THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT March 8, 2026

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 Upon Entering Church

Almighty, ever-living God, grant that I may gladly hear your Word and that all my worship may be acceptable to You; through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.

SERVICE OF THE WORD

Beginning on Page 38 in the Hymnal.

HYMN “Come, Thou Fount of Ev’ry Blessing”

1 Come, thou Fount of ev’ry blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise his name, I’m fixed upon it, name of God’s redeeming love.

2 Hitherto thy love has blessed me, thou hast drawn me to this place;
and I know thy hand will lead me safely home by thy good grace.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wand’ring from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger, bought me with his precious blood.

3 Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wand’ring heart to thee:
prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, O take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.

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 17:1-7

17 The entire Israelite community set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin as the Lord had commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. ² So the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”

Moses said to them, “Why are you quarreling with me? Why are you testing the Lord?” ³ But the people were thirsty for water there, so they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you ever bring us up out of Egypt to let us, our children, and our livestock die of thirst?”

⁴ Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me!” ⁵ The Lord said to Moses, “Go in front of the people, and take the elders of Israel with you. Also take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. ⁶ Watch me. I will stand there in front of you on the rock in Horeb. You are to strike the rock. Water will come out of it, and the people will drink.” Moses did that in the sight of the elders of Israel. ⁷ He named the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”   (EHV)

M: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.              

PSALM OF THE DAY (Sung) Psalm 42-43 (page 82)

SECOND LESSON Romans 5:1-8

5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ² Through him we also have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice confidently on the basis of our hope for the glory of God.

³ Not only this, but we also rejoice confidently in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces patient endurance, ⁴ and patient endurance produces tested character, and tested character produces hope. ⁵ And hope will not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us. ⁶ For at the appointed time, while we were still helpless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ It is rare indeed that someone will die for a righteous person. Perhaps someone might actually go so far as to die for a person who has been good to him. ⁸ But God shows his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.      (EHV)

M: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

VERSE OF THE DAY

M: Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.”  (John 4:13-14)

GOSPEL John 4:5-26

⁵ So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the piece of land Jacob gave to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there. Then Jesus, being tired from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. ⁷ A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” ⁸ (His disciples had gone into town to buy food.) ⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) ¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

¹¹ “Sir,” she said, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this living water? ¹² You are not greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his animals.”

¹³ Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty ever again. Rather, the water I will give him will become in him a spring of water, bubbling up to eternal life.”

¹⁵ “Sir, give me this water,” the woman said to him, “so I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

¹⁶ Jesus told her, “Go, call your husband, and come back here.”

¹⁷ “I have no husband,” the woman answered. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say, ‘I have no husband.’ ¹⁸ In fact, you have had five husbands, and the man you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true.”

¹⁹ “Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that you are a prophet. ²⁰ Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews insist that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” ²¹ Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will not worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. ²³ But a time is coming and now is here when the real worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for those are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” ²⁵ The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (the one called Christ). “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” ²⁶ Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”                (EHV)

M: The Gospel of the Lord.

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

HYMN OF THE DAY (#338) “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say”

SERMON TEXT Romans 5:1-8

SERMON THEME “Christ Died for Us”

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 (#106) “Come to Calvary’s Holy Mountain”

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH

M: Heavenly Father, you loved the world and gave your Son to liberate us from sin and death by his obedient death on the cross.

C: We confess that without your love we are lost.

M: Lord of the Church, we thank you for the treasure of the gospel. By your Spirit, keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

C: Strengthen our determination to do what pleases you, 

no matter what the danger or the cost.

M: Let us pray for those who carry a cross in the name of Christ and 

face ridicule and persecution for the sake of the kingdom: missionaries and chaplains, young people who stand up for what is right in the face of pressure to do what is wrong, and all who pay a high price for their faith and their values as Christians.

C: By your Spirit, O Lord, grant them patience and endurance.

M: Let us pray for those who carry heavy burdens in life: the sick 

and the chronically ill, the depressed and the lonely, those torn 

by conflict in personal relationships, those victimized by war and 

injustice, and all who face the terrors of life with a heavy heart.

C: Grant them peace, O Lord, and in your mercy, be their 

guardian and friend, their comfort and hope.

M: Let us pray for those who care for others: pastors and counselors; 

physicians and nurses; social workers and caring friends; all who 

feed the hungry, comfort the hurting, and stand beside the dying.

C: Strengthen them in their work, O Lord, and do not let them 

become weary in doing good.

Special prayers and intercessions may follow.

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

Silent prayer.

M: Help us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Keep 

us faithful even to the point of death, that we may receive the 

crown of life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

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 (#329) “Lord, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing”

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT March 8, 2026

​

​THE SCHEDULE   

Tues., March 10 NO Ladies Fellowship

7:00 p.m., Choir

Wed., March 11 6:30 p.m., Lenten Service

Thurs., March 12 6:30 p.m., Catechism Class

Fri., March 13 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Immanuel Volunteer Work Day at Wise Penny (work as much as you’d like)

Sat., March 14 2 p.m., Fishers Work Day for Palm Sunday Favors

Next Sunday, March 15, Greeters: Jencks Family

OUR FATHER’S BUSINESS

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 sign-up sheets on the island counter in the narthex. For $11 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.

SALEM FELLOWSHIP FUND-RAISER: Tickets are available to Huikko’s Fish Fry at the Bison Creek Event Center on March 13 from 4:30 to 8 p.m. supporting the Salem Lutheran School’s 7^th and 8^th graders on their biennial Washington DC trip (2028). Tickets are $15-adult / $10-child (10 and under). The students also will manage a bake sale at the dinner for dessert treats. Please see Liam or Greg Kleist after Sunday services to purchase tickets.

WEST SACRED CONCERT: “God is our refuge and strength” will be the theme for the next West Lutheran High School sacred concert on Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m. featuring Lent and Easter music. West is at 3350 Harbor Lane North in Plymouth.

LENTEN SERVICES:  Wednesday evening, March 11, with the theme “It is Finished…The Holy Week Prophecies of Zechariah.” 

Please NOTE – Lenten Services will be at 6:30 p.m. this year.

PASSOVER SPECIAL EVENT: Behold the Lamb of God: Christ in the Passover. Begin your Holy Week with Redeeming Grace-Rogers as we journey through the past to uncover all the rich foreshadows of Christ in the ancient festival of Passover! This family-friendly program begins at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 29th. Along with the program, you will be enjoying an elegant meal, featuring lamb as the main course (turkey may be substituted) and wine (grape juice will also be available). A free will offering will be collected following the meal. 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 to Pastor or to rglc.org.  

WEST SUMMER CAMPS: West Lutheran High School is excited to offer a variety of summer camps this year! See the poster and details on the west bulletin board.

MLC AUXILIARY: We have received a thank you from the MLC Auxiliary for the proceeds of a recent plate offering. See the west bulletin board.

WELS GROUP TOUR TO THE ARK: Father’s World Tours and the OWLS (WELS Seniors Group) invite W/ELS members of all ages to an April 17-26 trip to Kentucky. The deluxe motorcoach originates in Minnesota with free parking and pickups offered at WELS churches/schools in New Ulm, Mankato, Rochester, LaCrosse, and Madison. Highlights include daily devotions, weekend worship, visits to the Ark Encounter, Creation Museum, Cumberland Falls, Old Friends (horse farm), Keeneland (horse racing), and much more. All meals are also included! Registration closes at midnight on the ides of March (3/15). Visit www.fathersworldtours.com or contact Steve Balza at 507-217-1731 for more information or to register.

ATTENDANCE AT THE LORD’S HOUSE: 

Sunday, March 1 64

Wednesday, March 4 50

FOR THE LORD’S WORK: March 1: General Fund-$1,978; West-$15; Salem-$17; Fishers-$5; MLC-$5. (Note to consider: General Fund needs about $2,600 per week.) Mission Fund: March 1-$335, March 4-$330; (YTD-$3,560).