Life Sunday - In the Hand of God

In the Hand of God – Life Sunday Materials for 2008

Dear Friends of Life,

God sure has His hands in things! The Scriptures talk about God’s hands being involved in our lives over 300 times. This year’s Life Sunday materials focus upon those hands and our Trinitarian theology. God created us with His hands. He redeemed us with His hands nailed to a cross. He calls us in the waters of baptism and holds us in His hands. The value of human life comes from our “hands on” God. Our theology focuses, not upon the work of our hands, but upon what God’s hands have done that give us value. This has powerful and positive implications for the life issues. I pray that the 2008 Life Sunday materials will help your congregation apply our Trinitarian theology to the lives of God’s people facing difficult issues.

The “official” Life Sunday is January 20, 2008. However, our materials may be used at any time during the year. Here is a partial list of what is available.

In the Hand of God bulletin insert
Just For Kids XV bulletin insert
The Handiwork of God children’s message
In the Hand of God—A Foundational For Life Bible Study
A set of five sermons:

#1 God in Hand or in God’s Hand? (Job 12:4-10)

My sermon on Job 12 points out the contrast in the text between those who carry their god in their hands and God, who has all things in His hand. The former may seem appealing because you are in control of your god. But such a god would be too small to hold you in His hand. But there is a God who can! This is our Triune God who brings value to every life with His hands.

#2 Why a Womb? (Isaiah 49:1-6; 2^nd Sunday after the Epiphany)

Why a womb? If you were God and wanted to restore your people, if you were God and wanted to bring salvation to the “end of the earth,” if you were God and wanted to defeat sin, death, and Satan, if you were God and wanted to be glorified in all of this, why enter the world through a womb? In this sermon, I present the thesis that the Messiah would be called from the womb to identify with, and bring salvation for, all humanity.

#3 Jesus’ Big Hands of Blessing (Matthew 18:13-15)

Rev. Dr. Glenn Nielsen uses the imagery of a stained glass window (on CD) to show the blessings that come from God’s hands. “Hands communicate,” he writes. He develops the sermon around what God’s hands communicate to us and how we can now be His hands to others.

#4 In the Hand of God (Job 12:10)

Rev. Dr. Arthur Just develops the three points highlighted on the bulletin insert—He creates life with His hands, He redeemed life with His hands, He calls us and holds us with His hands. The theology of what our God has done to give value to human life comes through again and again.

#5 All Life is in God’s Hand (Job 12:10)

Rev. Tom Aadland asks: “Where do we turn when faced with problems in today's world? How do we handle life's most pressing issues?” Take a look at how Job handled the trial and tribulations of his life. Come and see on whom Job puts his trust and hope. Job, through all the woes that beset him, remained faithful to the Author and Creator of life, God. Job reminds us that we are in the hand of God and that hand belongs to a loving God. We are reminded that God showed us His love by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sins. We are reminded that the very hands that hold us are the very hands that were pierced for our transgressions.

LFL designed these materials to compliment one another. We encourage using as many as possible to help people connect our Trinitarian theology to the life issues.

Your servant For Life,

Jim Lamb, Executive Director

National Lutherans For Life