The Fourth Sunday in Lent - Online Worship - March 30, 2025
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The Fourth Sunday in Lent
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Sunday Worship - The Fourth Sunday in Lent
”Driven Hearts”
April 6, 2025 - 9:30AM
Faith Quest Sunday School resumes next Sunday!
Upcoming Events:
All are welcome, encouraged to visit the Prayer Cross as moved to do so.
Litany Trusting The Compassionate Heart & Grace of Christ Alone
BASED ON PSALM 116
Today as we share our Lenten journey we pray our hope is renewed in the compassionate heart and grace of Christ alone, so we worship in the name of The Father, and of The Son, and of The Holy Spirit.
Amen. My glory is in the compassion of The Lord. He protects me. When I was brought low, he saved me. My soul rests in The Lord.
Friends in Christ: Love the Lord; he hears your voice when you cry out to him. He inclines his ear to hear you, call on him as long as you live. Let us take a moment of silence to confess our sins and those times we have not trusted the compassionate heart of Christ alone.
(silence)
Friends, The Lord is our salvation, we are precious in his sight. Today, fear not; live anew in the compassion of The Father’s amazing grace; for Jesus saves, and Jesus forgives you all your sins. Live anew in the One who forever has his heart on you; the One who forever is with you!
Song of Trust Anew
Fear Not
Pringle
Fear not
For I am with you
Fear not
For I am with you
Fear not
For I am with you
Says the Lord
Fear not
For I am with you
Fear not
For I am with you
Fear not
For I am with you
Says the Lord
Gracious is The Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; when I wandered off, when I was brought low, he saved me. Keep your heart on me, O Lord.
People of faith: In compassion, The Lord delivered your soul from death, your eyes from tears, your feet from stumbling. Fear not; trust anew the One who faithfully keeps his heart on you, is truly, forever with you!
Song of Trust Anew
Fear Not
Pringle
Fear not
For I am with you
Fear not
For I am with you
Fear not
For I am with you
Says the Lord
Fear not
For I am with you
Fear not
For I am with you
Fear not
For I am with you
Says the Lord
Almighty and loving God, thanks to the compassion of your heart, you broke into our troubled world through the life, death and resurrection of your Son. During our Lenten journey, keep our hearts on you. Thanks to your amazing grace, we fear not, we believe in Christ alone, trusting you are our compassionate Father, even when we are wrong, you see us from a distance, you run to us, you wrap your arms around us, you welcome us home. In the grace of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
Faith Quest Sunday School meets today!
Old Testament Lesson
JOSHUA 5:9–12
The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” And so that place is Gilgal to this day. While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.
(New Revised Standard Version)
New Testament Lesson
2 CORINTHIANS 5:16–21
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
(New Revised Standard Version)
Song of Trust Anew
I Love to Tell The Story
Hankey & Fischer
vs. 1
I love to tell the story
Of unseen things above
Of Jesus and his glory
Of Jesus and his love
I love to tell the story
Because I know it’s true
It satisfies my longings
As nothing else would do
refrain:
I love to tell the story
I’ll sing this theme in glory
And tell the old old story
Of Jesus and his love
vs. 2
I love to tell the story
How pleasant to repeat
What seems each time I tell it
More wonderfully sweet
I love to tell the story
For some have never heard
The message of salvation
From God’s own holy Word
(refrain)
vs. 3
I love to tell the story
For those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting
To hear it like the rest
And when in scenes of glory
I sing the new new song
I’ll sing the old old story
That I have loved so long
(refrain)
Gospel
LUKE 15:1–3, 11b–32
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “this fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So Jesus told them this parable: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout the country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe – the best one – and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”
(New Revised Standard Version)
Statement Of Faith During Lent
BASED ON PSALM 116:1–11
I love the Lord because he has heard my voice
and my supplications.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
Therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me;
The pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I beseech thee, save my life!”
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.
The Lord preserves the simple;
When I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest;
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
For you have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling;
I walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
I kept my faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”;
Even when I said in fear, “No one can be trusted.” Amen.
Compassionate Hearts
JOSHUA 5:9-12; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:16-21; LUKE 15:1-3, 11B-32
How would you define `compassion’? When was the last time, you felt, the true compassion of another? When have you longed to feel the compassion of another, only to be left feeling empty? In your spiritual walk, are you able to trust The One who keeps his heart on you, fills you with compassion, and is driven by grace to have you feel the compassion of his heart alone? Today, as we share the parable commonly referred to as the prodigal son, we see the truth and joy and hope of the loving Father, we feel the compassion of our Father’s heart! The Father proclaims for us, too, grace is real, really here for all of us; compassion is ours through God’s love for us in Christ alone! In our loving Father, we are blessed to live each and every day, refreshed and renewed, alive and found, in our Father’s compassion, in our Father’s amazing grace!
1. Our Father’s heart is compassionate, seeing us from a distance, running to us, taking us in his arms, welcoming us home.
Luke 15:11b-32
A. Our Father’s heart is compassionate, seeing us, even from a distance.
Joshua 5:9-12; 2 Corinthians 5:18
i. A good parent keeps his or her eye on their children.
ii. Our heavenly Father never takes his eyes off of us; he forever keeps his heart on us!
a. Yes, he sees it all.
b. In compassion and grace, he sees it all and is here for us, keeping his heart on us!
B. Our Father’s heart is compassionate, even when we are wrong.
Joshua 5:11-12
i. Easy to often jump right to discipline.
ii. Our heavenly Father starts with compassion, loving and caring for us first.
C. Our Father’s heart is compassionate; he runs to us.
2 Corinthians 5:16-17
i. Our heavenly Father does not hesitate to come to us.
ii. Our heavenly Father does not wait for us to come to him.
D. Our Father’s heart is compassionate; he takes us in his arms.
2 Corinthians 5:18
i. For some, letting someone hold them may take some getting use to and some trust.
ii. Our heavenly Father takes in his arms what matters most.
E. Our Father’s heart is compassionate; he welcomes us home.
Joshua 5:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:20
i. To know you are not welcome is painful. To know you can come in but you do not belong is an empty feeling.
ii. No matter how long you have been gone, or how new you are; to feel the gracious, authentic, word of `welcome’ is fulfilling.
iii. Our heavenly Father celebrates and rejoices every time we see The Spirit reveal there is no place like home.
2. As our Lenten journey continues, let us trust The One who keeps his heart on us, even from a distance, sees us, has compassion on us, runs to us, takes us in his arms, welcomes us and saves us! Thanks to the compassionate heart of our Father, we were lost and now are found, in the amazing grace of Christ alone!
Luke 15:32
Offering is available for our indoor services. Find a Lord of Life with a volunteer bucket to deposit offering in person as you leave worship today. If you find yourself wanting to offer your gifts to Lord of Life, you can do so online using the link below. You can also drop offering at anytime in our secure mailbox at Lord of Life located in the parking lot.
Song Anew in Hope & Grace
There is None Like You
LeBlanc
refrain:
There is none like You
No one else
Can touch my heart like You do
I could search for all eternity long
And find
There is none like You
(repeat)
vs. 1
Your mercy flows
Like a river wide
And healing comes
From Your hands
Suffering children
Are safe in Your arms
There is none like You
(refrain)
... as we pray to you, Jesus,
The Spirit
Intercedes for us
With sighs too deep
For words to express
Oh oh oh
All these things and whatever else you see we need, grant to us we pray, for into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Holy Communion will take place during our service. If you are not worshipping with us in person but would like to receive Communion, we will be offering Drive Through Communion at our building at 16200 Dodd Lane, Lakeville, Minnesota, following our indoor service. Drive Through Communion will be available between 10:15am & 10:30am.
For those worshiping with us in person, we receive communion through intinction; that is, you will receive the bread, the host, then dip into the glass of choice, either a red wine in the chalice closest to the host, or in a light colored non-alcoholic grape juice. All are welcome.
We also offer gluten free and pre-packaged options. Please take these options before arriving at the host to receive a blessing.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
Forever and ever. Amen.
Song During Holy Communion
It Is Well With My Soul
Spafford & Bliss
vs. 1
When peace like a river
Attendeth my way
When sorrows
Like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot
Thou hast taught me to say
It is well
It is well
With my soul
refrain:
It is well
It is well
With my soul
With my soul
It is well
It is well
With my soul
vs. 3
My sin – O the bliss
Of this glorious thought
My sin – not in part
But the whole
Is nailed to the cross
And I bear it no more
Praise the Lord
Praise the Lord
O my soul
(refrain)
vs. 4
And Lord haste the day
When my faith shall be sight
The clouds be rolled back
As a scroll
The trumpet shall sound
And the Lord shall descend
Even so
It is well
With my soul
(refrain)
The body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, strengthen you and keep you in his grace this day, and on into life everlasting.
Amen.
Let us pray.
Almighty God, you gave your Son both as a sacrifice for sin and a model of the godly life. Enable us to receive him always with thanksgiving, and to conform our hearts, and our lives to his, in the grace of Christ alone, the Lord of life. Amen.
Friends, return to The Lord your God with all your heart; trust anew The One who keeps his heart on you! The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor, and give you his peace! In the name of The Father, and of The Son, and of The Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Going Anew in Grace
All the People Said Amen
Maher
vs. 1
You are not alone
If you are lonely
When you feel afraid
You’re not the only
We are all the same
In need of mercy
To be forgiven and be free
It’s all you got to lean on
But thank God it’s all you need
refrain:
And all the people said Amen
Oh
And all the people said Amen
Give thanks to the Lord
For His love never ends
And all the people said Amen
vs. 2
If you’re rich or poor
Well it don’t matter
Weak or strong
You know love is what we’re after
We’re all broken
But we’re all in this together
God knows we stumble and fall
And He so loved the world
He sent His Son to save us all
(refrain)
bridge:
Blessed are the poor in spirit
Who are torn apart
Blessed are the persecuted
And the pure in heart
Blessed are the people hungry
For another start
For theirs is the kingdom
The kingdom of God
(refrain twice)
And all the people said Amen
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Today we share The Fourth Sunday In Lent, “Compassionate Hearts, In Christ Alone!” Faith Quest Sunday School meets today!
Next Sunday, April 6, 9:30 a.m., we share The Fifth Sunday In Lent, “Driven Hearts, In Christ Alone!” Faith Quest Sunday School meets next Sunday!
Join us during Lent on Wednesdays through April 9 for Soup Suppers, 6:30-7:15 p.m. Devotional Service, 7:15-7:30 p.m.
Join Us For Our Holy Week Schedule:
Palm Sunday, Sunday, April 13, 9:30 a.m., “Passionate Hearts!” Including, Palm Procession! Children line up at 9:25 a.m.
Maundy Thursday, Thursday, April 17, 7 p.m., “Loving Hearts!” Including First Communion Celebration, Stripping Of The Altar
Good Friday, Friday, April 18, 7 p.m., “Saving Hearts!” Including readings, prayers, silence, Jesus’ Seven Last Words
Easter Sunday, The Resurrection Of Our Lord, Sunday, April 20, 9:30 a.m., The Resurrection Of Our Lord “Easter Hearts: Alive, Anew, Awakened! Festive Worship including, Music, Children’s Message, Holy Communion, Easter Garden, Easter Fellowship!
As we share our worship, we give thanks for every volunteer as you bless our ministry, greeting, ushering, nursery, serving communion, live streaming, AV ministry, set up, clean up, fellowship, worship leaders, and more! You can access details and ways to sign up on our website and Facebook page! Thank you!
Friends, today as always, all who proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, are welcome to God’s table of grace as we share Holy Communion. For those sharing their generosity today, we thank you for your faithful giving! Offering is collected in baskets by the ushers as you exit the sanctuary.
We hope our worship will touch you, comfort you, reassure you, and grace you in some way! If you believe others you know would be blessed to receive this bulletin, the sermon notes, or our live stream links, please forward these to them.
From everyone on every level of leadership and service, we continue to pray for you and to give thanks to God for each of you! Please contact Pastor Jamie if he can serve you in any way: jamie.thompson@lordoflifemn.org
We pray The Holy Spirit breathes anew on us to be God’s people and to be God’s Church, as together we make known and we trust anew God’s gifts of hope, peace, justice, clarity, calm, and comfort forever break forth in new ways for you and your loved ones, today, and as we share every gift of God’s light, love and grace!
Acknowledgments for today’s service include:
Litany Trusting The Compassionate Heart & Grace Of Christ Alone, written based on Psalm 116. “Prayer of The Day,” “Lord’s Prayer,” “Post-Communion Blessing, Prayer, & Benediction,” and “I Love To Tell The Story,” based on the LBW. © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW) and With One Voice Hymnal Supplement © 1995 Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis & Board of Publication, Lutheran Church In America, Philadelphia; and Evangelical Lutheran Worship © 2006 Augsburg Fortress, Minneapolis, MN. Used with permission. “Fear Not” © 1984 C3 Music Publishing CCLI #13508 “I Love to Tell the Story” Words and Music Public Domain, CCLI #29413 “There Is None Like You” © 1991 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music, CCLI #674545 “The Spirit Intercedes For Us” © 1989 Dakota Road Music, OL #62627 “When Peace, Like a River (It Is Well with My Soul)” Words and Music Public Domain “All The People Said Amen” © 2013 Universal Music CCLI #6518275 All rights reserved. All songs used with permission. CCLI License #1380826 & OneLicense #A-724016.