Pastor Mark BerlinAugust 15th 2021
1Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars. 2She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. 3She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city. 4'Let all who are simple come in here!' she says to those who lack judgment. 5'Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. 6Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding. 7'Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. 8Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. 9Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. 10'The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
12Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 13keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. 14Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 15The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; 16the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. 18The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; 20he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. 21Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. 22The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.
1As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. 2For he says, 'In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.' I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. 3We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. 11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 12We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13As a fair exchange--I speak as to my children--open wide your hearts also.
51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.' 52Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?' 53Jesus said to them, 'I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.' 59He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60On hearing it, many of his disciples said, 'This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?' 61Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, 'Does this offend you? 62What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 64Yet there are some of you who do not believe.' For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65He went on to say, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.' 66From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 67'You do not want to leave too, do you?' Jesus asked the Twelve. 68Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.'