Lessons for July 9, 2006 – Fifth Sunday after Pentecost The first lesson Ezekiel 2:1-5 "Stand up, son of man," said the voice. "I want to speak with you." 2 The Spirit came into me as he spoke and set me on my feet. I listened carefully to his words. 3 "Son of man," he said, "I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a nation that is rebelling against me. Their ancestors have rebelled against me from the beginning, and they are still in revolt to this very day. 4 They are a hard-hearted and stubborn people. But I am sending you to say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says!' 5 And whether they listen or not—for remember, they are rebels—at least they will know they have had a prophet among them. (NLT) Psalm 123 L. I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven. C. We look to the Lord our God for his mercy, L. just as servants keep their eyes on their master, C. as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal. L. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy, for we have had our fill of contempt. C. We have had our fill of the scoffing of the proud and the contempt of the arrogant. (NLT) The second lesson 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 I was caught up into the third heaven fourteen years ago. 3 Whether my body was there or just my spirit, I don't know; only God knows. 4 But I do know that I was caught up into paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be told. 5 That experience is something worth boasting about, but I am not going to do it. I am going to boast only about my weaknesses. 6 I have plenty to boast about and would be no fool in doing it, because I would be telling the truth. But I won't do it. I don't want anyone to think more highly of me than what they can actually see in my life and my message, 7 even though I have received wonderful revelations from God. But to keep me from getting puffed up, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud. 8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. 10 Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (NLT) The Gospel Lesson Mark 6:1-13 Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. 2 The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They asked, "Where did he get all his wisdom and the power to perform such miracles? 3 He's just the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us." They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. 4 Then Jesus told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family." 5 And because of their unbelief, he couldn't do any mighty miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then Jesus went out from village to village, teaching. 7 And he called his twelve disciples together and sent them out two by two, with authority to cast out evil spirits. 8 He told them to take nothing with them except a walking stick—no food, no traveler's bag, no money. 9 He told them to wear sandals but not to take even an extra coat. 10 "When you enter each village, be a guest in only one home," he said. 11 "And if a village won't welcome you or listen to you, shake off its dust from your feet as you leave. It is a sign that you have abandoned that village to its fate." 12 So the disciples went out, telling all they met to turn from their sins. 13 And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil. (NLT)