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Submitted by pastordale on Mon, 2008-01-14 21:45.

Newsletter Articles

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west wing theology.rtf: From Rev. Rick Anderegg: "What makes this show and these people so inviting? What can you and I learn from them? Integrity! Honesty! Proper pride! Standing for something!"
Pastor's Corner 11-2002.rtf: A discussion of the Holiness of God by Rev. Richard Von Steinman "Anyone who might want to use it is free to do so and they don't have to give me credit for it. I figure this should take care of any copyright issues."
Nov 02: A Christian response to gambling and casinoes by Rev. Bob Weinhold

revez

Newsletter-Bumper Sticker: As a bumper sticker announces the (sometimes passionate) views of its owner, a Christian's life proclaims the work and passion of its Master, Jesus Christ.
42743-FIELDATTACHEDFILE: December article:Are You Ready?Advent calls us to be ready for Christ, not ready for Christmas. Is there a difference?
42659-FIELDATTACHEDFILE: Show the Gospel--Gentle & Genuine Care for Others 1 Thessalonians 2:6b-9 Paul tells how he and fellow missionaries brought the Gospel to that area. Gentleness was key.
43669-FIELDATTACHEDFILE: The answer to every "mystery" in the Bible is faith. Faith itself is a mystery, yet it is the means by which we are saved. We turn from what we believe is right to what God declares is right in his sight.
43506-FIELDATTACHEDFILE: What will our church be like when "pillars" (strong Christians) are laid to rest? Who will rise up to take their place? Paul used the word "pillar" to describe what is essential to the church. 1 Timothy 3:14-15
42849-FIELDATTACHEDFILE: Pledge your allegiance! In the heated debate against religion (and Christianity), atheists have often lobbed the charge that "the faithful" are merely "mindless sheep" who cannot think "outside the box" of sacred Scriptures. What is often confused for "mindlessness" is what we like to call "devotion." Pledge your life--and your soul and your mind--to God--and serve him in peace and joy.
46064-FIELDATTACHEDFILE: The word is out! It is on the loose; it travels fast and is presumed dangerous. The Word? Jesus. It haunted Herod, frazzled Pharisees, puzzled Pilate; yet the word is loosed on the world to bring light and life. (John 1)
46591-FIELDATTACHEDFILE: Looking Forward in Christ (Jan 2002). The year behind may have been horrendous, but Paul advises looking forward in Christ. The Christian has this resolve: to know Christ and to tell others of Christ, and the salvation that comes through him.
MessageoftheCross: The Message of the Cross: (Lenten season) Crosses come in many varieties: in every size and shape, crafted of many substances. Would that everyone who wore one confessed the Lord who was crucified. Leave it to God to change the message of terror to the message of love & life.
47547-FIELDATTACHEDFILE: "Run the race that is set before you!" (VBS theme)Runners need encouragement; w/o it we soon collapse. God helps his saints run their race so they may win the prize. Poem: God's Racing Flags, by E.Zacharias
45030-FIELDATTACHEDFILE: How do you approach the celebration of Thanksgiving in a year when things have changed SO much? Paul says, "Don't be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" -- and the "peace of God" will rest on your soul. (Nov. 2001)
48397-FIELDATTACHEDFILE: Wake Up, Sleeper! (Easter season) God wakes us up from the slumber of our lives as he calls us to be alive in Christ! (Ephesians 5:14)
43113-FIELDATTACHEDFILE: Capital Punishment: confused when members of the "religious community" voice opposite opinions in capital punishment? The Bible makes it clear that the govt. has the right to make the decision. A Christian can voice opposition to the death penalty on "humanitarian grounds," but he cannot insist that his position is absolute. The Christian has solid grounds to support the government's right for death for capital crimes.
As the Calendar Turns From Rev. Eric Zecharias: As the Calendar Turns OR Let the Lord Direct Your Life: Routine makes for a dull life; but on the plus side, God allows routine to provide for the blessings of life. As God redeems our life in Christ, he will also direct (and bless it) in his name. January is also "Pro-Life month." A reminder to support life follows the lead article.

pastorjim

ATP: a Christian response to "gay marriage"

pastordale

7-06 WORSHIP WARS: Traditional vs. Contemporary
6-06 Where Your Treasure Is: Treasure Cove introduction
5-06 News Got Complaints: (Matthew 18:15-17, NIV) Ã…gIf your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. Included in this newsletter is an outline of a presentation that was given by Rev. Dr. Matthew Rueger, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Hubbard and first vice-president of the Iowa District East. Christians). (Matthew 25:40) When you attack a brother or sister, you are attacking Christ as well. The difference is that Christ willingly received our attacks and our sin.
Newsletter 4-06.rtf: Last month, a man in Afghanistan faced the death sentence for becoming a Christian. Where is catechesis (Reviewing the basics of the Christian faith) on your list of priorities, both to yourself and the children in your life? Suddenly, we find Jesus very low on the list of what we're willing to die for, or at least those we're willing to live for. In Christ, we celebrate the resurrection, the new day of hope and new life. God sealed us in that new life in our Baptism with the promise of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life.
3-06 News 1 Day Closer: Every day is one day closer to our Lord's return.
Newsletter 2-06What Is Love: Husbands, you are the head of the house. Wives, you are subordinate to your husband. The reality is that husbands are sinners and don't always love as they do. Where you have failed to love others as you love yourself, God has loved you completely.
12-05 Newsletter Chrismuk: Hanukkah celebrates God saving His people from an atheist oppressor, but in Christmas, we celebrate God saving His people from the devil himself.
1-06 Newsletter: We also know that "Young Earth" scientists examine the same evidence as "Macro-Evolution" scientists but have drastically different interpretations. Why?
11-05 Come Fishing: Pick your bait and cast.
10-05Groundbreaking: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) are moving in. Our response.
8-05 Changed the World: Last month, two events occurred that made a major impact on our world. Those events also contradicted each other.
Newsletter7-05Church Growth: If you want more people in church, bring someone with you!
6-05 Newsletter-Anniversaries: This month, we celebrate two anniversaries, the 125th anniversary of our congregation and the 475th anniversary of the presentation of the “Augsburg Confession,” as well as this year being the 425th anniversary of the publishing of the entire Book of Concord.
Newsletter 5-05 Understand: A couple weeks ago, we received word that a friend of our family was facing a potentially dangerous situation. We were deeply concerned and kept asking, "Why?" The more we talked about it, the less sense it made. We just couldn't understand.
4-05 Life and Death: “Choose life” isn’t just a slogan for anti-abortion commercials. It’s a mandate from God. Even though we have the promise of paradise because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, life is still an invaluable gift from our Creator, and no matter what your “quality of life,” any life is better than no life at all.
3-02 Why matter: Of course, to understand why it's important, we need to understand how the New Testament is different from the Old Testament. They are more alike than you might think. In both Old and New Testaments, you will find the same God saving His people the same way: by grace through faith in the Savior. The difference, of course, is that in the Old Testament, the people looked to the One Who would come to pay for their sins, and we, the New Testament people of God, look to the One Who came already. But if someone asked you, "Why is the New Testament important to Christians," or even, "Who is Jesus?," would you be ready to answer? The key to any question like this is found in the upcoming season: Easter. Jesus is the One Who came to pay for our sin on the cross and rise to eternal life.
Newsletter 1-05 Word Stands: France moved December 10 towards the creation of a new law which would make sexist or “homophobic” comments illegal. Canada is also moving in this direction. Given the power of the media and lobby groups in the United States, the day may well come when Christian churches like ours are forbidden to preach and teach that homosexuality is sin. The immediate effect would probably be fines and possible imprisonment for me, as well as the church losing its non-profit status.
2-05 Newsletter-2 days to salvation: Roughly 1/3 of the world at least claims Christianity as their religious affiliation. The number who actually believe that Jesus earned the right for them to go to heaven by His death on the cross is unknowable, but we can be sure that it is many fewer. So what would happen if you and every other Christian todaytold someone about Jesus, that He paid for their sins so they could live forever?
11-04 Stem Cell: A discussion on stem cell research with emphasis on Embryonic Stem Cell Research
12-04 Christian parents: Guns and "Bunker Busters" won't help your children fight against the devil. For that, you need God's Word and its training manual, the catechism.
Newsletter 8-04 All One: Our district and synod are having special offerings to support their mission projects. We face the reality that ministry costs money. Many of our missions began suffering when mission giving went from giving via the offering plate (a portion of which was then given to the district, district to synod and various district missions, and finally synod to the various synod-supported missions). If one part suffers, we all suffer.
10-04 Three Solas: In the foundation of Reformation teachings rest the "Three Solas," Sola Gratia (Grace Alone: We are saved solely by God's grace, not anything we do.), Sola Fide (We are saved solely through faith that Jesus died to take away all of our sin--and incidentally, that faith is also a gift of God, not a human work), and Sola Scriptura (All we know about God is found in Scripture, not human opinion, since opinion is prone to error.)
Newsletter 7-04 as a child: Should we take the stories of Jonah, Creation, etc. literally?
Newsletter 6-04: "What happens to the soul of a baby who is aborted or dies before Baptism?"
4-04 Newsletter-gaymarriage: A response to the recent gay marriage discussions
3-04 Newsletter-Sword Pract: The teachings in the Catechism contain the teachings upon which all other teachings of Scripture are based, as well as being the most practical "real life" teachings to be used daily. Recognize your responsibility to your children, godchildren, grandchildren, family, friends, and neighbor. DonÃt wait for Confirmation Class to teach your childrenÃ³teach them from infancy of GodÃs love.
2-04Newsletter-ApplyLawGosp: Applying Law & Gospel in daily life
1-04 Newsletter-Drummer Boy: We daily turn on Him and seek our own selfish goals and desires, and when we do seek to serve Him, our motivation is often selfish as well or not to the best of our ability, doing "enough," but not "fit to give a king."...The Lord does smile at our efforts, not because "we tried," but because of Christ acting through us.
12-03 Newsletter;Amid wrapp: This time of year, everywhere you look, you see red, white, and green, sleigh bells, reindeer, and a big guy in a red suit, and somewhere, between the Animatronic Hula-Dancing Santas and the 30Î© inflatable Rudolph, complete with 500-watt flashing red nose, you’ll find a few small boxes with dolls, one of which is a baby laying in a bed of straw. As a Christian, it’s frustrating to see the attention that Santa gets compared to Jesus, and many Christians have boycotted Santa altogether.
11-03 Newsletter-GOvs.GAIN: Our Evangelism Board has been very busy, and as we look into various ways to get the Word out, it's tempting to turn our efforts into a “membership drive,” seeking to add to our numbers for selfish reasons like increasing the weekly offering or big numbers to point to, but while it would be nice to grow our membership so that more peopel will be hearing God’s Word and growing in faith each week, we cannot make numbers our goal....
10-03 Newsletter-memorizing: I was about to go back to the office when the doorbell rang...Now, I just talked about the cults a couple newsletters ago, so I'm not going to spend a lot of time on their beliefs, but what struck me after they left (Still sadly clinging to their works for the time being), was that the key to sharing your faith and standing up for what you believe in is memorization....
9-03 Newsletter-how long: They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow-servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed. (Revelation 6:9-11, NIV)
8-03 Newsletter-Answer Cult: Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses have strange beliefs, notably that both reject the Trinity, but the central problem with them is the answer to the question, "How are you saved?"
7-03 newsletter-same old: Why we keep talking about the cross.
6-03 Newsletter-afraid of: But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."...Not until things get better, when we see for ourselves, do we believe that God is able to handle our financial struggles, that the same Jesus who drew money out of the mouths of fish is able to handle our financial burdens. "My health is failing&emdash;there's no hope." Not until we feel for ourselves our bodies healing do we believe that the same Jesus Who raised Lazarus from the dead can bring healing.
5-03 Newsletter-Faith Fill: Are you running on fumes?
4-03 Newsletter-Catechesis: What is catechesis and when does it end?
3-03 Newsletter-Lent: About fasting & penitence
2-03 Newsletter-Broom or Sh: How do you approach Scripture--with a broom or a shovel?
1-03Newsletter-cleanorhost: Can we host guests if our house isn't clean?
Immanuel-Law or Gospel
Dec 02 Newspaper Devos: Written for our local Newspaper--short devotionals
streetsofgoldhavenocurbs: Benke Situation, Part 3
Golden Rule: Benke Situation, Part 2
What's Syncretism?: About the Benke Situation
The Secret to Absolute Contentment
6th commandment
9-11 wtc extra
advent
anthrax
are you gifted
assurance of heaven
big brother
blunt as a 2x4
catechesis
communion of saints
don't make 'em like
fathers day
garbage disposal
happy epiphany
is the reformation dead
lent ugh
new year
newspaper devo 3/12/02
parousia
sabbath on a stick
vacation time
violence
what's the difference
why do you want to know
2 kingdoms