About Us 7:50 am & 9:15 am - Traditional Worship
9:30 am - Kidzplace & Biblestudy
9:30 am - Kidzplace & Biblestudy
10:40 am & 6:30 pm - Contemporary Worship
Holy Communion 1st, 3rd & 5th Sunday's
Child care provided at each worship service
Child care provided at each worship service
Financial Peace
In Financial Peace University, the average family eliminates $5,300 in debt while saving $2,700!
During This Life-Changing Class, You Will Learn How To:
- Get Control Of Your Money
- Stop Struggling to Make Ends Meet
- Tell Your Money What To Do
- Change Your Family's Future
Come Join us at St. Matthew Lutheran Church for a free preview.
Class Begins: February 6, 2012
Class Meets: Monday at 6:30 PM
Preview: January 23, 2012 at 6:30 PM
Preview: January 29, 2012 at 12:00 PM
Class Contact: Staci Stark - Request Info
Scriptures on Finances
What Does the Bible Say About Money?
What is Financial Peace University?
How to Get Started with FPU
Frequently Asked Questions
Testimonies
Class Begins: February 6, 2012
Class Meets: Monday at 6:30 PM
Preview: January 23, 2012 at 6:30 PM
Preview: January 29, 2012 at 12:00 PM
Class Contact: Staci Stark - Request Info
Scriptures on Finances
What Does the Bible Say About Money?
What is Financial Peace University?
How to Get Started with FPU
Frequently Asked Questions
Testimonies
Sermon Series
Mining Pearls
A Journey Into Uncomfortable Places….Led By The Savior…
Did you catch the oxymoron?Pearls are not found in mines – they are formed in oysters! Did you remember how? An irritant -usually a small bit of sand or rock- is somehow ingested by the oyster….and around this irritant a beautiful pearl is formed. Without the irritant there is no beautiful pearl. This is why, in some places, humans actually introduce the irritant into the oysters manually themselves, so that they can have a greater chance of having a pearl form over time. No irritant, no growth, no pearl.
We all – each of us- know we need change in our lives…deep down change. Through the centuries, Lent has been a time when people have focused on their need for change, on their need for a new direction in so many places in their lives.
Where is this true for you? Yet, change, real change, is hard to come by, isn’t it? (How many of those new year’s resolutions have you kept?...and it is only February!) In fact, change is almost as rare as…. a beautiful pearl!
Yet this is the very gift that God would give us! How? In the next few weeks, God, by His Spirit through His Word, the Bible, would bring us into uncomfortable places. Each week He would introduce an irritant deep into our souls, something which He would have us struggle with, something which, finally, can only be solved through the Good Friday/Easter reality, the remembrance/celebration/ experience of which we are fast approaching anew.
Why would God, our Heavenly Father do this? Because He wants to change us, deep down. He wants to grow us. He wants to form pearls inside of us where before there was nothing. He wants to give us precious gifts. He wants our lives to reflect the Easter victory of His Son – and our victory in Him!
Need some change, some growth, some new pearls in your life? God Himself invites you to come along on the journey!
In His Grip, Pastor Brad
Sunday, February 26th “The Place of Danger”
(vs. “Playing It Safe”)
Danger is not something we ought to seek. Yet to be a follower of Jesus means to walk in danger, to go into places of danger. But in and through this danger, God works something in us. He changes us. He grows us. He forms a pearl of trust and character deep in our soul. Today, Jesus invites you to walk into danger with Him. What do you say?
Sunday, March 4th “The Place of Self-Denial”
(vs. “Going Our Own Way”)
The “I.” The “ego.” The “me.” The “my way.” It’s hard to get away from, isn’t it? It is the natural way to live. Everything revolving around “me” and “what I want” and “what I think.” In fact, it is downright uncomfortable to approach things in a different way, the way of laying down “my will,” “my ego,” “my way.” The way of “denying myself.” Yet this uncomfortable way is the way that Jesus would beckon us today. It is the way of change and growth. It is the way of mining for pearls. Jesus invites you to come along. What do you say?
Sunday, March 11th “The Place of True Religion”
(vs. “Living In A Comfortable Faith”)
Do you ever notice how we try to make everything comfortable? It’s as if we try to craft each aspect of our lives to our modifications….at least as much as we are able. We make the job fit us. We find classes in school that fit us…and we try to do only what we want to do, as much as possible. We talk to our neighbors-and even our family- when we feel like….not necessarily when they need it. And our Christian faith, well for generation after generation people have tried to make of it what they want…rather than what God wants. They-and we!- try so hard to make following Jesus as comfortable as possible! But following Jesus is not meant to be comfortable. As we journey with Jesus to the place of true religion, we will find it is not compatible with a comfortable faith. Rather, it brings challenges..and an opportunity for mining pearls. Today, Jesus invites you to come along. What do you say?
Sunday, March 18th “The Place of Choice”
(vs. “Personal/Spiritual Irresponsibility”)
Responsibility. It can be a very frightening word, especially for someone who does not trust their ability to accomplish a task, or someone who has taken on responsibilities and have failed in what they attempted to accomplish. Yet, it can also be a very empowering word. Taking responsibility allows us to accomplish things. I remember reading once about parents who make every decision for their child for fear they will fail. They never allow them to take responsibility and as adults they accomplished very little because of it. Today, Jesus leads us into a place of responsibility. It is not too great a task for us, for we are called in the victory and power of Jesus. It is an opportunity. It is a moment to mine pearls. Jesus invites you to come along. What do you say?
Sunday, March 25th “The Place of Greatness”
(vs. “Comfortably Ordinary”)
Have you ever talked to a child-perhaps even your own child – and could not figure out why he/she would not embrace the reality that they had some real talent in a particular area? I know I really struggled with this with a number of young people until I realized that if one admits that they have talent-or even something with it-right? In short, it is very comfortable to be ordinary, isn’t it? Nothing can really be asked of you. On the other hand, if you dare to embrace the gifts and greatness that God has given you both as a human being and as one of His followers, then something more than “ordinary” should be your lot, should it not? And right here in our journey is another place for mining pearls as we look at greatness in the kingdom. Jesus invites you to come along. What do you say?
Sunday, April 1st“The Place of Where the Rubber Hits The Road”
Palm Sunday (vs. “Avoiding Doing Anything”)
You’ve heard the old saying, “talk is cheap,” haven’t you? (Have you ever worked with anyone who talked up a storm but never got any work done?)The idea is that, finally, it is action that is valuable, that accomplishes things. One can talk until they are blue in the face that the house needs to be painted, but nothing will happen until one picks up a paint brush and begins. Today, we celebrate the action of Jesus as He backs up His words that He is the Savior of the world by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey to die on the cross for us. In our lives also, the point where words meet actions is where the rubber hits the road. This is also the point for mining pearls. Today, Jesus invites you to come along into a place of action as we ride with Him into the city of Jerusalem. What will you do?
Did you catch the oxymoron?Pearls are not found in mines – they are formed in oysters! Did you remember how? An irritant -usually a small bit of sand or rock- is somehow ingested by the oyster….and around this irritant a beautiful pearl is formed. Without the irritant there is no beautiful pearl. This is why, in some places, humans actually introduce the irritant into the oysters manually themselves, so that they can have a greater chance of having a pearl form over time. No irritant, no growth, no pearl.
We all – each of us- know we need change in our lives…deep down change. Through the centuries, Lent has been a time when people have focused on their need for change, on their need for a new direction in so many places in their lives.
Where is this true for you? Yet, change, real change, is hard to come by, isn’t it? (How many of those new year’s resolutions have you kept?...and it is only February!) In fact, change is almost as rare as…. a beautiful pearl!
Yet this is the very gift that God would give us! How? In the next few weeks, God, by His Spirit through His Word, the Bible, would bring us into uncomfortable places. Each week He would introduce an irritant deep into our souls, something which He would have us struggle with, something which, finally, can only be solved through the Good Friday/Easter reality, the remembrance/celebration/ experience of which we are fast approaching anew.
Why would God, our Heavenly Father do this? Because He wants to change us, deep down. He wants to grow us. He wants to form pearls inside of us where before there was nothing. He wants to give us precious gifts. He wants our lives to reflect the Easter victory of His Son – and our victory in Him!
Need some change, some growth, some new pearls in your life? God Himself invites you to come along on the journey!
In His Grip, Pastor Brad
Sunday, February 26th “The Place of Danger”
(vs. “Playing It Safe”)
Danger is not something we ought to seek. Yet to be a follower of Jesus means to walk in danger, to go into places of danger. But in and through this danger, God works something in us. He changes us. He grows us. He forms a pearl of trust and character deep in our soul. Today, Jesus invites you to walk into danger with Him. What do you say?
Sunday, March 4th “The Place of Self-Denial”
(vs. “Going Our Own Way”)
The “I.” The “ego.” The “me.” The “my way.” It’s hard to get away from, isn’t it? It is the natural way to live. Everything revolving around “me” and “what I want” and “what I think.” In fact, it is downright uncomfortable to approach things in a different way, the way of laying down “my will,” “my ego,” “my way.” The way of “denying myself.” Yet this uncomfortable way is the way that Jesus would beckon us today. It is the way of change and growth. It is the way of mining for pearls. Jesus invites you to come along. What do you say?
Sunday, March 11th “The Place of True Religion”
(vs. “Living In A Comfortable Faith”)
Do you ever notice how we try to make everything comfortable? It’s as if we try to craft each aspect of our lives to our modifications….at least as much as we are able. We make the job fit us. We find classes in school that fit us…and we try to do only what we want to do, as much as possible. We talk to our neighbors-and even our family- when we feel like….not necessarily when they need it. And our Christian faith, well for generation after generation people have tried to make of it what they want…rather than what God wants. They-and we!- try so hard to make following Jesus as comfortable as possible! But following Jesus is not meant to be comfortable. As we journey with Jesus to the place of true religion, we will find it is not compatible with a comfortable faith. Rather, it brings challenges..and an opportunity for mining pearls. Today, Jesus invites you to come along. What do you say?
Sunday, March 18th “The Place of Choice”
(vs. “Personal/Spiritual Irresponsibility”)
Responsibility. It can be a very frightening word, especially for someone who does not trust their ability to accomplish a task, or someone who has taken on responsibilities and have failed in what they attempted to accomplish. Yet, it can also be a very empowering word. Taking responsibility allows us to accomplish things. I remember reading once about parents who make every decision for their child for fear they will fail. They never allow them to take responsibility and as adults they accomplished very little because of it. Today, Jesus leads us into a place of responsibility. It is not too great a task for us, for we are called in the victory and power of Jesus. It is an opportunity. It is a moment to mine pearls. Jesus invites you to come along. What do you say?
Sunday, March 25th “The Place of Greatness”
(vs. “Comfortably Ordinary”)
Have you ever talked to a child-perhaps even your own child – and could not figure out why he/she would not embrace the reality that they had some real talent in a particular area? I know I really struggled with this with a number of young people until I realized that if one admits that they have talent-or even something with it-right? In short, it is very comfortable to be ordinary, isn’t it? Nothing can really be asked of you. On the other hand, if you dare to embrace the gifts and greatness that God has given you both as a human being and as one of His followers, then something more than “ordinary” should be your lot, should it not? And right here in our journey is another place for mining pearls as we look at greatness in the kingdom. Jesus invites you to come along. What do you say?
Sunday, April 1st“The Place of Where the Rubber Hits The Road”
Palm Sunday (vs. “Avoiding Doing Anything”)
You’ve heard the old saying, “talk is cheap,” haven’t you? (Have you ever worked with anyone who talked up a storm but never got any work done?)The idea is that, finally, it is action that is valuable, that accomplishes things. One can talk until they are blue in the face that the house needs to be painted, but nothing will happen until one picks up a paint brush and begins. Today, we celebrate the action of Jesus as He backs up His words that He is the Savior of the world by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey to die on the cross for us. In our lives also, the point where words meet actions is where the rubber hits the road. This is also the point for mining pearls. Today, Jesus invites you to come along into a place of action as we ride with Him into the city of Jerusalem. What will you do?
Health Ministry
NOTICE: Blood Pressure checks will now be done on the first Sunday of the month.
The nurses will be available after the 7:50 and 9:15 AM services
in the unused office next to Pastor's office.
Please sign up in the reception area for a time to have your blood pressure checked.
Just a reminder: Flu season is upon us.
If you haven't already done so, do get your flu shot as soon as possible.
This is good preventative medicine that is simple and effective.
If you have any questions about whether you should get a flu shot, check with your MD
The nurses will be available after the 7:50 and 9:15 AM services
in the unused office next to Pastor's office.
Please sign up in the reception area for a time to have your blood pressure checked.
Just a reminder: Flu season is upon us.
If you haven't already done so, do get your flu shot as soon as possible.
This is good preventative medicine that is simple and effective.
If you have any questions about whether you should get a flu shot, check with your MD
