Lessons                                                                       Bread of Life                                                                  4 July 2020

Zechariah 9:9–12

₉Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

behold, your king is coming to you;

         righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

         on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

₁₀I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim

         and the war horse from Jerusalem;

and the battle bow shall be cut off,

and he shall speak peace to the nations;

his rule shall be from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

₁₁As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,

I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

₁₂Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;

today I declare that I will restore to you double.

Romans 7:14–25a

         ₁₄We know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. ₁₅I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. ₁₆Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. ₁₇So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. ₁₈For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

₁₉For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. ₂₀Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

         ₂₁So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. ₂₂For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, ₂₃but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. ₂₄Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ₂₅Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Matthew 11:25–30

         ₂₅At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; ₂₆yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. ₂₇All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. ₂₈Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ₂₉Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ₃₀For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Psalm 145:1–14

₁I will extol you, my | God and King,*

         and bless your name forever and | ever.

₂Every day I will | bless you*

         and praise your name forever and | ever.

₃Great is the Lord, and greatly | to be praised,*

         and his greatness is un- | searchable.

₄One generation shall commend your works to an- | other,*

         and shall declare your | mighty acts.

₅On the glorious splendor of your | majesty,*

         and on your wondrous works, I will | meditate.

₆They shall speak of the might of your | awesome deeds,*

         and I will declare your | greatness.

₇They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant | goodness*

         and shall sing aloud of your | righteousness.

₈The Lord is gracious and | merciful,*

         slow to anger and abounding in | steadfast love.

₉The Lord is | good to all,*

         and his mercy is over all that | he has made.

₁₀All your works shall give thanks to you, | O Lord,*

         and all your saints shall | bless you!

₁₁They shall speak of the glory of your | kingdom*

         and tell | of your power,

₁₂to make known to the children of man your | mighty deeds,*

         and the glorious splendor of your | kingdom.

₁₃Your kingdom is an everlasting | kingdom,*

         and your dominion endures throughout all gener- | ations.

The Lord is faithful in | all his words*

         and kind in | all his works.

₁₄The Lord upholds all who are | falling*

         and raises up all who are | bowed down.