THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER May 4, 2025
ORDER OF WORSHIP: LSB – Divine Service, Setting One, pgs. 151ff
HYMNS: 485 - 467 (1-4, 5-7) - (629 - 490) - 469
SERMON: “They Knew It Was the Lord”
TEXT: John 21:1-14
A PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Risen Lord Jesus Christ, You have assured us that You are with us in all of our days, even until You fulfill the promise for us of the resurrection of our bodies. In our daily work, grant us wisdom for the tasks that are ours. Provide for us according to Your will. Give us peace that only You can give. By Your death to forgive all of our sin, and through Your resurrection from the dead to give us the abundant life, grant us always Your grace and mercy. All glory to You, with our Father and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. Amen
IN OUR PRAYERS THIS WEEK:
“I will extol You, O LORD, for You have drawn me up and have not let my foes
rejoice over me” (Psalm 30:1).
▪ Thanks be to our heavenly Father for all gifts of daily bread as He provides for the need of our bodies and souls.
▪ We pray that the Lord will give a good recovery and healing to Janice Meredith after surgery last week, and a continued good recovery to Donna Ewing; and for healing for Darryl Engelhardt as he receives medical care.
▪ For the Lord’s guidance from His Word upon the work of Rev. Matthew Harrison, our synod’s president, and Rev. Justin Panzer, our Kansas District President, as well as upon all of the workers in the synod and district offices and on boards and committees of the LCMS.
▪ For the peace of Jesus Christ in our homes and among our families, that there will be love, honor, and respect between husbands and wives, parents and children, and that mothers with babies will be protected from harm.
▪ For wisdom and blessing upon our stewardship of God’s gifts, that we will realize that all things come from Him for the benefit of our neighbors and ourselves.
CIRCUITS 10 AND 11 will hold their final monthly meeting before summer at Redeemer Lutheran Church of Arkansas City this Tuesday, May 6th, from 8:30 am until 2:00 pm. Pastor Schotte plans to attend. He will also attend the quarterly District Presidents’ Council and Board Meetings in Topeka on Thursday and Friday, May 8-9, of this week.
THIS MORNING IN THE DIVINE SERVICE we celebrate the Sacrament of the Altar in which the Lord gives to us the gifts of His body and blood for our forgiveness, life, and salvation. With deep love for God’s Word and respect for fellowship of faith in confessing His Word, we practice closed communion. Visitors to our congregation today who desire to receive the Lord’s Supper should speak with the pastor before the service. To those joining in Holy
Communion from a congregation of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, please fill out an attendance card that we may inform your congregation of your communion with us. Pastor will offer the chalice after the elder has distributed the individual cups.
LEARNING GOD’S WORD . . . Opportunities to do this are available to you at St. Paul:
• Children’s Sunday School – each Sunday morning at 9:00 in the church basement
• Youth Sunday School - each Sunday morning at 9:00 in the upstairs youth room
• Sunday Adult Bible Class – each Sunday morning at 9:00 in the church basement
• Thursday Evening Bible Class – each Thursday at 6:30 in the church basement.
THE VOTING DELEGATES from our congregation to the 75th Kansas District Convention in Salina on June 5-6 will be Kevin Schwertfeger and Pastor Schotte. The theme of the convention is Abiding in the Word, based on John 8:31-32. For more information about the convention and to view the convention workbook, go to kslcms.org and click on the convention icon.
ST. PAUL will participate in the Kansas for Life Baby Bottle Project collecting change, bills, and checks in bottles to be taken home next Sunday on Mother’s Day and brought back to the church on Father’s Day. Kansas for Life disperses the money to pregnancy centers in Kansas, for example, Open Door Pregnancy Center in Hutchinson. Thank you to the people of our congregation for participating in this project.
PRATT COUNTY FOOD BANK . . . The featured item for the month of May is taco shells and/or taco seasoning packets. These or other non-perishable food items may be donated in the box at the south entrance of our church. Thanks for your support!
A LIFE THOUGHT in the Church Year for May 4 – Easter III: Our Father in heaven gathers into His flock persons of every tribe and nation and language (Revelation 5:9-10). Ages, appearances, and abilities do not disqualify anyone, and our world works best when our words and ways proclaim and practice it. And as both Peter and Paul illustrate, neither heritage nor history keeps hearts from Him either. Forgiveness and faith relieve even from involvement in abortion!
HEAD USHER: Gary McGuire ALTAR COMMITTEE: Samantha Dutton
ELDERS: Derek Liggett, Shan Hullman, Lee Van Slyke Marianne McGuire Samantha Houtwed
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH EQUIPS, ENABLES, AND ENCOURAGES ITS MEMBERS TO GROW IN FAITH AND SHARE CHRIST’S LOVE WITH ALL PEOPLE.
TODAY - 8:00 am - The Lutheran Hour, KGNO (Dodge City, 1370 AM)
8:00 am - The Lutheran Hour, KCVW (Wichita, Hutch., 94.3 FM)
8:25 am - The Lutheran Hour, KMMM (Pratt, 1290 AM)
8:30 am - The Lutheran Hour, KWBW (Hutchinson, 1450 AM)
10:00 am - St. Paul Radio Broadcast, KMMM (Pratt, 1290 AM)
6:00 pm - The Lutheran Hour, KREJ (88.1 FM)
MONDAY - 8:00 - 11:00 am - Secretary’s Office Hours
TUESDAY - 9 am - 2 pm - Quilt Groups meets
WEDNESDAY - 8:00 - 11:00 am - Secretary’s Office Hour
THURSDAY - 6:30 pm - Bible Study
FRIDAY - 8:00 - 11:00 am - Secretary’s Office Hours
SUNDAY - 9:00 am - Sunday School and Bible Class
10:00 am - Worship
THE LUTHERAN HOUR - “An Old Place, A New Beginning” (John 21:1-19) God is the Searcher Who will not stop looking for us. In our lonely hiding place, He says, “I knew I would find you here.” Guest Speaker: Rev. Dr. Daniel Paavola.
STEWARDSHIP SENTENCES based on John 21:6 – “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.” Won’t the disciples ever learn? Jesus did this once before — when the odds seemed completely against it, the Lord gave them a command to let down the nets, a command that seemed crazy. But they complied and He blessed their obedience. When will we learn this lesson, too? (lcms.org/stewardship)
SANCTIFYING YOUR YARD WORK WITH THE WORD OF GOD . . . Issues, Etc. is a radio talk show and podcast produced by Lutheran Public Radio and hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken. Recent subjects include: The Office of the Papacy in the Lutheran Confessions, The Easter Hymn “The Strife Is O’er, the Battle Done,” The TV Series “Adolescence,” Women in the Military, and more. You can listen on-demand at issuesetc.org, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomePod, TuneIn, the LPR mobile app, and a podcast provider.
About the Cover: Paul fell to the ground, and the Lord raised him up in Baptism. What a reversal! Paul went from persecuting the faith to proclaiming it. What a Lord that He still unites people to His death and resurrection by Baptism. Our Baptism is death to sin and being made “alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11). When we remember our Baptism, we live in this reality by daily repenting and believing the Gospel!
FIRST READING - Acts 9:1-22
EPISTLE - Revelation 5:8-14
HOLY GOSPEL - John 21:1-14
