Bulletin
07/11/26
As We Gather
Any gardener will admit they have seen certain plants flourish while others fail. The plants don’t get a choice in the matter. A plant cannot affect the amount of sunlight, moisture, or attention it receives. It simply grows the way it was designed to. You have been planted by the Lord in His garden. You have seen the light of His Gospel, been watered in Baptism, and been nourished by heaven’s food. You have been designed to flourish! A pear tree doesn’t grow pumpkins, and neither do the redeemed fall back into fear or slavery. You are the harvest of the Lord. We grow to His glory.
Children Activity Bags We value children in our worship services. If needed, there is a family room available for families with children. The family room has a diaper changing table, a closed-circuit TV to watch the worship service, toys and books for children. The family room is located across from the kitchen in the long hallway, the first door on the right, just past the bathrooms. There are “King’s Kids” bags with activities for children to help them worship. They are near the usher’s station on a small rack. Please return the bag to the rack after the service.
Holy Communion The Scripture teaches the Lord’s Supper is a precious gift of God in which Christ gives us His true body and blood (in a miraculous way), together with the bread and wine, for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith. Because the Bible teaches that this Sacrament may also be spiritually harmful if misused, and that participation in the Lord’s Supper is an act of confession of faith, we ordinarily commune those who have been instructed in the teachings of our church and who have confessed their faith in these teachings. If you have a question, please speak to Pastor Ralph before the service. For those who prefer a non-alcoholic alternative, there is grape juice at the center of each tray. Those not receiving the Sacrament, including children, are invited to come to the altar, cross their arms over their chest, and receive a special blessing.
The Need For Gratitude for the Word “Let us henceforth be grateful to God, the Father of all mercy, that God’s wrath may not again take away this precious Word and this Light because of our sins and ingratitude, and seven worse devils come after the expelled devil, and everything become worse than it has ever been.” What Luther Says# 4796
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
July 12, 2026
Welcome
Opening Hymn Blessed Jesus, at Your Word LSB 904
Invocation, Confession and Absolution (Portions of Psalm 103)
P: We gather in the name and at the invitation of our great and gracious triune God:
C: In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
P: The Lord is merciful and gracious,
C: slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
P: As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field;
C: for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
P: But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,
C: and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant
P: and remember to do His commandments.
C: Merciful God, we confess that have sinned against You by not letting You have Your way with us. We have become deaf to Your Word. Because of our weak love for You and for our neighbor, we have become fruitless trees deserving only Your judgment. Therefore, we ask for Your forgiveness and for the strengthening of our faith and love. By Your Word, restore us and renew us for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
(Silence for Meditation)
P: Upon this, your confession, I announce the grace of God to you, and 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.
Hymn of Praise Speak, O Lord, Your Servant Listens LSB 589
Prayer of the Day
All: Blessed Lord, since You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
OT Lesson (God’s powerful Word for all) Isaiah 55:10–13
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.”
NT Lesson (Life through the Spirit) Romans 8:12–17
Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Gospel Lesson (The parable of the sower) Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear.”
“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Message Song Take My Life Chris Tomlin
Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for thee.
Take my voice and let me sing always, only for my king.
Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from thee.
Take my silver and my gold not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use every power as you choose.
Chorus: Here am I, all of me Take my life, it’s all for thee. 2x’s
Take my will and make it Thine it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own; it shall be thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord I pour at your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be ever, only all for thee, Chorus
Take my life and let it be, consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
CCLI # 11390779
Message Parables of Wisdom
- 1. The work of the seed is to produce after its kind.
- 2. The soil represents the different stages of our receptivity to the Word of God.
- 3. How long it takes to produce godly fruit is as long as it take for us to believe and put into practice God’s Word.
Notes:
Nicene Creed
C: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life ✠ of the world to come. Amen.
Offering
Offertory Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow LSB 805
Prayers of the Church
After each petition:
P: Lord, in your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
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.
The Lord’s Supper
Preface page 194 in the hymnal
P: The Lord be with you.
C: ♪ And with thy spirit.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: ♪ We lift them up unto the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: ♪ It is meet and right so to do.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary …. And with the host of heaven we sing:
Sanctus — Holy, Holy, Holy page 195 in the hymnal
C: ♪ Ho -ly, ho-ly, ho-ly Lord God of Sa – ba – oth. Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He, blessed is He, blessed is
He who cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
The Words of Institution (Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper)
Pax Domini—The Peace of the Lord page 197 in the hymnal
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: ♪ Amen.
Agnus Dei – Lamb of God page 198 in the hymnal
C: ♪ O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world; have mercy upon us.
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world; have mercy upon us.
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world;
grant us Thy peace. A – men.
Distribution Hymn Children of the Heavenly Father LSB 725
Nunc Dimittis page 199 in the hymnal
C: ♪ Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy Word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Post Communion Collect
All: Abba, Father, You have once again filled Your sons and daughters to overflowing, forgiven and fed by Your merciful hand. By those gifts that speak salvation to our souls, fuel our faith for the works You have prepared for us, that we might see and share in the abundant harvest You intend through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Benediction
P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and ✠ give you peace.
C: Amen.
Sending Hymn Almighty God, Your Word Is Cast LSB 577
Announcements
Dismissal
P: Go in peace as you serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God!
Postlude
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”