Today’s Theme –

“God’s Healthcare Plan” 2013 Theme – “HIStory”

Epiphany 5

February 3, 2013

WELCOME… thanks so much for choosing to worship with

us today. If you need anything please speak to a pastor or

one of the ushers.

CONTACT INFORMATION… Phone – (608) 839-3770

Email – info@abidingshepherd.org

Website – www.abidingshepherd.org

Facebook – Like us @ www.facebook.com/abidingshepherd

Twitter – follow us @ http://twitter.com/abidingshepherd

SNACK… please help yourself to some

refreshments before and after the service.

WORSHIP CARDS… if you are a first-time

guest, or if you didn’t get a chance to fill out a

card on your last visit, please take a moment

to fill out one of our guest cards, then place it

in the offering plate after today’s sermon.

YOUR CHILDREN ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO

US… we have children’s coloring bulletins in the lobby on

the table. For your convenience, please note we have

changing tables in the handicapped stalls in both restrooms.

We also have the Little Lambs Room off the lobby if you

want some privacy with your child(ren).

Opening Prayer Pastor – O Lord, our Maker, Redeemer and

Comforter, we are assembled in Your

presence to hear Your holy Word. We ask

You to open our hearts by Your Holy Spirit,

so that through the preaching of Your

Word we may be taught to repent of our

sins, to believe on Jesus in life and in death,

and to grow day by day in grace and

holiness. Hear us for Christ’s sake. Amen.

Confession/Absolution/Gloria Pastor – Listen now to the invitation of our Lord: “Come to

me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you

rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am

gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your

souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Do you desire the Lord’s forgiveness of all your sins? If so

then answer: “I DO”

Do you trust that Jesus has made you right with Holy God

by His perfect life and His sacrifice on the cross? If so then

answer: “I DO”

Because of your confession, and by Christ’s command, I

forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the

Son and of the Holy Spirit. May His peace be with you.

Amen.

Prayer of the Day Pastor – Powerful Savior, truly the challenges and

struggles of this life take their toll on us and our faith.

Amongst some of the most difficult things we face,

Lord, is when we are robbed of our health. When we

are hurting – please

help and heal us. But if

we are meant to suffer

for a while, give us

patience and strength

and trust that You will

use everything for our

good. Amen.

Scripture Lessons

Isaiah 53: 1-4a Who has believed our message and to whom has the

arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a

root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of

sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom

men hide their faces he was despised, and we

esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our

sorrows…

Matthew 4:18-25 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he

saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother

Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they

were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and

I will make you

fishers of men.” 20 At once they left

their nets and

followed him.

21 Going on from

there, he saw two

other brothers,

James son of

Zebedee and his

brother John. They were in a boat with their father

Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father

and followed him.

23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their

synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom,

and healing every disease and sickness among the

people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and

people brought to him all who were ill with various

diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-

possessed, those

having seizures, and

the paralyzed, and he

healed them. 25 Large

crowds from Galilee,

the Decapolis,

Jerusalem, Judea and

the region across the

Jordan followed him.

Confession of Faith – Apostles’ Creed (Song Version)

Sermon Matthew 8:14-17 - “God’s Healthcare Plan”

When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s

mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched

her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and

began to wait on him.

16 When evening came, many who were demon-

possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the

spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to

fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He

took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”

Prayer & Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy name;

Thy kingdom come;

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;

Give us this day our daily bread;

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

And lead us not into temptation;

But deliver us from evil;

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory

forever and ever. Amen.

Gathering of the Thank-Offerings & Tithes

The Blessing & Closing Video

Closing Prayer Pastor - Lord, we offer to You our heartfelt thanks that

You have taught us what You would have us believe

and do. Help us, O God, by Your Holy Spirit, for the sake

of Jesus Christ, to keep Your Word in pure hearts, for

through it our faith is strengthened, our lives renewed,

and we are comforted in life and in death. Amen.

THANK YOU to those who helped serve us today...

Music – Mark Hoenecke

Ushers – Richard Freund and Roger Rude

Hospitality Helpers – Mickelson, Karow & Wren families

CALENDAR FOR THIS WEEK…

Today – 9:00 am - Worship Service

10:00 am - Social/Snack Time

10:10 am – Sunday School

10:45 am – Worship Service

12:00 pm – Small Group Facilitators’ Meeting

5:15 pm – E.P.I.C. Super Bowl Party at Abrahamsons’

Monday – 7:00 pm - Contemporary Worship Service

Tuesday – 10:00 am – Pastors’ Conference at Holy Cross

1:00 pm – Bethany Lutheran College Auxiliary at Holy

Cross

Wednesday – 7:00 am – Men’s Foxhole Meeting

10:00 am – Women’s (WINGS) Bible Study

6:00 pm – Family Education Night (FEN)

Thursday – 5:30 pm – Leave Abiding Shepherd for Rock

and Worship Road Show

6:30 pm – Benevolence and Fellowship

Team Meeting at Church

Next Sunday – 8:15 am – Choir Practice

8:45 am - Social/Snack time

9:00 am - Worship Service with Communion

10:00 am - Social/Snack Time

10:10 am – Sunday School

10:45 am – Worship Service with Communion

3:30 pm – Tyrol Basin Ski Trip (No E.P.I.C. Youth Ministry)

Next Monday -

7:00 pm - Worship Service with Communion

~ OUR MISSION ~

Bring them in! Lift them up! Send them out!

~ OUR VISION ~

Every Member in the Word! Every Member a Servant!

E.P.I.C. SUPER BOWL PARTY

Today, 5:15 pm

Youth are reminded that Pastor

and Stella are hosting a “super”

Super Bowl party at their house

this evening. The game will be on

their 65-inch TV and there’s

plenty of room for classic E.P.I.C. games like Catch

Phrase and Apples to Apples if you’d like to do more

than just watch football and commercials. Some food

will be provided but parents are asked to send an

appetizer or dessert along to share!

BETHANY AUXILIARY

Tuesday, February 5, 1:00 pm

The Bethany Lutheran

College Auxiliary will meet

on Tuesday, February 5, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church

in Madison, beginning with a luncheon at 1:00 pm. The

program will include guest speaker Katherine Larsen, a

recent Bethany graduate who is presently a teacher at

Holy Cross.

THE ROCK AND WORSHIP ROADSHOW

Thursday, February 7, Alliant Energy Center

Leave from Church at 5:30 pm, Concert at 7:00 pm

Seven different musical groups

join together to offer a night of

music, faith and fun! The groups

range from country, to hip hop,

to punk/alternative, to main

stream contemporary. The cost

(at the door) is $10 a person! Seats are first-come, first-

served, so youth and the “young at heart” should plan

to meet at church by 5:30 pm to carpool to the event.

Let Pastor Abrahamson know if you plan to go.

SKI/SNOWBOARDING TRIP TO TYROL BASIN

Sunday, February 10, 3:30 pm

Final Call!!

Sign up on the bulletin board to

attend this annual family event!

The church pays for lift tickets and

food. Each person is asked to pay

for snowboard/ski rentals. If you are renting equipment,

please complete one rental agreement (on the bulletin

board) per person and place in the office along with

your payment of $8.00 per rental. Free ski and

snowboard lessons are available! All rental agreements

and payments must be to the office by THIS Wednesday,

February 6. Thank you!

LENTEN WORSHIP SERIES

Ash Wednesday, February 13

Lenten Supper, 6:00 pm

Worship, 7:00 pm

This year’s Lenten study will focus on

the words Jesus spoke to His disciples

in Luke 18:31 –

“We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that

is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will

be fulfilled.”

Our study is entitled: “Passion Prophecies” - an in-depth

look at some of the exact details God gave, hundreds

of years in advance, about how the Messiah would die.

Our study is not intended to convince us of the truth

that God already shares with us from His holy Word. We

believe these things by faith. But you are encouraged

to attend the special Lenten services as a means to

witness the great care and love God invested into His

plan to save you.

Please sign up on the bulletin board for the evenings

you plan to attend the Lenten suppers.

ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

Thank you to all those who

helped with the luncheon and

participated in the Annual

Congregational Meeting held

last Sunday. Minutes of the

meeting as well as the 2013 Budget and Team Reports

are available on the table in the lobby. The minutes will

also be attached to this week’s E-newsletter.

DIRECT MINISTRY AND MISSION SUPPORT

St. John’s Lutheran Church - Jabulpar, India

St. John’s was selected as the focus of the first quarter

of our Direct Ministry and Mission Support program. It is

part of the church body in India associated with our

Evangelical Lutheran

Synod (ELS). This past

year St. John’s suffered

some damage to its

property from a flood

and lost important items

such as Bibles. Funds

directed toward

St. John’s would help not only replace what was lost

but help this church spread the good news of salvation

in India! You are encouraged to use the envelopes

available on the table in the lobby to direct your gifts

specifically to St. John’s.