St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

313 4th Street, Manistee, MI 49660

www.StPaulsManistee.com

facebook.com/SPLCManistee

July 27, 2025 Pentecost 6

THE ONE THING NEEDED

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:

O God, you have prepared joys beyond understanding for those who love you. Pour into our hearts such love for you that, loving you above all things, we may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

FIRST LESSON: Genesis 18:1-14

With his gracious visit and gracious words, the Lord gives Sarah exactly what she needs most—a strengthened faith in God’s promise of a child.

1 The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he was sitting by the door to his tent during the heat of the day. 2Abraham looked up, and he saw three men standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and he bowed down to the ground. 3 He said, “My lord. if I have now found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by. 4 Now let me get a little water so that all of you can wash your feet and rest under the tree. 5Let me get some bread so that you can refresh yourselves. After that you may go your way. That is why you have come to your servant.” They said, “Yes, do as you have said.” 6Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly prepare twenty quarts of fine flour, knead it, and make some loaves of bread.” 7Abraham ran to the herd, brought a good, tender calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to prepare it. 8 He took cheese curds, milk, and the calf that he had prepared and set it before them. He stood beside them under the tree while they ate. 9 They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He said, “She is over there in the tent.” 10 One of the men said, “I will certainly return to you when this season comes around next year. Then Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah was listening to this from the tent door, which was behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well into old age. Sarah was past the age for childbearing. 12 Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, will I have pleasure, since my lord is also old?” 13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really give birth to a child though I am old?’ 14 Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the set time next year I will return to you, and Sarah will have a son.”

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

SECOND LESSON: Colossians 1:1-14

Through the gospel Christ gives us what we need—a faith which bears fruits in our individual lives and in his wider church.

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the holy and faithful brothers[a]in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints 5because of the hope that is stored up for you in heaven. You have already heard about this in the word of truth, the gospel 6that is present with you now. The gospel is bearing fruit and growing in the entire world, just as it also has been doing among you from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of God in truth. 7 You learned this from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf. 8 He is the one who told us about your love in the Spirit. 9For this reason, from the day we heard about your love, we also have not stopped praying for you. We keep asking that you would be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10 so that you might live in a way that is worthy of the Lord. Our goal is that you please him by bearing fruit in every kind of good work and by growing in the knowledge of God, 11 as you are being strengthened with all power because of his glorious might working in you. Then you will have complete endurance and patience, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 The Father rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

VERSE OF THE DAY:

Alleluia. If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Alleluia.

GOSPEL: Luke 10:38-42

One sister served Jesus, which was lovely. The other sister wanted to be served by Jesus, which is the one thing needed.

38As they went on their way, Jesus came into a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who was sitting at the Lord’s feet and was listening to his word. 40 But Martha was distracted with all her serving. She came over and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me.”41 The Lord answered and told her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but one thing is needed. In fact, Mary has chosen that better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

C: Praise be to you, O Christ!

HYMN 290 “One Thing Needful”

SERMON: Luke 10:38-42 “You Are Served by the Savior” (written by Circuit Pastor John Eich)

APOSTLES’ CREED - page 41

PRAYER & LORD’S PRAYER - page 42

HYMN 421 “All Depends on Our Possession”

PRAYER - page 43 C: Amen. (spoken)

BLESSING - page 44 C: Amen. (spoken)

HYMN 394 “Blessed Are the Saints of God”

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: No class this week. Next class will be on Thursday, August 7, at Pastor Himm’s house.

SUNDAY BIBLE CLASS will be held as usual at 9 am. There is no Sunday School during the summer months.

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