Posts from July 2017

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Sunday, Aug. 6: No one goes hungry here!

by Trina Kleist

If you’re hungry, this is the right place! “Eat my bread, and you’ll never go hungry again!” – That’s Jesus’ promise. To help people get that, Jesus performed a spectacular miracle. There were all these people who had come out to see him – they had heard he could do amazing things! When Jesus saw […]

Sunday, July 30: A kingdom of mustard and yeast!

by Trina Kleist

What is God’s kingdom like? Yeast, mustard and wasteful farmers – God’s kingdom features things that seem small, people that seem foolish. It’s puzzling. But that’s because God’s logic is different from human logic! These have been the subjects of Jesus’ stories the last few weeks. Jesus is trying to help folks understand this new […]

Sunday, July 23: Weeds in God’s garden!

by Trina Kleist

Why does God let weeds and wheat grow together? Jesus’ followers had a problem with the stories Jesus told about farmers casting seeds everywhere. The stories described God, casting the seeds of His lavish love willy-nilly. Clearly, weeds would sprout up alongside the wheat (God’s people). What to do? God-the-farmer is wise and merciful: If […]

Sunday, July 16: Let my heart be good soil!

by Trina Kleist

What kind of soil are you? A farmer threw his seed onto all kinds of soil. Some was gravelly dirt, some full of weeds. But some soil was good, and the seeds bore a good harvest. This is the story Jesus tells us today – but what are we to make of it? It turns […]

Sunday, July 9: I Can’t carry these burdens anymore!

by Trina Kleist

When our burdens grow too heavy – then what? Paul carried heavy burdens, too: He wanted to do the right thing. In his head, he knew he wanted it. But despite knowing it and wanting it, something inside him made him do the wrong thing. He couldn’t help it! He could feel the war going […]

Prayers for Independence Day

by Trina Kleist

You can offer Independence Day prayer! On the occasion of Independence Day, we offer you these prayers below that you can use at home. The Bible frequently recounts stories that, among other things, show us that God wants civic leaders at every level of government to lead honestly, wisely and in accordance with God’s will […]