Emanuel Happenings

A loving father gives his son and daughter a list of rules and regulations. Chores, curfews, civilities, dress code—the father makes his will clearly known. The son strives to follow the rules for two reasons. 1) He wants to get his allowance. 2) He is afraid that if he breaks the rules, his father will punish him. The daughter strives to follow the rules, also for two reasons. 1) She believes her father established those rules not to control her but for her safety and blessing. 2) She wants to demonstrate how much she loves and trusts her father. Those two children’s actions might look almost identical. Their hearts are very different! Likewise, following Christ is not simply a matter of outward observance of laws. It is a matter of the heart. The Law was given so we could see God’s heart and demonstrate how his heart has affected our own. The followership Christ seeks flows from hearts that have been radically transformed by God’s law and gospel. Christ wants his followers to be less

“We need better leadership!” Have you ever said that? Perhaps you were frustrated with the direction being taken by some elected official or by management at your workplace or by the coach of your favorite team. You were frustrated because you know that no matter how many resources an organization has, it will flounder if leaders do not lead well: providing direction, training, motivation, coordination, encouragement, and even grace. Leadership is extremely important. And so, there are times we lament, “We need better leadership!” Jesus Christ is the leader of our congregation, our home, our lives. And his leadership is perfect in every way. Therefore, when things are amiss in any of those arenas, what is needed is not better leadership, but better followership. In this series, we ask Christ to empower us with his Spirit so that we might better follow his lead. May we better reflect the beauty of his life, better make his priorities our own, and better serve our God and neighbor.  Our

Join the Men Of The Outdoors, as we continue to pursue Biblical Manhood, we will look at four men of the Bible for examples of how to strengthen our walk of faith. In week one we will look at John the Baptist who Jesus called the greatest man born of a woman. Week two Joseph, a faithful man who endured several trials to fulfill God’s purpose. In week three Mark will be our focus. A man who was mentored by Paul, Barnabas, and Peter and wrote one of the gospels. And week four we will conclude our study by getting to know Peter, a good person to know as you pursue Biblical Manhood. Join us from September 18 to October 9 on Wednesday evenings, 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Community Room.  

Peter tells us to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. His message will energize and empower us in our struggle against Satan. Join us on Wednesdays from September 4 to 18, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Please register by calling Cindy Platz at (715) 966-6033. Event Location: 1404 Pinewood Ct, New London  

As Jesus concluded his Bread of Life discourse, many said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” and walked away. Read carefully. They did not say the teaching was hard to understand. The meaning was clear enough. Jesus was teaching that the only chance to enjoy eternity in heaven is through a close connection to him. He is the only bread that gives eternal life. That isn’t hard to understand, but it is hard to accept. Eating this bread means reordering our lives so that Jesus is by far our highest priority. It means loving the Blesser infinitely more than his earthly blessings. It means realizing that Jesus is the only thing we really need. If we had nothing but him, we would not lack anything that ultimately matters. Jesus watches the multitudes walking away from him. He turns to the Twelve—he turns to us this week—and he whispers, “You do not want to leave me too, do you?” May the Spirit give us the wisdom to answer, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal

The Emanuel Church Choir is men, women, and teens who enjoy coming together once a week to sing, pray together, and enjoy Christian fellowship. We always welcome new singers of all levels of experience and ability. Singers and their families are invited to a choir kick-off party on Wednesday, August 28, from 5-8 p.m. at the Tiefel’s home. The main course will be provided. Please bring a lawn chair and bring a side or dessert to share. Rehearsals begin on Wed, Sept. 4, 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the school music room. Contact Music Director Kate Tiefel with questions: ktiefel@emanuelnl.org 

Starting Monday, August 19, Emanuel will adjust the office hours slightly to align with the daily school schedule.  The adjusted office hours will be 7:45 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  

Join us for a Fellowship Brat Fry at Emanuel! Enjoy delicious brats, burgers, chips, cupcakes, and water. Whether you have time to stay and socialize or need a quick grab-and-go meal, we welcome you. We'll be serving from 11 to 1 p.m.

There are many different theories about the healthiest way to eat. There’s the old food pyramid, built on a foundation of whole grains. There’s the Mediterranean diet, the Atkins diet, the Paleo diet, and many others. We can debate which is best, but what is undebatable is that whatever your diet, you are going to die. Perhaps a vegetarian diet is indeed easier on your heart. Still, your heart is going to stop eventually. But in his Bead of Life discourse, Jesus offers food that enables us to live forever. There are foods you might never have tasted without someone working hard to convince you to try them. Likewise, this spiritual food that Jesus describes is something no one finds appealing at first, but distasteful. And so today Jesus explains that we need God to work within us so that we have the wisdom to see that this food gives life and the faith to find this bread most delicious. Want to hear more? See you this weekend: Saturday at 5:15 p.m. • Sunday at 8 a.m. • Sunday at 10:30

Physical food is a blessing from God without which we would literally wither away and die. That is why Jesus lovingly and miraculously fed thousands of followers with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Yet, while physical food is a good thing, it is far from the greatest thing God provides us. The greatest blessing God provides is spiritual food. The best thing God gives us is his Son, the bread of life. Without that spiritual food, we wither and die in a much worse way. This week we see the multitudes coming to Jesus looking for two things: ever more temporal blessings—full bellies, healthy bodies—and an explanation of how to gain them. Jesus explains the greater need for spiritual food. He assures us that there is nothing we do to earn it. Our Father urges us to come to him for our daily bread, asking him to provide for our temporal needs. But may we hunger most for our greatest need: spiritual food that Christ freely gives. Want to hear more? See you this weekend: Saturday at 5

“From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:66). What happened?! Jesus had recently fed many thousands of people. Everywhere he went, he was mobbed by a multitude looking for the hope and healing Jesus provided. In the first part of Jesus’ ministry, he was extremely popular. That changed so quickly. At this time many followers walked away from Christ. What had Jesus done that was so bad? He said, “I am the bread of life.” That statement seems, at worst, to be cryptic. It doesn’t seem offensive. But as the crowd grasped what Jesus was claiming, they decided they no longer wanted anything to do with him. Bread is a staple food, something people eat every day (especially in Jesus’ day). Scripture will sometimes refer to bread and water as all one needs to sustain physical life. In this worship series, we will examine what Jesus is teaching when he calls himself “the Bread of Life.” We will discuss why people would abandon Jesus for making that cla

 

Shortly before he ascended, Jesus told his followers they were to engage in meaningful ministry—to work their way through the world, sharing the good news of salvation. Our loving Lord knew that was a big and often intimidating task. So, his next words were a promise. “Surely I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). God’s people still need to hear that promise. For several weeks, we have been discussing the reality that the Lord of the Church has called all believers to meaningful ministry. Ministry will come with challenges. It can cause fears to arise: the fear of rejection, the fear of inadequacy, the fear of persecution. So, listen again to your Savior. “I am with you always.” We conclude our series on meaningful ministry empowered by that gracious promise. Want to hear more? See you this weekend: Saturday at 5:15 p.m. • Sunday at 8 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. **Please remember that during renovation, worship is held in the school commons. If you have questions, visit www.emanuelnl.org/wor