Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank You with our whole heart that You have caused us to come to the knowledge of Your precious Word, and we beseech You graciously to preserve us in that Word and to grant us a blessed death in the same. Mercifully defend from every evil all godly preachers who faithfully proclaim Your Word, and sustain their life. But if any handle Your Word unfaithfully and, having the appearance of godly sheep, are ravenous wolves, punish them according as they deserve, and graciously restrain them and keep your poor Christendom from them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.
Our Communion Practice: Lutherans believe that the Lord’s Supper demonstrates a oneness with Christ in faith, life, and worship among those who receive Communion. Reception of the Lord’s Supper by Christians not in fellowship with us would imply a oneness which does not yet exist. For this reason, we welcome those with whom we have “altar and pulpit fellowship” to the Lord’s Supper. This includes members of sister congregations of the LC-MS, members of the American Association of Lutheran Churches, and Lutheran Church Canada; as well as members of partner churches throughout the World. If you would like to know more about this practice please arrange a time to speak with our pastor.
Prayers – We continue to pray for our home-bound members:
St. John’s – Florence Krege;
Our Savior – Charlotte Scepaniak, Doris Vilhauer, Esther Sieler, Betty Zundel, Naomi Pulling, Calvin & Oriole Nelson, Vera Hyatt, Vi Schnaidt, Lovera Smith, Ken & Dorothy Maas, Darwin & Loretta Podoll, Dorothy Merkel, Larry Nupen.
We also pray for the children we sponsor through Mission Haiti: Michelet Voltaire Jean, Michel Djoury, and Orgea Djouna.
Introit Psalm 48:1, 3, 11, 14; antiphon: vv. 9–10
We have thought on your steadfast love, O God,
in the midst of your temple.
As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
Within her citadels
God has made himself known as a fortress.
Let Mount Zion be glad!
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments!
This is God, our God forever and ever.
He will guide us forever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
We have thought on your steadfast love, O God,
in the midst of your temple.
As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
Collect of the Day
Grant to us, Lord, the Spirit to think and do always such things as are right, that we, who cannot do anything that is good without You, may be enabled by You to live according to Your will; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Old Testament Reading Jeremiah 23:16–29
16Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.
17They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.’”
18For who among them has stood in the council of the Lord
to see and to hear his word,
or who has paid attention to his word and listened?
19Behold, the storm of the Lord!
Wrath has gone forth,
a whirling tempest;
it will burst upon the head of the wicked.
20The anger of the Lord will not turn back
until he has executed and accomplished
the intents of his heart.
In the latter days you will understand it clearly.
21“I did not send the prophets,
yet they ran;
I did not speak to them,
yet they prophesied.
22But if they had stood in my council,
then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,
and they would have turned them from their evil way,
and from the evil of their deeds.
23“Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God afar off?
24Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.
25I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’
26How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart,
27who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal?
28Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord.
29Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”
Gradual Psalm 31:2b, 1a
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me!
In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
Second Reading Acts 20:27–38
27[Paul said:] “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.
28Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
29I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
30and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
31Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears.
32And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
33I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel.
34You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.
35In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
36And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
37And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him,
38being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.
Holy Gospel Matthew 7:15–23
15[Jesus said:] “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
23And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
Acknowledgments
The Introit, Collect, Gradual, and Verse are from Lutheran service Book: Altar Book, copyright 2006 CPH. All Scripture quotations, including those from Luthern Service Book, 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.
St. John’s
Organist: Phyllis Yeske
Ushers: Cole Bisbee & Logan Ringgenberg
Next Week: Roger & Sharon Zastrow
Last Week: Dual Parish Joint Service at Our Savior
Our Savior
Organist: Norma Dennert
Elders: Eric Johnson & David Johnson
Altar Guild: Gwen Petrich & Brenda Taffe
Acolytes: Amara Klipfel & Ally Johnson
Last Week: Attendance – 77;
Offering – General Fund $4,217.69; for Bibles $79.98; Total $4,297.67
Schedule for the Week
Sunday St. John’s Divine Service w/ Communion – 8:15 am
Bible Study at Our Savior – 9:45 am
Our Savior Divine Service w/ Communion – 10:45 am
Board of Education – after the service
Monday Mat Ladies – 1:00 pm
Tuesday Bible Study – 6:30 am
Deacons – 9:00 am
Next Sunday St. John’s Service of the Word – 8:15 am
Bible Study at St. John’s – after the service
Our Savior Divine Service w/ Communion – 10:45 am
Portals of Prayer for July – September are available in the narthex.
Volunteers Are Needed for the Lutherans for Life booth at the Brown County Fair on Tuesday, August 17
th and Sunday, August 22
nd. There is a sign-up sheet in the narthex. If you have any questions, call Vicky Baumgartner at 216-8967.
The Altar Guild at Our Savior needs a few more people willing to help set up for communion and change the paraments and banners as needed. If you would like to help, contact the church office.
CPH Bible Sale – Concordia Publishing House is having their annual Bible and Confessions sale, with styles for both children and adults. Now more than ever, having quality Bibles for the self-study of God’s Word is of the utmost importance. There is a large poster in the fellowship hall where you can write in your order. The church will place the order and pay the shipping cost. Some of the available Bibles are displayed in the fellowship hall. If you’d like to see pictures and information about others, browse on
www.cph.org/biblesale or ask the secretary to show you the website in the church office. We need your order by Sunday, July 25. Make checks payable to Our Savior Lutheran Church.
LCMS Stewardship Ministry – July 25 – Trinity 8
Romans 8:16 – “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Children are called to grow up into the image of their Father. That’s the basis not only of our generosity but of our entire life of Christian living. God sets the pattern, and we follow. God is kind to us in Christ, and so we desire to be kind. God is loving to us in Christ, and so we desire to love. God is generous and open-handed to us in Christ, and so we desire to be generous and open-handed.
Wednesday Bible Class: Beginning to End
Often times reading the Scripture is intimidating. We will be embarking on a walk through the Scripture on Wednesday nights at 6:30PM for nearly the next year, beginning on August 4
th. We will read together and discuss the working of God throughout the Scripture from beginning to end, His plan and work to redeem the world to Himself. Plan to come and hear what God has done, how He has brought us into this, and what He will do.
God orders everything for our good, including our vocations. Are you a preacher or a hearer? A parent or a child? A boss or an employee? A teacher or a student? Wherever God has placed you, He has put you there to live in faith toward Him and in fervent love for your neighbor. Let’s study the Table of Duties together to better know our vocations and have a deeper assurance of Jesus’ vocation as our Lord and Savior. Fun times! Led by Pastor Chris Hull, senior pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Tomball, TX.
This retreat is intended for confirmation youth, so any youth entering into or currently in confirmation instruction are welcome. If you are interested in attending, please contact Eric Johnson at 216-6701.
” (Matt. 7:15). Deceit has its strength in masquerading as the truth. False prophets speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord (Jer. 23:16–29). They deny the judgment of the Lord, speaking peace to the unrepentant, when in truth there is condemnation and wrath. “
” (Matt. 7:20). The “
” of a true prophet are not outward righteousness or success but faithfulness in proclaiming the Word of the Lord. This is the will of the Father in heaven, that pastors take heed to the flock, the Father’s adopted ones (Rom. 8:12–17), warning them against the wolves and their lies, and shepherding the Church of God which He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:27–38). For indeed, the cross is that good tree bearing good fruit—namely, the body and blood of Christ, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.
