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Thanksgiving

25 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 8
Kurt Steinbrueck
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25 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 8

    Day 8: Thank you, Lord, For...Protection

    A welcome message from Pastor Kurt:

    In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen!

    As you begin your time of devotion, today, I invite you to take a minute or two to click the link below and watch the video of a Psalm below and settle your heart and focus your mind on the Lord. Feel free to watch as much or as little of the video as you want.

    Click to Watch the Psalm 28 Video

    Today’s Devotional Message from Pastor Kurt:

    Let’s conclude today’s devotion with a time of prayer.

    Heavenly Father,

    You protect me day and night. You never sleep and never slumber. Help me to remember that You are always watching over me. When I start to feel afraid for myself or my loved ones, cause me to come to You in prayer and give me Your peace.

    Protect me each and every day, not only from physical dangers, but spiritual dangers as well and help me to always trust that You will protect me even from death.

    Thank You for Your protection.

    (Take this time to pray whatever is on your heart.)

    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

    In Christ’s Service,

    Pastor Kurt

    Faith Lutheran Church, Wesley Chapel, FL
    Worship services on Sundays at 11am
    27221 Foamflower Blvd. Wesley Chapel, FL 33544
    (813) 602-1104

    25 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 7
    Kurt Steinbrueck
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    0

    25 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 7

      Day 7: Thank you, Lord, For...Life

      A welcome message from Pastor Kurt:

      In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen!

      As you begin your time of devotion, today, I invite you to take a minute or two to click the link below and watch the video of a Psalm below and settle your heart and focus your mind on the Lord. Feel free to watch as much or as little of the video as you want.

      Click to Watch the Psalm 95 Video

      Today’s Devotional Message from Pastor Kurt:

      Let’s conclude today’s devotion with a time of prayer.

      Today’s video included a closing prayer. You can continue that prayer by thanking God for your life and various aspects of your life.

      (Take this time to pray whatever is on your heart.)

      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

      In Christ’s Service,

      Pastor Kurt

      Faith Lutheran Church, Wesley Chapel, FL
      Worship services on Sundays at 11am
      27221 Foamflower Blvd. Wesley Chapel, FL 33544
      (813) 602-1104

      25 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 6
      Kurt Steinbrueck
      ,
      0

      25 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 6

        Day 6: Thank you, Lord, For...What You Have Done

        A welcome message from Pastor Kurt:

        In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen!

        As you begin your time of devotion, today, I invite you to take a minute or two to click the link below and watch the video of a Psalm below and settle your heart and focus your mind on the Lord. Feel free to watch as much or as little of the video as you want.

        Click to Watch the Psalm 100 & 101 Video

        Today’s Devotional Message from Pastor Kurt:

        (I apologize for the video quality. My normal camera died and I am working on replacing it. Thank you for understanding!)

        Let’s conclude today’s devotion with a time of prayer.

        Heavenly Father,

        You have performed mighty works. You have done great things in my life and the lives of those I know as well as throughout history.

        I praise You for Your mighty deeds in my life…

        (Take time to thank God for what He has done and is doing in your life.)

        I praise You for Your mighty deeds in the lives of those I know…

        (Take time to thank God for what He has done and is doing in the lives of those you know.)

        I praise You for Your mighty deeds You have performed in history and continue to this day…

        (Take time to thank God for what He has done in history and even now.)

        (Take this time to pray whatever is on your heart.)

        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

        In Christ’s Service,

        Pastor Kurt

        Faith Lutheran Church, Wesley Chapel, FL
        Worship services on Sundays at 11am
        27221 Foamflower Blvd. Wesley Chapel, FL 33544
        (813) 602-1104

        25 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 5
        Kurt Steinbrueck
        ,
        0

        25 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 5

          Day 5: Thank you, Lord, For...Listening To Our Prayers

          A welcome message from Pastor Kurt:

          In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen!

          As you begin your time of devotion, today, I invite you to take a minute or two to click the link below and watch the video of a Psalm below and settle your heart and focus your mind on the Lord. Feel free to watch as much or as little of the video as you want.

          Click to Watch the Psalm 138 Video

          Today’s Devotional Message from Pastor Kurt:

          (I apologize for the video quality. My normal camera died and I am working on replacing it. Thank you for understanding!)

          Let’s conclude today’s devotion with a time of prayer.

          Heavenly Father,

          Thank You that You listen to our prayers. You don’t just put up with our prayers, but actually, ask us to pray and bring You everything. I am amazed that I can speak to the God of the Universe and that You love to hear me.

          Draw me to You every day in prayer. Help me to bring You everything in prayer, both needs and praises, and not as a last resort, but as the first thing I want to do.

          As I come to You in prayer, give me Your peace, knowing that You are good and wise and will answer my prayers in the best way possible.

          (Take this time to pray whatever is on your heart.)

          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

          In Christ’s Service,

          Pastor Kurt

          Faith Lutheran Church, Wesley Chapel, FL
          Worship services on Sundays at 11am
          27221 Foamflower Blvd. Wesley Chapel, FL 33544
          (813) 602-1104

          25 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 4
          Kurt Steinbrueck
          ,
          0

          25 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 4

            Day 4: Thank you, Lord, For...Your Word

            A welcome message from Pastor Kurt:

            In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen!

            As you begin your time of devotion, today, I invite you to take a minute or two to click the link below and watch the video of a Psalm below and settle your heart and focus your mind on the Lord. Feel free to watch as much or as little of the video as you want.

            Click to Watch the Psalm 148 Video

            Today’s Devotional Message from Pastor Kurt:

            (I apologize for the video quality. My normal camera died and I am working on replacing it. Thank you for understanding!)

            Let’s conclude today’s devotion with a time of prayer.

            Heavenly Father,

            Thank You for Your Word! In Your Word You show us who we are, who You are, and about Your wonderful plan of salvation. You also guide us in our lives as Your people.

            You also tell us that Your Word is living and active. It changes us. Draw me to Your Word every day that I might be strengthened by it and changed and that I might remain steadfast in Your truth and Your salvation. Then guide me in my life according to Your great wisdom.

            (Take this time to pray whatever is on your heart.)

            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

            In Christ’s Service,

            Pastor Kurt

            Faith Lutheran Church, Wesley Chapel, FL
            Worship services on Sundays at 11am
            27221 Foamflower Blvd. Wesley Chapel, FL 33544
            (813) 602-1104

            25 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 3
            Kurt Steinbrueck
            ,
            0

            25 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 3

              Thank You, Lord, for...Providing For Our Daily Needs

              A welcome message from Pastor Kurt:

              In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen!

              As you begin your time of devotion, today, I invite you to take a minute or two to click the link below and watch the video of a Psalm below and settle your heart and focus your mind on the Lord. Feel free to watch as much or as little of the video as you want.

              Click to Watch the Psalm 96 Video

              Today’s Devotional Message from Pastor Kurt:

              (I apologize for the video quality. My normal camera died and I am working on replacing it. Thank you for understanding!)

              Let’s conclude today’s devotion with a time of prayer.

              Heavenly Father,

              You provide all that we need for life. I thank You for my home, food, health, and so many other things.

              Yet, You provide even more than just my daily needs. You provide for my eternal needs, giving Your very body and blood in Your blessed meal and giving righteousness to those who hunger and thirst for it.

              (Take this time to pray whatever is on your heart.)

              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

              In Christ’s Service,

              Pastor Kurt

              Faith Lutheran Church, Wesley Chapel, FL
              Worship services on Sundays at 11am
              27221 Foamflower Blvd. Wesley Chapel, FL 33544
              (813) 602-1104

              The Hidden Benefactor
              Kurt Steinbrueck
              0

              The Hidden Benefactor

                The Hidden Benefactor

                “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” – James 1:17

                Have you ever received a gift from someone who remained anonymous?

                I remember my parents telling me about a time when I was very young. Money was tight, but my parents were creative in finding ways to stretch a dollar. They had managed to save a little for a trip and our family was on our way for a few days in Orlando when the transmission of our car went out. They had it fixed in Lakeland & charged it to their credit card, wondering how they would pay the bill.

                When we got back home in Dunedin, my Dad, who was a DCE (youth director), went into the church office. The Pastor wondered why he was back in the office so soon. The Pastor then said that there was an envelope in the offering for my father. There was $500 in it! The charge for the car repair was $400. They gave $50 to the church and had a little left over for a family outing.

                Maybe you’ve experienced something similar.

                Provision Before the Need
                I also remember a time when I was working as an assistant campus minister just after college. I lived off of donations and earned just enough to get by each month.

                One October morning I was asked to have lunch with the pastor from a nearby church. During lunch, he asked me if I’d be willing to lead the music at their church for a time while they searched for a long-term music minister. They offered to pay me $150 a week. I agreed and started the next month. One month after that, the donations I was receiving each month decreased by $600/month. If I hadn’t been offered the music job, I wouldn’t have been able to pay the bills.

                The Hidden Benefactor
                Whether you receive a gift from an anonymous donor or someone who is known…Whether it’s a gift or a job or even just the fact that there is toilet paper available in the store, it’s all from our Father in Heaven. He is the hidden benefactor behind every good and perfect gift in our lives.

                Luther described it as God acting behind masks. You see the person giving the gift, but God is behind that person having done that. You see it as a job from XYZ company, but God is the one who provided that opportunity. He works through the hands of farmers, parents, friends, and even the earth itself. He provides for everything we need for life and salvation. 

                In all things, we can be thankful to God.

                Heavenly Father,

                You have provided for me in so many ways. Help me to always remember that, even when I don’t see you working, You are working to give me everything I need. Give me a grateful and generous heart.

                Amen.

                In Christ’s Service,

                Pastor Kurt

                Thankful for Service
                Kurt Steinbrueck
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                0

                Thankful for Service

                  Thankful for Service

                  “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” – Colossians 3:17

                  Have you ever felt thankful to serve someone else?

                  It may sound a little strange. After all, we usually like to be the ones who are being served. Yet, we can give thanks for being able to serve others.

                  Audio Adrenaline
                  I remember when I was in high school some friends of mine got an opportunity to help the band Audio Adrenaline set up for a concert. They were so excited. Why? I mean, it meant they would have to lug heavy speakers and other equipment for hours. Strange. However, that’s not how they were thinking about it.

                  For them, it was an opportunity to meet and spend time with one of their favorite bands. They would get to see what they were really like. They would get to see all the behind-the-scenes aspects of putting on a concert. They didn’t care if they had to do some heavy labor in the process.

                  The Joy of Service
                  Sure, service can feel like a burden at times, but when we set our mind on love and the one who loves us, service can be a great joy. I think of the joy of serving a child or a couple in love serving one another. It is because of service that we get to experience the joy of giving.

                  Jesus also felt this joy.

                  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:1-2

                  He served us. He suffered and died for us. Yet, He gladly did it for the joy set before Him. So, let us set our eyes on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith so that we may serve others with the joy of Christ in our hearts.

                  Dear Jesus,

                  You served me and continue to serve me even when I’m ungrateful and rebellious. Thank You. Help me to always have a heart of thanksgiving and to serve others with joy.

                  Amen.

                  In Christ’s Service,

                  Pastor Kurt

                  Thankful for Faith
                  Kurt Steinbrueck
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                  Thankful for Faith

                    Thankful for Faith

                    “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” – Colossians 2:6-7

                    In what or whom have you put your faith?

                    Does it sound strange to thank God for faith? Isn’t that what we do?

                    Normally, we think about putting trust or faith in something and it’s something we decide to do. You may trust a good friend, your parents, a mentor, or your spouse, but that trust is something you choose to do.

                    Why would we thank God for faith?

                    The Bible tells us that faith in God is different from the faith or trust we may put in someone else. For everyone else, our trust is a choice. However, when it comes to God, the Bible tells us God gives us that faith.

                    As Jesus told Peter after Peter confessed Jesus was the Son of God:

                    “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” –  Matthew 16:17

                    Or as we are told in Ephesians:

                    “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9

                    So, yes, we can be thankful to God for our faith because our faith is not of ourselves. It is a gift of God.

                    The Peace of the Gift
                    This gift has a significant effect on our lives. If you are like me, there are days when you feel like your faith is rock solid and days when your faith feels less secure than the shifting sands of the shore. You may look at your life right now and think back to a time when you committed your life to the Lord and think, “Did I really mean it?”

                    Or you may wonder, “Am I constantly slipping between having saving faith and being condemned?”

                    When the devil brings these thoughts to mind, tell him that it was God who called you and created faith in your heart and that nothing can separate you from the love you have in Christ Jesus.

                    “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-29

                    Heavenly Father,

                    Thank You for giving me faith. Thank You for holding me in that faith. Continue to hold me in the faith until Christ’s return.

                    Amen.

                    In Christ’s Service,

                    Pastor Kurt

                    Thankful for Love
                    Kurt Steinbrueck
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                    0

                    Thankful for Love

                      Thankful for Love

                      “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” – Psalm 100:4-5

                      Who do you love?

                      Who loves you?

                      Love is a wonderful thing. When we experience love from others it brings joy, comfort, and peace. Love is also amazing that even when it is you who does the loving, it benefits you as well.

                      Love Is From God
                      As a pastor, I spend a lot of time talking about the love of God (and I will later in this devotion), but right now I want to talk about the love we show to each other. I don’t want to talk about this as a command (go love people), but as a gift.

                      God is love and if we love others it is because of God’s love working in us. We all appreciate it when we are loved. That is a gift from God. He could, technically, have created a world without love, but that was not what He wanted. He wants us to experience love and the joy, peace, comfort, and provision that comes from love.

                      When we experience love from someone, we can thank God!

                      • When a mother comforts their crying child, thank the Lord!
                      • When a father teaches his child right from wrong, thank God!
                      • When a friend sacrifices for their friend, praise God!
                      • When a child cares for their aging parent, praise the Lord!

                      I could go on and on. What a wonderful gift love is!

                      God Loves Us Even More
                      Consider this. When we experience love from each other, it is just a taste of the love we receive from God. The love between people is wonderful, but God’s love is even better!

                      Our love is finite, His is eternal. Our love is corrupted by selfishness and sin, God’s is selfless and perfect. Our love is often conditional, the Lord’s is unconditional. Praise the Lord!

                      This Thanksgiving may look a little different for many of us, but whether you are able to gather with others or not, love is still there. You’re loved ones still love you, even if they aren’t in the same room with you. God is also with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He loves you.

                      Heavenly Father,

                      Your love is greater than anything we can imagine. Thank You for loving me. Thank you, also, for those who love me and my ability to love others. 

                      Amen.

                      Happy Thanksgiving!!

                      In Christ’s Service,

                      Pastor Kurt

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