“’Those entering into the SMP Program as vicars will be adding course work and vicarage responsibilities to their already full and busy lives of work and family responsibilities and other life vocations God has given to them,’ said SMP Program Director Dr. W. Mart Thompson. ‘While the program is demanding and requires significant sacrifice and commitment, their hard work will certainly bear fruit for the sake of the Gospel as they are formed for the Office of the Ministry to become pastors.’” – Concordia Seminary St. Louis, February 10, 2023

“’With song and Scripture, we worshipped our Savior on Sunday evening outside around the fire,’ the church says. ‘The night was complete with warm drinks, good food, and family fellowship.’” – Regular Baptist Ministries, February 9, 2023

“His mom, a nurse who lives in nearby Florissant, had found out about the incident and turned the child over to the cops. ‘It was surreal,’ Coleman said when he saw the young suspect. ‘I commend her for turning him in because that’s probably the hardest thing, but the best thing, she could do for him because these people he’s dealing with, you don’t know how desperate they are.'” – Fox News, February 5, 2023

Bible reading: II Corinthians 6:14 – 7:1

“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”

Hymn singing: I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light

“I want to walk as a child of the light.
I want to follow Jesus.
God set the stars to give light to the world.
The star of my life is Jesus.”

Park Street Church, Boston, Massachusetts – February 5, 2023

“Specific initiatives include annual ‘renewal retreats’ for ministers, leaders and spouses; occasional bonuses for preachers; scholarships for children to attend Colorado’s Lads to Leaders convention (directed by former Castle Rock elder Don Moore); and minister access to counseling services.” – The Christian Chronicle, February 4, 2023

“Eating together on Sundays and partnering with a food bank aren’t the only ways Largs Naz reaches the community through food. The church offers a program on Thursdays called Common Ground. In the afternoon, elderly people come for companionship, teas and coffees, and help with their technology, provided by a congregant. When school lets out, children come for tutoring, games, and a hearty evening meal prepared by the church.” – Church of the Nazarene, February 2, 2023

“Beginning this fall, we will spend each Wednesday evening, 7:00–9:00 pm, digging deep into God’s Word to uncover what He has revealed about His perfections. We will carefully define and exposit such qualities as aseity, sovereignty, holiness, omnipresence, love, immutability, faithfulness, and wrath. We will sing great hymns together that will exalt God for these qualities and devote time in small groups each week to discuss their practical impact on our lives.” – Grace Community Church, accessed February 1, 2023

Bible reading: Matthew 5:1-12

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Hymn singing: O For a Closer Walk with God

“So shall my walk be close with God,
Calm and serene my frame;
So purer light shall mark the road
That leads me to the Lamb.”

Canfield Presbyterian Church, Canfield, Ohio – January 29, 2023

“Quoting from his 2013 apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium, Pope Francis underlined that marriage ‘is a reality with its own precise essence, not ‘a mere form of affective gratification that can be constituted in any way and modified according to each person’s sensitivity.’’” – Catholic News Agency, January 27, 2023