SHEPHERD OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH
READINGS, PRAYERS and DEVOTION
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22
NEWS: We return to God’s house tomorrow with a guest preacher and a German potluck! Pastor Joel will lead our Bible study at 9 AM and continue teaching us about the Lord’s Prayer. In our 10 AM worship, we will have a guest preacher, but Pastor Joel will officiate the rest of the service. Our readings for the day are as follows: Genesis 4:1-15; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 and the Gospel lesson, Luke 18:9-17 After we’ve celebrated the Lord’s Supper and our service is complete, please proceed to the Community/Fellowship Hall for a German Potluck celebration! There will be brats served and much other good food, most with a German theme. If you missed the sign-up sheet for bringing food, NO PROBLEM! You can still bring something or JUST COME! ALL are welcome to participate.
PRAYERS: Today we especially pray for Diane Finley. Diane requests prayers for unity and health for the family. We also pray for the sister of Bruce Woodward, who was admitted to the hospital with severe pain and a high fever.
READINGS: Psalm 62; Psalm 119:137-144; Deuteronomy 21:1-23; Matthew 16:1-12
DEVOTION:
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
“All Things in Jesus”
Galatians 4:4-5 – But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
The Old Testament states that God will send His Son to be the Savior of the world, and that prophecy was fulfilled to the letter. What evidence of divine, almighty power lies in the fact that God kept His promise to Abraham, Jacob, and David, that the Messiah would be one of their descendants! It required divine protection to preserve the messianic line. Tremendously hostile powers had to be overcome if those chosen as Jesus’ human ancestors were to live, and they did live! God kept His promises. He sent His Son.
Jesus came, bringing us four basic freedoms: freedom from sin and hell, freedom from despair and death. But how? By fulfilling the divine Law for us. By suffering the punishment of God’s wrath-for us. By burying the whole crushing, damning, soul-destroying load of our sins—for us. He did this by taking on Himself the consequence and condemnation of all our transgressions.
As Isaiah the prophet has written, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). This is the sacred, heavenly message of the manger. This is the sobering announcement that the Babe of Bethlehem would one day become the Crucified One on Calvary—the only One who could make us stainless in the sight of a holy and just God.
Our atonement is 100-percent Christ’s work, no percent ours. “For by grace you have been saved through faith,” the apostle Paul wrote (Ephesians 2:8a). To know God’s great salvation, you need only believe, only follow the Spirit as He urges you to approach Christ with a contrite, broken heart, to confess your iniquities, to cling to the divine, unbroken assurance of sin-conquering love and death-defeating compassion.
Because Jesus came “to redeem those who were under the Law,” He also has torn you from the tyranny of your fears and worries. In the clamor and chaos of a world such as ours, you know that if God’s Son so loved your soul that He came into this world of sin to save you for Himself and eternity, then He is completely concerned about your daily needs, your heart’s deepest longings.
As Jesus has redeemed you from sin, He has lifted you to a new and victorious place in your life. He has not exempted us from suffering, of course, but gives us the power to genuinely rejoice, even in the face of trouble and tribulation. And all of this—because God sent His Son!
WE PRAY: Heavenly Father, in Your Son Jesus You have given us all things. Thank You! Amen.
From “God Sent His Son,” a sermon excerpt from Rev. Dr. Walter A. Maier, the first Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
Reflection Questions:
1. Are there areas in your life you would like to settle down right now?
2. Why could only Jesus redeem us from the demands of God’s righteous Law?
3. How does God give us true freedom in His Son?
Today’s Bible Readings: Jeremiah 9-10 Colossians 1
Luther’s Morning Prayer
In the morning, as soon as you get out of bed, you are to make the Sign of the Cross and say:
“God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit watch over me. Amen.”
Then, kneeling or standing, say the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. In addition recite this prayer as well:
“I give thanks to you, my heavenly Father through Jesus Christ your dear son, that you have protected me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you that you would also protect me today from sin and all evil, so that my life and actions may please you completely. For into your hands I commend myself: my body, my soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel be with me, so that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.”
After singing a hymn or whatever else may serve your devotion, you can go about your day joyfully!
Luther’s Evening Prayer
In the evening, when you go to bed, you are to make the Sign of the Cross and say:
“God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit watch over me. Amen.”
Then, kneeling or standing, say the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. In addition recite this prayer as well:
“I give thanks to you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have graciously protected me today, and I ask you to forgive me all my sins, where I have done wrong, and graciously to protect me tonight. For into your hands I commend myself: my body, my soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel be with me, so that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.”
You can now go to bed quickly and cheerfully.
OTHER RESOURCES:
Our church website is: https://www.svlchurch.org/
Below is our Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/shepherdofthevalleyoceanside
Here is the website for Lutherans for Life: https://lutheransforlife.org/
Here is the website for Lutheran Hour Ministries: https://www.lhm.org/
Lutheran Public Radio is listener supported and has two channels, one for sacred music and the other for talk, including news, current issues, politics and spiritual matters from a Lutheran perspective. Hosted by Pastor Todd Wilken, Issues, Etc. airs live Monday thru Friday from 1 to 3 pm Pacific, with the “Best Of” running at other hours: https://lutheranpublicradio.org/
KFUO is the listener supported radio station owned and operated by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Based in St. Louis, their format consists of teaching, preaching, ministry and sacred music: https://www.kfuo.org/
A very blessed Saturday and weekend to everyone! For any needs or prayer requests, please contact us
Pastor Joel at pastor@svlchurch.org
