Pastor Michael
23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" 24 Jesus answered them, "I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?" And they discussed it among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' 26 But if we say, 'From man,' we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet." 27 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. (Matthew 21:23-27, ESV)
The motivation someone has greatly affects the actions that someone does. In the Gospel reading this Sunday, we hear some religious leaders coming to Jesus with questions. Unfortunately these questions did not seem to be driven by a desire to learn or grow in their faith; they seem to be driven by a desire to raise question about Jesus's authority. They wanted to stop Jesus.
Jesus however turns the situation around. He asks them a question, a question that could get them into trouble with the crowds or demonstrate themselves to be hypocritical. Through His question, Jesus highlights what motivated them - not a desire for understanding, but an apparent desire to stop Jesus.
Jesus willingly draws attention to their false motivations and leaves them destitute in their bankrupt goals. He continues on with His mission motivated by a simple desire - life for the world. He was not seeking attention or authority; He was seeking life for you and me.
It is such a selfless motivation that raises the question for us. Why do we do what we do? Why do we think what we think? What motivates us? What drives us? Consider the question and consider the Jesus to whom you have been connected, the Jesus who frees you from such pitfalls of questioning Jesus's authority. It frees us from trying to rationalize and defend sinful perspectives that dominate the world's thinking and frees us for the joy to which we are called in Philippians 2:5. It frees us from the desire for the comfortable, for what looks good, for that which benefits us. We are freed to rejoice in Jesus's authority and be motivated with the mind of Christ. We are freed to be motivated by a simple desire - life for the world.
The Ark needs your help as it continues to help the religious community pool resources and help people find self-sufficiency with hope and self-respect in the face of economic hardship! The Ark has a goal of putting together 200 hygiene kits for our neighbors in need and we are asking our supporters and contributing congregations to donate items/funds...we've done the dirty work of researching the lowest bulk prices on the items we need...all you need to do is follow the link, order/donate, and have it delivered to The Ark! No lengthy donation gathering period, no concerns about having too much of one item, not enough of another... If you are interested in participating, utilize this link which will help facilitate the ordering process. Orders range from $5-180.
The Athens Life Chain, hosted by Georgia Right to Life’s (GRTL) Athens chapter, is an event where people stand together forming a "chain" of people in support of Life and silently pray for an end to abortion. It takes place at the Arch in Downtown Athens this Sunday, October 1st from 1:45pm-3pm.
The Northeast Georgia Zone of the Lutheran Women in Mission (LWML) is hosting their fall gathering on Saturday, October 21 from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Gainesville, GA. Gifts collected in conjunction with the event will go to support Rahab’s Rope in Gainesville. Vicki Moore, from Rahab’s Rope will speak. The event will also provide opportunity to serve through the making of Christmas cards to be delivered to a local nursing home. Please RSVP by October 16 contacting gslcsecretary@gmail.com or call 770.532.2428. Registration is $12 which includes the cost of lunch. Contact Trish Aamoth with any questions.
Currently our Sunday morning study covers the book of Revelation. We are field testing the first study in the Concordia Commentary Series. We meet Sunday mornings at 9am. Participants can participate via Zoom or in person. If you want to participate on Zoom, please contact Pastor Michael so that he can send you the material (as copyright issues prevent us from posting the study on the website).
We meet Tuesdays at 7:00pm. We are studying Paul's letter to the Galatians. The study sheet for this week is available as a Google doc here and a pdf here. You may join us on Zoom (the link is embedded in the time). Please ask Pastor Michael if you have any questions.
The daily devotional tool Portals of Prayer is available in the fellowship area for October through December. Feel free to pick one up at a worship service or contact Pastor Michael for alternate options.
We invite students to gather together on Sunday nights at 6pm for a meal, devotion or Bible study, and time together. Our desire is for you to have opportunity to grow in your faith and in community in Christ here at Christus Victor.
Our high and middle school youth meet Sundays at 4:30pm to have time together, opportunity for devotion, and conclude with a meal. Contact Pastor Michael with any questions or if you would like to participate.
The links will be up on the website for Sunday's worship service 24 hours prior to the service under 'Online Opportunities'. You can also access those links here: Sunday worship 10:30am Zoom Link; Announcements; Order of Service.
We have three main ways of contributing financially to the work here at Christus Victor: 1. You may give cash or check in the offering or send contribution in via the mail; 2. You may give online through our online giving page of the website or the Vanco app; 3. You may donate stocks directly; please contact Linda Jorgensen for more details. However you choose to give, we give thanks for your support and partnership in the Gospel!
What to expect at a typical service, Bible study, student fellowship, and how to get involved in our community. We would love to welcome you soon!
Miss the service this week? Keep up with the season and hear the uplifting message of Christ as we continue to grow in our life of faith.
Partner with us through prayer, volunteering, or donations. You can fill out our Time and Talents form to get involved in a personal way.
Our Sunday morning Bible study, beginning on September 17, will work through the book of Revelation. The study is a field test of a study for Concordia Publishing House and meets each Sunday at 9am. If you plan to participate online, please contact Pastor Michael so he can ensure that
Student Nights are each Sunday at 6pm. We begin with a meal and then follow with a Bible study or devotion and time together/game. It is a great opportunity to get to know one another and grow in the faith together. Please reach out to Pastor Michael or one
We are studying Paul's letter to the Romans. Through it we rejoice in the righteousness that is apart from the law, righteousness that is through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. We meet Tuesdays at 7:00 pm. The study sheet is available on the online opportunities page of
The youth meet each Sunday at 4:30pm for time together, a devotion/study and a meal. If you are interested participating, getting to know other youth and growing in the faith, or if you just have questions, please contact Pastor Michael.
Traditional worship with Holy Communion
Come early on Sunday for Education Hour
Join the Midweek Bible study
contact_mail pastor.christusvictor@gmail.com
contact_phone 706-543-3801
