Have you ever had a Sunday where you didn’t know the songs very well?
Would you like to know all of them?
Each week we post the songs on Facebook, usually on Friday, as well as in a blog post. You can find the topic of the sermon, the readings for the week, and a list of the songs. We also post links to Youtube videos with those songs so you can hear them and get to know them before Sunday.
Below are this week’s songs and readings.
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
Who belongs to the church?
There are certain things we naturally think of as belonging in church.
It can be easy for everyone else to think of themselves primarily as the people who receive ministry. They come to church, hear God’s Word, receive the Sacrament, and then go back to their ordinary lives.
Peter paints a much bigger picture of who God’s people are.
He calls Christians,
“a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession.”
Those descriptions originally belonged to God’s people Israel. Now Peter applies them to the Church. Though, they are people from different nations, families, cultures, and backgrounds, they have been brought together in Christ.
And notice that these are not titles Christians earn.
Peter doesn’t say, “If you live holy enough lives, perhaps God will choose you.” He begins with what God has already done. He has chosen you. He has made you His own. He has brought you into His people.
Peter makes that especially clear in the next verse:
“Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
Everything begins with mercy.
You were a sinner who needed forgiveness, and Christ died and rose for you. God brought you into His family through the Gospel. In Baptism, He placed His name upon you and joined you to Christ. You belong to Him because He acted to make you His own.
But God doesn’t make us His people without a purpose. Peter says that we have been chosen
“that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
This is where that phrase “royal priesthood” becomes especially important. In the Old Testament, priests stood before God on behalf of others, offering sacrifices and prayers. Christ is our great High Priest, and His sacrifice on the cross is complete. Nothing needs to be added to it.
Yet through Christ, all Christians are now priests before God.
That doesn’t mean everyone is a pastor. God has established the pastoral office to preach His Word and administer His Sacraments publicly in the Church. But the Christian life doesn’t stop at the church doors.
God sends His royal priesthood into homes, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities. There we offer our lives in service to our neighbors. We pray for others. We care for their needs. And when opportunities arise, we tell them about the God who has shown us mercy in Christ.
You don’t need a church title to have a holy calling.
Sometimes we call these vocations. These are roles we have and they are different situations and ways we serve God and love others. The parent changing a diaper or employee serving a customer are roles in which they serve God and others. The neighbor checking on someone who is lonely, and the Christian telling a friend why there is hope in Jesus are all living out their callings as people who belong to God.
You have received mercy. You have been called out of darkness. And now God sends you into the ordinary places of life as one of His people, that others might hear of the One who brought you into His marvelous light.
Let’s pray…
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for showing me mercy and making me one of Your people through Christ. Thank You for calling me out of darkness and into the marvelous light of Your grace.
Help me to remember that I belong to You wherever I go. Show me how to serve the neighbors You have placed around me, and give me opportunities to proclaim what You have done through Your Son.
Keep me trusting not in what I do for You, but in the mercy You have first shown to me.
Through Jesus Christ, my Lord.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
This Sunday, October 11th, is our Faith and Food Worship Service where we have a potluck meal during our worship service at 11am.
Bring your favorite dish to share!
We will have most of the normal parts of worship, including confession and forgiveness, the Lord’s Prayer, and Communion, however, the message will be in more of a discussion format.
You are invited to come!
Bringing food is optional, but if you would like to bring some food, please click the link below and sign up and indicate what you are planning to bring.
Also, if you are bringing food, please try to arrive 10 minutes before the service so we can get the food all set up.
“My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;“
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
We have access to more information than any generation before us.
If you want to repair a faucet, understand an investment, learn a language, or figure out what that strange noise in your car might mean, you can probably find an article or video about it within seconds. You can know the news from pretty much anywhere around the world.
We certainly aren’t lacking information. But information and wisdom aren’t the same thing.
Proverbs 2 describes a father urging his son to seek wisdom as though he were searching for silver or hidden treasure. He tells him to receive his words, treasure up his commandments, listen carefully, and seek understanding.
That sounds like effort.
Yet a few verses later, we’re told,
“For the Lord gives wisdom.”
Those two ideas belong together.
Godly wisdom isn’t something we simply figure out on our own, nor is it something God pours into our minds while we remain passive. God gives wisdom through His Word, and He calls us to seek it, listen to it, learn from it, and live according to it.
Think about the difference between knowing and being wise.
You can know that harsh words escalate an argument and still fire off the angry text. You can understand that money cannot provide lasting security and still build your life around getting more of it. You can know that forgiveness is important and continue rehearsing another person’s offense in your mind. I could go on, but you get the point.
The problem isn’t always that we don’t know what is right. Sometimes we know perfectly well.
Wisdom takes God’s truth seriously enough to let it shape the way we actually live.
That’s one reason spending time in God’s Word matters. We aren’t merely collecting Bible facts. We are listening to the One who sees reality more clearly than we do. As His Word exposes our foolishness, corrects our thinking, comforts us with His promises, and directs our steps, God is shaping us into wiser people.
That doesn’t happen all at once.
We can study the Bible for decades and listen to hundreds of sermons and lectures on God’s Word and still open the Bible and discover something new. Or we may have memorized certain passages in the Bible, but when we finally put them into practice, our understanding of that passage takes on a much deeper meaning.
In fact, you’ve already spent twenty-seven days in Proverbs in this devotional series, and you probably haven’t reached the point where you never make foolish decisions anymore.
Neither have I.
We are finite beings who must continue to learn and gain understanding and wisdom throughout our lives. Additionally, we remain sinners who need God’s wisdom, correction, and grace every day. Most of all, we need the Savior to whom all Scripture ultimately points. Jesus doesn’t merely give us better information about how to live. He gives Himself for foolish sinners, forgiving us and making us His own.
So keep seeking wisdom.
Not because you’ll eventually know everything, but because you know the One who does.
Let’s pray…
Heavenly Father,
You are the source of true wisdom. Thank You for speaking to me through Your Word. Forgive me for the times I have known what is right but chosen another way. Give me a hunger for Your truth and teach me not merely to know it, but to live according to it. Continue to correct what is foolish in me, strengthen what is weak, and keep me close to Jesus, in whom I have forgiveness and life.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16)
“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (1 Corinthians 11:27–29)
The Sacrament of the Altar (Part 2)
Two little words make all the difference in the Lord’s Supper:
“For you.”
Jesus doesn’t simply say that His body is given and His blood is shed. He says they are given and shed for you.
Luther draws our attention directly to those words when explaining the benefit of the Sacrament. Christ promises that in the Lord’s Supper we receive forgiveness of sins, and where there is forgiveness, there is also life and salvation. This isn’t just a general promise, it’s for you.
That takes us back to the cross.
Jesus’ body was given into death because of our sin. His blood was shed as the price of our redemption. When Jesus gives us His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper, He isn’t offering us a new sacrifice or repeating what happened at Calvary. He is giving us the benefits of the sacrifice He completed there once and for all.
The forgiveness won at the cross is delivered personally to you.
Sometimes that personal promise is exactly what we need.
You may believe that Jesus died for the sins of the world and still struggle with the particular sins that trouble your conscience. You know what you’ve done. You remember the words you wish you could take back or the choices you would change if you could. So, you may wonder whether God could really forgive that.
At His table, Jesus doesn’t leave you with a general statement about God’s mercy. He gives you His body and blood and attaches His promise to them: given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins.
Believe those words.
That’s also at the heart of what the Bible means when it talks about receiving the Sacrament worthily.
At first, “worthy” can sound intimidating. We may imagine that we need to make ourselves worthy enough to approach the altar. Maybe we need to have behaved especially well that week, reached a certain level of spiritual maturity, or demonstrated sufficiently strong faith.
But if the Lord’s Supper were only for people who had made themselves worthy, no one could come.
We come precisely because we are sinners who need what Christ gives. After all, in the meal we receive the forgiveness of our sins!
Luther explains that fasting and other outward preparations can be good practices, but the person who is truly worthy and well prepared is the one who has faith in Christ’s words:
“given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”
This doesn’t mean we approach the Sacrament carelessly. Paul warns the Corinthians against receiving Christ’s body and blood without recognizing what they were receiving. We examine ourselves and repent of our sins. We also recognize Christ’s body and blood according to His Word.
But our confidence isn’t in how well we prepared ourselves. Our confidence is in His promise.
I’ve had multiple people tell me they weren’t sure if they should receive the Lord’s Supper. I ask them why. They usually mention some sin or that they haven’t been to church in a long time or something like that. To which I respond, “It sounds like you need the supper!”
Feeling like you aren’t worthy because of your sins is probably a better indicator that you are worthy. I’d be more concerned with someone who does feel worthy. Now, if you don’t feel worthy because you don’t believe or you aren’t repentant of your sin and refuse to turn from it, then you shouldn’t receive supper…well…the better response is to repent of your sin, believe in Jesus, and come to the table.
The Lord’s Supper is for sinners who know they need Jesus and trust what He says He gives them.
So when you come to His table carrying guilt, weakness, or a troubled conscience, listen again to His words.
Christ’s body and blood were given for sinners.
They were given for you.
Let’s pray…
Lord Jesus Christ,
Thank You for giving Your body and shedding Your blood for me. When my sins trouble my conscience, turn me away from trusting in my own worthiness and toward Your gracious promise. Give me repentance for my sins and faith to receive Your body and blood trusting Your words, “given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” Strengthen me through this gift in faith toward You and in love toward my neighbor.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
“And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.””
“Here am I! Send me.”
Those are probably the best-known words from Isaiah 6. They sound bold and courageous, like the response of someone eager to do great things for God.
But if we begin there, we miss what makes Isaiah’s response possible.
Just a few moments earlier, Isaiah wasn’t volunteering for anything.
He had seen a vision of the Lord seated upon His throne, surrounded by angels crying,
“Holy, holy, holy.”
The foundations shook, and the temple filled with smoke. Confronted with the holiness of God, Isaiah became painfully aware of his own sin.
“Woe is me!”
Isaiah doesn’t try to convince God that he is qualified to be a prophet or even try to clean himself up. There’s really nothing for him to do except admit it. He simply confesses the truth: he is a sinful man standing before the holy God.
Then God does something about it.
One of the seraphim takes a burning coal from the altar and touches Isaiah’s mouth. Isaiah is told that his guilt has been taken away and his sin atoned for. Only then does Isaiah hear the Lord ask,
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”
Now Isaiah responds,
“Here am I! Send me.”
The order matters. Isaiah volunteers because he has been forgiven.
That’s an important pattern for the Christian life. Sometimes we can begin to think of Christianity primarily in terms of what we are supposed to do for God. We should serve more, give more, tell others about Jesus, care for our neighbors, help at church, and live according to God’s commands.
Those are good things. God really does call us to serve.
But our service begins with what God has done for us.
Like Isaiah, we cannot make ourselves worthy to stand before a holy God. We come with real sin and real guilt. We’re not even worthy to serve God. Yet God has provided the atonement for our sins. Jesus offered Himself as the sacrifice for our sin. Because of His death and resurrection, God speaks His forgiveness to us.
Our guilt is taken away. Then God sends us.
I’ve been to several churches over the years that have a great sign at the edge of their property that you see when you are pulling out of the church parking lot. The sign says,
“You are now entering the mission field.”
For most Christians, being sent won’t mean becoming a missionary in a distant country or entering church work. God sends us back into the places where He has already put us: our homes, workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, churches, and communities. There we have opportunities to love our neighbors, speak about Christ, serve people in need, and carry out the responsibilities God has given us right in the places where we already are.
So when opportunities to serve appear, we can answer with Isaiah, not as people trying to prove ourselves to God, but as forgiven people who are free to say:
“Here am I! Send me.”
Let’s pray…
Holy God,
I confess that I am a sinner and cannot make myself worthy to stand before You. Thank You for taking away my guilt through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Clean my lips and clean my life. Because You have forgiven me and made me Your own, help me to recognize the people and opportunities You place before me each day. Send me to love and serve my neighbor and to bear witness to Christ wherever You have placed me.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
“And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. And they laid hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled.
And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.
And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.
And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.”
What is the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure?
In Gethsemane, we see Jesus in a way we have not seen Him before. He knows what is coming, and He is deeply distressed. He tells Peter, James, and John,
“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death.”
Then He falls to the ground and prays.
“Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Jesus does not face the cross untouched by fear or pain. He knows exactly what He is about to endure. Yet He willingly submits Himself to His Father’s will.
His disciples respond very differently.
Jesus asks them to watch and pray, but they fall asleep. Judas arrives and betrays Him. The others flee. Peter follows at a distance, but when people identify him as one of Jesus’ disciples, he denies knowing Jesus three times.`
Earlier that evening Peter had confidently declared that even if everyone else abandoned Jesus, he never would.
Now he weeps.
Jesus had warned him,
“The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Peter discovers just how true that is.
But the hope of this passage is not found in Peter’s faithfulness.
It is found in Jesus’.
While His disciples fail around Him, Jesus continues toward the cross. He does not run or call down an army to rescue Himself. Even when false witnesses accuse Him before the council, He remains committed to the mission He came to accomplish.
And it’s a good thing He did. The truth is we are more like Peter than we would like to admit. Our intentions may be sincere, but our courage, obedience, and faithfulness often fail.
Our salvation does not depend on how tightly we hold on to Jesus. It depends on the One who remained faithful for us.
Peter’s failure is not the end of his story. Neither are our failures.
Let’s pray…
Lord Jesus,
I often overestimate my own strength and fail to trust and follow You as I should. Forgive me. Thank You for remaining faithful even when I am not. Strengthen me to watch, pray, and trust in Your faithfulness rather than my own.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
You are invited to worship with us at 11:00 am on Sunday, October 4, 2026.
Below, you will find the Order of Service so you can follow along and participate in the worship service. If you would prefer, you can also download a bulletin here:
Before we start, please share the live stream on your favorite social media site and invite your friends.
Welcome
Opening Song: I Am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N
I am C
I am C-H
I am C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N
And I have C-H-R-I-S-T
In my H-E-A-R-T
And I will L-I-V-E-E-T-E-R-N-A-L-L-Y © 1992 Word Music, LLC
Invocation
Confession and Forgiveness:
P: We have come here today to worship the Lord. In worship we hear the Word of God, we receive God’s blessings, and respond with thanks and praise. We begin by seeking God’s blessing of forgiveness. He has promised to remove the guilt and shame of our sin through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
(a time of silence to reflect and personally confess our sins)
P: Let us confess our sins to the Lord.
P: Heavenly Father,
C: Heavenly Father,
P: I have done things that were wrong.
C: I have done things that were wrong.
P: I have been mean to others.
C: I have been mean to others.
P: I have not obeyed my parents.
C: I have not obeyed my parents.
P: I have not obeyed You, God.
C: I have not obeyed You, God.
P: But I am very sorry.
C: But I am very sorry.
P: Please forgive me.
C: Please forgive me.
P: I love You very much.
C: I love You very much.
P: And I know You love me, too.
C: And I know You love me, too.
P: Amen.
C: Amen.
P: God has heard your apology. He loves you very much. God has told us that when we believe and trust in Him, He makes us His children. As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our sins from us. He has told me to tell you that you are forgiven. So, as His servant, I forgive you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Song of Praise and Thanksgiving: God Is So Good
God is so good. God is so good.
God is so good. He’s so good to me.
He died for me. He died for me so.
He died for me. He’s so good to me.
He loves me so. He loves me so.
He loves me so. He’s so good to me. © Public Domain
First Reading – Philippians 3:8b
Because of Christ, I lost all these things, and now I know that they are all worthless trash. All I want now is Christ.
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Children’s Message “What really matters”
Song: Jesus Messiah
He became sin, who knew no sin,
That we might become His Righteousness.
He humbled Himself and carried the cross.
Love so amazing, love so amazing!
Chorus:
Jesus Messiah, Name above all names,
Blessed Redeemer, Emmanuel,
The rescue for sinners, the ransom from Heaven,
Jesus Messiah, Lord of all.
His body the bread, His blood the wine,
Broken and poured out all for love.
The whole earth trembled and the veil was torn.
Love so amazing, love so amazing!
(Chorus)
All our hope is in You. All our hope is in You.
All the glory to You, God, The light of the world.
(Chorus)
Jesus Messiah, Lord of all. He is the Lord of all! Lord of all. © 2008 Vamos Publishing and Alletrop Music
Second Reading – Philippians 3:8b-9
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
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Youth Message “Law vs Gospel”
Gospel Reading – Matthew 21:33-46
“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise be to You, O Christ.
Sermon Song: Cornerstone
My hope is built on nothing less,
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ name.
Chorus:
Christ alone, Cornerstone, Weak made strong in the Savior’s love.
Through the storm He is Lord, Lord of all.
When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil.
My anchor holds within the veil.
Chorus:
Christ alone, Cornerstone, Weak made strong in the Savior’s love.
Through the storm He is Lord, Lord of all.
He is Lord. Lord of all.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found,
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless, stand before the throne.
Chorus:
Christ alone, Cornerstone, Weak made strong in the Savior’s love.
Through the storm He is Lord, Lord of all.
© 2011 Hillsong Music
Sermon – “Broken but Not Crushed”
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The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen
Offering (Please click to give online)
Benediction – The online service ends. The closing song is below the lyrics as an embedded YouTube video.
Please see the announcements below as well.
God bless and thank you for worshiping with Faith!
Closing Song Lyrics: The Church’s One Foundation
The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is his new creation by water and the Word:
From heav’n he came and sought her to be his holy bride;
With his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died.
Elect from ev’ry nation, yet one o’er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation one Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses, with ev’ry grace endued.
Though with a scornful wonder the world sees her oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping, their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song.
Through toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation of peace forevermore;
Till with the vision glorious her longing eyes are blest,
And the great church victorious shall be the church at rest.
Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won:
O blessed heav’nly chorus! Lord, save us by Your grace,
That we, like saints before us, may see You face to face.
© Public Domain
Closing Song Video:
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“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.“
What does it mean that God protects us?
Psalm 91 contains some of the strongest promises of God’s protection in the Bible. God is described as our refuge and fortress. Then the psalmist gives us a wonderfully tender picture:
“He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge.”
It’s the picture of a mother bird gathering her young beneath her wings when danger comes. That sounds comforting. But it can also raise some difficult questions.
Does Psalm 91 promise that if we trust God enough, those things won’t happen to us?
Interestingly, the devil tried to use this very psalm that way. When he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he quoted from Psalm 91. He told Jesus to throw Himself from the temple because God had promised that His angels would protect Him.
Jesus refused.
Trusting God’s protection doesn’t mean putting God to the test or assuming He has promised that nothing painful will ever happen to us.
Jesus Himself proves that.
No one ever trusted the Father more perfectly than Jesus did, yet He suffered. He was betrayed, beaten, crucified, and killed.
And still, the Father had not abandoned Him.
Jesus’ suffering wasn’t evidence that God’s promises had failed. It was actually the means by which God was fulfilling His greatest promise. Through the cross, Jesus defeated sin. Through His resurrection, He defeated death.
That helps us understand what it means to take refuge under God’s wings.
God hasn’t promised that Christians will never suffer. He has promised something even greater: nothing can ultimately take us away from Him.
We don’t always know why God allows a particular hardship into our lives. Sometimes He delivers us from danger in remarkable ways. Other times He carries us through suffering rather than around it. Sometimes He teaches us through the hardship and other times He works good for us and/or others.
But our safety with God doesn’t depend on having a trouble-free life. It depends on Jesus. The one who overcame death.
For now, we live in a sin-corrupted world. So, there will be suffering. One day, we will live in the new heaven and new earth where is no more sin and so there is no more suffering. Yet, even now, Jesus strengthens, gathers, and protects His people.
When Jesus approached Jerusalem shortly before His death, He used an image very similar to Psalm 91. He described His desire to gather Jerusalem’s children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.
That’s the heart of our Savior. He gathers sinners to Himself and gives them refuge in His mercy.
So when trouble comes, we don’t have to pretend it isn’t frightening or difficult. We don’t have to understand why it’s happening.
We can run to the One who has already passed through suffering and death for us.
Under His wings, we are safe.
Let’s pray…
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being my refuge and fortress. When I face danger, suffering, or uncertainty, keep me from doubting Your love. Help me to trust Your promises even when I don’t understand what You are doing. Keep me safely in Christ, knowing that because He has risen from the dead, nothing can separate me from Your love.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.“
What do you hope for in life?
We use the word hope for things we’re not sure will happen.
Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn’t. In everyday conversation, hope often means little more than wishing for a particular outcome.
That isn’t what Peter means when he speaks of Christian hope.
Peter was writing to Christians who knew what it meant for life to be uncertain. He addresses them as “exiles,” people whose faith in Christ increasingly made them strangers in the world around them. Some were literally exiled from their homes as well. Throughout the letter, Peter speaks openly about suffering and the possibility that following Jesus will make life harder rather than easier.
Yet he begins his letter with praise.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!”
Why?
Because God…
“has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
Notice again who acts first. God caused us to be born again. Just as none of us contributed to our physical birth, our new birth as Christians is God’s work. The Holy Spirit brings spiritually dead sinners to life through the Gospel and joins us to the risen Christ.
And because Jesus lives, our hope lives.
Christian hope is not optimism that everything in this life will eventually work out the way we want. Peter offers something much stronger than that. Jobs can disappear. Health can fail. Relationships can break. Christians can suffer precisely because they belong to Christ.
Our hope survives all of those things because its foundation is not our circumstances.
Its foundation is Jesus Himself.
Jesus is God. Jesus has already passed through death and come out the other side. His resurrection is God’s declaration that sin has been atoned for and death has been defeated. Because you belong to Christ, His resurrection is also the guarantee of your resurrection.
Peter says there is an inheritance waiting for you that is
“imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.”
Almost everything we inherit in this world eventually disappears. Money gets spent. Possessions wear out. Property deteriorates. Even the most carefully preserved family treasures cannot last forever.
What God has prepared for you cannot perish.
And Peter adds another promise. Not only is your inheritance being kept for you, but God is guarding you through faith for that salvation.
Sometimes, we can get the image in our minds that God is sitting up in heaven just waiting for us to mess up so He can punish us or give us the boot. Or, perhaps, we don’t imagine Him waiting for us to mess up, but rather He’s indifferent about it. If we make it heaven, great for us. If we are condemned to hell, too bad for us.
Neither image is what we see here. God isn’t waiting for you to mess up, nor is He indifferent. God is actively working to preserve His people in faith until the salvation Christ has won is finally revealed in all its fullness.
He’s fighting for you!
So Christian hope can exist alongside grief.
Because hope isn’t pretending that everything is fine. Nor is our hope something that’s unsure.
We know that Jesus is alive and trust in His death and resurrection for our salvation. And because He lives, your future with Him is secure.
Let’s pray…
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for causing me to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. When the things of this world feel uncertain, keep me from placing my hope in circumstances that can change.
Fix my eyes on the risen Christ. Guard me through faith, especially in times of suffering and uncertainty, and remind me that You have prepared an inheritance for me that can never perish, spoil, or fade.
Keep me in this living hope until the day when faith becomes sight and I share fully in the resurrection life of Your Son.
Through Jesus Christ, my Lord.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
