Category
VERSES FOR OFFERINGS
Think about giving – it's truly beautiful in God's eyes. When you're preparing your offering, remember it should be your best, given with a sincere heart. It should be a joyful act, knowing how much God has already blessed us with, even when we don't deserve it. He's been incredibly generous, hasn't He?
If you only give what's leftover, well, life might just mirror that back to you. Think about it – give as if you're giving to yourself. Don't do it out of obligation or because you expect something in return. True giving comes from the heart.
Don't make a big show of it either. It's not about getting praised or patted on the back. Let your giving be a quiet act between you and God. He sees what's in your heart, and He loves a cheerful giver. Remember what it says in 2 Corinthians 9:7: "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
Giving is an act of worship, a way to give back a portion of what God has already given us. And when God gives, He gives abundantly. When you offer from the heart, you're opening the door for even more blessings. The more you give, the more you receive. It's a beautiful cycle.
So, you are not loyal to God! You should know that loving the world is the same as hating God. Anyone who wants to be a friend of the world becomes God’s enemy.
Happy are those who don’t listen to the wicked, who don’t go where sinners go, who don’t do what evil people do.
If someone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not welcome or accept that person into your house.
If you welcome such a person, you share in the evil work.
Don’t make friends with quick-tempered people or spend time with those who have bad tempers.
If you do, you will be like them. Then you will be in real danger.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If you love the world, the love of the Father is not in you.
Spend time with the wise and you will become wise, but the friends of fools will suffer.
I am writing to tell you that you must not associate with those who call themselves believers in Christ but who sin sexually, or are greedy, or worship idols, or abuse others with words, or get drunk, or cheat people. Do not even eat with people like that.
She cries loudly at night, and tears are on her cheeks. There is no one to comfort her; all who loved her are gone. All her friends have turned against her and are now her enemies.
Whoever forgives someone’s sin makes a friend, but gossiping about the sin breaks up friendships.
Brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ we command you to stay away from any believer who refuses to work and does not follow the teaching we gave you.
The slap of a friend can be trusted to help you, but the kisses of an enemy are nothing but lies.
After a first and second warning, avoid someone who causes arguments.
You can know that such people are evil and sinful; their own sins prove them wrong.
Those who work their land will have plenty of food, but the ones who chase empty dreams instead will end up poor.
Jehu son of Hanani, a seer, went out to meet him and said to the king, “Why did you help evil people? Why do you love those who hate the Lord? That is the reason the Lord is angry with you.
I do not spend time with liars, nor do I make friends with those who hide their sin.
I hate the company of evil people, and I won’t sit with the wicked.
If some people do not obey what we tell you in this letter, then take note of them. Have nothing to do with them so they will feel ashamed.
But do not treat them as enemies. Warn them as fellow believers.
Good people take advice from their friends, but an evil person is easily led to do wrong.
Happy are those who don’t listen to the wicked, who don’t go where sinners go, who don’t do what evil people do.
They love the Lord’s teachings, and they think about those teachings day and night.
They are strong, like a tree planted by a river. The tree produces fruit in season, and its leaves don’t die. Everything they do will succeed.
Have nothing to do with the things done in darkness, which are not worth anything. But show that they are wrong.
You are not the same as those who do not believe. So do not join yourselves to them. Good and bad do not belong together. Light and darkness cannot share together.
God, I wish you would kill the wicked! Get away from me, you murderers!
You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know my thoughts before I think them.
They say evil things about you. Your enemies use your name thoughtlessly.
Lord, I hate those who hate you; I hate those who rise up against you.
I feel only hate for them; they are my enemies.
You were running a good race. Who stopped you from following the true way?
This change did not come from the One who chose you.
Be careful! “Just a little yeast makes the whole batch of dough rise.”
Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If you love the world, the love of the Father is not in you.
These are the ways of the world: wanting to please our sinful selves, wanting the sinful things we see, and being too proud of what we have. None of these come from the Father, but all of them come from the world.
The world and everything that people want in it are passing away, but the person who does what God wants lives forever.
Brothers and sisters, I ask you to look out for those who cause people to be against each other and who upset other people’s faith. They are against the true teaching you learned, so stay away from them.
Such people are not serving our Lord Christ but are only doing what pleases themselves. They use fancy talk and fine words to fool the minds of those who do not know about evil.
But you, man of God, run away from all those things. Instead, live in the right way, serve God, have faith, love, patience, and gentleness.
Fight the good fight of faith, grabbing hold of the life that continues forever. You were called to have that life when you confessed the good confession before many witnesses.
My child, if sinners try to lead you into sin, do not follow them.
They will say, “Come with us. Let’s ambush and kill someone; let’s attack some innocent people just for fun.
Let’s swallow them alive, as death does; let’s swallow them whole, as the grave does.
We will take all kinds of valuable things and fill our houses with stolen goods.
Come join us, and we will share with you stolen goods.”
My child, do not go along with them; do not do what they do.
Nonbelievers think it is strange that you do not do the many wild and wasteful things they do, so they insult you.
“Be careful of false prophets. They come to you looking gentle like sheep, but they are really dangerous like wolves.
Those who make fun of wisdom don’t like to be corrected; they will not ask the wise for advice.
Trusting unfaithful people when you are in trouble is like eating with a broken tooth or walking with a crippled foot.
Don’t stop listening to correction, my child, or you will forget what you have already learned.
Brothers and sisters, if someone in your group does something wrong, you who are spiritual should go to that person and gently help make him right again. But be careful, because you might be tempted to sin, too.
But run away from the evil desires of youth. Try hard to live right and to have faith, love, and peace, together with those who trust in the Lord from pure hearts.
They are filled with every kind of sin, evil, selfishness, and hatred. They are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, lying, and thinking the worst about each other. They gossip
The Good News is about God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. As a man, he was born from the family of David. But through the Spirit of holiness he was declared to be God’s Son with great power by rising from the dead.
and say evil things about each other. They hate God. They are rude and conceited and brag about themselves. They invent ways of doing evil. They do not obey their parents.
They are foolish, they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness or mercy to others.
They know God’s law says that those who live like this should die. But they themselves not only continue to do these evil things, they applaud others who do them.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If you love the world, the love of the Father is not in you.
These are the ways of the world: wanting to please our sinful selves, wanting the sinful things we see, and being too proud of what we have. None of these come from the Father, but all of them come from the world.