No one wants to learn the hard way, but sometimes that is just what it takes.
Luke tells the story of Jesus beginning with a series of parallel events: two visits from the same angel, two announcements about God’s renewed work of redemption, two miraculous births, and two dramatically different responses from two very different people. Luke is getting his readers, us, ready to respond as well.
A few weeks ago we began the story of Zechariah. He did not respond to God’s messenger with trust, but instead demanded to be shown a sign, a reason to trust. So God disciplined him by taking away his ability to speak and hear for nine months.
Does God really do stuff like that? Does he really cause that kind of hardship and suffering? How is that loving?
This week we will bring to close the story of Zechariah and hear the sobering, but profoundly hopeful message, that God does indeed bring correcting hardship to those he loves.
Two questions: Do we need to learn the hard way? And if we do, how will we respond when God loves us enough to actually do it?
Prepare to worship and hear from our God this Sunday. Pray for me. I am praying for you.
Pastor David
Learning the Hard Way
Luke 1:57-70
February 7, 2016 • Rev. David Juelfs
A Psalm for the New Year
January 3, 2016 • Rev. Adam Feichtmann
Happy New Year! 2016 is upon us, but the Christmas season is still here. Join us this Sunday as we celebrate the 10th day of Christmas and gather for one final week to sing Christmas carols together. On this second Sunday after Christmas I will be preaching from Psalm 8, a psalm traditionally and liturgically read on the first day of each new year. To best prepare for this Sunday, keep the Christmas music playing in your homes, while also taking a few minutes to read Psalm 8 through the filter of a new year and your planned resolutions. I look forward to worshiping and celebrating Christmas and the New Year together this Sunday! Pastor Adam
A Psalm for Epiphany
January 10, 2016 • Rev. Adam Feichtmann
Happy Epiphany! The twelve days of Christmas have ended (you can take down your tree) and the Church has now entered into the season of Epiphany. Epiphany is celebrated from January 6th through Ash Wednesday. It is a season to help transition the Church from the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas to his death and resurrection during Lent & Easter. It is a time to intentionally focus on the life and ministry of Jesus and how that applies to our daily and ordinary lives. This Sunday I will be preaching from Psalm 27, a psalm closely related to the themes of Epiphany. To best prepare for this Sunday, take 5 minutes to read Psalm 27 and reflect over the themes of light, beauty, and confidence. Then ask yourself how they relate to the life of Jesus Christ and our daily and ordinary lives. I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday! Pastor Adam
Whom to Trust?
January 17, 2016 • Rev. David Juelfs
Where can we find a stable place to stand, a secure place on which to build our lives? Whether it’s the roller coaster volatility of our stock markets, the rancor and confusion of our political races, the lurking threat of terror, or even just the pressure of our daily responsibilities, it is clear that the world is not safe and that there is much at stake. This Sunday we start a sermon series on the Gospel of Luke. Luke is writing to a people in desperate need of confidence in the face of great struggle. Their concerns are the same as our concerns. Their questions are our questions. In a world seemingly out of control and dangerous, with overwhelming pressure to make the right decisions regarding whom we should trust, the Gospel of Luke offers us certainty and confidence. God inspired Luke to write his Gospel to show us where we can find security, stability, and hope. To show us in whom we can trust. Pastor David