Concord Church, Statesville NC

August 21 2022 at Concord Presbyterian. Scripture Reading is Ruth 2
concordpreschurch.com
Music and lyrics used by permission from
CCLI License # CSPL086812
One License # A-735433

It can be tempting to have fun at someone else’s expense. Judging people feels really good, and it is a self-fulfilling prophecy, when you expect people to mess up you will only see them mess up. And, when we compare ourselves to those people, it makes us feel good about ourselves. In the end, though, when we judge people no one wins. It only creates animosity and dislike, furthering the divide between the two.
- Have you ever had someone treat you really nicely but in doing so they actually made fun of you?
- How do you do things in your life to push others away?
https://www.vermontpublic.org/podcast/but-why-a-podcast-for-curious-kids/2022-07-29/why-do-we-have-friends

There are times when people call us to account, asking for a honest justification of our actions. We need to be completely honest to ourselves and to the other person in the conversation, but we are good at deceiving ourselves and hiding the truth. We want to paint ourselves in the best possible light and we can’t always be questioning ourselves, either. Our lives and actions speak to the world.
- Have you ever had to explain your actions?
- What is our life speaking to the world?

August 14, 2022 at Concord Presbyterian. Scripture Reading is Ruth 1:1-21
concordpreschurch.com
Music and lyrics used by permission from
CCLI License # CSPL086812
One License # A-735433

Ananias doesn’t want to help Saul for several very good reasons. Saul is killing Ananias and his friends. He’d heard bad things about “people like him”. These reports said Saul did many bad things in Jerusalem. This is the last person who deserved help. God sent Ananias anyway and God chose Saul anyway. Both men are called to account – Ananias to live up to the principles Jesus set for his followers, Saul to a future where he atones regularly for his mistreatment of Christians early on.
- Imagine Jesus was the one saying these words from Acts to you. How would you receive it differently? What you like to ask Jesus about?
- We are told faith requires works – you have to act on it. How have you acted on your faith this week?
Songs used with Permission from:
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Sometimes people change before our eyes and we don’t or can’t see the cause. It can be for good, where they make positive steps for their lives, but often the change is middle of the road., neither good or bad, and the most important element of their change is our response to it. Saul’s friends don’t know why he changed, but they modeled the appropriate response, to help him get up, hold his hands, and walk with him along the journey.
- When have you helped a friend who is in the midst of change?
- When have your friends stepped up to help you navigate a transition in your life?

Paul is traveling down a road he had traveled many times before. This day was a routine day of commuting to and from work. The murderous threats Paul uttered on the side didn’t change his day to day responsibilities or activities. But our home life and work life, our online selves and our IRL selves are not so easily separated as we like to think. Humans don’t lock of parts of our lives to be immune from other parts of it.
- Do your at-home selves and your at-work self match up? How is God calling you to live a more unified life?

August 7, 2022 at Concord Presbyterian. Scripture Reading is 1 Peter 5:1-14
Guest Speaker Rainey Ratchford
concordpreschurch.com
Music and lyrics used by permission from
CCLI License # CSPL086812
One License # A-735433

July 31, 2022 at Concord Presbyterian. Scripture Reading is 1 Peter 4:1-9
concordpreschurch.com
Music and lyrics used by permission from
CCLI License # CSPL086812
One License # A-735433

The human’s circumstances have not changed. They were naked before eating of the tree of good and evil and remain so after eating thereof. The only change thus far is their understanding of their circumstances. Their understanding prompts them to use fig leaves, ineffective as they may be, to cover their nakedness.
- Why do you believe the serpent wanted to trick the women?
- Is there a time, like Adam, where you have been tempted to not trust God?
Prayer: Lord, have mercy on us sinners. Forgive us for believing the lie you can’t be trusted