Immanuel Lutheran - Belvidere

Immanuel Lutheran - Belvidere Connecting People to Christ for Life https://smile.amazon.com/ch/36-2422373

8 days and counting until Immanuel blasts into space for this year's Vacation Bible School (June 15-18, 9am-Noon) 🚀💫Is ...
06/06/2026

8 days and counting until Immanuel blasts into space for this year's Vacation Bible School (June 15-18, 9am-Noon) 🚀💫

Is your child registered? Group assignments start early next week, so help our planning team by signing your astronauts up today! Visit www.immanuelbelvidere.org/vbs for all the details 👨‍🚀

Connected in The Word 6-4-26And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came an...
06/04/2026

Connected in The Word 6-4-26
And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. Matthew 9:10

Can you picture the scene above? We may not be able to picture exactly what it looks like because of cultural differences, but we do know who is there. Jesus, the disciples, and “many tax collectors and sinners” are all there sharing a meal together. It must have been a large home to fit all those people (maybe it was Matthew’s house). Sharing a meal with someone was a big deal back then. The Pharisees couldn’t understand how Jesus (a Jewish Rabbi) could allow Himself to be connected to “sinners”.

The Jewish religious leaders would have never allowed themselves to be connected to “sinners” because it would have made them unclean. Their entire religious system was rooted in the Mosaic Law which included all the sacrifices, cleansing rituals, and prayers that had been given to them by God and had been practiced for centuries. Doing these things made them “right” with God. Don’t make the Pharisees out to be horrifically evil here – They might have just been completely confused.

If we keep reading in the text Jesus tells them that he has come FOR SINNERS. He tells to go and learn what these words mean, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” All the sacrifices of the Old Testament were put in place to point God’s people ahead to THE SACRIFICE that would make them RIGHT with God. Jesus, THE LAMB OF GOD, did not connect Himself with sinners to condone sin. He connected Himself with sinners to take their sin away. It is not YOUR sacrifice that makes you right with God. It is the sacrifice of Jesus, HIS precious blood, and HIS glorious resurrection that SEPARATES you from your sin and CONNECTS you to God! Jesus hates my sin, but Jesus loves me dearly! He hates your sin, but He loves you dearly!
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Connected in The Word 6-3-26As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he ...
06/03/2026

Connected in The Word 6-3-26
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. Matthew 9:9

I HAVE A HARD TIME WITH CHANGE!
I’m not opposed to change. Change can be a very good thing. I’ve made lots of changes in my life. For example, just the other day I parked in a different parking spot at work, took a shower 5 minutes later than I normally do, and used a different mug for my morning coffee – ALL IN THE SAME DAY! Granted I moved my car back to “my spot” later that day, took a very fast shower as to not throw off the rest of my nighttime routine, and spent 10 minutes looking for my favorite mug before using a different one. I HAVE A HARD TIME WITH CHANGE!

You may not have the same “issues” with change that I have, but we all deal with difficult changes in life. Maybe you are starting a new job or retiring from one you’ve had for your whole life. Maybe you are heading off to college or maybe your child is heading off to college. Maybe you are getting married or maybe your spouse of 60 years just died. Maybe you’ve just found out you have cancer, just attended your first AA meeting, or found out your spouse wants a divorce. Sometimes change is very hard.

In the verse above, Matthew experienced a major LIFE CHANGE! He was a tax collector, and then he was one of the Lord’s 12 disciples. When Jesus shows up in our lives – EVERYTHING CHANGES! Jesus changes us from being God’s enemy to being God’s child. Our sins are forgiven and life and salvation are ours. Everything changed for Matthew that day, but Matthew would continue to face difficult changes in his life. There would still be challenges, still be temptations, and still be sin. Choosing to confess my sins and turn from them day after day is easily the most difficult type of “change” I face in life. But thanks be to God that my salvation is not dependent on my ability to change. It is rooted in God’s ability to change me by the power of the Gospel. Jesus is risen from the dead. That changes everything!
Subscribe for email devotions at: https://connectedintheword.beehiiv.com/

Connected in The Word 6-2-26“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, ...
06/02/2026

Connected in The Word 6-2-26
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:11-13

Jesus says to go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” He is quoting Hosea 6:6 where the word for mercy is that beautiful Hebrew word Chesed which could also be translated at steadfast love and faithfulness. It’s a difficult word to translate because we don’t have an English word that is a true equivalent. Chesed in the Old Testament is often used to describe God’s great mercy, love, faithfulness, and loyalty to His promises and His people. God’s Chesed is revealed in and through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

I think Jesus wants the Pharisees and us today to understand that salvation is rooted in God’s Chesed revealed in Christ’s sacrifice. The redemption of all creation is dependent on this reality! God’s Chesed flows down to us and then out to others. It is extremely easy for people to forget this great Gospel Truth. We tend to get things backwards. We want to turn things around and make God’s Chesed dependent on our sacrifice.

This is problematic for two reasons. First, if God’s Chesed is dependent on our sacrifice (going to church, saying our prayers, reading our Bible) then we have destroyed the Gospel. Second, if we think that our sacrifice (going to church, saying our prayers, reading our Bible) can make us right with God and win salvation, our sinful nature convinces us that we don’t need to love others, care for creation, or even love and fear God – Because after all, I go to church, say my prayers, and read my Bible. YOUR SACRIFICE FOR GOD ISN’T WHAT SAVES YOU. GOD’S SACRIFICE FOR YOU IS WHAT SAVES YOU!
Subscribe for email devotions at: https://connectedintheword.beehiiv.com/

Connected in The Word 6-1-26As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he ...
06/01/2026

Connected in The Word 6-1-26
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. Matthew 9:9

The verse above is Matthew’s account of his own conversion event. It’s just one verse. Jesus showed up and called him to be His disciple. There were no posts on social media, no party with a big cake, and no stories about hearing God’s voice, feeling the Spirit’s fire, or making a decision to follow Jesus. Jesus simply walked into the life of a tax collector, a sinner, a sellout and said, “Let’s go Matthew – I’ve got something better for you.”

Why doesn’t Matthew give us a little more? For one, I don’t think there was anything more to share. Jesus doesn’t enter our lives with fireworks and a “walk-up” song like an MLB relief picture walking out from the bullpen in the ninth inning. He shows up in the Word – spoken into ears, applied in Baptism, and received in The Supper. Second, I think Matthew knows he doesn’t deserve what Jesus is calling him to. Matthew is probably thinking, “Jesus just picked the wrong guy, but I am just going to go with it.”

Maybe you can relate to Matthew – I know I can! I don’t know why Jesus showed up in my life, I know I don’t deserve it, and I am convinced he’s got the wrong guy – BUT I’M JUST GOING TO GO WITH IT! Today, I get to officiate a funeral service for a man and a friend who shared the same sentiment. Larry was a member of our congregation for about 60 years. His humility and faith have influenced me greatly. If you were to ask Larry why and how he got to be a disciple of Jesus, he would tell you the following (These are Larry’s own words), “By God’s grace, and His ultimate sacrifice, I am a forgiven sinner!” Honestly, I think if someone asked Matthew how he got to be a disciple of Jesus, his answer might sound similar. How about you? How would you answer that question? I think I’m going to go with Matthew and Larry. God has called me, a sinner, to be His disciple – I’m just going to go with it!
Subscribe for email devotions at: https://connectedintheword.beehiiv.com/

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1045 Belvidere Road
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