Sermon - Reading of Confirmation Passages
Sage Beckmann
My favorite passage is Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose.” It was written by Paul to the Romans. This passage tells me that everything that happens to me God uses for my good. For example my parents who both love me. (This also means to me that those who believe in Him will go to heaven and enjoy long life in heaven.) Once again my passage is Romans 8:28
Josh Braun
My favorite Bible passage is 1 Peter5:7: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” This passage reminds me that Jesus wants us to throw all of our sins and worries on him. It also reminds me that Jesus cares for us and wants the weight of the sins of all people on his back. This message means that when you have sins and troubles, God wants us to turn to him and give all of our anxieties to him. My favorite Bible passage is 1 Peter 5:7; “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
Gilly Davison
My favorite Bible passage comes from Matthew 6:25 & 33: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important that clothes?… But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” This section of the Bible was written by Matthew for the main purpose of explaining the foolishness of worry. As humans, we all understand feeling anxious, nervous, or troubled. Nowadays there are many reasons to worry. When the economy dropped, leaving many unemployed, we worried. When the news of an earthquake striking Haiti reached the U.S., we worried. I know in my life as I grow up I’ll face my share of problems. Sometimes I may feel like I’m alone and helpless, but God tells me not to worry; and the thing is we don’t have to worry. I know, through this passage, that there is no need to fret about my future. I am a saved child of God, and I can reflect that throughout my life in simple things like letting God take control of my problems. I know that might not always be easy in the future or was easy in the past, but I also know God will always be by my side throughout my life to help me. As I go through high school, college and future careers, I can look to this passage for help and strength to remind me that I am not alone. God is with me, and God will help me. Again, my favorite Bible passage is Matt. 6:25 & 33: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important that food, and the body more important than clothes?… But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given you to as well.”
Casey Giesseman
My favorite passage: John 14:2,3 “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” This is my favorite passage because it means a lot to me. It shows me that even now, when I am in pain everyday, God is in heaven preparing my room for me; and one day he will come and get me to bring me to his house. Both my grandma and grandpa waited for him to come back for them, and he brought both of them home. So every time I think of this passage, I will think of going home with God to see my grandma and grandpa one day in heaven.
Miranda LaViolette
My favorite passage is Matthew 7:7 – “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” This is my favorite passage because I know I can ask for help from family and friends, and I know my prayers will be answered. When I look for answers for my questions, I know God will help me find them; and it makes me feel good knowing that God’s door is always open, and that’s why this is my favorite passage. Once again my favorite passage is Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Erin Miller
My favorite Bible passage is Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” This passage, along with most of the Psalms, was written by David. This passage means a lot to me. It promises that I will have a great life and an even better eternal life. It promises assurance and security. I don’t have to worry about all the obligations I’ve made, or whether I’m going to get Monday’s math assignment done, because I know the Lord’s going to make it all work out. To me it also asks something in the “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life” part. Even though I am a child of God and have a strong faith in him, I have to remember to show it through my actions. I want people to be able to tell from what I do that I am a Christian. After I’m done with high school, I plan on joining the military, probably in an army reserve so I can go to college at the same time. I want to be able to serve my country if there’s ever a need for assistance. After that I want to move to Africa to become a missionary for a couple of years. I’ve always loved being at church and feeling the satisfaction of learning with fellow Christians, and I feel that more people should be able to experience that. After serving as a missionary, I want to come back to America and work with kids. As Pastor Zessin always says “Our country is always one generation away from losing Christianity,” and I want to do everything I can to make sure that never happens. I want to use my life to serve him, and I hope that I will make a difference in this world. And that is why my favorite Bible passage is Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Brenna Thoma
My favorite passage is Proverbs 3:5. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” This passage was written by Solomon. Solomon is saying that we should listen to God and not worry but put all our trust in him because worry does no good. Earlier in January my little baby cousin Katie was taken to the hospital for some tests, and the doctors found out that she had a blood clot and an aneurism on her brain. She is all recovered now and is a happy smiley little girl; but during that time of worry, we just had to put our trust in the Lord and know that, if it was the Lord’s time for her to go home, we had to believe that he knew what was best for her. And that is why my favorite passage is Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
Andrew Spittlemeister
My favorite bible passage is 2 Timothy 3:16. It says that, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” This is a letter written by the apostle Paul who is giving advice to the young pastor Timothy. Paul is teaching Timothy that all Christians will be persecuted by temptation, and that you can still be sure that the Word of God is true. Paul is also teaching me that same thing, because I am sure that, like in the past, that temptation will strike again in the future. But with this passage to refer to, I can be sure of my faith in the Word of God. This passage also lets me know that I can pass on the teachings of the Bible to my children and grandchildren knowing that what I am teaching them is the true word of God. This passage will stay with me for the rest of my life; it will help me down the road, preserving my faith until I die.
Joshua Tuttle
My favorite passage is Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” This passage is important to me because I once had an infection behind my eye, the doctors told me to wait it out. God told my mom otherwise. I was taken to Green Bay and was rushed into surgery. I know that I was strengthened by God because it was a miracle I survived. All I knew is that I was sick. I was fearless because of my faith in the Lord. I am lucky to be with you today and glad that my faith is still strong in God. That is why my favorite passage is Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Michaella Yant
My favorite passage is Psalm 119:105. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” I think this passage means that we should follow God’s word, and he will guide us in any time of need or trouble. I chose this passage because this past summer I got into two bad accidents, and they were both very scary. The first accident that happened was when I decided to ride my bike to my friend’s house on the last day of school, but instead of getting to my friend’s house I got hit by a truck. It was a good thing that a student in my class’s mom was driving past when it happened and got out and asked me if I was OK. I called my friend from her cell phone, and she came running up the hill. All I got out of the accident was a few cuts and bruises; but I know God was looking out for me in my time of trouble, and I’m glad that it didn’t come out to anything else. My other accident was two weeks later. My parents had gone to work, and I was alone in the house. I had decided to clean my room, so I went to bring some things downstairs and put away; but I fell down the stairs. I don’t remember much after that, but I do remember trying to walk up the stairs and call my dad. I know that God was watching out for me because I know I wouldn’t have climbed the stairs for how bad the accident was. My dad came home and I was crying hysterically. My lip was bleeding and puffed, and my arm hurt badly. So my dad took me to the ER and they told me I had to get some x-rays. Once they looked over the x-rays, they told me I had sprained my arm, and this was hard for me because I wouldn’t be able to do all the things I wanted to do in the summer, but I am so glad that it wasn’t that bad. Once again my passage is Psalm 119:105. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Thank you for your time.