Join us as the Sunday school presents “Little Benjamin and the First Christmas”. The children of Walnut Grove Lutheran church will share the story of the first Christmas in a reader theatre style. Come and see what happens when Benjamin discovers the very special guest that comes to his father’s inn.
Holiness is an impossibly high bar for us humans to reach. However, with Jesus, holiness is not an accomplishment we achieve, it is an identity we receive, an identity that will be fully revealed at the end of time when Jesus comes back to make us and all things right. In the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to be who God created and redeemed us to be, his holy people in this world, glorifying him in all we do. (Based on 1 Peter 1:13-25.)
Advent is all about God's preparations for Jesus first coming affirmed through Old Testament predictive prophecies. What makes this so exciting is that all the First Coming prophecies were filled precisely, and because of that, we can look to at least 614 Old Testament prophecies about Jesus' Second Coming being fulfilled as certain as well. On this first Sunday of Advent, our message shares the stories of Zechariah and Elisabeth, and also Mary as they encounter the angel Gabriel's prophetic mes...
This Sunday our focus will be on Jesus and his teachings about the End Times. These are found in Matthew 24 and 25; Mark 13; and Luke 21. These give us the Signs of the Times. But there is so much more, as we examine Old and other New Testament scriptures. Join us as we see what Scripture says and how we as Christians try to put all these Scripture texts together.
Each day we cross another finish line, with an evaluation of how we can live and serve others and the Lord better. It's like running a race with a finish line - a few minutes to a few hours. But there is a final end of life finish line as well that we all must pass through. It's the one that really counts. What are the personal and Biblical preparations we make for crossing that finish line . . . physically, mentally, health wise, home wise, care wise, spiritually, to be sure we are with our Lor...
When people don’t get what we think they deserve, we consider that to be an injustice and we are offended. But there would be no hope for humanity if God gave us what we deserve. In spite of the fact that we are all sinners, God gave us what we do not deserve: grace, his love and salvation. (Based on 1 Timothy 1:3-17.)
Being skeptical about anything that we cannot detect with our senses may seem logical, but it cuts us off from comprehending the mysterious nature of God. It takes the wisdom of faith in Jesus for us to see the wonderful treasure we have in him. (Based on Col. 2:1-15.)
God created us to live in community. We need other people and other people need us. And as we live our unique life in an interconnected and interdependent web of relationships, people are blessed, lives are enriched, and God’s kingdom grows. (Based on Philippians 1:1-11.)
The greater our need the more we appreciate a gift that meets that need. A meal is more satisfying when we are hungry. A financial gift has greater value when it wipes out our debt. In the same way, Jesus’ gift of new life is dearer to us when we realize that, without it, we were dead. (Based on Eph. 2:1-10.)
We celebrate events and accomplishments that are important to us. For a Jesus-follower, life in this world with all its challenges can seem dour. What helps us to persevere is our focus on the celebration to come at the end of time. Because of Jesus, and his death and resurrection, we already know how the story will end! (Based on Rev. 21:1-7.)
When life gets hard and our strength and energy are depleted, it is easy for us to get discouraged and consider giving up. But then we remember that we are not running alone, nor are we running in our own strength. Our hope is in the Lord, who renews our strength. (Based on 2 Tim. 4:1-8.)
The driver of an F1 race car needs to shut out all distractions and have a laser-sharp focus on their race for them to have any chance of success. And it is the same with us as we run the race of our life. We are attuned to our surroundings so we can navigate them successfully, but our focus is on Jesus, who both begins and completes our race for us. (Based on Heb. 12:1-13.)
For those who work in potentially dangerous situations, their training is paramount, for training well is what enables them to automatically respond appropriately in such situations. It is the same for us who follow Jesus. Trials and tribulations are inevitable in this life, but when we train for those eventualities with the gifts that God has given us, we are better equipped to navigate them successfully. (Based on 1 Tim. 4:1-10.)
Becoming an F1 driver is a rare and daunting task. The only way to have a hope of accomplishing such a thing is to see that as your desired future and work wholeheartedly toward it. It’s our vision that coalesces our energy, resources, and attention in a drive toward our desired goal. Having a vision for the one and only life that God has given us is also important, and our vision is Jesus. (Based on Eph. 1:15-23.)
When we encounter someone who looks, thinks, or acts differently than us, our natural tendency is to distance ourselves and look down on them. In doing so, we forget what we share: we are both lost and broken sinners who need a Savior. That Savior has come to us, his name is Jesus, and in his power and grace, we reach across the barriers that separate humanity so we can all share in the salvation he freely gives to all who believe in him. (Based on Acts 10:23-43.)
All of us have said, thought, or done things that fill us with guilt and shame which pulls us away from God. But with the forgiveness we have in Jesus, and the courage of the Holy Spirit within us, we go deeper into Jesus’ love and love others with the love that he has first given us. (Based on John 21:15-25.)
When we insist on things going our own way, we are often blind to the negative impressions we make on others and the way we negate any influence we may have with them. By his example, Jesus reveals true leadership to us. He humbly took the lower place to lift us up to a higher place: rich, full, abundant life with him forever. (Based on John 13:1-17.)
When the fast pace of life and other forms of stress take their toll on you, how can you get relief? When you get weary, what does a good rest look like? Let’s explore what Scripture tells us about entering God’s holy rest. (Based on Hebrews 3:7 – 4:13 & Matthew 11:28-30.)
Throughout life, there will be times when circumstances threaten to overwhelm us. Our optimism dims and our mood can darken. In such times, we need help from outside ourselves, we need Jesus. He has the power and the authority to make all things turn out for our good, and when we trust in him to do that, our perspective takes on a whole new, and more positive, direction. (Based on Luke 7:1-10.)
Sometimes the Christian faith is characterized as a set of propositions that people need to agree with if they want to go to heaven. But this is inaccurate. The key feature of Christianity is a relationship of love with a God who redeems, transforms, and reorientates our life so that we become new people living in a new way in a new realm. (Based on M. 25:14-30.)
The brokenness and evil in the world can overwhelm us, especially when it impacts us on a personal level. But the Lord has promised us that a day will come when he will make all things right, including us. Therefore, based on the Lord's goodness and his promises to us, we move forward with confident hope. (Based on Micah 7:8-10.)
Sometimes we observe situations where non-Christians behave like Christians while Christians are functioning like they have no faith at all, and we are perplexed. Why does that happen? A softness toward the spiritual side of life is needed for us to be open to the movement of God, and God softens our hearts through faith. (Based on Jonah 1:1-3.)
By default, a human heart is filled with pride and places itself at the center of its universe with all else revolving around it. When a life, with its perspective and priorities, is disordered like this, it will eventually implode. It is far better to see the desolation of our life apart from God, look to him in faith, and let him build us up in a new life that is good, beautiful and true. (Based on Daniel 4:34.)
Rae-Anna H was part of WGLC before moving to Japan (Osaka) as a missionary. Her focus is discipleship in the area of purity among Christian singles - discovering God's heart regarding sexuality, how to walk in His ways, and how to support singles in their desire to honor God with their sexuality. She will be sharing on the topic of "Discipleship Lifestyle".
In ancient times, people would cover themselves in ashes when grieving the loss of a loved one or a calamitous change in their circumstances. But our gracious God promises to replace the ashes of our grief with a crown of beauty, a miraculous turnaround that happens because of Jesus and what he does for us. It’s faith in Jesus that we are celebrating today as one of our own confirms that the faith bestowed in Baptism is what they truly believe. (Based on Isaiah 61:1-11.)
The lives of the rich and famous are the ones that get attention and admiration, and are imitated by the masses who consider their ordinary lives as dull and worthless. But Jesus' presence in the world proves that God has infused the ordinary with the extraordinary and, with him, the ordinary rhythms of life take on eternal significance. (Based on Ecclesiastes 3:1-4.)
Being able to retain information is knowledge, but knowing how to use knowledge well is wisdom. But which of the many sources of wisdom will we trust? As people of faith, we look to the Lord for the wisdom we need, for he has proven the trustworthiness of his wisdom through his love for us. (Based on Proverbs 3:1-18.)
Two people can receive the same gift, yet one is thankful, and the other is not. Why? The thankful person appreciates the gift and the giver because they know that things could have been otherwise. Life in this world with God is a gift, but how will we respond to that gift? Let's remember that things could have been otherwise and recognize the greatness of the gift and the Giver. (Based on Psalm 103 & Luke 15:11-32.)
The biblical image of a shepherd and their sheep is a powerful metaphor for the God-human relationship. We are weak, defenseless, and prone to go astray, yet our Lord faithfully provides, protects, and blesses us. Trust and love bind us together in a relationship that rests on the Shepherd's faithful lovingkindness. (Based on Psalm 23 & John 10:11-18.)
As we live our lives in this world, it can be hard for us to believe that an invisible spiritual realm exists and has an impact on our lives. It takes Spirit-empowered faith to believe and see this. Thankfully, God gives us the Holy Spirit and faith so we can live in the fullness of life--with both our body and soul--that God has for us. (Based on Job 42:1-6, 10-17 & Acts 2:1-21.)
