The Righteous Shall Live By Faith (Galatians 3:6-14) NLT

6    In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
7    The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.
8    What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.”
9    So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.

10  But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.”
11  So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
12  This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”
13  But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
14  Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.

God Loves a Person Who Gives Cheerfully (II Corinthians 9:6-11) NLT

6    Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.
7    You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
8    And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.
9    As the Scriptures say,  “They share freely and give generously to the poor.  Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”

10  For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

11  Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.

Who Will Be Saved (Acts 2:17-21)NLT

17  ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy.  Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.
18  In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike—and they will prophesy.
19  And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below—blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
20  The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives.
21  But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.’

This Is My Command: Love Each Other (John 15:9-17)NLT

9    “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.
10  When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
11  I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!
12  This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.
13  There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
14  You are my friends if you do what I command.
15  I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.
16  You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.
17  This is my command: Love each other.

Gives Thanks to The Lord (Psalms 107:1-21) NLT

1    Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!  His faithful love endures forever.
2    Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!  Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
3    For he has gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from north and south.

4    Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless.
5    Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died.
6    “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress.
7    He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live.
8    Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
9    For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

10  Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains of misery.
11  They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Most High.
12  That is why he broke them with hard labor; they fell, and no one was there to help them.
13  “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
14  He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains.
15  Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
16  For he broke down their prison gates of bronze; he cut apart their bars of iron.

17  Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins.
18  They couldn’t stand the thought of food, and they were knocking on death’s door.
19  “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
20  He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.
21  Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.

You Must Take Up Your Cross And Follow Me (Mark 8:34-38) NLT

34  Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 
35  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 
36  And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? 
37  Is anything worth more than your soul? 
38  If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Living With Wisdom, Righteousness and Devotion to God (Titus 2:11-15) NLT

11  For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.
12  And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,
13  while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.
14  He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.
15  You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don’t let anyone disregard what you say.

People Come Into Your Life For a Reason

Humble Yourself Under the Mighty Power of God (I Peter 5:6-11) NLT

6    So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 

7    Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

8    Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 

9    Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.

10  In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 

11  All power to him forever! Amen.

Are You Believing for God To Do Something In Your Life Today?

Are you believing for God to do something in your life today?  I want to encourage you because God is already working behind the scenes on your behalf!  Just because you don't see anything happening, doesn't mean that God isn't working.  The moment we pray, God sets the miracle into motion.  The thing we have to remember is that God doesn't say, "I'll deliver you in one hour, or next week, or Tuesday at 5:00 p.m."  No, He doesn't put a time frame on it.  That's where trust comes in.  We have to know that our enemies retreat as soon as we call on Him for help.  We have to choose to go back to the place of peace knowing that He is working things out.

Today, shake off the temptation to get discouraged during the waiting process.  Shake off offense, shake off discouragement.  Remember, all it takes is one touch of God's favor to take you years ahead.  Keep standing, keep believing, keep hoping because because the answer is on his way the moment we pray!

Prayer for Today:  Heavenly Father, thank you for hearing me the moment I pray.  today I choose to trust that you are working behind the scenes on my behalf no matter what I see in the natural.  I will praise You today and always because You are faithful.  I love You and bless You.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen

Now Is The Time to Seek The Lord (Hosea 10:12-14) NLT

12  I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love.  Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’

13  “But you have cultivated wickedness and harvested a thriving crop of sins.  You have eaten the fruit of lies—trusting in your military might, believing that great armies could make your nation safe.

14  Now the terrors of war will rise among your people.  All your fortifications will fall, just as when Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel.  Even mothers and children were dashed to death there.

Patience and Endurance (James 5:7-12) NLT

7    Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 

8    You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.

9    Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!

10  For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 

11  We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.

12  But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.

Let The Peace of Christ Rule In Your Heart (Colossians 3:12-17) NLT

12  Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
13  Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
14  Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
15  And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
16  Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
17  And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Warning About Self-Confidence (James 4:13-17)NLT

13  Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 

14  How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 

15  What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 

16  Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.

17  Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

God Blesses Those Who Patiently (James 1:12-18) NLT

12  God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13  And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.
14  Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.
15  These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
16  So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.
17  Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
18  He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

The Thief Comes to Steal and Kill and Destroy (John 10:10-18) NLT

10  The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
11  “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 
12  A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 
13  The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.
14  “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 
15  just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 
16  I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
17  “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. 
18  No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

Good News: All Who Believe in Christ Are Made Right With God (Romans 10:3-10)NLT

3    For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.
4    For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.
5    For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.
6    But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth).
7    And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).”
8    In fact, it says,  “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.”

And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 

9    If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 

10  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself (Galatians 5:13-15) NLT

13  For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
14  For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
15  But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.

If Anyone Loves Me He Will Obey My Teaching (John 14:23-31)NLT

23  Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 
24  Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 
25  I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 
26  But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
27  “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. 
28  Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. 
29  I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.
30  “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, 
31  but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.

Suffering for Doing Good (I Peter 3:13-2

13  Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 

14  But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. 

15  Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 

16  But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 

17  Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!

18  Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.

19  So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— 

20  those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. 

21  And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

22  Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority

Children of the Devil (John 8:42-47) NLT

42  Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. 
43  Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! 
44  For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.
45  So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! 
46  Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? 
47  Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.”

Jesus Came to Save the World (John 12:44-50) ESV

44  And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 

45  And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 

46  I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

47  If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 

48  The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 

49  For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 

50  And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

**English Standard Version

Jesus the Bread of Life John 6:43-51 (NLT)

43  But Jesus replied, “Stop complaining about what I said. 
44  For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. 
45  As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 
46  (Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him.)
47  “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. 
48  Yes, I am the bread of life! 
49  Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. 
50  Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. 
51  I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”

Faith (Hebrews 11:1-16) NLT

1    Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. 

2    Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.

3    By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

4    It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

5    It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 

6    And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

7    It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.

8    It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. 

9    And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. 

10  Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

11  It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. 

12  And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.

13  All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 

14  Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 

15  If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 

16  But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Don't Be Fooled by What They Say (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 and 8-12) NLT

3    Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction.
4    He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God..............................

8    Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.
9    This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles.
10  He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them.
11  So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies.
12  Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.

Jesus Greater Than Moses (Hebrews 3:1-6) NLT

1  And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest.

2  For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house.

3  But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. 

4  For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God.

5  Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. 

6  But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.

New Life In Christ (Colossians 2:6-23) NLT

6    And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 

7    Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

8    Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 

9    For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.

10  So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

11  When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. 

12  For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

13  You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 

14  He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 

15  In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

16  So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. 

17  For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. 

18  Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, 

19  and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.

20  You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, 

21  “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? 

22  Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 

23  These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

It Is With Our Mouth You Confess And Are Saved (Roman 10:9-13)NLT

9    If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
11   As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”
12   Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him.
13   For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Beware of the False Prophets (Matthew 7:15-23)NLT

15  “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 
16  You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 
17  A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 
18  A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 
19  So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 
20  Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. 
21  “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 
22  On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 
23  But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Do Not Worry (Matthew 6:25-34)NLT

25  “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 
26  Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 
27  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28  “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 
29  yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 
30  And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31  “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 
32  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 
33  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
34  “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Love (I Corinthians 13) NLT

1    If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 

2    If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 

3    If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it;  but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

4    Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud

5    or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 

6    It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 

7    Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

8    Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 

9    Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture!
10  But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.
11  When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
12  Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
13  Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

The Lord Is Faithful to All His Promises (Psalms 145:8-21)

8    The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9    The Lord is good to everyone.  He showers compassion on all his creation.
10  All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faithful followers will praise you.
11  They will speak of the glory of your kingdom;  they will give examples of your power.
12  They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
13  For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.  You rule throughout all generations.  The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.

14  The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
15  The eyes of all look to you in hope;  you give them their food as they need it.
16  When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
17  The Lord is righteous in everything he does;  he is filled with kindness.
18  The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.
19  He grants the desires of those who fear him;  he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
20  The Lord protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked.

21  I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever.

His Love Endures Forever (Psalms 136:1-9) NLT

1  Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!  His faithful love endures forever.
2  Give thanks to the God of gods.  His faithful love endures forever.
3  Give thanks to the Lord of lords.  His faithful love endures forever.

4  Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles.  His faithful love endures forever.
5  Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully.  His faithful love endures forever.
6  Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters.  His faithful love endures forever.
7  Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights—His faithful love endures forever.
8  the sun to rule the day, His faithful love endures forever.
9  and the moon and stars to rule the night.  His faithful love endures forever.

Seek the Lord While He Can Be Found (Isaiah 55:6-11) NLT

6    Seek the Lord while you can find him.  Call on him now while he is near.
7    Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong.  Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.  Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

8    “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.  “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

9    For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

10  “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth.  They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.

11  It is the same with my word.  I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

It Is God Alone Who Judges (Psalms 75) NLT

1    We thank you, O God!  We give thanks because you are near.  People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds.

2    God says, “At the time I have planned, I will bring justice against the wicked.

3    When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil, I am the one who keeps its foundations firm. 

Selah

4    “I warned the proud, ‘Stop your boasting!’  I told the wicked, ‘Don’t raise your fists!

5    Don’t raise your fists in defiance at the heavens or speak with such arrogance.’”

6    For no one on earth—from east or west, or even from the wilderness—should raise a defiant fist.

7    It is God alone who judges;  he decides who will rise and who will fall.

8    For the Lord holds a cup in his hand that is full of foaming wine mixed with spices.  He pours out the wine in judgment,  and all the wicked must drink it, draining it to the dregs.

9    But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

10  For God says, “I will break the strength of the wicked, but I will increase the power of the godly.”

A Psalm of Thanksgiving (Psalms 100) NLT

1  Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!

2  Worship the Lord with gladness.  Come before him, singing with joy.

3  Acknowledge that the Lord is God!  He made us, and we are his.  We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4  Enter his gates with thanksgiving;  go into his courts with praise.  Give thanks to him and praise his name.

5  For the Lord is good.  His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

God’s Law Reveals Our Sin and Struggling with Sin (Romans 7:7-25) NLT

God’s Law Reveals Our Sin

7    Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” 

8    But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. 

9    At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, 

10  and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. 

11  Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. 

12  But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.

13  But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.

Struggling with Sin

14  So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 

15  I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t 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.

18  And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 

19  I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 

20  But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

21  I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 

22  I love God’s law with all my heart. 

23  But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 

24  Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 

25  Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

The Day and Hour of His Return is Unknown (Mark 13:32-37) NLT

32  “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 
33  Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 
34  It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35  “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 
36  If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 
37  What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

Signs of the End of the Age(Mark 13:5-31)NLT

5    Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 
6    Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 
7    When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 
8    Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
9    “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 
10  And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 
11  Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
12  “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 
13  Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
14  “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 
15  Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 
16  Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 
17  How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 
18  Pray that this will not take place in winter, 
19  because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.
20  “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 
21  At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it.
it.
22  For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 
23  So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.
24  “But in those days, following that distress, “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;

25  the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

26  “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 

27  And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

28  “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 

29  Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 

30  Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 

31  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."

Ministers of the New Covenant (2 Corinthians 2:14-17 & 3:4-6) NLT

2 Corinthians 2:14-17
14  But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.
15  For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
16  To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?
17  Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

2 Corinthians 3:4-6
4  Such confidence we have through Christ before God.
5  Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
6  He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Victory Through Our Lord Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 15:45-58)NLT

45  So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
46  The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.
47  The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven.
48  As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.
49  And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.
50  I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
51  Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
52  in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53  For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
54  When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55  “Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?”
56  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
57  But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58  Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

If Anyone Loves Me He Will Obey (John 14:23-30)NLT

23  Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 
24  Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25  “All this I have spoken while still with you. 
26  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 
27  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
28  “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 
29  I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 
30  I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 
31  but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.............

Your Strength Comes from God's Grace (Hebrews 13:9-17) NLT

9    So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.
10  We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat.
11  Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp.
12  So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood.
13  So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore.
14  For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
15  Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.
16  And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.
17  Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.