Acts 19.1-8
(Epistle, Forerunner)
1While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus and found certain disciples.
2He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They said to him, “No, we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3He said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4Paul said, “John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Christ Jesus.”
5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke with other languages and prophesied.
7They were about twelve men in all.
8He entered into the synagogue and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning God’s Kingdom.
James 3.1-10
(Epistle)
1Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment.
2For we all stumble in many things. Anyone who doesn’t stumble in word is a perfect person, able to bridle the whole body also.
3Indeed, we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, and we guide their whole body.
4Behold, the ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds, are yet guided by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires.
5So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest!
6And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.
7For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and sea creature is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind;
8but nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in the image of God.
10Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
John 1.29-34
(Gospel, Forerunner)
29The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
30This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is preferred before me, for he was before me.’
31I didn’t know him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water, that he would be revealed to Israel.”
32John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him.
33I didn’t recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘On whomever you will see the Spirit descending and remaining on him is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’
34I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
Mark 11.11-23
(Gospel)
11Jesus entered into the temple in Jerusalem. When he had looked around at everything, it being now evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
12The next day, when they had come out from Bethany, he was hungry.
13Seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came to see if perhaps he might find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
14Jesus told it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” and his disciples heard it.
15They came to Jerusalem, and Jesus entered into the temple and began to throw out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves.
16He would not allow anyone to carry a container through the temple.
17He taught, saying to them, “Isn’t it written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers!”
18The chief priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy him. For they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching.
19When evening came, he went out of the city.
20As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots.
21Peter, remembering, said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away.”
22Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.
23For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening, he shall have whatever he says.