Thursday Psalms: God Protects You!

  

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

This psalm is a strong confession of faith and calls us to a life of trusting in God's protective safety.  When frightening and difficult times come our way, God invites us to take refuge in the Lord, the One who remains eternally faithful to us.

Psalm 91

¹ He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

² I will say to the Lord,

      “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

³ For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

⁴ He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you will find refuge;

      His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

⁵ You will not fear the terror of the night,

      nor the arrow that flies by day,

⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

      nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

⁷ A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand,

      but it will not come near you.

⁸ You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.

⁹ Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—

      the Most High, who is my refuge—

¹⁰ no evil shall be allowed to befall you,

      no plague will come near your tent.

¹¹ For He will command His angels concerning you

      to guard you in all your ways.

¹² On their hands they will bear you up,

      lest you strike your foot against a stone.

¹³ You will tread on the lion and the adder;

      the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

¹⁴ “Because He holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;

      I will protect him, because he knows My name.

¹⁵ When he calls to me, I will answer him;

      I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.

¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” 

We're tempted to think that verses 9-13 promise us an easy life, but even those who take refuge in the Lord are not exempt from these dangers.  God protects us during them, and will not let these threats separate us from Him.  God will not let us end up like the wicked, who reject Him.  Another thing, we can't be tempted to test God as the devil tried to tempt Jesus with verse 11.  God does send His angels to watch over us, but we should never test God's patience and force Him to protect us.

When our lives go from "smooth sailing" to "rough water", how encouraging it is to know God is protecting us!  Our security & confidence always come from God's promises He has kept for us.  Jesus' death & resurrection provide for us forgiveness of sins and eternal life.  No earthly struggle or danger will ever be able to take away these gifts.  

So, call on the Lord and He will answer you!   You can walk confidently, even in these dangerous times, because God is always with you.  God will never let you become separated from Him!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website       Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Psalm 119:105

Pilgrim Worship Sunday September 28, 2025

 

The Dishonest Steward  by Eugène Burnand  1850-1921 

Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 21, 2025

We're thankful you've come here to watch our service and to worship the one true God!

This was another exciting Sunday at Pilgrim Lutheran Church!  We've returned to our regular Sunday schedule, starting with Adult Bible class at 9:15 am and then our 10:30 am Worship service.  Afterward, we gathered for food and conversations, while the children enjoyed Sunday School.  These classes are full of activities and teaching, so the children learn how much God loves them!

If you live in the Burton area, please consider joining us on Sunday mornings!  Anyone can watch our services live on Facebook or on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about this worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS

   Old Testament:  Amos 8:4–7
                Psalm:  Psalm 113
               Epistle:  1 Timothy 2:1–15
               Gospel:  Luke 16:1–15

THEME FOR WORSHIP
In the 16th chapter of Luke, Jesus continues teaching about the proper use of possessions, given to us by our merciful Father. The Gospel text for today immediately follows the parables of the Prodigal Son, the Lost Coin and the Lost Sheep. Today we have perhaps Jesus’ most challenging parable, followed by Jesus’ interpretation, and two application statements. Some of the wording can be rather confusing, so it is important we carefully unpack these verses. This parable certainly speaks to your stewardship of all God has given you, and most important gift is God’s mercy.

To watch the video of today's service, please click HERE.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188   

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

       Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website           Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

    a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Thursday Psalms: Praise the LORD!

  

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

Doesn't it often seem like all the bad news & all the bad things of this world simply overwhelm the good things?  This seems especially true these past couple of weeks.  Today we hear of economic suffering for so many people, tomorrow another hateful shooting spree or terrible violence, and next week, who knows?  

We don't have answers to the problems around us; instead we pray to God who does.  Especially in times like these, God knows we need to be reminded of His goodness.  He knows how blessed we are to keep our focus on His good gifts.  And so we turn to His Word, full of hopeful expectations.  Today we look at Psalm 113...

Psalm 113

¹ Praise the Lord!

   Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!

² Blessed be the name of the Lord

   from this time forth and forevermore!

³ From the rising of the sun to its setting,

   the name of the Lord is to be praised!

⁴ The Lord is high above all nations,

    and His glory above the heavens!

⁵ Who is like the Lord our God,

    who is seated on high,

⁶ who looks far down

    on the heavens and the earth?

⁷ He raises the poor from the dust

    and lifts the needy from the ash heap,

⁸ to make them sit with princes,

    with the princes of His people.

⁹ He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children.

    Praise the Lord! 

But wait, you might say, this is not very fulfilling!  This psalm seems to be all about praising God, all fluffy, emotional stuff.  This might seem like coming into your kitchen really hungry and finding only whipped cream and pudding to eat!  But hold on, there is more here than feel-good emotions!

Yes,  the Lord is high above us, He is great and beyond our understanding, and fully deserving of nothing but our praise, all the time.  Yes, there is no other God, all other gods are false gods and tools of the devil to pull us away from  the Lord, the one true God.  But the really great thing about God is that He does not remain high above and far away!  In fact, He doesn't only look far down on the heavens and the earth, on us.  No, God sent His only Son, Jesus, to come far down to the earth, to be born a man, to become one of us.  

Jesus lived among the poor, the needy and all of us, sinful & broken people that we are.  Jesus became one of us, and died as one of us, but Jesus is so much more than one of us.  Jesus is your Savior!  Jesus willingly took upon Himself ALL the punishment that you deserve for your sins, and all the punishment that you WILL deserve for your future sins.  So when you pray to Him "I'm sorry for...", He will respond with "I forgive you!".  

Through God's forgiveness, Jesus has made you holy and blameless before our Heavenly Father.  Indeed, you do sit with princes, with the princes of His people!  Today we sit in honor, as forgiven children of God, and after we die we will spend eternity around the throne of God with the great multitude from every nation [Revelation 7:9-14], praising God forever and ever!   

God is love, and His forgiveness is the pinnacle of His love for us.  Praise the Lord! 

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website       Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

   a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Pilgrim Worship Sunday September 14, 2025

The Lost Sheep    Eugène Burnand  1850-1921 

Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 14, 2025

We're thankful you've come here to watch our service and to worship the one true God!

This was another exciting Sunday at Pilgrim Lutheran Church!  We've returned to our regular Sunday schedule, starting with Adult Bible class at 9:15 am and then our 10:30 am Worship service.  Today we worshiped outside in our pavilion!  Afterward, we gathered for food and conversations, while the children enjoyed Sunday School.  These classes are full of activities and teaching, so the children learn how much God loves them!

If you live in the Burton area, please consider joining us on Sunday mornings!  Anyone can watch our services live on Facebook or on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about this worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS
  Old Testament:  Ezekiel 34:11–24
               Psalm:  Psalm 119:169–176
              Epistle:  1 Timothy 1:12–17
              Gospel:  Luke 15:1–10

THEME FOR WORSHIP
OK, so our modern society, at least where you and I live, has moved on and “progressed” from that of the 6th century Israelites to whom Ezekiel is initially speaking. The same can be said regarding the 1st century crowd listening to Jesus reveal that He is the Good Shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep in the open country to seek and save the one lost sheep, and then joyfully brings it home & celebrates with His friends.

Even though we don’t live around sheep & shepherds, God uses this picture-language to show how He, in the person of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ deals with us. Ezekiel points us back to king David, and also points us forward to David’s greater son, Jesus Christ.

To watch the video of today's service, please click HERE.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188   

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

       Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website           Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

    a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Thursday Psalms: Live in God's Word!

 

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

Psalm 119 is of course the longest of the psalms, with an overall theme of living life under God's Law.  In this psalm alone David prays more than ten times that God would give him understanding, that he would comprehend and learn God's divine teaching.  In this short section below, we hear "loud and clear" David's desire to live Life in God's Word.  

Psalm  119:169–176

169 Let my cry come before You, O Lord;

     give me understanding according to Your word!

170 Let my plea come before You;

     deliver me according to Your word.

171 My lips will pour forth praise,

     for You teach me Your statutes.

172 My tongue will sing of Your word,

     for all Your commandments are right.

173 Let Your hand be ready to help me,

     for I have chosen Your precepts.

174 I long for Your salvation, O Lord,

     And Your law is my delight.

175 Let my soul live and praise You,

     and let Your rules help me.

176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep;

     seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments.

What a great example and prayer for you and I today!  What a great encouragement to set up a new routine, to read and pray over God's written words every day!  Don't make it a big intimidating plan; even if you just open your Bible to any book and start reading & praying, the Holy Spirit will give you His gifts!

And notice verse 174.  The psalmist is looking forward to the Lord's salvation, one of hundreds of Old Testament pointers to the coming life of Jesus our Savior.  We are blessed to live on this side of Calvary's cross and the empty tomb, knowing that our salvation has already been purchased by Jesus!  Thanks be to God, that you & I can rest with full assurance of our salvation, as we confess our sins to God our Father, and receive His complete forgiveness!

Peace in Christ, living Life in God's Word!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website       Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

   a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Pilgrim Worship Sunday September 7, 2025

 

Jesus Preaching to the Multitude  by Gustave Doré

Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 7, 2025

We're thankful you've come here to watch our service and to worship the one true God!

This was another exciting Sunday at Pilgrim Lutheran Church!  We've returned to our regular Sunday schedule, starting with Adult Bible class at 9:15 am and then our 10:30 am Worship service.  Afterward, we gathered for food and conversations, while the children enjoyed Sunday School.  These classes are full of activities and teaching, so the children learn how much God loves them!

If you live in the Burton area, please consider joining us on Sunday mornings!  Anyone can watch our services live on Facebook or on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about this worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS

  Old Testament:  Deuteronomy 30:15–20

         Psalm:  Psalm 1

      Epistle:  Philemon 1–21

      Gospel:  Luke 14:25–35

THEME FOR WORSHIP

Jesus, who is God’s Word, calls us to come after Him and to be His disciple.  To Christians, this sounds good, and many of us strive and desire to be Jesus’ disciples.  But in this difficult text, Jesus points out the costs of discipleship, which may include divisions in our families, renouncing our possessions and all manner of crosses we must bear.  From our perspective, the disciple life is costly.  

Because this text so directly points us to these harsh truths, we often tend to ignore these words, or give up on discipleship, convinced we can’t afford these costs.  Thankfully, we’ll also discover our heavenly Father’s mercy & grace in this text.

To watch the video of today's service, please click HERE.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188   

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

       Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website           Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

    a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Thursday Psalms: Delight!

  

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

This is the first of 150 psalms in Holy Scripture and it kind of sets the high-level tone for our daily faith-walk with God.

Psalm 1

¹ Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

       nor stands in the way of sinners,

           nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

² but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

       and on His law he meditates day and night

³ He is like a tree planted by streams of water

       that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.

   In all that he does, he prospers.

⁴ The wicked are not so, 

       but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

       nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

⁶ for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

       but the way of the wicked will perish. 

So, where are YOU walking?  ...or standing?  ...or sitting?  If you're hanging around with the wicked, in any area of your life, God warns you:  WATCH OUT!  Do you visit wicked websites or other media?  Does the music on your phone or the movies and TV programs you watch glorify sinners and sinful activities?  Do you side with scoffers, who question or disbelieve God's Word & Commandments?  BEWARE!  God warns us because God loves us; we're putting ourselves in danger when we do these things!  Verses 4-6 describe what awaits wicked, scoffing sinners who reject God and refuse to follow His commandments.

Instead, "delight" in God's Law.  This does NOT mean "keep them all perfectly so you will be saved."  Of course, we cannot do this, only Jesus could, and He did!  To delight in the law of the Lord is to remember that God's Law, all of it, was given in LOVE for you and I, His children!  What God commands is always what is best for us, and we should be delighted that He loves us so much, that He wants and does what is best for us!  Delight in the Lord, and your lives will bear fruit pleasing to God and others!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website       Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

   a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9