Friends of Immanuel, 

Immanuel is not a club. It’s not a business or an organization or an institution or a service organization. Immanuel is a Church – God’s Church, to be specific! Church was God’s idea and His creation. That means what we have here is something very special and very unique, as long as we stay true to our purpose. We brainstormed some of the many good things that we do together as God’s Church in worship this past Sunday, but from what St. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15, THE purpose must be that we preach Christ crucified, Christ risen, and Christ ascended. As Paul put it, if Christ has not been raised from the dead, we’re just wasting our time – our preaching is futile, and we’re all lost. 

But… we know and believe the Christ HAS been raised bodily from the dead and because He has risen, we shall be raised, too, at the end of time. This certainty, from a God who has always been faithful to His promises, is what gives us hope to keep going, no matter what we may be facing in our lives. Rest on that promise and let the promise and the Promiser give you hope today! Here’s this week’s What Now? for you to consider: 

What Now? 

This week reflect on and talk with others about the power of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and the promise and assurance of our future bodily resurrection from the dead. Allow this gift to bring you hope with whatever challenges you may be facing in the day-to-day of your life right now.  

Next, just a quick reminder about the “Love Challenge” that we began a couple weeks ago. This is week 3 and we’re talking about how love is not envious. Keep going with this and practice this amazing gift of love that our Lord has given us. 

What Now? 

Print out 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (provided below). Each week for the next 16 weeks, take one of the characteristics of love and look for ways to express it – to your spouse, your kids, your friend-group. Be creative, have fun with it, talk about it, and grow in the love our Savior has shown to us as we show it to each other. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 “4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.” 

Love Does Not Envy 

This kind of love appreciates and rejoices when others are blessed with good things and does not allow jealousy and resentment to take root. This love is not displeased when others experience success. 

Serving together in Christ alone! 

Pastor Glen 

Friends of Immanuel,
Tomorrow is V-Day! Guys, the pressure is on!! Dinner? Roses? Chocolates? An amazing heartfelt card? How else can you show your sweetheart how much you love her? While Valentine’s Day is, at least in my humble opinion, a “Hallmark Holiday,” it’s not just a bunch of mushy lovey-dovey stuff. There’s some value, especially in our culture today, in holding up and valuing marriage and commitment, love between husbands and wives, and celebrating this foundational component of our society as God has designed it.

Yes, this was part of God’s design from the very beginning of creation. Husbands and wives together, leaving fathers and mothers and being joined together as one flesh (Genesis 2:24), loving one another, working and serving together, and continuing the wonder and mystery of creation with the procreation of children. Therefore it’s good to celebrate love and marriage and relationships and yet another of God’s amazing gifts to us!

Let’s take advantage of this annual holiday to at least pause from the routines of our lives and the hustle-and-bustle of how crazy things can get, to remember, celebrate, and give thanks for those significant people in our lives. While I somewhat tongue-in-cheek said at the beginning that the pressure is on the guys, it’s good for both guys and gals to give thanks for each other and to share and show the love you have for one another in tangible ways.

At the foundation of all this “love talk,” is, of course, our Lord and Savior. The love verses throughout the Bible are prevalent – “We love because He first loved us.” “There is no greater love than this – that a person lay down his life for his friends.” “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son…” “Love is patient, love is kind… Love never fails… And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Remember, above all things, that you are loved. Jesus loves you. And I pray there are many others in your life – those who love you and those you love. Look for an opportunity over this weekend to express that love to the important people in your life.

I’ll mention again the “Love Challenge” that began a couple Sundays ago and will continue for another 14 weeks. This week is about love as expressed in kindness. How can you demonstrate kindness to people in your life in fun and creative ways? Talk about it, do it, be creative in those expressions. And let God’s amazing and unconditional love that we know in and because of Jesus, continue to transform your heart, your life, and your relationships more and more every day!

Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel,

I had fun with yesterday’s message about all of us “broken” people, and I hope you did, too! For the fun I poked at the Chiefs and veggie plates, I hope you all took that in the spirit I intended! As I mentioned, I appreciate all of you putting up with this broken person and my love of football and my Packers. With the Super Bowl behind us, we can laugh and complain and grieve and cheer and ponder the game, the halftime show, the commercials, the politics, and everything else surrounding what has become a huge cultural phenomenon and move on from football for another season.

The focus of yesterday’s message, however, is something that I hope you take to heart – God really does use us, all of us, no matter how broken we are, to radiate His message of love and hope to others in our lives. It’s pretty awesome to see that reality play out week after week here at Immanuel through some of the many opportunities we have to carry out the Lord’s mission He’s given to us. Let God use you, just as you are as a broken yet redeemed child of His, to radiate His love into someone’s life this week. I’m including the What Now?, encouraging you to put this simple prayer into action this week:

What Now?

This week, begin each day with this prayer:

Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank You for calling and claiming me as Your child, broken as I am! Thank You for the healing You bring to my life through Your forgiveness, Your love, and Your presence. Help me, through my brokenness, to radiate Your amazing gifts to the people in my life. Amen

Part 2 of my article is a reminder of our 16-week “Love Challenge” that began last week. I’ve heard many of you have taken me up on participating in it! It’s never too late. If you need a reminder, here’s what it is:

Print out 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (provided below). Each week for the next 16 weeks, take one of the characteristics of love and look for ways to express it – to your spouse, your kids, your friend-group. Be creative, have fun with it, talk about it, and grow in the love our Savior has shown to us as we show it to each other.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 “⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails.”

This week we are focusing on “…love is kind.” Kindness is similar to patience but refers to how we treat others. It especially implies a love that reacts with goodness towards those who have been ill-treated. This kind of love may take the form of a gentle rebuke when careful discipline is needed. As I encouraged, be thoughtful and intentional about expressing kindness as a demonstration of love to others in your life. And feel free to share stories with me throughout this 16-week “Love Challenge” that we’re doing together, letting Christ’s love transform our hearts, our lives, and our relationships!

Serving together in Christ alone!

Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel,

Last Sunday’s Gospel reading included two different instances where we’re told that the people were amazed at Jesus. “All spoke well of Jesus and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips.” (Luke 4:22) “The people were amazed at Jesus’ teaching, because his words had authority.” (Luke 4:32) I ended my sermon last Sunday by sharing with you some of our Lord’s many amazing promises. I want you to be encouraged today and so here are those amazing promises for you bask in for a few minutes. Read them slowly; hear them as God speaks them directly to you; let them wash over you and fill your heart with our Lord’s love.

• “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I set you apart.” (Jeremiah 1:5)
• “Do not be afraid…, for I am with you.” Jeremiah 1:8
• “I have put my words in your mouth.” Jeremiah 1:9
• “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb… I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:13-14
• “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1
• “I have loved you with an everlasting love;” Jeremiah 31:3
• “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:8-10
• “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:4-6
• “Take heart, child; your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:2
• “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
• “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” John 14:1
• “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
• “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” John 11:25-26
• “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
• “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” 1 Peter 5:10
• “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1
• “I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
• “For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Amazing, isn’t it? Continue to be amazed as we Boldly Radiate With Love, that more and more people in our lives would come to know Jesus and the power of His love!

Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel, 

Radiate Boldly with Love! That was the focus of yesterday’s sermon as we tapped into all three of the power-packed readings from God’s Word. Jeremiah 1 drove home the assurance that God created each and every one of us, knowing us even before He formed us in our mother’s womb. And not only did He know us, but He set us apart, gave us a purpose for our lives – which, using today’s language, is that we Radiate God’s love and His message of hope to those in our lives. 

The Epistle reading for yesterday was 1 Corinthians 13, the newest creation from the non-profit, Scripture in Motion. We were the first congregation to include this newest video of Scripture in worship (in Thursday’s update, I’ll share more information about projects like this from www.ScriptureInMotion.com)! If you want to see 1 Corinthians 13 again, here is the link that will be made public tomorrow morning – https://youtu.be/a5lGdz6Ef8o. 

My encouragement is to step into this week’s What Now?, which is basically a 4-month assignment. I would love nothing better than to have all of us practicing, living out, and having fun as we grow in our Savior’s love and in the love we show to one another! If you’re willing, I’d enjoy hearing some stories from you over the coming 16 weeks as together we experience and grow in love! 

What Now? 

Print out 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (provided below). Each week for the next 16 weeks, take one of the characteristics of love and look for ways to express it – to your spouse, your kids, your friend-group. Be creative, have fun with it, talk about it, and grow in the love our Savior has shown to us as we show it to each other. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 

“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.” 

There’s one more related item I want to share with you. Grace Holstad, a 9th grader, was inspired by yesterday’s sermon and made this for her family and gave me permission to share it with all of you. Pretty cool! 

Serving together in Christ alone! 

Pastor Glen 

Friends of Immanuel,

I’ve had a couple of interesting responses to Sunday’s message and my article in Monday’s email update about how God’s Word is all about community, and the fact that when it comes to reading God’s Word, we need each other. This was prompted from Sunday’s Old Testament reading from Nehemiah 8:1-12, which I preached on.

The significance of being in the Word cannot be overstated. It’s not about throwing guilt on everyone but instead, it’s being reminded of the true power of God as He works in and through His Word. We believe the Bible to be just that – God’s words to us. We believe that the Bible was inspired by God Himself, with the Holy Spirit working in the hearts and lives of the people who wrote down what we have today. We believe the Bible is a living Word (Hebrews 4:12) that God uses to continually communicate His love to us, ever-pointing us to Jesus on every page. It’s Truth that we can stand on and live by.

The point I made regarding how we need each other when it comes to being in God’s Word is highlighted in a couple other resources that have been shared with me. If you want to go a little deeper in this, check out this article that Gail Hein shared with me called “Reading the Bible in Community” from Beautiful Discipleship –
https://www.beautifuldiscipleship.com/p/reading-the-bible-in-community-guest. Then Pastor Robin shared the following link with me from The Bible Project (which has a plethora of solid resources regarding God’s Word – check it out!) – https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/public-reading-scripture/.

With the Bible Project link, I especially appreciate the last line in the video: “This is what God’s people have always done [reading and talking about God’s Word] when they enter into new and uncertain times, they remember their story and who they are through the public reading of the Scriptures.” It seems that over the past 10 years or so, there’s been a lot of talk about living in “new and uncertain times.” My hope and prayer are that regardless of what life is throwing at us, we stay grounded in the Word and in the “Word made flesh,” Jesus! That’s where our hope is found; that’s where we are reminded that we’re in good hands; that’s where we know God can be found, eager and ready to speak into our lives, regardless of what is going on.

Together – in worship, in Bible studies, as families, as small groups – let’s be community, living solidly on Jesus—the Word—and His love for us. I hope to see you on Sunday!

Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel, 

My big encouragement from yesterday’s message, The Radiating Word of God, was that God’s Word is all about community. Yes, our personal time in God’s Word is awesome and important and helpful as we grow in our faith, but more than anything, we need each other! We hear God’s Word together, we process together, we learn and study and grow together, we put God’s Word into practice together, and we live and encourage each other with this Word of God – when we worship together each week, when we gather to study God’s Word together, and as we live in relationship with each other. 

I related this to the clip from The Chosen that I showed near the end of my message from season 1, episode 3. It was Jesus’ interaction with a small group of children. While this encounter was completely speculation and is not found in Scripture, it communicated a variety of biblical truths to me. It demonstrated our Savior’s love for all people, including children. It served as a reminder that Jesus was a real person – He needed sleep, He brushed His teeth, He learned a trade, He talked like a normal person, He had a sense of humor. And the pinnacle moment for me was when Jesus asked the children if they had learned to pray the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). When the children were reciting those powerful promises of God, how did that impact Jesus? If you recall, it brought Him to tears, it was so beautiful hearing God’s Word flow from the lips and hearts of those children. 

The main point of that clip is – how did those children learn those words? It wasn’t by individually working on memorizing them. They learned them from being in worship and hearing them spoken regularly in their homes. It came from hearing those words recited at the dinner table day after day, at night before going to bed, in the morning when getting up, and the family speaking those words together. In other words, God’s Word grew in their hearts and minds from the community sharing, speaking, and living that Word of God. Which is why we include and encourage children to be part of worship services at Immanuel! 

I had mentioned yesterday that I would offer a bit more in today’s update about The Chosen for those who were not familiar with it. From their website (https://www.thechosen.tv/en-us), “The Chosen is a groundbreaking historical drama based on the life of Jesus Christ (Jonathan Roumie), seen through the eyes of those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Israel, the seven-season show shares an authentic and intimate look at Jesus’ revolutionary life and teachings.” You can watch this series using The Chosen app or on Amazon Prime, as well as several other paid subscription services. I personally have appreciated it for what it is – a historical drama that provides some unique glimpses into how Jesus and His followers’ lives may have looked, based on the foundation of the Gospels. 

One thing I had to cut out of Sunday’s sermon due to time was something that Pastor Robin shared with me last week that spoke to the power, action, and relevance of God’s Word and all that His Word brings to us. Just let these promises and assurances from Psalm 19:7-10 (NLT) sink in – “The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.” 

The Lord’s, and Nehemiah’s, emphasis on the desire of making God’s Word “clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read” (Nehemiah 8:8), is where I want to wrap up for today. God’s Word is a “lamp to our feet and light for our path.” (Psalm 119:105) Together, let’s let God’s Word radiate in our hearts and lives, keeping us firmly wrapped in Jesus’ strong arms, giving us encouragement and hope that be found nowhere else but Jesus, the Word made flesh! 

What Now? 

Let God’s powerful Word radiate His love, His grace, and His hope in your heart as you take the whole of God’s Story into your life. Gather with others for time in Bible study and conversation. Keep coming to worship as we let God’s Word fill us. Watch some of the excellent TV or movies that convey God’s Story to us, such as The Chosen, The Visual Bible (including Matthew, Acts, John), The Passion of the Christ (rated R and not for children!), The 10 Commandments, Risen, and others. 

Serving together in Christ alone! 

Pastor Glen 

P.S. Greg Northrup, Immanuel’s congregational president, was asked by several people about the two proposals from The Lutheran Church Extension Fund that are on the agenda for Tuesday night’s Voting Assembly/Congregational meeting. If you are interested, both proposals linked below:

Excess Property Scope

School Scope

Friends of Immanuel,

Last Sunday was recognized by many churches across the United States as National Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. As a congregation of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, we, too, affirm God’s gift of life, from conception to natural death. While I did not preach on the sanctity of life this year (I have the last several years taken the occasion to do that), we did include it in our time of prayer, and I want to take time in my article today to hold up this important matter.

I read a statement in a blog yesterday, January 22^nd, which marked the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade abortion decision from 1973, that although the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade this past June, abortions have actually increased. And that is why we must, as followers of Jesus who stand firmly on the Truth of His Word, continue to loudly and boldly, lovingly and in grace-filled ways, fight for and uphold life, from conception to natural death, proclaiming Life as a gift of God.

We hear throughout God’s Word how life is a gift God gives us. Let me share just a couple here and then I encourage you to simply Google “sanctity of human life bible verses,” or check out this link for a plethora of scripture that speaks about life (https://www.openbible.info/topics/the_sanctity_of_life).

Psalm 139:13-16 – “¹³ For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

Jeremiah 1:4-5 – “ The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ^5 ’Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.’”

Isaiah 43:1 – “But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.’”

As I said, God’s Word is filled with affirmations of life with God Himself as the Author of life. As Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10, we are God’s handiwork, His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. In our staff devotions this morning, a staff member shared what she taught in her classroom the other day, that God’s fingerprints are all over us because He created us, made us, formed us.

Mark your calendar for the Colorado March for Life on April 11, 2025 at the Capital building in Denver. More details can be found at https://marchforlife.org/colorado/ and I’ll also try to keep everyone appraised of more information as it comes out.

For today, be affirmed and encouraged that YOU, and the life God has given you, are gifts from God. I appreciate each and every one of you who call Immanuel “home” and are part of the Lord’s ministry here. What a joy to live the lives we do, assured that we are loved, we are redeemed, we are called by name by our Creator and Savior, and we are His!

Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel, 

Having a day off yesterday, I took advantage and watched some of the pomp and ceremony of the inauguration. It was fascinating to see many different facets, both formalities and ceremonies, as well as watching the more informal interactions of all the different “players,” including some of the posturing and politicking going on. We watched the exit and departure of President Biden from Washington and the return of President Trump to the White House with his various speeches, promises, drama, jabs, and signing of multiple executive orders. Then you add in the various interpretations from different news outlets, and it was quite the day! 

It was also interesting to me to read what the head of my doctoral program, Dr. Leonard Sweet, wrote about this. My doctorate is in Semiotics and Future Studies – semiotics being “signs” and learning to recognize and examine the various “signs” of our times and to interpret them in light of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. As Len wrote in a Facebook post yesterday, “Today’s inauguration stands as a masterclass in semiotics – a dense web of signs, symbols, and their interpretations that shape our understanding of power and legitimacy.”  

While that line itself is a mouthful (!!), there truly is so much to be learned from observing that “dense web of signs, symbols, and their interpretations.” From the guest list, to the seating chart, to the choice of halls and the statuary and art work displayed in them, to who introduced who, the choice of music the various bands played and singers sang (did you notice how many hymns were played?!), to people’s titles and positions that were announced, to breaking traditions (signing multiple executive orders at Capitol One Arena in front of 20,000+ people), to keeping traditions of including all previous Presidents and Vice Presidents and having the military display, and on and on it goes. What did we learn about our country, about power and those who wield it, about the nature of fear and hope? The day truly was rich and dense with signs and symbols to be witnessed and interpreted, with much of that interpretation continuing in the days, weeks, and months ahead! 

Many are excited about this change in power and are filled with hope for the future of our country. Others are fearful over what they’ve heard or perceived or interpreted. Here at Immanuel, we will continue to pray for our sitting president, now President Trump, as we are urged by our Lord to do so in 1 Timothy 2:1-4. We will pray that he and all our elected and appointed officials govern wisely and well, driven not by their own self-centered agendas or selfish desires, but ultimately driven by the Truth found in God’s own Word, which are the Scriptures and Jesus Himself. 

My reminder to all of us who are citizens of this world and specifically of this great country, the United States of America, and who are also, and most importantly, citizens of the Kingdom of God, ruled by our Lord and Savior Jesus, is to keep our priorities straight. Regardless of who is in office, of which party is in power, we have only one King, and that is Jesus. As I preached this past Sunday and as I’ll be preaching again this coming Sunday, the most important thing for us as children of God is to keep our lives grounded firmly on Jesus, our trust and faith in Him, and, in turn, to BE His people, living out our faith, living in hope, in love, and in His grace each and every day. That is where true life is found. The ups and downs of life will continue. We will face challenges and struggles. We will enjoy celebrations and joys. We will need to ask for forgiveness, and we will need to offer forgiveness. 

Today, let’s join in giving thanks to God for the blessings we enjoy as we live in these United States, for the freedoms that are ours, both in our country and in our Savior, and for the hope with which we can live each day because of Jesus!  

Serving together in Christ alone! 

Pastor Glen