St. Matthew Lutheran Church

Greetings!

This weekend is the second week of our program Fulfilling God’s Purpose! This week we focus on the theme “Witnessing for Jesus.”

God’s plan for his people has always been that we take responsibility for sharing the Gospel. Paul tells us, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors as though God were making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20). Knowing that God “wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4), we have a great privilege and responsibility as Christ’s ambassadors. With the Holy Spirit working in and through us, we can faithfully and boldly proclaim the Gospel to those around us.

Through Jesus, we know the Father.  Through Jesus, the Father has come to us. Through Jesus, we have life everlasting in Heaven. This is the Good News that we as Witnesses for Jesus will want to share.

Prayer: Dear Lord, grant us passion and boldness to be the effective witnesses you want us to be. Place in us compassion for others. Help others see your love within us. We pray that you will bless our program Fulfilling God’s Purpose! In Your precious name we pray. Amen.

Blessings on your journey as a steward!

Dear Lord, I pray for [child’s teacher]. Please guide him/her this year as he/she prepares to help my child learn. I pray that You would keep him/her healthy and clear of mind. I also pray that the kids in the class would have good behavior so that [teacher name] can focus on imparting knowledge. In the name of Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Greetings!

Our program Fulfilling God’s Purpose! starts this week. Our theme for this week is “Building Relationships.”

Only through Christ can we live abundantly. Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing. I have come that [you] might have life, and have it to the full” (John 15:5; 10:10). You see, God created us for a relationship with him, to be loved by him and to love him and others, to be served by him, and to serve him by serving those around us. That relationship was destroyed by our sin. Sin brings darkness to our souls; it brings regret; it brings guilt; it brings shame. It hurts us and gets in the way of our relationships with God and with one another. Our thinking becomes distorted; it’s self-centered rather than God-centered. Our actions are contrary to serving God and serving one another. We’re so filled with ourselves there is no room for God in our lives.

Into this world of darkness and regret, guilt and shame, God sent his son. He bridged the gap between sinful people and our holy God. He makes it possible for us to have a relationship with him … intimacy with him once and for all. Now we have it all. We have been created with a purpose: to have a relationship, to love him, and to serve him and enjoy fellowship with him.

We hope to see you in worship and Bible study this Sunday as focus on the theme “Building Relationships.”

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, we pray that you will strengthen and nurture our relationship with you. Help us always to depend on your wisdom and strength rather than on our own. Use us as your instruments to share your love, grace, and mercy with others. In your precious name we pray. Amen.

Blessings on your journey as a steward!