Micah - The Minor Leagues

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Micah 3

Rulers and Prophets Denounced

3 And I said:
Hear, you heads of Jacob
    and rulers of the house of Israel!
Is it not for you to know justice?—
2     you who hate the good and love the evil,
who tear the skin from off my people[a]
    and their flesh from off their bones,
3 who eat the flesh of my people,
    and flay their skin from off them,
and break their bones in pieces
    and chop them up like meat in a pot,
    like flesh in a cauldron.

4 Then they will cry to the Lord,
    but he will not answer them;
he will hide his face from them at that time,
    because they have made their deeds evil.

5 Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets
    who lead my people astray,
who cry “Peace”
    when they have something to eat,
but declare war against him
    who puts nothing into their mouths.

6 Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision,
    and darkness to you, without divination.
The sun shall go down on the prophets,
    and the day shall be black over them;

Micah 4

The Mountain of the Lord

4 It shall come to pass in the latter days
    that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
    and it shall be lifted up above the hills;
and peoples shall flow to it,
2     and many nations shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
    and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,[a]
    and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

3 He shall judge between many peoples,
    and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
    and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
    neither shall they learn war anymore;

4 but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree,
    and no one shall make them afraid,
    for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
5 For all the peoples walk
    each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
    forever and ever.

The Lord Shall Rescue Zion

6 In that day, declares the Lord,
    I will assemble the lame
and gather those who have been driven away
    and those whom I have afflicted;
7 and the lame I will make the remnant,
    and those who were cast off, a strong nation;
and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion
    from this time forth and forevermore.

8 And you, O tower of the flock,
    hill of the daughter of Zion,
to you shall it come,
    the former dominion shall come,
    kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem.

Micah 5

The Ruler to Be Born in Bethlehem

5 [a] Now muster your troops, O daughter[b] of troops;
    siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the judge of Israel
    on the cheek.

2 [c] But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
    from ancient days.

3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
    when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
    to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of theLord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
    to the ends of the earth.
5 And he shall be their peace.

What Happened This Week

Email Blast 7-5-17

Listen to the Scriptures: Micah!

Thursday 11AM
Through the summer we will be reading through many of the Minor Prophets.  On Thursdays at 11:00 am we will listen to the minor prophet for that week.  If you are not able to join us, I encourage you to listen to it with your family. 

Links can be found at
https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/read/
 

Family Bike Ride!

Saturday, July 8 at 8:30 am 

At Grace Lutheran

Join us for a fun little family bike ride. We ride at your pace. 

See you then. 

Family Meals

Grace is collecting food for Summer Family Meals. 
Last Easter we were the number 1 donor church. Let's keep it up!
Just bring food to the church and put it in the bin. 

This year they are asking for desserts (boxed mixes). 

. https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/news/family-meals-summer-food-drive

Sarah's Kitchen at the Ballpark

- St. Lucie Mets game on Thursday, July 27 at 6:30 pm

- $7.00 general admission tickets with some proceeds going to support the Sarah's Kitchen mission

- Dollar night on various concessions

- Contact Sherry Evans (772 626 9425) for tickets.

Welcome, Baby Gunnrik!

Matthew, Annalee, and Baby Gunnrik will be honored at a small reception shower after service on Sunday, July 23.

If you're able to "shower" this sweet little one, born in May, we encourage you to write a blessing in a beloved children's book, either new or used (instead of a card). The family would also appreciate baby toiletries and boy clothes sizes 9 months and larger. Thanks for showing your support to our littlest Grace friend!

Watch Last Week's Sermon

What do Fireworks and Amos have in common?

It's 4th of July, and we get to display our hollow respect for fireworks. Amos says in the same way our respect for God and the creation is hollow. But one is coming who will turn our hollowness to hallowness. 

WATCH SERMON HERE

https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/news/amos-the-minor-leagues

Watch all past sermons at 

https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/sermons/

GraceLutheranPSL.com/Read

OUR TAINTED ACTS OF GRACE

People have often tended, quite wrongly, to view me as saintly.  I attribute that undeserved reputation to the fact I have always had a very strong sense of the kind of person I should be.  I would describe my ideal persona as one who was conscientiously obedient and loving.  I strove to be a person of strong moral character whose actions were always wrapped in love.

When my church-pillar parents’ marriage blew apart during my pre-teen years, and my father came out as gay and began a life with the young man, half his age, with whom he had been having an affair, I strove to let him know that I accepted them both and my love for him had not changed. 

When my mother married the abusive man with whom she had begun an affair in response to my father’s affair, I was determined to maintain a loving relationship with her, despite his abuse toward both of us, even after she left me with friends and followed him thousands of miles away........

Read the rest at:

https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/news/our-tainted-acts-of-grace

See you Sunday!

Amos - The Minor Leagues

Amos 2

Judgment on Israel

6 Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Israel,

    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,

because they sell the righteous for silver,

    and the needy for a pair of sandals—

7 those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth

    and turn aside the way of the afflicted;

a man and his father go in to the same girl,

    so that my holy name is profaned;

8 they lay themselves down beside every altar

    on garments taken in pledge,

and in the house of their God they drink

    the wine of those who have been fined.

9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them,

    whose height was like the height of the cedars

    and who was as strong as the oaks;

I destroyed his fruit above

    and his roots beneath.

10 Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt

    and led you forty years in the wilderness,

    to possess the land of the Amorite.

Amos 5

Let Justice Roll Down

18 Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!

    Why would you have the day of the Lord?

It is darkness, and not light,

19     as if a man fled from a lion,

    and a bear met him,

or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,

    and a serpent bit him.

20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light,

    and gloom with no brightness in it?

21 “I hate, I despise your feasts,

    and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,

    I will not accept them;

and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,

    I will not look upon them.

23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;

    to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

24 But let justice roll down like waters,

    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

25 “Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 26 You shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god—your images that you made for yourselves,27 and I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.

Acts 7

42 But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:

“‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices,

    during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

43 You took up the tent of Moloch

    and the star of your god Rephan,

    the images that you made to worship;

and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’

44 “Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. 45 Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, 46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.[a] 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him. 48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,

49 “‘Heaven is my throne,

    and the earth is my footstool.

What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,

    or what is the place of my rest?

50 Did not my hand make all these things?’

51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together[b] at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Matthew 21

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry.19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.

20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

cleaning the temple

23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

What Happened This Week

Our Tainted Acts Of Grace

People have often tended, quite wrongly, to view me as saintly.  I attribute that undeserved reputation to the fact I have always had a very strong sense of the kind of person I should be.  I would describe my ideal persona as one who was conscientiously obedient and loving.  I strove to be a person of strong moral character whose actions were always wrapped in love.

When my church-pillar parents’ marriage blew apart during my pre-teen years, and my father came out as gay and began a life with the young man, half his age, with whom he had been having an affair, I strove to let him know that I accepted them both and my love for him had not changed. 

When my mother married the abusive man with whom she had begun an affair in response to my father’s affair, I was determined to maintain a loving relationship with her, despite his abuse toward both of us, even after she left me with friends and followed him thousands of miles away........

Women's Bible Study!

We had a Great time Meeting for the first time

Email Blast 6-28-17

Listen to the Scriptures. 

Thursday 11AM

Through the summer we will be reading through many of the Minor Prophets.  On Thursdays at 11am we will listen to the minor prophet for that week.  If you are not able to join us, I encouge you to listen to it with your family. 

Links can be found at
https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/read/

Family Meals 

Grace is collecting food for Summer Family Meals. 

Last Easter we were the number 1 donor church. Lets keep it up!

Just bring food to the church and put it in the bin. 
This year they are asking for desserts. 
https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/news/family-meals-summer-food-drive

Watch Last Weeks Sermon. 

Wait eating Raisin Bread is a sin? Check out the wild story of Hosea and see how amazing God's love is for us. 

Hosea was a prophet with a rough home life. God has put him in a situation where he has to constantly show forgiveness, even when it is difficult. God has put him there to show us His grace.

Watch all past sermons at 

https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/sermons/

GraceLutheranPSL.com/Read

ARE YOU WILLING TO BE SENT WHERE FEW CAN SEE YOU?

She was elderly and wore a lavender cardigan. She gripped my arm more firmly than I thought she could. She said she had something she wanted to tell me.
I had just preached a Pentecost Sunday sermon about how the Holy Spirit commissions us all as missionaries, or sent ones, to alert others to the universal reign of God wherever we might find ourselves.
I had preached that all vocations offer us the opportunity to mirror the work of God in the world, whether it’s to bring healing or justice, reconciliation or wholeness, whether to design and build, or to serve and love. And I threw in references to a few random vocations like stay-at-home parents and lawyers and nurses and union officials and artists and builders and teachers.

https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/news/are-you-willing-to-be-sent-where-few-can-see-you

See you Sunday!

Family Meals' Summer Food Drive

Grace is collecting food for Summer Family Meals. 

Last Easter we were the number 1 donor church. Lets keep it up!

Just bring food to the church and put it in the bin. 

This year they are asking for desserts. 

Family Meals' Summer Outreach 2017

We need lots of volunteers to help us deliver to over 1000 families! Our summer menu includes: a frozen chicken, fresh carrots, fresh potatoes, canned vegetables, bbq beans, rolls and boxed desserts. These meal bags will be delivered directly to families' homes. We do not require families to sign vouchers, wait in line or carry a food box. We ask them to enjoy a family meal in their homes, using their recipes. We always include table-talk questions to get the table conversation started.We also include mealtime prayers for the families to share.

Dogs and Cats Forever in Fort Pierce is donating pet food to families this year! The entire family will be fed. http://dogsandcatsforever.com/, 4600 Selvitz Rd, Fort Pierce, (772) 489-5454

As always, we need lots of help! Volunteer opprotunities are available on Friday, July 28 at 1:00pm setting up the room, counting potatoes, and unloading the food trucks. AND on Saturday, July 29 starting at 7:30 am. We need packers and lots of help in many ways! We deliver, sort and pack out of Trinity Lutheran Church in Fort Pierce. http://trinitychurch4u.com/

Volunteering as a driver takes a total of 3-5 hours of your time - about an hour during the week calling families to let them know their delivery time and about 3-4 hours on Saturday morning the 29th picking up and delivering to families. Please contact FamilyMealsDrivers@gmail.com ASAP to sign up as a driver.

Family Meals is a 100% volunteer, 501(c)3 local organizationfamilymealsinc.org, familymealsfl@gmail.com or call us 772-210-0900

If you can volunteer, please message us or email familymealsvolunteers@gmail.com

Are you willing to be sent where few can see you?

She was elderly and wore a lavender cardigan. She gripped my arm more firmly than I thought she could. She said she had something she wanted to tell me.

I had just preached a Pentecost Sunday sermon about how the Holy Spirit commissions us all as missionaries, or sent ones, to alert others to the universal reign of God wherever we might find ourselves.

I had preached that all vocations offer us the opportunity to mirror the work of God in the world, whether it’s to bring healing or justice, reconciliation or wholeness, whether to design and build, or to serve and love. And I threw in references to a few random vocations like stay-at-home parents and lawyers and nurses and union officials and artists and builders and teachers.

Email Blast 6-23-17

Global Hymn Sing this Sunday!

We will be joining millions of voices in churches across the globe will rise up in worship together. This year believers will sing For the Cause written by Keith and Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend, a song focused on taking the gospel to all nations. Please familiarize yourself with the song by going to 

https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/news/for-the-cause-global-hymn-sing

Listen to the Scriptures. 

Through the summer we will be reading through many of the Minor Prophets.  On Thursdays at 11am we will listen to the minor prophet for that week.  If you are not able to join us, I encouge you to listen to it with your family. 

Links can be found at 

https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/read/

Miss a sunday?

Every Week we video the sermon. 

Watch past sermons at 

https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/sermons/

Good Article about Being the Church

Adventure Is Good. But Planting Roots Is Essential

“To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul. It is one of the hardest to define. A human being has roots by virtue of his real, active and natural participation in the life of a community which preserves in living shape certain particular treasures of the past and certain particular expectations for the future.” – Simone Weil

Simone Weil, 20th century philosopher and writer, penned these words in the midst of a global war, yet poignant and true they remain today. In our globalizing, urbanizing world, roots to a place can be seen as unwanted tethers. Still, without ties to a community that preserves the “treasures of the past and certain particular expectations for the future,” in what are we rooted?

https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/news/adventure-is-good-but-planting-roots-is-essential

See you Sunday!

Hosea - The Minor Leagues

Slides From the Sermon

What Happened This Week!

laid back bike ride

Join us Next Time!

Baptism on June 18th

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For the Cause - Global Hymn Sing

We At Grace are taking part of this great event. Please listen to the song here to familiar yourself before Sunday. 

On Sunday, June 25, millions of voices in churches across the globe will rise up in worship together. This year believers will sing For the Cause written by Keith and Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend, a song focused on taking the gospel to all nations.

Listeing to Hosea

Every Thursday at 11am we listen to the scriptures together. 

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New Basketball Hoop!

Big thanks to Phil and Corey to putting together the basketball hoop!

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Email Blast 6-22-17

New Sermon Series - The Minor Leagues

We'll be discussing one minor prophet each Sunday for the next several weeks. This week is Hosea.

Read Before the Sermon!

Beginning this Sunday, we will be studying one minor prophet's book each week as the sermon text. You're encouraged to read the book ahead of time in preparation for Sunday.

Listen to Hosea with the Church

 As a group, we will gather each Thursday at 11:00 in the sanctuary to hear a dramatized reading of each week's book. This week we'll be reading Hosea. All are invited!

Laid-Back Bike Ride

We're biking again as a church family this Saturday, June 24, beginning at Grace at 8:30 am. Last time we biked 6 miles at 9 miles per hour. If this matches your speed/distance preference or you know someone who would like to come, see you there!

Women's Community Group Bible Study Inaugural Sunday

If reading and discussion of Scripture and praying together as a small group of women interests you, please join Leigh and Coli this Sunday, June 25 at 7:00 at Leigh's house as we begin a new women's community group. If you are interested and need directions, email coliescher@gmail.com or call (770) 630-4433.

For all this and more, Check out gracelutheranpsl.com

Grace and Peace

The Minor Leagues

Starting June 25th 2017

We are looking at the minor prophets in the old testament. 

Waiting for Redemption. The world is going away from God’s People, the Assyrians to the north and Babylon to the south. They will either be destroyed or taken over if they don’t watch out. But God calls in his minor league stars to proclaim His righteousness, grace, and favor to His people.  
 

Adventure Is Good. But Planting Roots Is Essential

“To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul. It is one of the hardest to define. A human being has roots by virtue of his real, active and natural participation in the life of a community which preserves in living shape certain particular treasures of the past and certain particular expectations for the future.” – Simone Weil

Simone Weil, 20th century philosopher and writer, penned these words in the midst of a global war, yet poignant and true they remain today. In our globalizing, urbanizing world, roots to a place can be seen as unwanted tethers. Still, without ties to a community that preserves the “treasures of the past and certain particular expectations for the future,” in what are we rooted?

The Church - Believe

Slides From the Sermon

Official transcript at http://sivers.org/ff --- If you've learned a lot about leadership and making a movement, then let's watch a movement happen, start to finish, in under 3 minutes, and dissect some lessons: A leader needs the guts to stand alone and look ridiculous. But what he's doing is so simple, it's almost instructional.

What happened this week!

Grace Family Bike Ride PSL

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