And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Daily Bible Reading: Sunday, July 7, 2024

Mark 6:1-13 (NRSV)

​Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

1He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! 3Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. 4Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house." 5And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Then he went about among the villages teaching. 7He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them." 12So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

"Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go. And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

Daily Bible Reading: Saturday, July 6, 2024

Matthew 8:18-22 (NRSV)

18Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19A scribe then approached and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." 20And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." 21Another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 22But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

Look at what is before your eyes. If you are confident that you belong to Christ, remind yourself of this, that just as you belong to Christ, so also do we.

Daily Bible Reading: Friday, July 5, 2024

2 Corinthians 10:7-11 (NRSV)

7Look at what is before your eyes. If you are confident that you belong to Christ, remind yourself of this, that just as you belong to Christ, so also do we. 8Now, even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. 9I do not want to seem as though I am trying to frighten you with my letters. 10For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible." 11Let such people understand that what we say by letter when absent, we will also do when present.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

Daily Bible Reading: Wednesday, July 3, 2024

John 14:1-7 (NRSV)

Thomas, Apostle

1Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4And you know the way to the place where I am going." 5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

...for I know your eagerness, which is the subject of my boasting about you to the people of Macedonia...

Daily Bible Reading: Tuesday, July 2, 2024

2 Corinthians 9:1-5 (NRSV)

​1Now it is not necessary for me to write you about the ministry to the saints, 2for I know your eagerness, which is the subject of my boasting about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year; and your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you may not prove to have been empty in this case, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be; 4otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated — to say nothing of you — in this undertaking. 5So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you, and arrange in advance for this bountiful gift that you have promised, so that it may be ready as a voluntary gift and not as an extortion.

Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life. Let them be turned back and confounded who devise evil against me.

Daily Bible Reading: Monday, January 29, 2024

Psalm 35:1-10 (NRSV)

​1Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me!
2Take hold of shield and buckler,
and rise up to help me!
3Draw the spear and javelin
against my pursuers;
say to my soul,
"I am your salvation."
4Let them be put to shame and dishonor
who seek after my life.
Let them be turned back and confounded
who devise evil against me.
5Let them be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the LORD driving them on.
6Let their way be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
7For without cause they hid their net for me;
without cause they dug a pit for my life.
8Let ruin come on them unawares.
And let the net that they hid ensnare them;
let them fall in it — to their ruin.
9Then my soul shall rejoice in the LORD,
exulting in his deliverance.
10All my bones shall say,
"O LORD, who is like you?
You deliver the weak
from those too strong for them,
the weak and needy from those who despoil them."

ELCA's daily Bible readings are chosen from "Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings," prepared by Consultation on the Common Texts, © 2005.
All text is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches USA, and is used by permission. All rights reserved.