St. John Lutheran Church, Angola NY

Your Weaknesses Shape Your Witness to the World By Rick Warren Saddleback Church I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News.... Philippians 1:12 (NLT) Your witness to the world will come out of your weaknesses, not your strengths. A lot of people have it backwards: They think the world is impressed by Christians’ prosperity. That doesn’t impress the world. They see that everywhere! What impresses non-believers is how believers handle adversity, not prosperity. Your suffering, not your success, gives you credibility. Your faithfulness, not your fame, earns respect. The apostle Paul was a pro at using his pain as a witness. He wrote from a prison dungeon in Rome, I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News (Philippians 1:12 NLT). Paul used his pain to model the message God had given him. While he was chained in prison, he wrote letters to the church that became part of the New Testament. Paul said, In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God (2 Corinthians 6:4 NLT). That includes how you handle pain, failure, defeat, problems, mistakes, sin, and all of the bad things that happen in your life. It doesn’t take God’s power to handle good; anybody can handle good. It takes God’s power to patiently endure. The world doesn’t have a good answer for how to endure. But followers of Christ patiently endure suffering, hardship, and trouble of every kind as it’s a way to bear witness to the Good News of Jesus. Your deepest ministry will come out of your deepest hurtand your deepest life message will come out of your deepest pain. In every area of your life where you’ve had pain, you have a testimony. How will you use it to help bring others from despair to fullness of life in Christ? Talk It Over Why do you think God lets bad things happen to believers? Has your answer changed after thinking through this devotional? In what painful experience did God’s strength help you to patiently endure? How can you explain God’s support during that painful experience in your testimony?

Second mid-week Advent Service. Hello from our small church with big hearts!

Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers ... And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah ... and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon ... And Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. (Matthew 1:2a, 6b, 11, 16) Have you ever had a sudden turn in your life? You're expecting things to go on a...s normal, and suddenly something shocking happens and you find yourself on an entirely new road. Jesus' ancestry is full of such turns. Abraham was a childless man who became the father of a nation; Judah was a fourth son who inherited his father's blessing after his older brothers' crimes. Salmon was a leader who married a Canaanite prostitute; their son Boaz married a poor foreign girl, Ruth, and became the great-grandfather of King David. David was a shepherd who replaced a disastrous king. If David had stayed away from murder and adultery, his son Solomon would probably never have been born! Some of these turns were terrible, though not all. But all of them were unexpectedexcept to God. God knows exactly what He's doing when He throws a turn into our livesor takes advantage of one we caused by doing wrong. Even our sin can't stop Him! And of course, the greatest turn of all is the one when God came into our world as a human being: Jesus Christ, to suffer, die, and rise again for us. Because of Him, we are finally on the right roadwith all our wrong turns forgiven. THE PRAYER: Lord, help me to trust in You when my life changes suddenly. Amen. Reflection Questions: * Name a time when your life changed suddenly. * What were you expecting? What actually happened? * How did God help you deal with your new situation? Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo. Lutheran Hour Ministry Today's Bible Readings: Ezekiel 40-41 2 Peter 3

2 Corinthians 5:19-20 - That is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. When St. Paul wrote these sentences, few people cared about the Christian church. Most of them could not care about it because they had never heard of it. Those who ...Continue reading

You Can’t Out-Give God By Rick Warren Saddleback Church Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in fullpressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.... Luke 6:38 (NLT) When you give from a heart for Jesus, your goal isn’t to get a blessing. But the truth is that God will bless you. You can’t out-give God. When you learn to be generous like God is generous, he promises that you will end up with more. This is the economy of God. Sometimes it seems like God is saying: Let’s see who can out-give the other. You give to me and to other people, and I’ll give to youand we’ll see who wins. And God always wins! He says over and over in Scripture that you will end up with more if you learn to be generous. Sometimes those blessings will be material. But sometimes they’ll be the spiritual blessings that come from a generous heart. Jesus says, Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in fullpressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back (Luke 6:38 NLT). What is Jesus saying here? Imagine you’re going to a market to buy grain. You bring a burlap sack and pay to have the whole sack filled. As the shop owner is pouring grain, you press it into your sack. Then you gently shake the sack so the grain settles down even more. You want to fit the maximum amount of grain. Jesus is saying that God’s blessings are the same. When you give generously, he’ll give so generously that you’ll have to make room for more. He gives in full measureand then somewhen you learn to be generous like him. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you. He wants you to be generous because he wants you to be like him. You can’t become more like Christ without learning to give generously. This is one of the most important decisions you will make: Is your life going to be about giving away what God has blessed you with? Will it be marked by a joyous desire to grab hold of God’s promises as you let go of the things of this earth? The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. You determine how much God blesses your life. Talk It Over What does your giving to the church and to people in need say about your faith in God’s promises to bless you as you give? Is it better as a Christian to save all your money instead of spending it? Why or why not? How have you asked God to bless your life? In what ways are you showing him that you want to become generous like he is?

ICYMI: Watch last week's mid-week beautiful and unique Advent service and be sure to watch this week's special service online or attend in person on Wednesday at 7pm. We have plenty of room for everyone to participate safely. Seminarian Aaron Parkhurst will be lending his wonderful voice to the liturgy once again. Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1105549889901012/

20201025 Reformation Sunday Good morning from our small church with big hearts!

Just a Nibble of Sin Will Get You Hooked By Rick Warren Saddleback Church Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.... James 1:14 (NLT) For my dad, a day without fishing was a wasted day. He would manage, no matter what was going on, to go fishing for at least 30 minutes every day. As I watched my dad catch fish after fish (while I caught nothing), I learned really quickly that no fish bites a bare hook. You can’t just throw a hook out in the water and expect to catch fish. You have to put bait on the hook, and a good fisherman knows different fish like different kinds of bait. Just like a fisherman knows how to bait different kinds of fish, Satan knows just how to bait you. He knows your favorite flavors and what gets your attention. He knows exactly where your weak spot isthat unmet emotional need, that empty tank, that deep desire. That’s why you’ve got to think about what you’re thinking about. The hook is sin, but the bait is whatever lie Satan wants you to believe he knows you’re vulnerable to: If you do this, you’ll feel better. If you do this, it will be rewarding. If you do this, everything will be okay. Even when you know there’s a hook beneath the bait, you may still keep nibbling. Why? Because you buy whatever lie Satan is feeding you. If you think you can keep nibbling without getting hooked, you’re just fooling yourself. The idea that you won’t get hurt is another one of Satan’s lies. One of the most common lies is that, whenever you’re tempted, something outside of yourself has tempted you. But the real problem is not external. James 1:14 says, Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away (NLT). Temptation starts with our inner desiresthose vulnerable spots Satan uses for bait. Those desires lead to sinful actions, and those actions lead to death. What you think determines how you feel, and what you feel determines how you act. Don’t get in the habit of blaming your circumstances. When you’re tempted, you may think you can’t help it. You canhelp it! It starts by changing the way you think. When you’re tempted, stop and ask the question, What lie am I believing? Then replace it with God’s truth. It will always lead to life. Talk It Over What lies do you think Satan knows you’re vulnerable to? When was a time you thought you could control yourself when you nibbled at temptation? What was the result? How can you remind yourself of God’s truth when you’re tempted?

Matthew 22:15-22 - Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle Him (Jesus) in His words. And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and You do not care about anyone's opinion, for You are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what You think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put Me to the test, you hypocrite...Continue reading

Psalm 23:1-2 - The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. "I shall not want," our psalm proclaims. "I will lack nothing; I will have everything I need." That bold statement expresses our confidence in the Shepherd who cares for us. Still, that confidence we claim can fail very easily. In the face of trouble and need, we grow concerned. Just how far can we stretch our finances? We worry about paying bills...Continue reading

O keep me watchful, then, and humble; Permit me nevermore to stray. Uphold me when my feet would stumble, And keep me on the narrow way. Fill all my nature with Thy light, O Radiance strong and bright! "Thee will I love, my crown of gladness; Thee will I love, my God and Lord, Amid the darkest depths of sadness, And not for hope of high reward, For Thine own sake, O Light divine, So long as life is mine." "Thee will I love, O Light divine, so long as life is mine." Our hymn p...Continue reading

Psalm 96:4-6 - For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. In today's culture, many people believe there is no absolute truth in spiritual matters. A belief that is true for one individual may not be true for others. Some people prefer to create their own personal religions o...Continue reading

Matthew 22:1-10, 14 - And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast."' But they paid no ...Continue reading

Don’t Be a Show-off Online By Rick Warren Saddleback Church Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.... Matthew 6:1 (NLT) Do you remember seeing the photo of an elderly woman in a throng of young people who all have their phones up, trying to capture whatever moment is in front of them? The old woman is the only one who is not trying to capture the moment on her phone. In fact, she has the most serene look on her face and is smiling, as if she is truly relishing the moment. You can’t be in the moment while you’re trying to capture the moment. As an example, you will never see a photo of me during my quiet time. Why? Because if I’m focusing on getting a great picture for Instagram, then my communion with God is not authentic. I do not have the right motivation for posting to social media or for doing a quiet time. You need to have a quiet time with God every day, but it ought to be between you and God. You can’t be in the moment while you’re trying to capture the moment. Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven (Matthew 6:1 NLT). In other words, if you take the good you’ve done and brag about it online just so other people will give you recognition, then that’s all the reward you’re going to get. Social media offers a huge temptation to show off. But when you show off, it builds barriers. It doesn’t build fellowship. It doesn’t draw you closer to anybody. If you want to draw closer to people, then do the opposite. Share the problems Jesus is helping you with. Be real! Give people a look at your bloopers and not just your highlight reel. They will be encouraged to ask God to help them with their problems too. Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time (1 Peter 5:6 GNT). Don’t worry when others use social media to promote themselves. If you’re a child of God, then he will promote you at the right time, when he knows you’re ready. When you stop pretending to be somebody you’re not, you’ll be at peace just being who God made you to be, right where he meant for you to be. Then you can really enjoy the moment. Talk It Over Is it difficult for you to be content only with God’s praise instead of the praise of people? Why or why not? Why does showing off keep you from developing deep, authentic relationships? How do other people’s highlight reels on social media make you feel discontented with your life?

20201018 Twentieth Sunday of Pentecost Good morning from our small church with big hearts!

Don’t Add Fuel to the Fires of Online Arguments By Rick Warren Saddleback Church Don't answer fools when they speak foolishly, or you will be just like them.... Proverbs 26:4 (NCV) There’s a lot of negative stuff online. It’s never been easier to take to heart the negativity that you read on your social media feed and then get drawn into unproductive arguments. You just want to set people straight! Stay away from those who have foolish arguments and talk about useless family histories and argue and quarrel about the law. Those things are worth nothing and will not help anyone (Titus 3:9 NCV). God doesn’t want you to get involved in useless arguments. That includes those on the Internet. There are plenty of people just waiting for someone to challenge them online. They even go looking for arguments. But those folks use motivated reasoning, which means, no matter what you say, it’s not going to change anything. The Bible has something to say about people who live for the fight: Just as charcoal and wood keep a fire going, a quarrelsome person keeps an argument going (Proverbs 26:21 NCV). Don’t add fuel to the fire. Don’t answer fools when they speak foolishly, or you will be just like them (Proverbs 26:4 NCV). Don’t let them hook you! What people think about you should not concern you and does not have any degree of influence on your happiness. Instead, here’s what Jesus says you should be worrying about: And I tell you that on the Judgment Day people will be responsible for every careless thing they have said (Matthew 12:36 NCV). One day, we’re going to give an account of every word we used on the Internet or our phones. That ought to give anyone pause before they post anything. The Bible says that pride always causes conflict (Proverbs 13:10). Anywhere you find conflict, ego is involved. When my pride hits your pride, that causes conflict. Before you go online, ask God to give you a good dose of humility. You’ll need it as you face the fire and make the right choice to speak in love. Talk It Over If you want your social media feed to be edifying, then you might need to make some changes to who and what you allow on your feed. What changes can you start making today? Can you think of a time you said something online that you would not have said in person? Why do you think we’re willing to have this double standard when communicating online? What do you want to say to someone who disagrees with you about any of the current hot-button topics? How do you think God wants you to respond instead?