Lectionary Readings — Proper 25 — October 25, 2026
Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Psalm 90:1-6,13-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Matthew 22:34-46
Call to Worship (based on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8)
Leader: Lord, give us courage to declare your gospel, even in the face of opposition. People: Let our confidence rest not in ourselves, but in you, our God.
Leader: Search our hearts, O God, for you alone test what is hidden within us.
People: May we speak not to please mortals, but to please you.
Leader: Keep us from flattery, from greed, and from seeking the praise of others. People: Let our motives be pure before the God who sees all things.
Leader: As a nurse tenderly cares for her own children,
People: so make us gentle, willing to give not only words but our very selves.
All: Lord, you have become very dear to us. Let our lives be marked by courage, integrity, and tenderness, that others might see you in us. Amen.
Opening Prayer (based on Psalm 90:1-6,13-17)
Let us pray:
Lord,
You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, before you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. We come before you this morning keenly aware of how brief our days are compared to your eternity — we are like grass that is renewed in the morning and withers by evening, and yet you, Lord, remain the same.
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Help us not to waste the little time we are given chasing what will not last, but to spend it in courageous obedience and genuine love for those you have placed in our lives.
Turn, O Lord — how long? Have compassion on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Let your work be shown to us, and your glory to our children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our eternal dwelling place. Amen.
[NOTE to Paid subscribers — scroll down for the full manuscript sermon]
Sermon Outline: "TRUTH WRAPPED IN TENDERNESS"
Based on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
I. Courage Under Fire (vv. 1-2)
II. Character Under Scrutiny (vv. 3-6)
III. Care Beyond Duty (vv. 7-8)
Full Manuscript Sermon Below for Paid Subscribers
