Beautiful

One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches.

God shines brightly from Zion, the most beautiful city.

What a beautiful thing, God, to give thanks, to sing an anthem to you, the High God! To announce your love each daybreak, sing your faithful presence all through the night, Accompanied by dulcimer and harp, the full-bodied music of strings.

Hallelujah! Blessed man, blessed woman, who fear God, Who cherish and relish his commandments, Their children robust on the earth, And the homes of the upright—how blessed! Their houses brim with wealth And a generosity that never runs dry. Sunrise breaks through the darkness for good people— God's grace and mercy and justice! The good person is generous and lends lavishly; No shuffling or stumbling around for this one, But a sterling and solid and lasting reputation. Unfazed by rumor and gossip, Heart ready, trusting in God, Spirit firm, unperturbed, Ever blessed, relaxed among enemies, They lavish gifts on the poor— A generosity that goes on, and on, and on. An honored life! A beautiful life!

How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along! It's like costly anointing oil flowing down head and beard, Flowing down Aaron's beard, flowing down the collar of his priestly robes. It's like the dew on Mount Hermon flowing down the slopes of Zion. Yes, that's where God commands the blessing, ordains eternal life.

Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! I couldn't even begin to count them— any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!

Psalm 84:10 Psalm 50:2 Psalm 92:1 Psalm 112:1 Psalm 133:1 Psalm 139:17

Contentment is realizing that God has already given me all I need.

LIFEgroups – together experiencing God

Service

What can I give back to God for the blessings he's poured out on me…Oh, God, here I am, your servant, your faithful servant: set me free for your service! I'm ready

And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

[ The Twelve Disciples; Instructions for Service ] Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

[ The Reward of Service ] “ He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning.

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Psalm 116:12 Isaiah 32:17 Matthew 10:1 Matthew 10:40 Luke 12:35 Romans 12:1

True service is love in working clothes.

LIFEgroups – together experiencing God

Gentle

“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

"When you knock on a door, be courteous in your greeting. If they welcome you, be gentle in your conversation. If they don't welcome you, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way. You can be sure that on Judgment Day they'll be mighty sorry—but it's no concern of yours now.

If God didn't think twice about taking pruning shears to the natural branches, why would he hesitate over you? He wouldn't give it a second thought. Make sure you stay alert to these qualities of gentle kindness and ruthless severity that exist side by side in God—ruthless with the deadwood, gentle with the grafted shoot. But don't presume on this gentleness. The moment you become deadwood, you're out of there.

God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient.

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

Matthew 5:5 Matthew 11:29 Matthew 10:12 Romans 11:21 Colossians 3:12 Ephesians 4:2

Compassion is needed to heal the hurts and hearts of others.

LIFEgroups – together experiencing God

Always

You thrill to God's Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You're a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.

Let all who run to you for protection always sing joyful songs. Provide shelter for those who truly love you and let them rejoice.

The LORD always does right and wants justice done.

The LORD loves justice, and he won't ever desert his faithful people. He always protects them

You are always loyal to your loyal people, and you are faithful to the faithful.

I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Come save us and bless us. Be our shepherd and always carry us in your arms.

Psalm 1:2 Psalm 5:11 Psalm 11:7 Psalm 37:28 Psalm 18:25 Psalm 16:8 Psalm 28:9

"Our LORD always helps!" Psalm 40:9

LIFEgroups – together experiencing God

Second time

The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said…I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.

Then the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had done before at Gibeon.

The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.

In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to bring back the remnant of his people—

The word of the LORD came to me a second time saying, “ What do you see?”

The angel touched me a second time and said, " Don't be frightened! God thinks highly of you, and he intends this for your good, so be brave and strong."

God spoke to Jonah a second time: "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer."

Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai…

The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

Genesis 22:15 1 Kings 9:2 1 Kings 19:7 Isaiah 11:11 Jeremiah 1:13 Daniel 10:18 Jonah 3:1 Haggai 2:20 Acts 10:15

Whatever they plot against the LORD he will bring to an end; trouble will not come a second time. Nahum 1:9

LIFEgroups – together experiencing God