Daily Scripture: Hebrews 11:8 By trusting, Avraham obeyed, after being called to go out[Hebrews 11:8 Genesis 12:1] to a place which God would give him as a possession; indeed, he went out without knowing where he was going. 9 By trusting, he lived as a temporary resident in the Land of the promise, as if it were not his, staying in tents with Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov, who were to receive what was promised along with him. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with permanent foundations, of which the architect and builder is God.
12:15 See to it that no one misses out on God’s grace, that no root of bitterness[Hebrews 12:15 Deuteronomy 29:17(18)] springing up causes trouble and thus contaminates many, 16 and that no one is sexually immoral, or godless like Esav, who in exchange for a single meal gave up his rights as the firstborn. 17 For you know that afterwards, when he wanted to obtain his father’s blessing, he was rejected; indeed, even though he sought it with tears, his change of heart was to no avail.
Reflection Questions:
A McFarland cross-country team at first seemed to many people like a waste of time. In the end, it produced not just state championships—it gave the runners better lives. Not one of the 1987 team had a single family member who’d completed 9th grade, but everyone on that team went to college. Hebrews contrasted Abraham’s long-term vision, looking beyond this world to God’s eternal kingdom, with Esau’s short-term choice to trade away his birthright for “one meal,” a bowl of stew (cf. Genesis 25:29-34). God calls us to live for eternity, and not trade it for temporary gain now.
- It was tough to be a Christian in the first-century Roman Empire. Hebrews 12:4 said it hadn’t been as tough, yet, for the readers as for some others: “In your struggle against sin, you haven’t resisted yet to the point of shedding blood.” At times, it must have been tempting to ask, ‘What’s the point?” So the letter warned the readers (as The Messagephrases it), “Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God’s lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite.” When your faith journey gets tough, what helps you avoid the “Esau syndrome”? How can you remain focused on the long-term benefits of following God?
Lord Jesus, you gave everything you had to open the way of salvation for me. I commit myself anew to live “all in” for you, every day, all my life. Amen.
Family Activity:
Heroes and heroines often persevere against all odds. Before you gather, ask each person to choose a hero or heroine they respect. If possible, have family members bring an item that represents this person (e.g. a picture, song, or book). When you come together, take turns sharing about the people whose belief and persistence you admire. Talk about what qualities or characteristics make them heroes or heroines. Next, bring out a Bible, and tell the others this represents Jesus. Discuss what qualities and characteristics Jesus had that would identify Him as a hero. Explore the Scriptures for stories and verses that describe who Jesus was, and how strong his beliefs and faithfulness were. Give thanks to God for Jesus, and for your heroes and heroines. Ask God to help you grow more like Jesus.
Insights from Mary Jones
Mary Jones is an eleven-year member of the Resurrection family, and served on staff for nine. Her greatest joy is serving with My Father’s House – Resurrection Furnishings Ministry alongside her husband Kevin and the many people there who are dedicated to building God’s Kingdom in Kansas City.
Today’s scripture verses encourage us to have a long-term view of our faith in God and His work in the world, and to not let short-term ‘rewards’ veer us from that path.
A long-term view (?), but I need to check my text messages first! We live in a world so distracted by a bombardment of input, that it can be hard to focus much beyond tomorrow. Internet technology has given us the wonderful advantage of connecting with those we might not have otherwise, across the world, and across town. However, we’re in a constant mode of information absorption, and our inclination is to want to have at least a peripheral understanding of what comes across our path so that we are aware of what’s going on in the world. Constant tweets, posts, emails, and messages keep us connected in great ways, and odd ones too. So called ‘cyber-kids’ are being raised experiencing the fantastic ways technology is used in education! On the flip side, Sherry Turkle in her book Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other suggests “that many children believed their parents paid less attention to them than to their smartphones, often times neglecting to interact with them face to face until they had finished responding to emails.” Researchers arrive at differing conclusions as to the effect of this significant decrease in face-to-face interaction, but many are concerned about its impact in our lives.
What does this have to do with our scripture verses today? We are encouraged to have a long-term view of our faith in God and His work in the world, and what our role is in that. I suggest that a great way to attend to our faith journey and re-connect with His world is to put ourselves in a place we haven’t been before, around people we don’t know, face-to face. Try something new this fall that introduces you to new people and new ideas. It can be so focused and grounding to serve in the nursery, which allows young parents to attend worship, or to serve as a Confirmation mentor and invest in today’s youth for a better tomorrow. Serve at a Resurrection local mission ministry once a month, or sign up to go beyond K.C. on a mission trip! There are a boat load of classes, care, and affinity groups and serving opportunities to choose from that will encourage your walk. Shake it up!
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Today’s scripture verses encourage us to have a long-term view of our faith in God and His work in the world, and to not let short-term ‘rewards’ veer us from that path.
A long-term view (?), but I need to check my text messages first! We live in a world so distracted by a bombardment of input, that it can be hard to focus much beyond tomorrow. Internet technology has given us the wonderful advantage of connecting with those we might not have otherwise, across the world, and across town. However, we’re in a constant mode of information absorption, and our inclination is to want to have at least a peripheral understanding of what comes across our path so that we are aware of what’s going on in the world. Constant tweets, posts, emails, and messages keep us connected in great ways, and odd ones too. So called ‘cyber-kids’ are being raised experiencing the fantastic ways technology is used in education! On the flip side, Sherry Turkle in her book Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other suggests “that many children believed their parents paid less attention to them than to their smartphones, often times neglecting to interact with them face to face until they had finished responding to emails.” Researchers arrive at differing conclusions as to the effect of this significant decrease in face-to-face interaction, but many are concerned about its impact in our lives.
What does this have to do with our scripture verses today? We are encouraged to have a long-term view of our faith in God and His work in the world, and what our role is in that. I suggest that a great way to attend to our faith journey and re-connect with His world is to put ourselves in a place we haven’t been before, around people we don’t know, face-to face. Try something new this fall that introduces you to new people and new ideas. It can be so focused and grounding to serve in the nursery, which allows young parents to attend worship, or to serve as a Confirmation mentor and invest in today’s youth for a better tomorrow. Serve at a Resurrection local mission ministry once a month, or sign up to go beyond K.C. on a mission trip! There are a boat load of classes, care, and affinity groups and serving opportunities to choose from that will encourage your walk. Shake it up!
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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