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Kurt Steinbrueck June 25, 2020

Special Posts evangelism, Mission, Sent Series

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Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 25

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” – Matthew 10:16

Use Your Various Resources

We live in an age when we have many ways of connecting with people and communicating. When it comes to mission, be creative.

How can you use Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Youtube, and other social media?
What connections do you have which may open doors which are closed to others?
What skills and interests do you have which may help connect with people or share the Gospel?

When I was in middle school I went on a mission trip to Honduras. None of us spoke Spanish and we were primarily going to help a deaf school anyway. Since we couldn’t speak the Gospel, we created a wordless drama that used music and pantomime to tell the story from the Fall to the Resurrection.

We are living through a pandemic right now and are limited in some of the ways we can connect with people and interact with them. We need to be creative. Even when the pandemic is over, we can still be creative.

Today: Think about what resources you have and how you can use them to reach people for Jesus.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck June 24, 2020

Special Posts evangelism, Mission, Sent Series

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Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 24

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.‘” – Matthew 28:18-20

Know God is with You

I love how Jesus ends this command. Jesus doesn’t just say, “Go out there and do it!” He doesn’t say, “You go try to make disciples. Good luck!” He says, “Go make disciples and I’m going to go with you. I won’t leave you.”

The Great Commission is the mission of the church, but the church is Christ’s church. So, it’s His mission, too, and He is going to work to see it accomplished.

You aren’t out there alone. Jesus is with you. The one who has “all authority in heaven and on earth” is with you all the way. Jesus is the one who saved us. He is the one who sent us. His Spirit is the one at work in people’s hearts.

Today: Take great comfort and courage knowing that Jesus is with you and will not leave you.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck June 23, 2020

Special Posts evangelism, Mission, Sent Series

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Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 23

Invite Into Community

It’s not uncommon for someone to need to hear the Gospel multiple times before they receive faith. Those multiple times can come from one person, but usually, they come from several people.

You are a part of the church and it’s the mission of the full church to make disciples of all nations. So, as you live on mission, including others with you only makes sense. It creates more relationships and gives more opportunities for deeper connections, showing love, and sharing the Gospel.

Ultimately, if/when a person does receive faith, they need the church to help them learn and grow as well.

As you minister to people outside the church, begin inviting them into the community of the church.

Not Just Worship
The first thing most people think of when I saw something like that last sentence is, “Invite people to church. (meaning worship)” While that is something you can do, it’s not the only way you can invite someone into community.

I’ve known committed Christians whose first foray into church community was through a church cookout or a group of Christians going to a water park. Some people’s first experience might be a service project, a Bible study, or playing on the church softball team (I’d like to have a church softball team).

All of these are ways people can start to form relationships with Christians, hear the Gospel, and see the love of Christ lived out.

Today: As you reach out to people who don’t, yet, know Jesus, look for ways to invite them into the church community.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck June 22, 2020

Special Posts evangelism, Mission, Sent Series

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Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 22

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

Read God’s Word

God’s Word is living and active. It changes us. It helps us to learn more about God and grow closer to Him. It tunes us in to God’s voice.

As we spend more time in God’s Word, we tend to get a greater sense of His presence and walk in the Spirit. Like bread for the body, God’s Word is food for our mind and spirit. This is great for life, including our life on mission. We also may find that we are more prepared to answer some of those questions people have about God.

Today: Spend time reading the Bible.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck June 21, 2020

Special Posts evangelism, Mission, Sent Series

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Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 21

Pray for Specific People Who Need Jesus.

This is another reminder day. On Day 2 we talked about the importance of praying for people who don’t, yet, know Jesus. You came up with a list of people to pray for.

I hope you have continued praying for these people. If not, this is a great time to start again. Also, maybe over the past few weeks, another name or two has come to mind. If so, add them to the list.

Today: Pray for specific People who need Jesus.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck June 21, 2020

Special Posts Order of Service, worship

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Order of Service for June 21

You are invited to worship with us at 11:30 AM on Sunday, June 21. Below, you will find the Order of Service so you can follow along and participate in the worship service. If you would prefer, you can also download a bulletin here:

Before we start, please share the live stream on Facebook and invite your friends.

Worship Service for June 21, 2020, at 11:30 AM

Welcome

Opening Song: The Wonderful Cross
When I survey the wondrous cross,
On which the prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God.
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood

Chorus:
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live.
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
All who gather here By grace draw near and bless your name.

See from his head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown

Chorus

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an present far too small
Love so amazing so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Invocation

Confession and Forgiveness:
P: Our Heavenly Father asks us to come into His presence.

C: But we are sinful and unworthy.

P: Yes, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but Jesus Christ died on the cross that we may be forgiven and washed clean of all our sins by His blood spilled on the cross.

C: Lord, if You wash us, we will certainly be clean and pure.

P: We take a moment to bow before the His cross and silently reflect on our lives and confess our sins.

(Time of silence for reflection and confession)

P: Let us confess, together, our sins to God our Father.

C: Heavenly Father, we confess that we are sinners. We have sinned against you and our neighbors. We have not loved you with our whole heart and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have lived in fear rather than living for You and boldly speaking Your Word. We justly deserve Your punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I, therefore, forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

Song of Praise and Thanksgiving: I Can’t Believe

In the fall you were there
Grace began before I was aware
The shame to great for me to hide
Covered now because of Jesus Christ

Chorus:
I can’t believe the price you paid for me
What you did not owe so that I could know you
How can it be You chose someone like me
To declare your praise for the glory of your name
To the one who gave it all I belong with all my heart and soul
And every gain I count as loss
When I survey the wonder of the cross

Chorus

You gave your life upon a cross, woooh
To make your home within my heart
Oh, what a faithful God you are, woooh
Your praise forever in my heart

Chorus 2x

Old Testament Reading – Jeremiah 20:7–13
O Lord, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, “Violence and destruction!” For the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. For I hear many whispering.

Terror is on every side! “Denounce him! Let us denounce him!” say all my close friends, watching for my fall. “Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him.” But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore, my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. O Lord of hosts, who tests the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause.

Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.

Epistle Reading – Romans 6:20–23
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Children’s Message

Sermon Hymn – I Surrender All
All to Jesus I surrender.
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him.
In His presence daily live

Chorus:
I surrender all. I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior.
I surrender all
All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken,
Take me, Jesus, take me now

Chorus

All to Jesus I surrender.
Lord, I give myself to Thee
Fill me with Thy love and power.
Let Thy blessing fall on me

Chorus 2x

Sermon – ” Sent into Danger…With God’s Protection”
Matthew 10:5a, 21–33
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans,

Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God
the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen

Benediction

Closing Song: No Longer Slaves
You unravel me, with a melody
You surround me with a song
Of deliverance, from my enemies
Till all my fears are gone

Chorus:
I’m no longer a slave to fear. I am a child of God
I’m no longer a slave to fear. I am a child of God

From my Mother’s womb You have chosen me.
Love has called my name
I’ve been born again, into your family
Your blood flows through my veins

Chorus

Ohhh Ohhh…

(Repeat)

You split the sea so I could walk right through it
My fears are drowned in perfect love
You rescued me and I will stand and sing.
I am a child of God

(Repeat)

I am a child of God . . .

Chorus

Online Offering

Upcoming Events

June 25, 7 PM – A Time of Prayer
Facebook, YouTube, FaithWesleyChapel.com

June 28, 11:30 AM – Online Worship
Facebook, YouTube, FaithWesleyChapel.com
Message Series – Sent: A Month of Mission
“Sent to the Dead…To Whom God Will Give Life”

July 10, 7 PM – Growth Group Bible Study
Zoom

July 12, 11 AM – In-Person and Online Worship Resumes
Facebook, YouTube, FaithWesleyChapel.com
Song and Dance – Studio 4

Connect with us:

Kurt Steinbrueck June 20, 2020

Special Posts evangelism, Mission, Sent Series

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Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 20

“On hearing this, Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’” – Mark 2:17

Look for the Hurt

When you read the Bible, particularly the Gospel, there is a group of people, the Pharisees, that have a lot of issues with Jesus. It’s interesting. The “sinners” and tax collectors loved hanging out with Jesus. The religious leaders, the Pharisees, tended to despise Jesus. You’d think it would have been the other way around.

Why did the sinners like Jesus and the Pharisees hate Him?

Jesus offered forgiveness and healing. The sinners knew they needed that. The Pharisees thought they had it all together and had no need for that.

Everyone hurts. Everyone struggles. Some of us are aware of our hurts and struggles and some are less so. If you listen enough, ask intentional questions, and look for it, you can often start to see people’s hurts and struggles.

If we can see someone’s hurts and struggles, we can (carefully) talk with them about those hurts and share how Jesus is here to help them with those struggles and so are we.

Jesus came for the sick. We are all sick. He came for the sinners. We are all sinners. We can bring Jesus to the sinners all around us, not as a judge, but as a doctor, offering healing.

Today: Pray that God would give you insight and discernment to see people’s hurts and struggles and offer them healing through Jesus.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck June 19, 2020

Special Posts evangelism, Mission, Sent Series

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Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 19

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” – James 1:19

Actively Listen to Others

Have you ever had a conversation with someone where you could tell they weren’t really listening to you? They were just waiting for their turn to speak.

How did you feel about that conversation?
Did you think that person cared about what you were saying?
Did that make you care more or less about what they were getting ready to say?

We’ve talked about connecting with people, asking intentional questions, and sharing the Gospel. One thing that will help with all these is listening. Listen to the stories and the details and the joys and the sorrows. Listening will help you truly get to know that person. It also shows you care and allows you to better show the love of Christ with them.

Active Listening
Don’t just listen, though. Try actively listening. When I trained in the seminary for pastoral counseling, they taught us this is one of the most important and effective things you can do for someone.

Active listening means you not only listen, but you face the person, maintain comfortable eye-contact (no messing with devices during the conversation), and periodically respond in acknowledgment (“right”, “uh huh”, nodding, etc.). This encourages them to share and shows you are listening and care.

After the person shares something, briefly repeat it back to them in your own words. This shows that you listened and understood and allows them to correct you if you misunderstood something. It also makes you focus on what they are saying while they speak instead of on what you want to say in response.

You would be amazed how much active listening can help show people they matter, comfort them during hardships, and deepen relationships. Honestly, this isn’t just something to do when on mission. You can do this with everyone all the time, especially your close friends, spouse, and children.

Today: Practice actively listening in your conversations and continue tomorrow…and the day after…

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck June 18, 2020

Special Posts prayer

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Praying Together – June 18 at 7pm

Praying Together, Tonight at 7pm

You are invited to join together in prayer Thursday night at 7pm on Facebook, Youtube, or our website.

Thank you!

Kurt Steinbrueck June 18, 2020

Special Posts evangelism, Mission, Sent Series

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Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 18

“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” – 1 Corinthians 2:2

Know the Gospel

Many people feel nervous about evangelism because they feel like they don’t know what to say. That’s something you can fix, though, at least to some extent.

First, it’s okay if you don’t know the answer to every question. “I don’t know,” is an acceptable answer. While it’s nice to be able to answer questions, sharing the Gospel isn’t about debating or convincing. It’s about sharing the Gospel.

Second, you may not know the answer to every question (I don’t either), but you can know the Gospel…and probably already do. This is one of the reasons we say one of the Creeds every week in worship. If you know the Apostles’ Creed, you know the Gospel. If you don’t know the Apostles’ Creed, click here to download a copy. You can learn it.

It’s really as simple as saying, “I believe God created us and loves us, but sin separates us from God. We’ve all sinned, I have and you have. We’ve all done things that are wrong. But God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us and take the punishment for our sin so we could be forgiven. God says if we believe in Jesus we are forgiven and will have eternal life with Him.”

If you’d like, you can also share your personal story of how you came to believe or a personal story of something God has done in your life.

The idea is that you don’t have to have all the answers nor is there any one, perfect way to share the Gospel. Pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the words to say. Then speak.

Today: Get Comfortable with the Gospel. Maybe practice saying it a few times. You can use your own words or the Creed.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Special Posts

Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 25

Use Your Various Resources

Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 24

Know God is with You

Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 23

Invite Into Community

Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 22

Read God’s Word

Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 21

Pray for Specific People Who Need Jesus.

Order of Service for June 21

Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 20

Look for the Hurt

Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 19

Actively Listen to Others

Praying Together, Tonight at 7pm

Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 18

Know the Gospel

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