![[Sunday] All things Good - 2 Kings 9-10 & Romans 8:28 - Foolish Wisdom](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1782425800701-ZKA0ZIGTYXT03KWDYE7E/FW10a.jpg)
[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.
"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
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?
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?
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?
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?
What Had happened at Grace this week.
![[Sunday] Priestly Prayers - Missio Dei Part 5](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1786047627103-UMSXH8W27R0K1X433B1C/MissioDei26+2a.jpg)
![Guys night at SouthPaw Aug26 [Photos]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1786146308720-ZE593AVAQP5EW134U5T5/IMG_6371.jpeg)
![[Sunday] Chosen - Missio Dei Part 5](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1785501172162-MSAE54HZ6J2KRTSLVODA/MissioDei26+1a.jpg)
![Vicar Claubert is Moved in and Lots happening around Grace [Photos]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1782485561689-A63EJT6X8P3DLNWVSJD1/PXL_20260625_142451905.jpg)
Vicar Claubert is Moved in and Lots happening around Grace [Photos]
A Busy and Blessed Week at Grace!
A Busy and Great Week at Grace! 🌟
Last Monday, Vicar Claubert signed his lease and moved into his new rental house. Since then, we’ve been keeping him incredibly busy as he attends Bible studies and learns the ins and outs of week-to-week life here at Grace.
On Thursday, Pam and Mike teamed up to pull up the old bushes around the property, and Vicar Claubert jumped right in to help! They are hard at work making way for some beautiful new landscaping.
Finally, a huge thank you to everyone who came to Sunday Service. We know the grass was long and parking next to the road wasn't ideal, but the driveway looks fantastic and is now set to last for years to come. We appreciate your patience and flexibility!
![Summer Kids Bible Club 26’ Week 2&3 [Photos]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1782483288400-4SLNAZM3JAS5M8KOPBJA/PXL_20260624_230100754.jpg)
Summer Kids Bible Club 26’ Week 2&3 [Photos]
We’ve had a wonderful couple of weeks learning about baby Moses and Zacchaeus climbing the tree to see Jesus!
Summer Kids Bible Club Update: Weeks 2 & 3 🌴
We’ve had a wonderful couple of weeks learning about baby Moses and Zacchaeus climbing the tree to see Jesus! A highlight of this year's club is our tropical fruit tasting adventure, where the kids are loving the chance to try unique, exotic fruits they've never tasted before.
![[Sunday] Naaman, The Mighty Leper - 2 Kings 5 - Foolish Wisdom](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1781838581516-H86L5TX0CZW62SNK9OIL/FW9a.jpg)
[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.
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.
Describe a time when your ego got in the way of God working.
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?
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?
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?
What Had happened at Grace this week.
![[Sunday] Witness & See - Missio Dei Part 5](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1786659777597-WYKWQ41JERH598CEQ7Z5/MissioDei26+3a.jpg)
Grace Driveway Work. Happening this weekend 21st.
Upcoming Driveway Closure: Sunday, Postponed due to weather
Driveway Project Update: June 20th
The Work is happening.
We may be parking next to the road.
We will be able to walk down the driveway
On Friday, May 29th, work officially began on our driveway at Grace. The crew cut out the old, damaged sections and filled the holes with fresh asphalt.
Upcoming Driveway Closure: Sunday, June 14th
The next step is sealing and restriping, which will take place starting Friday evening, June 12th, and run through the weekend. This means we will not have access to the driveway on Sunday, June 14th.
For that Sunday, we will park in the grass near our sign on Cashmere Blvd. The back door to the fellowship hall will be open for entry.
When scheduling this project, we had to choose between blocking access during the week or over the weekend. Closing the driveway during the week would have disrupted the Alzheimer’s daycare. Because it is difficult for many of those patients to walk long distances, we decided it was best to have the work affect the church over the weekend instead.
![[Sunday] The Lord is My Shepherd - Psalm 23 - Foolish Wisdom](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1781221669135-RXD6QONVXVWRHXC34MS0/FW8a.jpg)
[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.
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.
What Had happened at Grace this week.
![Guys Night in June [Photos]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1781220668311-KH8J8SKXE1SJXMN19XQE/20260604_180022.jpg)
Guys Night in June [Photos]
We had a great time at guys' night at the Thirsty Turtle
Between celebrating Pastor Cris's birthday and eating plenty of wings thanks to the "Baldy" deal, we had a great time at guys' night at the Thirsty Turtle and can't wait for the next one!
![Summer Bible Club 26’ First Night [Photos]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1781220283245-F3EU4HOWBS2HBOOXB211/IMG_8080.jpeg)
Summer Bible Club 26’ First Night [Photos]
For our first night of Summer Bible Club, the kids had a blast learning about Moses through crafts, games, and their guide parrot Beacon, while the adults kicked off a great new study on The Chosen.
Summer Bible Club is officially underway, and our first night was a great success!
The kids enjoyed a wonderful lesson with their guide parrot, Beacon, learning about Moses in the basket through engaging crafts and games.
At the same time, our adult group began their new study on The Chosen. Thank you to everyone who joined us for a great kickoff!
![Induction of Vicar Claubert [Photos]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1781219264525-8YHK8SS1G2UL7RG7UVH1/20260607_165010.jpg)
Induction of Vicar Claubert [Photos]
We officially inducted Vicar Claubert into service at Grace Lutheran PSL!
This past Sunday, June 7th, we officially inducted Vicar Claubert into service at Grace Lutheran PSL! It was a fantastic day for our community, and a huge thank you goes out to everyone who came to show their support. Also, a special shoutout to Eric from the district—you did good! 😉
![Induction of Vicar Claubert June 7th 4pm[Live Stream]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/c4f52c5f-9b29-4fff-a7c5-fb2665f1abf7/induction+26.png)
Induction of Vicar Claubert June 7th 4pm[Live Stream]
Service and Live Stream June 7th 4pm.
Join us as we induct Claubert into Port St Luice and into service at Grace Lutheran PSL.
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](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1780667663134-EX5V86ZA8ERAX8JAYMIS/FW7a.jpg)
[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.
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.
What Had happened at Grace this week.
![[Sunday] Why Are You Here - 1 Kings 19 - Foolish Wisdom](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1780022833293-0FAQMDQIQKRA7MFIU3HC/FW6a.jpg)
[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.
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.
What Had happened at Grace this week.
Chosen Season 1 - Summer Bible Club
While the kids are having a blast at Summer Kids Bible Club, the adults will be diving into a great discussion on Season 1 of The Chosen!
While the kids are having a blast at Summer Kids Bible Club, the adults will be diving into a great discussion on Season 1 of The Chosen!
To get the most out of our time together,
please watch the assigned episodes before class.
If a particular scene stands out to you, jot down the timestamp
we’ll be pulling up clips to watch and discuss together.
Finally, don't forget to bring your Bibles!
Class Schedule.
June 10
Episode 1 - I Have Called You By Name
June 17
Episode 2 - Shabbat
Episode 3 - Jesus Loves The Little Children
June 24
Episode 4 - The Rock On Which It Is Built
July 1
Episode 5 - The Wedding Gift
July 8
Episode 6 - Indescribable Compassion
Episode 7 - Invitations
July 15
Episode 8 - I Am He
Grace Driveway Work.
Upcoming Driveway Closure: Sunday, June 14th
On Friday, May 29th, work officially began on our driveway at Grace. The crew cut out the old, damaged sections and filled the holes with fresh asphalt.
Upcoming Driveway Closure: Sunday, June 14th
The next step is sealing and restriping, which will take place starting Friday evening, June 12th, and run through the weekend. This means we will not have access to the driveway on Sunday, June 14th.
For that Sunday, we will park in the grass near our sign on Cashmere Blvd. The back door to the fellowship hall will be open for entry.
When scheduling this project, we had to choose between blocking access during the week or over the weekend. Closing the driveway during the week would have disrupted the Alzheimer’s daycare. Because it is difficult for many of those patients to walk long distances, we decided it was best to have the work affect the church over the weekend instead.
![[Sunday] Battle of Baal Bluff - 1 Kings 18 - Foolish Wisdom](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1779384414021-PFBH69DRFJOGBE0TKDTC/FW5a.jpg)
[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.
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.
What Had happened at Grace this week.
St Lucie Mets Game - May 21st
Fun at the mets game
Tons of Fun!Join us for a Mets baseball game on
Thursday, May 21st, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Doors Open 5:30pm
Clover Park (Mets Stadium). We will have shaded seating upward left as you walk in the main center entrance (3rd Base Side).
Enjoy $2 hot dogs, $2 soda, and $2 popcorn as well as $2 draft beer at the concession stands.
Tickets are General Admission.
Just show up and purchase a ticket and meet us at the seats.
Grace’s Summer Kickoff: The Fellowship Feast!
Welcome summer with a brand-new community tradition! Join us for our very first Fellowship Feast Pop-Up Potluck.
📅 Date: Sunday, May 24th
🕛 Time: 12:00 Noon (Directly following the 2nd service)
📍 Location: Grace Lutheran PSL
🥪 Provided: Sandwiches, salads, drinks, and desserts
Hello, Grace family and friends!
As the warm breeze rolls in and the summer season approaches, we are absolutely thrilled to announce a brand-new pop-up tradition to celebrate our community. You are officially invited to our very first Fellowship Feast Pop-Up Potluck!
There is nothing quite like eating together to strengthen our bonds and share the joy of Christ. Whether you are a lifelong member of Grace, a newcomer, or a friend tagging along, there is a seat at the table with your name on it. We are coming together directly following our second service to laugh, chat, and kick off the summer season in style.
We are making sure the heavy lifting is handled! Pub Subs, fresh salads, refreshing drinks, and delicious desserts will be completely provided. However, a true potluck thrives on variety. If you are interested in bringing a little something extra to share, we would love your help! We are still looking for:
Chips & Dip
Favorite Appetizers
Cheese Trays
Fresh Fruit Platters
Everything You Need to Know:
📅 Date: Sunday, May 24th
🕛 Time: 12:00 Noon (Directly following the 2nd service)
📍 Location: Grace Lutheran PSL
🥪 Provided: Sandwiches, salads, drinks, and desserts
If you have any questions, want to coordinate what you're bringing, or would like to help out, feel free to reach out directly to Heather or Paul. We are handling the logistics so that you can simply show up, relax, and enjoy.
Fellowship and fun are absolutely guaranteed. We can’t wait to see everyone there!
![[Sunday] Blockbuster - 1 Kings 17 - Foolish Wisdom](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1778782728451-F5ZMPPUUSQ6TLUTWLFCC/FW4a.jpg)
[Sunday] Blockbuster - 1 Kings 17 - Foolish Wisdom
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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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.
What Had happened at Grace this week.
Watching the Dreamer’s at Shucker’s
Tons of Fun at Shucker’s
Our latest outing to see The Dreamers at Shucker’s was a hit! With 22 of us in attendance, the night was filled with great music and even better conversation. It was wonderful to see everyone catching up and enjoying the "timeless big band" atmosphere together. Thank you to everyone who showed up and made it such a fun evening!
Mother’s Day at Grace 26'‘
For Mother’s Day 2026, we continued our "2nd Sunday School" tradition with a wonderful celebration for the mothers in our community.
For Mother’s Day 2026, we continued our "2nd Sunday School" tradition with a wonderful celebration for the mothers in our community. It was a treat to have the parents stay with us for the entire duration, joining the kids for a special family singalong. To round out the morning, each child planted a fern in a pot to give to their mother as a living gift. Happy Mother’s Day to everyone!
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.