Readings for Sunday, March 11, 2012

Hello Everyone,

I am sorry I had to miss worship with you this past Sunday. Food poisoning Friday night did me in all day Saturday. At around 6:00 PM I had to decide if I would feel well enough on Sunday morning and I just did not look good. Thanks to Rev. Alice Tobler for being willing to fill in for me.

Some announcements before I start. There will be Bible Study at GEUMC (1:00 PM) and PUC (3:00 PM) tomorrow afternoon and we will have Lenten Services tomorrow night (PUC at 6:30 and GEUMC at 8:00). We had a very light turn out at GE last week so I am hoping to see more of you there. Our scripture for tomorrow night is Matthew 5:21-48 and is part of my series on “Living the Sermon on the Mount”.

Don’t forget that this Saturday night we start Daylight Savings Time and we “Spring Forward” one hour.

Our lessons for this coming Sunday are:

Exodus 20:1-17 – The Ten Commandments; need I say more? Well, maybe. Who and what are the first four commandments about? What is the “Great Commandment” that would cover these four? What is the fifth commandment concerning? Who and what are the last five commandments about? What is the second “Great Commandment” that would cover these five? Which commandment contains a promise? Of the last five, why do you think the last one is the longest? What does it mean to “covet”? If you covet, which other commandments may come into play? In other words, if you covet something, what might you do to get it?

Psalm 19 – This psalm glorifies God for two things God give: Creation (verses 1-6) and Law (7-14). Who is speaking, or not speaking, about the glory of God in the first part? In verses 7-9, what are the six different ways the psalmists calls God’s Law good? What are the six things the Law does in these same verses? MEMORY VERSE: try memorizing verse 14.

1 Corinthians 1:18-25 – As you read this passage, what, in your opinion, is the message of the cross? Would your friends and neighbors think that was foolish? What is the wisdom of this world and how is that different then God’s wisdom? What do we want from God that would be analogous to signs and wisdom? Who is the power and wisdom of God?

John 2:13-22 – Why do you think the writer of the Gospel of John put this story at the front of the Gospel? At what point does it occur in the other Gospels? Read the other Gospel versions: Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-19; and Luke 19:45-46. What are the similarities and what are the differences? Is Jesus angry in these four versions? What do the versions say about Jesus’ emotions at this time? Do we really know or do we simply fill in what we think Jesus’ emotional state was? What was Jesus’ feelings on how the Temple should be used and operated?

Have a great week reading the Bible! May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you, O God, my rock and my redeemer.