Heart not Head

Read It: Jeremiah 31:33-34 (NRSV)

33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the LORD,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. 


Learn It:
Today is Reformation Sunday.  The day the Lutheran church celebrates the day that Martin Luther began to see the inconsistencies between what he was reading in the Bible and what he was being taught about his faith. For many Christians it would be a new beginning and a new understanding for their faith. This is what this text is all about.  This text is about a new beginning between God and God's people.  God no longer wants to rely on them hearing about God but wants all people to know God not just as something read or heard but as something that they truly know in their hearts.  Sometimes it can be easy to "know" something in your head but not always "know" or "believe" in your heart.  


Share It:
Have you had the experience where you knew something to be true or right but it never really clicked until later in your life when you then were able to really know or believe it?  What was it?  How did it happen and what was the catalyst that brought about the change from head to heart?  Why do you think it might be harder to believe something than it is to just understand it?  What do you think the difference is between the two?  Share these questions and other ideas that might come up during your discussion.


Live It:
Spend this week thinking about the things you know in your head and things you know in your heart.  What is the difference and why are there some things that haven't switched from head to heart?  Try to identify those things and see if you can really focus in on it and try to begin to make that shift.  I don't think you'll make the shift in that week but try to work on reforming your head and your mind.  Blessings!

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Survey Says...

Read It: Matthew 22:37-40 (NRSV)

37 He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Learn It:

At the time of this question about what is the greatest commandment Jesus has already entered into Jerusalem for the final part of his ministry leading up to his death.  The Pharisees and Sadducees are doing whatever they can to try to stop Jesus and have his followers deny him.  They ask a series of questions trying to trick him into answering their questions in such a way that will prove that he is not a prophet but simply a phony who isn't worth following at all.  The reason why this question was meant to be tricky is that there were 613 mitzvot (commands) in the Old Testament.  As Christians we only focus on the 10 Commandments but every time God declared the people to do something it became a mitzvot, a commandment.  So you can see the whole idea of picking which one is greater than the rest is not quite so easy.  

Share It:

Think about your favorite items.  What are they (color, ice cream, sport, instrument, musical group, movie, TV show, subject in school, etc)?  Is it always easy to come up with your single most favorite thing for everything?  If your parents (whether you are an adult or child right now) gave you 613 rules to follow (I know it may seem like they do or did) do you think you could remember all of them well enough to make sure that you didn't break a single one of them?  What if they broke it down to something simple like love your parents and love your siblings?  Would that be easier?  Why or why not?  Talk about these questions and anything else that may come up during your time together.

Live It:

Spend this next week living by rules of love God and love your neighbor as yourself.  It's just two rules you have to follow this week.  See how well you do and see how loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself might change the way that you interact with people this week.  

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Giving Your All

Read It: Matthew 22:21b (NRSV)

 “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Learn It:

Jesus shows the Pharisees that we must obey the civil laws of the society that we live in but we must also live out the calling that God has called us to be and do.  When we are baptized we die to our old lives and we then live out our new lives in Christ Jesus.  Those new lives are dedicated to the service of God who created all things.  Since God created all things the idea about giving to God what is God's is really about giving God our everything.  Jesus is teaching the Pharisees and us that our lives need to reflect the promises and gifts that God gives us each day.  The way we live out those gifts is how we give to God what is God's...which again is our all.

Share It:

Based on what you read above what does it mean to you to give to God what is God's and give to the emperor (the government) what is the emperor's?  In what ways do you already do that?  What are some ways that you can continue to give your all to God?  What are areas that you might be able to do more for God?  When you first read this passage did the idea of belonging to God come to mind or what did you think the passage was about?  How has your perspective changed?  How might it have stayed the same?  Discuss these and other questions or ideas that come up during your conversations.

Live It:

In the Share It section you talked about what areas you might be able to do more for God.  Use that idea or pick one if you had several and figure out a way to live that out this week.  See how giving more back to God who created all of this for us might help you to become closer to God and to the rest of God's creation.  

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The Strength of the Lord

Read It: Philippians 4:13 (NRSV)


 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 


Learn It:

This is a rather famous passage of the Bible that is used in many different circumstances of people's lives.  It is also a very common passage that youth pick when choosing their confirmation verse.  The thing to be noted is that this passage is not a passage about Paul but a passage about what Christ can do through Paul.  It is Paul's faith that gives him the ability to carry on through the good times and the bad times, or as Paul puts it through times of plenty and through times of having little. This passage then is not a passage about thinking better of yourself but about all the wonderful things that Christ does for us in any circumstance of our lives.  That is the great gift that God offers to us...to never leave us alone.

Share It:

What does it mean to you that you can do all things through him (Christ) who strengthens you?  What are times in your life when you have felt strengthened to do God's work?  Did you rely heavily on God helping you through those times?  How can you see God when you have plenty and when you have little?  What does it mean to never be alone because you have Christ with you always?  Talk about these questions and anything else that may come up during your conversation.

Live It:

During this week when you face a difficult task in your day think about this passage and ask for God's help to get you through it.  See how relying on God's strength can help you through the good and the difficult times in your life.  

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The Right Stuff

Read It: Philippians 4:8-9 (NRSV)

⁸Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  ⁹Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.  

Learn It:

This passage is a wonderful reminder for us each day.  It reminds us to think about all those good things in our lives that we can do for ourselves and for others.  Think about what is true...not what is true like a true false question but what is God's truth.  Think about what is honorable...what are the things that you can do that will honor God.  What is commendable...what are the things you can do that God will say you have done well my good and faithful servant.  What things can you do that will bring about not your praise and your excellence but let others see the praise and excellence of God.  Keep doing each and every one of those things and the peace of God will be with you.  God's peace isn't just a nice time of quiet, but God's peace is something that goes much deeper and more complete.  Having peace with God is being in relationship with God.  Peace with God is fulling trusting in God's promises and knowing that God's promises are faithful and true.  

Share It:

What are the times when you have felt God's peace?  When have you felt that you were in a full relationship with God?  Was it a time when you were away or just a moment where you felt everything was right with the world?  What are some ways that you can help to spread that peace?  What kinds of true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing and commendable things can you do for God to help bring about his peace?  Share these questions and anything else that may come up during this time.

Live It:

Try to find a way this week to live in peace with God, or try to find a way to live out one of those ways in the passage above.  Try to be just or pure or honorable, etc...

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