This Past Sunday at St. Thomas: Rogate
Believers of St. Thomas Evangelical Lutheran Church,
This past Sunday was...
+ Rogate +
The Sunday About the Praying to the Father in the Name of Jesus
Join us this Sunday for the Divine Service at 9:00am and Family Catechesis at 10:30am
If you couldn’t be with us this past Sunday, click here for a recording of Divine Service from another congregation of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
RESOURCES FOR HOUSEHOLD PRAYERS THIS WEEK
Our Around the Word Devotions and Family Catechesis Sheet are always available during Family Catechesis. Digital copies of these as well as more notes from Family Catechesis can be found by clicking here!
The Readings for this past Sunday: Numbers 21:4-9; James 1:22-27; John 16:23-33
Our Hymn of the Day for this past Sunday: Our Father, Who From Heav’n Above, LSB 766
The Father Answers Our Prayers Because of Jesus
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you” (John 16:23). To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray as one who has been baptized. For it is in the water that He put His name upon you, claiming you as His own, making you a son of God with access to the Father. By His incarnation and crucifixion, our Lord Jesus broke through the barrier of sin which separated us from God, opening a portal to the Father. To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray with faith in Him as the one Mediator between God and men, who gave Himself a ransom for all (1 Tim. 2:1–6). Like Moses in the wilderness, Jesus is our go-between and intercessor before the throne of heaven. He was lifted up for us on the cross that we might be saved and restored to fellowship with the Father (Num. 21:4–9). Looking into this perfect teaching of liberty (James 1:22–27) we pray with boldness and confidence as dear children of God.
STEWARDSHIP THOUGHTS | From LCMS Stewardship Ministry
James 1:22 – “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Martin Luther said this about our faith: “Oh, it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith. And so it is impossible for it not to do good works incessantly.” The Word of God is not merely to be heard, but to be received and believed, and implemented. James reminds us of this, and he encourages us to examine our lives and come to repentance, where we can see that we are not living out our faith in sincerity.
LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT SUNDAY
Readings for Exaudi: Ezekiel 36:22-28; 1 Peter 4:7-14; John 15:26 – 16:4
Hymns for Exaudi: 457, 539, 713, 618, 494, 492
The Spirit of Truth Bears Witness to Jesus
The Spirit of Truth bears witness to Jesus, who is the truth. But the world does not receive the truth. It loves its own and hates those who are of the truth. Just as Jesus was scorned, so is His Church. “The hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God” (John 16:2). Yet it is by Jesus’ suffering and death that we are saved. Therefore we rejoice to share in His sufferings, that we may also share in His resurrection glory (1 Pet. 4:7–14). Through the ministry of the Spirit of Truth, we are cleansed from the deceit of our idols and given a new heart and a new spirit, the heart and Spirit of Christ (Ezek. 36:22–28). He now works in us fervent, self-giving love for one another, love which covers a multitude of sins, “that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Pet. 4:11).
ANNOUNCEMENTS
GOOGLE REVIEWS We invite you to take a moment to leave a rating and review for our congregation on Google. Your feedback not only encourages our church family, but also helps us reach more people in the Magnolia and Montgomery County community who are searching for a church home online. Every review makes a difference and is a simple, meaningful way to help others discover the hope and fellowship we share. Click here to go to our Google Business profile to leave a review. Thank you for helping us spread the word!
BRISKET SALE The senior youth will be holding a brisket sale on June 15, Father’s Day! Details will be coming soon so please keep an eye on the bulletin.
PENNY WARS Empty your coin purse and dig the pennies and quarters out of your car—Higher Things can use them! Each year Higher Things hosts a “penny war” between groups at the conference. These coins (and other cash and checks) are used to fund scholarships forindividuals and churches who don’t have enough funds to get to the conference on their own. St. Thomas youth have benefited from these scholarship funds last year and this year, so we know exactly how big of an impact the Penny Wars have! Please donate your coins (and/or any other funds you’d like to contribute) via the receptacle at the back of the chapel. We will be accepting funds until July 6.
BIBLE STUDY SERIES Join us during the 10:30 am Family Catechesis hour for our current Bible Study series: Biblical Foundations for Our Constitution & Bylaws. Explore key topics such as the church's mission, confessional faith, biblical leadership, stewardship, and governance. All are welcome!
BREAKFAST TACOS are available for $2 each following the Divine Service. Proceeds go towards our senior youth’s trip to the Higher Things conference this summer. PLEASE NOTE: beginning in June and continuing through the summer we will only be selling tacos on the first and third Sundays of each month due to vacations and such.
EVENTS
SUMMER PLAY DATES We will not hold our Saturdays at the park during the summer—instead, we will meet for pool parties approximately once a month at the Winoske’s home. Keep an eye on the bulletin for each month’s pool party details.
JUNE POOL PARTY Join us for our first summer pool party on June 21 at 3:00 PM! The food theme is BBQ. Brisket and sausage will be provided. Please bring a side and/or dessert to share, and BYOB. Hosted by the Winoskes: 19202 Charisma Rose Ln, Tomball, TX 77377
Blessings,
Pastor Lacey
For more about who we are and what we believe, visit the St. Thomas homepage.
