Pastor Archive

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Pastoral Devotion For September

Posted September 1, 2019 By admin

The Will of the Father

 Matthew 21:23-32

In the parable, Jesus said “A man had two sons.” Both of these sons were given direction to work in their father’s vineyard.  One said no, but later went.  The other said yes, but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father? According to the Pharisees, it was the son who said no, but changed his mind.

 Have you ever noticed in this parable, Jesus doesn’t tell them that they are correct? Did the Pharisees get it right?  The truth is that both sons at one point fell short of the father’s expectations. Both sons needed a change of heart.

 How often have you heard God’s Word and said “No, I will not go” but later went?  How many other times have you said, “Yes, I will go” but failed to do so? In each case we fall short of God’s glory and need a change of heart.  Thankfully, through Christ we are afforded God’s mercy and grace. All we need to do is ask, and God will provide the will and means necessary to do that which he calls us to do.  For the will of the Father is that we believe in his Son.  Today, as in all days, God calls you to faith through Christ and to work in his vineyard. How will you respond?

 Prayer: Lord Jesus, strengthen me in faith, that when you call, I may do your will. Amen.

Filed in Bible Study, Other Happenings, Pastor

Welcome NALC Seminarian

Posted August 28, 2019 By admin

Sometimes God’s blessings come as a surprise and beginning in late September, one such blessing will be upon St. Jacob’s.  The NALC Candidacy Committee has asked St. Jacob’s to host, and Pastor David to supervise a seminarian in the NALC candidacy process for one semester.  We look forward to welcoming Philip Sandi, a seminarian who is from Liberia and close to graduation from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary here in Columbia.  More information will follow in upcoming worship bulletins.

Filed in Fellowship, NALC, Other Happenings, Pastor

From the Pastor’s Heart

Posted August 1, 2019 By admin

Congo Mission 2019

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:13-15

Through my mission work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I have learned first-hand the meaning of the above text. The apostle Paul explains to Christians that God extends his grace throughout the world. Everyone who comes to faith in Christ Jesus is saved from their sin and gains the promise of eternal life. But how will people come to faith unless God’s people share the gospel?

For five years, Pastor Stéphane Kalonji and I have traveled to the Congo in obedience to Jesus’ Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20. Christ calls all Christians to go into the world making disciples and teaching the Word of God. This is precisely our mission as we go; to preach and teach God’s Word, and to provide training for others that they may be messengers of God’s grace. Upon this, my third trip to Congo, I have again seen how God continues to build up his Church and bring people to faith through the hearing of the gospel.

Pastor Kalonji and I visited three Lutheran parishes while we were in Congo. We first went to the city of Boma where two years ago I was commissioned by Bishop Keya (Bishop of the Lutheran Church in Congo) to be his missionary to the Lutheran Church in America. I have made friends in Boma, friends that I pray for each day. Upon our arrival, we received a welcome much like that of a family member coming home after an extended period. One by one, people would come to the church and visit with us, telling us of how they have been getting along since our last trip.

In Boma, Pastor Kalonji and I led two seminars for pastors and lay people; we sang with the choirs of men and women; and we preached together, me in English with Pastor Stéphane translating into Lingala. During the hymn following the sermon, a young man ran up to me and dusted off my shoes. This is a common reaction to the preached Word of God in Boma. “How beautiful the feet of those who preach the good news.”

That Monday, we traveled to the city of Tshela, a place neither of us had been before. In Tshela, we were greeted by an excited congregation of God’s people who lined the street leading to their place of worship. The welcome we received was extraordinary to say the least. This was an unexpected addition to our trip, but the joy we found and the response to God’s Word as we taught women and men, and then preached can only be described as unbridled enthusiasm. Children sat in the doorways and windows of the building, not to mention those who occupied the front four benches directly in front of me.

As Pastor Kalonji preached to the crowded church in their native language, I connected with the many children using a common language we all understood. We exchanged funny faces, smiles and even a bit of laughter. It didn’t matter that we couldn’t understand one another as we spoke. We understood one another as we shared a relationship established by God through his Son Jesus Christ. Once more, at the completion of our presentation and my telling the  congregation of the joy I have witnessed through their faith, a young man came up to me and dusted off my shoes in a gesture of thankfulness to God for sending his missionaries to preach the good news.

From the Pastor’s Heart

by Pastor David Nuottila

Filed in Bible Study, Missions, Other Happenings, Outreach, Pastor

Pastoral Devotion For August

Posted August 1, 2019 By admin

What Must I Do?  

Read Mark 10:17-31

What must I do to inherit eternal life? This is a question much like that asked by so many people today. “What must I do to make it into heaven?” The rich man in the text told Jesus he had kept the commandments, yet Jesus finds him still lacking. The Lord tells him to sell all he has, give the       proceeds to the poor and then follow him. There will be no need for personal wealth as he will have treasure in heaven. Sadly for this fellow, he can’t bear to part with his worldly possessions. The       reality, it seems, is that his material goods possessed him.  

So is that how we inherit eternal life? Does the act of passing on our wealth to the poor, filling our days doing good works, and keeping the commandments provide the final punch for our ticket to heaven? In a word, no! If we believe this we also will find ourselves lacking.

To inherit, one must be an heir, someone to whom the inheritance is passed down. Through Holy   Baptism, God makes us his children; we are made inheritors through water and the Word. Joined to Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are made heirs. God no longer finds us lacking, and so to us, the kingdom of God is passed down. What must we do? Simply believe, for Christ has done it for you.

Gracious God, thank you for making us your children, and thus, heirs to your everlasting kingdom, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Filed in Bible Study, From the Pastor’s Heart, Pastor

Creating A Vision For Ministry

Posted July 30, 2019 By admin

What is St. Jacob’s vision for ministry within our community and world? To be honest, we can’t say we have a clear vision. As a congregation of God’s people, we are all called to be disciples of Jesus Christ, follow him in faith and participate in the mission of God by doing the work of the gospel. In order to follow Christ, we must first understand God’s mission. We then must pray and discern which ministries to which God is calling us. And finally, we must create a vision, a clear understanding and strategy as to how we will engage in such ministries. For as Scripture teaches us, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs, 29:18 KJV

 On June 30th, a small group of church family members met to begin this conversation. We introduced the process by which our church might discern those ministries God would have us do and then created a vision as to how we will do them. Yet this task is not simply for a small group. If we are to be serious about our faith and ministry, we will all need to take part.

Creating a vision for ministry does not happen quickly. In the coming months, there will be several seminars scheduled for St. Jacob’s church family members to come listen, learn and discuss the work God has set before us. Plan to attend these seminars as they are scheduled and be a part of St. Jacob’s participation in God’s mission.

Filed in Bible Study, Fellowship, LCY, Lutheran Men, Lutheran Women, Missions, Other Happenings, Outreach, Pastor, Sunday School, Worship and Music, Worship Service

Pastoral devotion for July

Posted July 1, 2019 By admin

Beautiful Feet

Read Romans 10:1-15

It goes without saying, our feet are not our most attractive attribute. Yet, the human foot is wonderfully designed by our creator. Our feet carry us places; hold us up on sure footing. Feet can be graceful and athletic; they can be sturdy and agile. But the most wonderful thing about our feet is that, because of Christ, they can stand in the presence of God as we worship him in his temple, and then carry us in mission for the sake of God’s people.

Consider the feet of Christ, those once wounded by the nail. They are the same feet once anointed with Mary’s tears and dried in a devotional act of love with her hair. Even as the nail pierced his feet and affixed them to the cross, Jesus continued to speak words of love and forgiveness. Even as his feet could no longer take him to places where people were in need of healing, Jesus provided ultimate healing for a broken humanity. And even though life giving blood ceased to flow through the wounded feet of our Lord Jesus, death could not hold them in the grave; our Savior would walk again in the glory of the resurrection.

Consider your own feet, once wounded by the nail of sin, yet forgiven and washed clean by the blood of Christ Jesus. Consider your feet, made strong and sure by the power of the Holy Spirit and empowered to take you to those places God would have you go. Redeemed by the blood of Christ, God calls us to take to our feet and proclaim his gospel to a fallen broken world. God calls us to bear witness to his grace, proclaiming the lifesaving power of Jesus’ victory at the cross.

Prayer: Guide me, O Christ, as I walk in your ways to share your gospel. Amen.

Filed in Bible Study, Other Happenings, Outreach, Pastor

In the Wild, Vacation Bible School

Posted June 26, 2019 By admin

Our 2019 VBS, “In the Wild”, was held Monday, June 17th through Thursday, June 20th. We started each night with a delicious meal and then off to our encounters in the wild and with Jesus. We studied animal habitat, sounds, camouflage and learned some animal facts. Most importantly….we experienced Amazing Encounters with Jesus.

Our class rotations included lessons, music, crafts and games. Games included dodge ball, kick ball, golf, baseball, anything with a ball and running. Everyone played including the teachers.

On Monday night, we encountered Jesus in the Temple. We made traveling tic-tac-toe boards and in music, we started learning the song – “Why He Came”. Our younger children started to learn “Jesus Knows My Name” and “I Hear Stories of Jesus”.

On Tuesday night, we continued to travel with Jesus. This time we met him at the Jordan River where John baptized Jesus. In music, we started a new song, “What God Has Done” as we continued to work on “Why He Came” and the younger children continued learning their two songs. During crafts, we tie dyed our animal shirts – tiger, zebra and giraffe.

On Wednesday night, we met Jesus on the water again. But this time during a storm he walked on the water to his disciples in the boat. We made balancing butterflies in crafts and continued to learn our songs in music.

On Thursday night, we encountered Jesus at the empty tomb as he spoke to Mary and she ran to tell the disciples – “I have seen Jesus! He is alive!” In crafts, we made happy, trumpeting elephants as we celebrated and rejoiced that Jesus is Risen!

We celebrated our 2019 VBS on Thursday night, with family and friends as we presented our songs, stories, and crafts and closed with ice cream and cookies.

A very special thank you to our teachers and cooks. Without them, VBS would not have been possible for our 71 attendees who were ready and willing to experience some amazing encounters. Thank you to our parents and grandparents for sharing your children with us. We had some amazing adventures on the Wild Side! See you at VBS 2020!

Filed in Bible Study, Fellowship, LCY, Other Happenings, Outreach, Pastor, Worship and Music, Worship Service

Pastor David in Congo

Posted June 26, 2019 By admin

Pastor David will be in Congo on a mission trip beginning Monday, July 8th through Wednesday, July 24th. Should you need pastoral support during this time, please contact Sherry in the Church Office Monday-Thursday from 9AM – 2PM at 803-345-2309 or Danny, Council President, at 803-422-6824.

Filed in Missions, Other Happenings, Pastor

From the Pastor’s Heart

Posted June 1, 2019 By admin

On the Sunday of Pentecost, we celebrate God’s giving the gift of the Holy Spirit. In our worship, our learning and our serving, we see God’s Spirit in action. The faithful can feel the power of God’s love as the Spirit comes like the rush of a violent wind, stirring the hearts and minds of God’s people. These are the themes of Pentecost; the power of God’s Spirit blowing through the lives of God’s people, calling them to share the gospel in faith, hope and love.

There are several traditions within the Church surrounding the day of Pentecost, yet Pentecost is not about wearing your red dress or shirt to worship. It is not about confirming our youth as they complete their initial study of the catechism. It’s about the Holy Spirit of God blowing in the doors of the hearts and minds of God’s people, rearranging the furniture of our lives and filling us with all the confidence, strength, excitement and assurance the disciples had in order to share the good news of God’s re-demption

Think about the world around you. Think about the things you have heard and seen. Think about all the times in your life when you thought you were at your wit’s end. So many others have faced the same obstacles in life. The world needs to hear this good news of great joy. In so many ways and in so many instances, God makes his presence and power known. He is revealed in ways so clear that no matter what, people can feel the power of his presence, realizing God’s mercy and grace are real and that his love lasts forever.

This is exciting stuff folks. This is the stuff of which books of biblical proportion are written. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is the best news you are ever going to receive in your life. The times you first realized God’s grace is for you, that you have been rescued from the consequences of sin forever is as good as it can possibly get.

When you are young, prom is a big moment. Some of us know kids who have recently gone to their first prom. Guess what, as good as the prom was, God claiming you to be his child is better. When you get older, graduation comes with all of its pomp and circumstance. Guess what, it can’t compare with all the glory of heaven. There are still bigger moments ahead in your lives. College, your first real love, engagement, marriage, the purchase of a home, and the birth of a child. You know what? All of these are blessings from a loving God, yet because of Christ Jesus, the best is yet to come.

People of God, all of these are wonderful events; they are milestone moments, monumental achievements, and times of great joy. But if these are truly the most important times in your life, you’ve missed the mark. None of these can even compare with the fact that through Christ Jesus, God has saved you from sin and death, made you holy in his sight and prepared a heavenly home for you. Nothing can compare with the fact that through Christ Jesus, God has saved your life for all time. That is good news; that is exciting.

My prayer this Pentecost is that God stirs our congregation to such faithfulness that we cannot help but share the gospel of Christ Jesus, and that by the power of the Holy Spirit, we experience the disciples’ joy, living in the fullness of God’s grace, loving our neighbor and extending our Savior’s love to all who are in need.

Come Holy Spirit. Stir up the hearts of your
faithful, and kindle in us the fire of your love. Amen.

To God be the glory, now and forever.
Pastor David Nuottila

Filed in Bible Study, From the Pastor’s Heart, Other Happenings, Outreach, Pastor

Pastoral Devotion for June

Posted June 1, 2019 By admin

Love at the Core

Read Matthew 6:1-18
Imagine holding in your hand a fresh bright red apple. There is not a single blemish on it; the apple is perfect and you can’t wait to take a bite. Sinking your teeth into the fruit, you suddenly realize there is something dreadfully wrong. The inside of the apple is not nearly as appetizing as you first thought. It is actually rotten at the core. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus didn’t discuss apples, but he did address things that on the outside seemed pleasing, but were much less so at the center.

Jesus points out the difference between putting one’s self-righteousness on display in order to be seen by others, and practicing spiritual discipline in order to be seen by God. God calls people to worship, pray, give alms and practice other forms of spiritual discipline. Jesus teaches that we should do these things in such a way that we may glorify God and grow in our relationship with him. Our Savior gives clear instructions about how to live as a child of God, so that unlike the rotten apple, our outward appearance matches our core of love and commitment to God.

Prayer: Holy God; create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Amen.

Filed in Bible Study, Pastor
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »