Summer Worship Series
WEEK 6: Fine Houses in the Promised Land
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Benson, Arizona July 8, 2018
Welcome to Grace! Our mission at Grace is to teach the inspired and inerrant Word of God, to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the crucified and risen Savior of the world, and to nurture believers for lives of Christian service. Check out the GRACE WEBSITE at www.GraceLutheranSAZ.org
A Few Notes About Our Service The Order of Worship God does not restrict us to specific orders of worship. We are free to worship him in many different ways. From ancient times Christians have chosen to use a “liturgy” to guide them in worship. The word “liturgy” means service. Liturgies are orders of worship which provide a solemn setting for songs and expressions of praise, repentance of sins, attentiveness to God’s word, public profession of our faith, prayer, and support for his kingdom. The Purpose of Worship Preaching the gospel is the chief purpose of worship at Grace Lutheran Church. It is through the gospel that the Holy Spirit works faith in a believer’s heart (Romans 10:17). It is not only the pastor that preaches the gospel in his sermon message, but the entire congregation. We proclaim the gospel in the songs we sing and the words we say. We encourage you to join with us in proclaiming the gospel.
M Fellowship Area
W Restrooms
Grace-Benson 451 W. Duane St. Benson, AZ 85602 Sunday Morning Worship 7:30 AM
Church
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SERVICE OF THE WORD Christian Worship WELCOME HYMN
Praise to God, Immortal Praise Christian Worship #612
Please stand
Minister: The grace of our Lord () Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you. Congregation: And also with you. CONFESSION OF SINS M:
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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.
We come before the true God only because of his mercy and not because we deserve to come. We confess our unworthiness and rejoice to hear the assurance of forgiveness.
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 AND PRAISE M:
In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord.
C:
The words of this song of praise are based on Psalm 34:8 and Psalm 119:89. It marks our thankfulness to have heard God’s forgiveness of our sins and anticipates our listening to God’s Word throughout our worship service.
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PRAYER OF THE DAY M:
Let us pray. O God, you rule over all things in wisdom and kindness. Take away everything that may be harmful and give us whatever is good; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C:
Please be seated
FIRST LESSON The First Lesson is frequently a reading from the Old Testament. It shares a common theme with the Second Lesson (often from one of the epistles) and the Gospel.
When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and
Deuteronomy 8:10-19 scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.� But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed.
PSALM OF THE DAY
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Psalm 145
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Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.
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One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.
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The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.
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The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
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The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
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He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
ALL: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
SECOND LESSON
Acts 14:8-18
In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. But
VERSE OF THE DAY
when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.
John 20:31
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The Verse of the Day is a familiar or significant Scripture text framed with alleluias.
Please stand
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The congregation stands out of respect for the words of Christ our King.
GOSPEL “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is
Matthew 6:25-34 how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
After the Gospel, the congregation sings:
C: Please be seated
HYMN OF THE DAY
SERMON
If You But Trust in God to Guide You Christian Worship #444
Deuteronomy 8:10-19 Fine Houses in the Promised Land
APOSTLES’ CREED The Apostles’ Creed developed in the Early Christian Church as a personal confession of faith. It is so named because it confesses the faith taught by the Apostles of Jesus.
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C: 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 Members of Grace respond to their Savior’s love with offerings that are given joyfully, generously, regularly, and in a way that is proportionate to how the Lord has blessed them. Their cheerful gifts support the mission and ministry of our congregation. If you are a guest today, please know that we do not expect you to contribute to our congregation’s work. However, if you would like to give an offering to the Lord in response to his love to you, we are happy to receive it and put it to work in God’s kingdom.
If you prefer, use your smart phone to give online by scanning this QR code.
Please stand
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH M: Lord of power and grace, whose eyes are on the righteous and whose ears are open to their cry, hear the prayer of your people as we come now in thankfulness for the mercies that you pour down on us anew each day. We thank you for the gifts of your mighty providence. Make us mindful, O Lord, that you have provided us with life, breath, and being and are the source of our daily bread. We praise you for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, whom you sent to be the Savior of the world. Grant that we may believe in him with all our hearts, learning from him the great truths of the kingdom to which he bore faithful witness. Grant us your Holy Spirit, that we may produce the fruits of righteousness. May he endow us with unwavering faith, that we might always be ready to do your will. We pray for the nations of the earth. Subdue terror and tyranny everywhere, and call forth leaders who acknowledge that you are Lord over all the earth. Bless our own land. May it ever follow that which is good and turn from all that which is wicked, that our people may prosper in uprightness and integrity. Hear, O Lord, our cry for those who are afflicted. Grant them health in body and soul, and save them for your mercy’s sake. Special prayers and intercessions may follow. M: Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions. Silent prayer. M: Guide and uphold us during our pilgrimage in this world, and bring us all to our heavenly home. Receive these petitions in the name of the Prince of life, Jesus our Lord. C: Amen. 6
LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6 and Luke 11 record how Jesus taught his disciples to pray. We use his example prayer as part of our public worship, trusting that he will hear and answer our prayers.
C: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
PRAYER M: O Lord God, our heavenly Father, pour out the Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep us strong in your grace and truth, protect and comfort us in all temptation, and bestow on us your saving peace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
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BLESSING The blessing of Aaron has been spoken over God’s people for over 3,500 years. The Lord said, “So I will put my name on [them], and I will bless them.” Numbers 6:27
M: 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.
C:
Please be seated
Copyright Information: Service of the Word: Oh Taste and See, Verse music by Kermit G. Moldenhauer. © 1993 Northwestern Publishing House. Copyrighted material reprinted under OneLicense.net #A710199. Bible Quotations taken from the New International Version (NIV) © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
CLOSING HYMN
Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow Christian Worship #334
THOSE ASSISTING IN WORSHIP TODAY Preacher..................................................................Pastor Ron Koehler Sound Technician ............................................................ Mike Lindquist
Thank you for joining us in worship today!
NEXT SUNDAY Next week’s Scripture Lessons for Devotional Reading this Week
Exodus 25:1-22 Hebrews 13:1-8 Matthew 28:16-20 Sermon Text
2 Samuel 7:1-17 A House for David
Summer Worship Series Thank you for joining us today during our Summer Worship Series, “Build on the Rock.” This series will continue throughout the summer at all Grace sites. We will be considering lessons learned from various building projects in the Bible. Next week we will consider how God built a house for David through the promise of a Savior. Other buildings we will consider include the Temple, a spiritual house, an eternal house, and more. All sites will use the same service theme each Sunday, so you won’t hear things repeated if you attend worship at multiple sites. If you do miss a week, you can find a recording of the Grace-Tucson sermon (or view the service live each Sunday) at the Grace website, www.GraceLutheranSAZ.org.
Divine Call Extended At the Voters’ Meeting on June 24, our congregation extended a call to Pastor Ben Sadler to serve as our Mission Pastor at Grace-Benson and Grace-Vail. Pastor Sadler currently serves Goodview Trinity Lutheran Church in Goodview, MN. Please keep Pastor Sadler, his wife Emily, and their three children in your prayers as they deliberate over where the Lord would have them serve at this time.
Are you a Thrivent Financial Member? Thrivent members are eligible to receive two $250 grants each calendar year. These grants may be used to bring people together to serve others and meet a need in their community. Many of Grace’s outreach activities and member activities qualify and the pastors and others are ready to work with our members who have these available to them. The process is simple and these could entirely or partially fund projects or events. If you are willing to use one or both of your grants for Grace’s ministry, please contact the church office or one of the pastors. It would be a big help and it is super easy to do!
LWMS Fall Retreat LWMS Grand Canyon Circuits' Fall Retreat is coming up on October 5-7, 2018 at Camp Tatiyee in Lakeside, AZ. Check out www.grandcanyonlwms.org to learn more and to register. Take advantage of discounts for early registration and teens. Registration forms are also available at your site.
Apache Mission Anniversary Celebration 125 years ago, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod established its first world mission in the White Mountains of the Arizona Territory. This year we celebrate the many blessings God has bestowed on this mission to the Apache people. A celebration event is planned for the weekend of October 26-28 in Peridot, AZ. For more information, please see the posters at your site, visit NativeChristians.org, or call the church office at 623-6633. Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Surprise, AZ, is organizing two bus trips for the celebration in Peridot. If you are interested, please see the flyers at your site. 8
Youth Fitness Camp at Grace-Sahuarita Youth Fitness Camp continues every Thursday through July 19 at Grace-Sahuarita for youth ages 6-13. Each session runs from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The youth are learning valuable life skills, including gardening, cooking, fitness, strengthening, and making healthy choices. God’s Word is connected to all of these lessons. There are also weekly challenges that the youth take home to share with their families. There is no charge for this program and lunch is provided. To register online for either or both of the remaining sessions, go to www.GraceLutheranSahuarita.org and click on the Fitness Camp button.
Vacation Bible School Space Station Salvation is scheduled to blast off at Grace-Tucson on July 23! This Vacation Bible School will run every morning from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM, July 23-27. Astronauts ages 3-13 are invited to join us for Bible lessons, crafts, music and snacks. Registration is now available online at GraceLutheranSAZ.org/VBS. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Pastor Patoka (RevTLP@gracelutheransaz.org) or Cindi Breitkreitz (mkcindib4u@yahoo.com). Invitations to this event are now available at your site. Please use these invitations to invite friends, family, and neighbors!
School Supply Donations Mission to the Children is accepting donations of school supplies for children ages 3 to 15. They are hoping to provide supplies for 1000 children in Mexico. Any school supplies are welcome; however, spiral bound notebooks must be college lined. Donations will be accepted until July 22 and can be dropped off at the Grace central office.
Mission to the Children Volunteers Needed Mission to the Children is looking for Spanish speakers interested in traveling to Mexico once or twice a year to help with Sunday School lessons, Vacation Bible School and to distribute items to families (school supplies, quilts, food coupons, Christmas gifts). If you are interested in helping with this ministry, please contact Karen Manning at 520-791-2129 or info@missiontothechildren.org. For more information about Mission to the Children, you can visit missiontothechildren.org.
Highlights of Italy Tour Pastor James Humann, retired WELS pastor and experienced tour host, invites you to join him on an eleven day "Highlights of Italy" tour. The tour dates are March 11 - 21, 2019. For more information about the daily itinerary, price, and General Conditions, e-mail Pastor Humann at Jhumann383@aol.com or call 1-253-839-9055. 9
Grace is one congregation at FOUR places! Enjoy worship, Bible study and activities at Grace locations in Benson, Sahuarita, Tucson and Vail.
This Week at Grace July 8 - July 15 TUCSON Today Worship Services............................................. 7:45a & 10:00a Coffee Fellowship following both services .............................. Children’s Sunday School: Offerings for the Tabernacle.... 8:45a Lifeliners: Deal with It—School Issues ........................... 9:00a Adult Bible Study: Galatians ........................................... 9:00a
SAHUARITA Today Adult Bible Study: Why Do We Worship in a Church? ... 9:00a Worship Service ........................................................... 10:00a Coffee Fellowship following worship ....................................... Wednesday NO Bible Study ........................................................................ Thursday Youth Cross Fitness Camp .......................................... 10:00a Sunday Adult Bible Study: Why Do We Worship in a Church? ... 9:00a Worship Service w/Communion ................................... 10:00a Coffee Fellowship following worship ....................................... BENSON Today Worship Service ............................................................ 7:30a
Wednesday Bible Study: Church History.............................10:00a & 7:00p Thursday Women’s Bible Study: Key Bible Words ......................... 9:00a Sunday Worship Services w/Communion.....................7:45a & 10:00a Coffee Fellowship following both services ............................... Children’s Sunday School: The Foolish Rich Man ......... 8:45a Lifeliners: Deal with It—School Issues ........................... 9:00a Adult Bible Study: Galatians ........................................... 9:00a
VAIL Today Children’s Sunday School .............................................. 9:00a Adult Bible Study: Galatians ........................................... 9:00a Worship Service ........................................................... 10:00a Coffee Fellowship following worship ....................................... Wednesday Ministry Center Office Hours .................................. 3:00-6:00p Bible Study at Ministry Center: Key Bible Words ........... 6:30p Sunday Children’s Sunday School .............................................. 9:00a Adult Bible Study: Galatians ........................................... 9:00a Worship Service w/Communion ................................... 10:00a Coffee Fellowship following worship .......................................
Sunday Worship Service w/Communion ..................................... 7:30a
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Central Office 830 N. 1st Avenue Tucson, Arizona 85719 Phone Fax
623-6633 623-1514
Administrative Assistants Beth Kassulke office@gracelutheransaz.org Debbie Koehler assistant@gracelutheransaz.org
Pastors
Bible-Based Counselor
At Grace-Tucson Ronald G. Koehler, III Nathan P. Kassulke Timothy L. Patoka
revrgk3@gracelutheransaz.org revnpk@gracelutheransaz.org revtlp@gracelutheransaz.org
At Grace-Vail & Grace-Benson Ronald G. Koehler, III
revrgk3@gracelutheransaz.org
Cinda Drescher cinda@gracelutheransaz.org Phone 882-3773
Child Learning Center Laura Heiman, Director director@gracelutheransaz.org Phone 651-235-9727
Office Assistant At Grace-Sahuarita Ryan A. Heiman
Missy Wiechmann revrah@gracelutheransaz.org
Music Coordinator Beth Kassulke
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Grace Lutheran Church is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), a group of nearly 400,000 men, women, and children in nearly 1,300 congregations across the United States and Canada united by a common faith in Christ's saving love. We are committed to a common calling—encouraging each other in our faith and sharing God's gift of a Savior with the rest of the world. For more information about our synod and what we believe visit: www.wels.net