The Kiski Weekly - June 7, 2026

Below is the most recent edition of The Kiski Weekly, the newsletter of the Presbytery of Kiskiminetas. 

Bible Readings for June 13, 2026

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for June 13, 2026: Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today, our passages are 1 Kings 11:1–12:19; Acts 9:1-25; Psalm 131:1-3; and Proverbs 17...

Prayer Requests to be shared during Sunday’s service

On Sunday, June 14, Sligo Presbyterian Church will lift to God the needs below.

• Alan McCall
• Antonio Jimenez
• Bade Mohn
• Barbara Yarchuk
• Betty Phillips
• Betty Terwint
• Bob Varner
• Brooke
• Butch, Cass's brother
• Cara Maguire Defibaugh
• Carla Hepler
• Cathy Hale
• Corbin
• Dan Wallace
• Denny Myers
• Don Free and Family
• Duane Quinn
• Eddie Conner
• Evelyn Barkafelt
• Fred Summerville
• Gabe
• Gavin Blazosky
• Jan Glatt
• Jane
• Jason
• Jayden Shorts
• Jeb Rapp
• Jeff Raybuck
• Jerry & Tracy Hawks
• Jim Mahle
• Jim Mason
• Joann Klamer
• Joe Amaato
• Joe Rainey
• Karen Defibaugh
• Kaylyn Bashline
• Kirby McCall
• Lana Todd
• Landdon Chalmers
• Len Gaulin
• Levi Jack
• Marcy
• Mary Young
• Mason Martin
• Matt
• Mike Curran
• Nancy Blauser
• Pamela
• Patty Divins
• Penny Selker
• Rev. Bruce & Fab Gander
• Robin Marlow
• Ron & Shelly Haines
• Ron Lerch
• Rowan Pinson
• Rudy
• Ryan Cornecki & Family
• Sam & Carol Mason
• Tadd French
• TJ
• Tyler & Tamlynn
• Van Watkins
• Vickie White Templin
• Wes Summerville
• William Ford
• Zach Schieberl

From Easter to Pentecost (From the Ascension to the Spirit in Luke and Acts - Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:1-26)

The members and friends of Sligo Presbyterian Church are discussing the time after the resurrection. We meet on Thursday evenings, at 6:30 p.m., to consider passages that deal with the time between Easter and Pentecost. During this series, we’ll consider the following topics:

• April 23 - Easter (Mark 16:1-8; Matthew 28:1-10; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18)
• April 30 - Two Endings in Mark (Mark 16:9-19)
• May 7 - The Commission in Matthew (Matthew 28:11-20)
• May 14 - Two Appearances in Luke (Luke 24:13-49)
• May 21 - The Coming of the Spirit in John (John 20:19-31)
• June 4 - The Commission in John (John 21:1-25)
• June 11 - From the Ascension to the Spirit in Luke and Acts (Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:1-26)

In the last session in this series, we looked at the Ascension to the Spirit in Luke and Acts (Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:1-26). The discussion and passages are below.

Luke 24:50-53 [New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition]

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

Acts 1:1-26 [New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition]

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

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. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

In those days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, “Brothers and sisters, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus, for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out. This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) “For it is written in the book of Psalms,

‘Let his house become desolate,
    and let there be no one to live in it’;

and

‘Let another take his position of overseer.’

“So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.” So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was added to the eleven apostles.

The Program and Bulletin for the SPC Worship Service - Sunday, June 14, 2026

On July 4, we'll celebrate our 250th anniversary as a country. And even though we haven’t been perfect, we’ve served as an example of freedom for the rest of the world. But as important as that is, the Bible teaches that true freedom is a spiritual reality found through Jesus Christ that transforms how individuals live, serve, and interact with the world. With that in mind, during the six weeks between Pentecost and Independence Day, we’re exploring six key things the Bible says about our freedom in Christ:

• May 24 - Freedom That’s Empowered
• May 31 - Freedom That’s Liberating
• June 7 - Freedom That’s Enlightened
• June 14 - Freedom That’s Limited
• June 21 - Freedom That’s Active
• June 28 - Freedom That’s Challenging 

On Sunday, we'll discuss how our freedom in Christ is limited. Below is the bulletin and program 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.

Bible Readings for June 11, 2026

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for June 11, 2026: Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today, our passages are 1 Kings 8:1-66; Acts 7:51–8:13; Psalm 129:1-8; and Proverbs 17:...

Mission Yearbook: Hispanic Latina women in the PC(USA) celebrate and issue call to action

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Mission Yearbook: Hispanic Latina women in the PC(...: In Atlanta, a joyous and spirit-filled celebration recently marked a major milestone for Hispanic Latina women in the Presbyterian Church (U...

Refocusing Faith: A Study of Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians (Paul’s Greeting - 1 Corinthians 1:1-9)

Paul faced a problem. One of the churches he’d planted in Greece was being torn apart by factions and internal conflict, a situation that sounds an awful lot like what we see within the modern church. These divisions not only endangered its ability to share the Christian faith within a pagan world, they also threatened the unity of the church itself. In this letter, Paul challenged these Christians to put aside their animosities and refocus their faith on Jesus Christ. In each session, we’ll consider a part of Paul’s letter as follows:

• Session 1 - Paul’s Greeting (1 Corinthians 1:1-9)
• Session 2 - The Issue (1 Corinthians 1:10–3:4)
• Session 3 - Doing the Work We’ve Been Given (1 Corinthians 3:5–4:21)
• Session 4 - Right and Wrong (1 Corinthians 5:1–6:20)
• Session 5 - Marital Distractions  (1 Corinthians 7:1-40)
• Session 6 - Food, Freedom and Focus (1 Corinthians 8:1–9:23)
• Session 7 - What’s Most Important (1 Corinthians 9:24–11:1)
• Session 8 - Dealing with Traditions and Customs (1 Corinthians 11:2-34)
• Session 9 - Like a Body (1 Corinthians 12:1-31)
• Session 10 - Love (1 Corinthians 13:1-13)
• Session 11 - Tongues  (1 Corinthians 14:1-40)
• Session 12 - Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-58)
• Session 13 - And in Conclusion (1 Corinthians 16:1-24)

In our first session, we looked at the background of the letter and Paul’s greeting (1 Corinthians 1:1-9). The discussion and passage are below.

1 Corinthians 1:1-9 [New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition]

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the partnership of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Bible Readings for June 10, 2026

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for June 10, 2026: Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today, our passages are 1 Kings 7:1-51; Acts 7:30-50; Psalm 128:1-6; and Proverbs 16:31...

Mission Yearbook: Discernment belongs to everyone, chaplain says

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Mission Yearbook: Discernment belongs to everyone,...: The “spirit of discernment,” as the Rev. Daniel Heath heard it growing up, was not available to everyone. “There was this notion that some p...

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, June 7, 2026

On July 4, we'll celebrate our 250th anniversary as a country. And even though we haven’t been perfect, we’ve served as an example of freedom for the rest of the world. But as important as that is, the Bible teaches that true freedom is a spiritual reality found through Jesus Christ that transforms how individuals live, serve, and interact with the world. With that in mind, during the six weeks between Pentecost and Independence Day, we’ll explore six key things the Bible says about our freedom in Christ:

• May 24 - Freedom That’s Empowered
• May 31 - Freedom That’s Liberating
• June 7 - Freedom That’s Enlightened
• June 14 - Freedom That’s Limited
• June 21 - Freedom That’s Active
• June 28 - Freedom That’s Challenging 

On Sunday, we discussed how our freedom in Christ is enlightened. Below is a video of the service, a presentation of the sermon, and the bulletin & program 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.

Sunday's Message (Freedom in Christ: Freedom That’s Enlightened)

On July 4, we'll celebrate our 250th anniversary as a country. And even though we haven’t been perfect, we’ve served as an example of freedom for the rest of the world. But as important as that is, the Bible teaches that true freedom is a spiritual reality found through Jesus Christ that transforms how individuals live, serve, and interact with the world. With that in mind, during the six weeks between Pentecost and Independence Day, we’ll explore six key things the Bible says about our freedom in Christ:

• May 24 - Freedom That’s Empowered
• May 31 - Freedom That’s Liberating
• June 7 - Freedom That’s Enlightened
• June 14 - Freedom That’s Limited
• June 21 - Freedom That’s Active
• June 28 - Freedom That’s Challenging 

On Sunday, we discussed how our freedom in Christ is enlightened. Below are a YouTube video and the text of the sermon. 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. 

Well, here we are, one week closer to our semiquincentennial. And for us, that means we’re one more week into the series we started two weeks ago, you know the one that’s focused on the freedom we have in Christ. And to this point, we’ve talked about how this freedom is empowered by the Holy Spirit – a presence within us that opens our minds and shapes our character and strengthens our relationships. And then last week, we looked at how our freedom in Christ is also liberating, because it frees us from the past in the present for the future. Now that’s what we’ve already covered. And this morning, we’re going to consider how this God-given freedom we have in Christ is also enlightened, in other words, how it enables us to know and to understand and to apply what we’ve received from God.

And you know, when you think about it, being enlightened is really what our founding fathers were all about. You see, in their time, they were considered children of the Enlightenment – you know, enlightened men. And I’ll tell you, I think you can see this in what they did 250 years ago. In a very intentional and faithful and practical way, they took ideas and principles they already knew and understood, and they applied them to the situation they faced. For example, almost one hundred years before Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, the English philosopher John Locke had already written this:

...no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions. [Chapter 2, Section 6 of the Second Treatise, 1680]

You see, for Locke, the job of government was very clear and specific: it was there to protect three God-given rights: life, liberty and property. Now that’s what he wrote. And I’ll tell you, that became the basis for what’s probably the most well-known sentence in the Declaration that was signed on July 4, 1776:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. [The Declaration of Independence]

You see, based on both his knowledge and understanding, our enlightened founding father, Thomas Jefferson,  applied an idea written sixty years before he was born into a document stating that we had the right to be free and independent states.

And you know, I mention all this, because I think this same kind of enlightenment is related to the freedom we have in Christ. You see, I think God wants us to do the same kind of thing our founding fathers did when they approved that document Jefferson wrote. In other words, I believe God wants us to be enlightened,  because he’s has given us something that the Evangelist John described when he wrote this near the end of his gospel:

Jesus worked many other miracles for his disciples, and not all of them are written in this book. But these are written so that you will put your faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. If you have faith in him, you will have true life. [John 20:30-31, CEV]

In other words, God has given us his own collection of ideas and principles that he wants us to know and to understand and to apply. You see, God has given us his word, and because he wants us to be enlightened as we approach it, I think he’s freed us in three very important ways. And let me share with you what they are.

For example, because God wants us enlightened as we approach his word, I believe he’s freed us to be intentional. In other words, thanks to God, we can decide that we’re going to put forth the time and the effort to learn what it actually has to say. And you know, way back in the Old Testament, I think that’s exactly what God told Joshua to do right before he led the people of Israel into the Promised Land. Just listen to what God said:

Long ago I promised the ancestors of Israel that I would give this land to their descendants. So be strong and brave! Be careful to do everything my servant Moses taught you. Never stop reading The Book of the Law he gave you. Day and night you must think about what it says. If you obey it completely, you and Israel will be able to take this land. [Joshua 1:6-8, CEV]

Now that’s what the Lord told Joshua to do. And you know, I think he’s saying the same kind of thing to us right now. But to do it, man, we really need to be intentional as we approach the Bible. For example, to get anything from God’s word, somewhere down the line, we need to be intentional in reading it. And nowadays, it’s actually easier than it used to be, because there are some wonderful free Bible apps, like the Bible Gateway, that we can put right there on our phones. To know it, we’ve got to read it and that takes intent on our part. But you know, if we want to get something out of it, reading may not be enough; we might also want to do a little intentional studying. I mean, let’s get real: would anybody here hire a surgeon or a lawyer or an accountant who, when you ask about his or her credentials, says, “Well, I read the book...once.” I don’t know about y’all, but I want to see a diploma on the wall, because that shows intentional study. And to be honest, I’d also want to know that he or she has bought into what they read and studied. In other words, at the very least, I want my surgeon to accept basic human anatomy or my lawyer to be guided by the legal code or my accountant to work within the tax laws. Now that’s what I want. I want to see intent on their part. And you know, what’s true for them is also true for us; therefore, we also need to be intentional as we approach God’s word.

And I’ll tell you, if we are – if we claim our freedom and start being intentional when we approach God’s word – then I think we’ll know a lot more than we did before, won’t we? For example, then we’ll know what God did for his people in the past, enabling us to ground our values and priorities and actions on something solid. And then we’ll know what Jesus and Paul and everyone else who wrote the Bible actually said, providing the knowledge to separate what’s true from what’s false and what’s helpful from what’s distracting and what’s clear from what’s confusing. As a matter of fact, the more we know, the more we’ll recognize that we still have a lot to learn, giving us the courage to listen to ideas that may be different from what we’ve heard before and the confidence to hold them up to the light so that we can decide what to accept and what to reject. I’m telling you, doing this is the kind of thing that comes from knowledge. You see, because God wants us enlightened, he’s freed us to be intentional as we approach his word. 

But that’s not all, because second, we’re also free to be faithful, trusting that we’re not doing this all by ourselves. I’ll tell you, it’s sort of like want the Apostle Paul wrote to his protégé Timothy: 

Keep on being faithful to what you were taught and to what you believed. After all, you know who taught you these things. Since childhood, you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to make you wise enough to have faith in Christ Jesus and be saved. Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The Scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds. [2 Timothy 3:14-17, CEV]

You see, as it concerns claiming this wonderful source of truth we’ve been given by God, personally, I think faith is absolutely essential. And I’ll tell you, for me, that’s different from those other examples I mentioned. I mean, for me personally, so long as he knows the tax laws and is honest, I’m good with an accountant filling out my 1040 even if he doesn’t attend church. And so long as she really knows the law and has integrity, I’m good with a lawyer representing me in court whether or not she has a picture of Jesus in her office. And personally, a Muslim surgeon from Pakistan saved my life about ten years ago. For me, they don’t need faith in Christ to do their jobs and to do them well. But even though that may be all well and good, I think it’s different as we approach God’s word. I mean, I may be able to quote the entire Bible, chapter and verse, but if I don’t have faith in the author and if I don’t believe I’ve been freed from the past in the present for the future and if I don’t trust that there’s a presence that inspires the Bible in a way it doesn’t inspire Gray’s Anatomy or the Pennsylvania Penal Code or Barron’s Accounting Handbook, unless I have faith, then the knowledge I’ve accumulated in my head may never make the twelve-inch trip to my heart. Being faithful is important as we approach God’s word.

Because, I’ll tell you, when we are, I think our faith can really help us understand. I mean, with faith, we can begin to understand who God is: that he’s absolutely perfect in his freedom and his love, you know, that he’s infinite and eternal, all-powerful and all-knowing, and that he’s present beyond the edges of the universe and within the tiniest neutrino. That’s who God is, right along with being perfect in his grace and holiness, his mercy and righteousness, and his patience and wisdom. Now with knowledge and faith, this we can understand, but that’s not all. Because along with that, we can also understand why we’re here – you know, why a God without limits would make creatures who are limited in every way – but maybe more important than that, why this same God would choose to limit himself by taking on human flesh and becoming like us. And with faith, we can begin to understand how we might respond to this one we can know through his word. Of course, without knowledge, understanding is impossible. And yet, without understanding, knowledge is just a mess of isolated facts. It’s a bunch of words on a page. It’s a lot of nice-to-know information that we won’t be tested on later. Real meaning comes with understanding, and I think Christian understanding is impossible without faith. You see, because God wants us enlightened, he’s freed us to be faithful as we approach his word. 

And third, we’re also free to be practical, and I’m talking about practical as we consider what we know and understand. And I think that’s what James was getting at when he wrote this:

Obey God’s message! Don’t fool yourselves by just listening to it. If you hear the message and don’t obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don’t just hear and forget. [James 1:22-25, CEV]

Now that’s what I mean by practical. And without that practicality, man, the rest really don’t mean much. It’s like what Paul wrote to the Corinthians: What if I could speak all languages of humans and even of angels? If I did not love others, I would be nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. [1 Corinthians 13:1, CEV] You see, unless we decide we’re going to get practical with God’s word, all our knowledge and all our understanding is just a lot of noise. It doesn’t accomplish anything. It’s just a big, fat waste of time. Of course, when we decide to get practical with the Bible, it changes the way we read it, doesn’t it? For example, we can no longer be satisfied with just asking, “What?” We’ve also got to consider the “So what?” In other words, we also have to ask ourselves, “Why would God direct these words to his people?” And “how might my knowledge and understanding shape what I do later this afternoon or tomorrow or later next Saturday? When I’m practical with God’s word, I’m actively looking for how God’s word is going to change me.

And you know, that’s exactly what’s going to happen when we decide to apply it to ourselves. Of course, some passages are easier to apply than others. For example, when Jesus said, “You must love [God] with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.’ The second most important commandment says: ‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is more important than these” [Mark 12:30-31, CEV], now, that’s pretty clear. And when he said that the nations would be judged based on whether or not they feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and comfort the prisoner, well, that’s pretty unambiguous. And when Paul told the Corinthians that “love is patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude,” [1 Corinthians 13:4-5a, CEV], man, that’s not exactly rocket science. And those are just three examples of commands we can claim and apply today. But even those passages that seem a little vague – you know, the ones that aren’t so easy to apply – I’m telling you, they’re also important, because all of it’s God’s word even if they challenge us to meditate and to pray and to discuss so that we might integrate them into ourselves. I guess the bottom line is that, although it may demand a little effort on our part, we can apply the whole Bible to our lives. You see, since God wants us enlightened, he’s freed us to be practical as we approach his word. 

Now, in about four weeks, we’ll celebrate the work of some very enlightened men, children of the Enlightenment, individuals who knew and understood principles from the past and applied them to thirteen colonies struggling with the meaning of freedom. And for us right here and now, we can learn from their example by claiming the ideas and values and principles that God has given in his word. And I’ll tell you, when we do this ourselves, we’ll have an advantage that those politicians didn’t have. You see, as we approach his word, God’s freed us to be intentional; therefore, we can know. And God’s freed us to be faithful; therefore, we can understand. And God’s freed us to be practical; therefore, we can apply what we know and understand. You see, this we can do, because in Christ, we have a freedom that’s enlightened. 

The Testimony of Faithful Witnesses: Deborah, the Dutiful Judge (Judges 4:4-10, 14, 21-22)

Whenever we come to the Bible, we often read looking for instruction and encouragement for the day. But the Bible isn’t meant only to guide us day-by-day. The Scriptures are a historical record. They reveal what God has done and is doing in the world—and introduce us to the people who played a particular role in His plans for the world.

If you’re a longtime reader of the Bible, you’re more than likely familiar with many of these people. Some are examples of faithfulness. Others are cautionary tales against faithlessness. But all were examples of people who furthered God’s plan to give “God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.” [John 3:16, CEV]

During this series, we’ll discuss the following witnesses to God’s authority and love:

• June 7: Deborah, the Dutiful Judge (Judges 4:4-10, 14, 21-22)
• June 14: Hannah, the Faithful Supplicant (1 Samuel 1:9-20, 25)
• June 28: Amos, Courageous Prophet (Amos 1:1; 2:11-12; 3:7-8; 7:10-15)
• July 5: The Believing Centurion (Matthew 8:5-13)
• July 12: Simon Peter, Restored Disciple (Mark 8:27-29; Luke 22:31-34; John 18:25-27, 21:15-17)
• July 19: Zacchaeus, Repentant Tax Collector (Luke 19:-11)
• July 26: Mary, Loyal Mother (Luke 2:15-19; John 2:1-5; 19:25-27)
• August 9: Stephen, Unwavering Martyr (Acts 6:7-10; 7:54-60)
• August 16: Saul of Tarsus, Unlikely Disciple (Acts 22:3-15)
• August 23: Timothy, Leader with a Legacy (2 Timothy 1:1-6; 3:14-16)
• August 30: Lydia, Generous Hostess (Acts 16:11-15, 40)

In the first session, we discussed the Judge, Deborah. The discussion and passages are below:

Judges 4:4-10, 14, 21-22 [New International Version]

Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”

Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”

“Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. There Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.

Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him.

But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.

Just then Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple—dead.