Lessons for October 7, 2007 – Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost The first lesson Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 This is the message that the prophet Habakkuk received from the Lord in a vision. [2] How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! "Violence!" I cry, but you do not come to save. [3] Must I forever see this sin and misery all around me? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. [4] The law has become paralyzed and useless, and there is no justice given in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, and justice is perverted with bribes and trickery. I will climb up into my watchtower now and wait to see what the Lord will say to me and how he will answer my complaint. [2] Then the Lord said to me, "Write my answer in large, clear letters on a tablet, so that a runner can read it and tell everyone else. [3] But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. [4] "Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked; but the righteous will live by their faith. (NLT) Psalm 37:1-9 L. Don't worry about the wicked. Don't envy those who do wrong. C. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like springtime flowers, they soon wither. L. Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. C. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires. L. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. C. He will make your innocence as clear as the dawn, L. and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. C. Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. L. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. C. Stop your anger! Turn from your rage! L. Do not envy others—it only leads to harm. C. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land. (NLT) The second lesson 2 Timothy 1:1-14 This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will, sent out to tell others about the life he has promised through faith in Christ Jesus. [2] It is written to Timothy, my dear son. May God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace. [3] Timothy, I thank God for you. He is the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. [4] I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again. [5] I know that you sincerely trust the Lord, for you have the faith of your mother, Eunice, and your grandmother, Lois. [6] This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. [7] For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. [8] So you must never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for Christ. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the proclamation of the Good News. [9] It is God who saved us and chose us to live a holy life. He did this not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan long before the world began—to show his love and kindness to us through Christ Jesus. [10] And now he has made all of this plain to us by the coming of Christ Jesus, our Savior, who broke the power of death and showed us the way to everlasting life through the Good News. [11] And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News. [12] And that is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return. [13] Hold on to the pattern of right teaching you learned from me. And remember to live in the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. [14] With the help of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard what has been entrusted to you. (NLT) The Gospel Lesson Luke 17:5-10 One day the apostles said to the Lord, "We need more faith; tell us how to get it." [6] "Even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed," the Lord answered, "you could say to this mulberry tree, 'May God uproot you and throw you into the sea,' and it would obey you! [7] "When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, he doesn't just sit down and eat. [8] He must first prepare his master's meal and serve him his supper before eating his own. [9] And the servant is not even thanked, because he is merely doing what he is supposed to do. [10] In the same way, when you obey me you should say, 'We are not worthy of praise. We are servants who have simply done our duty.' " (NLT)