St. Johns - Weekly Bulletin

The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 14, 2025

Divine Service Setting 1 – LSB 151
 

Hymn: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty                                   LSB 790
Stand

 
Confession and Absolution
 

Exhortation (p.151)
Corporate Confession (p.151)

 
Service of the Word
 

Introit (responsively by whole verse)   Ps. 30:2–5; antiphon: vv. 11a, 12b
P   You have turned for me my mourning into | dancing;*
               O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you for- | ever!
C   O Lord my God, I cried to | you for help,*
               and you have | healed me.
P    O Lord, you have brought up my soul | from Sheol;*
               you restored me to life from among those who go down | to the pit.
C   Sing praises to the Lord, O | you his saints,*
               and give thanks to his | holy name.
P     For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a | lifetime.*
               Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the | morning.
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   You have turned for me my mourning into | dancing;*
               O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you for- | ever!

Kyrie (p.152)
Hymn of Praise: Gloria in Excelsis (p. 154)

Collect of the Day
P  Let us pray.
       Lord Jesus, You are the Good Shepherd, without whom nothing is secure. Rescue and preserve us that we may not be lost forever but follow You, rejoicing in the way that leads to eternal life; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C  Amen.

Sit

Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-24
           ¹¹“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. ¹²As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. ¹³And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. ¹⁴I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. ¹⁶I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.
              ¹⁷“As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. ¹⁸Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? ¹⁹And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?
              ²⁰“Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. ²¹Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, ²²I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. ²³And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. ²⁴And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.”

L  This is the Word of the Lord.
C  Thanks be to God.

Gradual                               Psalm 34:9, 19, alt.
C   Fear the Lord, | you his saints,*
             for those who fear him lack | nothing!
       Many are the afflictions of the | righteous,*
             but the Lord delivers him out | of them all.

Epistle: 1 Timothy 1:5-17
          ⁵The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. ⁶Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, ⁷desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
          ⁸Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, ⁹understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, ¹¹in accordance with the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
          ¹²I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, ¹³though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, ¹⁴and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. ¹⁶But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. ¹⁷To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

L  This is the Word of the Lord.
C  Thanks be to God.

Stand
Alleluia (p.156)

Holy Gospel: Luke 15:1-10
           ¹Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear [Jesus]. ²And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
                 ³So he told them this parable: ⁴“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? ⁵And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ ⁷Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
                 ⁸“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? ⁹And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ ¹⁰Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

L  This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C  Praise to You, O Christ.

Nicene Creed (p.158)  

Sit
Hymn of the Day: Jesus Sinners Doth Receive                       LSB 609

Sermon

Stand
Prayer of the Church
Offering
Offertory (p. 159)

 
Service of the Sacrament

Preface (p.160)
Sanctus (p.161)
Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord’s Prayer (p. 162)
The Words of Institution
Pax Domini (p.163)
Agnus Dei

Sit
Distribution of the Sacrament                                

Distribution Hymns
My Song Is Love Unknown                                                          LSB 430
Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us                                                 LSB 711

Stand
Canticle: Thank the Lord (p.164)
Post Communion Collect (p.166)
Benediction   

Sit
Announcements
Hymn: Now Thank We All Our God                                           LSB 895

Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One 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.

Prayers – For the home-bound: Alfred Larson; Doris Vilhauer, Betty Zundel, Charlotte Scepaniak, Ken & Dorothy Maas, Betty Meints, Verdena Dabbert, Lloyd Jerde, Phyllis Lassanske, Maralyn Hoops, Muriel Pigors, and Larry & Sandra Grieben.
For those sick, injured, or recovering: Nathaniel Wendt, Michael Wendt, Phyllis Yeske, Kevin Fehn, Daryl Swanhorst, Tom Hanson, Dorothy Maas, Mike Ringgenberg, Amy Scepaniak, Annikki Marttila, Roger Zastrow, Keith Underberg, Doris Larson, Patty Wiedmeier, Dwight Buntrock, and Carol Krumm.
For the family of Phyllis Schott, whose funeral was on Monday.
For the children we sponsor through Mission Haiti: Michelet Voltaire, Michel Djoury, and Orgea Djouna.
For expectant mothers: Sara (Scepaniak) Wieman, and Skye Schopp.
For Pastor Andreasen & family, and all our LCMS missionaries.

St. John’s
Ushers: Tony & Amanda Bisbee 
Next Week: Brent & Barb Miller
Last Week: Attendance – 31; Offering – $1,870

Our Savior
Elders: Russell Brandt & Brandon Christianson
Ushers: Russell Brandt & David Johnson
Altar Guild: Karla Johnson & Cherise Johnson
Acolytes: Tucker Brick & Caleb Siebert
Last Week: Attendance – 104; Sunday School – 27
Offering Aug. 31 – Gen. Fund $3,906.50; Missions $500; Memorials – Walter Schott – $850; Total 5,256.50
Offering Sept. 7 – Gen. Fund $4,336.15; Sun. School $33; Total $4,369.15

Schedule for the Week
Sunday                St. John’s Divine Service – 8:00 am
                           Our Savior Sunday School – 9:30 am
                           Our Savior Bible Study – 9:45 am            
                           Our Savior Divine Service – 10:45 am
                           Our Savior Nursery Circle – 12:00 pm
Monday               Mat Ladies – 1:00 pm
                           Deacons – 3:30 pm
Tuesday              Coffee & Confessions – 6:30 am
Wednesday          Catechism Class – 5:00 pm
                           Prayer Service – 6:00 pm
                           Bible Study – 6:30 pm
Next Sunday        St. John’s Service of the Word – 8:00 am
                           St. John’s Bible Study – 9:15 am
                           Our Savior Sunday School – 9:30 am      
                           Our Savior Divine Service – 10:45 am
                           Our Savior Board of Education – 12:00 pm
                           Youth Fundraiser Carnival – 12:30-2:30 pm
 

 
The Flowers at Our Savior are from the funeral of Phyllis Schott. We thank her family for this gift.

September Newsletters were sent out, or are in the narthex for those who pick it up at church.

LWML Fall Zone Rally – Saturday, October 4, 2025 at Our Savior Lutheran Church. Registration begins at 8:30 am.

Due to schedule conflicts, there will be no Saturday Bible study in September. We will resume on October 11^th.

Our Savior LWML “Bakeless Bake Sale” will run from September 1^st through October 5^th.  There is a container in the narthex at Our Savior for monetary donations.  Thank you to everyone for your generosity in helping with our mission fundraiser.

Youth Fundraiser Carnival – Everyone is invited!
Games and Concessions, Fun for all ages!
Sept. 21^st  12:30-2:30 pm  at Our Savior Lutheran Church
Anyone can sign up to help with games or to donate a cake for the cakewalk. Youth will be in the back on Sundays at Our Savior after the service to sign you up.

Christian Foundations Class –You are invited to attend this upcoming ten week class on the core beliefs of the historic Christian Church, Sept. 23 – Dec. 2, 2025, Tuesdays, 6:00–7:30 pm. There are invitations in the narthex that you can share with a friend or coworker. If a person has never been in a church before, or if you’ve been away a while, or if you just want a refresher, this course is ideal. Pastor Schopp combines history, theology, and humor to help you understand not only the Christian faith, but also other religions and movements popular in our country. The class is free and all materials are provided. Please RSVP to ensure we have enough materials on hand. Email oursaviorlutheran@nvc.net or call 605-225-7106 by Sept. 14^th.   
 
Lutheran Witness – The September issue of LW is available in the narthex. The theme is “A Lutheran Theology of the Body”.

Greeters are needed at Our Savior to welcome people at the entrance of the sanctuary for about 10 minutes prior to the Sunday services. There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the narthex.

LCMS Stewardship Ministry – Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Luke 15:2 – “And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’” Thanks be to God: Jesus receives us sinners! What the Pharisees can’t understand, we praise with all our being. We give thanks for the grace of God, and we live by that grace. The more of it we receive, the more we will want to conform ourselves to the image of our generous and gracious Lord. Knowing the Lord and trusting Him come first, and the desire to imitate Him can’t help but follow.

Building Healthy Families: So often we slip into the habit of living for the approval of others, which leads to frustration, disillusionment, and disappointment in life and relationships. Jesus was aware of this risk and reminds us in Matthew 6 not to do things for the approval of men. He assures us that our Father who sees and knows us inside out is the One who can and will meet all our needs, including our need to be seen, recognized, valued and loved. Whew! What a relief! Life begins to look different (and oh so much better) when we look through eyes of faith to our loving, gracious, living and forgiving God. Fix your eyes on Jesus - not your boss, co-worker, spouse, child, or neighbor - and live in the light of His great love this week!   Lutheran Family Service  www.LutheranFamilyService.org
 
Main Street Living – 10:00 AM- This Is the Life – “Tragedy Near a Small Town” – Tragedy in a small town results in a loving father holding a grudge instead of forgiving as our Father has forgiven us. 10:30 AM- Rev. Bret Bierman, pastor at St. John’s, Trinity, and St. Paul’s Lutheran Churches in rural Aberdeen, Mansfield, and Stratford, presents the message “What About Billy?” based on Luke 15:1-10. Watch MSL Sunday mornings on KDLT NBC TV. The worship segment also airs on Saturdays at 5:00 pm. Past shows are archived at www.mainstreetliving.com.

The Lutheran Hour – A paradox doesn't make sense, mathematically. But it can be an accurate description of real-life experience. Speaker Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler delivers the message "It’s All on God, It’s All on Us" based on Deuteronomy 1:31. 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.

BOOK OF PROVERBS BIBLE STUDY… The Word of the Lord Endures Forever is a daily 15-minute verse-by-verse Bible study produced by Lutheran Public Radio in Collinsville, IL and hosted by LCMS Pastor Will Weedon.  He recently started a study on the Book of Proverbs.  You can listen at your convenience at thewordendures.org, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomePod, Tune In, the LPR mobile app and a podcast provider.
 
The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod’s Statement on Close Communion:
The Lord’s Supper is celebrated at this congregation in the confession and glad confidence that, as He says, Our Lord gives into our mouths not only bread and wine but His very body and blood to eat and drink for the forgiveness of sins and to strengthen our union with Him and with one another. Our Lord invites to His table those who trust in His words, repent of all sin, and set aside any refusal to forgive and love as He forgives and loves us, that they may show forth His death until He comes.
Because those who eat and drink our Lord’s body and blood unworthily do so to their great harm and because Holy Communion is a confession of the faith which is confessed at this altar, any who are not yet instructed, in doubt, or who hold a confession differing from that of this congregation and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, and yet desire to receive the Sacrament, are asked to first speak with the Pastor.                                   (CTCR, Admission to the Lord’s Supper, Nov 1999)