April 27, 2025, Second Sunday of Easter

WELCOME It is a joy to worship with all of you! May God bless our time together. OPENING HYMN: 159 — Morning Breaks upon the Tomb THE ORDER OF WORSHIP: page 38 — Service of the Word THE PRAYER OF THE DAY O risen Lord, you came to your disciples and took away their fears with your word of peace. Come to us also by your Word and sacrament, and banish our fears with the comforting assurance of your abiding presence; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: (sung) Amen. FIRST LESSON: Acts 5:12; 17-32 RESPONSIVE PSALM OF THE DAY: Psalm 16 P: Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. C: I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” P: I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. C: My heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, P: because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. C: You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. All:I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living. SECOND LESSON: 2 Peter 1:16-21 16 To be sure, we were not following cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the powerful appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father, when the voice came to him from within the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18 We heard this voice, which came out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 We also have the completely reliable prophetic word. You do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts, 20 since we know this above all else: No prophecy of Scripture comes about from someone’s own interpretation. 21 In fact, no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were being carried along by the Holy Spirit. VERSE OF THE DAY: John 20:29b Alleluia. Alleluia. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Alleluia. GOSPEL: John 20:19-31 19 On the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were together behind locked doors because of their fear of the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you!” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you! Just as the Father has sent me, I am also sending you.” 22 After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 Whenever you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven. Whenever you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” 24 But Thomas, one of the Twelve, the one called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples kept telling him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26 After eight days, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Take your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue to doubt, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30 Jesus, in the presence of his disciples, did many other miraculous signs that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. HYMN OF THE DAY: 165 vs. 1-5 — O Sons and Daughters of the King CHILDREN'S MESSAGE HYMN OF THE DAY: 165 vs. 6-9 — O Sons and Daughters of the King SERMON: 2 Peter 1:16-21 The Completely Reliable Prophetic Word APOSTLES’ CREED OFFERING THE PRAYER OF THE CHURCH AND THE LORD’S PRAYER HYMN: 291 — We Have a Sure Prophetic Word CLOSING PRAYER AND BLESSING CLOSING HYMN: 341 — Crown Him with Many Crowns Used with permission through our CCLI Copyright License #21115061 and Streaming License #21115078. Streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-700000.