“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit,
of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
(Hebrews 4:12 ESV)
Dear Friends,
Epiphany greetings!
The Christian band Casting Crowns sing a song called, The Word is Alive. In the middle section there is a monologue as follows:
The Bible was inscribed over a period of 2000 years –
In times of war and in days of peace,
By kings, physicians, tax collectors, farmers, fishermen, singers and shepherds.
The marvel is that a library so perfectly cohesive
Could have been produced by such a diverse crowd over a period of time which staggers the imagination.
Jesus is its grand subject, our good is designed, and the glory of God is its end.
What does this mean? Though penned by men, in the end the Bible is His Word to us. When we read the Bible, God is talking to us. We need to revere it, seek to be under its influence, and view it as the source of our faith. We believe in Jesus only because God told us about how all history centers in Jesus who came to live and die in our place and win for us eternal life.
Now we need to put ourselves continually under the influence of God’s Word. What a treasure!
See you in church, where God’s Word is read, preached, studied and sung.
The Lord be with you!
(By the way, you can listen to the song, The Word is Alive by Casting Crowns by clicking here .)
Coming Up at Prince of Peace this weekend…
Sunday, February 5
9:00 Sunday School & Adult Bible Class
9:00 Holy Communion
10:30 Holy Communion
Sermon: “Following Jesus into the Spotlight” based on Matthew 5:13–16
PoP News …
Joyful Seniors’: For the February Meeting (February 4th), we will be attending the Sauerkraut Supper at Trinity Lutheran Church in Fisherville. It is a buffet-style continuous meal from 4:30 to 7:00 pm. Ticket prices: Adults $15; Children 5-10 years $5. Remember this is for everyone interested in eating a fantastic sauerkraut supper with the bonus of being with your Christian friends! Come and dine together!
Haiti Lutheran Mission Society will hold its Annual General Meeting on February 5, 2017 @ 3:00 pm at Christ Lutheran Church, St. Catharines. A soup supper will follow. Also, HLMS has produced a PowerPoint Presentation outlining their activities in Haiti. You can download it – click here.
VBS 2017 “Mighty Fortress: In Jesus the Victory is Won”: This theme will tie into the 500th anniversary year of the Reformation. Let’s have an initial VBS meeting on February 6 for all those who are interested with this ministry to children and their families. We will be discussing the possibility of doing a two-week day program right after school lets out.
Urban Outreach — Let’s Work Together: Christ Our King (Mississauga) is planning a one day conference on February 11th to bring urban churches together to share ideas on how to reach big-city populations where we seldom really know our neighbor. We speak different languages, we have different cultures, and we are busy with so many distractions. Come and share ideas, discuss successes (and failures that you’ve learned from), and help form a network of people to develop effective programs together. A group from Prince of Peace is going. Join us!
Niagara Zone LWMLC Lenten Prayer Service, March 5, will feature “Lessons from a 500-Year-Old Man: Learning to Pray with Luther.” While this event is sponsored for LWML, all people are invited to attend. It begins at 2:30 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Fisherville.
Higher Things Youth Retreat: When the Gospel became clear to Dr. Luther, everything changed! The Scriptures were opened up and he saw Jesus’ salvation everywhere. You are at the same time saint and sinner. The Law is one thing and the Gospel is another. There is the righteousness that God requires and the righteousness that God gives in Jesus. All of these Lutheran doctrines are different ways of saying the same glorious Reformation discovery: You are saved by grace alone, that is by Jesus alone and that salvation is received by faith alone. Let’s take a look at the book of Romans and rejoice in the Gospel and the Reformation. For youth in grades 7 to 12.
Main Speaker: Rev. George Borghardt (LCMS) is Senior Pastor at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in McHenry, Illinois and the President of Higher Things.
Where: Redeemer Lutheran Church, Waterloo; Cost: $30 per person
Contact: Rev. David Saar @ 519-323-6992 (cell), 519-323-4844 (o) or revdsaar@gmail.com
Online Registration: http://higherthings.org/retreats/gospel-in-the-reformation
The Epiphany Season 2017 …
Sermon Series for Epiphany 2017, Following Jesus
Our Epiphany series is on discipleship. A disciple is one who follows. Christians follow Christ who said, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” This is our Epiphany theme verse for January and February.
“Following Jesus into the Spotlight” 5th Sunday after the Epiphany
“Following Jesus into Reconciliation” 6th Sunday after the Epiphany
“Following Jesus into Perfection” 7th Sunday after the Epiphany
“Following Him into Humble Service” Transfiguration of Our Lord
Our Lord Jesus is saying, “Come follow Me!” See you on Sunday.
Reformation 500 News …
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the Wittenberg church doors inviting scholars to debate the practice of selling indulgences which ultimately led to a more clearly proclaimed Gospel of forgiveness through the grace of God in Jesus Christ our Lord.
What makes a Christian righteous? Luther’s answer to this question remains one of the things that most surprises people. Luther concluded that there are two kinds of righteousness. Watch this video – click here .
Reading the Book of Concord: During 2017 in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, it is the perfect time to read the Book of Concord if you haven’t before. The Book of Concord is a collection of confessions written in the sixteenth century. They define what it means to be a Lutheran to this day. Grounded in the Scriptures and faithful to the ancient creeds of the Church, this book is a treasure for all Christians. Click here to access a plan for reading the Book of Concord.
Reformation 2017: It’s still all about Jesus!
Online News …
Call for Nominations for 2017 National Convention: As Lutheran Church–Canada prepares for 2017’s National Convention, the church is calling on its members to prayerfully consider nominations for synod’s boards and offices. READ MORE
You can listen to in-depth conversations on topics like: An Interview with President Obama’s Faith Vote Director, The Bible & Immigration, The Story of a Philadelphia Abortionist Convicted of Mass Murder, The Apology of the Augsburg Confession and more. Issues, Etc. is a radio talk show produced by Lutheran Public Radio in Collinsville, IL and hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken. You can listen at your convenience at www.issuesetc.org and on the Lutheran Public Radio mobile app.
In your prayers, please remember:
- Those in hospital
- Those undergoing chemotherapy
- Those in mourning
The Lord be with you.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Pastor Kevin Walrath
