Readings for the Day:
Isaiah 51:1-6: Just as God had called Abraham and Sarah and given them many descendants, so now God offers comfort to Zion. God’s deliverance will come and will never end.
Romans 12:1-8: In response to God’s merciful activity, we are to worship by living holistic, God-pleasing lives. Our values and viewpoints are not molded by the time in which we live but are transformed by the Spirit’s renewing work. God’s grace empowers different forms of service among Christians, but all forms of ministry function to build up the body of Christ.
Matthew 16:13-20: At a climactic point in Jesus’ ministry, God reveals to Peter that Jesus is ‘the Messiah, the Son of the living God,’ and Jesus responds with the promise of a church that will overcome the very gates of Hades.
‘From Sunday & Seasons, copyright 2023 Augsburg Fortress’
Questions To Ponder:
1— What does it mean to give thanks with our whole heart? (Psalm 138:1)
2—In what ways have you been transformed by the power of God? (Romans 12:1-2)
3—If someone asked you who Jesus is, what would you say? (Matthew 15:10-28)
4—How do these texts speak to you today?
Prayer: O God, with all your faithful followers of every age, we praise you, the rock of our life. Be our strong foundation and form us into the body of your Son, that we may gladly minister to all the world. Amen.