John 3:1-6

The Preaching of John

1 It was the fifteenth year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar. These men were under Caesar: Pontius Pilate, the ruler of Judea; Herod, the ruler of Galilee; Philip, Herod's brother, the ruler of Iturea and Traconitis; and Lysanias, the ruler of Abilene.2 Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.3 He went all over the area around the Jordan River preaching a baptism of changed hearts and lives for the forgiveness of sins.4 As it is written in the book of Isaiah the prophet:

"This is a voice of one

who calls out in the desert:

'Prepare the way for the Lord.

Make the road straight for him.

5 Every valley should be filled in,

and every mountain and hill should be made flat.

Roads with turns should be made straight,

and rough roads should be made smooth.

6 And all people will know about the salvation of God!'" — Isaiah 40:3–5

A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes--and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 20th century

John 18:33-37

33 Then Pilate went back inside the palace and called Jesus to him and asked, "Are you the king of the Jews?" 34 Jesus said, "Is that your own question, or did others tell you about me?" 35 Pilate answered, "I am not one of you. It was your own people and their leading priests who handed you over to me. What have you done wrong?" 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If it belonged to this world, my servants would have fought to keep me from being given over to the Jewish leaders. But my kingdom is from another place." 37 Pilate said, "So you are a king!" Jesus answered, "You are the one saying I am a king. This is why I was born and came into the world: to tell people the truth. And everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me."

You see what power is--holding someone else's fear in your hand and showing it to them!

Amy Tan, 20th century

1 Samuel 1:4-20

4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. 6 And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Elkanah her husband would say to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?"

9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD's temple. 10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. 11 And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."

12 As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine."

15 "Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief."

17 Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him."

18 She said, "May your servant find favor in your eyes." Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. 20So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the LORD for him."

Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.

Mahatma Gandhi

Subject Sentences

A committed, petitioning wife, gave back, what the Lord had given her.

Despairing, barren Hannah prays for and dedicates son; God hears; Samuel born.

Eli blesses childless, praying Hannah, who receives answer and bears son Samuel.

Aims - This passage . . .

. . . allows me to examine my petitions and prayers and to not give up on them.

. . . causes me to appreciate our access to God and His understanding of our deepest needs even when those around us, even those who love us cannot.

. . . causes me to give thanks for loved ones who support and encourage.

. . . causes me to take time and get to know someone before making assumptions.

. . . causes me to remember to give God thanks and praise for his answers.

Applications

Who do I resent or ignore or dismiss that I need to instead give empathy and compassion to?

When I pray to I simply ask God to grant me things, or with
my petitions do I make vows and commitments?

Am I willing to give back what he has given to me?

What is it that troubles me that I should bring to God in heartfelt prayer and then be able to leave it there with Him?

What things that I am troubled by and have prayed about can I trust Him with and move on to live with joy?

Do I recognize the blessings I have, or am I always in "if only" mode?

What can I do to get to know someone's story before drawing conclusions about them?

How do I follow through on my promises to God?

Mark 12:38-44

38 Jesus continued teaching and said, "Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around wearing fancy clothes, and they love for people to greet them with respect in the marketplaces. 39 They love to have the most important seats in the synagogues and at feasts. 40 But they cheat widows and steal their houses and then try to make themselves look good by saying long prayers. They will receive a greater punishment."

True Giving

41 Jesus sat near the Temple money box and watched the people put in their money. Many rich people gave large sums of money.42 Then a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which were only worth a few cents.

43 Calling his followers to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow gave more than all those rich people. 44 They gave only what they did not need. This woman is very poor, but she gave all she had; she gave all she had to live on."

“It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters." Mother Teresa

Subject Sentences

Looks can be deceiving; appearance of sacrifice is transparent to God.
The poor widow will receive grace from God instead of the rich.
Jesus observes hypocritical teachers flaunt positions; points to generous widow as model.

Jesus observes, discerns the actions and hearts of teachers and poor widows.

Jesus warns about the exploitations of others and giving fully through sacrifice.

Aims

This passage causes me to . . .

seek out small ways my children and I can give...ie...Do One Nice Thing. http://www.doonenicething.com/

rethink my feelings towards my church. I give my %, but not without some resentment.
examine and question my motivations in my social life; causes me to examine where I can be more generous.

examine the character of people I consider leaders, teachers....give generously: money, time, myself. Not just what I think I can afford.

think about times I have given things that I would miss. Often I give when I am tired of things, but not because it's a sacrifice.

Some Applications

How can I be careful and informed about people I listen to as leaders?

What things in my life could I give away that would truly be a sacrifice?

In what areas can I step out in faith and give more than I think I can afford? (not just money)

Do I judge people on their dollar givings?

How do I like to be perceived by others?

In what areas can I be more content and be dependent on Jesus?

In what area of my life can I be more generous - give 2 coins instead of 1?

How can I teach my kids this lesson of generousity?

Can I give where needed without regret?