New Life Lutheran Church Norwalk, IA

06/07/2026

34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:34-40
New International Version
The Greatest Commandment

06/06/2026

Early morning Breakfast Burrito Fundraiser, but make it fun...

06/06/2026

You already show up on Sundays.
Now let's find where you fit in the rest of the week. 🙌

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https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/4cse04x

06/05/2026

Saturday morning we're serving up fresh, warm burritos to help send our kids on mission trips to Rapid City and Puerto Rico!
Saturday, June 7 from 7-11:30 AM at New Life (4380 Wakonda Dr). Drive-thru style, no pre-order needed. Just show up and eat.
$7 each — cash, card, or Venmo. Come early, these sell out fast!
Big thanks to Fareway Norwalk for helping make it happen.

06/05/2026

Dear Church,
This week I did something that should be classified as an extreme sport.

I needed to collect the full legal names and birthdates of 28 high school students for plane tickets to Puerto Rico. Ten million text messages. Parents involved. Follow-ups to the follow-ups. Grace extended repeatedly.

Somewhere around text message four hundred I noticed something in me. Frustration. Real frustration. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't patient. It was not, if I'm being honest, what you'd call loving your neighbor as yourself.

And these are kids I genuinely love.
Which is exactly the thing Jesus puts his finger on in Matthew 22 this Sunday. A lawyer tries to trap him. Which commandment is the greatest? Jesus goes straight to the center. Love God with everything you have. Love your neighbor as yourself. Everything hangs on these two. (Read Matthew 22: 34-40)

We nod at that. It's on coffee mugs. We think we know what it means.

But Jesus doesn't call this the highest aspiration for your best days. He calls it the standard. And I don't meet it. My love is partial. Conditional. It runs out around text message four hundred.

Maybe yours does too.

Here's what keeps pulling me back. The same Jesus who sets that standard is the one who met it. All the way to the cross. And because of that, I pick up the phone and send text message four hundred and one. Not to earn something. Because I've already been given everything.

Bring your Bible Sunday. Jesus changes everything.

See you in church,
Pastor Nate

Email from New Life Lutheran Church FRIDAY, June 5, 2026 Friday, June 5, 2026 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." - Matthew 22:37   De

06/05/2026

Day 5. Matthew 13-15.
Mustard seeds. Hidden treasure. A net that catches everything.
The kingdom doesn't look like what anyone expected. It never does.
Keep reading. 📖
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013-15&version=NRSVUE

06/05/2026

Summer is HERE and we are kicking it off right! Join us this Sunday, June 7 from 2-4 PM at New Life for food, drinks, and an inflatable water slide. Elem., Middle and Hi School. Be ready to get wet. See you there!

06/04/2026

Day 4. Matthew 10-12.
Jesus sends his people out. No bag. No extra coat. Just go.
Turns out following him was never meant to be a spectator sport.
Keep reading. 📖
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2010-12&version=NRSVUE

06/04/2026

Curious about New Life? Come find out what we're all about. 👋
Explore New Life meets the first Sunday of every month — next one is June 7 from 11:00-11:30 AM. Casual conversation, no pressure, no commitment required.
4380 Wakonda Dr., Norwalk, IA

06/03/2026

Hey guys — men's Bible study is this Thursday at 6:30 AM. We're digging into Matthew and the conversations are good. Show up, grab some coffee, and let's go. No prep needed. Just bring yourself.