This year during the Fridays in Lent, there will be awesome fish dinners available to pick up at LifeBridge.
The organization, “Charitable Heroes Achieving Memorable Performances” (aka: “CHAMP”) will be doing this at LifeBridge as a fundraiser while their permanent location is being finished.
CHAMP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity organized to raise funds to promote Youth Activities, (Scouts, Special Olympics, Little League), provide scholarships to graduating High School Seniors, and assist Veterans organizations.
These Fish Dinners help them raise money for these and other causes.
Dinners include the following:
Fried Fish
Potato Salad
Pinto Beans
Coleslaw
Hush Puppies
Just $13 / Plate!
They can be picked up on during the following:
February 20
4:30 – 7:00 PM
February 27
4:30 – 7:00 PM
March 6
4:30 – 7:00 PM
March 13
4:30 – 7:00 PM
MArch 20
4:30 – 7:00 PM
March 27
4:30 – 7:00 PM
April 3 (Good Friday)
3:30 – 6:00 PM
Why cook? Pick up dinner at LifeBridge on Fridays this Lent and help others out while doing it!
This Lenten season we will be going through “The Book of EXODUS: Let My People Go!”
Throughout the book of Exodus God reveals who he is through his absence and his presence, through his silence and his speech, through his wrath and his mercy, and through his judgement and his amazing grace. In doing so, the book paints a beautiful portrait of Jesus.
R. Reed Lessing (series author)
Exodus gives us a wonderful image of God saving His people with “a strong hand and an outstretched arm” (Deuteronomy 26:8). In fact, the first commandment in the Jewish numbering system is “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2).
That’s something for us to hold on to and a reality we can live in when we look at the chaos of our world, our culture, and our lives.
We can feel so trapped and helpless, and looking to our culture only exacerbates those feelings!
But God is faithful, and as He saved His people by bringing them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, so He has saved us through Jesus and blessed us with His Holy Spirit.
Join us this Lent as we go through God’s command to our enemies, to let us go!
Join us on WEDNESDAY, February 18, 2026, at 7:00 PM for Ash Wednesday worship and the Imposition of Ashes.
“Big Things with Small Stuff”
May we see God’s rescue of our evil ways in our personal prison conquered forever through Jesus.
Genesis 3:19
Exodus 2:1-10
The purpose of repentance is not to be swallowed up by guilt. It is to be freed from a dark and destructive direction by God’s wakening Word, and to be sent on a new path by the sin-conquering Savior. It’s what we all need.
THE REV. MIKE NEWMAN PRESIDENT OF THE TEXAS DISTRICT OF THE LC-MS
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of our Lenten journey, which culminates on Easter Sunday with the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.
On that night at worship we mark our foreheads with an ash cross and, as that cross is marked, we are reminded of our sins. As we are marked by Jesus’ sacrifice; we are drawn to the realization that “[we] are dust, and to dust [we] shall return” (Genesis 3:19).
On Ash Wednesday and throughout the season of Lent, we also focus on our sins, on repentance, and on our broken world; seeing how we and all of creation has fallen far short of God’s intention and glory.
But we do not despair because we look to the certain hope that is ours through the forgiveness of our sins given to us freely by God’s grace through faith in Jesus.
THE IMPOSITION OF ASHES
Everything we experience in life is
finite and temporal, including our own lives. As the Scripture reports, we came
from the dust of the ground and we will return to the dust of the ground. (Genesis 3:19 & Ecclesiastes 3:20)
For many centuries the use of ashes has symbolized repentance. Imposing ashes in the form of a cross on the forehead of the worshipper on Ash Wednesday is a vivid reminder that such a person has been redeemed by Christ the Crucified. It is a symbol, not primarily of our sins, but upon the forgiveness of them through faith in Jesus.
As Ash Wednesday is a somber time as we remember that Jesus willingly suffering and death come as a result of our sins and His love. As such, at the conclusion of worship that day, we exit the church in silence.
“Repentance slays selfish pride, turns us from sin’s siren call, quiets arrogant arguments, tames out-of-control egos, pulls us back from distraction, leads us to restoration of relationships, places us on the pathway of walking with God, and restores our hearts with compassion and grace.
We need this personally. We need this as schools and congregations. We need this as a District. We need this as a Synod. We need this as Christ’s Church.”
The Rev. Mike Newman President of the Texas District of the LC-MS
On Friday, March 18, 2025, at 7:00 PM, we will worship and “celebrate”Good Friday with a form of a “Service of Darkness.”
It will be a meaningful, but difficult service. We pray you will attend.
The term “reparations” has become extremely loaded and controversial in our time in society right now. What it means is simply trying to make amends for a wrong. How those amends are done, for whom, why, etc.; those have become very politicized. But the fact is there are circumstances where reparations are proper, appropriate, and even necessary.
Our sins and those of the world are a wrong that exceeds comprehension; are too immense to fathom; that reach beyond our understanding. Our sins are a wrong that needs to be corrected. They have created the need for amends – payment – to be made.
And we couldn’t do it. We wouldn’t do it.
The enormity of the gap between what we owed and the perfection God demands can never be accomplished by anything that we do.
God demands perfection. We aren’t perfect. Jesus is.
Jesus is the only acceptable payment for our sins. He is the amends for our wrongs. He is the solution to our problem. He is the Savior for our sins. He is the victor our defeat. He is the life for our deserved death. He is the ultimate reparation – the only preparation – that could happen.
That matters. He is everything.
His painful, brutal, willing sacrifice on that cross means forgiveness, life, and salvation for us that we couldn’t achieve, didn’t deserve, or could even imagine.
The darkness and depth of Good Friday is a part of the reality of the need for reparations for the fall and sin. And because Jesus – the only satisfactory sacrifice – willingly and painfully died for us, it is the only reason that today can be considered “good.”
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, for enduring the cross, scorning its shame, for us and our salvation. Thank You, Lord God, heavenly Father, for accepting Jesus’ sacrifice as a reparation for our wrongs. Forgive us when we continue in our sin and move us by Your Holy Spirit to seek Your ways in everything that we think, say, and do, from here on, to the best of our abilities. In Jesus name in sacrifice; Amen.”
“Good Friday.” Such a strange name for the day when the innocent Savior of humanity and God’s Son died horribly. Yet, for us, the day marks a pivotal event in history. A holy and unbelievable imbalanced exchange: His perfection and innocence for our sins and guilt.
And twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head and put a reed in His right hand. And kneeling before Him, they mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on Him and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe and put His own clothes on Him and led Him away to crucify Him.
Matthew 27:29-31
Lord, have mercy!
And He did. Have mercy. For us. When we were still in sin and rebellion.
We worship and “celebrate” this event and exchange with a form of a “Tenebrae” service. Tenebrae means “darkness” and the service takes its name from the ceremony of extinguishing the worship candles in such a way that the Church is gradually cast into darkness, except for the light of a single candle. The focus of the Tenebrae is the consequence of sin and the magnitude of Jesus’ sacrifice. The worship ends in darkness and silence, symbolizing our Savior’s death upon the cross. The single candle symbolizes the hope of our Savior’s resurrection. At the completion of the Tenebrae service, the worshipers are asked to leave in silence, in order to maintain the spirit of the Good Friday commemoration of our Savior’s crucifixion.
Experience the depth of God’s love for you on Good Friday so that you can sour with the news of His resurrection on Easter Sunday!
This year during the Fridays in Lent, there will be awesome fish dinners available to pick up at LifeBridge.
The organization, “Charitable Heroes Achieving Memorable Performances” (aka: “CHAMP”) will be doing this at LifeBridge as a fundraiser while their permanent location is being finished.
CHAMP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity organized to raise funds to promote Youth Activities, (Scouts, Special Olympics, Little League), provide scholarships to graduating High School Seniors, and assist Veterans organizations.
These Fish Dinners help them raise money for these and other causes.
Dinners include the following:
Fish
Potato Salad
Pinto Beans
Coleslaw
Hush Puppies
Tartar Sauce
Just $12 / Plate!
They can be picked up on during the following:
March 7
4:30 – 7:00 PM
March 14
4:30 – 7:00 PM
March 21
4:30 – 7:00 PM
March 28
4:30 – 7:00 PM
April 4
4:30 – 7:00 PM
April 11
4:30 – 7:00 PM
April 18 (Good Friday)
3:30 – 6:00 PM
Why cook? Pick up dinner at LifeBridge on Fridays this Lent and help others out while doing it!
Genesis tells us of the beginning; creation, beauty, and then the Fall. It tells us of the need for a Savior who would restore what He made and gave.
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.
Genesis 3:15 (ESV)
This Lent we will look at a part of the Genesis account and tie it to Jesus. We will start with Ash Wednesday and go through Easter. Our journey will include:
The men said to them, “Why do you seek the Living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”
Luke 24:5b-6a
This Sunday marks the highest, most Holy day of the year; because the Resurrection of Jesus changed our eternity! It is the quintessential pivot point from despair to joy; from no future to an everlasting one; from death to life!
“Good Friday.” Such a strange name for the day when the innocent Savior of humanity and God’s Son died horribly. Yet, for us, the day marks a pivotal event in history. A holy and unbelievable imbalanced exchange: His perfection and innocence for our sins and guilt.
And twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head and put a reed in His right hand. And kneeling before Him, they mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on Him and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe and put His own clothes on Him and led Him away to crucify Him.
Matthew 27:29-31
Lord, have mercy!
And He did. Have mercy. For us. When we were still in sin and rebellion.
We worship and “celebrate” this event and exchange with a form of a “Tenebrae” service. Tenebrae means “darkness” and the service takes its name from the ceremony of extinguishing the worship candles in such a way that the Church is gradually cast into darkness, except for the light of a single candle. The focus of the Tenebrae is the consequence of sin and the magnitude of Jesus’ sacrifice. The worship ends in darkness and silence, symbolizing our Savior’s death upon the cross. The single candle symbolizes the hope of our Savior’s resurrection. At the completion of the Tenebrae service, the worshipers are asked to leave in silence, in order to maintain the spirit of the Good Friday commemoration of our Savior’s crucifixion.
Experience the depth of God’s love for you on Good Friday so that you can sour with the news of His resurrection on Easter Sunday!
Holy Week – and indeed, Faith iteself – comes with a roller coaster of ups and downs; highs and lows.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.
Genesis 50:20ab
We see that as Jesus rides into Jerusalem triumphantly, welcomed by the crowds as the Son of David; just to be betrayed, denied, abandoned, judged, sneered at, and crucified later that week.
In our readin from Luke we are backing up just a little in our journey to Jesus’ last supper where He instituted the Lord’s Supper and celebrated the Passover with His disciples.
He says, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
This is a high. Jesus having this wonderful celebration with His disciples that He has “earnestly desired” to have with them.
But the lowest low is coming. Evil s coming. Suffering, pain, and death will follow.
But there is an “until!” There will be more to the story! There will be the highest high when the day comes and He will once again when the Kingdom of God is fulfilled. When death is conquered. When suffering ends. When all evil has been utterly and permanently destroyed forever!
Until can be a difficult word when going through evil or when it is on the horizon. But it is also a word of hope – and patience. A word of anticipation and a word of reliance. It is a word which we can hold on to because we know that what comes after all the trials and pains and lows and evil will be far outweighed with good and joy!
And so we endure. And wait. UNTIL! And then we rejoice – forever!
Evil is often louder than good. We see it in the news. We see it in our lives. Criticism lingers even as compliments fade.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.
Genesis 50:20ab
The evil around Jesus at the crucifixion was deafening. Mocking and ridicule by the religious leaders, by the executing soldiers, and by guilty criminals next to Jesus rand throughout the hilltop. And Jesus, the innocent One, the recipient of it all. Not only that, His own Father had forsaken Him for a time.
But then there is a voice of hope from a strange place. A voice of confession. A voice of longing. A voice of belief. “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And this lone voice from a self-proclaimed sinner elicits a response from the One who had been experiencing only evil before now: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Today! You and Me! In paradise!
When all the world lifts their voice in a cacophony of evil and pain, remember those words for you: through faith in Jesus, His salvation is realy for you today and paradise awaits for eternity!
Let those words of truth and hope echo louder than any evil in your lives; for they are the ones that matter! They are the ones that will last! They are the ones for you; today and tomorrow and forever!
The world around us is a complicated place that can be hard to figure out. Life sometimes sends us a fair bit of pain and suffering. It’s not hard to spot cruelty and injustice, pain and confusion, all around us. Much of the time, it’s probably best for us to say two things.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.
Genesis 50:20ab
The first is this: “I don’t really understand how this is all fitting together, but I am here with you as we go through it.”
The other thing that we say and that we believe is: Our God is still at work, and he knows how to take the evil and use it for good.
It’s not a blind faith. The proof of it, simply put, is Jesus.
God worked good from evil for us and all people, through Jesus our King, our living, reigning King through His suffering, trial, death, and resurrection.
And God still does that today, for the people of the King.
Praise the Lord that, even though evil still hurts and affects us, it doesn’t overcome us.
It is a conquered enemy for our eternal future in paradise!
~ The Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Gibbs, edited by The Rev. Scott Heitshusen
