Lutheran Church of the Cross

06/07/2026

Sermon title: Go and Be Merciful
Sermon text: Matthew 9:13 (ESV): Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Thought for the week: “The knowledge of my own misery allows me, at the same time, to know the immensity of Your mercy.” St. Faustina

1st reading: Psalm 119: 65-72
GO: Matthew 9: 9-13

Entrance / Opening: 527 O Savior, Precious Savior (vv. 1,2) / (vv. 3,4)
HOD: HFFG 621 Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Communion: 570 Just as I Am, without One Plea / 550 Lamb of God
Recessional: 712 Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God

06/06/2026

❤️ Last Sunday Pastor Lantz taught us about the “Great Commission.” Tomorrow we’ll learn how to “Go and Be Merciful.”

We are not spiritual consumers. We are spiritual contributors. The church does not exist for us, but we are the Church and we exist for the world!

06/06/2026

Message title: Beautiful Life
Message text: Ecclesiastes 3:11 (ESV): He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Scripture reading: Ecclesiastes 3: 1-11
Gospel reading: Mark 14: 3-9

Opening: 744 Amazing Grace
HOD: 537 Beautiful Savior
Closing: 461 I Know That My Redeemer Lives (vv. 1-3, 8)

05/31/2026

Sermon title: The Great Commission
Sermon text: Matthew 28:19 (ESV): Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Thought for the week: “So that your faith might not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2: 5

1st reading: Psalm 8
GO: Matthew 28: 16-20

Entrance: 644 The Church’s One Foundation (vv. 1-2)
Opening: 601 All Who Believe and Are Baptized
HOD: 507 Holy, Holy, Holy
Communion: 618 I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table / WOV 699 Blessed Assurance
Recessional: 924 Lord, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing (vv. 1,2)

05/25/2026

Wishing everyone a blessed Memorial Day!

05/24/2026

Sermon title: God’s Spirit for All People
Sermon text: Numbers 11:29 (ESV): But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!”

Thought for the week: “When we have the Holy Spirit we have all that is needed to be all that God desires us to be.” A.W. Tozer

Entrance / Opening: 837 Lift High the Cross (vv. 1-3) / (vv. 4-5)
HOD: 660 Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus
Communion: 497 Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord / 528 Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
Recessional: C-176 Freely, Freely

05/18/2026

What a special day we had as we celebrated the Confirmation Day of three wonderful young people!

05/17/2026

Sermon title: “Holy Spirit Power”
Sermon text: Acts 1:8 (ESV): "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Thought for the week: “Successful witnessing is taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.” Bill Bright

1st reading: Acts 1: 1-11
GO: Luke 24: 45-53

Entrance: 466 Christ Has Arisen, Alleluia (vv. 1-3)
Opening: 466 Christ Has Arisen, Alleluia (vv. 4-5)
HOD: 493 A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing
Communion: 492 On Christ’s Ascension I Now Build / WOV 752 I, the Lord of Sea and Sky
Recessional: 940 Holy God, We Praise Thy Name (vv. 1,5)

05/10/2026

Sermon title: “Good Suffering”
Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:17 (ESV): For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

Thought for the week: “It is precisely the presence and help of Christ in times of suffering that makes it possible for us to stand up under pressure.” R.C. Sproul

1st reading: 1 Peter 3: 13-17
GO: John 14: 15-21

Entrance: 461 I Know That My Redeemer Lives (vv. 1-3)
Opening: 461 I Know That My Redeemer Lives (vv. 5,8)
HOD: 575 My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
Communion: WOV 784 You Have Come Down to the Lakeshore / 763 When Peace Like a River
Recessional: 922 Go, My Children, with My Blessing (vv. 1,2)

04/28/2026

“so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬