The “8 Habits of a Highly Successful Christian” – our new eight week class on Christian piety begins this Tuesday, October 30, at 6:30pm. See schedule below. You may join the class whenever you are able. Reserve your book for the class on the sheet outside the Parish Office, or contact Pastor Sutton (pastor@ielcth.org).
Christian piety at its root is simply the cultivation of godly habits, habits which befit the household of God, the family of our heavenly Father. Such piety grows from Holy Baptism, grounded in the gracious adoption God bestows through water and His Word. These habits mark how the children of the heavenly Father live in this world as they wait for their Lord’s return.
- October 30 – Introduction, The First Godly Habit: Faithful Listening to the Word of God
The Word of God alone has the power to give and to sustain the gift of faith in Christ in our lives. All the other habits flow from this one. - November 6 – The Second Godly Habit: The Daily Prayers
Many Christians struggle with prayer. The Small and Large Catechisms are replete with solid help for addressing our inadequacies in the life of prayer. - November 13 – The Third Godly Habit: Frequent and Faithful Reception of the Lord’s Supper
When it comes to the piety of receiving the Lord’s Supper, we need to become like little children – Jesus presents us with a mystery both unfathomable and at the same time the utter delight of salvation delivered. - November 20 – The Fourth Godly Habit: Confession of Sins and Absolution
“Can God really forgive me for that?” In both the Divine Service and in Private Absolution, the Lord offers the sweet words of comfort, forgiveness, and a clean conscience for Christ’s sake. - November 27 – The Fifth Godly Habit: Sacrificial Giving
Our Lord gave His own life to bring in a bumper crop of new lives. In God’s Kingdom, one follows Jesus and gains more by giving away rather than by holding on, trusting that everything we have comes from God and His promised provision for us. - December 4 – The Sixth Godly Habit: Confessing Christ
The one who has tasted the joys of trusting in the Lord and experienced for himself how good it is simply cannot refrain from urging others to enjoy tasting this goodness too: the goodness of trusting in the Lord. - December 11 – The Seventh Godly Habit: The Good Works God Has Prepared for Us to Do
Good works are gracious opportunities to live the resurrection life in Christ. God’s love for us in Christ stirs us to love and care for one another. His love helps us perceive the opportunity to serve and do good for the neighbor, reflecting and spreading God’s love. - December 18 – The Eighth Godly Habit: Remembering Death and the Day of Judgment
Christians should think of death daily, remembering above all that they have in Christ victory over death, who defeated death for our sake. Thus they know in Christ how to die a blessed death, and so are set free to live a blessed and joyful life here in time, and there in eternity.
