July 6, 2014 - 4th Sunday after Pentecost

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for July 6th: Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67; Psalms 45:10-17; Romans 7:15-25; Matthew 11:16-19,25-30; Theme: Trust in the Lord; Song: Come Thou Font of Every Blessing #400 Genesis: We continue learning the story of the family of faith; the family that all of those faithful to God are a part of. Abraham is the father of us all – so we need to know his story. Stories of what really happened in our family can be difficult and shocking. But it is important also to remember that the glue that has held our family together has been love. The story of how we came to be starts with a love story. Abraham loved Sarah enough to do anything that she asked of him. As Isaac grew up, he longed to have someone who loved him in that way. He found that love in Rebekah. Their love is the foundation of the whole family. This is the story of how he went home to his mother’s family to find a wife. She was willing to go and to marry. Things were not perfect in their marriage. Their children were not perfect. They did not always agree on everything. But through it all they loved one another, and they passed that love on to others. Their love is an example of how love is present in our family today, and how it will smooth over the difficult stories. Matthew: Sometimes it can be a challenge to get people to understand the good news of Jesus Christ. It is hard for us today, but it was hard for Jesus also. There were many people who did not listen to him, or who could care less. Jesus learned to thank God for the people who did listen. He realized that to listen and to understand the gospel is a gift from God. Not only did he celebrate those who did listen, he celebrated how their lives where changed. He invited more to come and he still extends that invitation. Come all who are weary and carrying a heavy burden. Life does not have to be that way. Follow Jesus and things will get easier? Do you truly believe that? It is the truth about Jesus and what he offers in our lives. Questions: What is the love story in your family? What are the difficult times that love has bought you through? Who are your ancestors? How is your life connected to them now? What is your heavy burden in life? How does Jesus makes things easier? Why do you think it is so hard for the present generation to listen to Jesus? What do we need to say to get them to understand the good news?