Month: February 2016
Feb. 24th Lenten Worship Services tentatively cancelled
The National Weather Service is forecasting several inches of snow and strong winds resulting in blizzard-like conditions tomorrow evening. For everyone’s safety driving after dark in potential blizzard-like conditions, Pastor and the elders have decided to tentatively cancel worship services for Wednesday, February 24th. If weather conditions change, worship services may be held, although the meal will still be cancelled. Please check back here at the church’s website tomorrow afternoon, or listen to WJBC to determine if services will be held.
Feb 24th Meal cancelled
The National Weather Service is forecasting several inches of snow and strong winds resulting in blizzard-like conditions tomorrow evening. So that those preparing the Lenten meal can know how to plan, Pastor and the elders have decided to cancel the meal for Feb. 24th.
Bulletin Announcements – February 21, 2016
† Bulletin Announcements †
February 21, 2016
THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP: Philippians 3:19: “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” St. Paul does not want us to set our minds on earthly things, for they are passing away. This is similar to what Jesus says about storing up treasures on earth rather than storing them in heaven. Our heart tends to go where we put our treasure. This is why God commands us to live generously: not to spoil our fun, but to help train us in keeping our priorities straight and our minds off earthly things.
THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS, led by Pastor Lueck and meeting in the church basement at 9:15 a.m. is studying “Lutheran Doctrine and Practice Today”.
TODAY IN SUNDAY SCHOOL the children will study “The Temptation of Jesus.” Like us, Jesus was tempted by Satan to sin. Yet, for us, He overcame all temptation because we cannot. In your family discussions consider asking, “How are we tempted to rely on ourselves and trust in our powers?
TODAY is the deadline for items to be submitted for the MARCH NEWSLETTER. Mandy Kluender is our Editor for the church newsletter and any announcements you want to be published in the Newsletter should be submitted to her at mgkluender@hotmail.com or you may call her at (309) 838-9868.
MIDWEEK LENTEN WORSHIP SERVICE: The Lenten Journey is upon us this Wednesday with worship at 7:00 p.m. As we work our way through the Book of Job our message is: “Learning To Lament”. The Evangelism/Stewardship Board will lovingly provide the meal. The fellowship begins at 5:30 p.m. in the basement of the church and the free-will Offering will go to Lutheran World Relief.
LWML LADIES: We will not be meeting on February 23rd. Our next meeting is Tuesday, March 8th at 9:00 a.m.
LENTEN DEVOTIONS are available on the table in the narthex. Pick up your free copy today
TO ALL THRIVENT MEMBERS: Your Choice Dollars for 2015 will expire March 31, 2016. If you haven’t already done so, please contact Thrivent either by e-mail or by phone and direct your choice dollars before the end of March.
WINTER WEATHER PLAN: If bad weather is likely, the Elders will send an email reminder to the Newsletter email list the night before services reminding you to check WJBC or email to see if church is cancelled. If you do not receive the Newsletter email and want to receive cancellation emails, subscribe to the Newsletter email at: http://www.goodshepherdblm.org/about-us/contact-us/
GOOD SHEPHERD BLOOD DRIVE: Good Shepherd has been blessed to have another Blood Drive through the Red Cross. Our Spring Drive will be on Monday, May 2nd in the afternoon. You need 56 days between donations so in order to be eligible for our Drive please give by the end of February.
FELLOWSHIP HOSTS: The sign-up for help with coffee/doughnuts is posted on the wall by the north stairwell. We need an individual/family to sign-up each week to pick up the donuts and make the coffee. If no one is signed up by Friday of each week, the order will be cancelled. We thank everybody who continues to help with this part of our church fellowship.
LUTHERAN MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER: Marriage is for a lifetime. Want to get out of the rut and focus on the Biblical principles of fidelity, commitment, physical enjoyment and marriage as the Bride of Christ? Lutheran Marriage Encounter is here for you. The next weekend is scheduled for April 1-3, 2016 in Peoria IL. For more information and/or to register visit: www.GodLovesMarriage.org.
THE LUTHERAN HOUR: “Follow Him” is the topic for next Sunday. The sermon text will be from Matthew 9:9. Is your life headed in the wrong direction? The speaker will be Reverend Ken Klaus. Hear this Sunday’s message on the Lutheran Hour on WGN (720) at 6:00 a.m.; WJWR (104.7 FM) and WJWR (90.3 FM) both on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Also, if you can receive Lincoln, IL radio station WLLM (1370 AM) the program is broadcast two times on Sunday at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Tune in! You can also listen to The Lutheran Hour on your personal computer at RealAudio, www.lhm.org.
PRAYER CHAIN: If you have a prayer request please submit them by email to Mary Anne Kirchner at makirchner@yahoo.com or you may phone a Prayer Request to Mary Anne; her home # is (309) 661-6522; her cell phone# is (309) 532-2582. The Prayer Request box is on the table in the narthex for any written requests.
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Sermon 2-14-2016
February 14, 2016 Text: Luke 4:1-13
Dear Friends in Christ,
Tell me, have you ever heard any of these statements? If you let me use the car I’ll put gas in it. If you don’t give me back my ball I am going to pound you. If the weather is bad and I can’t go fishing or golfing or to my kid’s ballgame I’ll be in church. If you love me I will give you what you want. If you can’t be good then you are going to bed.
These are conditional sentences. Each sentence has a promised result “if” the desired activity is done or not done. The big IF might get us into trouble like cheating on a test, having sex before marriage or playing games with our eternal welfare.
Today the devil comes to Jesus with some conditional sentences. Let’s see how the Savior deals with . . .
“THE BIG IF’S”
The first devil-contrived IF sentence is this. “IF you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Oh, so clever, well played Beelzebub. Jesus hasn’t eaten in forty days. Notice the question, “IF you are the Son of God…” If he doesn’t do what Satan says then he must not be the Son of God. If he does what Satan asks then he will be obeying the devil. Satan wants Jesus to distrust his Father and do the will of Satan.
Ever been tempted like this? Either way you look bad in the eyes of someone. If you do what your friends ask, your parents might be angry. If you don’t do what your friends want, then you look bad in their eyes. Oh, that crafty Lucifer. Remember he has had practice since the Garden of Eden. He wants you to doubt the goodness of God.
Satan now comes at Jesus with more ammunition. “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. IF you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus must worship Satan to receive this. What a crock of lies. Satan has no power to give the kingdoms of the world. The Lord as Creator has the world in his hands.
What a liar this guy. He lied to Adam and Eve that they would be like God. How has that been going these last 4,000 years? He promised Judas thirty pieces of silver. He was so happy with this gift that he went and hung himself. The deception never works.
Satan may tempt us to think that if we work long enough and hard enough we will succeed and get all the things of this world that we want. This IF sentence might be true but at what price? Your marriage? Your children? Your faith? Satan wants you to be envious of others. He wants your eyes removed from Christ and on the earthly goods that others have. We fight back with the Word of God. “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.”
The last temptation has Satan telling Jesus to throw himself down from the pinnacle of the temple because the Lord’s angels will protect Him. This babbling blowhard even quotes Scripture. Except he leaves a few parts out. He twists it to fit his thinking. Satan wants Jesus to think that no matter what he does he will be safe.
Ever get caught with this one? Don’t take your medicine, it won’t hurt you. Join the party crowd, after all what can really happen? I don’t need to worship every Sunday. I was baptized and confirmed, I must be God’s child, right? The devil wants you thinking wrong is right. After all, you are forgiven right? Sin boldly. Not so fast, my friend. Sin does matter to God. Sin does matter to society and the direction we are going. Sin does matter to your eternal destination.
This Prince of Darkness loses. None of this worked on the King of Kings. Jesus won! Even as we lose battles with our archenemy we know that Jesus defeated this pompous imposter. Listen to Romans 5:19. “Through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” At the cross Jesus said the one word that takes the pain of our temptation away – “finished.” Right there and then the devil was done. He still has power but it is limited. Jesus stands in the ring with his hands held high.
Those same hands were nailed and bled for our salvation. The obedient Christ did the will of the Father as he was crucified, died and rose again. He lives! We never tire of the Lenten story because it is our story. Because He lives, we live, forever, in the blessed home of heaven. Jesus triumphs over Satan.
Jesus used Scripture to overcome these powerful IF temptations. We too rely on the Word of God when we are tempted by the big IF’s. We thank Jesus for His unconditional love that has saved us. That’s no big IF, that’s a promise from our Savior.
Amen.