They must thank him with sacrifices, and with songs of joy must tell all that he has done.

And you must love God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your strength; and you must love your neighbor as you love yourself. It is more important to obey these two commandments than to offer on the altar animals and other sacrifices to God."

So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.

Here, then, is my receipt for everything you have given me---and it has been more than enough! I have all I need now that Epaphroditus has brought me all your gifts. They are like a sweet-smelling offering to God, a sacrifice which is acceptable and pleasing to him.

Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.

Come as living stones, and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ.

The LORD is near to those who are discouraged; he saves those who have lost all hope.

He heals the broken-hearted and bandages their wounds.

and you repented and humbled yourself before me, tearing your clothes and weeping, when you heard how I threatened to punish Jerusalem and its people. I will make it a terrifying sight, a place whose name people will use as a curse. But I have heard your prayer,

"I am the high and holy God, who lives forever. I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are humble and repentant, so that I can restore their confidence and hope.

The Sovereign LORD has filled me with his Spirit. He has chosen me and sent me To bring good news to the poor, To heal the broken-hearted, To announce release to captives And freedom to those in prison.

To give to those who mourn in Zion Joy and gladness instead of grief, A song of praise instead of sorrow. They will be like trees That the LORD himself has planted. They will all do what is right, And God will be praised for what he has done.

I myself created the whole universe! I am pleased with those who are humble and repentant, who fear me and obey me.

Then the dazzling light of the presence of the God of Israel rose up from the winged creatures where it had been, and moved to the entrance of the Temple. The LORD called to the man dressed in linen,

"Go through the whole city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the forehead of everyone who is distressed and troubled because of all the disgusting things being done in the city."

Kill the old men, young men, young women, mothers, and children. But don't touch anyone who has the mark on his forehead. Start here at my Temple." So they began with the leaders who were standing there at the Temple.

"Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!

The Pharisee stood apart by himself and prayed, 'I thank you, God, that I am not greedy, dishonest, or an adulterer, like everybody else. I thank you that I am not like that tax collector over there.

But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even raise his face to heaven, but beat on his breast and said, 'God, have pity on me, a sinner!'

He does not neglect the poor or ignore their suffering; he does not turn away from them, but answers when they call for help."

He will hear his forsaken people and listen to their prayer.

In his suffering he became humble, turned to the LORD his God, and begged him for help.

God accepted Manasseh's prayer and answered it by letting him go back to Jerusalem and rule again. This convinced Manasseh that the LORD was God.

The LORD says, "I hate your religious festivals; I cannot stand them!

When the Pharisee saw this, he said to himself, "If this man really were a prophet, he would know who this woman is who is touching him; he would know what kind of sinful life she lives!"

"There were two men who owed money to a moneylender," Jesus began. "One owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other owed him fifty.

"I suppose," answered Simon, "that it would be the one who was forgiven more." "You are right," said Jesus.

You did not welcome me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing my feet since I came.

I tell you, then, the great love she has shown proves that her many sins have been forgiven. But whoever has been forgiven little shows only a little love."

The others sitting at the table began to say to themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?"

the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law started grumbling, "This man welcomes outcasts and even eats with them!"

"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them---what do you do? You leave the other ninety-nine sheep in the pasture and go looking for the one that got lost until you find it.

and carry it back home. Then you call your friends and neighbors together and say to them, 'I am so happy I found my lost sheep. Let us celebrate!'

'Father,' the son said, 'I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son.'

Then go and get the prize calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast!

"In the meantime the older son was out in the field. On his way back, when he came close to the house, he heard the music and dancing.

'Your brother has come back home,' the servant answered, 'and your father has killed the prize calf, because he got him back safe and sound.'

But he spoke back to his father, 'Look, all these years I have worked for you like a slave, and I have never disobeyed your orders. What have you given me? Not even a goat for me to have a feast with my friends!

'My son,' the father answered, 'you are always here with me, and everything I have is yours.