HEALTH CONCERNS: Joyce & Jerry Alexander; Mia Anderson (great-granddaughter of Joan Vukelich); Claire Baud (friend of Rachel DeWitt); Beau Brown (friend of Ann Carroll); Brad Butler (friend of Hilgendorfs); Chelle Carson (friend of Dave Holzrichter); Rena Carson (friend of Dave Holzrichter); Darla Combs (friend of Dave Holzrichter); Darren Cooper (friend of Joan Vukelich); Crystal Davis (friend of Dave Slaughter); Ben, LaNéce, & Baby Dyer (family of Greg & Celeste Nau); Tim Flynn (friend of Dave Holzrichter); Nash Foreman (friend of Sofie Reifsteck); Rick Hardesty (family of the Hoels); Kim Hausman (friend of Ann Carroll); Julie Holzrichter (sister-in-law of Dave Holzrichter); Mary Houvanagle (friend of Hilgendorfs); Ashley Kerns (friend of Joan Vukelich); John Lamkin (friend of Dave Slaughter); Mike Marana (friend of Josh Whitson); Candace McElhaney (daughter of Corky Fields); Lisa McGill (friend of Dave Holzrichter); Steven Pingolt (friend of Mathew Waldrop); Emma Silver; Dave Slaughter; John Stewart (grandson of Laura VanCleave); Margaret Stilwell; Janet Stumeier; Kim Travis (friend of Jaimee Whitson); Lausanne Walter (mother of Tiffany Cash); Lynn Whitson (father of Mark Whitson).

BIRTHS: Zoe Owen (newborn daughter of Luke and Lily Owen)

SEMINARY STUDENT: Jacob Garrison; Nicholas Sinatra.

MISSIONARIES: The Jastram Family (Japan); The Preus Family (Romania).

HOMEBOUND: Bernita Ashwill; Janet Pollock; Joan Rahn; Norma Uthe.

MILITARY: Carl Crawford; Josh Dyer; Jeremy Gordon; Jack Leonard; Jake Lindgren; Raymond Longtin; Scott Walter.

NEXT WEEK’S READINGS . . . Exodus 8:16–24; Ephesians 5:1–9; Luke 11:14–28.

ABOUT THIS WEEK’S READINGS . . . Jacob wrestled with God; he would not let Him go until he received a blessing from Him (Gen. 32:22–32). So it was with the Canaanite woman. Though Jesus seemed to ignore and reject her, she continued to call upon His name and look to Him for help (Matt. 15:21–28). Even when the Lord called her a little dog, she held on to Him in faith and would not let Him wriggle out of His words: “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” This Gentile woman shows herself to be a true Israelite, who struggles with God and man in Christ and prevails. “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire” (Matt. 15:27–28). This is the sanctifying will of God (1 Thess. 4:1–7)—to test your faith in order that it may be refined and strengthened. For tribulation produces perseverance; perseverance, character; character, hope. And hope in Christ does not disappoint (Rom. 5:1–5).

THOUGHTS ABOUT STEWARDSHIP . . . Matthew 15:27-28 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith!” Faith says “Yes” to all that the Lord gives us. The Canaanite woman trusted Jesus and so she knew there was a blessing for her in everything the Lord says—even when His words seemed difficult or harsh. We all need a faith like that!

ALTAR GUILD & COFFEE COMMITTEE . . . For March, the Altar Guild is Ann Carroll & Willa Braaten. Coffee Committee is Krista Freebairn.

LENTEN MIDWEEK SUPPERS . . . will be served this year before the Midweek services beginning on Ash Wednesday. Serving time will be 5:30 pm–6:45 pm. Here is the schedule.

• March 19, Midweek Lent 2—Youth Group
• March 26, Midweek Lent 3—Board of Mission & Evangelism
• April 2, Midweek Lent 4—Boards of Stewardship and Church Council (Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, Financial Secretary)
• April 9, Midweek Lent 5—Boards of Elders and Trustees

LENTEN MIDWEEK SERMON SERIES . . . will be going through the Book of Galatians. Each week will focus on one chapter from the book. Galatians, for Luther, emphasizes the central doctrine of justification by faith alone. He saw Galatians as the heart of the gospel, where Paul fiercely defends the freedom of the Christian from the bondage of the Law. Luther stressed that righteousness comes not by works but through faith in Christ, who has redeemed believers from sin and death. In his Preface to Galatians, he wrote that this epistle is “my epistle, to which I have wedded myself,” highlighting its importance in his theology. Luther also warned against the dangers of legalism and works-righteousness, urging Christians to rest solely in God’s grace. Galatians, for Luther, was the cornerstone of Christian liberty and a safeguard against any teaching that compromised the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement.

LENTEN BIBLE CHALLENGE . . . Since we will be meditating on the Book of Galatians through our Lenten midweeks, let us read through the book each week in preparation for the midweek services.

THE 2025 FLOWER CHART IS AVAILABLE . . . Please sign up on the bulletin board across from the member mailboxes. 2025 flowers are $35.00 and can be special ordered. Flowers can be taken home after the Sunday service.

ALTAR GUILD . . . Please sign up for a month to serve on the Altar Guild, caring for our Lord’s body & blood just as the woman who went to be tomb sought to care for the body of Jesus. There are spots available for Junior members to sign up.

FUNERAL CHAIR . . . Please sign up for a month to serve as funeral chair; the chair is responsible for placing calls requesting food donations and volunteers to help with serving and cleaning up after the funeral dinner. The current call list is included with the chair sign-up list on the clipboard located in the Narthex.

RATE & REVIEW IMMANUEL ON GOOGLE . . . Did you know that throughout the United States each month over 2 million people search on Google for “Churches Near Me.”? That’s how a majority of people find churches to visit. Therefore, being visible on Google as one of the top results for searches is important to get found. One way to increase your visibility on Google is through their Rate & Review feature. Please consider rating and review Immanuel on Google by going to: https://g.page/r/CdbSahe0h2B0EAI/review

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR VBS . . . This year’s VBS is June 9–13. The theme for this year is UNSHAKEABLE: A Journey through God’s Promises. Registration will begin in May.

MARTIN + KATIE CONFERENCE . . . They’re doing it again! The second Martin + Katie conference will soon be here (March 29), and the organizers at University Lutheran Chapel on the campus of the U of I have been working diligently to plan this event. Christian men and women ages 18–30, married or single, are invited to come meet new friends, get to know one another, and have fun with fellow believers. Last year’s event brought over 100 attendees! Registration is required, as capacity is limited. Info and registration are available at http://martinpluskatie.org. Here is where you come in. According to the organizers, “It is always helpful to have money donated, for with money we can buy whatever is needed at any time (name tags, sharpies, meat, buns, toilet paper, mustard, all the things). If people would prefer to donate individual items other than money, we can always use bags of potato chips (any variety), bags of M&Ms (no peanuts), homemade cookies (no nuts), a couple of bottles of ketchup and mustard.” Deadline for donations will be Sunday, March 23. Please place any donations in the box in the narthex and Lauren will take the items to campus. Thank you, in advance, for your generosity and support of these young men and women.

CHANGE TO SATURDAY NIGHT SERVICE . . . In consultation with the Board of Elders, beginning on Memorial Day Weekend (May 24–25) and, at least, throughout the summer, there will be no Saturday night service. Instead, on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 pm, a spoken Divine Service will be offered. This service will have a different sermon than Sunday morning. This will accommodate anyone who travels or works weekends, or would like another opportunity to attend the Divine Service.