June 29, 2014 - Third Sunday after Pentecost

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for June 29th : Genesis 22:1-14; Psalm 13; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42: Theme: Families as a blessing from God; Song: O Jesus I have Promised – UMH 396 Genesis: Sometimes, we don’t have to worry about what other people do for us. Our family can do really cruel things to us. family stories can be very violent and sad. Last week we hear the story of how Abraham banishes his own son into the desert. And today we hear how the blessed son, Isaac is almost killed. Abraham takes his son on the mountain in order to sacrifice him. Once again this is a story of how God’s grace abounds in the midst of a horrible situation. And even when people are misled, and do the wrong thing, God knows how to use that situation in order for blessed things to happen. We always have to remember, that blessings are not just for us, they are for the people that follow behind. Isaac and his brother Ishmael had to survive, so that the good news of God’s grace could reach the present generation. And we can be grateful that God’s promises are eternal – they will stand for generations to come. Romans: Paul is telling the story of what it means to live inside of Christ. He reminds us that when we were in the world we were slaves to sin. In Christ, we are free to do what is right for us. We don’t talk about sin anymore. It is a dirty word. We tend to think that if we don’t talk about it, then it will not be a problem. But it does not work that way. If w ignore it, that is when it is more likely to show up. And when it shows up, we will have no control over it. Being a Christian does not mean that you can do whatever you want, what it means is that you have the mind of Christ. With the mind of Christ, you have sense to move on to something better. Freedom means that you have a choice, you can choose to do the right thing. How do we know we are sinning? Does our action lead to life or death. God wants us to have eternal life. Eternal life starts with what you do today. We cant live sinfree, but we can claim our life and repent and start all over. Live in Christ, and not in sin. Questions: What do you think of Abraham? Was he a nice person? What would have happened to us if Isaac had been killed in this story? How does God provide for you in unexpected ways? What does it mean to be a slave to sin? How can we be free of the effects of sin? How does Christ help us to resist sin? ThiT