St Paul’s

Evangelical Lutheran Church

313 4th Street, Manistee, MI 49660

www.StPaulsManistee.com

facebook.com/SPLCManistee

February 16, 2025

Epiphany 6

BLESSINGS ARE CURSED; CURSES ARE BLESSED

WELCOME – All responses will be spoken today.

HYMN 283 “Speak, O Savior; I Am Listening”

(Please stand for last stanza)

INVOCATION & CALL TO WORSHIP

L: We gather in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen.

L: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who comforts us in our troubles, C: So that we can comfort others in their troubles with

the same comfort we ourselves have received from God.

L: For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives,

C: So also through Christ our comfort overflows to others.

L: Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. C: One generation will commend Your works to another;

they will tell of your mighty acts.

L: Our God is a God who saves.

C: He does not treat us as our sins deserve.

L: For God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us,

C: So that in Him we might become the righteousness of

God.

L: Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for

all, and therefore all died.

C: And He died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

L: May His Spirit inspire our giving thanks for all of His blessings to us,

C: And make us able to serve Him throughout our lives.

L: Let us pray.

PRAYER OF THE DAY:

Lord God, in mercy receive the prayers of your people. Grant them the wisdom to know the things that please you and the grace and power always to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, your Son,

our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Sing) Amen.

FIRST LESSON: Jeremiah 17:5-8

A blessed life is not connected to outward circumstances like health or wealth. Rather, the one who is blessed is the one who has been given the gift of faith, whose trust is in the LORD.

5 This is what the Lord says. Cursed is anyone who trusts in mankind, who seeks his strength from human flesh, and who turns his heart away from the Lord. 6 He will be like a juniper bush in the wasteland. He will not see good things when they come. He lives in a dry place in the wilderness, in a salty land where no one lives. 7 But blessed is anyone who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by water. It sends out its roots to the stream. It does not fear the heat when it comes. Its leaves will remain green. It is not concerned about a time of drought. It does not stop producing fruit.

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

SECOND LESSON: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Paul had some infirmity he initially viewed as a weakness. He came to see it as a blessing as it forced him to rely on God’s strength.

7 Therefore, to keep me from becoming arrogant due to the extraordinary nature of these revelations, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me, so that I would not become arrogant. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that he would take it away from me. 9And he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, because my power is made perfectin weakness.” Therefore I will be glad to boast all the more in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may shelter me. 10 That is why I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when-ever I am weak, then am I strong.

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

VERSE OF THE DAY:

Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia. Please stand for the Gospel.

GOSPEL: Luke 6:17-26

In one of his most famous sermons Jesus teaches that the good things we seek are found in places we would least expect.

17 He went down with them and stood on a level place with a large crowd of his disciples and a large number of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, as well as from the coastal area of Tyre and Sidon. These people came to listen to him and to be healed of their diseases. 18 Those who were troubled by unclean spirits were also cured. 19 The whole crowd kept trying to touch him, because power was going out from him and healing them all. 20 He lifted up his eyes to his disciples and said: Blessed are you who are poor, because yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, because you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, because you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you whenever people hate you, and whenever they exclude and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy because of this: Your reward is great in heaven! The fact is, their fathers constantly did the same things to the prophets. 24 But woe to you who are rich, because you are receiving your comfort now. 25Woe to you who are well fed now, because you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, because you will be mourning and weeping. 26Woe to you when all people speak well of you, because that is how their fathers constantly treated the false prophets.”

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

C: Praise be to you, O Christ!

HYMN 421 “All Depends on Our Possessing”

SERMON: (written by Circuit Pastor John Eich)

APOSTLES’ CREED - page 41

PRAYER & LORD’S PRAYER - page 42

HYMN 446 “I Am Trusting You, Lord Jesus”

PRAYER - page 43 C: Amen. (spoken)

BLESSING - page 44 C: Amen. (spoken)

HYMN 329 “Lord, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing”

ANNOUNCEMENTS & REFRESHMENTS

THANKOFFERING BASKET BY DOOR

The members of St Paul's & the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) have joined together to do the Lord’s work here and around the world. Our guests may but are not expected to participate in this offering which supports our church’s ministry.

PLEASE SIGN OUR GUEST BOOK IF YOU ARE VISITING.

It’s located in the entryway by the stairs going to the basement.

BIBLE INFORMATION CLASS: Are you interested in learning more about the Bible & the Christian faith, or church membership? Pastor Himm will be happy to arrange a class for you.

Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version ® (EHV ®)