June 3, 2018

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for June 3rd: 1 Samuel 3:1-20; Psalm 139:1-6,13-18; 2 Corinthians 4:5-12; Mark 2:23-3:6 Theme: Confirmation Sunday Psalms: This is a very personal psalm about our relationship with God. It is a confession that God knows everything about us. God knew us when we didn’t know ourselves. There is nothing that we can do to get away from God, because is always present in our lives. So instead of trying to run away from God, we need to embrace God. We should try to get to know God as well as God knows us. We should take advantage of our relationship with God. In times of trouble we can depend on God. In times when we are happy, we can rejoice with God. The last part says that God has plans for us, that is why we were created. In order to fulfill those plans, we have to have a relationship with God. 2 Corinthians: In this passage, Paul is trying to defend his ministry against the haters. He is confident in his relationship with Christ, so he tells the congregation that his actions come from his relationship. He is not in it for the personal glory, but the glory of God in Christ. This is a message for all of us to take to heart. We have all been criticized in some way for our relationship with God. Paul says that we are only human, and in this life things are not perfect. We are a good spirit inside of an earthly body – treasure in a clay pot. As long as we rely on that good spirit, we can withstand the criticism and the problems. We can let the light of Christ come through in our actions. In this life we die with Christ, so that we can live in Christ in victory. Questions: What is your relationship with God like? Is it comforting to know that God is always around? When have you been criticized for being a Christian? Did it cause you to have second thoughts or encourage you to move forward?

May 20, 2018

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for May 20th: Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:24-34, 35; Romans 8:22-27; John 15:26-27,16:4-15: Theme: Pentecost Sunday Acts: This is the story of the birth of the church. The disciples had already been out in the world teaching everyone about Jesus. They already had success in what they were doing. New people were already interested in the church. But the disciples report, that it was a time when people from all over the world were gathered together, they were listening to the word of God, when all of a sudden the word came to life and the holy spirit came upon them and took the church to a whole new level. All present were inspired to go home and to spread the word to more people. The Holy Spirit has been working in the world every since then. John: Jesus is preparing his disciples for the time when he will no longer be with them. So as he introduces the Spirit, he wants them to know that they are not alone. They will have help with their work of evangelism. Jesus explains that the spirit will bring righteousness, truth and judgment. The spirit gives us the ability to do right in a world that wants to do wrong, it will tell the truth in a world that has bought into a lie, and it will teach us the consequences of our actions and our decisions. As long as we embrace truth and righteousness, we can accomplish anything in the name of the Lord. And we will be close to God. Questions: Where have you witnessed people from all nations gathered to praise God together? How have you seen the holy Spirit at work in your life? How can you further the work of the church and spread the good news in your life? What does it mean to live in righteousness for you? You can view Breaking Open the Scripture online at https://breakingopenthescriptures.blogspot.comYou can view Pastor Harriette’s sermons online at https://aplaceforshalom.blogspot.com

May 13, 2018

Scriptures for May 13th: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; Psalm 1; 1 John 5:9-13; John 17:6-19; Theme: Mother’s Day John: Jesus is trying to make sure that his disciples are prepared for the days to come when he will not be with them. He wants to make sure that they have all that they need, so he tells them that he is praying for them. Jesus also says that he is praying for all who believe his message. He says that God has given him everything to take care of God’s people and now He gives it to us. It is our job to give it to others. Because of these gifts, we can be assured of God’s love, but not to keep it to ourselves, but to pass it on to others, so that they can pass it on to others. Jesus gives us access to all of his blessings to tell the truth in love. Acts: This is the first crisis in the new church. Now that Judas is gone, they have to select someone to take his place. Jesus chose the original 12 disciples, and many wonder why Jesus would make such a big mistake in choosing Judas in the first place. They establish who is even qualified to take the place of the original twelve. There are 120 followers not, but the person must be someone who has been with the movement all along, someone who actually listened to Jesus. They chose Matthias as the replacement. At the same time, Paul also feels that he is a disciple. He did not walk with Jesus on Earth, but Jesus came to him in spirit. Today we don’t know much about Matthias, but Paul reached people all over the world. Christ comes to all believers in spirit to guide us. Questions: If Jesus was praying for you what do you need? How do you use the gifts God gave you to help others to know who Christ is? If we needed to choose a new apostle, what would be the qualities we would look for? What present crisis do we need Christ to guide us through? You can view Breaking Open the Scripture online at https://breakingopenthescriptures.blogspot.comYou can view Pastor Harriette’s sermons online at https://aplaceforshalom.blogspot.com