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100 Verses about Service as an act of Love
And the Lord’s slave must not engage in heated disputes but be kind toward all, an apt teacher, patient,
How blessed is the one who treats the poor properly! When trouble comes, the Lord delivers him.
For if the eagerness is present, the gift itself is acceptable according to whatever one has, not according to what he does not have.
“Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven.
may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
“For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.
“When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward.
When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
“Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.
Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, they have their reward.
But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are?
And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?
Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers of the field grow; they do not work or spin.
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these!
But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, won’t he clothe you even more, you people of little faith?
So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’
For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.
so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings.
The one who steals must steal no longer; rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need.
But whoever has the world’s possessions and sees his fellow Christian in need and shuts off his compassion against him, how can the love of God reside in such a person?
He generously gives to the needy; his integrity endures. He will be vindicated and honored.
In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills the law and the prophets.
and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need.
If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow me, and where I am, my servant will be too. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,
who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped,
but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature.
In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.
I do all these things because of the gospel, so that I can be a participant in it.
Jesus said a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus told him, “Shepherd my sheep.”
for I rescued the poor who cried out for help, and the orphan who had no one to assist him;
because you know that each person, whether slave or free, if he does something good, this will be rewarded by the Lord.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
So the disciples, each in accordance with his financial ability, decided to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.
“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 release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed,
The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and will not be answered.
Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.
If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast, but do not have love, I receive no benefit.
Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt, but the godly show compassion and are generous.
For there was no one needy among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling them and bringing the proceeds from the sales
and placing them at the apostles’ feet. The proceeds were distributed to each, as anyone had need.
So the crowds were asking him, “What then should we do?”
John answered them, “The person who has two tunics must share with the person who has none, and the person who has food must do likewise.”
The one who gives to the poor will not lack, but whoever shuts his eyes to them will receive many curses.
Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which in translation means Dorcas). She was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity.
Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head.
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.
Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.”
The one who is gracious to the poor lends to the Lord, and the Lord will repay him for his good deed.
In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.
Each one of you should give just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver.
But we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not just please ourselves.
And again it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”
And again, “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him.”
And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, and the one who rises to rule over the Gentiles, in him will the Gentiles hope.”
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
But I myself am fully convinced about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.
But I have written more boldly to you on some points so as to remind you, because of the grace given to me by God
to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I serve the gospel of God like a priest, so that the Gentiles may become an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
So I boast in Christ Jesus about the things that pertain to God.
For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in order to bring about the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed,
in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem even as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up.
Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing.
Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people,
because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ.
And do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth, he will never lose his reward.”
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another.
If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet.
For I have given you an example – you should do just as I have done for you.
Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.
since it was because of the work of Christ that he almost died. He risked his life so that he could make up for your inability to serve me.
Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.
For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints.
And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’
Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of the varied grace of God.
Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up.
It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful.
It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
because we recall in the presence of our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
For who is greater, the one who is seated at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is seated at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
and has a reputation for good works: as one who has raised children, practiced hospitality, washed the feet of the saints, helped those in distress – as one who has exhibited all kinds of good works.
For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people.
For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”
You must actively help the hungry and feed the oppressed. Then your light will dispel the darkness, and your darkness will be transformed into noonday.
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him?
If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food,
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it?
So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself.
A generous person will be enriched, and the one who provides water for others will himself be satisfied.
Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others.
The expert in religious law said, “The one who showed mercy to him.” So Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”
This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people.
So then, dear brothers and sisters, be firm. Do not be moved! Always be outstanding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
“I give you a new commandment – to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
By all these things, I have shown you that by working in this way we must help the weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
But as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you – make sure that you excel in this act of kindness too.
Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.