Special Posts Archives - Page 41 of 44 - Faith Lutheran Church, Wesley Chapel

Kurt Steinbrueck March 27, 2020

Special Posts Bible Study, Growth Groups

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Growth Group Bible Study Continues

Thanks to technology we are still able to have our Growth Group Bible Study tonight at 7pm. We’ll just do it online using Zoom. We will be continuing our study of Romans.

Time: Mar 27, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Every week on Friday beginning tonight, March 27, 2020

You can join the Zoom meeting by clicking the link below:
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/135072170

Meeting ID: 135 072 170

You can also download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system. Download the file by clicking the link below:

https://us04web.zoom.us/meeting/vJcod-6qrzwqpPaeT2Nv9jD5Ci1ueqNEoQ/ics?icsToken=98tyKuirqzstGNWSsF_9UaktW9r8bOH2k2F-q6ZpzjHzWip3NyD_Z_dHI5xaH-mB

See you there!

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck March 25, 2020

Special Posts prayer

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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

Moving Forward In These Challenging Times

Kurt Steinbrueck March 21, 2020

Special Posts Corona, CoronaVirus, COVID-19, worship

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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

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

Kurt Steinbrueck March 20, 2020

Special Posts Corona, CoronaVirus, COVID-19, worship

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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

Kurt Steinbrueck March 14, 2020

Special Posts CoronaVirus, COVID-19, Devotional

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CoronaVirus Devotional

How Should Christians Respond to a Pandemic?

Greetings in Christ,

There is a lot unknown about the Coronavirus and Covid-19 which has led to concern and even fear and panic in some cases. All one needs to do is go to Walmart and look at the aisle where hand sanitizer would normally be shelved to see people are worried. In addition, universities are shutting down, concerts are being canceled, and leaders are encouraging isolation/quarantine at some level. It can all be pretty scary.

It’s good to ask, then, in a situation like this,

How am I, as a Christian, supposed to react?
Should I isolate?
Should I flee?
Should I stay and try to help?

So, what is our response?

Perhaps we should look to the past to answer our worries about the future. Because, believe it or not, we as Lutherans have been here before. In August of 1527, the Bubonic Plague flared up and arrived in Wittenburg, Germany.

Life as they knew it ground to a halt. The university Luther taught at closed, the students were sent back home. Many fled the city. Luther remained behind to care for the infected. After, he would pen one of his lesser-known letters. Entitled Whether One May Flee From a Deadly Plague, it was addressed to the Reverend Doctor Johann Hess at Breslau. I am going to summarize it for you, but if you are interested you can find all 12 pages for free here.”

Luther’s letter breaks down into a number of points. Each I think is an important thought to consider as a Christian.

Vocational Responsibilities:
We each have been given a vocation (roles and responsibilities). Some of our vocations would require us to stay. It would be wrong for those people to abandon their posts and leave. It is especially grievous to leave your responsibilities if you are a Christian. God has placed you here to shepherd your community.

Luther points to John 10:11-15.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” – John 10:11-15

For those who are Christians and have a social obligation, it is their responsibility to pick up their crosses and lay down our lives for their neighbor. You may be the last vision of Christ someone witnesses. It’s a sobering thought, but that is the vocation we have been entrusted with.

What if that isn’t your vocation?
Then, what do you do? To them, Luther says you have a difficult choice to make, but you need to be conscious of a number of things. First is the need to acknowledge that sin is happening and perhaps you are caught in God’s judgment. You can wonder which it is, but in the end, it does not make a difference.

Why it is happening is not your concern. You can only respond according to your responsibilities to your family and to the Great Commission. You are called to put God first, then your spouse, then your children, then your extended family, then your community.

What does this mean?
Luther says you are not wrong to flee from trouble. In fact he lists a number of times in the Bible that prove that running from certain death is not necessarily wrong. In fact he goes on to encourage one to take every necessary precaution.

“Use medicine; take potions (this isn’t a magic reference) which can help you; fumigate house, yard, and street; shun persons and places wherever your neighbor does not need your presence or has recovered, and act like a man who wants to help put out the burning city.” – Martin Luther

You are called to deal with your family’s and neighbors’ suffering but do so cautiously and with the proper precautions and tools.

So, should you stay or should you go?

Luther puts it this way:

“If someone is sufficiently bold and strong in his faith, let him stay in God’s name; that is certainly no sin. If someone is weak and fearful, let him flee in God’s name as long as he does not neglect his duty toward his neighbor but has made adequate provision for others to provide nursing care. To flee from death and to save one’s life is a natural tendency, implanted by God and not forbidden unless it be against God and neighbor.” – Martin Luther

Yet Luther also challenges the reader, because great acts of ministry have happened when one puts themselves in harm’s way. You will receive opportunities by your presence that may not have happened otherwise. He goes on to write:

“If someone is so strong in faith, however, that he can willingly suffer nakedness, hunger, and want without tempting God and not trying to escape, although he could do so, let him continue that way, but let him not condemn those who will not or cannot do the same.” – Martin Luther

If you decide to stay and help despite the danger, that is wonderful and commendable, but we don’t look down upon the one who chooses to leave the danger.

You may be called to an act of self-sacrifice. You may be challenged to take great risks to show love. Why? Because God’s unconditional and reckless love sent him to the lost children of God, and the single wayward sheep. Me. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. My response to that love is the love with which Jesus loves His people…My neighbors.

A Final Thought:
But I think Luther’s greatest moment I found on the 6th page. This is what I want to leave you with.

“Get away, you devil, with your terrors! Just because you hate it, I’ll spite you by going the more quickly to help my sick neighbor. I’ll pay no attention to you: I’ve got two heavy blows to use against you: the first is that helping my neighbor is a deed well pleasing to God and all the angels; by this deed I do God’s will and render true service and obedience to Him.

All the more so because if you hate it so, and are so strongly opposed to it, it must be particularly acceptable to God. I’d do this readily and gladly if I could only please one angel who might look with delight on it. But now that it pleases my Lord Jesus Christ and the whole heavenly host because it is the will and command of God, my Father, then how could any fear of you spoil such joy in heaven or such delight from my Lord?

Or how could I, by flattering you, give you and your devils in hell reason to mock or laugh at me? No, you’ll not have the lat word! If Christ shed His blood for me and died for me, why should I not expose myself to some small dangers for his sake and disregard this feeble plague? If you can terrorize, Christ can strengthen me.

If you can Kill, Christ can give life. If you have poison in your fangs, Christ has far greater medicine. Should not my dear Christ, with his precepts, his kindness, and all encouragement, be more important in my spirit than you, roguish devil, with your false terrors in my weak flesh?

God forbid! Get away devil. Here is Christ and here am I, his servant in this work. Let Christ prevail! Amen!” – Martin Luther

Amen indeed!

In the end, Luther makes sure the reader understands you have a personal responsibility of making the decision for yourself and your family, but he urges you to do so in the light of the Gospel and the remembrance that God is the great physician.

Your salvation is not conditional upon your reaction to a plague. Your salvation is independent of your actions. Yet, let us never be so worried about the life that we have now, that we forget the promise of the life to come and the power of the One who gave us that life.

It’s worth noting that the Bubonic Plague was a tremendous moment in church history. While many were leaving sick family members and communities without help in order to flee the danger to themselves. Many in the church stayed or even traveled to the affected areas to care for those who were suffering. It carried a great cost, but the light of Christ showed brightly and many lives were eternally changed.

Someday I may be down with a sickness, but should the worst happen I will witness his amazing grace.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck March 14, 2020

Special Posts Corona, CoronaVirus, COVID-19, Pandemic, Virus

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Faith CoronaVirus Update – March 14

coronavirus update - March 14

Everything Seems Like It’s Changing.
I don’t need to tell you how strange these past few weeks have been. In the last few days, we have seen the shutdown of entire institutions that have been constants in our lives. We have been bombarded by concern, worry, anxiety, fear, facts, statistics, and preventive measures all centered on this virus that has found its way to our doorstep. This has changed our lives and will continue to cause change as we move forward. That is unavoidable.

What won’t change?
You are people of Faith and hope and children of God! We rest upon His unchanging truths. In times like this, it is important to rest upon God’s unchanging nature and His promise of peace. In the next few weeks, your sense of peace will be challenged. Don’t take your eyes off the cross, your family, or your neighbors. Remember the words of Christ that you may echo to them:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

I’m also reminded of the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 46,

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” – Psalm 46:1-3

We know the end of this. Regardless of what happens, I know my story ends in the arms of my savior. Yours does, too. That does not mean you go looking for trouble, it simply means trouble will never get the best of you. What you have before you is an opportunity; an opportunity to be that lighthouse of hope, the beacon of the Gospel, and the messenger of peace.

I encourage you in the coming weeks to be kind, compassionate, caring, and patient as you deal with your fellow brothers and sisters. Let people experience the risen Christ through your words, actions, and social media interactions.

Pandemic Devotional
Today, I have also posted a devotional which I encourage you to read. It deals with how we, as Christians, should respond to a viral outbreak like this. I hope that it will give you encouragement and guidance.

So, I am sure by now you are asking, how will this change things at Faith?

We are in a position of evaluation. Each event is being looked at and discussed and the safety concerns are being weighed.

That being said you will notice a few minor changes this weekend:

If you are experiencing any sickness in your household, or just are not certain about your health, or are worried about your exposure, you are welcome to stay home. We do not believe in works righteousness, your absence will not be a black mark on your eternal record, and you are still assured God’s grace. I do ask that you let me know because I would like to make sure your spiritual needs are still taken care of. Please remember to tend to your prayer and devotional life and that the sermon is available online. We look forward to seeing you again as soon as you are feeling better and feel able to return.
Greeting: This Sunday we will be handling the greeting time differently. You are encouraged to speak words of kindness to each other, but I would ask you to refrain from touching each other. I ask you to respect each other’s personal boundaries. You might be comfortable with your concept of personal space, another may not be, please show each other the respect due them as a brother or sister in Christ.
Sanitizing: As always, I encourage the washing of hands and the use of hand sanitizer. I will bring sanitizer to have at the church on Sundays.
Seating: If it would make you more comfortable, you are welcome to sit with a little more distance between you and others.
Participating in Communion: As we practice Holy Communion we will be following our tradition of the weekly practice of the Sacrament. Just like church attendance, this isn’t mandatory, and your absence will not lead us to question your faith or commitment. If you are not comfortable coming up that is OK. If you simply want to receive a blessing, cross your arms over your chest and I will see that you are blessed. That said, know that studies have been done and show no evidence that Holy Communion contributes to the spread of disease.
Communion Distribution: The one change that will be happening in Communion will be that I and whoever is assisting me with Communion will sanitize our hands before Communion.
Offering: For the offering, you will find the plate on a table at the back of the rows. I ask you to place your offering there as you go by. The offering will be brought forward at its usual time.
Visitations: Finally, I just want to assure you that visits from me where needed will continue. Please do not hesitate to contact me. You are important to me, and your spiritual needs are my priority.

There are two things I’d like you to do as well.

Stay in Touch with Your Fellow Faith Family
If you notice someone missing from church, reach out to them kindly to make sure they are ok and see if they need anything. If you aren’t going to be at church, let some people know.

Pray
We are a people of prayer and our God listens and answers. Pray that God would stop the spread of the virus. Pray that He would comfort His people. Pray that He would guide our leaders. Pray that He would ease our anxieties and give us His peace.

You can look for updates through all our usual means of communication. Thank you for being a wonderful family in Christ here at Faith. It is my distinct honor to be your pastor.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” – Psalm 46:1-3

Kurt Steinbrueck February 13, 2020

Special Posts Making Decisions

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How to Deal with Difficult Decisions at Work

How to Make difficult decisions at work

Work, like other parts of life, can present us with some difficult situations. These aren’t always bad situations. They may be quite good, like a new job offer, but the situation might leave you wondering what the right choice is.

What do we do when we run into situations at work where we don’t know what God would want us to do?

1. Check the Bible for Specific Instruction
The first step is to see if the Bible directly addresses the situation. If someone suggests you steal something from the office, the Bible specifically says not to steal. So, you know what to do.

2. Check the Bible for General Principles
The reality is that many specific situations aren’t addressed in the Bible. We would all love to be able to look in the Bible and find a specific verse talking about our situation so we know exactly what to do, but the Bible doesn’t do that. The Bible wasn’t intended as a step-by-step instruction guide. The Bible reveals God and his plan for salvation and our means of redemption.

There are, however, Godly principles in God’s Word which can provide guidance. For example, a coworker asks you to cover for them while they ditch work to go to a baseball game. The Bible may not talk about covering for people who skip out on work, but it does speak of the importance of integrity and diligent work. So, you may say you can’t do that and suggest it would be better if they just asked permission to go.

3. Pray
Really, this should be number 1 and number 3 and number 5… Even before searching the Scriptures, you should pray. However, I’m putting this here at number 3 because of the type of prayer I’m suggesting. Pray for wisdom, discernment, and guidance. If after searching the Scriptures for an answer, you still feel unsure. Pray specifically for God to lead you to an answer and give you peace about it. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” – James 1:5

4. Seek Wise Counsel
Call your pastor, and elder, your parents, an older friend. Seek out someone you know has wisdom and tends to give good advice. Talk it over with them and pray with them. Sometimes people who are removed from the situation can see the situation more clearly. Sometimes our desires and connections can cloud our judgment.

5. Make a Decision and Ask God to Bless It
Sometimes, even after searching the Bible, praying, and talking with others we still aren’t sure. In those situations, sometimes it’s best to just decide and ask God to bless that decision. Since you have already searched the Scriptures, prayed, and talked with wise friends, you likely aren’t facing something that is clearly morally wrong. In fact, it’s likely just a decision of preference. Do I take a promotion? Should I ask for a raise? Should I take on a certain project? etc.

There may not be a right and wrong answer. It may just be a choice. I believe that many of the decisions we lose sleep over are just preferences. The reason we don’t sense a clear answer is because God’s answer is, “Do either. You can choose.” I see this a lot when people are questioning whether to take a job offer or stay in their current position. I tell them it’s not a moral question. Take it if you want or don’t. Just serve God in either position.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck February 12, 2020

Special Posts evangelism, Witness

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Witnessing at Work

Being a Witness at Work

God blesses us with both the ability to work and the opportunity to work. These blessings are not just for us, though. They are also for those whom we serve and for those who see the light of Christ in us. Which brings up the question…

How do I share Jesus at work?

The first way we shine the light of Christ in the workplace is through our actions. When we work hard, go the extra mile to serve others, have integrity, and treat others with kindness and respect regardless of their position or demeanor, we shine. Similarly, when our language, jokes, etc. are appropriate and not coarse, demeaning or hurtful, we shine. When we help our coworkers, forgive them, and speak highly of them to others and avoid gossip and trashing others, we shine.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

Usually, when people ask about how to witness at work, they are referring specifically to talking to others about Jesus. This is good to do as well, but we first need to consider our actions as mentioned above. If we are dishonest or hurtful, etc., it will affect our ability to witness to others with our words.

That said, it’s good to endeavor to talk with others about Jesus. However, in our current culture, we have to be conscious and creative about how we do this. Even though we live in a country with freedom of religion, some companies treat talking about religion as harassment. So, here are some tips about talking about Jesus with others at or from your workplace.

It shouldn’t interfere with your work. Understanding our job as a vocation/calling from God helps here. We shouldn’t neglect our job or allow evangelism to interfere with our work. As an extreme example, if you are a salesman in a clothing store, you don’t greet customers with, “Do you believe in Jesus?” Serve them by helping them find clothes.

Pray. God is the one who creates faith. Pray for your coworkers. Pray for yourself.

Develop relationships. Sharing about Jesus can be done with a complete stranger, but people are usually more willing to listen when you first have a relationship with them. Shine through your actions, kindness, and friendliness. Develop relationships. Maybe even extend those relationships to doing things outside of work. Within those relationships look for ways to talk about Jesus.

Ask for permission. I don’t mean from your boss. Rather, if you are talking with a coworker at lunch and a subject comes up where there is a good opportunity to talk about Jesus, ask if they mind if you talk about your faith. For example, a coworker mentions that they can’t believe how you can be friendly with your manager even though he’s disagreeable most of the time. You respond, “Well, it’s because I believe in Jesus. Do you mind if I explain how Jesus changes how I treat our manager?” Most people will say they don’t mind. That opens up the conversation and prevents many misunderstandings.

Know your rights. Some companies have an unspoken (or maybe spoken) no-religion rule. They may caution employees or flat-out tell them not to talk about religion or they may be fired. Your religious freedoms do extend into the workplace, though there are nuances. Take a little time to understand your rights. This article can be helpful. https://aclj.org/free-speech-2/christian-rights-in-the-workplace If you run into issues from talking about Jesus, pray for wisdom and respond respectfully.

God bless!

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck February 11, 2020

Special Posts evangelism, Witness, Work

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Week 2 – Jesus in Our Workplace

Week 2 - Jesus in our workplace

Faith Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL
Sermon for February 9, 2020
Pastor Kurt Steinbrueck

Series Overview:

This is the second week of the sermon series, “Jesus in Our Lives.” This series takes a practical look at how having Jesus in our lives changes our lives. How does Jesus change our perspectives, attitudes, and actions?

The series will look at Jesus in four contexts of our lives:

Home
Work
School (both parents and students)
and Neighborhoods.

Today’s message focused on Jesus in Our Workplace.

How does believing in Jesus change our perspective, attitude, and behavior at work?

Click the above link to watch the message. This week was a dinner service at Faith. So, the message was more of a conversion.

Below are some sermon notes:

Sermon Text:

Ephesians 6:5-9
Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

Work is a blessing.
The Bible doesn’t distinguish between church work and secular work. All work is a calling from God in which we serve others to bring glory to God’s name.
Understanding our work is a calling from God and we are serving Him in that work changes our perspective of our job. It gives us purpose and mission. We can deal with less-than-pleasant bosses, co-workers, and customers because we are doing it for Jesus.
This also affects our behavior which means we may act differently than others. How?
We work hard and go the extra mile. (Sidenote: We work hard, but find a good balance between work, family, and health)
We are honest, even when it’s hard.
We take a stand against things at work that are contrary to God’s Word. For example, if our sales manager tells us to lie about a product to sell more. We refuse.
We know that God is bigger than our job. He is with us when we work and, if we lose our job, He will carry us through that situation as well.
We treat all people with respect and dignity, trying to help them, not stomping over them for our benefit. This includes, especially, those who are in lower positions.
All these behaviors shine the light of Jesus.
We also look for opportunities to tell others about Jesus, but we do so carefully (considering our current cultural environment) and without compromising our work.
In all these things, we give thanks to God for the blessing of work, His provision through our job, and our opportunity to serve others in His name.

God bless!

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Visit us at https://faithwesleychapel.com/
Follow us at facebook.com/FaithWesleyChapel/

Join us for worship this Sunday at 4 pm.

We use the dance studio at Song and Dance to hold worship services.

Song and Dance, Inc.
27221 Foamflower Blvd.
Wesley Chapel, FL 33544

See you Sunday and God bless!

For more sermon videos please visit our Service Archive.

Kurt Steinbrueck February 8, 2020

Special Posts 4th Commandment, Caring for the aging, Honor Parents

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Honor Your Father and Mother…Even as Adults

Honor Your Father and Mother...Even as Adults

As we explored Jesus in our Homes, one of the concepts we discussed was how God affects the parent-child relationship. Whenever I mention the 4th Commandment, “Honor Your Father and Your Mother” I always hear cheers from parents. Last week, I think I heard someone ask me to say again, louder. 🙂

The command, however, doesn’t stop at age 18. Adults are still called to honor their parents. Jesus even addresses this in Matthew:

Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

8 “‘This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me;

9 in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

– Matthew 15:1-9

Korban:

There was a practice in the Jewish church of proclaiming things or money to be Korban or dedicated to God. It would be given to the temple. If the gift was substantial, the person may gain some notoriety for being generous and devout. Think of it as if someone donated a million dollars for a new building for the church. Everyone is impressed by their generosity and dedication.

The practice of declaring things Korban was all well and good, just like giving to the church is good, but the problem was that there were people declaring their money Korban instead of caring for their aging parents. So, they gained the notoriety and honor of being generous and devout while allowing their parents to suffer in want.

Jesus rightly points out the hypocrisy of this. You aren’t being devout if you aren’t honoring and caring for your mother and father as the Commandment requires. While Jesus was addressing the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders and the priority of God’s commands over man’s traditions, we also see that the 4th Commandment still applies in adulthood and that God cares about how we, as adult children, treat our parents.

How Do We Honor Our Parents As Adults

Obviously, the parent-child relationship changes as we enter into adulthood. Parents switch to being advisors more than ones who issue commands for their children to obey. However, we are still to respect, love, and care for our parents. So, we speak well of them, listen to them, and show proper respect to them.

I understand that some parental relationships are better than others and some parents live out their vocation as parents better than others, but God has still placed them in that vocation and we are still called to respect the position God has placed them in. As much as possible, we should try to keep contact and maintain a good relationship with them. We are also to care for them as they age and need assistance.

Caring For Our Parents:

Caring for our parents will look different depending on your situation. Things like your family/living situation, their desires, and their needs will all affect what the best means will be for you to care for your parents.

As much as possible, we want to allow our parents to maintain their dignity and pride. So, we try not to treat them as children, although sometimes as mental faculties decrease you may need to do so.

For some, caring for your parents will mean bringing them into your home. For others, caring for your parents will mean finding a good assisted living facility or nursing home. Some parents may still live in their own homes, but need help around the house. None of these are commanded or forbidden by Scripture. The Scriptures say we are to care for them, but not how we should do that.

You may find that living together works well for you. You may also determine that you are unable to provide the care your parents need in your home. I also know some seasoned citizens who prefer to live in an assisted living facility because they can make friends and do activities. This decision is a matter of prayer and loving discussion between you, your family, and your parents.

Speaking of prayer, pray for your parents. Pray for their health and pray for their faith. If they don’t know the Lord, pray that they would come to know Him through the witness of your care or your conversations. Pray for wisdom and discernment for both of you as you make these decisions. Pray for yourself and your family as you make adjustments and sacrifices in the care of your parents. Pray.

Finally, I would encourage you to include your parents, when possible, in a type of family devotion. This may include your children (their grandchildren) or just you and them. Pray with them. Read the Bible with them. Talk about God with them. They are going through a lot of changes and need the strength and assurance of Christ. You, too, may be dealing with some difficult times seeing your parents struggle. You, too, need the strength and assurance of Christ.

Whatever decisions you make in the care of your parents, the goal is to show love and respect while making sure your parents are well cared for. Your love will show them God’s love and will make what can be a frightening and frustrating transition easier. They will know you love them. They will know God loves them. Together, you can experience the joy of Christ in your homes.

God bless!

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

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