Readings for the Day:
Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7: Human beings were formed with great care, to be in relationship with the creator, creation, and one another.  The serpent’s promise to the first couple that their eyes would be opened led, ironically, to the discovery only that they were naked.
Romans 5:12-19:  Through Adam’s disobedience, humanity came under bondage to sin and death, from which we cannot free ourselves.  In Christ’s obedient death, God graciously showers on us the free gift of liberation and life.
Matthew 4:1-11:  Jesus experiences anew the temptations that Israel faced in the wilderness.  As the Son of God, he endures the testing of the evil one.
 ‘From Sunday & Seasons, copyright 2025 Augsburg Fortress’
Questions To Ponder:
1— What do you hear Psalm 32 inviting you to do, in your own situation? (Psalm 32) 
2—How does the passage from Romans encourage you in your wal with Jesus? (Romans 5:12-19)
3—How do you overcome temptation?  (Matthew 4:1-11)
4—How do these texts speak to you today?

Prayer:  Lord God, our strength, the struggle between good and evil rages within and around us, and the devil and all the forces that defy you tempt us with empty promises.  Keep us steadfast in your word, and when we fall, raise us again and restore us through your Son.  Amen.