Isaiah 11: 1-10
Even when everything around seems full of upheaval and threat, the Lord’s justice and love for his people promises hope, and a future of peace and knowledge of his friendship.

Romans 15: 4-9
Hope in God’s great love for us is the foundation of a deep security, which frees us to offer true friendship to all people, regardless of how different they seem from us.

Matthew 3: 1-12
The coming of Jesus is a moment of promise but a moment, too, of a difficult message for those like the Pharisees.  The promise of God’s love in Jesus calls for repentance, a change of life built on an honest humility about who we really are.