The Daily Lectionary for Monday, August 1, 2022

Rules for Christian Households
Colossians 3:18—4:1

The Daily Lectionary

Monday, August 1, 2022

 Psalm 60; Hosea 11:12—12:14; Colossians 3:18—4:1

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 60

Prayer for National Victory after Defeat
To the leader: according to the Lily of the Covenant. A Miktam of David; for instruction; when he struggled with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
1  O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses;
     you have been angry; now restore us!
2  You have caused the land to quake; you have torn it open;
     repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering.
3  You have made your people suffer hard things;
     you have given us wine to drink that made us reel.

4  You have set up a banner for those who fear you,
     to rally to it out of bowshot.   Selah
5  Give victory with your right hand, and answer us,
     so that those whom you love may be rescued.

6  God has promised in his sanctuary:
     “With exultation I will divide up Shechem,
     and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
7  Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
     Ephraim is my helmet;
     Judah is my scepter.
8  Moab is my washbasin;
     on Edom I hurl my shoe;
     over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

9  Who will bring me to the fortified city?
     Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Have you not rejected us, O God?
     You do not go out, O God, with our armies.
11 O grant us help against the foe,
     for human help is worthless.
12 With God we shall do valiantly;
     it is he who will tread down our foes.

Hosea 11:12—12:14

11:12  Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,
     and the house of Israel with deceit;
   but Judah still walks with God,
     and is faithful to the Holy One.
12:1 Ephraim herds the wind,
     and pursues the east wind all day long;
   they multiply falsehood and violence;
     they make a treaty with Assyria,
     and oil is carried to Egypt.

The Long History of Rebellion
2  The Lord has an indictment against Judah,
     and will punish Jacob according to his ways,
     and repay him according to his deeds.
3  In the womb he tried to supplant his brother,
     and in his manhood he strove with God.
4  He strove with the angel and prevailed,
     he wept and sought his favor;
   he met him at Bethel,
     and there he spoke with him.
5  The Lord the God of hosts,
     the Lord is his name!
6  But as for you, return to your God,
     hold fast to love and justice,
     and wait continually for your God.

7  A trader, in whose hands are false balances,
     he loves to oppress.
8  Ephraim has said, “Ah, I am rich,
     I have gained wealth for myself;
   in all of my gain
     no offense has been found in me
     that would be sin.”
9  I am the Lord your God
     from the land of Egypt;
   I will make you live in tents again,
     as in the days of the appointed festival.

10 I spoke to the prophets;
     it was I who multiplied visions,
     and through the prophets I will bring destruction.
11 In Gilead there is iniquity,
     they shall surely come to nothing.
   In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,
     so their altars shall be like stone heaps
     on the furrows of the field.
12 Jacob fled to the land of Aram,
     there Israel served for a wife,
     and for a wife he guarded sheep.
13 By a prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt,
     and by a prophet he was guarded.
14 Ephraim has given bitter offense,
     so his Lord will bring his crimes down on him
     and pay him back for his insults.

Colossians 3:18—4:1

Rules for Christian Households
3:18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.

20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart. 22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only while being watched and in order to please them, but wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters, 24 since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong has been done, and there is no partiality. 4:1 Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, for you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year C. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2022, we will be in Year A. The year which ended at Advent 2021 was Year B. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
Christian’s are called to play by the rules. What are the rules?

The Morning Prayer for Monday, August 1, 2022

 

The Morning Prayer
Monday, August 1, 2022

However, as the scripture says, “What no one ever saw or heard, what no one ever thought could happen, is the very thing God prepared for those who love him.” But it was to us that God made known his secret by means of his Spirit.

— 1 Corinthians 2:9–10a (GNT)

Lord our God, bless us all through your Spirit, that we may find certainty of heart in community with you under your rulership. May we keep this certainty, whatever course our lives may take, whatever battles and suffering may come to us, for we belong to you and you rule and guide us as your children. Watch over all who are still far away from you but who long for you. Watch over all who are good-hearted and sincere, even if they often do not understand you. Protect them, and let your kingdom come so that your will is carried out more and more by the many who feel compelled to seek for you and for the goodness and truth which are your will. May we and many others serve you with our whole lives. Amen.

 

Verse of the Day
Monday, August 1, 2022

Psalm 119:114

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

The Lord is our hiding place when we are pursued and our shield when we are being directly attacked. Those who hope in His promise will never be disappointed because He cannot deceive or be deceived.

Read all of Psalm 119

Listen to Psalm 119

Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

The Sunday Lectionary for Readings Sunday, July 31, 2022 - Eight Sunday after Pentecost

The Parable of the Rich Fool by Rembrandt, 1627
Luke 12:13-21

The Sunday Lectionary Readings

Sunday, July 31, 2022 - Eight Sunday after Pentecost

 Hosea 11:1-11; Psalm 107:1-9, 43;Colossians 3:1-11;

Luke 12:13-213

[Lectionary/Ordinary 18, Proper 13]

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Opening Prayer

As We Gather Here

(Words for the above video)

As we gather here in the harbour of your safety

We thank you for fellowship and family.

We ask that you will strengthen us, restore us and inspire us with your love.

Lord, would fill us with your peace

So that as we journey onwards

We would pour out your love and grace to others.

We ask that our souls would catch the wind of your spirit

so that we would take your promises to all the earth.

Amen.

The Collect (Book of Common Prayers)

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Call to Confession

This week we remember the events of August 6 and 9, 1945: the bombing of  Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

In the decades since, the world has lived with the threat of nuclear annihilation and many have worked and struggled for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

O God, like a father who teaches his child to walk, like a mother who feeds and heals her children, You desire to nourish all people and rescue them from injustice. You call us into this work of justice-making and care. Yet we follow other paths; we make choices that lead to violence and destruction.

Meet us here and teach us how to put aside all temptations that lead to violence, from the smallest to the most global. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

The apostle Paul calls us to seek the things that are above and find new life revealed in Christ. As we have been called by Christ, we put away the things that lead to death and Christ’s life is revealed in us. Friends, believe the Good News of the gospel: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

First Reading

Hosea 11:1-11

God’s Compassion Despite Israel’s Ingratitude
11:1 When Israel was a child, I loved him,
     and out of Egypt I called my son.
2  The more I called them,
     the more they went from me;
   they kept sacrificing to the Baals,
     and offering incense to idols.

3  Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
     I took them up in my arms;
     but they did not know that I healed them.
4  I led them with cords of human kindness,
     with bands of love.
   I was to them like those
     who lift infants to their cheeks.
     I bent down to them and fed them.

5  They shall return to the land of Egypt,
     and Assyria shall be their king,
     because they have refused to return to me.
6  The sword rages in their cities,
     it consumes their oracle-priests,
     and devours because of their schemes.
7  My people are bent on turning away from me.
     To the Most High they call,
     but he does not raise them up at all.

8  How can I give you up, Ephraim?
     How can I hand you over, O Israel?
   How can I make you like Admah?
     How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
   My heart recoils within me;
     my compassion grows warm and tender.
9  I will not execute my fierce anger;
     I will not again destroy Ephraim;
   for I am God and no mortal,
     the Holy One in your midst,
     and I will not come in wrath.

10 They shall go after the Lord,
     who roars like a lion;
   when he roars,
     his children shall come trembling from the west.
11 They shall come trembling like birds from Egypt,
     and like doves from the land of Assyria;
     and I will return them to their homes, says the Lord.

Psalm 107:1-9, 43 Confitemini Domino

1  Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, *
   and his mercy endures for ever.

2  Let all those whom the Lord has redeemed proclaim *
   that he redeemed them from the hand of the foe.

3  He gathered them out of the lands; *
   from the east and from the west,
   from the north and from the south.

4  Some wandered in desert wastes; *
   they found no way to a city where they might dwell.

5  They were hungry and thirsty; *
   their spirits languished within them.

6  Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, *
   and he delivered them from their distress.

7  He put their feet on a straight path *
   to go to a city where they might dwell.

8  Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy *
   and the wonders he does for his children.

9  For he satisfies the thirsty *
   and fills the hungry with good things.

43 Whoever is wise will ponder these things, *
   and consider well the mercies of the Lord.

Second Reading

Colossians 3:1-11

The New Life in Christ
3:1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. 7 These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. 8 But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices 10 and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. 11 In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!

The Gospel

Luke 12:13-21

The Parable of the Rich Fool
12:13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” 16 Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

Here ends the Lessons

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank you that we are a family in Christ. Help us to share his love and legacy with everyone that we encounter this week. May we lavish Christ’s abounding goodness upon our families, friends and colleagues. Holy Spirit, come and equip us in our workplace, guide us in our school life, and inspire us in our neighbourhood. May we be your hands and feet to the needy, your words of affirmation to the oppressed and your arms of comfort to the lonely.

Thank you for choosing to use us to bring your kingdom here on earth.

Amen.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
Through a parable about a "rich fool" Jesus gave a sharp warning about the love of money. Greed leads to a false view of life. Greed leads to a fool’s death.

The Morning Prayer for Sunday, July 31, 2022

 

The Morning Prayer
Sunday, July 31, 2022

Many, Lord, are asking, "Who will bring us prosperity?" Let the light of your face shine on us.

— Psalm 4:6 (NIV)

Lord our God, with all our hearts we come before your countenance. Our hearts shall always be in your presence, asking, longing, and believing that you will guide our affairs aright. Protect us, for you are our God and Father. Protect all who are in danger or who must go into danger. Make known your great love and your living presence to the hearts of the dying. Draw our hearts together so that we may have community in you, our faith and hope set on you alone. Protect us during the night, and help us to be at peace about all our concerns because they are in your hands. Every concern of every person is in your hands. We ourselves are in your hands, Lord God, our Father, and there we want to remain. Your hands can heal and restore everything. Praised be your name! Amen.

Verse of the Day Sunday, July 31, 2022

 

Verse of the Day
Sunday, July 31, 2022

John 1:12-13

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Fallen human beings are not children of God by nature; this is the privilege only of those who have faith, a faith generated in them by the sovereign action of God.

Read all of John chapter 1

Listen to John chapter 1

Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

The Daily Lectionary for Saturday, July 30, 2022

"Christ and the Rich Young Ruler" by Heinrich Hofmann, 1889
Mark 10:17-22

The Daily Lectionary

Saturday, July 30, 2022

 Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Hosea 10:1-15; Mark 10:17-22

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 107:1-9, 43

Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Many Troubles
1  O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
     for his steadfast love endures forever.
2  Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
     those he redeemed from trouble
3  and gathered in from the lands,
     from the east and from the west,
     from the north and from the south.

4  Some wandered in desert wastes,
     finding no way to an inhabited town;
5  hungry and thirsty,
     their soul fainted within them.
6  Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
     and he delivered them from their distress;
7  he led them by a straight way,
     until they reached an inhabited town.
8  Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
     for his wonderful works to humankind.
9  For he satisfies the thirsty,
     and the hungry he fills with good things.

43 Let those who are wise give heed to these things,
     and consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

Hosea 10:1-15

Israel’s Sin and Captivity
10:1 Israel is a luxuriant vine
     that yields its fruit.
   The more his fruit increased
     the more altars he built;
   as his country improved,
     he improved his pillars.
2  Their heart is false;
     now they must bear their guilt.
   The Lord will break down their altars,
     and destroy their pillars.

3  For now they will say:
     “We have no king,
   for we do not fear the Lord,
     and a king—what could he do for us?”
4  They utter mere words;
     with empty oaths they make covenants;
   so litigation springs up like poisonous weeds
     in the furrows of the field.
5  The inhabitants of Samaria tremble
     for the calf of Beth-aven.
   Its people shall mourn for it,
     and its idolatrous priests shall wail over it,
     over its glory that has departed from it.
6  The thing itself shall be carried to Assyria
     as tribute to the great king.
   Ephraim shall be put to shame,
     and Israel shall be ashamed of his idol.

7  Samaria’s king shall perish
     like a chip on the face of the waters.
8  The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel,
     shall be destroyed.
   Thorn and thistle shall grow up
     on their altars.
   They shall say to the mountains, Cover us,
     and to the hills, Fall on us.

9  Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel;
     there they have continued.
     Shall not war overtake them in Gibeah?
10 I will come against the wayward people to punish them;
     and nations shall be gathered against them
     when they are punished for their double iniquity.

11 Ephraim was a trained heifer
     that loved to thresh,
     and I spared her fair neck;
   but I will make Ephraim break the ground;
     Judah must plow;
     Jacob must harrow for himself.
12 Sow for yourselves righteousness;
     reap steadfast love;
     break up your fallow ground;
   for it is time to seek the Lord,
     that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

13 You have plowed wickedness,
     you have reaped injustice,
     you have eaten the fruit of lies.
   Because you have trusted in your power
     and in the multitude of your warriors,
14 therefore the tumult of war shall rise against your people,
     and all your fortresses shall be destroyed,
   as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle
     when mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.
15 Thus it shall be done to you, O Bethel,
     because of your great wickedness.
   At dawn the king of Israel
     shall be utterly cut off.

Mark 10:17-22

The Rich Man
10:17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” 20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22 When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year C. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2022, we will be in Year A. The year which ended at Advent 2021 was Year B. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
Jesus teaches us that it’s not "all about me" in this world, but "All about Christ."

The Morning Prayer for Saturday, July 30, 2022

 

The Morning Prayer
Saturday, July 30, 2022

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

— 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)

Lord our God, we are your children. Hear all our concerns, we pray, for we want help from you, not from men, not from anything we can think or say. May your power be revealed in our time. We long for a new age, an age of peace in which people are changed. We long for your day, the day when your power will be revealed to poor, broken humankind. Be with us, and give our hearts what will remain with us, the strength and mercy of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Saturday, July 30, 2022

 

Verse of the Day
Saturday, July 30, 2022

Matthew 5:14

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

We were never meant to shut ourselves off completely from unbelievers; we are to be a light to them (Matt. 5:14–16). We must always lead others to Him, and by our conduct and testimony glorify Him.

Read all of Matthew chapter 5

Listen to Matthew chapter 5

Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

The Daily Lectionary for Friday, July 29, 2022

The Daily Lectionary

Friday, July 29, 2022

 Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Hosea 9:1-17; Ephesians 4:17-24

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 107:1-9, 43

Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Many Troubles
1  O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
     for his steadfast love endures forever.
2  Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
     those he redeemed from trouble
3  and gathered in from the lands,
     from the east and from the west,
     from the north and from the south.

4  Some wandered in desert wastes,
     finding no way to an inhabited town;
5  hungry and thirsty,
     their soul fainted within them.
6  Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
     and he delivered them from their distress;
7  he led them by a straight way,
     until they reached an inhabited town.
8  Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
     for his wonderful works to humankind.
9  For he satisfies the thirsty,
     and the hungry he fills with good things.

43 Let those who are wise give heed to these things,
     and consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

Hosea 9:1-17

Punishment for Israel’s Sin
9:1 Do not rejoice, O Israel!
     Do not exult as other nations do;
   for you have played the whore, departing from your God.
     You have loved a prostitute’s pay
     on all threshing floors.
2  Threshing floor and wine vat shall not feed them,
     and the new wine shall fail them.
3  They shall not remain in the land of the Lord;
     but Ephraim shall return to Egypt,
     and in Assyria they shall eat unclean food.

4  They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the Lord,
     and their sacrifices shall not please him.
   Such sacrifices shall be like mourners’ bread;
     all who eat of it shall be defiled;
   for their bread shall be for their hunger only;
     it shall not come to the house of the Lord.

5  What will you do on the day of appointed festival,
     and on the day of the festival of the Lord?
6  For even if they escape destruction,
     Egypt shall gather them,
     Memphis shall bury them.
   Nettles shall possess their precious things of silver;
     thorns shall be in their tents.

7  The days of punishment have come,
     the days of recompense have come;
     Israel cries,
   “The prophet is a fool,
     the man of the spirit is mad!”
   Because of your great iniquity,
     your hostility is great.
8  The prophet is a sentinel for my God over Ephraim,
   yet a fowler’s snare is on all his ways,
     and hostility in the house of his God.
9  They have deeply corrupted themselves
     as in the days of Gibeah;
   he will remember their iniquity,
     he will punish their sins.

10 Like grapes in the wilderness,
     I found Israel.
   Like the first fruit on the fig tree,
     in its first season,
     I saw your ancestors.
   But they came to Baal-peor,
     and consecrated themselves to a thing of shame,
     and became detestable like the thing they loved.
11 Ephraim’s glory shall fly away like a bird—
     no birth, no pregnancy, no conception!
12 Even if they bring up children,
     I will bereave them until no one is left.
   Woe to them indeed
     when I depart from them!
13 Once I saw Ephraim as a young palm planted in a lovely meadow,
     but now Ephraim must lead out his children for slaughter.
14 Give them, O Lord—
     what will you give?
   Give them a miscarrying womb
     and dry breasts.

15 Every evil of theirs began at Gilgal;
     there I came to hate them.
   Because of the wickedness of their deeds
     I will drive them out of my house.
   I will love them no more;
     all their officials are rebels.

16 Ephraim is stricken,
     their root is dried up,
     they shall bear no fruit.
   Even though they give birth,
     I will kill the cherished offspring of their womb.
17 Because they have not listened to him,
     my God will reject them;
     they shall become wanderers among the nations.

Ephesians 4:17-24

The Old Life and the New
4:17 Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart. 19 They have lost all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 That is not the way you learned Christ! 21 For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus. 22 You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year C. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2022, we will be in Year A. The year which ended at Advent 2021 was Year B. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
God calls us to be different than the vile, unbelieving culture around us. He offers us power to do that.

The Morning Prayer for Friday, July 29, 2022

 

The Morning Prayer
Friday, July 29, 2022

For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you.

— 2 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)

Lord our God, we thank you for the love you show us so that we may be delivered from weakness and sickness, from sin and misery, and may be given strength to serve you, our Father in heaven. Bless us in all we have on our hearts, that through your mercy the battle of life may be fought aright. Bless us in our times and grant that justice may gain the upper hand and we may live in peace, praising you into all eternity. Protect us, your children, forevermore. May your name be honored, your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as in heaven. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Friday, July 29, 2022

 

Verse of the Day
Friday, July 29, 2022

Psalm 119:93

I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.

Those who have experienced the power of the Scriptures in their lives are not likely to forget them. We were “born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Pet. 1:23).

Read all of Psalm 119

Listen to Psalm 119

Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

The Daily Lectionary for Thursday, July 28, 2022

Romans 11:33-36

The Daily Lectionary

Thursday, July 28, 2022

 Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Hosea 8:1-14; Romans 11:33-36

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 107:1-9, 43

Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Many Troubles
1  O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
     for his steadfast love endures forever.
2  Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
     those he redeemed from trouble
3  and gathered in from the lands,
     from the east and from the west,
     from the north and from the south.

4  Some wandered in desert wastes,
     finding no way to an inhabited town;
5  hungry and thirsty,
     their soul fainted within them.
6  Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
     and he delivered them from their distress;
7  he led them by a straight way,
     until they reached an inhabited town.
8  Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
     for his wonderful works to humankind.
9  For he satisfies the thirsty,
     and the hungry he fills with good things.

43 Let those who are wise give heed to these things,
     and consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

Hosea 8:1-14

Israel’s Apostasy
8:1 Set the trumpet to your lips!
     One like a vulture is over the house of the Lord,
   because they have broken my covenant,
     and transgressed my law.
2  Israel cries to me,
     “My God, we—Israel—know you!”
3  Israel has spurned the good;
     the enemy shall pursue him.

4  They made kings, but not through me;
     they set up princes, but without my knowledge.
   With their silver and gold they made idols
     for their own destruction.
5  Your calf is rejected, O Samaria.
     My anger burns against them.
   How long will they be incapable of innocence?
6    For it is from Israel,
   an artisan made it;
     it is not God.
   The calf of Samaria
     shall be broken to pieces.

7  For they sow the wind,
     and they shall reap the whirlwind.
   The standing grain has no heads,
     it shall yield no meal;
   if it were to yield,
     foreigners would devour it.
8  Israel is swallowed up;
     now they are among the nations
     as a useless vessel.
9  For they have gone up to Assyria,
     a wild ass wandering alone;
     Ephraim has bargained for lovers.
10 Though they bargain with the nations,
     I will now gather them up.
   They shall soon writhe
     under the burden of kings and princes.

11 When Ephraim multiplied altars to expiate sin,
     they became to him altars for sinning.
12 Though I write for him the multitude of my instructions,
     they are regarded as a strange thing.
13 Though they offer choice sacrifices,
     though they eat flesh,
     the Lord does not accept them.
   Now he will remember their iniquity,
     and punish their sins;
     they shall return to Egypt.
14 Israel has forgotten his Maker,
     and built palaces;
   and Judah has multiplied fortified cities;
     but I will send a fire upon his cities,
     and it shall devour his strongholds.

Romans 11:33-36

11:33 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord?
     Or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him,
     to receive a gift in return?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year C. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2022, we will be in Year A. The year which ended at Advent 2021 was Year B. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
Everything we do is for the glory of God and God alone. This is where we find our purpose in life.

The Morning Prayer for Thursday, July 28, 2022

 

The Morning Prayer
Thursday, July 28, 2022

I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

— John 10:16 (NIV)

Lord our God, bring us together as one. Give us your Spirit so that we may know you, so that joy may fill our hearts, not only for ourselves but also for others. Root out evil from the earth. Sweep away all that offends you, all lying, deceit, and hate between nations. Grant that all people may come to know you, so that disunity and conflict may be swept away and your eternal kingdom may arise on earth and we may rejoice in it. For your kingdom can come to people even while on earth to bring them happiness and to make them your own children. Yes, Lord God, we want to be your children, your people, held in your hand, so that your name may be honored, your kingdom may come, and your will be done on earth as in heaven. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Thursday, July 28, 2022

 

Verse of the Day
Thursday, July 28, 2022

Philippians 3:14

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Even the apostle Paul realized he had not yet reached the Lord’s goal for him—which was to know and reflect Jesus fully and completely (Rom. 8:29; Phil. 1:21; 3:8–11). Paul’s judgment about himself should help to humble us and motivate us to acknowledge that we all have a long way to go. We can’t dwell on the past—celebrating spiritual victories or mourning defeats. We must press on with the mindset that there is always more to be learned, submitted, expressed, and experienced in Christ.

Read all of Philippians chapter 14

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Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.