T.G.I.F.

We look forward to Friday, especially a Friday that is followed by a long weekend like this one. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why – we don’t have to go to work for a few days. We can relax, do what we want and just enjoy life.

Our love affair with T.G.I.F. is understandable, but it also speaks volumes to our understanding of work. For many, at best work is a necessary evil while in the worst sense it is like slavery.

“The beginning of an essay penned by Bob Black in 1985 entitled The Abolition of Work read, ‘No one should ever work. Work is the source of nearly all the misery in the world. Almost any evil you'd care to name comes from working or from living in a world designed for work. In order to stop suffering, we have to stop working.’ In a leisure-loving culture, many would wholeheartedly echo Black’s sentiment. Americans spend approximately 50 percent of their waking hours devoted to work. Is work a curse, or is it something that humans were uniquely designed to do? In stark contrast to the assertions of Bob Black, the significance and beneficial nature of work is a resounding theme in the Bible.” https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-work.html

Christian author Timothy Keller says this about work,

“Work is as much a basic human need as food, beauty, rest, friendship, prayer, and sexuality; it is not simply medicine but food for our soul. Without meaningful work we sense significant inner loss and emptiness. People who are cut off from work because of physical or other reasons quickly discover how much they need work to thrive emotionally, physically, and spiritually.” (Every Good Endeavor)

A good portion of your life is either being spent or will be spent working. Don’t you think it would be wise to find out what the One who created work in the first place has to say about it? Join us for one of our weekend service and together let’s walk in the Proverbs Way of Work Wisdom.

Saturday evening service: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning service: 10:00 am

Sticks and Stones

It would be nice if the old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me,” was true, but reality teaches us it most definitely is not. The photo above graphically depicts how destructive words can be.

People die because of something said. Tongues can be weapons of mass destruction, launching holocausts and wars. Tongues can also be the death of marriages, families, friendships, churches, careers, hopes, understanding, reputations, missionary efforts, and governments.

But people also live because of something said. The tongue can be “a tree of life” (Proverbs 15:4). Tongues reconcile peoples and make peace. “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9). Tongues can make marriages sweet, families strong, and churches healthy. Tongues can give hope to the despairing, advance understanding, and spread the gospel

So what will you do with your tongue? Will you let it run loose, guided by your feelings and emotions? Or will you follow the path of wisdom, letting God mold your words so that they bring life to those who hear them? Join us this Sunday for our worship service: The Way of the Wise Tongue.

Sunday morning service: 10:00 am

Where Is He?

The title of the book is, god is not here. The lack of capitalization is on purpose. It was written by a soldier who had gone through horrendous circumstances in Iraq. He was torn between what he thought was right and decent, and what he saw himself doing. It is not an uplifting book.

But the question about the presence of God in war is not an uncommon one. Faced with what can be the mayhem and atrocity of warfare, many people have asked, “Where is God? Why doesn’t he stop this? Why didn’t he prevent this?”

Some shake their heads in confusion. Others decide that God must be M.I.A. At COP Restrepo, someone wrote on the wall: “God hates us all forever!”

It isn’t just the professed atheist or the unchurched who wonders, “Where is God?” Sometimes the child of God also finds that question flooding into his mind.

We understand that there is evil in this world. We have come to expect a certain level of cruelty and viciousness. But sometimes we run into something that pegs the needle of unacceptable to the limit. We start to wonder about the justice of God, the love of God—even the very existence of God.

In short, with the devil’s encouragement, we have begun to play God.

We look at situations, and we make decisions about what a loving, just God should do. Then we fault him for not doing what we think we would do.

But he does not exist to please us, nor he does he act to do so. We are not his boss. We are not his inspector. We are not his teacher. He is not subject to our acceptance; and he does not need our vote.

“Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.”

This would be scary if we did not know for certain what it is that pleases him.

We don’t have to guess about that. The Good Shepherd assures his followers, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke12:32)

He is not subject to mood changes. He cannot be bribed. He will not go back on his word.

It pleases him to treat us as members of his family and heirs of his kingdom. It pleases him to rule the world for our benefit. It pleases him to remove all cause of fear from our lives.

We do not need to see him with our eyes. Our souls recognize him as Lord and King. He is there for us. He is ever-present. He is our faithful Father.

A good thing to remember on a Father’s Day.

We pray:
Heavenly Father, doubt and confusion sometimes enter our mind. We are so used to living by the phrase of “seeing is believing” that we forget that you operate above and beyond all senses. We forget that we see only a small piece of the picture of our lives. We sometimes forget that you are our Father who is in heaven. Point us to your Word. Let us again hear the words of Jesus, “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.” Then convince our doubting hearts that we are, indeed, watched over and blessed—now and forever. Amen.

Written by Pastor Paul Ziemer, WELS National Civilian Chaplain and Liaison to the Military, Cape Coral, Florida. Provided by WELS Ministry to the Military

Saturday night service: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning service: 10:00 am

The Way of Wisdom

The potential to gather knowledge has never been greater. From online websites to TED Talks to the myriad of universities and colleges scattered throughout America, we have daily opportunities to learn facts and concepts.

And then there is wisdom. Wisdom just doesn’t have the appeal that knowledge does. Wisdom seems a little stuffy, like something that is attractive only to condescending older people who believe their purpose in life is to lecture younger people on how they should live their lives.

While the pursuit of knowledge is and should be a priority for all of us, it is a necessity to grow continually and incrementally in wisdom. For while the accumulation of facts can enable us to do great things, wisdom offers us the chance to live great lives.

This Sunday we’ll begin our summer sermon series “Proverbs – The Way of Wisdom”. The book of Proverbs details God’s unchanging plan for wise living in a world that increasingly becomes more complex and confusing. Proverbs is a book of soul searching, a book that challenges us to take our daily walk with Christ to another level. Join us this weekend for one of our worship service and together let’s begin our walk in the way of wisdom.

Saturday night service: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning service: 10:00 am

The Invitation

You’ve been waiting for weeks. The days have dragged on for what has seemed like an eternity. The waiting and wondering have kidnapped your focus. You can think of nothing else. Then it comes. The invitation you’ve been counting on, dreaming about, even living for. Maybe it is an invitation to study at a certain university. Maybe it is an invitation to assume a new career. And maybe it is an invitation from a certain person with whom you have fallen in love. Whatever the invitation might be, when it comes, everything changes.

On the day of Pentecost things changed dramatically in the spiritual world. For century after century God had been planning, working and preparing for the arrival of Jesus Christ. Suddenly, he appeared in history – God in human flesh – and just as suddenly he ascended into heaven to appear to human eyes again only on Judgment Day. The work was done. The relationship God intended for humans was restored through the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Now all that was left was to invite people to receive what Christ had won. And that is where the day of Pentecost comes in.

When we hear the word “Pentecost” we tend to think of wind and fire, but it is really about an invitation – the invitation God offers every one of us to become part of his family, part of his eternity and part of his working in this world. What is most startling is that invitation comes through people – ordinary, everyday people like you and me. From today until the moment Christ returns, we have the opportunity – no – the privilege to offer the invitation of Pentecost to the people in our lives. If you have been sensing a certain dullness in your life as a Christian, Pentecost is the cure. Start sharing the invitation!

Saturday night service: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning service: 10:00 am