June 4, 2023
The Holy Trinity
Sermon Notes for Sunday
- Sermon Notes
Sermon based on Matthew 16:13-20
Today we hear about Peter’s confession of faith and how, like Peter, we are given the Spirit of Christ to confess the one true Christian faith boldly and confidently, and that even when we do not confess as we ought, our God and Savior continues to forgive, strengthen, and renew us so that we learn to confess His name before others.
Serving Schedule
This Week’s Servants
- ELDER: Jason Theisen
- Usher: Mike Maurer
- Reader: Craige Roeschlein
- Organist: Sue Drury
- Acolytes: Preston Kuseske
- Sound Booth: Chase VanDonsel
- Altar Guild: Wilma Frazier
- Fellowship: Jane Marquardsen
Next Week’s Servants
- Elder: Jason Theisen
- Usher: Jay Nelson
- Reader: Chad Calander
- Organist: Jane Marquardsen
- Acolytes: Lauren Foster
- Sound Booth:
- Altar Guild: Carin Calander
- Fellowship: Kris Marxhausen
If you are unable to keep your scheduled serving day, please contact the church at least a few days before the service so there is time to find a replacement. Thank you!
Statistics for Last Week
Financials
- Regular Offering: $1,277.00
- Online Giving: $100.00
- Non-Budget: $0.00
- Memorial: $0.00
- Scholarship: $0.00
- Building Fund: $0.00
Attendance
- Worship Attendance: 41
- Sunday School: n/a
- Youth Group:
- Midweek Bible Study: 3
- Men’s Bible Study: n/a
Please make every attempt to have your kids in Sunday School each week, and your teens in Youth Group.
Important News & Announcements
NEED PRINTED ANNOUNCEMENTS?
Please ask Pastor if you would like a printed copy of the announcements. Thank you.
Stewardship Thought for This Week
Matthew 28:19–20 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Behold the threefold Name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are baptized into this Name. We have been made a part of God’s family. Now, we are called to live in harmony with our new family, to be godly and live in God’s image. As God is loving, kind and generous, so are we all called to be.
Men’s Bible Study (BEGINNING THIS WEEK)
A weekly Men’s Bible Study begins THIS THURSDAY evening at 6:30. This is an informal meeting where we will go through the Scripture and were everyone is encouraged to ask questions, discuss, and grow in faith. We will begin in the Book of Romans, so please have the first chapter of Romans read. Oh, and…bring your bible!
Sunday School/VBS News
Though Children’s Sunday School and Youth Group is over for the summer, we want to gather one last time on May 28 after church to thank our teachers and the kids for a great year. Bring your kids next Sunday to church for a special Children’s Message, and to Sunday School where there will be treats provided in the classrooms.
Beginning June 11th, Pastor Carlson will lead an all-church Sunday Bible Study throughout the summer and kids, youth, and adults are encouraged to attend. Also, VBS is coming in the fall, and more information will be available soon about needs and opportunities.
Summer Bible Study Opportunities
There is no time like the present to be in the Word, studying and growing in Christ. To that end, we will continue to have our Thursday morning class where we study the Book of Concord. As Lutherans, we believe the Book of Concord is a correct exposition of the Holy Scripture and thus it’s important we are familiar with it. Join us Thursdays at 9:00 am and bring your Book of Concord with you. If you don’t have one, speak to pastor about getting one for you.
Beginning in June, Pastor Carlson will resume teaching the Sunday morning Bible Study at 10:30. Adults and youth are encouraged to attend. Pastor will be following the “We Preach Christ Crucified” series from the LCMS in preparation for the national convention.
Lifetree Cafe is coming in August…
Morning and Evening Prayer (BEGINNING THIS WEEK)
Beginning in June, Pastor will lead a Morning Prayer service and Evening Prayer service every Tuesday and Thursday. Morning Prayer will be at 7:30 AM and Evening Prayer will be at 8:00 PM. It will be led in the Sanctuary and anyone is welcome to attend. What a GREAT way to start your day and end your day! There will be singing, praying, and Scripture. The services will be about 20 minutes long. They will be livestreamed starting later in June.
Senior Social Day (THIS THURSDAY!)
Seniors, why not come to the church every 2nd Thursday at 10am for a time of good fun, fellowship and games, coffee and treats, and to meet other Milaca seniors? We’ve got a good group of people but would love it if you could come too! Bring your favorite board game or card game with you.
Youth Volleyball Night (THIS FRIDAY!)
Youth Open Volleyball night scheduled for Friday, June 9th at 6:00 PM. There will be food and a devotion…and volleyball! Bring friends.
Board of Education (TODAY)
A Board of Ed. meeting is scheduled for today 10:30 AM after fellowship.
We will not have a monthly Newsletter during the summer months. Important announcements, schedules, and meetings will be printed in the weekly news.
Subscribe to the official newspaper of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod! Visit reporter.lcms.org to get regular updates, notices, synodical news, and more!
Pastor Carlson has been publishing a daily devotion online and emailing it to subscribers. That’s right! This is a great way to start of your day in the Word and prayer. Simply go to stpaulsmilaca.org/subscribe or speak to Pastor, and you’ll start to receive a devotion every weekday in your email inbox.
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, 68th Regular Convention is July 29 through August 3. Pastor Carlson, along with a lay delegate from our circuit, will be attending the convention and representing St. Paul’s and our circuit. The convention is in Milwaukee, WI at the Wisconsin Center/Arena.
Pastor will spend a little time at the next quarterly voters meeting detailing the convention and provide for you a list of matters which will be voted on.
To keep up with the convention timeline, to read the overtures, and to learn about the various candidates who will fill positions nationally, please visit LCMS National Convention – The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Also, please pray for safe travel for all who are preparing to head to Milwaukee in late July.
Prayer Requests
| Tom Litfin | Glen Hamann |
| Family of Harry Totzke | |
Weekend Devotion
Prayer: Heavenly Father, keep me firmly in the vine, Christ Jesus the Lord, so that I may bear much fruit. In His name, Amen.
SCRIPTURE: “I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him is the one who bears much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5
Christianity is not something we put on or wear externally. This is what Jesus means in this passage. We don’t wear him like fine clothes. We don’t try and take up a new lifestyle which is about our own efforts or attempts at “being good.” Putting on airs, wearing a nice smile, appearing to others to be pious and good does not make your heart good. The pharisees thought they could just follow the law, look good on the outside, and wear their religion like a cloak, but it was their insides that were rotten. Instead, the true Christian faith is a new birth on the inside brought about only by God’s Word and Spirit. A person is a Christian when he is a new person in the heart, born anew in Christ, and abiding in Christ. From this will flow good fruits: a faithful confession of the Gospel, godly love, humble obedience, quiet patience, purity, self-control, self-sacrifice, and so on.
When Christ says, “without me you can do nothing,” He is warning His disciples that they must remain in His Word. Remaining in the Word (the Scripture) leads to genuine, newborn Christians who produce much fruit. Newborn Christians guard themselves from false perverted doctrines which distort God’s Word and makes poisonous grapes. The true Word of God, that is, sound doctrine, can only produce good fruit while false doctrine can only produce bad fruit. So, if you work for a salvation of good works, a salvation of false love, a salvation of worldly doctrine, then your inner self cannot change, and you are stuck in your sin and will only lead others away from the truth. But if, by God’s Spirit, you strive for the true religion in Christ through true repentance, trusting in His forgiveness, and abiding in His Word, then you are in Him and He in you and good fruit will grow.
Thus, there are two types of works: Works produced by human effort which lead nowhere and works produced by faith and grow naturally from faith. Our own works will always require us to strive harder and harder and never seem to be enough. But the works of faith which grow naturally from faith, are far better. This is why Jesus says, “Human teaching and philosophy will not result in good fruit because it is external and based on human efforts. But if you remain in me, as natural branches remain on the vine, you will produce lasting and good fruit!”
This Week’s Activities
- Adult Bible Study this Thursday at 9:00 AM.
- Morning Prayer, Tuesday & Thursday at 7:30am
- Men’s Bible Study this Thursday at 6:30pm
- Evening Prayer, Tuesday & Thursday at 6:30pm
- New Member Class, Friday at 10am
Coming Events
- LCMS National Convention, July 31st through August 3rd.
- Vacation Bible School coming in August
“Rise, you who were lying fast asleep…Rise and hurry to the Church: here is the Father, here is the Son, here is the Holy Spirit.“
— St. Ambrose of Milan (AD 339 – 397)