Third Sunday in Lent

March 23, 2025

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT March 23, 2025

Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church

Wisconsin Synod

Pastor Rev. Christopher Oehlke Pastor’s Phone: 1-262-909-7827

Organist Karen Davis, Mindy Kane, Church Telephone 763-682-4573

Lorraine Roush Email pastor@myimmanuel.org

WELCOME, VISITORS:     We are glad you could be with us and we welcome you back any time. Please sign our “Welcome” card found in the pew holders or sign the guest book in the narthex/entry.

Prayer Before Worship

Speak, Lord, because your servant is listening. I am your servant. Give me understanding that I may know your testimonies. Incline my heart to the words of your mouth. Speak, Lord, for you have the words of eternal life. Speak to me, to comfort my soul and to purify my life. Speak, that you may receive praise, glory and everlasting honor! Amen.

SERVICE OF THE WORD

Beginning on Page 38 in the Hymnal.

HYMN (#339) “Today Your Mercy Calls Us”

M: The grace of our Lord (+) Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

C: And also with you.

CONFESSION OF SINS

M: We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children. But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment. Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy.

C: Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. 

In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: Have mercy on me according to your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt.

M: God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever. You are his own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to his will.

C: Amen.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

M: Let us pray: O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C:     (Sung) Amen.

THE WORD

FIRST LESSON Exodus 3:1-15

3 Now Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, a priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ² The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire, but the bush was not burning up. ³ So he said, “I will go over and look at this amazing sight—to find out why the bush is not burning up.” ⁴ When the Lord saw that Moses had gone over to take a look, God called to him from the middle of the bush and said, “Moses! Moses!” Moses said, “I am here.” ⁵ The Lord said, “Do not come any closer. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” ⁶ He then said, “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

⁷ The Lord said, “I have certainly seen the misery of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their cry for help because of their slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. ⁸ So I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ⁹ Now indeed, the Israelites’ cry for help has come to me. Yes, I have seen how the Egyptians are oppressing them. ¹⁰ Come now, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” ¹¹ But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” ¹² So he said, “I will certainly be with you. This will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will serve God on this mountain.” ¹³ But Moses said to God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I say to them?” ¹⁴ So God replied to Moses, “I am who I am.” He also said, “You will say this to the Israelites: I am has sent me to you.” ¹⁵ God also told Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered from generation to generation.’             (EHV)

M: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM OF THE DAY (Sung) Psalm 85 (page 97)

SECOND LESSON 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

10 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, ² and they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. ³ They all ate the same spiritual food ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them—and that rock was Christ! ⁵ Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them. He had them die in the wilderness. ⁶ Now these things took place as examples to warn us not to desire evil things the way they did. ⁷ Do not become idolaters like some of them—as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to celebrate wildly.” ⁸ And let us not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell. ⁹ Let us not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and so were being destroyed by the serpents. ¹⁰ And do not grumble, as some of them grumbled, and were destroyed by the destroyer. ¹¹ All these things that were happening to them had meaning as examples, and they were written down to warn us, to whom the end of the ages has come. ¹² So let him who thinks he stands be careful that he does not fall. ¹³ No testing has overtaken you except ordinary testing. But God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tested beyond your ability, but when he tests you, he will also bring about the outcome that you are able to bear it.              (EHV)

M: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

VERSE OF THE DAY

M: He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.    (2 Peter 3:9)

GOSPEL Luke 13:1-9

13 At that time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ² He answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? ³ I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too. ⁴ Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too.” ⁶ He told them this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it, but he did not find any. ⁷ So he said to the gardener, ‘Look, for three years now I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and I have found none. Cut it down. Why even let it use up the soil?’ ⁸ But the gardener replied to him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it. ⁹ If it produces fruit next year, fine. But if not, then cut it down.’”

         (EHV)

M: The Gospel of the Lord.

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

HYMN OF THE DAY (#337) “Delay Not! Delay Not!”

SERMON TEXT Luke 13:1-9

SERMON THEME “Making Sense of the Senseless”

APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate, 

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day he rose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. 

From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, 

the holy Christian Church, 

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

THANKSGIVING

OFFERING – Please leave offering in the plate as you depart.

HYMN “Fruitful Trees, the Spirit’s Sowing” (Sung to tune #490)

1. Fruitful trees, the Spirit’s sowing,
May we ripen and increase,
Fruit to life eternal growing,
Rich in love and joy and peace.

2. Laden branches freely bearing
Gifts the Giver loves to bless;
Here is fruit that grows by sharing,
Patience, kindness, gentleness.

3. Rooted deep in Christ, our Master,
Christ, our pattern and our goal,
Teach us, as the years fly faster,
Goodness, faith, and self control.

4. Fruitful trees, the Spirit’s tending,
May we grow till harvests cease;
Till we taste, in life unending,
Heaven’s love and joy and peace.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Almighty God, You order and number our days according to Your wisdom. Give us repentant hearts, lest we perish with this world of violence and suffering. Let us hold fast to Christ for life and salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Lord, You take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desire that they turn from evil and live. Give pastors courage to warn of sin and death. Give all Christians strength to defend that message. Turn sinners to life by the proclamation of Christ, who delivers from all unrighteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, guard Your people against sexual immorality. Grant that our homes would be havens of godly instruction and chastity, and fill marriages with fidelity and love. Lord, in Your mercy, 

hear our prayer.

God of all, You establish justice not through the desires of sinners but by Your Law, which is for all. Enlighten the authorities of this and every nation, that they might rule justly for true good. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Faithful God, protect us when we are tempted. Guard us especially from pride that justifies sin and from doubting that You provide the way of escape. Strengthen us with penitent hearts to endure until You deliver us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Holy God, remember Your people who cry to You for mercy in a world where towers fall and sinners work evil. Deliver those in need of healing and comfort, and strengthen them to look to You for help in their time of affliction. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord of life, You have brought us into Your vineyard and appointed us to bear good fruit. Receive our thanks for Your patience, and grant that we would show Your love and grace in all that we say and do; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

LORD’S PRAYER

C: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, 

thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; 

and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory 

forever and ever. Amen.

M: O Lord God, our heavenly Father, pour out the Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep us strong in your grace and truth, protect and comfort us in all temptation, and bestow on us your 

saving peace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: (Sung) Amen.

M: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look on you with favor and (+) give you peace. 

C: (Sung) Amen. Amen. Amen.

HYMN (#331) “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah”

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT March 23, 2025

THE SCHEDULE   

Wed., March 26 5-6:30 p.m., Soup Supper

7 p.m., Lenten Service

Thurs., March 27 6:30 p.m., Catechism Class

Next Sunday, March 30, Greeters: Hoffmann Family

OUR FATHER’S BUSINESS

LENTEN SERVICE:  The theme for this year is “Kyrie Eleison,” drawn from the Penitential Psalms. On Wednesday Pastor Aaron Jensen will preach on Psalm 51, “We Repent—Of Our Inborn Impurity.”

       The Benzers and Bakkes are again hosting the Soup Suppers from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Consider lending a helping hand with the weekly 

clean-up. 

BLOODMOBILE: Thank you to everyone who helped with our first Red Cross Bloodmobile. Since we value your opinion, please talk to Julie Durr about whether we should make this a regular event.

EASTER GARDEN: We will again offer an opportunity to help decorate the church for Easter. If you would like to purchase a plant (or two), there are pink sign-up sheets on the counter in the narthex. For $10 each, a plant will be placed “In Memory/Honor of” on a bulletin insert (and then after Easter, the plant will be yours to take). While we can’t be specific, there will be a variety of Easter Lily, Asiatic Lily, hyacinth, daffodil and tulip plants. Deadline to order will be March 30.

THRIVENT CHOICE DOLLARS: The Thrivent Choice program provides Thrivent members an opportunity to support charitable activities such as Immanuel. Choice Dollars must be directed by March 31. If you have any questions, contact your Thrivent representative or Julie Gutknecht. According to the 2024 financial report, we received $1,350 last year.

AREA YOUTH GATHERINGS: “My5” is inviting all youth from 8^th through 12^th grades to fun, opportunities for faith building and fellowship. The next event at Cross Lutheran-Rockford will be March 23, 6 p.m. (with a final scheduled event on April 27).

PASSOVER EVENT: Consider beginning your Holy Week (Palm Sunday afternoon) with Redeeming Grace-Rogers to journey through the past to uncover all the rich foreshadows of Christ in the ancient festival of Passover! This friendly program begins at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 13th at Redeeming Grace Lutheran Church in Rogers. Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy an interactive, educational, and Christ-centered experience as we look forward to the real Passover on Easter Sunday. Please RSVP with Pastor Oehlke or go to rglc.org no later than Sunday April 6^th.

LWMS-HANNAH CIRCUIT: Mark your calendar. The Spring Hannah Circuit rally will be on April 27 at Mt. Olive in Delano.

LWMS BUS TRIP TO TULSA: The Minnesota Valley LWMS circuit is hosting a bus trip to the Tulsa OK convention in June. 

The 5-day trip leaves Minnesota on June 25, returning after the 2025 convention on June 30. See the west bulletin board for details and registration information. 

ATTENDANCE AT THE LORD’S HOUSE: 

Sunday, March 16 72

Wednesday, March 19 43

FOR THE LORD’S WORK: March 16: General Fund-$1,888; Building-$5; West-$5; Salem-$7; Fishers-$5.     Missions: March 16-$285-(YTD-$4,145).