Prelude
Greeting and Welcome
Lighting of the Candles
Hymn of Invocation – Chief of Sinners Though I Be (LSB 611)
Chief of sinners though I be,
Jesus shed His blood for me,
Died that I might live on high,
Lives that I might never die.
As the branch is to the vine,
I am His, and He is mine.
Oh, the height of Jesus’ love,
Higher than the heav’ns above,
Deeper than the depths of sea,
Lasting as eternity!
Love that found me—wondrous thought!
Found me when I sought Him not.
Only Jesus can impart
Balm to heal the wounded heart,
Peace that flows from sin forgiv’n,
Joy that lifts the soul to heav’n,
Faith and hope to walk with God
In the way that Enoch trod.
+ Preparation +
Invocation
P: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Opening Sentences – Psalm 30:10; 43:3; Proverbs 4:18; Isaiah 2:5b
P: Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
C: O Lord, be my helper.
P: Send out Your light and Your truth; let them lead me;
C: let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling!
P: The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
C: which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Confession and Absolution
P: Let us now make confession of our sins. Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid, cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You and worthily magnify Your holy name, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord.
C: Amen.
P: Assured of God’s great mercy, let us confess together that we, by our darkened, sinful nature, are estranged from God, and by our thoughts, words, and deeds have sinned and deserve His condemnation now and eternally.
C: Almighty God, we repent of our sins in thought and in word and in deed. Although we deserve Your just punishment, we ask for Your unmerited blessing. Be merciful to us and for the sake of Jesus grant us Your forgiveness so that, as Your redeemed people, we may be made bright by Your presence in our lives, joyfully serving You in time and through eternity.
P: In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
+ Word +
Introit
P: I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your just and righteous decrees.
C: Blessèd are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!
P: Blessèd are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,
C: You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently.
P: Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!
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 praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your just and righteous decrees.
Salutation and Prayer of the Day
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray. O Lord, You bless the poor, the hungry, the weeping, and the persecuted. Mercifully hear the prayers of Your people when they call upon You, and give us faith to believe Your kingdom belongs to the humble of heart; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who with You and the Holy Spirit are one God, world without end.
C: Amen.
First Reading – Jeremiah 17:5–8
Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Epistle – 1 Corinthians 15:12–20
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Holy Gospel – John 8:37-47
P: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the eighth chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing what your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles' Creed
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 – Thy Word is a Lamp (AGPS 247)
Refrain: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
When I feel afraid, think I’ve lost my way
Still You’re there right beside me,
And nothing will I fear as long as You are near.
Please be near me to the end. Refrain
Now I will not forget Your love for me and yet
My heart forever is wandering.
Jesus, be my guide and hold me to Your side
And I will love You to the end. Refrain
Children’s Sermon – Janet Leet
Hymn of the Day – Christ Be My Leader (LSB 861)
Christ be my Leader by night as by day;
Safe through the darkness, for He is the way.
Gladly I follow, my future His care,
Darkness is daylight when Jesus is there.
Christ be my Teacher in age as in youth,
Drifting or doubting, for He is the truth.
Grant me to trust Him; though shifting as sand,
Doubt cannot daunt me; in Jesus I stand.
Christ be my Savior in calm as in strife;
Death cannot hold me, for He is the life.
Nor darkness nor doubting nor sin and its stain
Can touch my salvation: with Jesus I reign.
Sermon
