Come and See!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Scripture & Questions (7/24/11)

Scripture
Isaiah 43:16-21 (ESV)     
Thus says the Lord,       
who makes a way in the sea,       
a path in the mighty waters,    
[17] who brings forth chariot and horse,       
army and warrior;   
they lie down, they cannot rise,       
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:    
[18] "Remember not the former things,       
nor consider the things of old.    
[19] Behold, I am doing a new thing;       
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?   
I will make a way in the wilderness       
and rivers in the desert.    
[20] The wild beasts will honor me,       
the jackals and the ostriches,   
for I give water in the wilderness,       
rivers in the desert,   
to give drink to my chosen people,        
[21] the people whom I formed for myself   
that they might declare my praise. 

Questions for Reflection         
The key verse is 19 and the theme is about new things and being able to start over. You may find it helpful to read all of chapter 43. God contrasts the past and the future. When all the former things have been put behind, there will be a new song of praise for God’s people to sing.
1.    What past deeds of God were related by Isaiah to illustrate his point? (43:16-18)
2.    What forsaken land and its animal inhabitants would recognize God’s activity among His chosen people? (43:19-21)
3.    Why do you think God’s people sometimes fail to perceive His provision for them?
4.    Why was God continually reminding Israel of how He delivered them from Egypt?
5.    What attitudes lead us to neglect worship and prayer?
6.    What is sometimes difficult about remembering that God has forgiven and forgotten our past sins?

Friday, July 15, 2011

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (7/17/11)

Announcement:
Don’t forget we have VBS next week, Tuesday – Friday, 6-8pm. This is a truly an intergenerational event as adults will be traveling around Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth in tribes with the kids! We hope you can come and learn what it was like to live in Jesus’ town.

We will be decorating for VBS Sunday afternoon after church at 2pm. If you have time to help us decorate, we can use all the hands we can get!

If you have any of the following items that you would be willing to let us use that could help us set up a realistic marketplace, we would appreciate them very much!
  • Throw rugs
  • Drop cloths
  • Old table cloths
  • Old sheets
  • Large plants – real or artificial (to set around the marketplace)
  • Items that might be used as props for a Carpenter’s shop (old tools that aren’t too sharp, scraps of wood, etc)
  • a sandal/leather shop
  • a jewelry/bead shop
  • a food market
Please come and join in on the fun!

Scripture:
ESV Luke 5:1-11
1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 5 And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Questions to Reflect Upon
1. When have you participated in a project at which everyone worked very hard, only to experience failure?
2. Why were the people crowding around Jesus? (5:1)
3. What did Jesus use to create a little space between Himself and the crowd? (5:2-3)
4. How did Simon react when he realized Jesus had just done a miracle for them? (5:8-9)
5. Who were Simon’s partners? (5:10)
6. How did Jesus speak to the men’s fears? (5:10)
7. How did Simon and the others respond to Jesus’ invitation? (5:11)
8. What does God expect us to do when obeying Him does not yield any immediate benefit?
9. In what way is Simon’s reaction to Jesus’ miracle an example for us to follow?

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Scripture & Questions (7/10/11)

Announcements:

1. Please be in prayer for the family of Tyler Eckert a 15 year old who died Monday night.
2. Vacation Bible School for all ages July 19-22! Evenings 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37 (ESV)
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" [26] He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" [27] And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." [28] And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." [29] But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. [31] Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. [32] So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. [33] But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. [34] He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. [35] And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' [36] Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" [37] He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise."

Questions to Reflect Upon
1. When has someone gone out of his or her way to help you?
2. What do you think motivates most people to do good?
3. How did the legal expert summarize the demands of the Law? (10:27)
4. What did the priest and the Levite do to help the man who was robbed and beaten? (10:31-32)
5. What was the Samaritan’s response to what he saw? (10:33-35)
6. How did the legal expert define the neighbor in the parable? (10:37)
7. How practical was the Samaritan’s approach to the man in need?
8. How does it feel when someone has mercy on you?
9. In what ways can we as individuals and as groups of Christians be more like the Samaritan?