Prelude
Greeting and Welcome
Lighting of the Candles
Hymn of Invocation – My Song Is Love Unknown (LSB 430)
My song is love unknown,
My Savior’s love to me,
Love to the loveless shown
That they might lovely be.
Oh, who am I that for my sake
My Lord should take frail flesh and die?
He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed-for Christ would know.
But, oh, my friend, my friend indeed,
Who at my need His life did spend!
Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
He gave the blind their sight.
Sweet injuries! Yet they at these
Themselves displease and ’gainst Him rise.
+ Preparation +
Invocation
P: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Opening Sentences – Mark 14:38; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 Corinthians 10:12–13
P: Jesus said, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
C: Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
P: Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.
C: God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Confession and Absolution – Romans 6:20, 22–23, adapted; Mark 1:15
P: God’s Word reminds us that when we were slaves of sin, we were free in regard to righteousness.
C: But now that we have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit we get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
P: For the wages of sin is death,
C: but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
P: Let us confess our sins to God, who has brought us out of slavery and promises to lead us to the promised land of heaven.
A moment for silent confession.
P: Heavenly Father, we know we are blessed when we remain steadfast under trial, yet we fall prey to the devil’s schemes and give in to temptation. We are lured and enticed by our own evil desires—desires that contradict your good and gracious will.
C: For Jesus’ sake, forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P: As Jesus began His ministry, He said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” As you have repented of your sins, believe these words as if Jesus was standing here speaking them to you: I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
+ Word +
First Reading – Genesis 22:1–18
After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here am I, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Epistle – James 1:12–18
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Holy Gospel – Mark 9:30-41
P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the ninth chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
[The disciples] went on from there and passed through Galilee. And [Jesus] did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
John said to [Jesus], “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”
But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
Children’s Hymn – Jesus Loves Me (LSB 588)
Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Children’s Sermon
Hymn of the Day – Lamb of God (LSB 550)
Your only Son, no sin to hide,
But You have sent Him from Your side
To walk upon this guilty sod,
And to become the Lamb of God. Refrain
Refrain: O Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God,
I love the holy Lamb of God!
O wash me in His precious blood,
My Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
Your Gift of love they crucified,
They laughed and scorned Him as He died:
The humble King they named a fraud,
And sacrificed the Lamb of God. Refrain
Sermon
Apostles' Creed
C: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life + everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
+ Celebrating birthdays this week: 21 – Justin Lane; 22 – Kathy Grimm; 23 – Gary Riley; 26 – Jim Thielker
Special Celebrations and Needs:
+ Church family members: Prayer of thanksgiving for Fiona Marie Wise, newborn granddaughter of Julie Atwood-Wise; prayer of thanksgiving for Charlotte Nichole Jacobson, newborn grandchild of Bob & Debbie Jacobson
+ Friends of our congregation: The family and friends of former Glendale Lutheran member Nancy Allen upon her death; Paul, friend of the Cosby family, recently diagnosed with diabetes; John, friend of the Don family, diagnosed with prostate cancer
+ Those who are homebound or in nursing facilities: Mary Guion, Corinne Gutzler, Anne Hammann, Bettie Welch, Joan Winkler, Ruth Wussler
Offertory
