Friday, October 29, 2010

Truthful


My enemies cannot speak a truthful word. Their deepest desire is to destroy others... Their tongues are filled with flattery.

Truthful witness by a good person clears the air, but liars lay down a smoke screen of deceit.

Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed.

They came and said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?

I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but I won’t. For I say only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he is completely truthful.

The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.

Psalm 5:9 Proverbs 12:17 Proverbs 12:19 Mark 12:14 John 8:26 Proverbs 12:22

A person of integrity has nothing to hide.

LIFEgroups – together experiencing God

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Honesty


Lord, you are searching for honesty.

They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.

Honesty guides good people
; dishonesty destroys treacherous people

God cares about honesty in the workplace; your business is his business.

Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty.

Keep praying for us, for we are convinced that we have a good (clear) conscience, that we want to walk uprightly and live a noble life, acting honorably and in complete honesty in all things.

Jeremiah 5:3 2 Kings 12:15 Proverbs 11:3 Proverbs 16:11 Psalm 32:2 Hebrews 13:18

Honesty lives confident and carefree…
Proverbs 10:9

LIFEgroups – together experiencing God

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Integrity

There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil

Noah was a good man, a man of integrity in his community.

Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do. And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men—men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible—and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten.

“To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.

(F)ollow me with integrity and godliness, as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations…

May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you.

Job 1:1 Genesis 6:9 Exodus 18:17 2 Samuel 22:26 1 Kings 9:4 Psalm 25:21

Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord, Psalm 119:1

LIFEgroups – together experiencing God

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Season

TO EVERYTHING there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven:

The Lord God has given Me the tongue of a disciple and of one who is taught, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He wakens Me morning by morning, He wakens My ear to hear as a disciple [as one who is taught]

They are like trees planted along the riverbank ,bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do..

"But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They're like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers— Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, Serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season

I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 Isaiah 50:4 Psalm 1:3 Jeremiah 17:7 Ezekiel 34:26 2 Timothy 4:2

God is always protecting us even when we don’t realize we need it.

LIFEgroups – together experiencing God

Monday, October 25, 2010

Sensible

A sensible person wins admiration, but a warped mind is despised.

The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, But the foolishness of fools is deceit.

The naive inherit foolishness, but the sensible are crowned with knowledge.

Doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible.

So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them [obeying them] will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock.

Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people)

Proverbs 12:8 Proverbs 14:8 Proverbs 14:18 Proverbs 10:23 Matthew 7:24 Ephesians 5:15

Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
Proverbs 17:24

LIFEgroups - together experiencing God

Friday, October 22, 2010



Do you know how the clouds are balanced [and poised in the heavens], the wonderful works of Him Who is perfect in knowledge?

Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [ in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

A FALSE balance and unrighteous dealings are extremely offensive and shamefully sinful to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.

[Righteousness, standing acceptable to God] will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, Who was betrayed and put to death because of our misdeeds and was raised to secure our justification (our [
a]acquittal), [making our account balance and absolving us from all guilt before God].

Job 37:16 1 Peter 5:8 2 Timothy 1:7 Daniel 1:20 Proverbs 11:1 Romans 4:25

Someday the scales of justice will be perfectly balanced.

LIFEgroups – together experiencing God

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Assurance

Let my mournful cry and supplication come [near] before You, O Lord; give me understanding (discernment and comprehension) according to Your word [of assurance and promise].

Thereupon I [Jeremiah] awoke and looked, and my [trancelike] sleep was sweet [
in the assurance it gave] to me.

It was with assurance of this that I wanted and planned to visit you first [of all], so that you might have a double favor and token of grace (goodwill).

To Rebecca, also, a promise was made that took priority over genetics. When she became pregnant by our one-of-a-kind ancestor, Isaac, and her babies were still innocent in the womb—incapable of good or bad—she received a special assurance from God. What God did in this case made it perfectly plain that his purpose is not a hit-or-miss thing dependent on what we do or don't do, but a sure thing determined by his decision, flowing steadily from his initiative. God told Rebecca, "The firstborn of your twins will take second place."

For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

When we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true.

Psalm 119:169 Jeremiah 31:26 2 Corinthians 1:15 Romans 9:10 Colossians 1:27 1 Thessalonians 1:5

We don’t know what the world is coming to, but we know the One who is coming to this world.

LIFEgroups – together experiencing God

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Virtue

Righteous chews on wisdom like a dog on a bone, rolls virtue around on his tongue. His heart pumps God's Word like blood through his veins; his feet are as sure as a cat's.

"I am Lady Wisdom, and I live next to Sanity; Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street. The Fear-of-God means hating Evil, whose ways I hate with a passion— pride and arrogance and crooked talk. Good counsel and common sense are my characteristics; I am both Insight and the Virtue to live it out. With my help, leaders rule, and lawmakers legislate fairly; With my help, governors govern, along with all in legitimate authority. I love those who love me; those who look for me find me. Wealth and Glory accompany me—

For when he sees his children [walking in the way of piety and virtue], the work of My hands in his midst, they will revere My name; they will revere the Holy One of Jacob and reverently fear the God of Israel.

You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.

There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Psalm 37:30 Proverbs 8:12 Isaiah 29:23 Matthew 5:48 Romans 5:3

For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [ full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).
2 Peter 1:3

LIFEgroups - together experiencing God

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Solid


For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock?

I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened. He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn't slip. He taught me how to sing the latest God-song, a praise-song to our God. More and more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God.

God, the one and only— I'll wait as long as he says. Everything I need comes from him, so why not? He's solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, An impregnable castle: I'm set for life.

Now I stand on solid ground, and I will publicly praise the Lord.

For God's Word is solid to the core; everything he makes is sound inside and out. He loves it when everything fits, when his world is in plumb-line true. Earth is drenched in God's affectionate satisfaction.

Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it! I'm forever telling everyone how faithful you are. I'll never quit telling the story of your love— how you built the cosmos and guaranteed everything in it. Your love has always been our lives' foundation, your fidelity has been the roof over our world. You once said, "I joined forces with my chosen leader, I pledged my word to my servant, David, saying, 'Everyone descending from you is guaranteed life; I'll make your rule as solid and lasting as rock.'

Psalm 18:31 Psalm 40:1 Psalm 62:1 Psalm 26:12 Psalm 33:4 Psalm 89:1

Rich treasures of God’s truth can be discovered in His Word.

LIFEgroups – together experiencing God

Monday, October 18, 2010

Win


By your steadfastness and patient endurance you shall win the true life of your souls.

Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, “You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.”

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law.

To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally.

Luke 21:19 Romans 3:4 1 Corinthians 9:19 1 Corinthians 9:21 1 Corinthians 9:22 1 Corinthians 9:24

There are no losers with Jesus and no winners with the devil.

LIFEgroups – together experiencing God

Friday, October 15, 2010

Attracted


God wasn't attracted to you and didn't choose you because you were big and important—the fact is, there was almost nothing to you…Know this: God, your God, is God indeed, a God you can depend upon. He keeps his covenant of loyal love with those who love him and observe his commandments for a thousand generations. But he also pays back those who hate him, pays them the wages of death; he isn't slow to pay them off—those who hate him, he pays right on time.

Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

After this, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee (some call it Tiberias). A huge crowd followed him, attracted by the miracles they had seen him do among the sick. When he got to the other side, he climbed a hill and sat down, surrounded by his disciples.

So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.

Deuteronomy 7:7 Esther 2:17 Isaiah 53:2 John 6:1 Hebrews 13:9

The more attracted we are to Christ, the less we’ll be distracted by the world.

LIFEgroups – together experiencing God

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Hears

A hostile world! I call to God, I cry to God to help me. From his palace he hears my call; my cry brings me right into his presence— a private audience!

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.He rescues them from all their troubles.

He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them.

And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us.

"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

"Come!" say the Spirit and the Bride. Whoever hears, echo, "Come!" Is anyone thirsty? Come! All who will, come and drink, Drink freely of the Water of Life!

Psalm 18:6 Psalm 34:17 Psalm 145:19 1 John 5:14 John 16:13 Revelation 22:17

God hears more than our words – He listens to our heart.

LIFEgroups – together experiencing God