1st Scripture Reading – Psalm 121

Assurance of God’s Protection

¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills—

from where will my help come?

² My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

⁴ He who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord is your keeper;

the Lord is your shade at your right hand.

⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day

nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

⁸ The Lord will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time on and forevermore.

2nd Scripture Reading – 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

¹⁴ But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it ¹⁵ and how from childhood you have known sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the person of God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: ² proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage with the utmost patience in teaching. ³ For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound teaching, but, having their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires ⁴ and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. ⁵ As for you, be sober in everything, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.