Holy Cross Lutheran Church

1495 Underwood
Atwater, Ca. 95301 Tel. 209-358-3471
Sunday Service 10:15 Sunday School 8:45

E-mail holycross@pacbell.net
Web site: http://holycrossatwater.wordpress.com/
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Volume 37
No. 01
Jan 2017

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

In Christ I remain His servant and yours, Pastor Ken Klaus
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).

"Jots and Tittles" October 11, 2016

(Jesus said) "For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot,
will pass from the Law until all is accomplished." Matthew 5:18
* Forty-five years ago, on the shore of the Dead Sea, an ark -- a storage box -- was found.
* Inside that box a charred scroll was discovered.
* Both the box and the scroll were located in a Jewish synagogue, which dated to the sixth
century.
The sad part about the find was the scroll was so burned it
was absolutely impossible for anybody to unroll it without
destroying it. That's why, in the 1970s, the scroll was
placed into storage where both temperatures and humidity
could be controlled.
For almost 50 years that scroll stayed in storage.
It stayed there until recently. That's when the Israel Antiquities Authority wondered if
advancements in technology might be able to read the mysteries the scroll contained. To
find an answer, they sent the scroll to the University of Kentucky. Using 3-D imaging
technology, the scientists were able to "unwrap" the scroll without actually doing so.
For the first time in 1,500 years, someone was able to read 18 lines of text which some
forgotten hand had written so many centuries ago.
Scholars in America and Israel were overjoyed to find they were reading the first eight
verses of the Old Testament book of Leviticus. Then, with the verses in hand, investigators
started doing some comparisons.
Those scientists wanted to know just "how many changes and errors had crept in between
our time and the day that Scripture had been penned?" What they discovered was shocking!
What they found was this: there wasn't a single change between that ancient document and
our contemporary Scriptures.
Not one. Zero. Zip. Nada.
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The manuscript may have been copied hundreds of times, but so great was the ancient's
desire for accuracy and accountability, the verses remained unchanged. Not a single jot or
tittle had been removed, replaced or relocated.
Did I say it was the copiers' desire to keep the text accurate? So it was. But it was also the
will and direction of the Holy Spirit that kept those ancient eyes focused, those hands steady
and faithful.
This He did so that you, living far removed in time and distance from that ancient
synagogue, might be sure: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of
God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, the discovery of this small manuscript is a little thing, but it is a
little thing You have used to assure me of a big truth: Your Holy Scriptures are able to point
me unerringly toward heaven. For this I offer my thanks in the Savior's Name. Amen.

"Taking a Closer Look"

October 25, 2016

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the
new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Many years ago, back when I was in the parish, I was preaching that we are saved by God's
grace and not works. Unfortunately, I was living my life as if the congregation was going to
be saved by my works alone.
I put in 15-18 hour days, thinking I was serving God by skipping days off and vacations.
At that time, we had in our church pews, some cards. One side of the card was meant to be
filled out by visitors, the other side by someone from the congregation who had a pastoral
need.
One Sunday, one of the elders, that is, one of the lay leaders, came in chuckling.
He handed me one of the cards that had been filled out on both sides. Both sides had
requested a visit from me, the pastor. I put it in my pocket to be referred to later. The elder
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stopped me, saying, "I think you need to take a closer look at this one, Pastor." I did. The
card had my address; my phone number; and my daughter's name.
Our daughter, Kirsten, was requesting a call from her pastor: from me, her
father.
At home I asked her why she had filled out the card, and she said, "Daddy, I
don't get to see you anymore. I know you call on the people who send in a
card, so I thought I could get you to call on me."
Her mother, who had watched the whole thing develop, gave me a smile
which also said, "You'd better take a closer look at this one."
That day I understood what my daughter was saying. After that our home life changed -permanently and for the better.
The same sort of thing happens when people take a look at our reference passage for today:
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the
new has come."
Yes, I know you've heard that passage many times before, but now, I think you might want
to take a closer look at this one.
When the Holy Spirit gives us faith in the Savior, things change. By God's grace we come to
know Jesus is our Savior. We understand the high cost He paid for our rescue.
And then, believing, we are changed.
From then on we can cast our cares upon the Christ; we can come to Him with our prayers
and our petitions; we can sleep securely knowing every sin has been forgiven; we can look
past grief and grave and see a reunion, which comes to all who believe.
The list of changes goes on and on. No aspect of our life is untouched. And, if you haven't
experienced that to be true, maybe it's time to take a better look at this one.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, change me. Let me experience all the freedom and joy Jesus has
won for me through His gracious sacrifice. May my life be transformed to one of peace and
happiness. In the Savior's Name I pray it. Amen.

"Spirit Work"
November 20, 2016
Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says
"Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:3
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily
Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of
our international ministry centers to write our Sunday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may
touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
In the verse we have just read, Paul, the author, is making clear that the Corinthian
congregation was failing to recognize Jesus as their Lord. They were being influenced
and led astray by speechless idols.
There were two main issues Paul addressed in this chapter.
1. The first issue was the Corinthian involvement with false religions.
2. The second issue was how they were subjecting themselves to Satan's deception.
According to the text, we can safely presume that someone must have said "Jesus is cursed."
By saying that, the speaker had shown himself to be an ignorant and arrogant blasphemer.
The fact he was not accepting of the Savior or His completed work was a rejection of God
and His great grace. In this they showed themselves to be spiritually blind, as they denied
Him and the work of the Holy Spirit, which ought to have been directing his daily life.
Many Christians have found there are times when
we also are tempted to take a path different than
that which the Lord would have us walk.
This can happen when we place other things
before the Lord and when our words and actions
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deny Him. Then there are those times when we brag about our abilities and achievements
and minimize the work of the Lord. We give the impression we can do everything by
ourselves, without any assistance from the Lord.
Instead of trusting in God, we trust ourselves. We are blind and reject God's power.
The Scriptures tell us no man can call Christ "Lord," and believe in Him, unless that faith
has been created by the Holy Spirit.
Sadly, there are times when we claim we have decided to follow Him. Then there are those
times when we share the Gospel with someone and take credit for what happens when, in
reality, it is the Holy Spirit who creates faith in that person's heart. How tragic and wrong it
is if we brag as if we were the ones who had done that saving work.
When these things happen, such an individual is stealing the glory of God.
Thankfully, God in His mercy has chosen us and uses us as tools to perform His work. Like
different tools in the hand of a skilled mechanic, each of us has a different gift and ability.
Still, it is not the tools, but the mechanic's wisdom and skill, which does the work and brings
about a positive change. For those changes the Lord has
made, we give thanks and praise His Name.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of the
Holy Spirit whom You have sent to call and keep us. With the
Spirit's power we are illuminated and enlightened to recognize
that You are the only Lord and Savior. May the power of the
Holy Spirit continue to help us live up to Your will and
wishes. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was written by Pastor Phan Narit of
Cambodia. Since its establishment in 2000, the ministry center staff and volunteers at
LHM-Cambodia have used programs like Equipping the Saints (ETS) and Bible
Correspondence Courses (BCC) to communicate the message of God's eternal love to
the 14 million Cambodians. The center also cooperates with churches in reaching the lost
through puppet shows, music events, and youth programs.
In-country, LHM-Cambodia is known as Cambodia Christian Media Center, with its
headquarters in Phnom Penh City. In addition to utilizing BCC and ETS workshops, this
ministry center is active in evangelism training and educating this county's citizens in
Christian teachings. Using a values-education program, young people are taught the benefit
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of making healthy lifestyle choices. The ministry center also provides clothing and other
materials to school-age children.

"Vanishing Act" September 15, 2016

Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
Proverbs 28:26
There are more than a fair number of companies that when an employee leaves, conduct
what is known as an "exit interview." The purpose of such a meeting is to investigate what
went wrong and what went right. In this way a company may develop a plan which will, in
the future, enable them to keep qualified personnel.
To the best of my knowledge there is no church body that does the same sort of thing.
More often than not, when somebody decides to leave the church, they either transfer to
another congregation or they just disappear. Oftentimes, it takes years before someone
checks the attendance records of the church and finds out this individual or family have
vanished.
Of course, by then, the people are long since gone, and it's too late to do much of anything.
Recently, the Pew Research Center decided to change all that. They went after a great many
folk who had left the church and asked them why. When the results were tallied, more than
half of those folks said they yanked their membership because they had lost their faith in
God.
The smart folks at the Research Center thought that
losing your faith was a pretty big deal, so they took
their interviews one step further and asked, "What
special factor or event brought about your loss of faith?"
Among the more frequently listed replies were not
liking organized religion. In that category were things
like "too many Christians doing un-Christian things" and
"the church is a business and seems to be all about
money."
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There were also those who had become too smart for God and the church. Those folks said
that "common sense" or "believing science trumps miracles" or "lack of evidence" or
"learning about evolution in college" was enough to separate them from the Lord.
Those reasons are a sad thing. They are especially sad when they are true and are our fault.
* When members of a Christian congregation act just like the people of the world, it is
understandable that some will question the legitimacy of the Gospel.
* When it seems like our highest priority is the raising of funds rather than the saving of
souls, people will get turned off.
* When our answer to every legitimate question is always -- "That's an area where we just
have to make a blind leap of faith" -- people will sometimes conclude our faith is built on
quicksand and not the solid, factual story of the Redeemer's life, death and resurrection.
With minor modifications, we can remove many of these "reasons" from the list of
complaints.
On the other hand, it is most difficult for us to do anything
to modify the direction of a person who wants to leave the
church because that is simply what he or she wants to do. If
we remove one reason, they will come up with another.
And if we remove every complaint, they will simply and
quietly disappear. It is especially for these people that we
pray today.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, we pray the hearts of those who have grown hard and cold to
their Redeemer might be changed. While there is time for them, may they repent of their sins
and be returned to the faith that can save. This we ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.

"A 24/7 Teaching Job" November 19, 2016

You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house,
and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall
write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of
your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give
them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. Deuteronomy 11:19-21
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A new study coming out of the United Kingdom has shared some interesting stuff.
For example, the study, done by ComRes, and paid for by Theos, a religious think tank, has
discovered that
1. 34 percent of parents thought social media has more influence on their children than they
do.
2. A little over 50 percent said they feel uncomfortable talking with their kids about their
faith.
3. In England and Wales for the first time there are more unbelievers than believers.
Those figures are shocking, but there was one which, I think, guarantees the decline of the
church for the foreseeable future: 23 percent of Christian parents are worried their little ones
might be rejected by their classmates if their faith becomes a public thing.
The really scary part is how those parents plan to deal with the problem. These parents are
not
* developing a confirmation program to help the kids stand up for their
beliefs;
* teaching the children about their legal rights;
* educating them on how to withstand or avoid a religious bully.
Nope, a fair percentage of these parents have decided the best way they
can help their children of faith avoid being persecuted -- are you ready
-- is not tell them anything.
The rather long passage up above, the one from Deuteronomy, which
outlines God's plan of education for parents and their children, has been
put up on a high shelf where it can't be reached and it won't be remembered.
Instead of God's plan, the parents have agreed with this idea: if kids don't know anything
about their faith, they won't say anything about that faith, and if they don't say anything
about their faith, no one will pick on them.
Nobody can question the logic of these parents. Their logic is flawless if the greatest duty of
a Christian parent is to assure their offspring have playmates.
On the other hand, if you, as a parent, are more concerned about seeing your children in
heaven, you might want to share Jesus' salvation story when you are sitting at home or when
you're walking by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise.
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In short -- 24/7 -- tell your kids that Jesus gave His life so they could have life eternal.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant that parents everywhere may realize that You have
entrusted them with helping a child's body, mind and soul grow strong. Most of all, let
parents teach of Jesus, who is our Savior and the only path to heaven. In His Name we pray.
Amen.

January 2017 Stewardship Newsletter Article

Celebrating New Years is a celebration of the past and the future. We take stock of the past
with thanksgiving and sometimes even relief (that its over), and we look to the future in the
hope and anticipation and perhaps even worry of what it holds.
The point is that New Years celebrations remind us of who we are as opposed to who we
would like to be; what we have done in comparison to what we want to do. It reminds us of
our accomplishments, but mostly it reminds us of our failures. What weve lost. Who weve
lost.
New Years is our own version of Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. And we all play
Scrooge. We are visited by the ghosts of our pasts, presents, and futures.
St. Paul writes: The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and
whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has made up
his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is
able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times,
you may abound in every good work. As it is written, He has distributed freely, he has given
to the poor; his righteousness endures forever. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread
for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your
righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which through us
will produce thanksgiving to God (2 Cor 9:615).
St. Paul tells us that the Lord of all will both supply and increase what you need to give to
the church for its work in and for the world. He tells us that this work that God is doing in us
will enrich and bless us in every way and through this it will produce thanksgiving to God.
With this in mind, here is some practical advice to help you take stock of your giving of

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years past, which will help you to change what needs to be changed, improved, or done away
with altogether.
First, attend the Divine Service to receive Gods gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation.
If youve not been faithful in attending worship to hear the preaching of Gods Word, to
receive forgiveness, and feast of the rich food of our Lords body and blood for the eternal
benefit of your body and soul, then repent and come to receive the gifts God freely gives.
God doesnt want your money. He wants youall of you (Matt 22:2022).
Second, pray for the Lords help. Your right as a Christian is to speak with your Father, the
King of all creation, freely through His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Go to the throne of grace
and ask for strength and wisdom to follow His bidding faithfully (John 15:116).
Third, consider what the Church is and what the Church does. The Church is a mercy place.
It inhales the mercy of the Father by the death, resurrection, and ascension of His Son
through the preaching of the Gospel and the Sacraments. It exhales this mercy in love toward
the neighbor. You are a member of the Church, of Gods family. Thus, you are not only a
recipient of Gods mercy, but a bearer of that mercy for the life of the world. You spread that
mercy in showing mercy through the generous giving of your income to support the work of
the Church in and for the world, as the Israelites did in the Old Testament (Lev 27:134).
Fourth, take stock of your current giving in light of the New Testaments teaching on
supporting the work of the Church. Are you giving of your first fruits, taking it out of your
paycheck first, or does God get whats left over? Are you giving voluntarily and cheerfully?
Are you giving proportionally and
generously? The Old Testament required a
tithe, ten percent. The New Testament gives
freedom to be generous, to give more for the
Churchs work. Are you relying on Gods
promise to provide and increase what you
need to do His work? If your answer is no to
any of these, repent. If God gave you His
only Son, will He not provide for you all
things, even physical things? Trust Him, His
Word, and heed it.
So, dont let your past define your future.
Rather, commit for the year a generous
proportion of your income, which is Gods
gift to you for this body and life.
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Bible Quiz
In Matthew 13, to what does Jesus
compare the kingdom of heaven?

A. A farmer sowing seed

B. A mustard seed
C. Yeast
D. Hidden treasure
E. A merchant who finds a pearl
F. A fishing net
G. All of the above

Answer: G (See Matthew 13:24-51.)

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In Their Hands and Upon Their Hearts

Lutheran Bible Translators, Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Namibia $50,000
Accelerating the Accessibility of Mother Tongue Scriptures
To fund the printing and distribution of scripture in mother tongue languages where
Lutheran Bible Translator supported translation projects are ongoing or have recently
been completed in Botswana, Ethiopia, and Angola/Namibia Africa.
Understanding and acceptance of the gospel message
is the door to Christian faith. The unique mission of
Lutheran Bible Translators (LBT) is to make scripture
accessible to those who do not yet have it in the
language of their hearts. This LWML Mission
Grant will provide Gods Word in print and media
production in Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, and
Namibia and help in accelerating the accessibility
of Scripture.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit...to
another various kinds of tongues, to another the
interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by
one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
1 Corinthians 12:4, 10-11.
Lutheran Bible Translators (LBT) have been working hard to provide translations of the
Bible for the last 50 years for people all over the world. They believe that one should not
have to know a foreign language to engage with God and Christ through Scripture. Currently
they are looking to accelerate the accessibility of Scripture in mother tongue languages
where LBT supported translation projects are ongoing or have recently been completed.
There are four countries in Africa where LBT is working on various types of translations. In
Namibia/Angola the Dhimba people are waiting for the New Testament to be delivered to
them. The leaders and church workers will be able to bring 400 copies of the New Testament
and share it with over 40 villages.
In Botswana there are four groups of people living in different regions that will benefit from
the work of LBT. For the Chikuhane people, LBT will translate the Gospel of John and
Fishing Narratives from the Gospels along with the fishing stories of the Chikuhane culture.
The Kalanga people have the New Testament and Psalms but need them distributed. The
Shekgalagari people from the Kalahari Desert are looking forward to the Gospel of Luke.
The Shiyeyi people live near the rivers in the delta region and have seen a test version of the
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Gospels. Funds would go toward print and audio versions. In Ethiopia, the Konso people
have the New Testament but it has already sold out three times. Funds will go to reprints and
plans for the entire Bible in 2016. In Namibia, the Khoekhoegowab people are anticipating
1100 New Testaments for 100 towns.
The work of LBT has reached many people over the last 50 years, but there are so many
more with whom to share the Gospel. They are hungry for the Word of God and Christs
grace and salvation. This mission grant will change the lives of thousands of people
throughout the African continent.
PRAYER #1
Almighty God, through Your Son Jesus Christ, You gave the apostles many gifts and
commanded them to feed Your flock. Bless, encourage, and embolden those pastors and
teachers using the scriptures prepared by Lutheran Bible Translators (LBT) to teach Your
Word in communities throughout the continent of Africa. We ask this in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
PRAYER #2
Heavenly Father, there are so many people in the world who do not know of the saving grace
of Your Son Jesus Christ. There are so many dialects throughout Africa. Lutheran Bible
Translators (LBT) is working to translate the Gospels, the Epistles, and the Psalms for these
peoples. Bless the work of LBT and the people reading and hearing it for the first time. Hear
our prayer. In Jesus name. Amen.
PRAYER #3
Loving Father, on the day of Pentecost You sent Your Holy Spirit to the disciples and, they
were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave
them utterance Acts 2:4. Though we cannot all speak the languages of Angola, Botswana,
Ethiopia, and Namibia, we can support and pray for the work of Lutheran Bible Translators.
Let us also pray for those reading Your Word for the first time that they may be saved. In
Jesus holy name we pray. Amen.
PRAYER #4
Gracious God, Your Son, Jesus Christ commands us to reach out to all people with the
Word, telling them of His love and grace and salvation through faith in Him. Lutheran Bible
Translators (LBT) has a mission to bring the Word of God to those who have not heard it in
their language, the language of their heart. Through their translations many are learning
about Jesus. Bless their work. May we continue to support them through prayer and our
mites to Your glory. In Jesus name. Amen.
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The Fourth of Twelve

2016 Steinbeck Scholarship Recipients
My name is Andrea Heiney and Im a Junior at Colorado Mesa
University this year taking nursing courses. I grew up in Guinea. We
lived in Ivory Coast when I was young, in preparation for work in
Guinea which was a new field for the LCMS at the time. We moved to
Gueckedou in Guinea when I was 3. My parents worked with the
Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugees to start the Guinean church. It is
now an indigenous Guinean church run by Guinean leaders. In 2000
we had to leave when war came to Gueckedou. We lived a short time
in Conakry, then in Kissidougou while we waited for things to settle
down. We lived in three different houses in Kissidougou area before
we had to relocate back to the US when my brother was having
trouble. We were in the US for 3 years
(Kansas) before returning to Conakry in 2003. We lived in Conakry
for 4 years. During that time I moved to Senegal to attend Dakar
Academy for my high school years. I graduated in 2012 and returned
to the US. Meanwhile my parents moved to Siguiri to work among
the Maninka people who are almost 100% Muslim. I took a year
off of school to work and adjust to life in the US, then started my
schooling at Colorado Mesa.
Dear members of LWML,
Thank you all so much for the support that you have donated to my schooling this semester; it is
such a blessing to me. I have been studying nursing at Colorado Mesa University for the past 3
years and have 1 and a half years left to complete. I decided to go into nursing because in high
school I had the opportunity to go do an outreach program with my school. On outreach our
school would go to a remote village and provide various support for the people in that village.
Some people would dig the foundation for a church, some would do VBS and work with the
children and others would do medical crew and provide basic healthcare to the people. I was on
the VBS crew my first few years of high school but decided to give medical crew a try. It was
during this experience that I realized how I could impact peoples lives through medical work.
We had one woman who began to cry and tell us how no one had ever loved her and treated her
with the kind of care we did. We were able to share Jesus with this woman in a way that impacted
her both spiritually and physically. Since then, I have been studying nursing in Grand Junction. I
have been able to get involved with a campus ministry at my college, a small group with my
church and have been able to sing with an outreach program that my church does. These past
three years in college have really grown me and taught me the importance of living out Jesus
commission no matter where I am in life. While I do not pretend to know the exact path I will
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take in the future, I am fairly confident that God is guiding me toward overseas missions. I am
so excited to see the different paths that God is going to take me on in these next couple of years.
Again thank you so much for your support, it means so much to me that you would give of
yourselves in that way in order to help me through this time in my life!
Andrea Heiney
Dear ladies of the Human Care Committee and all the ladies of the LWML,
Tim and I just wanted to express our deepest thanks to you for your continued support for our
children as they make their way through college. This has been such a huge help for us through
the years. Weve had kids in college now for 14 years and are finally looking toward the end in
another year or so! You all have helped through many of those years, and we thank you from the
bottom of our hearts. Missionary children (MKs) are very special people and unfortunately are
not often recognized in our church body, so this has been no small thing for us.
Were so proud of our Andrea. When she first mentioned the possibility of going into nursing we
were shocked. Andrea grew up shier than shy. Tim often jokes that she was attached to one of
our legs until she went to boarding school. In fact we werent sure she would make it there, and
we ended up staying in Dakar that first couple of weeks to make sure she did OK. After day 1
we hardly saw her again! It was truly like a butterfly coming out of her cocoon. Since then she
has grown and matured into a beautiful young lady that loves her Lord and wants to serve Him
by serving others. Thank you so much for helping us make that happen.
Ive asked her to write to you as well. Shes deep into rotations for her clinicals this semester,
but you should be hearing. Meanwhile Tim and I wanted to just make sure to add our gratitude
for all you are doing for those special MKs of our church!
Blessings! Tim and Beth Heiney, Global Lutheran Outreach Guinea, West Africa
Gods Gifts At WorkThe LWML CNH Steinbeck Scholarship Memorial Fund
The Steinbeck Memorial Fund was established in 1970 following the death of Verna (Mrs. Karl)
Steinbeck. Verna was Mission Hospice Chairman of the LWML CNH for 23 years, serving as host
to missionaries and their families as they passed through the San Francisco area on their way to
and from foreign mission fields.
The Steinbeck Memorial Fund is specifically designed to assist in furthering the education of the
children of overseas missionaries. Recipients must be high school seniors or older, and must plan
to attend an institution of higher education in the United States. Each applicant must provide grade
transcript, a brief autobiographical sketch and statement of goals.
The LWML CNH Board of Directors selects the recipients and administers the fund. Money for this
fund comes from love gifts, LWML CNH convention offerings and interest from Church Extension
Funds notes.
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God, I Just Teach! The Gift of Teaching

Theme verse:
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same
function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of
another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them
(Romans 12:4-6a).
Dear Heavenly Father, as we begin this Bible study, please help us focus on Your
words. Open our hearts and minds to Your Holy Spirit and motivate us to thank
You for the gifts You have given Your church on earth. Help us discover and
utilize our gifts for the furtherance of Your kingdom. In Jesus precious name.
Amen.
(Authors note) After being a public school teacher for many years, my favorite compliment
came from a thirteen-year-old girl from a rough home who never was successful in math.
My educational plan for her was not just teaching her math, it was to give her confidence in
herself. The day she passed her test, she said to me, I knew you believed in me. Teaching
is a skill; some are better at it than others, but it is also a gift of the Spirit. Of course, the gift
is focused on teaching the Gospel.
1. Discuss with a partner your favorite teacher and why you chose him/her.
2. Who was your first teacher about Jesus? What do you remember about what you learned
from him/her?

3. Here are two Hebrew words we translate teach in English. Leqach or lamad meaning
learning or instruction or torah.

4. Read Proverbs 1:8 and Proverbs 4:1-2 for examples of leqach a learning and a teaching.

The basic idea is instruction from one person to another special individual. Torah means
law, but tends to refer more to instruction, containing a root word that has more to do with
hand-led instruction from a parent to a child.
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5. Read Deuteronomy 4:1 for an example of lamad to exercise and learn, accept.

6. Here are the Greek words: didaskalia instruction; and didasko to learn, to teach. Read
2 Timothy 1:5-7 and 2 Timothy 3:14-15 for examples of didaskalia instruction.

7. Do you remember whom Paul praised for their gift of faith?

8. Did you read anywhere that these women had been to the seminary, had been taught by
the Synod, or could read both Hebrew and Greek? What does this say about the importance
of speaking and living your faith in your own household and with your grandkids?

9. Okay, but what about those outside of your family? How about the life of Priscilla?
Along with her husband, Aquila, Priscilla taught Apollos, who, in turn taught many others
about Christ. Read Acts 18:24-28 and Acts 18:1-3 for examples of didasko - to learn, to
teach.

10. God uses us to hone, guide, and teach each other in our daily walks. Different people
have different lives to touch. God gives us the words and we just trust. Lean on His Spirit
and step back and watch Him touch others through you.

Lets close in prayer.

Dear Father, thank You for blessing us with faithful teachers who taught us about
Your life, death, and resurrection. By these teachers and through Your Holy Spirit,
we are sitting here once again at Your feet learning about You. Please lead us to tell
others about Your love. Use us to teach the present and future generations about You.
In Jesus blessed name. Amen.
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Baby Bottle Boomerang Bonanza!

Help Alpha by handing out Baby Bottles at your Church
for the Baby Bottle Boomerang Bonanza Fundraiser

As we wrap up 2016 at Alpha, we reflect on

all of the blessings that God has provided
throughout the year. The mobile unit is now
providing pregnancy test and ultrasound
services in Planada, Winton, Los Banos,
Livingston and Dos Palos. Together, we were
able to provide
life-affirming solutions
to 619 clients!
Next year, we will be able to start off providing
ultrasound service with a new machine, courtesy
of the Knights of Columbus. God has great plans
for 2017 and we are looking forward to what
He has in store.

Important Dates!
Baby bottles may be picked up at Alpha between January 9th-12th at
Alpha's office between business hours Monday - Friday 9Am - 5PM. Or
you may email Natalie or call 209-383-4700 to request delivery.
January 15th & 22nd are the planned days to distribute the baby bottles
at church services.
Then collect the bottles on February 26th, and bring them back to Alpha
or arrange for pickup
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Washed clean
Your morning shower can do more than cleanse your body. Retired
pastor Norman Neaves takes time to remember his baptism daily.
As the water is pouring down on me, I reach up and get water all over
my hand. Then I close my eyes and make the sign of the cross on my
forehead. I have been baptized in Christ, I say to myself quietly.
This day belongs to him. I am called to be Jesus representative
whatever I am doing and wherever I might go. Give me the grace,
Lord, to represent you well and with integrity.
Taking a stand
Cowardice asks the question: Is it safe? Expediency asks the question: Is it politic? Vanity
asks the question: Is it popular? But conscience asks the question: Is it right? And there
comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular
but one must take it simply because it is right. Martin Luther King Jr.

Ignite!
It is with Christians as with burning coals. If these are scattered apart, one
after the other, they are easily extinguished. But, when collected together,
the fire of one preserves that of the other, and the glowing coals often ignite
others that lie near. August Francke

Lessons from a snowman

Its okay to wear white well after Labor Day.
Simply hanging out in your front yard can be fun.
Accessories dont have to be fancy or expensive.
Were all made mostly of water.
You know youve arrived when a song is written about
you.
So what if youre a little bottom-heavy?
Dont get too much sun.
Sweating too much can be disastrous!

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Undaunted
The year just past was wracked with violence, racism and political rancor.
We long to fix these problems, but how? We may feel as frustrated as the
church board member who spouted, Weve already tried prayer. It didnt
work!
Those words might resonate today, yet things arent always what they seem.
We cant see God behind the scenes crafting a new reality, but Scripture
promises it. And though our prayers wont undo earthly death, they
surround the grieving with strength and love. We cant solve sin, but our
prayers can bring communities together and spur us to look out for one another.
The Jewish Talmud states, Do not be daunted by the enormity of the worlds grief. Do
justly now. Love mercy now. Walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the
work, but neither are you free to abandon it. In this new year, may we be undaunted in
doing what we can. It might not seem like much, but things arent always what they seem.
Monday, December 5, 2016 5:24 PM
Bob Henry Patterson, brother of Barbara Higgins and son of Henrietta Patterson passed
away today from brain cancer. Please pray for peace, comfort, and hope in the resurrection
of Jesus for all who mourn his passing.
Thursday, December 8, 2016 9:38 PM
Two of our LWML members have lost loved ones recently and we ask you to keep them and
their family in your prayers.
Louise Rickey's father passed away and his service is Friday, December 9th at Fair Oaks,
memorials may be sent to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Turlock.
Iris Samuels husband Harold has passed away and his memorial service will be Thursday,
December 22 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Stockton at 11 AM.
May the passing of these men remind us that we, too, are but pilgrims and strangers on earth.
Grant us grace to love less and less the things which are material and temporal, and to love
more and more the things which are spiritual and eternal. Teach us to number our days and to
apply our hearts to the wisdom taught by Jesus Christ, that He is the Way and the Truth and
the Life, and that no man cometh unto thee but by Him. Amen
(taken from CPH My Prayer Book)
Jane Morgan, LWML Zone 3 secretary
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Friday, December 23, 2016 6:45 AM

Please pray for two friends of Inie Meidlinger.
1) Juanita Bonner who has health issues that causes breathing difficulties.
2) Joe Dutra (father in law of Inie's son) who has various health problems.
Thank you.
Thursday, December 29, 2016 11:18 AM
I received an update from Pastor Jeff Morey yesterday on
Mary's condition. Mary is still in a nursing home, but Pastor Jeff is hopeful that he will have
her home within the next two weeks to begin further rehab. She still has a long way to go,
and 95% of that is her memory loss.
Physically she is much improved. Has P.T., O.T. & speech therapy daily at the rehab
place. Jeff is revamping the downstairs bathroom to make it easier when she comes home,
and he is going to arrange for in-home health care until such time as she can manage on her
own with no help, but it is the memory issues that are troubling to him.
I thought it would be nice if any of you who know Mary would like to send her get
well wishes and include her in your prayers, you can send those to
Mary at her home address: 1412 Villette Ct., Modesto, CA 95356.
Of course, this is all very overwhelming to Jeff, and he has said that if I remind him, he will
be happy to keep us updated.
I would ask that you keep both Mary and Jeff in your prayers as this is also very difficult for
the caretaker and they are both in need of our prayers.
Diane Beaver, Zone 3 President
Saturday, December 31, 2016 4:13 PM
Please pray for comfort and hope for Donna Callaghan (Connies brothers wife) as she deals
with news that she has esophageal cancer. She will see her doctor on Tuesday to determine
treatment possibilities.
Connie and Dennis

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S SPECIAL DATES
BIRTHDAYS
HAZEL IKEN
OWEN IMBRIE
SHARON ROPER
JENNIE CALLAGHAN
EARL PHILLIPS
IRENE IKEN

01/10
01/13
01/14
01/23
01/26
01/28

OF OUR

MEMBERS

BAPTISM ANNIVERSARIES
BENJAMIN GRANADO 01/18
TATUM GRANADO 01/18
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES

SERVING IN
AT

HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH

Please Remember: It is up to YOU to arrange coverage if YOU are
UNABLE to serve on your scheduled day. Please contact the church
office with any changes.
THANK YOU FOR USING YOUR STEWARDSHIP TALENTS
BY SERVING DURING WORSHIP!!!
Elders:
Aron Schmidt
Larry Rogge

Altar Flowers/Before &

After Worship Greeters
Doreen Keesler

01/01

_____________

01/08

Lay Readers: Volunteers

_____________

01/15

Stewardship:
Doreen Keesler
Anna Bautista

_____________

01/22

Irene Iken

01/29

Ushers: Volunteers

If you would like to help with

any of these committees,
please call the church office.
358-3471

Acolytes: Volunteers

Altar Guild:
Irene Iken
Gail Iken
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