Lessons                                                                       Bread of Life                                                                 8 May 2021

Acts 10:34–48

          ₃₄Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, ₃₅but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. ₃₆As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), ₃₇you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: ₃₈how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ₃₉And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, ₄₀but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, ₄₁not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ₄₂And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. ₄₃To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

          ₄₄While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. ₄₅And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. ₄₆For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, ₄₇“Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” ₄₈And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

Psalm 98

Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord

₁Oh sing to the Lord a new song,

for he has done | marvelous things!*

    His right hand and his holy arm

    have worked salva- | tion for him.

₂The Lord has made known his sal- | vation;*

    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the | nations.

₃He has remembered his steadfast

love and faithfulness to the house of | Israel.*

    All the ends of the earth have seen

    the salvation | of our God.

₄Make a joyful noise to the Lord, | all the earth;*

    break forth into joyous song and sing | praises!

₅Sing praises to the Lord | with the lyre,*

    with the lyre and the sound of | melody!

₆With trumpets and the sound | of the horn*

    make a joyful noise before

    the | King, the Lord!

₇Let the sea roar, and all that | fills it;*

    the world and those who | dwell in it!

₈Let the rivers clap their hands;

let the hills sing for joy together

₉be- | fore the Lord,*

    for he comes to | judge the earth.

He will judge the world with | righteousness,*

    and the peoples with | equity.

1 John 5:1–8

          ₁Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. ₂By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. ₃For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. ₄For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. ₅Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

          ₆This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. ₇For there are three that testify: ₈the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.

John 15:9–17

          ₉[Jesus said:] “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ₁₀If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ₁₁These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

          ₁₂“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ₁₃Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. ₁₄You are my friends if you do what I command you. ₁₅No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. ₁₆You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ₁₇These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”