Church Year: Easter 4:
Date: May 3, 2009
Theme: “Living Up to Our Family Reputation”
– 1 John 3:1-2, 10-17
– Pastor: John Hein
The Order of Worship: Bulletin
Liturgy: TLH, p. 15 ff.
Hymns:
TLH 210 : The Strife Is O'er, the Battle Done 
WS 785 : Children of the Heavenly Father
WS 800 : Go, My Children, with My Blessing
TLH 412 : May We Thy Precepts, Lord, Fulfill
Scripture Readings:
Acts 4:23-33
John 10:11-18
Theme: “Living Up to Our Family Reputation”
1 John 3:1-2
3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
1 John 3:10-17
10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
Love One Another
11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? (ESV)