Lessons for July 15, 2007 – Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

The first lesson

Deuteronomy 30:9-14
 
    The Lord your God will make you successful in everything you do. He will give you many children and numerous livestock, and your fields will produce abundant harvests, for the Lord will delight in being good to you as he was to your ancestors. [10] The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and laws written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. [11] "This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand or perform. [12] It is not up in heaven, so distant that you must ask, 'Who will go to heaven and bring it down so we can hear and obey it?' [13] It is not beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, 'Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear and obey it?' [14] The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it.  (NLT)

Psalm 25:1-10 

L.  To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.  I trust in you, my God!
C.  Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. 
L.  No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,
C.  but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.
L.  Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow. 
C.  Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me.
L.  All day long I put my hope in you.
C.  Remember, O Lord, your unfailing love and compassion, which you have shown from long ages past. 
L.  Forgive the rebellious sins of my youth;
C.  look instead through the eyes of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord.
L.  The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. 
C.  He leads the humble in what is right, teaching them his way. 
L.  The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
C.  all those who keep his covenant and obey his decrees.  (NLT)

The second lesson

Colossians 1:1-14
 
    This letter is from Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.  [2] It is written to God's holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.  May God our Father give you grace and peace.
 
[3] We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, [4] for we have heard that you trust in Christ Jesus and that you love all of God's people. [5] You do this because you are looking forward to the joys of heaven—as you have been ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. [6] This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is changing lives everywhere, just as it changed yours that very first day you heard and understood the truth about God's great kindness to sinners.  [7] Epaphras, our much loved co-worker, was the one who brought you the Good News. He is Christ's faithful servant, and he is helping us in your place. [8] He is the one who told us about the great love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.  [9] So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. [10] Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better.  [11] We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, [12] always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people, who live in the light. [13] For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. [14] God has purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins.  (NLT)

The Gospel Lesson

Luke 10:25-37
 
    One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: "Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?"  [26] Jesus replied, "What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?"  [27] The man answered, " 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.' And, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "  [28] "Right!" Jesus told him. "Do this and you will live!"  [29] The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" [30] Jesus replied with an illustration: "A Jewish man was traveling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes and money, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.  [31] "By chance a Jewish priest came along; but when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. [32] A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.  [33] "Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt deep pity. [34] Kneeling beside him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with medicine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. [35] The next day he handed the innkeeper two pieces of silver and told him to take care of the man. 'If his bill runs higher than that,' he said, 'I'll pay the difference the next time I am here.'  [36] "Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?" Jesus asked.  [37] The man replied, "The one who showed him mercy."
Then Jesus said, "Yes, now go and do the same."  (NLT)