The Fourth Sunday of the Pentecost Season
Also known as the Second Sunday after
the Festival of the Holy Trinity – June 14, 2026
Major Messages from the Minor Prophets; Today…..Joel
God’s Grace In Calling Sinners To Repentance
“Major Messages from the Minor Prophets” is the theme of Grace Lutheran’s current sermon and summer worship service series. Last week we began our series with a message from the first of the “Minor Prophets,” Hosea. In the coming weeks names like Zechariah, Malachi, and Amos – among others – will become more familiar to us. These twelve “minor” prophets were “minor” only in the sense that their equally-inspired, written messages were shorter than those of the four “major” prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel). All Scripture’s prophets were divinely-called spokesmen for the LORD who called their people to repentance, as well as pointed to a longed-for future of blessing and grace at the hand of God. Many had the privilege of prophesying about the coming Messiah. Almost none of them would live to see the events they prophesied under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, but each one died confident of God’s faithfulness to keep His Word, certain that all His promises would come true – in their appointed time Like them, you and I are also believers called to speak up and to speak out for the LORD, proclaiming through our words and actions God’s judgement against sin and His grace in Christ. As we carry out our ministry for the Lord, we join the prophets in relying on God’s promises to us….particularly His promises of full forgiveness of our sins as well as eternal life and salvation in heaven through faith in Christ.
The Book of the Prophet Joel…..Besides the fact that he was the”son of Pethuel” (1:1) we know nothing about the person of the prophet Joel. His name in Hebrew means “The Lord is God.” Joel does not mention Israel (that is, the Northern Kingdom) at all in his prophecies. He does, however, make repeated references to Judah, Jerusalem, Mt. Zion, the Southern Kingdom, and the temple. It is fairly evident, then, that Joel carried out his prophetic activity in the Southern Kingdom of Judah – perhaps even inside Jerusalem. The prophet does not tell us the name of the country’s king nor does he date his book in any other way. Because Joel’s book is regularly placed between Hosea and Amos we might guess that he prophesied in Judah at about the same time they preached in Israel. However, the position of Joel among the Minor Prophets may be topical (because of his emphasis on “the day of the Lord” – an emphasis also shared by Amos), rather than chronological. The guesses of orthodox scholars regarding the date of Joel range over more than 400 years, from before 800 BC to around 400 BC (during the period when Judah had no king, and when the nation was guided by priests and elders….see Joel 1:2,9,13 & 14). We simply cannot be certain of the date, nor – ultimately – is it all that necessary to establish an exact date for Joel’s ministry. It’s far better for us to properly explain and apply Joel’s message without reference to a particular period of Old Testament history. Simply put, his message of God’s disciplinary warnings and grace applies to sinners in every age of Jewish history…..and well as to sinners, like us, today. The book of Joel, indicentally, was written in Hebrew as poetry, and the chief feature of Hebrew poetry is that it relies on parallelism to make its points. There are three kinds of parallelism in Hebrew poetry: 1) The second line restates what was said in the first line; 2) The second line contrasts what the first line said; and 3) The second line develops the thought of the first.
The Key Emphasis of the Joel’s Message…..The term “The day of the Lord” (1:15; 2:1,11,31; 3:14), and the emphasis on a coming Day of Judgment form the dominant, recurring theme of the book of Joel. A devastating plague of locusts foretells it; its coming demands heart-felt repentance; it will be a day of final decision by the LORD, insuring the destruction of God’s enemies, but bringing deliverance from sin and eternal salvation for all God’s people.
Jesus in Joel…..As God’s answer (or Remedy) to the Day of Judgment, Joel foretells the coming of the Savior Whose sinless life and sacrificial death graciously would restore fallen humanity to God’s favor. Joel also speaks about the faith-imparting work of the Spirit Who will lead mankind to faith in that Savior. A particularly unique facet of Joel’s message is his prediction of the Spirit’s out-pouring on the Church on the day of Pentecost (see Joel 2:32; Acts 2:16). Through their combined work of redemption and conversion, in the face of Judgment Day, Joel’s triumphant message (and central theme) is (2:32): “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Martin Luther regarding Joel…..“Joel does not specify the time at which he lived and preached, but the ancients say that it was in the days of Hosea and Amos. We are satisfied with that and have no better suggestion……Joel was a kindly and gentle man. He does not denounce and rebuke as do the other prophets, but pleads and laments; he tried with kind and friendly words to make the people righteous and to protect them from harm and misfortune. But it happened to him as to the other prophets: the people did not all believe his words and many regarded him as a fool…..Nevertheless Joel is highly praised in the New Testament, for in Acts 2 St. Peter quotes him. Thus Joel had to provide the first sermon ever preached in the Christian Church, the one on Pentecost at Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit was given. St. Paul too makes glorious use of the saying, “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13), which is a reference to Joel 2:32.
Joel’s Plague of Locusts…..An important, even dominant feature of the book of Joel is its extended discussion in chapters one and two about a plague of locusts (grasshoppers)…..insects which still periodically threaten the crops in large areas of Asia and Africa. The potential for destruction is appalling. A locust weighing 3.5 grams will eat its weight each day . . . A swarm can number a billion insects and l00 swarms may be on the move during a given plague . . . They are prodigious travelers; a swarm might cover 200 miles a day while cutting a swath of destruction eventually extending over 2000 miles. For example, take the devastation caused by a plague of locusts in 1958 in Africa. Ethiopia alone lost over 167,000 tons of grain on that occasion – enough to feed more than one million of her people for an entire year.
One last thought……Luther closed his commentary on the book of Joel with this prayer: “O eternal Father of our Lord and Liberator Jesus Christ, we know what is the lot of Your Church in this life and the manifold troubles she must endure from Satan and the world. Therefore we pray to You for the sake of this Your only begotten Son that You would above all graciously strengthen our minds by Your Holy Spirit so that we shall not succumb in so many dangers; and then, that You would frustrate the plans of the enemies and by Your faithful and marvelous help would declare to all the world that You watch over Your Church and will rule, protect and save her, Who lives and rules, as the One eternal God, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.”
Today’s Scripture Lessons
This morning’s Old Testament Lesson also provides our Sermon Text for today. It is the second chapter of the book of Joel. In the book’s opening chapter, as well as in the first half of chapter two, the prophet writes about swarms of locusts that have invaded the land of Judah, devouring everything within their reach. Joel warns his readers that this plague is a judgment against them by God for the nation’s lack of true devotion to the LORD. Nevertheless, Joel encourages them to fast, mourn their sin, and sincerely repent. Perhaps the LORD will relent, suggests Joel, and restore their lands, crops and status as God’s people. In the verses that constitute our Sermon Text, we are reminded that Judah’s (and our) God is a merciful God, Who remains steadfast in His loving commitment to His people…..even if they are spiritually wayward. Of course, we recognize – as the epitome of God’s grace – that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Substitute in righteousness, satisfying God’s demand that we must be perfect to inherit heaven, and to be our Substitute in death, satisfying God’s demand that the soul which sins shall die eternally. Finally, the closing verses of our reading speak about God the Holy Spirit’s work on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:17) when He enabled Peter and the rest of Jesus’ disciples to dramatically proclaim the word of the LORD to the people of Jerusalem in way that led to grew Spiritual and numerical growth in the early Church. Our Epistle Lesson for today comes from Ephesians 2. Here Paul speaks about God’s grace to us in Christ, and how – in spite of our damnable, sinful rebellion against Him – God chose us to believe in Him, making us spiritually alive with faith, and equipping us to serve Him. Paul then encourages us to live faithfully for the God of our salvation, motivated by His grace ad the knowledge of our eternal inheritance through Christ. Today’s Gospel Lesson is Jesus’ instruction about the “greatest commandment” – which, of course, is the first: to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength…..along with the second great commandment: to love our neighbor as ourselves. Love for God and others is both the means to fulfill His Law, and the evidence of our faithfulness to Him. Finally, our Children’s Lesson for today will use the words God gave Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:14 to speak about how Christ’s love “motivates” us to live our lives in ways that honor and obey Christ, Who gave His life to save us all.
Welcome Friends and Family
to Grace Lutheran Church
We welcome you this day in the name of our living Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. May you find abiding peace and renewed strength for your faith and Christian life in His Word of truth today.
The chief purpose of our ministry, as our Lord enables us, is to serve all people with the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ, revealed to us in the verbally inspired, inerrant Scriptures. To that end, it is our privilege and responsibility:
To proclaim the Law and Gospel keenly and clearly, in order to convict sinners of their sins, to lead them to repentance, to comfort penitent souls, and to build each other up in our faith in the one, true, Triune God through the Means of Grace (the Word and Sacraments of our Lord). and…..
To equip believers, through that same Means of Grace, to grow in their Christian lives as faithful servants, stewards, and witnesses to others of the redeeming grace of our God in Christ Jesus.
Grace Lutheran Church is a fellowship of individuals and families who have found Jesus Christ to be the only safe and reliable answer to all of life’s problems and critical questions. We are members of the WELS, that is, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
Wisconsin indicates the geographical beginnings of a group of Christians who, over a century and a half ago, because of their comprehensive commitment to all that God’s Word teaches, united themselves in a join public ministry which we in the WELS carry on, by God’s grace, to this day.
Evangelical declares that we believe and proclaim the great, foundational principles of the Christian faith: namely, that we are saved by God’s free grace alone (His undeserved love), through faith alone in Jesus Christ. And that this truth is found in Scripture alone (that is, the 66 “canonical” books of the Bible).
Lutheran affirms that we believe, teach, and confess all the doctrines of the historic Christian faith as taught by Jesus to His Apostles, now contained in the written Word of God. Those truths, once all but lost to the Church because of the influences of false teachers, were – by God’s grace and blessing – restored to the Christian Church through the 16th century Lutheran Reformation led by Dr. Martin Luther. We humbly remain today, the grateful heirs of that Lutheran Reformation, Apostolic legacy.
And, finally, Synod states that we, as a congregation, have united in a shared ministry together with 1237 other like-minded WELS congregations across this country, as well as like-teaching Lutherans in 66 other nations. We join them in working together for the purposes of growing in our Christian faith, serving our glorious Lord, and proclaiming His gracious salvation in Christ to the world.
An Invitation To You If you have no church home of your own, and/or are looking for religious truth and spiritual certainty as a foundation for your life and to insure your eternal future, then we invite you to consider becoming a part of this Christian fellowship called Grace Lutheran Church. For further information on becoming a member of our church family, please speak with our Pastor after today’s worship service, or at your convenience. We thank you for the opportunity to serve you with God’s Word and to have you as a part of our worshiping family today. We do hope that you will worship and study with us again soon, and often. Please know that you will always be welcome at Grace Lutheran Church. May God bless you, now and always…..in Jesus’ name.
A Children’s Nursery is available to assist parents with small children during the worship hour. We encourage parents to bring children into worship whenever possible. This helps children learn why we come here each week: to praise God and to learn from Him. In addition, we know that the power of God the Holy Spirit in the written and spoken Word blesses the hearts and souls of little children, no less than adults. But for some of the youngest children among us, the nursery is, at times, a necessity, particularly when their agitation detracts from the worship of others around them in the chapel. When such situations occur, we encourage parents to be considerate of those around them, and to bring your child into the nursery for a few moments. There your child can again become settled and more comfortable, so that you both can return to the sanctuary to continue to worship and grow in God’s Word. The Nursery is in the first room along the north wall in our rear — or second — seating area. A changing table for very small children is also in the nursery, which is available to you at any time today.
Pre-Service Prayer – Almighty and everlasting God, always more ready to hear than I am to pray and always ready to give more than I either desire or deserve, mercifully forgive me for all the ways in which I have failed to live a godly life for my good and for Your glory; and graciously grant me all the blessings that You know I need for my body and my soul. I know that I am not worthy to ask You for these or any other blessings, but I pray that You would give them to me because of the merits and through the mediation of Jesus Christ, Your Son my Lord, Who lives and rules with You and the Spirit, as the One true God, now and forever. Amen.
The portions of God’s that are used in this worship flyer have been taken from The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version Copyright 2019, The Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Music and lyrics, as needed, are used with permission via OneLicense.net #A712831
Prayer upon entering the sanctuary
Pre-service Music
Pre-Worship Hymn Singing, beginning at 9:25 a.m.
We Praise Our God
The Introduction and Invitation To Worship
After which the Congregation will rise for
The Invocation
Pastor We begin this service….
Congregation in the name of the Father
P: Who gave His Son into death for us and raised Him in glory on the third day;
C: And of the Son
P: Who laid down His life only to take it up again on the third day;
C: And of the Holy Spirit
P: through Whom Christ was made alive, Who has worked saving faith in our hearts, Who lives in us now through the Word, and Who will one day give life to our mortal bodies.
C: Amen.
The Psalm for Today Psalm 1
P: How blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked,
C: who does not stand on the path with sinners
P: and who does not sit in a meeting with mockers;
C: But his delight is in the teaching of the LORD
P: And on His teaching He meditates day and night.
C: He is like a tree planted beside the streams of water,
P: which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaves do not wither.
C: Everything he does prospers.
P: Not so the wicked!
C: No, they are like the chaff that the wind blows away.
P: Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
C: nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
P: Yes, the LORD approves of the way of the righteous,
C: but the way of the wicked will perish.
after which the Congregation will be seated for
The Opening Hymn “In God’s House We Have Gathered”
By Kurt Cereske, 1994
In God’s house we have gathered as many have before
To listen to His message and sing His praise once more
With joyful adoration our thankful hearts we raise
For through God’s grace we’ve surely grown
and will grow more each day.
Today our Savior calls us to walk in all His ways
To live a life of service To follow Him always
And by the Holy Spirit our hearts to Him we give
We gladly serve Him day by day For by God’s grace we live.
Now in the days before us We’ll walk within His light
Proclaiming Christ’s salvation With joy and great delight
And when at last He calls us To take us to His land
Before Him we’ll be justified
For in Christ’s grace we’ll stand. Amen.
after which the Congregation will rise
Hear Us and Forgive Us, Lord
Pastor – The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.
Congregation – And also with you.
Pastor – God invites us to come into His presence and worship Him with humble and penitent hearts. Therefore, let us now turn to Him, acknowledging our sinfulness and seeking His forgiveness.
Congregation – Holy and most merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful, and that I have disobeyed You in my thoughts, words, and actions; Each day I turn away from Your Will. I have left
undone those things which You have asked me to do, and I have done those things which You tell me not to do. I do not love You or my neighbor the way I should. Because of these, and all of my other sins, too numerous for me to recall, I acknowledge that I deserve nothing less than Your punishment both now and for eternity. But I am truly sorry for the evil that I have thought, spoken, and done, and trusting in the perfect life, and innocent death of my Savior, Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, forgive me all my sins, restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and strengthen my weak faith through the promises of Your divine Word that I may obtain Your promised grace.
Pastor – Find comfort for your souls, then, in these words of our Lord: “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just, and will purify us from all unrighteousness, because we have One Who speaks to the
Father in our defense — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” And now, upon this, your voluntary confession, I, because of my office as a called servant of God’s Word, announce the grace of God to all of you. And, in the place of, and according to 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. May the peace of God be with you. Amen.”
Our Response To God’s Forgiveness “Almighty God, My Sins Were Great”
447447 D (“O Herre Gott”…CW 204) cwh, 2008
Almighty God, my sins were great,
My conscience did condemn me;
For I had found, that in this state No one had power to aid me.
I fled from You in my despair And if you, lost, had left me,
My guilt would yet be with me there
And peace still be denied me.
Your mercy, Lord, I don’t deserve
But, in Your grace, still grant me
Forgiveness free – my soul preserve. For Jesus has redeemed me.
Your Spirit’s aid I dearly need – To see my sins more clearly,
And to repent of each misdeed
For which Christ suffered for me.
Your Means of Grace, Lord, I will crave
That I might be more faithful.
You gave Your life, my soul to save.
Dear Jesus, I’m so grateful!
So, curb my heart. Forgive my sin.
Please make my faith much firmer.
Lord, keep me pure, without, within –
As I live for You, Savior. AMEN.
After which the Congregation will be seated as
We Give Our Attention to God’s Word
The Old Testament Lesson Joel 2
Blow the ram’s horn in Zion. Sound the alarm on My holy mountain. Let all who live in the land tremble with fear, for the Day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand—2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and frightening darkness.
Like dawn spreading across the mountains, a large and mighty people is coming. There has been nothing like it from ancient times, nor will there ever be again for generations to come.
3 In front of them, fire devours. Behind them, a flame blazes. In front of them, the land is like the Garden of Eden. Behind them, it is a desolate wilderness. There is no escaping them. 4 They look like horses. They charge like cavalry. 5 With a noise like chariots they bounce over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a powerful army lined up for battle. 6 At the sight of them, peoples are in anguish. Every face becomes flushed. 7 They charge like strong warriors. They climb over walls like soldiers. They all march in formation.
They do not turn aside from their path. 8 They do not collide with each other. Each marches straight ahead in his position. They pierce through defenses without hesitating. 9 They rush into the city. They run along the city wall. They climb into the houses. Like thieves they enter through the windows. 10 In front of them the earth quakes. The sky shudders. The sun and moon become dark, and the stars stop shining.
11 The Lord shouts at the head of His army. His forces are very numerous, and those who obey His command are powerful. The Day of the Lord is great. It is terrifying. Who can endure it?
12 Even now, declares the Lord, return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and grief. 13 Tear your heart and not your clothing. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in mercy, and He relents from sending disaster. 14 Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.
15 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion. Set aside a day for fasting. Call a solemn convocation. 16 Gather the people. Consecrate the assembly. Bring together the elders. Gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. 17 Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say: Have compassion on Your people, O Lord. Do not subject the inheritance You have given us to the scorn of the nations. Do not make us notorious among the nations as an object of ridicule. Why should they say among the peoples, “Where is their God?”
18 The Lord is zealous for His land, and He will take pity on His people. 19 The Lord will respond to them: I am sending you grain, new wine, and fresh oil, enough to satisfy you fully. Never again will I subject you to scorn among the nations.
20 I will drive the northern invaders far from you, pushing them into a parched and desolate land. Their vanguard will be driven into the eastern sea and their rearguard into the western sea. Then their stench will go up. Their foul smell will go up. Yes, the Lord has done great things. 21 Do not be afraid, O earth. Celebrate and be glad. Yes, the Lord has done great things. 22 Do not be afraid, you animals out in the field, because the grazing lands are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit. The fig tree and the vine yield their riches.
23 Celebrate, you people of Zion! Rejoice in the Lord your God, because He has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as He did in the beginning. 24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain. The vats will overflow with new wine and olive oil.
25 I will repay you for the years eaten by the swarming locusts, by the young locusts, the mature locusts, and the grasshoppers, My great army that I sent among you. 26 You will have plenty to eat. You will eat until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has worked wonders for you. Never again will My people be put to shame! 27 Then you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other. Never again will My people be put to shame! 28 After this, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions. 29 Even on the servants, both male and female, I will pour out My Spirit in those days. 30 I will show warning signs in the heavens and on the earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and terrifying day of the Lord. 32 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. So on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has promised, among the survivors whom the Lord calls.
The Epistle Lesson Ephesians 2
You were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked when you followed the ways of this present world. You were following the ruler of the domain of the air, the spirit now at work in the people who disobey.
3 Formerly, we all lived among them in the passions of our sinful flesh, as we carried out the desires of the sinful flesh and its thoughts. Like all the others, we were by nature objects of God’s wrath.
4 But God, because He is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! 6 He also raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 7 He did this so that, in the coming ages, He might demonstrate the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 Indeed, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance so that we would walk in them.
11 Therefore, remember that at one time, you Gentiles in the flesh—the ones who are called “uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised” (which is performed physically by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separated from Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise. You were without hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace. He made the two groups one by destroying the wall of hostility that divided them 15 when He abolished the law of commandments and regulations in His flesh. He did this to create in Himself one new person out of the two, in this way making peace. 16 And He did this to reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by putting the hostility to death on it. 17 He also came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19 So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household. 20 You have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the Cornerstone. 21 In Him the whole building is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
after which, the Congregation will rise for
The Gospel Lesson Matthew 22:34-40
34 When they heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees met together. 35 One of them who was an expert in the law asked Him a question, trying to trap Him. 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost; Born of the virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints; The forgiveness of sins; The resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.
After which the Congregation will be seated
The Children’s Lesson 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we came to this conclusion: One died for all; therefore, all died. 15 And He died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves but for Him, Who died in their place and was raised again.
Motivated by Christ’s Love, We Life For Him!
The Hymn of the Day Hymn 379 Amazing Grace
1 Amazing grace — how sweet the sound–
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.
2 The Lord has promised good to me;
His Word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
3 Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come;
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
4 When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.
Sermon Text Joel 2:12-19
the italicized portion of
today’s Old Testament Lesson
God’s Grace In Calling Sinners To Repentance
following which the Congregation will rise for
The Post-Sermon Blessing
May the God of peace, Who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, now equip you with everything good for doing His will! Amen.
after which the Congregation will be seated for
We Offer Our Gifts and Prayers to the Lord
We offer you the following suggestions for providing God with Your thank-offerings through our ministry:
1) Those in the chapel can place their offerings in the offering plates
2) You can send a check (no cash) in the mail to Grace Lutheran Church (415 N. 6th Place, Lowell, AR 72745)
3) Or, go online to our website (www.gracelutherannwa.com) and use the giving option there.
Our Offerings of Love to our Lord are Gathered
The Prayers of the Church
included in our prayers is a Prayer of Thanksgiving for
Tony and Jamaica Hoyord, whose anniversary is Wednesday; and
James and Katie Boatright, whose anniversary is this Thursday.
The Lord’s Prayer
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.
Now Dismiss Us, Lord
Benediction – Brothers and sisters, now go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. And Serve the Lord in gladness.
The LORD bless you and keep you,
The LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The LORD look upon You with favor, and grant You His peace. Amen.
The Closing Hymn “God the Father, Son and Spirit”
Melody 8787 (Regent Square) cwh 2009
God the Father, Son and Spirit: As our service ends today —
Thank You, LORD, for granting us this
time to study, sing and pray —
May our faith, which You have strengthened,
be for Your praise, now, alway.
From eternity You chose us, All by grace and grace alone.
Through Your saving Word You called us,
In our hearts, You made Your throne
Gave us faith in Christ, our Savior,
Who for our sins did atone.
Help us all, Lord to be faithful Throughout life, unto the end.
May each one of us be useful — that your Kingdom might extend
Through this town, across this nation,
and to earth’s remotest end.
Grace for all, from every station,
blood-bought souls from near and far —
Christ has earned for us salvation: “Reconciled to God, we are —
Life through His death. It is all done.”
Glorify our Morning Star!
LORD, for Your great love, we praise You,
Guiding us our whole lives through
Day by day our faith, You renew — May we e’er to You be true
Serving You in all that we do — ‘Til in heav’n, we live with You. Amen.
silent prayer, announcements, post-service music