The readings for the sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost are taken from Amos 6:1-7; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; and Luke 16:19-31. Amos delivers warnings again this week to the Israelites who use their power to disregard God and exploit the poor. Amos asks these powerful people to consider whether they are better or more powerful than the nations around … Continue reading Sunday Summary: Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

The readings for the fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost are taken from Amos 8:4-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-15; and Luke 16:1-15. Amos was a prophet by God’s calling and not happy about it. God sent Amos to confront the powerful Israelites who took advantage of those who had no power. In his letter to Timothy, Paul urges us to pray … Continue reading Sunday Summary: Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

The readings for the fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost are taken from Ezekiel 34:11-24; 1 Timothy 1:5-17, and Luke 15:1-10. Ezekiel reports how God Himself will seek out His sheep and bring them back to Himself. God will also judge between sheep. Paul warned about those who stray, like lost sheep or goats. Paul explained to Timothy that the law … Continue reading Sunday Summary: Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

The readings for the thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost are taken from Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Philemon 1-21; and Luke 14:25-35. Deuteronomy records Moses’ last words to Israel on behalf of God. Life and good, death and evil are contrasted, plus the results of each. Moses uses the word “choose,” but this choice is not up to us nor are … Continue reading Sunday Summary: Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

The readings for the twelfth Sunday after Pentecost are taken from Proverbs 25:2-10; Hebrews 13:1-17; and Luke 14:1-14. All three lessons speak to how we might be of service to others—care-givers on behalf of God, who is always caring for us. Proverbs urges us to keep searching for what is best: for God; for righteousness; for … Continue reading Sunday Summary: Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

The readings for the eleventh Sunday after Pentecost are taken from Isaiah 66:18-23; Hebrews 12:4-29; and Luke 13:22-30. Isaiah, like so many places throughout the Old Testament, emphasizes God’s love for and work among the nations. As Abraham, himself, was called out of the nations and as Isaac was generated from God’s promise, so the … Continue reading Sunday Summary: Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

The readings for the tenth Sunday after Pentecost are taken from Jeremiah 23:16-29; Hebrews 11:1—12:3; and Luke 12:49-56. False prophets speak their own thoughts, promising peace while contradicting God’s design and Word. Jeremiah prophesies the fury of the Lord in order to turn them back. God is near, not far away as if He did not know … Continue reading Sunday Summary: Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

The readings for the ninth Sunday after Pentecost are taken from Genesis 15:1-6; Hebrews 11:1-16; and Luke 12:22-40. All three lessons center on faith. Faith, belief, and trust (FBT) are all the same word in New Testament Greek and Old Testament Hebrew. FBT means to be at rest in honesty about dependence on God. Each of … Continue reading Sunday Summary: Ninth Sunday after Pentecost