5 Day Devo

Pastor Danny Eggold • December 15, 2025

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Sermon by Pastor Danny Eggold

Advent Devotional: Questions, Gifts, and Grace

Day 1: The Power of a Question

Reading: Matthew 11:1-6

Devotional: John the Baptist, languishing in prison, asks Jesus a question that saves him from despair: "Are you the one?" This wasn't doubt destroying faith—it was faith reaching out for help. In our culture of certainty, where everyone claims to have all the answers, questions feel like weakness. But questions are actually the doorway to growth. When we ask God our hardest questions, we're admitting we don't have control, that we need Him, that we're willing to change. Your questions don't offend God; they invite Him in. What question do you need to bring to Jesus today? Open your hands, ask honestly, and wait for His answer. Questions are not the opposite of faith—they are faith in action.

Day 2: When God's Gifts Look Different

Reading: Isaiah 35:3-6

Devotional: Jesus responds to John's question not with philosophy but with evidence: the blind see, the lame walk, the dead are raised. Yet this wasn't what John expected. He proclaimed a Messiah of fire and judgment; Jesus came with mercy and healing. Sometimes God's gifts look like old brown towels when we wanted fluffy yellow ones. His answers don't match our expectations. A delayed opportunity. A humbling conversation. A person we must learn to love. But here's the truth: Jesus knows you better than you know yourself. Every gift He gives—even the uncomfortable ones—is designed to bring out the best in you. Don't return what God gives you. Hold it, examine it, let it transform you. His gifts are always better than our wishes.

Day 3: Blessed Are the Unoffended

Reading: Luke 7:18-23

Devotional: "Blessed is the one who is not offended by me," Jesus tells John's disciples. What a strange beatitude. We can be offended by God when He doesn't meet our timeline, doesn't answer our prayers the way we want, or allows our plans to unravel. John did everything right—he obeyed God, proclaimed truth, baptized the Messiah—and ended up in prison while Jesus ate with sinners. It seemed backward, unfair. Yet blessing comes not when life goes our way, but when we trust God's way even when it disappoints us. The unoffended heart is the trusting heart. It believes that God is good even when circumstances are hard, that His wisdom exceeds our understanding. Can you receive today as a gift from God's hand, even if it's not what you ordered?

Day 4: Repentance as Gift

Reading: Matthew 3:1-12

Devotional: John the Baptist preached repentance—not as punishment, but as preparation for something better. Repentance means turning around, changing direction, opening yourself to transformation. It's not about shame; it's about hope. When God gives you a gift that requires repentance—a rebuke you needed to hear, a character flaw exposed, a pattern that must break—He's not tearing you down. He's making room for something new. Repentance is the clearing away of dead branches so new growth can emerge. It's the demolition before reconstruction. The gifts Jesus gives often spin us around and point us in directions we didn't plan to go. But every redirection is an act of love. What might God be asking you to turn away from today? What new direction is He inviting you toward?

Day 5: Coming with Open Hands

Reading: Matthew 11:25-30

Devotional: "Come to me," Jesus invites, "all who are weary and burdened." Come with your questions. Come with your disappointments. Come with your brown towels and broken expectations. Come with open hands. At the Lord's Table, Jesus gives Himself—His body broken, His blood poured out—as both the giver and the gift. This is where our questions meet His answers, where our emptiness meets His fullness. You don't need to have it all figured out. You don't need to pretend everything is fine. You just need to come with hands open, willing to receive whatever He gives. His yoke is easy, His burden is light, not because life becomes simple, but because He carries it with you. This Advent, receive Jesus not as you wish He would be, but as He truly is: your Savior, your sustainer, your surprising and perfect gift.

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August Opportunities for Fellowship & Learning (In alphabetical order) Altar Guild Annual Potluck Meeting Wednesday, August 19th @ 6:00 pm in the Cornerstone Room If you're one of the ladies in our Altar Guild thank you. Be sure to join us for our annual potluck supper with a meeting following. Bible Studies (click for details) New Sunday series continues, but summer plans for weekday studies will be ending soon. Stay tuned for dates of when those will start to meet regularly again. Christian Education Weekend (Backpack Blessing) During all worship services August 8-9th Rededicate our faculty and staff to their teaching ministry as well as rededicate ourselves as a congregation to praying for them, encouraging them, and supporting the work God has given us to do together. Students may also get their backpack blessing tag for this school year. School starts August 12th! At the 10:30 AM service, we will also install Janet Bahr as our assistant principal and Dianna Bultemeier as a called teacher of St. Peter's. Please join us for a reception honoring Janet and Dianna on the church's front porch following this service. Confirmation Kick-Off Sunday, August 9th during the Bible Study hour @ 9:15 am in the Sanctuary Parents and students (7th & 8th graders) of our day school and public school will meet to prep for the upcoming year with Pastor McDowell. Plan to attend and remember the Confirmation Site on The Hub will be updated soon with everything you need to know as far as expectations, handbook, assignments, deadlines, and event dates. Collections/Fundraiser (ongoing) The Compassionate Care Collection is prepping hygiene kits for the Lutheran World Relief: The LWR collection will be through July and August--details can be found on the LWR.org/kits site or HERE . Needed are: light weight bath sized towels (between 20" x 40" to 27" x52"), bath-size soap bars in original wrapper, adult toothbrush, sturdy comb, metal nail clippers--all items must be new and NOT have religious symbols or patriotic decoration. Special Monthly Offering: This month we collect for our Preschool which is so appreciated by the faculty and students. You'll also see their annual Giving Tree displayed in the Ministry Center soon. Take a letter of the alphabet off the tree and bring back the supply listed. Stay tuned for a video from our Preschool Director, Barb Christian, next week about these two opportunities to support our Preschool. Drums Alive Drums will take a break in August and come back in September with an updated schedule. Stay tuned! Monday Night Worship Summer Monday night worship ends August 31st. The following Monday is Labor Day and the church offices and schools will be closed. Senior Saints Monday, August 10th @ 11:30 am in the Cornerstone Room REGISTER HERE for this month's Lunch N' Learn featuring our own Tina Acosta who does amazing work through Turnstone. Turnstone is a place unlike any other and anyone who knows about it only has good things to say. If you'd like to know another reason Fort Wayne is such a great place to be, come listen as Tina will offer an overview of Turnstone and their services. Serving in the Church Offering your talents or acts of service is often something we all want to do, but not always sure where to start. Opportunities present themselves, but it's hard to remember them all or keep track of something that called to you at one point. The Serve tab in the Realm Connect app continues to add areas that are open and looking for someone just like you. Log in on your computer or through the app on your phone and scroll through the Roles to see if one is a good fit for you. Remember, signing up doesn't commit you to it, but does share that you'd like to be contacted about it. Sisters in Christ: Simple Quilting Craft Saturday, August 15th starting at 10 am in the Cornerstone Room REGISTER HERE FREE Regret never learning how to sew? Or haven’t picked up a needle and thread in a long time? Do not miss this opportunity to learn from ladies who’ve been sewing since 2nd grade! It’s nearly a lost art, but we’re bringing it back with Linda Thiele, Debbie Haenftling, Carol Nahrwold, and Jan Bultemeier who have curated a perfect practice project to teach you sewing and the basics of quilting in the form of a pot holder or trivet. Coordinate colors with your kitchen! It’s made for beginners, but any sewing ability is welcome. There’s so much knowledge combined in this room, if you have a question about anything related to needle and thread, they can answer it! We also gather the last Wednesday each month (July 29th this week and August 26th) at 5:00 pm Kekionga Craft Co, 7328 Maysville Rd. Come & go. Enjoy a little fellowship, prayer idea, and grab something to eat if you’d like. Young Adults Second Sundays, August 9th starting at 6 pm @ Pastor Nate's house Hosted by Ben & Gwyn Corley, we'll have dinner together, games, and devotion. Bring a friend and fellowship with us. REMEMBER August 9th is also the last day to sign up for Combat Ops Laser Tag. REGISTER HERE. You can pay later, but sign up today! Don't miss out! Get on the text thread to be sent reminders and invites. Text 'stpfw' to 94000 and follow the prompts.