O gracious God, Your servant and apostle James was the first among the
Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the name of Jesus Christ. Pour out upon
the leaders of Your Church that spirit of self-denying service that
they may forsake all false and passing allurements and follow Christ
alone, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now
and forever.
This coming Sunday, the prophet Jeremiah tells us that we also have to think about the necessity of "bad shepherds" in the midst of this fallen world. So, come in person or by Zoom this Sunday, 18 July, to hear how God's Word teaches us to cope with bad shepherds. We'll call it "Bad Shepherd Sunday"!
We don't like to wait. We tend to be impatient. When we want something, we want it now. Waiting in line at the grocery store can be a chore; waiting for healing from a medical condition can be excruciating. Tomorrow in worship, we will hear about a couple of people that Jesus healed. One of them suffered for 12 years before Jesus came to her.Â
In the book of Lamentations, the Lord reminds us:
"The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3:25-26
"Do you know who I am?" That's a common phrase from books and movies, when someone is trying to exert authority over someone else. In our Old Testament and Gospel readings tomorrow, we hear something similar. In Job 38, God speaks to Job, telling him who He is. In Mark 4, the Disciples ask, "who is this, that even the wind and sea obey Him?" after Jesus calms the storm. So who is God, and what has He done for us?
What do you do when troubles come upon you? When problems come along - and they often do - it is easy for us to think that we have to do something to fix them. It's true in our lives, and it's true in the church as well. Tomorrow in our readings, we will hear what God's Word has to say about troubles.Â
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Jesus said, "whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" Mark 3:29. This is often described as the "unforgivable sin," and people often ask questions about it. Since God loves to forgive sins, it seems like there shouldn't be any sins that God wouldn't forgive. So what is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Join us tomorrow as we hear how this Word of Jesus applies to our lives.