October 10, 2021

St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

313 4th St, Manistee, MI 49660-2901

Kieth Bernard Kuschel, pastor

Pastor’s cell phone 262-765-2328

website: stpaulsmanistee.com

facebook.com/SPLCManistee

Pentecost 20 Theme– A Family Affair

Prayer Before Worship – Lord, please help me remember that I am a member of Your family because of what Jesus did for me. Use that to remind me what I am supposed to be doing as a member of an earthly family & as a member of a congregational family.

Hymn 505

Morning Praise, bottom of page 45, front of hymnal

Old Testament Lesson: Genesis 2:18-24

God lovingly provided Adam with a partner & then prescribes the roles for each. When He leads us to follow His directives, peace & good order are the resultant blessing.

(18) The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." {19} Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. {20} So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. {21} So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. {22} Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. {23} The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, ' for she was taken out of man." {24} For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Psalm 139b, front of hymnal, page 117

We are products, not just of our fathers and mothers, but of the Lord’s creative powers and his precious thoughts

Gospel: Mark 10:2-16

Jesus teaches that it is a sin to break up a family. He also teaches that it is a sin to keep the little members of His family away from Him.

2 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" {3} "What did Moses command you?" he replied. {4} They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away." {5} "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. {6} "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' {7} 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, {8} and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. {9} Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." {10} When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. {11} He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. {12} And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery." {13} People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. {14} When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. {15} I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." {16} And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Hymn 501

Sermon Text: Epistle: Hebrews 2: 9-11

God loved us so much that he gave Jesus into death so we might be Jesus’ brothers. May His example of love & obedience motivate our lives in His family.

9But we look to Jesus (the one who was made lower than the angels for a little while, so that by God’s grace he might taste death for everyone), now crowned with glory and honor, because he suffered death. 10Certainly it was fitting for God (the one for whom and through whom everything exists), in leading many sons to glory, to bring the author of their salvation to his goal through sufferings. 11For he who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified all have one Father. For that reason, he is not ashamed to call them brothers.

Theme: Jesus is the Perfect Family Man

1. He humbly served His family members

(Eph 5:25) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

Prayer after part one: Lord Jesus, thank You for being a perfect family man for me, giving up Your life to pay for my sins. Help me to strive to be a perfect family man by giving my life for the benefit of my family.

2. He is not ashamed to call us brothers & sisters

Prayer after part two: Lord Jesus, thank You for being a perfect family man for me, not being ashamed to call a sinner like me Your brother. Help me to have the courage to strive to be a perfect family man by being willing to call You my brother in every circumstance of my life.

Hymn 507 (replaces Te Deum pg 48-49)

Thank offering

Continue page 50

Prayer of the day Hymn 500; Special prayers

Continue with Prayer for Grace, bottom of page 50 -51

Hymn 504

October 3, 2021

St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

313 4th St, Manistee, MI 49660-2901

Kieth Bernard Kuschel, pastor

Pastor’s cell phone 262-765-2328

website: stpaulsmanistee.com

facebook.com/SPLCManistee

Pentecost 19 Theme– Servants

Prayer Before Worship – Lord, please make it possible for me to

consider myself a servant. Serving You, my Lord and King, seems like a

privilege. But serving other humans sometimes seems degrading. Help

me to realize that service is not degrading. After all, that’s what You

have done for me.

Hymn 471 (Gospel Lesson)

Common Service, page 15

Prayer: Mercifully grant, O God,/ that Your Holy Spirit

may in all things/ direct & rule our hearts,/ for without

Your help we are unable to please You; through Your Son

Jesus Christ, our Lord,/ who lives & reigns with You & the

Holy Spirit,/one God , now & forever.

(Sing) Amen

Old Testament Lesson – Numbers 11:16, 24-29

We are humble servants of the Lord. We share in that work with Jesus

and with each other. The Holy Spirit enables us to do it. We share in

Jesus’ mission because we want God glorified.

(16) The LORD said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who

are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them

come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you.

(24) So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD had said. He

brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the

Tent. {25} Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him,

and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy

elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not

do so again. {26} However, two men, whose names were Eldad and

Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but

did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they

prophesied in the camp. {27} A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad

and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” {28} Joshua son of Nun, who

had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord,

stop them!” {29} But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I

wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the LORD would

put his Spirit on them!”

Psalm 51b, front of hymnal, page 87

With a clean heart we have joy in salvation and the desire to serve God.

Epistle: James 4:7-12

We ought to lament the crosses we impose on one another, when our

jealousy and pride produce strife and faultfinding. True repentance means

humility that serves with a pure heart.

(7) Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee

from you. {8} Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash

your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. {9}

Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy

to gloom. {10} Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you

up. {11} Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks

against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it.

When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment

on it. {12} There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to

save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

Verse: Alleluia! At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and every

tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father

(Phlp 2:10,11) Alleluia! (Sing) Alleluia.......(pg 18 front of hymnal)

Gospel: Mark 9:38-50

Jesus puts a quick end to personal pride. Humble service to His glory in

accord with His Word is the important thing. Honestly we would have to

amputate everything – tainted with sin. It all gets in the way of our path-

way to heaven and our service to others. Thanks to God for His mercy.

38 “Teacher” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name

and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”{39} “Do not

stop him” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the

next moment say anything bad about me, {40} for whoever is not against

us is for us. {41} I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of

water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his

reward. {42} “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe

in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a

large millstone tied around his neck. {43} If your hand causes you to sin,

cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to

go into hell, where the fire never goes out. {45} And if your foot causes

you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have

two feet and be thrown into hell. {47} And if your eye causes you to sin,

pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye

than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, {48} where their worm

does not die, and the fire is not quenched.”{49} Everyone will be salted

with fire. {50} “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you

make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each

other.”

Nicene Creed, front of hymnal, page 18

Hymn 469 (reflects thoughts of the Epistle lesson)

Sermon Text: Psalm 51:10-12

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast

spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take

your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your

salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.

Theme: LORD, I offer myself to You

1. You have to make my heart pure

Prayer after part one: “LORD, I want to give myself to You.

Help me do that. Make my heart pure.”

2. You have to motivate me

Prayer after part two: “LORD, I want to give myself to You.

Help me do that. Don’t take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.”

3. You have to strengthen me

Prayer after part three: “Lord, I want to give myself to You.

Help me do that. {10}Renew a steadfast within

me.{12}Grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.”

Prayer at end of sermon: “LORD, I want to thank You for all

that You have done for me. Here is my life as a thank-You

offering. I want You to have it. I want to serve You with it.

Please create in me a pure heart. Don’t cast me from Your

presence. Don’t take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore

to me the joy of Your salvation. Renew a steadfast spirit

within me. Grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.”

“Create in me….front of hymnal, page 20

Thank offering

The members of St Paul’s have joined together to do the Lord’s work in

this area & around the world. Visitors need not feel obligated to

participate in this offering which supports our church’s ministry.

Prayer of the church, page 127

Continue p 21

Distribution of Lord’s Supper to the members of St Paul’s & other

WELS or ELS congregations who by their membership have indicated

they are qualified to examine themselves (1 Cor 11:27-29) & to express

oneness in faith ( 1 Cor 10:17). If you are a guest today & haven’t yet had

the chance to express your agreement with us & would like to receive the

Lord’s Supper together with us in the future, please speak with Pastor

after worship or during the week. We would be delighted to help you

come to appreciate a “close” relationship with your Lord, with us and

with our congregation.

Hymn 305 (Reflects thoughts in Epistle James 4:8-10)

Continue, front of hymnal, page 24 (second prayer)

Hymn 462 (Reflects the thoughts of the Epistle lesson)

All our guests are welcome to worship Jesus the Savior with us again

Graciously receive the greetings & introductions of our church family.

September 29, 2021

St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

313 4th St

Manistee, MI 49660-2901

Kieth Bernard Kuschel, pastor

Pastor’s cell phone 262-765-2328

Pentecost 18 Theme–Humility

Prayer Before Worship – Lord, please destroy in me the spirit of pride. Make me realize the seriousness of my sins.  Lead me to throw myself humbly on Your mercy.  Keep me from exalting myself above others. Enable me out of thanks toYou for forgiving my sins to excel in serving You & others.

Hymn 230 

(vs 1 "in true devotion bow" = humbly acknowledge our need for the LORD

Service of the Word, front of hymnal page 38

Prayer: Lord, You call us to work in Your kingdom/ & leave no one standing idle.  Help us to order our lives by Your wisdom/ & to serve You in willing obedience; through Your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord,/ who lives & reigns with You & the Holy Spirit,/  one God , now & forever.  (Sing) Amen.

Old Testament Lesson: Numbers 12:1-15

Lack of humility got Miriam and Aaron into lots of trouble. 

Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. 2 “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this. 3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) 4 At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the Tent of Meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them came out. 5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, 6 he said, “Listen to my words: “When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams.7 But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” 9 The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them. 10 When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam—leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy; 11 and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. 12 Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.” 13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “O God, please heal her!” 14 The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” 15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back.

Hymn 566 

(Gospel Lesson: Pride disrupts our unity to carry out our mission)Epistle: James 3:13-18

Gentleness and unselfish service are virtues which imitate Jesus.  Selfish ambition and jealousy hinder the proclamation of the Gospel.  Disorder and strife crowd out the peace of God.

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. 

Hymn 472 ( vs 3 "Pride and sin lurk within"= Epistle & Gospel)  

Gospel &  Sermon Text: Mark 9:30-37

{30}They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, {31} because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." {32} But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. {33} They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" {34} But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. {35} Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." {36} He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, {37} "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

Sermon Text: Mark 9:30-37 

Theme: Can Important People be Humble?

Humility submits to God’s will

Prayer after part 1: Lord Jesus, lead us to be humble like You: willing to submit to the Father’s will in our lives.

Humility is willing to serve

Humility is nondiscriminatory

Prayer after sermon: LORD Jesus, thanks for considering me to be important.  Please make me humble.

Apostles' Creed, front of hymnal, page 41

Thank offering 

The members of St Paul’s have joined together to do the Lord’s work in this area & around the world.  Visitors need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our church’s ministry. 

Prayer of the church, front of hymnal, page 42

Special Prayers

Lord’s Prayer, page 43

Hymn 427 

(Humility acknowledges that we belong to the LORD, not to ourselves) 

Continue page 43 front of hymnal

Hymn 321 – (vs 1:"lowly bending" = humble ourselves before the LORD)