Readings for the Week of December 25, 2016

As we continue with the special services of celebration for the Advent Season, our weekly Bible readings will continue to take us through the book of Matthew.  These chapters record Jesus as a Teacher, a Healer, a Rabbi, and a Miracle Worker.

Sun. Dec. 25-Matthew 22 

Mon. Dec. 26-Matthew 23

Tue. Dec. 27-Matthew 24

Wed. Dec. 28-Matthew 25

Thu. Dec. 29-Matthew 26

Fri. Dec. 30-Matthew 27

Sat. Dec. 21-Matthew 28

Readings for the Week of December 18, 2016

Our readings in Matthew take us to Chapter 21, which begins with Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  This entrance, with the festivities and the voices raised in praise, is the kind of joy that now surrounds Christmas.  There is a bitter irony that at the end of that story, the climax of Jesus’ life, it is by his death that we gain the Lord’s graceful favor once more.

Sun. Dec. 18-Matthew 15

Mon. Dec. 19-Matthew 16

Tue. Dec. 20-Matthew 17

Wed. Dec. 21-Matthew 18

Thu. Dec. 22-Matthew 19

Fri. Dec. 23-Matthew 20

Sat. Dec. 24-Matthew 21

Readings for the Week of December 11, 2016

Readings for the Week of December 11, 2016

As we continue with the special services of celebration for the Advent Season, our weekly Bible readings will continue to take us through the book of Matthew.  These chapters record Jesus as a Teacher, a Healer, a Rabbi, and a Miracle Worker.

Sun. Dec. 11-Matthew 8 

Mon. Dec. 12-Matthew 9

Tue. Dec. 13-Matthew 10

Wed. Dec. 14-Matthew 11

Thu. Dec. 15-Matthew 12

Fri. Dec. 16-Matthew 13

Sat. Dec. 17-Matthew 14

Readings for the Week of December 4, 2016

As the Christmas Season keeps focus on a limited number of passages, this December, we are going to do something a little bit different.  The Sunday passages will be listed each week, but starting today, we are going to read together through the Gospel of Matthew.  It is 28 chapters long, so, beginning with Chapter 1 today, we shall finish the Gospel together by December 31.

Sun. Dec. 4: Matthew 1-Jesus’ genealogy and Jesus’ birth.

Mon. Dec. 5: Matthew 2-Coming of the Wise Men, Flight, Return to Nazareth

Tue. Dec. 6: Matthew 3-John the Baptist, Jesus’ baptism

Wed. Dec. 7: Matthew 4-Temptation; ministry in Galilee; first disciples called

Thu. Dec. 8: Matthew 5-Sermon on the Mount 1

Fri. Dec. 9: Matthew 6-Sermon on the Mount 2

Sat. Dec. 10: Matthew 7-Sermon on the Mount 3, concluded.

Readings for the week of November 6, 2016

Memory Verse: John 20:17

The topic is uncomfortable.  This whole series has been uncomfortable, but this may be the hardest.  These are passages that are still actively in use as justification that women are second class humans and citizens. 

Sun., Nov. 6: Leviticus 27 : 1-8, 1 Peter 3 :1-7, 1 Timothy 5 : 3-15, John 20 : 11-18

Mon. Nov. 7: Leviticus 27-This is the whole passage concerning determining worth of offerings made to the Lord.

Tue. Nov. 8: 1 Peter 3-Read Peter’s “Guide to Marriage” in the context of the full chapter in his letter.

Wed., Nov. 9: 1 Timothy 5-Paul has a lot more instructions on how people should behave in this chapter.

Thu., Nov. 10: John 20-See how Mary fits into the wider story of the resurrection of Jesus.

Fri. Nov. 11: Mark 16-Read the story of Mary as recorded in the gospel of Mark.  Note how the same story can be told from different points of view.

Sat. Nov. 12: John 3: 1-21-Step back from the discussions of gender distinctions and questions of who is greater and who is lesser to remind ourselves of what God did for us through Jesus.

Readings for the Week of October 30, 2016

The readings this week will set the context for the first passages shared during Sunday’s readings.

Sun., Oct. 30: Proverbs 13 :24; Colossians 3 : 18-24; Matthew 18 : 1-14

Mon., Oct. 31: Proverbs 10-These are the sayings of Solomon.  They begin here and will continue through chapter 13 and beyond.

Tus., Nov. 1: Proverbs 13-This is a continued sampling of the book of Proverbs.  Full of pithy statements, aphorisms, and clichés, it sometimes reads like the collected bumper stickers of the bible.  The chapter begins with another statement about child raising.

Wed., Nov. 2: Colossians 1-Paul begins his letter to the church in Colossae.

Thu., Nov. 3: Colossians 2-This chapter continues with encouragement and Paul’s hopes for the church in Christ.

Fri., Nov. 4: Colossians 3-This chapter begins by talking about the new life in Christ, ends with the apparent restrictions of life in Christ.  Can these mesh?

Sat., Nov. 5: Matthew 18-Jesus speaks to the true calling to be His followers.

Bible Readings For the Week of Oct. 23, 2016

This Sunday is about slavery.  The readings this week lay out some of the background around the passages on slavery, about how this issue falls into a broader context in the life of God’s people.

Sun., Oct. 23, 2016: Lev. 25: 39-46; Ephesians 6: 5-9; Titus 2: 9-10; Galatians 3:28-These are the verses from Sunday’s service.

Mon., Oct. 24, 2016: Leviticus 25-The context of this passage is the Sabbath year and the Year of Jubilee, the seventh and fiftieth years in the Jewish calendar that trigger special observances, celebrations, and a ‘rebooting’ of ownership-of land and slaves.  Everyone was always to have a place in the Promised Land.

Tue., Oct. 25, 2016: Ephesians 6: 1-19-Here we find, side by side, one of the ‘oppressive’ passages of Paul alongside one of the most inspirational passages for people seeking to live the Christian life, putting on the whole armor of God. 

Wed., Oct. 26, 2016: Titus 1-This is one of Paul’s shortest letters, written to a man and not to a church.  Its content and focus are a little different.  At three chapters, we shall read the entire book.  Chapter 1 is a contrast of proper leadership for the church versus what is occurring at the church on Crete.

Thu., Oct. 27, 2016: Titus 2-Paul offers a wide range of behavioral advice for different segments of the church community.

Fri., Oct. 28, 2016: Titus 3-Paul finalizes his advice and says good bye.  Note how he writes this on the fly, in the midst of the rest of his work, trying to fix what people are complaining about.

Sat., Oct. 29, 2016: Galatians 3-It seems the church in Galatia is also causing Paul headaches.  It seems to be a question over the place of the Gentiles in the church.  So Paul wonders if they are squandering the Holy Spirit, reviews the life and theology of Abraham, then the law, before centering everything in Christ and offering us the full freedom that comes with being in Christ Jesus.

The Faces of God

We are the Faces of God, each person.  This program year, we are celebrating the power of God’s Spirit in each of us, revealing God’s Face in each of us.  The gifts of the Spirit run through us all, granted by God Almighty.  In this 2016-17 Program year, we are going to experience and celebrate those gifts with a set of programs designed to entice our senses, following the seasons of the year.

If you are interested, please contact Rev. Peter Hofstra at pastorpeter@fpcperthamboy.org or through the Church office of the First Presbyterian Church of Perth Amboy at 732-826-2132 for more information.  Please watch our FB page at www.facebook.org/fpcperthamboy for more up to date information. 

These events will occur on Sundays, following worship.  There will be program time, the tour, the concert, etc., lasting approximately an hour.  There will be a time of worship gathered around the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper, lasting approximately a half hour.  There will be a meal that we will share together in fellowship, perhaps also an hour long.  The aim is to be home by the early evening in order to prepare for the week to follow.

The times and prices will be forthcoming as the final details are put into place.  At this time, for group management purposes, our target size for each program is approximately twenty.

Sunday, November 13, 2016.  Seeing what the Lord can accomplish through His Children.  We are going to travel to the Grounds for Sculpture* in Hamilton, NJ for an amazing tour of the outdoor museum.

Sunday, January 8, 2017.  Hearing what the Lord can accomplish through His Children.  We are going to travel to Princeton Theological Seminary where, at the Miller Chapel, we will experience a program of beautiful music.

March, 2017, date TBA.  Smelling and Tasting what the Lord can accomplish through His Children.  Food, the byword of the Presbyterian Gathering.  Sundays in Lent are meant to be days of celebration during this time of personal reflection before Easter.  We are going to gather for a special meal designed to raise our awareness of the delights of God’s bounty.

May, 2017, date TBA. Experiencing God’s own artistry through His Creation.  We are going to travel to Camp Johnsonburg* to experience the joy of God’s creation in the great outdoors, at a place that has brought special connection to our Lord to so many of our members.

*Please note that a certain amount of walking is involved in some of these programs and the content or length of program may make it more trying for our youngest members. 

Readings for the Week of October 9, 2016

The readings for this week will begin with our passage from Sunday and then proceed to the end of Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth.  You will see that it calls again for the reading of 1 Corinthians 13, but this time in the wider context of the letter.  Note how it connects to what precedes it and what comes after.

Sunday: Oct. 9: 1 Corinthians 12: 1-13     Memory verse: 12:4.

Oct. 10, Mon.: 1 Corinthians 12: 14-31

Oct. 11, Tue.: 1 Corinthians 13

Oct. 12, Wed.: 1 Corinthians 14

Oct. 13, Thu.: 1 Corinthians 15: 1-33

Oct. 14, Fri.: 1 Corinthians 16

Readings for the Week of October 2, 2016

The chapters this week take us through Scripture and how God’s presence affect us.  Consider that the Spirit of God is behind every step of God’s relationship with us, if we will but let Him come to us.

Sun., Oct. 2-Romans 8: Life in the Spirit

Mon., Oct. 3-Deuteronomy 10: The Life in the Spirit was defined first in the Law of God.

Tue., Oct. 4-Psalm 7: David speaks of the presence of God needed in his life.

Wed., Oct. 5-John 15: The real presence of God comes to us through Jesus.

Thu., Oct. 6-Hebrews 8: Why the New Covenant in Jesus is better than the Old Covenant.

Fri., Oct. 7-Romans 6: How we come into the experience of Jesus.

Sat., Oct. 8-Romans 7: What is the struggle we have in the Christian life?  

Readings for the week of September 18, 2016

Our passage from John 14 is often used at funeral services.  It does not speak to grief and to emotional pain per se, but rather speaks to the power of the Spirit given to us by our God.  Through that Spirit comes the gift of peace.  Other passages from Scripture that speak to loss have the same point of view, that of God’s power coming to us.  We will sample those this week.

Mon. Sept. 19: Isaiah 40: 1-11—From this passage is drawn the prophesy concerning John the Baptist foreshadowing Jesus.  But this wider passage is God’s comfort to His people in times of trouble.

Tue. Sept. 20: Psalm 103—This Psalm places the context of the human life in the grander context of the work and creation of God.

Wed. Sept. 21: Psalm 121—This Psalm speaks of the power and protection of our God in our lives.

Thu. Sept. 22: John 11: 17-27—This is the Gospel account of the raising of Lazarus, an illustration of the power of Jesus versus death itself.

Fri. Sept. 23: John 14—The passage from Sunday was drawn from this chapter, but more of it is used as Jesus speaks of what is to come for the believer.

Sat. Sept. 24: 1 Thes. 4: 13-18—Paul addresses the question of death in the light of the work and return of Jesus.

Readings for the Week of September 11, 2016

The readings this week provide a sketch of the results of the coming of the Spirit upon the person.  It draws from the Old and New Testaments.    

Mon. Sept. 12-Exodus 31: 1-11  At the making of the Tabernacle (God’s House during the Exodus), the Spirit of God blessed the artists and artisans that their work would be worthy of the God’s House.

Tue. Sept. 13-1 Samuel 9:27-10:16  Sometimes the power of God’s Spirit can make someone behave…in an extraordinary way.  Saul here was anointed to be King and the Spirit came upon him.

Wed. Sept. 14-2 Kings 2: 1-12  The Spirit of God was upon God’s prophets, as illustrated by Elijah and Elisha, perhaps the two most powerful prophets in God’s service.

Thu. Sept. 15-Luke 3: 1-22  This is the story of the baptism of Jesus, where the Spirit comes upon Him in the form of a dove.

Fri. Sept. 16-Luke 4: 1-15  This is the story of what the Spirit did to Jesus first time out.

Sat. Sept. 17-Acts 2: 1-47  This is the story of the Spirit coming upon the Apostles at Pentecost and the launch of the church.

Readings for the Week of August 28, 2016

The sermon this week was drawn from Revelations 21, the New Heaven and the New Earth.  For our readings this week, we will read through the last chapters of the Bible.  Apologies for the delay in posting as the family and I were on vacation.

Mon. Aug. 29-Rev. 15-16  So begins the final battle.

Tue. Aug. 30-Rev. 17  Final Judgment Part 1

Wed. Aug. 31-Rev. 18  The end of Babylon (Rome)

Thu. Sept. 1-Rev. 19  Announcement of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb

Fri. Sept. 2-Rev. 20  The Final Battle

Sat. Sept. 3-Rev. 21-22  The Final Joy of Christ.

Readings for the week of Aug. 21, 2016

Our passage in Romans speaks to the issue of how sin is to be dealt with in light of Jesus’ death and resurrection.  The push forward however is to consider the ‘new life’ as a whole as it occurs through Jesus.  The passages this week look forward to how that ‘new life’ is formed.  This ideal of the ‘new life’ arose as it became more and more obvious that Jesus’ return was not going to be immediate, but that there were a lot of people in the world to be reached with the gospel before that happened.  So how does one live life under the blessing of the empty cross?

Mon. Aug. 22: Acts 2: 37-47  This is the formation of the community living the new life in Christ after Pentecost.

Tue. Aug. 23: Acts 6: 1-7  As the new life in Christ built up the community, there was need for new leadership to carry out the social responsibilities of the community.

Wed. Aug. 24: Ephesians 4:17-5:20  Paul speaks to the application of Christian principle and the teachings of Jesus to the new life in Christ.

Thu. Aug. 25: 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31  The metaphor of the body is given for us to understand the new roles and responsibilities of the new life in Christ.

Fri. Aug. 26: 1 Timothy 4:1-16  As the next generation of leadership arises to continue the new life in Christ, this is Paul’s charge to one such leader.

Sat. Aug. 27: 2 Timothy 3:10-4:18  In passing the torch, Paul reflects on what he has done in the new life in Christ, how he has led his life that way, and what comes next.

Readings for the Week of August 14, 2016

The Sermon Scripture this week is Philippians 2: 5-11.  It is drawn from "The Bible: An Introduction" resource that we have produced at our church.  It is a piece of Scripture I recommend people take to heart and to memory.  For it is the backstory of Jesus, before he came to us, and the postscript-what happens between the gospels and the Second Coming.  The Scriptures this week are drawn from connections made during Sunday’s Sermon.

Mon. Aug. 15: Philippians 2: 1-18--This is Sunday’s passage placed in its wider context in the letter to Philippi.

Tue. Aug. 16: Luke 2: 1-20—The angels come to the shepherds at Christmas.  Reflect on the song of the angels in the light of the words of Philippians 2: 5-11.  They knew this story.

Wed. Aug. 17: Genesis 3—This is the story of the fall of Adam and Eve.  It contains the curses placed upon them, but note vs. 22-God speaks of ‘Themselves’ in the plural.

Thu. Aug. 18: Deuteronomy 5: 1-21—This is the ‘second’ recording of the Ten Commandments.  Note verse 8, in the ‘idols’ commandment, same formula of application as Philippians 2:10.

Fri. Aug. 19: Romans 3: 9-26—Paul demonstrates that the death of Jesus takes away the judgment of sin and the penalty of death from those who believe, a promise to bring relief to all who believe in Him.

Sat. Aug. 20: Matthew 11: 20-30—This is a passage of contrasts, cursings and blessings, but it concludes with beautiful promise of Jesus that there is nothing we cannot lay upon His shoulders that He will not remove from between us and Himself.

Readings for the Week Starting Aug. 7, 2016

The readings this week take you about halfway through the book of Hebrews.  If you find yourself repeating passages from previous weeks, that is okay.  The power of the bible comes from reaching in afresh.  A passage that is read a hundred times can offer up something new on the one hundred and first reading that was never seen before.  This is the power of the Holy Spirit helping us to know.

Mon. Aug. 8-Hebrews 1 & 2

Tue. Aug. 9-Hebrews 3

Wed. Aug. 10- Hebrews 4

Thu. Aug. 11-Hebrews 5

Fri. Aug. 12-Hebrews 6

Sat. Aug. 13-Hebrews 7 & 8

Cover Letter From The Summer Herald July, 2016

Dear Neighbors,

All too often, during the summer, we hit a cash crunch in the church.  Attendance, and giving, both drop.  As you are gearing up for summer plans and vacations, retooling lives to having the kids at home and under foot, please do not forget that the life of the church goes on.  Services go on, bills come in, the day-to-day does not come to a halt.  If you not able to come to church, would you please take a moment to drop your pledge or offering in the mail before you head out or away?

We are working on an easier system to make pledges and offerings for Sundays when attendance becomes a challenge.  The plan is to put up a “Paypal” donation button on the Church’s Facebook page, and then on the website.  After some searching and review, the Session has come to the conclusion that the Paypal online system is the most secure for our purposes. 

Having said that, if there is a member of our church family who is familiar with another way of doing this that is more secure and convenient, please let me know!  There is only one God, and neither the Session nor I aspire to that position.

Money is always hard to talk about.  But maybe not if we remember that it is a gift from God, as is everything else in life.  That is why the liturgical line on Sunday goes something like, “God has given us so much, let us give back a portion for His work…” 

We tried the National Public Radio version for a while, “The work and ministries of this church are supported by the pledges and donations of its members…”  While that is true, the greater truth is that the members are supported, in all things, by God.

Please remember to continue with your pledges and offerings.  Our hope is, by delaying this Herald till after July 4^th, it does not get lost in the ‘pre-season’ preparations.  May God bless you and bless our church.

Peace,

Rev. Peter Hofstra    

Readings for the Week of July 10, 2016

The law of God is an overarching theme of the Bible, for good and for bad.  It is the way to God, but a way that cannot hope to be mastered by we the people.  We just aren’t good enough.  So along comes Jesus, who tosses everything on its ear.  He didn’t end the law, he fulfilled it.  That changed the very nature of the beast, from condemnatory to preparatory.  It goes from being an instrument of our judgment by God to a tool to teach how to offer our lives more fully to our God.  There is lots of law in the Bible, five full chapters of it to start with, the Torah, Genesis to Deuteronomy.  We are going to consider passages around the Ten Commandments.

Mon., July 11: Exodus 20:1-21  The law and the reaction of the people.

Tue., July 12: Deuteronomy 5:1-33; 6: 1-3  This is the recap in the last book of the Torah.

Wed., July 13: Deuteronomy 6:4-25  The ‘why’ of keeping the law is given.

Thu., July 14: Matthew 22:15-40  The rulers of the Jews are taking turns taking their shots at Jesus, who completes his defense with a summation of the whole law.

Fri., July 15: Matthew 5: 15-26  Jesus lays out his relationship to the law and what he intends with it, giving a practical example of interpreting “Thou shalt not murder”.

Sat., July 16: Matthew 5: 27-48  He continues on the law, taking about “Thou shalt not commit adultery”, then going on to develop his thoughts and summary of the new role of law.

Readings for the Week of July 3, 2016

Our passage from Ecclesiastes comes at the conclusion of a reflection on life.  It is generally attributed to Solomon, the son of David.  But at the beginning of the book, the author identifies himself as the “Preacher” or the “Teacher”, depending on the rendering into English.  The Hebrew word is “Qohelet”, often used in the academic literature.  Our readings this week will take us through the opening, to see the developing path from the human to the divine that the author is taking.

Monday, July 4: Ecclesiastes 1: 1-11    Qohelet is reflecting on the absurdity of life by itself.

Tuesday, July 5: Ecclesiastes 1: 12-18  He seeks answers without success in wisdom.

Wednesday, July 6: Ecclesiastes 2: 1-11  He seeks answers in self-indulgence.

Thursday, July 7: Ecclesiastes 2: 12-17  His conclusions come to hating life itself.

Friday, July 8:  Ecclesiastes 2: 18-26  He comes to the realization that God brings fulfillment to life.

Saturday: July 9:  Ecclesiastes 3: 1-15  Here, he re-frames the context of experience from that of the human, to that of the divine.

Readings for the week of June 26, 2016

Psalm 96 is one Psalm whose historic context we can nail down with great accuracy.  It was sung by David when the Ark of the Covenant was brought up to Jerusalem.  David brought the ark close, but it did not enter Jerusalem until his son Solomon built that temple.  This is the story from 1 Chronicles.  Understand that the book of Chronicles is not so much a historic document as a genealogical document, recording those in the Lord’s nation who were present during these monumental times.

For added perspective, read the parallel account of David bringing the Ark up toward Jerusalem as found in 2 Samuel 7.  There are wonderful similarities and differences in the purposes and the perspectives of the stories.  It is akin to different points of view found in the parallel gospel accounts.

June 27-Monday: 1 Chronicles 14: 1-17

June 28-Tuesday: 1 Chronicles 15: 1-15

June 29-Wednesday: 1 Chronicles 15: 16-29

June 30-Thursday: 1 Chronicles 16: 1-34

July 1-Friday: Psalm 96

July 2-Saturday: 1 Chronicles 16: 35-43

Bible Readings for the Week of June 19, 2016

For Father's Day, we are considering Jesus' words to the people about who their Father was.  He had some choice words for them, piercing the bubble that God was their Father, accusing them of having the Devil as their Father instead. 

The Scripture verses for this week include the story from Sunday, but also the stories before and after this one from the Gospel of John.

Mon. June 20-John 8: 1-11

Tue. June 21-John 8: 12-20

Wed. June 22-John 8: 21-30

Thu. June 23-John 8:31-59

Fri. June 24-John 9: 1-12

Sat. June 23-John 9: 13-41

Readings for the Week of June 12, 2016

This Sunday, we will be looking at Acts 10, the story of Peter and Cornelius, the Centurion.  The focus will be on the result, Peter sharing the Good News with and finally baptizing Cornelius and his household. 
The readings for the week will give the full story from the book of Acts, and also the interactions that Jesus had with a Centurion (not named) in the Gospel of Luke.  As Luke and Acts are two parts of an ongoing story, this is a theme that follows between them, the theme of what constitutes belief in God.

Mon. Jun 13-Luke 7:1-10  Jesus heals the servant of a Centurion popular in Galilee

Tue. Jun 14-Luke 23: 44-49  The Centurion (we believe) is at Jesus’ death.

Wed. Jun 15-Acts 10: 1-16  The Prelude to Peter and the Centurion Cornelius

Thu. Jun 16-Acts 10: 17-29  Peter comes to the Centurion

Fri. Jun 17-Acts 10: 30-49  The Holy Spirit comes to the Centurion on our behalf, as Gentiles

Sat. Jun 18-Acts 11: 1-18  Peter makes a report to the Church of the change.

Readings for the Week of June 5, 2016

The first Sunday of the month is communion Sunday at the Church.  Our Scripture reading for worship is the story of Communion from the Gospel of Luke.  The Lord’s Supper leads in to the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus.  This week, we shall read that story as told in the Gospel of Luke.

Jun. 5, 2016-Sun: Luke 22: 7-30

Jun. 6, 2016-Mon: Luke 22: 31-46

Jun. 7, 2016-Tue: Luke 22: 47-70

Jun. 8, 2016-Wed: Luke 23: 1-12

Jun. 9, 2016-Thu: Luke 23: 13-42

Jun. 10, 2016-Fri: Luke 23: 43-55

Jun. 11, 2016-Sat: Luke 24: 1-12

Weekly Readings for the week of 5/29/16

Sunday's text, in commemoration of Memorial Day, is Psalm 91, the "First Responder's Psalm".

Different Psalms offer different reasons to sing to the Lord.  This week, we will sample those.

Mon, May 30: Psalm 88-Crying out to be saved from death.

Tue, May 31: Psalm 34-Singing to the Lord in praise and trust.

Wed, Jun 1: Psalm 43-Calling out to the Lord for vindication.

Thu, Jun 2: Psalm 144-A psalm for the soldier preparing for war.

Fri, Jun 3: Psalm 111-A psalm singing why we should praise our God.

Sat, Jun 4: Psalm 148- A psalm of praise that outlines the chorus of who should sing to the Lord.

Readings for the week of May 22, 2016

5/23 Monday: Gen. 17: (1-8) 9-27  The story of the completion of the covenant from Sunday’s text.

5/24 Tuesday: Gen. 18: 1-15  Following the covenant comes the promise of and heir through Sarah.

5/25 Wednesday: Acts 3: 1-10 (11-16)  This is the full story of the healing that leads to Sunday’s passage.

5/26 Thursday: Acts 3: 17-25  This is the conclusion of the chapter and the after-preaching.

5/27 Friday: Acts 4: 1-22  Peter and John speaking before the religious leadership in Jerusalem.

5/28 Saturday: Acts 4: 23-37  How their testimony affected the growth of the church.

Readings for the Week of May 15, 2016

We are dealing with the book of Revelations.  The readings this week lead into the Rev. passage from this Sunday.  We begin with an introduction on why John is writing the book from Rev. 1 and then look to chapters 17 and 18, leading into 19.

A couple of images to consider: “Babylon” and “the whore of Babylon” are the city of Rome.  The city is built on 7 hills.  It was the busiest trade city in the empire and considered to be the most "paganly" and corrupt. 

These passages are shorter this week because the imagery is so dense.

Mon. May 16: Rev. 1: 9-19   Why this book was written.

Tue. May 17: Rev. 17: 1-8

Wed. May 18: Rev. 17: 9-18

Thu. May 19: Rev. 18: 1-10

Fri. May 20: Rev. 18: 11-19

Sat. May 21: Rev. 18: 20-24

The concluding passage from May 15 is Rev. 19: 1-10.  You are invited to read it again in contrast to what came before.