[Sunday] Faith & Fear - Missio Dei Part 5

When anxiety hits, we usually tell ourselves “faith over fear.” but perhaps God is calling us to something deeper: faith with the fear of the Lord. See how the massive, awesome power of God is actually the perfect resting place for our fearful hearts.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

Christmas Boxes - Soap, Hair Ties, Hair Brushes and Small Jesus Figures!

Bars of soap, hair ties, hair brushes and small Jesus figures for the Month of September!

We are still collecting BACKPACKS as well as anything else you would like to add. It has to fit in the box, but anything you feel would be fun to include would be appreciated.

We are wanting to bless even more children in Hait this Christmas. We are doubling our goal to 400 gift boxes!

Let’s start early so we can meet this awesome goal.

Each month we will focus on a type of a gift, but feel free to bless the children with whatever gift will fit in a plastic shoebox. OR—each box costs about $25.00, so if you would like to donate money, we will use it to purchase items for you.

Amazon has many gift ideas and are more reasonable when you put the word “bulk” in the search line, such as “Soccer balls bulk”.

Here are the goals for the next 7 months:

• May - Soccer balls

• June - Baby dolls (8” or under), necklaces & bracelets

• July - Backpacks

• August - Pencil cases, toothbrushes, toothpaste

• September - Bar soap, hairbrushes, double ball hair ties

• October - Toys-card games, jump ropes, little cars, coloring books (without words), etc., hard candy

• November - Anything goes that fits in the box!

PACKING DAY NOVEMBER 21ST

[Sunday] The Bow - Missio Dei Part 5

When we read the flood story, it's so easy to focus on the destruction, but the true focus is the rainbow. 1 Peter chapter 3 shows us something amazing: God’s bow points us straight to the cross, the empty tomb, and the hope we have in deep waters.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

Remembering Helga Fielitz

Service Live Stream is at Saturday 11am

[Sunday] Witness & See - Missio Dei Part 5

God frees us from the frightening prospect of “evangelism”. For true witnessing is seeing others, and joyfully sharing the beauty of the God who rescues us.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Priestly Prayers - Missio Dei Part 5

Jesus frees us from the pressure of having to pray the "perfect" way. Because He is the Lamb who was slain, you can pray boldly knowing your Father in heaven hears you!

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Chosen - Missio Dei Part 5

Jesus specializes in choosing the unimpressive, the broken, and the flawed to represent His presence and love to the world. You are a royal priesthood!

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Matthew 2 - Richer

Virtually every life transforming event recorded in Scripture includes a journey, a process the people involved go through that leads to insight, transformation and new life for all willing to engage that journey. The journey always includes elements of sacrifice, worship, trust and faith.  Christmas is about Jesus making the journey from heaven to earth, for the Magi it was the journey from wisdom to humility.  For us, it is a journey to wonder and new life.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Psalm 2 - Richer

Psalm 1 provides a blueprint for spiritual life, and helps us see how Jesus grew into His Messianic role.  Psalm 2 broadens from individual growth to God's MESSIANIC PLAN for the world and takes in the entire sweep of history.  This Sunday we are in an Advent state of mind.  Next Sunday we celebrate Christmas in July through the eyes of the Magi.  

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Joshua 1:9 - Richer

"Be strong and courageous" isn't God telling you to try harder. It's an invitation to rest in the victory He has already won.

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Questions for the Week: Joshua 1:9

1. In what areas of your life (parenting, career, relationships) do you feel the exhausting pressure that everything depends entirely on your performance?

2. Read Joshua 1:1-9: Joshua was facing an impossible, terrifying transition with the death of Moses and a flooded river ahead of him. Have you ever faced a life transition that felt impossible, and how did God's presence carry you through it?

3. It’s exhausting to constantly try to bend God's will to match what we want—whether in our jobs, marriages, or politics. Jesus did the exact opposite in the Garden of Gethsemane ("Not my will, but yours be done"). When is it hardest for you to stop fighting and trust God’s plan?

4. God gives Joshua the victory.   How does it take the pressure off you to know that God doesn't need you to be a "perfect professional" to do His work in someone else's life?

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Psalm 23: The Lord is - Richer

Psalm 23 is a beautiful song of trust, declaring true freedom, daily provision, and a grace that aggressively pursues us in every season of life.

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Questions for the Week: Psalm 23 - The Lord is

1. Read Psalm 23: It is usually read at funerals, but it helps us trust God every single day. Which part of Psalm 23 brings you the most comfort on a normal, average day?

2. The Israelites had manna from heaven but still complained that they lacked meat, even wishing to go back to slavery. Where in your life do you struggle with a scarcity mindset, believing that God hasn't given you enough?

3. When faced with the "presence of our enemies" or dark valleys, our instinct is to fight, defend ourselves, or take control. How does the image of Jesus calmly setting a table for you in the middle of chaos change how you handle conflict?

4. The Hebrew word for "follow" (as in "goodness and mercy shall follow me") means to aggressively pursue or chase down. How does it feel to know that God is actively chasing you with grace, rather than you having to constantly pursue Him?

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] All things Good - 2 Kings 9-10 & Romans 8:28 - Foolish Wisdom

"All things work together for good." What does this famous promise actually mean? God brings true good, not through our overzealous striving, but through the empty tomb.

Questions for the Week: Naaman: All Things Good

1. Read Romans 8:18-39.  We often think Romans 8:28 means "everything will work out good" or "if I do good, God will bless me." How does reading this verse in the context of suffering and human failure change how you understand God's promise?

2. Read 2 Kings Chapters 9 and 10.  Jehu was incredibly proud of his violent zeal for the Lord, but it ended up destroying his own people. Where have you seen "righteous zeal" (in parenting, marriage, or politics) go too far and end up damaging relationships?

3. When Elisha's servant anointed Jehu, he added his own angry words to God's command, which fueled Jehu's rampage. How much of our own "zealous" action is actually driven by God's Word, and how much is driven by the angry, polarized voices we surround ourselves with?

4. Our human zeal is so destructive that it literally crucified Jesus. Yet, God used that exact moment of darkness to bring good to you and the world. How does knowing that God can bring life out of our worst messes give you peace in your current struggles?

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Naaman, The Mighty Leper - 2 Kings 5 - Foolish Wisdom

Naaman the mighty man of war has leprosy, but his story shows us how human pride expects a show while God brings true healing through the small, ordinary, and unimpressive things.

Questions for the Week: Naaman: The Mighty Leper. 

1. Describe a time when your ego got in the way of God working.

2. Read 2 Kings 5:1-19.  Naaman scoffed at the Jordan River because it wasn't impressive enough. Why does human pride struggle so much with God using simple, ordinary things (like regular water in baptism or bread and wine) to deliver His grace?

3. Naaman tried to buy his healing with gold and political letters. Even though we know salvation is free, in what subtle ways do we still try to "pay" God for His blessings?

4. When Naaman worried about having to work in a pagan environment, Elisha didn't tell him to quit his job or start a culture war; he just said, "Go in peace." How does knowing you are a secure, new creation in Christ’s resurrection free you to calmly love and serve the people in your secular workplace or neighborhood?

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] The Lord is My Shepherd - Psalm 23 - Foolish Wisdom

A more in depth look at the most popular psalm in the Bible, and also one that you have probably never heard discussed in a sermon.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

Induction of Vicar Claubert June 7th 4pm[Live Stream]

Welcome & Induction of Vicar Claubert June 7th at 4:00 PM

Join us as we warmly welcome Vicar Claubert to the Port St. Lucie community and officially induct him into service at Grace Lutheran PSL.

A dessert reception will immediately follow the ceremony.

[Sunday] Through The Water - 2 Kings 2 - Foolish Wisdom

While the "glory days" of the past are tempting, Elijah passing the mantle to Elisha reminds us to put down our swords and walk forward by His Spirit.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Why Are You Here - 1 Kings 19 - Foolish Wisdom

Burnout happens when we think it's entirely up to us to fix the world. Elijah flees into the wilderness and discovers how God meets us in our exhaustion, speaking in a still small voice, and freeing us from the pressure of having to do it all.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Battle of Baal Bluff - 1 Kings 18 - Foolish Wisdom

Stop exhausting yourself trying to earn God's favor through frantic human religion, and learn from Mount Carmel what it means to simply trust in what Christ has already bought.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Blockbuster - 1 Kings 17 - Foolish Wisdom

• An AI Summery of the sermon (click to see)

  Overview

  The sermon, part of an ongoing “Foolish Wisdom” series, confronts the widespread human impulse to equate God’s power with “bigness”—grand narratives, worldly prestige, and visible dominance. Through an arc spanning Solomon, the divided kingdom, Ahab and Jezebel, and the episode of Elijah with the widow of Zarephath, the speaker argues that God’s saving work often appears in humble places among outsiders. The message culminates in Jesus’s ministry and the cross, where divine victory arrives through what the world calls weakness. The sermon maintains a strong emphasis on faithfulness to biblical texts, careful preservation of historical details, and a clear call to resist idolatry of power and status in modern life.

  The Pitfall of Pursuing Greatness

  The sermon situates itself in the “Foolish Wisdom” series, continuing a multi-year trajectory of biblical exploration. About four years ago, the community studied “Rise and Fall” (First and Second Samuel, focusing on King Saul and David). A year later, they examined Judges, noted humorously for having “nothing but cheerful stories.” This year’s focus is First and Second Kings through the lives of Solomon, Elijah, and Elisha.

  Solomon’s reign serves as the initial cautionary tale. Although he sought to honor God by building the temple, he adopted methods that mirrored Egypt—using slave labor—thereby betraying the founding identity of Israel’s God, who rescued His people out of Egypt. The speaker stresses that Solomon’s pursuit of ever-greater power marked a departure from God’s self-disclosure and intent, which prioritizes service to those under a king’s authority. The principle “Pride comes before a fall” is applied to Solomon’s trajectory and to any kingdom that exalts itself.

  The narrative proceeds to Solomon’s death and the ascent of Rehoboam, who is offered the chance to be a servant king. He refuses, choosing deeper oppression, triggering the split of the kingdom—likened to the social backlash epitomized by the “let them eat cake” moment in the French Revolution. Following the split, the nation endures “nothing but warfare at bad times.” This downward spiral sets the stage for King Ahab, a ruler described in Scripture as doing “more evil than all of the kings before him,” notably through instituting the worship of Baal.

  The speaker observes that stories of Elijah (including the widow of Zarephath) function like “blockbuster stories” in the biblical imagination—well-known and grand—yet emphasizes that their true weight lies not in spectacle but in the people through whom God works. Ahab, married to Jezebel of Sidon, aligns Israel with Baal worship. Baal—correctly pronounced “Baal”—was a fertility deity associated with fruitfulness and rain, not the devil as sometimes assumed. Elijah’s announcement that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would halt the rain directly confronts Ahab’s reliance on Baal. Against this backdrop of murderous royal power, God’s action begins to reposition the story away from “bigness.”

  God’s Counterintuitive Salvation for Outsiders

  After Elijah confronts Ahab, God instructs him to hide. Provision comes first through a small brook and ravens delivering food; when the brook dries up, the word of the Lord sends Elijah “at once” to Zarephath in Sidon—Jezebel’s homeland. The speaker notes that a Jewish reader would “clutch their pearls” at this instruction, because Zarephath sits at the heart of foreign, Baal-oriented territory and outside of Israel’s covenant community.

  There Elijah meets a widow—the “poor of the poor”—who, amid the drought and famine, has only enough flour and oil to make one small cake for herself and her son before expecting death. Elijah asks for water and bread and declares God’s promise that the flour and oil will not run out. The famine continues, yet her supplies never fail, day after day, by God’s provision.

  Tragedy strikes when the widow’s son falls ill and dies. In anguish, she confronts Elijah, asking, “What do you have against me, man of God?”—a phrase the speaker interprets as possibly sarcastic in her grief. Elijah carries the child to his room, prays, and stretches himself upon the boy three times. God hears the prayer: the child breathes again; his life is restored. This miracle—occurring in an outsider’s home, far from Israel’s centers of power—confirms God’s pattern of working where human expectations least anticipate it. The sermon underscores that during the famine God did not turn to Ahab’s palace and power, but to a foreign widow in Jezebel’s town, providing both food and life.

  This narrative establishes the sermon's thesis: God does not require anyone to be a “big blockbuster Christian” with a massive spiritual résumé, perfect family, or worldly power. He loves and saves without regard to prestige or lineage. Evil manipulates anxieties and imperfections, tempting people to believe that being part of a “grand story” or the “right family” is necessary for divine notice. The widow’s story refutes that lie.

  Jesus’s Affirmation of the “Small Way”

  The sermon connects Elijah’s episode to Jesus’s ministry. In the gospel reading, Jesus references the widow of Zarephath while in his hometown (described colloquially as “the sticks”), where familiarity breeds skepticism. He reads from Isaiah: “I’ve come to proclaim liberty to the captives, the recovery of sight to the blind,” identifying himself as the fulfillment—“Today all of this has been fulfilled in your ears.” The hometown crowd, who knew his family and upbringing, struggle with his claim, expecting a Messiah of royal grandeur, triumph, and conspicuous power through the line of David.

  Jesus underscores God’s counterintuitive pattern: “There were many widows in Israel during Elijah’s time when the sky was shut… for three and a half years… yet Elijah was not sent to any of them but to the widow in Zarephath”—Jezebel’s region. This statement challenges local expectations, signaling that God’s salvation reaches outsiders and the marginalized rather than confirming human ambitions for civic or national glory. The sermon emphasizes that this moment exposes the crowd’s bias toward “big” messianic acts while Jesus claims the small way—bringing good news in humility, not domination.

  Embracing “Foolish Wisdom” in Modern Faith

  Applying these truths today, the sermon warns against “worshipping bigness”—substituting money, power, prestige, and greatness for trust in God. The modern idolatry of control promises that if we achieve enough, the drought of the soul will end. Yet this fixation enslaves us to anxieties and imperfections, rendering hidden struggles controlling forces rather than places where grace meets us. God does not save because we belong to the right people group, hail from the right land, or bear an impeccable pedigree. He saves.

  The pattern of Jesus’s life displays this truth. He enters the world through humble circumstances—born to a young woman under social suspicion, announced among shepherds (outcasts at that time), raised in Nazareth (“the stick”). When the time came to save, he did not summon a grand army; he allowed himself to be stripped, beaten, and nailed to wood. For Rome, the cross functioned like the guillotine of the French Revolution—an instrument of routine execution, a small, ignominious end for “getting rid of somebody.” In the “foolish” smallness of the cross, God crushed the head of Satan, defeated evil, paid the price for everyone, and brought people from death to life—echoing the resurrection of the widow’s son.

  The sermon invites believers to discern God’s glory in the ordinary—a grass blade, even unwanted weeds among flowers—the Creator bringing unexpected life where we assumed only death. It urges the community to renounce the search for worldly greatness and serve the people God saves, near and far, through humble means that reflect the wisdom of the cross.

God doesn’t need you to be a blockbuster Christian. The big story of Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath shows we don't need a massive spiritual resume for God to love and rescue us.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Rey and Jerry 1 Kings 11-13 - Foolish Wisdom

When the kingdom splits, Kings Rehoboam and Jeroboam desperately grasp for power and control, but God uses Elijah, a nobody from the sticks, to show us that true freedom comes not from controlling our circumstances but from trusting the King who went to the cross for us.

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What Had happened at Grace this week.