SHEPHERD OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH
READINGS, PRAYERS and DEVOTION
FRIDAY, MAY 6
NEWS: It’s the first Friday of the month and usually that would mean Wine on The Patio. It is changed to tomorrow evening for this month. It goes from 6:30 – 8:00 PM at the home of Allen & Debbie Kolkman. Please bring a beverage to share (it need not be wine) plus also some hors d’oeuvers, appetizer or snack also to share. We’ll be outside this time so dress appropriately. Just good fellowship! Friends are welcome!
For those who knew Carol Bass, Pastor Joel is conducting her funeral service at 11 AM tomorrow in our sanctuary.
PRAYERS: Today we especially pray for Berand Kirschner.
READINGS: Psalm 107:23-32; Psalm 115; Exodus 39:32-40:16; Luke 8:22-39
DEVOTION:
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
“What the Bible Is Like”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
This devotion pairs with this weekend’s Lutheran Hour sermon, which can be found at lutheranhour.org.
What is the second best-selling book of all time? Imagine the contest for “best-selling book of all time” were a race. If the race for world’s-best-selling book were a marathon, then the winner would be crossing the 26.2-mile finish line before the second-place runner got to mile 4. And third place wouldn’t even have made it a half a mile. In other words, in the race for the world’s-best-selling book, the winner is sprinting. And the others are crawling.
According to Russel Ash, author of the book series Top Ten of Everything, the second best-selling book of all time is a little red book published in China. It’s titled, Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung. It was first published in 1964. There have been around 900 million copies sold. In first place is the Bible, with over 6 billion copies sold, about 7 times more than second place. Third place goes to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, with just over 1 percent of the Bible’s total sales.
The race for the world’s best-selling book isn’t even close enough to be called a race. The Bible has no competitors, no peers in its class. That’s because the Bible is God’s Book. The words of the Bible were breathed out by God Himself. That is what one of the earliest followers of Jesus said, a Jewish man named Paul, writing to Timothy, his young co-worker in God’s mission. Paul said the Bible is a God-breathed book—a book beneficial for teaching and correcting, for setting right and for training in what is right. It’s a gift from God, given so that the person who follows God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
Among all the books ever written, the Bible is clearly the winner. But it’s not the kind of winner that is content to rest on a shelf, like a trophy, gloating and gathering dust. God’s written Word is like God’s Personal Word—the Word-made-flesh, Jesus, who came not to be served but to serve (see Mark 10:45). God inspired the Bible not just to blow away the competition, but to serve us by sustaining our faith, hope, and love for Jesus, and nurture love for our neighbors. The Bible is the king of all books —the kind of king that would get up from the table, kneel to the ground, and wash our dirty feet (see John 13:5).
WE PRAY: Jesus, keep giving us Your Word as a lamp to our feet and a light for our path. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour.
Reflection Questions:
1. What was the first copy of the Bible that you could truly call yours? What made it special?
2. When was a time that reading or listening to the Bible equipped you for a good work?
3. If the Bible is like Jesus, God’s Servant, where do you most need its help today?
Today’s Bible Readings: 1 Samuel 28-29 Luke 23:26-56
To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select “Save Link As” or “Save Target As” or “Download Linked File As”
Luther’s Morning Prayer
In the morning, as soon as you get out of bed, you are to make the Sign of the Cross and say:
“God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit watch over me. Amen.”
Then, kneeling or standing, say the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. In addition recite this prayer as well:
“I give thanks to you, my heavenly Father through Jesus Christ your dear son, that you have protected me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you that you would also protect me today from sin and all evil, so that my life and actions may please you completely. For into your hands I commend myself: my body, my soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel be with me, so that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.”
After singing a hymn or whatever else may serve your devotion, you can go about your day joyfully!
Luther’s Evening Prayer
In the evening, when you go to bed, you are to make the Sign of the Cross and say:
“God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit watch over me. Amen.”
Then, kneeling or standing, say the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. In addition recite this prayer as well:
“I give thanks to you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have graciously protected me today, and I ask you to forgive me all my sins, where I have done wrong, and graciously to protect me tonight. For into your hands I commend myself: my body, my soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel be with me, so that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.”
You can now go to bed quickly and cheerfully.
OTHER RESOURCES:
www.facebook.com/shepherdofthevalleyoceanside
Here is the website for Lutheran Hour Ministries: https://www.lhm.org/
Lutheran Public Radio is listener supported and has two channels, one for sacred music and the other for talk, including news, current issues, politics and spiritual matters from a Lutheran perspective. Hosted by Pastor Todd Wilken, Issues, Etc. airs live Monday thru Friday from 1 to 3 pm Pacific, with the “Best Of” running at other hours: https://lutheranpublicradio.org/
KFUO is the listener supported radio station owned and operated by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Based in St. Louis, their format consists of teaching, preaching, ministry and sacred music: https://www.kfuo.org/
A very blessed Friday to everyone! For any needs or prayer requests, please contact us.
