Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. Romans 4:4,5
Everyone who has a job looks forward to payday. After putting in all those hours of work, you receive your paycheck. It is something that is owed to you. You and your employer came to the agreement that you would work for an amount of time and, in return, your employer would give you an amount of money.
In this section of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he uses that same picture. If you work, you are owed something. However, he shows us that, when it comes to salvation and heaven, it is not something that we are owed, but comes as a gift from God.
Paul says elsewhere in this letter, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). We deserve to be punished by God for all eternity because of our sins. This includes every single time we have had thoughts that were wrong or said things that we shouldn’t have. If you want to talk about something we are owed, this is it! We deserve eternal death.
However, as Paul points out, when we are brought to believe in Jesus as our Savior, then we are in a right relationship with God. Even this faith that we have is not our own doing. We cannot choose to believe in Jesus. This only comes through the work of the Holy Spirit as we hear God’s Word.
God owes us nothing. Yet, he gives us everything. Isn’t it wonderful to know that God does not give us what we deserve!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for not giving me what I deserve. Thank you for giving me what Jesus earned for me. Amen.
Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and the wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. Genesis 22:7,8
The words must have pierced Abraham’s soul. Isaac didn’t mean to wound his father, and under most circumstances, his question wouldn’t have been wounding words. But these were not normal circumstances. God asked a father to offer his only son as an offering to him. It was a test. God wanted to see whom Abraham loved more—his child or his Lord.
Children can ask questions that get to the point and leave adults fumbling for an answer. That’s Isaac on that day with his father. He loved and trusted his dear father so much! With honest eyes and a gentle voice, he asked, “Father, where’s the lamb?”
What would Abraham tell his son? Out of love for his dear son, he couldn’t bluntly say, “Isaac, you’re the lamb this time.” He couldn’t lie and say, “I don’t know.” What would he say, and how would he say it? Holding his son close to him and the Lord’s promises even closer, Abraham breathed deeply and declared, “God himself will provide.”
That’s exactly what happened. God himself provided an offering that day—and the offering was not Isaac. Once God knew he had Abraham’s full trust, the Lord provided an animal instead of Isaac for the sacrifice.
That day pointed ahead to another day when another Father would offer his one and only Son as a sacrifice. His Son’s name is Jesus whose sacrifice on the cross paid for all sin. Don’t underestimate the Father’s love—and the Son’s trust—that you find on the cross! Don’t ever wonder if God loves you. He provided his own Son, the perfect Lamb of God, as an offering. He was willing to give up his Son so he would have you forever.
Prayer:
Thank you, O my Father, for giving your Son as a sacrifice in my place. Enrich me with a greater understanding of your love, love that spared not your own Son, but delivered him up on the cross for me and all people. Amen.
The devil had Jesus right where he wanted him, or so it would seem. Matthew calls the devil, “the tempter.” That word tells us that Satan was intent on doing evil to Jesus. He wanted to lead Jesus to sin and rob the world of the Savior. Satan was attacking Jesus but he was really declaring war on all of us. His goal is to take away our salvation. If Jesus was not perfectly sinless, he could not give us his perfection. Make no mistake, Satan intended to destroy us that day. He was not playing around.
He is still not playing around today. Do we always realize that the stakes are so high? We often get caught up in life and forget just how serious the situation is. We aren’t always ready to fight temptation. We often don’t give a second thought to how Satan might attack us today. This lack of preparedness gets us into trouble. Too often we fall into sin simply because we are not ready for battle.
How important it is, then, for us to focus on Jesus who has already done battle with Satan and won. Jesus has been where we are. He faced every temptation the devil threw at him. But there is a big difference between Jesus and us. The Bible says, “…we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” Our Savior never once caved in to Satan’s pressure. Never once gave into the devil’s temptations or was unprepared. He perfectly fought the battle. He was victorious, for us.
Jesus has given us victory over Satan. The devil can no longer harm us as we trust in Jesus. Satan’s plans to destroy our souls have been defeated by our Savior. In Jesus, we are forgiven and saved. In Jesus, we now have the tools to fend off Satan’s attacks. With faith in Jesus and depending on his Word, we can be ready for whatever Satan throws our way.
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the victory over sin and the devil. Help me to trust you and to rely on your Word. Amen.
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. Matthew 4:1,2
Sometimes in life, we are just overmatched. Our opponent or enemy is just too strong, too big, too much for us to handle. The Alamo is certainly one such example. Fewer than 200 men stood fighting against an army of 1,500. They knew they were overmatched and could not win. They knew no reinforcements were coming.
It certainly seems like Jesus was overmatched in his battle against the devil. For one thing, he was in the wilderness—a place where he was isolated. Nobody was coming to his aid. There would be no reinforcements. He was on his own. He was on Satan’s turf. And while he was out there, he was fasting. Physically, he was drained.
You know how that feels, don’t you—to be spiritually overmatched? You feel like you are on your own and the devil keeps on coming. He tempts you with doubt: “If God really loved you, why did he let this happen to you?” “Doesn’t God want you to be happy? He must not really mean what he says in his Word. Go ahead, live the way you want.” And he keeps coming. Temptation after temptation.
Like the Texans at the Alamo, you can’t win. You may fight for a little while, but in the end, you are overrun by the devil’s temptations and defeated. You have lost too many battles and have fallen into sin over the same old familiar temptations.
“Remember the Alamo!” That was the rallying cry in the war following the famous battle. Our rallying cry is different: Remember Jesus! He went to battle for you. He crushed the devil and defeated all your enemies. Through his death on the cross, he forgives your sins and gives you the gift of heaven. He also gives you the weapons to defeat the devil in your daily life.
Thank God for sending Jesus. And get to know his Word, so that you can say no to temptation and remain on the way to heaven.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for defeating Satan for me. Equip me with your Word that I may fight temptation in your name. Amen.
The first man created by God had disobeyed him. He had eaten fruit God had forbidden. When God gave him an opportunity to confess what he had done, Adam said, “The woman you put here with me―she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” That’s not exactly a confession, is it? Sure, Adam begrudgingly admitted the sin. But he was also quick to blame both Eve and God for putting him in that situation.
I suppose we want to shake our heads at Adam’s attempt to blame his wife and his God for his own sin. But then we remember we aren’t any different. We too have played the blame game. As children, we point the finger at our sibling and shout: “He made me do it!” As adults, we blame society for our loose morals. We blame work and our social life for not getting to church. We blame the coworker’s attitude for our harsh thoughts and words in the workplace. We blame our busy lives for not spending enough time in God’s Word. We blame our upbringing for the sinful choices we continue to make. God calls out, “Where are you?” And, unfortunately, we are too often lost in sin and blaming others for it.
Would it surprise you to find out that God played his own version of the blame game? No, he didn’t blame someone else for what he had done wrong. He blamed someone else for what WE have done wrong. The Bible says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” God blamed Jesus for all our sins so that we could be forgiven and saved. On the cross, Jesus suffered the punishment our sins deserve and through him, we have eternal life.
Because of Jesus, you and I stand blameless before God.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for taking my place on the cross and paying for my sin. Help me to always take ownership of my sin and to trust in you for forgiveness. Amen.
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:8
“Come out; come out, wherever you are!” Anyone who has ever played hide-and-seek has heard someone shout those words. Who would ever have imagined God saying those words in the Garden of Eden? But then again, this wasn’t a game, was it? Adam and Eve weren’t playing a fun game of hide-and-seek. They weren’t having any fun at all.
Something had gone terribly wrong in that perfect place of paradise. Adam and Eve had sinned. They had broken their relationship with God and had gone their own way and they knew it was a terrible mistake. Something that had once given them great joy now sent them running for the trees. Accustomed to walking and talking with God in the garden, Adam and Eve now felt guilt and fear and they hid from God.
Where are you hiding? Are you hiding from God at work? Maybe by working so many hours, you don’t have time to pray or confess to God. Where are you hiding? On a website? In the gym? During sleepless nights? What is it that you don’t want to bring out into the light of day? Secret thoughts or desires…selfish behavior…lack of love toward God. Sadly, like Adam, you and I are often not looking for God―even though he is waiting right there for us!
Note the love and grace of God. “But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’” God’s love caused him to seek and to find the sinner who was hiding. In love, God seeks us out too. He invites us to come to him. God sent Jesus to die in our place on the cross and to remove everything that would make us hide. In Jesus, our sins are forever washed away. We are clean. We don’t need to hide. We can come to our Father in heaven and know that in Jesus, we are safe.
Prayer:
Dear Father in heaven, thank you for seeking me out. Thank you for forgiveness in Jesus. Help me to run to you, trusting in your love for me. Amen.
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15
“You ruined it!” Even if you were not in the room to see what happened, you could feel the despair, anguish, and hurt in those words. The older brother was building a city out of Lego bricks. He worked hard and spent a lot of time putting the finishing touches on his creation. Finally, he was done. He looked over his handiwork and saw that it was good. No sooner had he finished and was looking forward to enjoying his work, his little sibling came crashing into the room and leveled everything. Lego bricks crashed down all around him and just like that, his creation was destroyed.
“You ruined it!” One imagines the Creator saying those same anguished words. God had created a perfect world. He had spent six days getting everything just right, so that, in his own words, “everything was very good.” And in one instant, it was ruined. Adam and Eve destroyed the paradise God had made for them. When they disobeyed their loving Maker, they ruined their relationship with him, with one another, and with the world he had fashioned for them.
We do it too. How many relationships have we ruined through rude, harmful behavior? How many opportunities have we ruined through offensive words that we spoke? How many chances to serve God have we ruined through selfish attitudes and excuses?
How does God respond? As we read in Genesis 3, it is very telling what God DOESN’T do. He doesn’t fly off the handle and let loose with angry words. He doesn’t punish them with lightning bolts from heaven. He doesn’t even disown them.
Instead, God shows himself to be our compassionate Father. Genesis 3 highlights the love of God in the face of sin and rebellion. God patiently sought out Adam and Eve and invited them to repent. He lovingly forgave their sins. He promised to send a Savior who would one day come and defeat Satan and give his people the gifts of forgiveness and eternal life. He does the same thing for you and me. In Jesus, God forgives our sins and repairs what we have destroyed. In Jesus, we have eternal life!
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for your forgiveness. Help me to look forward to eternal life in heaven with you. Amen.
St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church
313 East Montello St.
Montello, WI 53949
Emmanuel Ev. Lutheran Church
W1568 Evergreen
Lane
Montello, WI 53949
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.
Pastor Peter Zietlow
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 First Sunday of Lent – Christ’s Victory over Satan Is Ours –
The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, observed last week.
Historically, it was a period of time during which the Christian
would deny himself certain luxuries or behaviors in order to focus more
clearly on the tremendous sacrifice that Christ made for us on the cross.
Technically, the Sundays during Lent are not considered part of the
forty-day season, and, therefore, the passion history itself is not
generally part of the Scripture lessons appointed for these days.
Today’s lessons remind us of the stark contrast between God’s
perfection and our sin-stained imperfection, but also of the victory Christ
has won on our behalf and has credited to 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.
OPENING
HYMN 201 A Mighty Fortress Is
Our God
Please stand
CONFESSION
& ABSOLUTION hymnal page
15
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 15
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.
GLORY BE TO GOD hymnal page 16
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: Lord our strength, the battle of good and evil
rages within and around us, and our ancient foe tempts us with his deceits and
empty promises. Keep us steadfast in your Word, and when we fall, raise us up
again and restore us 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 LESSONGenesis 2:7-9, 15-17; 3:1-7
Summary: Disobedience brought sin into the world
The LORD God formed the man
from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,
and the man became a living being.
Now the LORD God had planted a
garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the
LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were
pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the
tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The LORD God took the man and
put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God
commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you
must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat
of it you will surely die.”
Now the serpent was more crafty
than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did
God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
The woman said to the serpent,
“We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not
eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not
touch it, or you will die.’”
“You will not surely die,” the
serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes
will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
When the woman saw that the
fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable
for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her
husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were
opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together
and made coverings for themselves.
Therefore, just as sin entered
the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to
all men, because all sinned—for
before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into
account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam
to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as
did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.
But the gift is not like the
trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more
did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus
Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of
the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but
the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the
trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will
those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of
righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Consequently, just as the result
of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of
righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as
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.
VERSE
OF THE DAYMatthew 4:10
It is written: “Worship the
Lord your God, and serve him only.”
*Note: Alleluias are omitted during Lent.
Please stand
C: ♫
Glory
be to you, O Lord!
GOSPEL LESSONMatthew
4:1-11
Summary: Jesus overcame the devil’s temptations
Then Jesus was led by the
Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and
forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the
Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written:
‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth
of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the
holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the
Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will
command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so
that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus answered him, “It is also
written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a
very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their
splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and
worship me.”
Jesus said to him, “Away from
me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
Then the devil left him, and angels came and
attended him.
C:♫ Praise
be to you, O Christ!
APOSTLES’
CREEDhymnal page 19
Please be seated
SERMON HYMN 726Christ, the Lord of Hosts, Unshaken
SERMONRomans
5: 12, 17-19
“Sinful In Adam – Righteous in
Christ”
All are guilty because of Adam’s sin
All are justified because of Christ’s
obedience
Please stand
CREATE IN MEhymnal
page 20
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, Lenten Season Prayer and Intercessory Prayers are spoken by
pastor. Please see announcements for those on our Intercessory Prayers list.
LORD’S PRAYERhymnal
page 20
Please be seated
HYMN 378: 1-4 All Mankind Fell in Adam’s Fall
Please stand
CLOSING
PRAYER & BLESSING hymnal page 25
Please be seated
CLOSING HYMN378: 5-6 All Mankind Fell in Adam’s Fall
As
you leave today’s service, please give your completed Friendship Register sheet
to an usher or pastor.
Announcements
Activities for the week
of March 1 – March 7
Sun.
8:00 A.M.
Emmanuel Worship with communion
8:30 A.M.
St. John’s Sunday School
9:00 A.M.
Adult Bible Study at St. John’s
10:00 A.M.
St. John’s Worship
Mon.
6:00 P.M.
Hands in Prayer meeting at St.
John’s
6:30 P.M.
Choir at St. John’s
7:30 P.M.
Adult Bible Study at St. John’s
Tues.
9:00 A.M.
Elders meeting at St. John’s
6:00 P.M.
Joint Worship Committee meeting at
St. John’s
Wed.
8:00 A.M.
St.
John’s School Chapel
10:00 A.M.
Adult Bible Study at St. John’s
1:40 P.M.
St. John’s School/Little Lambs
Early Release
2:15 P.M.
Public School Teen Confirmation
Class at St. John’s
3:30 P.M.
Emmanuel Lenten Devotion
4:30 P.M.
Lenten Supper at St. John’s
6:30 P.M.
St. John’s Lenten Devotion
7:30P.M.
Bible Information Class at St.
John’s
Thurs.
8:00 A.M.
St. John’s Teen Confirmation Class
12:00 P.M.
Ladies Aid lunch and meeting at St.
John’s
4:00 P.M.
Boys B basketball game HOME vs.
Faith Markesan
6:00 P.M.
Griefshare at St. John’s lower
level (week 6)
6:00 P.M.
School Board meeting at St. John’s
Fri.
TBA
Luther Prep Coed B Team Tournament
Sat.
TBA
Luther Prep Coed B Team Tournament
Theme for Next Sunday March 8 , 2020Lent 2: “Justified By Faith”Daylight Savings Time (set clocks forward 1 hour)
8:00 A.M.
Emmanuel Worship
8:30 A.M.
St. John’s Sunday School
9:00 A.M.
St. John’s Adult Bible Study
10:00 A.M.
St. John’s Worship with communion
TBA
Luther Prep Coed B Team Tournament
Church NewsINTERCESSORY PRAYERS (read
by pastor) – For those hospitalized, ill, shut-in and facing trials: Wyatt
Beahm (William and Alyssa Beahm’s infant son), Gene Crook, Liola Crown
& son Terry, Agnes Dassow, Don Ebert, Reinold Eckelberg, Diane Eisermann,
Lilah Farrell, Roger Hillmer, Jerry & Darlene Hunter (Bonnie Chapman’s
parents), Xzander Jahr, Chris Krause (Gordy and Linda’s son), Robert
Lederer (Jackie and Jeanne Buchholz’ father), Delvin Mittelsteadt, Steve
Parrish, Karen Radke, LuAnn Reber, Harvey Rudolph, Frank Russell, Kathryn
Sigrist (Pastor Gary & Orlene Johnson’s daughter), Doris Smith, Amanda
Stalker, Jennifer Strauss, Leevi Walker, Richard Winkler – (added
this week: Jerry & Darlene Hunter, Karen Radke, Amanda Stalker)
– For Heather Schmidt,
currently teaching at St. Paul’s–Franklin, who received the Lord’s Call at
our 2/9 St. John’s Voter’s meeting to serve as our 3-5th grade teacher
– For Estrella Noelle
Kaenel and MaKinleigh Grace Kaenel, the twin daughters of John &
Shannon Kaenel, who were baptized yesterday (2/29) at St. John’s
– For Holly Bender and
Christopher Smith who were united in marriage yesterday in Plainfield
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND A CARD… At
last Sunday’s Voters meeting, St. John’s called grades 3-5 teacher, Heather
Schmidt. If you would like to reach out and offer words of encouragement, thoughts,
etc. see contact info below.
Heather Schmidt
520 W Riverwood Dr. – Apt. 106
Oak
Creek, WI 53154-7582
hschmidt@stpaulsfranklin.org
LENT BY CANDLELIGHT Thank
you to everyone who attended last week’s Lent by Candlelight event. What a
wonderful evening it was! Thank you to everyone who helped with the event.
A special thank you to Christa Van Treeck for her organization and
dedication to such a wonderful Lenten experience.
ART FOR DINNER UPDATE: A little over $8,000 was raised last weekend to
purchase a security system for our school. Thank you again to all who
attended, donated, or participated in any way! St. John’s is truly blessed.
Church News continued…SPRING
MISSION OFFERINGS will be
collected by the Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society throughout March.Containers will be located in the
entrance at both St. John’s and Emmanuel—Please give your gift at the church where you are a member. 75%
of gifts given will support Beaver Dam Circuit projects—HM/Outreach to
Asians & WM/Ukraine Project. 25%
of gifts given will support home & world mission projects that will be
decided by ballot in May and will be presented at the next LWMS Convention,
June 25-28, in Athens, Georgia. Gifts welcome from all who love
missions!90TH SCHOOL
ANNIVERSARY Wewant to be reminded that we are currently in the 90th year of our
schools existence. What a blessing and what a milestone! We are looking
for any memory items of historical interest – pictures,
documents, anecdotes. Any time frame is good, but especially in the early
year up to and including the 1950s. Contact Pastor Dolan or the
call the church office if you have anything.
MIDWEEK LENT 2020 That special and
important season of Lent is upon
us.
All of God’s people at Emmanuel/St. John’s are encouraged to make
time
and make plans to worship at one of our midweek worship
devotions
– 3:30pm at Emmanuel and 6:30pm at St. John’s.
“The
Son of God Goes Forth to War” is the over theme this year.
Lenten
Supper starts at 4:30pm at St. John’s.
COLLECTING GENTLY USED ITEMS FOR WLA’s
SECOND IMPRESSIONS THRIFT STORE As a service
project, Sunday School is currently collecting donations to support
Winnebago Lutheran Academy. Parish members are invited to donate
items that are clean, in working order, & in good condition–and please
only items that will fit in a car for transport. Please pick up a
list of ACCEPTED and NOT ACCEPTED items from the collection box located
near the office. Collecting through TODAY, March 1.
If questions, call Linda Wachholz 608-369-2635.
THRIVENT Look for the Thrivent
Choice Dollars postcard in St. John’s link way. Questions? Feel free to
contact Pastor Zietlow.
tee
Church News continued…MEDITATIONS & FORWARD IN CHRIST New
“Meditations” and “Forward in Christ” WELS daily devotional
booklets and WELS monthly devotional magazine are available in the church Informational
Room.Help yourself!MEMBERSHIP CLASS Recently I began our 20-lesson Bible Information
Class entitled “New Life In Christ” with Amanda Bowman on
Wednesdays at 7:30pm. If you or someone you know is interested in
membership, please phone or text me at 608-408-7830.
–Pastor Zietlow
GRIEFSHARE The next 13-week session has
begun. Please join us for week #5 in St. John’s lower level on Thursday at
6:30pm. Questions or concerns? Please call Mark Emond (608) 697-1600.
ST.
JOHN’S VOTERS’ MEETING HIGHLIGHTS Membership Changes: Via BIC: John Kaenel & Rachel
Pekowsky. Transfers In:
Tabitha Stelter from Emmanuel-Mecan.
Professions of Faith: Shannon Kaenel, Joshua Pekowsky. Transfers Out: Cal Kapp, daughter Tracey Kapp-Powell,
granddaughter Bianne to St. John’s-Princeton; Vonnie Kath-Cole to Our
Savior-Roanoke, VA. Principal’s Report:
Spelling Bee Feb. 20; Confirmation May 3; tutors & coaches
thanked. Worship Committee: Congregation thanks for being open to
using new liturgies. Call
Meeting: Heather Schmidt serving at
St. Paul’s-Franklin called for Grades 3-4-5. Election:
Trustees Paul Van Treeck & Gordon Krause; School Board member
Ben Jaster. 2020 Parsonage
Allowances granted: Pastor Zietlow
$35,000 & Principal Sellnow $16,000.
MEMBERS OF ST. JOHNS AND SCHOOL FAMILIES St.
Johns council authorized the borrowing of $10,000 from the church’s line of
credit to replace and refurbish the school boilers. As some may be aware,
there have been a number of issues from the last couple years keeping the
boilers running and the school heated and it could no longer be repaired.
This project was completed late last fall. This also means that the church
officially is borrowing money from its line of credit. If you wish to
donate to help paying off the loan, please go ahead and do so. Any amount
would be greatly appreciated. Look to the information room for where this
project is at with regards to being paid off and where the other projects
on the board are at with funding. (Many thanks to our generous members for
donating!)
School News LITTLE LAMBS REGISTRATION IS NOW
OPEN Calling all 3 and 4 year olds!Please see the St. John’s Information
Room for Little Lambs fliers, brochures and registration information. First
come, first serve! Questions? Please call our Little Lambs Director Lynn
Sellnow 616-826-0816 or email lynnsellnow@stjohnsmontello.org.
ART FOR DINNER:STILL SAVE YOUR PLASTIC BOTTLE
CAPS! Please
save your plastic bottle caps and turn them in to the office. Art for
Dinner is saving for a project for next year. Any and all sizes and colors!
Thank you!
LUTHER PREP COED B TEAM
BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT March 6-8 is the Lutheran Prep
tournament in Watertown. Our B boys will team up with a few girls from
Green Lake/Princeton schools and compete. Come support your Jaguars! Stay
tuned for times.
SAVE THE DATES!Little Lambs Dad’s Night: Tuesday,
March 10 6:30pm
Vacation Bible School: June
22-25, 8:00am – 11:30am, snack provided. Everyone is invited to the closing
service which will be at St. John’s on June 25 at 6:30pm.
EASTER FOR KIDS is being
renamed FAMILY EASTER FESTIVAL Save the date:
Saturday, April 4, 2020. We are planning for 100 children
plus family members. How can you help? Pray that God
would bless our efforts to reach out with the Gospel message this
Easter season.
Donate monetary
gifts to help defray costs for supplies for our festival. We
will once again fill Easter baskets and, new this year, we will give
children an opportunity to make the “12 Eggs of
Easter”.
Volunteer your time and
talents on the day of the festival
Please
contact Lynn Sellnow to donate or volunteer. My email is lynnsellnow@stjohnsmontello.org or
call 616-826-0816
Thank
you for helping to share the joyful message of Easter in our community! To
God be the Glory as we work together!
SJ Ushers List
James Wachholz’sDates
For Ushering
Kenon Smith
3/11,3/15,4/26,6/7,7/19,8/30, 2. Chris
Smith 10/11,11/22,11/25,12/27,2/7
3.
Robin Smith
for a total of 11 days
4. Thomas W
5. Kenny W
Paul Van Treeck’s
Matt Borzick
2/26,3/1,4/8,4/10,4/12,5/24,
Ken Borzick 7/5,8/16,9/27,11/8,12/16
James Henke
12/20,1/24 for a total of 13 days
Zeb Zuehls
*Haiden Van Treeck
*Nolan Van Treeck
Jerre Deur’s
Joe Zauner Sr. 3/4,3/8,4/19,5/31,7/12
Joe Zauner Jr. 8/23,10/4,11/15,13/23,12/2412/25,1/31
Gordon
Krause for a total of 12 days
Kevin Kaul
Corey Kaul
*Joey Zauner
*Nathan Zauner
Ben Jaster’s
Jake Jaster 3/18,3/22,5/3,6/14,7/26,9/6,
Matt Neuhauser 10/18,11/29,12/31,1/3,2/14
*Ethen Neuhauser for a total of 11 days
Jeff Reimer
Mark Emond
Ben Emond
Continued…
Jim Eisermans’s
Chuck Boetcher 3/25,3/29,5/10,6/21,8/2,9/13,
Jessie Schable 10/25,12/2,12/6,1/10,2/21
Mitch
Simon
for a total of 11 days
Gerhardt Voight
Al Rosenthal’s
Glen Bubolz 4/1,4/5,5/17,6/28,8/9,9/20,
Martin Schmanke 11/1,12/9,12/13,1/17
Jon Vote
for a total of 10 days
Richard Frietag
Aaron Kendall
*Joe Vote
Attendance
Emmanuel
St. John’s
2-23 2-26
95
202
St. John’s Altar Committee
March 2020
Diane Eisermann
&
Delores Cotte
●●●
Welcome To Our Visitors!Please Sign Our 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
Mrs. Lynn Sellnow: 616-826-0816
K, 1st & 2nd
Grade Teacher Ms. Shelley Myers:
920-285-7554
3rd-5th Grade
Teacher Ms. Rachel Naumann: (847)
913-2135
Principal & 6th – 8th
Grade Teacher Mr. Larry Sellnow:616-822-6689
Church & School Secretary Ciara
Neuhauser: (608) 297-2866
Altar Ladies: Elaine Kelm: (920) 344-0025&Carolyn Rosenthal: 589-5036
Church & School Address/Mail: 313 E
Montello St, Montello, WI 53949
Church & School E-mail:scsecretary@stjohnsmontello.org
●●●
Just as 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. Romans 5:19
A basketball player got hurt in the big game. There was no way he could make a meaningful contribution to the outcome, much less finish the game. The coach had to send in a substitute. It ended up being a good move because the substitute ended up winning the game for the team.
We have all heard stories like this. In some ways, it is the same thing that happened to all people. We all needed a substitute—not to win the big game, but to save us from our sin. You see, we have all inherited sin from the first man who ever sinned, a man named Adam. This is what our Bible reading for today refers to as “the disobedience of the one man.” His disobedience made all of us disobedient. And this disobedience ruins our relationship with our holy heavenly Father.
We could never save ourselves, no matter how hard we tried. In order to save ourselves, we would need to be perfect every single day of our lives. The trouble is that we are not perfect.
Because we couldn’t do it, God sent a substitute, Jesus Christ. He was perfect, in every way. This is part of what our Bible reading refers to as “the obedience of the one man.” Jesus lived as our Substitute, doing what we could not do. More than that, he willingly went to the cross to suffer and die to pay for our sins. Again, he was acting as our substitute, because he was punished in our place. In addition, Jesus rose from the dead, showing that he had won the victory. He shares that victory with us. Heaven is waiting for those who have been brought to believe in Jesus as their Savior.
We thank our God for sending in the substitute, Jesus Christ, for through him we have the victory.
Prayer:
Jesus, my perfect substitute, thank you for the victory you won for me. May my victory cry always be about your love, grace, and mercy. Amen.
Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
