Discussion for 21 May 2017

John 14:15-21

15“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. 17This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

18“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

FOR CONSIDERATION
- Based on these few words, what are some of the appropriate human responses to Christ today?

Discussion for 14 May 2017

1 Peter 2:2-10

2Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation — 3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in scripture: 
     “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, 
          a cornerstone chosen and precious; 
          and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 
7To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, 
     “The stone that the builders rejected 
          has become the very head of the corner,” 
8and 
     “A stone that makes them stumble, 
          and a rock that makes them fall.” 
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 
10  Once you were not a people, 
          but now you are God’s people; 
     once you had not received mercy, 
          but now you have received mercy.

FOR CONSIDERATION

- Does this passage suggest Faith and Unfaith are a matter of choice?

Discussion for 7 May 2017

John 10:1-10

1“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

FOR CONSIDERATION

In Verse 7 Jesus says He is the gate. A gate is something that separates those from the inside from those on the outside for the purposes of protection or privilege. Agree or disagree?

Discussion for 30 April 2017

Acts 2:14a, 36-41

14aBut Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them,

36“Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” 40And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.

For Consideration
- What type of promises are made at a baptism?
- What does receiving the Holy Spirit look like?

Discussion for 23 April 2017

Psalm 16:1-11

¹   Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 
²   I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; 
          I have no good apart from you.”

³   As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, 
          in whom is all my delight.

⁴   Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; 
          their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out 
          or take their names upon my lips.

⁵   The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; 
          you hold my lot. 
⁶   The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; 
          I have a goodly heritage.

⁷   I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; 
          in the night also my heart instructs me. 
⁸   I keep the LORD always before me; 
          because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

⁹   Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; 
          my body also rests secure. 
¹⁰  For you do not give me up to Sheol, 
          or let your faithful one see the Pit.

¹¹  You show me the path of life. 
          In your presence there is fullness of joy; 
          in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

For Consideration

- What do these verses suggest the consequences of NOT have faith in The Lord?

Discussion for 16 April 2017

Psalm 114

1   When Israel went out from Egypt,
          the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
2   Judah became God’s sanctuary,
          Israel his dominion.

3   The sea looked and fled;
          Jordan turned back.
4    The mountains skipped like rams,
          the hills like lambs.

5   Why is it, O sea, that you flee?
          O Jordan, that you turn back?
6    O mountains, that you skip like rams?
          O hills, like lambs?

7    Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
          at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8    who turns the rock into a pool of water,
          the flint into a spring of water.\

FOR CONSIDERATION
-Why would we look at the Psalm on Easter Sunday.......other than the fact Joe selected this text for the 1st Reading.

Discussion for 9 April 2017

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

1   O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; 
     his steadfast love endures for ever!

2     Let Israel say, 
          “His steadfast love endures for ever.”

19  Open to me the gates of righteousness, 
          that I may enter through them 
          and give thanks to the LORD.

20  This is the gate of the LORD; 
          the righteous shall enter through it.

21  I thank you that you have answered me 
          and have become my salvation. 
22  The stone that the builders rejected 
          has become the chief cornerstone. 
23  This is the LORD’s doing; 
          it is marvelous in our eyes. 
24  This is the day that the LORD has made; 
          let us rejoice and be glad in it. 
25  Save us, we beseech you, O LORD! 
          O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!

26  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD. 
          We bless you from the house of the LORD. 
27  The LORD is God, 
          and he has given us light. 
     Bind the festal procession with branches, 
          up to the horns of the altar. 
28  You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; 
          you are my God, I will extol you.

29  O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, 
     for his steadfast love endures forever.

For Discussion

 -This is a movement - transformation selection. What is moving and what is transformed?

- How does this passage differ to Jesus entry into Jerusalem and the passion of the Lord?

- What is the significance of the "Stone" referenced in Vs 22 as used in the New Testament?

- Verse 25 is a beautiful prayer.....what does God want our success to look like?