February 12, 2017
THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP: 1 Corinthians 3:7: “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” Isn’t that the truth! And it’s not just true about preachers like Paul, but about all of us in all of the Christian life. God can do such wonderful things with our feeble efforts. This is so very true of our gifts to the Lord’s work in the Church. From His generous giving to us, we learn to give generously; and then the Lord blesses this response to His grace in turn and uses our very giving to continue to bless us in the Church where we hear of His gracious generosity to us. And the cycle repeats, and the Lord gives growth!
THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS meets this morning in the basement of the church at 9:15 a.m.
TODAY IN SUNDAY SCHOOL: The story “Jesus Heals Jairus’s Daughter” serves as the focus of Sunday School today. Just as Jesus by word and touch raised the dead girl to life, so by His Word and Sacraments, He kills and buries death and raises us to eternal life. Questions for discussion include, “How did Jesus heal this little girl? How does Jesus heal us from the sickness of sin?”
TODAY is our monthly door Offering for Seminarian Jacob Hercamp who is a student at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN. We look forward to having Jacob and his family with us in March as he will preach and lead the Adult Bible Class.
TODAY: The Church Council will meet after the 8:00 worship this morning in the church office to discuss the revised bid on the work that was recently approved by the voters.
NEXT SUNDAY 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.
FRIDAY MOVIE NIGHT: The February Good Shepherd Lutheran Friday Night Movie is “War Room”. It will be shown this coming Friday, February 17th, at 6:30 p.m. “War Room” is a compelling faith drama filled with humor and heart. Tony and Elizabeth Jordan have it all – great jobs, a beautiful daughter, and their dream house. But appearances can be deceiving. Their world is actually crumbling under the strain of a failing marriage. While Tony basks in his professional success, Elizabeth resigns herself to increasing bitterness. But their lives take an unexpected turn when Elizabeth meets her newest client, Miss Clara, and is challenged to establish a “war room” and a battle plan of prayer for her family. As Elizabeth tries to fight for her family, Tony’s hidden struggles come to light. Tony must decide if he will make amends with his family and prove Miss Clara’s wisdom that victories don’t come by accident. Join us for a great movie and a good meal in the warmth of the church basement. There is plenty of room and plenty of food.
LUTHERAN MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER WEEKEND: “The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband, does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does”. (1 Corinthians 7:3-4) Come learn more about the Biblical lessons for your marriage by attending a Lutheran Marriage Encounter Weekend. The next weekend is scheduled in Peoria, IL on March 31, 2017 – April 2, 2017. Apply now at: www.GodLovesMarriage.org or contact Norm and Deb Lopez at peorialmereg@gmail.com for more information.
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.
THE LUTHERAN HOUR: “Love Your Enemies—Jesus Does!” is the topic for next Sunday. The sermon text will be from Matthew 5:38-48. God calls us to love and forgive our enemies the way He loves and forgives us. Reverend Dr. Gregory Seltz is the speaker. 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 cell phone# is (309) 532-2582. The Prayer Request box is on the table in the narthex for any written requests.