After Pentecost | Wednesday 29 Jul 2026 ~
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Opening prayer:
Almighty and everlasting God,
you are always more ready to hear than we to pray,
and to give more than we either desire or deserve:
Pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy,
forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid,
and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask,
except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
“Jesus never taught without using parables;
but afterward, he explained everything
to his disciples.”
(Mark 4:34)
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Psalms: Psalm 119:121-128 (Ayin) – Herald Stream
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OT Reading: Proverbs 1:1-7, 20-33 (NLT)
The Purpose of Proverbs
1:1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.
+ Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
to help them understand the insights of the wise.
+ Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
+ These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
knowledge and discernment to the young.
1:5 Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.
Let those with understanding receive guidance
+ by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
1:7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Wisdom Shouts in the Streets
1:20 Wisdom shouts in the streets.
She cries out in the public square.
+ She calls to the crowds along the main street,
to those gathered in front of the city gate:
+ “How long, you simpletons,
will you insist on being simpleminded?
How long will you mockers relish your mocking?
How long will you fools hate knowledge?
+ Come and listen to my counsel.
I’ll share my heart with you
and make you wise.
1:24 “I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come.
I reached out to you, but you paid no attention.
+ You ignored my advice
and rejected the correction I offered.
+ So I will laugh when you are in trouble!
I will mock you when disaster overtakes you—
+ when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone,
and anguish and distress overwhelm you.
1:28 “When they cry for help, I will not answer.
Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me.
+ For they hated knowledge
and chose not to fear the Lord.
+ They rejected my advice
and paid no attention when I corrected them.
+ Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way,
choking on their own schemes.
+ For simpletons turn away from me—to death.
Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.
+ But all who listen to me will live in peace,
untroubled by fear of harm.”
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The fear of the Lord – First Baptist Dallas
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NT Reading: Mark 4:30-34 (NLT)
Parable of the Mustard Seed
4:30 Jesus said, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.”
4:33 Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand. In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.
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The Kingdom of God is Justice and Joy | Bryn Rees (1973) | St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Château d’Oex
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Gracious and holy Father, please give me intellect to understand you, reason to discern you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, a spirit to know you, a heart to meditate upon you, ears to hear you, eyes to see you, a tongue to proclaim you, a way of life pleasing to you, patience to wait for you, and perseverance to look for you. Grant me a perfect end, your holy presence, a blessed resurrection, and life everlasting. Amen. | Benedict of Nursia
O God, our heavenly Father: Pour out your Spirit on your Church, that we may fulfill Christ’s command to preach the Gospel to all people. Send forth laborers into your harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations; and hasten the time when the fullness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and faithful Israel shall be saved; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch
The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
6:13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
3:13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
12:39 But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
The Peanut Gallery 