Prayer for Serenity

God Grant me the Serenity

to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardship ad the pathway to peace.

Taking, as He did, the sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting, as He did, this sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with Him forever in the next.

Child's Prayer

Dear God most high, hear and bless
Thy beasts and singing birds:
And guard with tenderness
Small things that have no words.

Prayer for Students

God of Light and Truth,

thank you for giving me

a mind that can know

and a heart that can love.

Help me to keep learning every day of my life,

for all knowledge leads to you.

Let me be aware of your presence

in all things and at all times.

Encourage me when work is difficult

and when I am tempted to give up;

encourage me when my brain seems slow

and the way forward is difficult.

Grant me the grace to put my mind to use

exploring the world you have created,

confident that in you there a wisdom

that is real.

Amen.

The Rich Man & Lazarus

Luke 16:19-31 "Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day. A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores. It happened that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried. In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’ "But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in like manner, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish. Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house; for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’ "But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ "He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ "He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’" (web)

The Lost Sheep

The parable of the lost sheep was told by Jesus when the Pharisees criticized Him for socializing with sinners. Through this story of compassion, Jesus revealed his rescue mission for sinners.

“Then Jesus told them this parable: ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent’” (Luke 15:3-7).

The parable begins with a straying sheep. A sheep apart from its shepherd is defenseless and in grave danger. Jesus views any person apart from Him as lost. How is he lost? His sins alienate him from the holy God, leaving him groping aimlessly in darkness. “So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows” (Isaiah 59:9).

The shepherd in the story, however, didn’t despise his straying sheep. With a heart of compassion, Jesus also values each sinner the Father entrusts Him:

“And this is the will of Him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given me, but raise them up at the last day” (John 6:39). Jesus is intent upon rescuing the sinner not only because the Father gave them to Him but also because He loves them. His love led Him to sacrifice His life on the cross to take their punishment for sin.

The parable of the lost sheep also illustrates Christ’s attitude toward the saved sinner. The parable gives no indication of the shepherd ever rebuking or chiding. Instead, he hoists the sheep upon his shoulders and takes it home. An adult sheep may weigh anywhere from 110 to 125 pounds; it would be no small effort to carry one over the shoulder. For joy over finding that which was lost, the shepherd bears the discomfort. Likewise, Jesus bore the weight of our sins upon the cross. As High Priest and Mediator, He continues to bear our cares and infirmities before the Father. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. . . . For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24-25).

Finally, the parable of the lost sheep offers an extraordinary glimpse of heavenly emotions. The shepherd calls his friends and neighbors together, saying, “Rejoice with me.” The rescue of the lost sheep was a cause for proclamation and celebration. Similarly, Heaven rejoices when a sinner repents and is restored to fellowship with God. This joy is cheerfulness; it is calm, considered delight. It is a deliberate emotion -- houghtful and sustained. This is not a picture of raucous dancing and carousing but of lasting pleasure and heartfelt satisfaction. Why? A sinner has come home! Such news delights the heart of heaven.

Since the beginning, God has been the Good Shepherd who rescues His lost sheep. When Adam and Eve were hiding in shame because of their sin, He sought them out. Yes, He disciplined them. But He promised a Rescuer. Until Christ’s death for their sins, He forgave them by their faith and covered them with animal skins. God still reaches out for the lost to cover and recover them through the blood of Jesus Christ.

The Parable of a Sower

Luke 8:4-15 When a great multitude came together, and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by a parable. "The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed,


some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot,

and the birds of the sky devoured it. other seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away,

because it had no moisture. Other fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it, and choked it.
Other fell into the good ground, and grew, and brought forth fruit one hundred times."


As he said these things, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"
Then his disciples asked him, "What does this parable mean?"
He said, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables; that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.


Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes,

and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy

but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation. That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard,

and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches,
and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. That in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart,

having heard the word, hold it tightly, and bring forth fruit with patience.

The Lost Coin

The parable of the lost coin clearly indicates God’s true attitude towards sinners.

"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:8-10).

In the illustration, the sinner is likened to a valuable coin which has been lost. The woman does not take a lax attitude towards her lost possession. No. First she lights a lamp, necessarily expending oil, so that she can see clearly. Next, instead of simply glancing here and there, she uses a broom or some utensil to sweep her house so that she can reach places that might otherwise be inaccessible to her. Above all, she searches carefully. There is no hint of indifference, only diligence. This coin was valuable; she must find it at all costs.

Jesus wanted the religious leaders to understand how he felt about those who were lost. When we are lost sinners, we are not just “out there” somewhere away from God. God longed for us so much that He took the ultimate action; He offered up His Son as a sacrificial lamb. This He did to cleanse the sinner from sin and restore him to Himself. He would go through any means, any expense to bring them to Himself.

The parable of the lost coin indicates the mission of the Son. Jesus came to be the Light of the World; “The true light that gives light to every man. . .” (John 1:9). Jesus provides the light for sinners to be found of God, just as the woman needed light to search carefully for her lost coin. Each sinner is special to God; there is rejoicing in heaven over “each one” that repents. We are all individuals of great importance to the Father. The woman could have been content to possess the remaining nine coins; obviously they represented great wealth and status to her. Instead, she searched carefully, unwilling to leave to chance that her coin might never be reclaimed. And it was not sufficient for her to harbor this knowledge alone. Friends and neighbors must be told, as well to share in the celebration.

The parable of the lost coin also gives us a glimpse of that in which the Lord delights. In this parable, once the woman has found her coin, she calls her friends and neighbors in order to share the good news. When a sinner is restored to fellowship with God, it is a cause for rejoicing. This is the whole plan of salvation; this is why Christ came. This is the splendid, marvelous, most glorious act in the history of the universe. God seeks sinners and rejoices when they are found. He is not content for any sinner to be away from Him: “. . .He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).