Standard Sunday School Lesson Scriptures and Benediction for Saint Paul’s United Methodist of San Diego, California, United States for Sunday, 1 Mat 2016 “Increased Faith”

Standard Sunday School Lesson Scriptures and Benediction for Saint Paul’s United Methodist of San Diego, California, United States for Sunday, 1 May 2016 “Increased Faith”
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Bible Study Prayer by Claralice Wolf:

Good Shepherd,

We are a small flock of Your disciples meeting here in this little room. We come with our fears and worries. We come with a hunger to know the truth.

Be in this place with us. Help us to hear Your voice still ringing down through the centuries. Help us to discern what You still have to say to us today.

O Shepherd and Lamb, come. Amen.
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Devotional Reading: Jeremiah 23:33 “And anyone, including prophets and priests, who asks, ‘What’s God got to say about all this, what’s troubling him?’ tell him, ‘You, you’re the trouble, and I’m getting rid of you.’” God’s Decree. 34 “And if anyone, including prophets and priests, goes around saying glibly ‘God’s Message! God’s Message!’ I’ll punish him and his family. 35-36 “Instead of claiming to know what God says, ask questions of one another, such as ‘How do we understand God in this?’ But don’t go around pretending to know it all, saying ‘God told me this . . . God told me that. . . .’ I don’t want to hear it anymore. Only the person I authorize speaks for me. Otherwise, my Message gets twisted, the Message of the living God-of-the-Angel-Armies. 37-38 “You can ask the prophets, ‘How did God answer you? What did he tell you?’ But don’t pretend that you know all the answers yourselves and talk like you know it all. I’m telling you: Quit the ‘God told me this . . . God told me that . . .’ kind of talk. 39-40 “Are you paying attention? You’d better, because I’m about to take you in hand and throw you to the ground, you and this entire city that I gave to your ancestors. I’ve had it with the lot of you. You’re never going to live this down. You’re going down in history as a disgrace.” Two Baskets of Figs 24:1-2 God showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the Temple of God. This was after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem into exile in Babylon, along with the leaders of Judah, the craftsmen, and the skilled laborers. In one basket the figs were of the finest quality, ripe and ready to eat. In the other basket the figs were rotten, so rotten they couldn’t be eaten. 3 God said to me, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” “Figs,” I said. “Excellent figs of the finest quality, and also rotten figs, so rotten they can’t be eaten.” 4-6 Then God told me, “This is the Message from the God of Israel: The exiles from here that I’ve sent off to the land of the Babylonians are like the good figs, and I’ll make sure they get good treatment. I’ll keep my eye on them so that their lives are good, and I’ll bring them back to this land. I’ll build them up, not tear them down; I’ll plant them, not uproot them.
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Background Scripture: Luke 17:11-13 It happened that as he made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met him. They kept their distance but raised their voices, calling out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14-16 Taking a good look at them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” They went, and while still on their way, became clean. One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. He kneeled at Jesus’ feet, so grateful. He couldn’t thank him enough—and he was a Samaritan. 17-19 Jesus said, “Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?” Then he said to him, “Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you.”

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Key Verse: Luke 17:3-4 “Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him. Even if it’s personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times he says, ‘I’m sorry, I won’t do it again,’ forgive him.”
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India Benediction:

May the Lord disturb you and trouble you,

May the Lord set an impossible task before you,

And dare you to meet it.

May the Lord give you strength to do your best,

And then, but only then,

May you be granted the Lord’s peace.

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Benediction from Heart of Christianity by Chaplain Tom Respess:

Go out into the world in peace;

Be of good courage;

Hold fast to that which is good;

Render to no one evil for evil;

Strengthen the faint hearted;

Support the weak; help the afflicted;

Honor all God’s children;

Love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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