3rd Sunday of Easter May 4, 2025
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Welcome and Announcements
*Call to Worship: Psalm 30 (pg. 544)
*Opening Prayer …………………………………………….. pg. 2
OPENING HYMN ------------------------------------------------- # 104
“Christ the Lord Is Risen Today”
*Confession of Sins …………………………….................... pg. 2
*Kyrie & Declaration of Grace ..………………………….… pg. 3
*Scripture Lessons: 1st Reading: Acts 9:1-22 (pg. 1090)
2nd Reading: Revelation 5:8-14 (pg. 1221)
*The Gospel: John 21:1-14 (pg. 1078)
*Response to the Word ……………………………………… pg. 3
*Confession of Faith – The Nicene Creed….…………......... pg. 18
*Gloria Patri …………………………………………………. pg. 4
The Offering
*Response: “Create in Me A Clean Heart O God” ……..….. pg. 17
*Prayers of the Church
HYMN ----------------------------------------------------- (WOV) # 673
“I’m So Glad Jesus Lifted Me”
Sermon: Matthew 23 – “Harsh Rebuke!”
HYMN ----------------------------------------------------- (WOV) # 664
“A New Commandment”
* Communion Service: The Exhortation ……………………. pg. 6
* The Lord’s Prayer & Words of the Institution.……………. pg. 7
Lamb of God ………………………………………………. pg. 20
Hymns during the distribution of Communion: # 285, 177, 575
(WOV) 771, 721
*Closing Prayer
*The Benediction & Three-fold Amen ...……………………. pg. 8
THE DOXOLOGY ……………………………...………….. # 390
Organ Postlude
WELCOME! We rejoice that you are sharing this day with us! May the Resurrection Gospel message fill you with joy, thanksgiving, and peace as you join in the celebration of our Lord's resurrection victory over sin and death. Jesus was crucified and is risen, living and ruling for all eternity, Alleluia! If you are visiting our Church this morning, please sign our guest book, and we invite you to come and worship with us again soon.
Announcements
Holy Communion: We invite all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and who have received Confirmation or other Biblical instruction on this Sacrament to come to the altar to participate in the Lord’s Supper. All other, including children, are invited to come forward to receive a blessing from the Pastor. We also invite you to prepare yourself by reading “Personal Preparation for Holy Communion,” (hymnal pages 14-15). Please note: The 6 cups in the center ring of the communion trays are Grape Juice for those wanting juice instead of wine.
Monthly hymn #104: "Christ the Lord Is
Risen Today"
Memory verse: Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Today is Graduate Recognition day. Our High School honorees are Taylor Fink, Jakoby Goldammer, and Noah Hotchkiss
This Week’s Activities:
7th – Wed. – Council Meeting, 7:30 p.m.
11th – Sun. – Worship, 9:00 a.m., (Matthew Chapter 24)
Sunday School, 10:00 a.m.
CHURCH CLEANING: May 5 – 11 Andrea Wright & Audrey Fink
*Call to Worship: Psalm 30
30 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn
me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
3 O Lord,
you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from
among those who go down to the pit.
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O
you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a
moment, and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for
the night, but joy comes with the morning.
6 As for me, I said in
my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”
7 By
your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid
your face; I was dismayed.
8 To you, O Lord, I
cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
9 “What
profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit?
Will the
dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
O Lord, be my helper!”
11 You have turned for me my mourning
into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with
gladness,
12 that my glory
may sing your praise and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will
give thanks to you forever!
1st Reading: Acts 9: 1-22
9 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.
For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.
2nd Reading: Revelation 5:8-14
8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
10 and you have made them a kingdom and
priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth
and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and
honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
*The Gospel: John 21:1-14
21 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.