“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
There is an old saying, “Promises are like pie crusts; they are easily made and easily broken.”
We are surrounded by promises given by others. We are also committed by the promises we make. What every promise shares is the responsibility to keep it. There is also the reality that many promises are broken. Hence, the proverb.
We rely on promises which is why we are disappointed when they are broken. The promised family outing is usurped by work. The promised gift is put on hold because of lack of funds. The promised change of a bad habit is broken because it is not easily overcome.
There is one promise which stands apart from every other promise, and from the proverb. It was not easily made, and it will never be broken. It is the promise Jesus gives. He promises peace—peace with our God and peace with our own consciences. The blood he shed washed away our sin and guilt. So, there is nothing for God to be angry about and nothing for us to feel guilty about. We are at peace.
Jesus’ promise stands unbroken because he is the ever-faithful God. He perfectly accomplished everything he promised to do. Furthermore, we can rely on his promise because he has given us a blood-signed guarantee. In his crucifixion, death, and resurrection we have his lasting testimony that we are at peace.
What a blessing! Because of Jesus’ faithful and unbroken promise, we can be confident and courageous, even when every other promise fails.
Prayer:
O gracious Savior, you know how much I rely on your promises. Remove every temptation, every uncertainty, and every doubt which would make me question your faithfulness. Then, through your never-failing promise give me peace, courage, and confidence. Amen
“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Revelation 3:19,20
“Whatever!” It seems this has become the mantra for just about everything. The parent tells her child to clean his room. The response is, “Whatever!” The employer expects his employee to be on time. The response is, “Whatever!” The Lord says be faithful to the point of death. The response is, “Whatever!”
There is an inherent danger with this response, especially when it is directed to the Lord. When he says, “Be earnest and repent,” he does not expect the response: “Whatever!” He expects people to acknowledge their need and humbly repent—now.
Unfortunately, there are many distractions and excuses. Each finds its root in spiritual apathy. While it may be subtle and seemingly harmless, soon it becomes blatant. The end result is, even the most urgent call from the Lord is met with, “Whatever!”
Because the danger is always present, we need to humbly repent. We also need to earnestly understand apathy will lead to eternal judgment. This is why we turn from spiritual apathy and seek the Lord so he can purify our hearts.
Only Jesus can bring about this change. He makes us realize our apathy. He leads us to confess our sin. He draws us to his cross. He then assures us we are forgiven. In love he persists because he does not want us to perish.
This is why we want to do everything we can to build ourselves up in our devotion to the Lord. We study his precious Word. We meditate on its inspired truths. We sincerely apply them to our lives. Through the powerful working of the Word, we will be aware of the warning signs and turn away from spiritual apathy. We will also rejoice to hear our Savior’s voice and welcome him as a dear guest.
Prayer:
O gracious Lord, there are many complications and distractions in my life. All these turn my attention away from what is important. Reclaim my heart. Strengthen my faith. Renew my desire to live for you alone. Amen
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God. Revelation 21:10,11
What does the future hold? While there are some who claim to know, their predictions lack any credibility. So, where do we turn to know what is in store for us? There is an old proverb which is helpful. “We don’t know what the future holds, but we do know who holds the future.” This, of course, is the Lord.
Although this knowledge offers comfort, we continue to have our misgivings. Too often we wonder, “What if…?” This can actually become a deadly infection. It starts with a hint of uncertainty. It spreads to become a lack of trust. Finally, it overcomes with deadly despair.
St. John’s words from the book of Revelation provide the remedy. He reveals what the future holds for those who put their trust in the Lord. He doesn’t offer a rose-colored perspective, nor does he make promises which will never be kept. He does offer God’s own assurance of what is in store for the future for those who know and trust in him, and that is heaven.
The beautiful picture John described offers the reassurance we need. For loneliness, there is companionship in the presence of the Lord. For earthly loss, there is the anticipation of heavenly blessing. For death, there is new life in the Holy City of the eternal God.
While this may not answer every question we have about tomorrow or the next day, what God does provide keeps us from being overwhelmed by doubt and despair. We know who holds the future, and we know who holds us in his gracious and protective care. It is the Lord who rescues us from sin, death, and every danger. The same Lord tells us what our future holds. There is no uncertainty whatsoever. We will be where he is.
Prayer:
O merciful Lord, we are often short-sighted and overwhelmed by doubt. Strengthen our faith so we trust you and cling to your faithful promises. Throughout this life, fix our eyes on your rescue and the place of blessing you have prepared for us. Amen
“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:16,17
Fear can be good. It can make us careful and help us avoid dangerous, even tragic situations.
While some fear is healthy, baseless fear is not. This is what overwhelmed Elisha’s servant. He was terrified by what he saw. All he could see was the vast and powerful army surrounding the city. This realization brought panic and a sense of hopelessness.
We can relate to the servant’s response. We often find ourselves surrounded by enemies. The devil is always stalking us. The world is always ready to terrorize us. Unfortunately, because of the weakness of our flesh we are seized by baseless fears. We overlook the help God provides, and we fail to take God at his Word. The end result is fear. We are terrorized by what we see just like Elisha’s servant. But this is a baseless fear.
Here is where we need the Lord to intervene. So we humbly ask the Lord to open our eyes and show us the help that is readily available.
So what will we see? We will see a faithful and all-powerful Father who loves us. We will see a victorious and ever-present Savior who stands ready to rescue us. We will see a devoted Lord who will never allow anything to separate us from his love.
There is no better place to look for courage, confidence, or help than in the Lord. He will guide us in all our ways. He will rescue us from harm and danger. He will remove our baseless fears and replace them with an unshakable trust.
Prayer:
O loving heavenly Father, I am weak, but you are strong. I daily fail, but you always succeed. Open my eyes to recognize you are always with me. Give me faith to rely on the help you are always ready and willing to provide. Amen.
We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. Acts 14:15b
Whenever a person moves from one home to another, questions abound. What will the next place be like? What will the new neighbors be like? Then there is the most pressing question: What do I take with me? How does one sift through years of memories and memorabilia? How does one determine what is worthless and disposable? It is not an easy question to answer. But it is an important question to answer when a person is moving.
It is even more important for every person to ask this question regarding their spiritual life. When Saint Paul visited the ancient city of Lystra, he explained to the people there that the false gods they worshiped were worthless. “Turn from worthless things to the living God,” he told them.
Nearly two thousand years later, Paul’s message still applies. If he would look at us, he would say the same thing: Turn from worthless things. Although difficult to accept and, even more difficult to undertake, it is exactly what we must do.
Because, like the people in Lystra, we often worship what is worthless. We spend far too much of our time and effort chasing things that are not worthy, things that will not last. Nothing this world offers can match the lasting value of knowing Jesus and what he has done for us. His precious life was lived to offer us perfect obedience. His priceless death was given to release us from judgment. His incomparable resurrection now provides eternal blessing in heaven.
Recognizing what Jesus gives us makes us realize it is time to clean house, to turn from worthless things to the priceless blessings of the living God and our precious Savior.
Prayer:
O gracious Lord and Savior, how can I thank you for your gifts of priceless worth! Turn my heart to that which has lasting value, and strengthen me to turn away from things that have no worth. Amen.
If you ever want to experience darkness, get in your car some cloudy night and put an hour or two between yourself and the nearest town, pull off on some side road, stop your car and turn off your lights. Without street lights, traffic lights, billboard lights, or lights from apartments and homes, the darkness is truly dark.
That’s the nighttime darkness the Apostle John knew when the Lord allowed him to see a revelation of heaven. It was a beautiful city without sun or moon, and yet those who lived there had all the light they needed. The light came from the Lamb of God, Christ himself.
Thanks to Mr. Edison you and I have all kinds of ways to pierce the darkness of night. When it comes to the darkness of sin, however, well that’s another matter. Out of the darkness of our sin comes the darkness of fear, despair, bitterness, failure, guilt, grief, and death.
If we look within ourselves to pierce such darkness, more darkness is all we’ll find.
That’s why the only answer is Jesus, the one who conquered the darkness of our sin through the cross and the empty tomb.
Therefore, you and I don’t have to be afraid anymore. We have Jesus. And Jesus is all the light we need.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, in this world of darkness, you are my light. Empower me by your Gospel to bask in your light always. 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
XW E L C O M E
T O O U R C H U R C H X
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.
608.297.2866
www.stjohnsmontello.org
Like us on Facebook
XG O D ’ S W O R D
F O R T O D A Y X
The Risen One
Promises Us Unique Peace – In today’s lessons we hear about peace between
us and God. How can rebels find peace with their holy Lord and judge? Not
at all by their deserving it, but by his declaring it. God’s peace is so
profound and his willingness to receive us as his children so sincere, that
Jesus even assures us that he and his Father will come to us and make their
home within us.
XP
R E P A R A T I O N F O R W O R S H I P X
We
prepare ourselves to worship the one Savior God by expressing our humble
repentance, offering our fervent prayers and singing our thankful hymns of
praise.
HYMN
154 Alleluia, Alleluia,
Give Thanks
Please stand
CONFESSION
& ABSOLUTION hymnal page 26
When we confess to God that we have
failed to live up to the perfect standards in his law, the pastor announces the
perfect forgiveness of sins won for us by Jesus.
LORD, HAVE MERCYhymnal
page 27
The Church brings her
concerns and prayers to a loving Father in heaven, who has shown great mercy to
us and promised to hear our ardent cries for help.
O LORD, OUR LORDhymnal
page 28
This song of praise reminds
us of the wonderful things God has done for us, not the least of which is the
salvation he gives through Jesus Christ.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
M: Father of lights, every good and perfect gift
comes from you. Inspire us to think those things that are true and long for
those things that are good, that we may always make our petitions according to
your gracious will; through your Son, 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.
FIRST
LESSONActs 14:8-18 (today’s
sermon text)
Summary: Paul heals the crippled man at Lystra
In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth
and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked
directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “Stand
up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.
When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian
language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas
they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker.
The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and
wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices
to them.
But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their
clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: “Men, why are you doing
this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling
you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and
earth and sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their
own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness
by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with
plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” Even with these words,
they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.
Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over.
They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.
PSALM 65 hymnal
page 89
Lectern
side sings the first line, pulpit side sings the second line, everyone sings refrains
and Gloria.
SECOND LESSON Revelation 21: 10-14, 22, 23
Summary: The New Jerusalem
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and
showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It
shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very
precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with
twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written
the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east,
three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the
city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles
of the Lamb.
I did not see a temple in the
city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its
temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the
moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the
Lamb is its lamp.
VERSE OF THE DAYJohn 14:23
Alleluia. Alleluia. Christ is risen! He is
risen indeed! Alleluia. 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.
C:♫
Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! These words are written that we may believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Please stand
GOSPEL LESSONJohn 14:23-29
Summary: Jesus promises the Holy Spirit
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. He
who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my
own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor,
the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all
things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I
leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world
gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
“You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’
If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the
Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when
it does happen you will believe.
C:♫
Praise
be to you, O Christ!
Please be seated
HYMN OF
THE DAY 377:1-4 Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice
SERMON Acts 14: 8-18
“God
Has Come Down to Us!”
He gets our attention
He broadens our vision
He personalizes our salvation
Please stand
NICENE CREED hymnal 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.
Please stand
PRAYERS
The Offering Prayer, Easter Season Prayer and
Intercessory Prayers are spoken by pastor. Please see announcements for those
on our Intercessory Prayers list.
LORD’S PRAYERhymnal
page 32
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.
Please be seated for the distribution
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 HYMNS 359 Jesus, My Great High Priest
CLOSING
HYMN377: 9-10Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice
As you leave today’s
service, please give your completed Friendship Register sheet to an usher or
pastor.
XAnnouncements X
Activities for the week of May 26-June
1
Sun.
8:00 A.M.
Emmanuel Worship
9:00 A.M.
Emmanuel/St. John’s Adult Bible Study
10:00 A.M.
St. John’s Worship with
communion
11:15 A.M.
Bible Information Class at St. John’s
Mon.
MEMORIAL DAY
NO St. John’s School/Little Lambs
Tues.
Wed.
6:30 P.M.
St. John’s Ascension Worship with
communion
Thurs.
ASCENSION DAY
9:00 A.M.
Emmanuel Ascension Worship
6:00 P.M.
St. John’s School 8th Grade Graduation and Teacher
Farewell Ceremony (appetizers and
drinks to follow in lower level)
Fri.
8:00 A.M.
St. John’s School Chapel
8:00 A.M.-11:30 A.M.
St. John’s School/Little Lambs last day of school (early release at
11:30am)
11:30 A.M.
Last Day of School Cookout at St. John’s
Sat.
Theme for Next Sunday June 2, 2019
Easter 7: “The
Risen Lord Commissions his Church”
8:00 A.M.
Emmanuel Worship with communion
10:00 A.M.
St. John’s Worship
11:15 A.M.
Bible Information Class at St. John’s
INTERCESSORY PRAYERS – For those hospitalized, ill,
shut-in and facing trials: George Alexander, Ron Blada, Pat Bornick, Pastor
Raymond Cox (Marjorie’s Fabian’s brother), Gene & Sharon Crook, Harley
& Liola Crown & son Terry, Agnes Dassow, Jerre Duerr, Reinold
Eckelberg, Elaine Emond (Mark’s mother), Earl Ewert, Marjorie Fabian, Harold Fandrey,
Mike Farrell, Kellen Grucza (Judy Fandrey’s daughter), Dawn Hirn (Linda
Krause’s niece), Xzander Jahr, Bob Klapper (Sandy’s husband), Arden
“Bill” Klimke, Linda Krause, Jim Kunde (our former SJ member), Pete
Laun, Delvin Mittelsteadt, Jean Muhlenbeck (WELS member at Zion–Bristol, St.
John’s visitor), Debbie Parrish, Arlene Prill, LuAnn Reber, Mark & Peggy
Russell (Elsa’s son & daughter in-law), Carol Schumann, Dennis Schwanke
(Mary Isberner’s friend), Amanda Stalker, Jennifer Strauss, Dennis & Ramona
Wacholtz, Donny Weber (Betty’s son), Heidi Weishaar (Dennis & Sharon
Kekow’s daughter), Karl Whitrock, Millie Wildt (John’s wife) – (added this
week: )
–
For the graduates of Martin Luther College (5/18) and Wisconsin Lutheran
Seminary (5/24) – Call assignment lists are available in the church entries
–
For personal evangelism in our community and supportive evangelism through our
prayers and financial support of WELS missions
–
For our communicants at St. John’s
–
For Memorial Day (5/27)
–
For Steve Parish who celebrated his 69th birthday on 5/24
– For Eloise Schultz
who celebrated her 87th birthday on 5/25
AMMO
BOX Memorial Day is tomorrow and that is one of two holidays (the other
Veteran’s Day) where we set out the Ammo boxes to raise funds for the Lutheran
Military Support Group (LMSG). The funds go to support Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD), spiritual counseling, local congregational LMSG, projects,
European Chaplain Support, Military Contact Pastor Training, the National
Chaplain’s Office, Pastoral travel expenses to remote military families and to
mission congregations next to military installations. Our congregation has
personal experience with some of these things explained above. The Ammo cans are
out today, May 26 and will be next Sunday, June 2. Any questions please contact
the Liason for our two congregations: Mark Emond Sr. (608) 697-1600! Thank you
in advance for your generosity in this endeavor!
VBS
This year’s Vacation Bible School will be June 24-28 at St. John’s. Camp
Phillip will be hosting again! We are accepting 3K-8th graders!
3K/4K will run from 8:00am-11:30am. Kindergarten-8th grade will run
8:00am-2:00pm. Stop in or call the office 297-2866 to register today!
CHURCH
CLEAN UP DAY! Save the date! June 8th at St. John’s!
Lunch will be provided.
ST.
JOHN’S VOTERS’ MEETING HIGHLIGHTS 1) Membership
Changes: Adult Confirmation via BIC: Willy & Megan
Stalker and daughter Maisie, Amanda Stalker & daughter Brittany Pick. Teen
Confirmation: Brianna Daniels, Madeline Kraus, Lilly
Mann. Transfers Out: Tyler & Kaitlin Emond to Cross
of Christ-Portage, and Katherine Zietlow to Christ
Alone-Thiensville. 2) Treasurer’s Report: Line of credit
exists at bank, but to date, no need to use. 3) New
teachers Larry & Lynn Sellnow & Shelley Meyers have been contacted
in preparation for 2019-2020 school year. 4) Care
Committee for Called Workers (CCCW) to
re-start. 5) “Welcome Home” Evangelism program & “Ten
for Ten” Stewardship Program start in fall. 6)
Budget to be presented at Special Voters’ Meeting in June. 7)
Parsonage roof completed. 8) Synod
Convention Delegate- Paul Van Treeck. 9) Teacher
Installation Service is July 14. 10) Door Projects: Front
door stained glass is done; new doors to be installed by June 15. Back Door to
be repaired by Memorial Day. 11) ACH Automated Deduction of
Offerings in place for use by June 15. 12) Church/School
Cleanup Day – Saturday, June 8, 9 a.m.
NEW
MEMBERSHIP CLASS began on 4/28 11:15am at St. John’s.
Join us in the link-way conference room for an hour or so after the 10am SJ
worship service.
DISHES
If you have dishes in St. John’s kitchen, please pick them up!
NEW MEDITATIONS are available in St. John’s
Information Room and at Emmanuel. Grab yours today!
PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL of your fellow
worshipers preparing their hearts for worship. If you are visiting with others,
please keep your voices down. Thank you!
USHER AND GREETER
SCHEDULE If
you are signed up to be a St. John’s usher and/or greeter, please pick up your
hard copy of April-May and June-July in St. John’s Information Room.
Schedules will be available for pick up every 2 months.
LITTLE LAMBS PRE
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN Pick up your 3K/4K registration form in the office
today! Please help spread the word!
CHECK
OUT OUR UPDATED INFORMATION ROOM This room is located at the top
of St. John’s link way stairs and the church entry way. Here you will find
bulletin boards labeled “Home Missions” and “LWMS”. Home Missions will provide information on what’s going on at St.
John’s church and school, events, educational and youth group updates. You will
also find informational brochures and magazines, usher and greeter schedules,
the church newsletter, children’s coloring sheets and crayons and other
miscellaneous information related to our church and school. Please help
yourself!
CHRISTIAN
ONE-LINERS (from a WELS pastor): “When
you get to your wit’s end, you’ll find God lives there.”
ACH What is ACH?Automated Clearing House is an
electronic payments network use by individuals, businesses, financial
institutions and government organizations. The network functions as an
efficient, electronic alternative to paper checks. It allows funds to be
electronically debited or credited to a checking account, savings account,
financial institution general ledger account or credited to a loan account.Please pick your form
up in the Information Room or the office today.
EMMANUEL OFFERING OPTIONS In addition to the traditional
offering envelope option for our weekly offerings, Emmanuel is inviting any
members to consider direct payment (weekly or monthly) from your bank’s
checking or savings account to the church’s account. If you are interested
in this option, please pick up an application form in the church entry, and
return the completed form to our church treasurer, Wayne Stelter, who will
complete the form with the church’s bank routing and account numbers and submit
your request to the bank. Please state on the application form when you
would like to begin and if you want weekly or monthly auto-payments.
KUNDE FUNDRAISER “Tragedy struck our family last
month. As a result of blood clots and infection, Jim’s lower right leg
had to be amputated at the end of April. Not only is this emotionally
devastating for the family, but there is substantial financial stress involved
too. Jim has mounting medical bills relating to the med-flight from
Calumet to Wausau, hospital stays, surgery, etc. but also loss of income since
Jim can no longer work. Jim has worked all his life at jobs that were
very physical, such as firefighter, EMT, Sheriff’s Deputy, Hazmat, and most
recently, as a baker, and manual labor. Even with a prosthesis sometime
in the future, it is questionable if Jim will be able to find work to help
support the family. Additionally, they have four children under the age of 18
still living at home, with the youngest being 7 years old.” Diana’s income
(Jim’s wife) is the only income they have left and it is not enough to cover
household expenses. This is quite a burden on her and the family
doesn’t know where to turn to. Also, their house is not set up
to facilitate someone with this type of disability and will need substantial
modifications made to accommodate Jim and allow him to be as independent as
possible. Any help you can give this family would be so helpful. Thank
you.
FROM A MEMBER “Weep but
briefly for your loved one as they enter into the Kingdom of God, for they now
possess a joy and peace that is unattainable on God’s earthly realm. Rather,
rejoice in their everlasting and total happiness, for their eyes have seen
God.”
TASTE OF MISSIONS Join us on July 13, 2019, at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in
Mequon, Wis., for the first annual Taste of Missions event! Starting
at 12:00 P.M., sample ethnic cuisine from some of our mission
fields while enjoying fellowship and presentations from home and world
missionaries alike. Meet former missionaries and committee
members who have served WELS Missions and hear stories of God’s
magnificent grace in action at home and abroad. View
displays, participate in family-friendly activities coordinated by
our missionaries, and ask questions about the ups and downs of
mission work during a panel discussion. We will conclude the event at 4:00
P.M. with a special worship service celebrating the blessings the Lord
has showered on WELS Missions. Registration is $5 per person,
with children under the age of five attending
for free. Register by June 30 at wels.net/tasteofmissions2019.
Attendance
Emmanuel
St. John’s
5-19 5-15
70
90 6
St. John’s Altar Committee
May 2019
Jennie Utke
&
Susan Brown
●●●
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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 Sara Borck: (858) 731-7919
K & 1st
Grade Teacher Cassie Doering: (920) 723-8986
2nd-4th
Grade Teacher Karin Stellick: (920) 342-3689
Lead & 5th-8th
Grade Teacher Rachel Naumann: (847) 913-2135
Church &
School Secretary Ciara Neuhauser: (608) 297-2866
Altar Ladies:
Elaine Kelm: (920) 344-0025 & Carolyn
Rosenthal: 589-5036
Church &
School Mail: 313 E Montello
St, Montello, WI 53949
Church
& School E-mail:scsecretary@stjohnsmontello.org
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The thing about love is that it almost always has limits.
You might really love someone or something, but there is probably a limit to that love. You may love a certain food, but you will only pay so much for it. Perhaps you love a certain sports team, but after so many losing seasons you may just give up. Even in a marriage, one of the more infinite loves, we say our vows with, “Till death do us part.”
Even though almost every love we know has its bounds, we still crave truly limitless and unconditional love—a love without any end.
God filled our desire for limitless love by sending Jesus to win eternal life for us. God didn’t set a limit or an end to his love. With his limitless love Jesus came to live and die for us to take away our sins and to win for us a place before God forever. This love will never end.
In response to his love for us, God commands us to love one another as he has loved us.
How can we do that? We can do the kinds of things that will make sure even death will not limit our love. If you want to love your spouse, pray for and encourage their faith. If you want to love your children, make sure that they grow up in a place where their faith can be nurtured. If you want to love your neighbors, do the kinds of things that allow you to share with them the hope you have in Jesus. Helping those you love to be in the Word of Christ and to follow his commands is one of the greatest expressions of love, because it is the only thing that is truly limitless.
God loved you in the ultimate way by winning eternity for you. Go and love others by sharing that message with them.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for loving me so much that you sent Jesus. Help me to love with the limitless love you have shown to me. Amen.
Olympic athletes wear the colors of their country. Ships fly the colors of their country. Traditionally, houses of nobility each had their own house colors. Harry Potter readers and viewers will remember the four houses at Hogwarts School—each with its own unique set of colors.
Jesus tells us to fly our house colors. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
When we show Christ-like love for each other, the people around us can see our house colors as clearly as a flag fluttering in the wind. They can see that we belong to the household of faith. They can see that we belong to Jesus.
The goal is not simply to identify ourselves to the world around us. The goal is to invite others from the world around us to wonder. What motivates this kind of selfless love? Where does it come from? Why is it so strong? Why do these believers love so freely, without compulsion or legalistic enforcement? What makes these people so kind?
On the flip side, when believers don’t demonstrate Christ-like love, it can be damaging. People get a bad impression of what believers are like and what belonging to Jesus is like. Lord, forgive your people for not flying your colors more boldly and truly.
Just think of Jesus. Think of what it means to belong to him. Forgiveness through his cross. Eternal hope through his promises. Victory over death, through his victory over death. What a joy and a blessing to belong to Jesus and his family of faith. Wear his colors. Fly his flag. Show his love.
When others see our love for each other, they will also see Jesus and his love. Christians, fly your house colors!
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, what a tremendous joy and gift to belong to you! Thank you for your selfless love. Help me also to fly those colors in my life, that others may see you through me. Amen.
“My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:33,34
“There is a list of chores on the refrigerator,” says mom to the kids as she rushes out of the house on the way to work. “I expect them to be finished when I get home.” Although she is not with her children that day, her instructions are.
Jesus knew he was going away. He was soon going to return to his rightful place at his Father’s side in heaven. He wanted his disciples to know what he wanted them to be doing while he was away. He wanted them to love one another.
It would not be easy. Jesus’ disciples were sinful men—men filled with selfishness and pride, both of which are the enemies of love.
It is still not easy. Jesus’ disciples, including you and me, are still filled with selfishness and pride. Our selfishness screams at us to serve our own needs rather than others. Our pride proclaims that we are better than those around us and so they don’t deserve our love.
But then we look at Jesus. We see him hanging on a cross our sins deserve. We see him serving those who didn’t deserve a lick of his love. And, witnessing what he has done to save us from our sins and serving us in spite of those sins, we are transformed. We are empowered to serve selflessly—even those who do not deserve it. And, suddenly, we find ourselves carrying out his command, doing what he wants us to be doing while he is away—loving one another.
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for your selfless sacrifice and service. May they be my motivation to carry out your command. Let me love those you bring into my life this day. Amen.
Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
