September 26, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for September 26th: Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22; Psalm 124, James 5:13-20, Mark 9:38-50; Theme: Song: They will know we are Christians by our Love TFWS 2223 Mark: Mark is at it again – giving some very hard sayings of Jesus. Mark likes to get straight to the point. This chapter with the disciples asking about someone casting out demons. Jesus uses this as an opportunity to remind us that even though people don’t agree with everything we do or say – we are all still united when we represent Christ. Jesus reminds us that a part of our faith is tolerance and understanding. And in the next moment he is saying that we should be mindful of the children and not discourage them from faith. In all of this Jesus is reminding us of what it means to be a disciple. In life we will have tough choices, where it is easy to follow the world – but we should always take the time to do what Jesus would do. James: It is fitting after the gospel lesson, that we would also be looking at James this week. James can also have some very harsh words of wisdom for those who are disciples. Today James is saying that the answer for all of our problems is to pray. We live in a world of suffering. It seems that lately , more and more people are getting sick. James also tells us that it is important for the church to pray together. The body of Christ has the power to heal, to change situations, to make a difference. But our power lies in the ability to pray together and to trust one another and to more importantly trust Jesus Christ. The prayers of the righteous truly make a difference. Questions: how do we treat children who come to church seeking Christ? What are the disagreements that we have with other Christians? How has God answered your prayers lately? How Has God answered the prayers of the church?