5-Day Sermon Devotion

Pastor Nate Widener • October 14, 2024

5-Day Sermon Devotion on "A Learning Moment"

Day 1: The Depth of God's Love Reading: Mark 10:17-22 Devotional: As we read about Jesus' encounter with the rich young man, we're struck by a profound truth: "Jesus, looking at him, loved him." Despite the man's self-righteousness and misunderstanding, Jesus responded with love. This mirrors God's love for us – unconditional and ever-present, even when we fail to recognize our own shortcomings. Today, reflect on moments when you've felt undeserving of God's love. How does knowing that Jesus looks at you with love, regardless of your flaws, change your perspective? Ask God to help you internalize His deep, abiding love for you.


Day 2: The Nature of True Faith Reading: James 2:14-26 Devotional: The rich young man claimed to have kept all the commandments, yet his faith was incomplete. James reminds us that faith without works is dead. True faith isn't about perfectly following rules, but about a transformative relationship with God that changes our hearts and actions. Consider areas in your life where your faith might be more about following rules than truly following Christ. How can you move beyond a checklist mentality to a faith that actively seeks to love God and others? Pray for God to deepen your faith and show you ways to live it out more fully.


Day 3: Understanding Salvation Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10 Devotional: The rich young man asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" His question reveals a common misconception – that we can earn our salvation. Paul's words to the Ephesians clarify that salvation is a gift of God's grace, not something we can achieve through our own efforts. Reflect on times you've tried to "earn" God's favor. How does embracing the truth of salvation by grace alone change your approach to your relationship with God? Thank God for His freely given gift of salvation and ask for help in living in response to this grace.


Day 4: Letting Go of Idols Reading: Matthew 6:19-24 Devotional: Jesus challenged the rich young man to sell his possessions, revealing the man's true idol – wealth. We all have potential idols in our lives – things we trust in or value more than God. Jesus' words in Matthew remind us to store up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. What might be your "great possessions" that hold you back from fully following Christ? It could be material wealth, reputation, comfort, or something else. Ask God to reveal any idols in your life and for the courage to let them go, trusting Him above all else.


Day 5: Following Christ in Daily Life Reading: Luke 9:23-26 Devotional: Jesus' invitation to the rich young man was simple yet profound: "Follow me." This call extends to us today. Following Christ isn't just about believing the right things; it's about daily choosing to align our lives with His will and ways. Luke's passage reminds us that this often involves self-denial and taking up our cross. Reflect on what following Jesus looks like in your everyday life. What specific choices can you make today to more closely follow Christ? Pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance and strength to live as a true disciple in all aspects of your life.


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Board of Directors Ben Clinkenbeard Your Board of Directors is proud to announce that the motion to change our bylaws was approved by the members of St. Peter's on Sunday. A hearty THANK YOU goes out to all of our members who attended the meeting. The meeting also provided an opportunity for spirited discussion and reports from the Endowment Committee, Treasurer, School and Preschool, and some of our Ministry Teams. We also received an update from the Vision to Victory team and the Senior Pastor Call committee. As Pastor Dancy steps away from St. Peter's at the end of May, please be on the lookout for updates from our Senior Pastor Call committee and updates from the Board of Directors as we transition into our newly approved bylaws. We want to extend another thank you to both Pastor Dancy and Pam Launer! Blessings on your next chapter. New elections to the Board of Directors were as follows (* indicates incumbent): Dennis Borchers Ben Clinkebeard* Gary DeCamp Bill Habegger* Mark Timm Vision to Victory Mark & Sandy Timm If you missed the Spring Voter’s Meeting, you missed a big announcement from the Vision to Victory Team. WE PAID OFF THE MORTGAGE! Praise the Lord! We took out a loan twelve years ago to make additions and major renovations to the church. Paying down, or paying off this loan has been a major focus of four consecutive capital campaigns. And we are now debt free. Thanks to everyone who contributed to any of these capital campaigns. It’s been a long time coming, but we praise the Lord that this has been accomplished. Huge cause for celebration! In the weeks to come, the pastors will incorporate a symbolic “mortgage burning” ceremony as a part of our weekly services. And maybe, if we ask nicely, we might even get some refreshments following the service! The Vision to Victory campaign has four major objectives. Retiring our debt was the first and foremost. Done. Refurbishing the sanctuary was the second objective. That has been accomplished and paid for through dedicated funds that were earmarked for this purpose. In fact, we did not require any funds from the capital campaign to accomplish this work. Refurbishing the organ was a third objective. This work is also complete and paid for. At a cost of $330k, we were fortunate to receive a grant from the Lutheran Foundation to cover half the expense. We also were able to use a fund that was previously set aside for this purpose. In reality, we only required a little over $70k from the Vision to Victory capital campaign to get this work accomplished. The final objective of this campaign was to accomplish some much-needed work at the school. Last summer, we were able to install air conditioning units for the school cafeteria and gym. That work is paid for. This summer, we will replace all the windows in the school and refurbish the gym ceiling. We expect this work to total approximately $150k. The Vision to Victory Capital Campaign was designed to run for three years, through June of 2026. We are almost finished with the second of those three years, and we are in great shape. But this is not a time to step away from our pledges. A dozen years ago, the congregation approved a Master Plan that featured three phases. Paying off the mortgage closes the books on the first phase. Whether we continue with the other two phases as described 12 years ago, or go in another direction remains to be seen. But I am certain there will be a next step. And by honoring ourcommitments in the Vision to Victory campaign, we give ourselves a running start on whatever those next steps may be. Like all the generations of church members before us – from the original families who came together to form St. Peters 170 years ago to today – we need to follow two objectives. Maintain the church to meet the needs of the day. And prepare the church to meet the needs of the next generation. We thank each and every one of you who contributed to our accomplishments so far. Let’s finish this final year of the capital campaign by tucking some funding away for wherever the Holy Spirit leads us in the next phase of the life of St. Peters. Finance If you would like a copy of the budget presented at the voter's meeting, give the church office a call and we're happy to get you a printed or electronic copy upon request.
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When considering the example of a servant leader, one face easily comes to mind... Mrs. Pam Launer and her ever present smile.
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