From Pastor John
Catching Up With Our Souls
André Gide tells about an incident that took place some years ago when he made a journey into the interior of the Belgian Congo. His party had been pushing ahead at a fast pace for a number of days, and one morning when the Europeans were ready to set out, their native bearers, who carried the food and equipment, were found sitting about, making no preparation for the new day's trek. Upon being questioned, they said quite simply that they had been traveling so fast in the last few days that they had gotten ahead of their souls and were going to stay quietly in camp for the day in order that their souls could catch up with them. In their own way they were describing the need for a rhythm in life between activity and rest.
Summer in our country is a time for vacation. School is out, and as a consequence trips are booked. It's a time for our bodies, minds, and souls to "catch up." It has to be intentional. Some people vacation so hard that they need a vacation from their vacation!
I pray that part of your rhythm of life this summer will be resting in prayer, worship, and with God's Word. We are open all summer and the refreshments are life saving.
Blessing on what you have planned this summer! Happy Fathers Day to our dads!
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Prayer Thoughts
Prayers, Intercessions and Thanksgiving
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16 "All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart." Proverbs 21:1-2 "Let us wait on the LORD... and in His Word let us put our hope, as we wait on the LORD. Let us pray that our country and people will put their hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with Him is redemption. God, Himself, will redeem our country from all our sins." Psalm 130:5-8
For those who are "in Christ, not having your own righteousness which is of the law, but through the
faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith," (Philippians 3:9) it is our privilege to be able to call on God our Heavenly Father anytime. "We will call on You, O God, for You will answer us; give ear to us and hear our prayer." Psalm 17:6 "For great is Your love, reaching to the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches the sky. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be over all the earth." Psalm 57:10-11
"Listen to Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice! Acknowledge that strength belongs to God, with His majesty over all of us and His strength in the skies. How awe inspiring is our God, from His Holy places, our God gives power and strength to His people. Praise be to God! Psalm 68:33-35 "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever. For wisdom and might are His. He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him." Daniel 2:20-22
Pray to the God of our LORD Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, that He may give to us and the governing body of our country the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; and to us and the governing body's eyes understanding that we may know the hope He has for us and our country. (Ephesians 1:17-18) "Never doubt God's mighty power to work for ourselves and for the country (that was founded on His covenant plan) and to accomplish His purposes. As we pray, He will achieve infinitely more than our greatest request, our most unbelievable dream and exceed our wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for His miraculous power through prayer will constantly energizes us and our country." Ephesians 3:20 Passion Translation
Pray also that "the evil of the wicked will come to an end, and that God's righteousness will be established, since only God is righteous, testing the hearts and minds of all. Our shield is God Most High who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, who expresses His wrath every day. Therefore I will give thanks to the LORD because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High." Psalm 7:10-11, 17 How wondrous to know that "God is my stronghold and a tower of strength in times of trouble. We, who know God's name, will put our trust in Him, for He will not abandoned those who seek Him." Psalm 9:9-12
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I Thessalonians 4:16-18 Being joyful always, praying continually, and giving thanks in all circumstances is very hard to do. If we remember that we are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and these things shall be added to us (Matthew 6:33), then it becomes easier to comply with scripture on how to pray. By going to God first, we are putting our trust in Him. We are saying God is greater than any situation or problem. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made Known to God." Philippians 4:6-7 How wondrous to know that "God is our stronghold and a tower of strength in times of trouble. We, who know God's name, will put our trust in Him, for He will not abandoned those who seeks Him." Psalm 9:9-12 Let our country once again be that shining Light of God's hope and love to the nations. "Let our country hope in the LORD from henceforth and forever." Psalm 131:3
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Ever feel like our church has issues? Well, you're not alone...and you haven't been for thousands of years. If you've got questions, struggles, and issues with the church then join us Sundays at 10:00 am for worship as our sermon series explores the book of Second Corinthians.
The church in Corinth had some issues. Internal divisions, fundamental misunderstandings about what it means to be Christian, and struggling with what it means to be followers of Jesus in a
pluralistic setting. Paul wrote two letters to the church in Corinth, both occasioned by their requests to answer some of their deepest questions and biggest concerns. Join our pastors for a summer sermon series every Sunday morning at 10:00 am to unpack what the letter to Corinth still has to say about our own divisions, misunderstandings, and struggles today. Starts June 3.
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Prayer on the Go: A Hands on Bible Study
Join us on Sunday, June 10, at 8:45 am for a Bible Study on Prayer!
We will be making our very own Prayers on the Go Containers that can be kept in your car or bag. Use it to pray for others while you are traveling, start off with general prayers and then continue to add to it as the summer goes on! All ages are invited to participate in this prayer Bible Study.
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Volunteers Needed at Open Arms
Are you really good at reading stories out loud? Or maybe you love to greet people and be welcoming! We are lookin
g for volunt
eers to help us start building bridges between Open Arms and First Lutheran Church! Individuals are needed to read books to Open Arms students and greet families in the mornings and afternoons. Only an hour of your time is needed each time you volunteer. For those who wish to read, books will be provided for you to choose from. Open Arms has a huge selection and Stephanie keeps a good variety in her office. Please consider being a bridge builder to Open Arms! Individuals interested, please contact Stephanie Karolus at
[email protected]
or 352-376-2062.
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V
BS is just around the corner! VBS this year is July 16-20 from 5:30 - 8:30 pm.
If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Karolus.
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Sweet treats we'll make from our heart,
To church visitors we will cart,
We'll fill their day with a little FUN,
And share God's love wth everyone!
First Lutheran Church is looking for volunteers to deliver cookies or brownies to people visiting our church. Treats will be left on the doorstep of visitors or handed to them at their door. Jean Halabrin provides our volunteers with visitor contact information, which makes our job easy and fun!
We also need a few more volunteers to be on our list of bakers. If you think you might like to join our team, please tell Pastor or contact Dalene Tandy at (352) 333-7780. We would love to hear from you and give you more information about this important new Ministry to bring new members into our church.
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