Love in the Bible

The world tells us a lot about what it believes love is. It says that love is a strong emotion that is more important than all else. That it comes and goes as it wants and we can't control it. That it should be easy and pleasant, not hard work. Here are some quotes from the world's view about love:

"The heart wants what it wants. There's no logic to these things. You meet someone and you fall in love and that's that." - Woody Allen

"Some people think that it�s holding on that makes one strong; sometimes it�s letting go." - Herman Hesse

�Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.� � Lucille Ball

This is very different from what love is in the Bible. The Bible displays love as a choice, a decision. It is putting others before yourself. 

Here is a printable with Bible verses about love in the Bible.  Study the verses and highlight or underline what it is saying about love or add some notes. You can contrast them with the world's view of love. Then, you can cut out the verses and put them in piles categorizing them by their main point. That may point out some of the strongest points the Bible is trying to make about love.



Feel free to print this out and use it with your Bible study group, Sunday School class, or small group. Or use it with your children (whether you homeschool or not). Or just study what the Bible says about love on your own. You can share it with others by printing it or by sharing it online, just please share a link to this page rather than a direct link to the printable on Google drive. 

Old Testament Overview Review

When I was in college, I went to some Walk Thru The Bible seminars. They have this awesome program where you can go through the Old or New Testament in one day. It gives a really good overview of the Bible. It inspired me to teach my Sunday School an overview of the Bible, a few books a week. Like Walk Thru The Bible, we focused on keywords for each book and overall themes. 

At the end of the Old Testament, I wanted to review all of the themes of the books, so I made this worksheet that has you match verses with the books of the Bible. I left out 1 and 2 Chronicles because it is difficult to separate it from other books (especially 1 and 2 Kings) and there are two other unused books. 

This is a great way to process the keywords, topics, people, and themes from each book of the Bible. You can do it on your own, with your family, or use it in your Sunday School class or small group. It's great for reviewing after reading the Bible in a year. Better yet, try this before you read the Bible and then again after to see how much you've learned.

Of course, it is a challenge, especially if you haven't reviewed keywords or themes of the books of the Bible (OT39 is a great system if you want to learn the books of the Bible that way). Also, watching videos from The Bible Project will definitely help you get great overviews of entire books of the Bible. 

However, this activity can help you sort out what you do know about the Old Testament and help you learn more. Don't get discouraged if you don't know an answer yet. The importance isn't your final score, but interacting with the ideas and the learning along the way. The keywords for each of the books of the Bible in the final sheet may help and once you've done what you can without help you can try to use that to help. 

James and Proverbs Comparison Printable

My Sunday School class just finished studying James. Since our previous study was Proverbs, I kept noticing the similarity between the two books.  Apparently, I'm not the first to notice this.  You can easily find lots on the subject.

I looked for verses that covered the same topics and many even said basically the same things.  I created a matching sheet.  As we used the sheet in my Sunday School class, I noticed that there was a better way to use it as a group activity.  So I adapted it so you could use it that way, too.

You can print out the matching sheet or the group activity here.  It would work well as a wrap up for studying James or Proverbs.  Or you can use it on its own.  It would work individually for adults or kids.  You could also use it for homeschooling.

Christmas Quiz - Biblical Fact vs. Myth

In my first year of Bible college, I failed my first "quiz"... on Christmas. I thought I had aced it because I had been in Christmas pageants and knew every Christmas carol.  Unfortunately, people have created Christmas cards, carols, children�s plays, artwork, and other items that make assumptions about the Christmas story. While most of these assumptions are harmless (like how many wise men there actually were), it is important to know what the Bible actually says about Jesus birth.  Other Christmas myths are absolutely totally fictional (I'm sure Jesus cried, no matter what Away In the Manger says) and can affect our theology about Christ's humanity.  Some differences seem a little nit-picky (like the angels speaking to the shepherds and not singing), while other mistakes are glaring (like who is following the star in O Little Town of Bethlehem).

Take this Christmas Quiz to see if you can determine what is actually recorded in the Bible and what is not.

You can take the online quiz here.



Create your own user feedback survey


Or you can print the quiz (and the answer key) out to share with others.

My Favorite Resource for Bible Questions

Sometimes I read the Bible and it just makes sense.  Sometimes I have situations in my life and I can see the passages of Scripture that just fit my circumstances.  Sometimes I consider theological and ethical questions and find exactly what God has to say about them in His Word.  Sometimes.

When I can't find the answers I am looking for in the Bible, I ask for help.  I am very blessed to have several friends and family that can often point me to a verse in the Bible or explain something that just didn't make sense to me.  

However, if you have questions and don't have someone to turn to for direction about God's Word, there is a place you can turn to ask questions.  While there are many sources you can look for answers to life's questions, this is one place where the answers will come from the Bible - Answers From The Book.

Answers From The Book has a website - answersfromthebook.net or you can follow them on Facebook.  Their mission is "to help others become more familiar with their Bibles by giving scriptural answers to questions asked."  I personally know the people who answer these questions and they are committed to following God's Word as closely as possible both in answering their questions and in living their lives.

If you have a question, you can contact them several different ways.

• search the archives on the website
• submit a question on the website
• message them on Facebook
• email them at answersfromthebook@gmail.com

So, follow them on Facebook or bookmark their page on your browser, but definitely keep them in mind if you have a question and just can't seem to find the answer.

Evangelistic Bible Verses

In a recent Sunday School class on evangelism, we looked at many of the different Bible verses that are used to share the gospel.  Then, in order to have something available at any time, we chose a verse for each topic and wrote part of it on a card that will fit in our wallet.  

We looked at several different methods of sharing the gospel (ABCs, The Roman Road, Wordless Book or bracelet...) and then individually choose which one we like the most and practiced it on each other.  Practicing was great because it helped us to be more comfortable with sharing outside of class.

Evangelistic Bible Verses

The sin problem:

Ecclesiastes 12:14 - For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

Isaiah 53:6 - All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.

Ezekiel 18:4 - Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.

Matthew 12:36 - But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.

Luke 12:2 - But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Romans 3:10-11 -as it is written, �There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God;�

Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 5:12 - Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned�

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:1-3 - And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

Hebrews 9:27 - And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,

Christ�s death for us:

John 3:16 - �For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.�

Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 - Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

2 Corinthians 5:21- He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

1 Timothy 1:15-16 - It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

1 Peter 3:18 - For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

You must believe and have faith:

John 3:16 - �For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.�

Acts 16:31 - They said, �Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.�

Romans 4:5 - But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,

Romans 10:9-11,17 - that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, �Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.�

Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

1 Timothy 1:15-16 - It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

You must repent of your sins:

Mark 1:15 - and saying, �The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.�

Acts 20:21 - solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 26:18 - to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.�

2 Corinthians 7:9-10 - I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

Salvation is a free gift:

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Salvation is not earned:

Isaiah 64:6 - For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Romans 3:20 - because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Romans 11:6 - But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Titus 3:5 - He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

James 2:10 - For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

There�s only one way to be saved:

John 14:6 - Jesus said to him, �I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

John 15:23 - He who hates Me hates My Father also.

Acts 4:12 - �And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.�

Don�t wait to be saved:

2 Corinthians 6:2 - for He says,�At the acceptable time I listened to you, And on the day of salvation I helped you.� Behold, now is �the acceptable time,� behold, now is �the day of salvation��

Romans 9:28 - �for the Lord will execute His word on the earth, thoroughly and quickly.�

Romans 13:11 - Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.

2 Peter 3:10 - But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

The Lord wants all people to be saved:

2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 - This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Feel free to print and use these for Bible studies, Sunday School classes, or for your personal use.  If you share them online, please include a link back to this page.  Thanks!

Bible Study Bookmarks

Free Printable Bookmark with Bible Study Suggestions

Have you ever felt overwhelmed when you read the Bible?  With so much to look for, you don't know where to start.  If you want a bookmark that can remind you how to find helpful observations from Scripture, here is a free printable.

The concepts are based on the book Living By The Book by Howard G. Hendricks and William D. Hendricks.  That book is great for understanding how to explore God's Word.  It gives pointers on the different types of observations you can make, the methods of properly interpreting the message, and how to apply it to your theology and life.

I've used a much plainer version of this in my Bible and for my Sunday School students in the past. However, I redesigned it so that it would be easier to scan it and quickly remember the ideas you learned.

This bookmark can be used on its own, but it is best used as a review of Living By The Book by Howard G. Hendricks and William D. Hendricks.

Click here to print the bookmark.  They are in a pdf and download three to a page and should be printed double sided on card stock. I also recommend using a guillotine paper cutter if you have one available.

Bible Memory Verse Signature Bingo

Do you have a group that has been working on memorizing Bible verses (like a quiz team or a Bible memory challenge)?  Are you looking for a fun and different way to review their verses?  Try this Bible Memory Verse Signature Bingo.

Print out enough copies of the BINGO cards for each person to have one.  Then, everyone can walk around and ask others to say a verse from one of the books of the Bible listed.  Then, the person that said the verse writes the chapter and verse reference in that block along with their signature.

Feel free to create your own sheet using the books of the Bible that your group has memorized from. Here is an editable version.

Studying the Pharisees in the Bible

Free Printable to Study the Pharisees in the Bible

Matthew 23:1-3 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: �The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.

I was reading this verse in Matthew 23 when I noticed that it said to not be like the Pharisees. It made me think that maybe I should take a look at the Pharisees to see what I shouldn't do and what it is that I should do instead.

So I made this printable chart that has many passages about the Pharisees so that you can take a look at what the Pharisees did and what their attitude was.  Then, you can say what God would have you do instead.  You can even try to find some Bible verses for what you should do instead.

Feel free to print these to use for personal use, Sunday School classes, or group Bible studies.  You may also share them online, but please include a link to this webpage.

Twelve Disciples Review Game

My Sunday School class was studying the disciples using the book Twelve Ordinary Men.  We were learning a lot about the disciples and how God picked common people to do His work.  Each week, we listed all of the disciples by memory.  We got pretty good at that by the end of the book.  As we got further into the book, we also tried to include important details about each disciple as well.

So by the end of the study, I created this game for a fun way to review all of the disciples.  Did I mention that this was an adult Sunday School class?  Why should the kids have all the fun?  This game could easily be used by adults or children.  It is best used as a review for what you have already learned about the disciples.

How To Play

1.  Print and cut out the game pieces.  For a sturdier game, use card stock.
2. Print and cut out pictures of the disciples.  Click on one of the pictures below to find some places to print out pictures.

Fishers of Men Card Game

12 Disciples Memory Game

Bible Trading Cards

3. Spread out the pictures/cards of the disciples on the table.

4. Place the description cards face down in a pile.

5. Going around the group have them draw a description card and place on top of or next to the correct disciple card.  There are sometimes more than one option (for example, "I am a fisherman" could be Peter, Andrew, James, or John), however, you shouldn't place identical cards on the same disciple.  In other words, there are four "I am a fisherman" cards, but one of each should be placed on Peter, Andrew, James, and John.

6. When all of the description cards have been placed, have the group double check their work.  Then, check the answers with the answer key provided with the printout.

Please feel free to use these resources for Bible studies, Sunday School class, family Bible education, or individual study.  If you share them online or on social media, please provide a link back to this page.

End Times Bible Study with charts

End Times Bible Study with printable charts

The End Times is a topic that I've studied multiple times throughout my life: in youth group, in classes at a Bible College, in Bible studies, and with my church.  However, I've always had trouble keeping everything straight.  So, when my Sunday School class studied it, I made several charts.  In the process of preparing them, I learned a lot too.

Eschatology

Okay, so using all the doctrinal lingo, the eschatology (theology concerning the end times) of these charts is mainly dispensational with pretribulation premillenialism. Pretty similar to the chart by A.E. Booth.

I've studied the book of Revelation and the book of Daniel, but I've struggled with tying them together. Like, how does the King of the North (Daniel 11:36-45) relate to the book of Revelation? Is he a separate character from the beast out of the sea (Revelation 13:1-10) and the beast out of the land (Revelation 13:11-18)? What about Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 39-39)? Who is the false prophet (Revelation 16:13)? Are any of these people the same as the antichrist or each other?

The book that I found most useful in figuring everything out is Major Judgments & Prominent Persons in Prophecy.  This book is actually a short book made up of two separate pamphlets: Major Judgments Linked With the Coming Of the Lord by Leslie M. Grant and Prominent Person in Prophecy by Donald T. Johnson.  These books along with the Numerical Bible by F.W. Grant (especially with the book of Daniel) were very enlightening to me.

How to Use These Materials

You can print the pdf files from the viewers below or click on the following links:
Personages in End Time Prophecy
Timeline of End Time Prophecy
Map of End Time Battles

In the Sunday School class, we went through the Timeline and added in the personages from the second page as they came up.  You may prefer to do the Personages in End Time Prophecy first and then go through the Timeline.  We also took some time to look at the Kingdoms mentioned in the book of Daniel when they came up (since the visions about the kingdoms which are already past are interconnected with the prophecies about the future kingdoms).  The map can be used to help understand all of the movements in the battles and judgments.

Please let me know if you have any questions using the comments below or contacting me through the form on the right.  I encourage you to go through the charts and passages on your own without looking through my notes first.  The Bible is the inspired Word of God and the Holy Spirit will help you understand it.  My notes, however, are just my human fallible interpretation done the best I can.  I included them below in case you have any questions or were wandering my view of a passage, but always stick with what the Scriptures say over what I say.

Please feel free to use these resources for Bible studies, Sunday School classes, or individual study.  If you share them online or on social media, please provide a link back to this page.

Adult Bible Study on Proverbs

My Sunday School class recently studied the book of Proverbs using the outline and note sheet provided below. The chart is made to take notes or write verse references for the different topics.  We ended the unit with the quiz to see what Proverbs are from the Bible and which were not. I've listed the culture of the non-biblical proverbs on the answer sheet in case you were curious (I didn't expect my class to know the cultures).  

Click on the thumbnails or the links below them to get printable versions.

Proverbs Outline and Note sheet

Proverbs Quiz: Biblical or Not

Feel free to print and use these for Bible studies or Sunday School classes.  If you share them online, please include a link back to this page.  Thanks!

Spiritual Self Evaluation Bible Study

I recently read two books that challenged and inspired me:

Love Gives Life: A Study of 1 Corinthians 13 by Evan May

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

The first is a short book that encouraged me to live out love as described in 1 Corinthians 13, the "love chapter" of the Bible.  After reading that book, I saw a video of Francis Chan and decided to read Crazy Love.  It exhorted me not only to live out God's love, but also to think specifically about all of my actions (or inactions) in light of my relationship with God.  I was to categorize myself as lukewarm or obsessed.  While I might have argued that I was somewhere in between, Francis Chan is right that "If I stop pursuing Christ, I am letting our relationship deteriorate."  The following Bible study is a compilation of Bible verses (many from the chapter "Profile of the Lukewarm" in Crazy Love) to help believers evaluate their relationship with God.  

This Bible study does not teach how to be saved, it only helps to evaluate the relationship of a believer with his or her Savior.  For information on how to be saved from the penalty of sin, click on one of the following links:

Are You a Good Person?

This Bible study was also not intended to help you assess another person's relationship with God.  In order to make these evaluations, motives and attitudes need to be evaluated and each person alone can evaluate their own motives and attitudes.  If you see sin in the life of another believer, deal with it biblically (Matthew 18:15-17) first considering your own sins (Matthew 7:1-5).

Feel free to print these out for yourself or others.   They were made to be used (originally by me, though I like to share).  However, if you claim that you wrote this or try to publish it under your name, you made need to read this evaluation again.

Spiritual Self Evaluation (click here for a printable version)

A personal Bible study based on portions of Crazy Love by Francis Chan

How is my relationship with God?  Do I love Him completely?

Read Psalm 63:3.  Do I really believe that God�s mercy is better than life?  Do I live like I do?

Read Matthew 7:21.  Do I think I�m going to heaven because I�m a �Christian� or do I have an active relationship with my Savior?  I can�t lose my salvation (Read John 10:28-29 and 1 John 5:13).  However, if I am saved, won�t I want to have a relationship with my Savior?

Read Matthew 22:37-39.  Do I think that it is possible for me to love God with all my heart and soul and mind or do I believe that kind of love is just for special Christians?

Read Luke 9:57-62.  Have I let God have all of me or just the part that I don�t mind Him controlling?  What part of me don�t I want to let Him have?

Read Luke 14:33.  Have I forsaken all for Him?  Am I satisfied with giving Him less than everything?  Do I think that giving Him less will satisfy Him?

Read Luke 18:21-25.  Do I put a limit on how much I will do for God?

Read Luke 12:16-21.  Do I feel secure because I have made plans rather than trusting God for my future?

Read James 2:17.  What I am doing right now that requires faith in God?  How are my actions showing my faith?

Am I more concerned with appearances than the condition of my heart?

Read Luke 18: 11-12.  Do I see myself as a good person because I think I am better than others?  Do I compare myself to other imperfections or Christ�s perfection?

Read Matthew 21:28-31.  Do I understand that God judges actions and not outward appearance or words?  Do I live knowing that He sees me heart, attitude, and motives?

Read Matthew 5:16.  When people see my good deeds, do they praise us or God? If they praise us, do we point them back to Him or to we rob Him of the glory that is His?

Read Matthew 23:5-7.  Do I do things for God or to be seen by others?  When I am doing good, am I thinking about His pleasure or other people�s praise?

Read Matthew 23:25-28.  Am I holy from the inside out or do I just appear holy on the surface?  What about my motives?  Are they pure?

Read Luke 6:26.  Am I pleased with myself when people praise me?  Do I understand that people often praise the wrong things (the outward instead of the heart)?

Read Revelation 3:1.  Am I more concerned about what other Christians think or what God thinks?  No matter what others might think of me, in reality am I spiritually dead or alive?

Read Matthew 10:32-33.  Is my own comfort more important than sharing Christ?  Is my belief strong enough to risk embarrassment?

How pure is my worship?  Am I merely religious or do I truly have a relationship with my Savior?

Read Malachi 1:10.  God says that giving no offering (by shutting the doors) is better than an apathetic one.  Am I apathetic in my worship or do I have a sincere heart?

Read Isaiah 29:13.  Do I give God worship with my lips but fail to give Him my heart?  True worship is backed up with actions (Luke 6:45), so does my life prove the sincerity of my worship?

Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-4.  Do I think that I am spiritual because I have a miraculous gift, speak well, have wonderful knowledge, or give generously?  Do I see that all of these things, though good, are only for this world and will no longer be needed when Christ returns?  Do I instead focus on love which will not cease at Christ�s return?

Read Galatians 5:6.  Do I rely on my religion and religious traditions or rather faith which works in love?  Religion means nothing in Christ, but faith and love should be the heart of my relationship with God.

Read Philippians 2:5-8.  Do I think that I am spiritual because of some great sacrifice I have made?  My sacrifices are nothing next to His because He had so much more to sacrifice than I do.

Read Colossians 2:20-23.  Is my focus on trying harder to be good or do I focus more on Him?  Trying harder is often just appearing spiritual and has �no value against fleshly indulgence.�

Do I truly love others more than myself?

Read Matthew 5:43-47.  Do I love others without looking for anything in return or are there strings attached?  Do I love those who hate me?  Do I forgive them or hold onto a grudge?  Do I act on that love by doing kind things for them?

Read Luke 14:12-14.  Do I do things for others only when it benefits me (by looking good, by having them �owe me��)?

Read James 1:27.  Do I have a heart for the helpless, the fatherless, the widows, and the needy?

Read Matthew 25:31-46.  Do I treat each person as I would Jesus?  Do I really believe that �Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me�?  Do I only do things for those who are easy to love and won�t embarrass me or do I help the �least of these�?

Do I give freely to others?  Do I share my possessions or do they possess me?

Read Deuteronomy 15:10.  Do I bemoan what I give to the Lord or do I give with an open hand?

Read 1 Chronicles 21:24.  Do I offer things to God which have cost me nothing?

Read 1 Chronicles 29:14.  Do I consider my belongings mine or God�s?  Who makes the decision on how to use my possessions: me or God?

Read Matthew 6:20-21, 33.  In what do I invest my money and time?  That is where my heart is.  Is my heart in God�s kingdom or my own?

Read Luke 21:1-4.  Do I give God all I have or just the leftovers?

Read 1 Timothy 6:17-18.  Do I focus on what my possessions can do for me or how I can use them for others?

Is sin effecting my relationship with God?

Read Romans 6:1-2.  Do I continue in sin?  Do I get frustrated with myself when I sin?  Do I confess each sin to God?  I�m dead to sin, not just the penalty of it.  I will still struggle with the sin nature, but I should hate sin.

Read James 1:22-25.  Am I merely convicted of my sin or do I act on that conviction by repenting (changing my behavior)?

Read James 4:17.  Do I notice the good I fail to do?  Do I make excuses to myself for not doing something I know that God would want me to do?  Do I feel convicted about not helping those who I know are in need? 

Is my focus on this short life or all of eternity?

Read Philippians 3:18-20.  Do I think more on this life of the next?

Read James 1:2-4.  Do I count it all joy when I am in trials?  Do I realize that they are making me more like Christ?  Do I then consider the trials worthwhile to reach that goal?

Read 1 John 2:28.  Am I anticipating Christ�s return or will I be ashamed of my actions when He comes?

Abiding, Focusing, and Fellowshipping

Trying vs. Abiding

Read Colossians 2:20-3:4.  Trying harder to do the right thing isn�t the answer.  It�s still being focused on the world to which we should be dead.  The answer is to set my mind on Christ.  Do I focus on Him more than my service to Him?

Read John 15:1-11.  In these verses, what is the secret to bearing fruit?  What does it mean to abide in Him?

Read 1 John 2:3-6 and 1 John 2:24.  Trying harder accomplishes nothing.  The secret is abiding in Him.  How do we do that?  What is the proof that I am abiding in Him?  Do I abide in God�s Word?  Does my life show that I abide in God�s Word?

What is my focus?

Read 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.  Trials seem tough when I am going through them, but do I recognize that they are only a �light affliction� when compared with the �far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory� that is waiting for us?  This life is temporal.  I need to retrain my mind to think with an eternal perspective.

Read Hebrews 12:1-3.  What should my focus be on?  What do I personally need to put aside?  What joy is set before me and what am I enduring to reach it?

Read 2 Corinthians 10:5.  Do I take every thought captive to obeying Christ?  My mind must be retrained and I must constantly force myself to look from His perspective.

Fellowship

Read 1 John 1:5-9.  How do I stay in fellowship with God?  Do I have any unconfessed sin that is keeping me from fellowshipping with God?

Read Revelation 3:20.  These verses are actually written to believers, not those who still need salvation.  If I want fellowship with God, what must I do?  Do I let God in on my everyday life or are there parts of my life where I keep Him out?  What can I do to invite Him into all areas of my life.

Read James 4:8-10.  How can I get closer to God?  What actions in these verses are associated with drawing near to Him?  There are at least four.

Read Ephesians 5:25-27 and Titus 3:5-7.  In what two ways does God cleanse us?  How am I encouraging God to change me through His Word?  How am I encouraging God to change me through His Spirit?



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