For the next six weeks, we will be looking at the life of Jesus in our sermon series, "Beautiful Outlaw." Jesus was accused of nearly everything - breaking the law, keeping bad company, heavy drinking, and being the devil himself. He was so compelling and dangerous they had to kill him. But those who knew him best loved him passionately. He had a sense of humor. His generosity was scandalous. His anger made enemies tremble. He would say the most outrageous things. And this Jesus has not changed one bit; he is still himself, available to all who would know him. During this season of Epiphany, we will experience the playful, disruptive, extravagant personality of Jesus through the eyes of those closest to him. He truly is God's beautiful outlaw.

Jan. 7  "The Beautiful Outlaw" (Mark 2:23-3:6)

Jan. 14  "The Playful Personality of Jesus" (John 1:43-51)

Jan. 21  "The Disruptive Honesty of Jesus" (Luke 11:37-54)

Jan. 28  "The Extravagant Generosity of Jesus" (John 2:1-11)

Feb. 4  "The Scandalous Freedom of Jesus" (John 4:1-9)

Feb. 11  "The Beautiful Heart of Jesus" (Matthew 26:6-13)

During the winter, the homeless people that are fed by the Trinity crew are also sheltered by Walnut Creek Armory. There are a few nights each winter that the Armory is closed, and local churches have agreed to take them in. This weekend, from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., Saint Matthew will be sheltering 25 people in Fellowship Hall. Thank you to the people in our congregation who are feeding them dinner, spending time with them in fellowship, playing with the children, and spending the night on watch.

There will be two white roses on the altar this Sunday, placed to celebrate the lives of our loved ones.

The first white rose celebrates the life of Peggy Kelso, Partner in Mission. Peggy passed away on December 26. We extend Christian sympathy to her daughter Susan Griffin, her son, Jim, and to the rest of their family and friends. A memorial service took place at the mortuary on January 2.

The second white rose is placed to celebrate the life of Lester Young, beloved brother of Loretta Starr. Lester died on December 27 in Michigan.

Sunday's message reminds us that Jesus wanted to heal people, even when it got him in trouble with the religious leaders. You are that important to Him. If you have a need for prayer, come to Fellowship Hall anytime between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. and our team will pray for the healing of you or your loved one.

Enjoy casual potluck meals in a welcoming place designed for you to share stories and build friendships. There are host homes that you will be rotated through for 4 weeks (skipping Februrary 4) on Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Space is limited, register at the Welcome Center.

The Angst project is an IndieFlix Original documentary designed to raise awareness around anxiety with an emphasis on youth and families. The film includes interviews with kids, teens, experts and parents. The goal is to help people identify and understand the symptoms of anxiety and encourage them to reach out for help. The film and corresponding materials provide tools, resources and hope. Tickets are $5 and students are free with a student ID. Find out more and purchase your $5 tickets online here.

We let you know of our need, and you responded in a generous way! We had projected that our deficit for 2017 would be $60,000. When we informed the congregation, giving increased and the projected deficit was reduced to about $30,000. The need prompted one very generous family to issue a challenge: "We'll match any funds donated up to $10,000 if you give to our general fund before December 31." And the congregation responded, giving $22,985 by year-end, so along with the $10,000, our total challenge giving was $32,985.

Though we had our own needs, we decided to continue the practice of giving away our entire Christmas offering because of God's goodness to us. Our Mission Beyond team selected our friends at Children's Rescue Mission in Honduras, Young Life in Krasnodar and El Puente in Concord to be the recipients. Your generous donations totaled $13,353, which will be divided equally between these friends.

The leadership of Saint Matthew gives honor and praise to our Heavenly Father for His abundant provision and to everyone who contributed, a very sincere thank you!

The many denominations of Christian churches in the Diablo Valley join together in prayer once every quarter. The next prayer gathering is Friday, January 19 at 7:00 p.m at Hillside Covenant Church, 2060 Magnolia Way, Walnut Creek. We hope that you will make this night of prayer a priority and come together in unity to pray for our churches, cities, state, nation and world. No need to sign up, just show up.

The Weekly Good News is published by Saint Matthew Lutheran Church. Items may be submitted for publication by emailing Gail (click on the link below). Submissions are subject to editing or exclusion.

 

Phone: 925-932-1955 x106

 

Saint Matthew Lutheran Church
399 Wiget Lane
Walnut Creek, California 94598
925-932-1955
Website: www.saintmatthew.org