CreatingCommunity is an email devotion to guide your preparation for worship next weekend. Imagine how much more clear and relevant God's Word will be if you have had an opportunity read, reflect, and dwell in the Word prior to worship. You may do this devotion alone, with others, as a family, or over Zoom as a small group.

This devotion is to be done in preparation for Sunday, July 26, 2020, The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost.

Please follow these three steps:

1. Read through the text
2. Respond to the questions (select one of the sets of questions)
3. Offer a Prayer
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
31 [Jesus] put before [the crowds] another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
   33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
   44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
   45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls;  46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
   47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind;  48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.  49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous  50 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
   51 “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.”  52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

No Experience Necessary Questions:
  1. What scares, confuses, or challenges me in this text?
  2. What delights me in this text?
  3. What stories or memories does this text stir in me?
  4. What is God up to in this text?
Family Questions:
  1. Which of the parables above do you find most interesting? Why do you think that is? What does the parable mean to you?
  2. Which of the parables do you find the most hard to understand? Why do you think that is? What does that parable mean to you?
  3. Parables are designed to challenge our way of thinking and call us to action. In what ways do any of these parable challenge your thinking about yourself, the world, God's Kingdom? Are you being called to action? Explain your response?
Advance Questions:
  1. How would you explain what is being said in the parable of the treasure hidden in a field? Is it the same description of the kingdom as what is expressed in the parable of the merchant in search of fine pearls? Explain
  2. These two parables seem to suggest that the kingdom is like being grasp by something valuable. Have you every had such a kingdom experience? Explain.
  3. When asked if they understood these parables, the disciples said, "Yes". What do you make of that? What would you have said? Explain.
Click here to listen to this week's CreatingCommunity song
“ Parable Song, Seeds ".
Prayer
Lord of mustard seeds and yeast, we come to you this day, seeking your Word and will for us. Make us people who care deeply about the well-being of others. Give us courage to be yeast for the rising of hope and peace throughout the world. Open our hearts to your redeeming love, for we ask this in Christ’s Name. AMEN.
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