Lessons                                                                       Bread of Life                                                               28 June 2025

1 Kings 19:9b–21

         Behold, the word of the Lord came to [Elijah], and he said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" ₁₀He said, "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." ₁₁And he said, "Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ₁₂And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. ₁₃And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" ₁₄He said, "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." ₁₅And the Lord said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. ₁₆And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. ₁₇And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. ₁₈Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."

         ₁₉So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. ₂₀And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, "Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Go back again, for what have I done to you?" ₂₁And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.

Psalm 16

₁Preserve me, | O God,*

         for in you I take | refuge.

₂I say to the Lord, "You | are my Lord;*

         I have no good a- | part from you."

₃As for the saints | in the land,*

         they are the excellent ones,

         in whom is all | my delight.

₄The sorrows of those who run after another god shall | multiply;*

         their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out

         or take their names | on my lips.

₅The Lord is my chosen portion | and my cup;*

         you | hold my lot.

₆The lines have fallen for me in pleasant | places;*

         indeed, I have a beautiful in- | heritance.

₇I bless the Lord who gives me | counsel;*

         in the night also my heart in- | structs me.

₈I have set the Lord always be- | fore me;*

         because he is at my right hand, I shall not be | shaken.

₉Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being re- | joices;*

         my flesh also | dwells secure.

₁₀For you will not abandon my soul | to Sheol,*

         or let your holy one see cor- | ruption.

₁₁You make known to me the | path of life;*

         in your presence there is fullness of joy;

         at your right hand are pleasures for- | evermore.

Galatians 5:1, 13–25

         ₁For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. . . .

         ₁₃For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ₁₄For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." ₁₅But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

         ₁₆But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ₁₇For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ₁₈But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ₁₉Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ₂₀idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ₂₁envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ₂₂But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ₂₃gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ₂₄And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

         ₂₅If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Luke 9:51–62

         ₅₁When the days drew near for [Jesus] to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. ₅₂And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. ₅₃But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. ₅₄And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" ₅₅But he turned and rebuked them. ₅₆And they went on to another village.

         ₅₇As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." ₅₈And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." ₅₉To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." ₆₀And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." ₆₁Yet another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home." ₆₂Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."