Podcasts about in christ jesus

After describing some aspects of the darkness—sexual immorality, impurity, greed, idolatry, and filthy/foolish talk—Paul says that while these things may have defined our lives in the past, we are not to continue partaking of them. In Christ Jesus, we have been set free from the authority of darkness and are now in Christ Jesus who is the Light; therefore, we must walk as children of light. In this study, we examine Ephesians 5:7–8 and ask the question “whose side are we on?”—in other words, are we going to continue to live in sin and darkness, or are we going to live in the Light of Jesus?------------» Take these studies deeper and be discipled in person by Nathan, Eric, Leslie, and the team at Ellerslie in one of our upcoming discipleship programs – learn more at: https://ellerslie.com/be-discipled/» Receive our free “Five Keys to Walking Through Difficulty” PDF by going to: https://ellerslie.com/subscribe/» For more information about Daily Thunder and the ministry of Ellerslie Mission Society, please visit: https://ellerslie.com/daily» If you have been blessed by Ellerslie, consider partnering with the ministry by donating at: https://ellerslie.com/donate/» Discover more Christ-centered teaching and resources from Nathan Johnson that will help you grow spiritually by checking out his website at: https://deeperchristian.com/

In Christ Jesus, you have a perfect friend. Therefore, let your prayer be one of thanksgiving to Him for being your loyal friend who sticks closer than a brother.Blessings,Presiding Elder Barbara HayesBe Still & Know

Sermon Series: “Be Bold & Courageous: The Gospel According to Joshua” Sermon Text: Joshua 13:1-14 Sermon Title: “Canaan: Its Significance for Our Inheritance” Sermon Slides: SLIDE 1 – Sermon Title Slide SLIDE 2 – Today's Big Idea: The Promise Made through Abraham is a Promise Kept through Joshua. Canaan is Israel's Inheritance … But Our Inheritance Goes Beyond Canaan. SLIDE 3 – Point 1: The Significance of Israel's Inheritance … The Land of Canaan. SLIDE 4 – 1st Principle (from Point 1): “Our salvation is always more than being saved from somewhere. It's also being saved to somewhere.” SLIDE 5 – Insert a Copy of Point #1 of Sermon SLIDE 6 – 2nd Principle (from Point 1): “God keeps His promises … and time always proves it.” SLIDE 7 – Insert a Copy of Point #1 of Sermon SLIDE 8 – Romans 5:1 – “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” SLIDE 9 – Insert a Copy of Point #1 of Sermon SLIDE 10 – Joshua 18:1 – “Then the whole congregation of … Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them.” SLIDE 11 – Insert a Copy of Point #1 of Sermon SLIDE 12 – Picture (see attached) SLIDE 13 – Insert a Copy of Point #1 of Sermon SLIDE 14 – 3rd Principle (from Point 1): “Our salvation is by God's sovereign grace alone, but so is our inheritance. And our inheritance varies by degree.” SLIDE 15 – Luke 19:11-17 – “[Jesus] said therefore, ‘A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come' … When he returned … the 1st came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.' And he said to him, “Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.” SLIDE 16 – 4th Principle (from Point 1): “God rewards the faithfulness of His individual children. But rewards are not earned by our works but are given by God's grace alone.” SLIDE 17 – Conclusion: “The Significance of Israel's Inheritance in Canaan is that God is revealed both as the Sovereign Savior of His Family and as a Generous Father who Gives to His Children as He Pleases.” SLIDE 18 – Point 2: The Significance of Our Inheritance … Goes Beyond Canaan. SLIDE 19 – Hebrews 11:8-16 – “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance … By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land … For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God … If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” SLIDE 20 – Hebrews 4:8-9 – “For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” SLIDE 21 – Principle (from Point 2): “Don't go backwards in the story, when God is directing you forward. Therefore, don't try to make your heaven on earth now.” SLIDE 22 – Conclusion: “The Land of Canaan was a type of Heaven on Earth, but it was only the down payment of our inheritance. In Christ Jesus, soon and very soon, a New Canaan will span across the Transformed Earth.”

I thank my God for you, always lifting you up in prayer, Hearing of your love and faith in the Lord Jesus, That your faith may be effective— Not by striving, not by effort, But by acknowledging every good thing that is already in you, In Christ Jesus. (Philemon 1:4-6)Righteousness. A word so heavy, so distant, so high. A place we could never reach, A standard too pure, too perfect, too divine. Yet He calls us righteous, Not by works, not by merit, But by faith.What is righteousness? Right-standing with God. Blameless, faultless, justified. But who can claim such a thing? Not one. (Romans 3:10) No effort, no striving, no law could make us righteous. For the law only exposed our guilt, And left us condemned.But God— Oh, but God! He spared not His own Son, But delivered Him up for us all. (Romans 8:32) He who knew no sin became sin for us, That we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)It was never about us. Never about what we could do. Never about how clean we could make ourselves. It was always about Jesus. His obedience, His sacrifice, His blood poured out so we could be made new. (Romans 5:17-19)So why do we strive? Why do we try to earn what was freely given? The price was paid. The work was finished. Our righteousness is not in what we do, But in what He has done.Abraham believed, and it was counted to him as righteousness. (Romans 4:3) Not by law, not by effort, But by faith. And we, too, are clothed in this righteousness. Not earned but received. Not achieved but given.So now, we stand— Bold, confident, unshaken. Not in ourselves, but in Him. No condemnation, no accusation, no shame can stand. For it is God who justifies. (Romans 8:33) Who then can condemn? No one. For Christ has died, and more than that—He is risen! (Romans 8:34) Seated at the right hand of the Father, Interceding for us.This righteousness—it is our new nature. We are not striving to become it, We are walking in it. Created anew in Christ Jesus, Designed in righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)So, hold fast to this truth. Work out the salvation already placed in you. (Philippians 2:12-16) Not by fear of loss, But by the assurance of what you already carry. For we cannot work out what we do not have. We do not strive for salvation; we live from it. This working out is not a burden, It is a discovery— A revelation of all that is already ours in Christ. For His grace abounds where sin once reigned. (Romans 5:20-21) And now, righteousness reigns unto eternal life, Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.So now, I ask you— Will you walk in what is already yours? Will you stand firm in the righteousness given, not earned? Will you stop striving, stop doubting, and simply believe? For the righteous shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17) This is not just a truth to hear, but a life to live. A reality to embrace, a foundation to stand on.Lift your head, child of God. Step boldly into the grace that has covered you. Cast off the weight of condemnation, For you are free, redeemed, and justified. You are righteous in Him.So, walk in it. Stand in it. Live in it. For you are righteous. And nothing can change that.

If you're curious about how to become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (this is an EXTERNAL resource, not owned by the Morning Mindset. Please do not leave messages for Carey there. See below for contact info).   ⇒ TELL SOMEONE ABOUT THE MORNING MINDSET - Your personal recommendation can make an eternal difference in the lives of the people you know! STEP ONE: Go to http://YourMorningMindset.com  STEP TWO: Share that page with someone you know!   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Romans 15:17–21 - [17] In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. [18] For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, [19] by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SUPPORT OUR WORK: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Support a daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen _ Venmo: @CareyNGreen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONTACT US AT: Carey@careygreen.com  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/  

Do you find yourself ruminating on past decisions, struggling to move on from your mistakes? This video will help you finally overcome guilt and shame and walk in the freedom Christ died to give you.

Join us on Patreon for Daily Prayer Matins - Friday after Ash WednesdayIn the Name of the Father and of + the Son and of the Holy Spirit.Amen.The Invitatory and PsalterLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.O God, make speed to save us;O Lord, make haste to help us. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,world without end. AmenPraise the Lord;The Lord's name be praised ¶ Then follows the Invitatory Psalm with a Lenten antiphon.  Lenten AntiphonThe Lord is full of compassion and mercy: Come let us adore him. VeniteCome, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God,and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. * Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!Harden not your hearts,as your forebears did in the wilderness, *at Meribah, and on that day at Massah,when they tempted me.They put me to the test, * though they had seen my works.Forty years long I detested that generation and said, * "This people are wayward in their hearts;they do not know my ways.”So I swore in my wrath, * "They shall not enter into my rest.”Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,world without end. Amen Lenten AntiphonThe Lord is full of compassion and mercy: Come let us adore him. The PsalmsAntiphon 1They gave me gall to eat, and when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink. Psalm 69:1-23Save me, O God, for the waters have risen up to my neck.I am sinking in deep mire, and there is no firm ground for my feet.I have come into deep waters, and the torrent washes over me.I have grown weary with my crying; my throat is inflamed; my eyes have failed from looking for my God.Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; my lying foes who would destroy me are mighty. Must I then give back what I never stole?O God, you know my foolishness, and my faults are not hidden from you.Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, Lord God of hosts; let not those who seek you be disgraced because of me, O God of Israel.Surely, for your sake have I suffered reproach, and shame has covered my face.I have become a stranger to my own kindred, an alien to my mother's children.Zeal for your house has eaten me up; the scorn of those who scorn you has fallen upon me.I humbled myself with fasting, but that was turned to my reproach.I put on sack-cloth also, and became a byword among them.Those who sit at the gate murmur against me, and the drunkards make songs about me.But as for me, this is my prayer to you, at the time you have set, O Lord:“In your great mercy, O God, answer me with your unfailing help.Save me from the mire; do not let me sink; let me be rescued from those who hate me and out of the deep waters.Let not the torrent of waters wash over me, neither let the deep swallow me up; do not let the Pit shut its mouth upon me.Answer me, O Lord, for your love is kind; in your great compassion, turn to me.”“Hide not your face from your servant; be swift and answer me, for I am in distress.Draw near to me and redeem me; because of my enemies deliver me.You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor; my adversaries are all in your sight.”Reproach has broken my heart, and it cannot be healed; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I could find no one.They gave me gall to eat, and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink. Antiphon 1They gave me gall to eat, and when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink.Antiphon 2Christ for us became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Psalm 117Praise the Lord, all you nations; laud him, all you peoples.For his loving-kindness toward us is great, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever. Hallelujah! Antiphon 2Christ for us became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,world without end. Amen ReadingsRomans 15English Standard VersionWe who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,    and sing to your name.”And again it is said,“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”And again,“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,    and let all the peoples extol him.”And again Isaiah says,“The root of Jesse will come,    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;in him will the Gentiles hope.”May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written,“Those who have never been told of him will see,    and those who have never heard will understand.”This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.The Word of the LordThanks be to God Matthew 25:1-30English Standard Version“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.' But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.' His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.' His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.' But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'The Word of the LordThanks be to God Canticle #14 A Song of PenitenceO Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven, * God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of all their righteous offspring:You made the heavens and the earth, * with all their vast array.All things quake with fear at your presence; *they tremble because of your power.But your merciful promise is beyond all measure; * it surpasses all that our minds can fathom.O Lord, you are full of compassion, *long-suffering, and abounding in mercy.You hold back your hand; *you do not punish as we deserve.In your great goodness, Lord,you have promised forgiveness to sinners, *that they may repent of their sin and be saved.And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart, *and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness.I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, *and I know my wickedness only too well.Therefore I make this prayer to you: *Forgive me, Lord, forgive me.Do not let me perish in my sin, * nor condemn me to the depths of the earth.For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, * and in me you will show forth your goodness.Unworthy as I am, you will save me,in accordance with your great mercy, *and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life.For all the powers of heaven sing your praises, * and yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen. The Apostles' CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersThe Lord be with you.And with your spirit.Let us pray.Lord, have mercy upon us.Christ, have mercy upon us.Lord, have mercy upon us.Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. SuffragesShow us your mercy, O Lord;And grant us your salvation.Clothe your ministers with righteousness;Let your people sing with joy.Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;For only in you can we live in safety.Lord, keep this nation under your care;And guide us in the way of justice and truth.Let your way be known upon earth;Your saving health among all nations.Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.Create in us clean hearts, O God;And sustain us with your Holy Spirit. The CollectsCollect of the DayAlmighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceLord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Prayer for MissionLord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen. A time for intercessions and thanksgivings may follow. A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.Let us bless the Lord.Thanks be to God.May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.Romans 15:13

In Christ Jesus the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit (Ephesians 2:21-22). What images come to mind when you hear the word ‘church'? For many, it's a building, such as the one at 61 Mohawk Road West, Hamilton, where the Immanuel congregation, which I pastor, gathers to worship God on Sundays, where we go for mid-week ministries and meetings. After all, we often refer to such a building as ‘our church'. We invest ourselves into that building and the things that happen there. Time, money, talents are all committed to ensure that things continue to run as smoothly as possible. For others, the word church summons up images of people. The ones who sit around us on Sundays. Those that we have become friends with over the years, maybe some we grew up with. Some have walked with us in tough times. Others were our teachers in spiritual things. They nurtured our faith; they helped us grow as Christians. Yet for others, church conjures up difficult images. Disappointment from being neglected in a time of need. Rejected because we walked away at one time. Shame for not measuring up. Or deep hurt from being used or abused by those in authority. Though it may seem all put together on the outside, often the church has dark stains hiding underneath the carpet. Such are the things that the word church suggests to us. Yet in today's text we are invited to view the church from a different perspective. To see what lies behind the building, beyond the people, deeper than the dark stains that deeply damage the church's witness. We are often tempted to believe that our time, talent, and treasure are what hold the church together and keeps her going. As useful and necessary as these are, it is Christ Jesus that binds and sustains the church. It is not primarily the preachers that bring in the people, it is Jesus. It is Jesus who builds his church. Even though we will continue to say, ‘my church', and ‘your church', we must recognize that these phrases are inaccurate. The church, the congregation, does not belong to us, nor to the pastors. People may come and go from our fellowship and church buildings will continue to be built and sold for other purposes. Despite the apparent transitory nature of things, Christ holds his church together. In our text, notice that we Christians are not doing anything. All the action belongs to Christ, and to God. The church is not primarily what we do, but what God does to us and for us, she is the grand work of God. Five passive verbs are used to tell us how we get included in the action: we are brought near (13), the Spirit gives us access (18), we are built upon the foundation (20), we are joined together (21), we are built together (22). When we are pulled into the action, it is God who pulls us in. Already now, despite all our imperfections and distorted power plays and wrangling over the most minor issues, we are being gathered as the temple of God; the Holy Spirit already lives within the church.  The church is much more than what meets the eye, it is more than the building and more than the people. It is the work of Christ, who is ‘growing up' a people who worship him, a people who are learning to follow his Word and Spirit, a people who increasingly live under the sway of his kingdom. People who are not static, but people who are maturing, who begin as acorns and grow to be oak trees. It is not our actions but God's that are most important in the church. There is far more to the church then what we see. Like an iceberg, we only see the tip. We see the people, the buildings, the programs, but underneath, far larger and for more important and influential is the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The church is not a building. Rather, we are the building material Christ is using to build his church. It is the place where God welcomes us home. Next time you hear the word church, imagine that. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21).

In Christ Jesus we can have our eyes opened to reality.

The Sundays after Epiphany continue to celebrate the revelation of God's glory to us as it was made known to the magi and to those on Jordan's banks at Jesus' baptism—today using wedding imagery. Our God rejoices over God's people as those being married rejoice over one another. By the power of the Spirit there are gifts galore for everyone. In Christ Jesus the best wine is saved for last. Taste and see.Scripture Reading: Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 36:5-10; John 2:1-11

The Sundays after Epiphany continue to celebrate the revelation of God's glory to us as it was made known to the magi and to those on Jordan's banks at Jesus' baptism—today using celebration imagery. By the power of the Spirit there are gifts galore for everyone. In Christ Jesus the best wine is saved for […]

Have This Attitude In You as In Christ Jesus

December 29, 2024Today's Reading: Luke 2:22-40Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 55:1-13; Luke 1:1-25“…so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.I have worked with kids for 35 years. I've been a high school teacher, soccer coach, drama director, youth minister, and now, a pastor. In these roles, I have dealt with some of the flakiest and most frustrating kids imaginable– kids without a clue or care and completely self-centered in their focus. Based on my experience, I would have told you that these kids were hopeless. But God is always working, and even when someone seems like a lost cause, the Lord isn't finished with them. A few years ago, I had an email from one of these former students. This kid was as flakey as they come, and I saw his immaturity and selfishness play out in several settings. He was disrespectful to authority figures, cruel to teammates, and oblivious to the needs of others. As a 16-year-old, this young man was on a road to nowhere and couldn't care less.Fast forward 20 years. I had been out of teaching and coaching for a generation, and most of the kids from that part of my life had faded into memory when, completely out of the blue, I received an email from the past. “Do you remember me? I hope you are doing well. I live on the East Coast with my wife and two kids. I have a great job and serve as a volunteer at my church. Thank you for the values you instilled in me.” My jaw hit the keyboard as I stared in disbelief at the words on the screen in front of me. On our own, we are all without a clue or care and hopeless in every way. But the Lord never gives up on us. He continues to send out His Word of grace with the promise that He will always accomplish the purpose for which He sent it. In Christ Jesus, we know that God's purpose is always to save, and even when we resist and rebel, He will persist, and the Spirit will succeed in bringing the forgiveness and life Jesus died to secure. The Word always works; whether we can see it or not, the Holy Spirit is creating faith and changing hearts through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord, thank you for working in your Word to accomplish Your purpose in my life. -Rev. Thomas Eggold, pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

1. In Me;2. In You;3. In Christ Jesus.

Monday, 23 December 2024   Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48   “Therefore, you, you shall be complete, just like your Father – the ‘in the heavens' – He is complete” (CG).   The previous verse conveyed Jesus' words concerning greeting others. Even the tax collectors greet their brethren. So what reward is there in doing such a thing? The reward comes in greeting those you are not friendly with or maybe even those with whom you have a sense of enmity or loathing.   Based on this and the other principles stated by Him, He now sums up His thoughts saying, “Therefore, you, you shall be complete.”   The word translated as complete, teleios, signifies reaching an end goal by going through necessary stages. HELPS Word Studies says, “[This root (tel-) means ‘reaching the end (aim).' It is well-illustrated with the old pirate's telescope, unfolding (extending out) one stage at a time to function at full-strength (capacity effectiveness).]”   As such, it signifies that which is complete. In this case, however, the word “perfect” gives the correct sense of Jesus' words. This is because of the next words, “just like your Father – the ‘in the heavens' – He is complete.”   Though not found in all manuscripts, Jesus uses the word hósper, it is derived from hós, meaning like or as, and per, an emphatic particle. Therefore, it means just as, even as, or just like.   Jesus is saying that in order to meet the demands of the law, the standard by which God – who is the One in the heavens – judges man, a person must come to a state of completion, meaning absolute perfection, that is exactly like God. No wonder Paul wrote these words to those in Philippi –   “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:7-11   Paul knew that his righteousness, which was from his efforts under the law of Moses, was wholly insufficient to bring him to the necessary state of completion where he could be exactly like God. Thus, he needed something more, a perfection in and of itself, that could be credited to him. That something is the righteousness of God which is found in Christ Jesus.   Life application: Although it seems in Matthew 5 that Jesus is telling His disciples that they must merit salvation through the law, He is actually telling them exactly the opposite. He is showing them the impossibility of meeting the demands of the law. But He already told them that through Moses –   “You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 18:5   To live is to not die. The Lord was telling Israel that by keeping the law, they would live. But every person who ever lived under the law (with the exception of Elijah who was translated directly to heaven) died.   This demonstrated to Israel, and it should be a learning tool to us, that the law cannot bring life. We cannot be perfect just like our heavenly Father through law observance. However, Jesus could. He died under the law, but not for His own sins. Rather, He died for the sins of others.   Then, on the third day, He rose again. What does this prove? It proves that He is exactly like His Father who is in the heavens. He bears the perfection of God. As only God can bear the perfection of God under the law, it tells us that Jesus is God come in human flesh.   What was stated in Jonah is proven true in Jesus: Salvation is of the Lord. Jesus is the Lord, Jehovah. This is what Scripture is telling us. Understanding this, Jesus' words of Matthew 5 are not a call for Israel to work harder under the law, something that will never reconcile them to God. Instead, His word cries out to them that they must trust Him for this.   With the introduction of the New Covenant, Gentiles are included in this process of salvation. Those who were never under the law are granted the same chance of obtaining salvation as those who were under the law.   Jesus! Jesus is the answer. So why would anyone want the burden of the law imposed on them? In Christ Jesus is complete restoration because we are made to be exactly like our Father in the heavens through the imputation of Christ's righteousness.   Lord God, You demand absolute perfection because the new heavens and new earth will be absolutely perfect. How can we be a part of that? It is through faith in Christ Jesus alone. Thank You that we have merited perfection through Him and not through our own failing attempt at it. Yes, thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

692 I Glory In What Christ Accomplishes Through Me, A Guided Christian Meditation on Romans 15:17-19 with the Recenter With Christ app  The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation Romans 15 NIV  17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— 19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.  RSV 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has wrought through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that from Jerusalem and as far round as Illyr′icum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ, Meditation on Scripture: Recently I was given the role of providing a Eulgoy by a third party for someone I did not know. Through various reasons it became increasingly impossible for me to make much meaningful contact with anyone who knew him but those people would be at the service and it would be streamed to potentially hundreds of others who would watch the event streamed. Because of how important I knew this person to be in their community this filled me with anxiety. Additionally I was the MC for the event which was an incredibly formal process with an exacting prewritten script. I had a very basic understanding of this man but not the depth that I felt that would result in the quality of Eulogy that they deserved yet there was no other option of who could do it. When I have done this important speaking role previously I usually have access to family and friends who know the person, to make it personal and have it land. I was worried and I lost some sleep over this despite my efforts. I prayed to God for him to fill my mouth with the words that needed to be spoken. When I did, I received a calming assurance and felt the words of God in my mind that he would in fact answer that prayer and fill my mouth yet as I wrote the words over and over and worked at it for days at a time I kept feeling as though it was not personal enough. I trusted in God and the answer he had given me. Yesterday when I gave that Eulogy it finally had the emotional and spiritual resonance that this person deserved. Afterward I was given a lot of praise and people commented about how well it went and I got many heartfelt hugs and handshakes of gratitude. In this moment my heart was full of gratitude for God. Instead of pride I felt humility that God had rescued me from what could have been an incredibly embarrassing and disappointing experience for me and the man's family. I really felt the words of this scripture in my heart. I rejoice only in those things that Jesus Christ does through me. Certainly in your life, God has worked important things through you. This is far from boasting or prideful. God is mighty and does things that are mighty but if we dont pay attention then we miss them altogtether. Perhaps in this meditaiton you can ponder what mightly things Christ has done through you. As we reflect on what God has done through us our gratitude for those things will grow and can help us feel the love of God Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod  

How do we stop ourselves from drifting away from Jesus? Paul in this section of the letter wants to highlight some of the traps we can fall into as those IN Christ Jesus and the way that we can be saved from them.

We're moving to Chapter 2 of Philippians and looking at how we can live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ in the realm of our relationships. We'll see how our JOY can spread to those around us as we fix our eyes on Christ!

What Does It Mean to Be "In Christ"? In today's message, we dive into Philippians 1 to explore what it truly means to have our identity in Christ. Discover how salvation in Jesus redefines our life, reshapes our status, and transforms our core identity. This powerful truth sets the foundation for the promises and wisdom found throughout the book of Philippians. Whether you're seeking a deeper understanding of your faith or looking to apply biblical teachings to your everyday life, this message will guide you in living out your Christian identity with confidence and purpose.__________ If you're new let us know & visit https://www.covenantdoylestown.org to learn more about us and how you can get connected. If you would like to be prayed for, you can submit a prayer request here: https://covenantdoylestown.org/prayer/ __________ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/covenantchurchdoylestown Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/covenantdoylestown

This week's message takes us through Paul's letter to the Philippians. We will start unpacking the joy of living in a Christ-centered community and as we gather, we pray it ignites joy in your own soul - for one another and for our Lord!

Episode Notes Believer, God has placed us IN Christ Jesus — and the ramifications are beyond awesome — they are beyond what we could ask or think! Let's check some out! For all the Hank's Place video blogs, click on the link you prefer on our links page: https://www.comealive.org/index.php/links/ Hank's Place is an outreach of Come Alive Ministries, www.comealive.org References: Romans 6:11, 23 1 Corinthians 1:4, Ephesians 2:7 Ephesians 4:32 Romans 8:1 Galatians 2:17 2 Timothy 2:10 Romans 8:39 1 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 2:4. Ephesians 2:6 Philippians 4:7, 1 Timothy 1:14 2 Corinthians 5:17 Colossians 2:10 1 Corinthians 1:30 This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

St. Paul spent a long time in Ephesus during his third missionary journey. Even while he was later imprisoned, he wrote to them to instruct them in the Christian faith and life. The letter opens with praise and blessing to the Triune God. The Father has blessed us and chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world. In the beloved Son of God, we are beloved as well. In Christ Jesus, the inheritance of all God's riches belong to us, because we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of the resurrection from the dead.  Rev. Philip Hoppe, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Colby, KS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ephesians 1:1-14.  "One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the epistle to the Ephesians. St. Paul highlights the salvation that God has given to His whole Church by His grace through faith. Because God has given His people this new life in Holy Baptism, we live in thanksgiving to Him as members of one body. 

Reading 1Jer 23:1-6Woe to the shepherdswho mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture,says the LORD. Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,against the shepherds who shepherd my people:You have scattered my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared for them,but I will take care to punish your evil deeds. I myself will gather the remnant of my flockfrom all the lands to which I have driven themand bring them back to their meadow;there they shall increase and multiply. I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd themso that they need no longer fear and tremble;and none shall be missing, says the LORD.Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;as king he shall reign and govern wisely,he shall do what is just and right in the land.In his days Judah shall be saved,Israel shall dwell in security.This is the name they give him:"The LORD our justice."Reading 2Eph 2:13-18Brothers and sisters:In Christ Jesus you who once were far offhave become near by the blood of Christ.For he is our peace, he who made both oneand broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh,abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,thus establishing peace,and might reconcile both with God,in one body, through the cross,putting that enmity to death by it. He came and preached peace to you who were far offand peace to those who were near,for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.GospelMk 6:30-34The apostles gathered together with Jesusand reported all they had done and taught. He said to them,“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers,and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the townsand arrived at the place before them.When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,his heart was moved with pity for them,for they were like sheep without a shepherd;and he began to teach them many things.

Learning HOW to experience the freedom and liberty we have IN Christ Jesus through Faith in His Cross

In Christ Jesus.

Learning to SEE the greater revelation into the experience of walking IN Christ Jesus

Learning to SEE the greater revelation into the experience of walking IN Christ Jesus

Hey there, Sprouts! I recorded a special message for you this Ash Wednesday as we embark on the season of Lent. It has been on my heart to urge you to focus all of your energy this Lent on the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The US Bishops remind us that the ultimate goal of Lent is to LEARN TO LOVE LIKE CHRIST. And where can we study the love of Christ? In His Most Sacred Heart. This Lent inside the Clubhouse we will be focusing on the Sacred Heart of Jesus through our study Cor Jesu. I urge you to consider joining us. It is our goal to not only learn about the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but through meditative prayer, truly ENCOUNTER the Sacred Heart. Enjoy listening and take it to prayer. Hoping to see you at our next live event. In Christ Jesus, and His Most Sacred Heart, Nancy Head here to explore the Clubhouse and sign up: https://catholicsprouts.com/join-the-clubhouse/

All true believers are blessed with faithful Abraham through the merits of Jesus Christ. It is Christ who has done for us what the Law of Moses could not do, and that is to present every born again believer perfect In Christ Jesus. And because we are found in Christ, we have become heirs of the promises given to Abraham and to his Seed, which is Christ. +++++++ You can find more information on my website: https://pastorjohndunning.com/ You can hear my personal testimony on this website: https://www.ifyouonlyknew.life/

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________EpiphanyAnd nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.Isaiah 60:3 ConfessionOfficiant: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.People: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.Officiant: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Invitatory & PsalmsOfficiant: O God, make speed to save us. People: O Lord, make haste to help us. Officiant & People: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. O Gracious Light Phos hilaronO gracious Light, pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven, O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!Now as we come to the setting of the sun, and our eyes behold the vesper light, we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices, O Son of God, O Giver of life,and to be glorified through all the worlds. Psalm 72 Deus, judicium1Give the King your justice, O God, *and your righteousness to the King's Son;2That he may rule your people righteously *and the poor with justice;3That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, *and the little hills bring righteousness.4He shall defend the needy among the people; *he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.5He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, *from one generation to another.6He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, *like showers that water the earth.7In his time shall the righteous flourish; *there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.8He shall rule from sea to sea, *and from the River to the ends of the earth.9His foes shall bow down before him, *and his enemies lick the dust.10The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, *and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts.11All kings shall bow down before him, *and all the nations do him service.12For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, *and the oppressed who has no helper.13He shall have pity on the lowly and poor; *he shall preserve the lives of the needy.14He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, *and dear shall their blood be in his sight.15Long may he live!and may there be given to him gold from Arabia; *may prayer be made for him always,and may they bless him all the day long.16May there be abundance of grain on the earth,growing thick even on the hilltops; *may its fruit flourish like Lebanon,and its grain like grass upon the earth.17May his Name remain for everand be established as long as the sun endures; *may all the nations bless themselves in him and call him blessed.18Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, *who alone does wondrous deeds!19And blessed be his glorious Name for ever! *and may all the earth be filled with his glory.Amen. Amen. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The LessonsIsaiah 61 English Standard Version61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,    because the Lord has anointed meto bring good news to the poor;    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,to proclaim liberty to the captives,    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,    and the day of vengeance of our God;    to comfort all who mourn;3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,the oil of gladness instead of mourning,    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;that they may be called oaks of righteousness,    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;    they shall raise up the former devastations;they shall repair the ruined cities,    the devastations of many generations.5 Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks;    foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;6 but you shall be called the priests of the Lord;    they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;you shall eat the wealth of the nations,    and in their glory you shall boast.7 Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;    instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;    they shall have everlasting joy.8 For I the Lord love justice;    I hate robbery and wrong;I will faithfully give them their recompense,    and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.9 Their offspring shall be known among the nations,    and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;all who see them shall acknowledge them,    that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;    my soul shall exult in my God,for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;    he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,    and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise    to sprout up before all the nations.Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. The Song of Mary - MagnificatMy soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; * for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant From this day all generations will call me blessed: * the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him * in every generation.He has shown the strength of his arm, * he has scattered the proud in their conceit.He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, * and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, * and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, * for he has remembered his promise of mercy, The promise he made to our fathers, * to Abraham and his children for ever.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as It was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Romans 15:8-21 English Standard Version8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,    and sing to your name.”10 And again it is said,“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”11 And again,“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,    and let all the peoples extol him.”12 And again Isaiah says,“The root of Jesse will come,    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;in him will the Gentiles hope.”13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written,“Those who have never been told of him will see,    and those who have never heard will understand.”Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. The Song of Simeon - Nunc dimittisLord, you now have set your servant free * to go in peace as you have promised; For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, * whom you have prepared for all the world to see: A Light to enlighten the nations, * and the glory of your people Israel.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersOfficiant: The Lord be with you.People: And also with you.Officiant: Let us pray The SuffragesThat this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful, We entreat you, O Lord.That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill, We entreat you, O Lord.That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses, We entreat you, O Lord.That there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world, We entreat you, O Lord.That we may depart this life in your faith and fear, and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ, We entreat you, O Lord.That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit in the communion of all your saints, entrusting one another and all our life to Christ, We entreat you, O Lord.Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for the needs of others. EpiphanyO God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.A Collect for PeaceMost holy God, the source of all good desires, all right judgments, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.A Collect for Aid against PerilsBe our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.For MissionKeep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen. ThanksgivingsThe General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. ConclusionMay the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. - Romans 15:13

Romans 14–16 Romans 14–16 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,   “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,    and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,   “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,    and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said,   “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again,   “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,    and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says,   “The root of Jesse will come,    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;  in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,5 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written,   “Those who have never been told of him will see,    and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,6 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing7 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Personal Greetings 16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant8 of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert9 to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,10 my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,11 and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers12 who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. Final Instructions and Greetings 17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,13 and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.14 Doxology 25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. Footnotes [1] 14:4 Or lord [2] 14:11 Or shall give praise [3] 14:21 Some manuscripts add or be hindered or be weakened [4] 14:23 Some manuscripts insert here 16:25–27 [5] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [6] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [7] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel [8] 16:1 Or deaconess [9] 16:5 Greek firstfruit [10] 16:7 Or Junias [11] 16:7 Or messengers [12] 16:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 17 [13] 16:18 Greek their own belly [14] 16:23 Some manuscripts insert verse 24: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (ESV)

In Christ Jesus, our peace isn't contingent on our circumstance.

In Christ Jesus is life, and that life is the light of all. His light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. So, we join our hearts as our choir sings the ancient words, “Break forth, O beauteous, heavenly Light, to herald our salvation!”

John 1:50-51 — Why did Jesus live and die as a man here on earth? In this sermon on John 1:50–51 titled “The Ladder,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that according to the Scriptures, it was for the salvation of sinners. Jesus alone serves as the ladder that connects God and humanity. This is accomplished by His death, burial, and resurrection, wherein He redeems all who repent and believe in Him. It is in Christ that the person and power of God the Father is revealed to humanity. Without grace, sinners cannot know God or love Him. Furthermore, Jesus fulfills the righteous requirements of the law by granting true righteousness and holiness to His chosen people. Christians are then freed from the wrath and condemnation of God. In the gospel, Jesus died in the place of sinful people so that they could live as children of God and inheritors of all the blessings of God. They are then able to overcome the schemes of Satan, who is the enemy of God, and continually opposes the gospel and the mission of the church. In Christ Jesus, God has given Christians the power to overcome sin, flesh, temptation, the world, and the devil. While all are powerless on their own, the gospel of Jesus Christ is able to overcome all sin and evil in the world.

Romans 14–16 Romans 14–16 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,   “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,    and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,   “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,    and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said,   “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again,   “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,    and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says,   “The root of Jesse will come,    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;  in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,5 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written,   “Those who have never been told of him will see,    and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,6 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing7 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Personal Greetings 16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant8 of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert9 to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,10 my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,11 and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers12 who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. Final Instructions and Greetings 17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,13 and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.14 Doxology 25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. Footnotes [1] 14:4 Or lord [2] 14:11 Or shall give praise [3] 14:21 Some manuscripts add or be hindered or be weakened [4] 14:23 Some manuscripts insert here 16:25–27 [5] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [6] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [7] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel [8] 16:1 Or deaconess [9] 16:5 Greek firstfruit [10] 16:7 Or Junias [11] 16:7 Or messengers [12] 16:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 17 [13] 16:18 Greek their own belly [14] 16:23 Some manuscripts insert verse 24: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (ESV)

Morning: Matthew 7:21; Luke 8:21; Luke 11:28; John 4:34; John 15:14; Galatians 5:6; Hebrews 2:11–12; 1 John 1:6; 1 John 2:5 “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”—In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.—“You are my friends if you do what I command you.”—“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”—“My food is to do the will of him who sent me.” If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.—Whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him. Matthew 7:21 (Listen) I Never Knew You 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (ESV) Luke 8:21 (Listen) 21 But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” (ESV) Luke 11:28 (Listen) 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (ESV) John 4:34 (Listen) 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. (ESV) John 15:14 (Listen) 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. (ESV) Galatians 5:6 (Listen) 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. (ESV) Hebrews 2:11–12 (Listen) 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source.1 That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,2 12 saying,   “I will tell of your name to my brothers;    in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” Footnotes [1] 2:11 Greek all are of one [2] 2:11 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters (ESV) 1 John 1:6 (Listen) 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. (ESV) 1 John 2:5 (Listen) 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: (ESV) Evening: 1 Kings 19:9; Job 23:10; Psalm 37:24; Psalm 103:13; Psalm 139:1–3; Psalm 139:7; Psalm 139:9–10; Proverbs 24:16; Proverbs 29:25; Matthew 26:41; Galatians 6:9; James 5:17 “What are you doing here, Elijah?” “He knows the way that I take.”—O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways…. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?… If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours.—The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.—Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.—The righteous falls seven times and rises again.—Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.—“The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”—As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. 1 Kings 19:9 (Listen) The Lord Speaks to Elijah 9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (ESV) Job 23:10 (Listen) 10   But he knows the way that I take;    when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. (ESV) Psalm 37:24 (Listen) 24   though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,    for the LORD upholds his hand. (ESV) Psalm 103:13 (Listen) 13   As a father shows compassion to his children,    so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. (ESV) Psalm 139:1–3 (Listen) Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 139   O LORD, you have searched me and known me!2   You know when I sit down and when I rise up;    you discern my thoughts from afar.3   You search out my path and my lying down    and are acquainted with all my ways. (ESV) Psalm 139:7 (Listen) 7   Where shall I go from your Spirit?    Or where shall I flee from your presence? (ESV) Psalm 139:9–10 (Listen) 9   If I take the wings of the morning    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,10   even there your hand shall lead me,    and your right hand shall hold me. (ESV) Proverbs 24:16 (Listen) 16   for the righteous falls seven times and rises again,    but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. (ESV) Proverbs 29:25 (Listen) 25   The fear of man lays a snare,    but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe. (ESV) Matthew 26:41 (Listen) 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (ESV) Galatians 6:9 (Listen) 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (ESV) James 5:17 (Listen) 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. (ESV)

Learning to be sure of what we have already freely received IN Christ Jesus

Learning to be sure of what we have already freely received IN Christ Jesus

Old Testament: Jeremiah 21–22 Jeremiah 21–22 (Listen) Jerusalem Will Fall to Nebuchadnezzar 21 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, 2 “Inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar1 king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.” 3 Then Jeremiah said to them: “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, 4 ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. 5 I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath. 6 And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence. 7 Afterward, declares the LORD, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword. He shall not pity them or spare them or have compassion.' 8 “And to this people you shall say: ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have his life as a prize of war. 10 For I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.' Message to the House of David 11 “And to the house of the king of Judah say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, 12 O house of David! Thus says the LORD:   “‘Execute justice in the morning,    and deliver from the hand of the oppressor    him who has been robbed,  lest my wrath go forth like fire,    and burn with none to quench it,    because of your evil deeds.'” 13   “Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley,    O rock of the plain,      declares the LORD;  you who say, ‘Who shall come down against us,    or who shall enter our habitations?'14   I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds,      declares the LORD;    I will kindle a fire in her forest,    and it shall devour all that is around her.” 22 Thus says the LORD: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and speak there this word, 2 and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people who enter these gates. 3 Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people. 5 But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation. 6 For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah:   “‘You are like Gilead to me,    like the summit of Lebanon,  yet surely I will make you a desert,    an uninhabited city.27   I will prepare destroyers against you,    each with his weapons,  and they shall cut down your choicest cedars    and cast them into the fire. 8 “‘And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, “Why has the LORD dealt thus with this great city?” 9 And they will answer, “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and worshiped other gods and served them.”'” 10   Weep not for him who is dead,    nor grieve for him,  but weep bitterly for him who goes away,    for he shall return no more    to see his native land. Message to the Sons of Josiah 11 For thus says the LORD concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went away from this place: “He shall return here no more, 12 but in the place where they have carried him captive, there shall he die, and he shall never see this land again.” 13   “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness,    and his upper rooms by injustice,  who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing    and does not give him his wages,14   who says, ‘I will build myself a great house    with spacious upper rooms,'  who cuts out windows for it,    paneling it with cedar    and painting it with vermilion.15   Do you think you are a king    because you compete in cedar?  Did not your father eat and drink    and do justice and righteousness?    Then it was well with him.16   He judged the cause of the poor and needy;    then it was well.  Is not this to know me?    declares the LORD.17   But you have eyes and heart    only for your dishonest gain,  for shedding innocent blood,    and for practicing oppression and violence.” 18 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:   “They shall not lament for him, saying,    ‘Ah, my brother!' or ‘Ah, sister!'  They shall not lament for him, saying,    ‘Ah, lord!' or ‘Ah, his majesty!'19   With the burial of a donkey he shall be buried,    dragged and dumped beyond the gates of Jerusalem.” 20   “Go up to Lebanon, and cry out,    and lift up your voice in Bashan;  cry out from Abarim,    for all your lovers are destroyed.21   I spoke to you in your prosperity,    but you said, ‘I will not listen.'  This has been your way from your youth,    that you have not obeyed my voice.22   The wind shall shepherd all your shepherds,    and your lovers shall go into captivity;  then you will be ashamed and confounded    because of all your evil.23   O inhabitant of Lebanon,    nested among the cedars,  how you will be pitied when pangs come upon you,    pain as of a woman in labor!” 24 “As I live, declares the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off 25 and give you into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 I will hurl you and the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you shall die. 27 But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return.” 28   Is this man Coniah a despised, broken pot,    a vessel no one cares for?  Why are he and his children hurled and cast    into a land that they do not know?29   O land, land, land,    hear the word of the LORD!30   Thus says the LORD:  “Write this man down as childless,    a man who shall not succeed in his days,  for none of his offspring shall succeed    in sitting on the throne of David    and ruling again in Judah.” Footnotes [1] 21:2 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, an alternate spelling of Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon) occurring frequently from Jeremiah 21–52; this latter spelling is used throughout Jeremiah for consistency [2] 22:6 Hebrew cities (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 109 Psalm 109 (Listen) Help Me, O Lord My God To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 109   Be not silent, O God of my praise!2   For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,    speaking against me with lying tongues.3   They encircle me with words of hate,    and attack me without cause.4   In return for my love they accuse me,    but I give myself to prayer.15   So they reward me evil for good,    and hatred for my love. 6   Appoint a wicked man against him;    let an accuser stand at his right hand.7   When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;    let his prayer be counted as sin!8   May his days be few;    may another take his office!9   May his children be fatherless    and his wife a widow!10   May his children wander about and beg,    seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!11   May the creditor seize all that he has;    may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!12   Let there be none to extend kindness to him,    nor any to pity his fatherless children!13   May his posterity be cut off;    may his name be blotted out in the second generation!14   May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD,    and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!15   Let them be before the LORD continually,    that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! 16   For he did not remember to show kindness,    but pursued the poor and needy    and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.17   He loved to curse; let curses come2 upon him!    He did not delight in blessing; may it be far3 from him!18   He clothed himself with cursing as his coat;    may it soak4 into his body like water,    like oil into his bones!19   May it be like a garment that he wraps around him,    like a belt that he puts on every day!20   May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD,    of those who speak evil against my life! 21   But you, O GOD my Lord,    deal on my behalf for your name's sake;    because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!22   For I am poor and needy,    and my heart is stricken within me.23   I am gone like a shadow at evening;    I am shaken off like a locust.24   My knees are weak through fasting;    my body has become gaunt, with no fat.25   I am an object of scorn to my accusers;    when they see me, they wag their heads. 26   Help me, O LORD my God!    Save me according to your steadfast love!27   Let them know that this is your hand;    you, O LORD, have done it!28   Let them curse, but you will bless!    They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!29   May my accusers be clothed with dishonor;    may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! 30   With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD;    I will praise him in the midst of the throng.31   For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,    to save him from those who condemn his soul to death. Footnotes [1] 109:4 Hebrew but I am prayer [2] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text curses have come [3] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it is far [4] 109:18 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it has soaked (ESV) New Testament: Romans 14–15 Romans 14–15 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,   “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,    and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,   “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,    and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said,   “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again,   “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,    and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says,   “The root of Jesse will come,    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;  in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,5 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18&n

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 84 Psalm 84 (Listen) My Soul Longs for the Courts of the Lord To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith.1 A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. 84   How lovely is your dwelling place,    O LORD of hosts!2   My soul longs, yes, faints    for the courts of the LORD;  my heart and flesh sing for joy    to the living God. 3   Even the sparrow finds a home,    and the swallow a nest for herself,    where she may lay her young,  at your altars, O LORD of hosts,    my King and my God.4   Blessed are those who dwell in your house,    ever singing your praise! Selah 5   Blessed are those whose strength is in you,    in whose heart are the highways to Zion.26   As they go through the Valley of Baca    they make it a place of springs;    the early rain also covers it with pools.7   They go from strength to strength;    each one appears before God in Zion. 8   O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;    give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah9   Behold our shield, O God;    look on the face of your anointed! 10   For a day in your courts is better    than a thousand elsewhere.  I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God    than dwell in the tents of wickedness.11   For the LORD God is a sun and shield;    the LORD bestows favor and honor.  No good thing does he withhold    from those who walk uprightly.12   O LORD of hosts,    blessed is the one who trusts in you! Footnotes [1] 84:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 84:5 Hebrew lacks to Zion (ESV) Pentateuch and History: 1 Kings 17 1 Kings 17 (Listen) Elijah Predicts a Drought 17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe1 in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 2 And the word of the LORD came to him: 3 “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the LORD. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. The Widow of Zarephath 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 And she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'” 15 And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah. Elijah Raises the Widow's Son 17 After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!” 19 And he said to her, “Give me your son.” And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. 20 And he cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, let this child's life2 come into him again.” 22 And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” 24 And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.” Footnotes [1] 17:1 Septuagint; Hebrew of the settlers [2] 17:21 Or soul; also verse 22 (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Ezekiel 47:1–12 Ezekiel 47:1–12 (Listen) Water Flowing from the Temple 47 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. 2 Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side. 3 Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits,1 and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. 4 Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. 5 Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. 6 And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8 And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea;2 when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh.3 9 And wherever the river goes,4 every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea5 may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. 10 Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.6 11 But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. 12 And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” Footnotes [1] 47:3 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [2] 47:8 That is, the Dead Sea [3] 47:8 Hebrew will be healed; also verses 9, 11 [4] 47:9 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, Targum; Hebrew the two rivers go [5] 47:9 Hebrew lacks the waters of the sea [6] 47:10 That is, the Mediterranean Sea; also verses 15, 19, 20 (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: Romans 15:14–33 Romans 15:14–33 (Listen) Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,1 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written,   “Those who have never been told of him will see,    and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,2 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing3 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Footnotes [1] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [2] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [3] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel (ESV)

Morning: Matthew 12:49–50; John 20:17; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 1:10; Ephesians 3:15; Ephesians 4:6; Hebrews 2:11; Hebrews 11:40; Revelation 6:9–11 Every family in heaven and on earth. One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.—In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.—As a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. He is not ashamed to call them brothers.—“Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”—“Go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father.'” I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne…. Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.—That apart from us they should not be made perfect. Matthew 12:49–50 (Listen) 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (ESV) John 20:17 (Listen) 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'” (ESV) Galatians 3:26 (Listen) 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. (ESV) Ephesians 1:10 (Listen) 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (ESV) Ephesians 3:15 (Listen) 15 from whom every family1 in heaven and on earth is named, Footnotes [1] 3:15 Or from whom all fatherhood; the Greek word patria in verse 15 is closely related to the word for Father in verse 14 (ESV) Ephesians 4:6 (Listen) 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (ESV) Hebrews 2:11 (Listen) 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source.1 That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,2 Footnotes [1] 2:11 Greek all are of one [2] 2:11 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters (ESV) Hebrews 11:40 (Listen) 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. (ESV) Revelation 6:9–11 (Listen) 9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers1 should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. Footnotes [1] 6:11 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters (ESV) Evening: Matthew 6:9; John 16:23–24; John 17:1; John 20:17; Romans 8:15–16; 2 Corinthians 6:17–18; Galatians 3:26; Galatians 4:6–7 “Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven.” Jesus… lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father.”—“My Father and your Father.” In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.—You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son. “In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” “I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” Matthew 6:9 (Listen) 9 Pray then like this:   “Our Father in heaven,  hallowed be your name.1 Footnotes [1] 6:9 Or Let your name be kept holy, or Let your name be treated with reverence (ESV) John 16:23–24 (Listen) 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (ESV) John 17:1 (Listen) The High Priestly Prayer 17 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, (ESV) John 20:17 (Listen) 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'” (ESV) Romans 8:15–16 (Listen) 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (ESV) 2 Corinthians 6:17–18 (Listen) 17   Therefore go out from their midst,    and be separate from them, says the Lord,  and touch no unclean thing;    then I will welcome you,18   and I will be a father to you,    and you shall be sons and daughters to me,  says the Lord Almighty.” (ESV) Galatians 3:26 (Listen) 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. (ESV) Galatians 4:6–7 (Listen) 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (ESV)

“God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭

With family: 1 Samuel 17; Romans 15 1 Samuel 17 (Listen) David and Goliath 17 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. 4 And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six1 cubits2 and a span. 5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels3 of bronze. 6 And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. 8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. 12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years.4 13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. 16 For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening. 17 And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah5 of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. 18 Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them.” 19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry. 21 And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. 22 And David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers. 23 As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him. 24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.” 26 And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27 And the people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.” 28 Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” 29 And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not but a word?” 30 And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way, and the people answered him again as before. 31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!” 38 Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39 and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine. 41 And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hand.” 48 When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath6 and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. 54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. 55 As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.” 56 And the king said, “Inquire whose son the boy is.” 57 And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.” Footnotes [1] 17:4 Hebrew; Septuagint, Dead Sea Scroll and Josephus four [2] 17:4 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [3] 17:5 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [4] 17:12 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew advanced among men [5] 17:17 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [6] 17:52 Septuagint; Hebrew Gai (ESV) Romans 15 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,   “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,    and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said,   “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again,   “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,    and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says,   “The root of Jesse will come,    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;  in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,1 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written,   “Those who have never been told of him will see,    and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,2 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing3 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Footnotes [1] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [2] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [3] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel (ESV) In private: Psalm 33; Lamentations 2 Psalm 33 (Listen) The Steadfast Love of the Lord 33   Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous!    Praise befits the upright.2   Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;    make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!3   Sing to him a new song;    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. 4   For the word of the LORD is upright,    and all his work is done in faithfulness.5   He loves righteousness and justice;    the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. 6   By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,    and by the breath of his mouth all their host.7   He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;    he puts the deeps in storehouses. 8   Let all the earth fear the LORD;    let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!9   For he spoke, and it came to be;    he commanded, and it stood firm. 10   The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;    he frustrates the plans of the peoples.11   The counsel of the LORD stands forever,    the plans of his heart to all generations.12   Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,    the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! 13   The LORD looks down from heaven;    he sees all the children of man;14   from where he sits enthroned he looks out    on all the inhabitants of the earth,15   he who fashions the hearts of them all    and observes all their deeds.16   The king is not saved by his great army;    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.17   The war horse is a false hope for salvation,    and by its great might it cannot rescue. 18   Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,    on those who hope in his steadfast love,19   that he may deliver their soul from death    and keep them alive in famine. 20   Our soul waits for the LORD;    he is our help and our shield.21   For our heart is glad in him,    because we trust in his holy name.22   Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,    even as we hope in you. (ESV) Lamentations 2 (Listen) The Lord Has Destroyed Without Pity 2   How the Lord in his anger    has set the daughter of Zion under a cloud!  He has cast down from heaven to earth    the splendor of Israel;  he has not remembered his footstool    in the day of his anger. 2   The Lord has swallowed up without mercy    all the habitations of Jacob;  in his wrath he has broken down    the strongholds of the daughter of Judah;  he has brought down to the ground in dishonor    the kingdom and its rulers. 3   He has cut down in fierce anger    all the might of Israel;  he has withdrawn from them his right hand    in the face of the enemy;  he has burned like a flaming fire in Jacob,    consuming all around. 4   He has bent his bow like an enemy,    with his right hand set like a foe;  and he has killed all who were delightful in our eyes    in the tent of the daughter of Zion;  he has poured out his fury like fire. 5   The Lord has become like an enemy;    he has swallowed up Israel;  he has swallowed up all its palaces;    he has laid in ruins its strongholds,  and he has multiplied in the daughter of Judah    mourning and lamentation. 6   He has laid waste his booth like a garden,    laid in ruins his meeting place;  the LORD has made Zion forget    festival and Sabbath,  and in his fierce indignation has spurned king and priest. 7   The Lord has scorned his altar,    disowned his sanctuary;  he has delivered into the hand of the enemy    the walls of her palaces;  they raised a clamor in the house of the LORD    as on the day of festival. 8   The LORD determined to lay in ruins    the wall of the daughter of Zion;  he stretched out the measuring line;    he did not restrain his hand from destroying;  he caused rampart and wall to lament;    they languished together. 9   Her gates have sunk into the ground;    he has ruined and broken her bars;  her king and princes are among the nations;    the law is no more,  and her prophets find    no vision from the LORD. 10   The elders of the daughter of Zion    sit on the ground in silence;  they have thrown dust on their heads    and put on sackcloth;  the young women of Jerusalem    have bowed their heads to the ground. 11   My eyes are spent with weeping;    my stomach churns;  my bile is poured out to the ground    because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,  because infants and babies faint    in the streets of the city. 12   They cry to their mothers,    “Where is bread and wine?”  as they faint like a wounded man    in the streets of the city,  as their life is poured out    on their mothers' bosom. 13   What can I say for you, to what compare you,    O daughter of Jerusalem?  What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you,    O virgin daughter of Zion?  For your ruin is vast as the sea;    who can heal you? 14   Your prophets have seen for you&l

Morning: Deuteronomy 3:24; Deuteronomy 29:29; 2 Samuel 7:21–22; Psalm 86:8; Psalm 89:6; Psalm 89:8; 1 Corinthians 2:9–10 “What god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours?” Who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord?… O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you?—There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours.—“Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.” “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit.—“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children.” Deuteronomy 3:24 (Listen) 24 ‘O Lord GOD, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? (ESV) Deuteronomy 29:29 (Listen) 29 “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (ESV) 2 Samuel 7:21–22 (Listen) 21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. 22 Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. (ESV) Psalm 86:8 (Listen) 8   There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,    nor are there any works like yours. (ESV) Psalm 89:6 (Listen) 6   For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD?    Who among the heavenly beings1 is like the LORD, Footnotes [1] 89:6 Hebrew the sons of God, or the sons of might (ESV) Psalm 89:8 (Listen) 8   O LORD God of hosts,    who is mighty as you are, O LORD,    with your faithfulness all around you? (ESV) 1 Corinthians 2:9–10 (Listen) 9 But, as it is written,   “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,    nor the heart of man imagined,  what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. (ESV) Evening: 1 Samuel 2:1; Psalm 73:25; Psalm 115:1; Jeremiah 9:23–24; Romans 1:16; Romans 15:17; 1 Corinthians 1:31; Philippians 3:8 “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord.” Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.—I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.—In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.—“My heart exults in the Lord;… I rejoice in your salvation.” Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! 1 Samuel 2:1 (Listen) Hannah's Prayer 2 And Hannah prayed and said,   “My heart exults in the LORD;    my horn is exalted in the LORD.  My mouth derides my enemies,    because I rejoice in your salvation. (ESV) Psalm 73:25 (Listen) 25   Whom have I in heaven but you?    And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. (ESV) Psalm 115:1 (Listen) To Your Name Give Glory 115   Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory,    for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! (ESV) Jeremiah 9:23–24 (Listen) 23 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” (ESV) Romans 1:16 (Listen) The Righteous Shall Live by Faith 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (ESV) Romans 15:17 (Listen) 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. (ESV) 1 Corinthians 1:31 (Listen) 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (ESV) Philippians 3:8 (Listen) 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ (ESV)

Morning: Psalms 105–106 Psalms 105–106 (Listen) Tell of All His Wondrous Works 105   Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;    make known his deeds among the peoples!2   Sing to him, sing praises to him;    tell of all his wondrous works!3   Glory in his holy name;    let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!4   Seek the LORD and his strength;    seek his presence continually!5   Remember the wondrous works that he has done,    his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,6   O offspring of Abraham, his servant,    children of Jacob, his chosen ones! 7   He is the LORD our God;    his judgments are in all the earth.8   He remembers his covenant forever,    the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,9   the covenant that he made with Abraham,    his sworn promise to Isaac,10   which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,    to Israel as an everlasting covenant,11   saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan    as your portion for an inheritance.” 12   When they were few in number,    of little account, and sojourners in it,13   wandering from nation to nation,    from one kingdom to another people,14   he allowed no one to oppress them;    he rebuked kings on their account,15   saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,    do my prophets no harm!” 16   When he summoned a famine on the land    and broke all supply1 of bread,17   he had sent a man ahead of them,    Joseph, who was sold as a slave.18   His feet were hurt with fetters;    his neck was put in a collar of iron;19   until what he had said came to pass,    the word of the LORD tested him.20   The king sent and released him;    the ruler of the peoples set him free;21   he made him lord of his house    and ruler of all his possessions,22   to bind2 his princes at his pleasure    and to teach his elders wisdom. 23   Then Israel came to Egypt;    Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.24   And the LORD made his people very fruitful    and made them stronger than their foes.25   He turned their hearts to hate his people,    to deal craftily with his servants. 26   He sent Moses, his servant,    and Aaron, whom he had chosen.27   They performed his signs among them    and miracles in the land of Ham.28   He sent darkness, and made the land dark;    they did not rebel3 against his words.29   He turned their waters into blood    and caused their fish to die.30   Their land swarmed with frogs,    even in the chambers of their kings.31   He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,    and gnats throughout their country.32   He gave them hail for rain,    and fiery lightning bolts through their land.33   He struck down their vines and fig trees,    and shattered the trees of their country.34   He spoke, and the locusts came,    young locusts without number,35   which devoured all the vegetation in their land    and ate up the fruit of their ground.36   He struck down all the firstborn in their land,    the firstfruits of all their strength. 37   Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold,    and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.38   Egypt was glad when they departed,    for dread of them had fallen upon it. 39   He spread a cloud for a covering,    and fire to give light by night.40   They asked, and he brought quail,    and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.41   He opened the rock, and water gushed out;    it flowed through the desert like a river.42   For he remembered his holy promise,    and Abraham, his servant. 43   So he brought his people out with joy,    his chosen ones with singing.44   And he gave them the lands of the nations,    and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' toil,45   that they might keep his statutes    and observe his laws.  Praise the LORD! Give Thanks to the Lord, for He Is Good 106   Praise the LORD!  Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,    for his steadfast love endures forever!2   Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD,    or declare all his praise?3   Blessed are they who observe justice,    who do righteousness at all times! 4   Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people;    help me when you save them,45   that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones,    that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,    that I may glory with your inheritance. 6   Both we and our fathers have sinned;    we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.7   Our fathers, when they were in Egypt,    did not consider your wondrous works;  they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love,    but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.8   Yet he saved them for his name's sake,    that he might make known his mighty power.9   He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry,    and he led them through the deep as through a desert.10   So he saved them from the hand of the foe    and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.11   And the waters covered their adversaries;    not one of them was left.12   Then they believed his words;    they sang his praise. 13   But they soon forgot his works;    they did not wait for his counsel.14   But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness,    and put God to the test in the desert;15   he gave them what they asked,    but sent a wasting disease among them. 16   When men in the camp were jealous of Moses    and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD,17   the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,    and covered the company of Abiram.18   Fire also broke out in their company;    the flame burned up the wicked. 19   They made a calf in Horeb    and worshiped a metal image.20   They exchanged the glory of God5    for the image of an ox that eats grass.21   They forgot God, their Savior,    who had done great things in Egypt,22   wondrous works in the land of Ham,    and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.23   Therefore he said he would destroy them—    had not Moses, his chosen one,  stood in the breach before him,    to turn away his wrath from destroying them. 24   Then they despised the pleasant land,    having no faith in his promise.25   They murmured in their tents,    and did not obey the voice of the LORD.26   Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them    that he would make them fall in the wilderness,27   and would make their offspring fall among the nations,    scattering them among the lands. 28   Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor,    and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;29   they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds,    and a plague broke out among them.30   Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,    and the plague was stayed.31   And that was counted to him as righteousness    from generation to generation forever. 32   They angered him at the waters of Meribah,    and it went ill with Moses on their account,33   for they made his spirit bitter,6    and he spoke rashly with his lips. 34   They did not destroy the peoples,    as the LORD commanded them,35   but they mixed with the nations    and learned to do as they did.36   They served their idols,    which became a snare to them.37   They sacrificed their sons    and their daughters to the demons;38   they poured out innocent blood,    the blood of their sons and daughters,  whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,    and the land was polluted with blood.39   Thus they became unclean by their acts,    and played the whore in their deeds. 40   Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,    and he abhorred his heritage;41   he gave them into the hand of the nations,    so that those who hated them ruled over them.42   Their enemies oppressed them,    and they were brought into subjection under their power.43   Many times he delivered them,    but they were rebellious in their purposes    and were brought low through their iniquity. 44   Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress,    when he heard their cry.45   For their sake he remembered his covenant,    and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.46   He caused them to be pitied    by all those who held them captive. 47   Save us, O LORD our God,    and gather us from among the nations,  that we may give thanks to your holy name    and glory in your praise. 48   Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,    from everlasting to everlasting!  And let all the people say, “Amen!”    Praise the LORD! Footnotes [1] 105:16 Hebrew staff [2] 105:22 Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome instruct [3] 105:28 Septuagint, Syriac omit not [4] 106:4 Or Remember me, O Lord, with the favor you show to your people; help me with your salvation [5] 106:20 Hebrew exchanged their glory [6] 106:33 Or they rebelled against God's Spirit (ESV) Evening: Romans 15:1–20 Romans 15:1–20 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,   “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,    and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said,   “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again,   “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,    and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says,   “The root of Jesse will come,    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;  in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,1 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, Footnotes [1] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 (ESV)

Morning: Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 28:7; Isaiah 12:2; Isaiah 49:13; Isaiah 61:10; Habakkuk 3:18; Romans 5:11; Romans 15:17 “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! for the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.—“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”—The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.—My soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God.—We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.—I will take joy in the God of my salvation. Nehemiah 8:10 (Listen) 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (ESV) Psalm 28:7 (Listen) 7   The LORD is my strength and my shield;    in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;  my heart exults,    and with my song I give thanks to him. (ESV) Isaiah 12:2 (Listen) 2   “Behold, God is my salvation;    I will trust, and will not be afraid;  for the LORD GOD1 is my strength and my song,    and he has become my salvation.” Footnotes [1] 12:2 Hebrew for Yah, the Lord (ESV) Isaiah 49:13 (Listen) 13   Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;    break forth, O mountains, into singing!  For the LORD has comforted his people    and will have compassion on his afflicted. (ESV) Isaiah 61:10 (Listen) 10   I will greatly rejoice in the LORD;    my soul shall exult in my God,  for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;    he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,  as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (ESV) Habakkuk 3:18 (Listen) 18   yet I will rejoice in the LORD;    I will take joy in the God of my salvation. (ESV) Romans 5:11 (Listen) 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (ESV) Romans 15:17 (Listen) 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. (ESV) Evening: 2 Samuel 23:5; Romans 8:28–30; Ephesians 1:3–5; 2 Timothy 1:12 “He has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure.” I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 2 Samuel 23:5 (Listen) 5   “For does not my house stand so with God?    For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,    ordered in all things and secure.  For will he not cause to prosper    all my help and my desire? (ESV) Romans 8:28–30 (Listen) 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,1 for those who are called according to his purpose. 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 among many brothers. 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. Footnotes [1] 8:28 Some manuscripts God works all things together for good, or God works in all things for the good (ESV) Ephesians 1:3–5 (Listen) Spiritual Blessings in Christ 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us1 for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, Footnotes [1] 1:5 Or before him in love, 5having predestined us (ESV) 2 Timothy 1:12 (Listen) 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.1 Footnotes [1] 1:12 Or what I have entrusted to him; Greek my deposit (ESV)

It was several years ago, and this particular Super Bowl Sunday there was kind of a dark cloud over it because there had come some news that had rocked Hollywood. It rocked Broadway, and then countless everyday folks who could not forget the compelling characters that this actor had created on the screen. Academy Award-winning actor, Philip Seymour Hoffman had been found dead in his apartment of a drug overdose at the age of 46. Hoffman was considered one of the most gifted, most admired actors in show business. The sadness was compounded by a lot of reminders that he was so talented, so young, and the circumstances of his death were so wrenchingly tragic. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Hope in the Darkest Hour." The autopsy revealed the exact cause of death. But there is no autopsy for a human soul to find out what went wrong there. Yes, this actor had admitted his addictions. Those close to him said he had beaten those problems in rehab. But on that Sunday, drugs allegedly killed him. Comedian and actor, Jim Carrey - who is no stranger to success - in his response to Seymore's death, he said, "Dear Philip, a beautiful, beautiful soul. For the most sensitive among us the noise can be too much." I guess you don't have to be a star to know what he's talking about. So many people live in quiet desperation, closer to the edge than anybody knows. Actor Val Kilmer suggested in his reaction that "addiction comes from trying to escape the pain of living. We all struggle with this" he said. The escapes are many: drugs or alcohol, or some have an affair, some have pornography, some are just running into a relentless schedule or a consuming workload. But that "pain of living" afflicts virtually all of us humans. Sadly, escape is never an answer. Escape always seems to ultimately run into a wall. And wherever you go, you take you with you. But there was insight in Philip Seymour Hoffman's own words. He told the New York Times: "I try to live my life in such a way that I don't have profound regrets. That's probably why I work too much. I don't want to feel like I missed something important." Look how many people slip away from this life, knowing they've missed something important and never knowing what it was. Like a source of untouchable peace that would sustain me when that "noise" becomes "too much." Or a source of strength that enables me to overcome "that pain of living." Rather than escaping into something that solves nothing, just creates more pain. Or a hope so strong that not even the darkest of days can erase it. Where can I find the power to conquer my inner darkness when there's no script writer who's going to write a happy ending? I'm not going to find it in me. It's not going to be in my greatest achievements. It's not going to be my personal strength; even my deepest relationships. Life's too hard, my resources are too finite to find ultimate answers by looking in myself. Or around the people close to me. Okay, now, our word for today from the Word of God, where the answer really is, where the hope is, Ephesians 2, beginning with verse 12 that describes people being "without hope and without God in the world." If I do not have a personal relationship with the God I was made by and made for, I'm without hope. But then it says, "In Christ Jesus, you who were once far away..." See, we've got a wall between us and God. "...you've been brought near through the blood of Christ." Jesus Christ died to tear down that wall. And then it says, "He Himself is our peace." Peace isn't a pill. Peace is not an escape. Peace is a person. His name is Jesus. And the question I ask you today, "In the midst of the storm in your life is, do you know Him? Do you belong to Him?" If there's never been a day when you've begun a relationship with Jesus, would you make this that day? You say, "Well, I need to know how." Go to our website and let me help you know how? It's ANewStory.com. The darkness has won long enough. It doesn't have to win any more. Not with this light that nothing can extinguish.

Old Testament: Judges 8 Judges 8 (Listen) Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna 8 Then the men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they accused him fiercely. 2 And he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? 3 God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger1 against him subsided when he said this. 4 And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the 300 men who were with him, exhausted yet pursuing. 5 So he said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 And the officials of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?” 7 So Gideon said, “Well then, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” 8 And from there he went up to Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 And he said to the men of Penuel, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.” 10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about 15,000 men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East, for there had fallen 120,000 men who drew the sword. 11 And Gideon went up by the way of the tent dwellers east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the army, for the army felt secure. 12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he threw all the army into a panic. 13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. 14 And he captured a young man of Succoth and questioned him. And he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven men. 15 And he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are exhausted?'” 16 And he took the elders of the city, and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth a lesson. 17 And he broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. 18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Where are the men whom you killed at Tabor?” They answered, “As you are, so were they. Every one of them resembled the son of a king.” 19 And he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the LORD lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.” 20 So he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise and kill them!” But the young man did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a young man. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength.” And Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels. Gideon's Ephod 22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” 23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you.” 24 And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels2 of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels. 27 And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. 28 So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. The Death of Gideon 29 Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30 Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring,3 for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 33 As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. 34 And the people of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side, 35 and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel. Footnotes [1] 8:3 Hebrew their spirit [2] 8:26 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [3] 8:30 Hebrew who came from his own loins (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 109 Psalm 109 (Listen) Help Me, O Lord My God To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 109   Be not silent, O God of my praise!2   For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,    speaking against me with lying tongues.3   They encircle me with words of hate,    and attack me without cause.4   In return for my love they accuse me,    but I give myself to prayer.15   So they reward me evil for good,    and hatred for my love. 6   Appoint a wicked man against him;    let an accuser stand at his right hand.7   When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;    let his prayer be counted as sin!8   May his days be few;    may another take his office!9   May his children be fatherless    and his wife a widow!10   May his children wander about and beg,    seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!11   May the creditor seize all that he has;    may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!12   Let there be none to extend kindness to him,    nor any to pity his fatherless children!13   May his posterity be cut off;    may his name be blotted out in the second generation!14   May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD,    and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!15   Let them be before the LORD continually,    that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! 16   For he did not remember to show kindness,    but pursued the poor and needy    and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.17   He loved to curse; let curses come2 upon him!    He did not delight in blessing; may it be far3 from him!18   He clothed himself with cursing as his coat;    may it soak4 into his body like water,    like oil into his bones!19   May it be like a garment that he wraps around him,    like a belt that he puts on every day!20   May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD,    of those who speak evil against my life! 21   But you, O GOD my Lord,    deal on my behalf for your name's sake;    because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!22   For I am poor and needy,    and my heart is stricken within me.23   I am gone like a shadow at evening;    I am shaken off like a locust.24   My knees are weak through fasting;    my body has become gaunt, with no fat.25   I am an object of scorn to my accusers;    when they see me, they wag their heads. 26   Help me, O LORD my God!    Save me according to your steadfast love!27   Let them know that this is your hand;    you, O LORD, have done it!28   Let them curse, but you will bless!    They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!29   May my accusers be clothed with dishonor;    may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! 30   With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD;    I will praise him in the midst of the throng.31   For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,    to save him from those who condemn his soul to death. Footnotes [1] 109:4 Hebrew but I am prayer [2] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text curses have come [3] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it is far [4] 109:18 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it has soaked (ESV) New Testament: Romans 14–15 Romans 14–15 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,   “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,    and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,   “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,    and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said,   “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again,   “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,    and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says,   “The root of Jesse will come,    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;  in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,5 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written,   “Those who have never been told of him will see,    and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,6 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing7 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Footnotes [1] 14:4 Or lord [2] 14:11 Or shall give praise [3] 14:21 Some manuscripts add or be hindered or be weakened [4] 14:23 Some manuscripts insert here 16:25–27 [5] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [6] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [7] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel (ESV)