trust in God Archives - Faith Lutheran Church, Wesley Chapel

Kurt Steinbrueck February 12, 2021

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The Question That Never Came Up

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” – Hebrews 13:5

Are you worried? Are you content?

This past summer, my family went on a vacation up to the mountains. We drove up to the mountains, purchased food, and did lots of fun things. My kids asked what we were going to do on any given day, they asked what was for dinner, and even asked about the water flow of a river. The one question I was never asked…

Can we afford this?

Why didn’t my kids ask about that? They didn’t ask because they didn’t worry about that. That’s Mom and Dad’s department. The thought doesn’t even enter their heads. There is one, question, however, that did come up.

Can I have that…and that…and that?

Why did that question come up? They asked because they want more. Sure, they were on vacation, their bellies were full, and they were surrounded by beautiful views, but that’s not enough.

I’d love to say that question never comes to my mind, but I suffer from the same issue. I want more. That car looks nicer. That TV is bigger. Steak would taste better than beans and rice. The truth, however, is that I have more than enough.

I also must confess that, unlike my kids, I have worried about our finances from time to time. What did that worry get me? Not much other than less sleep. One way or another, God has always taken care of us.

Be Content and Do Not Worry
God wants us to both be content with what we have and not worry about tomorrow. While contentment and worry seem to be opposites, they are really two sides of the same coin (pun intended). They both focus on money.

God wants us to focus on something else, to love something else…or rather, someONE else. He wants us to look to Him. We don’t have to worry about tomorrow and we can trust that what we have today is enough. Why? Because God is good and He will never leave us nor forsake us.

It’s all about trust.

Worry doesn’t trust that God can and will provide. Discontent doesn’t trust that God is really good, that what He has provided is enough.

Both worry and discontentment rob us of joy.

On the other hand, when we trust that God will provide and that, whether much or little, what He has provided is good, then we can relax. We can rest in the peace of God and enjoy what God has given us, knowing that He is good and He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Heavenly Father,

I confess that, at times, I have worried about tomorrow or not been satisfied with what you provided today. Please forgive me. Help me to trust that You are good and You will always provide what I need and never leave my side.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck February 1, 2021

Blog grace, prayer, trust, trust in God

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His Grace Is Sufficient

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9

Have you ever asked God to remove a struggle or problem in your life?

What happened?

That’s exactly what Paul is writing about 2 Corinthians 12:9. He had a problem and he asked God to take it away.

“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.” – 2 Corinthians 12:7-8

God’s answer, “My grace is sufficient for you,” may seem harsh to us. It may have felt like a gut-punch to Paul. Here he was pleading with God and God says no.

We Aren’t God
What we have to realize, though, is that God knows more than us and is wiser than we are. We know that what we are dealing with is difficult and hurts. We think,

“Surely, taking away this thing that makes me feel so terrible must be good.”

What if it isn’t? What if taking that struggle away from you will result in much worse happening? What if it would result in you becoming more distant from God or even falling away?

My kids don’t like getting vaccination shots. They hurt and my children can’t “see” what would happen to them if they got one of the diseases the vaccines will help prevent. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “I don’t want to get a shot!” or “Please don’t make me go to the doctor!”

Yet, I do make them go and get the shots. It’s not because I don’t care or dislike them. Quite the contrary. It’s because I love my children. I love them enough to let them suffer when that suffering is for their good.

God is good and God loves you.

Much more than I love my children, God loves you. Much wiser than I may be to get my kids vaccinated, God’s wisdom works in your life, but it’s a hard truth to hear.

God loves you enough to allow you to suffer.

God doesn’t just not answer Paul or even give the simple answer, “No.” He tells Him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” This is important. He is showing Paul that He did, indeed, hear Paul’s prayer and He is answering. He also explains that what Paul is going through is ultimately for good.

Suffering to Joy
God doesn’t always answer us with a “yes,” but He always hears our prayers and He always answers. The answer may be “yes,” “no,” or “wait,” but there is always an answer and that answer is always good and perfect. When we realize God is working for good even in our suffering, our suffering can bring joy.

We can say along with Paul,

“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Heavenly Father,

There are things in my life I would rather not have to endure right now. I ask You to remove them. However, I trust that You are good, You are wise, and You love me. So, I say, “Thank you,” no matter what Your answer. If Your answer is “no” or “wait,” give me the patience and strength to endure and help me to trust You that this is best, even the point of grateful and joyous for your work in my suffering.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck October 13, 2020

Blog trust in God

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All the Time?

“Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” – Psalm 62:8

When do you trust God?

Do you trust Him when things are going the way you want? How about when things are not going the way you want?

The other day I told my 3-year-old it was time to take a nap. He immediately fell to the ground and started whining, “But I want to keep playing!” I told him I understood and that he would be able to play after his nap, but it was time to rest for a while. He, of course, immediately calmed down and accepted my answer.

Just kidding!

He kept whining, “But I want to keep playing!” He clearly didn’t like my answer, so he kept complaining.

Prayers Left Unanswered?
You have probably heard a lot of people say something to the effect of:

“I’ve been praying about this, but God hasn’t answered my prayer.”

The assumption with a statement like this is that there is only one answer God can give. What we are really saying is,

“I asked God for something and He hasn’t given it to me.”

The truth is, God doesn’t have to answer our prayers with a yes to have answered our prayers.

Yes, No, or Maybe
God always answers our prayers. He has promised that He does. He always listens to the prayers of the saints and answers them. He just doesn’t always answer them the way we want. That’s because we don’t always ask for good things. Like a good parent, God knows what is best for us and isn’t going to give us something bad just because we asked for it.

Sometimes God answers, “No.” It’s not an easy answer for us to accept, but we must trust that God is good even when He disagrees with us.
Sometimes God answers, “Wait.” He will give us what we want, but we have to be patient and trust His timing. That also isn’t easy for us. We want what we want and we want it now!
Sometimes God answers, “Yes.” This answer we tend to like ;).

Trusting God In All Situations
God tells us that He is our refuge. He will protect and care for us, even if it isn’t in the way we want Him to.

He asks us to trust Him no matter His answer. God doesn’t always remove the hardship we face. Sometimes He knows it’s best for us to walk through it. Can we trust Him as we walk through it? Can we trust that we know He is good and if God’s answer was, “No,” or “Wait,” it is best? Yes!

Thy Will Be Done
For a long time, I thought praying, “Thy will be done,” in prayer was essentially a relenting of my will. Like the child who realizes his complaining isn’t going to change his Mom or Dad’s mind, he gives up trying. However, a while back someone showed me a different perspective.

“Thy will be done,” isn’t a relenting, but a confession of trust. I’m not praying, “Thy will be done,” because I know I can’t win, but because I know God’s will is better than mine. I want His will to be done over my will when we disagree because I know it will be better. I know I can trust His will and His ways and I understand that my will and ways are corrupted by sin and selfishness.

So, let us pray, trusting in God’s good and perfect will. Let us do it looking forward to His answer, even when His answer is, “No,” or “Wait,” for we know that, “No,” or “Wait,” is the best thing we can hear and receive.

Heavenly Father,

You are a good, good father. You promise to hear and answer all my prayers and I know You do. You promise to work all things for good. Help me to trust Your goodness so that even when you tell me, “No,” or “Wait,” I can rejoice in the answer I have received.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck September 23, 2020

Blog God is Good, Provision, trust in God

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Is God Good?

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33

Do you believe that God is good?

To most Christians, this seems to be a pretty obvious question and answer.

“Of course God is Good!”

It’s all around us. We have songs singing about how good God is. We have books telling us. We have posters and memes and sermons and so much more. Of course, God is good. However, that wasn’t the question.

Do YOU BELIEVE that God is good?

Whether God is good or not is not affected by what you or I believe, but how you act towards God is very much affected by whether you believe God is good.

What would make God good?

He must come through on His promises.
He must provide what is truly needed and helpful.
He must act out of loving-kindness, not selfish ambition.

God’s Promise
In our passage from Matthew, we are given a promise. If we seek first the Kingdom of God, God will provide “all these things.” From the surrounding context, we know that “all these things” refers to clothing and food and can infer it means everything we need for this life.

If God is good, He must, therefore, keep His promise and give us what we need. Otherwise, He would be a liar. Numbers 23:19 tells us,

“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind.“

He must also give us what is truly needed and helpful. If He gave us the wrong things or harmful things, He would be either incompetent or a deceiver. James 1:17 tells us,

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.“

He must act out of love or He is just self-seeking and doing this for His own gain. Yet, 1 John 4:10 tells us,

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Our Response
Love always bids a response. It asks us to love in return. It asks us to trust. In the case of Matthew 6:33, God’s love for us tells us to seek His Kingdom first, trusting that our good and loving Father will provide all that we need…and He will. He gives even when we don’t do a good job of seeking His Kingdom. Yet, He still says to do it because He knows that seeking His Kingdom is also good for us.

Heavenly Father,

You care for me more than I know. I know You keep Your promises. I know Your gifts are all good. I know You love me. Help me to trust Your love and Your goodness and seek You in all that I do.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck March 23, 2020

Blog trust, trust in God

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Who Do You Trust These Days?

How do you trust these days?

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:7-8

Right now, we are dealing with a lot of changes and concerns from the coronavirus.

What is bothering you the most?

Many people are asking for our trust such as politicians, celebrities, doctors, and media personalities. Beyond that, there are thousands of websites with “information” on the pandemic.

Can we trust them?

Some, perhaps, but it’s harder and harder, today to find a news source that is trust worthy. Most are biased. Some don’t check sources well. Some just plain make up stories.

Regardless of whether you think you’ve found the one good news source out there, they will still have a problem as all do. All have two of the same failings:

They are flawed people and
They can’t see the future.

Thankfully, we have someone else to look to who doesn’t have those failings, God. He is wise, sinless, and all-knowing. He is also constant. That’s why putting our confidence in Him is like being planted by a stream. Our source of life and peace is always there. It will never run dry.

Whatever you are worried about, give it to the Lord. He will give you peace, you can trust Him.

Heavenly Father,

You are our ever-present help in times of need. Be with us during this difficult time and all the times of suffering. Help us to trust in You.

Amen

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kimberly November 26, 2019

Sermons anxiety, Contentment, Faith, LCMS, lutheran, secret to being content, trust, trust in God, Wesley Chapel

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The Secret to Being Content

Faith Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL
Sermon for November 24, 2019
Pastor Kurt Steinbrueck
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.

trust in God

The Question That Never Came Up

The Question That Never Came Up

His Grace Is Sufficient

His Grace Is Sufficient

All the Time?

All the Time?

Is God Good?

Is God Good?

Who Do You Trust These Days?

How do you trust these days?

The Secret to Being Content

The Secret to Being Content

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