What's Your Honey?

1 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.

2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”
Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”

3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

5 The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.

6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

7 And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
- Exodus 17: 1-7

3 Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon,
and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;

4 this is a decree for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

5 When God went out against Egypt,
he established it as a statute for Joseph.
In your distress you called and I rescued you,
I answered you out of a thundercloud;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
- Psalm 81-3-5

“In a spiritual world in which healing is a divine right, illness is a symptom of unconfessed sin—a symptom of a lack of forgiveness, unfaithfulness, unexamined attitudes, or careless words. A suffering believer is a puzzle to be solved.”
- Kate Bowler, Everything Happens for a Reason

8 Hear me, my people, and I will warn you—
if you would only listen to me, Israel!

9 You shall have no foreign god among you;
you shall not worship any god other than me.

10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.
- Psalm 81:8-10

“Worship is an act that develops feelings for God, not a feeling for God that is expressed in an act of worship. When we obey the command to praise God in worship, our deep, essential need to be in relationship with God is nurtured.”
- Eugene Peterson, Long Obedience in One Direction

13 “If my people would only listen to me,
if Israel would only follow my ways,

16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”  
- Psalm 81:13,16

3 They all ate the same spiritual food

4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.

7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written:
- 1 Corinthians 10:3-6

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Mixer

What is your favorite U.S. city that you’ve visited? What is next on your bucket list?

‘Neighborly’ - Daily Devotional

To get the Daily Devotionals delivered to you every morning, text ‘dailydevotional’ to 97000.

1. In the 6/28/21 entry, I AM WHO I AM, High School Pastor Caden asks us if we know God’s name? How do you feel when someone introduces you by your given name, your nickname, or even an unkind or embarrassing name? What does your name mean to you? What do you think God’s name means to Him? Why would He share it with you?
2. In the 6/29/21 entry, Control, Pastor Nate reminds us of ourselves with his desire for control in his daughters’ squabble. And control is hardwired into us (Gen 1:28)... yet Jesus tells us that our real power is in cooperating with God and His plan for the world to know LOVE. As Nate challenged us, how are you sidelining your need to have control over someone, and instead showing love? What affects are you seeing in the relationship?

Sermon Questions

On break for July & August! If your group still plans to meet, we still have church on Sundays to uncover the work God wants to do in us and through us! Here are some Inductive Bible Study tools from LOGOS.com to help you unpack Sunday’s message:

1. What impacted you most about Sunday’s message? Read the Scripture(s) used in the message.
2. Observation: What does the text say (who, what, when, where, how, why)? Also note uses of words like: therefore, after, now, but, if/then, etc. Notice repeating words or themes, lists of words and their order and definitions, etc. Use multiple Bible versions and compare.
3. Interpretation: What does the text mean? Look for what the writer is trying to communicate: cultural/historical context; about the author, about the person/people, about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit; what other Scripture that can interpret this text; what is the clearest meaning (being careful to not read into it what it doesn’t say, or what you want it to say)?
4. Application: What does the text mean to me? “We don’t study the Bible just to gain knowledge. We study to gain knowledge so we know how to live our lives in light of what we’ve learned.” (LOGOS.com) Together with your answer to Question #1, what do you hear God saying to you about you, Him, priorities and decisions, relationships, faith, conflict, spiritual warfare, difficulties, setbacks, and hope? What one action step will you take with this new knowledge?

Go Deeper - with Goodbook

Dr. Mark Strauss and Pastor Ken Ingold
Comparative World Religions
Week 6 || Session 6 || Christianity

1. What does “Christian” mean? What does “Christ” mean?
2. What are the basic facts of Jesus’ life?
3. Who were the Apostles?
4. What is “Byzantine Christianity”?
5. What were some positives and negatives of Christianity in the Middle Ages?
6. What is the Protestant Reformation?
7. What do Christians believe about the Bible? The Trinity?
8. What brings salvation in Christianity?
9. What are the Sacraments?
10. What is “Eschatology” and what do Christians believe concerning Christ’s return?

*Are you joining the Goodbook Q&A Zoom on Tuesday evenings? Email ken@thechurchrb.org

Serve

Our next Good Neighbor Day is Saturday, August 7! We need you - and the unique way you can fill a unique need! Registration to open soon online and in app.

Pray

Pray for God to help you with your soul care. May He clear away busyness and distractions, and help you find space to be with Him. You and Him. Be still. Listen. Pray. He wants to commune with His children.

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