Knoxville, TN August 2018

M ost of you who are reading this are not millennials. Millennials are generally defined as young people be-tween the ages of 18-29. We have wonderful people in this age range who attend Grace. But they are per-haps the smallest age grouping in our church.

If you believe the research polls, millennials are the one age group who are leaving the church in the greatest numbers. In 1986, 10 percent of people in this age group claimed to be “unaffiliated.” In 2018 it is 39 percent. This is on top of the fact that “affiliated” people don’t necessarily attend church. The truth is that millennials need forgiveness, peace, strength, faith, a Savior and the Spirit as much as any other age group. And our church needs this age group for seven very important reasons. Here they are:

1. Millennials can better reach out to their peers. At Grace we want to connect people to Jesus Christ and mil-

lennials and their faithfulness play a big role in this outreach. Thankfully, we are blessed with a dynamic mil-lennial Associate Pastor. Pastor Travis Ferguson speaks and models for his generation how wonderful it is to be an active Christian.

2. In general, millennials are much better with technology than older age groups. They have grown up with smart phones and social media. We need them because they can show us how communicate more effectively. 3. We need millennials who stand strong on marriage and pro-life issues. Thankfully, there are many strongly

rooted young people who take compelling Biblical stands on these issues and others.

4. This age group adds zest, energy and flavor to our church

life and worship experience. We definitely need this! 5. They are already the leaders of today and tomorrow. For

example, most new Lutheran pastors are millennials, and the ones I know are very advanced in leadership skills. We need our young adults to be advancing in leadership positions.

6. We need millennials to challenge the old prejudices and

the questionable traditions that have attached themselves to the church. 7. Finally, we need millennials at Grace because they are our sons, our daughters, our students, our teachers,

our employees, our co-workers, our bosses and our friends. We need them at Grace because we love them.

~ Pastor Rich

Page 2 August 2018

GraceNet is published monthly by

Grace Lutheran Church – LCMS

9076 Middlebrook Pike, Knoxville, TN 37923

Phone: (865) 691-2823 Fax: (865) 691-4895

E-mail: glc@visitgrace.org

Reverend Richard M. Elseroad, Senior Pastor

Reverend Travis Ferguson, Associate Pastor

Website: http://www.visitgrace.org

Articles for GraceNet are due by the 1st of each month for the

following month’s edition.

GraceNet Staff Debbie Booher, Editor

Linda Jaekel

Nancy May

Joan Scraggs

Email to Editor: dbooher@knology.net

If you have a spe-

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have publicized

in GraceNet,

please submit the

information to

Debbie Booher by

the 1st of each month for publication

in the following month’s newsletter.

W e are so excited to begin another year of Confirmation. Confirma-tion is simply one step in a life-long process of discipleship. We will be covering a lot in the coming months, and all of it is focused

around growing and loving Jesus. This year we have made a few changes to our curriculum to be more biblical-ly focused than catechism focused. We will be using “The Story” version of scrip-ture to get a big idea of the stories of the Old and New Testaments. We will use the Bible to come to the understanding of “why we believe what we do.” This is where the catechism becomes helpful. We will meet on designated Wednesdays of each month from 6:30-7:30 p.m. It is expected for students to attend each session. If an absence must occur, the student must contact Pastor Travis Ferguson or Ashley Myers to receive make-up work. Orientation will be held on August 29, 2018, in the Family Life Cen-ter. Dinner will be served beforehand beginning at 5:15 p.m. Registrants will need to complete a copy of our “liability agreement” and return to pastortravis@visitgrace.org. Copies can be obtained from the church office.

Starts: August 29, 2018

Ends: August 11, 2019

Faith Formation (Confirmation)

Be sure to check the Grace Lutheran website to get details and information on upcoming church events, listen to past sermons, and discover other ways you can CONNECT, GROW, and SERVE at Grace!

www.visitgrace.org

Page 3 August 2018

Heavenly Father,

As a new school year begins, we humbly pray for our children as they return to the classroom to con-tinue their education, no matter what level they may be at. We ask you, O God, to send your angels to watch over and protect them, keep them safe, give them discernment, clarity, wisdom and diligence to complete their studies. Keep them from harm, both physically and mentally. Protect them from peer pressure, bullying, and anything else that can interfere with their day-to-day activities. Guard their hearts and open their minds to learn the things that YOU would have them learn—not the things that would confuse, harm or turn them away from you.

We also pray for the teachers, Father. We ask that you provide Godly teachers who will seek your guidance in teaching our children accord-ing to your will—not the will of the world. Give them patience, under-standing, wisdom, safety, and a strong sense of leadership that can only come from you. We ask that the children would give them the respect that is deserved as the authority figures that they are during the school day.

Please send your Spirit to help them all to feel your presence with them throughout this coming year and protect them from anything that would distract them from having the best school year possible.

We humbly ask these things in the precious name of Jesus! Thank you, Father!!

~ Amen

A Prayer for the New School Year

General Information:

Meets on Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. from September 5 to December 19. There will be no PDO on days when Knox County Schools are on break.

PDO exists to provide parents the opportunity to run errands, enjoy free time, and have some “respite” while their children are cared for by the loving and friendly staff at Grace Lutheran.

We currently accept children from ages 13 weeks to 5 years old (pre-kindergarten)

Cost:

The registration fee of $50 is a one-time cost that covers supplies, snacks, etc. If registering more than one child, the registration fee is an additional $20 per sibling.

The attendance fee is $25 per day, which is to be paid at the beginning of each month. There is a 10% discount for siblings.

Fall Parents’ Day Out (PDO) Registration is Open

Page 5 August 2018

DATE THEME VERSE

August 5 God can use us. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

August12 God wants us to hope in Him. “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

August 19 God uses His power to help us. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

August 26 Jesus sets us free. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

I n an attempt to connect the adults and children of Grace just a bit more, I will be letting people know the theme and verse of the week in our children’s Sunday school classes. I would love it if the adults would join in memorizing or at least talking about it to the children as they see each other in the halls. Listed

below are the themes and scripture for May.

~ Frieda Guthrie

August Children’s Curriculum Themes

Jackson Jerome List

Born: July 27, 2018

Proud Parents:

Mitch and Jennifer List

Page 5 August 2018

T he subject, Christian Life, covers a vast array of top-ics. Among the materials added to the library re-cently are the following:

Redeeming Money: How God Reveals and Reorients Our Hearts by Paul David Tripp (241.6 Tri): Society promises that money will provide us with everything we could ever want, tempting us to put our trust in it for all our needs. In this practical guide, Tripp teaches Christians how to view money and interact with it in a God-honoring manner.

Kind is the New Classy: The Power of Living Graciously by Candace Cameron Bure (248.4 Bur): Bure is well-known for her many roles in movies and on TV. Her success has not come easily, but through it she has learned to stay true to herself. But to do it with grace has been one of the big-gest fights she has faced. The secret she discovered was kindness. Kindness is classy, unexpected, and counter-cultural. But she has endured and shares the lessons she has learned with her readers.

Love Like You've Never Been Hurt: Hope, Healing and the Power of an Open Heart by Jentezen Franklin (248.4 Fra): Everybody will experience hurt, disappointment or aban-donment at some time. God wants His people to live fully; but how can that be done following a hurt? God wants to heal what has been broken and reconcile what has been torn apart. Let Him show the way to healing so you can love like you've never been hurt.

Everybody Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Set-backs and Difficult People by Bob Goff (248.4 Gof): In his entertaining and inspiring manner, Goff reveals what it means to love unconditionally—without inhibitions or inse-curities—even those who seem impossible to love.

AWE: Why It Matters For Everything We Think, Say, and Do by Paul David Tripp (248.4 Tri): Awe—a feeling of reverence mingled with wonder—a reaction to be reserved for God alone as we gaze upon the beauty and grandeur of His creation , of Him, and of His love, mercy and grace. But the world wars for the awe of our heart. Tripp reveals how to put AWE back in its proper place in our heart.

Biographies and Personal Narratives

An Unfamiliar Path: How Cancer Led Us Deeper Into the Heart of God by Lori V. Hearn (619.9 Hea): Travel with the Hearn family as they journey through father-husband Mike's cancer. The family never lost their hope or faith as they built their security for the future on the firm founda-tion of Jesus Christ.

Workin' Our Way Home: The Incredible True Story of a Homeless Ex-Con and a Grieving Millionaire Thrown To-gether to Save Each Other by Ron Hall (920 Hal): This title covers the ten years Ron Hall and Denver lived together as a

continuation of Same Kind of Different As Me (920 Hal).

The Audacious Molly Bruno: Amazing Sto-ries From the Life of a Powerful Woman of Prayer by Marie Arma-nia (921 Bru): Molly is the modern-day Miss Clara from the film War Room (DVD Fic War). Molly exemplifies how to pray boldly and with faith. In this title, readers can learn about her own faith journey.

Through My Father's Eyes by Franklin Graham (921 Gra): Franklin simply knew Billy Graham as "Daddy". Here he presents an intimate portrait of a loving father whose focus in life was to help people develop a personal relationship with God.

The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi: My Journey into the Heart of Scriptural Faith and the Land Where It All Began by Kathi Lee Gifford (956.94 Gif): Travel with Gifford through Israel as she explores the Bible in the place where it all happened.

New Fiction

The Hawaiian Discovery by Wanda E. Brunstetter (Fic Bru) (Book 2 in the Hawaiian series)

The Forgotten Road by Richard Paul Evans (Fic Eva) (Book 2 in The Road series)

An Amish Family by Kathleen Fuller (Fic Ful)

To The Moon and Back by Karen Kingsbury (Fic Kin) (Book 4 in the Baxter Family Saga)

For Tweens and Teen Girls

From Debbie Viguie comes a fun, sometimes quirky series entitled Sweet Seasons. In this series, join Candace Thomp-son on her sweet, humorous, but honest journeys through friendships, romances, family issues, school ups and downs, faith, and values—all that makes a young girl's life interest-ing. Titles in the series are: The Summer of Cotton Candy, The Fall of Candy Corn, The Winter of Candy Canes, and The Spring of Candy Apples (YA Fic Vig). Find all these and other new materials on display in the li-brary throughout the month.

~ Mary Schultz

Christian-Life Titles Top Non-Fiction Additions

Page 7 August 2018

HealthLine

A little over a year ago, I retired after 38 years, from my weekly television show. However, in retirement, I still read “many” re-search papers, studies, and articles pertaining to health and

well-being. Now, through a monthly column in GraceNet, I will have the opportunity to continually share this information. Please note that eve-rything written in this column will be backed by research, various stud-ies, and facts. There will be no personal opinions.

~ Sheila Wittke

* * * * * * * * * *

Morning People Choose Healthier Foods

Researchers in Finland found that “morning people” have healthier diets than “evening people”. The study published in the Journal of Obesity found that people who ate earlier in the day made healthier food choices throughout the day, as well. Evening people ate more sugar in the morning, and more sugar, fats, and satu-rated fatty acids in the evening, as well as less protein overall. The evening people were also less physically active and slept worse. The differences between the two groups, which were even more pronounced on weekends, may make evening people at higher risk for heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

I n the first two centuries of the Christian Church on earth the key questions were, "Who is Jesus?" and, "What did He do?" Various false teachings held Him

to be either God or man, but not both at the same time. Many of those false teachings are still present in our day, even if with different names. In some New Testament passages Jesus is called Son (or son) of God. But, someone may dismiss those by re-minding you Roman emperors thought themselves to be son of God, too. Or, they may say we are all sons of God. The Bible does not always say Jesus is God in words and ways we would expect. But, it does say He is truly divine if we really understand the expressions used in the texts. Here are a few. In John 10 Jesus was in Jerusalem for what we call Hanukkah, the festival for the re-dedication of the Tem-ple. He began to tell people, "I am the Good Shepherd." At Hanukkah Ezekiel 34 was one of the readings used by Jews. It says God would be the a real shepherd to His peo-ple in contrast to kings (shepherds) who had led them away to the worship of false gods. When Jesus proclaimed Himself the Good Shepherd, He affirmed that He is God by using a title reserved only for God. (Neves Testament Deutsch commentary [electronic edition] on John 54. The "I am" statements of Jesus may be simple state-ments, like "I am the door." But, in an open ended "I am" statement at John 8:58 Jesus said his hearers would not

see life unless they believed that, "Before Abraham was, I am." In the very next verse Jesus' hearers picked up stones to throw at Jesus. Stoning was the penalty for blas-phemy or making oneself equal to God. The people under-stood Jesus' words as His claim to be God. We have used Romans 9:5 as proof of Jesus' divinity. ("The ancestors are theirs [the Jews], and from them, by physical descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, praised forever.") But, some more recent Bible versions move words and punctuation to make it less apparent that Christ and God are identical. Words and phrases in the New Testament are often borrowed from the Bible that was commonly in use be-fore the compilation of the New Testament, namely, the Greek Septuagint Old Testament. Notice the little clause, "Who is." That little clause in Greek is the exact wording of God's very special name from Exodus 3:14 in the Sep-tuagint. We know it as "Yahweh" (earlier rendered as the created word: Jehovah). A good translation of that Greek phrase is, "The One Being" or "He Who Is." Compare the English translation of Yahweh: "I am Who I Am." Remember that Paul was trained as a Pharisee. He would not carelessly use a clause that identifies Christ as God unless that is what he intended.

~ Rev. Phil Bohlken

Jesus is God

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TO:

Grace Lutheran Church-LCMS

9076 Middlebrook Pike

Knoxville, TN 37923-1557

(865) 691-2823

Fax: (865) 691-4895

E-mail address: glc@visitgrace.org

Sunday Worship: 8:00 a.m. (Traditional) and

9:30 a.m. (Blended)/11:00 a.m. (Contemporary)

Wednesday Worship: 6:30 p.m. (Blended)

Sunday School & Bible Classes @ 9:30 a.m./11:00 a.m.

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