Wesley Word-Feb. 9, 2022

Jessica Hall   -   February 9, 2022

To go along with service on: Sunday, February 13, 2022 

Experiencing Grace

Exploring Truth
Epiphany: A Season of Signs – The Sign of Blessing
Luke 6:17-26

This week we continue our Epiphany series, Epiphany: A Season of Signs, with the Sign of Blessing

Many of you may be familiar with the Beatitudes from Matthew chapter 5. Some may have even memorized them in Sunday School. The Beatitudes are part of a larger section of Jesus’ teaching called the Sermon on the Mount. Our Scripture from Luke this week is similar to the Beatitudes but it is part of a separate but similar sermon of Jesus called the Sermon on the Plain.

Some people have claimed that Matthew and Luke contradict each other because each records the words of Jesus’ sermon differently and, while in Matthew Jesus preaches on a mountain, in Luke the sermon is delivered on a “level place.” This is not a difficulty when we realize that these are not portrayed as the same sermon but rather as similar but separate sermons. Jesus preached all over Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. One could imagine him using similar statements in different sermons. After all, how often have you heard me or another pastor say the same thing in many different ways?

The Beatitudes, both in Matthew and in Luke, promise certain blessings as a sign of the Christian life. There are promises of healing, freedom, comfort, and joy, but those are accompanied by promises of poverty, sorrow, and persecution. It is only through experiencing the latter that we can truly experience the former. In this way, for the Christian, God turns even the bad things we experience into blessings. (Romans 8:28) God blesses us so that we can, in turn, be a blessing to others. (2 Corinthians 1:4)

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

  1. Where do I see signs of blessing in my life?
  2. How can I be a sign of blessing to others?

New Testament in a Year: https://wesleyonline.org/biblereading/ 

  • February 9 Matthew 26:14-46
  • February 10 Matthew 26:47-68
  • February 11 Matthew 26:69-27:14
  • February 12 Matthew 27:15-31
  • February 13 Matthew 27:32-66
  • February 14 Matthew 28:1-20
  • February 15 Mark 1:1-28
  • February 16 Mark 1:29-2:12

Expressing Love: Family/Mission Activity

Blessings Scattegories- Have you played the game Scattegories? You roll a letter dice and then have a few minutes to think of words that start with that letter based on a phrase (ex: boy’s name, movie title, flower, etc.). You are going to play Blessings Scattegories as a family (if your children are young, you may want to play in teams). Roll a letter dice (if you have one), draw a letter from a hat, or use this online letter wheel. When a letter is selected, set a timer for 1 minute. Everyone in your family (or on the team) will then try to think of as many blessings as they can that start with that letter (if the letter was “b” you’d write things like bacon, badminton, Brian, etc.). At the end of a minute, each team reads off their blessings. If their blessing matches the blessing someone else wrote down, they have to cross it off. Whoever has the most blessings at the end of the round wins! You can play as many rounds as you’d like. 

Once you’ve finished playing, talk about the amazing amount of blessings we have in our lives and how important it is for us to recognize them and give thanks to God for all He gives to us.  

Announcements:

  • WOW (Worship on Wednesdays) TONIGHT @ 5:30 pm
    • Meal, Worship, Small Groups
  • Wesley Scholarship applications are now available on the table in front of the office. Completed applications are due April 1.