Dear Friends in Christ,
One of my favorite Bible stories is the resurrected Jesus walking with the two disciples to the village of Emmaus as recorded in Luke 24:13-32. As they were walking and talking about the confusing events of Jesus’ crucifixion and stories of the women finding the tomb empty, the vision of angels appearing to the women, Jesus, beginning with the prophets, interpreted the Scriptures that the Christ must suffer and die and enter into His glory. Jesus opened their hearts and their minds to understand the purpose of His coming.
I pray this month’s TLO Disciple will open your heart and mind to know that Jesus is both Lord and Christ. As Jesus opened the Scriptures to the disciples as they walked along the way, may your faith be strengthened in Jesus by the power of His Word.
In Christ,
Pastor James Kroonblawd
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From the Bible
"And so, from the day we heard we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him; bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." Colossians 1:10-11
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The power of prayer must have been a remarkable thing in the life of the apostle Paul. How encouraging it would have been to hear him offer words of praise and thanksgiving to God for all He brought him through—the perils, the persecutions—as well as the joys and victories.
It's good to know when the path you're on is one worth taking. Paul reminds his hearers that they have encountered truth—truth of the divine kind—and that they should remain firm in the faith they have received.
Always praying for believers, taking pains to keep them focused on God's Word—Paul sends a message to us today: uplift the church, be mindful of the world's temptations, and "put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator" (Colossians 3:10b).
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From the Bible
Psalm 1
The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked
1Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
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Walk in Unity
By Rev. Dr. Yohannes Mengsteab,
Oct. 22, 2020
Mission & Ministry Facilitator, Area B
Texas District, LCMS
We live in a world that is divided along ethnic and cultural lines. Because of sin, we act tribal. We pitch one group over and against the other. We look down at anyone who is different. What is involved here is pure pride.
Listening to what St. Paul had to say to the faithful in Ephesus, there are certain things that are characteristic of being a disciple of Jesus: lowliness, gentleness, longsuffering, love. One could say that, “I do that with my tribe, and why do I have to cross the isle to embrace another?”
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"We Christians know we can't perfectly walk the talk. That's why we gather around forgiveness first and foremost." -Peter Speckhard, CONNECTED TO CHRIST #cphreads #connectedtochrist #church
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Christ's Church is never isolated. We are always together as believers. This impactful guidebook with real life anecdotes and a conversational feel will allow you to grow your Church community, coming back together as His people.
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From God's Word
"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." —Ephesians 4:1-3 (ESV)
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Commentary on Ephesians 4:1-3
“Considered by itself, walking worthily would include the entire Christian conduct. Paul has in mind that part of the worthiness which conserves true Christian unity. We must read v. 1–3 as a unit admonition. While we consider each item, each must be viewed in its place as bringing out the worthiness here referred to. In the one Una Sancta we must walk in true oneness.”
Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Galatians, to the Ephesians, and to the Philippians.,
R.C.H. Lenski
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Walk Worthy
by Rev. Eric Brown,
Trinity Lutheran Church, Herscher
Oct. 26, 2020
"I [Paul] therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called..." Ephesians 4:1
First consider the setting. Paul's in jail... he can't go anywhere. But by the Spirit he reminds the Ephesians to... walk. That word for walk there is "peripateto" - which literally means to foot (pat - like pedi in pedicure) around (peri - like periscope). It's the word for just wandering through life, going wherever the day (or the Lord who has called you) takes you.
Remember who you are in Christ as you go around. You are a forgiven, holy child of God. And wherever God has placed you, in jail or out in the world, you go as His child with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God with you. Walk in that Word and Spirit and enjoy where God places you. You're called to faith, salvation, redemption - all in Christ.
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From God's Word
For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. –1 Thessalonians 2: 9-13
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The New Obedience: An Exegetical Glance at Article VI of the Augsburg Confession
By Michael P. Middendorf
Ephesians 4 begins, “I urge you, therefore . . . to walk worthy of the calling of which you were called” (Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ ὁ δέσμιος ἐν κυρίῳ ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι τῆς κλήσεως ἧς ἐκλήθητε).
Later in the chapter, Paul adds: You . . . were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,and to be renewed (ἀνανεοῦσθαι) in the spirit of your minds and to put on the new self (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον), created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph 4:21‒24, ESV)
So don’t walk and talk like the old. Walk like a new person! Talk like a new person! To offer an analogy, are we like an inert bicycle sitting there until the Spirit puts us in motion? Or, are we more like a hiker who has been given life and lungs, body and breath? The Spirit implores, “Get up and walk with me!”
Concordia Journal, Summer 2015
Volume 41, p. 209-210
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This LCMS YouthLead Bible study session introduces our key verses, Colossians 1:9–12, and helps lay out how our gift of faith gives us a distinctive walk. The Holy Spirit gives us resilience that is humbly confident to face all we will walk through in this world. For the full curriculum, go to www.youthESource.com.
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Walking with Jesus
Friends are God’s gifts to us! Having friends is a very, very good thing! It’s an especially good thing to have Jesus as our friend. In John 15:15 Jesus said, “I have called you friends.”
Friends are fun to be with. The better we know our friends, the more fun we can usually have with them. But what's different when we have Jesus as our friend? Find out here.
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In 2021, TLO has begun a new ministry, establishing a Trail Life USA Troop. The Trail Life Motto is: “Walk Worthy” based on Colossians 1:10 “… that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;…”
One of the Core Values of Trail Life USA is "Volunteer-Driven." Currently, Trail has over 11,000 volunteers in 50 states serving at Regional, Area, and Troop-level positions. Are you called to impact a generation by giving your time to help boys? Join the Trail Life USA volunteer team!
Trail Life USA Troop 2950 is a ministry of Trinity Lone Oak Lutheran Church. To learn more about Trail Life USA visit www.trallifeusa.com or to learn more about how you can become involved in Troop 2950 or provide support, to the troop contact the TLO Church Office.
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Introducing American Heritage Girls: BUILDING WOMEN OF INTEGRITY
American Heritage Girls (AHG) is a Christ-centered character and leadership development program for girls 5 to 18 years of age. AHG is dedicated to the mission of building women of integrity through service to God, family, community, and country. Parents, would you be interested in TLO chartering American Heritage Girls Troop? AHG is a partner organization to Trail Life USA.
American Heritage Girls was founded by a group of parents wanting a faith-based, scout-type character development program for their daughters in 1995. The AHG Program is dedicated to the mission of building women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country. AHG girls across the nation and the globe participate in badge programs, service projects, leadership opportunities, and outdoor experiences, all with an emphasis on Christian values and family involvement.
Today there are AHG Troops in every state and in 15 countries around the world through the Trailblazer Program. A variety of Christian denominations are also represented as Charter Organizations for Troops. There are thousands of volunteer members across the country helping girls to grow in their faith, cultivate a heart for service, enjoy the great outdoors, and have more fun than they can imagine! For more information about AHG visit https://americanheritagegirls.org/
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Trail Life USA Lets Boys Be Boys
Too many boys are turning to virtual worlds of television, video games, digital media, and the internet to find realms they can conquer and areas where they can excel. The result of this virtual conquest is often apathy, apparent rebellion, or outright resistance to real-world challenge.
Trail Life USA is an environment where boys thrive! Adults are equipped to lead a program in a structured outdoor environment where boys are engaged in real-world challenge and experience camping, hiking, and fishing; they develop skills in riflery, archery, and canoeing; and learn character and leadership in a practical hands-on manner that is naturally engaging.
In the outdoors, the experience of adults is never obsolete; boys find mentors, fathers and sons connect, important relationships are fostered, and boys find opportunity to achieve significant accomplishment.
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Trinity Lone Oak Lutheran
651-454-7235
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