O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Be Thou our guard while troubles last And our eternal home.” LSB 733
As the days of 2024 come to their conclusion, I pray that you can look back on them and see the blessings of the Lord along the way. If you are like me, every day of 2024 did not go according to my plan. But in hindsight, I can see in many ways how things went according God’s good plan. And obviously, that is a good thing. Praise God!
As we go into 2025, our Lord goes before us. And that is a good thing too. This reminds me that we do not have to make life into something. Realistically, we cannot. But the Lord goes before us and calls us to live the life that He is creating. And this is good thing. This is a comforting thing. Praise God!
The thought that our Lord is working in our world and going before us is one of the main points that we will be reading about in our next round of small groups. Often, we look at life and pray for Jesus to join us on our journey. Which is good…but it tends to suggest that we need to chart our course in life and put the weight of the world on our shoulders!
But the opposite is true. Jesus goes before us. He is alive and working in our world. He calls us to join Him on His journey. Which means the weight of the world is on His shoulders. Which gives us much comfort and peace!
The other point that we will be reading about in our small groups is how Jesus gives us opportunities to live out our faith. Both collectively as a church and individually in our lives. Opportunities where the Lord uses us to convey His love and salvation to those who may not know Him. And obviously, this gives our lives much purpose, value and even joyous anticipation!
Our new round of small groups will start in January and the title of the book is called: “Joining Jesus on His Mission: How to Be an Everyday Missionary.” An excerpt from the cover says, “Joining Jesus on His Mission will alter the way you see life as a follower of Jesus and take you beyond living your life for Jesus to living your life with Jesus. Simple, powerful and applicable insights show you how to be on mission and recognize where Jesus is already at work in your neighborhoods, workplaces, and schools. You may even hear yourself say, ‘I can do this!’ as you start responding to the everyday opportunities He is placing in your path.”
Everyone is encouraged to be a part of this study! A copy of the book and signup sheets are located in the fellowship hall. Books will be provided for those who signup.
God’s Blessings and Happy New Year to all!
Pastor