RELEASING THE BURDEN 1 PETER 5:7 THE POINT Many of us are loaded down with burdens. These burdens, however, are not ones that can be seen. Instead, they are invisible to the naked-eye, yet they are just as heavy as physical burdens. God never designed for us to carry such burdens, however. Instead, He desires that we release them over to Him. THE PREP Five to ten minutes to collect rocks or heavy items and load them into a durable book-bag or sack THE PROPS Heavy items such as rocks, bricks, books, weights, etc.; a book-bag or durable sack THE PROCESS Load up a book-bag or sack with heavy items Have the kids put on the book-bag, or hold the sack, and go up and down the steps a couple times (as you stand near them so they don’t fall) Take the book bag off and have them go up and down the steps again Ask which way was easier Musser, Mark J. 50 Great Object Lessons that Bring the Bible to Life (p. 21). Kindle Edition.

Hi everyone, prayers appreciated we will be going downtown to hand out tracts and preach tonight. Thanks!

Any prayer requests today?

Hi kids and adults any Bible questions or encouraging thoughts today?

Question: Who was Martin Luther? Answer: Martin Luther is well known for his 95 Theses, a document listing various oppressive and unbiblical practices of the Roman Catholic Church, and as the father of the Protestant Reformation. Luther posted his Theses on the door of the church at Wittenberg on October 31, 1517, now known as Reformation Day. Martin Luther was of German origin, born in Eisleben in 1483. At the age of 13, Luther began attending a school run by the Brethren of the Common Life where he became interested in monastic life. However, Luther’s father was a businessman and wanted his son to become a lawyer, so he withdrew Martin from the school. Luther later attended the premier university in Germany at the time—the University of Erfurt—where he studied the usual curriculum and obtained a master’s degree. Shortly after he graduated, Luther was caught in a thunderstorm and nearly struck by lightning. He took this as a sign from God and vowed to become a monk should he survive the storm. Thus, in July 1505 Luther moved into an Augustinian monastery. While in the monastery, Luther continued his studies both at Erfurt and at a university in Wittenberg. In 1510–1511 he served in Rome as a representative for the German Augustinian monasteries, but upon his return he finished his studies and obtained a doctorate degree in 1512. Luther then became a biblical studies professor. In the 16th century, theologians and scholars across Europe were starting to question the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. During the same time, translations of texts such as the Bible and the writings of early Christians became more widely available. It was in this context that Luther came to adopt two of Augustine’s beliefs: that the Bible, not the church, was ultimately authoritative; and that salvation is by God’s grace alone, not by good works. On his visit to Rome, Luther was troubled by the extravagance and corruption of the Pope and clergy. He began specifically to question the sale of indulgences, purported to absolve sinners. Believing the sale of indulgences to be corrupt, Luther posted his 95 Theses (also called the “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences”) to invite scholarly debate on the subject. The 95 Theses were fairly quickly disseminated throughout Germany and made it all the way to Rome.