St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

313 4th Street, Manistee, MI 49660

www.StPaulsManistee.com

facebook.com/SPLCManistee

September 14, 2025 Pentecost 13

COUNT THE COST

WELCOME – All responses will be spoken today.

HYMN 453 “Come, Follow Me, the Savior Spoke” (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:

Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your gift of grace that we come into your presence and offer true and faithful service. Grant that our worship on earth may always be pleasing to you, and in the life to come give us the fulfillment of what you have promised; 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: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Prior to settling within the Promised Land, the LORD wants his people to calculate carefully the choice between life and death.

15 See now, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and disaster. 16 This is what I am commanding you today: Love the Lord your God, walk in his ways, and keep his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances. Then you will live and increase in number, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are going to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you do not listen, and you are lured away, and you bow down to other gods and serve them, 18 then I declare to you today that you will most certainly perish. You will not live a long life on the land that you are about to enter and possess by crossing over the Jordan. 19 I call the heavens and the earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, a blessing and a curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live 20 by loving the Lord your God, by listening to his voice, and by clinging to him, because that means life for you, and you will live a long life on your land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

SECOND LESSON: Philemon 1,7-21

The case of the escaped slave, Onesimus, returning to his owner, Philemon, is a perfect example of the cost in following Jesus. The apostle Paul encourages Philemon to free Onesimus and embrace him as a brother.

7For I have received great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother. 8For that reason, even though I have plenty of boldness in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9I am appealing to you, instead, on the basis of love, just as I, Paul, am an old man and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. 10 I am appealing to you on behalf of my child Onesimus. I became his father while I was in chains. 11 There was a time when he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me. 12 I have sent him (who is my very heart) back to you. Welcome him. 13 I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might serve me in your place while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your kindness would not be the result of compulsion, but of willingness. 15 Perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while: so that you would have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave, but as more than a slave, as a dear brother. He certainly is dear to me, but he is even more of a dear brother to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.17 So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18And if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, have written this with my own hand: I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20 Yes, brother, I am asking for a favor from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

VERSE OF THE DAY:

Alleluia. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Alleluia.

GOSPEL: Luke 14:25-35

Jesus teaches us that following him closely will come at a cost.

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, if he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, everyone who sees it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build, but was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, as he goes out to confront another king in war, will not first sit down and consider if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32And if he is not able, he sends out a delegation and asks for terms of peace while his opponent is still far away. 33 So then, any one of you who does not say farewell to all his own possessions cannot be my disciple. 34 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its flavor, how will it become salty again? 35 It is not fit for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

C: Praise be to you, O Christ!

HYMN 349 “Jesus, Priceless Treasure”

SERMON: Luke 14:25-35 (written by Circuit Pastor John Eich)

Following Christ is Costly – Is it Worth It?

APOSTLES’ CREED - page 41

PRAYER & LORD’S PRAYER - page 42

HYMN 125 “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”

PRAYER - page 43 C: Amen.

BLESSING - page 44 C: Amen.

HYMN 465 (1-3) “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken”

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.

NO BIBLE INFORMATION CLASS THIS WEEK

SUNDAY SCHEDULE

Sunday School & Adult Bible Class – 9 AM

WORSHIP – 10 AM

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