Pastor Mark BerlinAugust 19th 2018
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.
6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them. 8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: 'Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.' 15Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
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.'