August 2018 – Page 4 – St. John's Evangelical

The Greatest Miracle – August 5, 2018

August 5, 2018 Kerry

As evening approached, the disciples came to [Jesus] and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Matthew 14:15-21

The Greatest Miracle

Daily Devotion – August 5, 2018

Devotion based on Matthew 14:15-21

See series: Devotions

Life is not about “getting what you want, but about wanting what you get”. When Jesus fed more than 5,000 people, he drove home that point. In that remote place no one was in a position to complain about the menu. Five dinner rolls, two fish, and the all-powerful and compassionate Son of God would have to do. Apparently, the crowd was happy with what they got: “They all ate and were satisfied …” What they got was a miracle.

Sadly, the great crowd missed the true significance of the event. They followed after Jesus looking for more bread. Jesus said to them: “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill” (John 6:26). They wanted bread and a “bread King”. Jesus had so much more to offer. He said: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35), and explained that through faith in him they would have the life that never ends.

Jesus came to be the Savior of the world, not the supervisor of the world’s largest soup kitchen. I wonder, however, if that is what people want Jesus to be. We want God to wipe out poverty and put everyone back to work.

Maybe we miss out on the greatest miracle of the all-powerful and compassionate Son of God: the forgiveness of sins, spiritual life, and a place at the banquet feast of heaven. What we get from Jesus is an answer to the deepest hunger of our soul.

When we leave our house in a crabby mood with harsh words spoken to our children and spouse, our greatest concern is not what we will eat for lunch. Deep inside, we don’t want a sandwich; we want forgiveness. We care about our soul and then we want what we get from Jesus. We get the Bread of life. We get the One who did not have a crabby day. We get the One who died for all of us who have. We get the One who performed great miracles on earth so that we see him as the almighty God he really is and live with him who is our Savior both here on earth and in heaven.

Prayer:
Lord, lead us to see in Jesus the One who gives himself to be the bread that gives eternal life. Create a hunger in us for his forgiveness and great thankfulness for his abundant spiritual provision. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

A Free Gift – August 4, 2018

August 4, 2018 Kerry

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 your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.
Isaiah 55:1-3

A Free Gift

Daily Devotion – August 4, 2018

Devotion based on Isaiah 55:1-3

See series: Devotions

Have you ever heard the axioms: “There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” or “You get what you pay for?” We would have to agree that usually those sayings are true. Everything comes with a cost. When someone offers us something for “free,” we’re automatically skeptical, aren’t we? We’ve been burned one too many times before. So we think to ourselves, “What’s the hidden cost? It must not be that valuable if someone is willing to give it away for free.”

Is that your initial reaction to God’s invitation to you in our verses for today? Wine and milk are not inexpensive. The richest of fare can’t come without cost. God is offering a deal that sounds too good to be true, isn’t he? It goes against all of our natural sensibilities. We have to do something to get something. We’re going to end up paying for it in the end, right? That’s just how the world works!

If you feel like this offer sounds too good to be true, you’re right! We don’t deserve anything that God offers here. Even if we had all the money in the world, we could never pay enough to buy what God offers us. Only one person could pay the price, only one person could do what was required and that person is Jesus. Jesus earned the salvation of the world by his perfect life on earth and then he paid the cost for the sins of the world with his innocent death. God offers all the benefits of Jesus’ work to you as a free gift. He gives you life for your soul!

Everyone in this world is spiritually bankrupt. Everyone is thirsting for salvation. There are all sorts of earthly, sugary solutions that will not satisfy. But God offers the good food of salvation in the good news about Jesus. You get what Jesus paid for! It’s the richest of fare. It will always satisfy. And unlike your lunch, it really is yours for free!

Prayer:
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

The Holy Christian Church – August 3, 2018

August 3, 2018 Kerry

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours.
1 Corinthians 1:2

The Holy Christian Church

Daily Devotion – August 3, 2018

Devotion based on 1 Corinthians 1:2

See series: Devotions

What is the church? Is it a building of brick and mortar that Christians meet in? Is it a group of Christians who own that building? Or is it something else?

We usually use the word church to refer to buildings or Christian denominations, but the Bible uses the word church differently. In Scripture the word church either refers to a group of people who believe in Jesus or the grand total of all believers in every time and place. Today’s verse makes this point in an interesting way.

Paul greets the church in Corinth as those who are “sanctified in Christ Jesus.” That means they have been made holy, a word that means pure or sinless. Their sins made them impure and sinful, but they were sanctified when the Holy Spirit gave them faith in Christ. That is why they are also “called to be holy”—not because they never sin, but because by faith their sins are forgiven, and they are covered with Jesus’ holiness.

The church of God in Corinth, then, is a group of people who believe in Jesus. But Paul also makes it clear that the church is not limited to them. It includes “all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

There are people everywhere who believe in Christ and pray to him. He is Lord of them all, and you are included! Like the Corinthians, you are holy, even though your life does not always look like it. The way you treat others, the way you talk, or what you do when no one is looking—all these things look the opposite of holy.

But God doesn’t call you holy because of how you look. He calls you holy because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for you. In Christ you are called holy, blameless, sinless, perfect. You are as much a part of Christ’s church as the Corinthians because the holy Christian Church is all those everywhere who believe in Jesus as their Savior.

Prayer:
Thank you, Lord, for giving me faith in Christ and calling me into the holy Christian Church. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

BULLETIN- THE ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST AUGUST 5, 2018

August 2, 2018 Kerry

ST. JOHN’S

Evangelical Lutheran Church

Montello, WI

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

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THE ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

AUGUST 5, 2018

PLEASE WELCOME TODAY’S WORSHIP LEADER:

Pastor Gary Johnson

WELCOME TO OUR CHURCH! 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 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. May God bless our worship together!

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY Jesus Gives the Bread of Life To Nourish Our Souls Eternally – In our world today, there are many Christian churches that are very involved in social work: feeding the hungry, providing shelter for the homeless, offering assistance to those in need. These are important tasks for Christians; acts of mercy are commanded by God. Sadly, however, many churches offer physical bread only, bread that does not last. Although bread is necessary for this life, Jesus wants his Church to concentrate primarily on offering the Bread of Life, Jesus himself, the Word of God. This Bread nourishes our souls, not just now, but for all eternity.

PERSONAL PRAYER BEFORE WORSHIP Lord God, you know that we are surrounded by many dangers and that we often stumble and fall. Strengthen us in body and mind, and bring us safely through all temptations. Teach us today how Jesus feeds our bodies and souls. Amen.

THEME FOR TODAY The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost:

To Attain Spiritual Food: Human Efforts Fail; God’s Gift Prevails

PASTOR’S GREETING

HYMN 232 “Lord of My Life, Whose Tender Care” (printed in hymnal, all sing)

(Please stand)

LITURGY (hymnal page 38, read and sung responsively)

PRAYER OF THE DAY

(Please be seated)

FIRST READING Exodus 16:2-15

Manna in the wilderness was a gift from God to preserve His people

In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”

So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” Moses also said, “You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD.”

Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.’”

While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud.

The LORD said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’”

That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.

PSALM 84 (hymnal page 96, men sing first line, women sing second line, all sing refrains and Gloria)

SECOND READING Ephesians 4:17-24 (today’s sermon text)

God created new life within us since our “old self” was separated from life with God

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

THE VERSE OF THE DAY

Alleluia. Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” Alleluia. (John 14:23)

LITURGY (hymnal page 40, all sing)

(Please stand)

GOSPEL READING John 6:24-35

Since human efforts fail to attain spiritual food, God gives spiritual life and nourishment

Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

“Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.”

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

After the Gospel, all sing:

“Praise be to you, O Christ!”

(Please be seated)

HYMN 492 “Son of God, Eternal Savior” (printed in hymnal, all sing)

SERMON Ephesians 4:17-24

“Off with the Old; On with the New!”

(Please stand)

APOSTLES’ CREED (hymnal page 41, all read)

(Please be seated)

OFFERING, WORSHIPER GREETINGS, FRIENDSHIP REGISTERS & WELS CONNECTION DVD

OFFERING PRAYER

PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL RENEWAL & GROWTH (CWAB p. 291, read by pastor)

INTERCESSORY PRAYERS

– For those hospitalized, ill, shut-in and facing trials: George Alexander, Marilyn Bredeson (Karin’s Stellick’s mother), David Broderick, Mike Brown, Alexandria Buehrens (Bob & Carolyn’s great granddaughter), Bob & Carolyn Buehrens, George Chapman, Gene & Sharon Crook, Harley & Liola Crown, Agnes Dassow, Caleb & Emery Degenstein (Mark Emond’s friends), Elaine Emond (Mark’s mother), Marjorie Fabian, Mike Farrell, Donna Gatzke, Kellen Grucza (Judy Fandrey’s daughter), Brody Henke, Ardis Henning, Dawn Hirn (Linda Krause’s niece), RaeLynn Hodgkins (Beth Johnson’s daughter), Geri Kerl (Sue Brown’s mother), Bob Klapper (Sandy’s husband), Doris Klawitter, Aspen Raelynn Lefeber (Barb Hoffman’s greatgrandaughter), Anna Madigan, Ruthie Marcelain (Dawn’s granddaughter), Wayne Riemer, Frankie Russell, Bob Schrank, Dennis Schwanke (Mary Isberner’s friend), Jennifer Strauss, Jane Torres (Stacie Starke’s mother), Dennis & Romana Wacholtz, Donny Weber (Betty’s son), Paul Weldon, Raymond Zacharias (Marilyn Riemer’s brother) – (added this week: )

– For DuWayne & Pat Sommerfeld who celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary yesterday (8/4)

– For Faith–Anchorage who is celebrating their 50th anniversary today (8/5–Pastor Pete Zietlow is preaching at the church his father Pastor David Zietlow started, the first of eight WELS congregations)

– For our Vacation Bible School this week (Mon–Fri) at St. John’s

LORD’S PRAYER (hymnal page 43, all read)

HYMN 494:1-4 “Blest Be the Tie That Binds” (printed in hymnal, all sing)

(Please stand)

CLOSING PRAYER & BLESSING (hymnal page 43-44)

(Please be seated)

CLOSING HYMN 494:5 “Blest Be the Tie That Binds” (printed in hymnal, all sing)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

THEME FOR NEXT SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 2018

The Twelvth Sunday after Pentecost:

The Source of Spiritual Food (for Spiritual Strength and Life)

Note: Please give your completed friendship register page to an usher or pastor as you leave today’s service.

ACTIVITIES FOR THE WEEK AUGUST 5-AUGUST 11
Sun.	8:00 A.M.		Emmanuel Worship with communion
	9:00 A.M.		Emmanuel Congregational meeting
	10:00 A.M.		St. John’s Worship
Mon.	9:00 A.M.-12:00/3:00 P.M.		Vacation Bible School at St. John’s Theme: “Here Be Treasure”
Tues.	9:00 A.M.-12:00/3:00 P.M.		Vacation Bible School at St. John’s Theme: “Here Be Treasure”
	6:30 P.M.		Men’s Bible Study
Wed.	9:00 A.M.-12:00/3:00 P.M.		Vacation Bible School at St. John’s Theme: “Here Be Treasure”
	6:30 P.M.		St. John’s Worship
Thurs.	9:00 A.M.-12:00/3:00 P.M.		Vacation Bible School at St. John’s Theme: “Here Be Treasure”
	10:00 A.M.		Montello Care Center Devotion
Fri.	9:00 A.M.-12:00/3:00 P.M.		Vacation Bible School at St. John’s Theme: “Here Be Treasure”
Sat.
SCHEDULE FOR NEXT SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 2018 The Twelvth Sunday after Pentecost: The Source of Spiritual Food (for Spiritual Strength and Life)
8:00 A.M.		Emmanuel Worship
10:00 A.M.		St. John’s Worship with communion

THANK YOU The Emmanuel members wish to thank James Weber and Duwayne Sommerfeld for their time and effort in the completion of the beautiful flatwork-concrete project, in front of the Church. And as always, thanks to the Lord for such generous members!

CHRISTIAN ONE-LINERS (from a WELS pastor): “We don’t change the message; the message changes us.”

LIFETOUCH PHOTOS If you have not yet picked up your complimentary 8×10 Lifetouch photo, please pick them up in the link way at St. John’s.

SCHOOL REGISTRATION AND PICTURES As we prepare for this school year, there are a few upcoming dates to keep in mind. REGISTRATION for St. John’s Ev. Lutheran School and Little Lambs will be Sunday, August 19 at 11:15a.m. and Monday, August 20 at 6:00p.m. Both will be held at St. John’s in Pastor’s office. SCHOOL PHOTOS will be taken during registration times. To all St. John’s School and Little Lambs families, look for an informational school packet coming in the mail to you soon.

MEN’S BIBLE STUDY is THIS WEEK!

This week Tuesday – 6:30PM in the church basement. The Men’s Bible Class will begin a short 3-week study called The Last Lecture. Come and learn from three men of faith as they offer some parting words of God-given wisdom about life and the life of faith. What could King David, Joshua, and the Apostle Paul possibye have to say to us in this day and age? Come and see.

CARDS The cards have been restocked! They are located in the lower level of St. John’s. Come check them out and see what’s new!

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL (VBS) 2018 St. John’s Vaction Bible School is THIS WEEK, August 6-10 from 9:00am-3:00pm (until 12:00P.M. for 3 & 4 year olds) is available for ages 3yrs-6^th grade. Camp Phillip will be leading it for us this year! There’s still time! Plan on coming and we can register you at the door!

“WHO IS FATHER MARQUETTE?” is the theme for this year’s Father Marquette Day’s Parade downtown Montello on Saturday 8/18 at 12pm. Come meet FM’s lost cousin (see pic) on our church float as he welcome Indians and Pioneers to “paddle” their canoe and kayaks to his tent church. Float riders and walkers are welcome to help us set up Saturday morning in the St. John’s parking lot, and ride/walk in the parade, and join us for face-painting, food, and fun at parade’s end–Montello City Park.

ST. JOHN’S A/V ROOM–HELP WANTED Our current audio/visual crew (Tracy Hoffman & Aaron Wachholz) welcomes more members to learn what they do to create and show PowerPoint services on the big screen, record services to create DVD’s and upload to our church website, operate the sound system, etc. “Many hands make light work.”

ST JOHN’S STREAMING ON YOUTUBE Church services are now streaming live to our YouTube channel. To find St. John’s YouTube channel, simply visit our website: www.stjohnsmontello.org/ and click on the VIDEO link in the top menu. Prior videos can be watched on this page or you can click the link to our YouTube channel page where services can be watched live, as they happen. Be sure to subscribe on Youtube and click the bell icon in the upper right corner of YouTube to get notified of new videos and live streams.

$C:\Users\lwachholz.STJOHN\Downloads\Jennifer & Luke.jpg$ LET’S CELEBRATE MISSIONS WITH OUR WELS MISSIONARIES IN RUSSIA, LUKE & JENNIFER WOLFGRAMM!

Plan to attend!! We are blessed to have another full day of celebrating missions on Sunday, August 26, with special services at 8 a.m. at Emmanuel and at 10 a.m. at St. John’s. A freewill offering will be taken at both services to support the work in Russia.

Pastor Wolfgramm will lead morning worship with what he calls a “Sermontation,” which will combine the morning sermon with a power point presentation about Russia. Then, following the St. John’s service, ALL are invited for a summer “piknik” lunch (Freewill Offering) in the lower level around *11:15 a.m. The Wolfgramms will then do a tag-team mission presentation, that will be completely different from the morning “sermontation,” beginning around *12:00 p.m. (*Times are approximate.)

See the source image ALTAR FLOWERS If you would like to have flowers put on the altar for a special occasion or just to add beauty to St. John’s, please contact our Altar Ladies, Carolyn Rosenthal 589-5036 or Elaine Kelm 920-344-0025, and they can have it arranged. Thank you.

Attendance

Emmanuel

St. John’s

7-29 8-1

134 14

St. John’s Altar Committee:

August 2018

Jennie Utke

Susan Brown

*St. John’s Greeter Schedule*
August 5	LuAnn Zieman & Kay Maass
August 12	Phyllis Farrell & Pat Henning
August 19	Jim & Diane Eisermann
August 26	Wayne & Marilyn Riemer

Usher Schedule

August 5

Dennis Wacholtz; Chief, Del Henke, Joe Zauner, Gordon Krause, Richard Freitag

Wayne Stelter, Bruce Stelter, Paul Dahlke, comm. assist. Brian Ninnemann

SUMMER OFFICE HOURS

Monday – 8:00am-4:00pm

Tuesday – 8:00am-4:00pm

Wednesday – 8:00am-4:00pm

Thursday – 8:00am-2:00pm

Welcome To Our Visitors!

Please Sign Our Guest Register

Visit our website & Facebook link at: www.stjohnsmontello.org

https://www.facebook.com/St-Johns-Evangelical-Lutheran-Church-107160252675/

Pastor Peter Zietlow Office (608) 297-2321

Cell & Text (608) 408-7830, E-mail: zietlowpl6@hotmail.com

Teacher Karin Stellick (920) 342-3689

Teacher Sara Borck (858) 731-7919

Teacher Rachel Naumann

Teacher Cassie Doering

Parish/School Secretary Ciara Neuhauser (608) 297-2866

Altar Ladies Elaine Kelm (920) 344-0025 &

Carolyn Rosenthal 589-5036

Mail to: 313 E Montello St, Montello, WI 53949

OR scsecretary@stjohnsmontello.org

Winnebago Lutheran Academy

Principal Mr. David Schroeder/WLA office (920) 921-4930

WLA website: www.wlavikings.org

Christ is the Head – August 2, 2018

August 2, 2018 Kerry

Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
Ephesians 5:23b

Christ is the Head

Daily Devotion – August 2, 2018

Devotion based on Ephesians 5:23b

See series: Devotions

Back in 2003 the movie “Bruce Almighty” was released. It tells the fictional story about a news anchor named Bruce Nolan who is not able to advance in his career and life like he wants to. Frustrated, he ends up blaming God for it. So, God offers Bruce access to all his power and tells him to do better. Bruce takes the opportunity and soon uses his new-found power for selfish purposes and ends up making a mess not only of his life, but also of the world around him.

Let it be stated that Hollywood movies are not the place to go to learn theology. Yet, for all the movie’s theological downfalls, the main lesson of the movie does have a sizable grain of truth to it: It is good that God is in charge and naturally sinful and selfish people like us are not. I may like to think that I know better than Jesus, but then again, I do not have his infinite wisdom. As a sinner, if I have all the power I become like Bruce Nolan and serve myself, even if it comes at the expense of everyone else.

Human beings struggle to willingly submit to someone else. Yet consider what Ephesians chapter 5 tells us about to whom we submit: “…Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.” Believers submit to Jesus, the one who was willing to suffer for the guilt of all their sin on the cross, so they would never have to. Believers submit to Jesus, the one who rose from the dead and gives them eternal life. If believers are the body of Christ, then they can rest assured that what Jesus, the head, says and does is ultimately for their eternal good. So believers can gladly submit to their head and Savior, Jesus.

Christ is the head. We are the body. And that’s a good thing!

Prayer:(Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal – 536)
Lord Jesus Christ, the church’s head, you are her one foundation. In you she trusts, before you bows, and waits for your salvation. Built on this rock secure, your church shall endure though all the world decay and all things pass away. Oh, hear, oh, hear us, Jesus.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

The Beauty of the Sacrifice – August 1, 2018

August 1, 2018 Kerry

When Moses went and told the people all the LORD‘s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the LORD has said we will do.” Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the LORD. Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey.” Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.” Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.
Exodus 24:3-11

The Beauty of the Sacrifice

Daily Devotion – August 1, 2018

Devotion based on Exodus 24:3-11

See series: Devotions

As you envision the scene recorded in these verses from Exodus, do you think “Ew? All that blood!” There is blood everywhere. Blood from the sacrificed bulls. Blood poured on the altar. Blood sprinkled on the people. It is gross, right? Not if we understand it. Not if we know that the blood of sacrificed animals sealed the covenant relationship between God and his people.

God had commanded many things and in one of Israel’s better moments, they exclaimed, “we will do everything…” They promised to worship as God said, sacrifice as he wished, and live in his holiness. It was a beautiful moment for seventy-four leaders who saw God and ate and drank with him.

So which one is it: beautiful or gross? When we understand that sacrifice establishes the relationship with God where we see him and eat with him, then it is a beautiful thing. When we understand that Jesus is the last and perfect sacrifice that brings us to God, it is not only beautiful, it is also precious. And when we understand that Jesus is really present with us, and we receive his body and blood in the Sacrament of Holy Communion, we are privileged. We see God and we eat and drink with him.

What a beautiful sacrifice Jesus made for us! What a precious covenant God gave to us!

Prayer:
Lord, we thank you for your sacrifice on our behalf. We are privileged to stand in your presence and worship you. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

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