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Alive in Christ to share life in Christ
5200 Lake Otis Parkway · 563-3499 · FaithAlaska.com
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost August 9, 2020
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1 Kings 3:5-12
At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
7 “Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.”
The First Lesson
A word from your pastor about this Word of God
What makes you feel secure? The voice of your father? The locks on your car doors? The money in your retirement fund? The safety control measures the municipality of Anchorage has put into effect to stop the spread of COVID? While all of these things might in some small way make us feel safe, Solomon knew that only one thing could truly make Him secure: the fear of the LORD. When presented with the question of a lifetime and a gift worthy of our God, he chose wisely; he chose the security of trusting in the
God of our salvation.
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The Second Lesson Romans 8:31-39
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. A word from your pastor about this Word of God
Last week, our God piled on the Gospel’s good news, showing us how we have been predestined—chosen by God before time began to belong to Him—called—beckoned from the darkness of sin to the light of God’s forgiving grace—justified—declared innocent of all sin and guilt—and glorified—crowned with the radiant splendor of God’s holiness. Naturally, Paul invites us to consider, in view of all this good news—one blessing after another—how should we as Christians respond? Often, we bury our faces in our daily affairs without lifting our heads Heavenward. Instead of focusing on our obstacles, God invites us to live in Gospel security.
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The Gospel Matthew 10:34-42
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
“ ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
37 “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
40 “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” A word from your pastor about this Word of God
So many things try to rob us of our security and rip us away from our God! Jesus’ words cut to the heart: no one and nothing can take His place if we want peace. If we hope to have real security in this life and the next, family can’t take the place of Jesus; fun can’t be in the driver’s seat; finances can’t stand in His way. To have peace—security in this world and the next—we need the cross, we need the Word, we need our Jesus! Jesus wars against
all that’s robbing you of your peace so you can enjoy Heavenly security!
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Message Notes Living the Gospel: Celebrate Your Security!
A sermon based on Romans 8:31- 39
The words of our text conclude the first half of the Book of Romans in spectacular form. Christians have always regarded these nine verses as one of the most wonderful parts of a wonderful epistle. The themes that have come to the surface in the Book so far have been the power of the Gospel for all: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; the inherent sinfulness of all people has been juxtaposed with God’s forgiveness for all in Christ; the greatness of grace has been set alongside the Law and God has shown us how that grace empowers godly living and confidence in Christ.
Two main points are on Paul’s mind as he brings this section to a close: no accusation will have any basis against a Christian whose trust is in Jesus and it is impossible that anything could separate that believer from the love of God. The first proposition he poses serves as a summary of the first four chapters of Romans, which wrestle with the topic of faith and how it avails believers and how the lack of faith affects unbelievers. The second point succinctly summarizes the next four chapters of Romans: because Christ lives in us, there is nothing that can possibly remove us from the hope of Heaven in this life or the next.
When we look at our world today, there is so much insecurity and so few places where we can feel safe. Looking at it from another point of view, there are so many things and people that threaten our physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing! How can we manage to find security in such uncertain times? Hear Paul’s confidence: “I am convinced!” he says! How can you experience that same conviction? Opening your eyes to the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, you will see that our all powerful God truly is for you. Here’s most amazing good news you will ever hear in your entire life: that love is yours! Celebrate that security by trusting God at all times.
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Announcements
Our pastors are ready to serve you in any way consistent with their office. If you have spiritual problems or questions, or are interested in church membership please contact one of them.
Pastor Christopher Ewings - Faith Lutheran Church and Iglesia Luterana de Fe en Cristo - [email protected] - (907) 792-9788 Pastor Nathan Wagenknecht - Faith Lutheran Church and Iglesia Luterana de Fe en Cristo - [email protected] - (817) 428-2356 Pastor Pao Moua - Hmong Faith Lutheran Church - [email protected] - 891-2640 Faith Lutheran Preschool offers a high-quality education in an environment enriched with Christian teachings and values. For more information, contact the office at 563-3499.
Please wear a facemask to church! In order to comply with our mayor’s mandate, we kindly ask that you wear a facemask to church. Also, with the most recent order requiring contact information for all attendees, please sign your name on the sheet in the church entryway. With the current mandate limiting worship to 15 people (30 for us with the use of the fellowship hall after contacting our local law force), we will continue offering worship services in person at Faith for up to 30 people. Once we’ve reached the limit of 15 in the sanctuary, we will close the doors and invite an additional 15 people to attend the worship service from the fellowship hall. We continue to encourage all who are able to worship online. Find more instructions at FaithAlaska.com.
Save the Date! The annual women’s retreat will be held on September 18th and 19th at Grace Lutheran Church in Kenai. The theme will be “Kingdom Building: It’s a Family Business” and the guest speaker will be Karen Kroll. Look for more information in the brochures and posters around church with registration information
COVID and Communion at Faith In light of the recent and more stringent restrictions due to COVID, the Faith Leadership Team has decided to refrain from offering the Sacrament of Holy Communion during our public worship services. Instead, we will offer Communion to individuals or families by appointment at Faith.
Pastor Chris will be on vacation this week and will not be in cell phone reception. For all your pastoral needs, including if you would like to set up a time for private Communion this week, please contact Pastor Nate on his cell or via email.
“Holiness adorns Your house for endless days, O LORD!” We thank the families who have recently put flowers on the altar to beautify the house of the Lord: Sam Caruthers and Rochelle Hart, to celebrate their wedding; Jeff and Robin Brooks, for their anniversary; and Bob and Kim Walker to celebrate years of wedded bliss.
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Announcements
Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church is a member congregation of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Wisconsin Synod Lutherans are Christians who are convinced that the Bible is the Word of God. We are eager to share the comfort, hope and power of the unchanging message of the Gospel: Jesus Christ crucified and risen for the eternal salvation of mankind.
Faith Lutheran Church: 10:30 Worship Service, 9:37 Bible Study Iglesia Luterana de Fe en Cristo: 12:30 Worship Service Hmong Faith Lutheran: 3:00 Worship Service with Sunday School and Bible Study to follow
Let’s share life in Christ! Faith Lutheran Church received a grant from the Pacific Northwest District to have Praise & Proclaim ministries come to our congregation. This usually costs several thousands of dollars but, by God’s grace, this was given to Faith as a gift. The purpose of Praise & Proclaim ministries is to help Christians grow in their ability to share the Gospel in their everyday lives. We all know what we should be doing when it comes to telling others about Jesus. But taking action - from finding the time to knowing how to start the conversation - can be a hard and intimidating obstacle to overcome. That's where Praise & Proclaim steps in. We train members how to use a simplified approach to witnessing that is comfortable and non-threatening. We hope that you would consider joining us for this seminar on November 6 and 7. All are welcome and invited to attend.
Come be alive in Christ! We want to help you grow in your faith at Faith! With so many obstacles getting in the way of our ability to grow together in God’s Word, we’re hoping to offer more opportunities for you and your family from the comfort of your own home after Labor Day. We plan to continue offering our regularly scheduled Sunday morning Bible study at 9:07, but including the option to attend virtually. In addition, we plan to offer two different Bible studies during the week: one that will delve deep into difficult topics and doctrines in the Bible and another that will touch on topics for those who are newer to the faith. We’re planning to offer each of these Bible studies online via Zoom. Please contact your pastors if you have an idea for a Bible study that you’re interested in learning about in the coming year.
The school year is just around the corner! Faith Lutheran Preschool will be opening its doors on Tuesday, August 25. We typically have a chapel service to commission the school year, however, due to COVID occupancy restrictions, we will postpone the service until a later date. If you have any questions about our preschool program, or if you’d like to volunteer to help this year, please contact Ms. Rockhoff.
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Stay up to date with what’s happening at Faith by liking our Facebook page. You can find us at Faith Lutheran Church Alaska.
Calendar
If you cannot join us on Sunday morning, you may watch our services online. You can view them live or any time after the service is finished. Follow the link on our website at FaithAlaska.com, or go directly to youtube.com and search for “Faith Lutheran Church Alaska.”
Offerings August 2
General: $6,495 Missions: $1,195
Faith Lutheran School August 2
Donations: $110
Attendance August 2
Faith 20 Iglesia 13
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
9:37am
Bible study
10:30am
Worship
6:00pm
Faith Leadership
Team Meeting
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
9:37am
Bible study
10:30am
Worship
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
9:37am
Bible study
10:30am
Worship
Faith Lutheran
Preschool
Begins
30 31 1 2 3 4 5
9:37am
Bible study
10:30am
Worship
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
10:30am
Worship
Labor Day 5:00pm
Catechism
Class
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
9:07am
Bible study
10:30am
Worship
6:30pm
Making Life
Better Class
5:00pm
Catechism
Class
