“True Measure of Faith” Fourth Sunday After The Epiphany February 1, 2015 AS WE GATHER Welcome to Our Shepherd Lutheran Church, and a special welcome to our guests! What’s the true measure of faith? St. Paul tells us faith is measured not by what you know, but rather how you love. Many who fancy themselves strong in the faith put their desires above the needs of others. This destroys Christian faith and fellowship. We, who would like to think we are strong, need to be careful to do everything in love, thus fulfilling Christ’s command to “love one another.” Much love is the true hallmark of a vibrant faith. God bless your worship with us today. WORSHIP * DISCIPLESHIP * FELLOWSHIP In worship, we gather in God’s NAME, hear His Word, are taught by His Holy Spirit, receive Christ’s body and blood for our forgiveness and depart with His blessing. What a great blessing it is to receive God’s gifts in worship! This is why worship is the most important activity we do as the people of God and why God’s faithful saints throughout time have made worship a top priority in CONGREGATION NEWS EASTER BREAKFAST HELP NEEDED ~ We are in need of a ministry or group to oversee this year’s Easter breakfast. In years past, a wonderful Fellowship Committee has coordinated the meal, but the committee is currently inactive due to key leaders dealing with illness or family issues. If you would like to step up and assist with this event, please speak to one of the pastors soon. If no one feels led to serve in this way, we will still have coffee and donuts available as we normally do on Sundays. Thank you! COUNSELING SERVICES ~ Pastor Lepley and a team of lay leaders are working towards forming a partnership with Cross Connections, an LCMS-founded and based Christian counseling service from Fort Wayne. Our goal is to bring Christ-centered, Bible-based counseling services into the greater Indianapolis area. Please pray for our leaders as we discern how best to partner with Cross Connections in the hopes of blessing our community with this great resource for emotional, spiritual, mental and family well-being. AUDIO/VISUAL HELP is needed for our 8am and 6:30pm worship services. E-mail DCE Dan at [email protected] if you are able to help. MARRIAGE RETREAT ~ Registration deadline is today! Please sign up in the narthex and/or submit your payment of $260 to DCE Dan Hampton. Friends are most certainly welcome to attend. SUPER BOWL PARTY for all students, family and friends this evening. Join us at 5:30pm until the game is over for a night of games, fun and food. Please sign up in the narthex if you’re coming, and bring a sweet or savory snack to share. SATURDAY USHERS NEEDED ~ We are looking for additional helpers, male, female and youth, to serve as ushers for the Saturday evening services. If you would be interested in serving your church in this way, or would like to know more, please see Ann Michael or email her at [email protected]. Thank you! Divine Service 1, p. 151 ff. GOT BIBLES? We are collecting Bibles to have available for visitors and others who request them to keep. Any translation would be appreciated, and even a New Testament would be better than none at all! Please place them in the basket at the Welcome Center in the narthex. Thanks! Confession/Absolution FREE LENTEN DEVOTIONS ~ Lutheran Hour Ministries offers a free Lenten devotional, The Light Shines in the Darkness, depicting a moving portrait of Jesus as given in the Gospel of John. It is available now to download online at www.lentendevotions.net, or an audio version and email subscription option will be available starting Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18. Opening Hymn 533 “Jesus Has Come and Brings Pleasure” p. 151 Kyrie p. 152 Hymn of Praise p. 155 “This Is The Feast” Collect of the Day p. 156 First Reading See back of bulletin FOR YOUR CALENDAR…Euchre & Board Game Fellowship, Jan. 30, 6pm; Big Game Party, Feb. 1, 5:30pm; MOPS Meeting, Feb.9, 9am; Marriage Retreat, Feb. 13-15 (deadline to register is this Sunday!), Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, Columbus; Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, services at 4:30 & 6:30pm, Lenten meal at 5pm; Ladies Circle Meeting, Feb 19, 10am; Susie's Place Child Advocacy Center Service Project, Feb. 21, 8am-noon; Food Pantry Drive-Up & Drop-Off, Feb. 21 & 22 before each service; Ladies Guild Meeting, Feb. 24, 7pm, Luther Room; 2015 All Saints Fest, Nov. 20, The Palms, Plainfield. Musical Response IN OUR PRAYERS THIS WEEK: Those struggling in body, mind and spirit: Cory Cook, Sr., Tom Rafferty, Natalie Smith, Joan Marshall, Carol Zoss, Dory Stigall, Phyllis Everett, Cathy Loe, Stacy (Weiss) Wedding and Val Weber. For Dennis & Shara Toole and all of our shut-ins. Our Indiana District, LCMS Synod and Worldwide Missions: for Living Christ Lutheran Church. Zeal to pray for missionaries here in the United States and around the world. Christians persecuted around the world. The unsaved, for faith in Jesus as their Savior. Our Armed Forces: Ryan Enlow, Andrew Pierson, Rex Rafferty, David Rieger Sr., Shad Singer, and Scott Zimmerman. Nicene Creed INDEPENDENT BIBLE READING……………………………………………..1 Samuel 11-1 Samuel 16 Altar flowers are given this weekend to the glory of God by Todd & Donna Maloney in celebration of Leah’s 7th birthday. OUR RESPONSE THROUGH LAST WEEK: In Worship: 654 In Financial Support: Saturday 61 Tithes vs Budget 8:00am 285 $80,501 $77,500 10:45am 283 Tithes YTD vs YTD Tithes Budget $567,855 $584,600 Midweek 25 Employer Match YTD vs Budget $11,950 $21,581 Thrivent YTD vs Thrivent Budget YTD $3102 $1900 Total Income YTD vs Budget $1,108,441 $1,185,461 Wednesday, January 21 ~ $1477.00 Epistle Reading See back of bulletin Alleluia and Verse p. 156 Gospel Reading See back of bulletin p. 158 Children’s Message (8am only) Sermon Hymn 842 “Son of God, Eternal Savior” Sermon “True Measure of Faith” 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Prayers of the Church Offering/Offertory p. 159 Service of the Sacrament p. 160-ff Distribution Hymn 696 “O God, My Faithful God” Post-Communion Canticle p. 165 “Nunc Dimittis” Closing Hymn 698 “May We Thy Precepts, Lord, Fulfill” Deuteronomy 18:15-20 15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.” 17The LORD said to me: “What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. 19I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. 20But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.” 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 2Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. 3 But whoever loves God is known by God. 4So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” 5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 7But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? 11So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall. Mark 1:21-28 21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. 27The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. OUR SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL 9201 E County Road 100N, Avon, IN 46123 www.ourshepherd.org * [email protected] * 317.271.9103