Daily Lectionary Readings for September 30, 2025

Daily Lectionary Readings (Two-Year Cycle)

Daily Lectionary Readings for September 30, 2025 By Daily Lectionary Readings, Tuesday, September 30, 2025 12:00 AM Morning Psalm 12 1   Help, O LORD, for there is no longer anyone who is godly;           the faithful have disappeared from humankind. 2   They utter lies to each other;           with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. 3   May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,           the tongue that makes great boasts, 4   those who say, “With our tongues we will prevail;           our lips are our own — who is our master?” 5   “Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan,           I will now rise up,” says the LORD;           “I will place them in the safety for which they long.” 6   The promises of the LORD are promises that are pure,           silver refined in a furnace on the ground,           purified seven times. 7   You, O LORD, will protect us;           you will guard us from this generation forever. 8   On every side the wicked prowl,           as vileness is exalted among humankind. Morning Psalm 146 1   Praise the LORD!      Praise the LORD, O my soul! 2   I will praise the LORD as long as I live;           I will sing praises to my God all my life long. 3   Do not put your trust in princes,           in mortals, in whom there is no help. 4   When their breath departs, they return to the earth;           on that very day their plans perish. 5   Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,           whose hope is in the LORD their God, 6   who made heaven and earth,           the sea, and all that is in them;      who keeps faith forever; 7        who executes justice for the oppressed;           who gives food to the hungry.      The LORD sets the prisoners free; 8        the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.      The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;           the LORD loves the righteous. 9   The LORD watches over the strangers;           he upholds the orphan and the widow,           but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. 10  The LORD will reign forever,           your God, O Zion, for all generations.      Praise the LORD! First Reading 2 Chronicles 29:1-3, 30:1 (2-9) 10-27 1Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old; he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. 2He did what was right in the sight of the LORD, just as his ancestor David had done. 3In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them. 1Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover to the LORD the God of Israel. 2For the king and his officials and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the passover in the second month 3(for they could not keep it at its proper time because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem). 4The plan seemed right to the king and all the assembly. 5So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, that the people should come and keep the passover to the LORD the God of Israel, at Jerusalem; for they had not kept it in great numbers as prescribed. 6So couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his officials, as the king had commanded, saying, “O people of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he may turn again to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7Do not be like your ancestors and your kindred, who were faithless to the LORD God of their ancestors, so that he made them a desolation, as you see. 8Do not now be stiff-necked as your ancestors were, but yield yourselves to the LORD and come to his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve the LORD your God, so that his fierce anger may turn away from you. 9For as you return to the LORD, your kindred and your children will find compassion with their captors, and return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.” 10So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun; but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them. 11Only a few from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the officials commanded by the word of the LORD. 13Many people came together in Jerusalem to keep the festival of unleavened bread in the second month, a very large assembly. 14They set to work and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for offering incense they took away and threw into the Wadi Kidron. 15They slaughtered the passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and they sanctified themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the LORD. 16They took their accustomed posts according to the law of Moses the man of God; the priests dashed the blood that they received from the hands of the Levites. 17For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites had to slaughter the passover lamb for everyone who was not clean, to make it holy to the LORD. 18For a multitude of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the passover otherwise than as prescribed. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “The good LORD pardon all 19who set their hearts to seek God, the LORD the God of their ancestors, even though not in accordance with the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.” 20The LORD heard Hezekiah, and healed the people. 21The people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the festival of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, accompanied by loud instruments for the LORD. 22Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the LORD. So the people ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing offerings of well-being and giving thanks to the LORD the God of their ancestors. 23Then the whole assembly agreed together to keep the festival for another seven days; so they kept it for another seven days with gladness. 24For King Hezekiah of Judah gave the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for offerings, and the officials gave the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep. The priests sanctified themselves in great numbers. 25The whole assembly of Judah, the priests and the Levites, and the whole assembly that came out of Israel, and the resident aliens who came out of the land of Israel, and the resident aliens who lived in Judah, rejoiced. 26There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon son of King David of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27Then the priests and the Levites stood up and blessed the people, and their voice was heard; their prayer came to his holy dwelling in heaven. Second Reading 1 Corinthians 7:32-40 32I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; 33but the married man is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please his wife, 34and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin are anxious about the affairs of the Lord, so that they may be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please her husband. 35I say this for your own benefit, not to put any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord. 36If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his fiancee, if his passions are strong, and so it has to be, let him marry as he wishes; it is no sin. Let them marry. 37But if someone stands firm in his resolve, being under no necessity but having his own desire under control, and has determined in his own mind to keep her as his fiancee, he will do well. 38So then, he who marries his fiancee does well; and he who refrains from marriage will do better. 39A wife is bound as long as her husband lives. But if the husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, only in the Lord. 40But in my judgment she is more blessed if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God. Gospel Reading Matthew 7:1-12 1“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. 2For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. 3Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. 6“Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you. 7“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 9Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? 10Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 12“In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.” Evening Psalm 36 1   Transgression speaks to the wicked           deep in their hearts;      there is no fear of God           before their eyes. 2   For they flatter themselves in their own eyes           that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3   The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit;           they have ceased to act wisely and do good. 4   They plot mischief while on their beds;           they are set on a way that is not good;           they do not reject evil. 5   Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,           your faithfulness to the clouds. 6   Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,           your judgments are like the great deep;           you save humans and animals alike, O LORD. 7   How precious is your steadfast love, O God!           All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8   They feast on the abundance of your house,           and you give them drink from the river of your delights. 9   For with you is the fountain of life;           in your light we see light. 10  O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,           and your salvation to the upright of heart! 11  Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me,           or the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12  There the evildoers lie prostrate;           they are thrust down, unable to rise. Evening Psalm 7 1   O LORD my God, in you I take refuge;           save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me, 2   or like a lion they will tear me apart;           they will drag me away, with no one to rescue. 3   O LORD my God, if I have done this,           if there is wrong in my hands, 4   if I have repaid my ally with harm           or plundered my foe without cause, 5   then let the enemy pursue and overtake me,           trample my life to the ground,           and lay my soul in the dust. Selah 6   Rise up, O LORD, in your anger;           lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;           awake, O my God; you have appointed a judgment. 7   Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered around you,           and over it take your seat on high. 8   The LORD judges the peoples;           judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness           and according to the integrity that is in me. 9   O let the evil of the wicked come to an end,           but establish the righteous,      you who test the minds and hearts,           O righteous God. 10  God is my shield,           who saves the upright in heart. 11  God is a righteous judge,           and a God who has indignation every day. 12  If one does not repent, God will whet his sword;           he has bent and strung his bow; 13  he has prepared his deadly weapons,           making his arrows fiery shafts. 14  See how they conceive evil,           and are pregnant with mischief,           and bring forth lies. 15  They make a pit, digging it out,           and fall into the hole that they have made. 16  Their mischief returns upon their own heads,           and on their own heads their violence descends. 17   I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness,           and sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High. 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On the Road to Jerusalem: A Study of Luke (Empty Tomb and Emmaus Road - Luke 24:1-35)

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: On the Road to Jerusalem: A Study of Luke (Empty T...: At Sligo Presbyterian Church, we're using  the Gospel of Luke to discuss the journey made by Jesus Christ to the city of Jerusalem, from...

Bible Readings for September 30, 2025

Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Isaiah 60:1–62:5; Philippians 1:27–2:18; Psalm 72:1-20; and Proverbs 24:11-12. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. 

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Isaiah 60-62:5 (Contemporary English Version)

Isaiah 60

A New Day for Jerusalem

 ¹Jerusalem, stand up! Shine!

   Your new day is dawning.

   The glory of the LORD

   shines brightly on you.

    ²The earth and its people

   are covered with darkness,

   but the glory of the LORD

   is shining upon you.

    ³Nations and kings

   will come to the light

   of your dawning day.   

Crowds Are Coming to Jerusalem

The LORD said:

 ⁴Open your eyes! Look around!

   Crowds are coming.

   Your sons are on their way

   from distant lands;

   your daughters are being carried

   like little children.

    ⁵When you see this,

   your faces will glow;

   your hearts will pound

   and swell with pride. ^a] Treasures from across the sea

   and the wealth of nations

   will be brought to you.

    ⁶Your country will be covered

   with caravans

   of young camels

   from Midian and Ephah. ^b] The people of Sheba ^c] will bring gold and spices

   in praise of me, the LORD.

    ⁷Every sheep of Kedar

   will come to you;

   rams from Nebaioth ^d] will be yours as well.

   I will accept them as offerings

   and bring honor to my temple.

    ⁸What is that sailing by

   like clouds

   or like doves flying home?

    ⁹On those distant islands

   your people are waiting

   for me, the LORD. ^e] Seagoing ships ^f] lead the way to bring them home

   with their silver and gold.

   I, the holy LORD God of Israel,

   do this

   to honor your people,

   so they will honor me.   

Jerusalem Will Be Rebuilt

The LORD said:

 ¹⁰Jerusalem, your city walls

   will be rebuilt by foreigners;

   their rulers will become

   your slaves.

   I punished you in my anger;

   now I will be kind

   and treat you with mercy.

    ¹¹Your gates will be open

   day and night

   to let the rulers of nations

   lead their people to you

   with all their treasures.

    ¹²Any nation or kingdom

   that refuses to serve you

   will be wiped out.

    ¹³Wood from Lebanon's best trees

   will be brought to you--

   the pines, the firs,

   and the cypress trees.

   It will be used in my temple

   to make beautiful

   the place

   where I rest my feet.

    ¹⁴The descendants of enemies

   who hated and mistreated you

   will kneel at your feet.

   They will say, "You are Zion,

   the city of the LORD,

   the holy God of Israel."

    ¹⁵You were hated and deserted,

   rejected by everyone.

   But I will make you beautiful,

   a city to be proud of

   for all time to come.

    ¹⁶You will drain the wealth

   of kings and foreign nations.

   You will know that I,

   the mighty LORD God of Israel,

   have saved and rescued you.

    ¹⁷I will bring bronze and iron

   in place of wood and stone;

   in place of bronze and iron,

   I will bring gold and silver.

   I will appoint peace and justice

   as your rulers and leaders.

    ¹⁸Violence, destruction, and ruin

   will never again

   be heard of

   within your borders.

   "Victory" will be the name

   you give to your walls;

   "Praise" will be the name

   you give to your gates.

    ¹⁹You won't need the light

   of the sun or the moon.

   I, the LORD your God,

   will be your eternal light

   and bring you honor.

    ²⁰Your sun will never set

   or your moon go down.

   I, the LORD, will be

   your everlasting light,

   and your days of sorrow

   will come to an end.

    ²¹Your people will live right

   and always own the land;

   they are the trees I planted

   to bring praise to me.

    ²²Even the smallest family

   will be a powerful nation.

   I am the LORD,

   and when the time comes,

   I will quickly do all this.

   

Isaiah 61

The Good News of Victory

 ¹The Spirit of the LORD God

   has taken control of me!

   The LORD has chosen and sent me

   to tell the oppressed

   the good news,

   to heal the brokenhearted,

   and to announce freedom

   for prisoners and captives.

    ²This is the year

   when the LORD God

   will show kindness to us

   and punish our enemies.

   The LORD has sent me

   to comfort those who mourn,

    ³especially in Jerusalem.

   He sent me to give them flowers

   in place of their sorrow,

   olive oil in place of tears,

   and joyous praise

   in place of broken hearts.

   They will be called

   "Trees of Justice,"

   planted by the LORD

   to honor his name.

    ⁴Then they will rebuild cities

   that have been in ruins

   for many generations.

    ⁵They will hire foreigners

   to take care of their sheep

   and their vineyards.

    ⁶But they themselves will be

   priests and servants

   of the LORD our God.

   The treasures of the nations

   will belong to them,

   and they will be famous. ^g] 7They were terribly insulted

   and horribly mistreated;

   now they will be greatly blessed

   and joyful forever.  

The LORD Loves Justice

 ⁸I, the LORD, love justice!

   But I hate robbery

   and injustice. ^h] My people, I solemnly promise

   to reward you

   with an eternal agreement.

    ⁹Your descendants will be known

   in every nation.

   All who see them will realize

   that they have been blessed,

   by me, the LORD.  

Celebrate and Shout

 ¹⁰I celebrate and shout

   because of my LORD God.

   His saving power and justice

   are the very clothes I wear.

   They are more beautiful

   than the jewelry worn

   by a bride or a groom.

    ¹¹The LORD will bring about

   justice and praise

   in every nation on earth,

   like flowers blooming

   in a garden.

   

Isaiah 62

Jerusalem Will Be Saved

 ¹Jerusalem, I will speak up

   for your good.

   I will never be silent

   till you are safe and secure,

   sparkling like a flame.

    ²Your great victory will be seen

   by every nation and king;

   the LORD will even give you

   a new name.

    ³You will be a glorious crown,

   a royal headband,

   for the LORD your God.

    ⁴Your name will no longer be

   "Deserted and Childless,"

   but "Happily Married."

   You will please the LORD;

   your country

   will be his bride.

    ⁵Your people will take the land, ^i] just as a young man

   takes a bride.

   The LORD will be pleased

   because of you,

   just as a husband is pleased

   with his bride.

   

Footnotes:

1. Isaiah 60:5 swell with pride: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
2. Isaiah 60:6 Midian. . . Ephah: Midian was the ancestor of a nomadic tribe of the Arabian desert, east of the Gulf of Aqaba. Ephah was a clan within the tribe of Midian.
3. Isaiah 60:6 Sheba: Perhaps a place in what is now southwest Arabia. The Queen of Sheba brought gifts to Solomon (1 Kings 10.1-13).
4. Isaiah 60:7 Kedar. . . Nebaioth: Regions in northern Arabia.
5. Isaiah 60:9 On. . . LORD: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
6. Isaiah 60:9 Seagoing ships: See the note at 2.16.
7. Isaiah 61:6 and. . . famous: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
8. Isaiah 61:8 But. . . injustice: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
9. Isaiah 62:5 Your. . . land: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Philippians 1:27-2:18 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁷Above all else, you must live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. Then, whether I visit you or not, I will hear that all of you think alike. I will know that you are working together and that you are struggling side by side to get others to believe the good news.

    ²⁸Be brave when you face your enemies. Your courage will show them that they are going to be destroyed, and it will show you that you will be saved. God will make all of this happen, ²⁹and he has blessed you. Not only do you have faith in Christ, but you suffer for him. ³⁰You saw me suffer, and you still hear about my troubles. Now you must suffer in the same way.

   

Philippians 2

True Humility

 ¹Christ encourages you, and his love comforts you. God's Spirit unites you, and you are concerned for others. ²Now make me completely happy! Live in harmony by showing love for each other. Be united in what you think, as if you were only one person. ³Don't be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. ⁴Care about them as much as you care about yourselves ⁵and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought: ^a] 6Christ was truly God.

   But he did not try to remain ^b] equal with God.

    ⁷Instead he gave up everything ^c] and became a slave,

   when he became

   like one of us.

    ⁸Christ was humble.

   He obeyed God

   and even died

   on a cross.

    ⁹Then God gave Christ

   the highest place

   and honored his name

   above all others.

    ¹⁰So at the name of Jesus

   everyone will bow down,

   those in heaven, on earth,

   and under the earth.

    ¹¹And to the glory

   of God the Father

   everyone will openly agree,

   "Jesus Christ is Lord!"   

Lights in the World

 ¹²My dear friends, you always obeyed when I was with you. Now that I am away, you should obey even more. So work with fear and trembling to discover what it really means to be saved. ¹³God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.

    ¹⁴Do everything without grumbling or arguing. ¹⁵Then you will be the pure and innocent children of God. You live among people who are crooked and evil, but you must not do anything that they can say is wrong. Try to shine as lights among the people of this world, ¹⁶as you hold firmly to ^d] the message that gives life. Then on the day when Christ returns, I can take pride in you. I can also know that my work and efforts were not useless. ¹⁷Your faith in the Lord and your service are like a sacrifice offered to him. And my own blood may have to be poured out with the sacrifice. ^e] If this happens, I will be glad and rejoice with you. ¹⁸In the same way, you should be glad and rejoice with me.

Footnotes:

1. Philippians 2:5 think the same way that Christ Jesus thought: Or "think the way you should because you belong to Christ Jesus."
2. Philippians 2:6 remain: Or "become."
3. Philippians 2:7 Instead he gave up everything: Greek, "He emptied himself."
4. Philippians 2:16 hold firmly to: Or "offer them."
5. Philippians 2:17 my own blood may have to be poured out with the sacrifice: Offerings of water or wine were sometimes poured out when animals were sacrificed on the altar.

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Psalm 72:1-20 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 72

(By Solomon.)

A Prayer for God To Guide and Help the King

 ¹Please help the king

   to be honest and fair

   just like you, our God.

    ²Let him be honest and fair

   with all your people,

   especially the poor.

    ³Let peace and justice rule

   every mountain and hill.

    ⁴Let the king defend the poor,

   rescue the homeless,

   and crush

   everyone who hurts them.

    ⁵Let the king live ^a] forever like the sun and the moon.

    ⁶Let him be as helpful as rain

   that refreshes the meadows

   and the ground.

    ⁷Let the king be fair

   with everyone,

   and let there be peace

   until the moon

   falls from the sky.

    ⁸Let his kingdom reach

   from sea to sea,

   from the Euphrates River

   across all the earth.

    ⁹Force the desert tribes

   to accept his rule,

   and make his enemies

   crawl in the dirt.

    ¹⁰Force the rulers of Tarshish ^b] and of the islands

   to pay taxes to him.

   Make the kings of Sheba

   and of Seba ^c] bring gifts. ¹¹Make other rulers bow down

   and all nations serve him.

    ¹²Do this because the king

   rescues the homeless

   when they cry out,

   and he helps everyone

   who is poor and in need.

    ¹³The king has pity

   on the weak and the helpless

   and protects those in need.

    ¹⁴He cares when they hurt,

   and he saves them from cruel

   and violent deaths.

    ¹⁵Long live the king!

   Give him gold from Sheba.

   Always pray for the king

   and praise him each day.

    ¹⁶Let cities overflow with food

   and hills be covered with grain,

   just like Mount Lebanon.

   Let the people in the cities

   prosper like wild flowers.

    ¹⁷May the glory of the king

   shine brightly forever

   like the sun in the sky.

   Let him make nations prosper

   and learn to praise him.

    ¹⁸LORD God of Israel,

   we praise you.

   Only you can work miracles.

    ¹⁹We will always praise

   your glorious name.

   Let your glory be seen

   everywhere on earth.

   Amen and amen.

    ²⁰This ends the prayers

   of David, the son of Jesse.

   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 72:5 Let the king live: One ancient translation; Hebrew " Let them worship you."
2. Psalm 72:10 Tarshish: Possibly a city in Spain.
3. Psalm 72:10 Sheba. . . Seba: Sheba may have been a place in what is now southwest Arabia, and Seba may have been in southern Arabia.

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Proverbs 24:11-12 (Contemporary English Version)

-25-

 ¹¹ Don't fail to rescue those

   who are doomed to die.

    ¹²Don't say, "I didn't know it!"

   God can read your mind.

   He watches each of us

   and knows our thoughts.

   And God will pay us back

   for what we do.

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Thought for the Day

 

“I pray that your love will keep on growing and that you will fully know and understand how to make the right choices. Then you will still be pure and innocent when Christ returns.” (Philippians 1:9-10a - Contemporary English Version) As Christians, our goal should always be to make our love broader and deeper. You see, when we do, not only will our choices improve, so will our confidence and hope.

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Quote for the Day

Mexican novelist, screenwriter and politician, who served in the Chamber of Deputies for the Morena Party from 2015 to 2018, Laura Esquivel wrote, "I watch cooking change the cook, just as it transforms the food."

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A Joke for Today

A six year old comes crying to his Mother because his little sister pulled his hair.

"Don't be angry," the Mother says, "Your little sister doesn't realize that pulling hair hurts."

A short while later, there's more crying, and the Mother goes to investigate.

This time the sister is bawling and her brother says...

"Now she knows."

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A Prayer Request

As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we're laying before God today.

That our leaders would be honest, humble and God-fearing men and women who recognize that they are accountable to God for each decision and action.