DISCOVER MORE : TOGETHER
Our weekly devotional content ties back to the worship themes and scriptures from the previous Sunday. Dig deeper into what the Word and the message mean to you, and explore how you can deepen your walk with Christ through these resources.
In addition to the devotional resources, the "5 Minutes with God" sections are like spiritual snacks; small, quick, easy connections you can make as you go about your busy life.
Introduction: The profession of faith includes questions of no and yes, questions of rejection and acceptance. No to all that opposes God, and yes to God’s work in Christ. Only by God’s grace can we renounce the forces of evil and the power of sin. With the whole church, we confess our faith in the triune God. The verses from Romans look especially to 2nd paragraph of the creed and the work Christ did for us on the cross. As Paul says we were baptized into Christ’s death, and therefore given new life.
Scripture for Week
From the Baptism Liturgy:
“Apostle’s Creed” p. 229 ELW
I ask you to profess your faith in Christ Jesus, reject sin, and confess the faith of the church.
Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God, the powers of this world that rebel against God, and the ways of sin that draw you from God? Response: I renounce them.
Do you believe in God the Father?
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the son of God?
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Bible
Romans 6:1-7—1What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For whoever has died is freed from sin.
Questions for Reflection
1. What temptations are easy for you to say no to? What temptations are more difficult to say no to?
2. What are some of the big “yes’s” you have spoken in life? Yes to a job offer? Yes to an engagement? Yes to something else?
3. Take a 2nd look at the content of the creed about Father, Son, Spirit. What does God do for us?
Or to put it in another way.
a. What difference does it mean to say that God created you?
b. What difference does Jesus, the son of God make for you?
c. What does God do through the Spirit? (Hint: It’s each of the items listed) Which ones speak most to you? Least?
4. Which person of the Trinity speaks most to you?
How big is God’s grace? One objection the apostle Paul faced was that someone might say, “If God forgives, then give him more sin to forgive. I don’t have to be good, I don’t have to care, God will forgive.” Paul’s response is that baptism and forgiveness is about changing who we are from the inside out. God’s forgiveness is not a patch job, but a transformation that happens when we believe and trust in God.
5. How have you experienced God’s grace as something more than a patch job on sin? Something that makes a deeper difference. How so?
6. Just as Jesus was buried at death and then rose to new life on Easter, so the movement of baptism in water is being buried under water and then coming out of the water to new life. In baptism, we are joined to Jesus, to his dying and rising, so that we might experience God’s forgiveness and grace as a whole new life.
How do you experience God’s forgiveness and welcome in baptism as a “whole new life?”
7. Martin Luther described remembering your baptism as a daily dying and rising. When we confess our sin, all that is opposed to God is put to death. And in God’s forgiveness, we are given a new life. What would it mean for you to remember your baptism each day this week, and to ask: What needs to die, what do I need to let go of? And then: How do I experience forgiveness as new life today?
Discover More about the Message
Reflect on the message you heard in person or on-line. You can listen to the message online here.
https://firstlutherancr.org/resources/sermons
Together with God in Prayer
OPTION 1: ONE WORD. Take time to reflect about your day, your concerns, and how God may be speaking to you. As you reflect about your day, what is one word that summarizes how you are feeling? What might God be saying to you in this word?
OPTION 2: Reflect on the past 24 hours
Prayer
Who or What can you pray for today?
Close in the Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Five Minutes with God
INTRODUCTION: When we die, there is a Death Announcement, an obituary that lists our accomplishments and celebrates who we were. As those who have been baptized into Jesus and his death, we don’t want to just look back at who we have been but forward to who we now are and will be. We want to celebrate our walk in the newness of life that is both a present reality of freedom as we continue to physically live and a promise of eternal life when we physically die.
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE: Write a Resurrection Announcement for yourself this week. Try not to focus on your accomplishments, but God’s. Who are you now because you were baptized into Jesus death and buried with him? Who will you be because you are united with Jesus in resurrection life?
Together in Community
Check in with one another.
If there are 6 or more in the group, then share high’s and low’s in small groups of 2 or 3.
5 Minutes with God—Spiritual Practice
(Optional)
INTRODUCTION: When we die, there is a Death Announcement, an obituary that lists our accomplishments and celebrates who we were. As those who have been baptized into Jesus and his death, we don’t want to just look back at who we have been but forward to who we now are and will be. We want to celebrate our walk in the newness of life that is both a present reality of freedom as we continue to physically live and a promise of eternal life when we physically die.
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE: Write a Resurrection Announcement for yourself this week. Try not to focus on your accomplishments, but God’s. Who are you now because you were baptized into Jesus death and buried with him? Who will you be because you are united with Jesus in resurrection life?
Discover Scripture and Life
Introduction: The profession of faith includes questions of no and yes, questions of rejection and acceptance. No to all that opposes God, and yes to God’s work in Christ. Only by God’s grace can we renounce the forces of evil and the power of sin. With the whole church, we confess our faith in the triune God. The verses from Romans look especially to 2nd paragraph of the creed and the work Christ did for us on the cross. As Paul says we were baptized into Christ’s death, and therefore given new life.
Scripture for Week
From the Baptism Liturgy:
“Apostle’s Creed” p. 229 ELW
I ask you to profess your faith in Christ Jesus, reject sin, and confess the faith of the church.
Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God, the powers of this world that rebel against God, and the ways of sin that draw you from God? Response: I renounce them.
Do you believe in God the Father?
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the son of God?
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Scripture
Romans 6:1-7—1What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For whoever has died is freed from sin.
Opening Discovery
1. What temptations are easy for you to say no to? What temptations are more difficult to say no to?
2. What are some of the big “yes’s” you have spoken in life? Yes to a job offer? Yes to an engagement? Yes to something else?
More about the Scripture
1. Take a 2nd look at the content of the creed about Father, Son, Spirit. What does God do for us?
Or to put it in another way.
a. What difference does it mean to say that God created you?
b. What difference does Jesus, the son of God make for you?
c. What does God do through the Spirit? (Hint: It’s each of the items listed) Which ones speak most to you? Least?
2. Which person of the Trinity speaks most to you?
How big is God’s grace? One objection the apostle Paul faced was that someone might say, “If God forgives, then give him more sin to forgive. I don’t have to be good, I don’t have to care, God will forgive.” Paul’s response is that baptism and forgiveness is about changing who we are from the inside out. God’s forgiveness is not a patch job, but a transformation that happens when we believe and trust in God.
3. How have you experienced God’s grace as something more than a patch job on sin? Something that makes a deeper difference. How so?
4. Just as Jesus was buried at death and then rose to new life on Easter, so the movement of baptism in water is being buried under water and then coming out of the water to new life. In baptism, we are joined to Jesus, to his dying and rising, so that we might experience God’s forgiveness and grace as a whole new life. How do you experience God’s forgiveness and welcome in baptism as a “whole new life?”
More about Life
1. Martin Luther described remembering your baptism as a daily dying and rising. When we confess our sin, all that is opposed to God is put to death. And in God’s forgiveness, we are given a new life. What would it mean for you to remember your baptism each day this week, and to ask: What needs to die, what do I need to let go of? And then: How do I experience forgiveness as new life today?
Together in Prayer
Closing Prayer
Pray for the concerns shared in the group. Close in the Lord’s Prayer.
You may also use this prayer.
O God, we thank you for this time we have shared. We bring before you the joys and concerns of our heart. We pray especially for….. Grant us your healing and peace, in Jesus name. Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
Lord remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Together in Community
Discover Scripture and Life
Introduction: The profession of faith includes questions of no and yes, questions of rejection and acceptance. No to all that opposes God, and yes to God’s work in Christ. Only by God’s grace can we renounce the forces of evil and the power of sin. With the whole church, we confess our faith in the triune God. The verses from Romans look especially to 2nd paragraph of the creed and the work Christ did for us on the cross. As Paul says we were baptized into Christ’s death, and therefore given new life.
Scripture for Week
From the Baptism Liturgy:
“Apostle’s Creed” p. 229 ELW
I ask you to profess your faith in Christ Jesus, reject sin, and confess the faith of the church.
Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God, the powers of this world that rebel against God, and the ways of sin that draw you from God? Response: I renounce them.
Do you believe in God the Father?
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the son of God?
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Scripture
Romans 6:1-7—1What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For whoever has died is freed from sin.
Question—Choose 1 (If there are 6 or more in the group, breakout in groups of 2 or 3.)
1. What temptations are easy for you to say no to? What temptations are more difficult to say no to?
2. What are some of the big “yes’s” you have spoken in life? Yes to a job offer? Yes to an engagement? Yes to something else?
3. Take a 2nd look at the content of the creed about Father, Son, Spirit. What does God do for us?
Or to put it in another way.
a. What difference does it mean to say that God created you?
b. What difference does Jesus, the son of God make for you?
c. What does God do through the Spirit? (Hint: It’s each of the items listed) Which ones speak most to you? Least?
4. Which person of the Trinity speaks most to you?
How big is God’s grace? One objection the apostle Paul faced was that someone might say, “If God forgives, then give him more sin to forgive. I don’t have to be good, I don’t have to care, God will forgive.” Paul’s response is that baptism and forgiveness is about changing who we are from the inside out. God’s forgiveness is not a patch job, but a transformation that happens when we believe and trust in God.
5. How have you experienced God’s grace as something more than a patch job on sin? Something that makes a deeper difference. How so?
6. Just as Jesus was buried at death and then rose to new life on Easter, so the movement of baptism in water is being buried under water and then coming out of the water to new life. In baptism, we are joined to Jesus, to his dying and rising, so that we might experience God’s forgiveness and grace as a whole new life.
How do you experience God’s forgiveness and welcome in baptism as a “whole new life?”
7. Martin Luther described remembering your baptism as a daily dying and rising. When we confess our sin, all that is opposed to God is put to death. And in God’s forgiveness, we are given a new life. What would it mean for you to remember your baptism each day this week, and to ask: What needs to die, what do I need to let go of? And then: How do I experience forgiveness as new life today?
Together in Prayer
Connect with one another before prayer. Choose one of these options.
Option 1: One word—As you reflect about your day, what is one word that summarizes how you are feeling.
Option 2—Share High’s and Low’s
(If there are 6 or more in the group, then share high’s and low’s in small groups of 2 or 3.)
Prayer—We thank you God for bringing us together. We give thanks and praise for the good gifts you have given us. For the concerns and challenges we experience, help us to give them to you in the confidence of your loving care for us. In our sharing and listening, open us to your presence. Amen.
Lord’s Prayer—Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
FIVE MINUTES WITH GOD
INTRODUCTION:
When we die, there is a Death Announcement, an obituary that lists our accomplishments and celebrates who we were. As those who have been baptized into Jesus and his death, we don’t want to just look back at who we have been but forward to who we now are and will be. We want to celebrate our walk in the newness of life that is both a present reality of freedom as we continue to physically live and a promise of eternal life when we physically die.
SPIRITUAL
PRACTICE:
Write a Resurrection Announcement for yourself this week. Try not to focus on your accomplishments, but God’s. Who are you now because you were baptized into Jesus death and buried with him? Who will you be because you are united with Jesus in resurrection life?
Discover Scripture and Life
Introduction: Baptism is an outward sign of a relationship that is covenantal, not contractual. Our relationship with God in Christ is based on covenantal promises. God makes promises of life and salvation, and in response those being baptized or parents presenting children for baptism make a vow of faithfulness. Parents assume a calling to pass on the faith, to raise a child in the promises of God given in baptism and a life shaped by those promises. The service of baptism includes basic practices of faith that ground our lives in the promises of God.
From the Baptism Liturgy:
ELW, page 228
Questions to Parents and Sponsors
Parents: called by the Holy Spirit, trusting in the grace and love of God, do you desire to have your child baptized into Christ? Parents: I do.
As you bring your child to receive the gift of baptism, you are entrusted with responsibilities:
to live with them among God’s faithful people,
bring them to the word of God
(bring them to) the holy supper
teach them the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, the Ten Commandments,
place in their hands the holy scriptures and
nurture them in faith and prayer,
so that your child may learn
to trust God,
proclaim Christ through word and deed,
care for others and the World God made, and
work for justice and peace.
Do you promise to help your child grow in the Christian faith and life?
Parents: I do
Sponsors, do you promise to encourage this family in the Christian faith, to pray for them, and to support them as their child grows to maturity. If so, answer, “I promise with God’s help.”
Scripture
I Peter 3:21—"And that water is like the baptism which now saves you—not the washing of dirt from the body, but the promise made to God from a good conscience. And this is because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead.”
Matthew 28:19-20—Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Questions for Reflection
1. Who was an important person for you in your faith journey as a child/teen. What did they do?
2. The Lutheran baptismal liturgy lays out simple faith practices. Which of these practices (after the >) are most helpful to you in your faith walk?
3. Which practices are harder to do, or to be consistent with?
4. What is something this church could do to help you in your faith walk? What help in faith practices or encouragement would matter for you?
5. The baptismal liturgy also describes how Christians live their faith (see items after the +). Which of these ways are important for you to live your faith?
6. Who has been a positive example of the Christian life for you?
7. Who has been a mentor in the faith for you now as an adult? How so? What do they do? How do they encourage you?
Discover More about the Message
Reflect on the message you heard in person or on-line. You can listen to the message online here.
https://firstlutherancr.org/resources/sermons
Together with God in Prayer
OPTION 1: ONE WORD. Take time to reflect about your day, your concerns, and how God may be speaking to you. As you reflect about your day, what is one word that summarizes how you are feeling? What might God be saying to you in this word?
OPTION 2: Reflect on the past 24 hours
Prayer
Who or What can you pray for today?
Close in the Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Five Minutes with God
INTRODUCTION: Did you know you attend Jesus School? You were enrolled in this school when you were baptized. Those who attend this school aren’t called students. They are disciples. As a disciple you are formed and crafted to be like the school’s namesake: Jesus. Your subjects include prayer, scripture, worship, service, faith, hope, and love. No one ever graduates from this school because you are a disciple at Jesus School your whole life. At this school you are both learner and teacher. You are part of a community where all grow and encourage growth in one another.
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE: Although there are no grades at Jesus School, we do check in on how we are doing so we know where we might need some tutoring. Make a list of your Jesus School subjects. Suggestions are above, but what are you learning as a disciple? Where are you growing? Where might you need some encouragement? Those places of growth—how might you share your gifts with others? Those places where you need some encouragement—where might you find that? Hint for both: check out the Connect and Grow tabs at firstlutherancr.org!
Together in Community
Check in with one another.
If there are 6 or more in the group, then share high’s and low’s in small groups of 2 or 3.
Open in Prayer
We thank you God for bringing us together. We give thanks and praise for the good gifts you have given us. For the concerns and challenges we experience, help us to give them to you in the confidence of your loving care for us. In our sharing and listening, open us to your presence. Amen.
5 Minutes with God—Spiritual Practice
(Optional)
INTRODUCTION: Did you know you attend Jesus School? You were enrolled in this school when you were baptized. Those who attend this school aren’t called students. They are disciples. As a disciple you are formed and crafted to be like the school’s namesake: Jesus. Your subjects include prayer, scripture, worship, service, faith, hope, and love. No one ever graduates from this school because you are a disciple at Jesus School your whole life. At this school you are both learner and teacher. You are part of a community where all grow and encourage growth in one another.
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE: Although there are no grades at Jesus School, we do check in on how we are doing so we know where we might need some tutoring. Make a list of your Jesus School subjects. Suggestions are above, but what are you learning as a disciple? Where are you growing? Where might you need some encouragement? Those places of growth—how might you share your gifts with others? Those places where you need some encouragement—where might you find that? Hint for both: check out the Connect and Grow tabs at firstlutherancr.org!
Discover Scripture and Life
Introduction: Baptism is an outward sign of a relationship that is covenantal, not contractual. Our relationship with God in Christ is based on covenantal promises. God makes promises of life and salvation, and in response those being baptized or parents presenting children for baptism make a vow of faithfulness. Parents assume a calling to pass on the faith, to raise a child in the promises of God given in baptism and a life shaped by those promises. The service of baptism includes basic practices of faith that ground our lives in the promises of God.
Bible
From the Baptism Liturgy:
ELW, page 228
Questions to Parents and Sponsors
Parents: called by the Holy Spirit, trusting in the grace and love of God, do you desire to have your child baptized into Christ? Parents: I do.
As you bring your child to receive the gift of baptism, you are entrusted with responsibilities:
to live with them among God’s faithful people,
bring them to the word of God
(bring them to) the holy supper
teach them the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, the Ten Commandments,
place in their hands the holy scriptures and
nurture them in faith and prayer,
so that your child may learn
to trust God,
proclaim Christ through word and deed,
care for others and the World God made, and
work for justice and peace.
Do you promise to help your child grow in the Christian faith and life?
Parents: I do
Sponsors, do you promise to encourage this family in the Christian faith, to pray for them, and to support them as their child grows to maturity. If so, answer, “I promise with God’s help.”
Scripture
I Peter 3:21—"And that water is like the baptism which now saves you—not the washing of dirt from the body, but the promise made to God from a good conscience. And this is because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead.”
Matthew 28:19-20—Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Opening Discovery
1. Who was an important person for you in your faith journey as a child/teen. What did they do?
More about the Scripture
1. The Lutheran baptismal liturgy lays out simple faith practices. Which of these practices (after the >) are most helpful to you in your faith walk?
2. Which practices are harder to do, or to be consistent with?
3. What is something this church could do to help you in your faith walk? What help in faith practices or encouragement would matter for you?
4. The baptismal liturgy also describes how Christians live their faith (see items after the +). Which of these ways are important for you to live your faith?
5. Who has been a positive example of the Christian life for you?
More about Life
1. Who has been a mentor in the faith for you now as an adult? How so? What do they do? How do they encourage you?
Together in Prayer
Closing Prayer
Pray for the concerns shared in the group. Close in the Lord’s Prayer.
You may also use this prayer.
O God, we thank you for this time we have shared. We bring before you the joys and concerns of our heart. We pray especially for….. Grant us your healing and peace, in Jesus name. Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
Lord remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Together in Community
Discover Scripture and Life
Introduction: Baptism is an outward sign of a relationship that is covenantal, not contractual. Our relationship with God in Christ is based on covenantal promises. God makes promises of life and salvation, and in response those being baptized or parents presenting children for baptism make a vow of faithfulness. Parents assume a calling to pass on the faith, to raise a child in the promises of God given in baptism and a life shaped by those promises. The service of baptism includes basic practices of faith that ground our lives in the promises of God.
Bible
From the Baptism Liturgy:
ELW, page 228
Questions to Parents and Sponsors
Parents: called by the Holy Spirit, trusting in the grace and love of God, do you desire to have your child baptized into Christ? Parents: I do.
As you bring your child to receive the gift of baptism, you are entrusted with responsibilities:
to live with them among God’s faithful people,
bring them to the word of God
(bring them to) the holy supper
teach them the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, the Ten Commandments,
place in their hands the holy scriptures and
nurture them in faith and prayer,
so that your child may learn
to trust God,
proclaim Christ through word and deed,
care for others and the World God made, and
work for justice and peace.
Do you promise to help your child grow in the Christian faith and life?
Parents: I do
Sponsors, do you promise to encourage this family in the Christian faith, to pray for them, and to support them as their child grows to maturity. If so, answer, “I promise with God’s help.”
Scripture
I Peter 3:21—"And that water is like the baptism which now saves you—not the washing of dirt from the body, but the promise made to God from a good conscience. And this is because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead.”
Matthew 28:19-20—Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Question—Choose 1 (If there are 6 or more in the group, breakout in groups of 2 or 3.)
1. Who was an important person for you in your faith journey as a child/teen. What did they do?
2. The Lutheran baptismal liturgy lays out simple faith practices. Which of these practices (after the >) are most helpful to you in your faith walk?
3. Which practices are harder to do, or to be consistent with?
4. What is something this church could do to help you in your faith walk? What help in faith practices or encouragement would matter for you?
5. The baptismal liturgy also describes how Christians live their faith (see items after the +). Which of these ways are important for you to live your faith?
6. Who has been a positive example of the Christian life for you?
7. Who has been a mentor in the faith for you now as an adult? How so? What do they do? How do they encourage you?
Together in Prayer
Connect with one another before prayer. Choose one of these options.
Option 1: One word—As you reflect about your day, what is one word that summarizes how you are feeling.
Option 2—Share High’s and Low’s
(If there are 6 or more in the group, then share high’s and low’s in small groups of 2 or 3.)
Prayer—We thank you God for bringing us together. We give thanks and praise for the good gifts you have given us. For the concerns and challenges we experience, help us to give them to you in the confidence of your loving care for us. In our sharing and listening, open us to your presence. Amen.
Lord’s Prayer—Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
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FIVE MINUTES WITH GOD
INTRODUCTION: Did you know you attend Jesus School? You were enrolled in this school when you were baptized. Those who attend this school aren’t called students. They are disciples. As a disciple you are formed and crafted to be like the school’s namesake: Jesus. Your subjects include prayer, scripture, worship, service, faith, hope, and love. No one ever graduates from this school because you are a disciple at Jesus School your whole life. At this school you are both learner and teacher. You are part of a community where all grow and encourage growth in one another.
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE: Although there are no grades at Jesus School, we do check in on how we are doing so we know where we might need some tutoring. Make a list of your Jesus School subjects. Suggestions are above, but what are you learning as a disciple? Where are you growing? Where might you need some encouragement? Those places of growth—how might you share your gifts with others? Those places where you need some encouragement—where might you find that? Hint for both: check out the Connect and Grow tabs at firstlutherancr.org!
