Friday 26 January 2035

1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God,according to the promise of the lifewhich is in Christ Jesus,2to Timothy, my beloved child:Grace, mercy, and peace,from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3I thank God, whom I serve as my forefathers did,with a pure conscience.How unceasing is my memory of you in my petitions, night and day4longing to see you,remembering your tears,that I may be filled with joy;5having been reminded of the sincere faith that is in you,which lived first in your grandmother Loisand your mother Eunice and,I am persuaded, in you also.

6For this cause, I remind youthat you should stir up the gift of Godwhich is in you through the laying on of my hands.7For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear,but of power, love, and self-control.8Therefore don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,nor of me his prisoner;but endure hardship for the Good News according to the power of God,

1Sing to the Lord a new song!Sing to the Lord, all the earth.2Sing to the Lord!

2Bless his name!Proclaim his salvation from day to day!3Declare his glory among the nations,his marvelous works among all the peoples.

7Ascribe to the Lord, you families of nations,ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.8Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name.Bring an offering, and come into his courts.

10Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”The world is also established.It can’t be moved.He will judge the peoples with equity.

26He said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,27and should sleep and rise night and day,and the seed should spring up and grow,though he doesn’t know how.28For the earth bears fruit by itself:first the blade, then the ear,then the full grain in the ear.29But when the fruit is ripe,immediately he puts in the sickle,because the harvest has come.”

30He said, “How will we liken God’s Kingdom?Or with what parable will we illustrate it?31It’s like a grain of mustard seed,which, when it is sown in the earth,though it is less than all the seedsthat are on the earth,32yet when it is sown,grows up and becomes greater than all the herbs,and puts out great branches,so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.”

33With many such parables he spoke the word to them,as they were able to hear it.34Without a parable he didn’t speak to them;but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.