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?