St. Mark Lutheran Church - Flint, MI

Devotion for Monday, June 8. Please read Exodus 19:2-8 (the Old Testament Reading for Sunday)

As Israel camped at Mount Sinai, the Lord reminded them of His saving work: “I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself” (v. 4). Before giving His Law, God first pointed His people to His grace. He had rescued them from slavery in Egypt, not because they earned His favor, but purely because of His love.

God then declared that Israel would be His “treasured possession” and a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Their identity as God's people flowed from His gracious choice and redemption. Their obedience was to be a response to His mercy, not a means of earning it.

This points us to Christ. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has delivered us from the slavery of sin and brought us to God. In Holy Baptism, He has made us His own treasured people. Like Israel, we are called to live holy lives, not to gain God's favor, but because we already have it through faith in Christ.

When we fail (and we do), the Gospel assures us that our standing before God rests not on our imperfect obedience but on Christ's perfect righteousness. Carried by His grace, we are free to serve Him and our neighbors with joy.

Let’s pray: Lord Jesus, thank You for rescuing me from sin and making me Your own. Strengthen my faith so that I may gladly live as Your redeemed child and reflect Your love to others. Amen.

A Devotion for Friday, June 5th. Please read Matthew 9:9–13 (the Gospel Reading for this Sunday)

Good Morning! In our Gospel reading, Jesus passes by a tax collector named Matthew and says two simple words: “Follow Me.” Tax collectors were not well respected in their day. Many were viewed as dishonest, greedy, and traitorous because they worked with the Roman authorities. Matthew was not the kind of person most would have expected a rabbi to call as a disciple.

Yet Jesus does exactly that.

What makes this account so remarkable is how little Matthew says. We are simply told that he “rose and followed Him.” At the call of Jesus, Matthew leaves behind his tax booth and becomes a disciple. This is not because Matthew had earned Jesus’ favor or proven himself worthy. Rather, Jesus sought him out and called him by grace.

The scene then shifts to a dinner where Jesus is reclining at table with many tax collectors and sinners. When the Pharisees see this, they are scandalized. In their minds, a holy teacher should avoid such people. Yet Jesus responds, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.”

Jesus compares Himself to a doctor. A doctor does not avoid the sick; he goes to them. In the same way, Jesus came for sinners. He did not come to congratulate the righteous or reward those who thought they had everything together. He came to seek and save those who knew their need for mercy.

Then Jesus quotes the prophet Hosea: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” The Pharisees had become focused on outward appearances and religious performance, but they had lost sight of God's compassion for sinners. The Lord desires hearts that trust in His mercy rather than confidence in their own works.

This text invites us to see ourselves honestly. We are not the healthy who have no need of a physician. We are sinners in need of forgiveness. We cannot heal ourselves or make ourselves righteous before God. But that is precisely why Jesus came.

The good news is that Christ still calls sinners to Himself. He still forgives. He still welcomes the undeserving. Through His Word, He calls us to follow Him just as He called Matthew. And through His death and resurrection, He gives the mercy that we could never earn.

Wherever guilt, shame, or failure may weigh upon us, Jesus' words remain a comfort: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” That means He came for people like Matthew. And it means He came for people like us.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son to seek and save sinners. Grant us humble hearts that trust in Your mercy alone, and strengthen us to follow Christ wherever He leads; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Devotion for Wednesday, June 3rd. Please read Romans 4:13–25 (the Epistle Reading for this Sunday)

Good Morning! In our reading from Romans, Paul directs our attention to Abraham and the promise God made to him. Abraham is one of the great examples of faith in Scripture, not because he was perfect, but because he trusted in the promises of God even when those promises seemed impossible.

Paul reminds us that the promise given to Abraham did not come through the Law but through faith. God promised that Abraham would become the father of many nations, yet there was every reason to doubt. Abraham and Sarah were well beyond the age when they could expect to have children. Humanly speaking, the situation was hopeless.

Yet Paul writes, “In hope he believed against hope.” Abraham looked beyond his circumstances and trusted the One who made the promise. His faith was not rooted in his own strength or understanding but in the faithfulness of God. As Paul says, Abraham was “fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised.”

This is an important reminder for us. Faith is not confidence in ourselves. Faith is confidence in God and His Word. The strength of faith is not measured by how strongly we feel but by the One in whom we trust. Even when circumstances seem uncertain, God's promises remain certain.

Paul then explains that Abraham’s faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” In other words, Abraham was declared righteous before God not because of his works, achievements, or obedience, but because he trusted God's promise. This has always been the way of salvation. Sinners are justified by grace through faith.

And this promise extends beyond Abraham. Paul says that these words “were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also.” Just as righteousness was credited to Abraham through faith, so it is credited to all who believe in the God who raised Jesus from the dead.

This brings us to the heart of the Gospel. Paul writes that Jesus “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” Christ was handed over to death because of our sins. On the cross, He bore the judgment that we deserved. And His resurrection is God's declaration that the work is complete, that sin has been paid for, and that forgiveness is won.
Like Abraham, we live by faith in God's promises. We trust in the crucified and risen Christ, who has done everything necessary for our salvation.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of faith and for the promises You have fulfilled in Your Son. Strengthen our trust in Christ, that we may rest confidently in the forgiveness and righteousness He has won for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Devotion for Monday, June 1st. Please read Hosea 5:15–6:6 (the Old Testament Reading for this Sunday)

Good Morning! In our reading from Hosea, the Lord speaks to His people through the prophet about repentance and restoration. Israel had wandered far from God, pursuing idols and trusting in their own ways. Because of their unfaithfulness, the Lord allowed them to experience the consequences of their sin. Yet even in judgment, His purpose was not destruction but repentance.

The Lord says, “I will return again to My place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face.” These words remind us that God desires His people to recognize their need for Him. Sin has a way of convincing us that we can manage on our own, that we do not need the Lord’s mercy or guidance. But when we are confronted with our sin, we are brought face to face with our need for His forgiveness.

The people then cry out, “Come, let us return to the Lord.” They recognize that the Lord is the One who wounds and heals, who disciplines and restores. There is confidence in these words because God had not abandoned His people. Though they had been unfaithful, He remained faithful to His promises.

Yet the Lord also exposes a problem in their repentance. He says, “Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away.” Their sorrow over sin was often short-lived. Their promises of faithfulness quickly faded. They wanted relief from their troubles, but their hearts were not always turned toward the Lord.

That is why God declares, “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” The Lord was not rejecting the sacrifices He had commanded. Rather, He was condemning empty worship that lacked faith and trust in Him. God desires hearts that know Him, trust Him, and receive His mercy.

The same temptation remains for us. It is possible to go through the motions of the Christian life while our hearts drift elsewhere. Yet the Lord continually calls us back. He invites us to return to Him in repentance and faith, trusting not in our own devotion but in His steadfast love.

Our hope is not found in the strength of our repentance but in the faithfulness of Christ. Jesus is the One who perfectly loved the Father and fulfilled the Law in our place. Through His death and resurrection, we receive forgiveness and are restored to fellowship with God.

The Lord's mercy is new every morning. Whenever we wander, He calls us back to Himself through His Word, that we may know His forgiveness and live in His grace.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, forgive us when our hearts grow cold and our devotion becomes half-hearted. Draw us back to Yourself through Your Word, and grant us steadfast faith in Christ, whose mercy never fails; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sharing for our neighbors in Goodrich! They are still accepting vendors for their event.

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Tenth semiannual show at
Christ Lutheran Church
5245 Hadley Rd.
Goodrich, MI 48438

Free admission!

Free parking!

Free popcorn!
(No purchase necessary for the popcorn)

Saturday, June 13th, 2025.
10am to 3pm.

Stacy Corner is the event coordinator.
you can contact her by:
Email: [email protected]
Text or call: (810) 488-6507
(Stacy's contact information is also on the flier)

Still accepting vendors.

Devotion for Friday, May 29. Please read Matthew 28:16-20 (the Gospel for this Sunday)

The risen Christ sends His Church with a promise and a name: “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” In these words, Jesus reveals the Holy Trinity—not three gods, but one God in three Persons. The Father sends the Son for our salvation. The Son dies and rises for sinners. The Holy Spirit creates faith through the Gospel and keeps us in Christ.

Before ascending to heaven, Jesus gives His Church a mission grounded in His authority: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” The success of the Church does not rest on human strength, but on Christ Himself. He gathers disciples through His Word and Sacraments. The work we endeavor to do in His name is His work in and through us by His power alone.

Though we have our ideas and desires of how we’d like things to go, we trust the guidance of the Holy Spirit in and through it all so that our work would do what the Spirit does – lead people to Jesus. Jesus brings us, redeemed and justified, to stand without fear before our Almighty Father. And Jesus gives a final comfort: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The Triune God does not abandon His people. In Baptism, He places His holy name upon us. In His Word, He continues to teach and forgive us. In every age, Christ remains with His Church.

Let’s pray: Holy Father, through Your Son and by Your Holy Spirit, keep us steadfast in the true faith. Strengthen us through Your Word and Sacraments, and preserve us in the grace given to us in Baptism, In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Don't forget! Our Youth at St. Mark are hosting a pancake breakfast after service this coming Sunday, May 31st. Join them for a delicious breakfast and fellowship. 🥞

Did you miss our Confirmation Sunday service? Don’t worry! Watch our service livestream on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. 🖥
If you can't watch live on Sundays, you can alwsys watch previous services and share with friends and family, too! http://www.youtube.com/

Devotion for Wednesday, May 27. Please read Acts 2:14a, 22-36 (the Second Reading for this Sunday)

Peter’s sermon at Pentecost proclaims the heart of the Christian faith: the crucified and risen Jesus is both Lord and Christ. On Holy Trinity Sunday, Acts 2 reminds us that the God who saves us is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit working together for our redemption. The Father sent His Son according to His saving plan. The Son willingly suffered, died, and rose again. The Holy Spirit empowered Peter’s preaching and created faith in those who heard.

Peter uses the testimony of David who, generations beforehand, trusted that the Father would send a descendent of David whose flesh would not decay in the grave or see any corruption. This is Jesus, who would show the path of life and bring full gladness with His presence. That gladness comes from knowing Jesus would bring life through His death and resurrection, that His people would be rescued from sin and death.

Peter does not soften the truth. Humanity rejected and crucified Jesus, yet death could not hold Him. Christ is risen and reigns at the Father’s right hand. This is good news for sinners. The same Lord whom we have offended by our sin is the Lord who forgives, restores, and gives eternal life through His cross and resurrection.

The Holy Trinity, which we celebrate this Sunday, is not an abstract doctrine but the living God acting for your salvation. You were baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The Triune God has created you, redeemed you, claimed you as His own, and continues to sustain you through Word and Sacrament.

Let’s pray: Almighty and everlasting God, You revealed Yourself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and have brought us to faith through the risen Christ. Keep us steadfast in Your Word, confident in Your forgiveness, and joyful in the hope of the resurrection; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Get fit at St. Mark with Just For Women fitness center! Just For Women is a Silver Sneakers fitness center. Open M, T, W, F 8am-noon. New contact people for Just For Women: Lisa Wilson or Veronica McKanna. You can also call the church office 810-736-6680!