07july17

GOD OFFERS UNCONDITIONAL FORGIVENESS FOR PARENTS TOO - BY DAN NOMMENSEN

3558 S. 24th Street Milwaukee, WI 53221 414-281-2280| www.centennialwels.org prayers@centennialwels.org GREG PUFAHL, PASTOR ROBERT GARBE, STAFF MINISTER LIN KANITZ, ADMIN ASSISTANT JENNY PUFAHL, SUNDAY SCHOOL RICH KANITZ, PRESIDENT JOHN NOLTE, TREASURER MIKE CHAPMAN, PROPERTY MANAGER YOUTH GROUP MEN’S MINISTRIES WOMEN’S MINISTRIES MINISTRIES FOR SENIORS INTERNET MINISTRY GLOBAL OUTREACH MISSIONS MUSIC MINISTRIES SPECIAL NEEDS

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF CENTENNIAL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN JULY 2017 – VOL. II ISS. VII

I could have tossed the container in the recycling and moved on—but not that day. Nope. It was time to find the one responsible, and I had an immediate suspect. My wife wouldn’t do it, and my daughter, Kayla, doesn’t drink milk. That left one person—my son, and it wasn’t the first time Josh was caught doing this. It was time to confront. Here’s how that conversation went.

Our Authority

Me: “Josh, why would you leave an empty milk container in the fridge?”

Josh: “I didn’t!”

Me: “Mom and Kayla wouldn’t do it, so you’re telling me someone else came into our house, drank all our milk, and put the empty container back in the fridge?”

Josh: “It wasn’t me. Why do you think I always do things like that!”

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ~ Romans 13:1

You can imagine how the rest of that conversation went . . . until Kayla (overhearing parts of the conversation) yelled from the basement, “Don’t throw away the empty milk container in the fridge; it’s for school. We are building a raft for science class. I have to wash it out yet.”

At that moment I felt like finding that raft and sailing far, far away. Oh, yes, another example of Great Moments in Parenting by Dan Nommensen.

You might think I’m being facetious by calling this a great moment in parenting, but it really was. In that short exchange with my son, I could probably count a dozen ways I screwed up and offended Josh and crossed the line for what God expects of a parent. Now remember Romans 5:20: “. . . but where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” This truly was a great moment in parenting because I am forgiven by grace through the sacrifice of Jesus.

Praise God that my sins as a parent are not held against me. My joyful response to God’s grace was to tell Josh I screwed up and that I was sorry. This moment in parenting had the potential of creating a rift in our relationship, but it ended up presenting itself as an opportunity for greatness as I expressed my forgiveness and Josh extended that forgiveness to me.

Please join us for worship on Thursday nights at 6:30 pm and Sunday mornings at 9:30 am.

Parents, do we have moments where we make mistakes that impact our children negatively?

Maybe you’ve had more than a few? I know I have. The temptation is to not see these times as moments of grace but rather allow these experiences to pass by and build resentment and anger for both parent and child.

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

Does our sinful parental pride lead us to fall into the trap of thinking we are always right? If so, we are missing opportunities to see and show God’s grace and forgiveness. But fear not, because it’s never too late!

God’s unconditional love for us and his forgiveness never end. In the joy of knowing that by God’s grace we are forgiven and part of his family, watch for your great moments of parenting with your children.

I

s there anything more American than cooking burgers and brats on the grill, waiting to sink our teeth into the sweet corn on the cob and blowing stuff up?! Isn’t that what July 4 th is all about? It is the time we get to gather together with family and friends for fun and food. This is a day that our country has been celebrating for hundreds of years. We have been celebrating the day that we declared our independence. This July newsletter devotion should concentrate on our independence and the freedoms we have in our country…wonderful blessings from God. So, why this passage from Scripture?

Through this passage, God is giving us a reminder of another blessing he has placed in our lives…our government. Let me say

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:38

Centennial Evangelical Lutheran Church

It was a long day at work. I was exhausted. When I finally returned home I stopped by the refrigerator for a glass of milk. I opened the door, grabbed the milk container—empty! There was another full gallon right next to it, but who puts an empty milk container back in the refrigerator? Aren’t there certain things or certain times when seemingly little things just get you frustrated? That’s what happened to me.

that again… God is giving us a reminder of another blessing he has placed in our lives…our government. Does that shock you?

Does that statement set you back in your seat a little bit? As we celebrate the independence our country has, we can’t help but think about the brave soldiers of past and present who fought for our freedom. But, when was the last time we praised God for the government He established in our country?

So many times we see the different scandals and the corrupt natures of some of our government employees which cause us to mock our government. We make fun of the leaders both in Washington and in our local communities. And do you know what God says about that? He tells us in the very next passage Continued on page 2...

Continued from page 1...

MISSION MOMENTS - BY REV. DAVID KEHL (WELS Asian Publications Coordinator)

from Romans 13:2: Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

“The

No, those leaders are not perfect, just like I am not perfect and just like you are not perfect. And God has very specific instructions for those leaders that they and we are to listen to God first and foremost (Acts 5:29: “We must obey God rather than men!”). But God has established the leaders in our country for our good.

Leaders in the state and local governments who are still fighting to make sure there is a separation of church and state, to give us the right to gather and worship in freedom, the one true God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Police officers, who may pull us over for speeding once in a while, but who are there to keep the peace so that we live in a safer community. God has established these and other branches of our government for our good.

Bible

is the book

others, to be read at

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm…” Galatians 5:1

Let’s pray: Lord, keep this nation under your care. Bless the leaders of our land that we may have peace in our country and be a blessing to other nations of the earth. Help us elect trustworthy leaders, contribute to wise decisions for the general welfare, and serve you faithfully to the honor of your holy name. As we celebrate the freedoms we enjoy as a nation, help us to never forget about the freedom you fought for us to have…the freedom from sin. If it is your will, continue to allow us to live in freedom in this country, especially the freedom to serve and worship you. We ask this in your holy name. Amen.

Although she was raised in a Christian home, Ester struggled to know God’s calling for her life while she was in college. She felt that God wanted her to serve in media. Then in 2004 she landed a job translating Lutheran books. It was the first time she knew anything about Lutheran. Ester’s faith journey took another jump when she met Mikael in our Lutheran seminary in her home country where she was teaching English for the students.

Mikael was one of her students. Now she is a translator for Multi-Language Publications providing resources for him and the other church workers and congregations of Christians throughout their country.

of all

And I know…sometimes it is hard for us to thank God for some of these leaders. It is hard for us to imagine that God would be the one to say, as our passages states, “there is no authority except that which God has established.” It is hard for us to imagine that God would allow some people to be leaders, while others do not get into office. And it causes us to question God’s thoughts. But here is some food for thought…since God was the one who establishes and puts all people into office…who, then, was the one who put Pontius Pilate in office? It was God. And Pilate was the one who condemned Jesus Christ to the cross. All because, it was God’s plan…which might I add, definitely worked out for our good!

As you think about July 4th and our independence, I want you to think about the brave men and women who gave and still give their lives so we have the right to live in freedom. I want you to praise God for blessing our country, through these brave men and women, for giving us the freedom to worship him. And when it comes to the other leaders of our nation, maybe instead of mocking them, we can take a few moments to thank God that they are in office. Especially after the recent election. Instead of mocking them, we can pray for them. We can continue to pray that God use these servants to serve in a way which will continue to give us the freedoms to worship Him. We can pray that God will use these servants in the way He sees best for us. After all, God was able to work through Pontius Pilate, to see that Pilate would condemn Jesus to the cross…and we know how that worked out for us…we are forgiven and heaven is now opened to us.

It was so different where Ester came from in Southeast Asia. At home it never gets below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, but here she experienced the snow and severe cold for the first time. Instead of the noisy, crowded city where she usually lives, she was able roam around the quiet, open, tree-lined campus of our synod’s seminary in the USA. Instead of her homeland where a majority are of the Islamic faith, she was surrounded by Christians who share the same faith as she has. What a contrast! Add to that the fact that she was the only woman in classes filled with men studying to be pastors. Her husband Mikael had come to America to reinforce the seminary training he had in his homeland. Ester came along to get training as translator for Multi-Language Publications. She took classes like systematic theology, soteriology, isagogics, to learn more doctrinal content and theological terminology.

all ages And in

all conditions Of human life.”

John Quincy Adams

In my regular Skype calls from my Hong Kong office, I often only see Ester’s silhouette because of the bright, hot sun shining behind her through the louvered windows. Yet I can still notice her smile. Being a translator isn’t an easy job nor one a lot of people pursue. Many think all you have to do is hit Google Translate and voilà it’s done (but try to make sense of some of that – especially if it is theology). To improve her skills, Ester has gone through continual training including the Translation Courses held by us here in Hong Kong.

Recognizing that there are not enough solid biblical materials available for pastors and church workers, Ester has been busy producing devotion booklets, Luther’s Small Catechism, and Christlight Sunday School material. She sees this as basic resources for understanding the Scriptures which points people to Jesus and His saving work. That is a sharp contrast from what is being taught in the streets around her. Soon she will tackle the editing of the doctrinal book, God So Loved the World, as a textbook for Lutheran leaders.

Among Ester’s challenges is the fact that reading interest is low.

Video and digital outreach are being explored as the option. In some remote areas where people are illiterate, the Road to Emmaus and Come Follow Me movies dubbed in the local language have been received with excitement. They have become great tools to explain the gospel clearly.

Ester says that it is not always easy to live in a country where most of the people are not Christian. There are always elements that want to keep Christianity from growing. Despite all the challenges, God continues to bless the work. Ester doesn’t not know how wide an impact her work will have but is sure the Holy Spirit works through it. And that is where the joy comes in – knowing she is working behind the scenes to make Christian materials available for broken people. She wants them to also hear the good news that she saw in action and learned to appreciate even more during her year on the seminary campus in the USA.

Rev. David Kehl and his wife, Joan.

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

JULY Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

STAFF MINISTER’S REPORT As Missionaries of Christ, we bring everyone we come in contact with closer to the Savior.

Fri

Community Carnival Summary: The weather was very hot (90 degrees), sunny and a beautiful day.

Estimated 300 - 350 people were in attendance. Prospect wise, 12 new unchurched families attended along with 10 families currently on our list! The new prospects have been contacted, some in person but most by phone. Pastor and I will be meeting soon with 3 of these families who are interested in our church and Sunday School. About a dozen English Bibles were given out and several Spanish versions. Our members helped to deliver 1,300 flyers to the community. Estimated costs for the carnival was around $2965.00. We budgeted for $3475.00. Several things new this year were freeze pops (verses sno cones) and serving food and drinks from the 3 windows in the 5th & 6th grade classroom. It worked great because there was a lot more comradery with everyone being together in one area.

Sat

1

2

3

4

5

9:30 am Worship Service with Communion 10:30 am Church Council

9

6

7

8

Pastor Pufahl & family on vacation.

6:30 pm Worship Service

10

9:30 am Worship Service 10:45 am Evangelism Meets

11 JULY 9th Meet & Eat Papa Luigi’s 5:30 pm

12

13

14

15

6:30 pm Worship Service with Communion

7:30 pm Men’s Softball (St. Jacobi)

Pastor Pufahl & family on vacation.

16

9:30 pm Worship with Communion 11:00 am Bocce Ball Tournament

23

17

18

19

20

7:30 pm Men’s Softball

25

22

6:30 pm Worship Service

(St. Paul’s Cudahy)

24

21

26

27

9:30 pm Worship

28

29

6:30 pm Worship

31

9:30 pm Worship

FLOWERS 2nd 9th 16th 23rd -

July 4th Wilson Park Parade: Our committee will again be handing out labeled water bottles at the Wilson Park Parade again this year. Those interested in walking in the parade, meet at 20th and Wilbur at 9:00am. Ice cream awaits you at the park after the parade. Come join us and be a PR person for our church and school.

FYI Reminder: My wife and I will be gone from August 12th – 26th for a Builders for Christ project at Peace (ELS) in North Mankato.

An expansion to their “filled” daycare and to the church.

Thank you.

Bob Garbe ~ Staff Minister

4TH SUNDAY FELLOWSHIP

30

Trunk or Treat: We have invited Dyann Nommensen to our July 9th meeting to discuss and plan for this event. As I mentioned before, this is a community event where our members would volunteer to decorate their vehicle’s trunks with religious themes, people of the Bible, etc. Candy and treats would be handed out to the children. More information will follow after next weeks meeting.

None Assigned None Assigned None Assigned Steve & Charlene Peske - Wedding Anniversary 30th - None Assigned

USHERS Thursday - Maury Bell Sunday - Lump Brown

Lump Brown - Head Usher

SERMON RECORDING 2nd - Bob Mayer 9th - Rich Kanitz 16th - Dave Rochester 23rd - Bob Mayer 30th - Rich Kanitz

JULY Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

STAFF MINISTER’S REPORT As Missionaries of Christ, we bring everyone we come in contact with closer to the Savior.

Fri

Community Carnival Summary: The weather was very hot (90 degrees), sunny and a beautiful day.

Estimated 300 - 350 people were in attendance. Prospect wise, 12 new unchurched families attended along with 10 families currently on our list! The new prospects have been contacted, some in person but most by phone. Pastor and I will be meeting soon with 3 of these families who are interested in our church and Sunday School. About a dozen English Bibles were given out and several Spanish versions. Our members helped to deliver 1,300 flyers to the community. Estimated costs for the carnival was around $2965.00. We budgeted for $3475.00. Several things new this year were freeze pops (verses sno cones) and serving food and drinks from the 3 windows in the 5th & 6th grade classroom. It worked great because there was a lot more comradery with everyone being together in one area.

Sat

1

2

3

4

5

9:30 am Worship Service with Communion 10:30 am Church Council

9

6

7

8

Pastor Pufahl & family on vacation.

6:30 pm Worship Service

10

9:30 am Worship Service 10:45 am Evangelism Meets

11 JULY 9th Meet & Eat Papa Luigi’s 5:30 pm

12

13

14

15

6:30 pm Worship Service with Communion

7:30 pm Men’s Softball (St. Jacobi)

Pastor Pufahl & family on vacation.

16

9:30 pm Worship with Communion 11:00 am Bocce Ball Tournament

23

17

18

19

20

7:30 pm Men’s Softball

25

22

6:30 pm Worship Service

(St. Paul’s Cudahy)

24

21

26

27

9:30 pm Worship

28

29

6:30 pm Worship

31

9:30 pm Worship

FLOWERS 2nd 9th 16th 23rd -

July 4th Wilson Park Parade: Our committee will again be handing out labeled water bottles at the Wilson Park Parade again this year. Those interested in walking in the parade, meet at 20th and Wilbur at 9:00am. Ice cream awaits you at the park after the parade. Come join us and be a PR person for our church and school.

FYI Reminder: My wife and I will be gone from August 12th – 26th for a Builders for Christ project at Peace (ELS) in North Mankato.

An expansion to their “filled” daycare and to the church.

Thank you.

Bob Garbe ~ Staff Minister

4TH SUNDAY FELLOWSHIP

30

Trunk or Treat: We have invited Dyann Nommensen to our July 9th meeting to discuss and plan for this event. As I mentioned before, this is a community event where our members would volunteer to decorate their vehicle’s trunks with religious themes, people of the Bible, etc. Candy and treats would be handed out to the children. More information will follow after next weeks meeting.

None Assigned None Assigned None Assigned Steve & Charlene Peske - Wedding Anniversary 30th - None Assigned

USHERS Thursday - Maury Bell Sunday - Lump Brown

Lump Brown - Head Usher

SERMON RECORDING 2nd - Bob Mayer 9th - Rich Kanitz 16th - Dave Rochester 23rd - Bob Mayer 30th - Rich Kanitz

Continued from page 1...

MISSION MOMENTS - BY REV. DAVID KEHL (WELS Asian Publications Coordinator)

from Romans 13:2: Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

“The

No, those leaders are not perfect, just like I am not perfect and just like you are not perfect. And God has very specific instructions for those leaders that they and we are to listen to God first and foremost (Acts 5:29: “We must obey God rather than men!”). But God has established the leaders in our country for our good.

Leaders in the state and local governments who are still fighting to make sure there is a separation of church and state, to give us the right to gather and worship in freedom, the one true God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Police officers, who may pull us over for speeding once in a while, but who are there to keep the peace so that we live in a safer community. God has established these and other branches of our government for our good.

Bible

is the book

others, to be read at

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm…” Galatians 5:1

Let’s pray: Lord, keep this nation under your care. Bless the leaders of our land that we may have peace in our country and be a blessing to other nations of the earth. Help us elect trustworthy leaders, contribute to wise decisions for the general welfare, and serve you faithfully to the honor of your holy name. As we celebrate the freedoms we enjoy as a nation, help us to never forget about the freedom you fought for us to have…the freedom from sin. If it is your will, continue to allow us to live in freedom in this country, especially the freedom to serve and worship you. We ask this in your holy name. Amen.

Although she was raised in a Christian home, Ester struggled to know God’s calling for her life while she was in college. She felt that God wanted her to serve in media. Then in 2004 she landed a job translating Lutheran books. It was the first time she knew anything about Lutheran. Ester’s faith journey took another jump when she met Mikael in our Lutheran seminary in her home country where she was teaching English for the students.

Mikael was one of her students. Now she is a translator for Multi-Language Publications providing resources for him and the other church workers and congregations of Christians throughout their country.

of all

And I know…sometimes it is hard for us to thank God for some of these leaders. It is hard for us to imagine that God would be the one to say, as our passages states, “there is no authority except that which God has established.” It is hard for us to imagine that God would allow some people to be leaders, while others do not get into office. And it causes us to question God’s thoughts. But here is some food for thought…since God was the one who establishes and puts all people into office…who, then, was the one who put Pontius Pilate in office? It was God. And Pilate was the one who condemned Jesus Christ to the cross. All because, it was God’s plan…which might I add, definitely worked out for our good!

As you think about July 4th and our independence, I want you to think about the brave men and women who gave and still give their lives so we have the right to live in freedom. I want you to praise God for blessing our country, through these brave men and women, for giving us the freedom to worship him. And when it comes to the other leaders of our nation, maybe instead of mocking them, we can take a few moments to thank God that they are in office. Especially after the recent election. Instead of mocking them, we can pray for them. We can continue to pray that God use these servants to serve in a way which will continue to give us the freedoms to worship Him. We can pray that God will use these servants in the way He sees best for us. After all, God was able to work through Pontius Pilate, to see that Pilate would condemn Jesus to the cross…and we know how that worked out for us…we are forgiven and heaven is now opened to us.

It was so different where Ester came from in Southeast Asia. At home it never gets below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, but here she experienced the snow and severe cold for the first time. Instead of the noisy, crowded city where she usually lives, she was able roam around the quiet, open, tree-lined campus of our synod’s seminary in the USA. Instead of her homeland where a majority are of the Islamic faith, she was surrounded by Christians who share the same faith as she has. What a contrast! Add to that the fact that she was the only woman in classes filled with men studying to be pastors. Her husband Mikael had come to America to reinforce the seminary training he had in his homeland. Ester came along to get training as translator for Multi-Language Publications. She took classes like systematic theology, soteriology, isagogics, to learn more doctrinal content and theological terminology.

all ages And in

all conditions Of human life.”

John Quincy Adams

In my regular Skype calls from my Hong Kong office, I often only see Ester’s silhouette because of the bright, hot sun shining behind her through the louvered windows. Yet I can still notice her smile. Being a translator isn’t an easy job nor one a lot of people pursue. Many think all you have to do is hit Google Translate and voilà it’s done (but try to make sense of some of that – especially if it is theology). To improve her skills, Ester has gone through continual training including the Translation Courses held by us here in Hong Kong.

Recognizing that there are not enough solid biblical materials available for pastors and church workers, Ester has been busy producing devotion booklets, Luther’s Small Catechism, and Christlight Sunday School material. She sees this as basic resources for understanding the Scriptures which points people to Jesus and His saving work. That is a sharp contrast from what is being taught in the streets around her. Soon she will tackle the editing of the doctrinal book, God So Loved the World, as a textbook for Lutheran leaders.

Among Ester’s challenges is the fact that reading interest is low.

Video and digital outreach are being explored as the option. In some remote areas where people are illiterate, the Road to Emmaus and Come Follow Me movies dubbed in the local language have been received with excitement. They have become great tools to explain the gospel clearly.

Ester says that it is not always easy to live in a country where most of the people are not Christian. There are always elements that want to keep Christianity from growing. Despite all the challenges, God continues to bless the work. Ester doesn’t not know how wide an impact her work will have but is sure the Holy Spirit works through it. And that is where the joy comes in – knowing she is working behind the scenes to make Christian materials available for broken people. She wants them to also hear the good news that she saw in action and learned to appreciate even more during her year on the seminary campus in the USA.

Rev. David Kehl and his wife, Joan.

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

GOD OFFERS UNCONDITIONAL FORGIVENESS FOR PARENTS TOO - BY DAN NOMMENSEN

3558 S. 24th Street Milwaukee, WI 53221 414-281-2280| www.centennialwels.org prayers@centennialwels.org GREG PUFAHL, PASTOR ROBERT GARBE, STAFF MINISTER LIN KANITZ, ADMIN ASSISTANT JENNY PUFAHL, SUNDAY SCHOOL RICH KANITZ, PRESIDENT JOHN NOLTE, TREASURER MIKE CHAPMAN, PROPERTY MANAGER YOUTH GROUP MEN’S MINISTRIES WOMEN’S MINISTRIES MINISTRIES FOR SENIORS INTERNET MINISTRY GLOBAL OUTREACH MISSIONS MUSIC MINISTRIES SPECIAL NEEDS

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF CENTENNIAL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN JULY 2017 – VOL. II ISS. VII

I could have tossed the container in the recycling and moved on—but not that day. Nope. It was time to find the one responsible, and I had an immediate suspect. My wife wouldn’t do it, and my daughter, Kayla, doesn’t drink milk. That left one person—my son, and it wasn’t the first time Josh was caught doing this. It was time to confront. Here’s how that conversation went.

Our Authority

Me: “Josh, why would you leave an empty milk container in the fridge?”

Josh: “I didn’t!”

Me: “Mom and Kayla wouldn’t do it, so you’re telling me someone else came into our house, drank all our milk, and put the empty container back in the fridge?”

Josh: “It wasn’t me. Why do you think I always do things like that!”

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ~ Romans 13:1

You can imagine how the rest of that conversation went . . . until Kayla (overhearing parts of the conversation) yelled from the basement, “Don’t throw away the empty milk container in the fridge; it’s for school. We are building a raft for science class. I have to wash it out yet.”

At that moment I felt like finding that raft and sailing far, far away. Oh, yes, another example of Great Moments in Parenting by Dan Nommensen.

You might think I’m being facetious by calling this a great moment in parenting, but it really was. In that short exchange with my son, I could probably count a dozen ways I screwed up and offended Josh and crossed the line for what God expects of a parent. Now remember Romans 5:20: “. . . but where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” This truly was a great moment in parenting because I am forgiven by grace through the sacrifice of Jesus.

Praise God that my sins as a parent are not held against me. My joyful response to God’s grace was to tell Josh I screwed up and that I was sorry. This moment in parenting had the potential of creating a rift in our relationship, but it ended up presenting itself as an opportunity for greatness as I expressed my forgiveness and Josh extended that forgiveness to me.

Please join us for worship on Thursday nights at 6:30 pm and Sunday mornings at 9:30 am.

Parents, do we have moments where we make mistakes that impact our children negatively?

Maybe you’ve had more than a few? I know I have. The temptation is to not see these times as moments of grace but rather allow these experiences to pass by and build resentment and anger for both parent and child.

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

Does our sinful parental pride lead us to fall into the trap of thinking we are always right? If so, we are missing opportunities to see and show God’s grace and forgiveness. But fear not, because it’s never too late!

God’s unconditional love for us and his forgiveness never end. In the joy of knowing that by God’s grace we are forgiven and part of his family, watch for your great moments of parenting with your children.

I

s there anything more American than cooking burgers and brats on the grill, waiting to sink our teeth into the sweet corn on the cob and blowing stuff up?! Isn’t that what July 4 th is all about? It is the time we get to gather together with family and friends for fun and food. This is a day that our country has been celebrating for hundreds of years. We have been celebrating the day that we declared our independence. This July newsletter devotion should concentrate on our independence and the freedoms we have in our country…wonderful blessings from God. So, why this passage from Scripture?

Through this passage, God is giving us a reminder of another blessing he has placed in our lives…our government. Let me say

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:38

Centennial Evangelical Lutheran Church

It was a long day at work. I was exhausted. When I finally returned home I stopped by the refrigerator for a glass of milk. I opened the door, grabbed the milk container—empty! There was another full gallon right next to it, but who puts an empty milk container back in the refrigerator? Aren’t there certain things or certain times when seemingly little things just get you frustrated? That’s what happened to me.

that again… God is giving us a reminder of another blessing he has placed in our lives…our government. Does that shock you?

Does that statement set you back in your seat a little bit? As we celebrate the independence our country has, we can’t help but think about the brave soldiers of past and present who fought for our freedom. But, when was the last time we praised God for the government He established in our country?

So many times we see the different scandals and the corrupt natures of some of our government employees which cause us to mock our government. We make fun of the leaders both in Washington and in our local communities. And do you know what God says about that? He tells us in the very next passage Continued on page 2...