Trinity Lutheran Jefferson, IA - LCMS

 [Sunday's Worship Service and Scripture Readings]

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Introit For The Fourth Sunday in Lent 3-30-25

Psalm 51:2–6; antiphon: v. 1

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your | steadfast love;* according to your abundant mercy blot out my trans- |

gressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my in- | iquity,*
            and cleanse me | from my sin! 

For I know my trans- | gressions,* 

and my sin is ever be- | fore me. 

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is 

evil | in your sight,*
            so that you may be justified in your words and

blameless in your| judgment.
Behold, I was brought forth in in- | iquity,* 

and in sin did my mother con- | ceive me. 

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward | being,*
and you teach me wisdom in the | secret heart.

Glory be to the Father and | to the Son*

and to the Holy | Spirit;

                as it was in the be- | ginning,*
                is now, and will be forever. | Amen.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your | steadfast love;*

according to your abundant mercy blot out my trans- | gressions.

Collect

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new every morning; and though we deserve only punishment, You receive us as Your children and provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 

[Isaiah 12:1-6]  In that day you will sing: "Praise the LORD! He was angry with me, but now he comforts me.  2 See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The LORD GOD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."  3 With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!  4 In that wonderful day you will sing: "Thank the LORD! Praise his name! Tell the world what he has done. Oh, how mighty he is!  5 Sing to the LORD, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world. 6 Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you."

[2 Corinthians 5:16 - 21]  So we have stopped evaluating others by what the world thinks about them. Once I mistakenly thought of Christ that way, as though he were merely a human being. How differently I think about him now!  17 What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!  18 All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others.  20 We are Christ's ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, "Be reconciled to God!"  21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 

[Luke 15:1-3, 11 - 32]  Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 

2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such despicable people-- even eating with them! 3 So Jesus used this illustration:… 11 Jesus told them this story: "A man had two sons.  12 The younger son told his father, 'I want my share of your estate now, instead of waiting until you die.' So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.  13 "A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and took a trip to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money on wild living.  14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve.  15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him to feed his pigs.  16 The boy became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.  17 "When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the hired men have food enough to spare, and here I am, dying of hunger!  18 I will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you,  19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired man."'  20 "So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. '  22 "But his father said to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger, and sandals for his feet.  23 And kill the calf we have been fattening in the pen. We must celebrate with a feast, 

24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.' So the party began. 25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 'Your brother is back,' he was told, 'and your father has killed the calf we were fattening and has prepared a great feast. We are celebrating because of his safe return.' 28 "The older brother was angry and wouldn't go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, 'All these years I've worked hard for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends.  30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the finest calf we have.' 31 "His father said to him, 'Look, dear son, you and I are very close, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!'"