06/29/25

As We Gather

If you have ever enjoyed a homegrown tomato or plucked a ripe peach straight from the tree, you know there is no substitute for good fruit. Today, the Holy Spirit is continuing the work begun in your Baptism, bringing forth good fruit. Too often, we imagine bearing good fruit is a result of our own careful cultivation, paying special attention to getting things right. The Spirit takes another approach. Just as the flavor of fresh fruit is a delight to our senses, the Spirit delights our soul with the tantalizing tastes of joy, kindness, gentleness, and love! The Spirit teaches us to crave what is good and, in so doing, leads believers to produce the fruit the Lord always intended.

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, 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 (1 Cor: 11:27), 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.

Imputed Holiness Is Perfect Here, But Personal Holiness is Imperfect “If we believe in Christ, we are considered absolutely just for His sake, in faith. Later, after the death of this flesh, in the other life, we shall obtain perfect righteousness and have within us that absolute righteousness which we now have only by imputation through the merit of Christ… In this life we have these things only under the shadow and cover of the wings of the Sun of Righteousness (Mal. 4:2), and we are just only by faith, for His sake, but then we shall be truly just within ourselves.”  What Luther Says # 2036

Pentecost 3

June 29, 2025

Welcome 

Opening Hymn            Faith and Truth and Life Bestowing                LSB 584

Invocation, Confession and Absolution   (Ezekiel 17:22–24)

P:   In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.                       C:   Amen.

P:   Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful,

C:   and kindle in them the fire of Your love.

P:   Thus says the Lord God: “I Myself will take a sprig and plant it on a high and lofty mountain,

C:   that it may bear branches and produce fruit.

P:   And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord;

C:   I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree,

P:   dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish.

C:   I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.”

P:   I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,

C:   and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

P:   Almighty Father, we confess that by our inability, insolence, and inaction, we have not made Your ways our ways.

C:   For our failure to walk in the ways of love, joy, and peace, forgive us, Lord.

P:   Lord Jesus, we admit we too often conform our desires to the world around us, adopting its compromised standards for living.

C:   For our failure to value the gifts of patience, kindness, and goodness, forgive us, Lord.

P:   Holy Spirit, our very natures are set against You and the fruit You intend to bring.

C:   For our failure to manifest the fruits of faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, forgive us, Lord. For Jesus’ sake, melt our sinful hearts, and mold us into the reflections of Your righteousness that You call us to be.                                                                                   C:  Amen.

P:   Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son, Jesus, to die for you, and for His sake forgives You all Your sins. As a called and ordained servant of the Word made flesh 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.

Hymn of Praise     Almighty God, Your Word Is Cast                        LSB  577

Prayer of the Day

All:   Lord of all power and might, author and giver of all good things, graft into our hearts the love of Your name and nourish us with all goodness that we may love and serve our neighbor; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

O T Lesson       (God has more people than Elijah who are faithful)      1 Kings 19:9b–18

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁰ He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” ¹¹ The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁴ He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” ¹⁵ The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. ¹⁶ Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. ¹⁷ Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. ¹⁸ Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.” 

N T Lesson (The Holy Spirit brings good fruit to the believer) Galatians 5:1, 13–25

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery…. You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. ¹⁴ The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. ¹⁶ So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. ¹⁷ For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. ¹⁹ The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Gospel Lesson                     (Jesus sets His sight on Jerusalem)                   Luke 9:51–62

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. ⁵² And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; ⁵³ but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” ⁵⁵ But Jesus turned and rebuked them, ⁵⁶ and they went to another village. ⁵⁷ As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” ⁵⁸ Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” ⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” ⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” ⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” 

Message Song                   I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

               I have decided to follow Jesus       3 x ’s
No turning back, no turning back.

                 Though I may wander, I still will follow     3 x ‘s
No turning back, no turning back.

               The world behind me, the cross before me      3 x ‘s
No turning back, no turning back.

               Though none go with me, still I will follow      3 x “s
No turning back, no turning back.

                 Will you continue to follow Jesus?        3 x ‘s
No turning back, no turning back.

Message                               Putting Your Hand to the Plow

1. In faith for       _________________________      .
2. In faith for the    _______________________          to ___________________       in my life
3. In faith for persevering my Christian ____________________________           .

Notes:

Small Catechism The Second Article of the Apostles Creed

C:   I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord…

P:   What does this mean?

C:   I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.

Offering 

Offertory                                  For the Fruits of His Creation                        LSB 894 vs 1, 3

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

P:  ♪ 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                 Dear Christians, One and All Rejoice                    LSB 556  vs 1-4

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: Spirit of faithfulness and truth, we rejoice that by faith we have been made fit to receive the nourishment of Christ’s true body and blood. Safeguard we, Your people from temptation and danger. May we represent our Lord Jesus, that by our actions and interactions with others, more may be brought into the eternal kingdom of Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Father, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Benediction                                                                                                  

P:   The grace of our Lord ✠ Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you always.

C:    Amen.
Sending Hymn                        Christ, the Word of God Incarnate           LSB 540  vs 1-4

Announcements 

Dismissal

P:   Go in peace as you serve the Lord.      

C:   Thanks be to God!   

Postlude