Sunday, April 6, 2025
Bible Readings for April 6, 2025
Saturday, April 5, 2025
Bible Readings for April 5, 2025
Friday, April 4, 2025
Mission Yearbook: Around the Table Initiative fosters faith formation through cohorts
Prayer Requests to be shared during Sunday’s service
On Sunday, April 6, Sligo Presbyterian Church will lift to God the following needs:
- Amy Milanovich
- Angel Wright
- Angela Zitman
- Barbara Yarchuk
- Betty Milanovich
- Betty Phillips
- Betty Terwint
- Bill Wingard
- Bob Varner
- Bus's Sister-in-Law
- Butch, Betsy's brother
- Butch, Cass's brother
- Cara Maguire Defibaugh
- Chris Sibert
- Corbin
- Dan Kemp
- Dan Wallace
- Denny Myers
- Duane Quinn
- Gabe
- Jane
- Jason
- Jeb Rapp
- Jim Mahle
- Jim Mason
- Joann Klamer
- Jodi McNaughton
- Jordan Myers
- Lana Todd
- Landdon Chalmers
- Len Gaulin
- Levi Jack
- Libby Miller
- Lori Myers
- Margie Henry
- Mary Lou McCormack
- Mason Martin
- Matt
- Michael Curran
- Nancy Blauser
- Nancy Wilson
- Patty Divins
- Robb Summerville
- Robbie Burns
- Roberta Fetterman
- Robyn Bartmas
- Ron & Shelly Haines
- Ron Lerch
- Rowan Pinson
- Rudy
- Ryan Cornecki & Family
- Sam & Carol Mason
- Tadd French
- The Bus Clark Family
- The Cambrie Priester Family
- The Christopher McNutt Family
- The Landon Akins Family
- Van Watkins
- Wes Summerville
- Zach Schieberl
The Bulletin for the SPC Worship Service - Sunday, April 6, 2025
As we approach Easter, Christians all over the world focus their attention on the cross and tomb. And because of this, the usual challenge to follow Jesus just doesn’t seem appropriate. I mean, let’s face it, we’re not Jesus, and we usually stop short of going all the way to the cross and tomb; therefore, using him as an example just doesn’t seem particularly helpful, not as we deal with issues much less dramatic than the crucifixion and the resurrection. But fortunately, Jesus wasn’t the only character in this story. In fact, there were some who just might provide examples that we should follow while there were others whose actions and attitudes we might want to avoid. And this will be our focus on each of the Sundays leading up to and including Easter.
You see, using the Gospel of John, we’ll look at the following six men and women so that we might better understand who they were, what role they played in this story, and how we might use their examples in our own lives:
- March 16 – Philip
- March 23 – Peter
- March 30 – Annas & Caiaphas
- April 6 – Pilate
- April 13 – Nicodemus
- April 20 – Mary Magdalene
During the fourth service, we'll focus on Pilate, the Roman governor. Below is the bulletin for the service. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.
Faces in the Crowd: Characters in the Story of Jesus (Matthew and the Tax Collectors)
- Session 1 - Mary, the Mother of Jesus
- Session 2 - John the Baptist
- Session 3 - Nicodemus
- Session 4 - Mary Magdalene
- Session 5 - Simon Peter (Part 1)
- Session 6 - Simon Peter (Part 2)
- Session 7 - Simon Peter (Part 3)
- Session 8 - Matthew and the Tax Collectors
- Session 9 - John, Thomas and the Rest
- Session 10 - The Scribes, Pharisees and Teachers of the Law
- Session 11 - The Herods
- Session 12 - Pilate and the Other Romans
- Session 13 - The Crowds
- Session 14 - The Rich Young Ruler and His Friends
In our eighth session, we looked at Matthew and the tax collectors. A recording of our discussion and some of the passages we discussed are below.
Matthew was mentioned as an Apostle in Mark, Matthew and Luke.
Mark 3:13-18: He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons. So he appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean,
Matthew 10:1-4: Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
Luke 6:12-16: Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Acts 1:12-13: Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
There’s a story of Matthew's background and calling in Matthew
Matthew 9:9-13: As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
There are similar stories about Levi in Mark and Luke.
Mark 2:14-17: As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples—for there were many who followed him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
Luke 5:27-32: After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up, left everything, and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
There’s little evidence in the Gospel of Matthew that it was written by the apostle.
Below are some factors that might speak against Matthew being the author:
- No author is mentioned in the gospel itself. Contrast with Luke.
- There’s no claim that the author was an eye-witness.
- The gospel follows the chronology of Mark and shares material with Luke.
- The gospel was written in Greek, probably to an unsophisticated Jewish audience.
Tax Collectors played a specific role within the Roman Empire .
- The Empire followed a practice known as “tax farming.”
- The money offered was called publicani.
- The collectors were private citizens who agreed to pay the amount owed in a geographic area.
- They covered what they owed by collecting taxes, fees and tolls from the people.
Certain passages reflected how tax collectors were morally viewed.
Matthew 5:46: For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
Mark 2:15-17: And as he sat at dinner in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples—for there were many who followed him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
Luke 3:12-13: Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.”
Luke used tax collectors to teach positive lessons.
Luke 15:1-32: Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”
Luke 18:9-14: He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 19:1-10: He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”
Bible Readings for April 4, 2025
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Bible Readings for April 6, 2025
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