| Greeting and Welcome
Prelude
Lighting of the Candles
Hymn – Lord, Whose Love through Humble Service (LSB 848, verses 1, 3)
Lord, whose love through humble service Bore the weight of human need, Who upon the cross, forsaken, Offered mercy’s perfect deed, We, Your servants, bring the worship Not of voice alone, but heart, Consecrating to Your purpose Ev’ry gift that You impart.
As we worship, grand us vision, Till Your love’s revealing light In its height and depth and greatness, Dawns upon our quickened sight, Making known the needs and burdens Your compassion bids us bear, Stirring us to tireless striving, Your abundant life to share.
Invocation P: In the name of the Father and the + Son and the Holy Spirit. C: Amen.
Psalm 32 P: What bliss belongs to the one whose rebellion has been forgiven C: Those whose sins are covered by blood. P: What bliss belongs to those who have confessed their corruption to God! C: For he wipes their slates clean and removes hypocrisy from their hearts. P: Before I confessed my sins, I kept it all inside; my dishonesty devastated by inner life, causing my life to be filled with frustration, irrepressible anguish, and misery. The pain never let up, for your hand of conviction was heavy upon my heart. My strength was sapped, my inner life dried up like a spiritual drought within my soul.
Pause in his presence
P: Then I finally admitted to you all my sins, refusing to hide them any longer. C: I said, “My life-giving God, I will openly acknowledge my evil actions.” And you forgave me! All at once the guilt of my sin was washed away and all my pain disappeared!
Pause in his presence
P: All believers should confess their sins to God; do it every time God has uncovered you in the time of exposing. For if you do this, when sudden storms of life overwhelm, you’ll be kept safe. C: Lord, you are my secret hiding place, protecting me from these troubles, surrounding me with songs of gladness! Your joyous shouts of rescue release my breakthrough. P: So celebrate the goodness of God! He shows this kindness to everyone who is his. C: Go ahead – shout for joy, all you upright ones who want to please Him!
Salutation P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. P: Let us pray. Heavenly Father, by the death, and resurrection of Your only Son, You have shown us forgiveness. With joy we come to you, giving thanks that you are our secret place where we find gladness. Therefore, we offer our lives to you as living sacrifices to Him who gave His life for us – Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.
Hymn – There Is a Redeemer (LSB 971)
There is a Redeemer— Jesus, God’s own Son; Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Holy One. Refrain
Refrain: Thank You, O my Father, For giving us Your Son, And leaving Your Spirit Till the work on earth is done.
Jesus, my Redeemer, Name above all names; Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Hope for sinners slain. Refrain
When I stand in glory, I will see His face; There I’ll serve my King forever In that holy place. Refrain
Old Testament – Numbers 21:4-9 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
Choir – Give Me Jesus/Steal Away to Jesus
(Lyrics for reflection)
In the morning when I rise, In the morning when I rise, In the morning when I rise, Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus, give me Jesus! You can have all this world.
But I will steal away to Jesus. Steal away, steal away home. I ain’t got long to stay here.
In the morning when I rise, In the morning when I rise, In the morning when I rise, Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus, give me Jesus! You can have all this world. Give me Jesus.
Epistle – Philippians 3:1-11 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the real circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness, under the law blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Choir – More About Jesus
(Lyrics for reflection)
More about Jesus would I know, more of His grace to others show; more of His saving fullness see, more of His love who died for me.
More about Jesus let me learn, more of His holy will discern; Spirit of God, my teacher be, showing the things of Christ to me.
More, more about Jesus, more, more about Jesus, more of His saving fullness see, more of His love, who died for me.
More about Jesus in His Word, holding communion with my Lord; hearing His voice in every line, making each faithful saying mine.
More about Jesus on His throne, riches in glory all His own; more of His Kingdom’s sure increase, more of His coming, Prince of Peace.
More, more about Jesus, more, more about Jesus, more of His saving fullness see, more of His love, who died for me.
More about love, More about grace, More, more about Jesus.
Holy Gospel – John 3:1-17 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. [Jesus said:] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Choir – Jesus Loves Me
(Lyrics for reflection)
Jesus loves me, and this I know. Jesus loves me for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, They are weak but He is so strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me; Yes, Jesus loves me; Yes, Jesus loves me: The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me, Alleluia, Jesus loves me, Alleluia, Allelu. Alleluia, Alleluia. Alleluia Alleluia. Yes, Jesus loves me; Yes, Jesus loves me; Yes, Jesus loves me: The Bible tells me so.
Hymn of the Day – O Christ, You Walked the Road (LSB 424)
O Christ, You walked the road Our wand’ring feet must go. You faced with us temptation’s pow’r And fought our ancient foe. No bread of earth alone Can fill our hung’ring hearts. Lord, help us seek Your living Word, The food Your grace imparts.
No blinding sign we ask, No wonder from above. Lord, help us place our trust alone In Your unswerving love.
When lures of easy gain With promise brightly shine, Lord, help us seek Your kingdom first; Our wills with Yours align.
O Christ, You walked the road Our wand’ring feet must go. Stay with us through temptation’s hour To fight our ancient foe.
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.
Prayers
Benediction
Closing Hymn – Lord, Whose Love through Humble Service (LSB 848, v4)
Called by worship to Your service Forth in Your dear name we go, To the child, the youth, the aged, Love in living deeds to show; Hope and health, goodwill and comfort, Counsel, aid, and peace we give, That Your servants, Lord, in freedom, May Your mercy know and live.
Postlude
+ WORSHIP LEADERS + Liturgist – Pastor Scott Jonas Organist/Pianist – Seth Carruthers Sound/Video – Mike Toney | 
