Beginning on Monday, September 12th, Pastor David will offer a Bible study for the men of St. Jacob’s. Each Monday morning at 7 AM., we will meet in the Church Office Conference Room for approximately one hour. Each man who signs up to attend will receive a copy of the “Every Man’s Life Application Bible” which will be used as our primary text. Please contact Pastor David with your intent on participating so he can order your copy of the “Every Man’s Bible.”
Bible Study Archive
Men’s Bible Study
Posted August 26, 2022 By adminEnd of Summer Lock-In
Posted August 10, 2022 By adminPastor David and Matt are planning a lock-in for our youth in grades 5-12. We will enjoy plenty of games and activities as well as evening and midnight worship by candlelight. Please contact Pastor David or Matt to let them know that your child(ren) will be attending. A list of items children should bring with them will be published at least one week before the lock-in takes place. One activity during our lock-in will be to engage the mission of the Church by assembling Flood Buckets for the NALC Disaster Response Warehouse. Anyone who would like to donate items for the Flood Buckets may do so. A list will be published in the Mid-August Grace Notes and also included in the worship bulletins prior to the lock-in.
Women’s Bible Study
Posted August 5, 2022 By adminThe Women’s Bible Study group meets on the first and third Thursdays of the month. We will begin a new study using the book written by Shannon Bream, The Women of the Bible Speak. The book can be purchased online, Hobby Lobby, Costco and other retailers for $15.99. Please join us as we study this exciting topic beginning on Thursday, August 18th. The group meets from 9-10:30 AM at the home of Susan. At each meeting, we ask that people try to bring canned goods or an item to be donated to We Care. Please let Susan know if you plan to attend or if you have any questions.
Pastoral Devotion for August
Posted August 1, 2022 By adminShow Us Your Ways
Once while on vacation, my wife and I were enjoying the scenic back roads of North Carolina. We planned our day using the road atlas I had owned for several years. The plan was to get from point “A” to point “B” in time for dinner. Unwittingly, we ran into a problem. The paved road we were traveling, marked on the map as a state road, gradually became a gravel trail leading deep into the woods. I had confidence in my outdated map, but it wasn’t long before we were faced with a decision; follow the map or listen to the voice inside our heads encouraging us to turn around.
Paul reminds the people of God that once dead in our sinfulness, all have traveled the road of disobedience and selfishness. It is a familiar road, and if left to ourselves, we would choose this road most often. Along this road the “prince of power in the air” strives to lead humanity away from God. All too often those who follow such a road are confident in their decisions and become convinced it is the right path.
Paul is clear; God rescued us from earthly powers through Christ. Through the teaching of the apostles, Christians are afforded the example of Christ like living. Jesus himself provided the example for all to follow. Turning to Scripture, which is our unfailing guide and never outdated, we can recognize the path of righteousness. Even as we find it difficult to follow such a path, God promises to strengthen us and lead us by the power of his Holy Spirit.
Prayer: Show us your ways, O God, and lead us on the path to righteousness. Amen.
Worship While Pastor David Is In The Congo
Posted July 28, 2022 By adminDue to the current shortage of available supply pastors, worship on the Sundays of August 7th and 14th will be led by our St. Jacob’s Church Elders. They will lead us in liturgy and distribution of Holy Communion. On August 7th, David will be preaching a sermon written by Pastor David prior to his leaving for the Congo. On Sunday, August 14th Sherrie will be doing the same. We are blessed by the service of our Elders while our pastor is away.
From the Pastor’s Heart by Pastor David Nuottila
Posted July 4, 2022 By admin15Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Luke 18:15-17
Over the years, one of the greatest joys I have found in being a pastor is watching the children of the church grow in their faith. It is a tremendous blessing for congregations to have children among them as part of our life together. As I write this monthly message, we are getting ready to begin Vacation Bible School. It will be a week filled with children’s learning, laughter, singing, and energy. VBS is always a highlight for the summer months. It is a time when adults can reflect on days gone by when we were the children experiencing much of the same things as the kids today. That’s how life in the church goes.
Jesus was quite clear in his rebuke of those who tried to keep children from coming to him. His words carry a weight and authority like those of no one else. “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Imagine the sight, a kingdom filled with the laughter and wide eyes of children as they flock to the one who embodies the love of God, promising to keep them near to him forever. If we only watch and pay attention, we can see this reality unfold right before our eyes.
The truth be told, children love to be among their church family. When the children of the church are present, they find themselves in the midst of a community that shares equal joy and wonder in the presence of Christ the Lord. Maybe that’s because, as we welcome the children into our midst and
shower them with love and attention, God takes delight and showers us with the blessing of the children’s love, energy, and excitement.
If you have ever been a part of a congregation without children, you will know just how quiet life in the church can be. As children of God, we are to be ever thankful for all of God’s blessings. We are to be filled with the joy of knowing that, just as Christ welcomed the children and blessed them, our heavenly Father also welcomes and blesses us. Sadly, we adults sometime forget this as we find ourselves burdened with the weight of our fallen broken world upon our shoulders. Finding joy in presence of children helps us put such hindrances in their proper place.
We can learn so many lessons from the children of the church, all we need to do is watch them and let them be children. First, we can learn what it truly means to have a child-like faith. To believe and fully trust God in all situations. When circumstances in life cause us fear or anxiety, we can curl up in the lap of our Father, seeking his peace and comfort just as a child seeks the same from a loving parent or grandparent. When we feel that we are lacking something or find that we have a particular need, we can ask God with assurance of a small child when he or she receives that which would bring fulfillment.
As I said at the onset, it brings me great joy to see the children each week in worship. Each one brings tremendous gifts to our church family just by their presence among us. Watching the many children that I had the privilege to baptize grow, and take their place in the community always brings to mind God’s blessings and promises that we find in his peace, power, and presence.
Parents, please continue to bring your children to church. Grandparents, bring your grandchildren. Share their lives with those whom God has called and gathered here at St. Jacob’s. Let them all come to Christ, do not hinder them. They serve as living, breathing reminders to all of us of the joy we experience in the presence of Christ our Lord. They also help us continue in a child-like faith as we await the great and glorious day when our Lord comes to take us to where he is, the place he has prepared for all the children of God.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
Pastoral Devotion for July
Posted July 1, 2022 By adminPray; God Will Hear
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-28
It seems these days there are so many people calling for prayer. After all, there is so much for which to pray. All around the world we hear of people struggling with poverty, hunger, and disease. Even as I write this, I received a prayer request. With so many prayers, how can we be sure God hears them?
The scriptures are filled with passages declaring God’s hearing and answering the prayers of his people. In the book of Jeremiah we read, “You will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.” Jeremiah 29:12 In Mark’s Gospel Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24
These are but two of many passages in the Bible that point us to the power of prayer and the assurance that God hears them. We know our God is one who keeps his promises, especially the promise to save people from their sin. With that, the apostle Paul encourages God’s people to pray. Pray without ceasing. Pray for your neighbor. Pray for your loved ones as well as your enemies. Give thanks in all circumstances. God is faithful. He will surely answer your prayer.
Prayer: O Lord, listen as I cry to you. Hear my prayer. Amen.
Filed in Bible Study, Other Happenings
Mid-Week Bible Study
Posted June 29, 2022 By adminMid-Week Bible Study continues in the Fellowship Hall each Wednesday morning at 10 AM. We are reading the book of Acts and learning more about the birth of the Church of Jesus Christ and the men whom Christ chose to establish it. No previous study is required, and the lessons are presented in such a way that it really doesn’t matter if you are joining in at the middle of our study or if you have attended each week. We have a very lively discussion and look forward to more church family members joining.
First Communion Classes
Posted June 29, 2022 By adminPastor David will hold First Communion classes for those children who have not yet received this instruction. Anyone who feels their child in first grade or older is ready to begin receiving Holy Communion should contact Pastor David. Classes will be held during the Sunday School hour in the Children’s Choir Room downstairs. A parent or guardian must accompany their child during each class period. Classes will be held each Sunday morning beginning on July10th. Children completing instruction will receive their first Holy Communion on Sunday, July 31st.
From the Pastor’s Heart by Pastor David Nuottila
Posted June 15, 2022 By adminDuring a recent session of Wednesday morning Bible study, our small group read the account written by Luke in the book of Acts, of the time when God poured out his Holy Spirit upon all those who were gathered in the upper room. Peter was there, along with the remaining apostles, Jesus’ mother, and nearly 120 other witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus. They were in the room together worshiping God and praying. That’s when it happened.
A sudden sound of a mighty rushing wind filled the room just as tongues of fire danced over the heads of the faithful. God’s Holy Spirit made his entry into the lives of those who would build the Church of Jesus Christ. What happened next is nothing short of astounding.
Peter, and the remaining disciples of Jesus took to the streets of Jerusalem and began proclaiming the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. They did it in many languages, even though none of them had knowledge or training in the tongues in which they spoke. It was God’s working of a miracle so that people would know the power of the death and resurrection of Jesus, the true Paschal Lamb who takes away the world’s sin. Scripture records that 3,000 people were added to the church on that day, and in the next few days, another 5,000 were added to the number of believers in Christ.
Reading this narrative of the birth of the Church of Christ, and then considering the recent history of the Church, one might get the sense that the Holy Spirit no longer moves among the faithful. This would be a completely false statement. The power of the Holy Spirit is unchanging. It is the same today as it has always been since the beginning. What has changed, however; is humanity’s response to the power of the Holy Spirit.
The powers in the air, as Paul puts in Ephesians (Ephesians 2:2-4), continue to lull Christians into a spiritual slumber, of which they find it difficult to awaken from. We at St. Jacob’s are no better off than many congregations when it comes to a lack of response to the Holy Spirit’s calling. There appears to be a condition of spiritual lethargy permeating the lives of congregations throughout the Church.
During the recent Mission Region Convocation, I was a part of a conversation among several pastors who compared notes about the goings on within our churches. We soon discovered we are walking on common ground. There seems to be little hunger within several of our churches for Spiritual growth. Bible study attendance is at an all time low, as is Sunday School attendance. Participation in mission projects seems lacking and worship attendance among young families is becoming a rarity in many places. We all scratched our heads and wondered what the cause of these trends might be.
One thing we realized is that, as it was in the upper room, the people of God do not seem to gather in large numbers for prayer. Prayer seems to be something we turn to when we want something or have a particular difficulty. Christians today do not seem to be plugged in to the available power of the Holy Spirit God provides. Instead, we tend to listen to those “powers in the air” and our faith becomes distracted. This spiritual lethargy causes congregations to shrink within themselves and experience decreasing joy as numbers of worshipers begin to dwindle.
It is my prayer for St. Jacob’s that we would make a strong commitment to living a life together in the power of the Holy Spirit. That we would experience increased life together in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, and that we would rediscover the joy and fruitfulness of reading Scripture with one another as a community of believers. May the God who first brought forth the Lord Jesus Christ from death and the grave give us the will and the desire to do these.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
