ST. PAUL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
The Third Sunday of Easter ▪ April 26, 2026
Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth. John 17:17
A PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank and praise You for Your great goodness in bringing these Your sons and daughters to the knowledge of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, and enabling them both with the heart to believe and with the mouth to confess His saving name. Grant that, bringing forth the fruits of faith, they may continue steadfast and victorious to the day when all who have fought the good fight of faith shall receive the crown of righteousness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (From the rite of Confirmation)
IN OUR PRAYERS THIS WEEK: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). • Thanksgiving for God’s Word which gives us eternal life, and for every gift He gives to sustain us in daily life. • Thanksgiving for the faith in Christ given through Holy Baptism to our confirmands, Paisley Jo Byer and Kelsie Ann Liggett, and that they would always follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance through His Word to remain faithful to Jesus the Savior. • For the Lord’s peace, strength, and healing for Pam Kilgariff, Francie Krusemark, Jama Hommertzheim, Brian Houtwed, Pastor Dean Christ, Richard Weitlich, and all for whom we pray. • Thanksgiving to the Lord with the people of St. John, Nashville and Trinity, Medicine Lodge as Pastor Schmeisser is installed today to begin his service as their pastor. • For the peace of Jesus Christ upon all who are lonely, those seeking employment, and all living in times of distress.
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.
Introit Psalm 95:1–3, 6–7a; antiphon: John 10:14, 15b
I am the good | shepherd.* I know my own and my own know me, and I lay down my life | for the sheep. Oh come, let us sing | to the LORD;* let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our sal- | vation! Let us come into his presence with thanks- | giving;* let us make a joyful noise to him with | songs of praise! For the LORD is a | great God,* and a great King a- | bove all gods. 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, and the sheep | of his hand. 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. I am the good | shepherd.* I know my own and my own know me, and I lay down my life | for the sheep. Collect of the Day Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
First Reading Acts 2:42–47 42
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Gradual
Christ has risen | from the dead.* adapt. from Matthew 28:7; Hebrews 2:7; Psalm 8:6 [God the Father] has crowned him with glory and | honor. He has given him dominion over the works | of his hands;* he has put all things un- | der his feet.
Epistle 1 Peter 2:19–25 19
This is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Holy Gospel John 10:1–10
[Jesus said:] “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by 1 the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
FRONT COVER PHOTO: William Dyce, The Good Shepherd, 1857-1859