Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it. Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend
forsakes the fear of the Almighty. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. Start children off on the way they should go,
and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth. If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. Anxiety weighs down the heart,
but a kind word cheers it up. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. But those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint. Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you. But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. Like a city whose walls are broken through
is a person who lacks self-control. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him. “Even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.