October 23, 2025 E-Vine – St John's Lutheran Church of Napa CA

Reformation Sunday

“The Truth Will Set You Free”
October 26, 2025

CLICK HERE FOR SERVICE NOTES.

As We Gather

In Christ, we have been set free—free to follow Him and live as the people He has called us to be. Today we celebrate the anniversary of the Reformation. The celebration of Reformation, however, is not just a look back historically, but rather a call to be the church of God for today. In the words of Jesus in John 8, it is a call to hold to Jesus’ Word, for that Word alone is what sets us free. Where is God calling us to “reformation” today? As individuals and as a church, where do we need to hold to the truth? Where do we need to be set free?

Ongoing News and Information

Pastor Mike’s Bible Class – 1 John: Walking in the Light of God’s Love
Join us on Sundays for a study of 1 John. In this poetic sermon by John, he paints a compelling picture of the Christian life as walking in the light and living in God’s love. John emphasizes authentic discipleship, urging followers to live in the truth, reject false teaching, and demonstrate love not just in word but in action. In so doing, we live in the fellowship God has given us – with Himself and with one another. We will be meeting in Room 8 at 11:00 AM.

October 25 – Setting Up the Sanctuary
Now that the new lighting has been installed in the sanctuary, we need to get the sanctuary ready for Sunday! This Saturday morning, October 25, at 9:30, we will be putting the chairs back in place. Many hands make light work, so if you are able to come by and help, it would be greatly appreciated!

October 25 – Fall Work Day
Come enjoy fellowship, food, and the beautiful autumn air at our Fall Work Day on October 25! We plan to start at 10:00 and wrap-up by 2:00. Projects will include weeding and spreading wood chip mulch in Faith Chapel, so don’t forget to bring your gardening gloves if you have them. We are also looking for wheelbarrows, shovels, and rakes, so if you could bring any of that equipment, please let us know when you sign up. Lunch will be provided. Click here to sign up to help. There will also be a sign-up sheet in the sanctuary. Many thanks!

We are keeping an eye on the weather forecast. If it is a light rain, we will plan to proceed, but if it is a heavy rain, we will reschedule. Many thanks!

October 26 – Trunk or Treat (Plus Pizza!)

We invite you, your family, and your friends to join us for Trunk or Treat this Sunday, October 26 from 4:00-5:30 PM in the St. John’s Lutheran main parking lot. Every year this event turns out to be a blast with some incredible trunks and delicious treats. This event is totally free for all families and friends with no requirement to decorate a trunk, but if you would like to (& we would definitely love you to) join in on the decoration madness please sign up here. We will also be offering a pizza fundraiser hosted by our High School Youth. Since this is a family friendly event we ask that you please avoid any scary decorations and costumes. If you have any questions about that or the event in general please contact kevin@stjohnsnapa.org.

October 28 – Dine and Donate at Chipotle
The St. John’s Lutheran School Theatre Program invites you to Dine and Donate with Chipotle on Tuesday, October 28. Just visit the Chipotle location at 1715 Trancas St any time from 4:00-8:00 PM on October 28 and present a flyer (available in the church narthex) at checkout, or use code PHDGFHQ if ordering online, and Chipotle will donate 25% of all sales to support our theatre program!

November 2 – Parent Information Meeting for Christmas Pageant
We would love to work with our Children’s Church kids to stage a Christmas pageant this December, and we invite all interested families to attend an Information Meeting with Kristy Watkins and Kevin Mathison on Sunday, November 2 after the worship service in Room 10. We invite children ages preschool through 5th grade to participate in the pageant, and we may have roles for older children as well! The performance date will be Saturday, December 6. More information to come! In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to Kristy Watkins at churchoffice@stjohnsnapa.org if you have any questions.

After-School Assistant at St. John’s Lutheran School

We are looking for an assistant for PALS, our after-school program for St. John’s Lutheran students. The hours would be 2:30-5:30 PM, Monday through Friday.

If you are interested in applying, or would like more information, please contact Ramona Kaufmann at rkaufmann@stjohnsnapa.org.

Pastor Mike’s Bookshelf

With All Your Heart: Orienting Your Mind, Desires, and Will Toward Christ
A. Craig Troxel

When we speak of our hearts in a non-biological sense, we are usually referring to feelings, desires and passions. The “heart” is often contrasted with the “head,” which is seen as the seat of rational thought. And in our current context, the matters of the heart, feelings and desires, are often taken as more important and significant than the matters of the head – “heartless, cold reason.”

But is this how the Bible uses the words translated from Hebrew and Greek as “heart”? For instance, in Matthew 18:35, Jesus says this to His disciples: “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” Is He calling us to feel a certain way toward the person we are forgiving? Or is it broader than that?

In this book A. Craig Troxel has provided an in depth, comprehensive study of the meaning of the human heart in scripture. He points out that the Scriptures do not only use heart for feelings, but more often use it to refer to our minds (reason) and will. He provides numerous biblical examples of the importance of understanding the biblical use of the word “heart” in this way, rather than importing the current popular definition and use of the word. The meaning and application can be significantly altered by using the wrong definition. Troxel’s insights provide helpful input not only regarding how we love one another, but in what it means to love God with an undivided heart.

Because I “read” this book as an audio book, I don’t have a physical copy to place on the bookshelf at this time. Previous recommendations can be found here: church.stjohnsnapa.org/resources/pastor-mikes-bookshelf

Sanctuary Lighting Upgrade

Let There Be Lights!

The new Sanctuary LED lights are being installed this week. Thank you again to all who have supported “Let There Be Lights!” with your offerings. We are two-thirds of the way to reaching our goal of $50,000.You can make an offering to support the lighting upgrade for the sanctuary in different ways. For an offering by check, just indicate “Let there Be Lights” in the memo line. For online giving, please use the “Let there Be Lights” option to make your offering.

Confirmation Classes
Confirmation, for 7th and 8th graders desiring to know more about God, will be meeting throughout the school year right here at St. John’s in the Library. Our next meeting is on October 29, and we will continue will meeting on Wednesdays in November. Each of those Learning Events runs from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. If you have any questions or desire to get involved, please contact Kevin Mathison at kevin@stjohnsnapa.org.

High School Hangouts
Calling all High Schoolers! Join us every Sunday after the worship service for High School Hangouts in Kevin Mathison’s office. We’ll enjoy games, snacks, and fellowship as we dive into God’s Word and talk about what it means for our lives today. If you have any questions, please contact Kevin at kevin@stjohnsnapa.org.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow St. John’s Youth Ministry on Social Media to keep up with all the latest information!
Facebook: SJL Napa Youth Ministry
Instagram: St. John’s Lutheran Napa Youth

St. John’s LCC K9 Comfort Dog Ministry
Our team sent 13 members to the LCC K9 Comfort Dog Conference inn Northbrook, Illinois in July. There were over 500 humans attending as well as over 90 beautiful Golden Retrievers. We thank Thrivent for assisting us with an Action Team card.

Every week is an opportunity to invite someone to join with us in worship, whether in person or online. The first step, though, is to pray for those who you may invite. Who can you pray for? Who will you invite?

You can CLICK HERE to give your offering online.

Stephen Ministers Grow in the Lord

The more you focus on the Lord and do God’s work, the more satisfaction you will find. It’s that simple! Are you looking for more satisfaction in your life? Consider serving our congregation as a Stephen Minister. By helping others, you will help God’s kingdom grow – and you will grow too! To learn more about Stephen Ministry and what Stephen Ministers do, contact Penni Cremen (707-483-9321) or Pastor Mike at the church office (707-255-0119).

Women’s Monday Morning Bible Study
The Women’s Bible Study meets every Monday in the Sanctuary from 10:00-11:30 AM. This fall, we’ll be studying the Book of Romans. All study materials will be handed out when we meet. For more information, please contact Judi Rock at goalyce2041@gmail.com.

Men’s Saturday Morning Bible Study

The Men’s Saturday Morning Bible Study is currently studying the Gospel of Luke. Join us for fellowship at 7:30 AM and Bible Study from 8-9 AM.

Biblical Counseling at St John’s?

The Biblical Counseling Center of Napa Valley

The Biblical Counseling Center of Napa Valley is a ministry to the families of St. John’s Lutheran Church and all Christians in the greater Napa area. Our center began some 25 years ago to offer strength and direction to those Christians suffering through trials and tribulations using the promises and hope the Bible offers to those who trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior. To learn more, CLICK HERE. If you, or someone you know, is struggling with life’s stressors, please consider giving us a call at 707-738-5306. (We are a free ministry to all).

Right Now Media
Right now media is an online resource providing Christian videos for all ages. Children’s resource, Bible Studies, lectures and more. As a congregation, we have subscribed to Right Now Media, so access is free for all in our St. John’s family. If you haven’t already signed up for Right Now Media, CLICK HERE.

Where do I find sermons and services that I missed?

You can find previous sermons in three places. The full services are available on the YouTube channel.

YouTube Channel:
- www.youtube.com/user/stjohnsnapaca/live
- There are playlists for sermons, Sunday Services, Wednesday Night Worship and teaching on Matthew
RightNow Media Channel
- www.rightnowmedia.org/CustomLibrary/41667
- Scroll down to find recommendations as well as sermon and Gospel of Matthew lessons
Website
- church.stjohnsnapa.org/resources/sermons
- The sermons are arranged by worship series