John‬ ‭4‬:‭48-51‬

Jesus said to him, “You people must see miraculous signs and wonders before you will believe in me.” The king’s official said, “Sir, come before my little son dies.” Jesus answered, “Go. Your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus told him and went home. On the way home, the man’s servants came and met him. They said, “Your son is well.” (‭John‬ ‭4‬:‭48-51‬ ERV)

Proverbs‬ ‭21‬:‭30-31‬

There is no one wise enough to make a plan that can succeed if the Lord is against it. You can prepare your horses for battle, but only the Lord can give you the victory. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭21‬:‭30-31‬ ERV)

John‬ ‭1‬:‭29‬

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God. He takes away the sins of the world! (‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭29‬ ERV)

‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭41-42‬

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are getting worried and upset about too many things. Only one thing is important. Mary has made the right choice, and it will never be taken away from her.” (‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭41-42‬ ERV)

Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭12-14‬

I don’t mean that I am exactly what God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal. But I continue trying to reach it and make it mine. That’s what Christ Jesus wants me to do. It is the reason he made me his. Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven. (‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭12-14‬ ERV)

Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭23

Respect the Lord and you will have a good life, one that is satisfying and free from trouble.
(‭Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭23‬ ERV)

Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭21‬

The tongue can speak words that bring life or death. Those who love to talk must be ready to accept what it brings. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭21‬ ERV)

Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭25-29‬

Husbands, love your wives the same as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. He died to make the church holy. He used the telling of the Good News to make the church clean by washing it with water. Christ died so that he could give the church to himself like a bride in all her beauty. He died so that the church could be holy and without fault, with no evil or sin or any other thing wrong in it. And husbands should love their wives like that. They should love their wives as they love their own bodies. The man who loves his wife loves himself, because no one ever hates his own body, but feeds and takes care of it. And that is what Christ does for the church (‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭25-29‬ ERV)

Proverbs‬ ‭17‬:‭22‬

Happiness is good medicine, but sorrow is a disease. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭17‬:‭22‬ ERV)

Numbers‬ ‭23‬:‭19-21‬

God is not a man; he will not lie. God is not a human being; his decisions will not change. If he says he will do something, then he will do it. If he makes a promise, then he will do what he promised. He told me to bless them. He blessed them, so I cannot change that. God saw no wrong in Jacob’s people. He saw no sin in the Israelites. The Lord is their God, and he is with them. The Great King is with them! (‭Numbers‬ ‭23‬:‭19-21‬ ERV)

Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭3‬

Turn to the Lord for help in everything you do, and you will be successful. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭3‬ ERV)

Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭13-14‬

This work must continue until we are all joined together in what we believe and in what we know about the Son of God. Our goal is to become like a full-grown man—to look just like Christ and have all his perfection. Then we will no longer be like babies. We will not be people who are always changing like a ship that the waves carry one way and then another. We will not be influenced by every new teaching we hear from people who are trying to deceive us—those who make clever plans and use every kind of trick to fool others into following the wrong way. (‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭13-14‬ ERV)

Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭18-19‬

And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you. (‭Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭18-19‬ ERV)

Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭20-22‬

You believers are like a building that God owns. That building was built on the foundation that the apostles and prophets prepared. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in that building. The whole building is joined together in Christ, and he makes it grow and become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Christ you are being built together with his other people. You are being made into a place where God lives through the Spirit. (‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭20-22‬ ERV)

Proverbs‬ ‭15‬:‭15‬

Life is always hard for the poor, but the right attitude can turn it into a party. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭15‬:‭15‬ ERV)

Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭13-14, 16-18

My brothers and sisters, God chose you to be free. But don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do what pleases your sinful selves. Instead, serve each other with love. The whole law is made complete in this one command: “Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.”

So I tell you, live the way the Spirit leads you. Then you will not do the evil things your sinful self wants. The sinful self wants what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is against the sinful self. They are always fighting against each other, so that you don’t do what you really want to do. But if you let the Spirit lead you, you are not under law. (‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭13-14, 16-18‬ ERV)

Galatians‬ ‭4‬:‭4-7‬

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, who was born from a woman and lived under the law. God did this so that he could buy the freedom of those who were under the law. God’s purpose was to make us his children. Since you are now God’s children, he has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts. The Spirit cries out, “ Abba, Father.” Now you are not slaves like before. You are God’s children, and you will receive everything he promised his children. (‭Galatians‬ ‭4‬:‭4-7‬ ERV)

Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭21-22‬

Does this mean that the law works against God’s promises? Of course not. The law was never God’s way of giving new life to people. If it were, then we could be made right with God by following the law. But this is not possible. The Scriptures put the whole world in prison under the control of sin, so that the only way for people to get what God promised would be through faith in Jesus Christ. It is given to those who believe in him. (‭Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭21-22‬ ERV)

Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭2-3, 5-6, 9‬

Tell me this one thing: How did you receive the Spirit? Did you receive the Spirit by following the law? No, you received the Spirit because you heard the message about Jesus and believed it. You began your life in Christ with the Spirit. Now do you try to complete it by your own power? That is foolish.

Does God give you the Spirit because you follow the law? Does God work miracles among you because you follow the law? No, God gives you his Spirit and works miracles among you because you heard the message about Jesus and believed it. The Scriptures say the same thing about Abraham. “Abraham believed God, and because of this faith he was accepted as one who is right with God.”

Abraham believed this, and because he believed, he was blessed. All people who believe are blessed the same as Abraham was. (‭Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭2-3, 5-6, 9‬ ERV)

Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭16, 19-21‬

But we know that no one is made right with God by following the law. It is trusting in Jesus Christ that makes a person right with God. So we have put our faith in Christ Jesus, because we wanted to be made right with God. And we are right with him because we trusted in Christ—not because we followed the law. I can say this because no one can be made right with God by following the law.

It was the law itself that caused me to end my life under the law. I died to the law so that I could live for God. I have been nailed to the cross with Christ. So I am not the one living now—it is Christ living in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God. He is the one who loved me and gave himself to save me. I am not the one destroying the meaning of God’s grace. If following the law is how people are made right with God, then Christ did not have to die.
(‭Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭16, 19-21‬ ERV)

Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭45-48

Then Jesus helped the followers understand these Scriptures about him. Jesus said to them, “It is written that the Messiah would be killed and rise from death on the third day. You saw these things happen—you are witnesses. You must go and tell people that they must change and turn to God, which will bring them his forgiveness. You must start from Jerusalem and tell this message in my name to the people of all nations. (‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭45-48‬ ERV)

‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭39-43

One of the criminals hanging there began to shout insults at Jesus: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Then save yourself, and save us too!” But the other criminal stopped him. He said, “You should fear God. All of us will die soon. You and I are guilty. We deserve to die because we did wrong. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you begin ruling as king!” Then Jesus said to him, “I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭39-43‬ ERV)

Proverbs‬ ‭10‬:‭2-3, 22, 24-25, 27-30

Wealth gained by doing wrong will not really help you, but doing right will save you from death. The Lord takes care of good people and gives them the food they need, but he keeps the wicked from getting what they want.

It is the Lord ’S blessing that brings wealth, and no hard work can add to it.

The wicked will be defeated by what they fear, but good people will get what they want. The wicked are destroyed when trouble comes, but good people stand strong forever.

Respect for the Lord will add years to your life, but the wicked will have their lives cut short. What good people hope for brings happiness, but what the wicked hope for brings destruction. The Lord protects those who do right, but he destroys those who do wrong. Good people will always be safe, but the wicked will be forced out of the land. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭10‬:‭2-3, 22, 24-25, 27-30‬ ERV)

Numbers‬ ‭14‬:‭15-24

So you must not kill these people now. If you kill them, all the nations who have heard about your power will say, ‘The Lord was not able to bring them into the land he promised them. So he killed them in the desert.’ “So now, Lord, show your strength! Show it the way you said you would. You said, ‘The Lord is slow to become angry. He is full of great love. He forgives those who are guilty and break the law. But he always punishes those who are guilty. He punishes them, and he also punishes their children, their grandchildren, and even their great-grandchildren for those bad things.’ Now, show your great love to these people. Forgive their sin. Forgive them the same way you have been forgiving them since the time they left Egypt until now.” The Lord answered, “Yes, I will forgive the people as you asked. But I tell you the truth. As surely as I live and as surely as the Glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, I make you this promise: None of the people I led out of Egypt will ever see the land of Canaan. They saw my glory and the great signs that I did in Egypt and in the desert. But they disobeyed me and tested me ten times. I promised their ancestors that I would give them that land. But none of those people who turned against me will ever enter that land! But my servant Caleb was different. He follows me completely. So I will bring him into the land that he has already seen, and his people will get that land. (‭Numbers‬ ‭14‬:‭15-24‬ ERV)

Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭26-27‬

But you must not be like that. The one with the most authority among you should act as if he is the least important. The one who leads should be like one who serves. Who is more important: the one serving or the one sitting at the table being served? Everyone thinks it’s the one being served, right? But I have been with you as the one who serves. (‭Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭26-27‬ ERV)

Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33-34

What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Tomorrow will have its own worries. (‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33-34‬ ERV)

Luke‬ ‭21‬:‭34-36

“Be careful not to spend your time having parties and getting drunk or worrying about this life. If you do that, you won’t be able to think straight, and the end might come when you are not ready. It will come as a surprise to everyone on earth. So be ready all the time. Pray that you will be able to get through all these things that will happen and stand safe before the Son of Man.”
 (‭Luke‬ ‭21‬:‭34-36‬ ERV)

Numbers‬ ‭14‬:‭6-9‬

Joshua and Caleb became very upset. (Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh were two of the men who explored the land.) These two men said to all the Israelites gathered there, “The land that we saw is very good. It is a land filled with many good things. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land. And he will give that land to us. So don’t turn against the Lord! Don’t be afraid of the people in that land. We can defeat them. They have no protection, nothing to keep them safe. But we have the Lord with us, so don’t be afraid!” (‭Numbers‬ ‭14‬:‭6-9‬ ERV)

Numbers‬ ‭11‬:‭4-6, 10, 18-23, 31-32

The foreigners who had joined the Israelites began wanting other things to eat. Soon all the Israelites began complaining again. The people said, “We want to eat meat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt. That fish cost us nothing. We also had good vegetables like cucumbers, melons, chives, onions, and garlic. But now we have lost our strength. We never eat anything—only this manna!”

Moses heard the people complaining. People from every family were sitting by their tents and complaining. The Lord became very angry, and this made Moses very upset.

“Tell the people this: Make yourselves ready for tomorrow. Tomorrow you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you cried out and said, ‘We need meat to eat! It was better for us in Egypt!’ So now the Lord will give you meat. And you will eat it. You will eat it for more than one, or two, or five, or ten, or even twenty days! You will eat that meat for a whole month until you are sick of it. This will happen to you because you complained against the Lord. He lives among you and knows what you need, but you cried and complained to him! You said, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’” Moses said, “There are 600,000 soldiers here, and you say, ‘I will give them enough meat to eat for a whole month!’ If we were to kill all the sheep and cattle, that would still not be enough to feed this many people for a month. And if we caught all the fish in the sea, it would not be enough for them!” But the Lord said to Moses, “Don’t limit my power! You will see that I can do what I say I can do.”

Then the Lord made a powerful wind to blow in from the sea, and it blew quail into the area all around the camp. There were so many birds that the ground was covered. They were about three feet deep on the ground. There were quail in every direction as far as a man can walk in one day. They went out and gathered quail all that day and all that night. And they gathered quail all the next day too! The smallest amount anyone gathered was 60 bushels. Then the people spread the quail meat all around the camp to dry in the sun. (‭Numbers‬ ‭11‬:‭4-6, 10, 18-23, 31-32‬ ERV)

Numbers‬ ‭9‬:‭18-23‬

This was the way the Lord showed the Israelites when to move and when to stop and set up camp. While the cloud stayed over the Holy Tent, the people continued to camp in that same place. Sometimes the cloud would stay over the Holy Tent for a long time. The Israelites obeyed the Lord and did not move. Sometimes the cloud was over the Holy Tent for only a few days. So the people obeyed the Lord ’S command—they followed the cloud when it moved. Sometimes the cloud stayed only during the night—the next morning the cloud moved. So the people gathered their things and followed it. If the cloud moved, during the day or during the night, they followed it. If the cloud stayed over the Holy Tent for two days, a month, or a year, the people stayed at that place. They did not leave until the cloud moved. When the cloud rose from its place and moved, they also moved. So the people obeyed the Lord ’S commands. They camped when the Lord told them to, and they moved when he told them to. They watched carefully and obeyed the Lord ’S commands to Moses. (‭Numbers‬ ‭9‬:‭18-23‬ ERV)

Proverbs‬ ‭5‬:‭15-23

Now, about sex and marriage: Drink only the water that comes from your own well, and don’t let your water flow out into the streets. Keep it for yourself, and don’t share it with strangers. Be happy with your own wife. Enjoy the woman you married while you were young. She is like a beautiful deer, a lovely fawn. Let her love satisfy you completely. Stay drunk on her love, and don’t go stumbling into the arms of another woman. The Lord clearly sees everything you do. He watches where you go. The sins of the wicked will trap them. Those sins will be like ropes holding them back. Evil people will die because they refuse to be disciplined. They will be trapped by their own desires. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭5‬:‭15-23‬ ERV)

Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭23-27‬

Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life. Don’t bend the truth or say things that you know are not right. Keep your eyes on the path, and look straight ahead. Make sure you are going the right way, and nothing will make you fall. Don’t go to the right or to the left, and you will stay away from evil. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭23-27‬ ERV)

Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5-12

Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way. Don’t trust in your own wisdom, but fear and respect the Lord and stay away from evil. If you do this, it will be like a refreshing drink and medicine for your body. Honor the Lord with your wealth and the first part of your harvest. Then your barns will be full of grain, and your barrels will be overflowing with wine. My son, don’t reject the Lord ’S discipline, and don’t be angry when he corrects you. The Lord corrects the one he loves, just as a father corrects a child he cares about. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5-12‬ ERV)

‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭18-19, 21‬

All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people.

Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could be right with God.
(‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭18-19, 21‬ ERV)

Proverbs‬ ‭2‬:‭3, 5-10

Ask for good judgment. Cry out for understanding.

If you do this, you will understand what it means to respect the Lord, and you will come to know God. The Lord is the source of wisdom; knowledge and understanding come from his mouth. He gives good advice to honest people and shields those who do what is right. He makes sure that people are treated fairly. He watches over his loyal followers. If you listen to him, you will understand what is just and fair and how to do what is right. You will gain wisdom, and knowledge will bring you joy. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭2‬:‭3, 5-10‬ ERV)

Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭17-27‬

“The son realized that he had been very foolish. He thought, ‘All my father’s hired workers have plenty of food. But here I am, almost dead because I have nothing to eat. I will leave and go to my father. I will say to him: Father, I have sinned against God and have done wrong to you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But let me be like one of your hired workers.’ So he left and went to his father. “While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him coming and felt sorry for him. So he ran to him and hugged and kissed him. The son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against God and have done wrong to you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Hurry! Bring the best clothes and put them on him. Also, put a ring on his finger and good sandals on his feet. And bring our best calf and kill it so that we can celebrate with plenty to eat. My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was lost, but now he is found!’ So they began to have a party. “The older son had been out in the field. When he came near the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. So he called to one of the servant boys and asked, ‘What does all this mean?’ The boy said, ‘Your brother has come back, and your father killed the best calf to eat. He is happy because he has his son back safe and sound.’ (‭Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭17-27‬ ERV)