Episodes
Wednesday Jul 26, 2017
"BLESSED pt 4: Blessed with a Boaz" - By Rev. Troy Benton
Wednesday Jul 26, 2017
Wednesday Jul 26, 2017
Sunday,
July 23, 2017
Ruth 4:1-12
(CEB)
1 Meanwhile, Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. Just then, the redeemer about whom Boaz had spoken was passing by. He said, “Sir, come over here and sit down.” So he turned aside and sat down. 2 Then he took ten men from the town’s elders and said, “Sit down here.” And they sat down. 3 Boaz said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the field of Moab, is selling the portion of the field that belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4 I thought that I should let you know and say, ‘Buy it, in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you[a] won’t redeem it, tell me so that I may know. There isn’t anyone to redeem it except you, and I’m next in line after you.” He replied, “I will redeem it.”
5 Then Boaz said, “On the day when you buy the field from Naomi, you also buy[b] Ruth the Moabite, the wife of the dead man, in order to preserve the dead man’s name for his inheritance.” 6 But the redeemer replied, “Then I can’t redeem it for myself, without risking damage to my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself. You can have my right of redemption, because I’m unable to act as redeemer.”
7 In Israel, in former times, this was the practice regarding redemption and exchange to confirm any such matter: a man would take off his sandal and give it to the other person. This was the process of making a transaction binding in Israel. 8 Then the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” and he took off his sandal.
9 Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I’ve bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 10 And also Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, I’ve bought to be my wife, to preserve the dead man’s name for his inheritance so that the name of the dead man might not be cut off from his brothers or from the gate of his hometown—today you are witnesses.”
11 Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord grant that the woman who is coming into your household be like Rachel and like Leah, both of whom built up the house of Israel. May you be fertile in Ephrathah and may you preserve a name in Bethlehem. 12 And may your household be like the household of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah—through the children that the Lordwill give you from this young woman.”
Sunday Jul 16, 2017
"BLESSED pt 3: Blessed Bountifully" - By Rev. Troy Benton
Sunday Jul 16, 2017
Sunday Jul 16, 2017
Sunday,
July 16, 2017
Ruth 3: 9-18
(CEB)
9 “Who are you?” he asked. She replied, “I’m Ruth your servant. Spread out your robe over your servant, because you are a redeemer.” 10 He said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter! You have acted even more faithfully than you did at first. You haven’t gone after rich or poor young men. 11 And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I’ll do for you everything you are asking. Indeed, my people—all who are at the gate—know that you are a woman of worth. 12 Now, although it’s certainly true that I’m a redeemer, there’s a redeemer who is a closer relative than I am. 13 Stay the night. And in the morning, if he’ll redeem you—good, let him redeem. But if he doesn’t want to redeem you, then—as the Lord lives—I myself will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.” 14 So she lay at his feet until morning. Then she got up before one person could recognize another, for he had said, “No one should know that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 He said, “Bring the cloak that you have on and hold it out.” She held it out, and he measured out six measures of barley and placed it upon her. Then she went into town. 16 She came to her mother-in-law, who said, “How are you, my daughter?” So Ruth told her everything the man had done for her. 17 She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said to me, ‘Don’t go away empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’” 18 “Sit tight, my daughter,” Naomi replied, “until you know how it turns out. The man won’t rest until he resolves the matter today.”
Sunday Jul 16, 2017
"BLESSED pt 2: Blessed When Bent Over" - By Rev. Troy Benton
Sunday Jul 16, 2017
Sunday Jul 16, 2017
Sunday,
July 9, 2017
Ruth 2:6-13
(CEB)
6 The young man who was overseeing the harvesters answered, “She’s a young Moabite woman, the one who returned with Naomi from the territory of Moab. 7 She said, ‘Please let me glean so that I might gather up grain from among the bundles behind the harvesters.’ She arrived and has been on her feet from the morning until now, and has sat down for only a moment.”[a]
8 Boaz said to Ruth, “Haven’t you understood, my daughter? Don’t go glean in another field; don’t go anywhere else. Instead, stay here with my young women. 9 Keep your eyes on the field that they are harvesting and go along after them. I’ve ordered the young men not to assault you. Whenever you are thirsty, go to the jugs and drink from what the young men have filled.”
10 Then she bowed down, face to the ground, and replied to him, “How is it that I’ve found favor in your eyes, that you notice me? I’m an immigrant.” 11 Boaz responded to her, “Everything that you did for your mother-in-law after your husband’s death has been reported fully to me: how you left behind your father, your mother, and the land of your birth, and came to a people you hadn’t known beforehand. 12 May the Lord reward you[b] for your deed. May you receive a rich reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you’ve come to seek refuge.” 13 She said, “May I continue to find favor in your eyes, sir, because you’ve comforted me and because you’ve spoken kindly to your female servant—even though I’m not one of your female servants.”
Sunday Jul 02, 2017
"BLESSED pt 1: Blessed While Burdened" - By Rev. Troy Benton
Sunday Jul 02, 2017
Sunday Jul 02, 2017
Sunday
July 2, 2017
Ruth 1: 16 - 17
(CEB)
16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to abandon you, to turn back from following after you. Wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do this to me and more so if even death separates me from you.”
Thursday Jun 22, 2017
"Believe" - By Lay Speaker Michelle Babb
Thursday Jun 22, 2017
Thursday Jun 22, 2017
Sunday,
June 18, 2017
John 3: 1 - 12 (CEB):
Jesus and Nicodemus
1 There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a Jewish leader. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could do these miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born anew, it’s not possible to see God’s kingdom.” 4 Nicodemus asked, “How is it possible for an adult to be born? It’s impossible to enter the mother’s womb for a second time and be born, isn’t it?” 5 Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Don’t be surprised that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ 8 God’s Spirit[b] blows wherever it wishes. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It’s the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said, “How are these things possible?” 10 “Jesus answered, “You are a teacher of Israel and you don’t know these things? 11 I assure you that we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you don’t receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
Thursday Jun 15, 2017
"Believe: Reluctant Servant" - By Lay Speaker Scott Gardner
Thursday Jun 15, 2017
Thursday Jun 15, 2017
Sunday,
June 11, 2017
Matthew 26: 31 – 35; 69 - 75 (CEB):
Predictions about disciples leaving Jesus
31 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Tonight you will all fall away because of me. This is because it is written, I will hit the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will go off in all directions.[d]32 But after I’m raised up, I’ll go before you to Galilee.” 33 Peter replied, “If everyone else stumbles because of you, I’ll never stumble.” 34 Jesus said to him, “I assure you that, before the rooster crows tonight, you will deny me three times.”
35 Peter said, “Even if I must die alongside you, I won’t deny you.” All the disciples said the same thing.
Peter’s denial
69 Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant woman came and said to him, “You were also with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it in front of all of them, saying, “I don’t know what you are talking about.” 71 When he went over to the gate, another woman saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.” 72 With a solemn pledge, he denied it again, saying, “I don’t know the man.” 73 A short time later those standing there came and said to Peter, “You must be one of them. The way you talk gives you away.” 74 Then he cursed and swore, “I don’t know the man!” At that very moment the rooster crowed. 75 Peter remembered Jesus’ words, “Before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.” And Peter went out and cried uncontrollably.
Thursday Jun 15, 2017
"Believe: How Do We Measure Up?" - By Rev. Jerry Reed
Thursday Jun 15, 2017
Thursday Jun 15, 2017
Sunday,
June 4, 2017
Matthew 28: 16 - 20 (CEB):
Commissioning of the disciples
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. 18 Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”
Tuesday May 30, 2017
"Baptism: Healing Through Blood and Water" - By Lay Speaker Tom Finley
Tuesday May 30, 2017
Tuesday May 30, 2017
Sunday,
May 28, 2017
1 Peter 3:21-22
(CEB)
21 Baptism is like that. It saves you now—not because it removes dirt from your body but because it is the mark of a good conscience toward God. Your salvation comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at God’s right side. Now that he has gone into heaven, he rules over all angels, authorities, and powers.
Thursday May 25, 2017
“The Master Gardener” - By Lay Speaker Steve Laur
Thursday May 25, 2017
Thursday May 25, 2017
Sunday,
May 21, 2017
John 15:1-8
(CEB):
I am the true vine
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vineyard keeper. 2 He removes any of my branches that don’t produce fruit, and he trims any branch that produces fruit so that it will produce even more fruit. 3 You are already trimmed because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch can’t produce fruit by itself, but must remain in the vine. Likewise, you can’t produce fruit unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, then you will produce much fruit. Without me, you can’t do anything. 6 If you don’t remain in me, you will be like a branch that is thrown out and dries up. Those branches are gathered up, thrown into a fire, and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified when you produce much fruit and in this way prove that you are my disciples.
Tuesday May 16, 2017
"Determination" - By SJUMC Youth
Tuesday May 16, 2017
Tuesday May 16, 2017
Sunday,
May 14, 2017
Galatians 6:1-9
(CEB)
Caring and sharing
1 Brothers and sisters, if a person is caught doing something wrong, you who are spiritual should restore someone like this with a spirit of gentleness. Watch out for yourselves so you won’t be tempted too. 2 Carry each other’s burdens and so you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are important when they aren’t, they’re fooling themselves. 4 Each person should test their own work and be happy with doing a good job and not compare themselves with others. 5 Each person will have to carry their own load.
6 Those who are taught the word should share all good things with their teacher. 7 Make no mistake, God is not mocked. A person will harvest what they plant. 8 Those who plant only for their own benefit will harvest devastation from their selfishness, but those who plant for the benefit of the Spirit will harvest eternal life from the Spirit. 9 Let’s not get tired of doing good, because in time we’ll have a harvest if we don’t give up.