The Service in PDF format is at: January 12, 2024 Service
Video of service is at: YouTube
Peace Lutheran Church
We welcome you in the name of the Lord Jesus. We are honored with your presence. If you do not have a church home, you are invited to join us regularly. Please introduce yourself to Pastor Jeremy Lucke or one of the Ushers as you leave today and sign the guest book in the entryway. We continue to observe the guidelines for health safety. If you have any questions, please see an usher. Everyone is welcome.
The ringing of the bell and the lighting of the Christ candle mark the beginning of our service and a time for quiet meditation, prayer and inward reflection as we begin our worship.
Children are welcome at our worship services. If you prefer, Peace Lutheran has a playroom equipped for children three years old and younger. The room is unstaffed and can be accessed in the fellowship hall where the service is also being live streamed for your convenience and enjoyment.
Holy Communion is celebrated every first and third Sunday and will follow the order of service in the bulletin. If you are a baptized Christian and share our faith in Jesus as Savior and have been instructed in the meaning and use of the Lord’s Supper, you are invited to partake. We have pre-wrapped communion wine or juice and wafers. We also have gluten-free wafers available. If you desire a gluten-free wafer, ask the server. May the body and blood of Jesus, present in the bread and wine, be a blessing to you.
There are times during the service when you will be asked to stand if you are able. Please feel free to remain seated if standing is difficult.
Offering. Peace Lutheran Church understands and teaches that Offerings are voluntary and to be from the heart. Whether we give or do not give does not determine our salvation. Whether we give much or little does not determine our standing before God. Sharing an Offering is an opportunity to quietly practice generosity with our neighbors.
Serving You
Pastor Pastor Jeremy Lucke
Music Director Colleen Schulze
Choir Director Diane Crocker
Supt. Of Sunday School Anne Schroeder & Karyn Stanley
Admin Assistant Daniel Dusek
Parish Nurse Kathy Durling
Webmaster Jim Holroyd
Audio-Visual Johnathon Holroyd, George Abele, Nicholas Abele, Merv Munster, Callie Santora, Joyce Long, Oscar Gutbrod, Sam Worth, Rick Durling, Jim Holroyd, Debbi Weiler, Dan Dusek
Praise Team Rick Durling, Patrick Kamins, Ginny Tonelli, Karyn Stanley, Nora Stanley, Diane Crocker, Kaia Lucke, Anne Schroeder, John Mergl
Today, January 12, 2025
Musician Colleen Schulze
Reader Debbi Weiler
Flowers Dick and Nancy Abernathy
AS WE GATHER: It’s easy to believe the Bible, trust the Bible and think that the Bible is a great book. The problem is that we don’t always inwardly digest the Bible. Today we ask God to give our church a hunger for His words to us!
RINGING OF THE BELL
After the ringing of the bell, we prepare our hearts and minds in silence for today’s worship.
CHORAL ANTHEM “For the Beauty of the Earth”
For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love, which from our birth,
Over and around us lies;
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Lord of all, to Thee we raise this,
Our hymn of grateful praise.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise this,
Our hymn of grateful praise.
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For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale and tree and flow’r.
Sun and moon and stars of light;
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Lord of all, to Thee we raise this,
Our hymn of grateful praise.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise this,
Our hymn of grateful praise.
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For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild:
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Lord of all, to Thee we raise this,
Our hymn of grateful praise.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise this,
Our hymn of grateful praise.
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Alleluia. Alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Sing praise.
P: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
P: To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me,
C: If you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.
P: Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help,
C: when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.
P: The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts,
C: and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.
P: Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
C: Be their shepherd and carry them forever.
Psalm 28
CONFESSION/FORGIVENESS
P: In today’s reading, James writes, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17).” God’s word of truth is a good and perfect gift, giving us new life.
C: Forgive us, kind Father, for not believing that your Word is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
P: For not embracing the fact that the grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever.
C: For not living as though your Word is living and active.
~Silence for reflection~
P: Though we fail in the study and application of God’s Word, God’s Word never fails us. His Word, made flesh in Christ Jesus, comes down from the Father and does not change like shifting shadows. His love is constant. His forgiveness is reliable. His grace is eternal. And these gifts are yours, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
SONG OF PRAISE “I Love You, Lord”
(twice through)
I love You, Lord,
and I lift my voice to worship You,
O my soul rejoice.
Take joy, my King,
In what You hear,
May it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray. Blessed Lord, who has caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may read, mark, learn and inwardly digest your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 119:10-16
Reader: How can a young man keep his way pure? By living accordingly to your word.
People: I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
Reader: I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
People: Praise be to you, O Lord; teach me your decrees.
Reader: With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.
People: I rejoice in following your statues as one rejoices in great riches.
Reader: I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
People: I delight in your decrees, I will not neglect your word.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.
24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
SERMON HYMN: “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man”
The wise man built his house upon the rock,
The wise man built his house upon the rock;
The wise man built his house upon the rock,
And the rains came tumbling down.
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The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up;
The rains came down and the floods came up,
And the house on the rock stood fast.
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The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
The foolish man built his house upon the sand;
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
And the rains came tumbling down.
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The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up;
The rains came down and the floods came up,
And the house on the sand went smash.
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So build your Life on the Lord Jesus Christ,
So build your Life on the Lord Jesus Christ,
So build your Life on the Lord Jesus Christ,
And the blessings will come down.
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The blessings come down as the prayers go up,
The blessings come down as the prayers go up,
The blessings come down as the prayers go up,
So build your Life on the Lord.
HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach.
3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.
5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.
7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.
20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,
21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Reader: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to You, O Christ.
SERMON: Feeding Your Faith
Pastor Jeremy Lucke
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
And born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again,
He ascended into heaven,
And is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy catholic church,
The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body
And the life everlasting. Amen.
We give our offerings as a sign of our lives given to the Lord in humble service.
COLLECTING MITES
P: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Silence for prayer and meditation.
P: Heavenly Father, You have called us by name and placed upon us Your name and Your grace in our baptisms; give now Your Spirit that we may hear the voice of Your Son speaking hope through the Word and believe in Him faithfully to everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Embolden Your church with Your Word and gifts that we may address the world with hope of sins forgiven and death undone by the death and resurrection of our Lord and that hearing this Gospel, many may believe. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Guide the leaders of our nation and locality with Your Word that they may act with integrity and serve in accordance with Your will, assisting virtue, justice, and peace here and in every place. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Abide with the troubled in mind, the wounded in body, and the broken in spirit, that they may know Your presence in their hour of need and be granted healing, comfort, and peace according to Your will. [Hear us especially for . . .] Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Finally, Heavenly Father, we thank You for taking our cares and burdens upon Yourself. Thank you for promising to always care for each of us. In the name of Jesus we pray these things.
C: Amen.
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
BENEDICTION (Based on James 4:13-15)
P: James commands us not to say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”
C: For we do not know what will happen tomorrow.
P: Instead we are called to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
C: Because our lives are in your hands, O Lord.
P: May the hands of our loving God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—guide you and show you his way, each and every day.
C: Amen.
CLOSING SONG: “This is My Father’s World”
This is my Father’s world,
And to my list’ning ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world;
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees,
Of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.
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This is my Father’s world;
The birds their carols raise;
The morning light, the lily white,
Declare their maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world;
He shines in all that’s fair.
In the rustling grass I hear him pass;
He speaks to me ev’rywhere.
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This is my Father’s world;
Oh, let me not forget
That, though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world;
Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is king, let the heavens ring;
God reigns, let the earth be glad!
Silent Prayer: Dear Savior, empower me to find great delight and beauty in Your Word—all the days of my life! Amen.
P: Go in peace! Serve the Lord!
C: Thanks be to God!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEW YEAR DEVOTIONS AVAILABLE………… Portals of Prayer devotions are available in the entrance way to the church. These are short insights based on Scripture to help guide you each day. We have plenty available. Start the New Year in a positive way!
ALL AGE BIBLE STUDY NEXT WEEK……………..Elder Dave Leding is leading a new study on prayer. How can prayer assist us this year and draw us closer to God and what He is up to? How can prayer become not merely an intellectual concern, but a matter of the heart. All are welcome to attend Dave’s class. We’ll meet in the sanctuary at 9:00 am.
ONLINE BIBLE STUDY…………….. Are you desiring a closer walk with Jesus in 2025? Pastor is holding online zoom sessions in the New Year to share how someone can walk with Jesus in everyday life. Let him know if you’d like to be a part of the study. The six sessions will be on Wednesdays at 10 am and last 45 minutes. We’ll be covering a changed life, prayer, mentoring, spiritual gifts and more over six weeks using Scripture and shapes. Our first session begins on Wednesday, January 15.
PASTOR AWAY……………… Pastor will be away January 17-21. If you are in need of pastoral assistance, contact one of the elders at church: Merv, Oscar, Kay, Rick or Dave.
FLOWERS IN 2025……………. A new flower chart for 2025 is up on the bulletin board in the entryway to church. Flowers for the altar are greatly appreciated at the church. Do you have an anniversary to celebrate? Do you have a birthday that you’d like to honor? The flowers remind us of God’s work in creation and the way God provides life for us (birthdays)……and the way God blesses us with the gift of marriage (anniversaries). See Carole G. if you have any questions.
DEMENTIA WARRIOR LEADER………….. The Dementia Warriors are seeking someone to help lead their leadership team. Do you or do you know of someone that could facilitate a monthly leadership meeting? Do you or do you know of someone that has a compassionate heart for people dealing with dementia? The plan is that this person would develop an agenda for the Dementia Warriors monthly meetings and then facilitate the meeting. Contact Holly B. or Pastor Lucke if you are interested.