Old Testament – Exodus 17:1-7
Once again, the Israelites are complaining. God by this time has provided for the
Israelites abundantly. Yet, they choose not to trust God. The Israelites had a
choice. They should have asked Moses to pray for them so that God would
provide water for them and their animals. Instead they chose to question Moses’
ability to lead and God’s authority in their lives.
Moses cries out to God asking Him to provide water and tells God the Israelites
are ready to kill him. Stoning was an ancient way of killing a person. God’s
answer is for Moses to go to a rock and take some Israelite leaders with him.
Moses does so and God provides water for all the Israelites and their animals.
Even though God has provided for them, the Israelites still ask whether or God is
there among them.
This teaches us important truths. We have choices about how we handle
problems in our lives both big and small. We can choose to complain and not ask
God for help like the Israelites. The other choice is to cry out for help to God and
ask Him to help us like Moses. We can be honest with God. He knows our every
thought. He hears our prayers and will answer them according to His good plan
for us.
Old Testament – Psalm 25
David asks God to lift him up. David says he puts his trust in God and asks God to
help him out of all his troubles. David certainly had a hard life. Yet, David just like
Moses brings his problems to God. David waits for God to answer him and David
trusts that God will answer him. Here again we see that we can bring everything
to God knowing and trusting that He will answer our prayers. Listen to Psalm 25
sung below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2NKgjE-Zw0
New Testament - Philippians 2:1-13
Paul tells the Philippian church not to complain and to be united in spirit and
action. He reminds us that Jesus Christ remained humble and obedient to God
even when it meant dying on a cross. Jesus was obedient because He trusted
God, His Father. So Paul says we must also trust God by being humble and
obedient to Him. Think of how different our lives would be if we were united in
spirit and action with everyone all around us. See the video showing the City of
Philippi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYuCXw9hgno
New Testament – Matthew 21:23-32
Jesus has just chased the money changers out of the temple. Jesus is surrounded
by a group of religious leaders. They are asking Him what right He has to do this.
Jesus then answers their questions with a question of His own. He asks if John
The Baptist’s baptisms were commanded by God or man-made. The religious
leaders are caught in their own trap. They are afraid of the people. So they say
they don’t know. So Jesus tells them neither will He tell them what right He has
to do this. Jesus then tells a story about a father with two sons. The father asks
one son to go to work in the family business and the son says no but then does go
to work. The father then asks the other son to go and this son says yes but
doesn’t go to work. In this story the sons are believers and the father is God.
Jesus then asks the religious leaders which son did the will of the father. They
answer the first son. What Jesus says next is hard! He tells the religious leaders
that sinners who repent will go into heaven before them. The religious leaders
by their actions are like the second son who says he will obey his father wants him
to do but doesn’t obey. Sinners who repent are like the first son who at first
doesn’t do what his father wants but then changes his mind and obeys. Listen to
Miss Kristen as she explains the meaning of this story below.
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