St Paul’s

Evangelical Lutheran Church

313 4th Street, Manistee, MI 49660

www.StPaulsManistee.com

facebook.com/SPLCManistee

May 25, 2025 Easter 6

BECAUSE HE LIVES WE HAVE DEEP AND LASTING JOY

WELCOME: We will use the red hymnal today.

HYMN 582 “Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun”

(please stand for last stanza)

SERVICE OF THE WORD - pages 38-44

PRAYER OF THE DAY:

Father of lights, every good and perfect gift comes from you. Inspire us to think those things that are true and long for those things that are good, that we may always make our petitions according to your gracious will; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Sing) Amen.

FIRST LESSON: Acts 14:8-22

As a witness of Christ’s resurrection, Paul’s joy and his ministry were unaffected by circumstance.

8In Lystra there was a man who was sitting down because he had no strength in his feet. He had never walked because he was lame from birth. 9When he was listening to Paul as he was speaking, Paul looked at him closely and saw that he had faith to be healed. 10 Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” And the man jumped up and began to walk. 11When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form.” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the main speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and garlands to the city gates, because he wanted to offer sacrifices along with the crowds. 14 But when the apostles Paul and Barnabas heard about this, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting, 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We too are men with the same nature as you. We are preaching the good news to you so that you turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without testimony of the good he does. He gives you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons. He fills you with food and fills your hearts with gladness.” 18 Even though they said these things, they had a hard time stopping the crowds from sacrificing to them. 19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and persuaded the crowds to stone Paul. When they thought he was dead, they dragged him out of the city. 20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he stood up and went into the city. The next day, he left with Barnabas for Derbe. 21After they preached the good news in that city and had gathered many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. They told them, “We must go through many troubles on our way to the kingdom of God.”

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM 65 – page 89

The earth is full of the goodness of God, the goodness of God.

SECOND LESSON: Revelation 21:21-27

The great joy we have now will soon be made perfect and complete.

21 The twelve gates are twelve pearls. Each of the gates is made out of one pearl. And the street of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God has given it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 There is no day when its gates will be shut, for there will be no night in that place.

26 They will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 Nothing that is unclean and no one who does what is detestable or who tells lies will ever enter it, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

VERSE OF THE DAY:

Alleluia. Alleluia. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia. If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Alleluia. (Sing) Alleluia.....page 40

GOSPEL: John 16:16-24

Jesus promises that our grief will be turned to perfect joy.

16 “In a little while you are not going to see me anymore, and again in a little while you will see me, because I am going away to the Father.” 17 Therefore some of his disciples asked one another, “What does he mean when he tells us, ‘In a little while you are not going to see me, and again in a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going away to the Father’?” 18 So they kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he’s saying.” 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you trying to determine with one another what I meant by saying, ‘In a little while you are not going to see me, and again in a little while you will see me’? 20Amen, Amen, I tell you: You will weep and wail, but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. 21A woman giving birth has pain, because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, because of her joy that a person has been born into the world. 22 So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. 23 In that day you will not ask me anything. Amen, Amen, I tell you: Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be made complete.

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

C: Praise be to you, O Christ! (sung)

HYMN 145 “Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won”

SERMON: John 16:16-24 - written by Circuit Pastor John Eich

APOSTLES’ CREED - page 41

RESPONSIVE PRAYER - page 42

LORD’S PRAYER

HYMN 377 (1-4,7) “Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice”

PRAYER - page 43 C: Amen. (sung)

BLESSING - page 43 C: Amen. Amen. Amen. (sung)

HYMN 323 “Almighty Father, Bless the Word”

ANNOUNCEMENTS & REFRESHMENTS

THANKOFFERING BASKET BY DOOR

The members of St Paul's have joined together to do the Lord’s work in this area and around the world. Our guests may but are not expected to participate in this offering which supports our church’s ministry.

Guests, please sign the Guest Book in the entryway.

All Scripture readings are from the NIV 2011. Used by permission.