TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST August 31, 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

O Lord, my creator, redeemer and comforter, as I come to worship you in spirit and in truth, I humbly pray that you would open my heart to the preaching of your Word so that I may repent of my sins, believe in Jesus Christ as my only Savior and grow in grace and holiness. Hear me for the sake of His name. Amen.

SERVICE OF THE WORD

HYMN (#362) “Lord Jesus Christ, My Savior Blest”

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 AND PRAISE

M: In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord.

C: (Sung) Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Blessed are they who take refuge in him.

Your Word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.

Your faithfulness continues forever.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Blessed are they who take refuge in him.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

M: Let us pray: O Lord of grace and mercy, teach us by your Holy Spirit to follow the example of your Son in true humility, that we may withstand the temptations of the devil and with pure hearts and minds avoid ungodly pride; 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 Proverbs 25:6-7a

⁶ Do not honor yourself in a king’s presence. Do not stand in a place reserved for great people, ⁷ because it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than for you to be humiliated before a ruler whom your eyes have seen.                 (EHV) 

M: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM OF THE DAY (Sung) Psalm 119a (page 109)

SECOND LESSON James 2:1-13

2 My brothers, have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ without showing favoritism. ² For example, suppose a man enters your worship assembly wearing gold rings and fine clothing, and a poor man also enters wearing filthy clothing. ³ If you look with favor on the man wearing fine clothing and say, “Sit here in this good place,” but you tell the poor man, “Stand over there” or “Sit down here at my feet,” ⁴ have you not made a distinction among yourselves and become judges with evil opinions? ⁵ Listen, my dear brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom, which he promised to those who love him? ⁶ But you dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you, and don’t they drag you into court? ⁷ Aren’t they the ones who blaspheme the noble name that was pronounced over you? ⁸ However, if you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. ⁹ But if you show favoritism, you are committing a sin, since you are convicted by this law as transgressors. ¹⁰ In fact, whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point has become guilty of breaking all of it. ¹¹ For the one who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. ¹² So speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law of freedom. ¹³ For there will be judgment without mercy on the one who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.               (EHV)

M: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

VERSE OF THE DAY

M: Alleluia. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Alleluia.  (Luke 14:11)

C: (Sung) Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! 

These words are written that we may believe 

that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. 

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 14:1, 7-14

14 One Sabbath day, when Jesus went into the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat bread, they were watching him closely.

⁷ When he noticed how they were selecting the places of honor, he told the invited guests a parable. ⁸ “When you are invited by 

someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline in the place of honor, or perhaps someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him. ⁹ The one who invited both of you may come and tell you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then you will begin, with shame, to take the lowest place. ¹⁰ “But when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will tell you, ‘Friend, move up to a higher place.’ Then you will have honor in the presence of all who are reclining at the table with you. ¹¹ “Yes, everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” ¹² He also said to the one who had invited him, “When you make a dinner or a supper, do not invite your friends, or your brothers, or your relatives, or rich neighbors, so that perhaps they may also return the favor and pay you back. ¹³ “But when you make a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. Certainly, you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous.”                       (EHV)

M: The Gospel of the Lord.

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

HYMN (#492) “Son of God, Eternal Savior”

SERMON TEXT Luke 14:1, 7-14

SERMON THEME “The Humble Will Be Exalted”

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 (#462) “Oh, that the Lord Would Guide My Ways”

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH

M: O Lord, our God, you are wise and powerful, good and gracious. 

Your mercies are new every morning. Each day you open your 

hand and provide for the needs of your children on earth.

C: We praise you for every grace and blessing.

M: Strengthen your Church in all the world. Let your comforting 

message of salvation in Christ Jesus be proclaimed to troubled 

souls everywhere.

C: Use our ministries and offerings to extend your healing and 

your hope.

M: We bring you our requests for the various structures of our 

society. Bless our national, state, and local governments.

C: Grant us civil servants who are worthy of honor and respect.

M: Grant prosperity to our businesses and industries. Give employers 

a sense of fairness toward their workers, and employees a feeling 

of joy and pride in their workmanship.

C: Help us find satisfaction in all work well done.

M: Invigorate the schools of our land. Give success to every effort 

that helps students read, think, and communicate in ways that will 

promote an informed and responsible citizenry. Arouse curious 

minds to discover the wonders of your created order.

C: Give us teachers and students who pursue excellence.

M: Strengthen the families of our country. Give fathers and mothers a 

renewed commitment to be good parents. Give children and 

young people the wisdom to regard their parents as your 

representatives.

C: Lead us to love one another as you have loved us.

M: Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions.

Silent prayer.

M: Gracious Father, we pray boldly as Jesus taught, with the 

confidence that you will hear and with the faith that you will 

respond for our welfare.

C: 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 (#332) “Go, My Children, with My Blessing”

TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST August 31, 2025

Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church
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​THE SCHEDULE   

Next Sunday, Sept. 7, Greeters: Gutknecht Family

Shut-In Visitors for September: 

OUR FATHER’S BUSINESS

SUNDAY SCHOOL/CATECHISM will begin the week of Sept. 7.

CHOIR: Contact Karen Davis if you’d be interested in singing in Immanuel’s adult choir. No experience necessary.

SUNSHINE CLUB: We are continuing work on a new program to start soon at Immanuel for preschoolers and their moms/dads/care-givers. Linda Hoffmann is heading the effort. Questions may be directed to her or Pastor. There is a wish list of new or gently used items for their playtime on the west bulletin board.

MEN’S RETREAT: The 17th annual Men’s Retreat will take place at Camp Croix on September 19-21. This year’s theme is “Awaiting the Fullness of Time: The Not-So-Silent Years Between the Testaments.” The time between the testaments is ripe with apocalyptic fever, with many, many wild scenarios of the end of the world, from a 96-ft. tall Enoch to a flying Elijah to The War Scroll of Qumran—an actual battle plan for the final war between the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness. This presentation will be led by Martin Luther College Prof. Keith Wessel. Sign up now at mensretreat.org.

MEN-of-HIS-WORD CONFERENCE: This year’s conference will be Oct. 25 at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. 

WELS TRAVEL: See the west bulletin board for updated information and opportunities.

ATTENDANCE AT THE LORD’S HOUSE: 

Sunday, Aug. 24 57

FOR THE LORD’S WORK: Aug. 24: General Fund-$1,099; Salem-$2; Fishers-$15. Mission Fund: Aug. 24-$320 (YTD-$13,945)