The House You're Building

  Introduction   The Israelites have seen God move in dramatic ways.  They have just been rescued from Pharaoh for a second time.  This left them on a spiritual high as they responded in worship.  Yet after seeing the plagues and God’s deliverance, days without new miracles leave them despondent.  Many of the stories in this installment of Exodus show a people with short memories.  They begin to grumble as God’s provision doesn’t come in their timing.  They need water in the desert and complain to the One who had just commanded the Red Sea to destroy their enemies.  In biblical settings, the desert is a place where people wander, need guidance, and mutter against Yahweh [1] .  Is it so different in our days? In symbolic fashion we describe seasons of life where there is dryness and scarcity as being “in the desert.” Are we patient with God and remember what He has just done for us when His timing i...

        Orient  John 6:22-69 Today’s scripture reading is best understood connected to the previous section, so feel free to read the entirety of chapter six if it puts it in context.  In this section, Jesus is able to explain the significance of providing a meal for thousands out of one boy’s lunch.  It is the first of the famous “I am statements,” where Jesus speaks in metaphor to compare Himself to an object to teach his followers about Him.  We also find figurative language where Jesus talks about his salvation in abstract terms.  Following a common pattern we’ve seen, His teaching confuses those who miss the spiritual metaphors in His teaching and as a result, many of His followers leave.  The 12 disciples are first mentioned as the core group that will remain with Christ till the end of passion week.     Introduction I love food!  When I first got married, I didn’t know how to cook ...

  Orient  John 6:1-21 Today’s reading contains 2 of the 7 signs in this part of John’s gospel.  The first, done in a huge crowd, calls us to notice the provision of Jesus and is meant to remind the reader of the Exodus motif-how God provided bread for God’s people in the wilderness.  Next time, we will hear Jesus teach about the significance of His provision. The second sign was made just to his disciples and is more commonly known by its parallel passage in Matthew 14 where Peter asks to walk on water as well.   Introduction I’ve been pretty mentally fatigued lately.  I can’t seem to hold much in my head for more than a few minutes and details get lost in a fog.  Most days when I get in my car, I start driving to work--even if I intended to go to the grocery store!  At lunch last week, a coworker of mine was commenting on finally recovering from pregnancy brain and her son is over a year old.  To some extent, I ...

  Have you ever thought about what it was like when God created the animals?  I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and one of my favorite parts is seeing how the artists in the films visually recreate some of my favorite magical creatures like hippogriffs and thestrals.  Imagine the whimsy of God, making the massive blue whale, the intricate hummingbird or the pieced-together platypus.  Not only inventing their physical characteristics but choosing their behaviors.  I on team dog because God made them loyal, sweet, and playful.    What was God thinking when He created sheep?  Did you know that sheep are mentioned more than any other animal in the bible [1] ?  Not only were sheep an important part of the ancient world’s economy, but God uses them in the Bible as an analogy of how we act.  It’s almost like God knew us and decided to design an animal that reflects our tendencies to show us our need for Him. Most ar...

We live in a world of anxiety.   There always seems to be something we need; worries, doing without, or relationships that are out of sync cause worry and stress.   This week Paul closes his letter giving advice about how to restore relationships, how to find peace, and what to keep your mind on.   Key Verse: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.   (Philippians 4:8-1 ESV)   Read chapter 4 of Philippians this week and consider the following:   Relationships v. 2-3 : What do you know about Euodia and Syntyche?   Who does Paul want to help them restore the relationship?   Journal prompt:   Have you ever been worried about two of your friends not getting along?   What did you do?   Does the situation change if the...