We, However, Have The Mind Of Christ. (I Corinthians 3) GNT

1   As a matter of fact, my friends, I could not talk to you as I talk to people who have the Spirit; I had to talk to you as though you belonged to this world, as children in the Christian faith.

2   I had to feed you milk, not solid food, because you were not ready for it. And even now you are not ready for it,

3   because you still live as the people of this world live. When there is jealousy among you and you quarrel with one another, doesn't this prove that you belong to this world, living by its standards?

4   When one of you says, I follow Paul, and another, I follow Apollos—aren't you acting like worldly people?

5   After all, who is Apollos? And who is Paul? We are simply God's servants, by whom you were led to believe. Each one of us does the work which the Lord gave him to do:

6   I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plant, but it was God who made the plant grow.

7  The one who plants and the one who waters really do not matter. It is God who matters, because he makes the plant grow.

8  There is no difference between the one who plants and the one who waters; God will reward each one according to the work each has done.

9   For we are partners working together for God, and you are God's field.   You are also God's building.

10  Using the gift that God gave me, I did the work of an expert builder and laid the foundation, and someone else is building on it. But each of you must be careful how you build.

11  For God has already placed Jesus Christ as the one and only foundation, and no other foundation can be laid.

12  Some will use gold or silver or precious stones in building on the foundation; others will use wood or grass or straw.

13  And the quality of each person's work will be seen when the Day of Christ exposes it. For on that Day fire will reveal everyone's work; the fire will test it and show its real quality.

14  If what was built on the foundation survives the fire, the builder will receive a reward.

15  But if your work is burnt up, then you will lose it; but you yourself will be saved, as if you had escaped through the fire. 

16  Surely you know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you!

17  God will destroy anyone who destroys God's temple. For God's temple is holy, and you yourselves are his temple. 

18  You should not fool yourself. If any of you think that you are wise by this world's standards, you should become a fool, in order to be really wise.

19  For what this world considers to be wisdom is nonsense in God's sight. As the scripture says, God traps the wise in their cleverness;

20  and another scripture says, The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are worthless.

21  No one, then, should boast about what human beings can do. Actually everything belongs to you:

22  Paul, Apollos, and Peter; this world, life and death, the present and the future—all these are yours,

23  and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God

God's Wisdom (ICorinthians 2:6-16) GNT

6    Yet I do proclaim a message of wisdom to those who are spiritually mature.  But it is not the wisdom that belongs to this world or to the powers that rule this world---powers that are losing their power.
7    The wisdom I proclaim is God's secret wisdom, which is hidden from mankind, but which he had already chosen for our glory even before the world was made.
8    None of the rulers of this world knew this wisdom.  If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9    However, as the scripture says, "What no one ever saw or heard, what no one ever thought could happen, is the very thing God prepared for those who love him."
10   But it was to us that God made known his secret by means of his Spirit.  The Spirit searches everything, even the hidden depths of God's purposes.
11   It is only a person's own spirit within him that knows all about him; in the same way, only God's Spirit knows all about God.
12   We have not received this world's spirit; instead, we have received the Spirit sent by God, so that we may know all that God has given us.
13   So then, we do not speak in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual truths to those who have the Spirit.
14   Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God's Spirit.  Such a person really does not understand them; they are nonsense to him, because their value can be judged only on a spiritual basis.
15   Whoever has the Spirit, however, is able to judge the value of everything, but no one is able to judge him.
16   As the scripture says, "Who knows the mind of the Lord?  Who is able to give him advice?"  We, however, have the mind Christ.

Christ the Power and the Wisdom of God (ICorinthians 1:18-31) GNT

18   For the message about Christ's death on the cross is nonsense to those who are being lost; but for us who are being saved it is God's power.
19   The scripture says, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and set aside the understanding of the scholars.
20   So then, where does that leave the wise? or the scholars? or the skillful debaters of this world? God has shown that this world's wisdom is foolishness!
21   For God in his wisdom made it impossible for people to know him by means of their own wisdom. Instead, by means of the so-called foolish message we preach, God decided to save those who believe.
22   Jews want miracles for proof, and Greeks look for wisdom.
23   As for us, we proclaim the crucified Christ, a message that is offensive to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles;
24   but for those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, this message is Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25   For what seems to be God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and what seems to be God's weakness is stronger than human strength.
26   Now remember what you were, my friends, when God called you. From the human point of view few of you were wise or powerful or of high social standing.
27   God purposely chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise, and he chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful.
28   He chose what the world looks down on and despises and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important.
29   This means that no one can boast in God's presence.
30   But God has brought you into union with Christ Jesus, and God has made Christ to be our wisdom. By him we are put right with God; we become God's holy people and are set free.
31   So then, as the scripture says, Whoever wants to boast must boast of what the Lord has done.

Warning To Be Watchful (Romans 16:17-20) GNT

17  I urge you, my brothers: watch out for those who cause divisions and upset people's faith and go against the teaching which you have received.  Keep away from them!

18  For those who do such things are not serving Christ our Lord, but their own appetites.  By their fine words and flattering speech they deceive innocent people.

19  Everyone has heard of your loyalty to the gospel, and for this reason I am happy about you.  I want you to be wise about what is good,  but innocent in what is evil..

20  And God, our source of peace, will soon crush satan under your feet.  The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Please Others, Not Yourselves (Romans 15:1-6) GNT

1  We who are strong in the faith ought to help the weak to carry their burdens.  We should not please ourselves.

2   Instead, we should all please our brothers for their own good, in order to build them up in the faith.

3   For Christ did not please himself.  Instead, as the scripture says, "The insults which are hurled at you have fallen on me."

4   Everything written in the Scriptures was written to teach us, in order that we might have hope through the patience and encouragement which the Scriptures give us.

5  And may God, the source of patience and encouragement enable you to have the same point of view among yourselves by following the example of Christ Jesus,

6  so that all of you together may praise with one voice the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Do Not Make Your Brother Fall (Roman 14:13-23) GNT

13   So then, let us stop judging one another. Instead, you should decide never to do anything that would make others stumble or fall into sin.
14   My union with the Lord Jesus makes me certain that no food is of itself ritually unclean; but if you believe that some food is unclean, then it becomes unclean for you.
15   If you hurt others because of something you eat, then you are no longer acting from love. Do not let the food that you eat ruin the person for whom Christ died!
16   Do not let what you regard as good get a bad name.
17   For God's Kingdom is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of the righteousness, peace, and joy which the Holy Spirit gives.
18   And when you serve Christ in this way, you please God and are approved by others.
19   So then, we must always aim at those things that bring peace and that help strengthen one another.
20   Do not, because of food, destroy what God has done. All foods may be eaten, but it is wrong to eat anything that will cause someone else to fall into sin.
21  The right thing to do is to keep from eating meat, drinking wine, or doing anything else that will make other believers fall.
22   Keep what you believe about this matter, then, between yourself and God. Happy are those who do not feel guilty when they do something they judge is right!
23   But if they have doubts about what they eat, God condemns them when they eat it, because their action is not based on faith. And anything that is not based on faith is sin.

Do Not Judge Your Brother (Roman 14:1-12) NLT

1    Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.

2    For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 

3    Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. 

4    Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.

5   In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. 

6    Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.

7    For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves.

8    If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

9    Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.

10   So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

11   For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the LORD, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.’”
12   Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.

Duties Toward One Another (Romans 13:8-14 (GNT)

8   Be under obligation to no one---the only obligation you have is to love one another.  Whoever does this has obeyed the Law.
9    The commandments, "Do not commit adultery; do not commit murder; do not steal; do not desire what belongs to someone else"--all these, and any others besides, are summed up in the one command, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."
10   If you love someone, you will never do him wrong; to love, then, is to obey the whole Law.
11   You must do this, because you know that the time has come for you to wake up from your sleep.  For the moment when we will be saved is closer now than it was when we first believed.
12   The night is nearly over, day is almost here.  Let us top doing the things that belong to the dark, and let us take up weapons for fighting in the light.
13    Let us conduct ourselves properly, as people who live in the light of day---no orgies or drunkenness, no immorality or indecency, no fighting or jealousy.
14    But take up the weapons of the Lord Jesus Christ, and stop paying attention to your sinful nature and satisfying its desires.

Christian Conduct (Titus 3:1-11) GNT

1    Remind your people to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey them, and to be ready to do good in every way.
2    Tell them not to speak evil of anyone, but to be peaceful and friendly, and always to show a gentle attitude toward everyone.
3     For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, and wrong.  We were slaves to passions and pleasures of all kinds.  We spent our lives in malice and envy; others hated us and we hated them.
4     But when the kindness and love of God our Savior was revealed,
5     he saved us.  It was not because any good deeds that we ourselves had done, but because of his own mercy that he saved us, through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth and new life by washing us.
6     God poured out the Holy Spirit abundantly on us through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7     so that by his grace we might be put right with God and come into possession of the eternal life we hope for.
8     This is a true saying.  I want to give special emphasis to these matters, so that those who believe in God may be concerned with giving their time to doing good deeds, which are good and useful for everyone.
9     But avoid stupid arguments, long lists of ancestors, quarrels, and fights about the law.  They are useless and worthless.
10   Give at least two warnings to the person who causes divisions, and then have nothing more to do with him.
11   You know that such a person is corrupt, and his sins prove that he is wrong.

The Tongue (Proverbs & James) NIV

The tongue is a very powerful instrument.  It can either call down blessings from heaven or bring curses (failure) into your life.  If there are areas in your life that need changing, your tongue is the best tool to use to bring about that transformation.   Here are some verses from the Bible which reference the tongue.

Proverbs 10:19  When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.

Proverbs 15:4  The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

Proverbs 17:20 A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.

Proverbs 17:28  Even a fool is thought wise if he keep silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.

Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 21:23  He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.

Proverbs 25:15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

Proverbs 26:28  A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruins.

James 3:5  Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.  Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

James 3:6   The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person,  sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

James 3:8   but no man can tame the tongue.  It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

James 3:9   With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.

What Should Be Taught (Titus 2:1-15)GNT

1    But you must teach what agrees with sound doctrine.
2    Instruct the older men to be sober, sensible, and self-controlled; to be sound in their faith, love, and endurance.
3    In the same way instruct the older women to behave as women should who live a holy life.  They must not be slanders or slaves to wine.  They must teach what is good,
4    in order to train the younger women to love their husbands and children,
5    to be self-controlled and pure, and to be good housewives who submit themselves to their husbands, so that no one will speak evil of the message that comes from God.
6    In the same way urge the young men to be self-controlled.
7    In all things you yourself must be an example of good behavior.  Be sincere and serious in your teaching,
8    Use sound words that cannot be criticized, so that your enemies may be put to shame by not having anything bad to say about us.
9    Slaves are to submit themselves to their masters and please them in all things.  They must not talk back to them
10  or steal from them.  Instead, they must show that they are always good and faithful, so as to bring credit to the teaching about God our Savior in all they do.
11  For God has revealed his grace for the salvation of all mankind.
12  That grace instructs us to give up ungodly living and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this world,
13  as we wait for the blessed Day we hope for, when the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ will appear.
14  He gave himself for us, to rescue us from all wickedness and to make us a pure people who belong to him alone and are eager to do good.
15  Teach these things and use your full authority as you encourage and rebuke your hearers.  Let none of them look down on you.

A Prayer Of Thanks For Victory (Psalms 118) GNT

1    Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. 2     Let all Israel repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.”
3     Let Aaron’s descendants, the priests, repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.”
4     Let all who fear the LORD repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.”
5     In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and set me free.
6     The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?
7     Yes, the LORD is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
8     It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in people.
9     It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.
10  Though hostile nations surrounded me, I destroyed them all with the authority of the LORD.
11  Yes, they surrounded and attacked me, but I destroyed them all with the authority of the LORD.
12  They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed against me like a crackling fire. But I destroyed them all with the authority of the LORD.
13  My enemies did their best to kill me, but the LORD rescued me.
14  The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.
15  Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!
16  The strong right arm of the LORD is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!
17  I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the LORD has done.
18  The LORD has punished me severely, but he did not let me die.
19  Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the LORD.
20  These gates lead to the presence of the LORD, and the godly enter there.
21  I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory!
22  The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.
23  This is the LORD’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.
24  This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25   Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success.
26   Bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD.
27   The LORD is God, shining upon us. Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.
28   You are my God, and I will praise you! You are my God, and I will exalt you!
29   Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. 

In Praise Of The Lord (Psalms 117) GNT

1  Praise the Lord, all nations! Praise Him, all people!
2  His love for us is strong, and his faithfulness is eternal.

Praise the Lord!

Someone Saved From Death Praises God (Psalms 116) GNT

1     I love the Lord, because he hears me;  he listens to my prayers.
2     He listens to me every time I call to him.
3     The danger of death was all around me; the horrors of the grave closed in on me; I was filled with fear and anxiety.
4     Then I called to the Lord, I beg you, Lord, save me!
5     The Lord is merciful and good; our God is compassionate.
6     The Lord protects the helpless; when I was in danger, he saved me.
7     Be confident, my heart, because the Lord has been good to me.
8     The Lord saved me from death; he stopped my tears and kept me from defeat.
9     And so I walk in the presence of the Lord in the world of the living.
10   I kept on believing, even when I said, I am completely crushed,

11   even when I was afraid and said, No one can be trusted.
12   What can I offer the Lord for all his goodness to me?
13   I will bring a wine offering to the Lord, to thank him for saving me.
14   In the assembly of all his people I will give him what I have promised.
15   How painful it is to the Lord when one of his people dies!
16    I am your servant, Lord; I serve you just as my mother did. You have saved me from death.
17   I will give you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and offer my prayer to you.
18-19  In the assembly of all your people, in the sanctuary of your Temple in Jerusalem,
      I will give you what I have promised.

   Praise the Lord!

DAILY PRAYER

(To be Prayed Out Loud)

Heavenly Father, I come to You now in the Name of my Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.  Holy Spirit, I pray that You will quicken me to hear my Heavenly Father’s Voice and lead me in prayer. Holy Spirit, I ask you to reveal to me any un-confessed sins I have in my heart at any time. Heavenly Father, I bow and worship before You. I come to You with praise and with thanksgiving. I come to You in humility, in fear, and in trembling and seeking truth. I come to You in gratitude, in love, and through the precious Blood of Your Son Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Amen.  

God Our Protector (Psalms 91) GNT

1   Whoever goes to the Lord for safety, whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty,
2    can say to him, "You are my defender and protector.  You are my God;  in you I trust."
3    He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers and from all deadly diseases.
4    He will cover you with his wings; you will be safe in his care; his faithfulness will protect and defend you.
5    You need not fear any dangers at night or sudden attacks during the day
6    or the plagues that strike in the dark or the evils that kill in daylight.
7    A thousand may fall dead beside you, ten thousand all around you, but you will not be harmed.
8    You will look and see how the wicked are punished.
9    You have made the Lord your defender, the Most High your protector,
10   and so no disaster will strike you, no violence will come near your home.
11   God will put his angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go.
12   They will hold you up with their hands to keep you from hurting your feet on the stones,
13   You will trample down lions and snakes, fierce lions and poisonous snakes.
14   God says, "I will save those who love me and will protect those who acknowledge me as Lord.
15   When they call to me, I will answer them; when they are in trouble, I will be with them.  I will rescue them and honor them.
16   I will reward them with long life; I will save them."

The Revelation to John (Revelation 1:4-8) GNT

4  From John to the seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace be yours from God, who is, who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits in front of his throne,
5  and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born Son, who was raised from death and who is also the ruler of the kings of the world.
He loved us, and by his sacrificial death he has freed us from our sins
6  and made us a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father.  To Jesus Christ be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
7  Look, he is coming on the clouds! Everyone will see him, including those who pierced him.  All peoples on earth will mourn over him.  So shall it be!
8  "I am the first and the last."  says the Lord God Almighty, who is, who was, and who is to come.

Keep Yourself in God's Love (Jude 20-23) NIV

20  But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
21  Keep yourselves in God's 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  snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

Receiving God's Grace (Jude 24-25) NIV

24  To him who is able to keep you from falling 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,

Wisdom Is Calling (Proverbs 8:1-14) GNT

1    Listen!  Wisdom is calling out.  Reason is making herself heard.
2    On the hilltops near the road and at the crossroads she stands.
3     At the entrance to the city, besides the gates, she calls;
4     "I appeal to you, mankind; I call to everyone on earth.
5     Are you immature? Learn to be mature.  Are you foolish?  Learn to have sense.
6     Listen to my excellent words; all I tell you is right.
7     What I say is the truth; lies are hateful to me.
8     Everything I say is true; nothing is false or misleading.
9     To the man with insight, it is all clear; to the well-informed, it is all plain.
10   Choose my instruction instead of silver; choose knowledge rather than the fine gold.
11   "I am Wisdom, I am better than jewels; nothing you want can compare with me.
12   I am Wisdom, and I have insight; I have knowledge and sound judgement.
13   To honor the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil ways and false words.
14    I make plans and carry them out.  I have understanding, and I am strong.