Lectionary Readings — Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost — October 19, 2025
Jeremiah 31:27-34; Psalm 119:97-104; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Luke 18:1-8
Call to Worship (based on Luke 18:1-8)
Leader: Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.
People: We come to worship the God who invites us to pray without ceasing.
Leader: In a world where judges may be unjust and hearts may grow cold,
People: We come to the One who is perfectly just and whose love never fails.
Leader: Will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?
People: Yes! We are His chosen ones, and He hears our every prayer.
Leader: Though we may grow weary in waiting, though answers may seem delayed,
People: We will not lose heart, for our God is faithful to His promises.
Leader: When the widow persisted, even an unjust judge responded to her plea.
People: How much more will our loving Father respond to our cries!
Leader: "I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them," says the Lord.
People: We trust in God's perfect timing and His unfailing love.
Leader: And when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?
People: Yes! He will find faith in us—faith that persists, hopes that endure, and hearts that never stop believing.
Leader: Come, let us worship the God who hears our prayers,
People: The God who calls us His chosen ones and invites us to never give up.
All: Let us worship together with persistent faith, unwavering hope, and hearts full of praise!
Opening Prayer (based on Jeremiah 31:27-34)
Let us pray:
Gracious and covenant-keeping God, we come before You this morning with hearts full of gratitude for Your faithfulness that endures from generation to generation. You are the God who watches over Your word to perform it, the God who builds up what has been torn down and plants what has been uprooted.
We thank You, Lord, that You have not abandoned us to our own failures or left us to bear the consequences of broken promises and shattered dreams. Instead, You have made with us a new covenant—not like the old covenant that was broken—but a covenant of grace written not on tablets of stone, but inscribed upon our very hearts.
We praise You that through Christ, You have put Your law within us and made us Your people in the deepest, most intimate way possible. You have promised that from the least to the greatest, we shall know You—not merely know about You, but truly know You as our God and Father.
Lord, we confess that too often we have acted as if the old covenant of external rules and human effort was still in effect. We have tried to earn Your favor through our performance and have grown discouraged when we have fallen short. Forgive us for forgetting that You have already forgiven our iniquity and remember our sin no more.
Thank You for the promise that You will be our God and we will be Your people. Thank You that this relationship is not based on our faithfulness but on Yours, not on our ability to keep covenant but on Your commitment to never break it.
As we gather for worship this morning, write Your Word afresh upon our hearts. Help us to know You more deeply, love You more completely, and serve You more faithfully. May the new covenant promises that seemed impossible to Jeremiah become living realities in our lives today.
We pray for those among us who are struggling to believe that Your promises are true for them. Assure them that Your covenant love extends to all who come to You through Christ. We pray for those who feel that their sins are too great to be forgiven. Remind them that You remember their sins no more.
Lord, as we open Your Word and lift our voices in praise, may we do so with the confidence that comes from being Your covenant people. May we worship not as strangers seeking Your approval, but as children celebrating the love of their faithful Father.
Build up in us what needs to be strengthened, and plant in us what needs to grow. Make us a people who truly know You and make You known to others.
We offer this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, through whom the new covenant has been established and in whose blood it has been sealed. Amen.
Sermon Outline: [NOTE to Paid subscribers — scroll down for the full manuscript sermon].
[Note: All Scripture is taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.]
Sermon Outline: "NEVER GIVE UP"
Based on Luke 18:1-8
INTRODUCTION:
In a world filled with disappointments, delayed answers, and dashed hopes, Jesus tells a story about a woman who refused to give up. This parable isn't just about prayer—it's about the kind of faith that endures when everything seems hopeless.
I. PERSISTENCE - The Widow's Unwavering Determination (vv. 2-5)
A. Her Desperate Situation
B. Her Relentless Pursuit
C. Application for Today
II. PARADOX - Understanding the Judge Comparison (vv. 6-7)
A. The Contrast, Not Comparison
B. God's Character Revealed
C. Application for Today
III. PROMISE - God's Guarantee of Justice (v. 7-8a)
A. The Certainty of Divine Justice
B. The Speed of God's Response
C. Application for Today
IV. PERSEVERANCE - The Ultimate Question of Faith (v. 8b)
A. Jesus' Sobering Question
B. The Test of Time
C. Application for Today
CONCLUSION:
Jesus wants us to pray with the confidence that our heavenly Father hears, cares, and will act according to His perfect will and timing. The question is not whether God will answer, but whether we will maintain faith until He does.
Full Manuscript Sermon Below for Paid Subscribers
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