Milton West Coast Cleanup

Needs have changed.

Mold began to set into the homes because of Helene and then Milton.
Because of Helene the insurance companies were already on the ground with their crews.
LERT have moved efforts to Sarasoda. It is a tree removal project now.

If you would like to help, sign up by emailing Jay Wendland:

• Email: jwendland@flgadistrict.org

• Send this info:

  • Name
    Phone Number
    Email Address

(Old Information)
How do we help with our friends on the west coast?

• Thursday I recieved a call from Jay Wedland (head of Lutheran Early Response Team).
  He was asking for how we are and asking for volunteers to help in St Petersburg.

  • The 2 churches in St. Petersburg have 75 homes with signifigant flood damage.

  • He was asking for volunteers to muck out homes there before the mold sets in.

    • He stressed that it is not pleasant work. It is hot and messy.

• I asked how long would someone be expected to help.

  • He said no more than a week, and it can be just a couple of days.

  • He will take what he can get.

  • Wednesday would be the earliest day you would begin.

• To help, sign up:

  • Email: jwendland@flgadistrict.org

  • Send this info:

    • Name
      Phone Number
      Email Address

Ways to Help Hurrican Milton & Helene Damage

Ways to Help Hurrican Milton & Halene

Give to Grace and we will disperse.

Choose Disaster response on paypal drop down.

Give / Volenteer / and find out more at our District Disaster response site.

Thrivent Matches Gifts

https://www.thrivent.com/about-us/membership/disaster-response

You can make a financial contribution to help those impacted. For every $2 donated through Thrivent's online giving platform or through a Thrivent Charitable Impact and Investing® Donor Advised Fund to one of the organizations listed below, Thrivent will add $1 up to $500,000.

Volunteer for LCMS disaster
Both of these response camps have been decommissioned

[Sunday] Action - Serving Challenge

- When Jesus saw those who were like sheep without a shepherd. He had compassion on them -- but not just compassion; He also took action.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:  See This weeks Together Group Study

Sunday October 6th is Day 20 in the Book!

New Together Groups Materals
Releases at 11Am on Sunday

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Availability- Serving Challenge

In your relationships with one another, have the same attitude as Christ Jesus, who was God but did not strive to hold onto that divine reality to give himself notoriety. Rather, He stopped and made himself available to serve.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:  See This weeks Together Group Study

Sunday September 29th is Day 13 in the Book!

New Together Groups Materals
Releases at 11Am on Sunday

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Attitude - Serving Challenge

Our attitudes have a profound effect on our lives and relationships. A bad attitude of accusation can destroy life, but when we align our attitude with Christ, we experience the joy and peace that comes from serving with a pure heart.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:  See This weeks Together Group Study

Sunday September 22nd is Day 6 in the Book!

New Together Groups Materals
Releases at 11Am on Sunday

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Greatest - Serving Challenge

Serving others is not about self-promotion or personal gain, but about elevating those around you. In God’s kingdom that's how you become the greatest.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:  See This weeks Together Group Study

Releases at 11Am on Sunday

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Under Pressure - Hold Fast: 2nd Timothy

When under pressure, there is hope and resilience in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ which causes us to look at the world differently.

Questions for the Week: Hold Fast:  Paul's 2nd Letter of Timothy - Under Pressure 

1. How have you experienced pressure or suffering in your own life? In what ways has your faith helped you to endure these challenges?

2. Read 2 Timothy 4.    How does Paul speak of pressure and hope?  What does he cling to for this hope?

3. How does the love of God, as revealed in the cross of Jesus Christ, change everything? What does it mean to love others as Christ loves us?

4. When looking at all of 2 Timothy, what is the biggest piece of encouragement you can take with you?

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Let My People Go - Hold Fast: 2nd Timothy

All of Scripture is God-breathed; in its inspired voice, we hear the good news, useful teaching, correction, instruction, and training for a life well lived in freedom.

Questions for the Week: Hold Fast:  Paul's 2nd Letter of Timothy - Let My People Go

1. How does the idea that the Scriptures are "breathed out by God" impact your understanding of their authority and relevance in your life?

2. Read 2 Timothy Ch 3.  What scary things does Paul highlight?  Where does he point to find hope?

3. How can we discern between true and false teachers, and what steps can we take to protect ourselves and others from their influence?

4. In what ways have you experienced God's freedom in your own life? Share specific examples and how these experiences have shaped your faith.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Lightning Rod - Hold Fast: 2nd Timothy

Amidst so much irreverent babble and ignorant controversies, it's easy to become entrenched in our "lightning rod" beliefs. What if, instead, we stood in the good news of Jesus?

Questions for the Week: Hold Fast:  Paul's 2nd Letter of Timothy - Lightning Rod

1. What do you think a "lightning rod" issue is in your family or community? How does it create division? Can you think of an example?

2. Read 2 Timothy 2:14-26.  How can we better focus on Jesus and His love for us, rather than getting caught up in disagreements? What practical steps can we take to do this?

3. The sermon emphasized that God's foundation is firm. How does the knowledge of “being His” bring you comfort and peace?

More Info From the Sermon

The Second Testament by Scott McKnight

A Tranlation of the New Testament.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] The Athlete - Hold Fast: 2nd Timothy

Paul, with a whiff of sarcasm, pronounces we all know an athlete never cheats in their game, which makes us ask ourselves, “Have we tried to shortcut the faith?

Questions for the Week: Hold Fast:  Paul's 2nd Letter of Timothy - The Athlete

1. Think of a time someone cheated at a sport or game.  What effect did that have on the final results?

2. Read 2 Timothy 2:1-13.  What do you find most challenging about Paul’s message to endure suffering and hold fast to the Gospel of Jesus?

3. Can you share a time when you felt like you were taking a "shortcut" in your faith or in life? What did you learn from that experience?

4. With the hope of the resurrection, how can we support one another when we are facing difficulties and challenges?

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Not Ashamed - Hold Fast: 2nd Timothy

- When we have wanted to avoid them at all costs to stay away from evil, Jesus prays, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”

Questions for the Week: Hold Fast: Paul's 2nd Letter of Timothy - Not Ashamed

1. Can you share a time when you felt weak but God joined you in your weakness? How can we better embrace our vulnerabilities and trust in God's strength?

2. Read 2 Timothy 1.  Why does Paul call out Phygelus and Hermogenes?  When are we tempted to push aside others in pursuit of power?

3. Are there areas in your life where you feel ashamed? How can we apply the message of the cross to overcome these feelings?

Luke Throwing away His Lightsaber in The Last Jedi

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Them - Missio Dei

- When we have wanted to avoid them at all costs to stay away from evil, Jesus prays, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”

Questions for the Week: Missio Dei: The Great Sending Part 3 -Them

1. What motivates a church to circle the wagons and escape from the culture around it?  On the other hand, what pushes a church into its mission field?

2. Read John 17:1-26.  Jesus prayed that His disciples would be sent into the world. What does this mean to you? How can we actively participate in God's mission in our daily lives?

3. We are all sinners. How does understanding this truth impact your relationships with others? How does it change the way you view yourself and those around you?

The Great Sending: God's Heart for the World Beating Through You

By Sohns, Will

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Living Water - Missio Dei

- She was sitting in stagnant water, but Jesus gives her living water which floods her being and pushes her to give good news to so many in her town.

Questions for the Week: Missio Dei: The Great Sending Part 3 - Living Water

1. What is the difference between stagnant water and running/living water?

2. Read John 4:1-42.  What stagnant water has the Samaritan woman experienced?

3. How does the “living water” that Jesus brings change this woman?

4. Think of someone you know who is surrounded by stagnant water. How might the Spirit work in you to bring living water to them?

The Great Sending: God's Heart for the World Beating Through You

By Sohns, Will

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Rain On Enemies - Missio Dei

- Look at the party the father is throwing. The whole town is there. Even that scoundrel Matt is there who stole from the father’s business. I can’t even believe he is throwing this party for that son who took everything from him. But did you hear about the drama with the older son? He is refusing to go into the party? After all, it was raining on the whole party.

Questions for the Week: Missio Dei: The Great Sending Part 3 - Rain On Enemies

1. Read John 3:16.  What gift does God promise you?  Why does He give you this gift?

2. Read Matthew 5:43-48.  Why does Jesus say to love your enemies?

3. Why does loving your enemies show God’s abundance and His generosity towards you?

4. When you look at the world with the eyes of Jesus, seeing God’s abundance all around, how does your view of the world change?  How might this view change the way you live?

Here are the Original Series.

The Great Sending: God's Heart for the World Beating Through You

By Sohns, Will

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Look Up - Missio Dei

- They always looked down at Zacchaeus, but Jesus looked up at him. How would you respond if people were always throwing down what you love?

The Great Sending: God's Heart for the World Beating Through You

By Sohns, Will

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Back to the Sheep - Missio Dei

- When we ask for what is the greatest. Jesus points us to the way of the kingdom of God. The way of children, of sheep, and a Fox.

The Great Sending: God's Heart for the World Beating Through You

By Sohns, Will

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] The Harvest - Missio Dei

Jesus says the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. What exactly is the harvest, and what does it have to do with baseball?

The Great Sending: God's Heart for the World Beating Through You

By Sohns, Will

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Ordinary Christmas - Missio Dei

Merry Christmas

Christmas comes with so much pomp and circumstance. From the decorated homes to all the gatherings, there is so much extra at Christmas. But where Christmas really shines is in the quiet of the ordinary.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:   Missio Dei: The Great Sending - Ordinary Christmas

1. Can you think of a time in your life that felt ordinary, but something good came out of it? 

2. Read Luke chapters 1 & 2.  What do you believe that you, as an ordinary-but-God-gifted person, can do to fulfill what God has sent you to accomplish?

3. Both John’s birth and Jesus’ birth were miraculous events.  What miracle has God performed in your life that convinces you of his love and that gives you the courage to be His representative?

4. This story focuses on the very young (Mary and two babies) and the very old (Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon, and Anna).  What role does your age play in fulfilling God’s calling in your life?

The Great Sending: God's Heart for the World Beating Through You

By Sohns, Will

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Be Perfect? - Say What - Jesus Said What?

Matthew 5:48

Wait, are we really supposed to be perfect like God? That’s a lot of pressure! But what if the perfect is more like the completion of the seventh day? Perhaps, in the perfection, we will finally find rest.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:   Say What?  Jesus said What? - Be Perfect?

1. Share a story of a time you felt pressure to be perfect.  What effect did that pressure have on you?

2. Read Matthew 5: 43-48.  What does it mean to be perfect?  Discuss the idea of completeness vs. flawlessness.

3. How does God show perfect or complete love for us?  Can you think of examples from the Bible or your own life?

4. How can we bring God’s seventh day of completeness and rest to others, even our enemies?

New Song This Week!
Cornerstone

Jesus Said What?

By Kennedy, Christopher M

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Fear God? - Say What - Jesus Said What?

Luke 12:5

Jesus, do you really want me to live in fear of God because He might throw me into hell? Or is this a larger lesson about what we should fear?

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:   Say What?  Jesus said What? - Fear God?

1. What are some things you fear most in your everyday life? 

2. Read Luke 12:1-12.  What are some of the things people might have been fearing in Luke’s day?   How did the words of Jesus give hope in those times?

3. Many places in the Bible speak of fearing God, how would you explain what it means to fear God?

4. The sermon spoke of Job.  Can you think of other stories from the Bible (or even your own life) that shows God’s love and power over the fear that is in front of you?

Jesus Said What?

By Kennedy, Christopher M

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What Had happened at Grace this week.