Introit (responsively)
Psalm 130:5–8; antiphon: Isaiah 64:1
P Oh that you would rend the heavens | and come down,*
that the mountains might quake at your | presence.
C I wait for the Lord, my | soul waits,*
and in his | word I hope;
P my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the |
morning,*
more than watchmen for the | morning.
C O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is |
steadfast love,*
and with him is plentiful re- | demption.
P And he will redeem | Israel*
from all his in- | iquities.
C Glory be to the Father and | to the Son*
and to the Holy | Spirit;
as it was in the be- | ginning,*
is now, and will be forever. | Amen.
P Oh that you would rend the heavens | and come down,*
that the mountains might quake at your | presence.
Nine-Fold Kyrie II (p.944)
Kyrie eleison. Kyrie eleison. Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison. Christe eleison. Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison. Kyrie eleison. Kyrie eleison.
Text: Traditional; Tune: Russian Orthodox; Text and tune: Public domain
(The Gloria in Excelsis is omitted during Advent.)
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C
And with thy spirit.
P Let us pray.
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C
Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 7:10–17
10Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz,
11“Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.”
12But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.”
13And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also?
14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
15He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.
16For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted.
17The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father’s house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.”
L This is the Word of the Lord.
C
Thanks be to God.
Gradual Zechariah 9:9; Psalm 118:26, alt.
C
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of | Zion.*
Shout aloud, O daughter of Je- | rusalem.
Behold, your king is com- | ing to you;*
righteous and having sal- | vation.
Blessèd is he who comes in the name | of the Lord.*
From the house of the Lord we | bless you.
Epistle Reading: Romans 1:1–7
1Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
2which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
3concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh
4and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
5through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,
6including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
7To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
L This is the Word of the Lord.
C
Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia (p.190)
Holy Gospel: Matthew 1:18–25
18Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
19And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
20But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us).
24When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife,
25but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
L This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C
Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed (p.192)
Sit
Hymn:
Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come LSB 350
Sermon
Stand
Offertory (p.192)
Offering
Prayer of the Church
Lord’s Prayer (spoken, p. 196)
Concluding Collect
Benediction
Sit
Announcements
Hymn:
Let the Earth Now Praise the Lord LSB 352
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®),
copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
Prayers – For the home-bound: Doris Vilhauer, Betty Zundel, Charlotte Scepaniak, Ken & Dorothy Maas, Betty Meints, Verdena Dabbert, Lloyd Jerde, Phyllis Lassanske, Maralyn Hoops, Muriel Pigors, Larry & Sandra Grieben, and Leroy Neuhardt.
For those sick, injured, or recovering: Nathaniel Wendt, Michael Wendt, Phyllis Yeske, Kevin Fehn, Daryl Swanhorst, Tom Hanson, Dorothy Maas, Annikki Marttila, Roger Zastrow, Keith Underberg, Doris Larson, Dwight Buntrock, Carol Krumm, Butch Podoll, Russ Brandt, Kathie Lassanske, and Betty Meints.
For comfort for the family of Patty Wiedmeier.
For the children we sponsor through Mission Haiti: Michelet Voltaire, Michel Djoury, and Orgea Djouna.
For expectant mothers: Sara (Scepaniak) Wieman
For Pastor Andreasen & family, and all our LCMS missionaries.
St. John’s
Ushers: Mike & Molly Ringgenberg
December 24
th – Dean & Lorie Ringgenberg
Next Week: John Bisbee & Lucas Daggett
Last Week: Attendance – 27; Offering $3,775
Our Savior
Elders: Glen Rausch
Altar Guild: Trisha Rausch & Family
Acolytes: Tucker Brick & Teigan McKown
Last Week: Attendance – 99, Sunday School – 26; Wednesday – 52
Offering – General Fund $4,533.09; Sunday School $26;
Missions $100 (Memorial for Patty Wiedmeier; Total $4,659.09
Schedule for the Week
Sunday St. John’s Service of the Word – 8:00 am
St. John’s Bible Study – 9:15 am
Our Savior Sunday School – 9:00 am
Our Savior Divine Service – 10:45 am
Our Savior Christmas Pageant – 4:00 pm with a Potluck afterward
Monday Mat Ladies – 1:00 pm
Tuesday Coffee & Confessions – 6:30 am
Wednesday Christmas Eve Candlelight Service – St. John’s 5:00 pm; Our Savior 7:00 pm
Thursday Christmas Day Divine Service at Our Savior – 9:00 am
Next Sunday St. John’s Divine Service – 8:00 am
Our Savior Bible Study – 9:45 am
Our Savior Divine Service – 10:45 am
Announcements
Poinsettias – Thank you to all who ordered poinsettias. You may take them home after the Christmas services.
Christmas Caroling – Today after the service at Our Savior we will form a group to go out and do some caroling. Everyone is welcome to join in! Afterward we will return to the church for some pizza and drinks. Then the youth will make bows.
Calendars – The calendars have arrived. If you ordered one, you can pick it up from the youth group in the fellowship hall after the service at Our Savior. They are $10 each.
Christmas Services –
Christmas Pageant – 4:00 pm TODAY at Our Savior, with a potluck afterward. All are welcome!
Christmas Eve Candlelight
– 5:00 pm at St. John’s; 7:00 pm at Our Savior
Christmas Day Divine Service
– 9:00 am at Our Savior
Epiphany Divine Service – January 7
th at 6:30 pm at Our Savior
Christmas Break – There will be no Sunday School on December 28 or January 4
th. There will be no Wednesday evening activities on December 31
st.
Bible Bowl – Youth 6
th grade and up will begin practicing for the Bible Bowl on January 4
th after the service at Our Savior. This year they’ll be studying 1 Samuel 16 – 2 Samuel, 1 Kings 2, Psalm 51, and from the Catechism – Confession. There will be a sign-up sheet on the kitchen counter if anyone would like to provide them with a lunch on one of the Sundays they’ll be practicing.
Saturday Bible Study – 9:00-11:00 am at Our Savior on Jan. 10
th. Topic: The real presence of Christ in the Old Testament.
Installation of Officers for the new year will take place during the service on January 11
th.
Men’s Club – We will meet Monday, January 12
th at 7:00 pm at Our Savior.
Christian Foundations Class: Pastor Schopp will be teaching a ten-week adult education class on Tuesdays, Jan 27 – Mar 31, 2026 at Our Savior. This class is both for those without a church home and also for members who would like a fresher on the basics of the Christian faith. There is no cost and all materials are provided. There are invitations in the narthex if you know of someone you would like to invite (and perhaps attend with them). Please RSVP through the church office.
LCMS Stewardship Ministry – Fourth Sunday in Advent
Matthew 1:21 – “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” What our good works could never do, Jesus has done: He has saved us from our sins, paid our debt, set us free. How can we not give thanks to Him with lives of generosity and godliness? What God’s Law could not do — truly motivate us to truly good works — Jesus’ love has done!
Building Healthy Families: Here’s a simple yet challenging Christmas week question for your contemplation: How has the fact that Jesus was born over 2000 years ago impacted the life you’re living today? Read aloud the Luke 2 Christmas story together, ponder this question, and encourage your family members to share their answers. From the funny response of a preschooler, the shoulder shrug of a teenager, or the wise words shared by an older person, it will be interesting to see how each individual family member answers. Remember, even those who don’t answer are still listening!
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matt. 1:21
A Blessed Celebration of Jesus’ Birth to you from your partners at
Lutheran Family Service! www.LutheranFamilyService.org
Email:
info@lutheranfamilyservice.org or call 605-271-1081
Main Street Living – 10:00 AM- This Is the Life –
“Christmas on Main Street” – The Christmas message at a mission brings a grandson and his grandfather together. 10:30 AM- Rev. Matthew Harrison, president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, presents a Christmas message. Watch Main Street Living on Sunday mornings on KDLT NBC TV. Past shows are archived at
www.mainstreetliving.com.
The Lutheran Hour – God sends His people–the Church–to be His letters to the world, delivering His Word of promise. Speaker Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler delivers the message
“Everybody Is Somebody” based on Romans 1:7. Listen to The Lutheran Hour on Sunday mornings at 9:00 on KAWZ 88.1 FM, or on Sirius-XM Family Talk 131 at 9:00. Sermons are also archived on the website
www.lutheranhour.org.
SACRED MUSIC FOR THE CHRISTMAS SEASON… “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come,” “O Jesus Christ, Thy Manger Is,” “Once in Royal David’s City,” “Silent Night, Holy Night,” “Joy to the World.” Beginning Christmas Eve, you can listen to sacred music for the Christmas season 24/7 at
lutheranpublicradio.org, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomePod, TuneIn and the Lutheran Public Radio mobile app.
