Kerry – Page 269 – St. John's Evangelical

Simply Amazing – September 10, 2018

September 10, 2018September 10, 2018 Kerry

People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.”
Mark 7:37

Simply Amazing

Daily Devotion – September 10, 2018

Devotion based on Mark 7:37

See series: Devotions

There are some things in life which are simply amazing: the glow of a sunrise, the iridescence of a sunset, the reflection of mountains in a calm turquoise lake. These are all amazing. To these, specific events from life can also be added: the birth of a child, the longevity and health of a relative, the unexpected recovery from a life-threatening illness. These too are all amazing.

There is one more area of my life where I never cease to be amazed, and that is with the love of my Savior.

In connection with today’s verse of God’s Word, when I consider his care and compassion for the man who could barely speak and was without the sense of hearing, it is simply amazing. Jesus healed him completely. No recovery needed. No therapy required. No further treatment prescribed. It is the same care and compassion Jesus promises for my life.

While I may not see a miracle such as this man experienced, I do know he promises goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life (Psalm 23:6). This is simply amazing that Jesus is so focused on my daily and personal care.

What is even more amazing is the care and compassion Jesus provides for eternal life. I was dead in my transgressions and sin. I was blind to his love and forgiveness. I was an enemy opposed to him at every turn. Yet, Jesus loved me. In that love he did everything to rescue me from my self-inflicted condemnation. He secured new life through his death and resurrection. He opened my eyes through the powerful working of faith. He reconciled me and brought me into his family. I deserved nothing but punishment, but he gave me everything. This is simply amazing.

There is only one response to Jesus’ undeserved love. I love him who loved me first. I also live every day in awe, thanking and praising my Savior for what he did—which is simply amazing.

Prayer:
O precious Savior, truly your love is amazing because it is undeserved. Keep me in your love and your compassionate care until I receive the greater blessing you have prepared for me in heaven. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Repentance – September 9, 2018

September 9, 2018September 9, 2018 Kerry

“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or tax collector. I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Matthew 18:15-18

Repentance

Daily Devotion – September 9, 2018

Devotion based on Matthew 18:15-18

See series: Devotions

“It’s none of my business.” “I’m afraid it will damage our friendship.” “Who am I to point out the sin of another since I am a sinner myself?”

When a fellow Christian is caught in a sin, these are the excuses that so often find their way into our vocabulary. On the surface, they all seem legitimate. Why would we ever want to be considered meddlers, or controversy starters, or self-righteous hypocrites?

But when we trace such excuses to their roots, they get exposed for what they are: tricks and schemes of the devil. After all, Satan will do everything in his power to make sure we do not view sin for what it truly is—a poison that doesn’t just wound or hurt, but a poison that kills. And Satan desires nothing more than for people caught in deliberate sin to continue down that road of sin unrepentant—refusing to recognize their sin and refusing to recognize their desperate need for the forgiveness of our Savior. This is always Satan’s desire, because the road of unrepentance leads to hell.

That’s also why Jesus commands what he does in these words from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 18. Jesus desires the salvation of souls. And so, Jesus commands Christians to call those caught in sin to repentance, that they may recognize their sin and then turn to him for forgiveness.

The steps Jesus calls Christians to follow are clear concerning a brother or sister in Christ. First, approach the fallen sinner privately, that your careful warning may lead him to the repentance God desires. If the person does not repent, involve two or three others, that the seriousness of the matter may be underscored while its privacy maintained. If the sinner still does not repent, take the matter to the church, that the entire body of believers may demonstrate just how seriously the Lord desires repentance and just how greatly the Lord desires to forgive. Finally, if the unrepentant sinner refuses to listen even to the church, exclude him from the church, that he may be continually reminded that impenitence kills saving faith.

Because our Savior has issued us this command solely out of love for sinners, we carry it out with that same spirit of love. We approach it with a single-minded desire to lead sinners to repentance, that they may experience the joy of his forgiveness once again. And we approach it with a humble heart, recognizing that it is only by God’s grace that our own sins have been forgiven. May God grant all of us such love and humility as we carry out this important work!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, in your unlimited love for souls, you have commanded your believers to call sinners to repentance. Move us to carry out this command with that same spirit of love. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Life for You – September 8, 2018

September 8, 2018September 8, 2018 Kerry

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself. “Son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”‘ Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?’
Ezekiel 33:7-11

Life for You

Daily Devotion – September 8, 2018

Devotion based on Ezekiel 33:7-11

See series: Devotions

The cancer support group gathers in a circle in the church basement. They tell their dreary stories of unending fatigue, nausea, and pain. Finally, a young man who has been listening quietly announces, “I have a brain tumor. The doctors want to do surgery and remove it, but I’m not going to do it.” Support gives way to exasperation. “What?” “How can you do this?” “Don’t you want to live?”

When faced with a cancer diagnosis, our loved ones will most likely make every effort to see to it that we seek out every treatment available. The goal is staying alive.

“Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?” The inner, spiritual death caused by sin is cause for deep concern. Too many of us know the agony of watching our loved ones separate themselves from God through careless and persistent sin. God insists that we stand guard and speak out to dissuade our loved ones from their sin.

There is no reason to die because of sin. God “takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.” He wants us to live so much that his own Son took all of the careless and persistent sins we have committed and removed them by his sacrificial death on the cross. Troubled sinners cry out, “How then can we live?” Our loving God answers, “Turn from sin and trust that my Son’s death is life for you.”

Prayer:
Gracious God, lead us all away from sin and to your loving forgiveness in Jesus. Overcome everything harmful to body and soul with your promises of heavenly glory. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Test the Spirits – September 7, 2018

September 7, 2018September 7, 2018 Kerry

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1 John 4:1

Test the Spirits

Daily Devotion – September 7, 2018

Devotion based on 1 John 4:1

See series: Devotions

Test the spirits? That sounds a bit creepy or just plain weird. It seems like something outside the normal person’s expertise and abilities. Maybe we should leave such a thing to scientists. Although perhaps we would find that most scientists have moved beyond a belief in the spirit world. Maybe we need to call the Ghostbusters.

Seriously, today’s encouragement from God’s Word through the pen of a man named John is a vital matter that has critical consequences. God, who himself is spirit (John 4:24), tells us that there is a spirit world. He tells us that not every spirit comes from him. Not every spirit is good and faithful, trustworthy and true.

The chief of those evil spirits is called the devil or Satan. He is an angel who was created good but rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven. Satan and those evil angels, often called demons or devils, who followed him now roam the earth seeking to lead people away from God. They do their destructive work by speaking lies about God to deceive people about the way to have a peace-filled relationship with God. They most often do their deadly work through human beings called “false prophets.”

But how do we test spirits? Not by their personality, eloquence, passion, or sincerity. Test the spirits…by the message that is spoken. God’s Word—the Bible—reveals God’s truth in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Truth. During his life here on earth he spoke the truth from his own mouth. Now from heaven he still speaks through God’s Word recorded in the Bible. He speaks through true and faithful messengers who believe the Bible to be truth and speak it clearly and correctly.

Not everybody who claims to speak the truth of God speaks truthfully. Some are counterfeits. People trained to spot counterfeit currency are first trained to thoroughly and accurately know the genuine thing. Because of this training, they can easily pick out the fake. John, as a dear friend, encourages us to compare the message we hear with the message of God in the Bible. That means we need to read and know our Bible. We need to diligently seek out and surround ourselves with teachers who know the Scriptures and speak God’s truth faithfully. We need to connect ourselves to churches that seek out and speak God’s gospel truth. True spirits will point us to the Truth—Jesus Christ—who is our Savior from sin and the source of every blessing.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, we daily need your help. Help us to test the spirits by knowing your truth and then comparing what we hear to what you say. Give us wisdom and discernment as we seek to grow in our relationship with you. In your saving name, Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

BULLETIN – ST JOHN”S MONTELLO – SEPTEMBER 9, 2018

September 6, 2018September 6, 2018 Kerry

ST. JOHN’S

Evangelical Lutheran Church

Montello, WI

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

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THE SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

GRANDPARENT’S DAY

SEPTEMBER 9, 2018

WELCOME TO OUR CHURCH! 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. Restrooms and nursery area are located 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. May God bless our worship together!

THE FOCUS OF TODAY’S SERVICE As always the focus of our worship service is God’s love in Christ. The Old Testament reading from Isaiah says that the ears of the deaf will be unstopped by the gospel and that the tongue of the dumb will shout for joy when the gospel is heard. Today’s gospel reading relates an incident when Jesus made a deaf and dumb man hear and speak. The people were amazed by this miracle and cried out, “He even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.” Jesus still opens ears to hear the message of the gospel and gives the will and strength to speak that message in this world. Our epistle lesson is a lesson from James that teaches the Christian how to use his ears and tongue in ways that glorify the God of our salvation who has blessed us with eternal life.

ORDER OF SERVICE–LITURGY

Service of Word and Sacrament (hymnal page 26)

PASTOR’S GREETING

OPENING HYMN 238 “Oh, Bless the Lord, My Soul” (printed in hymnal, all sing)

(Please stand)

LITURGY (hymnal page 26, read & sung responsively)

PRAYER OF THE DAY

LITURGY (hymnal page 29b, all sing)

“Amen.”

(Please be seated for the Scripture readings)

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY

Ears Opened by God Enjoy His Good Gifts – If you can hear, you probably take your sense of hearing for granted. Yet what a wonderful gift from God your sense of hearing is! You can hear how Jesus died for you. You can receive not just into your ears, but deep inside you the whole wondrous message of God’s rescue. You can hear the same good news Adam and Noah heard, the same good news Isaiah, Peter, and Jesus preached—preached even to a man who previously had been a deaf-mute.

FIRST LESSON Isaiah 35:4-7

Joy of the redeemed

Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs.

PSALM 146 (hymnal page 120, cantor sings the first line, congregation sings the second line, all sing refrains and Gloria)

EPISTLE LESSON James 1:17-27

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

VERSE OF THE DAY Alleluia! Rejoice in the Lord always;; again I will say, Rejoice. Alleluia. (Philippians 4:4)

LITURGY (hymnal page 30, all sing)

(Please stand)

GOSPEL Mark 7:31-37

The healing of a deaf mute

Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man.

After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.

Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

LITURGY (hymnal page 30b, all sing)

“Praise be to you, O Christ”

(Please be seated)

SERMON HYMN 235 “Praise the Almighty; My Soul, Adore Him” (printed in hymnal, all sing)

SERMON Luke 9:57-62

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

“Be Dedicated to Serving Your Lord”

Realize the Cost
Understand the Urgency
Keep Your Focus

(Please stand after the sermon)

THE NICENE CREED (hymnal page 31, all read)

(Please be seated)

OFFERING, WORSHIPER GREETINGS & FRIENDSHIP REGISTERS

OFFERING PRAYER

PRAYER FOR “BEFRIEND A MISSION” MONTH–SEPTEMBER (read by pastor)

INTERCESSORY PRAYERS

– For those hospitalized, ill, shut-in and facing trials: George Alexander, Marilyn Bredeson (Karin’s Stellick’s mother), David Broderick, Mike Brown, Alexandria Buehrens (Bob & Carolyn’s great granddaughter), Bob & Carolyn Buehrens, George Chapman, Gene & Sharon Crook, Harley & Liola Crown, Agnes Dassow, Caleb & Emery Degenstein (Mark Emond’s friends), Elaine Emond (Mark’s mother), Marjorie Fabian, Mike Farrell, Ron Fuerstenau (Bill’s grandfather), Donna Gatzke, Kellen Grucza (Judy Fandrey’s daughter), Brody Henke, Ardis Henning, Dawn Hirn (Linda Krause’s niece), RaeLynn Hodgkins (Beth Johnson’s daughter), Geri Kerl (Sue Brown’s mother), Bob Klapper (Sandy’s husband), Doris Klawitter, Aspen Raelynn Lefeber (Barb Hoffman’s greatgrandaughter), Anna Madigan, Ruthie Marcelain (Dawn’s granddaughter), LuAnn Reber, Wayne Riemer, Frankie Russell, Mark Russell (Elsa’s son), Bob Schrank, Joan Schmitz (Lisa Ollendorf’s mother), Dennis Schwanke (Mary Isberner’s friend), Jennifer Strauss, Jane Torres (Stacie Starke’s mother), Dennis & Ramona Wacholtz, Blake Walker, Donny Weber (Betty’s son), Paul Weldon, Raymond Zacharrias (Marilyn Riemer’s brother) – (added this week: LuAnn Reber, Gertrude Wegenke)

– For those affected by recent flood and wind damage

– For St. John’s Sunday School & Bible Classes and Midweek Bible Classes that begin today (9/9) and this week

– For grandparents (today 9/9 is Grandparent’s Day)

– For Christian Stewardship (today is the first of three Stewardship Sunday sermons)

LORD’S PRAYER (hymnal page 32, all read)

(Please stand)

HOLY COMMUNION LITURGY (hymnal pages 33-35, read & sung responsively)

(Please be seated for Holy Communion)

The Bible tells us that those who take Communion together are to:

Recognize that Christ’s true body and blood are present in the Sacrament (1 Cor. 11:29)
Examine themselves (1 Cor. 11:28), and
Be united in faith with the congregation with which they commune (1 Cor. 10:17)

For these reasons, it is our practice that only those who are members of our congregation or a congregation of the Wisconsin Ev. Lutheran Synod (WELS) join us for Holy Communion. If you are interested in learning more about becoming part of our fellowship, please speak to the pastor after the service.

DISTRIBUTION HYMNS 112 “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood” & 399:1-2 “To God Be the Glory” (printed in hymnal)

(After the distribution, please stand)

THANK THE LORD, CLOSING PRAYER & BLESSING

(hymnal pages 36-37)

(Please be seated)

CLOSING HYMN 399:3 “To God Be the Glory” (printed in hymnal)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

THEME FOR NEXT SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2018

The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost:

Discipleship Includes the Willingness to Suffer –

Sermon: Stewardship 2

ACTIVITIES FOR THE WEEK SEPTEMBER 9-SEPTEMBER 15
Sun.	8:00 A.M.		Emmanuel Worship
	8:30 A.M.		St. John’s Sunday School begins (find us in a classroom)
	9:00 A.M.		St. John’s Adult Bible Study begins
	10:00 A.M.		St. John’s Worship with communion
Mon.	8:00 A.M.		St. John’s School/Little Lambs begins
	8:15 A.M.		St. John’s School/Little Lambs Opening Service (all school families are invited to church! Muffins and coffee served.)
	6:30 P.M.		St. John’s Choir begins in parish hall
	7:30 P.M.		Adult Bible Study at St. John’s begins
Tues.	9:00 A.M.		St. John’s Elders meeting
Wed.	8:00 A.M.		St. John’s School Chapel
	10:00 A.M.		St. John’s Adult Bible Study begins
	1:40 P.M.		St. John’s School/Little Lambs early release
	2:15 P.M.		Public School Teen Confirmation begins at St. John’s
	6:30 P.M.		St. John’s Worship
	7:30 P.M.		Bible Information Class begins at St. John’s
Thurs.	8:15 A.M.		WLA visit
	10:00 A.M.		Montello Care Center Devotion
	12:00 P.M.		St. John’s Ladies Aid lunch & meeting in lower level – Collecting Fall Mission Offerings
Fri.
Sat.
SCHEDULE FOR NEXT SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2018 The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost: Discipleship Includes the Willingness to Suffer – Sermon: Stewardship 2
8:00 A.M.		Emmanuel Worship
8:30 A.M.		St. John’s Sunday School
9:00 A.M.		Emmanuel/St. John’s Adult Bible Study
10:00 A.M.		St. John’s Worship
11:30 A.M.		Tanzania Presentation with lite lunch by Christa Van Treeck

COME SHARE OUR JOY & CELEBRATE WITH US! Aaron Wachholz & Victoria Riendeau cordially invite St. John’s/Emmanuel members to their marriage celebration. Saturday, September 22, 8 p.m. at the Wachholz Family Farm.

TANZANIA PRESENTATION A year ago I was able to go to Tanzania as a part of my work with UW-Extension. My work in Tanzania was working with Caritas staff, community volunteers, and meeting with farmer groups. I also was able to spend a few days on safari.

Come to this presentation, September 16 at 11:30a.m. for a lite lunch and presentation, to see and hear all about my trip, working in the remote villages, going on safari, and what is happening as a result of this trip. –Christa Van Treeck

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 OFFERINGS will 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—Campus Ministry New Start and World Mission: Haiti. 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!

2018-2019 ST. JOHN’S SUNDAY SCHOOL BEGINS NEXT SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 Teachers look forward to assisting parents by helping the children grow in Christ! Privileged to serve the Lord and you—Susan Brown; Heather Etuk, Linda Wachholz; James Wachholz. Open enrollment means new students are welcome to start at any time. If you know an unchurched child, please share information with the SS staff so a personal invitation can be made. Parents & visitors are always welcome! Another good choice would be attending adult Bible class while children attend SS!!

GIFT TO WELS RUSSIA MISSION totaled $636 (Emmanuel $216 & St. John’s $420) from Mission Festival Sunday on August 26. Thank you for your freewill offerings for the ministry of Pastor Luke & Jennifer Wolfgramm! Please keep Russia in your prayers.

$C:\Users\secretary\Downloads\Concert On The Ball Diamond (1).png$ GRIEFSHARE I will be starting the next GriefShare 13-week session on September 27 in the lower level at St. John’s. We start at 6:00p.m. please place in next possible bulletin and on calendar as you see fit. You can give my cell phone out to anyone having questions. It is (608) 697-1600. Please let them know if I don’t answer to leave a message and I’ll return the call as soon as I am able. I will ensure it is placed in the Marquette County Tribune. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter. –Mark Emond

VOLUNTEERS WANTED AT EMMANUEL Emmanuel Lutheran Church is still recruiting 1 (or more) volunteers to assist with the following position; all expenses are reimbursed by Emmanuel Lutheran Church.

1) Sunday School Teacher: This individual will help further the Christian up-bringing of parish and non-parish children, historically between the ages of 2 and 6, by managing the weekly Sunday School sessions held in the Emmanuel Parish Hall. The timing of the class and age group preference is flexible.

If you are interested in serving the Lord with your time and talents by assisting with these important activities, please contact Darrell Buchholz or Pastor Zietlow.

SCHOOL HOT LUNCH–HELP WANTED Contact Heather Schwochert at 608-369-1084

CHRISTIAN ONE-LINERS (from a WELS pastor): “Many folks want to serve God…but only as advisers.”

CHOIR! Do you love to sing? Do you enjoy music? Do you love to praise the Lord? Are you looking for an excuse to get out of the house? Would you like to come and hang out with a bunch of great people? If you answered yes to any of these questions, please come and give choir a try. We meet on Monday nights from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Our first practice for the fall season will be this Monday, Sept . 10. We would love to see you. If you have any questions, please contact Karin Stellick, 920-342-3689.

MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thanks to the men who were able to attend the Bible classes the past Tuesdays. A total of 16 St. John’s and Emmanuel men were able to make at least one of the nights! Watch the announcements for a new study coming in September – a 7 week long study of part of the book of Revelation – “Let’s Talk Turkey.” It starts Sept. 18 at 6:30pm with stew supper.

CARDS The cards have been restocked! They are located in the lower level of St. John’s. Come check them out and see what’s new!

ALTAR FLOWERS The flowers on the altar last Sunday were placed by Kathy North in memory of her husband Don. Friday, August 24^th, would have been their 50^th wedding anniversary.

*St. John’s Greeter Schedule*
September 9	Scott & Debbie Ritz
September 16	Karl Whitrock & Elsa Russell
September 23	Harold & Judy Fandrey

Attendance

Emmanuel

St. John’s

9-2 9-5

93 11

St. John’s Altar Committee:

September 2018

Diane Eisermann

Delores Cotte

Usher Schedule

September 9

(with comm) SJ

James Wachholz; Chief, James Henke, Paul Van Treeck, Martin Schmanke, Lee Ollendorf

Darrell Buchholz, Jim Stuempges, Joe Heller

Welcome To Our Visitors!

Please Sign Our Guest Register

Visit our website & Facebook link at: www.stjohnsmontello.org

https://www.facebook.com/St-Johns-Evangelical-Lutheran-Church-107160252675/

Pastor Peter Zietlow Office (608) 297-2321

Cell & Text (608) 408-7830, E-mail: zietlowpl6@hotmail.com

Teacher Karin Stellick (920) 342-3689

Teacher Sara Borck (858) 731-7919

Teacher Rachel Naumann (847) 913-2135

Teacher Cassie Doering (920) 723-8986

Parish/School Secretary Ciara Neuhauser (608) 297-2866

Altar Ladies Elaine Kelm (920) 344-0025 &

Carolyn Rosenthal 589-5036

Mail to: 313 E Montello St, Montello, WI 53949

OR scsecretary@stjohnsmontello.org

Winnebago Lutheran Academy

Principal Mr. David Schroeder/WLA office (920) 921-4930

WLA website: www.wlavikings.org

September is…

St. John’s Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society’s

BEFRIEND A MISSION MONTH

He tends His flocks like a shepherd:

He gathers the lambs in His arms

and carries them close to His heart.

These words were written over 2,700 years ago by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 40:11). They speak of the love Jesus, our Savior, has for all people–His sheep and lambs. He kept God’s law perfectly and shed His blood for the sins of all people. Jesus died for all. How great is His love for us!

Consider the thousands of precious sheep and lambs around the world who have not yet heard the Good News of Jesus Christ or who reject Jesus as their Savior. How blessed we are to believe Jesus is OUR Savior! How can we thank him?

“So then 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 2:6-7).

The Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society (LWMS) thanks God for calling its members to be his people and equipping them to serve him. Our mission is to increase interest in and to support mission endeavors, which are a part of or in the interest of our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. We do this by:

strengthening ourselves through the use of God’s Word in home devotions, in Bible study, in corporate worship;
praying for our missions and missionaries;
corresponding with our missionaries;
supporting WELS mission projects with our monetary gifts;
attending circuit rallies and conventions to learn more about WELS missions and how God is using our missionaries.

Through participation in LWMS activities, women of the WELS not only enjoy fellowship with one another but also uplift and encourage one another in their endeavors to reach out to others with the Gospel. Our motto is “United to Serve Jesus.”

Every female who is confirmed and a member at St. John’s or Emmanuel IS a member of LWMS through our congregational memberships. You are cordially invited to participate in this fellowship. You will most certainly be blessed and grow spiritually as well!

The Word of God Produces – September 6, 2018

September 6, 2018September 6, 2018 Kerry

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:10-11

The Word of God Produces

Daily Devotion – September 6, 2018

Devotion based on Isaiah 55:10-11

See series: Devotions

Perhaps this summer you often see a farm field where both sunshine and rain have come down on that field. You have watched as rows and rows of corn reached toward the sky. First appeared little sprouts that hardly seemed more than organized weeds, but then they grew taller, knee-high, and now those little sprouts have become full stalks that stand taller than you.

Maybe, though, you don’t see corn fields where you live. Instead you have watched your tomato plants or your garden flowers. You have witnessed that when water contacts the soil, plants grow and thrive.

It is a perfect picture of what occurs in the places we call churches. As people gather, it is God’s Word that comes down from heaven—the Bible is read, songs are sung, messages are delivered by the pastor. God’s Word contacts human hearts. We cannot watch hearts as closely as we do the soil of the fields, and we may not witness green sprouts reach for the sky, but people grow and thrive. God promises it. He promises that when he sends his Word to human hearts, it produces. It accomplishes his desire and achieves his purpose.

What is God’s purpose for you? He desires that you will come to him because you thirst for his love and mercy. (See Isaiah 55:1.) He desires that you will turn to listen to his Word and know his mercy and pardon. (See Isaiah 55:7.) He desires that you will be able to go forth in your life with joy and peace. (See Isaiah 55:12.)

In his Word, God tells you that his Son also came down to accomplish what he desired and achieve the purpose for which God sent him. That purpose was that his own Son give his life over to death for you. Jesus died to purchase your life out from underneath the weight of your guilt. God’s purpose was that Jesus’ blood shed on the cross makes you clean in God’s sight. God’s purpose is that the victory his Son accomplished by his resurrection from the dead, be your very own by trusting in Jesus as your Savior.

Do you see a church where you live in which God’s Word is proclaimed? Now is the perfect time to let God’s Word cause faith to grow and thrive in your heart.

Prayer:
Almighty God, send forth your Word into my heart in abundance, so that my faith in Christ may grow and flourish. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

His Calling Card – September 5, 2018

September 5, 2018September 5, 2018 Kerry

Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you. … Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?
Deuteronomy 4:1,2,6-8

His Calling Card

Daily Devotion – September 5, 2018

Devotion based on Deuteronomy 4:1,2,6-8

See series: Devotions

Jim was a salesman. He traveled to visit his customers. He always left them a business card, so they would be able to contact him again later.

God uses his people as his calling card. On his people, he imprints his promises: “I will be with you. I will be near you. I will never leave you nor forsake you. I will always, always listen when you pray.” And a host of other promises. On his people, he imprints his laws: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart. Love your neighbor as yourself.” And he added a fully fleshed out code of conduct for his people’s society, worship, and personal life. God wanted his people to be his calling card. The people of other nations would see Israel and see God’s promises and commands stamped across the fabric of their lives. And it would have worked…

Except his people sinned. They fell away from God again and again. They disregarded his commands and promises and turned to other gods.

How about you? Do you represent God well? Do you display God’s commands to the world by the way you live? Do you promote God’s promises by what you say and do? Or are you guilty of giving God “bad press?”

God in his mercy sent another calling card: his own Son. In his Son, people of every nation can see the imprint of God’s righteousness, God’s laws. In God’s Son Jesus, the world can see God’s love, God’s promises. Jesus not only publicized God well in life but connected lost souls with God through his death on the cross. People from every nation who believe in Jesus not only learn about God, but know God as their Father, receive forgiveness of sins, and live forever.

God forgives you through Christ. And in grace, sends you out as his calling card into the world.

Prayer:
Dear Father, forgive me for giving you a bad name by a sinful life. Forgive me and cleanse me in Christ and use me as your calling card in a world of lost souls. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Raw Recruit – September 4, 2018

September 4, 2018September 4, 2018 Kerry

Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.
Ephesians 6:13

Raw Recruit

Daily Devotion – September 4, 2018

Devotion based on Ephesians 6:13

See series: Devotions

In the world of the First Century AD, the Roman army was a sight to see. It had great numbers. It was well-supplied. It had cutting-edge weaponry.

However, its real strength was not in numbers, weapons, or supplies. It was the training. The training of the Roman soldier in the Roman army was superb. The historian by the name of Josephus got to observe the training of Roman soldiers firsthand. What struck him the most was their determination to always be ready for the day of battle. Their training was constant. Josephus wrote: “[T]hey do not sit with folded hands in peace time only to put them in motion in the hour of need. On the contrary, as though they had been born with weapons in hand, they never have a truce from training.”

In addition, this constant training was not just for the soldier who was new to the army. It was for the seasoned veteran as well. We know this from an ancient manual on Roman military training. After it emphasizes that the seasoned veteran has orders for daily training too, the manual then explains why. It says, “No matter how many years he has served, an unexercised soldier is forever a raw recruit.”

Which leads to you and me.

As a Christian, how many times have I presumed that I am a seasoned soldier of the cross when the reality is that I often behave like a raw recruit? As soon as the Lord gives me an opportunity to display some genuine Christian maturity for others, how often do I react with the immaturity of the raw recruit? And when this sinful world gives me a very trying day, how often do I glower, pout, and carry myself as if this were my first day in the Lord’s army?

We have all had our turn at letting down our Lord.

That is why my present strength as a soldier of the cross is not the number of years I have lived. It is not my happy memories of Sunday School or Christian Elementary School. It is not my past work on this or that committee at church. Rather, it is the Spirit-wrought realization that I need the Lord Jesus now more than ever. I need the forgiveness he has purchased for me at the cross. I need the peace and strength he gives me in his Word and Sacrament.

When that happens, the more fully I wear the armor of God. When that happens, the more fully I live to the Lord’s glory as a seasoned soldier of the cross.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, so often I have behaved as if I were a raw recruit. Wash me clean. Empower me by your Spirit to realize my need for you is greater than ever. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Heart Problems – September 3, 2018

September 3, 2018September 3, 2018 Kerry

“From within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.”
Mark 7:21-22

Heart Problems

Daily Devotion – September 3, 2018

Devotion based on Mark 7:21-22

See series: Devotions

Nancy was concerned about her husband. His lifestyle choices made him a perfect candidate for heart problems. Even Ken’s doctor agreed. Ken was overweight. He got little exercise. He was under a great deal of stress. What was most troubling was his attitude. Every time Nancy encouraged him to change, he replied, “You have to die from something.”

In many ways I can be like Ken, especially when it comes to the spiritual condition of my heart. Jesus wants to claim it as his own, but often I reject that claim and live my life the way I choose. This leads to a struggle between what is good and God-pleasing, and what could lead to my eternal condemnation.

My heart is the problem. Jesus’ warning to his disciples is one I need to take seriously. I may believe my heart is filled with good intentions, but the opposite is true. By nature, it is filled with evil thoughts and desires which result in evil actions. In the end, I either must confess I have a heart problem or deny it.

What a blessing it is that Jesus opens my eyes with the warning he gives. Not only do I need to see the horrible condition of my heart, I must acknowledge it. Once I admit my heart has a problem, my Savior leads me to look to the cure he provides.

In Jesus, I have forgiveness for the evil condition of my heart. In Jesus, I receive the desire and the strength to change. In Jesus, I have his peace which continually guards my heart and life. It is only Jesus’ undeserved love, his sinless life, and his triumph over every evil that replaces what exists by nature, repairs the damage, and renews my heart for a life of loving service.

This new life and new heart is mine only by faith in Jesus. And though I may never be completely free from heart problems in this life, I can live in hope. Jesus continues to call me, change me, and claim my heart as his own.

Prayer: (Psalm 51:10)
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Following Jesus is Worth Whatever It Takes – September 2, 2018

September 2, 2018September 2, 2018 Kerry

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”
Matthew 16:21-26

Following Jesus is Worth Whatever It Takes

Daily Devotion – September 2, 2018

Devotion based on Matthew 16:21-26

See series: Devotions

Human beings put a value on everything. How much we value someone, or something affects the decisions we make. If we value a certain piece of meat enough to pay thirteen dollars a pound for it, we buy it. If we value our pet enough to pay a thousand dollars for the surgery she needs, we tell the vet to schedule the surgery. If we value winning a marathon enough, we get up early every morning to train for it. If we value losing weight enough, we avoid certain foods.

Jesus values you more than anyone has ever valued anything. He wants to spend his eternity with you. He knew that the only way he could do this was to go to the cross and spill his blood as a payment for your sins. It would be painful beyond words. It would be difficult beyond description. As Jesus said, he would have to “suffer many things.” But, for Jesus it was a simple equation. Lose his life or lose you. He chose to lose his life.

And now, because of what Jesus did, all his followers will live eternally with him. Those who do not follow him will suffer separation from him forever. So, what are you willing to suffer in order to follow him? It is a simple equation. Lose him and you lose everything. Or, to put it positively, follow him at all costs. Carry whatever burden you must. Put up with whatever ridicule you must. Pass by whatever temporary pleasure you must in order to follow him. Because when Jesus leads you to the glory of heaven you will exclaim, “Wow! It was worth it!”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I thank you that you valued me enough to suffer so much to save me. My relationship with you is worth more than anything else. Send your Holy Spirit to strengthen me in this conviction so that every decision I make this day will reflect how much I value you. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.