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
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost 
August 23, 2026 
 
This is love, that we walk according to His commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. 2 John 6 
 
A PRAYER FOR TODAY: Gracious God, You have declared to us by Your Spirit-inspired holy Word that with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Make bold our confession of Your Son, the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us never be ashamed to speak of Him, declaring that He is Your eternal Son Who came in our flesh and blood to suffer and die to pay for our sins and for the sins of the world. With deep humility, yet with enduring confidence, make us to hold fast this treasure of the gift of faith in Jesus. With peace and great joy, help us always to behold the truth that, as the Church is built on Jesus Christ and His life-giving death and resurrection, we are reconciled to You, we have life and salvation, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against us. Thanks be to You, O God, for Jesus’ sake. Amen 
 
IN OUR PRAYERS THIS WEEK: “On the day I called, You answered me; my strength of soul You increased” (Psalm 138:3). 
• Thanksgiving to God for gifts of daily bread to all people. 
• For help and healing from the Lord for Brian Houtwed; for recovery and strength for Donna Briggeman after surgery; for the Lord’s will to be done and His peace to be given to Hermina Bornemann (Francie Krusemark’s sister) after serious injury from a tragic accident; for benefit from medical care for Jim Dye; for strength in days of illness for Craig Knoke; for strength for Leo Hergenrader in days of illness and recent hospitalization, and for his wife Cathy as she cares for him. 
• For the Lord’s guidance upon LeadaChild (www.leadachild.org) as this organization shares the Good News of Jesus’ love to children through Christian education in third world countries, and for His guidance upon all Recognized Service Organizations of the LCMS that they, in faithfulness to God’s Word, will support Gospel proclamation in this country and around the world. 
 
ORDER OF WORSHIP TODAY: LSB, page 184 ff. 
HYMNS FOR WORSHIP: 647, 645, 909 
 
Introit Psalm 2:6–7; 117; antiphon: Psalm 115:18 
But we will | bless the LORD* from this time forth and forevermore. | Praise the LORD! As for me, I have | set my King* on Zion, my | holy hill. I will tell of | the decree:* The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have be- | gotten you.” Praise the LORD, all | nations!* Extol him, all | peoples! For great is his steadfast | love toward us,* and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. | Praise the LORD! 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. But we will | bless the LORD* from this time forth and forevermore. | Praise the LORD! 
 
Collect of the Day 
Almighty God, whom to know is everlasting life, grant us to know Your Son, Jesus, to be the way, the truth, and the life that we may boldly confess Him to be the Christ and steadfastly walk in the way that leads to life eternal; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 
 
Old Testament Reading 
1 “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. 2Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him. 3For the LORD comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. 4 “Give attention to me, my people, and give ear to me, my nation; for a law will go out from me, and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples. 5My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples; Isaiah 51:1–6 the coastlands hope for me, and for my arm they wait. 6Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed.” 
 
Gradual 
Fear the LORD, | you his saints,* for those who fear him lack | nothing! Many are the afflictions of the | righteous,* but the LORD delivers him out | of them all. 
 
Epistle Psalm 34:9, 19, alt. Romans 11:33—12:8 
33Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35“Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 36For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. 1I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 3For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. 
 
Holy Gospel Matthew 16:13–20 
13Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
NEWS AND EVENTS AT ST. PAUL 
August 23, 2026 
 
VBS AND CHURCH PICNIC … TODAY! A light lunch is served in the church basement following worship. Opening, Bible Lessons, singing, and other activities, as well as a closing, will also take place at the church. Then we will travel to the Iuka Community Center for our picnic with hamburgers, hot dogs, side dishes and Christian fellowship. Bring a friend. 
 
EVENTS HOSTED BY KANSAS DISTRICT LCMS THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST: 
• The SAA55 (Saints Alive After 55) Conference will be held September 20-21, 2026 at Christ the King Lutheran, Salina. The theme is “Fruit Bearing Christians.” The keynote speakers are Rev. David Beauchamp from Church Ambassador Network of Kansas and Brittany Jones, President of Kansas Family Voice. The Bible Study leader is Rev. CJ Luttinen, lead pastor at Risen Savior Lutheran, Wichita. Registration is $50 for each participant. Details can be found at: https://lcmskansasdistrict.regfox.com/saa55-retreat-2026 
• THE FIFTH ANNUAL CONFIRMATION RETREAT for 5th-8th grade Kansas youth will be held October 2-3, 2026 at the Rock Springs Ranch, Junction City. Regular registration ($109) is August 1-September 1. More details can be found using the retreat webpage link: https://kslcms.org/education-youth/youth-ministry/confirmation-retreat/ 
• The 2026 Kansas District Youth Gathering (KDYG) will be held November 20-22, 2026, at the Drury Plaza Hotel in Wichita. This year’s theme is “AGAIN” based on Philippians 4:4. Registration is open. Early registration cost is $99 and ends August 31. Standard registration will be $115 from Sept. 1-30. Included below is the link to the Drury Plaza Hotel room block with the group code, the KDYG Registration link, the Kansas District Youth Media Release Form, the Medical Release Form, and the District Youth Protection Policy and Guidelines. Registration link: https://lcmskansasdistrict.regfox.com/2026-kansas-district-youth gathering. 
 
THE LUTHERAN HOUR - “Real Riches” (Luke 12:15). Archives August - It’s not wrong to have possessions, but to love anything in such a way that it takes the place of God is spiritually deadly. Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Ken Klaus. 
 
BREAKFAST AT ST. PAUL will take place next Sunday during our Christian Education hour, beginning at 9:00 am. All are welcome. 
 
A HIGHER THINGS YOUTH NOTE based on the Scripture Readings in worship today: “The world has plenty of wrong answers to "Who is Jesus?" A moral example you'll never live up to. A politician. A myth. Peter's answer was different, and it came from God: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. This world looks like hell. So Jesus walked into it and died for you. You will rise.” 
 
STEWARDSHIP SENTENCES based on Romans 12:1 – “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” That’s the order: God’s mercies, then our sacrifice. Since God’s mercies are all-encompassing, so is our sacrifice: a total sacrifice, our total selves placed over into God’s service according to how He has called each of us individually to serve in home, church and society. (lcms.org/stewardship) 
 
ST. PAUL BULLETIN . . . Any announcements or notes to be included in our weekly church bulletin should be brought or sent to the church office (splcms@sctelcom.net) by Friday morning. Thank you.
 
ALTAR GUILD: Terri Liggett, Kathie Thurman, Heather Van Slyke
 
HEAD USHER: Gary McGuire 
ELDERS: Derek Liggett, Shan Hullman, Lee Van Slyke 

Pages