St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

313 4th Street, Manistee, MI 49660

www.StPaulsManistee.com

facebook.com/SPLCManistee

July 26, 2026 Pentecost 8

CHRISTIANS LIVE AS WHEAT AMONG WEEDS

WELCOME – All responses will be spoken today.

HYMN 256 “How Great Thou Art” (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:

Grant us, Lord, the spirit to think and do what is right that we, who cannot do anything that is good without you, may by your help be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

FIRST LESSON: Isaiah 44:6-11

Like wheat among weeds, Christians live surrounded by evil in this world.

6 This is what the LORD, the King of Israel, Israel’s Redeemer, the Lord of Armies, says. I am the first, and I am the last. Except for me, there is no god. 7For who is like me? Let him declare it. Let him recite in order for me the things that took place since the time I established an ancient people. Or let them declare what is yet to come and what is going to take place.

8 Do not tremble, and do not be frightened. Did I not announce this to you, and declare it already long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any god except me? There is no other Rock. I am not aware of any other. 9 All those who form an idol are good for nothing. All the things which delight them provide no benefit. As for their witnesses—they do not see. They know nothing, so they will be ashamed. 10Who is this who forms a god or casts a metal image that can provide no profit? 11 Look at him! All his associates will be ashamed. The craftsmen are merely men. Let them all gather themselves and take a stand. They will be terrified and ashamed together.

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

SECOND LESSON: Romans 1:18-25

God is not ambivalent about evil in the world. But his wrath will be fully revealed only at judgment day.

18 Indeed, God’s wrath is being revealed from heaven against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who try to suppress the truth by unrighteousness. 19 This happens because what can be known about God is evident among them, because God made it evident among them. 20 In fact, his invisible characteristics—his eternal power and divine nature— have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, because they are understood from the things he made. As a result, people are without excuse, 21 because, even though they knew God, they did not honor him or give him thanks as God. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless heart was darkened. 22Although they claim to be wise, they have become fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human, or like birds, four-footed animals, and crawling things. 24 So, as they followed the sinful desires of their hearts, God handed them over to the impurity of degrading their own bodies among themselves. 25 Such people have traded the truth about God for the lie, worshipping and serving the creation rather than the Creator, who is worthy of praise forever. Amen.

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

VERSE OF THE DAY:

Alleluia. My Word will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Alleluia.

GOSPEL: Matthew 13:24-30,36-43

The Lord has a plan to separate wheat and weeds at the final harvest.

24 He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds

among the wheat and went away. 26When the plants sprouted and produced heads of grain, the weeds also appeared. 27 The servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy did this.’ The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather up the weeds?’ 29 ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because when you gather up the weeds, you might pull up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the weeds, bind them in bundles, and burn them. Then, gather the wheat into my barn.”’

36 Then Jesus sent the people away and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37 He answered them, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world. The good seeds are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the Evil One. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The reapers are angels. 40 Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will pull out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and those who continue to break the law. 42 The angels will throw them into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

C: Praise be to you, O Christ!

HYMN 240 “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”

SERMON: Isaiah 44:6-11 “Worship the Lord and Serve Him Only” APOSTLES’ CREED - page 41

PRAYER & LORD’S PRAYER - page 42

HYMN 250 “From All that Dwell below the Skies”

PRAYER - page 43 C: Amen. (spoken)

BLESSING - page 44 C: Amen. (spoken)

HYMN 327 “God Be with You till We Meet Again”

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.

SERVING US TODAY: Pastor Joshua Free who serves as one of three pastors at St. Paul's in Livonia, MI. His wife, Joanna (Joey) works as a RN. She works part time so can care for the kids and house and also volunteer at our church and school. We welcome the Frees and their children, Eloise (Ellie) – 12, Olive – 9, and Henry – 6. The Free family cherishes this trip to Manistee every summer! Thanks for serving us for the 5th time! God bless you and your family.

NO MIDWEEK BIBLE STUDY THIS WEEK.

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