Everything you need for October 3 online worship.
Preparations for Worship:
- Do your best to eliminate distractions like the phone, TV, etc.
- Worship actively! Whether you are by yourself or with others, try reading the parts of the service aloud (responses, lessons, and prayers).
- This service is for children too. Help them participate. Ask those who have that ability to read a prayer or lesson aloud. Take a moment to describe what’s happening. Ask questions. Encourage little ones to draw what they are hearing while you all listen. Unlike our more typical Sunday worship at church, you can pause at any time for questions and discussion.
- Before you begin, load each of the videos below. (You might first have to get past a distracting ad.)
- Pause for a moment of quiet meditation. Then pray:
“Heavenly Father, I have come to worship you. Draw near to me in your gracious Word, and assure me of your loving kindness. Curb my wandering thoughts, that with undivided attention I may hear your voice and speak your praise. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.”
CONFESSION OF SINS AND FORGIVENESS
God invites us to come into his presence and worship him with humble and penitent hearts. Therefore, let us acknowledge our sinfulness and ask him to forgive us.
Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful, and that I have disobeyed you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.
God, our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Mercifully grant, O God, that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts, for without your help we are unable to please you; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
LESSON – JAMES 4:7-12
7So, submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded people. 9Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be changed into mourning and your joy into gloom. 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up. 11Do not speak against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother is speaking against the law and judging the law. But if you judge the law, you are not one who does the law, but a judge. 12There is one lawgiver and judge. He is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
GOSPEL – MARK 9:38-50
38John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name. We tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39But Jesus said, “Do not try to stop him, because no one who does a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil about me. 40Whoever is not against us is for us. 41Amen I tell you: Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, will certainly not lose his reward. 42“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall into sin, it would be better for him if he were thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around his neck. 43If your hand causes you to fall into sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed, than to have two hands and go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, 44‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ 45If your foot causes you to fall into sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell, 46‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ 47If your eye causes you to fall into sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ 49For everyone will be salted with fire. 50Salt is good. But if the salt loses its flavor, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
DEVOTION – NUMBERS 11:16, 24-29
NICENE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
OFFERING
Offerings may be given on-line at tithe.ly/risensavior, mailed to the church, or dropped off at the church.
Our members have joined together in faith and love to do the Lord’s work in this community and around the world. Guests need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our ministry.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Lord God, help us by Your Spirit to receive Your kingdom in humble repentance like little children, that we may enter it in the joy of Your forgiveness in Christ.
Lord God, pour out Your Holy Spirit upon us, that we may pay closer attention to Your Word, lest we drift away from it and neglect the great salvation it reveals to us in Christ.
Lord God, help us when we do not see everything in this world in subjection to Jesus.
Give us eyes of faith to see Him crowned with glory and honor at Your right hand, and so believe that nothing is outside of His control.
Lord God, comfort Moe and Cindy Morales’ neighbor who had surgery last week, Janice Rattler’s family as they deal with two deaths in the family in one week, all those Americans in Afghanistan in danger, and all others who suffer in body or mind.
You made the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering, that in all their trials they might put their trust in You.
Lord Jesus, we praise you for building your Church across the world despite all kinds of obstacles. We thank you for the leaders you have raised up throughout our synod to shepherd our congregations and teach the next generation. We ask your Holy Spirit to grant us and our children zeal for ministry. Please help ease the shortage of called workers.
Bless Martin Luther College’s “Equipping Christian Witnesses” campaign and use it to help recruit and train our future pastors, teachers, staff ministers, and missionaries.
Lord God, deepen the faith of all who hear your Word today in this place. Lock in the truth of your good news so deep that we can’t help but share that with others in our lives.
Give each one of us opportunity to speak to someone about the eternal things of God, about Jesus and salvation, and about heaven. Give us eyes and ears to recognize those opportunities.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus, who taught us to pray…
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.
THE LORD’S BLESSING
Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness.
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. Amen.