Lent Week #1

And again, the passages from the lectionary for sunday #1 - February 25, 2007. THANKS!

Deut. 26:1-11
"When you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession and you have conquered it and settled there, 2put some of the first produce from each harvest into a basket and bring it to the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored. 3Go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, 'With this gift I acknowledge that the Lord your God has brought me into the land he swore to give our ancestors.' 4The priest will then take the basket from your hand and set it before the altar of the Lord your God. 5You must then say in the presence of the Lord your God, 'My ancestor Jacob was a wandering Aramean who went to live in Egypt. His family was few in number, but in Egypt they became a mighty and numerous nation. 6When the Egyptians mistreated and humiliated us by making us their slaves, 7we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors. He heard us and saw our hardship, toil, and oppression. 8So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with amazing power, overwhelming terror, and miraculous signs and wonders. 9He brought us to this place and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey! 10And now, O Lord, I have brought you a token of the first crops you have given me from the ground.' Then place the produce before the Lord your God and worship him. 11Afterward go and celebrate because of all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household. Remember to include the Levites and the foreigners living among you in the celebration.

Psalm 19:1-2
For the choir director: A psalm of David.

The heavens tell of the glory of God.
The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship.
2Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.

Psalm 19:9-14
Reverence for the Lord is pure,
lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
each one is fair.
10They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
11They are a warning to those who hear them;
there is great reward for those who obey them.

12How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
13Keep me from deliberate sins!
Don't let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
and innocent of great sin.

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


Romans 10:8-13
Salvation that comes from trusting Christ—which is the message we preach—is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, "The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart."
9For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. 11As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed." 12Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They all have the same Lord, who generously gives his riches to all who ask for them. 13For "Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Luke 4:1-13
Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit to go out into the wilderness, 2where the Devil tempted him for forty days. He ate nothing all that time and was very hungry.
3Then the Devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, change this stone into a loaf of bread."
4But Jesus told him, "No! The Scriptures say, 'People need more than bread for their life.' "
5Then the Devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6The Devil told him, "I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them—because they are mine to give to anyone I please. 7I will give it all to you if you will bow down and worship me."
8Jesus replied, "The Scriptures say,

'You must worship the Lord your God;
serve only him.' "

9Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, "If you are the Son of God, jump off! 10For the Scriptures say,

'He orders his angels to protect and guard you.
11And they will hold you with their hands
to keep you from striking your foot on a stone.' "

12Jesus responded, "The Scriptures also say, 'Do not test the Lord your God.' "
13When the Devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.