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Key Notes from the reading & sermon:
Scripture Lesson
Sunday, November 8, 2026
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 5:19, John 12:1-8
Sermon: Ten Commands; Ten Ways of Being: Be a Discriple of Integrity
Deuteronomy 5:19 (New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition)
Neither shall you steal.
John 12: 1-8 (The Message)
1-3 Six days before Passover, Jesus entered Bethany where Lazarus, so recently raised from the dead, was living. Lazarus and his sisters invited Jesus to dinner at their home. Martha served. Lazarus was one of those sitting at the table with them. Mary came in with a jar of very expensive aromatic oils, anointed and massaged Jesus’ feet, and then wiped them with her hair. The fragrance of the oils filled the house. 4-6 Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, even then getting ready to betray him, said, “Why wasn’t this oil sold and the money given to the poor? It would have easily brought three hundred silver pieces.” He said this not because he cared two cents about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of their common funds, but also embezzled them. 7-8 Jesus said, “Let her alone. She’s anticipating and honoring the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you. You don’t always have me.”.
Key Idea of the Sermon:
Fifteen centuries prior to Jesus, God worked through Moses to liberate the Israelite people from slavery in Egypt. Moses also prepared God’s people for a return to a land of promise and a life of freedom with a set of ten key Divine commands. These commands have served as a reliable framework for a faithful relationship with God, as well as a helpful foundation for living in community. Each command is paired with a story of Jesus that shows us how to fulfill each command. God’s commands invite us to a way of being. Today we remember God’s command not to take what belongs to another, an important step toward integrity in all our interactions. Our story from Jesus’ life encourages us to be like Mary who acts from a heart filled with gratitude and generosity.
Questions for Reflection
• How did you learn not to steal, a basic and essential command for community life? Who has been an influential example for you of living with integrity?
• Read the story of the resurrection of Lazarus in John 11:17-44. How does this help you understand Mary’s motivation of gratitude and generosity for Jesus? What do you think Judas’ motivation may have been?
• Choosing not to steal is a foundational decision for developing a moral, trustworthy, and honest character. How does faithfulness in the little things create a life of integrity? What are the little things in your life that make a big difference?
A Spiritual Practice to Try
Ask Jesus to help you focus on the little, ordinary ways to be honest in each day of the new week. Evaluate the difference that made in your week. Thank Jesus and do it all over the next week.
If you need some guidance or support, you may reach me at pastormarc.friedensucc@outlook.com
