Leviticus Bible Sketch

Our Creator is holy

“What does it mean to be holy? … What does God require of us to be considered holy?” (find out what Pastor Mark Schlamann says by clicking here)

Sketch of praying hands under the cross of Christ Jesus, His shed blood, the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith given in the water of Baptism and the Word. “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” Leviticus 19:2b ESV

In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

“…we are part of His family—we are His own children…” (listen or read more from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Two Rivers, WI)

Sketchbook doodle symbolizing the gifts of being washed, cleansed and loved by the our Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The powerful light of God lives in, flows through and shines from all believers throughout the universal Christian Church.

We pray

Dear Father God,
Thank You for giving us saving faith that is ours through the

• working of the Holy Spirit and
• what Christ Jesus has done to fulfill the law

Turn us to your Word to

• show us our sin
• increase our understanding of the gospel
• transform us by the renewal of our minds that by testing we may discern
  • what is Your will
  • what is good and acceptable and perfect
• guide us to humbly live in the holiness of your merciful Truth
• encourage and strengthen us to accomplish things You provide for us to do
• increase reflection that leads us to repent of our wrongdoings
• make us certain of Your presence
• share divine love You stir within us
• motivate us to pray
• move us to be generous
• teach us to gently build others up with encouragement and kindness
• develop our leadership and creative skills which would point others to You
• light our way to care for others with
  • patience
  • forgiveness
  • compassion
• complete our joy in believing and trusting Your gracious invitation that has no end

Give us desire to receive Your gifts. Open our ears, hearts and mouths to receive your honest, holy goodness in worship and The Lord’s Supper. Amen.

The written Word of God

Check out this Bible with helpful extra notes and references: The Lutheran Study Bible

How to do laundry—a tip for handling hangers and how dirty laundry is related to faith.

Do you fight the Hanger Monster?

Hangers in my closet accumulate like dirty laundry. When my hanger stash goes empty in the laundry room, I need to replenish the supply. I try to keep them all in a row during the transfer to the bar where I hang the freshly laundered clothes. Clumsiness takes over—my hand is not long enough, nor my arm skinny enough, to gracefully handle them all in one trip. I often end up with a minor catastrophe requiring reorganization which consumes several minutes of precious time. A light came on today when I discovered a method of accomplishing the task without messing the hangers up into a big cluster to untangle. I used a hanger to transport empty hangers from the closet to the laundry room! Why have I not thought of this before? This is great! Now I can use my other hand to grab a handful of peanut M&Ms—because they melt in your mouth, not in your hands.

Use a hanger to transport empty hangers from the closet to the laundry room

Cleaning out a closet and getting rid of dirty laundry is refreshing. 

Our Heavenly Father loves us like an earthly father loves his child. His truth is written on our heart, but our human nature rejects it—this is sin. We should fight sin like a pile of dirty laundry because by grace, His Son Jesus suffered and died for us, even though Christ was innocent and we certainly did not deserve it. Just like laundry is “a job”, we don’t like to be reminded of sin and would rather do things “our way”. A laundry list of sins is found in the first chapter of the book of Romans where we learn that the righteous live by faith and also about God’s wrath on unrighteousness. We cannot confess and turn away from sin on our own, but we receive the Holy Spirit’s power—the gift of faith—in baptism and by hearing God’s Word. The laundry room of our hearts is replenished with “new hangers” of encouragement through church, Bible study and devotions. Our confessed sins are forgiven—washed away like dirt from laundry—and we try to do better.

Believers are not ashamed of the gospel—it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

What We Believe

• God is the triune God of the Bible—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier.
• The Bible is the Word of God. It not only contains the Word of God, but actually is God’s Word and is the only source of revealed truth concerning Christ, faith, and salvation, by which the church is governed.
• Faith in Jesus Christ is the gift of God to man through which man is declared righteous before God who forgives all man’s sins.
• Man, though created holy and innocent, by his own choice fell into sin, thus separating himself from God.
• Sin is every offense of God’s law and leads man to death and eternal damnation unless he is redeemed.
• Redemption is the act of God revealed in the Bible and proclaimed by the Church whereby Jesus Christ, the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, died for the sins of the world and rose again from the dead to secure our redemption.
  —Faith Lutheran Church, Abilene, Kansas
  

Out of thanksgiving for this amazing Gift we

• Trust in Him completely.
• Pray.
• Worship.
• Sing and praise Him.
• Receive the Spirit’s wisdom and direction in our lives, always pushing to learn more.
• Do good works.
• Share this Good News with others.

These things are pleasing to Our Father in Heaven.