"SHARING THE RISEN CHRIST TO ALL GENERATIONS"     

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                                    9:30am Sunday Worship          10:45am Bible Study following worship
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                        Pastoral Care: Pastor James Peter
​                        Lay Leader: Doug Taylor
                      Church Phone: 440.236.8900
                              Church Email: hosannalutheran1@windstream.net  

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION - READ ROMANS 12

A Living Sacrifice
Paul is calling his readers to give themselves, soul and body, to God as a living, dynamic sacrifice. Chinese evangelist and martyr Watchman Nee (1903–1972) points out that Paul had called for individuals to give their bodies over to righteousness in chapter 6 (see “Instruments of Righteousness” on page 1470); here he is calling them into a unity of sacrifice as one body.

It is a call to us for a united step of faith, the presenting of our bodies as one “living sacrifice” unto God. This is something that goes beyond the merely individual, for it implies contribution to a whole. The “presenting” is personal but the sacrifice is corporate; it is one sacrifice. Intelligent service to God is one service. We need never feel our contribution is not needed, for if it contributes to the service, God is satisfied. And it is through this kind of service that we prove [what is the “good, pleasing and perfect will” of God] (v. 2), or, in other words, realize God’s eternal purpose in Christ Jesus.

Evangelical theologian R. Scott Rodin explains how this sacrificial unity is lived out:
     This lifestyle and therefore this worship is characterized by a “oneness.” We serve one Lord, we are citizens of one kingdom, and we offer one service as stewards. We have renounced shared lordship, dual citizenship and divided service. As such our lives have a determined sense about them … We have a sense of confidence that gives way to compassion and sacrificial service without ever losing that determination and certitude. This sense of freedom and purpose is also our worship. It bears witness to the steward who has been set free to render one service in one kingdom to one Lord.

Our spiritual acts of worship are also embodied and concrete. Rodin continues:
     As this worship is Trinitarian, focused, and manifested in all aspects of our lives, it is also worship at all four levels of our existence. We worship God in our stewardship of our relationship to God. We worship and glorify God in the self-love that is the love of one created by God. We worship and glorify God in our selfless service to our neighbor. And we worship and glorify God in our care of creation. Worship happens in the local church, in the home, in the workplace, and in the community. Worship happens in cleaning up a stretch of highway, taking meals to shut-ins, caring for our health and gathering together on Sunday in our churches … Worship happens when leaders of Christian institutions seek to make God-pleasing decisions about the use of funds entrusted to them for ministry.

Think About It
• To what extent do you participate as “a living sacrifice” in a community?
• In what ways have you contributed to the service and worship of your faith community?
• How does this reading make you rethink your perceptions about fellowship and worship?

Pray About It
Lord Jesus, I confess that I do not always worship you in every area of my life. Show me the areas of my life that I need to rededicate to you so that every minute becomes a moment of worship in your presence.​
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​​Not Our Own (Romans 12:1)
We must regard our own bodies, then, as a sacred stewardship with which God has entrusted us. They are a part of the capital he has placed in our hands for investment. He expects us to make the most of them, to protect, preserve, develop, and use them, producing returns on this capital for the benefit of ourselves, our fellow men, and our divine master. Our bodies are not our own, to use as we please; to pamper, indulge, mistreat, neglect, overwork, destroy; they belong to God as a wise part of his creation, and are held by us in trust for his wise purposes.
—Luther E. Lovejoy (1864–1936)


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LINKS

HARP Mission www.facebook.com/harpmission
www.harpcaldwell.org

Lutheran Church Missouri Synod  http://www.lcms.org
Ohio District, LCMS http://oh.lcms.org/
Thrivent Financial  http://www.thrivent.com

LCMS Foundation  http://www.lcmsfoundation.org/

Our Daily Rest - Cultivating a lifestyle of restfulness and renewal    http://ourdailyrest.net/. 

Life Around the Coffee Cup - Encouragement to fuel the journey -
: http://www.leahheffner.com/ 
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Lutheran Hour Ministries  http://www.lhm.org

 DAILY BIBLE VERSE

HOSANNA BIBLE STUDIES

 SUNDAY WORSHIP BIBLE STUDY
  You're invited to join in on a weekly Bible study at 10:45 after morning worship. We are now in the book of 1 Samuel.


CHILDREN'S BIBLE CLASS
  10:45 am after worship
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 MEN’S SATURDAY MORNING
BIBLE STUDY 
Our Men's Bible Study will meet in January on the Saturday the 19th at 7:30am in
the upstairs conference room . We meet on the third Saturday of every month and will be studying God's message that he will be know by all people found in the book of Ezekiel. Bring your coffee - donuts or coffeecake usually find their way to the table! We look forward to seeing you -

WEEKLY AFTERNOON BIBLE STUDY
The Bible studies that meet during the week will not meet again until January. Watch this page for information on when they will resume.