10/25/26

As We Gather

Have you ever wondered what Lutherans are all about? Today is a great day to remind ourselves that the heart of our faith is simply the heart of Christianity itself—that our salvation from sin, death, and Satan is the work of Christ alone. He frees us from evil to love the Lord who loved us first and loves us still. The hallmarks of our faith came back into focus in the era of the reformers, when faithful leaders like Martin Luther put the truth of Holy Scripture back into the hands, minds, and mouths of God’s church. Christ comes to free the sinner from slavery to darkness. Join Him in the freedom of His light—free to sing, free to confess, and free to share the eternal Gospel of Christ crucified and risen again!

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.

 What is Justification?  “By the one solid rock which we call the doctrine of justification we mean that we are redeemed from sin, death and the devil and are made partakers of life eternal, not by ourselves… but by help from without, by the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ.”  What Luther Says # 2186

Reformation Celebration

October 25, 2026

Welcome

Opening Hymn                                  Built on the Rock                         LSB 645 vs 1-3

Invocation, Confession and Absolution      (Portions of Psalm 34)

P:   We gather at the 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:   I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 

C:   My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 

P:   Glorify the Lord with me; 

C:   let us exalt his name together. 

P:   I sought the Lord, and he answered me; 

C:   he delivered me from all my fears. 

P:   Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. 

C:   This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. 

P:   The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, 

C:   and he delivers them. 

P:   Taste and see that the Lord is good; 

C:   blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. 

P:   God calls us to confess our sins. 

C:   Gracious God, our heavenly Father, we are by nature sinful and separated from You. We sin against You in thoughts, words, and actions. For the sake of Jesus, who was tempted in every way as we are and yet without sin, we pray for Your forgiveness.

(Silence for Meditation)

P:   “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” Therefore, by the command of Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C:   Thanks be to God. Amen.

Hymn of Praise                                   Built on the Rock                         LSB 645 vs 4-5

Prayer of the Day

All:  Lord God, Your Son, Jesus Christ, gave His life for ours on the cross that we now stand righteous before You by faith. Grant us to trust not in our own righteous actions but always in Jesus alone, that we may live now and forever in the peace of God, which surpasses human understanding, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

First Lesson                             ( “Fear God and give Him glory.”)            Revelation 14:6–13

Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” A second angel followed and said, “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.” A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.” This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” 

NT  Lesson                      (We are justified by His grace as a gift)                 Romans 3:19–28

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

Gospel                   (Jesus declares that to believe in Him is to be truly free.)   John 8:31–36

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Message Song                        How Can I Keep From Singing                                    Tomlin  

There is an endless song       It echoes in my soul    I hear the music ring        

And though the storms may come    I am holding on       To the rock I cling

Chorus:                                       How can I keep from singing Your praise

How can I ever say enough      How amazing is Your love

How can I keep from shouting Your name        I know I am loved by the King

And it makes my heart want to sing

I will lift my eyes   In the darkest night    

 For I know my Savior lives      And I will walk with You

Knowing You’ll see me through   And sing the songs You give       Chorus

Bridge:                    I can sing in the troubled times        Sing when I win    

                                 I can sing when I lose my step      And fall down again      

   I can sing ‘cause You pick me up       Sing ‘cause You’re there

I can sing ‘cause You hear me, Lord    When I call to You in prayer  

 I can sing with my last breath      Sing for I know       That I’ll sing with the angels        

                   And the saints around the throne               to Chorus

CCLI # 11390779

Message                                     Set Free From What? for What?

1.   Free from being a disciple         of the devil.

2.   Free from being lost in unbelief     ,   doubt         and fear   .  3.   Free to rejoice     , proclaim        and serve       the only Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God! 

Notes:

C:   I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.  

1. 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)

Pax Domini—The Peace of the Lord                                               page 163 in the hymnal

P:   The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C:   ♪ Amen.

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 Am Trusting Thee Lord Jesus                         LSB 729

                                                                        Seek Ye First  (10:30)                               (Choir)

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:  You alone, O Lord, are righteous in all Your ways. We thank and praise You for the gift of Christ’s perfect righteousness given to us in this Holy Sacrament. What we could never do for ourselves, You have done for us in Christ. Send us from this Table with renewed hearts, ready to serve our neighbors with the love You have first shown us; 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                                   A Mighty Fortress                         LSB 657

 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.”