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St Andrew's Messages

Messages from St. Andrew Lutheran Church of Middleton, WI.
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Now displaying: Page 13
Jan 26, 2020

Burning but not burning out: There's a fine line between the two, isn't there? You pour yourself into your job, sport, or some hobby so fully because it fills you. You get energy from it. But if you're not filled, the time comes when you burn out. In Acts 2, Jesus keeps a promise to fill his church with energy, the Spirit. He's still doing that for you. The Spirit's work of filling you with purpose, grace, and gifts is the difference between burning out and burning for a lifetime. We’re glad you’re here because the Spirit promises to do that work through the Good News of Jesus. Let him light you up and keep you burning. 

 

To receive 250-word devotions on Acts 2:1-13 this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Jan 19, 2020

What do you do while you're waiting? Delete old messages? YouTube? Tap your fingers? Nobody likes waiting, but we all do it. And some do it better than others. (Did you really honk the horn while waiting in the car . . . in the garage? Really?) Last week we began our worship series on the Book of Acts. Jesus inspires us with his commission to go and be his witnesses. But then he says, “Wait.” Today, learn what earlier followers of Jesus did when they waited. We’re all waiting for something. What separates us is what we do while we’re waiting. 

 

To receive 250-word devotions on Acts 1:12-26 this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Jan 12, 2020

Every book of the Bible is about Jesus. Although some Bibles title the fifth book of the New Testament "The Acts of the Apostles," it's still about Jesus. Today we begin our study of that book, Acts. We're not going to study it as just scholars, but we're going to study it also as soldiers. Scholars and soldiers tend to be the ones who study history the most. Scholars tend to look at what people used to do; soldiers tend to look for what remains to be done. One is for information, the other is for mission. We will study the Book of Acts for both. Pick up your copy of the Acts Study Booklet before worship today. It's a way for us to consider a recent translation, the English Heritage Version, and a place for us to write notes, questions, prayers, etc. Like the grace of God, it's yours to keep. Also like the grace of God, it's free because someone else paid for it. If you’re a guest, this booklet is our gift to you, too.

Jan 5, 2020

We've rounded the corner on the shortest day of the year. Our days are finally getting longer; we have a bit more light each and every day. Jesus' arrival announced the good news of God's grace wasn't just for those of Jewish descent, but for all people. Today we learn from the Magi of what it is to stand in awe of Christ, the Light to the gentiles.

 

To receive 250-word devotions on Matthew 2 this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Jan 1, 2020

On the last day of the year, countless memories flood our minds—some we treasure and some we repress; some memories we’re glad to hold on to and others we’re glad to get rid of. Through all, we remember and hold to Christ. His unchanging grace and presence has sustained us in the past and will define our future. He is the Lord of history and he is the Lord of our future. He is the One we worship tonight.

Dec 29, 2019

Please Skip to 1:25 for the start of the Sermon. We apologize for the inconvenience.

 

Not all were thrilled with the birth of Jesus. Not all were prepared for what it would mean in their own lives. Today we see the reality of what happens when God’s mercy in the flesh, collides with the worst of atrocities that hide in the darkness of the heart. Yet, we stand in awe of Christ, who is mercy incarnate.

 

To receive 250-word devotions on Matthew 2 this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Dec 25, 2019

Stand in Awe of Christ, who is Immanuel 

Emmanuel or Immanuel? We see it both ways throughout the Christmas prophecies and accounts. The difference is the language it was written in, Hebrew or Greek. Either way it has the same incredible meaning, God with us! This Christmas we stand in awe of Christ, who is God with US! 

Dec 24, 2019

We pray you enjoy the sights, food, family, and gifts of this season. They’re gifts from God. But there’s more, infinitely more, to enjoy. This Christmas, stand in awe of Christ. Because of the miracle of Christmas, blessings overflow into your life. That’s why we worship him. We’re glad you’re joining us to do so.

Dec 22, 2019

If you ever think, I wish I knew what God was like, look at Jesus. If you ever think, I wish I knew what God would say, listen to Jesus' words. That's what God says. There's one God, and Jesus, his one and only Son, makes him known. People all around us are groping in the dark trying to find God. Look at Jesus, and you’ll find him. If you were lost in dark woods and saw a light in the distance, you'd know that if you could just get to that light, you'd be home. Here’s the point of our worship: we fix our eyes on Jesus and trust he will lead us home. We’re glad you’re with us.

To receive 250-word devotions on John 1:14 this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Dec 15, 2019

What's the most common reaction to seeing the glory of God throughout the Bible? You'd think it would be joy, elation, awe, and wonder, right? "And they were terrified" is actually the most common reaction people have when in the presence of the glory of God. Yet, there in the manger, we gaze into the glory of God, not with terror, but with awe that God took on flesh for us! Today we stand in awe of Christ as we gaze upon his glory and see how he's given his glory to us!

 

To receive 250-word devotions on John 1:14 this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Dec 8, 2019

Come, stay with me. To how many people would you quickly say that? A hunch is, not many for a host of reasons, both obvious and nuanced. The Apostle John describes Jesus as God who became flesh and then adds, "he made his home with us." He came to us. Some of the meaning behind that is obvious. Jesus is God with us. But some of it is deeply nuanced. May the Spirit bless you through is revelation of God today. The goal isn't to become smarter (although that happens), the goal is, this Christmas, to stand in awe of Christ.

 

To receive 250-word devotions on John 1:14 this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Dec 1, 2019

Welcome to Advent, a season of preparation. Our worship for the next four weeks will not only anticipate the reality of Christ’s return, but our worship will also help us prepare for the real Christmas. There is a kind of Christmas that's too easy, too shallow, and too trite. But there's another kind that would fill the Grand Canyon with life-changing truth. That's the kind we're after. This Advent season, prepare to stand in awe of Christ this Christmas.

 

To receive 250-word devotions on John 1:14 this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Nov 28, 2019

Imagine that you gave a magnanimous gift to someone: a house, a car, a kidney! In response, the person casually mentioned to another that he felt some vague sense of general gratitude. That wouldn't be enough. Even though you didn't give the gift to receive something in return, that kind of gratitude wouldn't be enough. We have received from God the greatest possible gift: forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. The gift was only possible because he gave up his Son for you. More than that, we receive daily evidence of God's grace. That's why Christians have more than some vague sense of general gratitude. Christians thank the giver. We seek evidence of God's grace and receive a tool to help us thank the Giver . . . daily.

Nov 24, 2019

Letters to the Seven has been a series where we hear from Jesus what he wants from his Church. He wants us to hold to our first love, to not give up amid suffering, to hold to the truth and not false doctrine, and to hold fast to his grace. The message we receive this week as we close out the series is to be on fire for the gospel and have an identity founded in Christ. What does that look like? Today learn from Jesus what he expects and how he promises to provide it to you.

 

To receive 250-word devotions on Revelation this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Nov 17, 2019

The ancient Greeks had a proverb, pathemata mathemata, suffering is education. You've seen it. But it's not automatic. Suffering can make you more human or less human, more caring and compassionate or more hardened and bitter. What accounts for the difference? That's what Jesus taught the Christians in Philadelphia (not the home of the Eagles, but an ancient city in what is now Turkey.) We have a copy of the letter in Revelation 3:7-13. Through it, Jesus teaches us to endure and gives us what it takes to endure. We’re glad you’re with us today to receive good things from Jesus’ letter.

 

To receive 250-word devotions on Revelation this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Nov 10, 2019

Twenty years Jim Collins wrote the bestseller, "Good to Great." Collins and his team researched companies that performed better than most for a prolonged period and determined the main reasons they became great. It caught on beyond the traditional audience of business books because, well, who doesn't want to be great? Jesus has something to say about that, too. In his letter to us, originally sent to the Christian church in the Turkish city of Sardis, Jesus tells us how his love and power explode in our lives. By any definition, that's greatness. We are thrilled you’re here to encounter Jesus today and pray for God to bless your worship.

 

To receive 250-word devotions on Revelation this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Nov 3, 2019

Is tolerance loving? When a child decides she will dress herself for the day and her style is a mismatched hot mess, but at least she’s dressed, I'd say tolerating her choice is loving. If I tolerate the same said child's choice to then ride her bike down the middle of a busy street, I'm no longer loving. I'm reckless and have endangered her life. Sometimes love is intolerant. Today as we celebrate the Reformation, we hear from Jesus as he helps us understand how love means holding to the truth and sometimes being intolerant.

Oct 27, 2019

I know where you live. That sounds like the creepy voice of a menace in a horror movie. But it's also what Jesus says to Christians in the third of the seven churches he writes to in Revelation. Jesus didn't intend for it to cause horror; he wanted it to bring comfort. He knew the difficulty of remaining faithful to him in a place like Pergamum—and a place like your town. He doesn't need Google Maps to find your address, and he doesn't need a newsfeed to tell him what's going on. He knows. He knows what it's like where you work, live, and go to school. He encourages us to remain faithful to his name and he offers repentance for the times we aren't faithful to his name and Word. Believe his promise …and get a white stone.

To receive 250-word devotions on Revelation this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Oct 20, 2019

A paradox is a statement that seems to say two opposite things. Less is more. I'll say it again, I never repeat myself. If you're not here, raise your hand. Jesus' message to the church in Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) is a paradox. Things are worse than they seem. Things are better than they seem. It's his message to you, too. But he's not just employing some clever literary device, he's telling the truth. We’re glad you’re here today to learn from Jesus' message to the second of the seven churches in Revelation. It's as real, powerful, and true for us as it was for them. Even if it is a paradox.

 

To receive 250-word devotions on Revelation this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Oct 13, 2019

What happens when you do everything right, but you've lost your way? The work is the same, but your joy is missing. The people, the very people whom you've loved and worked alongside, you now find annoying and frustrating. You know what needs to happen, but you just don't have the energy and passion that you once had. Ever been there? Today we will learn from Jesus about how the Ephesians had lost their first love, and how Jesus lovingly calls them and us back to himself.

 

To receive 250-word devotions on Revelation this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Oct 6, 2019

"Out of the depths, I cry to you O Lord." God knows your pits. He knows the darkness that resides deep within, the secrets no one else knows, and the guilt, fear, and shame that overwhelm. Psalm 130 acknowledges the darkness but points us to the one who rescues and redeems us from the very sins that have entangled. We see his forgiveness, his rescue, and his love! If sin has been holding you captive, and if doubt, fear, and shame have you covering up some sin, we’re glad you joined us to hear God's amazing freedom and love for you! 

 

To receive 250-word devotions this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Sep 29, 2019

"Out of the depths, I cry to you O Lord." God knows your pits. He knows the darkness that resides deep within, the secrets no one else knows, and the guilt, fear, and shame that overwhelm. Psalm 130 acknowledges the darkness but points us to the one who rescues and redeems us from the very sins that have entangled. We see his forgiveness, his rescue, and his love! If sin has been holding you captive, and if doubt, fear, and shame have you covering up some sin, we’re glad you joined us to hear God's amazing freedom and love for you! 

 

To receive 250-word devotions on Psalm 130 this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Sep 22, 2019

An article in Psychology Today suggests we shouldn't ask "Who am I," because "it assumes there's an answer." Instead, the author recommends that we ask, "How would I like to experience my life?" That's honest enough; in fact, it’s the most honest answer when you're really nothing. God has so much more for you. When human reasoning throws in the towel, God steps in. Psalm 8 shows us the difference between the way our culture says to find out who you are and God's own word on who you are. We’re glad you’re here to see that difference and pray God blesses you through it.

 

To receive 250-word devotions on Psalm 8 this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Sep 15, 2019

How do you decide what's important to you? Your Beanie Baby collection is really only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it no matter what you think it's worth. Someone else determines what it's worth. You've decided some things are worth a fortune and some things aren't worth a pile of beans. What made you determine that value? God's Word gives timeless guidance for determining what's valuable. We’re glad you’re here to let him teach you through Psalm 19.  It’s not just about what’s valuable in this life; it’s about Jesus, the value of the One who kept God's Word for you.

 

 

To receive 250-word devotions on Psalm 19 this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

Sep 8, 2019

When we suffer we tend to ask, “Why me, Lord?” Why did I break my leg? Why did my loved one die? Why did I end up alone? And there’s no answer. But when Jesus suffered he asked the same question, “Why me?” And there was an answer. Why? For you. We gather here today to remember that. The answer to Jesus’ suffering for us convinces us of his promise that our sorrow will lead to greater joy.  

 

To receive 250-word devotions on Psalm 126 this week, Monday – Friday,

go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.

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