July 8, 2018

Scriptures for July 8th: 2 Samuel 5:1-5,9-10; Psalm 48; 2 Corinthians 12:2-10; Mark 6:1-13; Theme: what does it mean to believe? 2 Corinthians: Paul tells us that faith affects different people in different ways. People come to faith for different reasons. Some people work for God and some people think that God works for them. Paul points out that those who work for God are humble, and attribute their power to God and not to themselves. Their strength is in their ability to be weak and vulnerable. Paul believed that God gave him a “thorn in his side” in order to keep him vulnerable and dependent upon God. He encourages us to look up to leaders who are humble and respectful of God. Look to those who consider themselves suffering servants who give to help others. As we serve, it is important to be humble. Mark: In this text the question comes up again, Who does this man think that he is. He has not been ordained, he had not been accepted by others, yet he claims that his power is from God. And once again, Jesus proves who he is, by healing and performing miracles. Jesus is surprised at how hard it is to be accepted by those who know him. But I think that the end of the text is most important to us. This is where Jesus empowers his disciples to heal and perform miracles just as he did. He also encourages them to have faith and not to worry about being accepted by others. If they believe, they are faithful, if not then shake the dust from your feet and move on. The good part of the story is that the disciples were faithful and they were able to make a lasting impact on the world. Questions: Is your faith based on your faith in God or your faith in yourself? What does it mean to be humble? Does humbleness really make a difference in our faith? How do people view you in your hometown? Have you had a chance to witness to your faith with strangers?