Prelude
Greeting and Welcome
Lighting of the Candles
Hymn of Invocation – A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (LSB 656)
A mighty fortress is our God,
A trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from ev’ry need
That hath us now o’ertaken.
The old evil foe now means deadly woe;
Deep guile and great might
Are his dread arms in fight;
On earth is not his equal.
With might of ours can naught be done,
Soon were our loss effected;
But for us fights the valiant One,
Whom God Himself elected.
Ask ye, Who is this? Jesus Christ it is,
Of Sabaoth Lord,
And there’s none other God;
He holds the field forever.
Though devils all the world should fill,
All eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill;
They shall not overpow’r us.
This world’s prince may still scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none.
He’s judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him.
The Word they still shall let remain
Nor any thanks have for it;
He’s by our side upon the plain
With His good gifts and Spirit.
And take they our life,
Goods, fame, child, and wife,
Though these all be gone,
Our vict’ry has been won;
The Kingdom ours remaineth.
+ Preparation +
Invocation
P: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Opening Sentences – John 8:31–32
P: Jesus said, “If you abide in My word,
C: you are truly My disciples,
P: and you will know the truth,
C: and the truth will set you free.”
Confession and Absolution – John 8:36
P: With humble hearts, let us approach our Father’s throne of grace.
Silence to reflect on our sin and our need for the Savior
P: Together, we pray:
C: Gracious Father, because our entire lives are to be ones of repentance, we bow before You and confess our sins. We have turned away from the truth of Your Word, choosing to go our own way. By what we have thought, by what we have done, and by what we have failed to do, we have broken Your commands and are deserving of Your wrath and punishment. By the mercy of Christ, Your Son, set us free from our captivity. Enable us by Your Holy Spirit to live under You in Your kingdom and to serve You in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. Amen.
P: Just as Christ is risen from the dead, He lives and reigns to all eternity! It is most certainly true that He died and rose again for you to make you right with God, to adopt you as children of the heavenly Father, and to set you free from sin and death. As a called and ordained servant of the Word, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
P: “So if the Son sets you free,
C: you will be free indeed!”
+ Word +
Introit
P: I will speak of your testimonies before kings, [O Lord,]
and shall not be put to shame.
C: I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
P: My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
C: Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
P: The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen
P: I will speak of your testimonies before kings, [O Lord,]
and shall not be put to shame.
Salutation and Prayer of the Day
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray. Almighty and gracious Lord, to know You is to know true freedom from sin and to live in the transforming power of Your Holy Spirit. Grant that we, who hold fast to the Word of Your Son, may never return to our captivity but walk daily in the new life we have received; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
First Reading – Revelation 14:6-7
Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Epistle – 1 Peter 1:13-22
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for your sake, who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Holy Gospel – John 8:31-36
P: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the eighth chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
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.
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. Refrain
Refrain: Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me! He who died
Heaven’s gates to open wide.
He has washed away my sin,
Lets His little child come in. Refrain
Children’s Sermon – Tim Cosby
Hymn of the Day – Holy, Holy, Holy (LSB 507)
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Which wert and art and evermore shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see,
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!
Sermon
