SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST September 15, 2024
ORDER OF WORSHIP: LSB – Divine Service, Setting Four, pgs. 203ff
HYMNS: 726 - 849 - (709 - 528 - 830) - 783
SERMON: “I Believe; Help My Unbelief!”
Text: Mark 9:22-24
A PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Gracious and merciful Father, in Your Word we are taught to pray. Open our lips that our mouths may declare Your praise. In times of trouble, hear our prayers for deliverance and give us a confident trust in You for answers to prayer. As people who suffer the effects of living in a fallen world and as a result of our own sins, we ask you to hear our prayers for mercy. And as we recall, acknowledge, and count Your daily gifts, hear our prayers of thanksgiving, for You are good and Your steadfast love endures forever. Always hear and answer our prayers for Jesus’ sake, as He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. Amen
IN OUR PRAYERS THIS WEEK:
“I love the LORD, because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy” (Psalm 116:1).
• Thanks be to God for His daily protection, provision, and peace in Christ Jesus.
• For wisdom from the Word of God and continued faithfulness to the Word for Rev. Matthew Harrison, president of the LCMS, and Rev. Justin Panzer, president of the Kansas District LCMS, and for all synod and district office, board, and committee workers in their service to Christ’s church.
• For protection from the Lord upon all whose work leads them into daily difficulty and danger, including emergency workers and responders.
• For those suffering the effects of addiction, that through the Gospel of Jesus Christ crucified and risen, they would take hold of the freedom from that which enslaves them.
• That those who are lonely would benefit from friends who are in Christ Jesus.
MIDWEEK SCHOOL has begun at St. Paul. Opportunities to help with occasional Wednesday evening suppers throughout the year are listed by date on a sign-up sheet at the church’s south entrance. Your service is always much appreciated!
MUMS available for purchase today! Donations may be made to Brenda Schwertfeger or a member of the St. Paul Lutheran youth group. Thank you for your support of this project.
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.
THE KANSAS LUTHERAN LAYMEN’S LEAGUE (LLL) District Convention will be held on Saturday, October 26 at Messiah Lutheran in Hays. The St. Paul Men's group encourages men and women to attend. Guest speaker will be Polly Gregali, community facilitator, LLL. She will share ideas for our congregation. A silent auction will be held to benefit KS LLL District projects. If you would like to share your talents by sending an item, please speak with Roy Sinclair or Warren Briggeman Additional information can be found on the flyer posted on the elevator door.
LUTHERAN WOMEN IN MISSION is what members of LWML are all about. Formerly we've always gone by: LWML (Lutheran Women's Missionary League). Going forward you will continue to see Lutheran Women in Mission at work at St. Paul. Our motto of "Serving with Gladness" shines through with women's work groups for dinners, church cleaning, quilting, shut-in visits/cards, community events like the Circles of Hope dinner as well as the Kids' Festival at Lemon Park last spring, etc. Next month we're baking cookies to help celebrate Lutheran Women in Mission Sunday on October 6 at St. Paul. Do you have a favorite? Oatmeal, Snickerdoodle, Chocolate Chip, ....?
THE GATHERING is an annual fundraiser to benefit Fairmount Ministries and Coffee Company, a Recognized Service Organization (RSO) of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. The Gathering this year will be held on Thursday, October 17th, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Botanica—Lotus Hall in Wichita (701 Amidon St.). You are invited to attend. For more information, visit the website at fairmountministries.org/gathering, or see the invitation on our bulletin board downstairs.
ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH of Ellinwood will hold its annual Fish Fry on Sunday, September 29th, from 5 to 7 pm. A free will offering will be received. More information can be found in the St. John newsletter in the tract rack at the south entrance to our church.
HEAD USHER: Gary McGuire ALTAR COMMITTEE: Donna Briggeman
ELDERS: Derek Liggett, Shan Hullman, Lee Van Slyke Linda Hoeme Leigh Ann Hall
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 Group meets
WEDNESDAY - 8:00 - 11:00 am - Secretary’s Office Hours
6:30 pm - Midweek
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 - “Bent Necks and a Better Brother” (Genesis 27:35-36). The Book of Genesis is no fairy tale. It depict’s real people--people like us, with half-truths, crooked ways, and sore necks--but also the God Who created us and bears with us because He loves us. Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler.
STEWARDSHIP SENTENCES based on Mark 9:24 – “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” Haven’t we often felt like this! And notice that Jesus does not throw the man out because of his weakness of faith: He still has pity, and He still blesses the man. But neither does Jesus leave people in weakness of faith. He blesses us and calls us to a deeper faith, as He did to the disciples in the boat on the storm-tossed sea. How does our faith grow? By hearing the Word of God. What does our faith lead to as it grows? A godly life lived in thanksgiving to our Lord. (lcms.org/stewardship)
About the Cover: After the disciples could not cast out the demon from the boy, an exasperated father pleaded with Jesus to see if He could do anything. When Jesus said,”’If you can’! All things are possible for the one who believes,” it is without question that Jesus can accomplish this. When the father says, “I believe, help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:23-24), it is also without question that Jesus has compassion on all who call upon Him, no matter how weak their faith. His compassion to save depends soley on His love, which is shown in the giving of Himself to conquer sin, death, and the devil for us.
