Saints, Feasts, and Readings for 10/09/2026 Saints and Feasts: James the Apostle, son of Alphaeus; Andronicus and Athanasia; Martyr Poplia; Abraham and Lot Strict Fast Epistle Reading: I Corinthians 4:9-16 Brethren, God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are ill-clad and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the refuse of the world, the off-scouring of all things. I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me. Gospel Reading: Matthew 9:36-38; 10:1-8 At that time, when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaios, and Lebbaeos called Thaddaios; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And preach as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay."

In chapter 43 of the book of Isaiah, verses 11-12 read, “I, yes I, am the Lord, and there is no other Savior. First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God,” says the Lord.” Verses like this remind us Christians to distance ourselves from worldly thoughts and rely on God alone. It's all too common to see Christians out there constantly looking at certain situations through their own eyes, trying to deal with these problems in front of them through their own strength. We constantly use our own carnal, egoic, flesh-minded thinking when it comes to making decisions that will do nothing but hinder us in the long run. The book of Proverbs describes this phenomenon best in chapter 21, verses 1-3, where Solomon states that “People may be right in their own eyes, but [it is] the Lord [who] examines their heart.” Many of us need to realize that —before jumping head-on into any obstacle set before us— we must consult God and His word for guidance, sustenance, and clarity about our situation. This act of consultation could be applied in the form of a brief prayer about your current feelings about your situation, a quick 1-3 minute clip from a sermon about dealing with the things that are on your heart, a small snippet of a Psalm, Proverb, or any other book from the Bible, or anything else that helps you connect with God before starting anything that needs to be started. Having a tinge of divine insight or reassurance from the Lord can completely shift your mindset about the task ahead, helping you focus on working unto God alone (Colossians 3:23).

One of the most common misconceptions that are prevalent in the lives of many beginner Christians is that all forms of secular behavior — like watching non-religious movies, listening to non-worship music, reading books that aren’t part of the Bible, etc.— are demonic. I’m here to tell you that it’s simply not true; not every piece of media that doesn’t praise God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is unclean. Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 encourages us to “be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can” and “enjoy the fruits of their labor [because] these are gifts from God.” Heck, sometimes biblical messages show up in secular content, which is the whole gist of my “Christian Scene Analysis” series. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with watching Christian content. If you prefer to only consume Christian media, that’s completely fine. I also believe we should guard our hearts, just as Proverbs 4:23 teaches. What I am trying to say is that it’s also okay to watch secular content, as long as you invite Jesus into it. Philippians 4:8 puts it well: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”