August 16, 2015

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for August 16th: 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14; Psalm 111; Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-58: Song: Great is thy Faithfulness UMH 140: Theme: The bread of life: 1 Kings: We have been following the life of David all summer. What a life it was. He started out as a young man, with the inner qualities that God is looking for. When the time comes, God decides if I have to choose a king it may as well be David. David shows his devotion to God. David sins and show his weakness to God. God forgives him, but says that the consequences of his sin lay in the generations to come. His sons turn against him. He dies. And now it is time to turn his life work over to his son Solomon. That is basically the life story of us all. No matter how much we accomplish in our lives, we are going to have to turn it over to someone else. And a new lesson begins. Solomon knows that his relationship with God is not about him, it is about his leadership and the needs of his people. His request from God is wisdom to do his job well. God’s reply is that if he does his job well and serves his people, then his leadership will be blessed. John: We have one more week of John 6. We are supposed to realize just how the life of Christ nourishes our soul. We are supposed to chew upon John 6 as the word of God. What does Jesus mean when he says I am the bread of life. He explains the importance of the communion ritual. And what it means to eat living bread. This is one of those verses that will only make sense to a Christian. Anyone else would be turned off by the image of actually eating your leader. But for us it means that we are supposed to take Christ inside of our bodies. Don’t just imitate Christ – be Christ. When you are faced with tough times, know that Christ is with you. And it is the Christ in you that makes a difference in our life and in the lives of others. It is the Christ in you that acts, that thinks, that does the right thing. We can be grateful for that. Questions: If you could ask God for anything what would it be? Do you think Solomon made the right choice at asking for wisdom? What would have happened had he asked for riches? What does communion mean to you? How is the word of Christ living bread that last forever? What are others ways to eat the bread of life?

August 9, 2015

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for August 9th: 2 Samuel 18:5-9,15,31-33; Psalm 130; Ephesians 4:25-5:2; John 6:35, 41-51: theme: Christ is all that we need; song: Come Ye Disconsulate: UMH 510 Ephesians: The message of Ephesians is an ongoing message. There are things that build up community, there are things that tear down community. Truth builds community and lying tears it apart. In order to build the kingdom of God, we have to build community. We have to do things that make people feel welcome. We have to give those who need forgiveness a place at the table. After all, God was able to forgive us, so we need to be able to forgive others. As a matter of fact, we need to be imitators of Christ. In our actions, it is not what we want to do, it is what does the bible tell us to do. We are created to create community and to live peacefully in it. But that takes work our part. John: This is the third week that we focus on John 6. These are the I am statements of Jesus. Jesus is a glimpse of who God in heaven is. Jesus provides for all of our needs. The whole point of John is to show the divinity of Jesus and his life. He was not the son of David, but he was the Son of God – Thus God on Earth. So we need to give him honor. Bread is an important staple. A big part of our diet. Well, Jesus is the bread of life. When we feast on Jesus, we will not be spiritually hungry. Being spiritually fed is the first step to being physically fed. Jesus is the bread of life – the spiritual food that will open the doors of heaven and provide a pathway to eternity Questions: What does it mean to imitate Christ? How has community made a difference in your life? How do you build community in your life? What about your community needs to improve? What is spiritual food for you? Do you like bread? How is Jesus like bread for you? Do you like the heavenly qualities of Christ, or the earthly life of Jesus?

June 28, 2015

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for June 28th: 2 Samuel 1:1,17-27; Psalm 130; 2 Corinthians 8:7-15; Mark 5:21-43; Theme: The healing power of Jesus; UMH 474: Precious Lord 2 Corinthians: Paul continues his reconciliation with the Corinthian Church. Even though he was the one who started the church, they reject him. Paul writes a very strong letter the help them understand what is going on from a Christian perspective. When we are Christian family, there is always an opportunity for reconciliation. If we put Christ first, there is nothing that we cannot overcome. Paul tells us that it is time for us to reconcile and move on. That Christ is depending on us to make this a fair and just world for all. We should not let our differences with one another stop us from helping others. There is just too much work that needs to be done. Christ wants us to be able to work together. Mark: This is an example of Jesus healing ministry. Once again he shows that if we put our faith in him, if we move forward, then Christ healing power will do the rest. Jesus has been showing his power all throughout the land. Jesus meets the needs of all that he comes in contact with. The more people believe that Jesus cannot change the situation, he makes a difference. He heals all people regardless of their story. The power that Jesus has to heal, he gave it to his disciples, he gives it to us. We have the power to make a difference in all peoples lives, just by having faith. Questions: Who do you need to be reconciled with? What are the barriers that stand in the way of that reconciliation? How can you help others by getting through the reconciliation? Who do you know that needs to be healed in your life? What can you do to heal them? What can Christ do to heal them?

June 14, 2015

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for June 14th: 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13; Psalm 20; 2 Corinthians 5:6-13, 14-17; Mark 4:26-34: Theme: Wait for the seeds of faith to grow: Song: Have Thine Own Way - UMH 382 2 Corinthians: This is Paul’s continuation to defend himself against criticism from the Corinthian church. He continues to remind us of what it means to have life in Christ. He continues to make the distinction between life in the flesh and life in the spirit. But he says that if we have given our life to Christ, then we should behave the same in spirit and in flesh. The spirit of Christ should take over the actions of the flesh. Imagine if we had the ability to see people as God sees them and not how we see them? In God’s eyes, we all have the same potential. We all have the responsibility to live up to that potential. In Christ we can change at any moment, and live according to the encouragement of the Spirit. We can always become a new person in Christ. Mark: We live in a world that is filled with potential. We live according to what is happening today, but also what will happen tomorrow. God starts with potential, then he waters it, nurtures it and watches it grow. Our destiny is never jut given to us, we just have to grow into it. Jesus says that the kingdom of God is like seeds that are sown everywhere. Some of them grow, and some of them do not. But each of us has potential to grow where we are planted. Sometimes, it is the most unexpected plants that grow the most. That is the parable of the mustard seed. To always have faith. To believe in God and to believe that God has a plan for you and for your life. To know that you are present in this moment, but most importantly, God is preparing you and us for eternity. Questions: Who are we ignoring in the church? Who do we need to be reminded that they are equal to us in the eyes of God? What fleshly behavior do to need to get rid of? What spiritual behaviors do you need to further develop? How is god spreading seeds in your life? What seeds are you spreading to other places and people? What mustard seeds have you witnessed growing in the world?

May 31, 2015

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for May 31st: Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 29; Romans 8:12-17; John 3: 1-17; Theme: All led by God’s Spirit are God’s Children; Song: Every Time I Feel the Spirit UMH 404 Romans: This is a continuation of our lesson on the Holy Spirit last week. We are encouraged to live life in Christ. They way to do that is to be baptized and to recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit in our life. And to consent to be led by the spirit in all that we do. That will help us to rise our human need to think only of ourselves, but to think about the people and things that God cares about. When we are led by the spirit, then we are children of God. Not everyone earns the title of child of God, just because they are alive. They have to be led by the spirit. When we are able to trust the spirit, then we can’t go wrong – we will experience the wonders of God’s fruit directly in our lives, which will bring joy unspeakable. Baptism is dying and rising with Christ. John: Jesus also talks about baptism to Nicodemus. It is a way of being born again, and embracing a new spirit in our lives. When we are born again, then we can put aside past negativity. We don’t have to trust the world, (which has nothing for us), we can trust God fully and completely. God loved the world so much that he makes that available to all people. But he tries to help Nicodemus understand that only those who follow Christ have to power to overcome the understanding of this world. We can celebrate the fact that God is always on our side. He sent Jesus here to the world, because he wants us to be winners. A winner will never lose, because everything is in God’s favor. Questions: What does it mean to you to be born again? How are you like Nicodemus? How do you learn from his questions? What does it mean to be a child of God? What helps you to follow God’s will in all things? What hinders you?

May 17, 2015

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for May 17th: Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47; Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53: theme: Ascension Sunday ; Song: Up From the Grave He Arose UMH 322 Acts: This book chronicles the early church and how it grew and survived. It tracks the steps of the risen Christ in the lives of his followers. An important point in the journey was the day that he returned to heaven. This is one of the few non Sunday observances that John Wesley thought important enough to keep in his church calendar. I love that at the end of today’s scripture, angels ask why are you looking up in the sky for Jesus? Jesus is inside of our hearts, most importantly, Jesus is out and about in the world. Jesus promises us the power of the Holy Spirit. So we can start to expect it in our lives. If Jesus is in heaven now, it is up to us to embody the presence of Christ in the world. Luke: This is the story of the Ascension, as Jesus brings his disciples out to the beach and he gives them instructions and then goes up to heaven. Once again he tells us to wait for the presence of the holy spirit, and then first repent yourself, and second preach the power of repentance and forgiveness to the world. You don’t need to worry about traveling, change the world right where you are! There is a reason that we are in the place that we are in. We have work to do, and we have a message to give to others. Jesus is not going to do that work, he went to heaven. He left it to us to do. The scripture says that the followers has a deep sense of joy for having Jesus with them. They continually rejoiced in the temple – spreading the word, and living it brings joy and appreciation. The spirit of Jesus is with us when we are spreading his message! Questions: do you think the ascension of Jesus really happened or is it just an informative story? Where is heaven? Is it up in the sky or in our hearts? What are you doing in preparation for the Holy Spirit? Do you get a sense of joy from telling the story of Jesus to others?

May 10, 2015

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for May 10th: Acts 10:44-48; Psalm 98; 1 John 5:1-6; John 15:9-17; Theme: Mother’s Day; Song: Blessed Assurance UMH 369 1 John: The essence of God is love. The essence of being a Christian is knowing how to love one another. This Easter season, we are being pounded with messages of love for one another. We are reminded that if we live our life in Jesus then it is easy to love others. We are reminded that it is not human nature to love. But Jesus gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit, so that we can indeed learn to love like Jesus loves, which is in turn how God loves us. There are still a lot of people in the world who don’t know what love is – it is the job of the church to show them. John: In the book of John, we are examining the I am statements. Jesus tells us step by step who he is, and why we should care. He is telling us that our salvation comes through him, and through his efforts. And that if we want to have a relationship with God, then we need to have a relationship with Jesus. Today, Jesus tells us that he is the vine, and that we are the branches, and that God is the vine keeper. But he goes farther than that. If God can take care of us through Jesus, then we are to take care of one another and God’s creation. He commands us to love. To learn to love sacrificially. But whatever we do in the name of the Lord is not a sacrifice, because we will always get it back! God will pay us back for the love we give to others. The command to love is not to give to others, but to invest in ourselves! Questions: What stands in the way of you loving others? What do you get in return when you are able to show love? How have you experienced God’s love in your life? How do you get your nourishment from Jesus for your life?