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Becoming Like Him Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies Himself, just as He is pure. 1 John 3:2,3 NIV His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:3,4 KJV Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. ...

John 15:1-17 (GNT) 1 "I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit. 3 You have been made clean already by the teaching I have given you. 4 Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me. 6 Those who do not remain in me are thrown out like a branch and dry up; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, where they are burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it. 8 My Father's glory is shown by your bearing much fruit; and in this wa...

Psalm 68.21-35 "Our Lord and our God, your terrible enemies are ready for war, but you will crush their skulls. You promised to bring them from Bashan and from the deepest sea. Then we could stomp on their blood, and our dogs could chew on their bones. We have seen crowds marching to your place of worship, our God and King. The singers come first, and then the musicians, surrounded by young women playing tambourines. They come shouting, "People of Israel, praise the Lord God!" The small tribe of Benjamin leads the way, followed by the leaders from Judah. Then come the leaders from Zebulun and Naphtali. Our God, show your strength! Show us once again. Then kings will bring gifts to your temple in Jerusalem. Punish that animal that lives in the swamp! Punish that nation whose leaders and people are like wild bulls. Make them come crawling with gifts of silver. Scatter those nations that enjoy making war. Force the Egyptians to bring gifts of bronze; mak...

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."

John 14:15-31 (GNT) 15 "If you love me, you will obey my commandments. 16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God. The world cannot receive him, because it cannot see him or know him. But you know him, because he remains with you and is in you. 18 When I go, you will not be left all alone; I will come back to you. 19 In a little while the world will see me no more, but you will see me; and because I live, you also will live. 20 When that day comes, you will know that I am in my Father and that you are in me, just as I am in you. 21 "Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. My Father will love those who love me; I too will love them and reveal myself to them." 22 Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "Lord, how can it be that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered him, Those who love m...

Overcoming Faith! This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:3,4 NIV Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1,2 KJV By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. Hebrews 11:3,4 NASB Father God, forgive my sins. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ down to die on the cross and for shedding his blood for me. Three days later you resurrected him...

Psalm 68.1-20 (A psalm and a song by David for the music leader.) God Will Win the Battle Do something, God! Scatter your hateful enemies. Make them turn and run. Scatter them like smoke! When you come near, make them melt like wax in a fire. But let your people be happy and celebrate because of you. Our God, you are the one who rides on the clouds, and we praise you. Your name is the Lord, and we celebrate as we worship you. Our God, from your sacred home you take care of orphans and protect widows. You find families for those who are lonely. You set prisoners free and let them prosper, but all who rebel will live in a scorching desert. You set your people free, and you led them through the desert. God of Israel, the earth trembled, and rain poured down. You alone are the God who rules from Mount Sinai. When your land was thirsty, you sent showers to refresh it. Your people settled there, and you were generous to everyone in need. You gave the command, and a ch...

Jesus said, "Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!"

Jesus said, "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, "Follow me."

John 14:1-14. 1 "Do not be worried and upset," Jesus told them. Believe in God and believe also in me. 2 There are many rooms in my Father's house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so. 3 And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am. 4 You know the way that leads to the place where I am going. " 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; so how can we know the way to get there?" 6 Jesus answered him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me. 7 Now that you have known me, " he said to them, "you will know my Father also, and from now on you do know him and you have seen him. " 8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father; that is all we need." 9 Jesus answered, "For a long time I have been with you all; yet you do not know me, P...

Pray. Pray. Pray. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:14,15 NIV Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:14-16 KJV When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to ...

Isaiah 55.1-13 The Lord's Invitation "If you are thirsty, come and drink water! If you don't have any money, come, eat what you want! Drink wine and milk without paying a cent. Why waste your money on what really isn't food? Why work hard for something that doesn't satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and you will enjoy the very best foods. Pay close attention! Come to me and live. I will promise you the eternal love and loyalty that I promised David. I made him the leader and ruler of the nations; he was my witness to them. You will call out to nations you have never known. And they have never known you, but they will come running because I am the Lord, the holy God of Israel, and I have honored you. God's Words Are Powerful Turn to the Lord! He can still be found. Call out to God! He is near. Give up your crooked ways and your evil thoughts. Return to the Lord our God. He will be merciful and forgive your sins. The Lord says: "My thou...

Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

John 13:21-35. 21 "After Jesus had said this, he was deeply troubled and declared openly, "I am telling you the truth: one of you is going to betray me." 22 The disciples looked at one another, completely puzzled about whom he meant. 23 One of the disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was sitting next to Jesus. 24 Simon Peter motioned to him and said, "Ask him whom he is talking about." 25 So that disciple moved closer to Jesus' side and asked, "Who is it, Lord?" 26 Jesus answered, "I will dip some bread in the sauce and give it to him; he is the man." So he took a piece of bread, dipped it, and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "Hurry and do what you must!" 28 None of the others at the table understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas was in charge of the money bag, some of the disciples thought that Jesus had told...

Exodus 3.1-15 God Speaks to Moses "One day, Moses was taking care of the sheep and goats of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and Moses decided to lead them across the desert to Sinai, the holy mountain. There an angel of the Lord appeared to him from a burning bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire, but it was not burning up. "This is strange!" he said to himself. "I'll go over and see why the bush isn't burning up." When the Lord saw Moses coming near the bush, he called him by name, and Moses answered, "Here I am." God replied, "Don't come any closer. Take off your sandals-the ground where you are standing is holy. I am the God who was worshiped by your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Moses was afraid to look at God, and so he hid his face. The Lord said: I have seen how my people are suffering as slaves in Egypt, and I have heard them beg for my help because of the way they are ...

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

John 13:1-20. 1 "It was now the day before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. He had always loved those in the world who were his own, and he loved them to the very end. 2 Jesus and his disciples were at supper. The Devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, the thought of betraying Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him complete power; he knew that he had come from God and was going to God. 4 So he rose from the table, took off his outer garment, and tied a towel around his waist. 5 Then he poured some water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Are you going to wash my feet, Lord?" 7 Jesus answered him, "You do not understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later." 8 Peter declared, "Never at any time will...

Are We Making Disciples? In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:12-14 NIV Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:19,20 KJV So the word of the LORD to them will be, "Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there," That they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive. Isaiah 28:13 NASB Father God, forgive my...

saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Philippians 3.12-4.1 Running toward the Goal "I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. My friends, I don't feel that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. All of us who are mature should think in this same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you. But we must keep going in the direction that we are now headed. My friends, I want you to follow my example and learn from others who closely follow the example we set for you. I often warned you that many people are living as enemies of the cross of Christ. And now with tears in my eyes, I warn you again that they are headed for hell! They worship their stomachs and brag about...

Luke 18:35—19:10. 35 "As Jesus was coming near Jericho, there was a blind man sitting by the road, begging. 36 When he heard the crowd passing by, he asked, "What is this?" 37 "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by," they told him. 38 He cried out, "Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!" 39 The people in front scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly, "Son of David! Have mercy on me!" 40 So Jesus stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 "What do you want me to do for you?" "Sir," he answered, "I want to see again." 42 Jesus said to him, "Then see! Your faith has made you well." 43 At once he was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving thanks to God. When the crowd saw it, they all praised God. 1 Jesus went on into Jericho and was passing through. 2 There was a chief tax collector there named Zacchaeus, who wa...

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Jesus said, "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."

Jesus said, "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves."

Luke 18:15-34. 15 "Some people brought their babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. The disciples saw them and scolded them for doing so, 16 but Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Remember this! Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it. " 18 A Jewish leader asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?" 19 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: "Do not commit adultery; do not commit murder; do not steal; do not accuse anyone falsely; respect your father and your mother." " 21 The man replied, "Ever since I was young, I have obeyed all these commandments." 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "There is still one more thing you need to do. Sell all ...

Psalm 27.1-14 (By David.) A Prayer of Praise "You, Lord, are the light that keeps me safe. I am not afraid of anyone. You protect me, and I have no fears. Brutal people may attack and try to kill me, but they will stumble. Fierce enemies may attack, but they will fall. Armies may surround me, but I won't be afraid; war may break out, but I will trust you. I ask only one thing, Lord: Let me live in your house every day of my life to see how wonderful you are and to pray in your temple. In times of trouble, you will protect me. You will hide me in your tent and keep me safe on top of a mighty rock. You will let me defeat all of my enemies. Then I will celebrate, as I enter your tent with animal sacrifices and songs of praise. Please listen when I pray! Have pity. Answer my prayer. My heart tells me to pray. I am eager to see your face, so don't hide from me. I am your servant, and you have helped me. Don't turn from me in anger. You alone keep me saf...

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;

Genesis 15.1-21 "Later the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision, "Abram, don't be afraid! I will protect you and reward you greatly." But Abram answered, "Lord All-Powerful, you have given me everything I could ask for, except children. And when I die, Eliezer of Damascus will get all I own. You have not given me any children, and this servant of mine will inherit everything." The Lord replied, "No, he won't! You will have a son of your own, and everything you have will be his." Then the Lord took Abram outside and said, "Look at the sky and see if you can count the stars. That's how many descendants you will have." Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord was pleased with him. The Lord Makes Another Promise to Abram The Lord said to Abram, "I brought you here from Ur in Chaldea, and I gave you this land." Abram asked, "Lord God, how can I know the land will be mine?" Then the Lord told him, ...

Luke 17:1-19 (GNT) 1 "Jesus said to his disciples, "Things that make people fall into sin are bound to happen, but how terrible for the one who makes them happen! 2 It would be better for him if a large millstone were tied around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 So watch what you do! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in one day, and each time he comes to you saying, "I repent," you must forgive him. " 5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Make our faith greater." 6 The Lord answered, "If you had faith as big as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, "Pull yourself up by the roots and plant yourself in the sea!" and it would obey you. 7 Suppose one of you has a servant who is plowing or looking after the sheep. When he comes in from the field, do you tell him to hurry along and eat...

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Jesus said, "And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold."

To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Luke 15:11-32 (Good News Translation) 11 "Jesus went on to say, "There was once a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to him, "Father, give me my share of the property now." So the man divided his property between his two sons. 13 After a few days the younger son sold his part of the property and left home with the money. He went to a country far away, where he wasted his money in reckless living. 14 He spent everything he had. Then a severe famine spread over that country, and he was left without a thing. 15 So he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him out to his farm to take care of the pigs. 16 He wished he could fill himself with the bean pods the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything to eat. 17 At last he came to his senses and said, 'All my father's hired workers have more than they can eat, and here I am about to starve! 18 I will get up and go to my father and say, Father, I have sinned against Go...

Lamentations 1.1-22 The Prophet Speaks: Jerusalem, once so crowded, lies deserted and lonely. This city that was known all over the world is now like a widow. This queen of the nations has been made a slave. Each night, bitter tears flood her cheeks. None of her former lovers are there to offer comfort; her friends have betrayed her and are now her enemies. The people of Judah are slaves, suffering in a foreign land, with no rest from sorrow. Their enemies captured them and were terribly cruel. The roads to Zion mourn because no one travels there to celebrate the festivals. The city gates are deserted; priests are weeping. Young women are raped; Zion is in sorrow! Enemies now rule the city and live as they please. The Lord has punished Jerusalem because of her awful sins; he has let her people be dragged away. Zion's glory has disappeared. Her leaders are like deer that cannot find pasture; they are hunted down till their strength is gone. Her people recall the ...

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer

Luke 14:25—15:10 (GNT) 25 "Once when large crowds of people were going along with Jesus, he turned and said to them, 26 "Those who come to me cannot be my disciples unless they love me more than they love father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and themselves as well. 27 Those who do not carry their own cross and come after me cannot be my disciples. 28 If one of you is planning to build a tower, you sit down first and figure out what it will cost, to see if you have enough money to finish the job. 29 If you don't, you will not be able to finish the tower after laying the foundation; and all who see what happened will make fun of you. 30 "You began to build but can't finish the job!" they will say. 31 If a king goes out with ten thousand men to fight another king who comes against him with twenty thousand men, he will sit down first and decide if he is strong enough to face that other king. 32 If he isn't, he will send ...

2 Kings 19.8-19 "Meanwhile, the commander of the Assyrian forces heard that his king had left the town of Lachish and was now attacking Libnah. So he went there. About this same time the king of Assyria learned that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was on his way to attack him. Then the king of Assyria sent some messengers with this note for Hezekiah: Don't trust your God or be fooled by his promise to defend Jerusalem against me. You have heard how we Assyrian kings have completely wiped out other nations. What makes you feel so safe? The Assyrian kings before me destroyed the towns of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and everyone from Eden who lived in Telassar. What good did their gods do them? The kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah have all disappeared. Hezekiah Prays After Hezekiah had read the note from the king of Assyria, he took it to the temple and spread it out for the Lord to see. He prayed: Lord God of Israel, your throne is above the win...

And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.

But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.

Luke 14:1-24 1 "One Sabbath Jesus went to eat a meal at the home of one of the leading Pharisees; and people were watching Jesus closely. 2 A man whose legs and arms were swollen came to Jesus, 3 and Jesus spoke up and asked the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, "Does our Law allow healing on the Sabbath or not?" 4 But they would not say a thing. Jesus took the man, healed him, and sent him away. 5 Then he said to them, "If any one of you had a child or an ox that happened to fall in a well on a Sabbath, would you not pull it out at once on the Sabbath itself" 6 But they were not able to answer him about this. 7 Jesus noticed how some of the guests were choosing the best places, so he told this parable to all of them: 8 "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place. It could happen that someone more important than you has been invited, 9 and your host, who invited both of you, would have to come and say...

Jeremiah 32.16-25 "Then I prayed: Lord God, you stretched out your mighty arm and made the sky and the earth. You can do anything. You show kindness for a thousand generations, but you also punish people for the sins of their parents. You are the Lord All-Powerful. With great wisdom you make plans, and with your great power you do all the mighty things you planned. Nothing we do is hidden from your eyes, and you reward or punish us as we deserve. You are famous because you worked miracles in Egypt, and you are still working them in Israel and in the rest of the world as well. You terrified the Egyptians with your miracles, and you reached out your mighty arm and rescued your people Israel from Egypt. Then you gave Israel this land rich with milk and honey, just as you had promised our ancestors. But when our ancestors took over the land, they did not obey you. And now you have punished Israel with disaster. Jerusalem is under attack, and we suffer from hu...

"But he did not put to death the children of the murderers, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD commanded, "Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. But each one shall die for his own sin."

Luke 13:10-35 10 "One Sabbath Jesus was teaching in a synagogue. 11 A woman there had an evil spirit that had kept her sick for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called out to her, "Woman, you are free from your sickness!" 13 He placed his hands on her, and at once she straightened herself up and praised God. 14 The official of the synagogue was angry that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, so he spoke up and said to the people, "There are six days in which we should work; so come during those days and be healed, but not on the Sabbath!" 15 The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Any one of you would untie your ox or your donkey from the stall and take it out to give it water on the Sabbath. 16 Now here is this descendant of Abraham whom Satan has kept in bonds for eighteen years; should she not be released on the Sabbath? " 17 His answer made his enemies ashamed of themselves,...

Luke 4.1-15 "When Jesus returned from the Jordan River, the power of the Holy Spirit was with him, and the Spirit led him into the desert. For forty days Jesus was tested by the devil, and during that time he went without eating. When it was all over, he was hungry. The devil said to Jesus, "If you are God's Son, tell this stone to turn into bread." Jesus answered, "The Scriptures say, 'No one can live only on food.'" Then the devil led Jesus up to a high place and quickly showed him all the nations on earth. The devil said, "I will give all this power and glory to you. It has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. Just worship me, and you can have it all." Jesus answered, "The Scriptures say: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!'" Finally, the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem and had him stand on top of the temple. The devil said, "If you are God's Son, jump off. ...

Jesus said, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come."

Jesus said, "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you."

Luke 10:25-42 (GNT) 25 "A teacher of the Law came up and tried to trap Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to receive eternal life?" 26 Jesus answered him, "What do the Scriptures say? How do you interpret them?" 27 The man answered, " "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind"; and "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." " 28 "You are right," Jesus replied; "do this and you will live." 29 But the teacher of the Law wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus answered, "There was once a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers attacked him, stripped him, and beat him up, leaving him half dead. 31 It so happened that a priest was going down that road; but when he saw the man, he walked on by on the other side. 32 In the same way a Levite also...

Psalm 91.1-16 The Lord Is My Fortress Live under the protection of God Most High and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful. Then you will say to the Lord, "You are my fortress, my place of safety; you are my God, and I trust you." The Lord will keep you safe from secret traps and deadly diseases. He will spread his wings over you and keep you secure. His faithfulness is like a shield or a city wall. You won't need to worry about dangers at night or arrows during the day. And you won't fear diseases that strike in the dark or sudden disaster at noon. You will not be harmed, though thousands fall all around you. And with your own eyes you will see the punishment of the wicked. The Lord Most High is your fortress. Run to him for safety, and no terrible disasters will strike you or your home. God will command his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will carry you in their arms, and you won't hurt your feet on the stones. You will overpow...

So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, "'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Luke 10:1-24 (Good News Translation) 1 "After this the Lord chose another seventy-two men and sent them out two by two, to go ahead of him to every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 He said to them, "There is a large harvest, but few workers to gather it in. Pray to the owner of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest. 3 Go! I am sending you like lambs among wolves. 4 Don't take a purse or a beggar's bag or shoes; don't stop to greet anyone on the road. 5 Whenever you go into a house, first say, "Peace be with this house." 6 If someone who is peace-loving lives there, let your greeting of peace remain on that person; if not, take back your greeting of peace. 7 Stay in that same house, eating and drinking whatever they offer you, for workers should be given their pay. Don't move around from one house to another. 8 Whenever you go into a town and are made welcome, eat what is set before you, 9 ...

Deuteronomy 26.1-11 Give the Lord the First Part of Your Harvest "Moses said to Israel: The Lord is giving you the land, and soon you will conquer it, settle down, and plant crops. And when you begin harvesting each of your crops, the very first things you pick must be put in a basket. Take them to the place where the Lord your God chooses to be worshiped, and tell the priest, "Long ago the Lord our God promised our ancestors that he would give us this land. And today, I thank him for keeping his promise and giving me a share of the land." The priest will take the basket and set it in front of the Lord's altar. Then, standing there in front of the place of worship, you must pray: My ancestor was homeless, an Aramean who went to live in Egypt. There were only a few in his family then, but they became great and powerful, a nation of many people. The Egyptians were cruel and had no pity on us. They mistreated our people and forced us into slavery...

Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."

1 Corinthians 12.31b-13.13 "I want you to desire the best gifts. So I will show you a much better way. What if I could speak all languages of humans and of angels? If I did not love others, I would be nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. What if I could prophesy and understand all secrets and all knowledge? And what if I had faith that moved mountains? I would be nothing, unless I loved others. What if I gave away all that I owned and let myself be burned alive? I would gain nothing, unless I loved others. Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn't selfish or quick tempered. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails! Everyone who prophesies will stop, and unknown languages will no longer be spoken. All that we know will be forgotten. We don't know everything, and our prophecie...

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber."

Psalm 51.1-19 (For the music leader. A psalm by David when the prophet Nathan came to him after David had been with Bathsheba.) A Prayer for Forgiveness "You are kind, God! Please have pity on me. You are always merciful! Please wipe away my sins. Wash me clean from all of my sin and guilt. I know about my sins, and I cannot forget my terrible guilt. You are really the one I have sinned against; I have disobeyed you and have done wrong. So it is right and fair for you to correct and punish me. I have sinned and done wrong since the day I was born. But you want complete honesty, so teach me true wisdom. Wash me with hyssop until I am clean and whiter than snow. Let me be happy and joyful! You crushed my bones, now let them celebrate. Turn your eyes from my sin and cover my guilt. Create pure thoughts in me and make me faithful again. Don't chase me away from you or take your Holy Spirit away from me. Make me as happy as you did when you saved me; make me want...

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good.

Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Ezra 9.1-15 Later the Jewish leaders came to me and said: Many Israelites, including priests and Levites, are living just like the people around them. They are even guilty of some of the horrible sins of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. Some Israelite men have married foreign women and have let their sons do the same thing. Our own officials and leaders were the first to commit this disgusting sin, and now God's holy people are mixed with foreigners. This news made me so angry that I ripped my clothes and tore hair from my head and beard. Then I just sat in shock until time for the evening sacrifice. Many of our people were greatly concerned and gathered around me, because the God of Israel had warned us to stay away from foreigners. Ezra's Prayer At the time of the evening sacrifice, I was still sitting there in sorrow with my clothes all torn. So I got down on my k...

Jude (GNT) 1 "From Jude, servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James— To those who have been called by God, who live in the love of God the Father and the protection of Jesus Christ: 2 May mercy, peace, and love be yours in full measure. 3 My dear friends, I was doing my best to write to you about the salvation we share in common, when I felt the need of writing at once to encourage you to fight on for the faith which once and for all God has given to his people. 4 For some godless people have slipped in unnoticed among us, persons who distort the message about the grace of our God in order to excuse their immoral ways, and who reject Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord. Long ago the Scriptures predicted the condemnation they have received. 5 For even though you know all this, I want to remind you of how the Lord once rescued the people of Israel from Egypt, but afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 Remember the angels who did not stay within the li...

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus said, "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me."

Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?"

Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser."

3 John (GNT) 1 "From the Elder— To my dear Gaius, whom I truly love. 2 My dear friend, I pray that everything may go well with you and that you may be in good health—as I know you are well in spirit. 3 I was so happy when some Christians arrived and told me how faithful you are to the truth—just as you always live in the truth. 4 Nothing makes me happier than to hear that my children live in the truth. 5 My dear friend, you are so faithful in the work you do for other Christians, even when they are strangers. 6 They have spoken to the church here about your love. Please help them to continue their trip in a way that will please God. 7 For they set out on their trip in the service of Christ without accepting any help from unbelievers. 8 We Christians, then, must help these people, so that we may share in their work for the truth. 9 I wrote a short letter to the church; but Diotrephes, who likes to be their leader, will not pay any attention to what I say. 10 When I ...

Luke 9.28-43a "About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James with him and went up on a mountain to pray. While he was praying, his face changed, and his clothes became shining white. Suddenly Moses and Elijah were there speaking with him. They appeared in heavenly glory and talked about all that Jesus' death in Jerusalem would mean. Peter and the other two disciples had been sound asleep. All at once they woke up and saw how glorious Jesus was. They also saw the two men who were with him. Moses and Elijah were about to leave, when Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." But Peter did not know what he was talking about. While Peter was still speaking, a shadow from a cloud passed over them, and they were frightened as the cloud covered them. From the cloud a voice spoke, "This is my chosen Son. Listen to what he says!" After th...