Acts 2:42-47And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. An...  Read More

Acts 2:14-21 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.  For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:  “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,that I will po...  Read More

Zephaniah 3:14-20Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;    shout, O Israel!Rejoice and exult with all your heart,    O daughter of Jerusalem!The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;    he has cleared away your enemies.The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;    you shall never again fear evil.On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:“Fear not, O Zion;    let not your hands grow weak.The...  Read More

Isaiah 11:1–10There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,    and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,    the Spirit of counsel and might,    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.He shall not judge by what his eyes see,    or decide ...  Read More

Isaiah 9:1-7But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness    have seen a great light;those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,    on them has light s...  Read More

James 5:12-20But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with o...  Read More

James 5:7-11Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing ...  Read More

James 5:1-6Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are...  Read More

James 4:7-17Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. Do not speak evil against one ...  Read More

James 4:1-6What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship...  Read More

James 3:13-18Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and ever...  Read More

Words Reveal the Heart     We've all done it. We've all come to church on Sunday morning singing "Bless the Lord, O my soul" with genuine emotion, only to find ourselves Monday morning tearing someone down with our words. We praise God with our mouths, then we use those same mouths to gossip about our neighbor, criticize a coworker, or speak harshly to our children. The contradiction is glaring. Y...  Read More