bodies alive, but the Word of God nourishes our souls. Everyone needs water to live, but the Word of God is a spring of water welling up to eternal life. People need a place to rest, but the Word of God gives rest to everyone who is weary or burdened.
When God speaks, the most appropriate reaction is to drop everything and treasure what he says, because it all points to Jesus, our Savior.
Prayer:
One thing’s needful. Lord, this treasure teach me highly to regard. Amen.
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:8b-10
The boy named Samuel was hearing a voice speaking to him during the night. He did not know what to do. The priest named Eli, who was his caretaker, told him what to do. Realizing that it was the Lord speaking, Eli told Samuel to answer, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”
Children need that kind of instruction. Today the Lord does not call out to them during the night. Instead, the Lord speaks to them in the Bible. Children need to know how to respond to the words of the Bible. Caretakers of children would do well to teach them to respond, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”
We do not outgrow that advice. The Lord speaks to people of every age with the words of the Bible. He shows people their sin, calls them to repentance and promises to forgive them. He comforts them no matter what troubles they have in life, and he provides what they need to know to go to heaven. He uses the words of the Bible to bring people to faith in Jesus, and he uses the words of the Bible to keep them in that faith.
When the words of the Bible do not match our sensibilities or desires, we are tempted not to listen. But the advice of Samuel’s caretaker is still true each day of our lives. The best thing we can do to thank God for everything he has done is to listen to his Word. Let this be our response to every Bible passage: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”
Prayer:
Speak, O Savior. I am listening as a servant to his lord. Let me show respect and honor to your holy, precious Word. Amen.
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:20-23
The season of summer—with its longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures—provides many opportunities for us to enjoy the outdoors and behold the beauty of God’s wonderful creation. As we do, however, the apostle Paul wants us to see and hear the creation through the perspective of God’s Word.
When we do this, we hear the creation groaning. We recognize that the creation around us is straining under the burden of sin that mankind brought into the world. Hurricanes, fires, tornadoes, floods, droughts—all of them bear the sights and sounds of a creation laboring under the consequences of our sinfulness.
But not only does the creation groan, but we also do too. We groan under the burdens of work, stress, finances, sadness, uncertainty, and loneliness—for sin has infected every aspect of our lives. However, in the groans of creation and of Christians there is anticipation of eagerly looking forward to that day when all the things that hurt and harm will go away forever.
And they will go away! For the day will come when the Lord Jesus will command it. At just the right time that he has determined, the Lord will arrive to liberate his creation from the presence and effects of sin. And for us who groan inwardly awaiting to be free from living in this sinful world, Jesus will take us to the glorious, perfect life that he has prepared for us in his new creation. Just as his blood has washed away our every sin, so also, he will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain.
Then there will be no more groaning.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, when I groan under the burdens of life, remind me by your Spirit that, in Jesus, I can eagerly look forward to the perfect joy of heaven. Amen.
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Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
