2025-2027 Theme

2025-2026

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” — Philippians 3:12

The theme for the next two school years at Lakeside Lutheran High School is: Pursue.

In the 1929 Rose Bowl, a college football player named Roy, ‘wrong way’ Riegels, recovered a fumble, and began running the wrong way. His teammates yelled, waved, and tried to get him to turn around, but nothing worked. Finally,  one of them did the only thing left: he pursued his own teammate and tackled him!  He pursued and took hold of his friend to stop him from crossing the goal line for the other team.

That is an amusing true story, but it’s also a pretty accurate picture of what Jesus did for us.

We were running full speed in the wrong direction—toward sin, death, and eternal separation from God. And we weren’t slowing down. In fact, we were showing great effort and hustle! Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray; each of us has turned to our own way.” 

Our friend Jesus didn’t stand on the sidelines waving his hands. He didn’t just scream at us, “You’re going the wrong way!” He pursued us. He pursued us with blood, sweat, and a crown of thorns. Jesus lived, died, and rose again so he could take hold of us in order to save us. His goal wasn’t to embarrass us, but to rescue us from something truly horrible and set us running in the right direction: toward eternal life through faith in him.  

And where did He “tackle” you? In Holy Baptism. That’s where Jesus' pursuit finally caught up to you.  In Baptism he took hold of you and called you God’s own child. In that moment your sinful self got tackled so that it didn’t control the way you ran anymore. In that moment your new life began. Paul puts it this way in Romans 6: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death… in order that… we too may live a new life.”

Sometimes we still try to run the wrong way in life, therefore, it is comforting to know  that Jesus never stops pursuing us.  Through his Word, Jesus still grabs your heart—first with the law that shows us the danger of our sinful direction, and then with the gospel that turns us around and assures us that he did everything necessary to bring us home.

Christ has pursued you and tackled you in grace. Now, like Paul, press on in the direction that Christ has set for you—because the one who took hold of you will not give up until you reach your eternal goal line!   

Quarterly themes:

Quarter 1: PURSUE! We focus on the overarching theme and passage(s) listed above.

Quarter 2: PURSUE - our priority is God first, and everything else second… “For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:32-33)

Quarter 3: PURSUE - because God pursues us!  “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) - Many events and stories about God pursuing the lost.

Quarter 4:  PURSUE - and don’t give up!  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

2026-2027

To pursue something is to chase after it in order to catch it.  Many schools use the word pursue as a theme.  They encourage students to pursue excellence in academics- pursue knowledge.  They encourage students to pursue excellence in athletics- pursue victory.  Then even encourage students to envision the kind of life and work they want and go after it- pursue the good life.  However, Lakeside has an additional and superior encouragement for students: Pursue salvation through faith in Christ Jesus!   That is the example and encouragement that the Apostle Paul gave to all Christian In Philippians 3:12, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

Why do we press on? Not to earn our place in heaven, but because Christ Jesus has already taken hold of us. He lived a perfect life in our place, died to pay for our sins, and rose again to guarantee our eternal victory. We pursue salvation out of love and thankfulness to Jesus.   

If you could imagine the gates of heaven as the finish line to a  marathon it will help you understand Paul’s words to us.  A marathon will take runners over the course of 26.2 miles.  Some miles are uphill, some are down hill.  Some miles are in the wide open blistering sunshine, and some are in the cool shade.  The runner makes his way through all those miles knowing that the finish line is just ahead.  The mindset of the marathon runner is, “You can make it.  The finish line is just ahead.”  Life too has its easier times and its harder times.  There are times when trusting in Jesus and living for him feels like an uphill battle, but then there are times when it feels like we are coasting down hill with our friend Jesus.  There are times of severe temptation that feels like running through fire, and there are times of renewal that feel like running in the cool of the day. And throughout the marathon of life, the Christian is not running alone. He is fueled by the certainty that Jesus already ran the perfect race for him—enduring the cross, despising its shame, and rising in victory. Now he waits at the finish line, ready to welcome us with open arms and a crown of life.

The goal of ministry at Lakeside Lutheran High School is two fold.  We want to equip students to pursue excellence in their academics, athletics, and their future vocations.  But we also want to equip students for the eternal life that Jesus  won for them.  In fact, that is our main purpose.  That is why every subject at Lakeside is taught in the light of God’s Word, so that students see academic, athletic, and vocation endeavors as part of running their life of faith.  That is why every theology class at Lakeside is about more than just Bible stories and passages.  It is about using the Word of God so the Holy Spirit will create an unquenchable drive in the heart of each student to pursue salvation through faith in Jesus their entire lives- until they reach that finish line at the end of the marathon.  

That is why Lakeside exists, and that is why our theme for the last two years has been: Pursue!  

Quarterly themes:

Quarter 1: PURSUE! We focus on the overarching theme and Bible passage(s) listed above. We also “refresh” the school year theme with this passage:   “Come near to God and he will come near to you” James 4:8. 

Quarter 2: PURSUE - As we pursue God, he pursues us every single day all the way to heaven: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23)

Quarter 3 PURSUE - Keep spiritual things as a priority of what you pursue: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:1-2)

Quarter 4 PURSUE - The Christian pursues different things than the world: “"But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness." (1 Timothy 6:11)