Emmanuel Lutheran Church - Dwight, IL

10/26/2026

October 26: Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608), Johann Heerman (1585-1647), Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676) - hymn writers.

Nicolai served as a pastor in Germany during the Great Plague. During one six month stretch around 1300 members of his parish died, and daily graves were dug in the cemetery next to his house. Yet this man of faith continued to preach and teach and write hymns, including two numbered among the greatest of Lutheran hymns: "Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying" and "O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright". For more about this man of God, click the link.

From his hymns, these are in our LSB:

391 Rejoice, Rejoice This Happy Morn
395 O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright
488 He Is Arisen! Glorious Word
516 Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying
668 Rise! To Arms! With Prayer Employ You
822 Alleluia! Let Praises Ring
913 O Holy Spirit, Enter In

Our mission is vigorously to make known the love of Christ by word and deed within our churches, communities and the world.

10/26/2026

Bible Reading for Today:

Deuteronomy 28
Matthew 18:1-20

10/25/2026

10/25/2026

October 25, 2026 Reformation Sunday

Divine Service 1 Reformation Propers

Zechariah 3:1-5 (Changed from Propers)
Romans 3:19-28
John 8:31-36

LSB #569 In Adam We Have All Been One
LSB #947 All Glory Be To God On High (hmn of praise)
LSB #565 By Grace I’m Saved
LSB #702 My Faith Looks Up To Thee
LSB #392 God Loves Me Dearly
LSB #656 A Mighty Fortress

Sermon: Clothed With Pure Vestments

10/25/2026

Bible Reading for Today:

Deuteronomy 27
Matthew 17:14-27

8:30AM Bible Class
9:00AM Sunday School
10:00AM Divine Service

10/24/2026

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3)

10/24/2026

Bible Reading for Today:

Deuteronomy 25:17 - chapter 26
Matthew 17:1-13

10/23/2026

October 23: James of Jerusalem: Brother of Jesus and Martyr

Depending upon the interpreter/translator, Jesus was either the biological (half)brother of Jesus or a cousin. Either way, he was a relative of our Lord. It seems that James did not believe in Jesus until after Jesus rose from death. ( "For even his own brothers did not believe in him." (John 7))

Brought to faith after the Resurrection, James became a leader of the church in Jerusalem. (See, for example, Acts 15:12f) Josephus, historian of the early church, states that James was stoned to death in 62AD.

Guided by the Holy Spirit, James wrote the New Testament book that bears His name. Sometimes maligined as contradicting the other apostles and saying that salvation depends at least in part on one's own works, a careful reading of the letter shows that James agrees that it is by faith in Jesus alone that sin is forgiven and a person has eternal life. Then James strongly emphasizes that faith demonstrates itself in action - faith is not static, but does good, proclaims the Gospel, and clings to the cross of Christ. The same things that the other apostles write, though perhaps James writesmore bluntly.

Thanks be to God for bringing James to the Faith, and for his leadership and proclimation of the faith.

10/23/2026

Bible Reading for Today:

Deuteronomy 24:10-25:10
Matthew 16:13-28