Lessons                                                                       Bread of Life                                                           14 August 2021

Proverbs 9:1–10

₁Wisdom has built her house;

         she has hewn her seven pillars.

₂She has slaughtered her beasts;

she has mixed her wine;

         she has also set her table.

₃She has sent out her young women to call

         from the highest places in the town,

₄“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”

         To him who lacks sense she says,

₅“Come, eat of my bread

         and drink of the wine I have mixed.

₆Leave your simple ways, and live,

         and walk in the way of insight.”

₇Whoever corrects a scoffer

gets himself abuse,

and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.

₈Do not reprove a scoffer,

or he will hate you;

         reprove a wise man,

         and he will love you.

₉Give instruction to a wise man,

and he will be still wiser;

         teach a righteous man,

         and he will increase in learning.

₁₀The fear of the Lord is the beginning

of wisdom,

         and the knowledge of the Holy One

         is insight.

Psalm 34:12–22

Ephesians 5:6–21

         ₆Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ₇Therefore do not associate with them; ₈for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ₉(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), ₁₀and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. ₁₁Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. ₁₂For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. ₁₃But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, ₁₄for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,

         and arise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.”

         ₁₅Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ₁₆making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. ₁₇Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ₁₈And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, ₁₉addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, ₂₀giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ₂₁submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

John 6:51–69

         ₅₁[Jesus said:] “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

         ₅₂The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” ₅₃So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ₅₄Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ₅₅For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. ₅₆Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. ₅₇As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. ₅₈This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” ₅₉Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

         ₆₀When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” ₆₁But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? ₆₂Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? ₆₃It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ₆₄But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) ₆₅And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

         ₆₆After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. ₆₇So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” ₆₈Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, ₆₉and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”