Announcements

Hey Fred. This is Pastor Greg stenzel here. And I just coming to you with some announcements. I want to remind you of our Bible study on Thursdays on the book of Romans. We are doing this via a conference call video computer radio conference over a program called Zoom. And if you look down at here at this announcement screen, you'll see in a dress. I say copy to your web browser https with a bunch of numbers and letters. So if you just put that in your web browser, you'll be able to access the meeting and I encourage you to do so, we had just a wonderful discussion this last Thursday in Romans chapter 5 and will be continuing at this next Wednesday. Another announcement I want to make is our Wednesday evening Linton worship is taking place on Facebook live. It is a live video streaming broadcast on facebook.com Christ Lutheran Church Chippewa Falls. Will you will be you will be able to access it and watch it live from 6:30. I have your on the slide from 6:30 to 7:30, but it's really about 6:30 to 7:10. Something like that. This coming Wednesday is our last Wednesday together. The week after is Holy Week and I'll be announcing what we'll be doing at Holy Week and attend another.

And another broadcast so put this on your calendar. This is our last Wednesday evening Gathering where we are looking at the various eyes that are on Jesus Sunday worship is tomorrow. And that also was on Facebook live the same the same address the same channeled facebook.com Christ Lutheran Church, Chippewa Falls, and that's at 9:30. We hope to have the means to make it. So it's easier for you to follow along for using slide similar to what you're looking at now. And so cross your fingers and pray for us, please. We're trying to make this easier as we go through this time of transition and doing Ministry that we never drop we'd be doing before. I'm so I'm so pleased our pray for us and pray for us tomorrow. Which brings me to the next point is the normal bulletin insert the devotional bulletin insert that you've been enjoying many of you been enjoying. It's kind of difficult to get that to you. Now now that we're not meeting face-to-face but I've have for you here the website address that you put into your computer at what does this mean. Org / devotions. HTML and that will take you to the page where we get these devotions for you. If you just scroll down on that page, you will find devotions for all the weeks passed and the current one is always on top. They usually have them ready to go by Friday. Sometimes it's Saturday, but usually by Friday afternoon, they're ready to go for the upcoming week. So you can go there actually right now and find your devotion for next week. And all you have to do is download it to your computer or your tablet save it there and instead of having a paper copy. You'll have a digital copy copy that you can use to exactly the same of what you see in your teeth without you getting getting your bulletin on the hardcopy, but this will be on your computer or on your tablet. So I encourage you to use that. Also another announcement. I want to make as pertains to giving during this covid 19 pandemic. We are asking you to remember the continuing Ministry of Christ Lutheran Church. It is continuing and we still have much to do and I want to thank you all for your generosity for your contributions many of you have used the online giving option which is been very very slick. Actually. You just simply go to faithlife.com CLC Chippewa / give and that'll take you to a secure site and where you can make your gift and any amount that you want. You might want to make it just a single time one-time gift a couple of you have made this a regular your gift is an ongoing contribution. So you kind of set it and forget it. And so so please use that thank you to those that have been using that and also thank you to those who have been writing out checks and dropping them in the mail. We have been receiving those and they are put under lock and key until the counters come in on Monday and they will take care of depositing those gifts. So thank you for your continued support of the ministry of Christ Lutheran Church during these weeks ahead. Well, welcome welcome welcome tomorrow is the fifth Sunday in Lent. and we are going to hear about the resurrection we get to hear about what Jesus has come to do for us and most especially we get to hear this incredible were promised from the book of from the book of Ezekiel where God has promised that dry bones and deed will live that old dead. Dry Bones will come back to life. But before I get to that I want to remind you of some of God's promises that he has given to us that these are fantastic promises, especially in the days in which we live today. He said this from John 16 or Lord. Jesus said these things to you that in me you may have peace in the world you will have tribulation, but take heart. I have overcome the world take heart dear friends in the midst of the tribulation. We face today know that our lord Jesus has overcome the world. So what's going on around us with this covid-19 pandemic is bad to be sure about take heart. Our Lord is going to take care of us, which brings me to this other passage from Psalms, 55 cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you he will never permit the righteous to be moved. He's going to protect you. He's going to protect us all that. The righteous will always be righteous in God's sight. No matter what happens to our body Barre soul is always secure and we never ever have to worry. Which reminds me to ask you to continue to pray? During a date days, like which in which we live today prayer is our Lifeline that we have and we have many people to pray for we have people who are sick who are just now. We just heard on the news the other day how this pandemic has reached Eau Claire County Chippewa County and Dunn County for the first time and so on so it's catching up to us. And so it's indeed good that we pray pray for the sick pray for those in our midst who are dealing with various illnesses and diseases like cancer, but especially pray for those who are dealing with this pandemic and are fighting the effects of it which leads me to pray for those who are anxious. There are many people who are anxious about about this. We wonder about whether we should be staying at home as Governor eavers has some honest us to do matter of fact is Mater Dei an executive order that we need to remain it home yet believe he called it safe safely at home. I believe it's what it's called at least through the 24th of April and if we stay at home or at our odds of Contracting this pandemic is is greatly minimized. So encourage you to stay at home encourage you to not to be anxious but the bucket pray for the anxiousness that comes and for those who are anxious and sometimes we are anxious for good reason and one of the reasons why were anxious just because many people are unemployed now, My wife Tanya is one of them who is unemployed because of this pandemic. I just heard from Nancy Decker young and Matt Young that they both lost their jobs this past week because of covid-19 is Coronavirus and so pray for them. And if you have a particular needs that you want the entire congregation to pray for a remember that we at Christ Lutheran have a prayer chain and all of those requests. You can direct it to Carol Johnson at 715-723-1676 or she will get the prayer warriors of Christ Lutheran Church ignited to pray for the item that his on your heart and mine. Well, tomorrow is Sunday 2 and we will be as I mentioned before will be streaming the service live over Facebook at Christ Lutheran Church, Chippewa Falls at their page on Facebook. Calm, and we're going to be talking about the preaching to dead bones that truly dead bones can live. That's drawn from Ezekiel 37, and I hope and promise that we have here for us all dear friends that God's word is not only the source of our hope that it also is the means to bring hope to our struggles in life. So stay tuned for that, and I hope that you plan to tune in for that service. If not for the service live listen to it in a recording that follows. I want to remind you of what is Ezekiel said I want to read this passage from Ezekiel to you. For the Lord came to Ezekiel said the hand of the Lord Came Upon me and brought me out in the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley and it was full of Bones. Then he caused me to pass by them all around and behold there were very many in the open Valley and indeed they were very dry.

And he said to me son of man can these bones live so I answered? Oh Lord God, you know again, he said to me prophesy to these bones and say to them. Oh Dry Bones hear the word of the Lord. Says the Lord God to these bones is surely. I will cause breath to enter into you and you shall live I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you cover you with skin and put breath in you and you shall live then you shall know that I am the Lord so I prophesied as I was commanded and as I prophesied there was a noise and suddenly a rattling and the bones came together bone to bone and deed. I looked the sinews and Flash Came Upon them in the skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. Also, he said to me prophesy to the breath prophesy o son of man and say to the breath thus says the Lord come from the Four Winds o breath and breathe on the slain in that they made live. So I prophesied is he commanded me and breath came in to them and they lived and stood upon their feet and exceedingly great Army. Then he said to me son of man. These bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say our bones are dry. Our hope is lost and we ourselves are cut off their for prophesying say to them thus says the Lord God behold all my people. I will open your Graves and cause you to come up from your Graves and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord when I have opened your grave so my people and brought you up from your Graves. I will put my spirit. Can you and you shall live and I will put you in your own land then you shall know that I the Lord have spoken it and performed it says the Lord. What a wonderful wonderful promise for all of us. You dear people of God are the people of God today. You are part of the land of Israel the whole house of Israel because of your baptism into Christ and you need to know and be assured that regardless of what's going on around us right now. That our Lord God is going to give us life. He is going to bring us through that no matter what happens to us that nothing at all of creation is going to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ. Jesus our lord. I came across this fun. Graphic that I just had to share with you that is drawn from a zekiel 37 verse 5 of how God brings what is dead and dried out and hopeless and brings it back to life again. And that is the promise that you and I have in the midst of all we deal with today though. Sometimes it seems hopeless and we seemed rather anxious we do in fact have hope because God in fact is breathing life into us in that life that he breathes into his comes to us from his word and from his Sacrament his sacrament of his body and blood which he gives which he gives to us for the Forgiveness of our sins. Yes, but he also gives to us For the comfort of our souls are so take advantage of these things during this time. There's a song that we're going to sing tomorrow. I'm not going to go through the whole thing here. But some of you know this song it's an old old gospel song His Eye Is on the Sparrow and I just want to show you a couple of words is to remind you. Why should I feel discouraged? Why should the Shadows come why should my heart be lonely and long for heaven and home when Jesus is my portion. My constant friend is he? His Eye Is on the Sparrow and he watches over me dear friend he is watching over us we have nothing to fear. We have nothing to to be discouraged about because

Even though he watches over the birds of the field and he takes care of them. How much more is he watching over us? And then he goes on to some verse goes on to say let not your heart be troubled. His tender word. I hear and resting on his goodness. I lose my doubts and fears though by the path he leadeth but once his eyes on the sparrow and he watches over me. And then the song writer goes whenever I am tempted whenever clouds arise when songs give place to sign and hope within me dies. He gives the remedy here. I draw the closer to him. From care he sets me free His Eye Is on the Sparrow and I know he cares for me for I Sing Because I'm happy I sing because I'm free. For His Eye Is on the Sparrow and I know he watches me and that dear friends in the midst of the trials and tribulations we face today we can know for sure. But his eye is on us that that because His Eye Is on the Sparrow when he watches over the birds of the field and the flock the birds of the air and the flowers of the field was items that are the least important of all creation. You can be sure that not only is he watching over you but as that last line here says he cares for me he cares for you. And that you can take to the bank and cash that check all day long. So dear friends in Christ. I look forward to seeing you Sunday. At least you'll see me on Facebook live at 9:30. That's at facebook.com Christ Lutheran Church, Chippewa Falls 9:30, and if you miss it, or if you have a problem, it will be posted as a replay so you can watch it later. But may God richly bless you and encourage you and strengthen you this day going piece dear friends. Thanks be to God.