Immanuel Lutheran Church & School

Growing Closer to the Lord-Wrap Up

Pastor Greg — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:46:13 +0000

Have you every thought about growing? Most of us don’t, in our jobs, we grow, in our roles within family we grow, in our lives we grow! We grow through experience, through training, through living practical ways. We grow through conversation, through mistakes, through a variety of methods.

How do you grow with God? Do you grow by being in Worship? Do you grow through prayer? Do you grow through daily living out the faith? Do you grow through Bible Study? We can grow through all these ways, but when we grow collectively in them, our growth will be astronomical. We can grow and learn more about who God is, what He desires, who we are as His children, and see where our lives can be a great impact.

Over the past 7 weeks, I pray you have grown, I look forward to growing more in the Lord, and I am sure you will be growing too. In our growth we will find ourselves in a greater relationship with God, and with others. God bless your journey of Growth in His love.

Growing Closer to God through Hard Times

Pastor Greg — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:21:19 +0000

Difficult times come! We’ve all had them and we all will continue to have them. Also, all our hard times are equally as difficult. They are different, but to each person going through them, they are troublesome and difficult. No one’s hard time is more difficult than another at the time when going through them.
This weekend we will discover how God draws us closer to Him through difficult time, and we will discover how David in the midst of a difficult time went from despondant to expectant of victory.
David hiding in a cave with over 3,000 men after him, sees God at work in his life, and goes to praising God in the midst of difficulty.
Looking back at some of your difficult times, can you see God at work through them? Can you see God protecting, providing, and working? Maybe you can, maybe you can’t just yet!
Remember, realize, and rejoice in the fact that God is above all and is all powerful, and is at work within you yesterday, today and forever!
Read Psalm 57 and realize that as David faced difficulty he saw God’s power and grace at work. Know His power and grace through Christ at work within you today.

It’s a Matter of the Heart

Pastor Greg — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:50:15 +0000

When we come to God, our hearts are laid bare before Him. Our great God loves to hear from us, and we have the opportunity to confess the sins which we have done, to receive the new life which He has guaranteed and to live repentent, through His power.
We come to our God like the psalmist David, broken, contrite, seeking out His grace and forgiveness. Once it is received (through Word and/or Sacrament), we then live repentant, leaving our old sins behind, refeshed and rejoiced in the knowledge that our great God forgives and renews…and forgets!
Come to Him today, laying your heart in His hands.

Growing Closer to God…know your praise

Pastor Greg — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:24:10 +0000

Praising God for the blessings we have is simple. We can easily look around and see our blessings. I can easily say that I am blessed to have such a loving and devoted wife, a healthy, and faithfilled child, a home, a car, an income. Most of us can easily identify with these and praise God!

But what about praising Him daily, daily for the gifts each day. Psalm 8 reminds us that God is mindful of us always, and He is always thinking of us. As that is the case, then think each day what we can praise Him for in the gifts of that day!

Today, I woke up, I didn’t ache, hurt, I had warmth, electricity, piping hot coffee, food (more than I ever really need), things that work, breath, faith. The challenge for us this day and always, is to end each day in praise…to see the small, and quiet gifts that God has filled us with, for He is mindful of us!

Remember God who created the world and all its majesty is the God who is mindful of your smallest needs!

Have a great week of praise!

Prayer…Growing Closer to God

Pastor Greg — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:17:21 +0000

Do you sometimes forget to pray? How does your day begin? Where do you go in the ordinary times? Where do you go in the extraordinary times?

In the bad times, we all pray, all of us know to call to our God. But what about each day, each moment, in the great and good times, in the ordinary and boring times.

This week we are challenged to begin praying daily, in all times. Pray in the morning, in the boring, and in the evening! Pepper your day with prayer.

Luther’s Morning Prayer to begin our day: I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger. Keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please you. Into your hands I commend my body and soul and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Have a Blessed week in prayer!

Thanksgiving and Thanksliving

Pastor Greg — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:43:04 +0000

What a great time of year, we love to celebrate Thanksgiving! When we look around our lives there is so much to be thankful for. There are giant thanksgivings (home, health, food, family, friends) and there are small thanksgivings (weather-no snow, Lions-actually winning, items we have).
The challenge that has been laid before me this thanksgiving is not to only be thankful for people, places, and things, but to be thankful for those who with me partner in the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Those who together stand with me on the front lines against Satan and his minions. And then to let them know that I am thankful for their partnership. Paul wrote this as he remembered partners in the gospel in his letter to the Philippians.
This thanksgiving as you pray, as you say thanks, also say thanks for those who are doing the greatest work on earth, sharing His love! May you be thankful for many, and may many be thankful for you!
Serving Christ Together,
Greg

The Case for Christ: Reaching your verdict

Pastor Greg — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:52:02 +0000

Have you ever sat on a jury? I haven’t, as a matter of fact, I thought I might get to the other month, then when I called they said I wasn’t needed. I was actually disappointed! I like serving, I understand it is important. I don’t see it as drugery, rather responsibility.

Evaluating Evidence is crucial in coming to a decision. But with Christ, so many don’t even examine the evidence. They make a decision whether He is Lord or not, before they even hear the case! They would nulify themselves from even serving in His trial in America today!

We have examined if Jesus is Liar, Lunatic, or Lord over these past six weeks, and the evidence is pretty clear, the Bible is trustworthy, and the case is overwhelming! This week, let’s look at what would even be gained by lying, coercing, and by colluding! Fame, Fortune, long life, the good life?

What does it say that the greatest opponent to Jesus became His greatest proponent? God bless your final analysis this week, and may your verdict be confirmed that He truly is Lord!

Grace Alone

Pastor Greg — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:57:55 +0000

⁵For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
    abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
⁶ Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;
   listen to my plea for grace.
⁷In the day of my trouble I call upon you,
    for you answer me. -Psalm 86:5-7

Think back to a relationship you had with a special aunt or uncle, a best friend, your spouse! What makes that relationship so great and memorable?

I think back to my relationship with my Aunt Ruth, or my best friend Rob, and I think about how they were so loving, good, and gracious. They continue to be this day in my life. They always are interested in what I was, they were loving and caring, and when I wasn’t the best friend in return, they were still there, forgiving!

Think now about your relationship with our God. God really is good. Some congregations end each service with God is Good, All the time, in unison. Even when we aren’t good, God is good! God is also always forgiving. God’s love abounds, and is steadfast, meaning that His love is unmovable. This also means that nothing, nothing we do, can shock God’s love away from us! Think about that for a moment! God loves you greatly! It is that love that we cherish, and that we respond to!

I always think about our relationship with God as a friendship. In that friendship we talk with Him and this is called prayer. It really is awe inspiring to think that at anytime you may talk to God and bend His ear for anything you need! The Psalmist reminds us of this as we pray that God would always hear and answer our prayers.

This is God’s promise, His truth and our assurance! God is always at work, always listening and always gracious to us…why, because of His steadfast and abundant love!

This October, is Lutheran Reformation month. Luther focused on three Sola’s! Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura, and Sola Gratia! Grace Alone is the reminder that God loves us completely, sacrificially, and graciously! Free from any of our own merit or deservedness! This week, talk with God, and see His grace and love! God Bless your week, and may your prayers be plentiful and answered in abundance!

Case for Christ…an Investigation of a lifetime!

Pastor Greg — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:02:31 +0000

Who do the crowds say that Jesus is? Some say a good teacher, exemplary human, fraud, liar, lunitic, Lord. All these answers are given when you ask people about Jesus. He clearly is an influential person in the history of the world.

Who do you say that He is, and why? The disciples claimed Him to be the Son of God, the Christ! They had living evidence. They saw with their eyes His miracles, they sat at His feet, and learned from Him, they also investigated!

Faith plays a role in our knowledge of Christ, and that is gifted to us by the Holy Spirit, but also, evidence plays a role in our sharing the love of Christ. An apologetic response to the crowds must be ready to be given. A witness!

Over the next six weeks together let’s journey in through the evidence of Jesus, and make an investigation of a lifetime into who Jesus really is.

God Bless your investigation!

Living as a Christian

Pastor Greg — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:21:35 +0000

Have you ever stopped and looked up in the sky at night? Have you ever star gazed outside of the city? It is awesome and mighty, majestic and holy! The stars and the wonders are beautiful, and they lead me to realize how small I am! Sometimes it leads me to even begin to really ponder my insignificance.

Yet, God is mindful of me and you! God knows us intimately, and cares for us deeply. The reality of God’s care for me is humbling and also awesome, to realize that the creator of the universe, thinks of me constantly.

The truth is that we aren’t insignificant or small! We are significant and huge in the heart and mind of God Almighty! Let us live sharing this news. Let us show the joy of being the greatest creation in the universe! Let us boldy proclaim His majesty and His grace in our lives!

God Bless you, and star gaze this week!