Scripture & Questions for Sunday (9/5/10)

Luke 14:25-33 (ESV)
Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, [26] "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. [27] Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. [28] For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? [29] Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, [30] saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' [31] Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? [32] And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. [33] So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

Billy Graham has said, “Salvation is free, but discipleship costs everything we have” [--Edythe Draper, Drapers Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992)].

Questions to Reflect Upon
1. How have you counted the costs recently before tackling a project at home or at work?
2. What consequences result from not counting the cost before building?
3. How might the crowds have reacted to Jesus’ terms of discipleship?
4. How do most people react to Jesus’ terms of discipleship?
5. What costs of following Jesus seem especially high to you?
6. Why is it worth paying the price to follow Jesus?

Here is a link to an article that Laurie found this week that highlights how we as Christians do not count the cost of discipleship.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/08/27/almost.christian/index.html

Scripture and Questions for Sunday (8/29/10)

Luke 14:7-14 (ESV)
Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, [8] "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, [9] and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give your place to this person,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. [10] But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. [11] For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." [12] He said also to the man who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. [13] But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, [14] and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."

Questions
1. When have you attended a very formal dinner?
2. How does it feel to give a gift to someone who doesn’t expect it?
3. What does the wedding feast in the parable represent?
4. What benefits could you realize by consistently making humble choices?
5. What is something special you can do this week for someone who is unable to repay you in kind?

Announcements, Scriptures & Questions for Sunday (8/22/10)

Announcements

• City-Wide Youth End-of-Summer Party at County Park, Wednesday, Aug 18 6-7:30. All area churches are invited to participate.
• Annual prayer walk around the school grounds Sunday, August 22, 7:30, meeting out front of the high school.
• Parenting classes are coming to Junction!
• Families will be strengthened; countless children’s lives will be impacted in a positive way; parents will receive the guidance and encouragement they have long needed; schools will have less emotional and behavioral issues.
• Through effective training, families will be able to break the cycle of dysfunction. Law enforcement and the courts will have a resource to refer families in crisis.
• When the Lord ordains a project, He provides all the workers and materials to complete the job! In Junction, needed are leaders, mentors, facilitators, prayers and participants. The materials, facilities, and child-care workers are being prepared.
• This is where YOU, the Body of Christ, comes in! Please join in praying that those whom God is calling will hear His voice and be drawn out of their hiding places. Commit to praying, starting NOW, daily and nightly, This project will involve the entire community. Between now and Labor Day, seek God’s will and direction for this endeavor thank you in advance for your commitment to the betterment of today’s children, as well as future generations.

Scripture
Luke 13:10-17 (ESV)
Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. [11] And there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. [12] When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your disability." [13] And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. [14] But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day." [15] Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? [16] And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" [17] As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

Questions
1. When has someone criticized you for doing something good?
2. What rules about Sunday have you heard?
3. What do you think the crippled woman expected?
4. What restrictions do we foolishly put on God’s work?
5. What self-imposed rule or tradition do you need to modify to allow for God’s work?

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (8/15/10)

1 Samuel 3:1-10 (ESV)
Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. [2] At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. [3] The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. [4] Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, "Here I am!" [5] and ran to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down. [6] And the Lord called again, "Samuel!" and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." [7] Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. [8] And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the young man. [9] Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.' "So Samuel went and lay down in his place. [10] And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant hears."

Questions
1. How would you characterize our day and age with regard to people hearing from God?
2. What characteristics of the boy Samuel made him a suitable person to hear from God?
3. How can we become more attuned to hear God in our lives?

Questions & Scripture for Sunday (8/1/10)

Luke 12:13-21 (ESV)
Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." [14] But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?" [15] And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." [16] And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man produced plentifully, [17] and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' [18] And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. [19] And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' [20] But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' [21] So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

Questions
1. How did your family regard possessions while you were growing up?
2. What signs of greed can show up in a person’s life?
3. With what parts of the parable can you identify?
4. What parts of the parable make you uncomfortable?
5. What is one step you can take this week to become less dependent on your possessions?

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (7/25/10)

Vacation Bible School has gone very well this week.  Please come join us tonight for a Program and Family Fish Fry beginning at 6:00pm.

Luke 9:28-36 (ESV)
Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. [29] And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. [30] And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, [31] who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. [32] Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. [33] And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah"— not knowing what he said. [34] As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. [35] And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!" [36] And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

Questions to reflect upon:
1. What special events in your life do wish could have lasted forever?
2. If you had been with Peter, James, and John, how might you have felt?
3. In describing Peter’s suggestion about the shelters, why did Luke say, “He did not know what he was saying”?
4. Why do you think the disciples told no one what they had seen that day?
5. What can you do in your private devotions to help you listen to God’s Son?

VBS

Don't forget...

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Tuesday, July 20th - Friday, July 23rd

6:00 - 8:00 PM

Registration on Tuesday begins at 5:30 PM.

Friday evening we will be having a Family Fish Fry.

Everyone is invited. Dinner will begin at 6:00 PM.