Lectio Concordia

The Goal – Saturday

preparing for The Fifth Sunday in Lent

Series: Lectio Concordia

April 5, 2025 By Rev. Mark Ryman

• Online jigsaw puzzle of today's reading • Index

• 2025 St. Paul Theological Conference ... Register today!

• Collect: Give me eyes that see, and a heart that believes so that I may rightly know you and the true power of your resurrection which will raise me and all who believe on that Day. Amen.

• Psalm 90:1–17

• Romans 3:27–28

• The ancient definition of original sin — that sin is the lack of righteousness — denies that man has the ability for obedience with the body, and also denies the knowledge of God, confidence in God, the fear and love of God, and certainly the power to produce these affections. Even the theologians themselves teach in their schools that these are not produced without certain gifts and the aid of grace. In order that the matter may be understood, we say that these gifts are the knowledge of God, the fear of God, and confidence in him. From these facts it appears that the ancient definition says precisely the same thing that we say, denying fear and confidence in God. It denies not only the actions, but also the gifts and power to produce them. [The Defense of the Augsburg Confession, Original Sin]

• “Be Thou My Vision”

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me save that thou art.
Thou my best thought by day and by night;
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true Word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord.
Thou my great Father, I thy dear child;
Thou in me dwelling, with thee reconciled.

Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
Be thou my dignity, thou my delight.
Thou my soul›s shelter, thou my high tow’r;
Raise thou me Heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow›r.

Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise;
Thou mine inheritance, now and always.
Thou and thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’ns Sun!
Heart of my heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

• Benediction: May God give you grace upon grace and faith that leads to more faith so that you attain to the goal of that great prize: the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Amen.

• Memory Verse: ...that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10–11)

• Memory Verse Aid: ..TIMKH ATPOHR, AMSHS, BLHIHD, TBAMP IMATRFTD. (P31011)