Dear Alumni, Former Teachers & Principals,
School Families, and Parish Members:
For 90 years, God has blessed St. John’s Ev.
Lutheran School in Montello with the privilege of sharing Christian education
with hundreds of students. It’s time to
celebrate! This amazing milestone will
be marked by a special 10 a.m. worship service at St. John’s, followed by an
anniversary celebration meal, on Sunday, April 19. We invite you to attend and share in the
events of this special day—a guest preacher, special music by the choir and
present school children, history displays, and an anniversary meal and
fellowship.
To help us with preparations, please make your
reservation(s) for the meal. Email to: scsecretary@stjohnsmontello.org or call the church office at 608-297-2866 or
send mail to St. John’s Ev. Lutheran School Anniversary, 313 East
Montello Street, Montello, WI 53949.
The reservation deadline is Sunday, April 5.
Please bless us with your prayers for St. John’s
Ev. Lutheran School’s 90th anniversary celebration and for our day
school’s continuance as a light in our community. We hope you can attend!
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13,14
Did you know there is a condition you can have that makes it impossible not to be thirsty? It’s called polydipsia. If you have polydipsia, you will feel thirsty most or all of the time, and will not be able to quench your thirst, no matter how much you drink. Polydipsia affects roughly 10 million Americans.
The spiritual form of polydipsia affects many more. “Polydipsia of the soul” isn’t a real medical diagnosis. Yet many individuals in the world feel less than satisfied in their souls. They feel unfulfilled, disgruntled, angry, unhappy, or guilty—believing that something or someone needs to change for them to feel satisfied again.
Jesus met a woman like this one day by a well of water, and he made her a remarkable promise. “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.” But Jesus wasn’t talking about physical water. He was talking about spiritual water. He wanted her to see the significant man standing right in front of her. He wanted her to see the Savior who refreshes guilty souls with the assurance of forgiveness, the God who refreshes tired hearts with the joy of knowing they have a Father in heaven who loves them, and the Friend who refreshes weary souls with the truth that heaven has already been won for them on the cross.
Come to Jesus. Satisfy your soul on his everlasting love and his gracious promises. Come, and you will find refreshment for your soul.
Prayer:
Father in heaven, satisfy our broken souls with all that you graciously give us through our Lord Jesus. 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
608.297.2866
www.stjohnsmontello.org
Like us on Facebook
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.
G O D ’ S W O R D F O R T O D A Y The Second Sunday in Lent – Saving Faith Trusts in Christ Alone – For most of us who have been acquainted with Christian teachings for many years, it’s an easy question. How are we saved? Answer: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. But for thousands of years, people didn’t have the knowledge of Jesus Christ. They knew only of a Messiah to come. Nonetheless, their faith was placed in the promise of God to send a Savior, and that faith—a forward-looking faith—was credited to them as the righteousness that God demands to enter heaven.
A SERVICE OF MORNING PRAISE
Morning Praise is based on the historic service called
“Matins.” Joined to Christ, our risen Lord, we glorify God as we rise to the
activities of this new day.
SUNDAY
SCHOOL SINGS
Jesus
Our Good Friend
Please stand
MORNING HYMN
hymnal
page 45
MORNING
SENTENCES hymnal pages 45, 46
In these words of Psalm 51 we confess
our sin and ask God to deliver us from that sin.
OH, COME, LET US SING TO THE LORDhymnal
page 46, 47
Psalm 95 encourages us to
praise God for his abundant goodness and his powerful deliverance from all
things (Venite).
PRAYER OF THE DAY
M: Almighty
God, you see that we have no power to defend ourselves. Guard and keep us both
outwardly and inwardly from all adversities that may happen to the body and
from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ
our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever.
C: Amen
Please be seated for the day’s Scripture readings
XT
H E W O R D X
The
Lord Jesus speaks to us in Scripture reading, preaching and song.
OLD
TESTAMENT LESSONGenesis 12:1-8
Summary: Abraham believed God’s promise of the
Savior and was justified by faith
The LORD had said to Abram,
“Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land
I will show you.
“I will make you into a great
nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a
blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will
curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
So Abram left, as the LORD had
told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set
out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions
they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set
out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
Abram traveled through the land
as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the
Canaanites were in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your
offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who
had appeared to him.
From there he went on toward
the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai
on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the
LORD.
PSALM 121 hymnal page 112
Lectern
side sings first line, pulpit side sings second line, all sing Refrains and
Gloria.
EPISTLE LESSON Romans
4:1-5 (today’s sermon text underlined), 13-17
Summary: Abraham was justified by faith in the
Savior not by his own good works
What then shall we say that
Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was
justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What
does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as
righteousness.”
Now when a man works, his wages
are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man
who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is
credited as righteousness.
It was not through law that
Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the
world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who live
by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, because law
brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it
may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to
those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He
is the father of us all. As it is written: “I have made you a father of many
nations.”He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he
believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as
though they were.
VERSE OF THE DAYPhilippians 2:8b
Jesus humbled himself and
became obedient to death, even death on a cross.
*Alleluias
are omitted during Lent.
Please stand
GOSPEL LESSONJohn 4:4-26
Summary: Jesus awakened faith in the heart of the
Samaritan woman
Now he had to go through
Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground
Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as
he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
When a Samaritan woman came to
draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had
gone into the town to buy food.)
The Samaritan woman said to
him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a
drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Jesus answered her, “If you
knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have
asked him and he would have given you living water.”
“Sir,” the woman said, “you
have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living
water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank
from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?”
Jesus answered, “Everyone who
drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give
him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring
of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him, “Sir,
give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to
draw water.”
He told her, “Go, call your
husband and come back.”
“I have no husband,” she
replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are
right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five
husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said
is quite true.”
“Sir,” the woman said, “I can
see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you
Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus declared, “Believe me,
woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this
mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we
worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming
and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and
truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and
his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
The woman said, “I know that
Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything
to us.”
Then Jesus declared, “I who
speak to you am he.”
Please be seated
SERMON HYMN 391 God Loved the World So that He Gave
SERMONRomans 4: 1-5
“Paid In Full”
Our debt of sin
Jesus payment of blood
Please stand
NICENE CREEDhymnal page 31
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.
XS
E R V I C E O F T H E
S A C R A M E N T X
In this
service we celebrate the gift of Jesus’ redeeming love, we bear witness to the
Christian fellowship we share, and we proclaim his death until he returns.
At St. John’s and Emmanuel Ev. Lutheran Church we
practice closed Communion. If you are a guest at worship today and interested
in receiving the Lord’s Supper, please speak with the pastor prior to the
service.
DISTRIBUTION HYMN 306 Before You, God, the Judge of All
399: 1-2 To God Be the Glory
Please stand
THANKSGIVING
PRAYER & BLESSING hymnal page 36,37
Please be seated
CLOSING
HYMN 399: 3
To
God Be the Glory
As
you leave today’s service, please give your completed Friendship Register sheet
to an usher or pastor.
Announcements
Activities for the week
of March 8 – March 14
Sun.
8:00 A.M.
Emmanuel Worship
8:30 A.M.
St. John’s Sunday School
9:00 A.M.
Adult Bible Study at St. John’s
10:00 A.M.
St. John’s Worship with communion
TBA
Luther Prep Coed B Team Tournament
Mon.
6:30 P.M.
Choir at St. John’s
7:30 P.M.
Adult Bible Study at St. John’s
Tues.
6:30 P.M.
Little Lamb’s Dad’s Night
Wed.
8:00 A.M.
St. John’s School Chapel
10:00 A.M.
Adult Bible Study at St. John’s
1:40 P.M.
St. John’s School/Little Lambs
Early Release
2:15 P.M.
Public School Teen Confirmation
Class at St. John’s
3:30 P.M.
Emmanuel Lenten Devotion
4:30 P.M.
Lenten Supper at St. John’s
6:30 P.M.
St. John’s Lenten Devotion
7:30P.M.
Bible Information Class at St. John’s
Thurs.
8:00 A.M.
St. John’s Teen Confirmation Class
10:00 A.M.
Montello Care Center Devotion
6:00 P.M.
Griefshare at St. John’s lower
level
Fri.
NO
SCHOOL & LITTLE LAMBS
Sat.
Theme for Next Sunday March 15 , 2020Lent 3: “Jesus Gives Spiritual Sight”
8:00 A.M.
Emmanuel Worship
8:30 A.M.
St. John’s Sunday School
9:00 A.M.
St. John’s Adult Bible Study
10:00 A.M.
St. John’s Worship
Church NewsINTERCESSORY PRAYERS (read by pastor) – For those hospitalized, ill,
shut-in and facing trials: Wyatt Beahm (William and Alyssa Beahm’s infant
son), David Broderick, Gene & Sharon Crook, Liola Crown & son
Terry, Agnes Dassow, Don Ebert, Reinold Eckelberg, Lilah Farrell, Roger
Hillmer, Jerry & Darlene Hunter (Bonnie Chapman’s parents), Xzander
Jahr, Chris Krause (Gordy and Linda’s son), Robert Lederer (Jackie and
Jeanne Buchholz’ father), Michael Logemann (Fred Logemann’s father), Wendy
Logemann, Delvin Mittelsteadt, Steve Parrish, Karen Radke, LuAnn Reber,
Harvey Rudolph, Frank Russell, Kathryn Sigrist (Pastor Gary & Orlene
Johnson’s daughter), Doris Smith, Amanda Stalker, Jennifer Strauss, Leevi
Walker, Zaelynn Zuehls – (added this week: Michael Logemann (Fred
Logemann’s father), Wendy Logemann, Zaelynn Zuehls)
– For the family of Richard Winkler called home
to heaven on Sunday (3/1)
MIDWEEK LENT 2020 That special and
important season of Lent is upon
us.
All of God’s people at Emmanuel/St. John’s are encouraged to make
time
and make plans to worship at one of our midweek worship
devotions
– 3:30pm at Emmanuel and 6:30pm at St. John’s.
“The
Son of God Goes Forth to War” is the over theme this year.
Lenten
Supper starts at 4:30pm at St. John’s.
What’s on the menu?! Spaghetti, garlic bread,
salad, assorted desserts, coffee, water and milk. This week’s supper is hosted by Hands In Prayer.IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND A CARD… St.
John’s called grades 3-5 teacher, Heather Schmidt. If you would like to
reach out and offer words of encouragement, thoughts, etc. see contact info
below.
Heather Schmidt
520 W Riverwood Dr. – Apt. 106
Oak
Creek, WI 53154-7582
hschmidt@stpaulsfranklin.org
NO MEN OR WOMEN BIBLE STUDY UNTIL
AFTER EASTER Stay tuned here for details on our next class.
GRIEFSHARE The next 13-week session has
begun. Please join us in St. John’s lower level on Thursday at 6:30pm.
Questions or concerns? Please call Mark Emond (608) 697-1600.
Church News continued…SPRING
MISSION OFFERINGS will be
collected by the Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society throughout March.Containers will be located in the
entrance at both St. John’s and Emmanuel—Please give your gift at the church where you are a member. 75%
of gifts given will support Beaver Dam Circuit projects—HM/Outreach to
Asians & WM/Ukraine Project. 25%
of gifts given will support home & world mission projects that will be
decided by ballot in May and will be presented at the next LWMS Convention,
June 25-28, in Athens, Georgia. Gifts welcome from all who love
missions!SUNDAY BIBLE CLASS CONTINUES Each Sunday, beginning at
9:15, we spend a half hour before worship to look at part of God’s Word
that is used in worship and in the Meditations for
the upcoming week. It is a good way to get more our your worship, and to
learn more about God’s Word.
THRIVENT Look for the Thrivent
Choice Dollars postcard in St. John’s link way. Questions? Feel free to
contact Pastor Zietlow.
MEMBERS OF ST. JOHNS AND SCHOOL
FAMILIES St. Johns council authorized the borrowing of $10,000
from the church’s line of credit to replace and refurbish the school
boilers. As some may be aware, there have been a number of issues from the
last couple years keeping the boilers running and the school heated and it
could no longer be repaired. This project was completed late last fall.
This also means that the church officially is borrowing money from its line
of credit. If you wish to donate to help paying off the loan, please go
ahead and do so. Any amount would be greatly appreciated. Look to the
information room for where this project is at with regards to being paid
off and where the other projects on the board are at with funding. (Many thanks to
our generous members for donating!)
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: BUILDERS
FOR CHRIST
Make a
difference today and volunteer to build churches in AZ, TX, or NC. Sign up
for any length of time and help these congregations reach even more people
in their community. No experience? No problem! Training is provided on
site. Volunteers are especially needed March-April. Learn more: www.kingdomworkers.com/volunteer or call
Kingdom Workers @ 414-771-6848.
tee
School News SCHOOL 90TH
ANNIVERSARY WORSHIP SERVICE & CELEBRATION MEAL For 90 years God has blessed St. John’s Lutheran School with the
privilege of sharing Christian education with hundreds of students. It’s time to celebrate! Parish members, current students and
their families, alumni, and former teachers and principals are
invited! This school milestone will
be marked by a special worship service, followed by an anniversary
celebration meal, on Sunday, April 19.
The day’s events will include a guest preacher, special music by the
choir and present school children, history displays, and the meal and
fellowship. To assist us with meal
preparation, please sign the meal reservation signup at either church, or email scsecretary@stjohnsmontello.orgor call the church office
608-297-2866. Reservation
deadline is Sunday, April 5.
90 YEARS OF ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL Do you have old
pictures or document related to the history of our elementary
school. We are especially looking for items from the early years up
into the 1950s. Talk to Pastor Dolan if you think you have something.
LITTLE LAMBS REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Calling all 3 and 4 year olds!Please see the St. John’s Information
Room for Little Lambs fliers, brochures and registration information. First
come, first serve! Questions? Please call our Little Lambs Director Lynn
Sellnow 616-826-0816 or email lynnsellnow@stjohnsmontello.org.
SAVE THE DATES!*St. John’s School & Little
Lambs Spring Break: March 23-27
*Family
Easter Festival: Saturday, April 4. We are
planning for 100 children plus family members. How can you
help? Pray that God
would bless our efforts to reach out with the Gospel message this
Easter season.
Donate monetary
gifts to help defray costs for supplies for our festival. We
will once again fill Easter baskets and, new this year, we will give
children an opportunity to make the “12 Eggs of
Easter”.
Volunteer your time and
talents on the day of the festival
Please
contact Lynn Sellnow to donate or volunteer. My email is lynnsellnow@stjohnsmontello.org or
call 616-826-0816
Thank
you for helping to share the joyful message of Easter in our community! To
God be the Glory as we work together!
*Vacation Bible School: June
22-25, 8:00am – 11:30am, snack provided. Everyone is invited to the closing
service which will be at St. John’s on June 25 at 6:30pm.
SJ Usher List
James Wachholz’sDates
For Ushering
Kenon Smith
3/11,3/15,4/26,6/7,7/19,8/30, 2. Chris Smith
10/11,11/22,11/25,12/27,2/7
3.
Robin Smith
for a total of 11 days
4. Thomas W
5. Kenny W
Paul Van
Treeck’s
Matt Borzick
2/26,3/1,4/8,4/10,4/12,5/24,
Ken Borzick 7/5,8/16,9/27,11/8,12/16
James Henke
12/20,1/24 for a total of 13 days
Zeb Zuehls
*Haiden Van Treeck
*Nolan Van Treeck
Jerre Deur’s
Joe Zauner Sr. 3/4,3/8,4/19,5/31,7/12
Joe Zauner Jr. 8/23,10/4,11/15,13/23,12/2412/25,1/31
Gordon
Krause for a total of 12 days
Kevin Kaul
Corey Kaul
*Joey Zauner
*Nathan Zauner
Ben Jaster’s
Jake Jaster 3/18,3/22,5/3,6/14,7/26,9/6,
Matt Neuhauser 10/18,11/29,12/31,1/3,2/14
*Ethen Neuhauser for a total of 11 days
Jeff Reimer
Mark Emond
Ben Emond
Continued…
Jim Eisermans’s
Chuck Boetcher 3/25,3/29,5/10,6/21,8/2,9/13,
Jessie Schable 10/25,12/2,12/6,1/10,2/21
Mitch
Simon
for a total of 11 days
Gerhardt Voight
Al Rosenthal’s
Glen Bubolz 4/1,4/5,5/17,6/28,8/9,9/20,
Martin Schmanke 11/1,12/9,12/13,1/17
Jon Vote
for a
total of 10 days
Richard Frietag
Aaron Kendall
*Joe Vote
………………………………………………………………..
SJ Greeter Schedule
Feb.
2 Susan Brown & Jennie Utke
Feb.
9 Wayne & Marilyn Riemer
Feb.
16 Jim
& Diane Eisermann
Feb.
23 Kenon
& Mary Smith
March
1 Aaron Kendall & Chrisopher
March
8 Jerre & Gloria Duerr
March
15 Scott
& Debbie Ritz
March
22 Elsa
Russell & Dixie Wagner
March
29 Bernice
Wegner & Linda Lou Wacholtz
Attendance
Emmanuel
St. John’s
3-1 3-4
85 75
110 48
St. John’s Altar Committee
March 2020
Diane Eisermann
&
Delores Cotte
Weekly Schedule
at St.
John’s
Midweek 3, March 11, 2020
The Promised Warrior
Isaiah 42:13 (Pastor Michael
Sheppard, Ripon)
The Passion History Part 3
Hymns: CW93, CW122, CW595
Midweek 4, March 18, 2020
TheHidden Warrior
John 11:33-37
(Pastor Nicholas Haasch, Green Lake)
The Passion History Part 4
Hymns: CW123, CW124, CW593
Midweek 5, March 25, 2020
Skirmishes
Hebrews 4:15 (Pastor John Stelter,
Princeton)
The Passion History Part 5
Hymns: CW116, CW424, CW592
Midweek 6, April 1, 2020
The Warrior Faces Satan’s Ally,
the World
John 18:38 (Pastor Zietlow)
The Passion History Part 6
Hymns: CW472, CW121, CW588v1,5-7
at Emmanuel
Midweek 3, March 11, 2020
Skirmishes
Hebrews 4:15 (Pastor Dolan)
The Passion History Part 3
Hymns: CW116, CW424, CW592
Midweek 4, March 18, 2020
Reconnaissance Report: Know Your
Enemy
Ephesians 6:12 (Pastor Dolan)
The Passion History Part 4
Hymns: CW343, CW125, CW 587
Midweek 5, March 25, 2020
The Warrior Rejected by Many
Followers
John 6:66 (Pastor Dolan)
The Passion History Part 5
Hymns: CW434, CW127, CW588v1-4
Midweek 6, April 1, 2020
The Warrior Faces Satan’s Ally,
the World
John 18:38(Pastor Dolan)
The Passion History Part 6
Hymns: CW472, CW121, CW588v1,5-7
●●●
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
●●●
Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. Romans 4:4,5
Everyone who has a job looks forward to payday. After putting in all those hours of work, you receive your paycheck. It is something that is owed to you. You and your employer came to the agreement that you would work for an amount of time and, in return, your employer would give you an amount of money.
In this section of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he uses that same picture. If you work, you are owed something. However, he shows us that, when it comes to salvation and heaven, it is not something that we are owed, but comes as a gift from God.
Paul says elsewhere in this letter, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). We deserve to be punished by God for all eternity because of our sins. This includes every single time we have had thoughts that were wrong or said things that we shouldn’t have. If you want to talk about something we are owed, this is it! We deserve eternal death.
However, as Paul points out, when we are brought to believe in Jesus as our Savior, then we are in a right relationship with God. Even this faith that we have is not our own doing. We cannot choose to believe in Jesus. This only comes through the work of the Holy Spirit as we hear God’s Word.
God owes us nothing. Yet, he gives us everything. Isn’t it wonderful to know that God does not give us what we deserve!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for not giving me what I deserve. Thank you for giving me what Jesus earned for me. Amen.
Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and the wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. Genesis 22:7,8
The words must have pierced Abraham’s soul. Isaac didn’t mean to wound his father, and under most circumstances, his question wouldn’t have been wounding words. But these were not normal circumstances. God asked a father to offer his only son as an offering to him. It was a test. God wanted to see whom Abraham loved more—his child or his Lord.
Children can ask questions that get to the point and leave adults fumbling for an answer. That’s Isaac on that day with his father. He loved and trusted his dear father so much! With honest eyes and a gentle voice, he asked, “Father, where’s the lamb?”
What would Abraham tell his son? Out of love for his dear son, he couldn’t bluntly say, “Isaac, you’re the lamb this time.” He couldn’t lie and say, “I don’t know.” What would he say, and how would he say it? Holding his son close to him and the Lord’s promises even closer, Abraham breathed deeply and declared, “God himself will provide.”
That’s exactly what happened. God himself provided an offering that day—and the offering was not Isaac. Once God knew he had Abraham’s full trust, the Lord provided an animal instead of Isaac for the sacrifice.
That day pointed ahead to another day when another Father would offer his one and only Son as a sacrifice. His Son’s name is Jesus whose sacrifice on the cross paid for all sin. Don’t underestimate the Father’s love—and the Son’s trust—that you find on the cross! Don’t ever wonder if God loves you. He provided his own Son, the perfect Lamb of God, as an offering. He was willing to give up his Son so he would have you forever.
Prayer:
Thank you, O my Father, for giving your Son as a sacrifice in my place. Enrich me with a greater understanding of your love, love that spared not your own Son, but delivered him up on the cross for me and all people. Amen.
The devil had Jesus right where he wanted him, or so it would seem. Matthew calls the devil, “the tempter.” That word tells us that Satan was intent on doing evil to Jesus. He wanted to lead Jesus to sin and rob the world of the Savior. Satan was attacking Jesus but he was really declaring war on all of us. His goal is to take away our salvation. If Jesus was not perfectly sinless, he could not give us his perfection. Make no mistake, Satan intended to destroy us that day. He was not playing around.
He is still not playing around today. Do we always realize that the stakes are so high? We often get caught up in life and forget just how serious the situation is. We aren’t always ready to fight temptation. We often don’t give a second thought to how Satan might attack us today. This lack of preparedness gets us into trouble. Too often we fall into sin simply because we are not ready for battle.
How important it is, then, for us to focus on Jesus who has already done battle with Satan and won. Jesus has been where we are. He faced every temptation the devil threw at him. But there is a big difference between Jesus and us. The Bible says, “…we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” Our Savior never once caved in to Satan’s pressure. Never once gave into the devil’s temptations or was unprepared. He perfectly fought the battle. He was victorious, for us.
Jesus has given us victory over Satan. The devil can no longer harm us as we trust in Jesus. Satan’s plans to destroy our souls have been defeated by our Savior. In Jesus, we are forgiven and saved. In Jesus, we now have the tools to fend off Satan’s attacks. With faith in Jesus and depending on his Word, we can be ready for whatever Satan throws our way.
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the victory over sin and the devil. Help me to trust you and to rely on your Word. Amen.
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. Matthew 4:1,2
Sometimes in life, we are just overmatched. Our opponent or enemy is just too strong, too big, too much for us to handle. The Alamo is certainly one such example. Fewer than 200 men stood fighting against an army of 1,500. They knew they were overmatched and could not win. They knew no reinforcements were coming.
It certainly seems like Jesus was overmatched in his battle against the devil. For one thing, he was in the wilderness—a place where he was isolated. Nobody was coming to his aid. There would be no reinforcements. He was on his own. He was on Satan’s turf. And while he was out there, he was fasting. Physically, he was drained.
You know how that feels, don’t you—to be spiritually overmatched? You feel like you are on your own and the devil keeps on coming. He tempts you with doubt: “If God really loved you, why did he let this happen to you?” “Doesn’t God want you to be happy? He must not really mean what he says in his Word. Go ahead, live the way you want.” And he keeps coming. Temptation after temptation.
Like the Texans at the Alamo, you can’t win. You may fight for a little while, but in the end, you are overrun by the devil’s temptations and defeated. You have lost too many battles and have fallen into sin over the same old familiar temptations.
“Remember the Alamo!” That was the rallying cry in the war following the famous battle. Our rallying cry is different: Remember Jesus! He went to battle for you. He crushed the devil and defeated all your enemies. Through his death on the cross, he forgives your sins and gives you the gift of heaven. He also gives you the weapons to defeat the devil in your daily life.
Thank God for sending Jesus. And get to know his Word, so that you can say no to temptation and remain on the way to heaven.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for defeating Satan for me. Equip me with your Word that I may fight temptation in your name. Amen.
The first man created by God had disobeyed him. He had eaten fruit God had forbidden. When God gave him an opportunity to confess what he had done, Adam said, “The woman you put here with me―she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” That’s not exactly a confession, is it? Sure, Adam begrudgingly admitted the sin. But he was also quick to blame both Eve and God for putting him in that situation.
I suppose we want to shake our heads at Adam’s attempt to blame his wife and his God for his own sin. But then we remember we aren’t any different. We too have played the blame game. As children, we point the finger at our sibling and shout: “He made me do it!” As adults, we blame society for our loose morals. We blame work and our social life for not getting to church. We blame the coworker’s attitude for our harsh thoughts and words in the workplace. We blame our busy lives for not spending enough time in God’s Word. We blame our upbringing for the sinful choices we continue to make. God calls out, “Where are you?” And, unfortunately, we are too often lost in sin and blaming others for it.
Would it surprise you to find out that God played his own version of the blame game? No, he didn’t blame someone else for what he had done wrong. He blamed someone else for what WE have done wrong. The Bible says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” God blamed Jesus for all our sins so that we could be forgiven and saved. On the cross, Jesus suffered the punishment our sins deserve and through him, we have eternal life.
Because of Jesus, you and I stand blameless before God.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for taking my place on the cross and paying for my sin. Help me to always take ownership of my sin and to trust in you for forgiveness. Amen.
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:8
“Come out; come out, wherever you are!” Anyone who has ever played hide-and-seek has heard someone shout those words. Who would ever have imagined God saying those words in the Garden of Eden? But then again, this wasn’t a game, was it? Adam and Eve weren’t playing a fun game of hide-and-seek. They weren’t having any fun at all.
Something had gone terribly wrong in that perfect place of paradise. Adam and Eve had sinned. They had broken their relationship with God and had gone their own way and they knew it was a terrible mistake. Something that had once given them great joy now sent them running for the trees. Accustomed to walking and talking with God in the garden, Adam and Eve now felt guilt and fear and they hid from God.
Where are you hiding? Are you hiding from God at work? Maybe by working so many hours, you don’t have time to pray or confess to God. Where are you hiding? On a website? In the gym? During sleepless nights? What is it that you don’t want to bring out into the light of day? Secret thoughts or desires…selfish behavior…lack of love toward God. Sadly, like Adam, you and I are often not looking for God―even though he is waiting right there for us!
Note the love and grace of God. “But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’” God’s love caused him to seek and to find the sinner who was hiding. In love, God seeks us out too. He invites us to come to him. God sent Jesus to die in our place on the cross and to remove everything that would make us hide. In Jesus, our sins are forever washed away. We are clean. We don’t need to hide. We can come to our Father in heaven and know that in Jesus, we are safe.
Prayer:
Dear Father in heaven, thank you for seeking me out. Thank you for forgiveness in Jesus. Help me to run to you, trusting in your love for me. Amen.
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15
“You ruined it!” Even if you were not in the room to see what happened, you could feel the despair, anguish, and hurt in those words. The older brother was building a city out of Lego bricks. He worked hard and spent a lot of time putting the finishing touches on his creation. Finally, he was done. He looked over his handiwork and saw that it was good. No sooner had he finished and was looking forward to enjoying his work, his little sibling came crashing into the room and leveled everything. Lego bricks crashed down all around him and just like that, his creation was destroyed.
“You ruined it!” One imagines the Creator saying those same anguished words. God had created a perfect world. He had spent six days getting everything just right, so that, in his own words, “everything was very good.” And in one instant, it was ruined. Adam and Eve destroyed the paradise God had made for them. When they disobeyed their loving Maker, they ruined their relationship with him, with one another, and with the world he had fashioned for them.
We do it too. How many relationships have we ruined through rude, harmful behavior? How many opportunities have we ruined through offensive words that we spoke? How many chances to serve God have we ruined through selfish attitudes and excuses?
How does God respond? As we read in Genesis 3, it is very telling what God DOESN’T do. He doesn’t fly off the handle and let loose with angry words. He doesn’t punish them with lightning bolts from heaven. He doesn’t even disown them.
Instead, God shows himself to be our compassionate Father. Genesis 3 highlights the love of God in the face of sin and rebellion. God patiently sought out Adam and Eve and invited them to repent. He lovingly forgave their sins. He promised to send a Savior who would one day come and defeat Satan and give his people the gifts of forgiveness and eternal life. He does the same thing for you and me. In Jesus, God forgives our sins and repairs what we have destroyed. In Jesus, we have eternal life!
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for your forgiveness. Help me to look forward to eternal life in heaven with you. Amen.
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