Devotions

St. Paul, our rural congregation back home in Indiana, dates back to 1852.

Because so many of our members are farmers, our mission statement is “Walking in faith, sowing Christ’s love.”

We will dedicate our new worship complex, costing over $3 million, next month. On January 11, we also installed our new pastor, Stephen Wood, who has a family with two young children.

A Bible verse has inspired us at St. Paul during our building program:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. –Philippians 4:6

After many years and a failed former building program, God answered our petitions at St. Paul, and we are certain God will also keep you at Christus Victor in the palm of God’s Hand.

Jerry and Martha Wunsch are visiting Bonita Springs January through March and enjoying Christus Victor’s walk with the Lord.

For everything there is a season, a time for every matter under heaven, a time to break down and a time to build up. –Ecclesiastes 3:1-3

One of the families who woke up last Christmas morning in a home of their own is the Oscar family. Jean Oscar, his wife Guerda and their two daughters Victoria, 2, and Jeanisha, 1, once rented half of a two bedroom, one bath duplex. Guerda and Jean worked hard to fix up their crumbling unit but in order to make ends meet they had to rent out one bedroom leaving the family of four to share one bedroom. For seven years, Jean has greeted customers in the Publix deli with a bright friendly smile only to go home at night to an apartment infested with roaches. In his application Jean asked for a Habitat house “so his kids could have a decent clean place to call home.”

Now they have hope. The children now have a safe clean home in a beautiful neighborhood with a yard of their own in which to play. Because of the work of many tireless volunteers, generous donors and the hard-working families themselves, Habitat for Humanity of Collier County has carried out the gospel call to care for our brothers and sisters in desperate need. Through partnerships with faith communities like Christus Victor, last year 131 families left behind untenable conditions to move into a simple, decent home of their own. This vital partnership provides the most basic of human needs–shelter.

It seems like each day of our lives, we wait for some kind of call. A call from a loved one in need. A call about the new job we are hoping for. A call from a child for a loving touch and a kind word. Even the call of the open road.

But sometimes we get so wrapped up in expecting these important calls, we often forget who they are really coming from and what pur-pose they have in our lives (other than what we want out of them). We fail to really listen to the Creator of our past, present and future…He sends all of the calls in our lives and so quickly, as soon as we’ve received them, we take them at face value and then move on. Let us be ever remembering that there is always our Lord in every call and a greater purpose to every call that God wants us to discover!

Loving Lord, help me to not only hear your call but to listen to what it is you want for me. Your love and devotion to my life is unequal to any other and I give myself wholly to the call of your will…help me follow You in everything I do. Thank you for the unending call to be your child. I will answer if You but call my name! Amen.

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? –1 Corinthians 3:16

I sit in quiet contemplation shutting out the noise and tumult of the outside world. Ever so slowly and with great struggle I shut down the chatter in my mind and begin to feel the presence of God with in. It is a time of giving up control, surrendering to God, and being receptive to his presence in my life.

This time of quiet and resting in God fosters a personal relationship with God and the living Christ. It moves beyond verbal communication and forms a special bond of communion with Him. I am open to His direction in my life.

As my prayer comes to a close, I return to the outside world. I find myself more centered trusting God’s presence in my life will surely guide me. I am at peace.

And let the peace of Christ dwell in you richly… –Colossians 3:15

When I read the book of Ecclesiastes perhaps for the thousandth time I came to realize that time is indeed precious. During the course of the day, I am sure that we all wish we had more time. However, we must be honest and say exactly what did I do in the course of the day to make a difference in the lives of others.

I believe that we have been given a great opportunity to take time out of our busy schedule to make a huge difference in the lives of our church members and guests. We are being asked to expand our space and make the present working condition just a little more comfortable for work and worship within our church.

In addition to the thinking we never have enough time is the excuse of now is not the time because…the list will go on for not doing it now. Just as we found time within the day to make a difference, I chal-lenge you to turn the excuses into reasons for going forward. As the preacher stated in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” I say that now is the time to step out on faith and let God lead your heart and mind. Today is the time to believe and put your faith into action. It is not by our own wisdom or knowledge that the capital campaign will be successful but by faith and prayer to our all mighty God that we are moving on His time.

Keep the faith, lean on God while you are doing the best work possible with the precious time you have to offer.

Have faith in God… Therefore, I say unto ye. What things so ever ye desire, When ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them. –Mark 11:22, 24

I came to Christus Victor Lutheran Church looking for a place to share the gifts God gave me to use in ministry. Yet it has been so much more than that. God continued to mold me and continues to form me.

Each day in my walk with Christ I am humbled and encouraged by the people of God.

Our expectations are so small as compared to God’s vision. We each have an equal and essential part in that vision. God has placed each of us in this place, at this time, with our unique gifts to share in the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-14). What is the passion God has placed in your heart?

The possibilities and the potential for mission and ministry at Christus Victor are up to us through the Grace of God.

Individually.

Collectively.

In Communion with the Holy Trinity.

Are we ready? Are we willing?

Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one an-other with whatever gift each of you has received. –1 Peter 4:10

Father God, Thank you for the gift of life. Forgive our lack of sight.
Grant us peace and wisdom to follow you through our human doubts.
You have shared with us your only begotten son, Jesus Christ.
Let us embrace Christ as our past, present and future.
Let us embrace the call to serve.
Let us embrace the call to create and conserve.
Let us embrace the call to share the Gospel.
Let us embrace You wholly and completely.
For it is only in You we find Hope, Peace and Purpose.
In our Savior’s Name we pray. Amen.

For everything there is a season, a time for every matter under heaven, a time to break down and a time to build up. –Ecclesiastes 3:1-3

God has truly blessed us here at Christus Victor. We have grown from being a mission outreach of Emmanuel Church in Naples, holding our first service on December 7, 1975 at St. Leo’s Catholic Church in Bonita Springs. In December 1976, a church site was selected on US 41. The first service was held in the new church on December 7, 1980. In 1991, under the direction of Pastor Theodore Wendt, planning was begun for a new sanctuary. The theme was, “Stir Us Lord – Stepping out in Faith.” Pastor Thomas J. Slater began his ministry in July 1996 and with love and devotion led us through the planning and construction stages. Ground was broken on March 29, 1998, with the first service in our new sanctuary held on June 6, 1999.

We have walked in Jesus’ way as he led us through the years. It is time again to “Look Upward, Move Forward and Reach Outward” in our faith journey. As God first sent his son, so we must continue to obey Jesus’ command to spread His message of love and forgiveness to all – one another, family friends, neighbors and our community at large. Let us go forward in faith so all may “Live Victoriously.”

We come before you, dear Lord, in thanksgiving and praise for all your blessings. Take our hands and lead us as we step out in faith to do your will. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.