Lessons for May 14, 2006 – Fifth Sunday of Easter The first lesson Acts 8:26-40 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, "Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza." 27So he did, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. 29The Holy Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and walk along beside the carriage." 30Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah; so he asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31The man replied, "How can I, when there is no one to instruct me?" And he begged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him. 32The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 33He was humiliated and received no justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth." 34The eunuch asked Philip, "Was Isaiah talking about himself or someone else?" 35So Philip began with this same Scripture and then used many others to tell him the Good News about Jesus. 36As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look! There's some water! Why can't I be baptized?" 37 38He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. 40Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the city of Azotus! He preached the Good News there and in every city along the way until he came to Caesarea. (NLT) Psalm 22:24-30 L. For he has not ignored the suffering of the needy. C. He has not turned and walked away. L. He has listened to their cries for help. C. I will praise you among all the people; I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you. L. The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the Lord will praise him. C. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy. L. The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him. C. People from every nation will bow down before him. L. For the Lord is king! He rules all the nations. C. Let the rich of the earth feast and worship. L. Let all mortals—those born to die—bow down in his presence. C. Future generations will also serve him. Our children will hear about the wonders of the Lord. (NLT) The second lesson 1 John 4:7-21 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8But anyone who does not love does not know God—for God is love. 9God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 11Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us. 13And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 14Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15All who proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in him. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world. 18Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of judgment, and this shows that his love has not been perfected in us. 19We love each other as a result of his loving us first. 20If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we have not seen? 21And God himself has commanded that we must love not only him but our Christian brothers and sisters, too. (NLT) The Gospel Lesson John 15:1-8 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3You have already been pruned for greater fruitfulness by the message I have given you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. 5"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! 8My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father. (NLT)