We all have people who have inspired us by their stories of God’s faithfulness to them and their stories of following Jesus in good times and hard times. Having thought about the story of God’s great restoration project and how we might tell our story to others, we are going to reflect on the stories of faithfulness we see in the book of Ruth in the Old Testament.

11th June Ruth: stories of faithfulness
readings: Ruth 1.1-9; Psalm 25.1-11
The book of Ruth shows us what it looks like for God to be faithful to his people and for people to live their lives for God.

18th June Stories of Faith: Naomi
readings: Ruth 1.11-22; Lamentations 3.19-26
Naomi has been described as the female Job; she wrestles with God about her very real pain and suffering yet does not turn away from God.

25th June Stories of Faith: Ruth
readings: Ruth 2.1-12; James 2.14-26
Ruth promises to follow God wherever he leads and keeps her promise by faithfully caring for Naomi in sacrificial ways.

2nd July Stories of Faith: Boaz
readings: Ruth 3.7-18; Matthew 19.16-22
Boaz is an upright man who seeks to obey not just the letter of the Law of God, but its spirit, even when it is costly for him.

9th July The Lord bless you!
readings: Ruth 2.19-23; Ephesians 1.15-23
Naomi, Ruth and Boaz are a blessing to others for the ways in which they live their lives of faith; their stories show us how to be thankful in all circumstances.

16th July Stories of Faith: God at work
readings: Ruth 4.9-17; Acts 13.21-31
Running through the stories of faith in the book of Ruth is the story of God’s faithfulness; he is always present, providing for people and draws their stories into his great big story.