Wisdom Shouts in the Streets

24"I called you so often, but you didn't come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention. 25You ignored my advice and rejected the correction I offered. 26So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you-- 27when calamity overcomes you like a storm, when you are engulfed by trouble, and when anguish and distress overwhelm you.

 28"I will not answer when they cry for help. Even though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me. 29For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. 30They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. 31That is why they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way. They must experience the full terror of the path they have chosen. 32For they are simpletons who turn away from me--to death. They are fools, and their own complacency will destroy them. 33But all who listen to me will live in peace and safety, unafraid of harm."

Psalm 19

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

    2
    Day after day they continue to speak;
       night after night they make him known.

    3
    They speak without a sound or a word;
       their voice is silent in the skies;

    4
    yet their message has gone out to all the earth,
       and their words to all the world.
    The sun lives in the heavens
       where God placed it.

    5
    It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom
       after his wedding.
    It rejoices like a great athlete
       eager to run the race.

    6
    The sun rises at one end of the heavens
       and follows its course to the other end.
       Nothing can hide from its heat.

    7
    The law of the LORD is perfect ,
       reviving the soul.
    The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy,
       making wise the simple.

    8
    The commandments of the LORD are right,
       bringing joy to the heart.
    The commands of the LORD are clear,
       giving insight to life.

    9
    Reverence for the LORD is pure,
       lasting forever.
    The laws of the LORD are true;
       each one is fair.

    10
    They are more desirable than gold,
       even the finest gold.
    They are sweeter than honey,
       even honey dripping from the comb.

    11
    They are a warning to those who hear them;
       there is great reward for those who obey them.

    12
    How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
       Cleanse me from these hidden faults.

    13
    Keep me from deliberate sins!
       Don't let them control me.
    Then I will be free of guilt
       and innocent of great sin.

    14
    May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart
       be pleasing to you,
       O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Peters Declaration about Jesus

 28"Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets."

 29Then Jesus asked, "Who do you say I am?"

 Peter replied, "You are the Messiah." 30But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

Jesus Predicts His Death

 33Jesus turned and looked at his disciples and then said to Peter very sternly, "Get away from me, Satan! You are seeing things merely from a human point of view , not from God's."

 34Then he called his disciples and the crowds to come over and listen. "If any of you wants to be my follower," he told them, "you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. 35If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life. 36And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? 37Is anything worth more than your soul? 38If a person is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in the glory of my Father with the holy angels."

James 3

Controlling the Tongue

 2We all make many mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every other way. 3We can make a large horse turn around and go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4And a tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though the winds are strong. 5So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

7People can tame all kinds of animals and birds and reptiles and fish, 8but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison .    9Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it breaks out into curses against those who have been made in the image of God. 10And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12Can you pick olives from a fig tree or figs from a grapevine? No, and you can't draw fresh water from a salty pool.