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About Kurt Steinbrueck

http://faithwesleychapel.com

Posts by Kurt Steinbrueck:

A Time of Prayer
Kurt Steinbrueck
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A Time of Prayer

    a time of prayer

    Last week we did a Facebook live stream time of prayer. I received a great response from all of you that you appreciated having that prayer time. So, we’re going to do it again this Thursday.

    Please join me at 7:30pm on Faith’s Facebook page as pray for each other and this pandemic.

    Prayer Requests:
    Also, since we don’t have the prayer request time in our worship services at this time, I’d like to include prayer requests during our Thursday prayer time.

    Please send me any prayer via email requests by 6:30pm.

    Thanks and God bless!

    In Christ’s Service,

    Pastor Kurt

    Turn Towards, Not Away
    Kurt Steinbrueck
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    Turn Towards, Not Away

      Turn Towards, Not Away

      “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12

      What trials and tests are you facing right now?

      When life’s trials come at us, it can be easy to get mad at God for causing it or letting it happen. We focus on what hurts and offends us. We forget our sin and its consequences and we forget the great mercy and grace God has shown us. As we get angry, we turn away from Him.

      With each attack on our faith, we are called to endure, to turn to God rather than away from Him.

      I’m reminded of Peter in John 6:68. Jesus had been teaching and some of His teachings offended the people. They walked away saying Jesus’ teachings were too hard. Jesus asked the disciples if they would leave, too.

      “Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,”

      Between the economy, the virus, and politics, you are likely feeling under attack right now. What better time to turn to God? What better time to lean into His arms and seek His strength and peace? He will strengthen you and raise you up on wings like an eagle. He will not leave you. He will carry you through.

      Read Psalm 91:1-16.

      He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
          will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
      2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
          my God, in whom I trust.”

      3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
          and from the deadly pestilence.
      4 He will cover you with his pinions,
          and under his wings you will find refuge;
          his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
      5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
          nor the arrow that flies by day,
      6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
          nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

      7 A thousand may fall at your side,
          ten thousand at your right hand,
          but it will not come near you.
      8 You will only look with your eyes
          and see the recompense of the wicked.

      9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
          the Most High, who is my refuge—
      10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
          no plague come near your tent.

      11 For he will command his angels concerning you
          to guard you in all your ways.
      12 On their hands they will bear you up,
          lest you strike your foot against a stone.
      13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
          the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

      14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
          I will protect him, because he knows my name.
      15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
          I will be with him in trouble;
          I will rescue him and honor him.
      16 With long life I will satisfy him
          and show him my salvation.”

      In Christ’s Service,

      Pastor Kurt

      Who Is The Real Enemy?
      Kurt Steinbrueck
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      Who Is The Real Enemy?

        Who Is The Real Enemy?

        “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” – Ephesians 6:10-11

        What are you doing to protect yourself these days?

        Did you ever watch the show, 24? I really liked that show at least for a while. One of the interesting things about the show is that you had one bad guy at the beginning of the season, but over the course of the season that bad guy would be stopped only to find out that another bad guy was behind the first guy and was the real threat.

        With all the craziness around us, it’s easy to focus on all the physical challenges we face.

        • How do I work and keep my kids at school?
        • What if I get the virus?
        • How will I pay the bills since I can’t work?

        We focus on these things and miss the spiritual attacks that are going on all around us.

        As churches stop meeting in person, the temptation may be to stop worshiping or stop being a part of the church. This is much worse of a threat than a virus.

        In times when being physically a part of the church is more difficult, it’s even more important to be the church apart. It’s easy to skip church and just sleep in. Who would know?

        It’s Even More Important Now
        However, it’s during these times that we need to spend even more time in the Bible and in prayer. Pray for each other. Call each other and pray with each other. Fast. Find ways to serve one another and your neighbors.

        Remember, the church isn’t the building, it’s the people…it’s you. You are the church just as much today as you were a month ago. You need Jesus just as much today as a month ago. Your neighbor needs Jesus just as much as they did a month ago.

        We need to be vigilant both for ourselves and our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to put on the armor of God every day, filling our minds with God’s promises, seeking the truth, standing firm in the Gospel, and asking God for faith.

        What will you do to protect yourself?

        Heavenly Father,

        Please protect me. Protect me from the coronavirus. Protect me from financial ruin. Protect me from the spiritual attacks going on all around me. Help me to seek You in Your Word and fill my mind with Your promises.

        Amen.

        In Christ’s Service,

        Pastor Kurt

        Who Do You Trust These Days?
        Kurt Steinbrueck
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        Who Do You Trust These Days?

          How do you trust these days?

          “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:7-8

          Right now, we are dealing with a lot of changes and concerns from the coronavirus.

          What is bothering you the most?

          Many people are asking for our trust such as politicians, celebrities, doctors, and media personalities. Beyond that, there are thousands of websites with “information” on the pandemic. 

          Can we trust them?

          Some, perhaps, but it’s harder and harder, today to find a news source that is trust worthy. Most are biased. Some don’t check sources well. Some just plain make up stories.

          Regardless of whether you think you’ve found the one good news source out there, they will still have a problem as all do. All have two of the same failings:

          1. They are flawed people and
          2. They can’t see the future.

          Thankfully, we have someone else to look to who doesn’t have those failings, God. He is wise, sinless, and all-knowing. He is also constant. That’s why putting our confidence in Him is like being planted by a stream. Our source of life and peace is always there. It will never run dry.

          Whatever you are worried about, give it to the Lord. He will give you peace, you can trust Him.

          Heavenly Father,

          You are our ever-present help in times of need. Be with us during this difficult time and all the times of suffering. Help us to trust in You.

          Amen

          In Christ’s Service,

          Pastor Kurt

          Moving Forward In These Challenging Times
          Kurt Steinbrueck
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          Moving Forward In These Challenging Times

            Moving Forward In These Challenging Times

            There’s an old saying, “You want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.“

            We had lots of plans for Lent, Easter, and beyond. The lock-down has changed all that. This pandemic and the response to it were a surprise for all of us. But it hasn’t been a surprise for God. Our plans didn’t include being stuck in our homes, but God’s did.

            Not Just an Inconvenience
            While we have all be inconvenienced and, possibly, even harmed by the coronavirus and the response to it, there are some opportunities.

            There are opportunities for…

            • Growing stronger as families
            • Deepening our personal devotion times
            • Caring for one another
            • Caring for our neighbors


            As we pray for a quick end to this pandemic, let us also pray that God would work in our lives and our community for good.

            Online Worship Services:
            We will be having live-streamed worship services every Sunday. Tomorrow, March 22, our first live-stream service will be on Facebook Live at 9am (that’s right, in the morning). As a special first service, we will be uniting in worship with the congregation from the Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity in South Tampa.

            (A recording of the service will also be available after the service in case you can’t make it at 9am.)

            Communion:
            Obviously, I can’t distribute bread and wine through the interwebs, but we still want to be able to make Communion available. We are still working on the details, but we are looking into either having a time when members can come by my house and receive communion in their cars or where I come to you and bring Communion. I’ll post more when I have more details.

            Tithes and Offerings:
            For most of you, giving is a part of your worship each week. It’s an expression of thanksgiving for all God has given and a means of supporting the ministry God is doing through the Faith Lutheran congregation. Even though we are not meeting in person, you are still able to give online. Go to https://faithwesleychapel.com/ and click “Give” in the upper menu.

            Informational and Voter Meeting:
            The Informational Meeting scheduled for this Sunday and the Voter Meeting scheduled for next Sunday have been postponed. We will still have them soon online. We just need to work out the technical details for how we will hold the meeting. As soon as the tech is worked out, we will set a date.

            Growth Group Bible Study:
            We will be having Bible study every Friday evening at 7pm. The Bible study will be done online through a Zoom conference call. Zoom will allow the interaction that we desire in the Bible study and allow for anyone to join in whether online or via phone. We’ll post more information about the Bible study next week. 

            Devotions:
            I plan to continue to The Other Six daily devotional blog posts. I am also looking into starting a daily evening Family Devotion video. This will be a short video you can use for a devotion time with the whole family. This is a great time to strengthen your family devotional time!!

            Keep In Touch:
            I want to encourage you all to keep in touch with each other. Check in on people at least once a week to make sure everyone is doing well and see if anyone needs any help.

            Reach Out to Your Neighbors:
            Keep in touch with your neighbors as well. If you don’t know them, this is a great time to walk around your neighborhood, knock on the door, stand 6 feet back, and then ask how they are doing and if they need anything. We, especially, need to be caring for those who may not be able to leave to their house to get groceries and other supplies at this time. Let’s shine the light of Jesus into the darkness.

            I’m Available:
            Please feel free to call, text, or email any time whether you need help, have questions, or just want to talk. I’m here for you, virus or no virus, and I’m overjoyed to be your pastor.

            I’m excited about some of the opportunities we have in the coming weeks and I hope you are, too. 

            God bless!

            In Christ’s Service,

            Pastor Kurt

            The Fruit of the Spirit
            Kurt Steinbrueck
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            The Fruit of the Spirit

              the fruit of the spirit

              “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23

              What do you need to do to bear fruit?

              We can sometimes get caught up in what fruit we bear or how much. Sometimes we can even start to wonder if we are really saved if we don’t see enough of the type of fruit we want to see or what we think should be there.

              What we see from this passage from Galatians as well as other Bible passages is that the fruit comes from God, not us. Much like a branch doesn’t will itself to bear fruit neither do we. Rather, as long as the branch is connected to the vine, it will live and bear fruit.

              So, with us, as long as we stay connected to Christ, we will live and bear fruit. What a great blessing and a great relief! We don’t have to strive to bear fruit, we just have to stay connected to Jesus.

              This is what we are told in John 15:4-8.

              “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” – John 15:4-8

              Dear Jesus,

              Help me to abide, or live, in You and You live in me. Draw me to You every day throughout the day. Draw me to Your Word. Call me to pray. Lead me to worship. Hold me fast in You that I may have life and bear much fruit.

              Amen.

              In Christ’s Service,

              Pastor Kurt

              Faith’s Response to COVID-19 – 3-20-20 Update
              Kurt Steinbrueck
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              Faith’s Response to COVID-19 – 3-20-20 Update

                Faith's response to covid-19 - 3-20-20 Update

                Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

                We live in interesting times to be sure. Hillsborough County has issued a directive that there are to be no gatherings of more than 10 people, including faith-based organizations. Also, the FL-GA District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod has asked all churches to follow the 10 person guideline. Pasco County has, yet, to issue any such directive and our District, the SELC, has not either. However, it’s good to pay attention to what our neighbors are doing and, in light of the current situation and after much prayer, the Council and I believe it’s best to move to online services at this time.

                Online Prayer:
                At 7:30pm, tonight (Friday), I’m going to do a live stream on our Facebook page to have a short time of prayer. I invite you to join me for prayer. https://www.facebook.com/FaithWesleyChapel/

                A Plan for Ministry:
                The council and I will be meeting tonight to develop a ministry plan for the pandemic. I’m sure we will still have a worship service on Sundays (online), but we’ll figure out what that will look like. We will also be discussing other ways we can aid each other in our faith, care for each other, and help each of us care for our neighbors.

                We Are Still the Church:
                Just because we can’t gather in person, doesn’t mean we stop being the church. Remember, the church is the people, gathered or not. God is still with us and will continue to work in this situation and work through the church, you.

                This is a great time to strengthen or build our personal and family devotional practices as well as our personal/family ministry to our neighbors.

                I will send more information out as we have it.

                Do Not Fear.
                This situation may, at times, seem out of control, but it is not. God is in control and is working through this. We can trust that He will continue to care for His people, give us strength, and lead us. Lean into Christ and His Word and I encourage you to continue to pray for your fellow members, the church leadership, me, and your neighbors.

                Thank you and may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!

                In Christ’s Service,

                Pastor Kurt

                I Choose Joy…I Mean Jesus
                Kurt Steinbrueck
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                I Choose Joy…I Mean Jesus

                  i choose joy...I mean Jesus

                  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” – Romans 15:13

                  How much joy do you feel in life?

                  I know some people who always seem to have joy, even in difficult circumstances. I know others who almost never seem to experience joy, even in good circumstances.

                  Why is that?

                  Much has to do with what we choose to look at. Are we looking at Jesus and thinking of His promises or are we looking at the problems of life. If we only look at the problems, they can dominate us and squelch our joy. If we look to Jesus and realize He is greater than the problems, we have hope and can experience joy and peace even in the worst situation.

                  In a way, we aren’t really choosing joy. When we say it like that it can sound disingenuous. After all, why would I be joyful when everything stinks? What we are really choosing is to focus on Jesus and that brings joy.

                  What’s the difference?

                  When I just try to feel joy all the time, it doesn’t seem real or based in reality. When I focus on Jesus, it changes my perception of reality. I realize that the true reality of the situation isn’t a hopeless problem. The reality is a world that Jesus has overcome. The reality is that Jesus is with me. The reality is that I have great hope because I know Jesus will work through this.

                  So, I have joy not in spite of reality but because of it. I’ve looked passed the illusion of the world to see Jesus.

                  What will you focus on, today? How can you focus more on Jesus?

                  Dear Jesus,

                  There are many problems in the world and in my life, specifically. As overwhelming as those problems can seem, I know that You are with me and will carry me through them. Help me to trust You. Help me to see You in the storms of my life. By the power of Your Spirit, give me peace and joy as I find my hope in You.

                  Amen.

                  My Guide, My Provider, My Comfort
                  Kurt Steinbrueck
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                  My Guide, My Provider, My Comfort

                    My Guide, My Provider, My Comfort

                    “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” – Psalm 23:1-3

                    Do you feel anxious, today?

                    I love Psalm 23. It’s such a warm and comforting poem that not only helps people to feel better but assures them of the reality of their lives because of God’s love for them.

                    Do sheep wander around wondering what they will eat or where they will sleep? No.

                    They are guided by their shepherd who cares for them so they don’t have to worry about those things. Neither do you. Your shepherd, the Lord, will guide you and care for you as well. So, you can rest and be restored.

                    So, let’s take a moment to read all of Psalm 23 and then give God your anxieties in prayer.

                    Psalm 23

                    The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
                         He makes me lie down in green pastures.
                    He leads me beside still waters.
                         He restores my soul.
                    He leads me in paths of righteousness
                        for his name’s sake.

                    Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
                        I will fear no evil,
                    for you are with me;
                        your rod and your staff,
                        they comfort me.

                    You prepare a table before me
                        in the presence of my enemies;
                    you anoint my head with oil;
                        my cup overflows.
                    Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
                        all the days of my life,
                    and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
                        forever.

                    My Dear Shepherd,

                    You guide me and provide for me so I will not worry. You comfort me and heal my wounds. You are my protection in danger so I will not fear. Lord, take my anxieties.

                    (Pray about the things you are worried about.)

                    Continue to remind me that You are there with me and give me peace.

                    Amen.

                    In Christ’s Service,

                    Pastor Kurt

                    What Are You Wearing?
                    Kurt Steinbrueck
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                    What Are You Wearing?

                      What Are You Wearing?

                      “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,” – Colossians 3:12

                      How do people see you?

                      Maybe you’ve heard someone say, “Don’t judge me by what I wear!”

                      On the one hand, it’s good advice. You may be surprised by the skills and personality of the person despite how they look. On the other hand, you need to be aware that how you present yourself to others will affect how they see you. Don’t be surprised or offended if you dress a certain way and people assume you are like the way you dress. It was your choice to present yourself like that.

                      The truth is we all present ourselves to others, whether we want to or not. What we wear, how we comb our hair (or not), our mannerisms, and how we act towards people all affect how people see us. Since we are also ambassadors of Christ, it affects how they see Jesus.

                      In Colossians, God says to clothe ourselves in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These traits should be so a part of who we are that these characteristics are what people think of when they think of us. These traits should be as apparent as our clothes.

                      How does God see you?

                      Interestingly, this is how we are presented to God, too. Not that we present ourselves to God with how great we are at compassion or patience, but that God has clothed us in the righteousness of Christ. He is perfectly compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. And, so, we are to God as well.

                      God is telling us to act like the righteous people we have been made. In this we will love others and when we, as Christians, do this it also means that people start to see Jesus by these traits and glorify His name.

                      What are some ways you can clothe yourself in these traits?

                      Heavenly Father,

                      Thank You for making me holy and righteous. This frees me to not worry about how I appear to You and just love my neighbor. Help me to be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient just as Jesus is.

                      Amen.

                      In Christ’s Service,

                      Pastor Kurt

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                      Meeting Address:
                      27221 Foamflower Blvd.
                      Wesley Chapel, FL 33544
                      Ph: ‪(813) 602-1104‬

                      Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Church in Wesley Chapel, FL

                      Faith Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL serving Lutz, Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes, and New Tampa, FL

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