September 9, 2012

Scriptures for September 9, 2012 – Proverbs 22:1-2,8-9, 22-23; Psalm 125; James 2:1-17; Mark 7:24-37; Theme – If God is good, be good also; song: Open my Eyes that I might see – UMH 454 Proverbs: Every culture produces a set of wisdom sayings that are passed on from generation to generation. They are things that our mothers always told us as a child. The book of proverbs is a set of these wisdom sayings that a mother passes on to her son. He is preparing to be king. His mother wants him to be safe as he is going out into the world. In this message she is telling him that being rich is not everything. God loves the poor. She wants him to be the best that he can be, and to pursue as much education as possible. But to never lose touch with the poor. To make sure that he is helping, volunteering, treating everyone with respect. He may have power some day, but not to let that go to his head. Be more concerned about integrity, than money. James: How to deal with the poor is the subject of both scriptures. We are reminded that we need to remember that we are blessed so that we can be a blessing with others. James is very blunt to remind us that God wants us to be able to help others. And if we love God, then we will do God’s will in other’s life. The church is the place where all people are equal, we have to give everyone a chance, even if they are poor. As a matter of fact, God is always on the side of the poor, and holding you accountable for trying to help. This is the chapter where James comes out and says that Faith without works is dead. If we love God, then we will work to build God’s kingdom and help God’s people. Questions: What are the sayings that are important in your life? What do you know about proverbs? Is there a part that you remember to live by? How does the message to a future king help ordinary people like us? What do you think about the poor in this community? What are you doing to help them? How does your faith affect your actions? What lessons in life can you learn from the poor?