Just Because You Forgive, it Doesn’t Mean You Have to Trust Again
As you discuss the future, you clearly delineate what your expectations are, what limits you will set, what the conditions will be, or what the consequences (good or bad) of various actions will be.
“I know I’m supposed to forgive,” a woman said to me at a recent seminar. “But, I just can’t open myself up to that kind of hurt anymore. I know I should forgive him and trust him, but if I let him back in, the same thing will happen, and I can’t go through that again.”
“Who said anything about ‘trusting’ him?” I asked. “I don’t think you should trust him either.”
“But you said I was supposed to forgive him, and if I do that, doesn’t that mean giving him another chance? Don’t I have to open up to him again?”
“No, you don’t,” I replied. “Forgiveness and trust are two totally different things. In fact, that’s part of your problem. Every time he’s done this, he’s come back and apologized, and you have just accepted him right back into your life, and nothing has changed. You trusted him, nothing was different, and he did it again. I don’t think that’s wise.”
“Well,” she asked, “How can I forgive him without opening myself up to being hurt again?”
Good question. We hear this problem over and over again. People have been hurt, and they do one of two things. Either they confront the other person about something that has happened, the other person says he’s sorry, and they forgive, open themselves up again, and blindly trust. Or, in fear of opening themselves up again, they avoid the conversation altogether and hold onto the hurt, fearing that forgiveness will make them vulnerable once again.
How do you resolve this dilemma?
The simplest way to help you to organize your thoughts as you confront this problem is to remember three points:.........................
Jeremiah 29:11 - Mis"Quoted"
Today: Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Prayer for the church from Martin Luther King Jr.
O God, our heavenly Father, we thank thee for this golden privilege to worship thee, the only true God of the universe. We come to thee today grateful that thou hast kept us through the long night of the past and ushered us into the challenge of the present and the bright hope of the future. We are mindful, O God, that man cannot save himself, for man is not the measure of things and humanity is not God.
Bound by our chains of sin and finiteness, we know we need a savior. We thank thee, O God, for the spiritual nature of man. We are in nature but we live above nature. Help us never to let anyone or any condition pull us so low as to cause us to hate. Give us the strength to love our enemies and do good to those who despitefully use us and persecute us
We thank thee for thy Church, founded upon the Word, that challenges us to do more than sing and pray, but go out and work as though the very answer to our prayers depended on us and not upon thee. Then, finally, help us to realize that man was created to shine like the stars and live on through all eternity
Keep us, we pray, in perfect peace, help us to walk together, pray together, sing together, and live together until that day when all of God's children - Black, White, Red, and Yellow -will rejoice in one common band of humanity in the kingdom of our Lord and of our God, we pray. Amen.
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What Had happened at Grace this week.
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Faith In A Sea Of Unbelief - Martin Luther
This story is a comforting example of how we should conduct ourselves so that we may not despair in the tumult of the world; but we are not lost and will not perish by the Grace of God
BY MARTIN LUTHER
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” –Matthew 8:23-27
This narrative, gives us an example of faith and unbelief, in order that we may learn how mighty the power of faith is, and that it of necessity has to do with great and terrible things and that it accomplishes nothing but wonders; and that on the other hand unbelief is so fainthearted, shamefaced and trembling with fear that it can do nothing whatever. An illustration of this we see in this experience of the disciples, which shows the real state of their hearts. First, as they in company with Christ entered the ship, all was calm and they experienced nothing unusual, and had any one asked them them if they believed, they would have answered, Yes. But they were not conscious of how their hearts trusted in the calm sea and the signs for fair weather, and that thus their faith was founded upon what their natural eyes saw. But when the tempest comes and the waves fill the boat, their faith vanishes; because the calm and peace in which they trusted took wings and flew away, therefore they fly with the calm and peace, and nothing is left but unbelief.
Email 1/10/18
Black Tie Bingo
This Sunday Pastor Ron will be at Grace selling tickets to Black Tie Bingo.
It's a benefit to support Family Meals.
January 27th evening
More information can be found at ….
https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/news/black-tie-bingo
Game Night Friday!
Come join us Friday at 6pm for games and treats.
Read Scripture 2018
Read the Bible in 2018
Get ready! We have a plan to read the scriptures through next year. This plan will include videos to help explain what is going on as you read through the scripture.
The finishing touches are currently being made to the plan now, but if you would like to get started, go to www.gracelutheranpsl.com/read2018
Listen to the Scriptures:
Thursdays 11AM
Genesis 56-52
Join us as we listen to the story of Joseph and his rise in Egypt.
Pancake Breakfast.
Feb 10th Morning at Grace
Buy you tickets early for this Fundraiser benefiting Real Life Children’s Ranch.
Article to Workout Your Faith
I am Done Trying to Follow Jesus
Salvation is a work Jesus does alone. Our sin goes with Him but we must stay behind.
https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/news/im-done-trying-to-follow-jesus
Sermon From Sunday
MisQuoted
Romans 8:28
Romans 8:28 - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Watch it today!
https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/news/misquoted1
See you Sunday!
Black Tie Bingo
January 27th Benefiting Family Meals.
January 27th - 6PM
Pelican Yacht Club.
1120 Seaway Dr, Fort Pierce, Florida 34949
Pastor Ron will be selling tickets on This Sunday the 14th.
Black Tie Bingo Event --2nd annual !
Get dressed up and enjoy Bingo games like none other!
We offer 5 Bingo games and each Bingo prize is valued over $500.00 value !
Passed appetizers and a plated dinner
Cash bar/ music/dancing/silent auction
$75.00 ticket price
Saturday, January 27 at the Pelican Yacht Club in Fort Pierce
6:00 - 10:00
Traxx Entertainment will entertainment and will also call Bingo numbers.
Buy extra Bingo games and have more opportunities to win!
Profits will go to offset Thanksgiving and Easter costs.
Family Meals, Inc is a 501 (c)3, all volunteer, local organization.
Romans 8:28 - Mis"Quoted"
Romans 8:28 - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Watch the Latest Photo Video!
What Had happened at Grace this week.
I'm Done Trying To Follow Jesus
Salvation is a work Jesus does alone. Our sin goes with Him but we must stay behind.
Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.” (John 13:36-38)
One of the most famous things Jesus ever said was “Follow me.” He said it over and over. So much that it was recorded more than twenty times in the New Testament. Jesus says it first to Peter (Matthew 4:19). Perhaps this is why Peter is so confused when he hears Jesus saying he cannot follow Him where He is going. No one can.
Some people think Jesus is talking about ascending to the Father in this text, but that misses the context. Jesus is on His way to the cross. Satan has already entered Judas and he is on his way to betray Jesus as these words are spoken. Eventually He will transition to talk about going “to prepare a place for you” but the context here is His betrayal and crucifixion, not the ascension.
When Peter says he will “lay down his life for Jesus” he thinks he is willing to die to save Him. Could anything be more backwards? Sadly our thinking is often just as twisted. Like Peter we make all kinds of bold promises to God. We talk about living for Jesus and even dying for Jesus. We talk about “working on our relationship with God” (if I never hear that phrase again I will die happy). All of these things are simply vain attempts to follow Jesus where He says we cannot go.
Christmas Day - Go Tell it On a Mountain
Joy to you and me, the Lord has come! In Bethlehem's manger we behold the Savior of the world, our Savior from sin and death. We celebrate today and all days, for the Father sends His Son to bring us life, peace and eternal joy.
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What Had happened at Grace this week.
UnWrap Christmas Eve
Through all history we see how God has wrapped us in his love, But at Christmas we see how Jesus unwraps God presence for us all.
Watch the Christmas Sermon Here!
Watch the Service Here!
Since our Christmas Eve Candlelight service is so dark. You can follow along with your device, All songs and readings are in the Digital Bulletin.
Christmas Day Service at 10AM
See you in the morning!
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What Had happened at Grace this week.
Wrapped in Love - Christmas Eve Morning
On Christmas Mary wraps her baby in love with swaddling cloths. Yet at the same time, we see that her baby wraps us all in His love and security.
We Will See you tonight
Watch the Latest Photo Video!
What Had happened at Grace this week.
Immanuel: God With Us
He truly is God with us. Rest there a while, beloved. Rest in His intimate love for you. Rest in His all sustaining power. Rest in His closeness. Rest in Immanuel.
“’and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means God with us)”
Is there no sweeter sound than Immanuel? Christ’s name, God with us. Those three words heal an ocean of hurts, give courage to the weakest heart, and lifts the head of the weariest pilgrim. In those three words all of our hope rests.
GOD
“For by him all things were created. He is the beginning. For in him all the fullness of God was please to dwell. He is preeminent.”
The Creator became part of creation. The Creation creates Himself a human hand in order to join hands with His creation. Life comes to die. Love comes to be hated. Jesus, the Christ child, the God man, sustained all of creation while he was being born. He was God, yet he stooped down to us. He came to us. He lived a life of restrained power. Only using his deity to help and to heal. The crippled walk again, the blind able to see, dead people alive, disease and sickness healed. And if all this wasn’t enough He “saved people from their sin.” His most awe inspiring display of power was when he was stripped, mocked, beaten, humiliated, and finally murdered. There on that cross he did accomplish the unimaginable; Forgiveness of sins. Then he followed that by being raised for our justification. Perfectly forgiven, perfectly holy, that is now our record.
WITH
This God, the sustainer of all, the first and the last, He is with us. The holidays can be a lonely time for so many of us. In the midst of the laughter and the celebrations we can feel isolated. We look around and it seems like every other person has everything we want, friends, family, happiness. Or maybe you have lost a loved one, and this time of the year increases the ache to see them again and that ache makes you feel empty. Or maybe you look at your life and think what am I doing here? Why is my family a mess, why don’t I have any friends? The temptations to despair are abounding. We see friends giving other friends presents, we hear about the best party ever, we see pictures on social media and the empty ache creeps in and invades your soul. To you, to those of you feeling the longing for something better, something more, Jesus speaks his name to you “God WITH us”.............................
Email Blast 12-20-17
Email about what is happening at Christmas at Grace
Advent Service Tonight - Joy!
6pm Dinner
7pm Service
Christmas Services
24th 10am
6PM Candlelight
25th 10AM
No Sunday School on the 24th or 31st
Join us beginning the 7th to Study Luther's Large Catechism.
8:45am
Read Scripture 2018
Read the Bible in 2018
Get ready! We have a plan to read the scriptures through next year. This plan will include Videos to help explain what is going on as you read through the scripture.
The finishing touches are currently being made to the plan now, but if you would like to get a head start. go to
www.gracelutheranpsl.com/read2018
Listen to the Scriptures:
Thursdays 11AM
Genesis 41-46
Join us as we listen to the Joseph and his Family as they look for food.
Article to Workout Your Faith
THE SCANDAL OF THE INCARNATION
If you were the Son of God, how would you choose to enter the world? With wealth power and prestige? Yeah me too.
https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/news/the-scandal-of-the-incarnation
Sermon From Sunday
Exodus A Christmas Story
Fight or Flight
We want God to do big things. However, when we look in the manger, in Bethlehem, in a virgin birth, in the town of Nazareth, it seems that God keeps working through the small things in life. Perhaps we should look for the small things too.
Watch it Today!
https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/news/exodus-christmas-4
See you Sunday!
The Scandal Of The Incarnation
If you were the Son of God, how would you choose to enter the world? With wealth power and prestige? Yeah me too.
BY MATT JOHNSON
Imagine a dirty, dank, stinky barn full of animal manure. Now close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose.
This was the environment that the Son of glory was born into. This is the reality of the Nativity.
During Christmas, I prefer the smell of cookies baking, the fresh pine smell of a Christmas tree, and candy canes to the smell of manure any day. But if we want a true depiction of the Christmas story, we ought to consider the scandal of the coming of Jesus.
THE OPPOSITE OF ‘GOING BIG’
Hypothetically speaking, if you were the Son of God, how would you choose to enter the world? For one, I think I’d rather come down to the world a fully grown man, roll up in a gold-plated SUV, and skip the gore of an actual birth altogether.
The Reminder For Christians in the Hannukah Story
God has Done Wonderful Things.
I am a disciple of Jesus, slowly but surely nearing the completion of my ordination process in the Presbyterian Church, and I’m also a Jew. My mother grew up in a Jewish household, on both her mother and father’s side, but due to a dispute between her father and the local rabbi when she was still very young, her household was not directly tied into a local synagogue for support and community. Although her Jewish household held onto the practices it was most familiar with and tried to pass those on, my mother’s Judaism did not become her primary identity marker.
When it came time to talk to my father about a “moral upbringing” for us kids (I have a sister) my mother was content to let my father bring us along with him to church.
Despite our focused Christian upbringing, without my mom’s participation, I can still recall at least a few years of celebrating Hanukkah with my grandfather at our house (compromise makes marriages go, right?). I remember turning the lights down, or out, so only the light from the candles of the menorah filled our living room. I remember spinning the dreidel and playing with my sister. I remember the food: latkes, noodle kugel and borscht. I remember receiving the gifts, a little something every night, for eight nights..........................
Dreams and Ideas For Grace
Dreams and Ideas for the Future of Grace Lutheran PSL
Thank you for Sharing your Dreams and Ideas with us on the Planning Committee. We are in a listening phase of our journey. We are listening for God to reveals what the next years will look like at Grace.
You are integral in this listening, because many times God speaks through his bride the church. So please fill out the form below. If you get another dream or idea please fill it in again.
Read the Original Letter
Dreams and Ideas At Grace Lutheran PSL
Jesus says in Matthew Chapter 5: 13-16
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Salt and Light. Two things that make the world more beautiful and better. God, through the work of the Spirit, makes us into salt and light wherever we go, sending us out into our jobs and interests to bring good taste and light to everywhere around us.
As we at Grace Lutheran PSL emerge from paying off our mortgage, we find ourselves in a good position to look forward into the future. We are financially able to do some amazing salt and light work in our community. However we are not yet sure what that work is.
So at this point, then, we want to ask ourselves a really tough question.
Why does God have Grace Lutheran in St Luice West?
This question is why the planning committee at Grace is sending out this letter. How does God want us to be salt and light in Port St Lucie? Who are we? What are we here to be and do in PSL?
We at the planning Committee want your Dreams and Ideas for Grace Lutheran PSL.
Your Dreams and Ideas can be anything. From wild outlandish Dreams to something which is small and one time. We want to hear all the ideas and dreams for Grace. We believe that God is putting a common thread inside of the dreams and Ideas of all the members and friends of Grace. That thread is why God has placed us here at this time. Some churches call this the vision, others call it their mission. We like calling it the Big Idea.
Grace’s Planning committee is Cheryl Nolte, Susan Becker, Mechelle Arbuzow, Ed Bock, Leigh Liagre, Claude & Pat Hessee, and Pastor Cris Escher. If you have any questions or want to share your dreams and ideas in a personal way, Please reach out to any of these members of the committee. We are enclosing a list of possible evangelistic projects, These are just ideas to stimulate your thoughts so you can describe projects and ideas you would like to see in the church.
So please take a few minutes to share your dreams and ideas for Grace – drop them in the gold box at church, leave them in the office, email them to planning@gracelutheranpsl.com, or fill out the form on GraceLutheranPSL.com/Dreams
In Christ,
Pastor Cris
Planning Committee
Fight or Flight - Exodus A Christmas Story
We want God to do big things. However, when we look in the manger, in Bethlehem, in a virgin birth, in the town of Nazareth, it seems that God keeps working through the small things in life. Perhaps we should look for the small things too.
Watch the Latest Photo Video!
What Had happened at Grace this week.
LOSS AND THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUE OF HOPE
The road to Emmaus is a journey through hopelessness with a God who refuses to leave us.
We Had Hoped
On Resurrection Sunday, two of Jesus's disciples set out for the town of Emmaus. They leave behind a place of deep sorrow and perplexity and journey toward something familiar, a place as yet untouched by their great loss. As they walk, they talk together about the events of the previous week. A stranger comes close, walks with them, and enters into their conversation. He asks them what they are discussing. One of the disciples speaks; he tells the stranger about Jesus's arrest, trial, and crucifixion. And he says, "We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel." All of the hopes they had pinned on Christ died with him. The astonishing news that the tomb is empty can't budge them; their hopes remain buried. They speak in the past tense; theirs is an entrenched hopelessness. The stranger who will later reveal himself as Jesus walks with them; he offers a patient corrective to the hopelessness he hears in their words. As he teaches them, a better hope takes root in their hearts. They urge the stranger to stay with them and, later that evening, Jesus takes bread, blesses and breaks it, and gives it to them to eat. In that instant, their eyes are opened. They say to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked?"
This narrative maps a common movement in human life. It is the movement from sorrow to hopelessness. But it traces another movement as well—the movement of a God who refuses to abandon those who are hopeless. It is this movement that I have discovered in my own life, within my own experience of sorrow. In 2011, my family and I were expecting our second child, Samuel. Around twenty weeks into the pregnancy, he was diagnosed with a relatively rare chromosomal abnormality known as Trisomy 18. We were told that it was a lethal abnormality. Approximately 70 percent of children diagnosed with Trisomy 18 die before birth. Of those who make it to birth, between 90 and 95 percent will die before their first birthday. And most of these children measure their lives in hours or days. So, for the final sixteen weeks of pregnancy, our family prepared simultaneously for a birth and a death. We were fortunate: Samuel was born late in the night on January 1, 2012, and we held him for the entirety of his nearly five-hour life. He was fragile; and he was beautiful. In the cramped space of a neonatal intensive care unit, he was baptized and anointed with oil, sealed as Christ's own forever. Together we commended his life to Christ. The entirety of his life was marked by something far greater than his limitations: it was marked by love.
When we received Sam's diagnosis, we stood still, looking sad. And when Sam died, the heavy weight of sadness stilled us again. And in the long paths of grief that have followed, our sorrow has often stopped forward movement. I have heard myself say the words the disciples said to Jesus on the way to Emmaus. I know what it is like to say, "We had hoped." My family had hoped for another child. And, in an instant, those hopes were defeated. And the ongoing experience of grief is the daily resignation of thousands of additional hopes. When I see the hopes we had for our son realized vicariously in the lives of others' children, I find myself saying those sad (and sometimes bitter) words: "We had hoped.".............................
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: