Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭15‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"Be killing sin or it will be killing you."

John Owens (1616-1683)

English theologian 

Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭15‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. 

(5-11) So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. 

(12-15) Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 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.

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Matthew 7:1-5 (NLT)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"We too often prefer the microscope over the mirror."

Pastor Wayne Bray

Upstate Church Simpsonville 

Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. 

And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, "Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye," when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

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James‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬-‭25‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

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Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"Have a good time. Enjoy life. Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged. You have to keep moving. You have to keep going. Put one foot in front of the other, smile and just keep on rolling."

Kobe Bryant (1978-2020)

NBA player...LA Lakers

Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

Psalms‬ ‭16‬:‭11‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

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Galatians 5:13 (NLT)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"The greatest gift that God can give us is freedom—the freedom to do what we believe is right. Often the rich are too concerned for their wealth to do what they believe is right. They are captives of what they possess. Often the famous are too concerned about what others will think to do what they believe is right. They are captives of their fame. And often the powerful are too concerned about maintaining their position to act on what they believe is right. They are captives, not wielders, of their own power. Only those who care supremely about doing God’s will are truly rich, for they alone are truly free."

Lawrence O. Richards (1931-2016)

Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) 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.

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1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king.

Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

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1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭5‬, ‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

And God Said, "No"

I asked God to take away my pride. He said, “No, that is not for me to take away but for you to give up.”

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. He said, “No, her spirit is whole, her body is temporary.”

I asked God to grant me patience. He said, “No, patience is a by-product of tribulation, it isn’t granted it is earned.”

I asked God to give me happiness. He said, “No, I give you blessings, happiness is up to you.”

I asked God to spare me pain. He said, “No, suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.”

I asked God to make my spirit grow. He said, “No, you must grow on your own but I will prune you so you will be fruitful.”

I asked God if He loved me. He said, “Yes, now and forever…that is why I say no so often.”

I asked God to help me love others as much as He loves me. He said, “Ah, finally you have the idea.”

Claudia Minden Weisz

1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭5‬, ‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God...I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

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1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"We are the only Bible

The careless world will read,

We are the sinner’s gospel,

We are the scoffer’s creed,

We are the Lord’s last message,

Given in deed and word.

What if the type is crooked?

What if the print is blurred?"

Annie Johnson Flint 1866-1932)

1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

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2 Thessalonians 3:13 (NIV)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"The only way to be good is to practice doing good. We become what we do. Modern men and women...can become so used to doing wrong that doing good is foreign to them."

Lawrence O. Richards (1931-2016)

2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬ ‭(NIV‬‬) And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.

Jeremiah‬ ‭14‬:‭10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So this is what the Lord says to his people: “You love to wander far from me and do not restrain yourselves..."

Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

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