Mount Olive Church: Recent Episodes
Mount Olive Church
Every week Mount Olive Church shares the word of God with people in Central Alberta. Audio recordings of our Sunday services are made available to you through iTunes & Spotify.
Gods gospel alone addresses our deepest need.We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through Gods saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.
Due to the nature of our guest speakers work as Global Workers in a creative access country, we are unable to keep the video of this sermon available online.We appreciate your understanding and are sorry if you missed this service.
Article #2:"Gods gospel is authoritatively revealed in the Scriptures.We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavour should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises."
We Believe:"Gods gospel originates in and expresses the wondrous perfections of the eternal, triune God.We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory."
John 211 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 Im going out to fish, Simon Peter told them, and they said, Well go with you. So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.5 He called out to them, Friends, havent you any fish?No, they answered.6 He said, Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It is the Lord! As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, It is the Lord, he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.10 Jesus said to them, Bring some of the fish you have just caught. 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, Come and have breakfast. None of the disciples dared ask him, Who are you? They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?Yes, Lord, he said, you know that I love you.Jesus said, Feed my lambs.16 Again Jesus said, Simon son of John, do you love me?He answered, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.Jesus said, Take care of my sheep.17 The third time he said to him, Simon son of John, do you love me?Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, Do you love me? He said, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.Jesus said, Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go. 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, Follow me!20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, Lord, who is going to betray you?) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, Lord, what about him?22 Jesus answered, If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me. 23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
Luke 24:13-3513 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.17 He asked them, What are you discussing together as you walk along?They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?19 What things? he asked.About Jesus of Nazareth, they replied. He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didnt find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.25 He said to them, How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over. So he went in to stay with them.30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon. 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
John 20:19-3119 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you! 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.21 Again Jesus said, Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyones sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, We have seen the Lord!But he said to them, Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you! 27 Then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.28 Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God!29 Then Jesus told him, Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-1813 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lords word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Philippians 2:1-51 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Psalm 731Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.2But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.3For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.4They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.5They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills.6Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.7From their callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil imaginations have no limits.8They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.9Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.10Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance.11They say, How would God know? Does the Most High know anything?12This is what the wicked are like always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.13Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.14All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.15If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children.16When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply17till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.18Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.19How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!20They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.21When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,22I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.23Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.24You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.25Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.26My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.27Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.28But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
Ephesians 5:21-3321 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church 30 for we are members of his body. 31 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. 32 This is a profound mysterybut I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Matthew 18:15-1715 If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
John 14:66 Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Matthew 19:1-101 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?4 Havent you read, he replied, that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, 5 and said, For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.7 Why then, they asked, did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?8 Jesus replied, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.10 The disciples said to him, If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.
Ephesians 6:1212 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.Ephesians 1:15-2315 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all Gods people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Esther 4:14 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your fathers family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?Ephesians 2:1-101 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressionsit is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faithand this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are Gods handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Matthew 13:1-23 1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a cropa hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.10 The disciples came to him and asked, Why do you speak to the people in parables?11 He replied, Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.15For this peoples heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heartsand turn, and I would heal them.16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.18 Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.Mark 4:1-201 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the waters edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.9 Then Jesus said, Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that,they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding;otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!13 Then Jesus said to them, Dont you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a cropsome thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.
Matthew 5:13-1613 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.14 You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Hebrews 10:23-2523 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one anotherand all the more as you see the Day approaching.Ephesians 5:18-2118 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 4:17 - 5:217 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.5:1 Follow Gods example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Luke 20:9-199 He went on to tell the people this parable: A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. 12 He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.14 But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. This is the heir, they said. Lets kill him, and the inheritance will be ours. 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.When the people heard this, they said, God forbid!17 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, Then what is the meaning of that which is written:The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone?18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.
1 Corinthians 11:23-2623 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me. 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lords death until he comes.
Luke 2:1-21 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.Matthew 2:1-121 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the peoples chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 In Bethlehem in Judea, they replied, for this is what the prophet has written:6But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Luke 1:26-5626 In the sixth month of Elizabeths pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgins name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacobs descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.34 How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin?35 The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.38 I am the Lords servant, Mary answered. May your word to me be fulfilled. Then the angel left her.Mary Visits Elizabeth39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariahs home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Marys greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!Marys Song46 And Mary said:My soul glorifies the Lord47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,48for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.From now on all generations will call me blessed,49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me holy is his name.50His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.51He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.52He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.53He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.54He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful55to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
Matthew 1:18-2318 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means God with us).
Ecclesiastes 11:7 - 12:14Remember Your Creator While Young7Light is sweet,and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.8However many years anyone may live,let them enjoy them all.But let them remember the days of darkness,for there will be many.Everything to come is meaningless.9You who are young, be happy while you are young,and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.Follow the ways of your heartand whatever your eyes see,but know that for all these thingsGod will bring you into judgment.10So then, banish anxiety from your heartand cast off the troubles of your body,for youth and vigor are meaningless.Remember your Creatorin the days of your youth,before the days of trouble comeand the years approach when you will say,I find no pleasure in them2before the sun and the lightand the moon and the stars grow dark,and the clouds return after the rain;3when the keepers of the house tremble,and the strong men stoop,when the grinders cease because they are few,and those looking through the windows grow dim;4when the doors to the street are closedand the sound of grinding fades;when people rise up at the sound of birds,but all their songs grow faint;5when people are afraid of heightsand of dangers in the streets;when the almond tree blossomsand the grasshopper drags itself alongand desire no longer is stirred.Then people go to their eternal homeand mourners go about the streets.6Remember himbefore the silver cord is severed,and the golden bowl is broken;before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,and the wheel broken at the well,7and the dust returns to the ground it came from,and the spirit returns to God who gave it.8Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher.Everything is meaningless!The Conclusion of the Matter9Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs.10The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.11The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nailsgiven by one shepherd.12Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.13Now all has been heard;here is the conclusion of the matter:Fear God and keep his commandments,for this is the duty of all mankind.14For God will bring every deed into judgment,including every hidden thing,whether it is good or evil.
Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:147 Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.8 However many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all.But let them remember the days of darkness, for there will be many. Everything to come is meaningless.9 You who are young, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see,but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.10 So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless.12:1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, I find no pleasure in them2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain;3 when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop,when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim;4 when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades;when people rise up at the sound of birds, but all their songs grow faint;5 when people are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets;when the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags itself along and desire no longer is stirred.Then people go to their eternal home and mourners go about the streets.6 Remember himbefore the silver cord is severed, and the golden bowl is broken;before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the wheel broken at the well,7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.8 Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Everything is meaningless!The Conclusion of the Matter9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. 10 The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nailsgiven by one shepherd. 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter:Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
Ecclesiastes 9:13-11:813 I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: 14 There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. 15 Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. 16 So I said, Wisdom is better than strength. But the poor mans wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.17The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools.18Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.10:1 As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.2The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.3Even as fools walk along the road, they lack sense and show everyone how stupid they are.4If a rulers anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great offenses to rest.5There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler:6Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones.7I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves.8Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.9Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.10If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened,more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.11If a snake bites before it is charmed, the charmer receives no fee.12Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips.13At the beginning their words are folly; at the end they are wicked madness14 and fools multiply words.No one knows what is coming who can tell someone else what will happen after them?15The toil of fools wearies them; they do not know the way to town.16Woe to the land whose king was a servant and whose princes feast in the morning.17Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat at a proper time for strength and not for drunkenness.18Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks.19A feast is made for laughter, wine makes life merry, and money is the answer for everything.20Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom,because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say.Invest in Many Ventures11:1 Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return.2Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.3If clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth.Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.4Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.5As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mothers womb,so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.6Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle,for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.Remember Your Creator While Young7Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.8However many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all.But let them remember the days of darkness, for there will be many. Everything to come is meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 8:15 - 9:12 15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the labor that is done on earthpeople getting no sleep day or night 17 then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.9:1 So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in Gods hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them. 2 All share a common destinythe righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.As it is with the good, so with the sinful;as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them.3 This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. 4 Anyone who is among the living has hopeeven a live dog is better off than a dead lion!5For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing;they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten.6Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished;never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. 8 Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sunall your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.11 I have seen something else under the sun:The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong,nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned;but time and chance happen to them all.12 Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare,so people are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.
Ecclesiastes 8:1-141 Who is like the wise? Who knows the explanation of things?A persons wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance.Obey the King2 Obey the kings command, I say, because you took an oath before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry to leave the kings presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. 4 Since a kings word is supreme, who can say to him, What are you doing?5Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.6For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a person may be weighed down by misery.7Since no one knows the future, who can tell someone else what is to come?8As no one has power over the wind to contain it, so no one has power over the time of their death.As no one is discharged in time of war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.9 All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own hurt. 10 Then too, I saw the wicked buriedthose who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, peoples hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. 12 Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. 13 Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 7:1 - 8:11 A good name is better than fine perfume,and the day of death better than the day of birth.2 It is better to go to a house of mourningthan to go to a house of feasting,for death is the destiny of everyone;the living should take this to heart.3 Frustration is better than laughter,because a sad face is good for the heart.4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.5 It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise personthan to listen to the song of fools.6 Like the crackling of thorns under the pot,so is the laughter of fools.This too is meaningless.7 Extortion turns a wise person into a fool,and a bribe corrupts the heart.8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning,and patience is better than pride.9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,for anger resides in the lap of fools.10 Do not say, Why were the old days better than these?For it is not wise to ask such questions.11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thingand benefits those who see the sun.12 Wisdom is a shelteras money is a shelter,but the advantage of knowledge is this:Wisdom preserves those who have it.13 Consider what God has done:Who can straightenwhat he has made crooked?14 When times are good, be happy;but when times are bad, consider this:God has made the oneas well as the other.Therefore, no one can discoveranything about their future.15 In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:the righteous perishing in their righteousness,and the wicked living long in their wickedness.16 Do not be overrighteous,neither be overwisewhy destroy yourself?17 Do not be overwicked,and do not be a foolwhy die before your time?18 It is good to grasp the oneand not let go of the other.Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.19 Wisdom makes one wise person more powerfulthan ten rulers in a city.20 Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous,no one who does what is right and never sins.21 Do not pay attention to every word people say,or you may hear your servant cursing you22 for you know in your heartthat many times you yourself have cursed others.23 All this I tested by wisdom and I said,I am determined to be wisebut this was beyond me.24 Whatever exists is far off and most profoundwho can discover it?25 So I turned my mind to understand,to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of thingsand to understand the stupidity of wickednessand the madness of folly.26 I find more bitter than deaththe woman who is a snare,whose heart is a trapand whose hands are chains.The man who pleases God will escape her,but the sinner she will ensnare.27 Look, says the Teacher,this is what I have discovered:Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things28 while I was still searchingbut not findingI found one upright man among a thousand,but not one upright woman among them all.29 This only have I found:God created mankind upright,but they have gone in search of many schemes.8:1 Who is like the wise?Who knows the explanation of things?A persons wisdom brightens their faceand changes its hard appearance.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. 2Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. 3A dream comes when there are many cares,and many words mark the speech of a fool. 4When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.5It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.6Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, My vow was a mistake. Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?7Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.
Ecclesiastes 4:13-1613 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. 14 The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the kings successor. 16 There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.5:8-208 If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. 9 The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.10Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.11As goods increase, so do those who consume them.And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them?12The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much,but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,14 or wealth lost through some misfortune,so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit.15Everyone comes naked from their mothers womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart.They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.16 This too is a grievous evil:As everyone comes, so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind?17All their days they eat in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger.18 This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given themfor this is their lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toilthis is a gift of God. 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.6:1-121 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: 2 God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.3 A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. 5 Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man 6 even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?7Everyones toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied.8What advantage have the wise over fools?What do the poor gain by knowing how to conduct themselves before others?9Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite.This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.10Whatever exists has already been named, and what humanity is has been known;no one can contend with someone who is stronger.11The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?12 For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?
Ecclesiastes 4:7-127 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:8There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother.There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.For whom am I toiling, he asked, and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?This too is meaningless a miserable business!9Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:10If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.11Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?12Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 3:16 - 4:816 And I saw something else under the sun:In the place of judgmentwickedness was there, in the place of justicewickedness was there.17 I said to myself,God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked,for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.18 I also said to myself, As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?4:1 Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:I saw the tears of the oppressed and they have no comforter;power was on the side of their oppressors and they have no comforter.2And I declared that the dead, who had already died,are happier than the living, who are still alive.3But better than both is the one who has never been born,who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.4 And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one persons envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.5Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves.6Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.7 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:8There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother.There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.For whom am I toiling, he asked, and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?This too is meaningless a miserable business!
Ecclesiastes 3:1-151 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toilthis is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.15Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.
Ecclesiastes 2:1-111 I said to myself, Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good. But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 Laughter, I said, is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish? 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing follymy mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as wellthe delights of a mans heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.10I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil.11Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve,everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.Ecclesiastes 2:17-2617 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? 23 All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 1:12-1812 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.15What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.16 I said to myself, Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge. 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.18For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.Ecclesiastes 2:12-1612Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly.What more can the kings successor do than what has already been done?13I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.14The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness;but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.15 Then I said to myself,The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?I said to myself, This too is meaningless.16For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered; the days have already come when both have been forgotten.Like the fool, the wise too must die!
John 15:1-81 I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Fathers glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
John 14:1-61 Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Fathers house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.5 Thomas said to him, Lord, we dont know where you are going, so how can we know the way?6 Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 8:1212 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
John 10:1-6, 11-151 Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a strangers voice. 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.14 I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Fatherand I lay down my life for the sheep.
John 10:1-101 Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a strangers voice. 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.7 Therefore Jesus said again, Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 6:25-5925 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, Rabbi, when did you get here?26 Jesus answered, Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.28 Then they asked him, What must we do to do the works God requires?29 Jesus answered, The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.30 So they asked him, What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.32 Jesus said to them, Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.34 Sir, they said, always give us this bread.35 Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Fathers will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, I am the bread that came down from heaven. 42 They said, Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, I came down from heaven?43 Stop grumbling among yourselves, Jesus answered. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: They will all be taught by God. Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?53 Jesus said to them, Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever. 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
John 8:48-5848 The Jews answered him, Arent we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?49 I am not possessed by a demon, said Jesus, but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.52 At this they exclaimed, Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?54 Jesus replied, If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.57 You are not yet fifty years old, they said to him, and you have seen Abraham!58 Very truly I tell you, Jesus answered, before Abraham was born, I am!
Deuteronomy 6:4-94 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.Psalm 78:44 We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generationthe praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.
John 10:27-3027 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Fathers hand. 30 I and the Father are one.Proverbs 22:66 Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.Ephesians 6:44 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Psalm 32:1-51 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.2 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me;my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.And you forgave the guilt of my sin.Proverbs 28:1313 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
1 John 4:7-97 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
Romans 8:18-2718 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for Gods people in accordance with the will of God.
Hebrews 12:1-121 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,My son, do not make light of the Lords discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,6because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplinedand everyone undergoes disciplinethen you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.
2 Timothy 1:3-83 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.
Ruth 4:1-221 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, Come over here, my friend, and sit down. So he went over and sat down.2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, Sit here, and they did so. 3 Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.I will redeem it, he said.5 Then Boaz said, On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead mans widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)8 So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, Buy it yourself. And he removed his sandal.9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlons widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, Naomi has a son! And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.The Genealogy of David18 This, then, is the family line of Perez:Perez was the father of Hezron,19 Hezron the father of Ram,Ram the father of Amminadab,20 Amminadab the father of Nahshon,Nahshon the father of Salmon,21 Salmon the father of Boaz,Boaz the father of Obed,22 Obed the father of Jesse,and Jesse the father of David.
Ruth 3:1-181 One day Ruths mother-in-law Naomi said to her, My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. 2 Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3 Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but dont let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.5 I will do whatever you say, Ruth answered. 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.7 When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turnedand there was a woman lying at his feet!9 Who are you? he asked.I am your servant Ruth, she said. Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.10 The Lord bless you, my daughter, he replied. This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. 11 And now, my daughter, dont be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. 12 Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. 13 Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.14 So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.15 He also said, Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out. When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he went back to town.16 When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, How did it go, my daughter?Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her 17 and added, He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, Dont go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.18 Then Naomi said, Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.
Ruth 2:1-231 Now Naomi had a relative on her husbands side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz.2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.Naomi said to her, Go ahead, my daughter. 3 So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.4 Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, The Lord be with you!The Lord bless you! they answered.5 Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, Who does that young woman belong to?6 The overseer replied, She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. 7 She said, Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters. She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.8 So Boaz said to Ruth, My daughter, listen to me. Dont go and glean in another field and dont go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. 9 Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.10 At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice mea foreigner?11 Boaz replied, Ive been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husbandhow you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. 12 May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.13 May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord, she said. You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servantthough I do not have the standing of one of your servants.14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. 15 As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, Let her gather among the sheaves and dont reprimand her. 16 Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and dont rebuke her.17 So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah. 18 She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough.19 Her mother-in-law asked her, Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz, she said.20 The Lord bless him! Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead. She added, That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers.21 Then Ruth the Moabite said, He even said to me, Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.22 Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone elses field you might be harmed.23 So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.
Ruth 1:1-7, 20-221 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The mans name was Elimelek, his wifes name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.3 Now Elimelek, Naomis husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem6 When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.20 Dont call me Naomi, she told them. Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.
Ruth 1:1-181 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The mans name was Elimelek, his wifes name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.3 Now Elimelek, Naomis husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem6 When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go back, each of you, to your mothers home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. 9 May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, We will go back with you to your people.11 But Naomi said, Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for meeven if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lords hand has turned against me!14 At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.15 Look, said Naomi, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.16 But Ruth replied, Dont urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me. 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
Acts 3:15-1615 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
Luke 7:36-5036 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisees house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisees house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she isthat she is a sinner.40 Jesus answered him, Simon, I have something to tell you.Tell me, teacher, he said.41 Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?43 Simon replied, I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.You have judged correctly, Jesus said.44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgivenas her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.48 Then Jesus said to her, Your sins are forgiven.49 The other guests began to say among themselves, Who is this who even forgives sins?50 Jesus said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace.
Luke 19:1-101 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today. 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.9 Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
1 Corinthians 7:1; 25-351 Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.25 Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lords mercy is trustworthy. 26 Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lords affairshow he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this worldhow he can please his wife 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lords affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this worldhow she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-103 It is Gods will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.9 Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all of Gods family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more
2 Corinthians 4:1-181 Therefore, since through Gods mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyones conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus sake. 6 For God, who said, Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of Gods glory displayed in the face of Christ.7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.13 It is written: I believed; therefore I have spoken. Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
1 Corinthians 6:15-20 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, The two will become one flesh. 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Genesis 2:20-2520 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the mans ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.23 The man said,This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man.24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.Philippians 2:3-53 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus
Matthew 13:10-1510 The disciples came to him and asked, Why do you speak to the people in parables?11 He replied, Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.15For this peoples heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heartsand turn, and I would heal them.
1 Corinthians 1:18-3118 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised thingsand the things that are notto nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from Godthat is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 14:26-4026 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, twoor at the most threeshould speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peaceas in all the congregations of the Lords people.34 Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.36 Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lords command. 38 But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.39 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
Psalms 119:9-169 How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.12 Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees.13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.
Mark 1 35-3935 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: Everyone is looking for you!38 Jesus replied, Let us go somewhere elseto the nearby villagesso I can preach there also. That is why I have come. 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Romans 12:1-21 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of Gods mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to Godthis is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Gods will ishis good, pleasing and perfect will.
Isaiah 9:2-72 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.4 For as in the day of Midians defeat, you have shatteredthe yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.5 Every warriors boot used in battle and every garment rolled in bloodwill be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.He will reign on Davids throne and over his kingdom,establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
John 1:1-51 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.John 8:1212 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
Hebrews 8:5; 10:15 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.10The law is only a shadow of the good things that are comingnot the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.1 Corinthians 15:4545 So it is written: The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
Psalm 63:88 I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.Isaiah 41:9-109 I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you.I said, You are my servant; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Deuteronomy 8Proverbs 30:8-98 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, Who is the Lord?Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
Proverbs 3:5-75 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; straight fear the LORD and shun evil.2 Chronicles 15 16
Romans 12:33 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.Proverbs 22:24-2524 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered,25 or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.John 8: 1-111 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say? 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?11 No one, sir, she said.Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin.Romans 5:88 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Matthew 11:28-3028 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Luke 5:1-111 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the waters edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.5 Simon answered, Master, weve worked hard all night and havent caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus knees and said, Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man! 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simons partners.Then Jesus said to Simon, Dont be afraid; from now on you will fish for people. 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
2 Corinthians 5:1414 For Christs love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
John 8:1-111 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say? 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?11 No one, sir, she said.Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin.
Epehsians 5:1-101 Follow Gods example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for Gods holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy personsuch a person is an idolaterhas any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things Gods wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord.1 Corinthians 11:11 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Luke 14:25-3525 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sistersyes, even their own lifesuch a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.28 Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Wont you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, This person began to build and wasnt able to finish.31 Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Wont he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.34 Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.
Genesis 12:1-41 The Lord had said to Abram, Go from your country, your people and your fathers household to the land I will show you.2 I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.Genesis 22:1-141 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, Abraham!Here I am, he replied.2 Then God said, Take your son, your only son, whom you loveIsaacand go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, Father?Yes, my son? Abraham replied.The fire and wood are here, Isaac said, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?8 Abraham answered, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. And the two of them went on together.9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, Abraham! Abraham!Here I am, he replied.12 Do not lay a hand on the boy, he said. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.
John 1:35-5135 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, Look, the Lamb of God!37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, What do you want?They said, Rabbi (which means Teacher), where are you staying?39 Come, he replied, and you will see.So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.40 Andrew, Simon Peters brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, We have found the Messiah (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.Jesus looked at him and said, You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas (which, when translated, is Peter).43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, Follow me.44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wroteJesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.46 Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? Nathanael asked.Come and see, said Philip.47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.48 How do you know me? Nathanael asked.Jesus answered, I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.49 Then Nathanael declared, Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.50 Jesus said, You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that. 51 He then added, Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.
Romans 8:22, 26, 37-3922 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Philippians 4:6-96 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirableif anything is excellent or praiseworthythink about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in meput it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.Psalm 46:1-3, 101 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.10 He says, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.1 Kings 19:11-1211 The Lord said, Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
Matthew 25:31-46 31 When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. 37 Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? 40 The King will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. 41 Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. 44 They also will answer, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you? 45 He will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. 46 Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
Matthew 25:14-30 14 Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his masters money. 19 After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. Master, he said, you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more. 21 His master replied, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your masters happiness! 22 The man with two bags of gold also came. Master, he said, you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more. 23 His master replied, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your masters happiness! 24 Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. Master, he said, I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you. 26 His master replied, You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 25:1-13 1 At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 At midnight the cry rang out: Heres the bridegroom! Come out to meet him! 7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out. 9 No, they replied, there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves. 10 But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 11 Later the others also came. Lord, Lord, they said, open the door for us! 12 But he replied, Truly I tell you, I dont know you. 13 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
1 Peter 5:5-14 5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under Gods mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.Final Greetings 12 With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. 13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
1 Peter 5:1-4 1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christs sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of Gods flock that is under your care, watching over themnot because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
1 Peter 4:12-19 12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with Gods household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? 19 So then, those who suffer according to Gods will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
1 Peter 4:7-11 7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of Gods grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 3:17 - 4:6 17 For it is better, if it is Gods will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you alsonot the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at Gods right handwith angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to doliving in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.
2 Timothy 1:11-2:2 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. 13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to youguard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. 15 You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus. 1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
1 Peter 3:8-17 8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For, Whoever would love life and see good daysmust keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.11They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer,but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. 13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened. 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is Gods will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
1 Peter 2:13-25 13 Submit yourselves for the Lords sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is Gods will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as Gods slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. 18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
James 2:14-2614 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, Go in peace; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.18 But someone will say, You have faith; I have deeds.Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe thatand shudder.20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called Gods friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
John 16:5-155 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, Where are you going? 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.12 I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.
Ephesians 1:17-2317 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
1 Peter 2:1-121 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.The Living Stone and a Chosen People4 As you come to him, the living Stonerejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone,and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,8 and,A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.They stumble because they disobey the messagewhich is also what they were destined for.9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, Gods special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
1 Peter 1:13-1613 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy.
1 Peter 1:8-128 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
1 Peter 1:3-73 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by Gods power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faithof greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by firemay result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:1-21 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,To Gods elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Acts 17:30-3130 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.
Judges 13: 1-51 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children. 3 And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, 5 for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.
Luke 6:27-3627 But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Colossians 3:12-1512Therefore, as Gods chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Matthew 18:1717 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.Proverbs 19:1919 A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again.
ROMANS 14-15:714:1 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarrelling over disputable matters. 2 One persons faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone elses servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. 5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before Gods judgment seat. 11 It is written:  As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.  12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. 13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. 14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. 15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. 19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall. 22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.15:1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbours for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. 5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
2 Corinthians 5:11-2111 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are out of our mind, as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christs love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting peoples sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christs ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christs behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
ScriptureRomans 6:11-1411 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.Galatians 5:16-2516 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Hebrews 4:13-1613 Nothing in all creation is hidden from Gods sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we areyet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach Gods throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
John 12:42-5042 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.44 Then Jesus cried out, Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.47 If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.
Romans 6:15-23 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Dont you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obeywhether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
SCRIPTURE
Judges 6:33-7:25 6:33 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them.36 Gideon said to God, If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised 37 look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said. 38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dewa bowlful of water.39 Then Gideon said to God, Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew. 40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew. 7:1 Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2 The Lord said to Gideon, You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, My own strength has saved me. 3 Now announce to the army, Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.  So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.4 But the Lord said to Gideon, There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, This one shall go with you, he shall go; but if I say, This one shall not go with you, he shall not go.5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink. 6 Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.7 The Lord said to Gideon, With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home. 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. 9 During that night the Lord said to Gideon, Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. 10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah 11 and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp. So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. 12 The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. I had a dream, he was saying. A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.14 His friend responded, This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands. 16 Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.17 Watch me, he told them. Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, For the Lord and for Gideon. 19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, A sword for the Lord and for Gideon! 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they seized the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. 25 They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.
SCRIPTURE
Judges 6:17-32 NIV 17 Gideon replied, If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. 18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you. And the Lord said, I will wait until you return.19 Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak. 20 The angel of God said to him, Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth. And Gideon did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared. 22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!23 But the Lord said to him, Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die. 24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 25 That same night the Lord said to him, Take the second bull from your fathers herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your fathers altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. 26Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering.27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.28 In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baals altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! 29 They asked each other, Who did this?When they carefully investigated, they were told, Gideon son of Joash did it.30 The people of the town demanded of Joash, Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baals altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.31 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, Are you going to plead Baals cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar. 32 So because Gideon broke down Baals altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal that day, saying, Let Baal contend with him.
Judges 6:1-16 NIV 1 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. 2 Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. 3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. 4 They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. 5 They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count them or their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. 6 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help.7 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian, 8 he sent them a prophet, who said, This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 9 I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 I said to you, I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live. But you have not listened to me.11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.13 Pardon me, my lord, Gideon replied, but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt? But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.14 The Lord turned to him and said, Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midians hand. Am I not sending you?15 Pardon me, my lord, Gideon replied, but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.16 The Lord answered, I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.
Luke 17:3-6 NIV So watch yourselves. If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying I repent, you must forgive them. The apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith! He replied, If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, Be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it will obey you.
Titus 3:3-7 NIV At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Luke 15:25-32 25 Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 Your brother has come, he replied, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound. 28 The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, Look! All these years Ive been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him! 31  My son, the father said, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.
Luke 15 The Parable of the Lost Sheep1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesnt he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep. 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.The Parable of the Lost Coin8 Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins 15:8 Greek ten drachmas, each worth about a days wages and loses one. Doesnt she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin. 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.The Parable of the Lost Son11 Jesus continued: There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, Father, give me my share of the estate. So he divided his property between them.13 Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.17 When he came to his senses, he said, How many of my fathers hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants. 20 So he got up and went to his father.But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.21 The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.22 But the father said to his servants, Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Lets have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate.
Ephesians 4:17-24 NIV 17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. 20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Jude 1:17-25 NIV 17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18They said to you, In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires. 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in Gods love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fearhating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. 24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
Jonah 4 1 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, Isnt this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live. 4 But the Lord replied, Is it right for you to be angry? 5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonahs head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, It would be better for me to die than to live. 9 But God said to Jonah, Is it right for you to be angry about the plant? It is, he said. And Im so angry I wish I were dead. 10 But the Lord said, You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their leftand also many animals?
Jonah 3 Jonah Goes to Nineveh 1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you. 3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began by going a days journey into the city, proclaiming, Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown. 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. 6 When Jonahs warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish. 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
Jonah 1 Jonah Flees From the Lord 1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me. 3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. 4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him and said, How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish. 7 Then the sailors said to each other, Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity. They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 So they asked him, Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you? 9 He answered, I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land. 10 This terrified them and they asked, What have you done? (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.) 11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us? 12 Pick me up and throw me into the sea, he replied, and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you. 13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this mans life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased. 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him. Jonahs Prayer 17 Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Matthew 7:24-28 NIV Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching
Matthew 7:13-23 NIV 13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15 Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21 Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? 23 Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!
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Joshua 4:4-7 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, What do these stones mean? tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever. Joshua 4:20-24 And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, In the future when your descendants ask their parents, What do these stones mean? tell them, Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground. For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God. Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Matthew 7:7-12 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 7:1-6 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brothers eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brothers eye. Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Romans 8:11 NIV And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
Matthew 6:25-34 25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe youyou of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Watch Full Service Here Matthew 6:19-24 19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
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Matthew 6:9-15 9 This, then, is how you should pray:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
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Matthew 6:1-18 NIV Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
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Matthew 5:38-48 NIV You have heard that it was said, Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
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Matthew 5:33-37 NIV 33 Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made. 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is Gods throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply Yes or No; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Watch Full Service Here Matthew 5:31-32 NIV
It has been said, Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce. But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
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Matthew 5:27-30 NIV You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
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Matthew 5:21-26 NIV You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, Raca , is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, You fool! will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
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Matthew 5:17-20 NIV Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Watch Full Service Here Scripture Matthew 5:13-16 NIV Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
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SCRIPTURE Matthew 5:1-12 NIV Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Watch Full Service Here Jude 1:3 NIV Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to Gods holy people.
SCRIPTURE
1 John 4:8-12 NIV Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 NIV The days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, declares the LORD. This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time, declares the LORD. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, Know the LORD, because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.
SCRIPTURE
Galatians 6:7-10 NIV 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
SUMMARY POINTS
We look almost exclusively at results rather than process. Galatians 6:7 - Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. If you dont like the outcomes of your life, then change where and what you are sowing. Galatians 6:8 - Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. We underestimate the power of sowing.Immediate pleasure gets in the way of your desired treasure. Dont give up in the sowing, while still waiting for the reaping. "Sow a thought, reap an act; sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny. " Every time you do right, seeds are planted, and the payout is coming. Tomorrows harvest is a result of todays planting. Todays harvest is a result of yesterdays planting. The question is not, what are you reaping?The better question is, what are you sowing, and where are you sowing? Dont give up in the sowing, while still waiting for the reaping.
SCRIPTURE
Matthew 16:24-27 NIV Then Jesus said to his disciples, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Fathers glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
MAIN IDEA
Your best life is found on the other end of your trust in God. SUMMARY POINTS
There are at least two problems with this desire for ultimate control. 1. Much of our life is beyond our control. 2. Trying to control leads us to trying to control others. The alternative to control is trust in God. "I found a place where the past was forgiven Where my mistakes met a grace I couldn't earn And so I piled up my excuses and defenses in the night Then I lit a match, stepped back and watched them burn from the river's mouth To the mountain peak Through the great divide where the waters meet I need you to carry me" - Need To Breathe (Carry Me) Your best life is found on the other end of your trust in God.
SCRIPTURE Philippians 4:10-13 NIV I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. --- MAIN IDEA Contentment is not having what you want, it is wanting what you have. Is what you have worth wanting? --- SUMMARY POINTS Comparison is taking note of the similarities and dissimilarities between two things or people. Coveting is the desire to have what someone else has. The opposite of coveting is contentment. Contentment is not having what you want, it is wanting what you have. Is what you have worth wanting? Declaration: I am content with who I am, because God you made me. I am content with what I have, because God you give to me. I am content with my circumstance, because God you lead me. I am content because GOD!
SCRIPTURE Matthew 18:21-35 NIV Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. At this the servant fell on his knees before him. Be patient with me, he begged, and I will pay back everything. The servants master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. Pay back what you owe me! he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, Be patient with me, and I will pay it back. But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. You wicked servant, he said, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldnt you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you? In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.
SCRIPTURE
Philippians 4:6-7 NIV Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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SCRIPTURE
1 Samuel 13:5-14 NIV The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash, east of Beth Aven. When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Sauls men began to scatter. So he said, Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings. And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. What have you done? asked Samuel. Saul replied, When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, I thought, Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORDs favor. So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering. You have done a foolish thing, Samuel said. You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORDs command.
MAIN IDEA
When you mess up, fess up. Take ownership your mistakes.
CALL TO ACTION
Take some time to consider what you are tempted to hide behind, what you are tempted to use as your victim Card, and give that up before God. You are not a product of your situation. Give up your card and find freedom in confession, in walking out from behind deflection and blaming
SCRIPTURE
Romans 7:14-25 NIV We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to dothis I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in Gods law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to Gods law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
MAIN IDEA
You cant rescue you - but God can.
SUMMARY POINTS
Sometimes we are our own worst enemies. Often the greatest damage done to ourselves is by ourselves. No one keeps the standard perfectly. It is when we see ourselves both as something and as nothing, valued and wretched, at the very same time, that we are in a posture of being able to receive the pathway out from self-destruction. Someone other than you, needs to rescue you You cant rescue you - but God can.
CALL TO ACTION
Surrender your life over to Jesus today, whether you are a follower of Jesus or not. You can pray:Father God, thank you that you love me and value me. I admit I am a wretched person. I am a sinner. And I need rescuing. Would you forgive me of my sin and give me life, making me a child of yours. Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, and I put my faith in him now. I believe in Jesus as my savior and Lord. So, today, I commit my life to follow you. Amen.
Ephesians 4:1-6 NIV As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
MAIN IDEA
We are united in Jesus, and when Jesus remains the focus, we will remain united.
CALL TO ACTION
Ask yourself this week, what does love require of you? what does bearing with those who see things differently than you look like? Take a hard look at what is the main thing that you are focusing on in your life, and pray that God would help you align your view on Him.
SCRIPTURE
Titus 3:12-15 NIV As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there. Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way and see that they have everything they need. Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives. Everyone with me sends you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.
MAIN IDEA
Faith ought to affect us enough that we have an effect on others.
GOING DEEPER Questions from this weeks message.
- What insight, principle or observation from this weeks message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? Please explain.
- Are you a details person or a big picture person? What is the most meaningless task or mundane job you have ever had to do? Was it difficult to stick with it? Why or why not?
- Read Titus 3:12-15. Paul really gets into some specific details. Often we skip over these kinds of passages cause they seem too detailed and boring. Do you think we can also be tempted to skip over the more mundane parts of life and service?
- What parts life, serving and being a Christian do we often not look to as all that important?
- Read Matthew 10:42. What does Jesus think about the details and the mundane parts of serving and the Christian life? What should this mean for us in our lives of following Jesus?
- Read Titus 3:14 again. What is the specific way Paul calls Christians to not live unproductive lives? Paul gets pretty practical and specific. What are some practical and specific ways you live productively in your Christian life?
- Do you feel like you are someone who can do really big things for God? Why or why not? How does a teaching like this encourage you that you can be impactful even though you may not be up front and visible in the world or the church?
SUMMARY POINTS
Being devoted to good under God is about being devoted to good in the details. Details Matter The Mundane Matters As we live lives devoted to Good under God, the little things, the seemingly unimportant things, are counted as important. The Christian life then, is not just about the big things, but also about the little things. Being devoted to Good under God, even in the details and mundane parts of life are important because it shows that the gospel has affected our lives. Faith ought to affect us enough that we have an effect on others. Real faith in us leads to real fruit in us.
CALL TO ACTION
Ask yourself "What are the areas where you are devoted to Good, in the small things? Where are you serving? Serving others in the church or outside the church? Consider how you can get involved, even in the small things.
SCRIPTURE
Titus 1:5-9 NIV The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages Gods household, he must be blamelessnot overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.--- MAIN IDEA
The trajectory of our inner life determines the destination of our public life
SCRIPTURE
Titus 1:5-9 NIV The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages Gods household, he must be blamelessnot overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
MAIN IDEA
The trajectory of our inner life determines the destination of our public life
GOING DEEPER Questions from this weeks message.
- What insight, principle or observation from this weeks message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? Please explain.
- Is there a leader you have looked up to? What about a spiritual leader? Why did you look up to them and why did they have influence on you?
- Now think of a spiritual leader who had influence on you and then years later stuff came out about their inner life that shocked you? How did it affect you and your faith?
- Your inner life will eventually show up in your public life. Interact with this statement. Where have you seen its truth?
- Read Titus 1:5-6. Why is the home the place to start when it comes to being a person of integrity? What challenges you regarding your home life and your own leadership?
- Read Titus 1:7-9. What in this list challenges you most about your life or integrity? As you think of the list and the leaders who have fallen, which ones are common pitfalls for leaders?
- Why would this list be important for a pastor or elder in our church today?
- We dont all see ourselves as great leaders or influencers and yet on some level we are all both. In what areas of life are you a leader or influencer? If God truly does look at the heart, what in your inner life are you hiding right now that you need to deal with before it becomes tragic for yourself and others? Or, what area of the things listed are you most tempted to try and hide?
SUMMARY POINTS
Public leadership and influence are important. But the inner life of the leader and influencer is always most important Although we arent all leaders the same, we are all leaders. Although we dont all have the same influence, we all have influence. The trajectory of our inner life determines the destination of our public life.
CALL TO ACTION
Take a look at your interior, and commit to growing your leadership, your influence from the inside out, start by looking at your life in light of the qualifications listed in Titus 1:5-9, and then watch your leadership, your influence grow.
SCRIPTURE Titus 1:1-4
1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of Gods elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness 2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, 3 and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior, 4 To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
MAIN IDEA
The message of Jesus moves through people and relationships.
GOING DEEPER Questions from this weeks message.
- What insight, principle or observation from this weeks message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? Please explain.
- Alvin mentioned that the Christian faith is based not in fantasy but in history. Why is this important? Why is it important that there is a realness to our faith that goes beyond just thought, worldview and belief but leads to action?
- Read Titus 1:1-4. Verse 1 lays out Paul and what he is all aboutfurthering the faith of others. If that is the call of the Christian, how would you say you are doing in that currently.
- Verse one also shows that our real, physical, historical faith shows up in real ways, it ends in increased godliness. Read Titus 2:11-12. How would you define that change to godliness mentioned here?
- Alvin mentioned that the message of Jesus moves through people and relationships. Who moved it in you? How did they invest the faith into you? This week, send a note, email, or message thanking the person or people who built faith into you in significant ways.
- If the message of Jesus moves through people and relationships, who are you moving it to today? How are you doing that? What could you do to become more intentional in your world with the message of Jesus?
SUMMARY POINTS
The Christian faith is based not in fantasy but in history. There is no room in the Christian faith for thought without practice. There is no room in the Christian faith for truth without fruit. Titus 1:11,1211For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. And here is what the grace that brings salvations accomplishes 12It teaches us to say No to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, The message of Jesus moves through people and relationships This leaves us with two practical questions. One answer will be an encouragement, and one a challenge. Who moved it in you?and Who are you moving it to? Who is your Titus.
CALL TO ACTION
This week take time to consider "Who moved it in you?" and reach out to them to thank them. Also consider "Who are you moving it to?" Take time to prayerfully consider who you can share the gospel with, and do it
SCRIPTURE 1 Peter 2:9 NLT But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, Gods very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
MAIN IDEA Our identity as followers of Jesus is for the purpose of pointing people to the ONE we are following!
SUMMARY POINTS What is our identity as followers of Jesus? 1. We are chosen for a purpose! 2. We are royal priests 3. We are the people of God 4. We are God's very own possession What is the purpose of our identity? To show the world the goodness of God How do we receive this identity? By God's mercy and grace - we don't deserve it!
CALL TO ACTION What are some changes we need to personally make so we can live out of our true identity in Jesus, pointing others to the ONE we are following?
SCRIPTURE Ephesians 6:4 NIV Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
MAIN IDEA To be a great father, be like your Heavenly Father. Be Present Be Working
GOING DEEPER Questions from this weeks message. 1. What insight, principle or observation from this weeks message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? Please explain. 2. What is your best dad memory? Do you have any painful Dad memories? What does this say about the power and importance of Fathers? 3. When you hear that God is Heavenly Father is that easy or difficult to accept? Why? 4. Alvin mentioned that to be like our Heavenly Father would mean to be present and be working. Why are these two concepts so important in parenting? As a child when was your father present and working with you? How was that meaningful? 5. How has God, your Heavenly Father, been present and working in your life? 6. Read Ephesians 6:4. Have your parents ever left you exasperated? What would have been helpful to keep you from getting there? How might rules combined with relationship help? 7. Alvin mentioned that as parents we mimic God when we are present and working. If you are a parent how are you currently doing in these, where could you improve and what do you plan to do about it? 8. If our most important role as parents is to train our kids in the ways of God, what are you currently doing, what might you add? Kids often do as we do more than they do as we say, how are you intentionally modeling the Christian life and where could you grow in this?
SUMMARY POINTS To be a great father, be like your Heavenly Father. Be Present For all your failures as a dad, all your short comings, all the ways you think you fall short, and in the ways you do fall short, if you show up, if you are present in your childrens life, many of those failures and short-comings will be forgotten. Just like us with God, our kids just want to know, that you are there and that you will be with them. The reason presence is so important is because, Presence shows care Quality does not make up for or replaces Quantity Be Working to be involved is more than just rules. Its rules with a relationship. And the relationship is what helps to encourage the children, because the rules are tied to loving relationship. The discipline is tied to a loving relationship. When you are a father who is working in and with and involved in your kids life. It helps to keep from exasperating them.Encourage rather than exasperate The most important part of training your kids in the Lord is: You, God, and your Faith. To be a great father, be like your Heavenly Father. Be Present Be Working
CALL TO ACTION Be Present and Be Working
SCRIPTURE Romans 12:9-21 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lords people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for Gods wrath, for it is written: It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.20 On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
MAIN IDEA The path to peace is often a path of personal sacrifice.
GOING DEEPER Questions from this weeks message.
What insight, principle or observation from this weeks message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? Please explain. Describe an extremely difficult and stressful time of your life that was the result of disunity and conflict? Why is conflict so unsettling? Read Romans 12:18. What relationships right now are most difficult to live in peace? As you think of conflict situations, is it easy for you to brush them off, thinking you have done everything you can? If so, why, if not, why not? What are some of your ya, but statements, when it comes to living in peace with others? Read Romans 12:9-21. What about Verse 10 is crucial to being a person of peace? If you honoured people more (especially those you are prone to have conflict with), do you think it would bring more peace? What about this command is really difficult for you? Read Romans 12:19-20. Have you ever repaid evil with good? How did it turn out? What makes this so hard for us? Alvin mentioned that, the path to peace is often a path of personal sacrifice, how have you experienced this? In what relationships do you feel you need to especially focus on honouring right now? In what relationship do you need to repay evil with good? What will you do?
SUMMARY POINTS Everything God hates is actually driven by His love for us. Conflict with those closest to us is most unsettling. So how do we live in unity? Paul, wrote in Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. The path to peace is often a path of personal sacrifice. The first way to live in peace is
Honour Others Repay Evil with Good
The path to peace is often a path of personal sacrifice.
CALL TO ACTION The path to peace is often a path of personal sacrifice. If there is conflict and disunity in your life and relationships, God takes that seriously, and so should we. He hates it when we are the instigators, he desires us to be people of peace, because he loves you. Will you take the path, even if it will cost youyou?
If that is a path you are wanting to take, the first step that direction is to confess your sin of not living that way, and then commit to following God in being a person of peace. That may mean a lot of hard, sacrificial work in the week and weeks to come as you honor others and repay evil with good. But to start, it is confess and commit.
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Mount Olive Church and Compassion Canada continue to partner together to release children from poverty in Jesus name. Through the tlink below are children waiting for a loving sponsor from the 25 countries we serve in. Thank you for considering sponsoring one of these children today.
https://www.compassion.ca/event/mountoliveefreechurch/
SCRIPTURE 1 Kings 21:1-16 NIV 1 Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth. 3 But Naboth replied, The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors. 4 So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors. He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat. 5 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, Why are you so sullen? Why wont you eat? 6 He answered her, Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place. But he said, I will not give you my vineyard.  7 Jezebel his wife said, Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. Ill get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. 8 So she wrote letters in Ahabs name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboths city with him. 9In those letters she wrote: Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death. 11 So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboths city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 13 Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, Naboth has cursed both God and the king. So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. 14 Then they sent word to Jezebel: Naboth has been stoned to death. 15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead. 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboths vineyard. James 4:1-10 1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Dont they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people, dont you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
MAIN IDEA Exchanging our internal desires for Christ sets us free from becoming a false witness
GOING DEEPER Questions from this weeks message. 1. What insight, principle or observation from this weeks message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? Please explain. 2. Describe a time when someone spoke about you or a situation you were involved in and they completely misrepresented you, in a sense they were a false witness. How did that affect you? 3. Read 1 Kings 21:1-16. What caused Ahab and Jezebel to do what they did? Why do you think verse 10 called the false witnesses worthless men? Alvin mentioned that desire is a cruel master, because it is never satisfied. How has this shown true for you? 4. What desires have the greatest pull on you? 5. Alvin mentioned that once we know which desires have a pull on us, it can help us be more aware to how we might misrepresent (false witness) people or situations to attain that desire. How have you seen this to be true in your life? 6. Read James 4:1-10. What sticks out to you about desire, where it leads, its end, and how God calls us to respond? 7. What would it look like for you to exchange your desires for Christ? How might that set you free from being a false witness? 8. Do you think there might be times that you have to pull out or refrain from speaking to a situation simply because you are aware of your own desires and the tendency we all have to present information or a situation to benefit ourselvesto be a false witness. Why or why not?
SUMMARY POINTS God hates some things, not some ones. Its Gods love of the someone that drives His hate of some things Everything God hates is actually driven by His love for us. The 6th thing on the list of things God hates from Proverbs 6:16-19 is: A false witness Here are two reasons we my fall for being a false witness. 1. We are more subtle in our false witnessing. 2. Not knowing whats at the heart of false witnessing. At the heart of being a false witness are: advantage desire. In James 4:7-8 we see how to counter our wrong desires 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Submit, put yourself under God, under his authority, stop with chasing your own way. Resist: Resist the evil one and the evil that is within us. The things that would lead us to being a false witness. Come near to God, he is the only one who can fill you, the only one who can satisfy you, and fill your every longing and desire Exchanging our internal desires for Christ sets us free from becoming a false witness. Once we know whats at the heart (desire and advantage) we can see how we might be tempted to be a false witness in subtle ways, in ways we didnt even realize, cause our hearts can betray us.
Prayer of Confession Heavenly Father, I confess that I have given into my desire and been a false witness. I have sinned by misrepresenting people and situations for my own benefit. I pray that you would forgive me of my sin and take away my guilt. Thank you for Jesus who has paid my debt of sin and it is through Him that I come to you now. I want to be a person of integrity, desiring you above all else. Help me to become more like you. Amen.
CALL TO ACTION If you are in a place where you want to repent of the ways you have been a false witness, and chased desire and advantage rather then God; Repent, Submit, put yourself under God, under his authority, and stop with chasing your own way.
SCRIPTURE Proverbs 6:20-32 NIV 20 My son, keep your fathers command and do not forsake your mothers teaching. 21 Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck. 22 When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. 23 For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life, 24 keeping you from your neighbours wife, from the smooth talk of a wayward woman. 25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes. 26 For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread, but another mans wife preys on your very life. 27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? 28 Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? 29 So is he who sleeps with another mans wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. 30 People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. 31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house. 32 But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself.
MAIN IDEA You value your life when you value your Heavenly Fathers rules.
GOING DEEPER Questions from this weeks message.
What insight, principle or observation from this weeks message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? Please explain. Think of a regret you have. If you could give a message to your younger self, what might it be? Do you think your younger self would have listened? Why or why not? Read Proverbs 6:20-23. Often as young people we struggle to listen to the rules of older wiser peoplelike parents. Why is that? How does this concept tie into the previous question about hearing a message (rules) from our older self? Read Proverbs 6:24-26. According to this passage, what might listening to the older and wiser advice of others keep you from? Is this true only of sexual temptation or sin, or other areas as well? Discuss. Read Proverbs 6:27-32. According to this passage, why is it important to listen to the wise advice of others? Have you seen this true in your life? Many of us have an aversion to rules, why do you think that is? How might rules be a display of love (as you think of the rules your older self would give your younger self). Alvin mentioned that You value your life when you value your Heavenly Fathers rules. What do you think about this? Read Psalm 119:9-16. Count how many ways David says rules, without saying rules. How might your heavenly Fathers rules keep you from having feet that rush into evil? What keeps you, or makes it difficult for you to trust him and obey his rules?
SUMMARY POINTS God hates some things, not some ones. Its Gods love of the someone that drives His hate of some things Everything God hates is actually driven by His love for us. Feet that are quick to rush into evil Proverbs 6:20-32 Verses 20-23 Heres what you should do.Verse 24-26 Heres what you should not do.Verse 27-32 Heres why. Value your lifeGod does! You are worth more than a loaf of bread. There are consequences to having feet that rush into evil. Punishment, it will destroy you If only the 50 year old version of us could talk to our younger self what would they saydont start drinkingsmokingtaking prescription pills, dont look at those photos, or watch that online, you saw, you were curious, just walk away. Dont take that one night stand, dont abort the child, dont leave her, him, dont treat them like that, dont.dont, dont If our older selves could talk to our younger self, what would they say they would say here are some rulesfollow them, these rules will lead to life. You value your life when you value your Heavenly Fathers rules.
Prayer of Confession Heavenly Father, I confess that I have feet that are quick to rush into evil. I have sinned and made a mess of my life by going my own way and giving into temptation. I pray that you would forgive me of my sin and take away my guilt. Thank you for Jesus who has paid my debt of sin and through who I come to you now. I want to be like David, who loved your law, but I admit that often I dont trust you enough to take you at your word. Help me trust your more and I commit to following you. Amen.
CALL TO ACTION Get into Gods word, be a David and love his law, His ways, His decrees. Put it into practice, learn to trust God, above yourself, whenever at a crossroads between you and your path and Gods, even when it doesnt make sense and even when the road seems much more difficult, choose his way. He loves you, and he hates all that hates you, including feet that are quick to rush into evil.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 26:6-16 NIV 6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. 8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. Why this waste? they asked. 9 This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor. 10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her. 14 Then one of the Twelvethe one called Judas Iscariotwent to the chief priests 15 and asked, What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you? So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
MAIN IDEA The wicked and devious heart lead us away from the life that is real life.
GOING DEEPER Questions from this weeks message. 1. What insight, principle or observation from this weeks message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? Please explain. 2. When have you experienced the underhanded tactics of someone else? What did it do to you, and your relationship with the person? 3. In what ways are we tempted to use rules, laws and values to our benefit, and disregard them when they dont benefit us? Give some examples. 4. Read Matthew 26:6-16. Judas seems to justify his actions under the guise of helping the poor? How might we do this same thing when we know deep down we are doing something we likely shouldnt? 5. Read the warning in Jeremiah 17:9 and the encouragement in Proverbs 4:23. How have you seen the truth of each of these passages in your life or observed them in others? 6. Alvin suggested that we do 3 things to keep ourselves from the devious heart. 1. Healthy Distrust. 2. Dont Kid Yourself (most of us know when we are lying to ourselves). 3. Listen to The voice. How might these be helpful for us? Which of these are you most likely to do, and least likely to do, why? 7. Read the end of the Story of Judas in Matthew 27:1-5. It is a sad end to his story. Do you think it could have been different? Why? How? 8. Spend time confessing how your own heart is prone to be wicked, allow the conviction to turn to repentance that leads to life!
SUMMARY POINTS God hates some things, not some ones. Its Gods love of the someone that drives His hate of some things Everything God hates is actually driven by His love for us. A devious heart not only causes us to miss the good, it leads us to engage in the bad. And the outcome is that: The wicked and devious heart leads us away from the life that is real life. Proverbs 4:23 - Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. How do we guard our heart? I think from what we have seen in the life of Judas, and this warning and encouragement, there are a couple things we can do to be proactive: have a Healthy Distrust of yourself. And your own heart. Understand, admit, accept that your heart leads you astray, it will lead you to hurt others, and it will lead you to chase things that will hurt you later. Be Honest with yourself, and what is going on. Listen to THE voice, the voice of God. Gods word speaks to more things than we may even want, listen to the voice, Gods voice in scripture. Dive in, read it, listen to it, chew on it. And then follow it. God loves, loves, loves you. And his love causes him to hate anything that would hurt or bring death to you. Including the devious and wicked heart. May we all distrust ourselves enough, to turn our lives over to God and trust to Him
CALL TO ACTION Consider what you have done that you are so ashamed of? Turn from yourself, allow your guilt to turn not to condemnation, but turn you to repentance. Turn your eyes from yourself, and to the God who loves you that has paid your sin and the consequence of your sin on the cross of Jesus.
SCRIPTURE 1 Samuel 26:8-12 8 Abishai said to David, Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I wont strike him twice. 9 But David said to Abishai, Dont destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lords anointed and be guiltless? 10 As surely as the Lord lives, he said, the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11 But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lords anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and lets go. 12 So David took the spear and water jug near Sauls head, and they left. No one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up. They were all sleeping, because the Lord had put them into a deep sleep. Micah 6:8 8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
MAIN IDEA Look out for the justice of others, trust Gods justice for you.
GOING DEEPER Questions from this weeks message.
What insight, principle or observation from this weeks message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? Please explain. What happens within you when you hear (or see) the innocent being hurt? Alvin mentioned a big reason the innocent are hurt, or a reason we sometimes hurt others (innocent or not) is because of advantage. We either want an advantage, or someone or a circumstance of life left us disadvantaged and we respond by hurting others. Do you think this is true? Explain. Why is it really important to watch ourselves (in the way we treat others) when we ourselves are hurt? We may not see ourselves as those who would hurt others, but in what ways have you hurt others because you wanted an advantage or you felt disadvantaged (angry) and hurt someone close to you that was innocent just because of you anger at life or someone else? Read 1 Samuel 26:8-12. David could have shed blood, the blood of Saul (who was not innocent) but chose not to. Why? Why is it really tricky and difficult to remain objective when seeking personal justice? Read Micah 6:8. How does this verse keep us from hurting the innocent? How does this challenge us in our personal lives of desiring justice for ourselves? Re-read 1 Samuel 26:8-12. How did David Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly, in this circumstance? How might that challenge you as you look to live this way in your personal interactions, even when you are left hurt by life and others? What would it look like for you to help others and fight for their justice, to be a voice for those who have no power or voice? Think of your life close (family, friends, workplace, school community) and far (county, province, country, world). How and in which ways are you challenged to get involved in helping others near and/or far?
SUMMARY POINTS Its Gods love of the someone that drives His hate of some things Everything God hates is actually driven by His love for us. His love for people drives him to hate what will hurt those same people. In Proverbs 6:16-19 we are given a list of 7 things that are detestable to God, or 7 things that God hates. These are 7 things are really 7 sins that we commit that end up hurting the someones that God loves. And the someones may be ourselves and others. From the list we started with the eyes, then the tongue and now the hands. Working our way from head to toe. When we use our bodies, or parts of our bodies for sin. Specifically to hurt others or ourselves, God hates that. In todays message we are looking at hands that shed innocent blood. Why hurt the innocent? Why would someone take advantage of someone innocent, why hurt someone who doesnt deserve it? What is at the heart of this, because if we dont know the heart of it we may fall into it, even if it is in more subtle ways, so Why? A big reason is Advantage Its about getting the upper hand, about progress, about getting ahead. And often our wins are on the backs of someone elses loss. And so we take advantage of someone, we push them down so that we can rise higher, they are the leverage we used to reach a new height. Be careful when your hurt, that you dont hurt people. We are rarely just in our call for personal justice. If we are not going to be those who have hands that shed innocent blood, or who take justice too far. If we are going to Act Justly, we need to learn this about ourselves, Especially when we are hurt, or have been hurt by life or by someone in life. Our justice may just not be all that just as we saw with David, he knew this he decided to acts justly, and not take measures into his own hands When it comes to not using our hands to shed innocent blood in your personal life, Act justly love mercy and walk humbly. (Micah 6:8) Remember that you are most vulnerable to take out the innocent when you are hurt. Hurt people hurt people. Sometimes we are hurt when others take advantage of us, when we loose the advantage because of others, or maybe just a life situation, and we can lash out and hurt othersBut when those moments come Act Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly. Look out for the justice of others, trust Gods justice for you. Look out for others, trust Gods justice for you. We struggle to do personal justice well, so trust your personal justice to God as David did. But be on the lookout to help others We are to be a voice for the voiceless, we are supposed to stand up for the cause of those who dont have power to stand. All through scripture God asks his people to help those who cant help themselves, to look after the orphans and widows and the powerless. Look out for the justice of others, trust Gods justice for you. And to do this means Act Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly.
CALL TO ACTION Ask yourself who is there in your circle right now that God may be calling on you to stand up for?
Scripture Luke 18:9-14 9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:10 Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: God, I thank you that I am not like other peoplerobbers, evildoers, adulterersor even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get. 13 But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. 14 I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Main Idea God hates Haughty Eyes, because that sin keeps you from him.
Going Deeper Questions from this weeks Sermon
What insight, principle or observation from this weeks message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? Please explain. When you were young, what was the really bad sin in the church, top of the list kind of sin in your mind? What would you say it is today in the church? What about you, what sin in others causes you to think, common, get over it already. What types of people are you most tempted to look down on because of their sin or struggle? Read Proverbs 6:16-19. What is the top of the list sin that God hates mentioned in this passage? Is this surprising to you? Why do you think we struggle, as a church and a society, with this particular sin so much? Where do you see it happening in church, society and in your own life? Read Luke 18-9-14. What catches you from this passage? Who of the two characters do you most relate to and why? What can you change in your life because of this teaching? The things God hates is driven by his love. Discuss this concept, and how it may relate to Gods hate of haughty eyes. If the antidote to arrogance and pride (haughty eyes) is humility of self and grace toward others, which one of these two do you need to focus on and grow in most?
Summary God Loves and God Hates. Everything God hates is actually driven by His lovefor us. Because God is love, the things that God hates are actually driven by his love for us. Its his Love for us that cause him to hate the things that he hates. At the very top of Gods list of things that are really bad is the very thing we all do, when we think we are pretty good and we look down on others. In Proverbs 6:16 it is called Gods list of hated things Haughty Eyes has to do with pride but it is a very specific kind of pride, it goes beyond just traditional pride. Its pride that isnt just about how good I am, but how bad others are. Its a condemning of others kind of pride, and God absolutely hates it. All of our salvation is a gift of God, it is all Gods grace. When we are confident in our own righteousness, that becomes a problem. Pride has set in. And pride leads its way to comparison, and haughty eyes. Looking down on others. But we can be confident in Christs righteousness in us. That is being confident in the Grace of God. As Christians we should be the most grounded humble people alive, because we know it was all God. But along the way we start feeling good about our good works, or moral lives, and we can get haughty eyes. God hates Haughty Eyes, because that sin keeps you from him. God hates anything that keeps us from him, anything that keeps us from the best life possible, the life he created us to live with him.
Call to Action If you do not have a relationship with God, if you have never looked to God for forgiveness and receive Jesus as you Lord and Savior, God would be asking you, what are you waiting for. Your best life, real full eternal life is waiting on the other side of putting your faith in Jesus. It is simply: ABC. Admit youre a sinner, Believe in Jesus as your Savior and Commit your life to him.
if you are a believer, remember that Humility of self and grace towards others are the antidote to Haughty Eyes.
Scripture Ephesian 2:1-10 (NLT) 1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devilthe commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to Gods anger, just like everyone else. 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by Gods grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you cant take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are Gods masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Main Idea Our worship of God, the way we live our lives, propels the mission that God has given to us. Christs resurrection life in us opens doors for us to have make it more conversations.
Going Deeper Questions from this weeks Sermon
What insight, principle or observation from this weeks message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? Please explain Read 1 Peter 3:13-17. Have you ever thought about how Christs life lived through you (worship) propels the mission that God have given to us? What does that look like in your life? Think through the opposite of that how can our lives be a stumbling block to the mission of God? Romans 12:1 gives us the motivation for living a life of worship! Why is that so important to keep in our minds? Six ways were given in which we can be intentional in living our lives of worship on mission. Which one(s) comes naturally to you and which one(s) do you need to grow in? Are there other ways?- Be story-formed- Be a listener- Be hospitable - eat together- Bless people through being present, your words and gifts- Include people as you celebrate- Include people in your recreation Read Ephesians 3:14-4:2 Reflect on the love of Jesus, reflect on what God may want to do through your life that is bigger than you, then pray that we together as the church would be good reflections of our Saviour Jesus Christ!
Summary God call us to live winsome lives of worship (good deeds) that attract people to the hope of the Gospel as it is displayed in our lives!
Call to Action Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
Scripture Matthew 27:62-28:15 (NIV) 27:62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 Sir, they said, we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, After three days I will rise again. 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first. 65 Take a guard, Pilate answered. Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how. 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. 28:1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him. Now I have told you. 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. Greetings, he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me. 11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, You are to say, His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep. 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
Main Idea The resurrection changes everything, and that change demands our everything.
Going Deeper Questions from this weeks Sermon
What insight, principle or observation from this weeks message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? Please explain What evidence for the resurrection have you heard or can you think of? The entire Christian faith hangs on the resurrection. Erase the resurrection and you erase Christianity. Interact with that statement. How does that make you feel, what does it make you think about the Christian faith? What implications are there if this statement is indeed true? We often think that our beliefs and doubts are just tied to facts/information. Read Matthew 27:62-28:15. How does this story show it is bigger than just information or facts? Everyone in this story was doubters, what seems to keep the religious leaders from faith? What was different about the women? Read Matthew 28:9. The resurrection demands something, according to this verse what did it demand? What does it still demand today? The religious leaders were not willing to accept the resurrection and what it would demand of them (worship, surrender, everything), I dont think we are much different today. Interact with this statement. If the resurrection demands our worship, surrender, our everything, what are you finding difficult right now to put under the authority of Jesus and worship him?
Summary Points There is one thing that affects everything for everyone and that is the Resurrection The Resurrection assumes that there are miracles. If miracles happen, or at the very least did happen, the improbability of the resurrection is not an impossibility. It could have happened. And if it did, it changes everything Belief and doubts rest on differences of information or facts. All the believers, were doubters like us. Something made them believers, and although the facts were a big part of that, they were not the deciding factor, because not all the doubters became believers even though they had the same facts. As we look at the resurrection through the eyes of doubters we see that what separates believers and doubters is our response to change, not change in general, but our response to the change. Because when Jesus was raised from the dead it changed everything for everyone. He went from Rabbi, to Lord, from a good teacher to Divine, from miracle worker to God Himself The only reaction when one accepts the resurrection of Jesus is submission and worship. The outcome of the resurrection leads to one of two things; Acceptance or rejection of the facts. The resurrection changes everything, and that change demands our everything. When it comes to the resurrection, I think the battle is not over the facts, as much as it is over what we want the facts to be. Because the reality is, if Jesus is alive and we accept, our lives are no longer ours. I think this easter season we must all wrestle with, not merely what is true, but what we want to be true. Are we willing to accept, that which God has done. Receive what God has done in Jesus and receive it through the hands of faith and be made a child of God, given new, eternal life. Jesus wants you to lay it down and worship him. He is alive, and that means He wants all of you! Jesus is Risen! He is risen indeed!
Call to Action If you are not a believer yet, the wrestle for you is: will you put yourself aside and accept the person of Jesus, both as your Saviour from sin, and Lord of your life. If you are a follower of Christ evaluate and ask yourself: What are you still holding onto? Jesus is risen, He is Lord, will you accept him as the Risen Lord and allow him full rule of your life?
Scripture 1 Peter 4:7-9 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Main Idea You cant love from a distance; hospitality brings love near.
Going Deeper Questions from this weeks Sermon
What insight, principle or observation from this weeks message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? Please explain. When you hear the word Hospitality what do you think of? When and where have you experienced the greatest hospitality? From whom have you experienced great hospitality? What made it so great? Read 1 Peter 4:4-7. Why does Peter put urgency on love and hospitality? How does this show the importance of this act? Do you think hospitality is for everyone or just those gifted for it? Read Romans 12:9-13. What does Paul say regarding this? Why do you think the apostles tied together love and hospitality? What excuses do you make when you think of having people over and practicing hospitality? Who will you start with to practice hospitality? When will you start? Remember, hospitality is directed both to guests and strangersjust as we were strangers to God and he invited us in through Christ, may you do the same. How might hospitality be a next step in your ministry outreach to your pray for 4 and your world (8-15)?
Summary According to dictionary.com Hospitality is the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. In 1 Peter 4:8-9 it says: 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. This means invite people into your world, into your space, into your homes and feed them, treat them, love on them. Offer hospitality. Hospitality is a very practical measure of our love. Showing love to guests and strangers is crucial in our action of love. You cant love from a distance, hospitality brings love near. Hospitality is an outworking of Love and a display of the Gospel Rosaria Butterfield explains the two big reasons why we struggle to practice hospitality in our world today
- Secret Sin or Hidden Habits Hospitality forces us to let people into our worlds. The benefit of hospitality and having people in your home is that you get to know people on a level you didnt know them on before, just by entering their home. Although this is a benefit, it is also a drawback. Many of us dont really want people to know us. Not that well. And we might have secret sin, or hidden habits that might just come out or become visible to those we invite in. And that is scary. But maybe we have some growing up to do, or some work to do with dealing with our sin or hidden habits, face it head on, dont shy away. Allow people in, maybe the side benefit is that it will force you to deal with some dirty laundry in your life that you have been unwilling to deal with. That isnt all that bad of a thing.
- Selfishness Selfishness has a way of creeping into all of our lives. Social media is a self-promotion machine, our lives naturally bend toward selfishness. Hospitality is others focused, not self-focused. And because of that, our selfishness cripples any desire and intent toward hospitality. Hospitality is an outworking of Love and a display of the Gospel
Call to Action First face your excuses why you cant do Hospitality. Second practice hospitality, yes legally right now its challenging but look for creative ways you can, and just do it.
Scripture 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NIV) 1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Main Idea What does love require of me? Going Deeper Questions from this weeks Sermon 1. What insight, principle or observation from this weeks message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? Please explain. 2. When you hear the word Christian, or Jesus Follower what do you think of? What comes to your mind first? If you could make it so that one word would enter peoples minds when they hear the word Christian what would that one word be? 3. Read John 13:34-35. According to this passage, if Jesus had one word that defined Christians, what is it? 4. According to John 13:34-35, how does Jesus define this love? 5. Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. Out of the list of things Paul mentions, which is the one you desire most (knowledge, tongues, faith, prophecy, sacrifice)? Why is love often something that lags behind in our desires? 6. What does love require of me? If we lived with this question how much would it change the Christian reputation? 7. How do you think your life might be changed this week as you live with this question? Summary The answer to how we live the Christian life is always the same, and its always been the same and it will never change, it is LOVE. Jesus says, Love one another this is the greek word Agapao. Agapao is a verb, not a noun, it is not something we think or feel, or something that happens to us. Love is not something that happens to us, it is a verb love is something you do. Jesus defines it in the fullest way possible As I have loved you, so you must love one another. We dont love out of religious duty, we love because of the relationship we have with God through Jesus. Faith is not something that comes into us and stops in us, becoming stagnant. Rather it comes into us and then flows through us to others. How he loved, we love. In 1 Corinthians 13:1-4 - The point Paul is making when it comes to Christian living, the Christian life is this, You can have everything, and yet miss it all. We know the answer to the Christian life is Love, defined as the way Jesus loved usso what is the question of the Christian life? What does love require of me? Call to Action This next week, ask yourself What does love require of me? at least 3 times each day. Wrestle with it and then doing something about it.
Scripture Proverbs 23:5 (NIV) Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. Main Idea We all live on a percentage of our income, but we need to plan to live within our means Going Deeper Questions from this weeks Sermon 1. What insight, principle or observation from this weeks message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? 2. When you hear the word budget what comes to mind? Freedom, or restriction? Why? 3. Where and how we spend our money shows our values. How is this true? If you are married, why does this help to explain conflicts you have had about money in your marriage? 4. Read Proverbs 13:16. If this Proverb is true, what would be the approach of wise and foolish people toward money? 5. How is setting a budget kind of like setting ones values? 6. Read Proverbs 22:7. How has this Proverb proven true in your life? Why do you think we are so tempted to live above our means (to buy now and pay later) How has debt affected you or people you know? 7. Have you made a budget? How are you doing living in it? If not, why not? And when will you make one? 8. What would it look like for you to move a little closer to the wise side when it comes to money? What are you going to do about it and when? Summary We all live on a percentage of our income. 1. Figure out your financial pie size 2. Decide the percentage you will live on 3. Set your values, cut up your pie Know what you Value and then Live within your means We all have dreams and debt is not the answer, we must choose to live within our means You can move from unwise to wise, from not thinking about the future, to thinking and putting a plan in place. Why not live in financial freedom, its better for you. You can do it! RESOURCES Any step towards getting started budgeting can be intimidating, we have found a few tools that might assist you on this journey. Basic EXCEL SPREADSHEET The most important thing in starting to budget is taking the first step. This excel spreadsheet is a great start to get going! Download a Basic Excel Spreadsheet Here Advanced EXCEL SPREADSHEET As we heard from Darcy and Jeannette in this message, they created a great excel spreadsheet that you can download and start using right away! If you would like help with it at all they would love to explain and be a support for you! Reach out to us here if you are interested! Download their Excel Spreadsheet Here BUDGET APPS There are many apps that you can try out in the app stores just by searching Budget but if you would like to try one out GoodBudget might be a place to start. Access GoodBudgets Website here DAVE RAMSEYS FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY Maybe you would benefit from a more directed route, Dave Ramseys Financial Peace University could help you in learning how to manage your finances. Check it out here Call to Action Take some time this week to: 1. figure out your financial pie size 2. decide what amount you will live on 3. Set your values, and cut up your pie. Explore the Financial Resources located above if you arent already budgeting.
Scripture Proverbs 21:5 (NIV) The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. Main Idea Often our miscalculations are actually missed calculations so plan ahead and set some goals. Going Deeper Questions from this weeks Sermon 1. What insight, principle or observation from this weeks message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling?
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Have you or someone you have known ever miscalculated a situation and it left you in a tough place? Sometimes our miscalculations are missed calculations, was this true of you or of a person you knew? 3. When it comes to finances, what is one thing you can do now to calculate for the unknown future? (Save! Good job, you got it, you are well on your way.)
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Read Proverbs 21:20. What does this verse say about how to save? Are you good at deferring enjoyment? If you are naturally a spender, how might deferring enjoyment help you overcome the urge to spend now?
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Read Proverbs 13:11. What does this verse say about saving? Why is it hard for us to gain riches over the long haul and remain patient?
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Read Proverbs 21:5. What does this verse say about saving? Do you have a plan for saving? If not, why not?
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Read Proverbs 6:6-8. Why is the ant considered wise?
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Alvin talked about setting goals in 3 areas when it comes to saving.
- A rainy day, (emergency fund, about 3 months living fund)2. Future living (college fund, retirement fund) 3. Enjoyment (paying for your next toy, or vacation cash) Which of these are you already doing (and what is it), which have you now made a plan to do, and which have you completely neglected? If so why, and are you planning to do anything about it?
Summary Often our miscalculations are actually missed calculations Your unknown future doesnt need to fill your eventual present with crisis and calamity. Here is a 3-step plan for savingtaken from Proverbs Step 1: Defer EnjoymentThere is no get rich quick scheme that you should chase. Step 2: Be PatientPut a little money away every month and then in the long term watch it grow. Little by little. Step 3: Make a Plan Set goals: (3 areas to save goals to set) 1. A rainy day, (emergency fund, about 3 months living fund)2. Future living (college fund, retirement fund) 3. Enjoyment (paying for your next toy, or vacation cash) Call to Action Take some time this week to sit down and make a plan (if youre single by yourself, or married do this together). Start by laying out some goals for Rainy Day, Future Living, and Future Fun. Then take some time to pray about it and commit it to the Lord.
GOING DEEPER Questions from this weeks message.
As I work with people who are struggling with harmful behaviors, there are 6 things that we primarily focus on. Personally, I think these 6 things are important for anyone who wants to live a life in freedom. Not freedom from but, freedom for! Take a few minutes this week to ask yourself where you are at in each of these areas. 1. The unconditional love of our Father God. How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36:7 But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15 2. Holy Spirit role in your life. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representativethat is, the Holy Spirithe will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. John 14:26 3. The significance of daily: Bible reading Prayer Meditation Journaling Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Joshua 1:8 4. Understanding our addictive cycle. I cannot unpack the full meaning of this here but, its basically understanding how our brains are wired. How years of harmful behaviors have programed us to act/respond a certain way to pain, stress, etc. Why do we do the things we dont want to do? I dont really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I dont do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. Romans 7: 15-17 5. Community Do you have a small group of people that really know you? People that you meet with on a regular basis to hold you accountable. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10: 24,25 6. Your DOC (Drug of Choice) this can be a substance, a thing or even a way of thinking that helps to avoid your pain or wound. Often times we put this as number one on the list! Stop smoking, stop drinking, stop watching porn, stop getting angry. As we understand Gods unconditional love for us, the working of His Spirit in our lives, the importance of spending time with Him, how our brain works and the importance of community, we are able to find freedom from our DOC. What is your DOC? How do you numb your pain?
My Money | Give Scripture 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 (NIV) Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever. Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lords people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Main Idea Because God gave, give like God gave.
Going Deeper Questions from this weeks Sermon 1. What insight, principle or observation from this weeks message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? Please explain.
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In thinking about money in 3 main categories (Live - Save Give) Why might the order of these categories matter? When you get money, in which order does it get used up?
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When you think of giving or maybe even tithing, what comes to your mind, how do you view it in your life mentally, and practically?
4.Read 2 Corinthians 9:6. According to this passage, how were the early Christians called to give? Do you think this was a specific rule only for them, or a general rule for believers even today, why?
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Do you see yourself generous, or tight financially? What would it take for you to grow in generosity?
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Read 2 Corinthians 9:7a. Paul asks believers to give intentionally. Do you have a plan in your giving, if so what is it? If not, why not? What will you do this week to put a plan in place? If you just starting out, start small (maybe 2% of your income), and then put a plan in place to grow it.
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Read 2 Corinthians 9:7b. What attitude should we give with? Why is it possible for Christians to give with joy (think gospelJ)?
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Read 9:6 again. How could this verse point to the idea that if we give God will bless us financially? Read verse 8-15. How does Paul define the way in which God blesses us (hint: He doesnt talk at all about financial blessing)?
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Alvin said: Because God gavegive like God gave. Generously, Intentionally, Cheerfully. How has God given in those three ways? In which of the 3 do you need to grow most? What will you do this week to initiate that change and growth? Which barriers or excuses do you need to overcome to accomplish that growth/change?
Summary Give Generously: Because God gave generously. Give intentionally: As God gave intentionally. Be intentional, make a plan. Give Cheerfully: Hebrews tells us that Jesus, for the joy set before him endured the cross. He gave cheerfully with joy knowing who his Father is. Know who your Father God is, and for the joy before you, give cheerfully. Because God gave, give like God gave.
Call to Action This week sit down and make a plan to give. And then start