Jesus’ considerable persuasive authority is on display in this Sunday’s gospel, both in his address to the people in the synagogue and in his taming of an unclean spirit. In a test of his own powers of persuasion, President Barack Obama gave his final State of the Union address before he faces voters in next fall’s election . . .

We are the people God shepherds, the flock God guides, the psalmist reminds us this Sunday. U.S. bishops, who shepherd dioceses across the nation, are upset with the Obama administration’s decision last Friday that religiously affiliated nonprofit organizations, including hospitals and universities, will have to offer a broad range of birth-control coverage . . .

“I should like you to be free of anxieties,” counsels Saint Paul in this Sunday’s reading from 1 Corinthians. Overcome by anxiety, sizeable numbers of people with colon cancer or lung cancer continue to smoke after being diagnosed, researchers say. They emphasize the need for cancer specialists to encourage smokers to quit and to help them do so . . .

Promising to raise a prophet like Moses among the people, God will “put my words in his mouth,” says this Sunday’s reading from the Book of Deuteronomy. When it comes to putting words on a screen, people are increasingly turning to tablet computers and e-book readers . . .

“I might have tacos when I go home; I’m not quite sure yet.”

A recent Southern Baptist Convention phone survey of a random selection of Protestant pastors found that 73 percent disagreed with the statement, “God used evolution to create people," and 46 percent think the earth is only about 6,000 years old. 74 percent believe Adam and Eve were real people.