5 Day Devo

Seminarian Christian Salemink • July 27, 2026

Sermon by Seminarian Christian Salemink

Day 1: The Kingdom That Finds You

Reading: Matthew 13:44-46

Devotional: The instinct is to cast yourself as the seeker in these parables -- the one digging, the one searching, the one who sells everything. But consider the possibility that you are what is being sought. God does not wait for you to accumulate enough righteousness to purchase your way into his presence. He comes looking. He finds. He pursues with a joy that overwhelms every cost. The treasure is not something you unearth. You are the treasure he unearths. Rest today in the staggering reality that before you ever turned toward God, he was already running toward you.

Day 2: The Cost That Could Never Be Yours to Pay

Reading: Mark 10:17-27

Devotional: The rich young man asked the right question but could not bear the answer. Jesus looked at him and loved him -- and then told him the truth. No accumulation of moral effort, faithful service, or religious devotion adds up to the price of eternal life. The disciples asked in despair who then could be saved, and the answer silences every human strategy: with man it is impossible, but not with God. The cost was real. It was paid. It simply was not paid by you. Receive today what you could never have earned, and let that reality reshape how you live.

Day 3: The Merchant Who Spends Everything With Joy

Reading: Philippians 2:5-11

Devotional: Paul describes a king who empties himself -- who trades the boundless wealth of divine glory for the poverty of human flesh, and then descends further still into suffering and death. This is not a reluctant transaction. It is pursued with the single-minded focus of a merchant who has spotted the pearl of greatest price. That pearl is you. Every step downward, from heaven to manger to cross, is a step taken in pursuit of your redemption. The humiliation was total. The joy set before him was you. Meditate today on what it means to be worth that much to God.

Day 4: Included in the Work of the Kingdom

Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17-20

Devotional: God does not purchase you and then set you on a shelf. He makes you a new creation and then commissions you as an ambassador. The resources of the kingdom are placed in your hands -- not because you earned them, but because the king trusts the work to those he has redeemed. You carry a message of reconciliation into a world that does not yet know it has been reconciled. You are not funding this mission from your own account. The king is footing the bill. Go boldly, spend generously, and do not let fear of inadequacy silence the work he has given you to do.

Day 5: A Kingdom That Begins Now

Reading: Romans 8:31-39

Devotional: The kingdom of heaven is not only a destination reserved for the life to come. It presses into the present with the force of a God who is for you, who did not spare his own Son, and who freely gives all things alongside that gift. Nothing in creation -- no failure, no inadequacy, no sin already confessed, no enemy already defeated -- can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. The king rules today. His provision covers today. His presence fills today. Live this day not as someone scraping together enough to survive, but as someone held securely by a God who has already won.

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August Happenings

By Amy Widener • July 27, 2026

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.