LifeBridge is going to be starting a “Confirmation Class” for those in 6th-8th grades (approximately ages 11-14, though those in High School may take part as well, if they would like).
Confirmation classes are a right of passage that helps our youth:
grow in their relationship with Jesus and faith in Him,
learn the basics of the Christian Faith,
confirm their Faith to the Church,
let’s the Church celebrate them, and
allows them to become voting members of LifeBridge.
If you are a youth (or have a youth) who fits this age range and this is their desire, we would love to have him or her join us for these classes!
Our usual meeting dates and times will be on Wednesday nights during the SURGE small group times.
We will have our first informational meeting on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, during the SURGE small group time.
Before that date, could you please help us out by filling out the form below so we can update our records and know whom to expect?
If you have any questions or comments, please let me know. You can reach me at this email address or on my cell at (713) 965-6761.
Thank you, God bless, and I hope to see you and/or your youth on September 24!
In joyful anticipation, Pastor Scott
Some information on Confirmation can be found here.
A pastoral letter to a congregation he didn’t start to discuss big issues and heresies they were facing. That’s what we see in the book of Colossians.
Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ.
Colossians 2:8 (CSB)
St. Paul writes this letter to the congregation because they were being led astray. The “Colossian Heresy” is not specifically identified, but we see some of the teachings that St. Paul is addressing. They include (based from the reference at the bottom):
The inferiority of Christ // That Christ was not “all sufficient” // The He may not have been fully divine
The elevation of “philosophies” not built on Christ.
Legalistic observation of Jewish traditions as well as dietary and festival laws.
Worshipping of angels and other lesser spirits.
Asceticism and the view of the physical body as “evil.”
Claim to special insight to truth rather than the apostles of Scripture.
St. Paul wasn’t going to let that go.
What God says in His Word is for a reason. He gave us His precious Words for us to know and follow. Pure doctrine matters. We don’t get to pick and choose what we like. We don’t get to follow the teachers we like, regardless of if they are being faithful to Him and His Word.
Sound familiar?
There is much to hear, learn, digest, live, and teach here for us, just as for our brothers and sisters in Colossae.
Today we will look at some of the background to this important letter and book and see why the issues St. Paul brought up with that congregation apply to us as well.
“Lord, forgive us when we do not take Your precious, inerrant Word and Will to heart and compromise what You say in our hearts and lives. Help us to mind our doctrine and teaching closely as ones who want to follow You fully and truly. Thank You for the all-sufficient love and sacrifice given to us through Your Son, Jesus. It is in Him only we have salvation. In His precious name do we pray; amen.”
SEE: Martin, M. (2003). Colossians, Letter to The. In C. Brand, C. Draper, A. England, S. Bond, E. R. Clendenen, & T. C. Butler (Eds.), Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (pp. 319–320). Holman Bible Publishers.
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
James 5:14
On Sunday, August 24, 2025, during worship, we will have a time when those who would like to be anointed with oil may come up, be prayed over, and anointed.
Faith is a word we talk about a lot in theology. It is common in discussions because it is an essential tenant. In fact when we discuss Christianity and Jesus we discuss it as “the Faith.” That’s not by accident.
Salvation comes by God’s grace through faith in Jesus and what He has done for us on the cross and through the empty tomb (Ephesians 2:8-10). In that statement are some key words like grace and faith (not to mention God and Jesus and the cross and the tomb).
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
Grace is a concept we should explore another time but today we’re focusing on faith.
Our scripture repeats it numerous times and it’s one of my favorite passages. There is so much in it that is profound, helpful, humbling, and encouraging; so much that points me away from myself and toward God.
We can start by the first verse; “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
If something can be seen and proved, it isn’t faith.
The word itself is closely associated and connected with the words trust and conviction.
But we often lack in our faith and trust because we focus on the “what” and the “how” instead of on the “Who.” We want to put faith only in those things that can be substantiated by other means like our science or our sensibilities.
But that’s not how it works.
To put faith and trust in someone or something demands that that someone or something be faithful and trustworthy. Our sensibilities and science are not and cannot be fully faithful and trustworthy all the time because they change, they meander, they stray, they fail.
God doesn’t. Ever.
God is full of faith and worthy of trust in every situation and in every time and place. He is the only one who is faithful and trustworthy; the only One who deserves our faith and our trust because He has shown Himself time and time again to be such. He has never failed and never will.
Regardless of what anyone or anything else says we can put our full faith and trust in our Heavenly Father, who created and sustains us; in Jesus, who redeemed and saved us; and then the Holy Spirit, who brings us to faith, strengthens us in it, and keeps us in that Faith to life everlasting.
No matter what comes our way our faith can be unshaken when placed in Him, and nowhere else.
That is stabilizing! That is comforting! That gives us strength and confidence!
“Thank You Lord, for being always faithful and always trustworthy. Forgive us when we have been neither. Help us to put off and away anything that would shake our faith in You and You alone, through Jesus Christ our Lord. In His holy, precious, and trustworthy name do we pray. Amen.”
A FREE ASL class in Katy, taught by our own Becky Jungklaus!
Did you know that ASL is the 3rd most spoken language in the U.S.?
It’s important for communicators, parents with deaf children, ASL students, teachers, deaf/hearing people, and many more to understand how learning and using other languages such as American Sign Language (ASL) can benefit how you communicate with others and better your life overall.
Here are the details:
DATE
2nd & 4th Sundays Beginning on Sunday, September 14, 2025
Gratitude is the lifestyle Jesus Christ came to restore in all people; it is a living attitude of genuine gratitude to God for all He has done.
Our Gospel reading is simple enough, but let me make it a little simpler. Ten “dead men walking” pleaded with Jesus for their lives. Death was the natural course for those with Leprosy. Life was a gift from God; restoring life was a genuine miracle.
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!
Psalm 107:1
According to God’s Word, Death is an invader into God’s design; the result of man’s stubborn refusal to simply accept God’s goodness and mercy.
Adam and Eve wanted to be their own gods rather than to serve the true God. That is death; separation from God the Giver of life.
Jesus came that we might have abundant life. Jesus came to redeem life to all “walking dead men;” so we might have “newness of life,”
Abundant life is knowing God and doing His will in our lives. Abundant living calls for abundant gratitude. To live newness of life means living our thanks to God.
Jesus provided a miracle for His disciples and for the ten lepers. Ten got the miracle, but one got the message. Ten got the sign, but only one got the insight into abundant living; give God your heartfelt thanks for His gift of salvation. Remember to say, “Thank you to Jesus.” Psalm 107:1 “Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever.”
A student asked Martin Luther, “If you could have only one book of the Bible, which would you choose?” His choice was Genesis. God’s plan started “In the beginning.”
Sin entered creation through Adam and Eve in the beginning. Through that initial rebellion against God’s plan, we “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3). “None are righteous, no, not one” (Psalm 14).
Then [Abraham] said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”
Genesis 18:32
In short, man needs God’s plan.
Chapter eleven of Genesis introduces “Abram.” He stood out from the ‘Sin Cycle Gang.’ God appreciated Abram. He was as good as man could be. His goodness was not perfect performance. He was eager to glorify God by living as God intended.
Abraham (i.e., Abram) was God’s faithful optimist. He believed God, and God counted his faith as righteousness.
God and two unidentified angels met with Abraham under the trees of Mamre. This meeting was not just for blessing, it was also for warning.
Abraham, God, and His two unidentified messengers set their course toward Sodom and Gomorrah.
Sodom and Gomora were a perfect example of moral depravity.
They were lost beyond a care for God’s mercy.
Sodom was a dramatic demonstration of God’s righteous judgment against sin and wickedness.
God trusted Abraham for godly fellowship. Abraham affirmed God’s love for all life. They were friends. The blessings from God included a mission for all who follow God’s plan.
God said, “I have known [Abraham] and he will command his children and his household after him, so they keep going the way of the Lord, being right and just” (Genesis 18:19). God not only trusted Abraham with the present, He entrusted Abraham with future generations.
Yahweh made His intentions clear to Abraham, because Abraham would teach future generations to walk in God’s way and no other way. Jesus blesses and warns us to keep the way of the Lord (John 3:16-17). Is God’s blessing for everybody.
There are truly two sides of the Day of the Lord. It is like the now famous bumper sticker: “Eternity: Smoking or non-smoking?” To the wicked, to any who mock God and block faith in Jesus, God warns, “Unpack your asbestos underwear; judgement will get very hot.” “‘All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and Judgment Day will set them on fire,’ says the LORD Almighty” (Malachi 4:1a).
This is God’s plan repeated as Jesus tells us to “make disciples of ALL NATIONS…baptizing [and]…teaching all I have commanded” (Matthew 28:19-20). Blessing and warning.
Not fifty, not forty, not even ten are right and just on their own merits. Only Christ, the righteousness of God by grace, through faith, saves. From Genesis through Revelation, Jesus is our message from generation to generation.
There are a lot of musicals that I love. My favorite is Hamilton. But right up there are “Les Miserables,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and Wicked.
I’ve had the chance to see “Fiddler” a couple of times live with Topol, including his farewell tour.
But one things is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.
Luke 10:42
It was fantastic!
One of the great songs in that musical is “If I Were a Rich Man.” Some of the lyrics go:
If I were rich, I’d have the time that I lack To sit in the synagogue and pray And maybe have a seat by the eastern wall And I’d discuss the holy books with the learned men Seven hours every day And that would be the sweetest thing of all
Some feel that this is what pastors get to do all day.
That would be wonderful!
The reality is that pastors, like all of us, have many distractions that pull us from the “one things…necessary” that is “the good portion” (Luke 10:42).
In our text for today, Martha gets a bad rap. The inevitable question comes: “If Martha (and others like her) didn’t deal with everything, how would the get done?”
Jesus doesn’t answer that. He also doesn’t say what Martha is doing in unimportant. In fact, the only way He addresses her is that she is “anxious and troubled by many things” (Luke 10: 41) and earlier the text says she was “distracted” (Luke 10: 40). But the problem isn’t the items needing to get done. The issue is that Mary has chosen that which is the toip, best, most important thing. She sees the priority of things.
There will always be distractions and things to get done, but when we have – and take – that opportunity to grow in our relationship to God, grow in our faith, grow in the Word, we need to take it! (And address the other items another time.)
The fact is, we usually elevate the importance of these other matters and devalue items relating to our faith. We usually use the “distractions” as a convenient way to say “we’re too busy” to be in communion with God and take time in the Word.
The issue is seldom the other matters. The issue is what we value; what we spend our time on; what we choose with our time. The issue is whether we truly see Jesus as “the good portion,” at the expense of all else.
What are the distractions in your life causing you anxiety and keeping you from Him, the “good portion?” What will you do by the Holy Spirit to put away the distractions and focus on Him?
“Lord, grant that we put away all distractions and focus on growing closer to You, for Your desire is for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
