BULLETIN

St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church—LCMS 
40291 NE 40th Ave., Preston, Kansas 67583
Website: www.stpaulpreston.org              
Telephone: (620) 672-5354
Email: splcms@sctelcom.net (Office)        
mslcms@sctelcom.net (Pastor)
Rev. Michael Schotte, Pastor
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost 
 July 5, 2026 
 
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me. John 5:39 
 
A PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father in heaven, as You are abounding in steadfast love, You sent Jesus Your Son into the world to seek and save us lost sinners. As we become heavy-laden with our sins of thought, desire, word, and deed, let Your Holy Spirit lead us to the forgiving grace and mercy of Jesus the Savior in Whom we have rest. Give us great joy and peace that surpasses all understanding in the assurance that His death and resurrection have gained for us reconciliation with You and Your declaration that we are Your forgiven and redeemed children. All glory to You, dear Father, with Your Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen 
 
IN OUR PRAYERS THIS WEEK: “The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth” (Psalm 145:18).
• Thanks be to God for our daily work by which we love our neighbor and provide for the needs of our families. 
• For the peace of the Lord Jesus to be with the family of Darlene Segard (Sherry Kraft’s sister) at the time of her death last Wednesday morning, and the family of Anita Lawrenz who died last Sunday. 
• For the Lord’s help and strength for Ron Betzen (Brittaney Sallee’s father), Marilyn Herren, Jama Hommertzheim, and all for whom we pray. 
• For the peace of the Lord Jesus to be with the people of St. Paul who are unable regularly to be with us in worship: Allicia Anschuetz, Jeanette Allison, Evelyn Dye, Myron Falk, Charles Fritzemeier, LuAnn Hullman, John Paul and Sue Jorns, Nola McGuire, JoAnn Pearce, Bonnie Seidel, Jane Ann Starrett, Edna Bell Studer, Sandy Voshell, and Ruth Wiltshire. 
 
THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR is served today. Jesus said, “This is My body . . . This is My blood” (Matthew 26:26-28). We honor the words of Christ Jesus and believe what they say. His words form the fellowship of our receiving this gift together. Jesus gave and shed His body and blood for you. Martin Luther, in his Small Catechism, wrote: “The words for you require all hearts to believe.” We practice closed communion. If you are a visitor of St. Paul Lutheran Church today, we ask that you please visit with the pastor before the service about receiving this Sacrament. 
 
ORDER OF WORSHIP TODAY: LSB, page 151 
HYMNS FOR WORSHIP: 912, 716, 610, 684, 715, 965 CHOIR: LSB 966 – (Choir: 1-3; Congregation: 4-5) 
 
Introit Psalm 91:2, 9–10; antiphon: v. 1 He who dwells in the shelter of the | Most High* will abide in the shadow of the Al- | mighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my | fortress,* my God, in | whom I trust.” Because you have made the LORD your | dwelling place—* the Most High, who is my | refuge— no evil shall be allowed to be- | fall you,* no plague come | near your tent. Glory be to the Father and | to the Son* and to the Holy | Spirit; as it was in the be- | ginning,* is now, and will be forever. | Amen. He who dwells in the shelter of the | Most High* will abide in the shadow of the Al- | mighty. 
 
Collect of the Day Gracious God, our heavenly Father, Your mercy attends us all our days. Be our strength and support amid the wearisome changes of this world, and at life’s end grant us Your promised rest and the full joys of Your salvation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 
 
Old Testament Reading 9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. 11As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. 12Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. Zechariah 9:9–12 
 
Gradual Romans 11:33, 36 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowl- | edge of God!* How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable | his ways! For from him and through him and to him are | all things.* To him be glory forever. | Amen. 
 
Epistle Romans 7:14–25a 14We know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! 
 
Holy Gospel Matthew 11:25–30 25At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” 
 
PRAYER FOR THE NATION: Almighty God, You have given us this good land as our heritage. Grant that we remember Your generosity and constantly do Your will. Bless our land with honest industry, truthful education, and an honorable way of life. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil course of action. Grant that we, who came from many nations with many different languages, may become a united people. Support us in defending our liberties, and give those to whom we have entrusted the authority of government the spirit of wisdom, that there may be justice and peace in our land. When times are prosperous, may our hearts be thankful, and in troubled times do not let our trust in You fail; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
NEWS AND EVENTS AT ST. PAUL 
July 5, 2026 
 
LADIES AID is busy making plans for a celebration, and first item of business is to invite all ladies of St. Paul! Please mark the date and plan to attend the Ladies Brunch at St. Paul this week on Thursday, July 9th at 9:30. This annual event of SPLC (50 years or more!) is hosted by our two LWML groups sharing hosting duties every other year. It is our pleasure to have all ladies of St. Paul join us in fellowship as we give thanks to God for his enduring mercy. 
 
OUR KANSAS DISTRICT PRESIDENT, Rev. Justin Panzer, will visit our congregation at St. Paul as part of his regular duties on Saturday, August 1st, from 9:45 am until noon. His request is that leaders of our congregation plan to attend. This would include President, Elders, three members of our Church Council, chairs of our parish committees, and three at-large members of St. Paul. Please inform Pastor Schotte of your plans to attend. A Pre-Meeting Questionnaire is requested for you to fill out and bring to the meeting. This is available now from Pastor Schotte. 
 
THE QUARTERLY MEETINGS at St. Paul are scheduled as follows: 
• Council – Wednesday, July 15th, 7:00 pm 
• Voters’ Assembly – Sunday, July 19th, after worship 
 
PRATT COUNTY FOOD BANK – the featured item for donation in July is Tuna Helper and Hamburger Helper. These and other non-perishable food items may be donated in the box at the church’s south entrance. Thank you for your support by helping a neighbor in time of need. Reminder: When donating to Pratt County Food Bank, no dented can goods or outdated food items are accepted. 
 
WHERE CHRISTIANITY MEETS CULTURE… Issues, Etc. is a podcast and radio talk show produced by Lutheran Public Radio and hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken. Recent subjects include: Pro-Life Democrats; Divorce & Remarriage; Down Syndrome Children & Abortion; Campus Ministry and more. You can listen at your convenience at issuesetc.org, the LPR mobile app, or a podcast provider. 
 
THE LUTHERAN HOUR - “Bloom Where You’re Planted” (Genesis 39:21). Blessing, in a Biblical sense, means God’s favor in any circumstance, no exceptions, because there is no place or circumstance in which God does not belong. Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler. CHECK 
 
YOUR CHURCH MAILBOX for the latest issue of Portals of Prayer and the July church calendar. Also, for devotional materials to give to your neighbor, extra copies of Portals of Prayer, Happy Times, and My Devotions are located on the tables at the church’s entrances. Take them to share. 
 
OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES for Bible Study: 
• Sunday mornings at St. Paul- 9:00 am 
• Thursday evenings at St. Paul – 6:30 pm 
• kfuo.org – various programs throughout each day 
• The Word of the Lord Endures Forever – a daily 15-minute study from a book of the Bible (https://thewordendures.org/) 
 
STEWARDSHIP 
SENTENCES based on Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus has come to do the work so that we might have rest from burdens and labors we are not capable of bearing. He frees us from sin, death and the demands of the Law. In that peace and rest of Jesus we find a new purpose — His light yoke is not a burden to bear, but a joy! 
 
ALTAR COMMITTEE: Leigh Ann Hall Donna Briggeman Jama Hommertzheim
 
HEAD USHER: Gary McGuire 
ELDERS: Derek Liggett, Shan Hullman, 
Lee Van Slyke 

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