Greetings in Christ,

Welcome to Lent. During Lent, the service becomes a bit more subdued. The Alleluias disappear and we focus on our Lord who lays down His life for us.

This weekend we hear as Jesus overcomes the temptation to doubt God’s promises and provision. He could have obeyed the Devil and avoided the shame of the cross, but He went to the cross so that you and I are now removed from the place of shame in God’s judgment.

Pastor Troup will be preaching on that matter of what the world would call our shame that is really our source of life, Christ crucified and risen again!

As you prepare for the Divine Service this weekend, you can take a look at the Service Folder to find the readings, prayers, and other parts of the service that will help to guide your reflection and prayer.

You can dig deeper into the parts of this weekend’s service with this segment from Issues, Etc.

Here’s the Lectionary Summary for the upcoming weekend that ties the themes of the weekend together:

Jesus Christ Is Our Champion Against the Devil

Jesus Christ, our champion against the devil, endures and overcomes “every temptation” (Luke 4:13) on our behalf. He worships the Lord, His God, and serves Him only by trusting the Word of His Father: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). Jesus’ victory is now ours through His gracious Word, which is not far away but near us — in our mouth and in our heart, in the proclamation of repentance and faith. For “with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Rom. 10:10). Our confession of Christ includes the prayer of faith, which is not disappointed, “for ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Rom. 10:13). The Lord is not oblivious to “our affliction, our toil, and our oppression” (Deut. 26:7), but has mercy upon us. He has brought us out of bondage through the “signs and wonders” of Holy Baptism, “with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm” (Deut. 26:8), and now He leads us by His Spirit even in the wilderness.

If you weren’t able to join us for service last week, you can catch up now.


I look forward to seeing you this weekend!

Blessings on your day!

In Christ,
Pastor Demski

Published by pastordemski