What thy love is, that thou art; because thy love changes thee into itself; love is the very strongest bond, because the lover and the object loved become one. What is it that has joined together a righteous God and lost sinners, so infinitely removed from each other? Infinite love. And that the righteousness of God might not be rendered of no effect Christ interposed His infinite ransom. What is it, moreover, that unites those so far separated from each other, as God the Almighty Creator and a believing soul, the work of His hands? Love. In Heaven we shall be united to God in the very highest degree. Why? Because we shall love Him in the very highest degree. Love unites and transforms; if thou lovest carnal things, thou art carnal; if thou lovest earthly things, thou shalt become earthly. But flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Cor. xv. 50). If thou lovest God and divine things, thou shalt become divine. The love of God is the chariot of Elijah ascending to heaven. The love of God is the delight of the mind, the paradise of the soul; it destroys the power of the world, conquers the devil, shuts the mouth of hell, and opens wide the gate of heaven. The love of God is the seal of God upon His elect and believing children (Rev. vii. 3). God will not acknowledge as His own in the last judgment, those who are not sealed with this seal. For faith itself, which is the sole means of our justification and salvation, is not genuine unless it shows itself by love (Gal. v. 6); it is not true faith unless it be also an unwavering trust, and such a trust is impossible without the love of God. A benefit is not recognized for which thanks are not rendered; we are not truly thankful to Him whom we do not love. If thy faith is genuine it will recognize the great benefits conferred by Christ, thy Redeemer; aye, it will recognize and render thanks; it will render thanks and it will love Him. (Gerhard’s Sacred Meditations – IX: Loving God Alone, Repristination Press, p. 52-53)
Yearly Archives: 2025
Divine Service Trinity Four – July 13, 2025
Order of Divine Service, p.7 The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal
Hymn “Lord, Open Now My Heart to Hear” LW 197
Readings: Isaiah 58:6-12, Romans 8:18-23, St. Luke 6:36-42
Hymn of the Day: “Lord Jesus Christ, Thou Highest Good!” (The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal #42)
Sermon
Offertory: “Create in Me…” p.18
General Prayer……… p.19-20
Hymn: “Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray” LW 250, TLH 314
Exhortation p.21
Communion Service, p.144 (Lutheran Worship)
Communion Hymns: “For Greenland’s Icy Mountains” LW 322
“Now I Have a Firm Foundation” LW 360
“O God, My Faithful God” LW 371, TLH 395
Closing Hymn: “On What Has Now Been Sown” LW 217
–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL).
Service Bulletin: Trinity-Four-Cover-7-13-2025-Online.pdf
Picture: Ottheinrich Bible 1430 (I:37) Demon Possessed Pigs Matthew 9
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Bible Class #43 on Numbers 13-14 – July 13, 2025
Today, we will study the Twelve Spies, who scout out the Promised Land.
Overhead 1: Text-for-Numbers-13-14.pdf
–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL).
Picture: Pastor Benjamin Henson preaching at Eldona Synod, April 28-May 2, 2025.
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Catechesis Trinity Four – July 9, 2025
On Wednesday nights, Trinity Lutheran Church(Herrin, IL) offers to both children and adults an opportunity for teaching with Learn-by-Heart at 6:30 PM and a catechetical service at 7:00.
This service is designed to prepare God’s people for the theme of the upcoming Sunday Divine Service. The dialog sermon explains Jesus’ teaching on hypocritical judging and mercy (Luke 6:36-42), which is the Holy Gospel for the Fourth Sunday after Trinity.
Learn-by-Heart will include the hymn “I Know of a Sleep in Jesus’ Name” (The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal #98), Small Catechism, First Commandment and meaning, and St. Luke 6:38c.
Service Bulletin: Catechesis-Trinity-4-July-9-2025.pdf
Insert for Hymn: ASBH-98-I-Know-of-a-Sleep-in-Jesus-Name.pdf
Suffrages: Suffrages-for-Catechesis-2024-Online.pdf
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#50 IX: Loving God Alone, part 3:
He loved us when we had fallen into sin; for it is because of His divine love, that He does not instantly deliver us over to death, when we transgress against Him, but patiently awaits our conversion. It is because of His divine love that above what we deserve, aye, even in very opposition to our just deserts, He is leading us to His heavenly mansions. Without the love of God never couldst thou come to a saving knowledge of God. Without that love all knowledge would be worthless; nay more, it would be harmful to thee. Why does love exceed the knowledge of all mysteries (1 Cor. xiii. 2)? Because the latter may be found even in the devil, but the former only in the godly. Why is the devil the most unhappy being? Because he cannot love the Highest Good. Why is God, on the other hand, the most happy and blessed of all beings? Because He loves all things, and takes delight in all the works of His own hands. Why is the love of God not perfected in us in this life? Simply because we love only as we know; and in this life we know only in part, and as in a riddle (1 Cor. xiii. 12). In heaven we shall be perfectly happy, because we shall love God perfectly, and we shall love Him perfectly because we shall know Him perfectly. But no one may cherish a hope of loving God perfectly in the future life, who does not begin to love Him in this life. The Kingdom of God must begin in the heart of man in this life, or it will never be consummated in the life that is to come. Without the love of God we have no desire for eternal life; and how then can we become sharers of that highest Good, if we do not love it, if we do not desire it, if we do not seek it? (Gerhard’s Sacred Meditations – IX: Loving God Alone, Repristination Press, p. 51-52)
Divine Service Trinity Three – July 6, 2025
Order of Divine Service I, p. 136 Lutheran Worship
Hymn “When All Your Mercies, O My God” LW #196
Readings: Micah 7:18-20, 1 Peter 5:6-11, St. Luke 15:1-10
Hymn of the Day: “In Thee Alone, O Christ, My Lord” (The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal #41, LW 357, TLH 319)
Sermon
Offertory: “Create in Me…” p.18
General Prayer……… p.19-20
Hymn: “Jesus Sinners Will Receive” LW 229, TLH 324
Exhortation p.21
Communion Service, p.144 (Lutheran Worship)
Communion Hymns: “Our Father, Who from Heaven Above” LW 431
“Lord, to You I Make Confession” LW 233, TLH 326
“Sent Forth by God’s Blessing” LW 247
Closing Hymn: “Almighty Father, Bless the Word” LW 216
–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL).
Service Bulletin: Trinity-Three-Cover-7-6-2025-Online.pdf
Picture: Ottheinrich Bible 1430 (III:37) The Lost Son Luke 15:11-32
Bible Class #42 on Numbers 12 – July 6, 2025
Today, we will study Numbers chapter 12.
Overhead 1: Text-for-Numbers-12.pdf
–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL).
Picture: Pastor Jerry Dulas preaching at Eldona Synod, April 28-May 2, 2025
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Prayer for Saturday.
- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; in Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; wherein He hath abounded unto us, and made us to know the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure: in Whom also we have obtained an inheritance and are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until our redemption as His purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory. May He fill us with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that we walk worthy of our Lord unto all pleasing, being faithful in every good work, and increasing in knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, to the glorious day of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto the honor and glory of God. Unto Him, the only true God, Eternal King, immortal, invisible, and omniscient, be honor and glory forever. Amen. The Lord’s Prayer. The Creed. Psalm 146. The Gloria Patri. (Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians by William Loehe, Wartburg Publishing House, 1914, Pages 432)
Catechesis Third Sunday after Trinity – July 2, 2025
On Wednesday nights, Trinity Lutheran Church(Herrin, IL) offers to both children and adults an opportunity for teaching with Learn-by-Heart at 6:30 PM and a catechetical service at 7:00 PM.
This service is designed to prepare God’s people for the theme of the upcoming Sunday Divine Service. The dialog sermon explains Lost Sheep and Lost Coin (St. Luke 15:1-10), which is the Holy Gospel for the Third Sunday after Trinity.
Learn-by-Heart will include the hymn “In Walk in Danger All the Way” (The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal #97), the Daily Prayers from Luther’s Small Catechism(Ask a Blessing, Returning Thanks, Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and St. Luke 15:2.
–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL).
Service Bulletin: Catechesis-Trinity-3-7-2-2025.pdf
Insert for Hymn: ASBH-97-I-Walk-in-Danger-All-The-Way.pdf
Suffrages: Suffrages-for-Catechesis-2024-Online.pdf
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Divine Service The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – July 2, 2025
Order of Divine Service, p.7 The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal
Office Hymn: “My Soul, O God, Magnifies Thee” (The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal #94)
Readings: Judges 13:2-7, Isaiah 11:1-5, St. Luke 1:39-56
Hymn
Sermon
–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL).
Service Bulletin: July-2-Visitation-of-the-Blessed-Virgin-Mary-Insert-2024.pdf
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