Ascension Lutheran Church (Thousand Oaks, CA)

09/15/2026

Proverbs 22:9. Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with the poor.

09/15/2026

More photos from Sunday and the assembling of 400 personal care kits. Tomorrow our school will assemble 400 LWR school kits.

09/15/2026

We thank our Foundation trustees for leading such an informative class yesterday!
Check out our website:
https://ascensionfoundation.org/

09/14/2026

Sept. 14, 2026, Monday Morning Bible Study Devotional
Dear Friends in Christ:
​You don’t expect spiritual truth to come on an Amazon Prime bag.
But there it was:
“Without you, I’m empty inside.”
I didn’t take it the way Amazon meant it. Capitalize the “y” in “you” and you have it:
Without faith in God, our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, we are indeed empty inside.
Jesus Himself said that He came so we might have life “and have it to the full” (John 10:10b).
It is only when we are living full of the Triune God that we can become who He made us to be, that we are strengthened to get through the rough times, guided to do good and right, and that we can have the fullness of joy, peace, and hope in our lives.
Yet, life just seems to take over sometimes, doesn’t it? We can fall prey to one of the devil’s sneaky tricks—making us think we don’t have enough time for God. Before we know it, that fullness can seep away as our prayer time, Bible reading, Bible studies and attending church are short-changed or even out the window.
Unless…
Unless we stay full. How do we do that?
Well, here’s one answer:
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.—1 Peter 5:8
The Message’s version of the same text encourages us to “keep a firm grip” on our faith—the hard times won’t last forever.
Perhaps—especially when times are challenging--we should take a firmer grip on God’s truths by spending more time with Him—and His people—not less. That’s where we will find strength, guidance, wisdom, and where we are made full. God’s Word tells us so:
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.—Isaiah 26:3
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.
— 2 Timothy 1:7

When we are in the presence of God, whether it be during personal devotions, reading His Word, in Bible study, at a church service, hanging out with His people, we are being filled up.
There, we can hear His words of hope, His promises, feel His presence, receive His guidance, and be reminded of His vast love for us. We can be empowered to go on, to make a difference for Him, to get through the bad on the way to the best.
The Apostle Paul knew well the value of fullness in God, and, from his prison cell in Rome, sent this prayer to the Ephesians. I leave it with you today:
16 I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.—Ephesians 3:16-19
--Susanne Hopkins

09/14/2026

From one of the most quoted verses in the Bible, learn a little Greek today.
You know we have an Agape Fund to help those in need. In this verse is the verb “agapao” and it means to love. You already recognize the noun “heart.” Here in Greek it is “kardia” from which we get our word “cardiac.”
In this passage Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:5 and calls this the greatest commandment.
Notice also the word “Theo” which means “God.” (Some of you are reading the outstanding novel “Theo of Golden.”

The word soul is “psuché” from which we our word “psychology.”
The word whole here is “hole” or “holos” from which we get our word “whole” or “all.”

Today's Daily Dose of Greek Video Matthew 22:37 http://ow.ly/sbMm106EHlt

09/14/2026

1 Thessalonians 5:11

11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

09/13/2026

This is such a moving sermon. If you missed it in person, do catch the podcast -- on Substack, Apple pods, our website and other podcast places.

09/13/2026

Ascension Live

09/13/2026

Matthew 18:21-35

Forgiveness
21 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if my brother or sister sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven[a] times.

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him, 25 and, as he could not pay, the lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions and payment to be made. 26 So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31 When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35 So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”