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The Lord speaks, and we respond. We either fail to hear and thus wither and die, or else we hear with our ears, see with our eyes, understand with our hearts and minds, and thereby prosper and grow. We have some excellent seeds with which to sow to the listening community on this Sunday. Given the right care and ear, the word can liberate and nourish all those who listen.

Genesis 25:19-34—Clever Lad versus the Dunderhead

A tough pregnancy and double entendres make this adventure story a case study for family systems therapists. The story opens a new chapter in the throughyouIwillblessthewholeworld saga that began in Genesis 12. Isaac prays earnestly for posterity and gets a double blessing, literally. Two sons come forth from Rebekah’s womb and that’s where the adventure story begins—in the delivery room. In a close race, the second grasps the heel of the firstborn son. So Isaac and Rebekah name him "grasping the heel" (thus winning an honorable mention in the "most imaginative name" category). Both Grasping the Heel and "Red"—Esau’s other name—will play out their names and the parents will split their allegiances over the twins. As we proceed in this adventure, we will see God’s direction so that God’s purposes are accomplished in surprising ways. Stay tuned.

Romans 8:1-11—The Power Of The Life-Giving Spirit Has Freed You

We have climbed to the summit of victorious, overcoming, freeing Christian living. Who could not be inspired and buoyed by the hope and vision that comes from Romans 8? In our section Paul responds to the struggle between sinful nature and the desire to do God’s will. Romans 8 tips the scale toward hope because "the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death" (1:2). In this lesson we will be introduced to the Spirit who works in cooperation with God’s will and provides the empowerment to change our script. This is a tightly packed piece that may inspire the listening community to rise up to new places of Christian calling.

Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23—Farmer God

The Parable of the Four Soils (or "the Sower Parable") provides illumination into life that is matched by few other parables. Jesus tells this story (does the later church add verses 18-23 to apply the story concretely to a new generation and context?) as a way to illuminate how people hear the word of the kingdom. The four seed sowings and their unique histories, the four soils, the farmer, and the harvest all give us pause to reflect on what the parable says to us today; to our congregations, to our personal lives, to our world. May we have ears to hear and to understand!