Preacher: Pastor Martin Erhardt

Genesis 29:15-28

29:15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” 29:16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 29:17 Leah’s eyes were lovely, and Rachel was graceful and beautiful. 29:18 Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 29:19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” 29:20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. 29:21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” 29:22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place, and made a feast. 29:23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. 29:24 (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) 29:25 When morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 29:26 Laban said, “This is not done in our country–giving the younger before the firstborn. 29:27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” 29:28 Jacob did so, and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife.

Romans 8:26-39

8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 8:27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 8:28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 8:30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. 8:31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 8:32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 8:33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 8:34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 8:35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 8:36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 8:39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

13:31 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 13:32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” 13:33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 13:46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. 13:47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 13:48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 13:49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 13:50 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13:51 “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” 13:52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”