03/01/26

As We Gather

Abraham looms over the Old and New Testaments. Abraham is also our father because we are in Christ. We are his heirs, who live within the promise God made to us through Abraham. We are also his heirs as a people whose righteousness is not by accomplishment but by faith, not by works but by trusting in the promise of God to save us. Paul urges both Jew and Gentile to see in Abraham the model of faith who many times was left only with faith in God’s promises and still believed. So now are we commended to show forth that we are his heirs by our own faith in Christ, our righteousness. Like Abraham, we have no real options. Our hope is bound to the Father’s gracious promises fulfilled in Christ.

Family Room & Children Activity Bags- We value children in our worship services. If needed, there is a family room available for families with children. The family room has a diaper changing table, a closed-circuit T. V. to watch the worship service, toys and books for children. The family room is located across from the kitchen in the long hallway, the first door on the right, just past the bathrooms. There are “King’s Kids” bags with activities for children to help them worship. They are near the usher’s station. Please return the bag to the rack after the service.

Holy Communion- The Scripture teaches the Lord’s Supper is a precious gift of God in which Christ gives us His true body and blood (in a miraculous way), together with the bread and wine, for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith. Because the Bible teaches that this Sacrament may also be spiritually harmful if misused the LCMS ordinarily communes only those who have been instructed in the teachings of our church and who have confessed their faith in these teachings. Please speak to Pastor Ralph before the service if you have a question about this. For those who prefer a non-alcoholic alternative, there is grape juice at the center of each tray. Those not receiving the Sacrament, including children, are invited to come to the altar, cross their arms over their chest, and receive a special blessing.

Summary of Bible Message to Man “The entire Bible does nothing else than give a person to understand what he was, what he now is, what behooves him and what his works are. It informs him that he is completely undone. Secondly, it tells what God is, what pertains to Him, and what His works are, and especially the mercy of Christ. Him it leads us to understand, and through His incarnation it conducts us from earth to heaven, to the Godhead. May God the heavenly Father grant all of us His grace and mercy to this end, through Christ, our dear Lord and Savior. Amen. Amen. Amen. What Luther Says #198

2^nd Sunday of Lent

March 1, 2026

Welcome

Opening Hymn                       The God of Abraham Praise                    LSB 798 vs 1-3

Invocation, Confession and Absolution (Portions of Psalm 25)

P:   We gather in the name and at the invitation of our great and gracious triune God;

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

P:   To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

C:   O my God, in You I trust.

P:   Make me to know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths.

C:   Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day long.

P:   Remember Your mercy, O Lord, and Your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.

C:   According to Your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of Your goodness, O Lord!

All:   O God, our Father, we confess that by nature we are sinful and that in our pride we have turned away from Your commands. We have not worshipped as we ought; we have not sought Your will in Your Word; and our service is halfhearted if any heart at all. Forgive us, Lord, for all that we have thought and said and done that is contrary to Your will. Help us by Your grace to live as the sainted stewards of Your grace for the good of all and for the good of Your great creation. Amen

(Silence for Meditation)

P: Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C:   Amen.

Hymn of Praise             The God of Abraham Praise                    LSB 798 vs 4, 6-7

Prayer of the Day

All:    O God, You see that of ourselves we have no strength. By Your mighty power defend us from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

O T Lesson                     (A great promise of God is made to Abram.)             Genesis 12:1–5 

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. ² “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” ⁴ So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. ⁵ He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. 

N T Lesson                     (The faith of Abraham is remembered.)        Romans 4:1–8, 13–17

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? ² If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. ³ What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” ⁴ Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. ⁵ However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. ⁶ David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: ⁷ “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. ⁸ Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”

Gospel Lesson (Jesus teaches Nicodemus about being born again.)           John 3:1–17

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. ² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.” ³ In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” ⁴ “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” ⁵ Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” ⁹ “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. ¹⁰ “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? ¹¹ I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. ¹² I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. ¹⁴ Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. ¹⁶ “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only 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 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

Message Song                                              By Faith                                          Getty/Townend      

By faith we see the hand of God In the light of creation’s grand design.

In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness Who walk by faith and not by sight.

By faith our fathers roamed the earth With the pow’r of His promise in their hearts

Of a holy city built by God’s own hand A place where peace and justice reign.

Chorus

We will stand as children of the promise.  We will fix our eyes on Him, our soul’s reward.

Till the race is finished and the work is done, We’ll walk by faith and not by sight.

By faith the prophets saw a day When the longed-for Messiah would appearWith the pow’r to break the chains of sin and death And rise triumphant from the grave.

By faith the church was called to go In the pow’r of the Spirit to the lost

To deliver captives and to preach good news In ev’ry corner of the earth.

Chorus 

By faith the mountain shall be moved  And the pow’r of the Gospel shall prevail

For we know in Christ all things are possible  For all who call upon His name.

©2009, Keith and Kristyn Getty, Stuart Townend CCLI Song # 5469291

Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)  CCLI Liscense #11390779

Message                                    Born Again… to Live in the Light

1. Born again or from above is God’s work of salvation in man.
   1.                                              is God’s gift for our salvation.
   2. The                                                   , also a gift from God, helps us believe the Good News for our salvation.
2. Living by the truth of God’s Word
   1. is the means by which we are                         in our salvation, and
   2. is seen in our lives as God’s work of                                        . 

Small Catechism Explanation to The Second Article of Apostle’s Creed

C: I believe in Jesus Christ… 

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

Offering

Offertory                                        Take My Life and Let It Be                              LSB 783 vs 1, 4

Prayers of the Church 

After each petition:

P:    Lord, in Your mercy,

C:    hear our prayers.

The Lord’s Prayer   

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; Give us this day our daily bred and forive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; Lead u not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the Glory, forever and ever Amen,                                                                               

The Lord’s Supper

Preface                                                                      page 160 in the hymnal

P:  The Lord be with you.

C:  ♪ And also with you.

P:   Lift up your hearts.

C:  ♪ We lift them to the Lord.

P:   Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

C:   ♪ It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

P:   It is truly good, right, and salutary …. And ever more praising You and singing:

Sanctus — Holy, Holy, Holy                                         page 161 in the hymnal

C:  ♪ Holy, holy, holy Lord God of pow’r and might: Heaven and earth are full of   

         Your glory. Hosanna. Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is He who  

         comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

The Words of Institution (Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper)

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

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

Agnus Dei – Lamb of God                                                           page 163 in the hymnal

C:  ♪ Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.

         Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.

         Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; grant us peace.

Distribution of Communion

Distribution Hymn                      Jesus, Refuge of the Weary                                   LSB 423

Post Communion Canticle                                                        page 164 in the hymnal

C:  ♪ Thank the Lord and sing His praise; tell ev’ryone what He has done.  Let all who seek the Lord rejoice and proudly bear His name.  He recalls His promises and leads His people forth in joy with shouts of thanksgiving. Alleluia, alleluia.

Post Communion Thanksgiving

All:  Gracious God, we thank You for having welcomed us at Your Table, showing Your wondrous love and giving us a foretaste of the feast to come in Your eternal kingdom. Grant that what we have received with our lips we may keep with pure hearts, and that through the gift imparted to us in this present life we may hereafter receive life everlasting. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen.

The Benedicamus

P:   Let us bless the Lord.

C:   Thanks be to God.

Benediction                      

P:   The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and ✠ give you peace.

C:   Amen.
Sending Hymn         Be Strong in the Lord                       LSB 665  Tune: 804  

Announcements 

Dismissal

P:   Go in peace as you serve the Lord.      

C:   Thanks be to God!   

Postlude

¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”