Bulletin
07/25/26
As We Gather
“All things work together for good,” today’s Epistle proclaims, “for those who love God” (Romans 8:28). That means us! But how does it happen that we love God? God predestined, called, justified, and glorified us, all because He loves us. He loved us so much that He “did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all” (Romans 8:32). By faith we are part of God’s people. By the grace of God, the Kingdom has been revealed to us like discovered treasure in a field or a pearl of great price, as Jesus teaches in two parables in the Gospel. Although as sinner-saints we may not perfectly endure tribulation, distress, and persecution, on the Last Day, by grace we shall be considered righteous because of all that God has done for us.
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.
Christ the Center of All Our Hope “He who does not believe, or will not believe, that Jesus is the Messiah need not know who or where His mother is. Aye, it would be better for him never to have heard one word of Scripture; and even better for him if he had not been born. For God has made everything depend on this Man, has directed everything, has turned everything, has given everything into His hand. He who has Him is to have all; he who does not have Him is to have nothing. So matters stand.” What Luther Says # 589
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
July 26, 2026
Welcome
Opening Hymn O Worship the King LSB 804 vs 1-2, 5
Invocation, Confession and Absolution
P: In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
P: Those who trust in the Lord
C: are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
P: As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
C: so the Lord surrounds His people, from this time forth and forevermore.
P: For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous,
C: lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong.
P: Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
C: and to those who are upright in their hearts!
P: But those who turn aside to their crooked ways
C: the Lord will lead away with evildoers! Peace be upon Israel!
C: While we are considered righteous through faith in Jesus, we confess that we continue to sin and do the evil He forbids. We are not upright in heart and are not at peace, for we have led others astray in our thoughtless words or inaction. We cannot save ourselves. Forgive us and lead us in paths pleasing to You, gracious Lord. Amen.
(Silence for Meditation)
P: The Lord never rests in His seeking to guide your hands to do good, or your mind to think holy thoughts. He has sent His Word to turn your thoughts back to His grace and mercy. His peace is made sure for you in the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. In His gracious love, God declares you to be His good and righteous children through the forgiveness Jesus earned for you, in the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen. Thanks be to God!
Hymn of Praise I Love Your Kingdom, Lord LSB 651 vs 1-2, 5
Prayer of the Day
All: Almighty and everlasting God, give us an increase of faith, hope, and love, that, receiving what You have promised, we may love what You have commanded; 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 (In His steadfast love, God keeps His promises.) Deuteronomy 7:6–9
For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.
NT Lesson (All things work together for those who love God.) Romans 8:28–39
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord
Gospel Lesson (The parables of the hidden treasure, pearl of great price…) Matthew 13:44–52
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked. “Yes,” they replied. He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
Message Song What a Beautiful Name
You were the Word at the beginning, One with God the Lord Most High
Your hidden glory in creation, now revealed in You, our Christ.
Chorus 1 What a beautiful name it is, What a beautiful name it is,
The name of Jesus Christ, my King. What a beautiful name it is,
Nothing compares to this. What a beautiful name it is,
the Name of Jesus.
You didn’t want heaven without us, so Jesus You brought heaven down.
My sin was great, Your love was greater; What could separate us now?
Chorus 2 What a wonderful name it is, What a wonderful Name it is,
The Name of Jesus Christ, my King. What a wonderful Name it is,
Nothing compares to this. What a wonderful name it is,
The name of Jesus. What a wonderful name it is, the Name of Jesus
Bridge one and two
Death could not hold you, the veil tore before You. You silence the boast of sin and grave.
The heavens are roaring the praise of Your glory for You are raised to life again.
You have no rival, You have no equal. Now and forever God, You reign.
Yours is the kingdom, Yours is the glory, Yours is the name above all names…
Chorus 3 What a powerful name it is, What a powerful name it is,
The name of Jesus Christ, my King. What a powerful name it is,
Nothing can stand against.
What a powerful name it is, The name of Jesus
What a powerful name it is, The name of Jesus
CCLI Song # 7068424 © 2016 Hillsong Music Publishing Australia
All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI License # 11390779
Message Are You Excited Gary Kinne
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 Beautiful Savior LSB 537
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: We give thanks, Lord our God, that You have again assured us of inclusion in the kingdom of heaven by giving us Your Son’s body and blood to strengthen our faith. As we depart, grant that in our words and actions we might show forth the invisible, priceless kingdom of Your Son, 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 Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise LSB 680
Announcements
Dismissal
P: Go in peace as you serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God!
Postlude
08/02/26
As We Gather
Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our heavenly Father has graciously invited us and all people to join them, solely because we trust His promises. Recognizing that faith is the factor that includes one in God’s promises, Paul laments that most of his Jewish friends have rejected God’s Son, Jesus Christ. To those who follow our Lord, the disciples learn in today’s Gospel, God’s grace even invites them to serve as His instruments in caring for the people around them. The feeding of the 5,000 reminds us that God’s blessings are provided by Him to aid and help others so that they, too, may rejoice in His grace through Christ, our Lord!
Family Room & Children Activity Bags- 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 the LCMS ordinarily communes only those who have been instructed in the teachings of our church and who have confessed their faith in these teachings. Please speak to Pastor Ralph before the service if you have a question about this. 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.
Temporal Possessions are for Hands Not for Hearts “Even if riches were to come to you in a rightful way, from God, do not rely on them and make mammon your go; for possessions are not given that we may rely on them and glory in them, which is futile and foolish, but that we may use and enjoy them and share them with others… our possession should be in our hands not our hearts. Thus St Paul tells the Corinthians (1 Cor 7:31) that we should use the world as though we used it not, etc.” What Luther Says # 4304
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
August 2, 2026
Welcome
Opening Hymn Today Your Mercy Calls Us LSB 915 vs 1-3
Invocation, Confession and Absolution
P: In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
P: Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden, 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, our Lord.
C: Amen.
P: We admit, O Lord, that we often do not freely respond to Your grace.
C: Forgive us for confusing Your free and eternal grace with the ways of this world. In Your mercy, renew our faith and instill gratitude in us that we may rely on Your daily and eternal blessings.
P: We admit that we have not always shared the compassionate concern of Paul. We rejoice in having faith but do not always share our joy with the people around us.
C: Forgive us and open our eyes to see the opportunities to tell of our faith. Give us compassionate hearts to care for those who have rejected our Savior’s sacrifice for all people.
P: We admit that we have not always considered the needs of others before our own, nor how You might use us and our gifts for their welfare.
C: Forgive us and increase our faith in You. Move us by Your Holy Spirit to be part of the answer to their prayers, for we are Your instruments to meet the needs of the people around us.
(Silence for Reflection)
P: In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus, Son of God and Son of David, kept God’s eternal covenant. He paid the price with His suffering and death for you so that grace might be freely offered to you. You are counted as children of Abraham because of the faith God has planted within you. As a called and ordained servant of Christ and by His authority I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen. Thanks be to God.
Hymn of Praise Let the Earth Now Praise the Lord LSB 352 vs. 1, 5-6
Prayer of the Day
All: Heavenly Father, though we do not deserve Your goodness, still You provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may acknowledge Your gifts, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
OT Reading (God offers an everlasting covenant to David.) Isaiah 55:1–7
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.” Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
NT Lesson (We are included in the promise by faith.) Romans 9:1–13
I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.” Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
Gospel Lesson (The feeding of 5,000) Matthew 14:13–21
When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Message Hymn Who You Say I Am
Who am I that the highest King would welcome me
I was lost but He brought me in Oh, his love for me (Oh, His love for me)
Who the Son sets free, is free indeed – I’m a child of God, yes, I am!
Free at last, He has ransomed me, His grace runs deep
While I was a slave to sin, Jesus died for me Yes, He died for me!
Chorus Who the Son sets free, is free indeed – I’m a child of God, yes, I am!
In my Father’s house there’s a place for me – I’m a child of God, yes, I am!
Bridge I am chosen, not forsaken. I am who You say I am.
You are for me, not against me. I am who You say I am (2 x’s; then Chorus)
Now it’s time to serve the King, His power in me
The Spirit moves in ways unseen, re- making me! Yes, re-making me! Chorus
CCLI #7102401 ©Hillsong Music Publishing CCLI License # 11390779
Words and Music by Ben Fielding and Reuben Morgan – 3rd vs. prchr
Message Bread For Every One
God cares…
- And supplies for everyone’s physical needs .
Gen 1; Matt. 5: 45; 1 Tim. 6:17
- And supplies for everyone’s spiritual needs .
Romans 1: 20; 2 Peter 3: 9
- And equips His people for works of service and spiritual__________ instruction that others would be blessed and come to faith in Christ Jesus.
Eph 4:11ff; 2 Tim. 3: 16-17; Phil 4: 19; John 10:10
Notes:
The Apostle’s 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 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.
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 160 in the hymnal
P: The Lord be with you.
C: ♪ And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: ♪ We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: ♪ It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary …. And ever more praising You and singing:
Sanctus — Holy, Holy, Holy page 161 in the hymnal
C: ♪ Holy, holy, holy Lord God of pow’r and might: Heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Hosanna. Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
The Words of Institution (Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper)
Agnus Dei – Lamb of God page 163 in the hymnal
C: ♪ Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; grant us peace.
Distribution of Communion
Distribution Hymn I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table LSB 618 vs 1-3, 5
Post Communion Canticle page 164 in the hymnal
C: ♪ Thank the Lord and sing His praise; tell ev’ryone what He has done. Let all who seek the Lord rejoice and proudly bear His name. He recalls His promises and leads His people forth in joy with shouts of thanksgiving. Alleluia, alleluia.
Post Communion Thanksgiving
All: We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this gracious gift, and we ask that You would strengthen us through it in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, 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 God Has Spoken by His Prophets LSB 583 tune 686
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.”