Midweek Lent Series on the Sermon on the Mount

The Way of Christ’s Kingdom

A Lent Worship Series at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Tuscola, Illinois

During the upcoming season of Lent, Immanuel Lutheran Church in Tuscola, Illinois invites the community to attend a five-week midweek worship series titled “The Way of Christ’s Kingdom.” This series focuses on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), one of the most well-known—and often misunderstood—sections of the Bible.

Midweek services are open to the public and designed for both longtime church members and those who may be unfamiliar with the Christian faith. They begin on Wednesday, February 25, 7:00 pm.

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Rethinking the Sermon on the Mount in Lent

The Sermon on the Mount is frequently treated as a list of moral ideals or religious rules. In this Lenten series, however, it will be presented as Jesus’ teaching on life under God’s reign—life shaped not by self-improvement, but by repentance, faith, trust in God’s mercy, and ultimately by the cross of Christ.

Rather than leading people away from Christ, the Sermon on the Mount leads them deeper into Him. It exposes false righteousness and points hearers to the grace of God given freely in Jesus.

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What the Series Will Cover and Lent Preparation

Each week of the series will focus on a major section of the Sermon on the Mount, guiding worshipers through its central themes:

• The Beatitudes and life as God’s gift to the poor in spirit

• Jesus’ teaching on righteousness and the Law

• Prayer, fasting, and life before the Father who sees in secret

• Trust in God amid anxiety and false security

• Building one’s life on Christ as the only sure foundation

The sermons will address real human struggles such as guilt, hypocrisy, anxiety, judgment, and misplaced trust, showing how Christ meets these realities not with moral demands, but with forgiveness and faith.

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A Word from Pastor Jason Braaten

“Lent is a season when Christians are invited to slow down, listen carefully to Christ’s Word, and return again to what truly matters,” said Rev. Jason Braaten, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church. “The Sermon on the Mount does not lead us away from Christ, but deeper into Him. It strips away false righteousness and teaches us to live by trust in our heavenly Father.”

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Lent Worship Details and Invitation

Each midweek service includes Scripture readings, preaching, prayer, and hymnody appropriate to the Lenten season. The services are intentionally reverent, focused, and welcoming.

All are welcome to attend this Midweek Lenten series at Immanuel Lutheran Church.

For service times and additional information, please visit the church’s website or contact the church office.

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About Immanuel Lutheran Church

Immanuel Lutheran Church is located in Tuscola, Illinois, and has served the community for generations. The congregation is committed to the faithful preaching of Christ and the Gospel, reverent worship, and care for both members and neighbors.