Sundays

Dear children,do not let anyone lead you astray.The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil,because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of Godappeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of Godwill continue to sin,because God’s seedremains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of Godare and who the children of the devilare: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not lovetheir brother and sister. 1 John 3: 7-10

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another.Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, butgive thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you,live peaceably with all. Beloved,never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written,“Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary,“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Then I heard the voiceof the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I.Send me!”

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healingwill quickly appear; then your righteousnesswill go before you, and the glory of theLordwill be your rear guard. Then you will call,and theLordwill answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the wayfor theLord; make straightin the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hillmade low; the rough ground shall become levelthe rugged places a plain. And the gloryof theLordwill be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of theLordhas spoken.”

Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. John 14: 15-19

1 Corinthians 13: 8-13 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies,they will cease; where there are tongues,they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in partand we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhoodbehind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.