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Take a Breath
Kurt Steinbrueck
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Take a Breath

    Take a Breath

    “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” – Ephesians 4:1-3

    Have you ever felt like someone was jumping down your throat?

    It can be tough sometimes when we see others doing things we don’t like or which we think are wrong. The temptation can be to complain or jump in and tell them everything they are doing wrong.

    Sometimes, perhaps most of the time, it helps to step back for a moment, take a breath, and think about how we would want someone to treat us.

    In Ephesians 4 we are told to be humble, gentle, and patient and bear with one another. That doesn’t mean ignore. It means to handle the situation with gentleness and understanding and be patient as you work through it…just like you would want someone to do with you…just like God does with you.

    Psalm 103:8-13

    The Lord is merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
    He will not always chide,
    nor will he keep his anger forever.
    10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.
    For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
    as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
    As a father shows compassion to his children,
    so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

    God could reach down and smack you every time you make a bad choice, but He doesn’t. He doesn’t ignore sin, but He is patient, gentle, and forgiving.

    Heavenly Father,

    You are patient. You forgive me when I fall. Thank you for Your mercy. Help me to show the same love, mercy, and gentleness with others.

    Amen

    In Christ’s Service,

    Pastor Kurt

    What is Love?
    Kurt Steinbrueck
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    What is Love?

      What is love?

      “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” – John 13:34

      What is love? (Do you hear the Haddaway song in your head? Sorry 😉 )

      • Is love an emotion?
      • Is love a Characteristic?
      • Or is love an action?

       

      Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

      “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

      Notice that everything in the list describing love is an action. Love is a characteristic, but one that always shows itself in action. It can have an emotion behind it, but that doesn’t define it.

      In fact, I’m always inspired to see a person show someone love when they don’t feel like or when the person doesn’t deserve it.

      Jesus showed us love when we didn’t deserve it. He died for us. He loved first, so we can now love each other. So, we can show love when others don’t deserve it because Jesus did just that for us.

      Dear Jesus,

      Thank you for loving me when I didn’t deserve it. Help me to love others as you have loved me.

      Amen

      In Christ’s Service,

      Pastor Kurt

      The Other Six

      How To Use These Posts

      The Other Six is a short, daily devotional blog post. You can use these posts for personal devotions, however, I’m also going to write them in such a way that you could use them for family devotions. I’ll include a Bible verse, questions and/or discussion points, and a closing prayer. I highly encourage you to do these devotions with your family or friends if possible.

      Enjoy!

      Love and Honor
      Kurt Steinbrueck
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      Love and Honor

        Love and honor

        “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” – Romans 12:10

        What are some of the things in life that frustrate you? Are there people who irritate you?

        In Romans 12:10 we are told to love one another and honor others above ourselves. This is easier said than done. However, it’s amazing what can happen when we do it. People are encouraged and feel loved.

        One of the things I love about this text is that it doesn’t just say to honor one another or even honor one another above yourselves. It says to outdo one another in showing honor.

        First, it makes it a friendly competition. That tends to get us motivated. Second, it prevents us from being done.

        If we were just to honor others, we could say, “I showed honor to Bob last week. Check. That’s done.” When we are told to outdo one another in showing honor, I have to keep looking for new ways to honor Bob.

        Who are some people you could be honoring? How can you honor someone today?

        Dear Jesus,

        Thank You for loving me and serving me. Help me to love others and serve them. Help me to see people the way You do, as valuable and lovable and then to show them honor in Your name.

        Amen

        In Christ’s Service,

        Pastor Kurt

        The Other Six

        How To Use These Posts

        The Other Six is a short, daily devotional blog post. You can use these posts for personal devotions, however, I’m also going to write them in such a way that you could use them for family devotions. I’ll include a Bible verse, questions and/or discussion points, and a closing prayer. I highly encourage you to do these devotions with your family or friends if possible.

        Enjoy!

        Love Because You Are Loved
        Kurt Steinbrueck
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        Love Because You Are Loved

          Love because you are loved

          “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” – Ephesians 5:1-2

          What is the command in this passage and what is the Gospel message?

          When God tells us to love with sacrificial love, He does so in light of the sacrificial love Jesus showed us. As Jesus said in Mark:

          “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45

          More than once I have said a “do as I say not as I do” statement to my kids. This is not one of those statements. This is a “do as I did and still do” statement. Jesus loved us before we loved Him (Praise God!), so He tells us to love others even when they aren’t loving towards us.

          Heavenly Father,

          Thank You for the amazing sacrifice of Your Son and for making me Your beloved child by that sacrifice. Help me to love others as You have loved and continue to love me.

          Amen

          In Christ’s Service,

          Pastor Kurt

          The Other Six

          How To Use These Posts

          The Other Six is a short, daily devotional blog post. You can use these posts for personal devotions, however, I’m also going to write them in such a way that you could use them for family devotions. I’ll include a Bible verse, questions and/or discussion points, and a closing prayer. I highly encourage you to do these devotions with your family or friends if possible.

          Enjoy!

          Know Your Neighbor
          Kimberly
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          Know Your Neighbor

          Know Your Neighbor

          Faith Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL
          Sermon for September 29, 2019
          Pastor Kurt Steinbrueck
          Visit us at https://faithwesleychapel.com/
          Follow us at facebook.com/FaithWesleyChapel/

          Join us for worship this Sunday at 4pm

          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.

          Service Archive
          Service Archive
          Service Archive
          We Are the Church – We Love Each Other
          Kurt Steinbrueck
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          We Are the Church – We Love Each Other

            We are the church - We love each other

            “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” – 1 Peter 4:8-11

            Love each other deeply. What a wonderful sentence! As those who are called according to God’s good will, raised to life in Christ, and living with the Spirit of the Triune God within us, we are the church. As the church, we are to love each other…deeply.

            We often speak in the church of loving our neighbors and loving the poor and others outside the church and this is good; however, the Bible frequently speaks of brothers and sisters in Christ loving each other. Unfortunately, this is something we struggle with, but why?

            Sinners and Saints
            Simply put, we are all saints in Christ, but still sinners as well. That sinful nature and the sins it bears churn up trouble. We are tempted to gossip, belittle, hold a grudge, be selfish, etc. by our sinful nature and sometimes we give in.

            We are saints, too, though. The Spirit is living and working within us. So, how do we find a way to truly love each other…to love each other deeply?

            • Get to know each other – Let’s face it. Sunday is great, but there’s not much opportunity on Sunday morning to develop real, deep relationships. Get together at other times. Meet up for lunch or coffee. Join a small group ministry. Make a point to connect with each other and really share each other’s lives.
            • Make time for each other – In the U.S. we tend to pack our lives so full of obligations that we don’t have time for each other’s “inconvenient” struggles. Look for ways to lighten the load and make time both for each other and for yourself. Rest is a wonderful time (note to self, work on this.)
            • Be financially wise – If there’s one thing I learned from Dave Ramsey and his Financial Peace University program, it’s that there are always ways to cut our expenses. Half the time, we don’t even realize how much we spend. Sometimes that are also ways to increase our earnings relatively quickly and easily. By being financially wise, we can not only put ourselves in a better financial position, but we can have something extra which we can use to provide for our brothers and sisters in need.
            • Connect to the source of love – God is love. Spend more time with Him in prayer, Bible reading, and worship and ask Him to open your heart to love others more.
            • Share your life – One of the best ways to get someone to open up and share about their life is to open up and share about your own life. Try it.
            • Be willing to take a risk – The truth is that loving others is risky. We open ourselves up to pain, betrayal, and more. However, the risk is worth it. Enjoy the good times, forgive the betrayal, and accept that there may be pain, but that person is worth it.

             

            Let’s start, today. How often have we thought about something, but put it off and then never get to it? So, let’s begin, now. Pray about it and then try reaching out to a friend in Christ and invite them to lunch or a coffee. Share a little more during that time than the normal surfacy stuff. You may find that it doesn’t take very long to start to have a deep connection in Christ. Then you are well on your way to loving each other deeply.

            Heavenly Father,

            You love us deeply, more than we can possibly imagine. Fill us with Your love and help us to love each other deeply.

            Amen.

            “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” – Romans 12:10-13

            In Christ’s Service,

            Pastor Kurt

            There is No Greater Love Than This…
            Kurt Steinbrueck
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            There is No Greater Love Than This…

            There is No Greater Love Than This…

            “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” – John 15:13

            In the United States, we enjoy a great many freedoms. These freedoms can, at times, become so normal to us that we forget how unusual they really are in the world and certainly in the history of the world.

            We get to have a say in our government. We have the freedom to associate with whomever we wish. We have the right to due process. Even the fact that I can freely write about Jesus in this blog without fear of arrest or worse is a freedom that many people around the world do not have.

            Unfortunately, these freedoms often come at a high cost, the lives of the men and women who voluntarily fought to defend our nation and protect it and us from threats.

            Yes, our system isn’t perfect. How could it be? It’s was developed by sinners, is run by sinners, and governs a whole bunch of sinners. None-the-less, there is much for which we can be thankful.

            For all the men and women who serve in the military, police, and as first responders. Thank you for your service and may the Lord watch over you and protect you.

            For all the men and women who have given their lives in service to our nation. Thank you. May the Lord comfort and strengthen your families May we, as Christ’s church, be the hands and feet that show you the love of Jesus.

              In Christ’s Service,

              Pastor Kurt

              I Love You Mom and Dad
              Kurt Steinbrueck
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              I Love You Mom and Dad

              I Love You Mom and Dad

              “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” – Exodus 20:12

              God provides for us and cares for us and He typically does this through His creation. One of the best examples of this is parents. Through a child’s mother and father, God provides food and shelter. He gives comfort and nurturing. He teaches and admonishes. Because of this God has given parents a special place of honor.

              As children (even adult children), we are to honor our parents. This means we are to love them, treat them with respect, listen to them, and obey them. This isn’t always easy, but it is good for us and for society. This honoring comes with a promise as Paul points out in Ephesians 6.

              “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.'” – Ephesians 6:1-3

              There are both spiritual and earthly aspects of this blessing. On the one hand, God promises to bless us as we honor our parents. That is the spiritual aspect of the blessing.

              We also see several practical earthly blessings. These include gaining wisdom for life, having an orderly society, and (hopefully) learning about Jesus and being raised in the faith as we grow up.

              To be sure, parents aren’t perfect. Paul even recognizes this in Ephesians as he immediately follows the previous passage with, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

              Our parent’s sins can, at times, make it more difficult to honor them, but their sin doesn’t change the command for us to honor them. Yes, there may be times when we can’t fully obey them if they demand something against God’s Word, but we can still show love and respect and give forgiveness. That love, respect, and forgiveness can lead to opportunities for restored relationships and the opportunity to share Christ.

              Dear Jesus,

              Thank you for my parents. Help me to love and honor them. Help me to forgive them when they sin.

              Amen.

              In Christ’s Service,

              Pastor Kurt

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                Visit Faith This Week
                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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