St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

313 4th Street, Manistee, MI 49660

www.StPaulsManistee.com

facebook.com/SPLCManistee

September 21, 2025 Pentecost 14

THE LOST ARE FOUND

WELCOME – All responses will be spoken today.

HYMN 339 “Today Your Mercy Calls Us” (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, we pray that your mercy and grace may always go before and follow after us that, loving you with undivided hearts, we may be ready for every good and useful work; 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: Hosea 3:1-5

The LORD called the prophet Hosea to seek his adulterous wife and love her again. This served as an object lesson, showing our God is a God who seeks and redeems those who are lost.

1 The Lord said to me, “Go again. Show love to a woman who is loved by another man, a woman who keeps committing adultery. Show love just as the Lord loves the people of Israel, even though they keep turning to other gods and loving the raisin cakes.” 2So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and nine bushels of barley. 3I said to her, “You will stay with me for many days. You must not be promiscuous. You must not be with any other man, and I will also be for you.” 4So the people of Israel will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred memorial stones, and without the special vest or family idols. 5Afterward the people of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

SECOND LESSON: 2 Corinthians 2:5-11

A member of the church in Corinth had been lost in sin, but through loving church discipline, had been moved to repent. Paul encourages the members to joyfully welcome him back.

5 Now if anyone has caused sorrow, he has not done it to me, but to all of you to some extent (not to overstate it). 6 This punishment inflicted on such a person by the majority is enough, 7so that instead you should rather forgive and comfort him, or else such a person could be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8For that reason, I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. 9In fact, this was also the purpose of my writing: I wanted to know the result of your being tested, that is, if you are obedient in all things. 10 If you forgive anyone anything, I do too. To be sure, if I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it in the presence of Christ for your sake, 11 so that Satan would not take advantage of us. We are certainly not unaware of his schemes.

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

VERSE OF THE DAY:

Alleluia. Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Alleluia.

GOSPEL: Luke 15:1-10

Through two parables, Jesus rebukes those who consider themselves already found and not in need of repentance.

1All the tax collectors and sinners were coming to Jesus to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 He told them this parable: 4“Which one of you, if you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that was lost until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls together his friends and his neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ 7I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.

8“Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, would not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

C: Praise be to you, O Christ!

HYMN 304 “Jesus Sinners Does Receive”

SERMON: Luke 15:1-10 “Joy Over Repentance”

APOSTLES’ CREED - page 41

PRAYER & LORD’S PRAYER - page 42

HYMN 385 “Chief of Sinners Though I Be”

PRAYER - page 43 C: Amen.

BLESSING - page 44 C: Amen.

HYMN 384 (1,3,5) “By Grace I’m Saved”

WELS Connection Video

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.

YOUTH INSTUCTION CLASS will begin this Tuesday at 5:30 pm. The class is for 7th & 8th graders to learn more about the Bible, their God, and the Christian faith. If you know of someone that age that would like to attend, please let Pastor Himm know.

ADULT INSTRUCTION CLASS will continue this TUESDAY at 7 pm at the home of Pastor & Kay Himm. Please contact Pastor Himm for more information, if you would like to learn more about the wonders of God.

SUNDAY SCHEDULE

Sunday School & Adult Bible Class – 9 AM

WORSHIP – 10 AM

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