Green Pastures With Jesus--Shepherd of the Lakes

Isaiah 40:1-11Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to herthat her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for,that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.3 A voice of one calling:“In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord;make straight in the desert a highway for our God.4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low;the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together.For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”6 A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?”“All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass.8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”9 You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain.You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout,lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!”10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm.See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his armsand carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Matthew 21:23-32The Authority of Jesus Questioned23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.The Parable of the Two Sons28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”“The first,” they answered.Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Matthew 20:1-16“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went.“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Matthew 18:21-35The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Ezekiel 33:7-117 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 9 But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.10 “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’ 11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’

Matthew 16:13-2013 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

1 Kings 19:9-189 There he went into a cave and spent the night.The Lord Appears to ElijahAnd 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, torn 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, torn 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 whose mouths have not kissed him.”

Ephesians 1:3-83 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[a] predestined us for adoption to sonship[b] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us.

Matthew 13:44-52The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl44 “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.45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.The Parable of the Net47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 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. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.“Yes,” they replied.52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

Isaiah 55:6-116 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord.9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,and do not return to it without watering the earthand making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,11 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.

Romans 7:15-25a15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Matthew 9:35-10:8The Workers Are Few35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”Jesus Sends Out the Twelve10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

1 Timothy 1:12-1712 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Matthew 10:32-3932 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn“‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother,a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’[a]37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

Deuteronomy 11:18-21,26-2818 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.26 See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— 27 the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; 28 the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.

Matthew 6:24-3524 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

2 Corinthians 13:11-1411 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All God’s people here send their greetings.14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

1 Corinthians 12:3-113 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

1 Kings 18:16-4616 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”18 “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. 19 Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”But the people said nothing.22 Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” 26 So they took the bull given them and prepared it.Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” 32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs[a] of seed. 33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”34 “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”40 Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” 42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.43 “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.“There is nothing there,” he said.Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”44 The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

JOHN 20:19-31Jesus Appears to His Disciples19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”Jesus Appears to Thomas24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”The Purpose of John’s Gospel30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe[b] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

MATTHEW 28:1-10After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

ISAIAH 52:13-53:1213 See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness—15 so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him.For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.53 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way;and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth;he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested?For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death,though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied;by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong,because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

JOHN 13:1-15,34It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

MATTHEW 21:1-11As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:5 “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you,gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,“Hosanna to the Son of David!”“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

John 11:17-27, 38-4517 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

Everyday is a battle--A battle between you and Satan. The bad news is you lose a lot. The good news is Jesus has won every one for you!

Jesus is the Savior we need. As he cares for us in every situation, he does so to open our eyes to the truth: We need him and he wants us!

There are a lot of goals for a church. Some want a bigger sanctuary. Some need new equipment. Some would like to replace carpeting or redo the parking lot. But every church following Christ wants this same thing: to share the gospel with the world! It's a priority and an opportunity that every Christian can be a part of in many different ways!

This recording only contains the Hymn of the Day, the sermon, and the Apostles’ Creed following the sermon.

Why are you? With Christ, you are a new person! So be careful not to let yourself be who you once were, but live who you are now in Christ!

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." But you lose everything you've worked for and enjoyed in life. To die is gain? Through faith, death is actually defeated and to die truly is gain.

"Things will work out. You just got to have faith." Faith in what? There's only one object of our faith that can actually make things work out for our good.

Green Pastures with Jesus is the podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.Find us online:www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakesWorship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app.Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine.Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.

Worship audio from Bob Ohland's memorial service.Bulletin PDF here. Or below:Service Theme: Clothed in Christ's RighteousnessThe Christian Memorial for Robert Ronald OhlandMay 4, 2018FAMILY PROCESSIONAL: Psalm 23A psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.The Christian MEMORIAL SERVICE of ROBERT OHLANDPastor: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.Today we gather as the family and friends of our dear relative and friend Robert Ohland. We have gathered to be comforted by the words and promises of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born as a baby at Christmas. He lived the perfect life which we could not; yet God placed our sin upon him, and Jesus was crucified for our sin. But death was not the end, because Jesus broke the power of death by rising from the grave on Easter Sunday.Our worship service today will focus on the forgiveness which Jesus won for Bob, for you, and for me. We will talk about Christ’s promise of resurrection, and the promise of eternal life in heaven. These facts form the foundation of our faith, and these facts are our source of comfort today and always.As we join to grieve with the grieving, let us also find comfort and joy in the words and promises of Jesus: that Bob was a forgiven child of God through Christ’s death and resurrection; that through Jesus, Bob now enjoys eternity with God; and that because of Christ’s resurrection, death will one day loosen its grip on Bob. He will be raised from the dead, and he and all believers will live forever with God in heaven – body and soul.“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 15:56-57)HYMN: 201 – A Mighty Fortress Is Our GodREADING OF THE OBITUARYGREETING AND PRAYEROrder of Service from CW p. 144We have come together to seek God’s comfort in our sorrow and to rejoice in the promise of the resurrection. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who said, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”Let us pray:Lord Jesus, you wept at the grave of your friend Lazarus, and you consoled Mary and Martha in their distress. Draw near to us who mourn for Robert Ohland, and dry the tears of all who weep. Calm our troubled hearts, dispel our doubts and fears, and lead us to praise you for having brought him to faith – as well as for keeping him in that Christian faith until death. In your rising from the dead, you conquered death and opened the gates to eternal life. Strengthen us with your Word, and lead us through this earthly life until at last we are united with you and all the saints in glory everlasting. Amen.RESURRECTION COMFORTPlease rise.Pastor: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. The apostle Paul writes to the Romans: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus gives us this comfort: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”Pastor: Death has been swallowed up in victory! Thanks be to God!Congregation: He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.P: When Christ, who is our life, appears,C: Then we also will appear with him in glory.P: We will be before the throne of God,C: And serve him day and night in his temple.P: Never again will we hunger;C: Never again will we thirst.P: For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be our shepherd; he will lead us to springs of living water.C: And God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.P: Let us pray: God of all grace, you sent your Son Jesus to destroy the power of death and to open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Make us certain that because he lives, we too shall live. Comfort us with your promise that neither death nor life nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate us from your love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.C: Amen.The Word OF GODFirst Lesson: Psalm 121The believer is confident in God’s presence & goodness:1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where does my help come from?2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.3 He will not let your foot stumble. He who watches over you will not slumber.4 Yes, he who watches over Israel will not slumber. He will not sleep.5 The Lord watches over you. The Lord is your shade at your right hand.6 The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.7 The Lord will watch to keep you from all harm. He will watch over your life.8 The Lord will watch over your going and your coming from now to eternity.Second Lesson: Revelation 7:9-17The great multitude: Clothed in white, holding palm branches of victory, before the throne of God:9 After these things I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing in front of the throne and of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. 10 They called out with a loud voice and said: Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb.11 All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. They fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, 12 saying: Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.13 One of the elders spoke to me and said, “These people dressed in white robes, who are they and where did they come from?” And I answered him, “Sir, you know.” 14 And he said to me: These are the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Because of this they are in front of the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. 16 They will never be hungry or thirsty ever again. The sun will never beat upon them, nor will any scorching heat, 17 for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of living water.And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.gospel Lesson: John 3:16-18Jesus promises forgiveness & eternal life:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 The one who believes in him is not condemned, but the one who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.HYMN: 549 – Around the Throne, A Glorious BandSermon: Dressed & Ready to See the LordApostles’ CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.I believe 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 again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there 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.PrayerP: Please rise for prayer:Almighty God, we praise you for the great company of saints who have finished their lives in faith and now rest from their labors. We remember especially our loved one, Robert Ohland, whom you have redeemed by the blood of your Son and whom you received as your dear child through Holy Baptism. We thank you for giving him to us as a companion on our earthly pilgrimage. In your compassion, comfort all who are sad in this hour. Lord, in your mercy,C: Hear our prayer.P: We praise you for your love in Christ, which sustains us in life and death. In our earthly sorrows, help us find strength in the fellowship of the church, joy in the forgiveness of sins, and hope in the resurrection to eternal life. Lord, in your mercy,C: Hear our prayer.P: You do not leave us comfortless but strengthen and care for us through your Word and sacrament. You give us family, friends, and neighbors to help when there is loneliness now and in the days to come. Brighten our future with a firm trust in your promises and care. Lord, in your mercy,C: Hear our prayer.P: We bring these requests to you in the name of Jesus Christ, our risen Lord, and we ask you to hear us – as we join in singing the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray, as printed on the next page: BlessingP: Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.The Lord bless you and keep you.The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.The Lord look on you with favor and ♱ give you peace.C: Amen, Amen, Amen!HYMN: 379 – Amazing GraceInurnment will take place at a later date at the South Branch cemetery. Everyone is invited downstairs for a brief luncheon.Green Pastures with Jesus is the podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.Find us online:www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakesWorship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app.Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine.Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.

Worship audio from Easter 4B (April 22, 2018). Bulletin here, or below the notes.Green Pastures with Jesus is the podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith. Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app.Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine.Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.Welcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd who laid down your life for the sheep. Grant that I always hear & heed your voice in the Word and worship, that I may be preserved in the faith throughout my life; AMEN.Works of the Law vs. Fruit of the Spirit:4. Now, consider the distinction between the works of the Law [Galatians 2:16] and the fruit of the Spirit [Galatians 5:22–23]. We believe, teach, and confess that the works of the Law are those that are done according to the Law. They are called works of the Law as long as they are only forced out of a person by teaching the punishment and threatening of God’s wrath.6 5. Fruits of the Spirit, however, are the works wrought by God’s Spirit, who dwells in believers. The Spirit works through the regenerate. These works are done by believers because they are regenerate ‹spontaneously and freely›. They act as though they knew of no command, threat, or reward. In this way God’s children live in the Law and walk according to God’s Law. St. Paul calls this the “law of Christ” and the “Law of my mind” in his letters. (See Romans 7:23–25; 8:7; 8:2 [; Galatians 6:2].)Formula of Concord, Article 6 (Concordia p. 486)Shepherd & Sheep:As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we gradually shift our focus – from the way that Christ won our salvation, to our relationship with the risen Lord. Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, will guard & keep his flock from all danger; he does for his sheep as they hear his voice and remain close to him.As sheep together in the family of God – how do we encourage one another?OPENING HYMN: 150 – Christ the Lord is Risen TodayORDER OF SERVICE: Morning Praise, CW p. 45The WordFIRST READING: Acts 20:28-32The Word of grace brings us and preserves us in the sheepfold of Christ. Let us be on guard against those who would turn us aside from the Word of grace:28“Always keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. 29I know that after my departure savage wolves, who will not spare the flock, will come in among you. 30Even from your own group men will rise up, twisting the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31Therefore be always on the alert! Remember that for three years, night and day, I never stopped warning each one of you with tears. 32“And now I entrust you to God and to the word of his grace, which has power to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” PSALM OF THE DAY: 23, p. 72SECOND READING: 1 John 3:1-2The Good Shepherd’s sheep, the children of God:See the kind of love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are! The world does not know us, because it did not know him. 2Dear friends, we are children of God now, but what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he is revealed we will be like him, and we will see him as he really is. THEME VERSE: John 10:14Alleluia. Alleluia. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. Alleluia. GOSPEL READING: John 10:11-18Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd:11“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired man, who is not a shepherd, does not own the sheep. He sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. 13Because he works for money, he does not care about the sheep. 14“I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me 15(just as the Father knows me and I know the Father). And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I also have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again. This is the commission I received from my Father.” CONFESSION OF FAITH: Small Catechism Explanation to the Third Article (1529)I believe that I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him.But the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.In this Christian church he daily and fully forgives all sins to me and all believers. On the Last Day he will raise me and all the dead and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.This is most certainly true.HYMN OF THE DAY: 375 – The King of Love my Shepherd IsSERMON based on 1 John: Sheep Together in the Family of GodSUNG CONFESSION OF FAITH: Te Deum, CW p. 48OFFERING: 485 v.1 when the offering is brought forwardKYRIE & LORD’S PRAYER: CW p. 50HYMN: 766 (next page) – The Lord’s My ShepherdPRAYER FOR GRACE & BLESSING: CW p. 50CLOSING HYMN: 153 – Alleluia! Jesus Lives!QVM today.See the signups at the back for children’s theater, book club, and ladies’ day.THIS WEEKToday 2 Kings 5 9:30 AM - Easter 4 Worship 10:45 AM - Sunday School, QVMMonday 2 Kings 6Tuesday 2 Kings 7 Treasure Haus Work Day 7-8:30 PM CAP ClassWednesday 2 Kings 8 5-6:45 - Small Catechism ClassThursday 2 Kings 9Friday 2 Kings 10 Children’s Theatre at MLC - see the signup!Saturday 2 Kings 11Sunday 2 Kings 12 9:30 AM - Easter 5 Worship with Holy Communion 10:45 AM - Sunday School, Bible class

Audio from Easter Sunday – April 1, 2018. Bulletin here or below.Green Pastures with Jesus is the podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.  Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app.Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine.Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.Welcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any further questions or concerns. Lord Jesus, you conquered sin, death, and Satan through your victorious resurrection. Grant that I always treasure my baptism, in which I have been buried and raised with you. Lead me to find comfort in your resurrection for me; AMEN.Resurrection & Forgiveness:In the forgiveness of sins, the terrors of sin and of eternal death must be overcome in the heart. Paul testifies about this in 1 Corinthians 15:56–57, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, sin terrifies consciences. This happens through the Law, which shows God’s wrath against sin. But we gain the victory through Christ. How? Through faith, when we comfort ourselves by confidence in the mercy promised for Christ’s sake. Therefore, we prove that God’s wrath cannot be appeased if we set our own works against it. For Christ has been set forth as an Atoning Sacrifice so, that for His sake, the Father may be reconciled to us. But Christ is not received as a Mediator except through faith. Therefore, by faith alone we receive forgiveness of sins when we comfort our hearts with confidence in the mercy promised for Christ’s sake.Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Article 4 (Concordia p. 92)Because He Knew: He Rose from the DeadJesus rose from the dead - alleluia!How does the resurrection affect our lives today & forever?OPENING HYMN: 149 – Christ the Lord is Risen Today The children are invited forward during verses 5 & 6 to hang their “Alleluia!” banners on the hooks. CHILDREN’S MESSAGE: Why “Alleluia”?EASTER DIALOGUE: Please stand.M: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.C: Amen!Lord, we confess to you our sinful condition and our sinful behavior. Have mercy on us, Father in heaven. Bless us and keep us.Lord, we realize that we have earned your temporal and eternal punishment.Have mercy on us, Lord Jesus. Make your face shine on us and be gracious to us. Lord, we are not able to make up for our sins, nor can we set ourselves free from the guilt of our sin. You alone must work all good within us. Have mercy on us, Holy Spirit. Turn your face toward us and give us peace. Jesus was delivered over to death for the sake of our sins. In raising him from the dead, God declared you righteous Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! CW 143 v. 1He’s risen, he’s risen, Christ Jesus, the Lord;He opened death’s prison, the incarnate Word.Break forth, hosts of heaven, in jubilant song;And earth, sea, and mountain the praises prolong!This is the day which the Lord has made;Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Alleluia!If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!Brothers and sisters, since we have been raised with Christ, let us set our hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. (Col. 3:1)For God, who created light to shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Cor. 4:6)Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.Christ is risen!He is risen indeed! Alleluia!CW 143 v. 2 & 3The foe was triumphant when on Calvary;The Lord of creation was nailed to the tree.In Satan’s domain did the hosts shout and jeer;For Jesus was slain, whom the evil ones fear!But short was their triumph; the Savior arose,And death, hell, and Satan he vanquished, his foes.The conquering Lord lifts his banner on high;He lives, yes, he lives, and will nevermore die!I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed – yet in my flesh, I will see God; I myself will see him, with my own eyes; I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (John 19:25-27)In righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. (Psalm 17:15) Death has been swallowed up in victory.Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)CW 143 v. 4Oh, where is your sting, death? We fear you no more;Christ rose, and now open is fair Eden’s door!For all our transgressions his blood does atone;Redeemed and forgiven, we now are his own!Fellow Christians, set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Col 3:2-3)When Christ appears, then we also will appear with him in glory. (Col 3:4) Fellow Christians, may the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, in our homes, and in our lives. (Col 3:15)Let us pray: Almighty God, by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ you conquered death and opened the gate to eternal life. Grant that we, who have been raised with him through baptism, may walk in the newness of life and ever rejoice in the hope of sharing his glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit be eternal power, dominion, and praise now and forever;To him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be praise and honor, and glory and power, forever and ever! Amen!CW 143 v. 5Then sing your hosannas and raise your glad voice;Proclaim the blest tidings that all may rejoice.Laud, honor, and praise to the Lamb that was slain;Who now sits in glory, and ever shall reign!The WordFIRST READING: Isaiah 25:6-9The shroud of death destroyed forever:6On this mountain the LORD of Armies will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food, a banquet of aged wines, with the best cuts of meat, and the finest wines. 7On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that covers all peoples, the burial cloth stretched over all nations. 8He has swallowed up death forever! The LORD God will wipe away the tears from every face. He will take away the shame of his people throughout the earth. For the LORD has spoken. 9On that day it will be said, “Look, here is our God! We waited for him, and he saved us! This is the LORD! We waited for him. Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation!”This is the Word of the Lord. Alleluia! Christ is risen!CHORAL ANTHEM: Christ the Lord is Risen Today! Alleluia!(Hymn #150 – The congregation is invited to join vv. 2 & 4)SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 15:19-26Jesus Christ, the firstfruits from death:19If our hope in Christ applies only to this life, we are the most pitiful people of all. 20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came by a man, the resurrection of the dead also is going to come by a man. 22For as in Adam they all die, so also in Christ they all will be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ as the firstfruits and then Christ’s people, at his coming. 24Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has done away with every other ruler and every other authority and power. 25For he must reign “until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” 26Death is the last enemy to be done away with. THEME VERSE: Psalm 118:24Alleluia. Alleluia. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Alleluia!GOSPEL READING: Mark 16:1-8The Resurrection:When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could go and anoint Jesus. 2Very early on the first day of the week, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3They were saying to each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb for us?” 4When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6He said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” 8They went out and hurried away from the tomb, trembling and perplexed. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. Praise be to you, O Christ!HYMN OF THE DAY: 152 - I Know that My Redeemer LivesVerse 1-2 - Everyone Verse 3 - MenVerse 4 - EveryoneVerse 5 - WomenVerse 6 - MenVv. 7-8 - EveryoneSERMON based on 1 Corinthians 15: A Broken Tombstone for a Broken WorldSUNG CONFESSION OF FAITH: Sung to the tune “Ode to Joy”1. I believe in God the Father, Maker of the heav’ns and earth!And in Jesus Christ, our Savior, God’s own Son, of human birth!Virgin-born, the Lord’s incarnate, Whom the Spirit did conceive,Suffered under Pontius Pilate – Our salvation to achieve!2. Crucified, was dead and buried, Down to hell in victory;From the dead he rose the third day; Up to heav’n triumphantly.There at God’s right hand he’s ruling, By his will the world is led.He will come to judge the nations, Both the living and the dead!3. I believe in God the Spirit, In his church, his chosen band.They are joined in close communion, Holy in his sight they stand!I believe in sin forgiven; That the dead will rise again;I believe in life eternal. Amen! And again, Amen!OFFERINGPRAYER OF THE CHURCHPlease rise for prayer.O God of peace, who raised from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, we thank and praise you for the mercy you have shown us through his glorious resurrection. Grant that on this day believers throughout the world may see the fullness of your grace and peace. Give us a living hope to believe that the grave has no power over us and that we have been made partakers of eternal life.Almighty God, as your Son on this day rose from the dead for us, victorious over sin and the grave, grant that sin may no longer live in our hearts. By the power of his resurrection set our minds on things above, not on earthly things.Encourage our Christian lives of thankfulness, that we may live in our baptismal grace every day of our lives. Rule over the nations of the earth, O Lord, that they may join the hosts of heaven in songs of Christ's victorious triumph. Comfort us through your Sacrament, that our eyes may be fixed more on the life to come than on this world; that our hearts may rest in your promise of preservation, rather than worry. Above all, give us persistence in reading, studying, applying, and sharing your Word of truth.Your Word alone can build your church, and your Word alone proclaims forgiveness, life, and salvation through Jesus Christ. In every adversity and trial preserve us, O Lord. Heal the sick, giving them the hope of a glorious body in the resurrection of the dead. With your Easter victory, remove the fear of death from the hearts of the dying, and the sadness of death from hearts that feel the loss of family and friends. Defend the weak and vulnerable, especially the unborn, the aged, those coping with chronic illness, those who bear extra pain for their faithful confession of your truth, and all who are hungry, homeless, or unemployed.Lead us to daily sorrow and repentance, and nourish our faith through your chosen Means of Grace.We give thanks for all those who have died and now live with Christ in the triumph of Easter, especially our own faithful departed loved ones.Unite us with them in the hope of the resurrection of the dead.Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions.Silent prayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hall0wed 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 SacramentFor our Holy Communion practice, please see the purple sheet in the pew racks.COMMUNION LITURGY: p. 21DISTRIBUTION HYMN: 265 – This is the Feast of VictorySONG OF SIMEON: CW p. 24CLOSING HYMN: 250 – From All that Dwell Below the SkiesTHIS WEEKToday 1 Kings 6 7:30-9 Easter Breakfast 9:30 - Easter Festival Worship 11:10 - Bible Study: 1 Corinthians 15Monday 1 Kings 7 7 PM - Pre-call Council meetingTuesday 1 Kings 8 No CAP class.Wednesday 1 Kings 9 No catechism class.Thursday 1 Kings 10 6 PM - Lutheran Women Project Hour 7 PM - Devotion & LW Business MeetingFriday 1 Kings 11 3:45-7:30 PM - Family Fun Fair. (Speak with Doris if you can help!)Saturday 1 Kings 12 8 AM - Men’s Bible Breakfast @The Ranch 9:30 AM - Bible Basics Sunday 1 Kings 13 9:30 - Easter 2 Worship 10:45 - Bible Class & Sunday School Pres. Degner will be on hand to lead our Bible study. A voters’ meeting will convene at the conclusion of Bible study.Q: Why does Easter Sunday move around? Some years it’s near the end of March, other years it’s later in April.A: Jesus was crucified during the Jewish Passover. For this reason, the Christian church has always observed Easter at the same time as the Jewish Passover. Passover moves around slightly, as the Jews follow a lunar calendar. Passover always falls on the 14th day of the first Hebrew calendar month, the month of Nisan. The month begins with the first sighting of a lunar crescent, just after a new moon. 14 days after the first sliver of a waxing moon, the moon is a full moon; this is Passover. Passover begins at sundown & continues through sundown the next day. The Passover lamb was slaughtered at dusk on the day of Passover and consumed before sunrise; the leftovers were burned. (See Exodus 12:10.) In Holy Week, Passover began at sundown on Thursday & extended through sundown on Friday. The meal needed to be consumed & leftovers burned before sunrise on Friday. For an interesting sidenote, see John 18:28 and 19:14. The chief priests & Pharisees had delayed in eating the Passover and wanted to convict & crucify Jesus quickly; thus, they waited outside of Pilate’s palace so that they would remain ceremonially clean for eating the Passover meal. Waiting outside delayed the final verdict, with the result that they did not partake in the Passover before sunrise. According to Jewish law, they ought to have been excommunicated from the nation – see Numbers 9:13.The Council of Nicea (AD 325) standardized the celebration of Christ’s resurrection as the first Sunday after the full moon in Vernal Equinox. (The vernal equinox is the astronomical first day of spring, halfway between the winter & summer solstices.) This full moon is also known as the “Paschal full moon” – Paschal, meaning Passover. Thus, by our calendar, Easter is the Sunday following the first full moon after March 20 (March 20, the standardized date for the vernal equinox.) The earliest possible date for Easter is March 22 (last observed in 1818, next observed in 2285.) The latest possible date for Easter is April 25 (last observed in 1943, next observed in 2038.) In recent years, Easter has fallen on March 23, 2008 and April 24, 2011. If Easter is late, the church year includes more Sundays in the season of Epiphany (January-February.) If Easter is early, the church year includes more Sundays in the season of Pentecost (June-October.) Q: When was Jesus crucified?A: Passover is helpful in pinpointing the year & date of Christ’s crucifixion. Historically, Pontius Pilate was governor of Palestine from AD 26-36. Thus, Jesus must have been crucified sometime between 26 & 36. Scripture tells us that Christ ate the Passover with his disciples Thursday evening, and Saturday would be a “great” or “important” Sabbath – as it would be the Sabbath of Passover.Joseph of Arimathea & Nicodemus hasten to bury Jesus before the “Great Sabbath” of the Passover / Unleavened Bread celebration. They need to bury Christ so that they would be able to “keep” the Sabbath by not working. The Sabbath (Saturday) began at sundown. (We count days somewhat differently, with two different & commonly-observed conventions: A new day technically begins at midnight, but we recognize that sunrise also marks a new day.) Since the Sabbath began at sundown, the women observers went home Friday evening but refrained from preparing spices until after sundown on Saturday “in obedience to the Sabbath commandment” (Luke 23:56). The governorship of Pontius Pilate tells us the possible years, AD 26-36.The time of Passover tells us the dates on the Jewish lunar calendar: the 14th day of the lunar month of Nisan. This day, roughly halfway through the lunar cycle, would be a full moon. (Coincidentally, a solar eclipse is impossible during a full moon. The sun actually stopped shining on Good Friday afternoon.)The reference to Sabbath tells us Christ was crucified on Friday of theeight-day Passover/Unleavened Bread celebration. Between the years of AD 26-36, only the years 30 and 33 have a Friday full moon - April 7, AD 30 and April 3, AD 33. These are the two historical options for when the Son of God gave his life for our salvation.  

Green Pastures with Jesus is the podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.  Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572 iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app. Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine. Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.

Sermon by sainted Prof. Em John Jeske: Easter Makes Us Sure

Worship audio from Maundy Thursday worship - March 29, 2018.Bulletin here, or below.Green Pastures with Jesus is the podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.  Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572 iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app. Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine. Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.Welcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any further questions or concerns. We give thanks, Lord Jesus, for rescuing your people Israel from slavery. We give you thanks for instituting the Passover as a yearly remembrance of that rescue, as well as pointing your people ahead to the coming Messiah. Grant that we always partake of your Supper in faith, as we remember your victory over death and await your triumphant, visible return; AMEN.Clear Teaching about the Lord’s Supper:In addition to Christ’s and St. Paul’s expressions (the bread in the Supper is the body of Christ or the communion of the body of Christ), the following forms are also used: under the bread, with the bread, in the bread. With these words the Roman Catholic idea of transubstantiation is rejected and the sacramental union of the bread’s unchanged essence and Christ’s body may be shown. In the same way, the expression “the Word became flesh” [John 1:14] is repeated and explained by the equivalent expressions “the Word … dwelt among us” [John 1:14] ... showing that the divine essence is not changed into the human nature. But the two natures, unchanged, are personally united. ... Just as in Christ two distinct, unchanged natures are inseparably united, so in the Holy Supper the two substances—the natural bread and Christ’s true natural body—are present together here on earth in the appointed administration of the Sacrament. Formula of Concord, Article 7 (Concordia p. 568)Because He Knew:Jesus came as the perfect fulfillment of the prophetic Passover lamb. That evening, and tonight, Christ gives his disciples his very body & blood for the forgiveness of sins.Background for this Worship Service:The word “Maundy” comes from a Latin word meaning “command.” Maundy Thursday gets its name from the command Jesus gave his disciples “A new command I give you: Love one another,” (John 13:34).Ash Wednesday began Lent. Maundy Thursday ends Lent and begins the Three Holy Days of the Christian Church. Over these three days we contemplate more deeply the body and blood of Christ given and poured out for us in anguish, suffering, and innocent death. We think about the sting of eternal death that Jesus endured in our place; we see the fury of God’s wrath against our sin unleashed on Jesus. We try to grasp the incredible depth of Jesus’ love that would take that wrath in our place so we could receive forgiveness, love, and eternal life.The institution of the Lord’s Supper sets forth the depth of Jesus’ love and gives power to the Church to live out his command. The service begins with the sermon and an exhortation regarding the end of Lent. This unusual arrangement allows the minister to explain the meaning of the Sacrament and the liturgical actions that are to take place so that they may proceed uninterruptedly and vividly from this evening through Good Friday to the Easter celebration.OPENING HYMN: 717 – When You Woke that Thursday Morning (Printed inside the back cover. Soloist will sing v.1)INVOCATIONSERMON based on Exodus 12: Foreshadow, FulfillmentINSTRUCTION FOR THE END OF LENTPlease rise.In this Lenten season we have heard again how our Lord walked the path of suffering which led him to the cross for our salvation. We have also heard our Lord’s call to intensify our struggle against sin, death, and the devil — all that keeps us from loving God and one another. This is the struggle to which we were committed at Baptism; God’s forgiveness and the power of his Spirit to amend our lives continue with us because of his love for us in Jesus our Savior. . . . continued . . . Within the family of the Church, God never wearies of giving peace and new life. In the absolution, we receive forgiveness as from God himself.This absolution we should not doubt but firmly believe that our sins are thus forgiven before God in heaven, for it comes to us in the name and by the command of our Lord Jesus.We who receive God’s love in Jesus Christ are called to love one another, to be servants to each other, as Jesus became our servant. In Holy Communion the members of Christ’s body participate most intimately in his love. Remembering our Lord’s Last Supper with his disciples, we eat the bread and drink the cup of this meal. Together we receive the Lord’s gift of his body and blood for forgiveness and participate in that new covenant that makes us one with him and one another. The Lord’s Supper is the promise of the great banquet we will share with all the faithful when our Lord returns, the joyous culmination of our being reconciled with God and each other.CONFESSION OF SINS:M: Let us confess our sins to God and ask for his forgiveness.C: Almighty God, merciful Father, I confess to you that I have not loved you with all my heart. In what I have done and left undone, I have pursued my ways instead of your ways. I have not loved my brothers and sisters as myself. For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity. I am truly sorry for my sins. I repent of them. I beg for your mercy, O Lord.Silence for meditation.Forgive us for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Substitute, who suffered and died for us.Cleanse me from my sins. Release me from my guilt. Grant me your Holy Spirit to amend my sinful life. The almighty God has been merciful to us and has sent his Son to die for all. For his sake, God forgives our sins and calls us from darkness to his marvelous light. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.Amen.Our Lord Jesus Christ has forgiven us and reconciled us to God. He has also promised us the power to forgive and love each other; and when Christians speak a word of forgiveness, it is just as sure and certain as if Christ himself said it. Relying on his promise, therefore, let us be reconciled to one another, and extend to each other the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.Everyone turns to each other and says:Peace be with you.Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, in the Sacrament of Holy Communion you give us your true body and blood together with the bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins. Grant that we remember your life, suffering, death, and resurrection, as you commanded; grant that we daily take up our cross and follow you. By your Spirit, lead us to firmly believe your words and promise, that we may always partake of this sacrament to our eternal good; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.HYMN: 313 – Jesus Christ, our Blessed SaviorThe WordFIRST READING: Exodus 12:21-30The Lord’s Passover.21Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and take lambs for yourselves according to your family size, and slaughter the Passover lamb. 22You shall take a bundle of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and paint the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you are to go out of the door of your house until morning. 23When the LORD passes through to strike Egypt and sees the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over that door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. 24“You shall observe these instructions as a perpetual regulation for you and your descendants. 25When you enter the land that the LORD will give you just as he said he would, you shall observe this ceremony. . . . continued . . . 26So when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27you will say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Passover to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. When he struck the Egyptians, he spared our houses.’” The people bowed down and worshipped. 28The Israelites went and did all this. They did just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron. 29At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, even all the firstborn of the livestock. 30During the night Pharaoh got up—he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians—and there was a loud outcry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not someone dead. PSALM OF THE DAY: 116, p. 107SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17The reality: Communion.16The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a communion of the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a communion of the body of Christ? 17Because there is one bread, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. THEME VERSE: 1 Corinthians 11:26As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Thanks be to God!GOSPEL READING: Mark 14:12-26The Last Supper.12On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and there a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house that the Teacher says, ‘Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” 16His disciples left and went into the city and found things just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover. 17When it was evening, he arrived with the Twelve. 18While they were reclining and eating, Jesus said, “Amen I tell you: One of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19They began to be sorrowful and said to him one by one, “Surely not I?” 20He said to them, “It is one of the Twelve, one who is dipping bread with me in the dish. 21Indeed, the Son of Man is going to go just as it has been written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 22While they were eating, Jesus took bread. When he had blessed it, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “Take it. This is my body.” 23Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them. They all drank from it. 24He said to them, “This is my blood of the new testament, which is poured out for many. 25Amen I tell you: I will certainly not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26After they sang a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. HYMN: 104 – Go to Dark GethsemaneCONFESSION OF FAITH: Explanation of Holy CommunionM: What is the sacrament of Holy Communion?C: It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ for us Christians to eat and to drink.Where is this written?The holy Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and the Apostle Paul tell us: “Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’“Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’”M: What blessing do we receive through this eating and drinking?C: That is shown us by these words, “Given and poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins.” Through these words we receive forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation in this sacrament. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.How can eating and drinking do such great things?It is certainly not the eating and drinking that does such things, but the words, “Given and poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins.” These words are the main thing in this sacrament, along with the eating and drinking. And whoever believes these words has what they plainly say, the forgiveness of sins.Who, then, is properly prepared to receive this sacrament?Fasting and other outward preparations may serve a good purpose, but he is properly prepared who believes these words, “Given and poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins.” But whoever does not believe these words or doubts them is not prepared, because the words “for you” require nothing but hearts that believe.OFFERINGPRAYER: A portion of the Great Litany (composed 1544) Please rise for prayer.Prayer of Approach to GodHoly, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three persons in one God,Have mercy on us.Prayers for DeliveranceRemember not, Lord Christ, our offenses nor the offenses of our forebears. Spare us, good Lord; spare your people whom you have redeemed with your precious blood.Spare us, good Lord.From all spiritual blindness; from pride, vanity, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice; and from all lack of charity:Good Lord, deliver us.From all deadly sin and from the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil:Good Lord, deliver us.From all false doctrine, heresy, and schism, from hardness of heart and contempt for your Word and your will:Good Lord, deliver us.From earthquake and tempest; from drought, fire, and flood; from civil strife and violence; from war and murder; and from dying suddenly and unprepared:Good Lord, deliver us.By the mystery of your holy incarnation; by your baptism, fasting, and temptation; and by your proclamation of the kingdom:Good Lord, deliver us.By your bloody sweat and bitter grief, by your cross and suffering, and by your precious death and burial:Good Lord, deliver us.By your mighty resurrection, by your glorious ascension, and by the coming of the Holy Spirit:Good Lord, deliver us.In our times of trouble, in our times of prosperity, in the hour of death, and on the day of judgment:Good Lord, deliver us.Receive our prayers, O Lord our God.Hear us, good Lord.For the ChurchGovern and direct your holy Church, fill it with love and truth, and grant it that unity which is according to your will.Hear us, good Lord.Enlighten all ministers with true knowledge and understanding of your Word, that by their preaching and living they may declare it clearly and show its truth.Hear us, good Lord.Encourage and prosper your servants who spread the gospel in all the world, and send out laborers into the harvest.Hear us, good Lord.Bless and keep your people, that all may serve you through Godly vocation and ministry.Hear us, good Lord.Give us hearts to love and revere you, that we may diligently live according to your commandments.Hear us, good Lord.Special prayers of intercessionConcluding PrayersSon of God, we ask you to hear us.Son of God, we ask you to hear 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.Lord, have mercy on us.Christ, have mercy on us.All these things we ask confidently in Jesus’ name, as we join to pray: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.CHOIR: Remember MeThe sacramentWe continue in the hymnal on p. 21.DISTRIBUTION: 135 – The Death of Jesus Christ, Our LordWe will sing this hymn in its entirety. STRIPPING OF THE ALTARDuring this time, the chancel paraments and furnishings will be solemnly stripped in token of the Lord’s abandonment by his disciples.  1 O Lord, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you. 2 May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry. 3 For my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave. 4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like a man without strength.5 I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care. 6 You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.7 Your wrath lies heavily upon me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. 8 You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape;9 my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, O Lord, every day; I spread out my hands to you.10 Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do those who are dead rise up and praise you? 11 Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction? 12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion? 13 But I cry to you for help, O Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you.14 Why, O Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me? 15 From my youth I have been afflicted and close to death; I have suffered your terrors and am in despair.16 Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me. 17 All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me.18 You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.   Good Friday Worship: 7 PM Easter Sunday: Men arrive at 6:30 AM. Breakfast, 7:30-9 AM.Worship service for the Festival of the Resurrection, with Holy Communion, at 9:30 AM. Bible class will look at 1 Corinthians 15.THIS WEEKFriday 1 Kings 4 7 PM - Good Friday Tenebrae WorshipSaturday 1 Kings 5 9:30 AM - Bible Basics Sunday 1 Kings 6 6:30 - Men arrive to cook breakfast 7:30-9 AM - Easter Breakfast 9:30 - Easter Festival WorshipMonday 7 PM - Council MeetingFriday 3;45-7:30 PM - Family Fun Fair Sunday 9:30 Worship, 10:45 Bible class & Voters’ Mtg NOTESSpecial Council meeting, April 2 at 7 PM.District President Degner will be at Shepherd of the Lakes for Bible class hour on April 8. He will lead us through the doctrine of the call, our orderly calling process in the Wisconsin Synod . . .. . . and the Bible class hour with President Degner will conclude with a brief voters’ meeting to ratify our congregation’s course of action.Scrip is available. Talk to Lisa Swift & see the handout in your mailbox.The Triduum: The “Three Holy Days”The enormous significance of Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection has always been the central focus of Christian worship. Prior to the fourth century, Easter Day itself included all three emphases, but thereafter they were distributed over three days of special observance, which Augustine called “the most holy Triduum of the crucified, buried, and risen Lord.” The Latin term “Triduum” means “three days” and refers to the Holy Week services held on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday – the Easter Vigil, an evening service that was the time of baptism for those instructed during Lent. These three days have long been understood as the high point of the church’s year.Since the last half of the 20th century, Lutherans have been rediscovering the richness of the ancient Triduum and adapting the traditional services associated with it for use in evangelical Lutheran worship. Our WELS Commission on Worship included these forms of the Triduum services:- Maundy Thursday communion service with the stripping of the altar;- Service of the Cross of Christ, intended for Good Friday afternoon;- Service of Darkness (Latin “Tenebrae”) for Good Friday evening;- The Great Vigil of Easter, an Easter Eve service intended for Holy Saturday. (Also commonly used as an Easter sunrise service for those without Saturday worship.)This year’s Good Friday worship is a Tenebrae service, focusing on the theme of repentance & restoration. There will be readings from the book of Lamentations, concluding with John’s account of the crucifixion. (By contrast, last year’s Good Friday Service of the Cross of Christ focused on the seven statements of Jesus from the cross.) Conceptually, the Triduum worship services are one service extended over the “three holy days.” That is why there is no closing blessing for the Maundy Thursday service or Good Friday services; there is no invocation for the Good Friday services or the Easter vigil.                                                                                        

Worship audio from Palm Sunday (March 25, 2018). Includes Pastor Hagen's announcement that he's taking the call to serve Resurrection of Maumee, OH. Bulletin below.Green Pastures with Jesus is the podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith. Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app.Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine.Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.                Welcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any further questions or concerns. Lord Jesus, you came to your own, gentle and riding on a donkey. Come in your Word today, as you promised; prepare me for your heavenly kingdom, and lead me to love you above all else. AMEN.Law & Gospel:The Law rebukes unbelief, that is, when people do not believe God’s Word. Now the Gospel is God’s Word, and it alone properly teaches and commands people to believe in Christ. The Holy Spirit, through the Law’s office, also rebukes unbelief, that is, when people do not believe in Christ.20 Yet it is properly the Gospel alone that teaches about saving faith in Christ. Now, a person has not kept God’s Law, but has transgressed it when his corrupt nature, thoughts, words, and works fight against it. Therefore, he is under God’s wrath, death, all temporal calamities, and the punishment of hellfire. The Gospel is properly a doctrine that teaches what a person should believe, so that he receives forgiveness of sins with God. In other words, it teaches that God’s Son, our Lord Christ, has taken upon Himself and borne the Law’s curse and has atoned and paid for all our sins. Through Him alone we again enter into favor with God, receive forgiveness of sins through faith and are delivered from death and all the punishments of sins, and are eternally saved.Formula of Concord, Article 5 (Concordia p. 555) Because He Knew: He Rode into JerusalemJesus rode into Jerusalem to the acclamation of the crowd. Why do we sing Hosanna? PROCESSIONAL: 131 vv. 1-3 – All Glory, Laud, and HonorAll glory, laud, and honor To you, Redeemer, King, To whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring.You are the King of Israel And David’s royal Son,Now in the Lord’s name coming, Our King and blessed one!All glory, laud, and honor To you, Redeemer, King, To whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring.The company of angels Is praising you on high,And we with all creation In chorus make reply.All glory, laud, and honor To you, Redeemer, King, To whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring.The people of the Hebrews With palms before you went;Our praise and prayer and anthems Before you we present.M: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.C: Amen!Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey.Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins to God our Father, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness:Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful and that I have disobeyed you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. For this I deserve your punishment, both now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.    God, our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and his given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.Amen! 4.All glory, laud, and honor To you, Redeemer, King, To whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring.To you before your passion They sang their hymns of praise;To you, now high exalted, Our melody we raise.All glory, laud, and honor To you, Redeemer, King, To whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring.As you received their praises, Accept the prayers we bring,O source of ev’ry blessing, Our good and gracious King!PRAYER OF THE DAY:M: We praise you, O God, for the great acts of love by which you redeemed us through your Son, Jesus Christ. As he was acclaimed by those who scattered their garments and branches of palm in his path, so may we always hail him as our King and follow him with perfect confidence; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever C: Amen.CHORAL ANTHEM: He Comes in the Name of the LordThe WordFIRST READING: Zechariah 9:9-10The coming of the King, and a picture of his Kingdom:9Rejoice greatly, Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your King is coming to you. He is righteous and brings salvation. He is humble and is riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem. The battle bow will be taken away, and he will proclaim peace to the nations. His kingdom will extend from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth. This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!PSALM OF THE DAY: 24, CW p. 73SECOND READING: Philippians 2:5-11Christ willingly took on the character of a servant, even to death:So then, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For i5Indeed, let this attitude be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. 6Though he was by nature God, he did not consider equality with God as a prize to be displayed, 7but he emptied himself by taking the nature of a servant. When he was born in human likeness, and his appearance was like that of any other man, 8he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. 9Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. THEME VERSE: John 12:23The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Thanks be to God.GOSPEL READING: Mark 11:1-10The King comes to save his people:Glory be to you, O Lord!As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2and told them, “Go into the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. 3If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it, and he will send it back here without delay.’” . . . continued . . .4They left and found a colt on the street, tied at a door; and they untied it. 5Some who were standing there asked them, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6The disciples answered them just as Jesus had instructed them, and the men let them go. 7They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their garments on it, and Jesus sat on it. 8Many people spread their garments on the road. Others spread branches that they had cut from the fields. 9Those who went in front and those who followed were crying out, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest! This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.Praise be to you, O Christ!HYMN OF THE DAY: 134 – O Bride of Christ, RejoiceSERMON based on Mark 11: Hosanna!CONFESSION OF FAITH: Apostles’ Creed, p. 19OFFERINGPRAYER & LORD’S PRAYERHYMN: 133 – Ride On, Ride On in MajestyCLOSING PRAYER: CW p. 25CLOSING HYMN: 341 – Crown Him with Many CrownsTHIS WEEKToday 2 Samuel 23 9:30 - Palm Sunday Worship 10:45 - Sunday School, Bible classMonday 2 Samuel 24Tuesday 1 Kings 1 7 PM - CAP Class Wednesday 1 Kings 2 5-6 PM - Small Catechism Class Thursday 1 Kings 3 7 PM - Maundy Thursday Worship with Holy CommunionFriday 1 Kings 4 7 PM - Good Friday WorshipSaturday 1 Kings 5 9:30 AM - Bible Basics Sunday 1 Kings 6 6:30 - Men arrive to cook breakfast 7:30-9 AM - Easter Breakfast 9:30 - Easter Festival Worship NOTESHoly Week this week.                                                      

Worship audio from March 4, Lent 3B. Bulletin here or below:Welcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any further questions or concerns. Lord Jesus, zeal for your Father’s house consumed you. May that same fervor consume us also, who are your spiritual dwelling through faith, that we may offer the AMEN.Faith & Forgiveness:People are also warned that the term faith does not mean simply a knowledge of a history, such as the ungodly and devil have [James 2:19]. Rather, it means a faith that believes, not merely the history, but also the effect of the history. In other words, it believes this article: the forgiveness of sins. We have grace, righteousness, and forgiveness of sins through Christ.The person who knows that he has a Father who is gracious to him through Christ truly knows God [John 14:7]. He also knows that God cares for him [1 Peter 5:7], and he calls upon God [Romans 10:13]. In a word, he is not without God, as are the heathen. For devils and the ungodly are not able to believe this article: the forgiveness of sins. Hence, they hate God as an enemy [Romans 8:7] and do not call Him [Romans 3:11–12] and expect no good from Him. 26 Augustine also warns his readers about the word faith and teaches that the term is used in the Scriptures, not for the knowledge that is in the ungodly, but for the confidence that consoles and encourages the terrified mind.Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Article 1 (Concordia p. 43) Because He Knew: He Put His House in OrderJesus knew all along he was going to die. That was the eternal plan of the Father, that the holy Son of God would suffer and die for a world of sinners. ...In preparation for that day, Jesus cleansed the Temple during Holy Week, just as he did at the beginning of his ministry.How does the cleansing of the Temple guide our Christian lives & work today? OPENING HYMN: 401 – Your Works, Not Mine, O ChristLITURGY: Common Service with Holy Communion, p. 15Please rise.PRAYER OF THE DAY:M: Almighty God, look with favor on your humble servants and stretch out the right hand of your power to defend us against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.The WordFIRST READING: Exodus 20:1-17The Law, given by the LORD our God, demands perfect obedience:Then God spoke all these words: 2I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, where you were slaves. 3You shall have no other gods beside me. 4You shall not make any carved image for yourself or a likeness of anything in heaven above, or on the earth below, or in the waters under the earth. 5Do not bow down to them or be subservient to them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God. I follow up on the guilt of the fathers with their children, their grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren, if they also hate me. 6But I show mercy to thousands who love me and keep my commandments. 7You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not permit anyone who misuses his name to escape unpunished. 8Remember the Sabbath day by setting it apart as holy. 9Six days you are to serve and do all your regular work, 10but the seventh day shall be a sabbath rest to the LORD your God. Do not do any regular work, neither you, nor your sons or daughters, nor your male or female servants, nor your cattle, nor the alien who is residing inside your gates, 11for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. In this way the LORD blessed the seventh day and made it holy. 12Honor your father and your mother so that you may spend many days on the land that the LORD your God is giving to you. 13You shall not commit murder. 14You shall not commit adultery. 15You shall not steal. 16You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor. This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!SECOND READING: Romans 8:1-10The flesh has no strength to free itself from the condemnations of God’s law; but through Christ, God proclaims freedom:So then, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3Indeed, what the law was unable to do, because it was weakened by the flesh, God did, when he sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to deal with sin. God condemned sin in his flesh, 4so that the righteous decree of the law would be fully satisfied in us who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. 5To be sure, those who are in harmony with the sinful flesh think about things the way the sinful flesh does, and those in harmony with the spirit think about things the way the spirit does. 6Now, the way the sinful flesh thinks results in death, but the way the spirit thinks results in life and peace. 7For the mindset of the sinful flesh is hostile to God, since it does not submit to God’s law, and in fact, it cannot. 8Those who are in the sinful flesh cannot please God. 9But you are not in the sinful flesh but in the spirit, if indeed God’s Spirit lives in you. And if someone does not have the Spirit of Christ, that person does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but your spirit is alive because of righteousness. THEME VERSE: John 3:14-15Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. Thanks be to God.GOSPEL READING: John 2:13-22Jesus is serious about his Word, his dwelling-place, and what goes on there:Glory be to you, O Lord!13The Jewish Passover was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers sitting at tables. 15He made a whip of cords and drove everyone out of the temple courts, along with the sheep and oxen. He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those selling doves he said, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a place of business!” 17His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18So the Jews responded, “What sign are you going to show us to prove you can do these things?” 19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” 20The Jews said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple! And you are going to raise it in three days?” 21But Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body. 22When Jesus was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and what Jesus had said. This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.Praise be to you, O Christ!HYMN OF THE DAY: 456 – Forth in Your Name, O Lord, I GoSERMON based on John 2: Jesus Promises to Keep Setting His House in OrderCONFESSION OF FAITH: Nicene Creed, p. 31OFFERINGPRAYER & LORD’S PRAYERThe sacramentFor our Holy Communion practice, please see the purple sheet in the pew racks.COMMUNION LITURGY: p. 33DISTRIBUTION HYMN: 532 – God is Here! As We His PeopleSONG OF SIMEON: CW p. 24CLOSING HYMN: 530 – Hark! The Church Proclaims Her Honor THIS WEEKToday 2 Samuel 2 9:30 - Lent 3 Worship with Holy Communion 10:45 - Sunday School, Bible classMonday 2 Samuel 3Tuesday 2 Samuel 4 7 PM - CAP Class (Faith, Conversion)Wednesday 2 Samuel 5 5-6 PM - Small Catechism Class 6-6:45 PM - Lenten Supper 7 PM - Midweek Lenten WorshipThursday 2 Samuel 6 6 PM - ChoirFriday 2 Samuel 7Saturday 2 Samuel 8 9:30 AM - Bible Basics (Egg Bake...?)Sunday 2 Samuel 9 “Thank God for Coffee!” Sunday 9:30 - Lent 4 Worship 10:45 - Sunday School & Bible Class (Medical Directives & POA for Health Care)NOTESMidweek Lenten services continue - 6 PM meal, 7 PM worship.Catechism class 5-6 PM Wednesday.Rev. Curt Seefeldt will preach next Sunday & speak during Bible class on the topic of advance medical directives & Power of Attorney for Health Care.DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME NEXT WEEKEND. Spring ahead!Looking Ahead to Next Sunday:Theme Lent 4: Because He Knew, He Promised Salvation through FaithColor PurpleLiturgy Service of the Word, p.38Hymns 381, 427, 384, 748; CW Psalm 90Readings from John 3, Numbers 21, Ephesians 2Verse of the Day John 3:16Green Pastures with Jesus is the podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.  Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572 iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app. Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine.     

Worship audio from February 25, 2018. Bulletin PDF or below:Welcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any questions or concerns.Lord Jesus, you alone sought us out, forgave us, bought us, made us your own. You promised a cross for all who follow you. Lead me to see your cross, that I may find joy in the cross you have given me; AMEN.Consolation & Comfort through Faith:In other words, sin terrifies consciences. This happens through the Law, which shows God’s wrath against sin. But we gain the victory through Christ. How? Through faith, when we comfort ourselves by confidence in the mercy promised for Christ’s sake. ... God’s wrath cannot be appeased if we set our own works against it. For Christ has been set forth as an Atoning Sacrifice so, that for His sake, the Father may be reconciled to us. But Christ is not received as a Mediator except by faith. Therefore, by faith alone we receive forgiveness of sins when we comfort our hearts with confidence in the mercy promised for Christ’s sake. Likewise, Paul says in Romans 5:2, “Through Him we have also obtained access” and adds, “by faith.” Therefore, we are reconciled to the Father and receive forgiveness of sins when we are comforted with confidence in the mercy promised for Christ’s sake.Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Article 5 (Concordia p. 130)Because He Knew:Jesus knew the cross that awaited him; he knew the resurrection afterward. He had told this to his disciples numerous times – and now, as the day draws nearer, Jesus prepared his disciples for a cross.What is our cross, and how may we carry it?SUNDAY SCHOOL: ”Friend, I’m Sorry”LITURGY: CW p. 38 Please rise.PRAYER OF THE DAY:M: Almighty God, you see that we have no power to defend ourselves. Guard and keep us both outwardly and inwardly from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.The WordFIRST READING: Genesis 28:10-17The merciful presence of God is certain, because of grace alone: 10Jacob set out from Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. 11He came to a certain place and decided to spend the night there, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones from that place, put it under his head, and lay down to sleep in that place. 12He had a dream in which he saw a stairway set up on the earth with its top reaching to heaven. There were angels of God ascending and descending on it. 13There at the top stood the LORD, who said, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. The land on which you are lying, I give to you and to your descendants. 14Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your seed all the families of the earth will be blessed. 15Now, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back again into this land. Indeed, I will not leave you, until I have done what I have promised to you.” 16Jacob woke up from his sleep, and he said, “Certainly the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17He was afraid and he said, “How awe-inspiring is this place! This is nothing other than the house of God, and this is the gate to heaven.” PSALM OF THE DAY: 73, CW p. 94SECOND READING: Romans 5:1-11The miracle of Lent – Christ the innocent, suffering for sinners and in their place makes them innocent in God’s sight:Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through him we also have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice confidently on the basis of our hope for the glory of God. 3Not only this, but we also rejoice confidently in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces patient endurance, 4and patient endurance produces tested character, and tested character produces hope. 5And hope will not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us. 6For at the appointed time, while we were still helpless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7It is rare indeed that someone will die for a righteous person. Perhaps someone might actually go so far as to die for a person who has been good to him. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Therefore, since we have now been justified by his blood, it is even more certain that we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. 10For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, it is even more certain that, since we have been reconciled, we will be saved by his life. 11And not only is this so, but we also go on rejoicing confidently in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received this reconciliation. THEME VERSE: Philippians 2:8Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Thanks be to God.GOSPEL READING: Mark 8:31-38The Cross:31Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things; be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the experts in the law; be killed; and after three days rise again. 32He was speaking plainly to them. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But after turning around and looking at his disciples, Jesus rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have your mind set on the things of God, but the things of men.” 34He called the crowd and his disciples together and said to them, “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36After all, what good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38In fact, whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.Praise be to you, O Christ!HYMN OF THE DAY: 434 – Lord, You I Love with All My HeartSERMON based on Mark 8: Preparation for the CrossCONFESSION OF FAITH: Apostles’ Creed, CW p. 41OFFERINGPRAYER OF THE CHURCH: CW p. 42Please rise.CLOSING PRAYER: CW p. 43CLOSING HYMN: 355 – Take the World, But Give Me JesusNOTESBowling today at 3 PM – see the sign-up sheet at the back lectern.Midweek Lenten services continue - 6 PM meal, 7 PM worship.Looking Ahead to Next Sunday:Theme Lent 3 – Because He Knew: He Put His House in OrderColor PurpleLiturgy Common Service, CW p. 15Hymns 401, 456, 532, 530; CWS Psalm 69Readings from John 2, Exodus 20, Romans 8Verse of the Day John 3:14-15THIS WEEKToday 1 Samuel 26 9:30 AM - Second Sunday of Lent 10:45 AM – Sunday School. Bible Class: The FloodMonday 1 Samuel 27Tuesday 1 Samuel 28 7 PM - CAPWednesday 1 Samuel 29 5-6 PM – Small Catechism Class 6 PM - Lenten Supper 7 PM - Ash Wednesday WorshipThursday 1 Samuel 30Friday 1 Samuel 31Saturday 2 Samuel 1Sunday 2 Samuel 2 9:30 AM - Lent 3 Worship with Holy Communion 10:45 AM – Bible class & Sunday SchoolGreen Pastures with Jesus is the podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.  Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572 iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app. Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine. Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.    

Worship audio from February 18, 2018 - Lent 1B. Warmly referred to as "Festival of the Means of Grace Sunday." Bulletin pasted in below.Green Pastures with Jesus is the podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.  Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app.Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine.Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.Bulletin PDF here - or below.Welcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any further questions or concerns. Lord Jesus, you took on our humanity and fought temptation. You were victorious! All praise to you for your perfect obedience! And miracle of miracles . . . you have credited this perfection to me. Thank you! AMEN.Christ’s Kingdom Grow through the Means of Grace:Christ’s kingdom exists only with the Word and Sacraments. Therefore, it is necessary to baptize little children, that the promise of salvation may be applied to them, according to Christ’s command to baptize all nations (Matthew 28:19). Just as in this passage salvation is offered to all, so Baptism is offered to all, to men, women, children, infants. It clearly follows, therefore, that infants are to be baptized, because salvation is offered with Baptism. Second, it is clear that God approves of the Baptism of little children. God’s approval of the Baptism of little children is shown by this: He gives the Holy Spirit to those baptized [Acts 2:38–39].Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Article 9 (Concordia p. 153)Because He Knew: He Would Died – He Would LiveWhy did Jesus keep moving toward the cross? Surely, he should have known this was coming. Surely, he could have avoided the pain, the suffering, the death. But that’s the point, Jesus knew all along he was going to die. That was the eternal plan of the Father, that the holy Son of God would suffer and die for a world of sinners. However, Jesus also knew that death would not be the end. The payment for sin would be accepted and he would rise to life again and defeat death itself, for us.How does the Temptation of Jesus solidify our Christian hope today?OPENING HYMN: 224 – God Himself is PresentLITURGY: Holy Baptism, CW p. 12Please rise.PRAYER OF THE DAY:M: Lord our strength, the battle of good and evil rages within and around us, and our ancient foe tempts us with his deceits and empty promises. Keep us steadfast in your Word, and when we fall, raise us up again and restore us through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.The WordFIRST READING: Genesis 22:1-18What do you love so much that it would be impossible to willingly and gladly give up if the Lord required it? The time of Lent is a call to serious struggle against sin, including the idolatry of loving anyone or anything more than God:Some time later God tested Abraham. He called to him, “Abraham!” Abraham answered, “I am here.” 2God said, “Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains there, the one to which I direct you.” 3Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, along with Isaac his son. Abraham split the wood for the burnt offering. Then he set out to go to the place that God had told him about. 4On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go on over there. We will worship, and then we will come back to you.” 6Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and loaded it on Isaac his son. He took the firepot and the knife in his hand. The two of them went on together. ( . . . continued . . . )7Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father?” He said, “I am here, my son.” He said, “Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them went on together. 9They came to the place that God had told him about. Abraham built the altar there. He arranged the wood, tied up Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11The Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” Abraham said, “I am here.” 12He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13Abraham looked around and saw that behind him there was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14Abraham called the name of that place “The LORD Will Provide.” So it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” 15The Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16and said, “I have sworn by myself, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your descendants greatly, like the stars of the sky and like the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the city gates of their enemies. 18In your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” PSALM: CWS 3 (Bulletin p. 6)SECOND READING: Romans 8:31-39Lent proves the love of God: God gave his own Son for us all. With this truth planted into our hearts, God gives us perseverance in all things: 31What then will we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also graciously give us all things along with him? 33Who will bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies! 34Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus, who died and, more than that, was raised to life, is the one who is at God’s right hand and who is also interceding for us! 35What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?36Just as it is written: For your sake we are being put to death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers, neither things present nor things to come, nor powerful forces, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. THEME VERSE: Matthew 4:10It is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Thanks be to God.GOSPEL READING: Mark 1:12-15In his grace, God leads Gentiles to worship Christ:12The Spirit immediately sent Jesus out into the wilderness. 13He was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels were serving him. 14After John was put in prison, Jesus went to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. 15“The time is fulfilled,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near! Repent, and believe in the gospel.” This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.Praise be to you, O Christ!HYMN OF THE DAY: 201 – A Mighty Fortress is Our GodSERMON based on Mark 1: Only a Victorious Christ could Preach the GospelCONFESSION OF FAITH: Luther’s Explanation of Holy Baptism, from the Small Catechism (1529)M: What is Baptism?C: Baptism is not just plain water, but it is water used by God's command and connected with God's Word.M: Which is that Word of God?C: Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Matthew, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”M: What does Baptism do for us?C: Baptism works forgiveness of sin, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.M: What are these words and promises of God?C: Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Mark, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”M: How can water do such great things?C: It is certainly not the water that does such things, but God's Word which is in and with the water, and faith which trusts this Word used with the water. For without God's Word the water is just plain water and not baptism. But with this Word it is baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a washing of rebirth by the Holy Spirit.M: Where is this written?C: Saint Paul says in Titus, chapter three, “God saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying.” ( . . . continued . . . )M: What does baptizing with water mean?C: Baptism means that the old Adam in us should be drowned by daily contrition and repentance, and that all its evil deeds and desires be put to death. It also means that a new person should daily arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.M: Where is this written?C: Saint Paul says in Romans, chapter six, “We were buried with Christ through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”OFFERINGPRAYER OF THE CHURCH & LORD’S PRAYER: p. 32The sacramentFor our Holy Communion practice, please see the purple sheet in the pew racks.COMMUNION LITURGY: p. 33DISTRIBUTION HYMN: 737 – God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say ItSONG OF THANKS: CW 316 (Purple sheet or hymnal)CLOSING HYMN: 752 – In Christ AloneNOTESAll are invited to celebrate Gideon’s baptism at noon at the Pizza Ranch.See the sign-up at the back of church for next week’s congregational bowling.Midweek Lenten worship continues with a 6 PM meal & 7 PM worship. THIS WEEKToday 1 Samuel 19 9:30 - Lent 1 Worship with Holy Communion & Baptismal Affirmation of Gideon Johanson 10:45 - Sunday School & Bible Class (The Flood) 12:01 PM - Baptismal celebration at the Pizza RanchMonday 1 Samuel 20Tuesday 1 Samuel 21 7 PM - CAP class: The Start of Unit 2! Wednesday 1 Samuel 22 NO CATECHISM CLASS 6 PM - Lenten Meal 7 PM - Midweek Lenten WorshipThursday 1 Samuel 23Friday 1 Samuel 24Saturday 1 Samuel 25Sunday 1 Samuel 26 9:30 - Lent 2 Worship 10:45 - Sunday School & Bible Class (The Flood)                  Membership at Shepherd of the Lakes means more than a person’s name on a church roster. Membership is about belonging to Christ, growing in faith, and sharing the joy of salvation together. We enjoy life together with a merciful God through faith, growing together as lifelong learners of Jesus, spending time together with one another in Christian friendship and support, and going out together into our communities and circles of friends to make a meaningful difference.Our new member process aims at nurturing those relationships, which includes but is not limited to an agreement together on the truths of the Bible. Unity of belief is the building block for life together with Christ, growing in faith together, and sharing in the joy of salvation together.Those who want to join Shepherd of the Lakes coming from other WELS or ELS churches will be familiar with our beliefs. Others experienced in another church, or who have little or no religious background at all, become members through participation in a Bible information class taught by Pastor Hagen. Many of our members have taken this class numerous times, as a reminder and refresher on the different teachings in God’s Word.Togetherness in beliefs then leads to a new member process that nurtures togetherness in relationships with God, church and community.Speak to Pastor Hagen if you’re interested. There is no charge. Even if you’re just curious, come check it out!                                                                                  

Worship audio from Transfiguration Sunday worship. Bulletin & PDF available below.Green Pastures with Jesus is the daily podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.  Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572 iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app. Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine. Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV. Bulletin PDF here. Welcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any questions or concerns.Lord Jesus, you alone sought us out, forgave us, bought us, made us your own. Lead us to see your glory on the mountain, that we may be prepared for life in this world of sin & death & pain; AMEN.The True Worship of God: So the worship and divine service of the Gospel is to receive gifts from God. On the contrary, the worship of the Law is to offer and present our gifts to God. However, we can offer nothing to God unless we have first been reconciled and born again. This passage, too, brings the greatest comfort, as the chief worship of the Gospel is to desire to receive the forgiveness of sins, grace, and righteousness. Christ says of this worship, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40). And the Father says, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him” (Matthew 17:5). 190 [311] The adversaries speak of obedience to the Law, but they do not speak of obedience to the Gospel. We cannot obey the Law, unless we have been born again through the Gospel. We cannot love God, unless we have received the forgiveness of sins.Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Article 5 (Concordia p. 130)Joining Jesus:During the season of Epiphany, we join Jesus as he reveals his glory. Today, the final Sunday in Epiphany, we join Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration where he reveals his glory in fullest measure. How does this revealing of the glory of God comfort & guide us today?OPENING HYMN: 95 – How Good, Lord, to Be HereLITURGY: CW p. 38 Please rise.PRAYER OF THE DAY:M: Lord God, before the suffering and death of your one and only Son, you revealed his glory on the holy mountain. Grant that we who bear his cross on earth may behold by faith the light of his heavenly glory and so be changed into his likeness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.The WordFIRST READING: 2 Kings 1-12aElijah is taken to heaven:When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah was traveling with Elisha from Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3The sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD is taking your master away from you?” Then he said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.” 4Then Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here because the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho. 5Then the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD is taking your master away from you?” He said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.” . . . continued . . . 6Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here because the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7Then fifty men from the sons of the prophets came and stood and watched them from a distance, while the two of them were standing at the Jordan. 8Elijah took his cloak, folded it together, and struck the water. The water divided to the right and to the left. Then the two of them crossed on dry land. 9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask me for whatever I can do for you before I am taken from you.” Then Elisha said, “Let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” 10He said, “You have asked for a difficult thing. If you see me being taken from you, it will surely be yours. But if not, then it will not.” 11While they were walking and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire, and horses of fire came and separated them. So Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12Elisha was watching and crying out, “My father! My father! Israel’s chariot and its charioteers!” Then he did not see him anymore. PSALM OF THE DAY: 148, CW p. 121SECOND READING: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6The gospel proclaims forgiveness – yet this gospel is veiled in weakness:3But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing. 4In the case of those people, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from clearly seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is God’s image. 5Indeed, we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For the God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” is the same one who made light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ. THEME VERSE: Mark 9:87Alleluia. A voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him.” Alleluia. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! These words are written that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!GOSPEL READING: Mark 9:2-9The Transfiguration:2After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him and led them up a high mountain where they were alone by themselves. There he was transfigured in front of them. 3His clothes became radiant, dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them. 4And Elijah appeared to them together with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6He did not know what to say because they were terrified. 7A cloud appeared and overshadowed them, and a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him.” 8Suddenly when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus alone. 9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.Praise be to you, O Christ!HYMN OF THE DAY: 97 – Down From the Mount of GlorySERMONCONFESSION OF FAITH: Apostles’ Creed, CW p. 41OFFERING PRAYER OF THE CHURCH: CW p. 42Please rise.              FAREWELL TO ALLELUIABrothers and sisters in Christ, when we next gather for worship, it will be Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. On that day we will begin our solemn journey to the Savior’s cross. While the joy of faith remains undiminished throughout the year, our rejoicing during Lent is muted and quiet. For centuries, therefore, the Christian church has omitted its most jubilant songs during this season, including the word alleluia, which means, “praise the Lord.” You will notice that during this time of Lent, our worship will omit its normal Alleluia. We do this to prepare ourselves for the quieter days of Lent. The alleluias will return on Easter dawn as we gather to shout our praise to the risen Lord.CLOSING PRAYER: CW p. 43CLOSING HYMN: 709 – Christ, Your Footprints Through the Desert (bulletin insert) NOTESWednesday, Ash Wednesday worship. Meal at 6 PM, worship at 7 PM. Wednesday evening meal & worship continues through March 21.Check out www.shepherdofthelakes.net/worship to help prepare your heart for Lent with an overview of our worship themes.           Looking Ahead to Next Sunday:Theme Lent 1 – Because He KnewColor PurpleLiturgy Word & Sacrament, CW p. 26Hymns 224, 201, 714, 752; CWS Psalm 3Readings from Mark 1, Genesis 22, Romans 8Verse of the Day Matthew 4:10   THIS WEEKToday 1 Samuel 12 9:30 AM - Epiphany Last: Transfiguration Sunday 10:45 AM – Sunday School. Bible Class: The FloodMonday 1 Samuel 13Tuesday 1 Samuel 14 7 PM - CouncilWednesday 1 Samuel 15 5-6 PM – Small Catechism Class 6 PM - Lenten Supper 7 PM - Ash Wednesday WorshipThursday 1 Samuel 16Friday 1 Samuel 17Saturday 1 Samuel 18Sunday 1 Samuel 19 9:30 AM - Lent 1 Worship with Holy Communion 10:45 AM – Bible class & Sunday School   

Worship audio from Epiphany 5B (February 4, 2018). Bulletin here or below the notes.Green Pastures with Jesus is the daily podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith. Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572 iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app.Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine.Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.Welcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any further questions or concerns. Lord Jesus, you gave glimpses of your divine power, glory, and honor – but those glimpses were not as important as your preaching. Grant that I hear your voice in Holy Scripture today; send your promised Holy Spirit to enliven and strengthen my faith. AMEN.The New Life of Faith:We are regenerated and receive the Holy Spirit for the very reason that the new life may produce new works, new dispositions, the fear and love of God, hatred of lustful desires (concupiscence), and so on. This faith arises in repentance and should be established and grow amid good works, temptations, and dangers. This is so that we may continually be more firmly persuaded that God cares for us, forgives us, and hears us for Christ’s sake. This is not learned without many and great struggles. How often is conscience aroused, how often does it awaken even to despair when it shows either old or new sins, or the impurity of our nature! This handwriting is not blotted out without a great struggle [Colossians 2:14]. Experience testifies what a difficult matter faith is. While we are encouraged in the midst of the terrors and receive comfort, other spiritual movements grow at the same time: knowledge of God, fear of God, hope and love of God. We are “renewed,” as Paul says, “in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:10) and, “Beholding the glory of the Lord, [we] are being transformed into the same image” (2 Corinthians 3:18). In other words, we receive the true knowledge of God, so that we truly fear Him, we truly trust that we are cared for by Him, and that we are heard by Him.Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Article 3 (Concordia p. 135)Joining Jesus:Jesus could raise the dead, heal the sick, and drive out demons. But when the crowds came to him in droves, he left that area to preach somewhere else! What do we learn about our Christian purpose? How does Christ’s singleminded purpose serve as practical comfort for us today? OPENING HYMN: 238 – Oh, Bless the Lord, My SoulLITURGY: Common Service with Holy Communion, p. 15Please rise.PRAYER OF THE DAY:M: Almighty God, you sent your one and only Son as the Word of life for our eyes to see and our ears to hear. Help us to believe what the Scriptures proclaim about him and do the things that are pleasing in your sight; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.The WordFIRST READING: 2 Kings 5:1-14God’s visible power over sickness foreshadows the invisible power of the gospel:Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.2 Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. ...cont...6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!” 8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” 11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage. 13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!PSALM: 103, p. 105SECOND READING: Romans 8:28-30God makes eternally-good, blessed use of all things in the lives of the elect:28We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose, 29because those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called. Those he called, he also justified. And those he justified, he also glorified. THEME VERSE: John 8:12Alleluia. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Alleluia. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! GOSPEL READING: Mark 1:29-39Christ reveals his glory through miracles – and those miracles reveal a greater truth:Glory be to you, O Lord!29They left the synagogue and went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed, sick with a fever. Without delay they told Jesus about her. 31He went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them. 32That evening, when the sun had set, the people kept bringing to him all who were sick and demon-possessed. 33The whole town gathered at the door. 34He healed many people who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. But he did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who he was. 35Jesus got up early in the morning, while it was still dark, and went out. He withdrew to a solitary place and was praying there. 36Simon and his companions searched for him, 37and, when they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is looking for you!” 38He told them, “Let’s go somewhere else, to the neighboring villages, so that I can preach there too. In fact, that is why I have come.” 39Then he went throughout the whole region of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.Praise be to you, O Christ!HYMN OF THE DAY: 93 – Hail to the Lord’s AnointedSERMON based on Mark 1: The Practical Benefit of Christ’s Divine PurposeCONFESSION OF FAITH: Nicene Creed, p. 31OFFERINGPRAYER & LORD’S PRAYERThe sacramentFor our Holy Communion practice, please see the purple sheet in the pew racks.COMMUNION LITURGY: p. 33DISTRIBUTION HYMN: 312 – Lord Jesus Christ, You Have PreparedSONG OF SIMEON: CW p. 24CLOSING HYMN: 760 – When Peace Like a River (back cover)NOTESLenten worship starts Wednesday, February 14 with supper at 6 PM and worship at 7 PM. Our Lenten series will look at Jesus as our High Priest.If you are in need of pastoral care toward the end of next week, contact Chris Sulzle: (507) 235-8940.Our 2017 Annual Report is at the back table. Watch the Messenger for a link to our 2017 Wisconsin Synod annual report!THIS WEEKToday 1 Samuel 5 9:30 - Epiphany 5 Worship with Holy Communion 10:45 - Sunday School, Annual Voters’ MtgMonday 1 Samuel 6Tuesday 1 Samuel 7 7 PM - CAP Class (Christ’s Threefold Office)Wednesday 1 Samuel 8 5-6:45 PM - Small Catechism Class 6, 8 PM - www.wels.net/interactivefaithThursday 1 Samuel 9 6 PM - ChoirFriday 1 Samuel 10Saturday 1 Samuel 11Sunday 1 Samuel 12 9:30 - Transfiguration Sunday Worship 10:45 - Sunday School & Bible Class (Genesis 6)                                                 

Worship audio from January 21, 2018 – Epiphany 3B.Bulletin here, or below:Welcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any further questions or concerns. Lord Jesus, thank you for calling me through your Gospel, and for keeping me in this true faith. Grant that I serve you without hesitation; AMENRepent and Believe:Christ says, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Here there are two parts. The “labor” and the burden signify the contrition, anxiety, and terrors of sin and death. To “come to” Christ is to believe that sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. When we believe, our hearts are brought to life by the Holy Spirit through Christ’s Word. 45 Here, therefore, are these two chief parts: contrition and faith. In Mark 1:15, Christ says, “Repent and believe in the gospel.” In the first clause He convicts of sins, and in the second He comforts us and shows the forgiveness of sins. Believing the Gospel is not the general faith that devils also have, but in the proper sense it is believing that the forgiveness of sins has been granted for Christ’s sake. This is revealed in the Gospel. You see also here that the two parts are joined: contrition when sins are rebuked; and faith when it is said, “Believe in the gospel.”Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Article 12 (Concordia p. 163)Joining Jesus:Jesus shows his glory in the kind of people that he calls to serve him and in using the gospel to make them willing to follow him, no matter the cost. How can I join Jesus today - without hesitation?OPENING HYMN: 85 – O God from God, O Light from LightOPENING RESPONSESPlease rise.M: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.C: Amen.Dear friends: Let us approach God with a true heart and confess our sins, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us.Lord of life, I confess that I am by nature dead in sin. For faithless worrying and selfish pride,For thoughtless sin and sin I have willfully chosen,For the evil I have done and the good I have failed to do,You should cast me away from your presence forever. O Lord, I am sorry for my sin; forgive me, for Jesus’ sake.Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again. In his great mercy, God made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our sins. Hear the word of Christ through his called servant: I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.Amen.In peace, let us pray to the Lord. For the well-being of all people everywhere, that they may receive from you all they need to sustain body and life, hear our prayer, O Lord:Lord, have mercy.For the spread of your life-giving gospel throughout the world, that all who are lost in sin may be brought to faith in you, hear our prayer, O Christ:Christ, have mercy.For patience and perseverance in this life, that we may not lose the hope of heaven as we await your return, hear our prayer, O Lord.Lord, have mercy.Lord of life, live in us that we may live for you.Amen.Let us respond to God’s grace in the song of the angels: Glory to God in the Highest, as printed on the next page. All glory be to God on high! Your name, O Lord, we glorify; We praise you for your peace and grace, Your favor toward our fallen race.Our grateful thanks to you we bring. For your great glory, heav’nly King, For all, O Father, you have done Through Jesus Christ, your only Son.O Lamb of God, to you we pray. You take all human sin away. Have mercy, Lord; receive our prayer; From God’s right hand, your mercy share. You, Christ, are holy – Lord alone; The Father’s glory you made known. We by your Spirit sing again: “All glory be to God!” Amen.M: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you.Let us pray: Almighty God, you sent your Son to proclaim your kingdom and to teach with authority. Anoint us with the power of your Spirit that we, too, may bring good news to the afflicted, bind up the brokenhearted, and proclaim liberty to the captive; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.The WordFIRST READING: 1 Kings 19:19-21Through his gospel, God provides a joyful prophet:19So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. Elisha was doing the plowing with twelve teams of oxen in front of him, and he himself was driving the twelfth team. Elijah crossed over to him and threw his cloak over him. 20Then Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah. He said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother good-bye! Then I will follow you.” Then Elijah said, “Go back! For what have I done to you?” 21So Elisha turned back from following him. Then he took the team of oxen and slaughtered them. Using the equipment from the oxen as fuel, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he got up, followed Elijah, and served him. PSALM OF THE DAY: CWS 37 (next page) SECOND READING: Acts 13:1-5Through his gospel, Christ provides committed Christians for service:Now in the church at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas; Simeon, who was called Niger; Lucius of Cyrene; Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch; and Saul. 2While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3Then, after they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them off. 4So they were sent out by the Holy Spirit and went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. 5When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their assistant. THEME VERSE: Matthew 4:23Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching, preaching, and healing every disease. GOSPEL READING: Mark 1:14-20The message of forgiveness through Jesus means that joining Jesus is a joy:14After John was put in prison, Jesus went to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. 15“The time is fulfilled,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near! Repent, and believe in the gospel.” 16As Jesus was going along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen. 17Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 18Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19Going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat mending the nets. 20Immediately Jesus called them. They left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. Thanks be to God!CONFESSION OF FAITH: Nicene Creed, p. 18HYMN OF THE DAY: 91 – The Star Proclaims the King is HereSERMON based on Mark 1: Joining Jesus - Counting the CostOFFERINGPRAYER OF THE CHURCH & LORD’S PRAYERThe SacramentFor our Holy Communion practice, please see the purple sheet in the pew racks.Our communion liturgy today will be sung as one continuous, responsive hymn, without pauses or breaks. The tune is from Hymn 78 (or 279). The organist will play a verse of introduction. PrefaceM: May God the Lord be with you.C: God also be with you.M: Lift up your hearts rejoicing!C: We lift them up anew!M: Give unto God all glory, all honor and all praise.C: To God is due thanksgiving and worship all our days. SanctusM: It's right and salutary to give you thanks, O God,At all times, in all places, through Jesus Christ our Lord.The saints and angel chorus rejoice in boundless mirth;We join, to sing your praises, the Church in heav'n and earth:C: O holy, holy, holy Lord God of pow'r and might,Your glory fills the heavens, and earth shines in your light.Hosanna in the highest! Blest ever is the OneWho comes the Lord's name bearing. Hosanna, Risen Son! InstitutionC: The night he was abandoned, the night he was betrayed,Our Lord took bread and blessed it, then broke it, gave it, said:M: Take, eat, this is my body, given in death for you.Remember, as you taste it, my grace and mercy true. C: Again, the supper ended, before we all had fled,He lifted in thanksgiving the cup, then passed it, said:M: Drink, in my blood shed for you, forgiveness of your sin.Poured out for you, rememb'ring, your love I then might win.C: Amen! Then come, Lord Jesus; be present at your feast.Amen! O Holy Spirit, unite us in your peace.Amen! Almighty Father, give strength to do your will.O Trinity most holy, feed us and love us still. Agnus DeiC: O Lamb of God, Christ Jesus, our sin you take away;O Lamb of God, Redeemer, have mercy now, we pray.O Lamb of God, our Savior, your grace in us increase;Behold us with your favor, and grant to us your peace.HYMN: 532 – God is Here! As We His PeopleSONG OF SIMEONO Lord, now let your servant Depart in peace, assured:For I have seen your promised, incarnate, saving Word –A Light that will enlighten All gloom where Gentiles dwellThe brilliant, crowning glory Of those in Israel!All glory to the Father, All glory to the Son,All glory to the Spirit, Forever three in one;For as in the beginning, Is now, shall ever be,God’s triune name resounding Through all eternity.We give you thanks, O Lord, for the foretaste of the heavenly banquet that you have given us to eat and to drink in this sacrament. Through this gift you have fed our faith, nourished our hope, and strengthened our love. By your Spirit help us to live as your holy people until that day when you will receive us as your guests at the wedding supper of the Lamb - who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.Amen.The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.Amen.CLOSING HYMN: 406 – This Is the Threefold TruthNOTESToday, Congregational Update. Open discussion at the start of Bible class.January 28, Mission Fest: Jesus Cares Ministry with Rev. Joel Gaertner. It’ll be a special “Worship at the Cross” service as designed for Jesus Cares ministry, using a simplified liturgy & song selection. Potluck at 11:50 AM!Annual Voters’ Mtg, February 4. Looking Ahead to Next Sunday:Theme Epiphany 4: Joining Jesus (Jesus Cares Ministry)Color GreenLiturgy Worship at the CrossHymns Jesus Loves Me; God Loves Me Dearly; Father, I Love You; This Little Light THIS WEEKToday Judges 16 9:30 AM - Epiphany 3 Worship with Holy Communion 11 AM - Open Forum; Conclusion of Genesis 3Monday Judges 17Tuesday Judges 18 7 PM - CAP ClassWednesday Judges 19 5-6:45 PM – Small Catechism Class 6, 8 PM - www.wels.net/interactivefaithThursday Judges 20 6 PM - Choir 7 PM - Book Club at the Deep FreezeFriday Judges 21Saturday Ruth 1Sunday Ruth 2 9:30 AM - Worship at the Cross (Jesus Cares Ministry) 11 AM - Jesus Cares Presentation, Potluck afterwardGreen Pastures with Jesus is the daily podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.  Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572 iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app. Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine. Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.                                

Audio recording of January 7 worship - Epiphany Festival. Bulletin pasted below:Welcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any further questions or concerns. Lord Jesus, you took on our humanity in order to live under the law and redeem us. Grant that I always marvel at your grace, and receive you with joy; AMEN.Christ, our Advocate:Our churches teach that the history of saints may be set before us so that we may follow the example of their faith and good works, according to our calling. For example, the emperor may follow the example of David [2 Samuel] in making war to drive away the Turk from his country. For both are kings. 2 But the Scriptures do not teach that we are to call on the saints or to ask the saints for help. Scripture sets before us the one Christ as the Mediator, Atoning Sacrifice, High Priest, and Intercessor [1 Timothy 2:5–6]. 3 He is to be prayed to. He has promised that He will hear our prayer [John 14:13]. This is the worship that He approves above all other worship, that He be called upon in all afflictions. 4 “If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father” (1 John 2:1). Augsburg Confession, Article 21 (Concordia p. 44)Glory Revealed:God has blessed us with 40 years of worship here. What a miracle!An heir was placed in the lap of bereaved Naomi. What a miracle!The Magi worshipped the young Christ-child. What a miracle!Paul reveals the mystery of the miraculous: God’s grace is for all people!How does Epiphany relate to our gospel proclamation today?OPENING HYMN: 83 – As with Gladness Men of OldLITURGY: Service of Word & Sacrament, CW p. 26Please rise.PRAYER OF THE DAY:M: Lord God, by the leading of a star you once made known to the nations your one and only Son. Guide us, also, who know him now by faith, to come at last to the perfect joy of your heavenly glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.The WordFIRST READING: Ruth 4:13-17Through Ruth, God provided a descendent for bereaved Naomi; in the mystery of his grace, God included Gentiles in the ancestry of Christ:13Then Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went to her. The LORD enabled her to conceive, and she bore a son. 14Then the women said to Naomi: Blessed is the LORD, who has not left you without a redeemer today. May his name be proclaimed in Israel! 15He will restore your life and care for you in your old age, because your daughter-in-law, who loves you, has given birth to him. She is better for you than seven sons! 16Then Naomi took the boy and put him on her lap, and she became his caregiver. 17The neighboring women named him, saying, “A son is born to Naomi!” and they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse, the father of David.PSALM: 72, p. 93 SECOND READING: Ephesians 3:2-12 God has proclaimed the mystery: Through this gospel, we can approach God in freedom & confidence:2Surely you have heard of the administration of God’s grace given to me for you, 3namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation (as I have already written briefly). 4When you read this, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. 5This mystery was not made known to people in past generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets. 6This mystery is that in Christ Jesus the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and people who also share in the promise through the gospel. 7I became a servant of this gospel, in keeping with the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. 8To me—even though I am the very least of all the saints—was given this grace: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ 9and to enlighten everyone about the administration of this mystery. In past ages this mystery remained hidden in God, who created all things. 10He did this so that, through the church, the multifaceted wisdom of God in the heavenly places might now be made known to the rulers and authorities. 11This was done according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12In him we can freely approach God with confidence through faith in him. THEME VERSE: Matthew 2:2Alleluia. We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him. Alleluia. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! These words are written that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!GOSPEL READING: Matthew 2:1-12In his grace, God leads Gentiles to worship Christ:After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, when Herod was king, Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked, 2“Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3When King Herod heard this, he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4He gathered together all the people’s chief priests and experts in the law. He asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, because this was written through the prophet: 6You, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are certainly not least among the rulers of Judah: because out of you will come a ruler, who will shepherd my people, Israel.” 7Then Herod secretly summoned the Wise Men and found out from them exactly when the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report to me, so that I may also go and worship him.” 9After listening to the king, they went on their way. Then the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them, until it stood still over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with overwhelming joy. 11After they went into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12Since they had been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route. This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.Praise be to you, O Christ!CONFESSION OF FAITH: Nicene Creed, p. 31HYMN OF THE DAY: 79 vv. 1-3 – How Lovely Shines the Morning StarSERMON based on Psalm 72: The Fulfillment of the King’s ReignHYMN: 79 vv. 4-5 – How Lovely Shines the Morning StarOFFERINGPRAYER & LORD’S PRAYERThe sacramentFor our Holy Communion practice, please see the purple sheet in the pew racks.COMMUNION LITURGY: p. 33DISTRIBUTION HYMN: 310 – I Come, O Savior, to Your TableSONG OF THANKS: CW p. 36CLOSING HYMN: 622 – For Many Years, O God of GraceNOTESChristmas undecorating today at 11:30 AM.All are invited to the parsonage for chili lunch. (517 Tilden St)Starting this Wednesday, 6 & 8 PM - WELS Online Bible Study. Tune in from the comfort of your home computer - www.wels.net/interactivefaithFebruary 4, Annual Voters’ Mtg.THIS WEEKToday Judges 2 9:30 - Epiphany Festival Worship 10:45 - Sunday School & Bible Class: Genesis 3 11:30 - Christmas undecorating 12:02 - Lunch at the ParsonageMonday Judges 3Tuesday Judges 4 7 PM - CouncilWednesday Judges 5 11:30 AM - LW @Perkins 5 PM - Small Catechism ClassThursday Judges 6 6 PM - ChoirFriday Judges 7Saturday Judges 8Sunday Judges 9 9:30 - Epiphany 2 Worship 10:58 - Bible Class: Genesis 3 & Godly Discipline  Green Pastures with Jesus is the daily podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.  Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572 iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app. Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine. Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.                                              

               elcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any further questions or concerns. Lord Jesus, you took on our humanity in order to live under the law and redeem us. Grant that I always marvel at your grace, and receive you with joy; AMEN.The Role of the Law in the Life of the Christian:The whole world with all diligence has struggled to figure out what God is, what He has in mind and does. Yet the world has never been able to grasp ‹the knowledge and understanding of› any of these things. But here [in the Apostles’ Creed] we have everything in richest measure. For here in all three articles God has revealed Himself and opened the deepest abyss of His fatherly heart and His pure, inexpressible love [Ephesians 3:18–19]. He has created us for this very reason, that He might redeem and sanctify us. In addition to giving and imparting to us everything in heaven and upon earth, He has even given to us His Son and the Holy Spirit, who brings us to Himself [Romans 8:14, 32]. For we could never grasp the knowledge of the Father’s grace and favor except through the Lord Christ. Jesus is a mirror of the fatherly heart [John 14:9; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3], outside of whom we see nothing but an angry and terrible Judge. But we couldn’t know anything about Christ either, unless it had been revealed by the Holy Spirit [1 Corinthians 2:12]. Large Catechism, Apostles’ Creed (Concordia p. 406)Born to Save Us:There is nothing trite or trivial in what has happened at Christmas: The deepest lowliness is but the mask for the greatest glory, the glory of him who came to be our Savior!How does the birth of Christ comfort & encourage us?OPENING HYMN: 56 – Gentle Mary Laid Her ChildLITURGY: Service of Word & Sacrament, CW p. 26Please rise.PRAYER OF THE DAY:M: Almighty God, grant that the birth of your one and only Son in the flesh may set us free from our old bondage under the yoke of sin; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.The WordFIRST READING: Isaiah 52:7-10God has kept his word: Hidden in the lowliness of the manger is the glory of God for our salvation. 7How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of a herald, who proclaims peace and preaches good news, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God is king!” 8The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voices. Together they shout for joy, because with both eyes they will see it when the LORD returns to Zion. 9Break out, shout for joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, because the LORD is comforting his people. He is redeeming Jerusalem. 10The LORD lays bare his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation from our God. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!PSALM: 98, p. 103SECOND READING: Hebrews 1:1-9In the manger, we see Eternal God in the form of a baby:In the past, God spoke to our forefathers by the prophets at many times and in many ways. 2In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of the divine nature. He sustains all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 4The Son became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. 5For to which of the angels did God ever say: You are my Son. Today I have begotten you? And again: I will be his Father, and he will be my Son. 6And again, when he brought his firstborn into the world, he said: Let all God’s angels worship him. 7About the angels he says: He makes his messengers winds and his ministers flaming fire. 8But about the Son he says: God, your throne is forever and ever, and the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. 9You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy beyond your companions. THEME VERSE: Galatians 4:4-5Alleluia. When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law. Alleluia. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! These words are written that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! GOSPEL READING: John 1:1-14As the manger and the Virgin’s arms held him whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain, so we too recognize and receive him who has come in human flesh and blood to dwell in us through the Word and sacrament:In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him everything was made, and without him not one thing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. 5The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6There was a man, sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as an eyewitness to testify about the light so that everyone would believe through him. 8He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9The real light that shines on everyone was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not recognize him. 11He came to what was his own, yet his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. 13They were born, not of blood, or of the desire of the flesh, or of a husband’s will, but born of God. 14The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.Praise be to you, O Christ!HYMN OF THE DAY: 35 – Of the Father’s Love BegottenSERMON based on Hebrews 2: Radiance in HumilityCONFESSION OF FAITH: Nicene Creed, p. 31OFFERINGADULT CONFIRMATIONSPRAYER & LORD’S PRAYERThe sacramentFor our Holy Communion practice, please see the purple sheet in the pew racks.COMMUNION LITURGY: p. 33DISTRIBUTION HYMN: 40 – O Jesus Christ, Your Manger IsSONG OF THANKS: CW p. 36CLOSING HYMN: 58 – See in Yonder Manger LowNOTESNo 7 PM Worship tonight. Stay warm!February 4, Annual Voters’ Mtg.THIS WEEKToday Joshua 19 9:30 - Christmas 1 Worship with Holy CommunionMonday Joshua 20Tuesday Joshua 21Wednesday Joshua 22Thursday Joshua 23Friday Joshua 24Saturday Judges 1 8 AM - Men’s Bible Breakfast @The RanchSunday Judges 2 9:30 - Epiphany 1 Worship with Holy Communion; 40 Years of SOTL 10:58 - Bible Class: Genesis 3 & Godly Discipline                                                  

Worship audio from Dec 24, 2017 - Christmas Eve Candlelight service.Bulletin here, text at the bottom.Green Pastures with Jesus is the daily podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.  Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572 iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app. Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine. Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.                 elcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any further questions or concerns. Lord Jesus, bless our Christmas celebrations. You know me far better than I know myself; you came to this world as a baby in order to create peace between me and you. Grant me a quiet heart to hear your Word, and remind me again with the joy of your birth; AMEN.The Gift of Christmas:“In the obedience of this person Jesus . . . Christ has covered all our disobedience, which dwells in our nature and its thoughts, words, and works. Our disobedience is not charged against us for condemnation; it is pardoned and forgiven out of pure grace alone, for Christ’s sake.”Formula of Concord, Article 3 (Concordia p. 545)Our worship this evening is an adaptation of the Lessons and Carols service traditionally held at King's College, Cambridge, England, on December 24th every year. Lessons and Carols was first held on Christmas Eve, 1918. It was planned by Eric Milner-White, who at the age of thirty-four had just been appointed Dean of King’s College after experience as an army chaplain. The lessons for tonight have been used for almost 100 years to recall God’s promise to send a Savior, as well as that promise’s fulfillment.   EXHORTATION & PRAYERPlease rise.Dear people of God, in this Christmas season, it is our duty and delight to hear again the message of the angels and, in heart and mind, to go to Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us — the Christ Child lying in a manger, born to save us.Let us read and learn in Holy Scripture the story of the loving purposes of God from the first days after our fall into sin to the glorious redemption brought to us by this holy child.But first, let us pray for people all over the world who would delight with us to know the good news of Jesus Christ and who would join with us in singing his praises. Let us pray for the people of our community and our church.And, because this would please the Lord, let us remember in his name the poor and helpless, the cold, the hungry and the oppressed, the sick and those who are sad, the lonely and the unloved, and the elderly and the little children. We especially remember all those who do not know the Lord Jesus, those who do not love him, and those who by unrepentant sin have grieved his heart of love.Finally, let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us in heaven, who live in greater light than we, that multitude which no one can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, who died in faith, and who live before the throne of God and praise him each day in his temple. We confess that we are united with them as we are united with one another.To sum up all these petitions, let us pray as Christ himself taught us: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.OPENING HYMN: 55 – Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful FIRST LESSON: Genesis 3:8-15God promises that a descendant of Eve, as the champion and substitute of all mankind, would win a victory over Satan and rob him of his power.8They heard the voice of the LORD God, who was walking around in the garden during the cooler part of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9The LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” 12The man said, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13The LORD God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14The LORD God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all the livestock, and more than every wild animal. You shall crawl on your belly,and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. 15I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel. SECOND LESSON: Genesis 22:15-18God repeats his promise: All nations will be blessed through Abraham’s descendent. 15The Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16and said, “I have sworn by myself, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your descendants greatly, like the stars of the sky and like the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the city gates of their enemies. 18In your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”   CONFESSION OF FAITHFrom the Augsburg Confession, Article 3:M: Our churches teach that the Word, that is, the Son of God, assumed the human nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary. C: So there are two natures — the divine and the human — inseparably joined in one person. There is one Christ, true God and true man, who was born of the Virgin Mary, truly suffered, was crucified, died, and was buried. He did this to reconcile the Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original sin and guilt, but also for every sin of all humanity. He also descended into hell, and truly rose again on the third day. Afterward, he ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. There he forever reigns and has dominion over all creatures. He sanctifies those who believe in Him, by sending the Holy Spirit into their hearts to rule, comfort, and make them alive. He defends them against the devil and the power of sin.The same Christ will openly come again to judge the living and the dead, according to the Apostles’ Creed.THIRD LESSON: Isaiah 9:2, 6-7The Promised One will rule on David’s throne forever.2The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.On those living in the land of the shadow of death, the light has dawned. ... 6For to us a child is born. To us a son is given. The authority to rule will rest on his shoulders. His name will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7There will be no limit to his authority and no end to his peace. He will rule on David’s throne and over his kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from now on and forever.The zeal of the LORD of Armies will accomplish this. HYMN: 42 – Come, Your Hearts and Voices RaisingFOURTH LESSON: Micah 5:2-4God points to the place where the Messiah will be born.2“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come the one to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from ancient times, from eternity.” 3Therefore he will surrender them until the time she who is in labor gives birth to a child. Then the remainder of his brothers will return to the children of Israel. 4He will stand and shepherd with the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. They will dwell securely, for at that time he will be great to the ends of the earth. FIFTH LESSON: Matthew 1:18-25The angel’s announcement to Joseph.18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother, Mary, was pledged in marriage to Joseph. Before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her. So he decided to divorce her privately. 20 But as he was considering these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”22 All this happened to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “Look, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son. And they will name him Immanuel,” which means, “God with us.”24 When Joseph woke up from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him. He took Mary home as his wife, 25 but he was not intimate with her until she gave birth to her firstborn son.[f] And he named him Jesus.CONFESSION OF FAITHAdapted from Dr. Martin Luther’s seventh sermon on John 1, from 1537/8. (LW 22:102f)M: John’s Gospel says: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Earlier, John called the Word ‘God,’ then a Light which came into the world and created the world - and yet, was not accepted by the world. C: With this word ‘flesh,’ we see how God has assumed our human flesh and blood. Human reason cannot comprehend the mercy of our God, choosing to share our humanity. M: We Christians learn to prize and esteem these words, for herein we see the gospel. The Son of God did not take on himself the nature of angels, but humbled himself and took on the seed of Abraham. C: Jesus Christ, who is of my flesh, blood, and soul, is seated in heaven at the right hand of God the Father. The humanity of Christ is enduring proof of God’s mercy toward me, on account of Jesus. M: These words are not given for you to misuse or merely take up on occasion; these words are given for you to believe. C: Therefore, we should constantly have such words in our heart and on our lips. Let us learn not to argue with the devil when he tempts us; rather, let us put him to flight with the heartfelt words: “The Word became flesh for me!”M: The eternal Son of God ‘committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth;’C: And though he was not guilty of death, he became man for our comfort and salvation. Yes, he became a curse and sin for us, in order to deliver us from the eternal curse, and to justify us. M: We believe the Scriptures and confess with the holy Christian church, which existed at all times and will endure until the end of the world: This article of our Christian faith, together with all the others, is firmly and solidly established by the apostles & prophets, the spokesmen of the Holy Spirit:All: That Christ, our Lord and God, assumed true human nature; and that he became a natural man like any other man. He dwelt among us, with a human body as you & I have; he was nourished and grew as every other human, except without sin. SIXTH LESSON: Luke 2:1-7The birth of our Lord.In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3And everyone went to register, each to his own town. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the town of Nazareth, into Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family line of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, his wife, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child. ( . . . continued . . . )6And so it was that while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. HYMN: 61 – Hark! The Herald Angels SingSEVENTH LESSON: Luke 2:8-20The angel’s announcement to the shepherds.8There were in the same country shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified! 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: 11Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. 12And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude from the heavenly army, praising God and saying, 14“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind.” 15When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Now let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they told others the message they had been told about this child. 18And all who heard it were amazed by what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. HYMN: 263 – All Glory Be to God on HighSermon based on Luke 2: A Song about PeaceOFFERINGAfter the offering, an usher will come to your pew and light the candle nearest the center aisle. Please then light the candle next to you until all the candles are lit in the pew. When all the candles are lit, the lights will be dimmed. Remember to tip the unlit candle and leave the lit candle vertical.PRAYERO God, who makes us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of your only Son, Jesus Christ; grant that, as we joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, so may we also behold him with sure confidence when he shall come to be our judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever;Amen.BLESSINGMay he who by his incarnation gathered things earthly and heavenly into one, fill us with such joy that comes with the knowledge of the forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life. And the blessing of God Almighty - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - be upon you and remain with you always;Amen!CLOSING HYMNPlease be seated for our closing hymn:Silent night! Holy night! All is calm, all is bright, Round yon virgin mother and child. Holy Infant, so tender and mild,Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace.Silent night! Holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight. Glories stream from heaven afar; Heav'nly hosts sing, Alleluia; Christ, the Savior, is born! Christ, the Savior, is born!Silent night! Holy night! Son of God, Love's pure lightRadiant beams from thy holy face With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.December 31 worship at 9:30 AM & 7 PM. All are welcome to the parsonage (517 Tilden St) for fellowship after New Year’s Eve worship. Adult confirmation for Ingrid Chrisman, Josh Chrisman,Travis & Ventura Ulrich will be next Sunday.                                                           THIS WEEKToday Joshua 12 9:30 AM - Advent 4 Worship with Holy Communion 6:30 PM - Christmas Eve Candlelight WorshipMonday Joshua 13Tuesday Joshua 14Wednesday Joshua 15Thursday Joshua 16Saturday Joshua 17 9:15 AM - Bible Basics: Fellowship & EvangelismSunday Joshua 18 9:30 AM - Christmas 1 Worship with Holy Communion 7 PM - New Year’s Eve Worship with Holy Communion  Looking Ahead to Next Sunday:Theme Christmas 1Color WhiteLiturgy CW p. 15 with Holy CommunionHymns 78, 77, 5, 76Readings from Isaiah 45, Colossians 3, Luke 2; Psalm 111Verse of the Day Colossians 3:15   

Worship audio from the second Sunday in Advent - December 10, 2017.Bulletin here.

The coming of Christ defines our present time because we know that he comes with unexpected judgment on the unbelieving world and unexpected grace for his people.Bulletin here.