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October 4, 2026
See TodayEighteenth Sunday after Trinity
One-Year Lectionary
- First Reading
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Deut. 10:12–21 (read in KJV on Bible Gateway, opens in a new tab)
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12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, 13 To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? 14 Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD’S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is. 15 Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day. 16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked. 17 For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: 18 He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. 19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. 20 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. 21 He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.
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- Psalm
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Psalm 34:8–22 (read in KJV on Bible Gateway, opens in a new tab)
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8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
22 The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
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- Epistle
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1 Cor. 1:(1–3) 4–9 (read in KJV on Bible Gateway, opens in a new tab)
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1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: 3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
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- Gospel
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Matt. 22:34–46 (read in KJV on Bible Gateway, opens in a new tab)
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34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question,tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. 43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
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Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity
One-Year Lectionary
About this service
In Life and Death, Christ Fulfills the Law of God
The Pharisees ask a Law question. Jesus asks a Gospel question. The Pharisees seek to test Jesus in His own words. Jesus seeks to “test” them in the saving reality of who He is as the Messiah (Matt. 22:34–46). The Law requires you to “fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul” and to “love the sojouner” (Deut. 10:12–21). Failure to keep the Law perfectly brings judgment. On the other hand, the Gospel brings the grace of God given by Jesus Christ, that you may be blameless in the day of His return (1 Cor. 1:1–9). Jesus is David’s Son yet David’s Lord, true God and true man. He is Love incarnate who fulfilled all the demands of God’s Law on our behalf, that we might be saved from the Law’s condemnation and sanctified in the Gospel’s forgiveness. Thereby we see that “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:9).
Source: LCMS Worship, Lectionary Summaries — One-Year Lectionary (opens in a new tab). Used by permission. These pages may be reproduced for congregational use only. Commercial reproduction, or reproduction for sale of this work or any portion of this work, without the written permission of the copyright holder, is prohibited. © The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Scripture quoted in the summary is from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Introit, Gradual and Verse
- Antiphon
- Ecclesiasticus 36:16–17a
Source: LCMS One-Year Series Propers Chart (opens in a new tab). Citations only; no liturgical or Scripture text is reproduced.
Collect
Historical Collect — Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity
O GOD, forasmuch as without Thee we are not able to please Thee; Mercifully grant, that Thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Source: Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book (Baltimore, 1893), Introits and Collects for the Church Year (opens in a new tab). Public-domain text (published 1893), transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of the Princeton Theological Seminary Library copy.
Prayers of the Church
Prayers of the Church for October 8, 2023 — Responsive Form
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, fix our faith on Your love shown to us in Christ. Give us Your Holy Spirit. Increase our love for You and for our neighbors. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give peace, O Lord, to those who wait for You, and let Your preachers be proven faithful. Preserve Your Church, and let all Christians be glad to enter into the house of the Lord. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son is Bridegroom and Lord, faithful over Your house, the Church. Raise up the sons of our congregation to follow Your Word, and bless their families with godly lives. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of lords, by the reign of Your Son You govern all things in heaven and earth. Raise up true Davids among us to govern our land in faithfulness and, in humble strength, to do Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Father, our Lord Jesus Christ is seated at Your right hand, even now subjecting every enemy under His feet. Give this certain confidence to us and to all Your saints in this vale of tears, to the needy, the troubled, the joyful and the expectant [and especially to _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, You call us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Your Holy Christian Church. As we come to receive the peace of the Lord in this Sacrament, let this true peace be with us always. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, You have shared Your own glory with Your saints, seating them on the thrones of Your heavenly reign. Draw us also to Your house to sit among them as David of old and so receive Your heavenly benediction. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. Amen.
Source: LCMS Worship, Prayers of the Church — One-Year 2022–2023 (opens in a new tab). Prepared by LCMS Worship for congregational use. Used by permission. © The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
Prayers of the Church for October 8, 2023 — Ektene Form
In peace, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For an increase of love toward God, that in the confidence of His love toward us in Christ, we may love our neighbors, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the Church, that her preachers may be proven faithful, and that all Christians would be glad to enter into the house of the Lord, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the sons of our congregation, that they would follow the way of the Son of God, the faithful Bridegroom in His Father’s house who blessed the world by His sacrifice, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
That new Davids may arise among us to govern our land faithfully under Christ, the Lord of lords, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the needy, the troubled, the joyful and the expectant, [especially _____________,] that they may look confidently to Christ, seated at the Father’s right hand and subjecting every enemy under His feet, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
That the peace of the Lord would be with us always, that it may remain with His Church and be given to His world, and that we may receive it here in the blessed Sacrament, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the saints enthroned with Christ in heaven, let us give thanks to the Lord; and for the joy of entering the Lord’s house and joining with the whole company of heaven, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. Amen.
Source: LCMS Worship, Prayers of the Church — One-Year 2022–2023 (opens in a new tab). Prepared by LCMS Worship for congregational use. Used by permission. © The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
Hymn of the Day
LSB 694 Thee Will I Love, My Strength, My Tower
The LCMS Hymn of the Day list appoints this hymn as the Hymn of the Day for Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity (One-Year) and Proper 23 (Series B).
Source: LCMS Worship, Hymn of the Day — Arranged by Church Year, pp. 169, 170 (opens in a new tab). Appointment identity only. Lutheran Service Book text and LCMS study content are not reproduced.
Suggested hymns
- Entrance LSB 533 Jesus Has Come and Brings Pleasure
- Distribution LSB 568 If Your Beloved Son, O God
- Distribution LSB 554 O Jesus, King Most Wonderful
- Distribution LSB 913 O Holy Spirit, Enter In
- Closing LSB 398 Hail to the Lord’s Annointed
Source: LCMS Worship, Hymn Suggestions — One-Year Lectionary Series 2025–26 (opens in a new tab). Hymn numbers and titles only; hymn texts are not reproduced. Reproduction for individual, church or school use does not require permission. © The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.