The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany - 2026,

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Hymn #345         Jesus Lover of My Soul             
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual Romans 13:8-10
The Gospel Matthew 8:23-27
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Sermon Hymn #649     Jesus Savior Pilot Me

Even When Asleep

Hymn #307         Draw Nigh                 
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
Hymn #427    How Firm a Foundation                         

Prayers and Announcements 

• Medical care - Pastor Jim Shrader, Kermit Way, Sarah Buck.
• Avelin (Aby) Anderson was born January 24th three years ago.

KJV Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

KJV Matthew 8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Lord God, heavenly Father, who in Thy divine wisdom and fatherly goodness makest Thy children to bear the cross, and sendest divers afflictions upon us to subdue the flesh, and quicken our hearts unto faith, hope and unceasing prayer: We beseech Thee to have mercy upon us, and graciously deliver us out of our trials and afflictions, so that we may perceive Thy grace and fatherly help, and with all saints forever praise and worship Thee; through Thy dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.  

Even When Asleep

KJV Matthew 8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, [Mark 4:36 - just as He was] his disciples followed him.

The setting becomes quite dramatic. Jesus was tired getting into the large fishing boat. Mark's Gospel includes "just as He was," which is fitting for the next stage. Disciples were in the boat and following on the shore. The miracles were so great that people followed Him, listened to His divine sermons - He spoke with divine authority, "not like the Pharisees" which translates the Pharisees now as "scholars are divided."

That is all the more reason to know the depth of the Scriptures. As I tell students - "The Bible explains the textbooks, not the other way around." The authority is the Spirit at work in the Word of God.

24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

Even on large lakes in our country - the Great Lakes - horrific storms sink ships suddenly. The Edmund Fitzgerald was an ore ship that sank so fast (in 1975), no one could believe what the radar screen said. Jesus' ship was one of those steady, made-for storms ships. Given the violence, darkness, and sloshing waves, the men were wide awake and Jesus was asleep. No one can imagine that a person could sleep through the icy blowing and ship heaving. But Jesus was asleep - His two natures - divine and human.

25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 

[KJV Mark 4:38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 

Mark is known for having the most condensed version of the Gospels, but here is a detailed combination - asleep on a pillow, awakened by His disciples, accused of not caring and about to die]

These details are very important, because they have guided Bible readers from the beginning. The episode places us in that ship, in that terrifying storm, and angry with our Good Shepherd for seeming to be indifferent, even asleep, not caring!

Faith versus Fear

As soon as fear crops up, faith goes out the window (Luther). General Patton said, "Never take counsel of your fears," and he ordered the chaplain to pray away a violent storm that hindered the Army in one horrific episode. 

We are easily struck with the fear that drives away faith. That can be caused by work, threats of unemployment, rejection, relationships, bosses, threats far beyond our abilities to grasp or calm things down.

"Have faith!" is rather empty, unless we say or think, "Believe in Jesus Christ, have faith - have total trust in Him." All of Christianity is based upon this truth - the Son of God is our Good Shepherd, who watches over us and comes between everything bad and dangerous. Wolves growl and pace around, trying to devour and scatter the flock. 

Bad answers to these problems include - Threatening, anger, retaliating, buying someone's favor, earning special titles and honors. In other words, living by the Law - not the Gospel - and making things even. 

 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

There is a certain amount of humor in this and there is also sharpness. A little bit of faith is not adequate for the storms, and it only twists us up in worrying, fretting, and searching for answers apart from and against the Savior.

The greatest power on earth is Satan, but his time is drawing near, whether next year or centuries in the future. The Savior stands in the way of Satan and his many subordinates, who try to ridicule, avoid, and mock the Good Shepherd.

The Savior is far more powerful than Satan, because Jesus allowed Himself to be only the man. He was and is the Word of God who took on the sins of the world.

27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! 

Those who followed and believed were still overwhelmed by the calm power of their Master. No matter what they saw and believed before this happened, stilling the storm and rebuking it were His actions, His will, His demonstration of divine power. Many things had to happen to let them understand and trust in all this.

We have the benefit of what they experienced, essential for the life God gives us. 

Read These for the Most Recent Videos

 

https://youtube.com/@gregoryjacksonphd?si=1qn5syFEQkPVqKHM

PJ Media Exposes Bishop Budde and Many Other Left-Wing NGOs.ELCA, LCMS, and WELS Are Deep into NGOs Too!

 

When Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde lectured President Trump and Vice President Vance about immigration during her sermon at the National Prayer Service on the day after they were inaugurated, leftists hailed Budde for standing on principle and giving the Bad Orange Man a good scolding. As it turns out, however, Budde may have motivations that were a bit more tangible than principle: her Church’s Episcopal Migration Ministry (EMM) rakes in millions from a number of taxpayer-funded entities for bringing the migrants. And the Episcopal Church is by no means alone in this: other Churches that have recently taken principled stance against Trump’s immigration policies are in on the gravy train as well. 

The Churches That Oppose Trump on Immigration are Raking in Millions to Bring In Migrants

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The New York Post reported Friday that Budde’s “sermon to President Trump during an inaugural prayer service, coupled with her church’s advocacy for humanitarian immigration programs, reveals a striking hypocrisy — one that could be seen as self-serving and even a conflict of interest.” This is because in 2023, EMM “earned $53 million from various taxpayer-funded government programs to resettle 3,600 individuals.” If Trump stops the migrant influx and ends the funding for such programs, the Episcopal Church could suddenly be facing a significant shortfall of cash. 

And so Budde appealed to Trump to have mercy upon those who “fear for their lives” – what? From whom? In a magnificent display of elitism, she exhorted him to be kind to “the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals.” She said nothing, of course, about the small matter of that $53 million. 

Nor did she mention another salient fact. According to the Post, EMM “‘sponsored’ 6,400 individuals from 48 countries in 2024. The leading nationalities were Afghans under a special humanitarian program.”

Wait a minute. Afghans? Certainly there are many people who fled Afghanistan because the Taliban would kill them if they got the chance, but did EMM take any time to consider the fact that besides the Taliban, Afghanistan is a key center of operations for al-Qaeda and ISIS? There are certainly Afghans who aren’t members of any jihad terror group, but they didn’t exist in sufficient numbers to prevent the Taliban from returning to power, or to keep al-Qaeda and ISIS from acting in that country with complete impunity. So what measures did EMM take to vet these Afghans and make sure they weren’t bringing in any jihadis? Likely they did nothing about this, for to have made any such effort would have been “Islamophobic.” 

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The Episcopal Church isn’t alone in this hypocrisy. The Post notes that “the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) dwarfs EMM. Forbes reported that USCCB affiliate Catholic Charities USA, which has its hand in all aspects of immigration and seems to get money from every government agency except NASA, received $1.4 billion in taxpayer dollars in 2021. That’s 68 times more than EMM got that year.”

Back in April 2021, Business Insider reported that “the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services is one of nine nonprofit organizations that partner with the US government to meet the needs of refugees who arrive in the country. Those seeking protection from war and repression deserve compassion and assistance, it teaches, citing the ‘mercy of Christ, who himself was a [sic] immigrant and child of refugees.’”

That compassion comes at a price. OSV News reported Friday that “audited financial statements by an outside firm show that the USCCB received about $122.6 million in 2022 and about $129.6 million in 2023 in funding from government agencies for refugee-related services. But the same statements show that the USCCB spent more on those services than the government gave them, meaning the conference did not profit from the grants, according to the conference’s auditors. In 2023, for example, the conference spent $134.2 million for such services.”

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     Related: This Is War, After All: Trump Prepares to Send 30,000 Criminal Illegals to Gitmo

And so when the USCCB condemned Trump’s executive orders on immigration, did it have a pecuniary interest in doing so? Vice President Vance, who is a Roman Catholic, thinks so, saying: “I think that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops needs to actually look in the mirror a little bit and recognize that when they receive over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns? Or are they actually worried about their bottom line? We’re going to enforce immigration law. We’re going to protect the American people.”

Bravo. For too long, bringing massive numbers of immigrants into the country has been a cash cow for organizations that were supposedly motivated solely by humanitarian concerns. No one, however, was concerned for the wellbeing of the American people. Until now.

The leftist elites in all spheres don't care in the slightest about your wellbeing. But at PJ Media, we do, and that's how we report the news. As the elites' stranglehold on the culture and the nation is weakening, now is the perfect time to become a PJ Media VIP member. Use the code SAVEAMERICA for 50% off your membership.

Hey Lutherans and Papists! Listen Up! Your Leaders Spend Billions on Illegals Through Thrivent, Rome And Parallel Gubmint Charities-NGOs!

 

Lutherans and Roman Catholics have enjoyed a tidal wave of tax-payer money gushing through their spread-sheets - thanks to the generosity of Joe Biden and his co-horts.

Lutherans, Romans, and others ask for gubmint support for endless charitable entities so they can carry out their work. I used to follow the Marvin Schwan and Thrivent gift money until the non-profits demanded $1,000 a year to expose how the money and the super-salaries were garnished.

Those who brown-nose with skill can enjoy the perks of shuffling the money and bonuses around. Those who ask penetrating questions find themselves prepping the Hurrycanes at the nursing home.

If Congress passes a law giving billions of dollars for traveling north, accepting cash, and obtaining healthcare, that can be scrutinized, line by line.

If Congress donates money to religious organizations in gigantic lump sums, the recipients are filtered through those generous saints who sanctify their lives with holy gifts and saintly results in appealing charities - NGOs. Non-Gubmint-Organizations.

Thrivent!

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Epiphany 4 Epistle - "Second, the commandment names the most noble virtue — love. It does not say, “Thou shalt feed thy neighbor, give him drink, clothe him,” all of which things are inestimably good works; it says, “Thou shalt love him.” Love is the chief virtue, the fountain of all virtues. Love gives food and drink; it clothes, comforts, persuades, relieves and rescues. What shall we say of it, for behold he who loves gives himself, body and soul, property and honor, all his powers inner and external, for his needy neighbor’s benefit, whether it be friend or enemy; he withholds nothing wherewith he may serve another."

 

Fourth Sunday After Epiphany. Christian Love and the Command to Love. Romans 13:8-10 

ALL COMMANDMENTS SUMMED UP IN LOVE.

“For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

29. Love being the chief element of all law, it comprehends, as has been made sufficiently clear, all commandments. Its one concern is to be useful to man and not harmful; therefore, it readily discovers the way.

Recognizing the fact that man, from his ardent self-love, seeks to promote his own interests and avoid injuring them, love endeavors to adopt the same course toward others. We will consider the commandment just cited, noticing how ingeniously and wisely it is arranged. It brings out four thoughts. First, it states who is under obligation to love: thou — the nearest, noblest, best individual we can command. No one can fulfill the Law of God for another; each must do it for himself. As Paul says (Galatians 6:5), “Each man shall bear his own burden.” And (Corinthians 5:10): “For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” So it is said, “Thou, thou thyself, must love;” not, “Let someone else love for you.”

Though one can and should pray that God may be gracious to another and help him, yet no one will be saved unless he himself fulfils God’s command.

It is not enough merely to pray that another may escape punishment, as the venders of indulgences teach; much rather, we should pray that he become righteous and observe God’s precepts.

30. Second, the commandment names the most noble virtue — love. It does not say, “Thou shalt feed thy neighbor, give him drink, clothe him,” all of which things are inestimably good works; it says, “Thou shalt love him.” Love is the chief virtue, the fountain of all virtues. Love gives food and drink; it clothes, comforts, persuades, relieves and rescues. What shall we say of it, for behold he who loves gives himself, body and soul, property and honor, all his powers inner and external, for his needy neighbor’s benefit, whether it be friend or enemy; he withholds nothing wherewith he may serve another. There is no virtue like love; there can be no special work assigned it as in the case of limited virtues, such as chastity, mercy, patience, meekness, and the like. Love does all things. It will suffer in life and in death, in every condition, and that even for its enemies. Well may Paul here say that all other commandments are briefly comprehended in the injunction, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

31. Third, the commandment names, as the sphere of our love, the noblest field, the dearest friend — our neighbor. It does not say, “Thou shalt love the rich, the mighty, the learned, the saint.” No, the unrestrained love designated in this most perfect commandment does not apportion itself among the few. With it is no respect of persons. It is the nature of false, carnal, worldly love to respect the individual, and to love only so long as it hopes to derive profit. When such hope ceases, that love also ceases. The commandment of our text, however, requires of us free, spontaneous love to all men, whoever they may be, and whether friend or foe, a love that seeks not profit, and administers only what is beneficial. Such love is most active and powerful in serving the poor, the needy, the sick, the wicked, the simple-minded and the hostile; among these it is always and under all circumstances necessary to suffer and endure, to serve and do good.

32. Note here, this commandment makes us all equal before God, without regard to distinctions incident to our stations in life, to our persons, offices and occupations. Since the commandment is to all — to every human being — a sovereign, if he be a human being, must confess the poorest beggar, the most wretched leper, his neighbor and his equal in the sight of God. He is under obligation, according to this commandment, not to extend a measure of help, but to serve that neighbor with all he has and all he controls. If he loves him as God here commands him to do, he must give the beggar preference over his crown and all his realm; and if the beggar’s necessity requires, must give his life. He is under obligation to love his neighbor, and must admit that such a one is his neighbor.

33. Is not this a superior, a noble, commandment, which completely levels the most unequal individuals? Is it not wonderfully comforting to the beggar to have servants and lovers of such honor? wonderful that his poverty commands the services of a king in his opulence? that to his sores and wounds are subject the crown of wealth and the sweet savor of royal splendor? But how strange it would seem to us to behold kings and queens, princes and princesses, serving beggars and lepers, as we read St.
Elizabeth did! Even this, however, would be a slight thing in comparison with what Christ has done. No one can ever equal him in the obedience wherewith he has exalted this commandment. He is a king whose honor transcends that of all other kings; indeed, he is the Son of God. And yet he puts himself on a level with the worst sinners, and serves them even to dying for them. Were ten kings of earth to serve to the utmost one beggar, it would be a remarkable thing; but of what significance would it be in comparison with the service Christ has rendered? The kings would be put to utter shame and would have to acknowledge their service unworthy of notice.

Improving and Expanding the Lutheran Library

 

Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry Weekly Updates

May God bless you now and always. From your Lutheran Librarian,

📅 NEW PUBLICATIONS AND UPDATES

Short Stories Of The Hymns by Henry Kieffer “The purpose of this little book is to present to its readers some brief account of the origin and authorship of some of our more familiar hymns… to select from a very large amount of material which the author has for years past been gathering, a few of the more striking and interesting incidents connected with the composition of some of our best known Songs of Zion. “It is quite possible, truly, that this little book may traverse some ground already familiar to some of its readers, but it ... Read more Anecdotes of Providence Chapters include The Preservation of Life, Temporal Blessings, and Preservation from Danger, Conversion of Sinners, Relief of Mental Distress, Answers to Prayer, and Deliverance in Persecution. Level of Difficulty: Primer: No prior subject matter knowledge needed. Contents About the Lutheran Library Title Page Contents Index 1 The Preservation of Life 2 Bestowment of Temporal Blessings, and Preservation from Danger 3 The Conversion of Sinners 4 The Relief of Mental Distress 5 Answers to ... Read more 🎉 New Website for 2025 Summary (TL/DR) The Lutheran Library website has been updated for 2025. The biggest changes you may notice are better options for browsing and finding books. Why this change? The website has been created using Hugo, an underlying language for “static” web development. Hugo continues to undergo significant changes, rendering older versions obsolete. As the number of books in the Lutheran Library has increased, the version of Hugo we have been using has grown slower and slower on the 2013 ... Read more 🎁 If You Care To Help Your encouragement always means a lot to us. If you wish to help: Send a note when you think of it. It doesn’t have to be long or fancy! Tips of any amount bring a smile to our face. If you have a recent x or t series Thinkpad you’re not using and would like to gift to us, that would be a blessing. Keep us in your prayers. Most of all, pray that these books will find their way to those who are seeking them, whoever and wherever they may be. May the Lord bless all of us in this year to ... Read more The Lutheran Liturgy by Luther Reed “Public worship… is the privilege and responsibility of the Church. It must be ordered and administered. It is not an abstraction; it is a solemn transaction. It is faith in action. Times, place, forms, and musical settings must be provided. Reverence, dignity, beauty, and efficiency can best be attained by appropriate formality. The Church has thought much about these matters.” - From the Introduction: The Mind of the Church Level of Difficulty: Intermediate: Some prior subject matter ... Read more Consolation: Discourses to the Suffering Children of God by James Alexander The whole of Divine Truth may be regarded as a comfort to Christian disciples… We help the disheartened by… setting before his mind those great everlasting truths, the acceptation of which lays the basis for joy and peace. - From the Preface" Level of Difficulty: Primer: No prior subject matter knowledge needed. Contents About the Lutheran Library Titlepage Contents Preface 1 God’s Everlasting Mercy a Source of Consolation 2 The Providence of God a Ground of Consolation 3 The Same Subject ... Read more

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Helped Patton's Troops - Got a Loan To Come to America

 

Veteran's Honor Rose reminds our military of their sworn duty.

My wife and her sister were born in poverty and lived for a time in a refugee camp. Her parents borrowed the funds to come across to America. They paid the entire amount back and helped more of the family settle in the States. One uncle joined the US Army.

They all studied to become American citizens, the pride of their lives.

The sisters were coaxed to attend a local state university, and some urged Valparaiso. Christina insisted on Augustana College in Rock Island, within walking distance of my house. We met on the first day in English class and I was asked by my brother about that meeting. I said, "I met a red-head and I'll ask her out and maybe marry her." Decades later, when Christina talked about this, a Moline friend at the same dorm said Chris kept calling my name that week.

Look at Your Tax Dollars - Going to Lutheran Refugee and Immigration ServicesNow - GLOBAL REFUGE and THRIVENT!

 

Former - Lutheran Refugee And Immigration Services

Why an 85-Year-Old Charity Needed a New Name

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service rebranded as Global Refuge to put the spotlight on its mission — and boost fundraising.

By  Ben Gose

March 8, 2024

Global Refuge

In 2023, Global Refuge (formerly Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS)) opened the Camino a Casa program in Guatemala to offer specialized services for youth repatriated from the United States or Mexico. The program addresses reintegration challenges such as poverty, violence, and a lack of economic opportunity through comprehensive case management, access to educational and vocational training, financial assistance, and mental health support for youth and their families, promoting stability and fostering a sense of belonging for Guatemalan youth returning home.

This grant supports the Camino a Casa program in Guatemala, which promotes economic empowerment, social mobility, and diverse, inclusive communities through a three-prong system: pathway building, career navigation, and harnessing the power of champions and coalitions.

Support from the Thrivent Charitable Community Fund and generous gifts our donors help make this possible. For collaborative funds, Thrivent Charitable conducts an invitation-based grantmaking process. For more information visit our nonprofit resources.