A Pleasing Aroma： Leviticus 1 & 7

In one paragraph

On the twenty-first anniversary of September 11, Brian Hunter preached from Leviticus 1 and John 12, drawing a line between the ancient burnt offering and the kind of total surrender God still invites his people into today. The thread running through the whole morning was a single idea: it is a pleasing aroma to God when we hold nothing back and give him everything. Brian opened by noting that...

Read together

1. Psalm 27:1 quoted during worship: 'The Lord is my light and salvation, whom shall I fear'
2. 2 Corinthians 10:3 shared by congregation member urging the church to put away distractions and wage spiritual war
3. Leviticus 1:1-9 read aloud as the first main passage, introducing the whole burnt offering
4. Leviticus 14 referenced by Brian to support the statement 'the life of any living thing is in the blood'
5. John 12:1-6 read aloud as the second main passage, Mary pouring expensive perfume on Jesus' feet
6. Romans 12:1 read by Brian connecting the whole burnt offering to offering our bodies as a living sacrifice
7. Leviticus 7:11-16 read aloud as the peace offering passage, contrasted with the whole burnt offering
8. 1 Peter 2:12 quoted by a congregation member connecting honorable behavior before unbelieving neighbors to the sheep analogy
9. 1 Peter 3:13 read by Amanda during the offering, about suffering for doing good and always being ready to explain your hope
10. John 16:33 briefly referenced by Amanda to support the point that hardship is a normal part of life

What was said

• Download the Bible Project app and work through their Leviticus study during your commute or while doing something with your hands this week.
• Set aside time each day to read your Bible, even if it is short, treating it as a non-negotiable part of your routine rather than something to get to later.
• If someone asks why you have hope, be ready to explain it gently and honestly, the way First Peter 3 describes.
• When something needs prayer, stop and pray for it in the moment instead of putting it on a list for later, taking a cue from the four-year-old in the story who said turn down the music and pray right now.
• Ask yourself honestly whether the people around you, neighbors, coworkers, friends, can see you giving your best to God or whether they see someone with one foot in and one foot out.

Talk about it

1. Brian talked about 9/11 as an attack on shared ideals and principles rather than just a geographical place. What ideals or values do you think are most worth defending, and how does your faith shape the way you hold those?
2. Brian described the whole burnt offering as the most costly and, to an outside observer, the most wasteful sacrifice. Where in your own life does full surrender to God look foolish or wasteful to the people around you?
3. Mary pouring out the expensive perfume on Jesus' feet was criticized by Judas as a waste. When have you felt internal or external resistance to giving your best to God, and what did you do with that resistance?
4. Amanda made the point that the peace offering was meant to be eaten together as a feast with family, friends, and neighbors, and Brian connected that to what happens when the church gathers. What does it look like practically for this community to be that kind of feast for one another?
5. Several people during the service, including the man who quoted Billy Graham and Amanda at the end, expressed a sense of urgency about this season and a call to deeper intimacy with God. What is one concrete thing you could add or set aside to cultivate that kind of relationship right now?