Friends of Immanuel,
I want to thank all who were able to be at last night’s Voting Assembly Congregational Meeting regarding the 2025-2026 budget for Immanuel. If you missed that meeting but would like to catch up with what was presented and discussed, here is the link to the live stream – https://www.youtube.com/live/6UVOvQ0vIwg?si=1IHK3rAoM3wKyTx3. I’ve included a copy of both the budget narrative and the summary sheet of the budget at the end of today’s email update. If you have specific questions about the budget or last night’s meeting, feel free to reach out to Dawn Bowers, Immanuel’s Director of Accounting and Finance (dbowers@ImmanuelLoveland.org or 970-667-4506), Shawn York, Immanuel’s Executive Council President (ECchair@ImmanuelLoveland.org), or to me.

I appreciated the numerous questions and comments that were expressed last night as what we are facing is not easy. The Executive Council and Finance Team have been working tirelessly for months on this budget. The challenge has been, on the one hand, wrestling with how to be the best stewards we can be of the resources that God provides through us, His people, both with regard to anticipating offerings, gifts, tuition, etc. At the same time, we’ve been looking at our expenses, including fixed costs of mortgage, utilities, insurance, etc., along with the salaries and benefits for our amazing church and school staff. There is a very real tension between cutting costs, including consideration of cutting staff, but realizing that if this is done, we are also losing valuable resources for moving forward with the ministry with which we’ve been entrusted. In the end, it was decided that we need all the staff we have, which we feel is bare bones, in order for us to keep growing – growing our ongoing ministries as well as being creative with new opportunities for outreach and growth.

There was concern raised about a second year of a salary freeze – expressing that this is not just a freeze for all our Immanuel staff but, in reality, it is a salary reduction because of inflation, cost of living increases, etc. The concern was also that because of this, we could lose good people from our staff because of this freeze. This, too, the EC wrestled with but in the end, with facing a $154,000 deficit budget already, didn’t feel that more could be added to that deficit. It was not an easy decision. I, along with the EC, appreciate the concern over this matter and your concern for our staff.

There were also so many positive take-aways from both last night’s meeting as well as the ongoing work with the EC. The three studies we are doing in conjunction with the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) are all in progress. My understanding is that the school study is almost completed and we should have the LCEF report in about a month. In the meantime, some recommendations have already been made and are being implemented.

The Land Use study is also making progress. We have just received some very preliminary thoughts from LCEF on possible options. As was stressed at the meeting, there will be no action taken with regard to our land without much more consideration among our leadership and also much more conversation with the congregation as a whole for decisions of this magnitude. As I’ve mentioned over the last month or so, we need to be prayerful about how the Lord desires for us to use this blessing of our land for ministry and the building of His Kingdom. Much more to come and much more to continue to keep in prayer!

The Church study is also well underway. The main components of this include strategic planning, which is in the beginning stages. The desire is to reach out to many of our ministry teams and groups to talk about both what the Lord is doing right now and where He is leading us as we strive to discern His direction for us with regard to every aspect of His ministry here at Immanuel.

The other main aspect of the Church study will be a stewardship campaign this fall. This is a recommendation that has already come to us and plans are in progress. This will include a fall stewardship sermon series, educational opportunities for all of us to engage and grow in our understanding of and practice of good stewardship of our own finances, time, and abilities, and the opportunity to make a financial commitment near Thanksgiving. In addition to education and growth in our own personal stewardship, this stewardship campaign, as a component of the budget process, will also include covering some capital expenditures due to our 18-year-old building (new carpeting for rooms and hallways, sound system and lighting for the sanctuary, parking lot resurfacing and repair, as well as putting money away for anticipated roof repairs or replacement, and other major emergency facility needs), and helping cover any budget deficits over the next three years.

I realize this can all be a bit daunting and even overwhelming, but I share it with you because, personally, I’m looking forward to exploring what the Lord has in store for us. I’ve seen His hand at work over these past months in developing this budget and the accompanying longer-range plan for the next several years. You are an amazing congregation and community of faith who have responded with tremendous faith and trust in our Lord to the opportunities we’ve had over the course of many, many years! As we continue to keep our focus on Jesus and the mission He’s given us to share His Good News of His love, the life He’s given us, and the hope we have in Him, I know that He will continue to direct us in the ways He wants us to go as we further and build His Kingdom.

Let’s continue to be prayerful, faithful, grounded in God’s Word, worshiping together each week, and using the gifts, talents, abilities, and resources with which we’ve been blessed to be about His work! This is a great time to be part of His Church – and I thank you for being here at Immanuel and I look forward to our next steps in this journey of faith and life in our Savior!

Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen

July 14, 2025

Friends of Immanuel,

As promised in my message yesterday, today will be a wrap-up of my sermon about An Unexpected Hero, Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan, with a few practical applications to consider. First, I want to share with you the two long quotes I read from Dr. Arthur Just, a Lutheran Theologian, who authored the Concordia Commentary on Luke 9:51-24:53.

The first was in regard to Jesus’ reply to the expert in the law’s correct answer to Jesus’ question, asking the man where you find the answer to his question of how to inherit eternal life, and Jesus told him, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.” This quote from Dr. Just speaks to an easy mistake of thinking that inheriting eternal life was about what we do – loving God, loving others, and being a good person – rather than inheriting eternal life totally by God’s grace.

“The answer assumes that the way of Torah is the way of life. ‘Life’ is the result for one who, in the communion of God’s love, walks in his ways. But it is possible to move from the summary statements given by the [expert in the law] to a moralizing of the Torah, as did many of the Jews. One must read the Torah as the book of God’s gracious election and constitution of his people despite their sin, not as a ‘how to’ book about earning merit before God. If one loses sight of the primacy of God’s grace in the Torah, then the focus shifts from the inheritance God gives to the deeds people do.”

The other quote I used at the end of the sermon was regarding the shock of this story that can come straight at us. Jesus’ teaching and storytelling often has many layers and multiple significant meanings to draw from them. And that certainly is the case with the story of the Good Samaritan! This quote explains the idea that we are actually the person who was beaten and left for dead, and Jesus is the Good Samaritan. Dr. Just writes: “The expert in the law says, ‘I’ll act to love my neighbor as myself; just tell me who he is.’ But Jesus answers, ‘You cannot act, because you are dead. You need someone to love you, show mercy to you, heal you, pay for you, give you lodging, revive you. I am the one you despise because I associate with sinners, but in fact I am the one who fulfills the Law, who embodies the Torah, and who brings God’s mercy. I am your neighbor and will give you the gifts of mercy, healing, life. As I live in you, you will have life and will do mercy – not motivated by laws and definitions, but animated by my love.’”

I said that there are three Unexpected Heroes in this story. Jesus is the first and the Samaritan is the second (who is actually Jesus, too!). Who is the third Unexpected Hero? You and me! When Jesus asked, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” and the expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” This story isn’t just theoretical. We, as God’s children, are called to act, to live out our faith, to obey our Lord and what He asks us to do as His people in order to share this Good News of Jesus.

The Gospel, the Good News of Jesus, tells us that the only way we can show such compassion, mercy, and love, is from having received such compassion, mercy, and love from God. Because of Jesus, we can “Go and do likewise”! What does that look like and how do we do that? Honestly, that is going to look different for each one of us, given the unique opportunities the Lord presents to us in the course of any given day. Looking at the bigger picture of the flooding we have been hearing about and praying over, most of us don’t have the ability or opportunity to give hands-on-the-ground-help when it comes to the devastating floods in Texas or New Mexico or other natural disaster that we hear of across our country. But what can we do? We can give financially, pray, encourage with notes, etc. We can explore Christian relief organization websites to learn more about what can be done.

I briefly raised the challenge of how we all have to honestly say that we can relate to the two religious leaders who passed by the beaten and dying man, with our own thoughts of, “I don’t have time; I don’t want to get involved; I just want to mind my own business, live my own life, do my own thing. That’s not my problem.” And we pass by on the other side. This often comes up with people holding up signs on street corners asking for money. Are we supposed to give them money? What do we do? My encouragement has several different considerations. First, you can give to Immanuel’s Community Assistance Fund. We give monthly support to three different Christian agencies in Loveland who help and provide for those in need. Second, the idea of putting together a gallon baggie or small package filled with a water bottle, power/nutrition bars, a Gospel tract, and other simple yet helpful items, that you can hand to those who are asking. Third, there is nothing wrong with giving money to these individuals. Will they use it in good, healthy ways? Not necessarily, but that is the choice that they make, not yours. There is not an absolute or “right” answer with this.

One final thought about practical applications from this story of the Good Samaritan. The help we can offer those in need can be very simple, ideas that I regularly mention. These are things like mowing someone’s lawn, raking leaves, or shoveling snow. It can include calling for help if you see someone broken down on the side of the road (and you have no mechanical skills – like me!). It can mean just taking the time to listen to someone, particularly in times of stress or anxiety or tragedy in their life. Basically, we strive to have Jesus’ eyes to see people in need and to have His heart to express compassion, love, and mercy.

I’ll finish by offering this week’s What Now? and the encouragement to take this to heart:

What Now?

Embrace and take to heart the compassion, mercy, grace, and love our Unexpected Hero, Jesus, has brought to you. Then look for ways in the coming weeks that you can share His compassion, mercy, grace, and love as you “Go and do likewise!”

P.S. Lastly, we are in need of help serving and/or cleaning up from Wednesday morning’s memorial service for Hal Hogness. If you are able to lend a hand, even for part of the time, please reach out to churchoffice@immanuelloveland.org to let us know. Thanks!

Serving together in Christ alone!

Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel,
As if the horrific flooding in Texas wasn’t enough, the small mountain town of Ruidoso, New Mexico, was hit with historic flash floods on Tuesday, a community that had suffered devastating wildfires last year. It’s reported that two children, 4 and 7, identified as the children of a soldier on leave from Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, as well as an adult male, were killed in the flood. Video footage of the flooding is hard to believe.

Meanwhile, in Texas, the death toll has risen to 120 with more than 173 people still declared missing. Vigils are being held, community pastors and counselors are available to offer a listening ear, prayer, and support, and the grisly job of continuing to search for any survivors or for those who have died, continues.

For most of us, it is a helpless feeling. We pray and we grieve at what we cannot imagine, as we watch the updates and headlines. For those who want to help financially, while there are many trustworthy organizations doing vital work in these areas, there are several ministries and organizations that I would recommend sending any financial gifts to assist in the relief efforts.

1. The Texas District LCMS Disaster Relief Fund https://txlcms.org/donate;
2. Orphan Grain Train https://orphangraintrain-bloom.kindful.com
3. LCMS Disaster Relief https://www.lcms.org/givenow/disaster

Continue to pray for those who have lost so much, for the strength of the pastors and churches in those regions to help and serve those who are hurting, bringing a word of hope in Jesus, for the search and rescue workers and volunteers who continue their necessary work, and for the Lord to use these tragedies in ways that only He can.

Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel,

There is a definite heaviness in the air as we watch the news headlines continuing to be updated on the death toll from the flood in Texas. As of this morning, I read the count is at 82 dead, including at least 28 children, with many, many people and children still missing. I’ve read several unbelievable miracle stories of a couple survivors but more than anything is the heartbreak of the bodies that continue to turn up. The pictures tell a horrific story as we see tractor trailers, RVs, and large appliances wrapped high in trees, homes and structures absolutely destroyed, and law enforcement and many volunteers wading through water and mud looking for survivors, capturing some of the horror that so many experienced this past weekend.

When I asked at the beginning of my message yesterday, “How would you like to see God work in our world and in our lives?,” I think we would all agree that we would like to see God stop tragedies and natural disasters like this from happening. But the reality in our broken world is that He doesn’t stop these kinds of things from happening, He doesn’t wipe out evil, and He doesn’t shield His people from heartache. When the question inevitably arises as to why, the place I most often go is the book of Job in the Old Testament. It doesn’t directly answer the questions we have, but it speaks to all of us as people of faith.

Let me summarize very succinctly the 42 chapters of Job and just a couple takeaways the Lord offers us:

• The Lord God has chosen to give the prince of this world, the devil, plenty of latitude when it comes to his chaos-creating destruction and influence in our world. This can relate to the free will He has given to us human beings, with choices we can make regarding how we live our lives. Yet God has not abandoned us or left us to our own devices – He’s made promises to us that He is always with us, no matter the circumstances we face, good or bad, in this world.
• The Lord God allows us, even invites us, to cry out to Him – in anger, with questions, in desperation, with requests, with gratitude. And He has promised to hear us and answer us, in His way and in His timing.
• The Lord God is the Creator of all that we see and know of this entire creation, with all of its variety, beauty, vastness, and intricacies. He created everything in this world, and He loves His creation. But make no mistake about it – He and He alone was the one performed this miracle of creation and we had no say in it. We are part of His creation, the pinnacle of His creation, which He created and gave to us to live in, to enjoy, and to care for.
• The Lord God asks us to trust Him. On the foundation of who He is, what He’s done, and what He’s promised us, He asks us, in the midst of chaos, uncertainty, heartache, and trouble, to trust that He is still in control. We look not only to His faithfulness throughout the Old Testament, but also, and most significantly, to Jesus and the fulfillment of so many of His core promises – promises related to eternity and the way to life with Him. Over and over again Jesus spoke into moments and times like this, warning that they will come – but to not be shaken or to lose faith. He is here with us – now and always!

My encouragement for all of us is to take God and His Word to heart. His promises are for us! And to pray – pray for those who have lost loved ones, for those who are searching for loved ones still missing, for those who have lost homes, businesses, and other material goods, for the safety of those who are searching, for God’s people to be His hands and feet and voice to bring comfort and hope, and for the Lord to use even this for good. Read and meditate on Psalm 46, a powerful psalm that reminds us of so many of our Lord’s promises.

For us here, many miles removed from the tragedy, it seems this week’s What Now? is certainly pertinent for all of us to put into action.

What Now?

Let God use you this week (and beyond!). Pray for opportunities to show Jesus’ love to others. Take time to be a friend. Extend invitations to others to come to worship with you or to other studies or events.

Serving together in Christ alone!

Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel,
Outdoor worship starts THIS Sunday, July 6^th! Those of you who are new to Immanuel may be wondering, why outdoor worship? We started outdoor worship at our previous location on Hilltop Drive in the late 90s, taking our contemporary worship service outdoors during the summer months. The idea behind it was outreach – providing a less threatening atmosphere for people not familiar with worship or church where they might feel more comfortable checking us out. That’s still the main reason we have outdoor worship from the first Sunday in July through Labor Day weekend – it’s always about the mission our Lord has given us to reach out to others!

One cool story about this is from Jeff and Jacky Deaner. Jeff shared this: “The outdoor worship Sunday morning is what brought Jacky and me to Immanuel 13 years ago. She was out walking the dogs one Sunday and heard the music and checked it out. I was working in Dillon and she called all excited and said, ‘I think I’ve found us a church!!’ The rest is history.” If you have a story like this to share, send it my way – I love hearing the amazing (and unexpected!) ways that God works in our lives!

Of course, there are plenty of other “bonuses” to outdoor worship as well. We are blessed to live in one of the most beautiful areas of the country and, generally, we have pretty dry and arid conditions with morning rains being relatively rare. So we take advantage of those blessings and worship our Creator out in the beauty of His creation.

So THIS Sunday, if you enjoy worshiping in the outdoor setting, plan to come at 9:30am to the west lawn in and around the pergola. Please plan to bring a camping/lawn chair along with you to worship, as well as anything else that would make it more comfortable for you (a hat, sunglasses, water bottle, sunscreen, a blanket for kids to sit on, etc.). In addition to the pergola, we do have an expanded shade structure coming off the pergola, as well as some shade from the building.

And spread the word!! Extend an invitation to someone who may not be connected to a church right now and have them join you for worship – whether that’s to the outdoor service or our 8:00 indoor Classic Grace service.

With the celebration of Independence Day tomorrow, we truly are blessed as people of God with the freedoms here in the United States and the ultimate freedom we know in Jesus! Have a very happy, safe, and blessed Independence Day celebration!

P.S. Don’t miss the Vacation Bible School update from Miss Emma at the end of today’s update – complete with some fun pictures!

Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel,
Enjoy this Special Edition Email Update with a report on this year’s Sweetheart City Car Show – Summer 2025.

Bigger! Better! More cars! More people who are guests on our Immanuel campus! More positive feedback! More blessings given to our community! More volunteers giving MORE of their time, energy, enthusiasm, and sharing their love for Jesus with people! More radical hospitality! That’s the best summary we can give on our Sweetheart City Car Show ministry event that was held on Saturday, June 14^th from 9:00am to 2:00pm.

As you will note below, we had 218 cars in the car show. Most importantly, we had 38 car care clients. These ladies had their cars inspected and our Car Show Team will be helping them get professional repairs done over the next couple of months. One notable story – one of our car care clients started out the day as a spectator, but her car started smoking as she was parking in the west field. When one of our car repair partners noticed the smoke, he came to her rescue, and she got added to our client list this year so that we could help her get things repaired!

Here’s a brief bullet point summary of the highlights of this year’s car show:

• Car care clients: 38 (repair process is already well underway)
• Total revenue received from the Car Show and donations since January 1: $31,533 (a 30% increase from last year). Revenue includes $12,000 in business and personal sponsorships (i.e., cash donations)
• We still are expecting donations from Scooter’s and the Paradise Ice Cream truck which will both be sharing part of their financial proceeds from the event weekend.
• Net proceeds (as of now; revenue minus event expenses): $26,063 – to be used to support our car care clients and repairs needing to be made
• Please note that the value of “in-kind donations” provided by repair partners likely doubles the effect of the event income
• Cars in the car show: 218 (a physical count performed by Mo Bruns (thank you, Mo!)
• 219 car show goodie bags handed out. That’s a 10% increase from last year
• 116 car show participant ballots counted
• 174 spectator ballots counted
• 300 hamburger meals and 100 hot dog meals were served
• 140 kids goodie bags handed out with information about our school and children’s ministries at Immanuel
• AND, thanks to the Lord, no major “hiccups” were noted. The weather was awesome. Attendees had a great time. Dozens of volunteers contributed and carried out their ministries flawlessly.
• AND, we’ve already received our first request for reserved parking at the 2026 Sweetheart City Car Show!
• The bottom line – God is good! And Jesus is the Way!

A notable God-sighting that occurred just before the event: On Thursday we started looking at our plan to use traffic cones to mark reserved parking spots. Jeff Deaner had arranged to borrow 25 traffic cones from Loveland Barricade, but we were closing in on 20 reserved spots, so we weren’t going to have enough cones. Randi asked Jeff if we could borrow more, and the answer on Friday morning was, no, Loveland Barricade had three other big events this weekend and couldn’t spare anymore. Less than four hours later, Jeff got a call from his friend at Loveland Barricade saying, “Hey we’ve got 22 cones with another company’s name on them. We can’t use them, so we’re going to throw them away. Do you want them?” 🙏😄

Like every year, we have lots of great stories about people helping out with the car show, in ways big and small. There are “unsung” heroes who put in countless hours and energy to make the Car Show ministry a success. Here are a few of the many examples:

• Bob Kamtz mowed grass all week and then helped man the grill to fry hamburgers all day Saturday
• Fred, Mo, and Chad Bruns, Chad’s three boys, and Scott Seifert spent all morning Thursday trimming trees and hauled away 10+ truckloads of branches
• Fred and Mo Bruns spending countless hours to make the amazing trophies
• Christopher Cole and Caleb Spencer entered 100+ car registrations and tallied several hundred ballots in time to announce the winners of the trophies
• Linda Frerichs bought flowers at the nursery, transplanted them into individual pots, and brought them to the event so that we could give one to each of the car care clients
• While we cannot name everyone, a huge thanks to everyone who donated, put up posters, shared invitation postcards, prayed for, and supported the car show in any way – it took everyone to make it the amazing event that it was!
• Special thanks to those who spent several months planning, those who executed many pre-event tasks, and those who now continue to work to complete all the necessary car repairs with our car care partners, including:

o Car Show team leader extraordinaire: Randi Rost
o Car Show: Ed Bublitz, Nancy Menard, Shawn York
o Car Care: Dennis Frerichs, Frank Johnson
o Car Care Clients: Teresa Rost, Linda Frerichs
o Food Service: Scott Seifert, Mo Bruns
o Donations and Silent Auction: Sandy Cole
o Parking Team: Roger Pilant, Gene Dorsey, Jaimi Sweet, Scott Gilbert, Tim Meyer
o Facilities: Jeff Deaner, Chad Bruns
o Family Festival: Emma Giger, Hannah Wicklund, Leah Rue
o MC/hospitality: Robin Dugall
o Finance: Dawn Bowers
o Community relations, marketing, PR, event logistics: Randi Rost, Jessie Madden

By the way, a NEW Car Show Website has been developed (thank you, Randi Rost). Check it out and share it with people you know! Here’s that website link: https://carshow.immanuelloveland.org. (Be advised, this website is still under development...not everything is working yet. But you can find more cool pictures there!)

Remember, next year’s Sweetheart City Car Show is set for Saturday June 13^th, 2026! Start praying now that we will not only have an awesome show, but that God will give us the resources to bless even more women in our community through the Car Care component of the show. It is the reason we do what we do! We love and serve because our GRACIOUS JESUS has loved and served us first! If you ever have any questions about the Car Show ministry, contact Randi Rost (Randi@rost.org).

Friends of Immanuel,
With all the recent activity in the Middle East with the war between Israel and Iran, I feel compelled to share a bit from a theological standpoint. I’ve wrestled with whether or not I wanted to open this can of worms, but finally decided that I need to. Part of what prompted me to speak to this came on one of my early morning walks with Luther (our 4-year-old 85-pound Bernedoodle, for those who don’t know him – this is Luther with granddaughter Emmie) this past weekend.

Mike, a gentleman I regularly see on our walks, said to me as we were walking past each other, “Say, someone told me you’re a pastor. I have a question for you. Why do so many Christians so passionately defend Israel?” I think Luther understood where all this was going because he immediately laid down at my feet!

With an open and honest question, I responded openly and honestly myself. I’m not going to relay our entire conversation, but I want to speak to what I believe is important for me, as your pastor, to share with you. Coming off our 6-week Easter series on the book of Revelation, there are some connections to be made here, particularly with regard to some misinterpreted Scripture references.

The way I started with Mike was to go back to the Scofield Reference Bible. First published in 1909 and still very popular today, the Schofield Reference Bible included notes that popularized the teachings of dispensationalism, that is, a way of viewing the Bible that divides it into distinct periods or “dispensations.” These notes were a driving force behind an entirely new way of thinking about the End Times for the historic Christian Church. In addition, changes made in the 1967 edition about Israel in Genesis 12 and other places, changed the landscape.

In the 1967 edition of the Schofield Reference Bible, there are multiple references to the nation of Israel made in the notes written about Genesis 12, 15, or other chapters of Genesis along with God’s covenants with Abram/Abraham, notes that include an interpretation of the biblical text of unconditional support of Israel, that is, the modern nation of Israel. The modern nation of Israel, however, was formed in 1948. References to Israel in both the Old and New Testaments, including Jesus’ own words, are speaking of God’s people, not the “nation” of Israel. It is through faith in Jesus that we become heirs of the promise and children of Abraham (see Galatians 3:6-9, or all of Galatians 3, if you have time).

Notes like these in the 1967 edition of the Scofield Reference Bible are among several variables that opened the door to an entirely new way of thinking about theological topics of the End Times, Dispensationalism (which began in the mid-19^th century with John Nelson Darby), the Rapture, and more. At Immanuel, we believe the Bible teaches that Jesus ushered in the End Times with Good Friday, Easter, and His ascension into heaven. I did a quick Google search on the connection of Israel to the book of Revelation and this is part of what the AI Overview gave me, as an example of the very popular but theologically incorrect understanding of Israel: “The Book of Revelation contains significant prophecies related to the nation of Israel, often interpreted as part of a broader eschatological framework. These prophecies include the restoration of Israel, the final battle at Armageddon, and the establishment of God’s kingdom on Earth.”

When the book of Revelation is read in its proper context and with a proper understanding of who “Israel” is from a biblical standpoint (i.e. not the 1948 established nation), we see that the End Times does not depend on the restoration of Israel as a world power. As Jesus said over and over again, we don’t know when the end will come – and because of that, He calls on us to be vigilant, always watching, and ever-prepared for His return. That means that we stay faithful and faith-filled with our trust completely in Jesus and His atoning work on the cross and His victory over sin, death, and the devil on Easter morning. He is our reigning King who will return one more time at the end of time, a time which is unknown to us and not determined by any circumstantial matters that happen in our world.

That all being said, don’t put words into my mouth! The United States and Israel are allies and I believe we support the nation of Israel as opposed to those groups and nations with whom we are at ideological odds when it comes to the value of human life, women, and children, among other base values. I acknowledge that this is a very simplistic statement with regard to an extremely complex set of circumstances in the Middle East, but I share these theological points today to give some clarity as to what we stand for. Each Sunday we will continue to pray for peace in the Middle East and around the world – not to push forward some Jesus’-return-at-the-end-of-the-world agenda, but because this is what we as Christians have been commanded by our Savior to do. We grieve with those who experience death among their families and friends and we are saddened at the unsettledness of our world, so we pray for our world’s leaders and for the safety and protection of our country and others around the world.

We read Revelation and all of God’s Word as a message of our Savior’s love for us and the hope He holds out to all who believe and trust in Jesus as our Savior. Jesus’ words in the Upper Room on Maundy Thursday are what I want to leave you with today. Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.” ⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me… ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:1-6, 27)

Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel,

A very quick recap of my message yesterday about the prophet Elijah from 1 Kings 19. The touchpoints that I held up for us included:

1. There are times when all of us have felt, “I’ve had enough, Lord!” I appreciate all the heartfelt stories that you shared with me via email about those times that you’ve said those words. If you still want to send your story my way, please do! To say or feel this way doesn’t mean you don’t have enough faith or that you’re not a good Christian. In our brokenness and in the brokenness of this world, life is not perfect, even for Christians. To acknowledge that we’ve hit our “limits,” is a healthy first step of prayer to our Lord for His help and strength in the situations in which we find ourselves.
2. Related to that, the angel of the Lord’s message to Elijah, “The journey is too much for you,” is also something all of us need to hear and realize – this is a reality for all of us. And that’s why Jesus is here! This journey of life and of following Jesus is too much for us – we can’t do it on our own. Repeat that last phrase! But we have a Savior who has come and won the victory over our sin, over the devil, and over death. He has promised us that He IS with us always, to the very end of the age! As we journey together (yes, that is an important part of this, too – that God has put us in families, friend groups, churches, and communities), don’t go it alone. Lean into the Lord and into fellow believers for this amazing journey of life and faith.
3. Finally, where do we find God? He can be found exactly where He’s told us – not necessarily in the big, splashy ways, but more often He can be found in unexpected and simple ways, as with Elijah when God came to him in a gentle whisper. What are those gentle whispers? The splash of water in baptism; bread and wine at the Table; living and active words of Scripture; and when 2 or 3 of His people are gathered – in worship of Him. But, as we talked about, those gentle whispers can also be an invitation to a cup of coffee, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, a hand up when we’ve fallen. God is not hiding – He is always here for us!

My final encouragement was this. When life gets rough, don’t hide in a cave. Isolation is a tool of the devil – he wants us to feel isolated and alone. The truth is, we’re not alone – not ever! So especially when life gets rough, come to the places where God has assured us He can be found; listen for His gentle whispers, wherever those might be found. Hear His promises of His love for you, the encouragement He wants you to hear, the help He offers, and the hope He holds out.

If you’ve got time, read 1 Kings 18 and the account of the “battle of the prophets” that preceded Elijah’s going on the run. It’s powerful and also hilarious – you’ll discover that Elijah was among the first smack-talkers in history!

Here is this week’s What Now? that I hope you can put into practice.

What Now?

When the journey seems too much for you and you find yourself thinking, “I’ve had enough, Lord!”, be still. As you rest, listen for that powerful yet gentle whisper from the Lord to sustain you – in His Word, in worship, at the Lord’s Supper – as you remember His many powerful promises to you.

Last item for today – this morning we began Vacation Bible School with 245 children here to sing, play, and learn more about Jesus. Please be praying for Miss Emma, for all of our middle school, high school, and adult helpers, and for the Good News of Jesus to be heard and received by many throughout this week! Here’s a picture of our full sanctuary – praise God!

Serving together in Christ alone!

Pastor Glen