[Jesus said] “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.” John 5:22,23
Many people think that Christians make too big a deal out of Jesus. However, when it comes to Jesus, his importance cannot be emphasized enough. Why? Because Jesus is your judge.
Judges have the authority to decide if you are guilty or innocent, and they can punish the guilty. Jesus has the authority to do that for all people. His judgment determines where you spend eternity. There are only two possible outcomes—heaven or hell.
This is the judgment that God the Father has entrusted to his Son. So, do you understand why Christians make such a big deal out of Jesus? Everything hinges on him. He is the judge. The eternal destiny of all people who have lived, are living, or will live is bound up in their relationship to Jesus. Everyone will be judged by him.
That can be a scary thought. After all, like all people, you are guilty of breaking God’s law and deserve an eternity apart from God and his blessings.
But remember who your judge is! He is the judge who arranged for another trial, one where he stood in your place. One where he accepted the consequences of your actions—the nails, the cross, and a lot of shed blood. He endured the full wrath of God.
Isn’t it wonderful to know that the one who will judge you one day is the same one who already paid the price for all your sins? Because he did, you can be sure that on that day, he will look at you and say, “Not guilty.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for making your Son my judge. Amen.
No one likes to admit they are wrong. It is embarrassing. It wounds our pride. Even worse is admitting that we have said or done something wrong. The truth is that we say and do what is wrong more than we want to admit. Our wrong words and actions violate the will of God, who demands that we never be wrong.
That is why the Bible says that we are not the perfect people that can join God in heaven eternally. By all our wrongs, we have separated ourselves from God and are unable to live up to his standard of perfection.
But oh, the wonderful love of God! He did for us what we could not do. He sent his Son, Jesus, to earth to live among us, to live the perfect life we could not. Jesus suffered and died, becoming our substitute, paying for the sins we committed against God’s perfect will. Because of Jesus’ perfection, God now sees us as perfect. Our eternal future is now with God because of Jesus.
So, when the Roman soldiers viewed the suffering Jesus on the cross and mockingly said, “save yourself,” they had it all wrong. Jesus wasn’t going to save himself from earthly death. He was saving us from eternal death!
Prayer:
Dear Lord, may your love in sending your Son to die for my sins be reflected in my love for you. Amen.
Have you ever cleaned out your basement or garage and discovered many things that you forgot you had? While you may be amused at rediscovering something you forgot about, perhaps you ask yourself, “Why do I have all this stuff?”
God truly blesses us with many physical blessings. Everything we have comes from him. He provides all the necessary things for life and is generous to give us many more things than we need. His blessings abundantly fill our lives, and for these, we thank our God.
Yet we must be careful not to begin to love the gifts more than God who gives them. It is easy for our hearts to become greedy and not be happy with what we have. It is so easy to want MORE … money… toys… houses… boats… cars… without end.
Yet none of these things can ever satisfy us completely or fill the place in our life and heart that can only belong to Jesus Christ. Jesus warns us, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). Jesus teaches us that there is more to life and more to us than earthly possessions. He is the source of all that we need spiritually and eternally.
Jesus is our most precious possession. He lived a perfect life for us. He suffered the death penalty for our sins that we deserved. Jesus rose from the dead and promises that we will live forever through faith in him alone. Wow! Nothing is more important than the gifts of forgiveness of sins and eternal life that Jesus gives us by faith in him.
If you want a possession that really satisfies, look to Jesus!
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, you bless me with many good things in my life, but most importantly, I am blessed through your Son, Jesus. Help me treasure the spiritual life that I have by faith in him and not let anything else matter more. Amen.
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire . . . They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Daniel 3:26,27
“I think it can be salvaged.” In other words, it wasn’t a total loss. Maybe the damage came as the result of a fire or flood. Maybe there was an accident that was a bit more serious than your average fender bender. Maybe some bodily extremity found itself up against something sharp and lost the battle. Damage was most definitely done, but a person with the skills to repair the damage—at least somewhat—says, “I think it can be salvaged.” Whew!
Is that the situation in which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found themselves after they were fished out of the fiery furnace? Did they survive the hellish blast, but just barely? Did they need to be rushed to the hospital with first, second, or third-degree burns? Did the doctors look at them after their ordeal and say with some hesitation, “I think their bodies can be salvaged”?
Nope.
The Old Testament prophet Daniel tells us what King Nebuchadnezzar, who had sentenced these men to the flames, and his officials witnessed. “They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.” It wasn’t that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had just barely managed to survive their fiery ordeal. They hadn’t even been touched by it.
What does it prove? It proves that Jesus isn’t only the world’s perfect Savior; he also provides perfect salvation. His saving work is more than a reclamation or restoration job. It goes way beyond a new paint job to spruce up appearances for the time being. He doesn’t simply perform reconstructive surgery.
No, Jesus heals us perfectly. He forgives us perfectly. He saves us perfectly, once and for all and forever. Indeed, as the apostle Paul once wrote, “we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:10).
Trust him. You won’t be disappointed. He guarantees it.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to understand that perfect salvation is found in you alone. Amen.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Daniel 3:24,25
Generally speaking, there is strength in numbers. The more people you have working together on a task, the more likely you are to be successful at completing that task, especially if it’s a big one. On the other hand, there are some tasks where the best way to accomplish them is by having a committee of one. No distractions. No wrong turns. No carrying someone else’s water. A single mind with a single-minded purpose. There are times when a committee of one is the perfect solution to a problem.
The Old Testament believers—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—were facing a truly life-threatening problem. They had just been tossed into the fiery furnace prepared for them by the great Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. Death was beyond certain. Even the soldiers who had thrown them into the fire were immediately incinerated by the hellish blast. If they were to be saved, how many people would it take?
As it turns out, just one.
Three men had been cast into the fire, but when the king went to witness the demise of his doomed triplets, he “leaped to his feet in amazement. . . He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around the first, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’” Whether it was an angel of the Lord or the Lord Jesus himself, we cannot know for certain. What we can know is that those men were saved that day by a committee of One. The Lord saves his people now and forever, and he does it all by himself.
We wouldn’t want it any other way. Only Jesus is perfect. Only Jesus is all-powerful. Only Jesus is the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). So, when it comes to our salvation now and forever, Jesus is a committee of One. He must do it, and he does it. Perfectly.
Prayer:
Jesus, help me to trust you alone for my salvation, now and always. Amen.
Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. Daniel 3:19-21
My wife and I love to engage in thermostat wars. She likes it warm. I like it cool. I won’t tell you who normally wins.
But there are times when it’s too hot for both of us—summertime in the kitchen, when the oven and all four stove burners are on. You can’t open the window; it’s 100 degrees outside. And the air conditioner can’t keep up. It’s gotten too hot in the kitchen. We agree!
The world loves to turn the heat up on God’s people, especially those who strive to remain faithful to his holy, saving Word. But that shouldn’t come as any particular surprise. Jesus promised it, and his promises are always perfectly fulfilled. The night before he died, he promised his disciples, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20).
In Matthew 24, he also promised that in the last days, the heat would become too much for some. “At that time,” he said, “many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.” Why? Because the heat will get too hot in the kitchen.
Why does Jesus make such promises? So that when the world starts turning up the heat on his people, they’re not surprised. They’ll rejoice (Matthew 5:11,12; 1 Peter 4:12,13).
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to obey King Nebuchadnezzar’s ungodly order, the king turned up the heat and ordered them into the furnace. They didn’t kick and scream. They didn’t deny their faith. They didn’t complain about unfairness. They put their trust in God, knowing that in Jesus, the victory was already theirs.
God’s people will feel the heat. But when they do, they rejoice. Because Jesus always keeps his promises. It’s true.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for graciously giving us confidence in you by always keeping your promises. Amen.
“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:17,18
Sometimes we get too caught up in life’s day-to-day hassles. We don’t keep an eye on the bigger picture.
The Bible teaches us, “Set your minds on things above, not only earthly things.” What we see in this world is transitory. It’s passing way. But what God promises to us in Jesus endures forever. In many ways, real life doesn’t begin until we finally see Jesus with our eyes.
Until then, the Christian life is lived under the cross. In other words, Christians expect to endure hatred and persecution when they remain faithful to Jesus and his Word. It’s no surprise. The Bible says, “Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things” (Philippians 3:18,19).
But Christians keep an eye on the bigger picture.
That’s what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did when they were facing the burning anger of King Nebuchadnezzar. While they were convinced that God would save them from the fiery furnace of the king’s fury, they were also prepared if God chose not to spare them in that moment. Indeed, they believed wholeheartedly, “the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Even when it may seem like the world defeats God’s people, God’s people keep an eye on the bigger picture. In the end, God wins forever, and he shares the spoils of his eternal victory with those who trust him, no matter what.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me to understand and trust that I will be victorious in you forever. Amen.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.” Daniel 3:16,17
I like TV courtroom dramas. But I also know enough about the world to know that what you see on TV often doesn’t happen in real life. Like when a defendant’s lawyers decide that it’s in their client’s best interest that they not offer a defense. They’re convinced the prosecution has not met their burden of proof. So instead of offering their own set of facts and expert witnesses, they simply tell the judge, “The defense rests.”
Though it happens rarely, the Old Testament prophet Daniel tells us how his Jewish compatriots, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, did just this when the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, accused them of treason. The king had commanded every one of his subjects to worship a ninety-foot image of gold he had built to honor himself. These three men refused. But instead of offering a single fact or argument as to why their refusal was lawful, they bravely told the king, “We do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.” The defense rests.
Why rest? Because they were right. God commands his people not to worship anyone or anything other than him. They were more concerned with obeying God than obeying any human being, even a king. And they knew that their God was perfectly capable of rescuing them if he so chose. “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace,” they told the king, “the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.”
The model of these three men is important for us to ponder. Sometimes we are tempted to “argue people” into believing the truth about Jesus. But why? There is certainly a time and place for defending God’s Word, but I need to remember that God’s Word first defends me. I don’t back God up; he and his Word back me up.
God tells us that he forgives all sinners in Jesus, the risen Savior. In Jesus, he gives eternal life freely. That includes you. It’s just the truth. The defense rests.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me simply to listen to and trust your Word of salvation. Amen.
Celebrate Reformation Sunday 500 Years After the Diet at Worms
October 30, 2021
4:30 p.m. St. John’s
October 31, 2021
8 a.m. Emmanuel
10 a.m. St. John’s
Pastor Peter Zietlow
Pastor’s Greeting: On April 18, 1521, Martin Luther stood to answer the questions put to him by the Roman church inquisitor Johann Eck, the secretary to the Archbishop of Trier. He had received the papal decree earlier that demanded he recant his teaching or be excommunicated. He had refused and Pope Leo declared him a heretic. He was officially excommunicated ten days before the Diet, which was a formal assembly of churchmen, began. After Luther’s opening statement, Eck told him all matters had long been settled by church councils; he was only to answer the question: do you recant or not? Luther’s answer: “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted, and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot, and I will not retract anything since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise; God help me! Amen”
Congregation Hymn sung to the tune of CW 477 “What Is the World to Me”; 3 verses with new lyrics by Arden W. Mead interspersed with liturgy from Psalm 103 spoken responsively by Pastor and congregation:
By grace we have been saved, by God’s abundant favor.It is the gift of God through faith in Christ, our Savior.No merit may we claim, no effort of our own;It is the gift of God through faith in Christ alone.
P With all my heart I praise the Lord, and with all that I am I praise his holy name!
CWith all my heart I praise the Lord! I will never forget how kind he has been.
P The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, and protects us from death.
CHis kindness and love are a crown on our heads.
P Each day that we live, he provides for our needs.
CHe gives us the strength of a young eagle.
P How great is God’s love for all who worship him?
CGreater than the distance between heaven and earth!
P How far has the Lord taken our sins from us?
CFarther than the distance from east to west!
When we were dead in sin, God sent his Son to save us.It is the gift of God that life eternal gave us.By God’s abundant grace we with the Lord are raised.It is the gift of God, whose name fore’er be praised.
P The Lord is always kind to those who worship him,
Cand he keeps his promises to their descendants who faithfully obey him.
P God has set up his kingdom in heaven, and he rules the whole creation.
CLet all of God’s creation and all that he rules come and praise the Lord.
P With all my heart I praise the Lord.
We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus.It is the gift of God that thus his mercy frees usTo live in holiness the life that God desires.It is the gift of God that such good works inspires.
Prayer of the Day
Your Word tells us, Lord, that it is by grace we are saved, not by works, and that it is a gift from God, lest anyone should boast. Let us bask in the blessing of this true gift from you of our salvation from sin, death and the devil, not because of anything we have done but because of what your Son did for us on the cross by dying in our stead for our transgressions and rising to life three days later that we might live a new life in heaven with you. May this miraculous message, uncovered again during the Reformation, which we celebrate this day, be our guiding light and our bold claim in how we live our lives for you. Amen.
Choir: This Is My Word Text based on Isaiah 55:10-12; words and music by Pepper Choplin
The First Lesson Isaiah 55:1-11
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor. Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 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.’”
Psalm 46 The Reformation Psalm is sung by the congregation to the tune of CW 441 “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” with words as follows:
God is our Refuge and our Strength, our Helper ever near. The Lord of hosts is on our side to shelter us from fear.
Though mountains fall and storms arise and fearful tempests blow, Our God is with us, and he leads where peaceful waters flow.
God’s steadfast help will surely come as certain as the dawn. The Lord of hosts is on our side, so let all fear be gone!
The trembling nations hear his voice, their awesome Sov’reign own: “Be still, and know that I am God, and I will reign alone!”
Come and behold what God has done: as adversaries yield, He breaks the bow and snaps the spear and burns with fire the shield.
O God our Refuge, God our Strength, accept the praise we bring For mercy shown by grace alone through Christ, our Savior-King!
The Second Lesson, Ephesians 2:1-10 (Sermon Text)
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 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. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
The Alleluia verse is sung by the congregation to the tune of CW 322, “On What Has Now Been Sown”:
It is God’s gift alone that we to Christ belong, Who claims us as his own and will our whole life long. Alleluia! By faith alone God’s gift we own. Alleluia!
Rise for TheGospel, John 17:1-10
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.
Congregational Hymn, CW Supplement 756, “We Walk by Faith and Not by Sight,” 5 verses
We walk by faith and not by sight; No gracious words we hear From him who spoke as none e’er spoke, But we believe him near.
We may not touch his hands and side Nor follow where he trod, But in his promise we rejoice And cry, My Lord and God!”
Help then, O Lord, our unbelief, And may our faith abound To call on you when you are near And seek where you are found.
For you, O resurrected Lord, Are found in means divine: Beneath the water and the Word, Beneath the bread and wine.
Lord, when our life of faith is done, In realms of clearer light, We may behold you as you are With full and endless sight.
The Sermon: Ephesians 2:1-10 “By Grace You Are Saved” Grace that’s 1.Needed (vv 1-3) 2.Offered (vv 4-7) 3.Reflected (vv 8-10)
Rise for the Creedal Hymn sung by the congregation to the tune of CW 256, “How Great Thou Art”
We all believe in God, almighty Father who shattered chaos, said, “Let there be light!” Sun, moon and stars show forth his praise together, All things on earth his wisdom and his might. God loved the world so much he freely gave his only Son the lost to save. God loves each child; by faith we understand it is God’s gift—a Father’s hand.
We all believe in God’s true Son, Christ Jesus, Born of a virgin, for us crucified. His holy death and resurrection frees us To rise from sin, and in his grace abide. Ascended to his throne in heav’n on high with saving love he still is nigh. He will return as Shepherd, Judge and King. He is God’s gift—his praise we sing!
And we give thanks for God the Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, By whose blest inspiration we inherit the benefits of all that Christ has done. The holy Church is gathered ’round the Word where God’s good news in faith is heard. Forgiven and forgiving, we shall rise to claim God’s gift of Paradise.
Piano Interlude Keira Breiwa playing “Lord Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word” and Molly Utke playing “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”
Prayers based on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism Creed spoken responsively by Pastor and congregation:
P O God the Father Almighty, we offer our thanks for richly and daily providing us with all that we need to support the bodies you have given us and the lives we are privileged to live.
C Make us truly grateful for your gifts of goods and clothing, house and home, spouse and children, property, and all that we call ours—that we may regard them as your blessings and dedicate them to your service.
P O Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, for us and for our salvation you became true man.
C It is your gift alone that purchased and won us from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil—not with gold or silver, but with your holy, precious blood and your innocent suffering and death. Keep us firm in that saving faith.
P O Holy Spirit, we acknowledge all the gifts of God today only because you have called us by the Gospel, enlightened us with your gifts, sanctified and kept us in the true faith. Continue to inspire us in all these ways, we pray, that the things we do may show forth your glory.
C By your Word and sacraments, you have united us with the whole Christian Church on earth. Continue to call, gather, enlighten, and sanctify more believers, and keep them with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
Benediction It is the gift of God that he has blessed us and keeps us. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.
The Closing Hymn, CW 201, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” 4 verses
A mighty fortress is our God, A trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from ev’ry need That has us now o’ertaken.
The old evil foe Now means deadly woe;
Deep guile and great might Are his dread arms in fight;
On earth is not his equal.
With might of ours can naught be done; Soon were our loss effected. But for us fights the valiant one Whom God himself elected. You ask, “Who is this?” Jesus Christ it is,
The almighty Lord. And there’s no other God;
He holds the field forever.
Though devils all the world should fill, All eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill; They shall not overpow’r us.
This world’s prince may still Scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none. He’s judged; the deed is done!
One little word can fell him.
The Word they still shall let remain, Nor any thanks have for it;
He’s by our side upon the plain With his good gifts and Spirit.
And do what they will—Hate, steal, hurt, or kill—
Though all may be gone, Our victory is won;
The kingdom’s ours forever!
Text: Martin Luther, 1483–1546; tr. composite.
† ANNOUNCEMENTS †
October 31 — November 6
Sun.
8:00a.m.
Emmanuel Worship
8:30a.m.
Sunday School at St. John’s
9:00a.m.
Adult Bible Study at St. John’s
10:00a.m.
St. John’s Worship
Mon.
3:30p.m.
A Team Basketball starts in Princeton
3:30p.m.
Cheerleading practice starts in Montello
3:30p.m.
Hand In Prayer meeting at St. John’s
6:30p.m.
Joint Choir at St. John’s
7:30p.m.
Adult Bible Study at St. John’s
Tues.
8:00a.m.
School Chapel
9:00a.m.
Joint Elders meeting at St. John’s
3:30p.m.
C Team Basketball practice starts in Princeton
6:30p.m.
Joint Worship meeting at St. John’s
Wed.
10:30a.m.
Adult Bible Study
1:45p.m.
Early School Release
2:15p.m.
Public Teen Confirmation Class at St. John’s
2:30p.m.
St. John’s Faculty Bible Study
6:30p.m.
Evangelism meeting at St. John’s
Thurs.
8:00a,m.
St. John’s Teen Confirmation class
12:00p.m.
Ladies Aid dessert & meeting
3:30p.m.
A Team Basketball practice in Princeton
3:30p.m.
C Team Basketball practice in Montello
6:00p.m.
Griefshare at St. John’s
Fri.
Sat.
4:30p.m.
St. John’s Worship
Next week’s theme: November 7, 2021End Times 2: Last Judgement
Day Light Savings Time
8:00 a.m.
Emmanuel Worship
8:30a.m.
Sunday School at St. John’s
9:00a.m.
Adult Bible Study at St. John’s
9:00a.m.
Emmanuel Council meeting
10:00a.m.
St. John’s Worship
† CHURCH NEWS †
INTERCESSORY PRAYERS (read by pastor)
– For the sick and distressed: Caryl Bassett, Mike Brown, Ed Buchholz, Darlene Burrough (Judy Fandrey’s niece), Sharon Crook, Jan Dahlke, Don Ebert, Reinold Eckelberg, Ken & Sally Elmer, Mike Farrell, Donna Gatzke, Kelleen Grucza (Judy Fandrey’s daughter), Carol Hamberger, Marian Heller, Louise Hillmer, Roger Hillmer, Jerry & Darlene Hunter (Bonnie Chapman’s parents), Xzander Jahr, Ellie Kendall, Bob Klapper, Arden Klimke, Robert Lederer (Jackie & Jeanne Buchholz’ father), Thomas Marcelain (Dawn’s son), Phil Nelson (Melanie Zuehls’ step-father), Karen Radke, Wanda Sellnow (Principal Larry Sellnow’s mother), Doris Smith, Mary Smith, Tom Stempniak (Carol’s husband), Dennis & Ramona Wacholtz, Kathy Weinfurter (Ken Pabelick’s mother-in-law) (added this week: )
– For the family of our St. John’s member Elsa Russell, called to her Savior’s side in heaven on Thursday 10/28
– Election Day (11/2)
SAVE THE DATE Our next Ladies Aid meeting is Thursday, Nov. 4 at 12:45p.m. This will be a dessert only (no lunch) meeting. See you there!
SAVE THE DATE Sunday, Nov. 14 at 11a.m. St. John’s Teacher Call Voters meeting.
HANDS IN PRAYER The Hands In Prayer Group from Emmanuel and St. John’s church members want to invite anyone that would like to join us at our next meeting. At this meeting you will learn a little more about what we enjoy doing for our two churches and the community. We would love to have you join our Christian group. This meeting will be held on November 1st at 3:30 PM in the church basement of St. John’s. No crafting skills are needed. Our meetings are based on Hebrews 10:24 & 25 – “Let’s us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let encourage one another – all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
JOINT REFORMATION SERVICE After a year’s hiatus, The WLA Association Joint Reformation Service will be on TODAY, October 31st, at 3:00 p.m., at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 1600 South Main Street, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The WLA Traveling Choir will be bringing God’s Word to us in song under the direction of Mr. Dale Witte, who will also serve as organist. Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary’s Dean of Chapel, Rev. Aaron Christie, will be our guest preacher. The presiding minister will be St. Peter’s new pastor, Rev. Luke Boehringer. We pray you will come and praise God for allowing our congregations to build on the three pillars of the Lutheran Reformation—that we are saved: Sola Gratia (by Grace Alone), Sola Fide (by Faith Alone), and Sola Scriptura (by Scripture Alone).
WLA CAPITAL CAMPAIGN Thank you from Winnebago Lutheran Academy for having us visit your church services recently. It was a privilege to share with you some WLA Association news along with our plans to build a new high school campus. Please contact Kevin Ehlke with any questions you may have at 920-539-4041 or kehlke@wlavikings.org. If you would like to give in support of our current capital campaign, please use the brochures provided at your church or go to our website forward.wlavikings.org/donate. Gifts can be mailed to WLA or given online at our website. Thank you for your continued support of WLA!
MISSION FESTIVAL COMING TO EMMANUEL & ST. JOHN’S on Sunday, November 21. Guest speaker during worship services will be Mr. Shannon Bohme, coordinator of WELS Mission Journeys, which provides an opportunity for all WELS members to walk together in the Great Commission. Through church- or school-based volunteer trips to WELS mission fields at home and abroad, members have the opportunity to engage in Christian service. Pre-trip training led by a team leader equips volunteers to have significant impact during their trip, which are self-funded by the team. While volunteering, the learning and sharing of outreach ideas will allow teams to explore how they can use their God-given abilities to engage in outreach activities in their home congregation upon their return home. With the Lord’s blessing, these trips will inspire a lifelong journey of service and outreach for all who volunteer.
Following the 10 a.m. service at St. John’s, all are invited to a lunch (Freewill Offering will be taken) in the lower level. Please plan to stay for a short afternoon presentation by Mr. Bohme. He will highlight what is happening in home missions and discuss where we want to go as a synod with 100 new church plants in 10 years starting in 2023! That’s exciting mission work!
SERVING OUR COMMUNITY: COLLECTING BOOKS FOR TOTS FINAL CALL!! During October congregational members are invited to donate new or gently used storybooks for ages 1-5 for Smart Start Day Care, Inc. in Montello. Board books would be especially welcome. St. John’s Sunday School children are sponsoring this community service project. They are learning to “shine for Jesus in their community.” Will you help us? A collection box is located in the linkway.
GIFTS FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS Please consider making a gift towards the following church or school projects. Your gift, to the project of your choice, will be recorded under your member account in our Shepherd’s Staff program unless you specifically request it be recorded as anonymous. Donor names and gift amounts are not published. Your gift can be placed in the offering plate, the locked drop box by the office, or mailed. Please contact the church/school secretary, Ciara Neuhauser, if you have any questions.
Project Name & Brief Description Amount Needed
Church & School Computer Server Upgrade $7,851.64
(costs for replacing server)
House Demolition $9,500.00
(costs related to tear down of old Little Lambs house)
Church Piano $6,000.00
Church A/V Upgrades $2,996.29
School Athletic Fund $1,000.00
(jerseys, equipment, tournament fees)
Ministerial Tuition Assistance – No limit in place
(assistance for members pursuing the ministry)
Outreach Activities No limit in place
(church and/or school outreach supplies, fees)
St. John’s School Tuition Assistance
(assistance for parents of students)No limit in place
School Technology Fund No limit in place
(maintain teacher and student computers, smartboards)
† SCHOOL NEWS †
TRUNK OR TREAT Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s Trunk or Treat. What a great turn out it was! Be sure to check out our school Facebook page for pictures. A big thank you to everyone who volunteered their time to make this event happen. “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Galatians 5:13We hope this can continue to grow so we can continue to support those around us with God’s word and some fall fun…so spread the word for next year!
BASKETBALL & CHEERLEADING Starts this week! A Team practice is Monday, Nov. 1 at 3:30pm in Princeton gym and Cheer practice is at 3:30pm in Montello gym. Player families: please refer to our Facebook groups for more information. Go Jaguars!
Attendance
Emmanuel
St. John’s
10-23
17
10-24
33
135
St. John’s Altar Committee for October 2021:Kathy North & Lucy Laun
Lutheran Christians celebrate a Reformation that happened over 500 years ago. Today is the 504th anniversary of the Reformation. Lutheran Christians remembered how God used a man named Martin Luther to reform the Church.
Perhaps you are wondering, “Why celebrate something that took place so long ago?” Good question.
The Reformation answers this big question, “How do I become right with a holy God?”
We can’t do it on our own. You and I inherited the sinful condition of our parents. Each day, we sin against God and fall miserably short of living the perfect life that God demands of us. Because we are sinners, we deserve to spend our eternity apart from God and his blessings. And nothing can change that! I can try to be a better Christian. I can try to be more loving and kind to my family and other people. But doing many good things won’t help anyone’s relationship with God.
God’s Son, Jesus, is the answer. God sent Jesus to save us. Jesus lived the perfect life that we failed to live. He died on the cross to fully pay for everyone’s sins. And he rose from the dead on Easter so that we can be sure that we have a right relationship with God.
The only thing that counts is Jesus and embracing him by faith. Through the good news about our Savior, the Holy Spirit works saving faith in our hearts. And faith will show itself! Faith is alive and active in the Christian’s heart.
A mother asked her seven-year-old daughter to wash the dishes after supper. The mother gave Samantha a dollar bill when the job was finished. Later that evening, the mother found the bill, along with a note, on the dresser in the bedroom. Samantha’s note read, “Dear Mommy, I did it for love.”
Why do we do good works? Not to get something from God. God has given us everything in Jesus. No, like Samantha, we “do it for love” too!
Prayer:
Thank you, Jesus, for doing everything necessary to save me from my sin. Use that good news to motivate me to serve you and the people you bring into my life. Amen.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
