Mosaic

We are re-launching the new, more reliable, and faster video podcast this week! We will be launching the video podcast with this week’s wrap-up service for life’s toughest questions and then posting all the videos from the entire series during the next eight weeks. Be watching for the new video postings this week.

by Erwin McManus

Scripture References

* * *

New Century Version

Genesis 1:26-27

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image and likeness. And let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the tame animals, over all the earth, and over all the small crawling animals on the earth.” So God created human beings in his image. In the image of God he created them. He created them male and female.

Genesis 2:18-25

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is right for him.” From the ground God formed every wild animal and every bird in the sky, and he brought them to the man so the man could name them. Whatever the man called each living thing, that became name. The man gave names to all the tame animals, to the birds in the sky, and to all the wild animals. But Adam did not find a helper that was right for him. So the LORD God caused the man to sleep very deeply, and while he was asleep, God removed one of the man’s ribs. Then God closed up the man’s skin at the place where he took the rib.

The LORD God used the rib from the man to make a woman, and then he brought the woman to the man. And the man said, “Now, this is someone whose bones came from my bones, whose body came from my body. I will call her ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of man.” So a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one body. The man and his wife were naked, but they were not ashamed.

Exodus 4:1-8

Then Moses answered, “What if the people of Israel do not believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you’?” The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” Moses answered, “It is my walking stick.” The LORD said, “Throw it on the ground.” So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake. Moses ran from the snake, but the LORD said to him, “Reach out and grab the snake by its tail.”
When Moses reached out and took hold of the snake, it again became a stick in his hand. The LORD said, “This is so that the Israelites will believe that the LORD appeared to you. I am the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then the LORD said to Moses, “Put your hand inside your coat.” So Moses put his hand inside his coat. When he took it out, it was white with a skin disease. Then he said, “Now put your hand inside your coat again.” So Moses put his hand inside his coat again. When he took it out, his hand was healthy again, like the rest of his skin. Then the LORD said, “If the people do not believe you or pay attention to the first miracle, they may believe you when you show them this second miracle.”

Exodus 20:1-17

Then God spoke all these words: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt where you were slaves. You must not have any other gods except me. You must not make for yourselves an idol that looks like anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the water below the land.

You must not worship or serve any idol, because I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God. If you hate me, I will punish your children, and even your grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But I show kindness to thousands who love me and obey my commands.

You must not use the name of the LORD your God thoughtlessly; the LORD will punish anyone who misuses his name. Remember to keep the Sabbath holy. Work and get everything done during six days each week, but the seventh day is a day of rest to honor the LORD your God. On that day no one may do any work: not you, your son or daughter, your male or female slaves, your animals, or the foreigners living in your cities. The reason is that in six days the LORD made everything-the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. On the seventh day he rested. So the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Honor your father and your mother so that you will live a long time in the land that the LORD your God is going to give you. You must not murder anyone. You must not be guilty of adultery.You must not steal. You must not tell lies about your neighbor. You must not want to take your neighbor’s house. You must not want his wife or his male or female slaves, or his ox or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Mark 12:28-34

One of the teachers of the law came and heard Jesus arguing with the Sadducees.
Seeing that Jesus gave good answers to their questions, he asked Jesus, “Which of the commands is most important?” Jesus answered, “The most important command is this: ‘Listen, people of Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second command is this: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ There are no commands more important than these.” The man answered, “That was a good answer, Teacher. You were right when you said God is the only Lord and there is no other God besides him. One must love God with all his heart, all his mind, and all his strength. And one must love his neighbor as he loves himself. These commands are more important than all the animals and sacrifices we offer to God. “When Jesus saw that the man answered him wisely, Jesus said to him, “You are close to the kingdom of God.” And after that, no one was brave enough to ask Jesus any more questions.

Matthew 25:31-46

“The Son of Man will come again in his great glory, with all his angels. He will be King and sit on his great throne. All the nations of the world will be gathered before him,
and he will separate them into two groups as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The Son of Man will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to the people on his right, ‘Come, my Father has given you his blessing.

Receive the kingdom God has prepared for you since the world was made. I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink I was alone and away from home, and you invited me into your house. I was without clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then the good people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you alone and away from home and invite you into our house? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?’ “Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.’ “Then the King will say to those on his left, ‘Go away from me. You will be punished. Go into the fire that burns forever that was prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. I was alone and away from home, and you did not invite me into your house. I was without clothes, and you gave me nothing to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ “Then those people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or alone and away from home or without clothes or sick or in prison? When did we see these things and not help you?’ “Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you refused to do for even the least of my people here, you refused to do for me.’ “These people will go off to be punished forever, but the good people will go to live forever.”

1 Corinthians 3:16

Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?

1 Corinthians 6:9-20

Surely you know that the people who do wrong will not inherit God’s kingdom. Do not be fooled. Those who sin sexually, worship idols, take part in adultery, those who are male prostitutes, or men who have sexual relations with other men, those who steal, are greedy, get drunk, lie about others, or rob — these people will not inherit God’s kingdom. In the past, some of you were like that, but you were washed clean. You were made holy, and you were made right with God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

“I am allowed to do all things,” but all things are not good for me to do. “I am allowed to do all things,” but I will not let anything make me its slave. “Food is for the stomach, and the stomach for food,” but God will destroy them both. The body is not for sexual sin but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. By his power God has raised the Lord from the dead and will also raise us from the dead. Surely you know that your bodies are parts of Christ himself. So I must never take the parts of Christ and join them to a prostitute! It is written in the Scriptures, “The two will become one body.” So you should know that anyone who joins with a prostitute becomes one body with the prostitute. But the one who joins with the Lord is one spirit with the Lord. So run away from sexual sin. Every other sin people do is outside their bodies, but those who sin sexually sin against their own bodies. You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you. You have received the Holy Spirit from God. So you do not belong to yourselves, because you were bought by God for a price. So honor God with your bodies.

Romans 1:21-32

They knew God, but they did not give glory to God or thank him. Their thinking became useless. Their foolish minds were filled with darkness. They said they were wise, but they became fools. They traded the glory of God who lives forever for the worship of idols made to look like earthly people, birds, animals, and snakes .Because they did these things, God left them and let them go their sinful way, wanting only to do evil. They traded the truth of God for a lie. They worshiped and served what had been created instead of the God who created those things, who should be praised forever. Amen. Because people did those things, God left them and let them do the shameful things they wanted to do Women stopped having natural sex and started having sex with other women. In the same way, men stopped having natural sex and began wanting each other. other men, and in their bodies they received the punishment for those wrongs. People did not think it was important to have a true knowledge of God.
So God left them and allowed them to have their own worthless thinking and to do things they should not do. They are filled with every kind of sin, evil, selfishness, and hatred. They are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, lying, and thinking the worst about each other. They gossip and say evil things about each other. They hate God. They are rude and conceited and brag about themselves. They invent ways of doing evil. They do not obey their parents. They are foolish, they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness or mercy to others. They know God’s law says that those who live like this should die. But they themselves not only continue to do these evil things, they applaud others who do them.

Psalms 37:4

Enjoy serving the LORD, and he will give you what you want.

John 8:1-12

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he went back to the Temple, and all the people came to him, and he sat and taught them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They forced her to stand before the people. They said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught having sexual relations with a man who is not her husband. The law of Moses commands that we stone to death every woman who does this. What do you say we should do?”

They were asking this to trick Jesus so that they could have some charge against him.
But Jesus bent over and started writing on the ground with his finger. When they continued to ask Jesus their question, he raised up and said, “Anyone here who has never sinned can throw the first stone at her.” Then Jesus bent over again and wrote on the ground. Those who heard Jesus began to leave one by one, first the older men and then the others. Jesus was left there alone with the woman standing before him.
Jesus raised up again and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one judged you guilty?” She answered, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “I also don’t judge you guilty. You may go now, but don’t sin anymore.” Later, Jesus talked to the people again, saying, “I am the light of the world. The person who follows me will never live in darkness but will have the light that gives life.”

by Erwin McManus

Scripture References

* * *

New Century Version

John 3:16-17

“God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him.

Ezekiel 18:21-23

“But suppose the wicked stop doing all the sins they have done and obey all my rules and do what is fair and right. Then they will surely live; they will not die. Their sins will be forgotten. Because they have done what is right, they will live. I do not really want the wicked to die, says the Lord God. I want them to stop their bad ways and live.

Ezekiel 18:30-32

“So I will judge you, people of Israel; I will judge each of you by what you do, says the Lord God. Change your hearts and stop all your sinning so sin will not bring your ruin. Get rid of all the sins you have done, and get for yourselves a new heart and a new way of thinking. Why do you want to die, people of Israel? I do not want anyone to die, says the Lord God, so change your hearts and lives so you may live.

2 Peter 3:8-9

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: To the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day. The Lord is not slow in doing what he promised — the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives.

Matthew 25:14-46

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who was going to another place for a visit. Before he left, he called for his servants and told them to take care of his things while he was gone. He gave one servant five bags of gold, another servant two bags of gold, and a third servant one bag of gold, to each one as much as he could handle. Then he left. The servant who got five bags went quickly to invest the money and earned five more bags. In the same way, the servant who had two bags invested them and earned two more. But the servant who got one bag went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money “After a long time the master came home and asked the servants what they did with his money. The servant who was given five bags of gold brought five more bags to the master and said, ‘Master, you trusted me to care for five bags of gold, so I used your five bags to earn five more.’ The master answered, ‘You did well. You are a good and loyal servant. Because you were loyal with small things, I will let you care for much greater things. Come and share my joy with me.’ “Then the servant who had been given two bags of gold came to the master and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of gold to care for, so I used your two bags to earn two more.’ The master answered, ‘You did well. You are a good and loyal servant. Because you were loyal with small things, I will let you care for much greater things. Come and share my joy with me.’ “Then the servant who had been given one bag of gold came to the master and said, ‘Master, I knew that you were a hard man. You harvest things you did not plant. You gather crops where you did not sow any seed. So I was afraid and went and hid your money in the ground. Here is your bag of gold.’ The master answered, ‘You are a wicked and lazy servant! You say you knew that I harvest things I did not plant and that I gather crops where I did not sow any seed. So you should have put my gold in the bank. Then, when I came home, I would have received my gold back with interest.’ “So the master told his other servants, ‘Take the bag of gold from that servant and give it to the servant who has ten bags of gold.

Those who have much will get more, and they will have much more than they need. But those who do not have much will have everything taken away from them.’ Then the master said, ‘Throw that useless servant outside, into the darkness where people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.’ “The Son of Man will come again in his great glory, with all his angels. He will be King and sit on his great throne.

All the nations of the world will be gathered before him, and he will separate them into two groups as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The Son of Man will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to the people on his right, ‘Come, my Father has given you his blessing. Receive the kingdom God has prepared for you since the world was made. I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was alone and away from home, and you invited me into your house. I was without clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then the good people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you alone and away from home and invite you into our house? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?’ “Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.’ “Then the King will say to those on his left, ‘Go away from me. You will be punished. Go into the fire that burns forever that was prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. I was alone and away from home, and you did not invite me into your house. I was without clothes, and you gave me nothing to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ “Then those people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or alone and away from home or without clothes or sick or in prison? When did we see these things and not help you?’ “Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you refused to do for even the least of my people here, you refused to do for me.’ These people will go off to be punished forever, but the good people will go to live forever.”

Matthew 23:13-15

“How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You close the door for people to enter the kingdom of heaven. You yourselves don’t enter, and you stop others who are trying to enter. “How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You travel across land and sea to find one person who will change to your ways. When you find that person, you make him more fit for hell than you are.

Matthew 23:27-39

“How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You are like tombs that are painted white. Outside, those tombs look fine, but inside, they are full of the bones of dead people and all kinds of unclean things. It is the same with you. People look at you and think you are good, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and evil. “How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets, and you show honor to the graves of those who lived good lives. You say, ‘If we had lived during the time of our ancestors, we would not have helped them kill the prophets.’ But you give proof that you are children of those who murdered the prophets. And you will complete the sin that your ancestors started. “You are snakes! A family of poisonous snakes! How are you going to escape God’s judgment? So I tell you this: I am sending to you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify. Some of them you will beat in your synagogues and chase from town to town.
So you will be guilty for the death of all the good people who have been killed on earth — from the murder of that good man Abel to the murder of Zechariahn son of Berakiah, whom you murdered between the Temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all of these things will happen to you people who are living now. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone to death those who are sent to you. Many times I wanted to gather your people as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you did not let me. Now your house will be left completely empty.

I tell you, you will not see me again until that time when you will say, ‘God bless the One who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Malachi 4:1-3

“There is a day coming that will burn like a hot furnace, and all the proud and evil people will be like straw. On that day they will be completely burned up so that not a root or branch will be left,” says the Lord All-Powerful.

“But for you who honor me, goodness will shine on you like the sun, with healing in its rays. You will jump around, like well-fed calves. Then you will crush the wicked like ashes under your feet on the day I will do this,” says the Lord All-Powerful.

Matthew 23:37

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone to death those who are sent to you. Many times I wanted to gather your people as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you did not let me.

Revelation 3:20

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you, and you will eat with me.

Luke 16:19-31

Jesus said, “There was a rich man who always dressed in the finest clothes and lived in luxury every day. And a very poor man named Lazarus, whose body was covered with sores, was laid at the rich man’s gate. He wanted to eat only the small pieces of food that fell from the rich man’s table. And the dogs would come and lick his sores. Later, Lazarus died, and the angels carried him to the arms of Abraham. The rich man died, too, and was buried. In the place of the dead, he was in much pain. The rich man saw Abraham far away with Lazarus at his side. He called, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am suffering in this fire!’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember when you were alive you had the good things in life, but bad things happened to Lazarus. Now he is comforted here, and you are suffering. Besides, there is a big pit between you and us, so no one can cross over to you, and no one can leave there and come here.’ The rich man said, ‘Father, then please send Lazarus to my father’s house. I have five brothers, and Lazarus could warn them so that they will not come to this place of pain.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have the law of Moses and the writings of the prophets; let them learn from them.’ The rich man said, ‘No, father Abraham! If someone goes to them from the dead, they would believe and change their hearts and lives.’ But Abraham said to him, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not listen to someone who comes back from the dead.’”

Jude 1:22-23

Show mercy to some people who have doubts. Take others out of the fire, and save them. Show mercy mixed with fear to others, hating even their clothes which are dirty from sin.

by Erwin McManus

Scripture References:

(Click Here)

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

John 11:34-35 (New Century Version)

He asked, “Where did you bury him?” “Come and see, Lord,” they said.
Jesus cried.

Exodus 3:7-10 (New Century Version)

The LORD said, “I have seen the troubles my people have suffered in
Egypt, and I have heard their cries when the Egyptian slave masters hurt
them. I am concerned about their pain, and I have come down to save them
from the Egyptians. I will bring them out of that land and lead them to
a good land with lots of room-a fertile land. It is the land of the
Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. I
have heard the cries of the people of Israel, and I have seen the way
the Egyptians have made life hard for them. So now I am sending you to
the king of Egypt. Go! Bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt!”

Psalms 145:8-9 (New International Version)

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

Psalms 119:64 (New International Version)

The earth is filled with your love, O LORD; teach me your decrees.

Psalms 63:3 (New International Version)

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

Psalms 136:1-26 (New International Version)

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.

5 who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.

6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.

7 who made the great lights-
His love endures forever.

8 the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.

9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.

10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.

11 and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.

12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.

13 to him who divided the Red Sea [a
1#fen-NIV-16210afen-NIV-16210a> ] asunder
His love endures forever.

14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.

15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.

16 to him who led his people through the desert,
His love endures forever.

17 who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.

18 and killed mighty kings-
His love endures forever.

19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.

20 and Og king of Bashan-
His love endures forever.

21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.

22 an inheritance to his servant Israel;
His love endures forever.

23 to the One who remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.

24 and freed us from our enemies,
His love endures forever.

25 and who gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.

Jeremiah 31:3 (New Century Version)

And from far away the LORD appeared to his people and said, “I love you
people with a love that will last forever That is why I have continued
showing you kindness.

Genesis 4:1-15 (New Century Version)

Adam had sexual relations with his wife Eve, and she became preg- nant
and gave birth to Cain. Eve said, “With the Lord’s help, I have given
birth to a man.”

4:2

After that, Eve gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel took care of
flocks, and Cain became a farmer.

4:3

Later, Cain brought some food from the ground as a gift to God.

4:4

Abel brought the best parts from some of the firstborn of his flock. The
Lord accepted Abel and his gift,

4:5

but he did not accept Cain and his gift. So Cain became very angry and
felt rejected.

4:6

The Lord asked Cain, “Why are you angry? Why do you look so unhappy?

4:7

If you do things well, I will accept you, but if you do not do them
well, sin is ready to attack you. Sin wants you, but you must rule over
it.”

4:8

Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out into the field.” While they
were out in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

4:9

Later, the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” Cain
answered, “I don’t know. Is it my job to take care of my brother?”

4:10

Then the Lord said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood is crying
out to me from the ground.

4:11

And now you will be cursed in your work with the ground, the same ground
where your brother’s blood fell and where your hands killed him.

4:12

You will work the ground, but it will not grow good crops for you
anymore, and you will wander around on the earth.”

4:13

Then Cain said to the Lord, “This punishment is more than I can stand!

4:14

Today you have forced me to stop working the ground, and now I must hide
from you. I must wander around on the earth, and anyone who meets me can
kill me.”

4:15

The Lord said to Cain, “No! If anyone kills you, I will punish that
person seven times more.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain warning
anyone who met him not to kill him

Genesis 8:1-22 (New Century Version)

8:1

But God remembered Noah and all the wild and tame animals with him in
the boat. He made a wind blow over the earth, and the water went down.

8:2

The underground springs stopped flowing, and the clouds in the sky
stopped pouring down rain.

8:3

8:4

The water that covered the earth began to go down. After one hundred
fifty days it had gone down so much that the boat touched land again. It
came to rest on one of the mountains of Araratn on the seventeenth day
of the seventh month.

8:5

The water continued to go down so that by the first day of the tenth
month the tops of the mountains could be seen.

8:6

Forty days later Noah opened the window he had made in the boat, and

8:7

he sent out a raven. It flew here and there until the water had dried up
from the earth.

8:8

Then Noah sent out a dove to find out if the water had dried up from the
ground.

8:9

The dove could not find a place to land because water still covered the
earth, so it came back to the boat. Noah reached out his hand and took
the bird and brought it back into the boat.

8:10

After seven days Noah again sent out the dove from the boat,

8:11

and that evening it came back to him with a fresh olive leaf in its
mouth. Then Noah knew that the ground was almost dry.

8:12

Seven days later he sent the dove out again, but this time it did not
come back.

8:13

When Noah was six hundred and one years old, in the first day of the
first month of that year, the water was dried up from the land. Noah
removed the covering of the boat and saw that the land was dry.

8:14

By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the land was completely
dry.

8:15

Then God said to Noah,

8:16

“You and your wife, your sons, and their wives should go out of the
boat.

8:17

Bring every animal out of the boat with you — the birds, animals, and
everything that crawls on the earth. Let them have many young ones so
that they might grow in number.”

8:18

So Noah went out with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives.

8:19

Every animal, everything that crawls on the earth, and every bird went
out of the boat by families.

8:20

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord. He took some of all the clean
birds and animals, and he burned them on the altar as offerings to God.

8:21

The Lord was pleased with these sacrifices and said to himself, “I will
never again curse the ground because of human beings. Their thoughts are
evil even when they are young, but I will never again destroy every
living thing on the earth as I did this time.

8:22

“As long as the earth continues, planting and harvest, cold and hot,
summer and winter, day and night will not stop.”

Genesis 6:1-22

6:1

The number of people on earth began to grow, and daughters were born to
them.

6:2

When the sons of God saw that these girls were beautiful, they married
any of them they chose.

6:3

The Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain in human beings forever,
because they are flesh. They will live only 120 years.”

6:4

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days and also later. That was
when the sons of God had sexual relations with the daughters of human
beings. These women gave birth to children, who became famous and were
the mighty warriors of long ago.

6:5

The Lord saw that the human beings on the earth were very wicked and
that everything they thought about was evil.

6:6

He was sorry he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was
filled with pain.

6:7

So the Lord said, “I will destroy all human beings that I made on the
earth. And I will destroy every animal and everything that crawls on the
earth and the birds of the air, because I am sorry I have made them.”

6:8

But Noah pleased the Lord.

6:9

This is the family history of Noah. Noah was a good man, the most
innocent man of his time, and he walked with God.

6:10

He had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

6:11

People on earth did what God said was evil, and violence was everywhere.

6:12

When God saw that everyone on the earth did only evil,

6:13

he said to Noah, “Because people have made the earth full of violence, I
will destroy all of them from the earth.

6:14

Build a boat of cypress wood for yourself. Make rooms in it and cover it
inside and outside with tar.

6:15

This is how big I want you to build the boat: four hundred fifty feet
long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high.

6:16

Make an opening around the top of the boat that is eighteen inches high
from the edge of the roof down. Put a door in the side of the boat. Make
an upper, middle, and lower deck in it.

6:17

I will bring a flood of water on the earth to destroy all living things
that live under the sky, including everything that has the breath of
life. Everything on the earth will die.

6:18

But I will make an agreement with you — you, your sons, your wife, and
your sons’ wives will all go into the boat.

6:19

Also, you must bring into the boat two of every living thing, male and
female. Keep them alive with you.

6:20

Two of every kind of bird, animal, and crawling thing will come to you
to be kept alive.

6:21

Also gather some of every kind of food and store it on the boat as food
for you and the animals.”

6:22

Noah did everything that God commanded him.

Jonah 3:1-4:113:1

3:1 The Lord spoke his word to Jonah again and said,

4:11

Then shouldn’t I show concern for the great city Nineveh, which has more
than one hundred twenty thousand people who do not know right from
wrong, and many animals, too?”

Romans 8:19-32 (New Century Version)

8:19

Everything God made is waiting with excitement for God to show his
children’s glory completely.

8:20

Everything God made was changed to become useless, not by its own wish
but because God wanted it and because all along there was this hope:

8:21

that everything God made would be set free from ruin to have the freedom
and glory that belong to God’s children.

8:22

We know that everything God made has been waiting until now in pain,
like a woman ready to give birth.

8:23

Not only the world, but we also have been waiting with pain inside us.
We have the Spirit as the first part of God’s promise. So we are waiting
for God to finish making us his own children, which means our bodies
will be made free.

8:24

We were saved, and we have this hope. If we see what we are waiting for,
that is not really hope. People do not hope for something they already
have.

8:25

But we are hoping for something we do not have yet, and we are waiting
for it patiently.

8:26

Also, the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We do not know how to pray
as we should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us, even begs God
for us with deep feelings that words cannot explain.

8:27

God can see what is in people’s hearts. And he knows what is in the mind
of the Spirit, because the Spirit speaks to God for his people in the
way God wants.

8:28

We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him.
They are the people he called, because that was his plan.

8:29

God knew them before he made the world, and he decided that they would
be like his Son so that Jesus would be the firstbornn of many brothers.

8:30

God planned for them to be like his Son; and those he planned to be like
his Son, he also called; and those he called, he also made right with
him; and those he made right, he also glorified.

8:31

So what should we say about this? If God is with us, no one can defeat
us.

8:32

He did not spare his own Son but gave him for us all. So with Jesus, God
will surely give us all things.

Revelation 21:1-4

21:1

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first
earth had disappeared, and there was no sea anymore.

21:2

And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven
from God. It was prepared like a bride dressed for her husband.

21:3

And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Now God’s presence is
with people, and he will live with them, and they will be his people.
God himself will be with them and will be their God.

21:4

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more
death, sadness, crying, or pain, because all the old ways are gone.”

2 Corinthians 5:17

5:17

If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things
have gone; everything is made new!

Hosea 6:1-3

6:1

“Come, let’s go back to the Lord. He has hurt us, but he will heal us.
He has wounded us, but he will bandage our wounds.

6:2

In two days he will put new life in us; on the third day he will raise
us up so that we may live in his presence

6:3

and know him. Let’s try to learn about the Lord; he will come to us as
surely as the dawn comes. He will come to us like rain, like the spring
rain that waters the ground.”

Isaiah 53:1-6

53:1

Who would have believed what we heard? Who saw the Lord’s power in this?

53:2

He grew up like a small plant before the Lord, like a root growing in a
dry land. He had no special beauty or form to make us notice him; there
was nothing in his appearance to make us desire him.

53:3

He was hated and rejected by people. He had much pain and suffering.
People would not even look at him. He was hated, and we didn’t even
notice him.

53:4

But he took our suffering on him and felt our pain for us. We saw his
suffering and thought God was punishing him.

53:5

But he was wounded for the wrong we did; he was crushed for the evil we
did. The punishment, which made us well, was given to him, and we are
healed because of his wounds.

53:6

We all have wandered away like sheep; each of us has gone his own way
for all the evil we have done.

by Steve Saccone and Eileen Lu