Living Water Lutheran Church Buckeye, Arizona

Living Water Lutheran Church Buckeye, Arizona Living Water is a member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. We worship at 9am at 810 E Eason Ave, Buckeye, AZ 85326. Worship – 10:00 AM.

The Lord’s Supper is celebrated weekly. Growth Hour – 8:30 AM

On the 4th Sunday of the month we sing traditional hymns. Every other Sunday includes a blend of contemporary songs and hymns. On the second Sunday of the month we have a “Friendship & Fellowship Sunday”, where everyone is invited to bring something for a shared meal after the service. This is an important time for us, kind of like the

“family dinners” of old where everyone is there. It is a time to get to know one another and meet new people. Most folks dress casually for worship at Living Water. During the service, you can participate through singing, responsive readings, prayers and listening to teaching from God's Word. Or, if you're not comfortable participating, you can simply observe what's happening and take it all in. We give offerings as an act of worship which supports God's work at Living Water. Lastly, we take the Lord's Supper together, sharing the body and blood of Jesus as his forgiven family. We'd love for you to join us this Sunday!

Long before the Word became flesh, the Word of God was already appearing to his people.In the Old Testament, the Son app...
09/05/2026

Long before the Word became flesh, the Word of God was already appearing to his people.

In the Old Testament, the Son appears as the Messenger of the LORD, the Wisdom of God, the Son of Man, the Commander of the LORD's hosts, and the Word of the LORD.

The Hebrew word davar (דָּבָר) usually means "word," but it can also mean "thing" or "matter." That double meaning becomes fascinating when Scripture describes the "word of the LORD" not merely being spoken, but actually appearing and acting.

In Genesis 15, "the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision" (15:1). This Word speaks with Abram, but then does something surprising: "he brought him outside" to look at the stars (15:5). The Word is not merely heard. He is seen, moving and interacting with Abram.

Something similar happens with Samuel. We are told that "the word of the LORD was rare" because "there was no frequent vision" (1 Sam. 3:1). Then Yahweh "came and stood" before Samuel (3:10). The chapter concludes that "the LORD revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD" (3:21).

Then consider Jeremiah. "The word of the LORD came" to him (Jer. 1:4), but this Word does more than speak. "The LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth" (1:9). The Word is heard, seen, and even touches Jeremiah.

These passages prepare us for what we read today in Bible in One Year: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:1, 14).

John's language did not come out of nowhere. He didn't invent it. John was a faithful student of the Torah and Prophets. He knew that long before the Word became flesh permanently in the incarnation, the Word had already appeared temporarily in human form to many believers in the OT.

As Christians in the Scottish Highlands used to say to David Murray, "Christ enjoyed trying on the clothes of his incarnation."

These OT appearances of the Son were dress rehearsals for Bethlehem.

Chad Bird
_______
For more on the Old Testament appearances of the Son of God, see my book, The Christ Key, https://a.co/d/01NXZ282

As Jesus' disciples, we do not face an uncertain future. Granted, we do not know what will happen to us tomorrow or next...
09/03/2026

As Jesus' disciples, we do not face an uncertain future. Granted, we do not know what will happen to us tomorrow or next week or over the next few years. Nor do we know when or how our lives will end. We’re not prophets or soothsayers.

But our future is far from uncertain. We know what will happen at the end of the world. We can open up the Bible any time we choose, and read about the last chapter of world history. It’s right there in Revelation, in black-and-white.

And the message? Jesus wins! And in Jesus, we win. The resurrection is coming. All tears will be wiped away. All cancer will die. All abuse will cease. All hatred will end.

That is not a wish or a good guess or a probable eschatological forecast. It’s a divine fact, grounded in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus from the grave. His ultimate victory at the end of time—which is also our victory—is as solid and certain as is the glory of his resurrected flesh.

Chad Bird

Contemporary Worship: August 30.If you missed the service today, Here it is!
08/31/2026

Contemporary Worship: August 30.

If you missed the service today, Here it is!

08/30/2026

SUNDAY WORSHIP: AUGUST 30 | 9:00 AM at Community Church of Buckeye. Holy Communion will be served.

ADULT BIBLE STUDY following worship. We are studying the Book of Proverbs.

Don't forget to bring donations for All Faiths Ministry. They are always in need of items.

We look forward to seeing you this Sunday!!!

Livestream is available at livingwateraz.org

I have a lot of regrets in my life. I've lied, cheated, let people down, and lived the hedonistic life of a stupid, self...
08/29/2026

I have a lot of regrets in my life. I've lied, cheated, let people down, and lived the hedonistic life of a stupid, selfish prodigal. There are plenty of things I wish I could go back and undo or change.

But you know what? There is one thing I have never regretted, not for a single moment in my 56 years: having children. Just the opposite. Outside of my salvation in Jesus, my children have been the Lord's greatest blessing to me.

And I suspect that if you surveyed 99.9% of parents, you'd hear much the same answer about how much life, joy, and blessing children have brought to them.

Children are indeed a gift from God. Or, as one of the psalms we prayed today in Bible in One Year puts it, "Children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward" (Ps. 127:3).

Of course they are! Go back to the opening chapter of the Bible. What was the first command God gave Adam and Eve? "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth..." (Gen. 1:28).

That means when husbands and wives hit the sheets and make some babies, God is delighted. Being fruitful and multiplying were his brainchild, after all.

Our Father entrusts sons and daughters to us so that we might love them, protect them, teach them, and bring them up "in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4).

By his grace, they grow from babies to toddlers, from children to teenagers, and, we pray, into faithful, responsible adults who love God and serve their neighbors.

Many will one day marry, raise families of their own, and pass on that same love and faithfulness to another generation (cf. Deut. 6:6-7).

So today, as we pray Psalm 127, let us thank God for the blessed, wonderful, and, yes, often exhausting gift of children. They are not interruptions to life. They are a living gift from the Lord and Creator of life.

Chad Bird

When asked the question, “Can a Christian marry a non-Christian?” the verse most commonly cited is 2 Corinthians 6:14: “...
08/27/2026

When asked the question, “Can a Christian marry a non-Christian?” the verse most commonly cited is 2 Corinthians 6:14: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.”

But nowhere in the verses before or after does Paul say a single word about marriage. Should that not be a big red flag regarding using this verse to answer a question about marriage?

This is another reminder that we should never scissor a verse from its context and paste it as the answer to a question it was never written to address.

So what is Paul talking about? Think about and read about the context.

He is addressing the church in Corinth, a city overflowing with idols, temples, pagan rituals, and idolatrous assumptions about life. Remaining faithful to Christ in that environment was a daily challenge.

That is why, immediately after warning them not to be “unequally yoked,” Paul strings together Old Testament passages from Leviticus, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and 2 Samuel, all of which called Israel to be faithful and to shun idolatry (Lev. 26:11-12; Isa. 52:11; Ezek. 20:34; 37:27; 2 Sam. 7:14). These verses show that God dwells among his people; therefore, they must separate themselves from idolatry and uncleanness. Paul sees these promises fulfilled in the church, now the temple of the living God.

The unusual Greek verb “unequally yoked” (ἑτεροζυγέω) likely echoes Deuteronomy 22:10, where an ox and a donkey were not to be yoked together because they were unsuited for the same task.

Paul then explains exactly what he means. The unequal yoke is righteousness joined to lawlessness, light to darkness, Christ to Belial, and ultimately “the temple of God with idols” (2 Cor. 6:14-16). Notice where the argument ends: idols. That is the issue.

Elsewhere, Paul explicitly charges believers to remain married to unbelieving spouses, “To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her” (1 Cor. 7:12). Would that not be a strange command if 2 Cor. 6:14 did indeed prohibit such marriages? His concern in 2 Cor. 6, therefore, is not mixed marriages but spiritual compromise.

The church is God’s holy temple. Just as the Old Testament temple was not to be polluted by idols, so the church must remain wholly devoted to Christ.

Read in context, this passage is not about whom a Christian may marry. It is about guarding our exclusive allegiance to the living God in a world full of rival loyalties.

Chad Bird

God’s forgiveness is never a layaway plan, where you finally get to take it home once you’ve satisfied the payment plan ...
08/26/2026

God’s forgiveness is never a layaway plan, where you finally get to take it home once you’ve satisfied the payment plan with enough acts of repentance. That’s because forgiveness does not originate from repentance; it originates solely from Christ.

The father did not forgive the prodigal son because he returned home, said he was sorry for his sins, and was unworthy to be called a son anymore. The father had forgiven his son even while that son was feeding swine in a faraway country. The father had forgiven his son before he saw him a long way off and began running toward him. The father had forgiven his son because he was his son, because he loved him as only a father can.

So it is with us. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Or, as we read today in Bible in One Year, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself,” (2 Corinthians 5:19).

The world was absolved on Good Friday. And that forgiveness, given to you in the here and now, is not earned, allowed, sweetened, strengthened, or made more real by your repentance.

Should you repent of the wrong you’ve done? Of course. You must.

Should you continue to repent as you struggle to un-love that ex-sin? Of course. You must.

You will never repent enough. You will never repent sincerely enough.

But forgiveness is not based upon having enough repentance or having sufficiently sincere repentance.

Forgiveness is based 100% upon the atoning work of Jesus Christ. His atonement is enough. His sacrifice was perfectly sincere. His blood covers not only the sin of which you repent but also your imperfect repentance for that sin.

The entire life of believers is one of repentance, but more importantly, the entire life of believers is the life of Jesus Christ, whose love for us is always more than enough.

Chad Bird

08/23/2026

Pastor Kevin will be starting a Confirmation and New member class next Sunday. If you are interesting in either class or just want a refresher on Lutheran doctrine, contact the church office at (623) 266-1835 for more information or any questions.

Pastor Kevin continues the Adult class on Sunday morning following worship. We are going through the book of Proverbs. Please join us.

Dave Spatz is leading a small group study, generally every other Tuesday. They meet at 6:30 pm and are doing a video series on, "The Story!". Contact the church office for more information.

Next Sunday, Aug 30 is All Faiths donations. Please bring any canned food items. This month they are especially looking for diapers.

We look forward to worshipping with you next Sunday.

Contemporary Worship - August 23, 2026
08/23/2026

Contemporary Worship - August 23, 2026

They are known by various names and titles throughout Scripture. In his temple vision, Isaiah called them seraphim as th...
08/19/2026

They are known by various names and titles throughout Scripture. In his temple vision, Isaiah called them seraphim as they sang “Holy, Holy, Holy” around the throne of God (6:1-1-3). In his vision of the chariot throne, Ezekiel called them simply the “Living Creatures” (1:5).

In Genesis, when two of them were stationed, with flaming swords, to guard the entrance to Eden after Adam and Eve were expelled, they are named cherubim (3:24).

Statues of two golden cherubim, with wings outstretched toward each other, were also atop the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies (Exod. 25:18-20).

And two of them are named in the Bible, Michael and Gabriel. The latter was privileged to bring the good news to Mary that she was to bear the Son of Most High, Jesus our Savior (Dan. 12:1; Luke 1:26).

As Psalm 104 begins, these same angels reappear: the LORD “makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire” (104:4; Heb. 1:7). They are with him in this poetically charged description of God in celestial glory: “Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind” (104:1-3).

These messengers of the LORD are “all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14). They are our heavenly “body guards,” unseen yet present, accompanying us as we work, play, sleep, worship. Angels all around us.

When our last hour comes, they will do for us what they did for Lazarus: carry us to the bosom of Abraham, that is, to heaven itself, where we will stand before the light-clothed Savior, who will welcome us with open arms (Luke 16:22).

What a day of joy that will be for us!

Chad Bird
_______
From my book, Untamed Prayers: 365 Daily Devotions on Christ in the Book of Psalms, https://a.co/d/07kzVw4V

Address

Buckeye, AZ
85326

Opening Hours

10am - 11:30am

Telephone

+16232661835

Website

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