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Kurt Steinbrueck July 18, 2020

Blog Fear Not, Strength

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A Word of Peace and Comfort

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10

What are you going through right now?

What is your struggle…your fear?

God has a word for you.

He is with you.

He is your God.

He will strengthen you.

He will help you.

He will uphold you with His righteous right hand.

So, you do not need to fear. You do not need to be dismayed, worried, or upset. He will not leave you.

He will give you peace.

(Take a moment to think about the things you are struggling with right now)

Heavenly Father,

Please be with me as I go through ____________. Strengthen me and give me Your peace which goes beyond my understanding and beyond the situation. Hold me up when I am weak.

(Take a few minutes to simply be in the presence of God.)

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck July 17, 2020

Blog salvation, The Gospel

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The Power of God for Salvation

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” – Romans 1:16

Right now, everyone is waiting for a vaccine for the novel coronavirus. People are working feverishly to develop one. It is the power of medicine to save lives…for the moment.

Temporary Life Saving
It’s true. the reality is that a vaccine will only protect you for a while. I don’t mean that you’ll have to get booster shots, I mean that eventually you and I still will die unless Jesus returns first. This is true for all medicines and medical procedures. They may prevent our death, but only for a while. Yet, these medical treatments are so important to us.

Permanent Live-Saving
God’s power of salvation is different though. It isn’t temporary, it’s permanent, for all eternity. What is it?

The Gospel!

It isn’t a process or a pill or a procedure. It is the message of Jesus Christ, that He died and rose again for our salvation and that if we believe in Him we shall be saved.

It’s simple, but it’s powerful.

That is why we focus on the Gospel so much. In it, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we have life. So, we keep reminding ourselves and other Christians of it. We share it with those who don’t believe because they need it…even more than vaccine.

So, let us not be ashamed of the Gospel. Let us hold to it. Let us proclaim it!!

Dear Jesus,

Your Gospel is life. Please hold me firm in the faith of Your Gospel and help me to share it with others as the Good News that it is.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck July 16, 2020

Blog Faith, Tradition

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Traditions, Good and Bad

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” – Colossians 2:8-10

What is your favorite tradition in your home?

I remember when I was growing up, we would set up the Christmas decorations every year to the music of Amy Grant’s Christmas Album. Today, we may listen to other music as well, but you better believe that Amy Grant will be played as we set up the decorations in my house. It just feels more like Christmas.

Traditions – Good
Traditions can be very good things. They can create a sense of order and stability. They can help us to deepen family bonds or faith. They can unite a group of people who otherwise have little in common and even unite a people over centuries. Families, churches, and nations all create traditions for the benefit of their members and those traditions tend to be greatly cherished.

Like the song at the beginning of Fiddler on the Roof says, tradition gives us balance in life.

Traditions – Bad
Sometimes tradition, however, loses its meaning or becomes a burden. In this way, traditions can cease to be beneficial.

I remember the story of a young mother making a ham for Christmas. Her daughter was helping in the kitchen. The mother took out the ham and put it on a cutting board. She cut the ends off the ham, put it in a pot, and put the pot in the oven. Her daughter asked,

“Mommy, why do you cut the ends off the ham?”

The mother replied, “I don’t know. That’s how Grandma always did it.” So, they went into the other room and asked Grandma why she cut the ends off. She said that was just how her mom did it. So, they went over to Great-Grandma and ask, “Why did you cut the ends off the ham when making Christmas dinner?” Great-Grandma replied,

“Oh! Yes. I used to cut the ends off the ham because the pot I had was too small to fit the whole ham.”

God’s Word vs Human Tradition
Traditions in the church can be wonderful, meaningful, and uplifting. In our passage from Colossians, we’re reminded that human traditions are not God’s Word and should not be treated as such. While it is good for the church to have traditions, we need to be careful not to allow human traditions to become law that places an undo spiritual burden on people.

At the same time, we need to also be sensitive to the experiences of others. Just because a tradition isn’t meaningful to you, doesn’t mean it isn’t meaningful to others.

Old and New Traditions
Every now and then it’s good to take a look at our traditions and ask if they are still beneficial. In some cases, the tradition may still be good and should continue. In other cases, the tradition may have lost its meaning. It may still be good, but we may need to do a better job of teaching the meaning of the tradition. In some cases, the tradition may need to be lovingly ended and a new one begun.

What is your favorite tradition at church?

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for the many traditions which help to bring meaning and depth to our faith and relationships. May we have traditions that create a sense of community and strengthen our faith and may we never make them a burden for others.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

If you’re interested, here’s the song from Fiddler on the Roof, Tradition!

Kurt Steinbrueck July 15, 2020

Blog Almighty God, Strength

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That’s Too Hard!

That's Too Hard!

“Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.” – Jeremiah 32:17

Are you dealing with anything right now that just seems too hard?

Gerald was standing with his mouth open, amazed as what his Dad, Andre, had done. They were making a sandbox for Gerald to play in. Gerald had tried several times to pick up or even move one of the bags of sand, but couldn’t get it to budge. Then his Dad picked up one with each hand and was carrying them over.

Gerald’s Dad was doing stuff like that all the time. He could put together puzzles, run super-fast, and build just about anything.

Andre, then, asked Gerald to bring over a wooden board. Gerald looked at the board and then turned to his Dad,

“I can’t move it. It’s too big! You do it,” said Gerald.

Gerald’s Dad responded, “How about we do it together?”

They both walked over to the board. Gerald was nervous, but grabbed the board and lifted. He lifted with all his might, shutting his eyes and grunting. At first, it seemed like it wasn’t going to budge, just like the bag of sand. All of a sudden, the board lifted and felt pretty light. He opened his eyes and there was his Dad holding the board with him. Together, they easily walked over the area where they were building the sandbox carrying the board.

At the end of the day, Gerald looked at the sandbox he and his Dad had built, together. It was awesome and he couldn’t wait to climb in and play. He could never have done it himself, but His Dad could do anything.

Nothing Is Too Hard
At times we may look at situations or plans in life and think they are too hard, even for God. I wonder what Gideon was thinking when God sent him to attack an army of tens of thousands of soldiers with just 300 men carrying trumpets, jars, and torches or what Daniel thought as he was being tossed into the lion’s den. The truth is, nothing is too hard for God. He created everything and sustains it.

I Can Do All Things
You and I, however, have our limitations..at least when it comes to doing things on our own. As Gideon, Daniel, and many others discovered, though, when God is helping, we can do much more than what we can on our own. In fact, there’s nothing we can’t do if God is with us working to accomplish it.

That doesn’t mean that we can just go do anything and God will ensure we succeed. It does mean, however, that when God asks us to do something, we can do it, even if we don’t think we can do it on our own. This may be walking through suffering, ministering to a friend, resisting temptation, or accomplishing some goal.

Whatever it is, if God is for us, who can be against us?

Heavenly Father,

You show me in Your Word what you would have me do as Your child and you guide me by Your Spirit. Give me the wisdom to understand and discernment to know how to follow You. Then, give me the courage to trust You will cause me to be able to do it.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck July 14, 2020

Blog Word of God

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By Every Word

“But he answered, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’’” – Matthew 4:4

What sustains you day to day?

The passage in Matthew 4:4 is an interesting one and one I have heard used in many different ways. The quote is from Jesus when He was being tempted in the wilderness. He, however, is quoting Deuteronomy 8:3.

“And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” – Deuteronomy 8:3

I think the usage of the passage I heard more than any other is that we should be reading the Bible more. While I completely agree that we should be reading the Bible (and probably reading it more than we do), is that really what this passage is about?

For Jesus, He is being tempted to turn stones into bread after having fasted for 40 days. I get hungry about 40 minutes after I eat, so I can only imagine what it’s like after 40 days, however, this temptation isn’t really about food. It’s about realizing and trusting that God is the one who sustains you.

For the Israelites, they were preparing to enter the Promised Land. Life was going to be good. It was going to be easy to forget God and think they were providing for themselves. So, God had given them a very powerful object lesson. He put them in a position where they had no food and no way of getting any. Then, He provided the food. By God’s command, the people of Israel had food every day.

What Really Sustains Us?
You may say,

“I have a job. I buy food. I do this or that which provides for me and my family.”

On the one hand, that may be true, but it misses the underlying truth. God is the reason you breathe every second of every day. That was what God was teaching Israel. Whether they had plenty or were in need, whether they were capable or incapable, no matter what their situation, it was God who sustained them and they could trust Him to do so.

After all, He had created them (and all of us) with His Word. He sustains us all by His Word. He gives us new life through His Word.

So, just like Israel and just like Jesus, we can realize it is God who sustains us day to day by His Word and we can trust Him to do so. As Jesus would put it a couple of chapters later in Matthew:

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:31-33

Heavenly Father,

You sustain me every minute of every day. Help me to remember that. Help me to trust You in that. Help me to seek You first and not be anxious.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck July 11, 2020

Blog Gods Work, salvation

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Rest in the Good Work

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 1:6

How many of you think you are going to heaven?

I remember my father asking this question one day during Vacation Bible School. Some kids would raise their hands and others were hesitant. Some wouldn’t raise their hands at all.

The next question would be:

“How many of you believe in Jesus?”

All the hands would go up. He would then explain that if you believe in Jesus, you can confidently raise your hand that you are going to heaven.

When we consider our salvation and have doubts, those doubts usually come from the thought,

“Have I done enough good and not done anything too bad?”

The Wrong Works
Those thoughts look to our works as the source of our salvation and confidence in that salvation. It’s not our works, though, that will save us. Even the faith we have is not from ourselves. It is God working faith in us.

Philippians 1:6 gives us confidence in our salvation because it tells us to look outside ourselves and to the work of God.

If we look to ourselves, to our works, our sins, even how “strong” our faith is, we look in the wrong place. Our salvation isn’t based on those things. Our salvation is based on the faith God has given us (weak or strong) through His Word in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

It Is Sure
We can trust Jesus’ death and resurrection accomplished our salvation. We can trust the faith God has given us through His Word. We can trust that God will complete His work of salvation in our life until the day Jesus Christ returns.

How many of you think you are going to heaven?

I hope everyone will raise their hand with confidence, now, resting in the work and promise of Jesus Christ.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for saving me. When I start to doubt my salvation, remind me of Your promise and remind me that my salvation is not my work, but Yours, and I can always trust Your good work.

Amen

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck July 10, 2020

Blog Almighty God, Blessings, Gifts

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Immeasurably More

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” – Ephesians 3:20-21

Do you ever feel like you are asking too much of God?

I’ve met a lot of people over the years who have expressed to me that they either feel like they are asking too much of God or don’t want to ask too much of Him. It usually sounds something like this.

Me, “Can I pray for you about this?” Person, “No, you don’t need to bother God with this.”
Me, “Have you asked God for help with this?” Person, “I’ve already asked Him for too much.”
Me, “We should pray about this.” Person, “Nah, I can handle this. There are lots of other people who need His help more than me.”

God Isn’t Us
The reason we may think like this is that we often think of God as being like us with the same attitudes and limitations like us. Behind these thoughts are one or both of two assumptions.

God is limited in His resources or can only pay attention to so many people at once.
God will get irritated if we keep asking for things.

We think this because that’s how we are. However, God isn’t like us. He isn’t limited like us. He isn’t selfish or easily angered like we can be.

Ephesians 3:20-21 tells us that not only can God handle anything we ask of Him, but He is able to do immeasurably more. In other words, you can’t even imagine how much God can and will do.

God knows our limits and our needs. He is the one who provides and sustains all things. He forgives our many, many, many sins. He works for the good of those who love Him and, of course, supplies all that we need for the mission He has given us as His Church. It’s His mission, after all!

So go ahead and ask.

Rather than limiting what we ask which either speaks too much of ourselves (I can handle this) or too little of God, ask freely, but ask with the understanding that God will give where He knows it is good.

He may not give us the winning Power Ball ticket because it may not be what is best for us. He will always forgive because that is always good and needed.

So, go ahead and ask…and trust that He will provide all that we need for life and salvation.

Heavenly Father,

You are Almighty God, Creator of all things, and able to do anything. You are also loving and generous. Forgive me for when I doubt Your ability or think too highly of myself. Please provide all that I need.

(Take a few minutes to ask for anything)

I ask these things, trusting that You will provide what is good and withhold what is not good. I ask not for my will, but that Yours be done.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck July 9, 2020

Blog The Name of Jesus

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What’s In a Name?

What's In a Name?

“I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.” – Psalm 138:2

What does your name mean? Were you named after someone?

Some people’s names don’t are seemingly random. Maybe their parents just thought it sounded good.

Some people’s names carry significance to them. Maybe they are named after an ancestor or someone important in their parents’ lives. Maybe their parents’ thought a lot about the meaning of their name.

Many names in the Bible have meanings. Do you know the meanings of the following names?

Peter (Matthew 16:18)
Isaac (Genesis 21:1-7)
Abraham (Genesis 17:5)
Lo-Ruhamah (Hosea 1:6)

One Name Above All Others
Then there is the name of Jesus, which means, “Savior.” (Matthew 1:21). His name is above all names. Jesus’ name will be known for eternity.

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2 – 9-11

In the end, all will know the name of Jesus and will profess He is Lord either with joy or regret. Even now, though, we lift up His name. We sing praises to His name. We know it is in His name we are baptized and are saved.

Dear Jesus,

Your name is above all names. We look to You alone for our salvation. May we praise Your name and declare You as Lord not just on the last day when You return, but today and every day.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck July 8, 2020

Blog Certainty, truth

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The Certainty

“This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” – Psalm 18:30

What do you think about wearing a mask in the store?

It seems everyone has their opinion on that question. What bothers me most is that it seems like it’s all opinions. The CDC says to wear them, but the Surgeon General says not to. Our government officials say to wear them, but the World Health Organization says not to. Even though the CDC says to wear them, a few months ago they said not to. It seems like there’s no definitive truth.

The Lack of Certainty
These days, our world is full of uncertainty. We don’t know whether schools will be online or in-person. We don’t know when or if there will be a vaccine for the coronavirus. The economy is both showing signs of a quick recovery and a slow one.

One Thing is Sure
God’s way is perfect. His Laws and His Gospel Salvation is perfect and true. His Word always proves to be true. He never lies.

When the world is spinning in chaos, He is our sure foundation, our shield of refuge.

When a dancer does a pirouette, they keep their eyes fixed on a point. It gives them balance and keeps them from getting dizzy. As our world seems to have no certainty these days, we can keep our fixed on Jesus. He gives us balance and keeps us from getting disoriented. He gives us the truth and draws us to Himself.

Dear Jesus,

You are true and sure. Keep my eyes fixed on You.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck July 7, 2020

Blog Eternity, Temporary

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Into The Garbage Heap

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” – Matthew 24:35

When was the last time you cleaned out your house?

Every now and then my family has to take a few days (or longer) and start going through what we have. Especially with kids, we accumulate things and some of them we don’t ever use anymore. They just clutter up the house.

The Usefulness of Less
Sometimes we can feel like more is better, but there’s an interesting thing that happens when you get more. We have limits. The more we get doesn’t mean we can use more things, it often just changes what things we use. In some cases, it actually decreases how much we use.

Have you ever looked at a menu that had 10 pages of food? Most people look at a menu like that and freeze. There are too many options and they can’t make a choice. The same can happen when we have too much stuff. We use less. We may actually be missing out on using some very useful, helpful things because we don’t see them or remember them. Many restaurants intentionally limit the size of their menu because of this. We can do the same with our stuff.

When was the last time you cleaned out your life?

Just like we can have too much stuff in our house, we can have too many activities and commitments in our lives. The overabundance of things we do can prevent us from focusing on the things that are really important. We focus on the temporary at the expense of the eternal.

We are constantly “doing” and get worn out doing it, but we aren’t doing the things that are truly good and helpful.

Just like with the house, sometimes we have to stop and clean out our lives. We can take a look at what we are actually spending our time on. Evaluate it. Consider what we don’t really need to do and maybe some things we really should be doing, but aren’t.

This week, consider hitting the pause button and evaluate your schedule. You may find a way to do less, but accomplish something much more meaningful and long-lasting.

Heavenly Father,

Give me wisdom as I look at my life. Give me discernment as I evaluate the things I do with my time and help me to focus on what is truly important.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Blog

A Word of Peace and Comfort

The Power of God for Salvation

Traditions, Good and Bad

That's Too Hard!

By Every Word

Rest in the Good Work

Immeasurably More

What's In a Name?

The Certainty

Into The Garbage Heap

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