Sermon on 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Give them what they NEED despite what they may want!
ST. LUKES EV. LUTHERAN CHURCH (WELS)
PICKWICK, MN
Website: stlukespickwickwels.com /
Email: stlukespickwick@outlook.com
February 8, 2026
Welcome to our Guests.
Thanks for joining us! We are gathered here to be strengthened in the faith through the Word of Jesus, the Son of God, who came to save us. If there is anything we can do to better serve you, please let us know.
Today, we follow the Service of Morning Praise on p. 45 in the front part of our Red Hymnal, Christian Worship, found in the pew in front of you.
5th Sunday after the Epiphany
Theme: Jesus Calls Those Who Follow Him to Be Salt & Light to the World!
Solo by Beckah Ellinghuysen: He’s Been Faithful, by Carol Cymbola
Opening Hymn #280 Thy Strong Word v. 1-4
(please stand)
Morning Praise (p. 45)
M: Oh Lord, Open my Lips.
C: (♫ sung) And my mouth shall declare your praise.
M: Hasten to save me, O God.
C: (♫) O Lord, come quickly to help me.
M: The glory of Christ is revealed! Let us worship him.
Venite
C:(♫) Oh, come, let us sing to the Lord,
Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving,
Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God, and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in his hand;
The heights of the hills are also his.
The sea is his, for he made it; & his hand formed the dry land.
Oh, come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God,
And we are the people of his pasture & the sheep of his hand.
(please be seated)
The Old Testament Lesson – Isaiah: 58:5-9a
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.” (NIV)
Confession/Absolution
Psalm of the Day – Penitential Psalm 143 Lord, let your mercy be on us
– found on page 118 at the front of the red hymnal
Epistle Lesson – 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. (NIV)
(please stand)
Gospel Acclamation
ALL: Alleluia. Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Alleluia.
Gospel Lesson – Matthew 5:13–20
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore, anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (NIV)
Seasonal Response
All: – We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(please be seated)
Hymn of the Day #345 In the Cross of Christ I Glory, v. 1-4
Sermon on 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Give them what they NEED, despite what they may want!
(please stand)
Te Deum
C:(♫) We praise, you O God, we acclaim you as Lord;
All creation worships you, Father everlasting.
To you all angels, all the pow’rs of heav’n,
Cherubim and seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of heav’nly hosts,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father of majesty unbounded, your glorious true & only Son
And the Holy Spirit, Advocate and Guide.
You Christ are the King of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free,
You humbled yourself to be born of a virgin.
You overcame the sting of death,
And opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You sit at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
We believe that you will come, to be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
Bought with the price of your own blood,
And bring us with your saints, to glory everlasting.
(please be seated)
Offering
Visitors: We are very glad you are worshiping with us today. Please don’t feel obligated to give an offering. ALL: Please greet and introduce yourself to those worshipping around you.
(please stand as the offering is brought forward)
Kyrie
M: In the morning, O Lord, I call to you; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
C:(♫) Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
The Lord’s Prayer
C: 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.
Prayer of the Day
M: Almighty God, you sent your one and only Son as the Word of life for our eyes to see and our ears to hear. Help us believe what the Scriptures proclaim about him and do the things that are pleasing in your sight; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Prayer for Grace
M: O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to this new day. Defend us with your mighty power, and grant that this day we neither fall into sin nor run into any kind of danger; and in all we do, direct us to what is right in your sight, through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
C: Amen.
Closing Liturgy & Blessing
M: Let us praise the Lord.
C:(♫) Thanks be to God.
M: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C:(♫) Amen.
Closing Hymn #280 Thy Strong Word, v. 5-6
Today’s Door Offering: Friend’s Network
Bible Study – We continue our Sunday AM Bible study on ‘Life’s BIG Questions – God’s TRUE Answers!’ downstairs after the service concludes; today we move into Lesson 3: Why is Life so Tough? Coffee & goodies, to get you through until lunch, will be provided. Come and join us!
This Week at St. Luke’s
Monday, February 9th: Church Council Meeting, 6 PM.
Tuesday: Ladies’ Aid Meeting, 6 PM.
Thursday: Worship Service with communion, at 6:30 PM.
Happy Birthday & Anniversary: Beckah Ellinghuysen 2/8. Please let Natalie know if we missed your special day.
February Church Cleaning: Sheila McNally by 2/8; Mary Stampka by 2/15, Amy Woodard by 2/22.
February Ushers: Bud Krause, Andy Harvey, & Jeremy Church
February Bulletin Sponsors: Mark & Holli Wieser in celebration of their anniversary.
Sign up in the Entryway to:
a) volunteer to Greet & Help people at the door,
b) for an “Every Member Visit” with our new pastor and his wife, Niki, and
c) for Ash Thursday’s (Feb 19th) Soup & Chili Supper.
Looking Ahead
February 19th: A Soup & Chili Supper will be held at 5:30 PM before our Ash Thursday Worship Communion Service at 6:30 PM. [Note: Thursday PM Lenten services will be different than the Sunday worship services until Easter; our local pastors are pulpit rotating for these special services. Refreshments goodies, and fellowship will follow each Thursday worship service. Plan to join us as we spend an extra hour ‘watching and praying’ with Jesus as he told his own disciples in Gethsemane to do!]
Attention Ladies: Your fellow WELS ladies of St. John’s in Lewiston are inviting you to attend a Lenten Reflections Luncheon on Sunday February 22nd at 12:30 PM. Look for sign-up sheet in the Entryway (back counter); register by February 15th. Questions? Contact Beckah Ellinghuysen. Anyone interested could carpool after Bible study that morning.
In our Entryway, please help yourself to:
Keurig Coffee
Meditations (devotion book), “Forward in Christ” & MLC’s “In Focus” Magazines, Church Calendars for the Month
ST. LUKES LUTHERAN CHURCH (WELS), PICKWICK, MN
Church Parsonage
24799 Trout Street 39246 Mill Street
Winona, MN 55987 Winona, MN 55987
(507) 454-1380 (262) 652-7215
Pastor Steven Neumann’s Contact Information
Cell Phone #: (262) 308-7666
Email: pastorsneumann@outlook.com
Musicians
Connie Hagedorn / Kris Swogger
Church Council Members
Jim Albrecht 1st Term 2027
Mark Weiser 2nd Term 2027
Jeremy Church 2nd Term 2028
Kurt Swogger 2nd Term 2028
Dean Morgan 1st Term 2029
Tom Mueller 1st Term 2029
Service Times:
Thursdays: 6:30 PM Sundays: 9 AM (Permanent Change)
St. Lukes of Pickwick accepts the Bible as the inspired inerrant Word of God. We believe that God created the entire universe in six natural days out of nothing by his almighty Word. We believe that humankind fell into sin and is totally corrupt, dead in trespasses and sin, and doomed to hell. We believe that God out of love for us humans sent his own Son who became human, lived a perfect life for us, and suffered eternal death for us. We believe that God the Holy Spirit uses this Gospel message in Word and Sacraments to create faith in us and thus save us. St. Lukes Evangelical Lutheran Church is a gathering of Christians and exists to teach and preach the Word of God in all its Truth, here among us and to all the people of earth.