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TODAY’S WORD…
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…for the Christian Family
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As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness,
humility, meekness, and patience.
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Bear with one another
and, if anyone has a complaint against another,
forgive each other;
just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
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Above all, clothe yourselves with love,
which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,
to which indeed you were called in the one body.
And be thankful.
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Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly;
teach and admonish one another in all wisdom;
and with gratitude in your hearts
sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.
And whatever you do, in word or deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
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Wives, be subject to your husbands,
as is fitting in the Lord.
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Husbands, love your wives
and never treat them harshly.
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Children, obey your parents in everything,
for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord.
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Fathers, do not provoke your children,
or they may lose heart.
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– Colossians 3:12-21 (NRSV)
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Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
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your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
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Thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the Lord.
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– Psalm 128:3-4 (NRSV)
Those who honour their father atone for sins,
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and those who respect their mother are like those who lay up treasure.
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Those who honour their father will have joy in their own children,
and when they pray they will be heard.
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Those who respect their father will have long life,
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and those who honour their mother obey the Lord;
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they will serve their parents as their masters.
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– Sirach 3:3-7 (NRSV)
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For kindness to a father will not be forgotten,
and will be credited to you against your sins;
in the day of your distress it will be remembered in your favour;
like frost in fair weather, your sins will melt away.
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Whoever forsakes a father is like a blasphemer,
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and whoever angers a mother is cursed by the Lord.
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– Sirach 3:14-16 (NRSV)
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REFLECTION…
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When I truly believe
that God’s Word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path,
I will put any selfish pride aside
and, as I read His Word with humility and faith,
my heart will know that what He is telling me is the truth
and that He says it out of His great love for me.
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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…
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Speak to me and to my loved ones, Lord,
make Your Word a lamp to our feet and a light for our path.
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