February 1st, 2023

 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. - Jesus

(Read Matthew 6:25-34) 

“I don’t care, I just don’t want to make a decision.”  

Those were the words of my wife when I asked where she wanted to go to dinner.  

In response, I offered a suggestion . . .

“Well,” she said smiling, “I wasn’t really in the mood for that.”  

We both laughed. In 26 years of marriage, this occurs a couple of times a year. What one of us really wants, at a particular moment, is to simply not make a decision. You have probably felt this way too. Whether at home, at work, or shopping in the mall. 

It is called “decision fatigue" and we have all experienced it. What will I wear? What will the kids wear? What should I buy at the store? What time should I pick up the kids? Who is taking who to which practice? Which route home should I take? What assignment do I need to finish first? And yes, even, “What should we have for dinner?”  

We literally make tens of thousands of decisions a day. Researchers at Cornell University estimate we make over 226 decisions a day… just on food alone!   

Though we still need to make lots of decisions, we don’t need to worry. We don’t need to worry about food - look at the birds our Lord declares. We don’t need to worry about clothes- Jesus says look how beautiful the flowers are. We don’t need to worry at all, because our Lord promises he will always provide. Jesus said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  

When it comes to decisions, our Lord Jesus Christ took one decision off your plate - THE decision. In his great love for you, Jesus died on the cross so that you never ever need to worry, wonder, or even decide if heaven awaits you. He made the decision for you and made it final. “It is finished!” Your sin? Taken care of. Your life? Given as a gift. Your clothes and food? Already provided.  

So today, take a deep breath and don’t worry at all, Jesus made THE decision that really matters.  

See you Sunday as we meet Lisa, a mother who found HOPE when faced with the Unexpected. I can’t wait! 

Pastor Austin 

PS. Hun, where do you want to go for dinner?

What is Connect Hour?

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer."

Acts 2:42

Connect Hour is the time between the 9 am service and the

11 am service when we "connect with one another and connect with God's Word". Grab a coffee and your favorite donut while you connect with other church members, then meet with your designated group to connect deeper with God's word. Connect groups begin at 10:15 am.

One Sunday a month will be a designated "Fellowship Sunday" with coffee, food, and extra time to meet and connect with one another.

Adults Connect- Pastor Austin will lead the adults in connecting in the Word and fellowship with each other.

High School Connect- Our High School Youth leaders will meet with our 9th–12th grade students.

Middle School Connect- Miss Susan and Kristina will continue to meet and connect with our Middle School Youth in 6th–8th grade.

Kids Connect- Our upper elementary students in 2nd–5th grade will continue to learn from Miss Missy using the Hands-On Bible series. Our adorable littles in preschool–1st grade will continue to meet with Miss Debra learning Bible stories and doing crafts. Our Grace Nursery will be staffed for our youngest little churchgoers, newborns up to 3 years old. We've got it all covered so that you can participate!

We highly encourage you and your family to invest your time in Connect Hour! You WILL be blessed!

The Connection Section

Who is Serving in Kids' Church &

Connect Hour Ministry?

We are looking for additional volunteers to help with Kids' Church.

Please see Missy for details and to get on the rotation schedule.

(I promise these sweet kiddos don't bite!)

Help support Corazon de Esperanza

by participating in the

10th Annual Snowshoe for Peru 5k!

• Saturday, February 4th @ 10 am
• Sylvan Lake State Park
• Click to register and for more details - snowshoeforperu.com

Fellowship Sunday

February 19th, from 10:00–11:00 am

Ti Amo Theme Brunch Potluck

Bring your favorite brunch foods to share

while we fellowship with one another!

Click or scan the QR Code to download the

Grace Fellowship App from our website.

The Calendar at a Glance 

• February 4th, Snowshoe for Peru at Sylvan Lake (details above)

• February 5th, Author and Speaker, Lisa Marchetti , Visits (details above)

• February 12th, Leadership Board Meeting @ 12:15 pm

• February 19th, Fellowship Sunday, Ti Amo Brunch (details above)

• February 22nd, Lent Begins, Ash Wednesday Service 6 pm

Sunday Services

February 5th, 2023

9:00 or 11:00

-or-

ONLINE

KIDS' CHURCH at 9:00 am service

(Ages 3 through 5th grade)

Kids' Church follows the kid's sermon. They will further explore the day's sermon theme with their group. We can’t wait to see them!

NURSERY

Nursery for Newborns – 2 year olds.

Nursery is open during our 9:00 am service and during Connect Hour from 10:15-10:45!

Join us on Facebook this Sunday morning at approximately 9:15 AM, or view the recording anytime on Facebook, Vimeo or YouTube.

Click the image below to connect.

LORD JESUS, HEAL OUR LAND, OUR BODIES, AND OUR HEARTS.

Please pray for. . .

• Mark Von Soosten, who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He and his wife, Carol, have been longtime workers in Christ and in LWML. Pray for God's healing hand to cover him, for a great team of medical staff, and for peace and comfort for them and their family.

• Jerry Wiisanen, Jodie Metz's father, who is dealing with challenging side effects from his transplant and cancer treatment. Pray for God's hands to continue to cover him, to give his body the strength and nourishment that it needs to recover, protection from infections, and for comfort and endurance for Jodie's mom, Brenda, who cares for him.

• Lexi Lowdermilk, who was in a serious ski accident and has suffered serious injuries. She is making progress recovering in the hospital, but please lift her up for complete healing. She has had to have multiple surgeries and has a long road to a full recovery.

• Darlee, Debra's mom, who is struggling with her health. Please pray for answers to her health issues for her and her family.

• For our Connect Hour Ministry, that our hearts and minds will be transformed by digging deeper into God's Word and that we will build lasting relationships through our fellowship time as brothers and sisters in Christ. Stir a deep desire in our hearts to attend and grow.

• For families in conflict, that God's peace would rule in their hearts and in their lives.



• Carol Proffitt, who has been sick and is homebound, and her daughter Pam who is caring for her. Grant them peace and comfort.

• Everyone in our congregation and their families who are dealing with the pains and trials of cancer and other illnesses including Todd Purse; Connie Kerr; Keith; Chris; Sharon Hlavinka; Rance Ketterling; Darlee, Amanda; Jerry Wiisanen; Rosemarie; April; Suzanne, Mary's sister-in-law; Bonnie Lamotta; and Aaron.

GOD'S WILL BE DONE