VIDEO: Wednesday, July 8, 2026 - Complete Service

Bulletin for Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”
Archive of Bulletins

2:00 p.m. - Worship Service
2:30 p.m. - Bible Study: The Book of Ruth
This service will be LIVE STREAMED on our YouTube Channel

Audio: Readings & Sermon for Wednesday, July 8, 2026

Audio: Readings and Sermon for Wednesday, July 8, 2026

Rev. Dr. Edward O. Grimenstein

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Bulletin for Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”
Archive of Bulletins

2:00 p.m. - Worship Service
2:30 p.m. - Bible Study: The Book of Ruth
This service will be LIVE STREAMED on our YouTube Channel

First Reading -- Judges 3:12–31 
And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and went and defeated Israel. And they took possession of the city of palms. And the people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. 

Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his clothes. And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. But he himself turned back at the idols near Gilgal and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And he commanded, “Silence.” And all his attendants went out from his presence. And Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he arose from his seat. And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly. Then Ehud went out into the porch and closed the doors of the roof chamber behind him and locked them. 

When he had gone, the servants came, and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, “Surely he is relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber.” And they waited till they were embarrassed. But when he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them, and there lay their lord dead on the floor. 

Ehud escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the idols and escaped to Seirah. When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the people of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was their leader. And he said to them, “Follow after me, for the LORD has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites and did not allow anyone to pass over. And they killed at that time about 10,000 of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man escaped. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years. 

After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel. 

Second Reading – Acts 13:42-52 
As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God. 

The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, 

“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” 

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. 

The Ten Commandments 
What is the second commandment? 
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. 
What does this mean? 
We should fear and love God so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks. 

Adult Instruction Classes

Pastor Grimenstein will be starting an Adult Instruction Class on Thursday, July 9th at 7:30 p.m. for those interested in learning more about the Lutheran faith. The class is also open to current members interested in a "refresher" on the basics of the faith. The class will meet every Thursday from 7:30-8:15 for six weeks and will cover topics ranging from Baptism to the Ten Commandments.

Please email Zion secretary Susie Bishop secretary@zlcb.org to let her know you’re interested in joining the class.

Bulletin: Wednesday July 8, 2026

Bulletin for Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”
Archive of Bulletins

2:00 p.m. - Worship Service
2:30 p.m. - Bible Study: The Book of Ruth
This service will be LIVE STREAMED on our YouTube Channel

Food Bank Sunday - July 12th & August 9th

The July collection for the Bridgeville Area Food Bank is Sunday, July 12th. The “item of the month” for July is COOKIES. The August collection for the Food Bank is Sunday, August 9th. The “item of the month” is CRACKERS. Items may be placed in the wicker bin in the narthex near the coat rack. Thank you for supporting this vital community service! 

At the June distribution, 109 families were assisted which included 28 children, 68 adults and 91 of the elderly. 

Pastor’s Corner – Luther: Genius & Courage

The article below was written by Rev. Matt Harrison, President of the LCMS, in 2015 and published in The Lutheran Witness. I thought it an excellent piece to share with you as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding. I hope you enjoy it.
– Pastor Grimenstein 

Late in 1821, Rev. Frederick Schaeffer presided over the cornerstone laying of a new building for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Matthew in New York City. Afterward, he sent his homily to James Madison, the “Father of the U.S. Constitution,” and chief author of the Bill of Rights. Madison replied: 

Montpellier, Dec. 3rd ,1821 
Revd Sir,–I have received, with your letter of November 19th, the copy of your address at the ceremonial of laying the corner-stone of St Matthew’s Church in New York. 

It is a pleasing and persuasive example of pious zeal, united with pure benevolence and of a cordial attachment to a particular creed, untinctured with sectarian illiberality. It illustrates the excellence of a system which, by a due distinction, to which the genius and courage of Luther led the way, between what is due to Caesar and what is due God, best promotes the discharge of both obligations. The experience of the United States is a happy disproof of the error so long rooted in the unenlightened minds of well-meaning Christians, as well as in the corrupt hearts of persecuting usurpers, that without a legal incorporation of religious and civil polity, neither could be supported. A mutual independence is found most friendly to practical Religion, to social harmony, and to political prosperity. 

In return for your kind sentiments, I tender assurances of my esteem and my best wishes.
– James Madison 

Rev. Schaeffer had struck several notes that resonated with Madison, so much so that the aging former president and constitutional patriarch noted “a due distinction, to which the genius and courage of Luther led the way, between what is due to Caesar and what is due God, best promotes the discharge of both obligations.” Wow. The drafter of the Bill of Rights, including the First Amendment (“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”), wrote, “The genius and courage of Luther led the way.” 

What is the “due distinction” “between what is due to Caesar and what is due to God”? This is a reference to Luther’s two kingdoms doctrine. Catholicism perpetuated the myth that the Emperor Constantine (ca. A.D. 317) had given authority to the papacy to rule the Roman Empire, and that the Church was supposedly given the divine right and authority to govern both itself and the world. A different approach at the time of Luther came from the radical reformers. They asserted that society should be ruled only by the Bible. This led to either a radical withdrawal from participation in civil society (e.g., the Amish), or to the view that a “Christian government” is needed to institute biblical principles upon society (e.g., the Puritans and their legacy). The views of both the Roman Catholic as well as the radical reformers resulted in a “mixing of the kingdoms.” 

Luther’s view, however, is unique. In view of texts like “The truth shall make you free” (Jn 8:32) and “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s” (Matt. 22:21), Luther asserted that the conscience, the religious convictions of the individual Christian, belong to God and not the government. The Bible teaches two distinct realms. 

The “right hand” realm or kingdom is that of the Church. In this kingdom there is to be no coercion, force, or corporal punishment. It is a kingdom ruled solely by the Word of God in service to the Gospel. “My kingdom is not of this world” (Jn 18:36). It is a kingdom whose glory is hidden in weakness, small numbers, persecution, reviling, etc. It makes no sense to reason whatsoever – things like “the resurrection of the body,” “baptismal regeneration,” “the body and blood of Christ,” in the Lord’s Supper, etc. 

The “left hand” kingdom is temporal government. This kingdom, too, is established by God (Rom. 13:1–7). It flows form the Fourth Commandment (“Honor thy father and mother”). This kingdom operates not by revelation, but by reason or natural law. The Gentiles, “when they do the things of the law, demonstrate that the law is written on their hearts.” (Rom. 2:14) The governing authorities “do not bear the sword in vain” (Rom. 13:4). Temporal government is established by God for maintaining order, peace, thwarting evil, etc. When government forbids the Gospel, however, or commands us to act against a Christian conscience informed by the inerrant Word of God, then “we must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). 

When natural law or reason is functioning properly, it agrees with the Ten Commandments. In fact, the law “written on the heart” is the point of contact with the Law revealed in the Ten Commandments. That’s why the preaching of the Law hits home with people who don’t know Christ. God designed it that way as preparation for the Gospel! When it is commonly said that America was founded as a “Christian Nation,” that is only true in the sense that the overwhelming number of the founders were Christians, and that they recognized the benefit Christianity affords government. 

Our founders recognized that “Christian morality” agreed with reason and natural law (law evident to any reasonable person). What was new in America was that there was no nationally established church or religion. But from the beginning, the national government was favorably oriented toward religion and acted to promote it. Even Jefferson (who moved from Deism to Unitarianism) went to church every Sunday of his presidency at Christian services held in the House Chambers! Offering government facilities today for services would be viewed by many secularists and courts as a gross violation of the “separation of church and state.” Yet, there are dozens of such examples of our founders recognizing the great blessing of religion. For the government to thwart religion–so far as it contributes to morality and peace (and this is why orthodox Islam is problematic)–is foolish and self-destructive. 

As James Madison indicated to Pastor Schaeffer, our founders had a view of the relationship of church and state that was much closer to Luther than that of modern secularists. The Church serves the state by providing a moral, charitable and decent people. The state serves the Church by providing peace and order, a context in which religious ends may prosper. The state is not to legislate matters of religious conscience. The church is not to meddle in the affairs of the state, nor is it to expect the state to operate according to anything other than sound reason. 

“Luther rendered greater services to mankind. . . . At present it is more extensively admitted than formerly that no religious or political institution can be salutary and prosperous, unless it is established on the principles for which he become the successful champion.” I agree with Pastor Schaeffer . . . and James Madison. 

Bible Study: Sunday, June 28, 2026

This week’s Bible Study focuses on:
John 12:44-50, John 3:16-17, John 13:1-5, John 13:6-11, John 13:12-15, John 13:16-20, and John 13:21-26.
This week’s Bible Study was lead by Rev. Dr. Edward O. Grimenstein, Pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Bridgeville, PA.
Zion Lutheran Church, Bridgeville, PA is Online at https://www.zlcb.org/