Lectio Concordia

Spiritual Blessings – Wednesday

Preparing for the Second Sunday after Christmas

Series: Lectio Concordia

January 1, 2025 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

• Romans 8:12–17

• It has been unanimously taught by the other teachers of the Augsburg Confession that Christ is our righteousness, not according to his divine nature alone, nor according to his human nature alone but, according to both natures. For he has redeemed, justified, and saved us from our sins as God and man, through his complete obedience. Therefore, the righteousness of faith is the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, and our adoption as God’s children only on account of the obedience of Christ, which through faith alone—out of pure grace—is imputed for righteousness to all true believers. For this reason, they are absolved from all their unrighteousness. (Formula of Concord, The Solid Declaration, The Righteousness of Faith)

• 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)