“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers[a] of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body” (Colossians 2:7-9).
Let your roots grow down into Jesus. What a wonderfully descriptive phrase. This verse helps me to always remember that the source of who I am, how I think, my attitudes towards other people, the values that I proclaim, even my political beliefs, everything needs to be centered on and rooted in Jesus. For it is Jesus who will grow my faith and help me to be the person God created me to be.
Gift Card Scam Targeting Church Members
“There is a new spin on gift card scams making the rounds lately. This time, scammers are pretending to be (or on behalf of) your pastor. They are asking worshipers for gift card contributions for a worthy cause. Appeals are often made by email, but people are also getting texts and phone calls, too.
The bogus emails often include the name of a local pastor and a legitimate looking email address. But a closer look should raise some red flags. For example, the email address isn’t the one normally used by the church, and the service provider is different, too. The message may begin with a simple “Hi,” but doesn’t include a recipients’ name. There also may be spelling errors, including the pastor’s name.
The imposter asks you to buy a popular gift card — frequently, iTunes, Google Play, or Amazon — and then asks for the gift card number and PIN on the back of the card. Those numbers let the scammer immediately get the money you loaded onto the card. And once that’s done, the scammer and your money are gone, usually without a trace.
If you or someone you know paid a scammer with a gift card, report it as soon as possible. Call the card company and tell them the gift card was used in a scam. Then, tell the FTC about it at ftc.gov/complaint. Your reports may help law enforcement agencies launch investigations that could stop imposters and other fraudsters in their tracks” (Consumer Education Blog, FTC).
Please remember All Donations/Gifts/Tithes to Our Ministry Should Be Given Directly to Alpine Lutheran Church. We will not ask for cash/checks/ gift cards to be given directly or made out to individuals. Please contact the church to verify or ask questions about suspicious emails or texts.