Welcome to our visitors! We appreciate your joining our worship family this morning, and we invite you to sign our guest book. If you would like more information about our church, please contact the pastor at 414-427-9337.

Sunday family worship….8:00 and 9:30 A.M.

Today's Worship

“A friend loves at all times” (Prov. 17:17).

Greeting and prayer:

Invocation: P: We worship God the Father who created us; we worship God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who saved us from our sins; we worship God the Holy Spirit who gives us faith to believe and to live our lives for Christ. C: Amen.

P: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. C: “Now remain in my love.

P: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. C: “You are my friends if you do what I command.”

Church of the Lutheran Confession

12145 W. Edgerton Avenue Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130

414-427-9337 http://www.messiahhalescorners.com

July 30, 2017 Friendship Sunday

Announcements Welcome to all... We welcome our guests today. Thank you for coming! We pray that the Lord through His Word will grant you peace, purpose, and all the other gifts of His grace in Christ. Thanks for a great week! Thank you to all the teachers and helpers for making last week’s VBS an enjoyable and faith-building time for all. Teachers: Sam Lisak, Sean Lillo, John Mueller, Sam Naumann. Music: Faith Lillo, Olivia Albrecht. Crafts: Lisa Lisak. Helpers: Brittany Albrecht, Chris Albrecht, Rachel Arndt, Marcy Gurgel, Daniel Starr. Thanks also to the parents for arranging transportation. Five visitors joined us this year. Fun, food, and fellowship today Today’s picnic will get underway shortly after the service and will be held at Minooka Park, part of the Waukesha Park system. You may pay upon entering the park ($4 per vehicle) or purchase an annual entrance sticker. The park includes biking/hiking trails, a beach with swimming, and sand volleyball. Planned activities include: lawn games, kids’ games (ages 3-5 and 6-9), face painting, photo scavenger hunt for ages 10-100 (bring your phone), a checkers tournament, and Messiah trivia. An entrée, two sides, lemonade, iced tea, water, ice cream, plates, flatware, and table coverings are all provided. Grills are available if you would like to bring meat. Please bring one dish (main, side, or dessert) to share.

They posted WHAT!? Mean-spirited attacks, embarrassing gossip, and other improper comments are posted all the time online. But what are we to do when the person posting is a fellow believer? We’ll take up the topic at this Wednesday’s Bible class. Everyone is welcome.

Muscles needed The tile floors in the building will be cleaned tomorrow. Your help in moving furniture, etc. off the hard floors this morning is greatly appreciated. The carpeting will be cleaned Thursday morning, so help is needed to move everything back onto the hard floors before then.

School anniversary Those interested in organizing the school's 25th anniversary activities are asked to meet between services next Sunday, August 6th.

From the ILC Board of Regents Partners in Ministry Program: The 2016 CLC Convention approved the Par tners in Ministry Program which is designed to link active CLC called servants who have obligations to repay ILC Student Aid Fund loans with sponsors who agree to provide matching funds for payments on those loans. The donor and recipient will remain anonymous to each other. This program is now ready for implementation. There are about a dozen eligible account holders who will be contacted directly to see if they are interested in participating and would then need to fill out an application annually. While donors may get involved with this at any time, it would be helpful to have the initial slate of donors in place by August 15. Those interested in being donors or who have questions may contact the ILC Business Manager, Jim Sandeen, 715-836-6622/jimsandeen@gmail.com.

Directory update in the works Please check your information in the directory posted on the bulletin board and make additions and corrections as needed.

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Looking Looking Looking Looking

Ahead⁄Ahead⁄Ahead⁄Ahead⁄

DDDDToday: Picnic at Minooka Park after the service.

DDDDTuesday: 11:00 A.M: Brenwood service. DDDDWednesday:

7:00 P.M: Bible class.

DDDDThursday: 7:30 A.M: School staff. 7:00 P.M: Bd. of Elders.

DDDDNext Sunday:

Lord’s Supper.

DDDDAugust 10th:

6:30 P.M: Bd. of Education.

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Last call for “Man-Up” weekend! Tuesday, August 1, is the deadline for the second annual “Man-Up” gathering. This weekend is intended to offer instruction and encouragement for men 18 and older for their personal faith, family, and fellowship at church. The theme for this weekend is: "Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). The weekend will include Bible study, fellowship, leadership training, team and relationship building and worship, as well as several awesome outdoor activities. The retreat will be held September 22-24, 2017 at beautiful Wyalusing State Park near Prairie du Chien, WI about an hour south of LaCrosse. You can also find out more information, see pictures of the park and last year's events/activities, read comments from last year's participants, and register for the retreat online at www.manup.clclutheran.org. The cost is only $75 for the weekend and includes lodging, meals, and activities. Men, don’t miss out on this Christ-centered opportunity to be encouraged and built up in the faith which has been delivered to you! If you have any questions please speak to your pastor or contact Nathanael Mayhew at ndmayhew@juno.com or 404-729-4602. Don't wait. Register today!

A friend

loves at all times (Proverbs 17:17)

Church cleaning: Aug 5-11: Church: Lisak. School: Rentas, Eichstadt.

August ushers: 1st: J. Arndt, S. Weibye. 2nd: M. Mueller, A. Gerbitz.

Daily Bible Readings: Su: 1 Thes 4-5. M: Lev 22-24. Tu: 2 Kings 21-25. W: Ps 90-92. Th: Prov 14-15. F: Ezek 43-48. Sa: John 1-2.

Finances: Last Week To Date

Budgetary Offerings: $4,871.00 $21,748.00

Sunday School: $0.00

Budgetary Needs: $6,314.00 $25,256.00

Over/(Under) Budget: ($1,443.00) ($3,508.00)

Missions: $20.00 $190.00

MDF: $130.00 $196.00

Kinship: $500.00 $990.00

Attendance last Sunday: 38, 63.

Hymns and liturgical settings under copyright are used by permission through Concordia Publishing House, License #000013843, Onelicense.net, #A-720270, or Creative Worship for the Lutheran Parish, Series A, Part 3 © 2017 CPH. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Unless otherwise indicated, Scriptures quoted are from the New King James Version® of the Holy Bible, ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

bring Your peace into the lives of those who need Your love; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.

Benediction

P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. C: Amen.

Closing hymn 777 (Worship Supplement): Amazing Grace

Hymn: Joyful, Joyful W e Adore Thee

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Confession and Absolution: P: We are in the presence of the true and living God, who is ever willing to forgive. Let us come to Him in repentance and faith and be assured that we are His friends. C: Holy God, we confess that we are sinful and do not deserve to be called Your children. Every day we fail to keep Your commandments. We do not love You above all things, and we do not always love others as ourselves. We have disobeyed You and deserve to be punished. But we are truly sorry for our sins, and trusting in Jesus we pray: Have mercy on us and forgive us.

P: God, our merciful Father, sent His Son Jesus to die for Your sins. What a friend Jesus is to lay down His life for you! In Him all your sins are forgiven. Peace be with you. C: Amen. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: P: Heavenly Father, who through the work of Your Son Jesus Christ restored to us Your peace, we give You all glory, thanks, and praise. Strengthen our friendship with You through Your Word and Sacraments. Through the Spirit’s work strengthen our relationships with friends here on earth, especially those who have joined us here today. We pray in Jesus’ holy name. C: Amen.

Hymn: Lord, Help Us W alk Y our Servant W ay

Closing prayer: P: Thank You, Lord God, for nourishing our souls on this journey of earthly life with the food of everlasting life in Your holy Word. Fortify us to leave here and engage the people in our lives with the love poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Use us to

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Prayer of the church: Pastor: plain type. Cong: underlined, boldface type.

Dear Lord God: What a Friend You are to love and save a world completely dead in sin and unbelief! In Your holiness You could r ightfully have left us to suffer eternal death, for we have not loved You with all our heart, soul, and mind, and we have failed to love our neighbor as ourselves. Yet You punished Jesus in our place, called us to faith in Him, and have clothed us with His perfect righteousness.

What a joy to praise You today for all Your mercies which are new every morning! You have wonderfully loved us in Christ. Now fill us, we pray, with love which will move us to be true friends. May we never in selfish pride look down on others, but rather reach out to them with our care, time, and help. Instead of avoiding those who struggle with obvious sins, may we share with them Your call to repentance and Your promise of forgiveness and strength to follow You. Let us always remember that we too daily need forgiveness and strengthening of faith in Jesus.

What a blessing to have Christian friends to walk with us, to encourage and comfort us, and to join with us in worshiping You and carrying out the work of Your kingdom! We thank You for all those who served as teachers and helpers at last week’s Vacation Bible School. We thank You for the children You brought us. We pray that the Word of Jesus planted in their hearts will grow and produce abundant fruit in their lives.

Receive our offerings and bless their use in the teaching and preaching of the gospel both here and throughout the world. Move us to cheerfully and generously give as a means of expressing love for You and fellow sinners whom You have redeemed by Jesus’ blood.

Bless our government with honest and faithful leaders who take their responsibility seriously and who will work for the good of all citizens. Cause us to honor and obey them as Your representatives.

As we leave here, stay with us in the new week ahead. Protect us with Your holy angels from all harm to body or soul. Speak to us through Your Word in our individual Bible reading and family devotions. Hear our prayers of praise and our pleas for help. In Your mercy always be our Savior-Friend and make us true friends to everyone around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Old Testament lesson: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12….Friends are there to help one another through the challenges and difficulties of life. Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

VBS children: With Jesus as Pilot

Epistle lesson: Ephesians 4:25-5:2….The forgiving friendship of the Lord shows in the believer’s attitude and actions. Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

The Apostles’ Creed: I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

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Hymn: Lord Jesus Christ, the Children’s Friend

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Sermon: Luke 19:1-10

WHAT A FRIEND! I. He seeks us to save us.

II. He comes to stay with us. III. He touches our hearts to change our lives.

The offering of grateful hearts

Installation of newly elected church board members