Sooooo What shall I do with my faith?? devotion... · 1 Bethlehem Lutheran Church 14531 Old Olga Rd. Fort Myers, FL 33905 Phone: (239)694-3878 Week 40 Friday October 04, 2013 - Thursday

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Bethlehem Lutheran Church

14531 Old Olga Rd.

Fort Myers, FL 33905

Phone: (239)694-3878

www.blcefm.org

Week 40 Friday October 04, 2013 - Thursday October 10, 2013

Sooooo... What shall I do with my faith??

Sunday, October 6, is the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost. My 9am Sunday sermon at

Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 14531 Old Olga Rd., Ft. Myers, FL (and my 5:30pm, Sat. Oct., 5

"Bible Study and Singing" emphasis, at Faith Lutheran Church, 1161 SW 30th Ave., Ft.

Lauderdale, FL) is drawn from this weekend's Gospel lesson, Luke 17:1-10.

"The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith!' And the Lord said, 'If you had faith like a

grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'be uprooted and planted in the

sea,' and it would obey you" (vss. 5-6).

My title, "Soooo.... What Shall I Do with My Faith??", will attempt to see the key point that

Jesus was trying to convey to his disciples (and to each one of us), in this powerful Gospel

lesson...... IT'S NOT HOW MUCH FAITH I HAVE, BUT WHAT I WITH THAT FAITH!!

One of the hymns that we will sing this weekend, "Oh, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing" says

it well!! (verse one and two) "Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's

praise, The glories of my God and King, The triumphs of His grace! My gracious Master and

my God, Assist me to proclaim, To spread through all the earth abroad, The honors of His

name."

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Am I using my Christian Faith.... TO SING PRAISES TO GOD??.... TO SPREAD THE HONOR OF

HIS NAME?? THROUGH-OUT ALL THE EARTH??

With any exploration at all, it is very clear, that I didn't create my faith in Jesus Christ!! It

was God, the Holy Spirit, who welcomed me into that Christian Faith!! And there are a num-

ber of people (and occasions) in my life that the Holy Spirit used, for that welcoming!!

We will also sing the beautiful Easter hymn, "I Know that My Redeemer Lives" (verses one

and five) "I know that my Redeemer lives; What comfort this sweet sentence gives! He

lives, He Lives, who once was dead; He lives my ever-living Head. He lives to silence all my

fears; He lives to wipe away my tears; He lives to calm my troubled heart; He lives all bless-

ings to impart."

May MY Christian faith.... BRING COMFORT... SILENCE FEARS... AND CALM TROUBLED

HEARTS!!

.... for many people who I will touch!!

Pastor’s Weekly Devotion (Cont.) Friday October 04, 2013 - Thursday October 10, 2013

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14531 Old Olga Rd.


Phone: (239)694-3878

www.blcefm.org


The Power of a "Thank You"!!

Sunday, Oct. 13, is the Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost. My Sunday 9am message at

Faith Lutheran Church, 1161 SW 30th Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL (and my Sat., Oct. 12, 5:30pm

"Bible Study and Singing" emphasis at Faith Lutheran, Ft. Lauderdale, FL) is drawn from this

weekend's Gospel lesson, Luke 17:11-19.

Rev. Juan Gonzalez will be leading worship and preaching this Sunday, Oct. 13, at Bethle-

hem Lutheran Church, 14531 Old Olga Rd., Ft. Myers, Fl. His sermon is titled, "Being Truly

Thankful!!"

"Then one of them (the ten lepers who were healed), when he saw that he was healed,

turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, fiving him

thanks. Now he was a Samaritan" (vss. 15-16).

SAYING THANK-YOU!! .... In this Gospel lesson, Jesus highlights a message that EACH one of

us have been hearing, since we were children.... HAVEN'T WE?? Your mother asked you (my

mother sure asked me)....."Soooooo... what do you say??" ..... when you received some-

thing from someone. "Have you written your 'thank-you note', to your grandparents,

yet???"

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In worship this weekend, we will sing, "Thank You, Lord", This is the Praise Song where I ac-

tually wrote a couple of song verses, some years ago. The song only had one verse, so, I

wrote verses two and three... here they are... (vs. 2) "Thank You, Lord, for dying for me,

Thank You, Lord, for setting me free; Thank You, Lord, for loving me so, Your love for me, al-

lows me growth". (vs. 3) "Thank You, Lord, for giving me life. Thank You, Lord, In the midst

of strife; Thank You, Lord, for all that You share, Your everlasting love, that cares."

The worship this weekend has a THANKSGIVING feel about it!!.... AS IT SHOULD!!

Another Praise Song we will sing is, "Jesus We Just Want to Thank You" (verse one) "Jesus,

we just want to thank You; Jesus, we just want to thank You; Jesus, we just want to thank

you; Thank You, for being so good."

What is the biggest reason we fail to be "thankful" people?? ..... BECAUSE, WE ARE FO-

CUSED ON OURSELVES!!

Lord Jesus Christ, turn my attention towards God.... THAT I MAY LIVE A THANKFUL LIFE!!


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14531 Old Olga Rd.


Phone: (239)694-3878

www.blcefm.org


Don't Give Up.... God Hears You!!

Sunday, October 20, is the Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost. My Sunday 9am sermon

at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 14531 Old Olga Rd., Ft. Myers, FL (and my 5:30pm, Sat., Oct.

19 "Bible Study and Singing" emphasis at Faith Lutheran Church, 1161 SW 30th Ave, Ft.

Lauderdale, FL) is drawn from this weekend's Gospel lesson, Luke 18:1-8.

In this Scripture text, Jesus' tells a story about a widow who is persistent in her request for

justice; from a judge, who neither feared God or what people thought. The judge finally re-

lented and gave her justice, just to keep her from coming back to him. Jesus tells the disci-

ples, "And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and

night? Will He keep putting them off?" (vs. 7)

Jesus' lessons on prayer ALWAYS have a powerful message for WE WHO PRAY!! His message,

in this parable (teaching story), for each of us, is..... DON'T GIVE UP... GOD HEARS YOU!!

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One of the hymns we will sing this weekend, is "Leaning On the Everlasting Arms" (verse

one) "What a fellowship, What a joy divine, Leaning on the everlasting arms. What a bless-

edness, hope, What a peace is mine, Leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning, leaning, safe

and secure from all alarms. Leaning, leaning, Leaning on the everlasting arms."

Jesus gives us a VERY clear message .... "Don't lean on your own strength..... LEAN ON JE-

SUS!!"

We will also sing this hymn, "I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus" (verses one and two) "I am

trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, Trusting only Thee. Trusting Thee for full salvation, great and free.

I am trusting Thee for pardon; At Thy feet I bow; For Thy grace and tender mercy, Trusting

now."

Jesus clearly tells each of us.... TO PLACE OUR TRUST IN HIM.... not ourselves. Never grow

weary of praying.... DON'T GIVE UP..... GOD HEARS YOU!!


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14531 Old Olga Rd.


Phone: (239)694-3878

www.blcefm.org


Made Free.... Not Born Free!!

Sunday, Oct. 27, is Reformation Sunday!! My 9am sermon at Bethlehem Lutheran Church,

14531 Old Olga Rd., Ft. Myers, FL (and my 5:30pm Sat., Oct. 26, "Bible Study and Singing"

emphasis at Faith Lutheran Church, 1161 SW 30th Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL) will be drawn

from the Reformation Day Gospel lesson, John 8:31-36.

"So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, 'If you abide in My Word, you are truly

My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.' Thy answered

Him, 'We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that

you say, 'You will become free?' Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone

who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son

remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (vss. 31-36).

Each year, on the last weekend in October, many Lutheran (and other Protestant) Churches,

celebrate "Reformation Sunday", on the weekend closest to Reformation Day, October 31!!

It was on October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on the Church Doors

of Wittenberg, Germany.

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Martin Luther's posting of these ninety-five theological questions (for the Pope and other

Roman Catholic Church leaders), was the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Martin

Luther and many other Protestant leaders continued to focus on the CORE BIBLICAL TRUTH

of the Christian Faith. Out of this struggle.... WAS BIRTHED THE PROTESTANT REFOR-

MATION!!

This core message...... "There is nothing that a human being can do to warrant salvation....

IT IS A FREE GIFT OF GOD!!" It is the gift God gave to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, on the

cross of Calvary!!

This weekend we will sing this appropriate hymn, "Freely, Freely" (verse one) "God forgave

my sin in Jesus' name, I've been born again in Jesus' name. And in Jesus name, I come to

you. To share His love as He told me to. He said; "Freely, freely, you have received, Freely,

Freely, give. Go in My name, and because you believe, Others will know that I live."

As Martin Luther (and others) would argue.... THIS FREEDOM IS NOT A NEW MES-

SAGE!! .....It is the core message of Holy Scripture!!

Another hymn we will sing, says it well, "Thy Strong Word" (verse one) "Thy strong Word,

did cleave the darkness; At Thy speaking, It was done! For created, light we thank Thee;

While Thine ordered seasons run. Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise to Thee who light dost send! Al-

leluia! Alleluia! Alleluia, without end!"

At God's speaking... IT WAS DONE!! Thank you, Jesus, for making me free!!


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Sooooo What shall I do with my faith?? devotion... · 1 Bethlehem Lutheran Church 14531 Old Olga Rd. Fort Myers, FL 33905 Phone: (239)694-3878 Week 40 Friday October 04, 2013 - Thursday