July 9 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

The grace of our Lord (+) Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you. And also with you.

We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children.  But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment.  Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy.

Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth.  In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child.  But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: Have mercy on me according to your unfailing love.  Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt.

God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins.  By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever.  You are his own dear child.  May God give you strength to live according to his will. Amen.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Gracious God, our heavenly Father, your mercy attends us all our days. Be our strength and support amid the wearisome changes of this world, and at life’s end, grant us your promised rest and the full joys of your salvation; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

LESSON – EXODUS 33:12-23

¹²Moses said to the Lord, “Look, you yourself have been telling me, ‘Lead this people up,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ ¹³So now if I have found favor in your sight, please show me your ways, so that I may know you, so that I may find favor in your sight. Consider that this nation is your people.”  ¹⁴The Lord said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  ¹⁵Moses said to him, “If your Presence is not going to go with me, do not send us up from here. ¹⁶After all, how would people know that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Isn’t it in this way: that you go with us, so that we are distinguished, I and your people, from all the people who are on the face of the earth?”  ¹⁷The Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have said, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”  ¹⁸Then Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”  ¹⁹The Lord said, “I will make all my goodness pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord in your presence. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.” ²⁰He said, “You cannot see my face, for no human may see me and live.”  ²¹The Lord also said, “Look, there is a place next to me, where you shall stand on the rock. ²²It will happen that, while my glory passes by, I will put you in a crevice in the rock. I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. ²³Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back. But my face will not be seen.”

GOSPEL – MATTHEW 11:25-30

²⁵At that time, Jesus continued, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from clever and learned people and have revealed them to little children. ²⁶Yes, Father, because this was pleasing to you. ²⁷Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him.  ²⁸“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

DEVOTION – ROMANS 7:15-25

CONFESSION OF FAITH

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.  He descended into hell.  The third day he rose again from the dead.  He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.  From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.  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

Almighty God, You ensure that the birds are fed and the lilies clothed in splendor.

Deliver us from worry with the consolation that You know what we need, and that, for Jesus’ sake, we are of much more value than they.

Kindle in us, Holy Father, the gifts of Your Spirit, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 

Heavenly Father, fill our homes with Your Word and grace.

Ruler of the nations, until You at last cut off the war horse and the chariot forever, give our nation’s leaders wisdom and integrity to preserve peace, promote what is good, and defend against violence and wickedness.

Work in us as citizens to work for the common good and live at peace with our neighbors.

Lord God, be with all who are weary and heavy-laden with the tribulations of this life. Give comfort to all who suffer illness.  Especially grant peace in Christ to the family of Judy Head who died this week.  Judy was friend of Dave and Val Zubke.  Comfort those who mourn with the blessed hope of eternal life.

Console them with the knowledge that Your yoke is easy and Your burden light, and that in You they will find rest for their souls.

Our Savior God, we thank you for the years of service to WELS Special Ministries given by Pastor James Behringer. His loving labors have helped Special Ministries serve the disadvantaged among us by providing them with gospel-filled, Christ-centered resources. Bless his wife and him in their retirement years.                                                                                                         We also ask that you continue to bless this ministry under the direction of Pastor Joel Gaertner. May his experience with Jesus Cares Ministry and his love for those with special needs be a blessing to our synod and those served.

We ask this through Jesus, the Lord of the Church.

We give thanks to You, O Lord, for all the saints who, by Your grace, sought Your kingdom and righteousness above all other treasures.

We pray that You would preserve us also in repentance and Christ’s righteousness until we stand before You in glory.

All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever.

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.

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