Verse for the week: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” Ecclesiastes 3.11
Prayer for the week: Dear heavenly Father, hallow your name among us: see to it that your Word
is taught in its truth and purity and that we as your children live in harmony with
it; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.
Bible reading for the day: Ephesians 5.1-21
Therefore be imitators of
God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in
love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us,
a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3 But sexual
immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among
you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there
be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of
place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For
you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure,
or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with
empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes
upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do
not become partners with them; 8 for at one
time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as
children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is
found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try
to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no
part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose
them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of
the things that they do in secret. 13 But
when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for
anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Look carefully then how
you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the
best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore
do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do
not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with
the Spirit, 19 addressing one another
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the
Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and
for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of
reverence for Christ.
Prayer of the Day: Gracious and Almighty Father, in Christ Jesus you wake me up and call me
out of the death and darkness that is within and around me and into his light.
Thank you! The days a certainly evil; give me the wisdom that exposes the
darkness and deceit of empty words and debauchery for the counterfeit that they
are. Daily guide me to walk as a child of light, making the best use of the
time; in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Hymn: follow this link to Bach’s classic “Sleepers
Awake,” it gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyWOIKCtjiw&ab_channel=ClassicalMusicOnly
“What does baptism mean for daily living?”
It means that our sinful self, with all its evil deeds and
desires, should be drowned through daily repentance; and that day after day a
new self should arise to live with God in righteousness and purity forever.
St. Paul writes in Romans 6:
“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as
Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk
in newness of life.” (from The Small Catechism, Martin Luther)
Benediction: For the Lord takes pleasure
in his people;
he adorns the humble with salvation. Psalm 149.4
*This is now
our congregation’s 99th year in the Word. In 2025, we are reading
from Genesis to Revelation, with a few interludes along the way.
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