I “Therefore, let us all be thankful that we are a part of an unshakable Kingdom & offer to God worship that pleases Him & reflects the awe & reverence we have toward Him.”
Hebrews 12:28 (VOICE)

As we start a new year, you may be ready to move forward with a fresh start; perhaps you are sad for the things or people left behind; still others of you may be either anxious or excited about the year to come.
As for me, I am experiencing all 3. I am ready to move on from the year 2020 was. I am sad about people that have passed & the realities in our nation that have been exposed, and I am a bit apprehensive and excited for the new year. What has become clear to me is that we, as Christians, need to be equipped to stand firm and move forward in our faith for whatever may come.

April 2021
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

I keep hearing people are ready for thing to go back to the “good ol’ days,” back to the way it use to be. But that’s not how God works. On Easter, Jesus rose to a new life; and for those who receive, believe and follow Jesus, we too rise to a new life in Him. The old way, your old self is gone; God has made you something new… new spirit, new future, new life!

This doesn’t mean that the “ol’ days” were bad, but it does mean we are able to move forward and embrace the new adventures, purposes & plans God has for us! It means we will discover a new strength, determination and resilience we never knew we had. It means we realize that in Christ, all things work together for our good and for the glory of God.

Where are you holding on to the past? Trust God, follow Jesus and be filled with His Spirit. Together, in Christ, the old is gone and we have a new, bright and eternal future ahead!

I invited you to join us for live or on-line worship on Sunday mornings at 9:00am to be fed and encouraged by the unshakable truth of God’s Word and the hope we have in Jesus Christ!

Rev Bev
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Hey St. Paul Family: Thinking of you & praying for you during this cold spell we’re going through. Thank y’all for watching out for & taking care of each other. The office has been closed this week, but you have my number if there’s an emergency. Keep warm, be smart & love the LORD with all your heart, soul, mind & strength. 💗

Hi Thank you St. Paul Family for the amazing James Avery Christ Centered Bracelet, beautiful flowers & card! What a God-given privilege & joy to serve our Lord & Savior with you! Much love! Beverly♥️

#TheRedBrickChurch

​  ​This may give my age away, but years ago there was a TV series called the "Twilight Zone." By the end of the show, it seemed like the characters were living in an alternate universe because nothing made sense. Sound familiar? Churches having to post services & messages, classes to be continued on-line, professional sports teams have cancelled their seasons indefinitely, nursing homes have stopped receiving visitors, water is sold out at the grocery stores, as is all hand sanitizers... it's a modern day Twilight Zone.Welcome to a world where the "prince of the air" (Satan) is making his presence known. 



So what do we do?
"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you;                    I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

It makes sense that people are afraid of the unknown; but we know God is in control; we know as believers in Jesus Christ we are forever secure in Him. Be smart and wise in your actions, but do not be afraid. Pray in confidence that God hears our prayers and that He will somehow use even this to further His Kingdom.

God's Word will continue to be professed at St. Paul Lutheran Church. If you are unable to join us on Sunday mornings and would like to watch the sermons on-line, please go to our Facebook page: St Paul Lutheran Church Hondo or find us on YouTube: St Paul Lutheran Church Hondo Texas 

"God is a God of peace, not of chaos." 1 Corinthians 14:33                    
"Draw close to Him and He will draw close to you!" James 4:8

God Bless you always!

​Rev Bev

It’s Christmas time! One of the most joyous times of year… or so we want it to be. Christmas
can be hard; we miss people who are no longer in our lives, we miss how simple things use to
be. And studies have shown during the Christmas season people are more prone to anxiety &
depression. Then there is being worried about finances or the realization that somehow we are
not where or who we want to be.
Several years ago I read a book called “Bring Back the Joy.” I was in a weird place & had lost
my joy. It’s wasn’t until later that I realized that true joy had never left me, but I was looking
for joy in the wrong places.
When the Wise Men were following the star to discover the King of the Jews, they too looked
in the wrong place. They came to King Herod’s palace only to find Herod didn’t know anything
about the Savior’s birth. But the Wise Men didn’t give up; they kept searching. It was only
when the Wise Men discovered Jesus did they find true joy. And it wasn’t in a grand palace, but
in a humble home.
The Almighty God who led them by a star, lead them to Whom they had been searching for in
faith. Jesus had performed no miracles; hadn’t taught a single lesson, much less spoken a single
word; & yet they fell down & worshiped him as King.
These men came prepared to find the Lord! How do we know this? Because they packed gifts!
They didn’t know how long the journey would be. Neither did they know what would happen
along the way. But they were determined to seek & find the truth for themselves… & once they
encountered the Savior of the world, they were filled with joy & forever changed.
So let me ask: Where do you find your joy?
The same joy the Wise Men found is available to each of us.
God has promised in Proverbs 8:17: “I love those who love Me; & those who
seek Me will nd Me.” Look up, see God’s light & find your joy in the Christ of
Christmas!                                       
​                            Rev Bev
​                                        

Ou​r Wonderful God's Miraculous Mission

At Miraculous Mission VBS, ​your children look into the Bible, God's Holy Word, and discover God's miraculous Mission to save you, me, and the whole world! The Bible accounts of God's mission for us share that God made the universe, His promise of a savior to Abram, the birth of Jesus our Savior, His death and ressurrection, and His ascension.

After Miraculous Mission VBS, by God's grace and through the Holy Spirit, the Good News of our savior Jesus will be in the heart and on the lips of every child, youth, abd adult participating. Noe that's a VBS with Purpose!

All are welcome, you don't have to be a memeber to send your children!

"There is a time to tear down and a time to build up." Ecclesiastes 3:3

When King Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes he was at the end of a long life... some of it was very good, some not so much, but when it came to the bottom line, King Solomon discovered that unless what one does is done for the Glory of God (instead for one's own glory) it was meaningless. The time has come for St. Paul to "tear down" some of the well-used Activity Center to "build it" back up for the Glory of God.


Many people have a difficult time tearing down what they are use to, and the demolition process is not pretty, but when you know that in building it back up more people will enjoy a time of fellowship, learning, playing & worshiping in the Name of Jesus... it is worth the work and the wait....and this in itself brings God Glory.

What do you need to tear down in your life in order to build up something better in it's place? Ask God, then dedicate the "tearing down" and the "building up" to His Glory. In the process you will enjoy a time of fellowship & worship that will bring a new meaning to your life. Now is the time.

Rev Bev

"Holy Week" is a week unlike any other. It's the final week of Jesus' human life here on earth. 
For 3 years Jesus fed the hungry, restored sight to the blind, confronted evil & taught great truths.
But during that time He was also tempted, betrayed, spit on, denied & crucified.

So what's so holy about Holy Week? It's helpful to know the word Holy means "set apart." 
So the better question is: what are we set apart from and what are we set apart to? 
Jesus was set apart because even though He was fully man, He was at the same time fully God. 
He was set apart from the corruption of sin even as He was tempted in every way. 
He was set apart to do the work of God; namely to save the world from the death that our sin brought. 


And because He was set apart for God, when we follow Jesus, we too become holy, we too are set apart from the death sin brings and set apart for God. Does that mean life will be perfect? No. We will still be tempted, still be betrayed and still live in a sinful world. But He's the hope... just like Jesus didn't stay in the grave, neither will we!

Happy a HOLY & Happy Easter!!

Rev Bev

#TheRedBrickChurch

​What comes to mind when you think of Lent? For some thoughts of "Fat Tuesday" comes to mind where many gorge themselves will all they desire the night before they wake up the next morning & have to "give it up" for Lent. Others "give up" their favorite foods so they can maybe lose a few pounds over the next 40 days. And many people just "give up" on what they decided to "give up" for Lent.

But here's a thought... it is Jesus Who willingly chose to "give up" His life for us so we can have life forever with Him. So instead of deciding to give something up, how about deciding to live your life for Him? Instead of being hungry because you can't have that sweet, how about being hungry for Him & studying His Word.

When it comes to Jesus, He gave all He had, so we can have all in Him! Over this Lent season, live your life with Jesus in mind; looking forward to the celebration of that wonderful Easter morning at the empty tomb!

Pastor Beverly