NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST July 26, 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 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 with Baptism

Beginning on Page 38 in the Hymnal.

HYMN (#295, v. 1-4) “Dearest Jesus, We Are Here”

M: In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

M: Our Lord Jesus Christ gave his Church the command to baptize when he said: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Scripture makes plain the universal need for Baptism. As children of Adam, we belong to a fallen race. From our parents we inherit a sinful nature and would be lost forever unless delivered by our Lord Jesus Christ. He willingly took on himself the curse of sin and by his death on the cross redeemed us and all people.

Christ’s almighty Word gives Baptism its power to save. The apostle Peter declares, “Baptism now saves you.” Scripture also clearly teaches that the power and promise of Baptism is 

intended for young and old alike. On the day of Pentecost the apostle testified, “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” By water and the Spirit, we are born again and united with Christ and his people as members of the Church.

In bringing Gordon Willard to Baptism, you are doing what is 

God-pleasing. Jesus himself invited little children to become a part of his kingdom when he said: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them, and blessed them.

Receive the sign of the cross on the head and heart † to mark you as a redeemed child of Christ.

prayer 

M: Let us pray.

Holy God, mighty Lord, gracious Father, through your stern judgment the unbelieving world was destroyed by the flood, but 

according to your great mercy, you saved Noah and his family. You engulfed stubborn Pharaoh and his army in the waters of the 

Red Sea but led your people through those same waters to safety on dry land. In the waters of the Jordan your own Son was baptized and anointed with the Spirit. By these signs you foreshadowed the precious, cleansing bath which you give us in Holy Baptism.

Clinging to your command and promise, we ask that you would look with favor on Gordon Willard. Through this water of Baptism, drown in him all sin inherited from Adam and any other evil he may do. Set him apart from the unbelieving world and hold him safe and secure in the holy ark of the Church. Keep him always fervent in spirit and joyful in hope so that he may honor your holy name and at last receive, together with all your people, the promised inheritance of eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

C: Amen.

The minister applies water to the one being baptized as he says:

M: Gordon Willard Dehn, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

The Almighty God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—has forgiven all your sins. By your baptism, you are born again and made a dear child of your Father in heaven. 

May God strengthen you to live in your baptismal grace all the days of your life. Peace be with you.

prayer

M: Let us pray.

Merciful Father in heaven, we thank you for the gift of Baptism by which you wash away sin and give us a new and eternal life. Help us each day to remember that through Baptism you clothe us with Christ that we may stand holy and righteous before you. Look with favor on Gordon that he may be kept safe by the gift of your Spirit, grow daily in your grace, and live forever by the power of the risen Christ. Make us willing to carry out our responsibilities to all the baptized, so that all may finally come to the blessed joys of heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

C: Amen. 

M: Almighty God, the Father of our Lord † Jesus Christ, strengthen you by his Spirit, that Christ, dwelling in your hearts by faith, may fill you with all spiritual blessings. 

Go in peace.

HYMN (#295, v. 5) “Dearest Jesus, We Are Here”

PRAYER OF THE DAY

M: Let us pray. O God, you reveal your mighty power chiefly in showing mercy and kindness. Grant us the full measure of your grace that we may obtain your promises and become partakers of your heavenly glory; 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 1 Kings 3:5-12

⁵ The Lord appeared to Solomon in Gibeon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” ⁶ Solomon said, “You have shown great mercy and faithfulness to your servant, my father David, just as he walked before you in truth, righteousness, and uprightness of heart toward you. You have shown this great mercy and faithfulness to him and have given him a son who is seated on his throne to this very day. ⁷ O Lord my God, now you have made your servant king in the place of my father David, but I am a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. ⁸ And I, your servant, am among your people whom you have chosen, a great people, who cannot be counted or numbered because they are so many. ⁹ Now give to your servant a perceptive heart to judge your people, to distinguish between good and evil, for who is able to judge this great people of yours?” ¹⁰ In the eyes of the Lord, Solomon’s request was good. ¹¹ So God said to him, “Because you have asked for this, and you have not asked for a long life, nor have you asked for riches, nor have you asked for the lives of your enemies, but you have asked for 

discernment to reach just verdicts, ¹² therefore I will act according to your words. Yes, I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you before you, nor will anyone like you rise up after you.             (EHV) 

M: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM OF THE DAY (Sung) Psalm 119b (page 110)

SECOND LESSON 1 Timothy 6:17-21

¹⁷ Instruct those who are rich in this present age not to be arrogant or to put their hope in the uncertainty of riches, but rather in God, who richly supplies us with all things for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹ In this way they are storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. ²⁰ O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, turning away from godless, empty talk and the contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge.” ²¹ By professing it, some have veered away from the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.

M: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

VERSE OF THE DAY

M: Alleluia. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Alleluia. (Colossians 3:1-2)

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 Matthew 13:44-52

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again. In his joy, he goes away and sells all that he has and buys that field. ⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found one very valuable pearl, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

⁴⁷ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. ⁴⁸ When the net was filled, they pulled it onto the shore. They sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw the bad ones away. ⁴⁹ That is how it will be at the end of the world. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous who are among them. ⁵⁰ And they will throw the wicked into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ⁵¹ Jesus said to them, “Did you understand all these things?” They answered him, “Yes.” ⁵² He said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law who has been trained as a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure both new things and old things.”         (EHV)

M: The Gospel of the Lord.

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

HYMN OF THE DAY (#755s) “Your Kingdom, O God”

SERMON TEXT Matthew 13:44-52

SERMON THEME “What’s the Treasure?”

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 (#477) “What Is the World to Me”

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH

O Lord, light of the world and saving strength of your people, we thank you for the gift of your Word. Implant it in the hearts of your people, so that, set free from the power of Satan and the fear of death, we may live to serve and honor you.

Pour out your spirit on us, that we may grow richly in divine knowledge and spiritual understanding. Bless the proclamation of your word everywhere, so that hearts may be turned from the darkness of spiritual ignorance, falsehood, and despair to the light of knowledge,truth, and life. Be with our missionaries in our own and distant lands. Protect them, encourage them, and crown their labors with success.

Let your word shine in our homes, that parents and children may dwell together in love and serve one another in kindness and humility. Watch over the sick, the sorrowing, the anxious, and the weary. Preserve those who are in any danger of body or soul. Supply us by the grace of Jesus with the Spirit’s power, that we may ever be comforted by your truth and sustained by your love.

For those and all the other things you know we need, we confidently ask in the name of him who gave himself for us that we might live through him, Jesus our Lord. 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: Almighty God, we thank you for teaching us the things you want us to believe and do. Help us by your Holy Spirit to keep your word in pure hearts that we may be strengthened in faith, guided in holiness, and comforted in life and in death, 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 (#469) “Take My Life and Let It Be”

NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST July 26, 2026

Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church
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​THE SCHEDULE  

Sun., July 26 10:30 a.m., Endowment Committee

Mon., July 27 7 p.m., Church Council Meeting

Next Sun., Aug. 2: Greeters: Durr Family

Shut-In Visitors for August: Jeannie & David Dixon

OUR FATHER’S BUSINESS

BAPTISM:   Gordon Willard Dehn, son of Matt and Vanessa Dehn, was baptized this morning in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. God’s Word tells us in Galatians 3:27, “All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

CALL: Pastor Oehlke has received a call to Trinity in Lincoln, Michigan and St. John’s in Mio, Michigan. This is an opportunity for Pastor Oehlke and the congregation to evaluate our ministry here at Immanuel. Please pray that the Holy Spirit give Pastor Oehlke wisdom as he deliberates the call he holds.

RESCHEDULED—SUMMER PICNIC:   The date for this year’s picnic has been changed to Sunday, Aug. 9. We hope you can still come and participate in the outdoor service and events. We’re still in need of volunteers. If you can help, even a little, contact Pastor or Julie G. Proceeds to benefit the parking lot plans.

(A) Luncheon—catered with potluck sides and/or desserts. (help monitor the kitchen & clean-up)

(B) Silent Auction—registrations being accepted-check with Julie G.  (C) Bean Bag Competition—registration sheet on narthex island.

(D) Bingo. 

QUARTERLY VOTERS MEETING is scheduled for after the worship service on Aug. 2. Men over 18 years of age who are interested in becoming voting members are encouraged to contact Pastor Oehlke or a council member.

TRAVEL WITH WELS GROUPS: Father’s World Tours is partnering with WELS Home Missions to offer two upcoming trips, and we’d love to have you along. COOL CANYONS (Nov 7-19) takes us to see some of the Southwest U.S.’s most stunning scenery, including the Mighty Five national parks in Utah, the Grand Canyon, and much more. We’ll also worship with and tour our Apache missions in Peridot and East Fork, along with a home mission in St George, UT. FLORA AND FAUNA OF FLORIDA (Jan 23-Feb 7, 2027) offers a two-week midwinter warmup to the Sunshine State as well as an Eastern Caribbean Cruise aboard the Sky Princess.We will again connect with our missions and missionaries in the area while enjoying encounters with wildlife (gators, manatee, and maybe monkeys), gorgeous gardens, and fabulous fellowship. Learn more at www.fathersworldtours.com  or call Steve at 507-217-1731.

ATTENDANCE AT THE LORD’S HOUSE: 

Sunday, July 19 74

FOR THE LORD’S WORK: July 19: General Fund-$1,778; Salem-$2; Fishers-$20; Missions-$300 (YTD-$12,447).

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