Service outline for Sunday, October 25, 2026

                         Welcome to worship at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church!

PRELUDE                                               

Confession and Forgiveness

In the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.

Silence is kept for reflection

Most merciful God,

we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name.

Amen.

In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

HYMN                                            A Mighty Fortress is Our God                                                 # 503

 GREETING

The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God, and communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And also with you.

 

KYRIE

 

HYMN OF PRAISE            

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Children's message

First Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34

³¹ The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ³² It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. ³³ But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ³⁴ No longer shall they teach one another or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.

Psalm: Psalm 46

 ¹ God is our ref- ^| uge and strength,
  a very present ^| help in trouble.
 ² Therefore we will not fear, though the ^| earth be moved,
  and though the mountains shake in the depths ^| of the sea;
 ³ though its waters ^| rage and foam,
  and though the mountains tremble ^| with its tumult.
 ⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the cit- ^| y of God,
  the holy habitation of ^| the Most High.
 ⁵ God is in the midst of the city; it shall ^| not be shaken;
  God shall help it at the ^| break of day.
 ⁶ The nations rage, and the ^| kingdoms shake;
  God speaks, and the earth ^| melts away. R
 ⁷ The Lord of ^| hosts is with us;
  the God of Jacob ^| is our stronghold.
 ⁸ Come now, regard the works ^| of the Lord,
  what desolations God has brought up- ^| on the earth;
 ⁹ behold the one who makes war to cease in ^| all the world;
  who breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, and burns the ^| shields with fire.
 ¹⁰ “Be still, then, and know that ^| I am God;
  I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted ^| in the earth.”
 ¹¹ The Lord of ^| hosts is with us;
  the God of Jacob ^| is our stronghold. R

Second Reading: Romans 3:19-28

¹⁹ Now we know that, whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰ For no human will be justified before him by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

  ²¹ But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed and is attested by the Law and the Prophets, ²² the righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, ²³ since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; ²⁴ they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; ²⁶ it was to demonstrate at the present time his own righteousness, so that he is righteous and he justifies the one who has the faith of Jesus.
  ²⁷ Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. Through what kind of law? That of works? No, rather through the law of faith. ²⁸ For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Gospel: John 8:31-36

³¹ Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” ³³ They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?”
  ³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. ³⁵ The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. ³⁶ So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”

SERMON

HYMN                                                The Church of Christ in Every Age                                   # 729

 APOSTLES CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's 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 to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended  into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the           forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.   Amen

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE, PEACE, OFFERING

COMMUNION PRAYER

LORD'S PRAYER

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

DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNION

  

HYMN             Break Now the Bread of Life                                                        #654

POST COMMUNION PROCLAMATION AND PRAYER

BLESSING

HYMN                                           The Church’s One Foundation                       #654

                 

DISMISSAL 

POSTLUDE                                          

 Liturgy and hymns printed and streamed with permission through OneLicense. A-710659

Service Outline for Sunday, October 18, 2026

Welcome to worship at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church!

PRELUDE                                   “Sing Praise to God, the Highest Good”                   Walter Pelz

Confession and Forgiveness

In the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.

Silence is kept for reflection

Most merciful God,

we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name.

Amen.

In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

HYMN            “All My Hope on God is Founded”                                          # 757

       All my hope on God is founded

      who will all my trust renew,

      who through change and chance will guide me,

      only good and only true.

      God unknown, God alone,

      call my heart to be thine own.

 

      Mortal pride and earthly glory,

      sword and crown betray our trust;

      what with care and toil we fashion,

      tow'r and temple, fall to dust.

      But thy pow'r, hour by hour,

      is my temple and my tow'r.

 

      Great thy goodness, e'er enduring;

      deep thy wisdom, passing thought;

      splendor, light, and life attend thee,

      beauty springing out of naught.

      Evermore from thy store

      newborn worlds rise and adore.

 

      Still from earth to God eternal

      sacrifice of praise be done,

      high above all praises praising

      for the gift of God's own Son.

      Christ doth call one and all:

      ye who follow shall not fall.

GREETING

The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God, and communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And also with you.

KYRIE

HYMN OF PRAISE            

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Children's message

First Reading: Isaiah 45:1-7

¹ Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
  whose right hand I have grasped
 to subdue nations before him
  and to strip kings of their robes,
 to open doors before him—
  and the gates shall not be closed:
 ² I will go before you
  and level the mountains;
 I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
  and cut through the bars of iron;
 ³ I will give you the treasures of darkness
  and riches hidden in secret places,
 so that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
  the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
 ⁴ For the sake of my servant Jacob
  and Israel my chosen,
 I call you by your name;
  I give you a title, though you do not know me.
 ⁵ I am the Lord, and there is no other;
  besides me there is no god.
  I arm you, though you do not know me,
 ⁶ so that they may know, from the rising of the sun
  and from the west, that there is no one besides me;
  I am the Lord, and there is no other.
 ⁷ I form light and create darkness,
  I make weal and create woe;
  I the Lord do all these things.

Psalm: Psalm 96:1-9 [10-13]

¹ Sing to the Lord ^| a new song;
  sing to the Lord, ^| all the earth.
 ² Sing to the Lord, bless the name ^| of the Lord;
  proclaim God’s salvation from ^| day to day.
 ³ Declare God’s glory a- ^| mong the nations
  and God’s wonders a- ^| mong all peoples.
 ⁴ For great is the Lord and greatly ^| to be praised,
  more to be feared ^| than all gods. R
 ⁵ As for all the gods of the nations, they ^| are but idols;
  but you, O Lord, have ^| made the heavens.
 ⁶ Majesty and magnificence are ^| in your presence;
  power and splendor are in your ^| sanctuary.
 ⁷ Ascribe to the Lord, you families ^| of the peoples,
  ascribe to the Lord hon- ^| or and power.
 ⁸ Ascribe to the Lord the honor due the ^| holy name;
  bring offerings and enter the courts ^| of the Lord. R
 ⁹ Worship the Lord in the beau- ^| ty of holiness;
  tremble before the Lord, ^| all the earth.
 ¹⁰ Tell it out among the nations: “The ^| Lord is king!
  The one who made the world so firm that it cannot be moved will judge the peo- ^| ples with equity.”
 ¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice, and let the ^| earth be glad;
  let the sea thunder and all that is in it; let the field be joyful and all that ^| is therein.
 ¹² Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy at your com- ^| ing, O Lord,
  for you come to ^| judge the earth.
 ¹³ You will judge the ^| world with righteousness
  and the peoples ^| with your truth. R

Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

¹ Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
  To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
  Grace to you and peace.

  ² We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly ³ remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴ For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵ because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. ⁶ And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy from the Holy Spirit, ⁷ so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. ⁸ For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. ⁹ For they report about us what kind of welcome we had among you and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God ¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

 GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Gospel: Matthew 22:15-22

¹⁵ The Pharisees went and plotted to entrap [Jesus] in what he said. ¹⁶ So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one, for you do not regard people with partiality. ¹⁷ Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” ¹⁸ But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. ²⁰ Then he said to them, “Whose head is this and whose title?” ²¹ They answered, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” ²² When they heard this, they were amazed, and they left him and went away.

SERMON

HYMN                   “We Give Thee but Thine Own”                                    # 686

APOSTLES CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's 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 to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended  into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the           forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.   Amen

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE, PEACE, OFFERING, COMMUNION PRAYER

LORD'S PRAYER

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

DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNION

 

HYMN              “My Faith Looks Up to Thee”                                                 #759

POST COMMUNION PROCLAMATION AND PRAYER

BLESSING

HYMN                                            “God of Grace, God of Glory”                                #705

                 

DISMISSAL 

POSTLUDE                                    “Praise to the Lord”                                Gerald Peterson     

 Liturgy and hymns printed and streamed with permission through OneLicense. A-710659