Lectio Concordia

Spiritual Blessings – Monday

Preparing for the Second Sunday after Christmas

Series: Lectio Concordia

December 30, 2024 By Rev. Mark Ryman

• Online jigsaw puzzle of today's reading • Index

• Collect: Blessed Father, fount of every blessing, as you made your Son to grow in wisdom and stature, increase in us all spiritual graces through the Spirit of the same Christ who reigns with you, God forever. Amen.

• Psalm 144:12–15

• John 15:15–17

• We teach that this faith is bound to bring forth good fruits, and that we should do good works commanded by God because it is God’s will. However, we should not rely on those works to merit justification before God. Forgiveness of sins and justification are received by faith, as the voice of Christ attests: “When you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty’” (Luke 17:10). This is also taught by the Fathers. Ambrose says: “It is ordained of God that he who believes in Christ is saved, freely receiving forgiveness of sins, without works, by faith alone.” (The Augsburg Confession, Concerning New Obedience)

• Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Tune

Come, thou Fount of every blessing;
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above;
praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
mount of God’s unchanging love!

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart; O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.

• Benediction: May the Lord bless you with every spiritual blessing and cause you to grow in grace and wisdom throughout your years. Amen.

• Memory Verse: You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (John 15:16)

• Memory Verse Aid: YDNCM, BICY AAYTYSGABF ATYFSA, STWYATF IMN, HMGITY. (John 15:16)