Southwood Lutheran Church

Luther Visits Confirmation

Pastor Michael and Luther taught the confirmation class about the final 7 Commandments which relate specifically to our obligations to each other.

The Confirmation class was able to identify all of the 7 Commandments, can you?  

A Parable about Shrewdness

 Listen to Pastor Michael's Message

Message Text: Luke 16:1-13

Shrewd adjective

1. Mischievous.
2. Abusive.
3. Ominous, dangerous.
4. Severe, hard and sharp.
5. Marked by clever discerning awareness and hard headed acumen. Given to wily and artful ways or dealing. (Webster’s Dictionary)

Legal System:

1. Cannot charge interest on loans.
   ³⁶ “Do not take interest in advance or otherwise make a profit from them, but fear your God; let them live with you. ³⁷ You shall not lend them your money at interest taken in advance, or provide them food at a profit.” Leviticus 25:36-37 NRSV
2. A lender cannot take collateral for loans if it means it would put the borrower out of business once collected for a debt.
   “No one shall take a mill or an upper millstone in pledge, for that would be taking a life in pledge.” Deuteronomy 24:6 NRSV

Finding the Loophole!

Instead of charging interest, one could write a contract that says, I’ll give you 450 jars of olive oil that you happen to need now and later you can give me 600 jars of olive oil. Now it isn’t a loan with interest, it’s two friendly people giving each other gifts by contract!

What does this parable have to do with God’s rule on earth?

1. Disciples should imitate the unjust actions of the steward? (Matthew 10:16)
   Be innocent as doves and smart as snakes
2. The rich land owner doesn’t punish the rascal? (Matthew 5:43–48)
   • Justice is reconciliation, not getting even—Love and pray for enemies.
   • Justice is restoration, not punishment—Do good to those who persecute you.

Forgiveness Is Necessary

Listen to Pastor Michael's Message

Message Text: Matthew 18:21-35

Forgiveness: A process to concluded resentment, indignation, or anger after a perceived offense, difference or mistake, took place. One stops demanding punishment or some form of pay back (judgment, eye for an eye). Most importantly forgiveness is a gift of God.

Is this a Parable or Allegory?

• Allegory is a story that conveys a meaning other than literal.
  • Examples: Good Samaritan, Prodigal Son, Representative art (cubism, grim reaper etc.)
• Parable is a story with one point.
  • Example: The Unforgiving Slave, Bread Making Hen (does not work, does not eat)

What happens when one person doesn’t forgive?

• Collapse of relationships, unresolved brokenness
• Punishment rather than to restore
• Stresses of anger, fear, loneliness. All hurt our body and spirit.

What happens when we practice forgiveness?

• Conflict becomes avenue to greater understanding and closeness
• Become Christ-like in your sacrifice for forgiveness
• Become more expressive and healthy

Forgiving is not only the duty of a Christian but it brings about abundant life, joy and heals brokenness.

• Practice, practice, practice
• It takes humility of being forgiven to learn to forgive.
• It is impossible to pay back what’s been done. Therefore, we rely on God’s Grace—the cross is the way, the truth and the life. 

Forgive as you have been forgiven.

Puppets are Back for Children’s Sermons

Luther (the monkey): Who did you say was coming to church this summer?
Pastor Ryan: Well let’s see, there’s a Surfing dude, Pastor Olson as you’ve never seen him before, Cinderella, Indiana Jones, Luther (the monkey), the Governor of California and a Skunk farmer among many others.
Luther: Wait a minute. Does the staff know this?
Pastor Ryan: Well, I think so. And I hope you come too since you’re on the list too.
Luther: What?! (Luther goes ballistic)

What Luther doesn’t know is that each Sunday starting on June 6, a parable of Christ will be heard in worship. It will be up to the puppets and our children to sort out the lesson. See if you can figure out what parable the puppets will be talking about. Here are a couple samplings:

• Should surfing dude build his house upon the sand?
• Will Dr. Tom, the next American Idol, find out there’s more to life than storing up mo-money?
• Will Pastor Olson find inspiration in the Lord’s Prayer?
• Would you be a Good Samaritan to a skunk farmer?
• Should Cinderella seek revenge on her wicked step sisters?
• Will Indiana Jones find his treasure in heaven?

We only have 13 Sundays in summer to find answers to questions like these. Hear about something helpful and find connections to God each week. Bring the whole family as we hear the Word of God, sing praises and enjoy God’s teachings for life together.

May the Holy Spirit Be With You

Listen to Pastor Michael's Message

Message Text: John 14:15–20

The sacrifice for something greater is celebrated by our nation on Memorial Day. Sacrifice for freedom is won through Christ.

“Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.”Romans 5:7-8 (NRSV)

That power of God is in us.

• “... you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” John 14:20 (NRSV)
• “In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; In whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.” Ephesians 2:21-22 (NRSV)

How can God live in me ...

• When I let one criticism overpower all the good?
  Psalm 142, Job 19:4-5 Anger, bitterness, worry, depression...
• When others do wrong, when the world’s problems seem insurmountable?
  Romans 3:23, Psalm 69:5, Luke 13:2.
• When I am sinful?
  Luke 13:2, Mark 2:15-17, Galatians 2:16-20, Romans 5:8

How do I know the Spirit of God is really in me?

• What is that still small voice? Is it reason or common sense?
• As long as you have life and breath, you have the Spirit.
• It can/will grow – like a mustard seed.
• It is God’s promise to you. But it is not up to you.

How do I use that Holy Spirit?

• Pay attention to spiritual things:
  Romans 2:29
• Let go of the things that don’t matter:
  Philippians 4:6, Luke 12:11, Matthew 6:25-34
• Know that in joy and pain, God is at work in you:
  1 Thessalonians 1:6, Romans 12:14, Matthew 5:10-12, Matthew 5:44

Love—The Greatest Power

Listen to Pastor Michael's Message

Text: John 15:7–17

Through Jesus we find the greatest power of all.

Beginning	Corresponding Idea
7. When my words are living in you...	17. Giving you these commands, ... Love one another
7. Ask...it will be done	16. The Father will give you whatever you ask
8. Bear fruit	16. Bear fruit
8. Become my disciples	16. I chose you
9. The Father has loved me	15. I revealed everything I heard from the Father
9. I have loved you	15. I have called you my beloved
10. You will remain in my love	14. You are the ones I love
10. Keep my commandments	14. Do what I command you
11. I’ve said so that my joy may be yours	13. I command...Love one another
12. No greater love than to lay down one’s life (Jesus on the cross)

Living by the Laws of Moses, which is all of God’s commandments:

• The problem of keeping the law is that it leads to self-righteousness.
• What barrier keeps you from connecting with another in God’s love?

Now we have a new law, God’s agape love for one another revealed in Christ.

• A loving God allows us to do whatever? The problem with anything goes.
• What lack of honesty, forgiveness keeps you from God’s joy?

The greatest power of all that protects us from ourselves is God’s love as known in Christ.

• We are found, chosen, set apart in our Baptism.
• We live and eat with God through Christ in fellowship.

Forgiving Others

Listen to Pastor Michael's Message

Matthew 6:7–15

What forgiveness is:
A process to concluded resentment, indignation, or anger after a perceived offense, difference or mistake, took place (sin). Then, to stop demanding punishment or some form of pay back (judgment, eye for an eye). Most importantly forgiveness is a gift of God.

What forgiveness is not:

• Forgetting the effects of the wrongdoing.
• Condoning bad behavior.
• Excusing responsibility.
• Making another suffer because they should feel the same pain.
• Superior attitude.
• Demands compensation first.

Jesus taught forgiveness:

• Matthew 5:7—Blessed are the merciful
• Matthew 5:23–24—If a person has something against you
• Matthew 18:21–22—How often do we forgive?
• Mark 11:25—Forgive when praying
• Luke 6:27–29—Be merciful
• Luke 6:36–37—Be merciful, do not judge, forgive
• Luke 23:34—Jesus from the cross: Forgive them because they don’t know what they are doing.

Rewards of Forgiveness:
Health, happiness, less stress, optimism, self-confidence, increased compassion…

How to forgive:

• The big difference between saying: “I’m sorry” and “Will you forgive me?”
• No fault forgiveness. An offense need only be perceived, not necessarily real.
• Remember, you are forgiven and will always need forgiveness.
• Never forgive alone, take God with you.

We Are The Lord's

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday.  We will gather in worship, confess our sins, acknowledge our own mortality, and be (once again) marked with the cross of Christ forever.  This devotion by Pastor Michael appeared in the bulletin this past Sunday, it is worth reading (or reading again)!

Please remember to join us for worship tomorrow evening at 5:15 or 6:30 pm.

Whether We Like it Or Not – We Are the Lord’s

By Pastor Michael Ryan

In the past two months my family gathered to say goodbye to two important people, my dad and a very good friend of my mother’s. I spend a lot of time walking others through crisis and times of grief—now I am experiencing it personally. We were helpless. We cried together. We prayed for a miracle. We asked God why and received no answer, at least not the one we wanted. And we agreed the whole thing sucks.

This scripture kept coming to mind: “None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. If we live we live to the Lord. If we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” Romans 14:8

We often interpret this passage to say that we should be okay with death because we’ll have eternal life. That is not what I’ve learned. Most families in crisis don’t care about salvation for eternity. They want salvation now from the threat of death and the resulting pain of separation. We desperately want our loved one to go on living with us. Belief in eternal life is empty in a moment like this.

In our grief this piece of scripture becomes poignant. The truth is, we don’t live to ourselves. Nothing we have is ours. God loaned us a body, a family and all the things we have. We may have them for an hour or a hundred years. We can’t choose the time of our birth nor can we prevent death from happening. The reality is no matter how long we have or what happens, life is a gift. We are the Lord’s whether we like it or not. We don’t have to like death especially the death of people we love.

We don’t like the ones we love having to experience grief. There is nothing we can say or do to take away the pain. But we can live to the Lord. This means we can be together emotionally, physically and spiritually. We can cry with each other and try to understand each other. We can treat others with respect and humility. We can laugh at the irony. We can find that even in death there is still life to live before eternity. It is enough to be the Lord’s. “…whether we live or whether we die, (whether we like it or not) we are the Lord’s.”

Thanks be to God.

Growing in the Faith

Listen to Michael's Message

Text: Mark 3:23-35

Jesus washes us clean of our sins. We are forgiven.

• So am I no longer a sinner when I’m saved?
• If not, then what does it all matter?

Will Sin and Satan always get the better of me? Mark 3:23-26

• A house divided: Ever been accused of doing something wrong and you know you did it?
• Tying up the powerful man: How do you get the loot out of God’s Kingdom? Mark 3:27

An unforgiveable sin? Mark 3:28-29
“Blaspheme the Holy Spirit?”

• Historical meaning.
• Everyone must be heard, honored.
• How to create mutual respect and honor.

Is deciding who is Christian and who is saved a sin?

• Who is God’s? Mark 3:35
• What unites us? Romans 3:28
• Overcoming our egos. Romans 10:6–8

We are a process.
A follower of Christ nurtures the faith. Following God is a must for mature growth and for sustainable living.

Taking it home, asking each other for accountability and good ideas:

• When will you read your Bible?
• What resources could you use to understand it?
• When do you pray?
• How do you talk to God?
• When was the last time you faced the truth and confessed?
• How did it go?

Apocalypse Now and Then

Listen to Pastor Michael's Message

Text: Luke 17:20-24; 34-35

Revelation: Scaring Mark, the paperboy

Apocalypse meaning in Greek

• Literally to uncover. 
  
• Revelation, Insight, Enlightenment

Apocalypse meaning in English

• Jewish-Christian writings about God’s wrath for justice inflicted on the earth before starting the righteous life.
• Prophetic revelation
• A great disaster

What about the Apocalypse in movies? 

How did revelation go from Godly insights to calamity?

What does the text say?

• Can’t see it, it is among us.
• Don’t need to go looking for it because its light and power is all around.
• When is the second coming?

Taking it home:

• Ask at the close of each day, where have you seen Christ today?
• Where has God revealed truth to you through unlikely places?
• Live as if this is your last day.  What would you say, do? 
• Take the risk and say it or do it as long as it is out of care for others.