Listen to devotions to lift and encourage those serving in the military or supporting families and friends.
Waukesha, WI
Watch the Devotion Based on Philippians 1:3-6 Thank You Since this is Thanksgiving weekend, I want to pause and reflect on the past year. The mission of WELS Ministry to the Military is to make Word and sacrament available to our actively serving military members and their families. To carry out this mission, the Wisconsin Synod provides financial support for 25 percent of our operating expenses. The other 75 percent comes from generous gifts from you. This past year WELS Ministry to the Military received $154,000 in gifts. Thank you! Your generosity and the work we do together as a synod reminds me of the apostle Paul's words to the Christians in Philippi: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:3-6). Because of your generosity this past year, I was able to travel to 10 duty stations (including one aircraft carrier and 3 duty stations overseas), 16 congregations, 3 high schools, and 2 grade schools. This included a trip to Okinawa this past January where we led a retreat for service members who came from Guam, Japan, South Korea, and Okinawa. Because of your generosity, our office mailed 130 Spiritual Deployment Kits to service members around the world, not to mention a number of hymnals, catechisms, and devotion books. Thanks to you, 135 new referrals came in through our website. We were able to train seven Distinctive Religious Group Leaders to lead Bible study and worship in places we can't be. Five more are being trained right now. I want to say thank you to our European chaplain, Rob Weiss, and his wife, Rachel, for their faithful, dedicated service all over Europe: Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Poland. Thank you to the WELS pastors, teachers, and staff ministers who encourage and support our military service members, who show compassion and care to the family members when their service member is away from home. Thank you to all the grade schools, pastors' and teachers' conferences, and churches who adopted our ministry for their mission offering designation. Thank you to the WELS pastors and lay leaders who serve as contacts at numerous duty stations around the country, especially those who take extra time to visit our young people during basic training. I'd like to highlight Hope in Irmo, S.C., for serving Fort Jackson; Immanuel in Waukegan, Ill., for serving Great Lakes; Our Savior in San Antonio, Texas, for serving Lackland Air Force Base; and Risen Savior in Chula Vista, Calif., for serving Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD). At MCRD Pastor Paul Schulz leads the Lutheran service on Sunday mornings. This past year the Holy Spirit blessed Pastor Schulz' efforts with an average Sunday worship attendance of 47 recruits, and he was privileged to baptize 25 Marine Corps recruits. Thank you to the congregations in the Colorado Springs area for adopting Air Force cadets at the Academy and being their home away from home. Thank you to the Lutheran Military Support Group (LMSG) for their partnership. Because of their generosity, we led a Military Contact Pastor workshop near Hill Air Force Base in Layton, Utah, this past May. The LMSG also provided professional Christian counseling for active duty service members, veterans, and their dependents. I am grateful for our working relationship with WELS Campus Ministry. They have been helpful in identifying high school graduates pursuing ROTC or the National Guard and referring them to our ministry. Thank you to Michigan Lutheran Seminary who reached out to us, wanting to partner and provide a stable high school experience for high school-age students of our service members. I am grateful to the members and staff at Reformation Lutheran Church and School here in San Diego, where my wife teaches and we are members. You have been a huge support for our family. I want to say thank to the team that works behind the scenes to publish these devotions, for posting on our social media and website. You are so patient with me! I want to thank my Military Services Committee family: Paul, Joel, Holly, Josh, Dave, Ryan, Rob, Rachel, and Dale. It is a joy working with you. From me personally, I want to thank you for your small tokens of appreciation. The challenge coins, squadron caps and patches, letters, e-mails, and text messages—this is all so humbling and encouraging. And I am grateful for all of you every day for this partnership in the gospel. I ask that you continue to keep WELS Ministry to the Military in your prayers so that together we might reach more of our nation's service members with Word and sacrament. Have a happy Thanksgiving. Written and recorded by Rev. Paul Horn, WELS National Civilian Chaplain to the Military, San Diego, California. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Note: Scripture reading footnotes are clickable only in the web version.
How many deployments have been extended this year?
Christ calls his soldiers to stand firm . . .
Bravery beyond the call of duty is rare. . .
Have you ever found yourself sparring with God in the dark?
Speaking of the Navy reminds me of the world's first sailor. . .
Every mission tests your strength, but Christ is your true force multiplier . . .
Let us keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters . . .
, Jesus promises that as the Good Shepherd, he seeks out the lost...
The author of Psalm 1 uses the picture of a tree to describe you and your life as a Christian.
Psalm 51 shows us that through Christ, our Commander of mercy and unfailing love, we are forgiven, restored, and given strength to fight with a clean heart.
...written in heaven, in the blood of Jesus.
But there's hope. We don't run alone.
The Bible has a hall of heroes.
But here's the good news: that's your old self.
“Lord, teach us to pray.”
A busy home can be a messy home.
How can I be a neighbor to this person who is in need?
This is not a medal pinned on a uniform but the eternal reward...
Perseverance is long-suffering....
This blessing is not just a prayer or wish...
Leave the “when” and “how” and “where” up to your commander-in-chief...
A picture of heaven: a place of diversity...
Until we dismount at Fiddler's Green . . .
If you still wonder, Is this for me?
Do you remember that drill instructor? You know the one...
But it's nothing compared to the power of the resurrected and living Lord Jesus in your life...
So be at peace with each other and be at peace with yourself, for God is at peace with you in Christ Jesus...
“Hosanna!” It's a cry to the Lord that says, “Save us!”
Do you have prized possessions that you display for all to see?
Do you know what the word prodigal means?
Jesus teaches us that when we see and hear about natural disasters or war or unusual suffering and death, we need to repent, and then know that we are forgiven.
Have you ever felt like you're standing alone on the battlefield of life?
His grace is sufficient for you.
Whatever vocation God has called us to, we can confidently say to him, “Yes! Here am I. Send me!”
What are you looking for in a marriage?
People will reject you because they reject Christ, but Jesus will never reject you.
Galatians 3:26,27 reminds us that even though we are baptized into a battlefield—where we are constantly bombarded by the attacks of the devil—we are also baptized into Christ. Jesus doesn't leave us alone.
Live in your baptismal identity today and every day.
Today we hear about the most important rescue operation in history.
Do you feel that you are right where you need to be?
Do you sing? In our devotion today, the Lord God gives us as Christians good reasons to stand up and burst into song.
Do you sing? In our devotion today, the Lord God gives us as Christians good reasons to stand up and burst into song.
In Luke 3, John the Baptist says to you and to me, “Repent for the forgiveness of your sins.”
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