Hebrews 11:13-22

[13]All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, [14]for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. [15]If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return.
[16]But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.
Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.

[17]By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, [18]of whom he had been told, "It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you."

[19]He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead — and figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. [20]By faith Isaac invoked blessings for the future on Jacob and Esau. [21]By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, "bowing in worship over the top of his staff." [22]By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his burial.

Psalm 145

[1] I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
[2] Every day I will bless you,
and praise your name forever and ever.
[3] Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.

[4] One generation shall laud your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
[5] On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
[6] The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
and I will declare your greatness.
[7] They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

[8] The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
[9] The Lord is good to all,
and his compassion is over all that he has made.

[10] All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your faithful shall bless you.
[11] They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
and tell of your power,
[12] to make known to all people your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
[13] Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

The Lord is faithful in all his words,
and gracious in all his deeds.
[14] The Lord upholds all who are falling,
and raises up all who are bowed down.
[15] The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
[16] You open your hand,
satisfying the desire of every living thing.
[17] The Lord is just in all his ways,
and kind in all his doings.
[18] The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
[19] He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;
he also hears their cry, and saves them.
[20] The Lord watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

[21] My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.

Psalm 122

[1] I was glad when they said to me,
"Let us go to the house of the LORD!"
[2] Our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

[3] Jerusalem -- built as a city
that is bound firmly together.
[4] To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
[5] For there the thrones for judgment were set up,
the thrones of the house of David.

[6] Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May they prosper who love you.
[7] Peace be within your walls,
and security within your towers."
[8] For the sake of my relatives and friends
I will say, "Peace be within you."
[9] For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your good.

John 6:1-15

[1]After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. [2]A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. [3]Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. [4]Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. [5]When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?" [6]He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. [7]Philip answered him, "Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." [8]One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, [9]"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?" [10]Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. [11]Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. [12]When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost." [13]So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. [14]When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world."

[15]When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Genesis 16:15-17:14

[15]Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. [16]Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

[1]When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. [2]And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous." [3]Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, [4]"As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. [5]No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. [6]I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. [7]I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. [8]And I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are now an alien, all the land of Canaan, for a perpetual holding; and I will be their God."

[9]God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. [10]This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. [11]You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. [12]Throughout your generations every male among you shall be circumcised when he is eight days old, including the slave born in your house and the one
bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. [13]Both the slave born in your house and the one bought with your money must be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. [14]Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."

Psalm 65

[1] Praise is due to you,
O God, in Zion;
and to you shall vows be performed,
[2] O you who answer prayer!
To you all flesh shall come.
[3] When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
you forgive our transgressions.
[4] Happy are those whom you choose and bring near
to live in your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
your holy temple.

[5] By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.
[6] By your strength you established the mountains;
you are girded with might.
[7] You silence the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples.
[8] Those who live at earth's farthest bounds are awed by your signs;
you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.

[9] You visit the earth and water it,
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide the people with grain,
for so you have prepared it.
[10] You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
[11] You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
[12] The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
[13] the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.

Psalm 146

[1] Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
[2] I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

[3] Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
[4] When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.

[5] Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God,
[6] who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
[7] who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.

The LORD sets the prisoners free;
[8] the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
[9] The LORD watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

[10] The LORD will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD!