Romans 15 Now we who are strong in our faith should help those who aren't,
And not live to please ourselves.
Let each one of us please his neighbor in what is good,
To help build them up.
For even Christ didn't please himself,
But as it is written in Psalms,
The criticisms of those who criticized you fell on me.
For whatever things were written before,
Were written for us to learn from,
That through perseverance and through encouragement of the scriptures,
We might have hope.
Now,
The God of perseverance and of encouragement will help you to be of the same mind with one another,
According to Christ Jesus.
So that with unity,
You may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore,
Accept one another,
Even as Christ accepted you to the glory of God.
Now,
I say that Christ has been made a servant of the Jewish people for God's truth,
So that he would confirm the promises given to the forefathers,
And that the Gentiles would glorify God for his mercy.
As it is written in Samuel and Psalms,
Therefore,
I will give praise to you among the Gentiles and sing to your name.
Again,
He says in Deuteronomy,
Rejoice,
You Gentiles,
With his people.
And in Psalms it states,
Praise the Lord,
All you Gentiles,
Let all the peoples praise him.
Isaiah records this,
There will be the root of Jesse,
He who arises to rule over the Gentiles.
In him the Gentiles will hope.
Now,
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing him,
That you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I myself am also convinced,
Brothers,
That you are full of goodness,
Knowledge,
And able to caution others.
But I write more boldly to you in part to remind you,
Because of God's grace to me,
That I should be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles,
Serving as a priest of the good news of God,
That in presenting them they would be made acceptable and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore,
My boasting in Christ Jesus is in my service to God.
For I would not dare to speak of anything except that which Christ worked through me by word and action to bring the Gentiles to obedience,
By the power of signs and miracles and the power of God's Spirit,
So that from Jerusalem and as far as to Illilicrum,
I have fully preached the good news of Christ.
I have made it my aim to preach the good news where Christ wasn't known,
So that I would not build on someone else's work.
As it is written in Isaiah,
They will see to whom no news of him came.
They who haven't heard will understand.
Because of this,
I was prevented many times in coming to you.
But now,
No longer having any place to work in these regions and having desired for many years to come to you,
I will do so when I travel to Spain.
For I hope to see you on my way and to be helped on my way by you,
If I may first enjoy your company for a while.
But now I say,
I am going to Jerusalem,
Serving the saints.
For it has been the joy of those in Macedonia and Acacia to provide a gift for the poor among the saints who are at Jerusalem.
Yes,
It has been their joy,
And they are debtors to them.
For if the Gentiles have been made participants of their spiritual things,
They owe it to them to serve them in material things.
So,
When I have accomplished this and have given them this gift,
I will go on by way of you to Spain.
I know that when I come to you,
I will come in the fullness of the blessing of the good news of Christ.
Now,
I beg you,
Brothers,
By our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit,
That you struggle along with me in prayers to God for me,
That I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea,
And that my service,
Which I have planned for Jerusalem,
May be acceptable to the saints there,
So that I may come to you in joy through the will of God,
And together with you find rest.
Now the God of peace be with you all.
Amen.
Philippians 2 Therefore,
If there is any encouragement in Christ,
If any comfort by love,
If any fellowship of the Spirit,
If any affection and compassion,
Make my joy complete by being like-minded.
Have the same love,
Being united in spirit of one mind.
Do nothing out of competition or pride,
But in humility,
Each considering others better than himself.
Each of you,
Not just looking to his concerns,
But each of you also to the concerns of others.
Have this in your mind,
Which was also in Christ Jesus,
Who,
Existing in the form of God,
Didn't consider being equal with God something worth consideration.
But he emptied himself,
Taking the form of a servant,
Being made in human likeness,
And being found in human form,
He humbled himself,
Becoming obedient to the point of death,
Yes,
The death of the cross.
Therefore,
God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
So that at the name of Jesus,
Every knee should bow,
Those in heaven,
Those on earth,
And those under the earth,
And every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
To the glory of God the Father.
So then,
My loved ones,
Just as you always obeyed,
Not only in my presence,
But now even more in my absence,
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
For it is God who works in you,
Both to will and to work,
For his good pleasure.
Do all things without complaining and arguing,
So that you may become blameless and harmless,
Children of God,
Without defect,
In the middle of a crooked and perverse generation,
Among whom you are seen as lights in the world.
Holding up the word of life,
That I may have something to boast about on the day of Christ,
That I didn't run or labor in vain.
Yes,
And if I am poured out like a sacrifice and service of your faith,
I rejoice with all of you.
In the same way,
You should rejoice and be glad with me.
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon,
So that I may also be cheered up when I know how you are doing,
For I have no one else who is like-minded,
Who truly cares about you.
For they all seek their own concerns,
Not the things of Jesus Christ.
But you know his qualifications,
How as a child serves the Father,
So has he served with me in advancing the good news.
So,
I hope to send him as soon as possible,
Once I see how it will go with me.
But I trust in the Lord that I myself will also come shortly.
However,
I believe it is necessary to send to you Epaphroditus,
My brother,
Fellow worker,
Fellow soldier,
Your apostle and servant of my need,
Because he misses all of you and was very troubled because you heard that he was sick.
And he was sick and near death,
But God had mercy on him,
And not only him,
But me also,
So that I would not have sorrow on sorrow.
So,
I have sent him back eagerly,
So that when you see him again,
You may rejoice and that I may be less sorrowful.
Receive him in the Lord with joy and hold such people in honor,
Because for the work of Christ,
He nearly died,
Risking his life to provide which was lacking in your service to me.
Philippians 4 Because of this,
Believers,
Loved and missed,
My joy and crown,
Stand firm in the Lord in this way,
My loved ones.
I urge Euodia and Syntyche to think the same way in the Lord.
Yes,
I beg you also,
True partner,
Help these women,
For they worked with me in advancing the good news with Clement also and the rest of my fellow believers whose names are in the Book of Life.
Rejoice in the Lord always.
Again,
I say,
Rejoice.
Let your gentleness be known to all men.
The Lord is near.
Be anxious about nothing.
Instead,
In everything,
By prayer,
With thanksgiving,
Let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God,
Which exceeds all understanding,
Will guard your hearts and thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Finally,
Brothers,
Whatever things are true,
Honorable,
Just,
Pure,
Lovely,
Admirable,
If there is any virtue and if there is any praise,
Think about these types of things.
The things which you learned,
Received,
Heard,
And saw in me,
Do them,
And the God of peace will be with you.
I rejoice in the Lord greatly,
That now at last you have revived your concern for me.
You did have concern before,
But you lacked opportunity to help.
I don't say this because I am in need,
For I have learned in whatever condition I am,
To be content in it.
I know how to live in humble circumstances and also in prosperity.
In all things,
I learn the secret,
Whether I am filled or hungry,
Rich or in need,
I can do all things through Christ,
Who strengthens me.
However,
You did well and that you shared in my difficulty.
You Philippians yourselves know that when I first brought you the good news and then I departed from Macedonia,
No other church shared with me in the matter of financial giving and receiving,
But you only.
For even when I was in Thessalonica,
You sent aid more than once for my need.
Not that I am seeking for a gift,
But I seek that you will have fruit that will increase to your account.
But I have everything I need and more.
I am well supplied after receiving from Epaphroditus the things that came from you.
They are a sweet-smelling fragrance,
An acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God.
My God will supply every need of yours,
According to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever.
Amen.
Greet every saint in Christ Jesus.
The brothers who are with me greet you.
All the saints greet you,
Especially those who are of Caesar's household.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Amen.
Colossians 3 Since you were raised with Christ,
Pursue the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on the things that are above,
Not on the things that are on the earth.
For you died,
And your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ,
Who is our life,
Is revealed,
Then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
So put to death the sinful desires in you,
Which are of the earth,
Sexual immorality,
Impurity,
Immoral passion,
Evil desire,
And greed,
Which is idolatry.
Because of these things,
The anger of God comes on the children of disobedience.
You used to walk in these ways when you lived in them,
But now be done with them all.
Anger,
Rage,
Hatred,
Slander,
And disgraceful speaking.
Don't lie to one another,
Since you have put off your old sinful man with his doings and have put on the new man,
Who is being renewed in the knowledge like the image of his Creator.
In this,
There can't be Greek or Jew,
Circumcision and uncircumcision,
Barbarian,
Scythian,
Slave,
Or free person,
But only Christ,
Who is all and is in all.
So,
As God's chosen ones,
Holy and loved,
Apply a heart of compassion,
Kindness,
Modesty,
Humility,
And perseverance,
Bearing with one another and forgiving each other.
And if anyone has a complaint against another person,
Forgive each other,
Just as Christ forgave you.
Above all these things,
Walk in love,
Which is the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
As you were called in one body,
And be thankful.
Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly.
In all wisdom,
Teach and caution one another with psalms,
Hymns,
And spiritual songs,
Singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.
Whatever you do,
In word or in action,
Do it in the name of the Lord Jesus,
Giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Wives,
Be subject to your husbands,
As is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands,
Love your wives and don't be bitter against them.
Children,
Obey your parents in all things,
For this pleases the Lord.
Fathers,
Don't irritate your children so that they won't be discouraged.
Servants,
Obey your masters in all things,
Not just when they are looking to please them,
But wholeheartedly,
Fearing God.
And whatever you do,
Work wholeheartedly,
As for the Lord and not for men,
Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance,
For you serve the Lord Christ.
But he who does wrong will likewise receive for the wrong that he has done,
And there is no favoritism.
Proverbs 3 My son,
Don't forget my teaching.
Let your heart keep my commandments,
For they will add to the length of your days,
Years of life,
And peace.
Don't let kindness and truth abandon you.
Bind them around your neck.
Write them on the tablet of your heart,
So that you will find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Trust in God with all your heart,
And don't lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways,
Acknowledge God,
And He will make your paths straight.
Don't be wise in your own eyes.
Fear God and flee from evil,
And there will be health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
Honor God with your finances,
With the firstfruits of all your increase,
So that your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your containers will overflow with new wine.
My son,
Don't despise God's discipline,
And don't be tired of His corrections.
For those God loves,
He corrects,
Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
The man who gets understanding.
For her good profit is better than getting silver,
And her return is better than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies.
Nothing you can desire can be compared to her.
Long life is in her right hand.
In her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are paths of pleasantness.
All her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her.
Everyone is happy who keeps her.
By wisdom,
God created the earth.
By understanding,
He established the heavens.
By His knowledge,
The roaring sea was broken up and the skies dropped down due.
My son,
Don't let them get out of your sight.
Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
So they will be life to your soul,
And grace for your neck.
Then you will walk in your way securely.
Your foot won't stumble.
When you lie down,
You will not be afraid.
Yes,
You will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
Don't be afraid of sudden fear or of the anguish of the wicked when it comes.
For God will be your confidence and will keep your foot from falling.
Don't withhold good from those it is due,
When it is in your power to provide it.
Don't say to your neighbor,
Leave and come back again tomorrow and I will give it to you,
When you already have it with you.
Don't plan evil against your neighbor,
Since he lives securely by you.
Don't struggle with a man without a reason,
If he has done you no harm.
Don't envy the man of violence.
Choose none of his ways,
For the perverse is detestable to God.
But his friendship is with the upright.
God's curse is in the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the righteous.
He mocks the mockers,
But He gives grace to the humble.
The wise will inherit glory,
But shame will be the reward of fools.
Proverbs 16.
The plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from God.
All the ways of a man are innocent in his own eyes,
But God weighs the motives.
Commit your actions to God and your plans will succeed.
God has made everything for its own end,
Yes,
Even the wicked for the day of evil.
Everyone who holds pride in their heart is detestable to God.
They will certainly not be unpunished.
By mercy and truth,
Sin is compensated for.
By the fear of God,
Men leave the ways of evil.
When a man's ways please God,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.
A man's heart plans his course,
But God directs his steps.
Inspired judgments are on the lips of the king.
He will not betray his mouth.
Honest balances and scales are God's.
All the weights in the bag are His work.
It is detestable for kings to do wrong,
For the throne is established by righteousness.
Righteous lips are the delight of kings.
They value one who speaks the truth.
The king's anger is a messenger of death,
But a wise man will pacify it.
In the light of a king's face is life.
His favor is like a cloud of rain in the spring.
How much better it is to get wisdom than gold.
Yes,
To get understanding is better than silver.
The highway of the upright is to leave evil.
He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
Pride goes before destruction and an arrogant spirit before a fall.
It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the plunder with the proud.
He who obeys the word finds prosperity.
Whoever trusts in God is blessed.
The wise in heart will be called prudent.
Pleasantness of the lips promotes instruction.
Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it,
But the punishment of fools is their foolishness.
The heart of the wise instructs his mouth and adds learning to his lips.
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul and health to the bones.
There is a way which seems right to man,
But in the end it leads to death.
The hunger of the laboring man works for him,
For his mouth urges him on.
A worthless man plans trouble.
His speech is like a scorching fire.
A perverse man stirs up trouble.
A whisperer separates close friends.
A man of violence lures his neighbor and leads him in a way that is not good.
One who winks his eyes to plot perversities,
One who compresses his lips,
Is bent on evil.
Gray hair is a crown of glory.
It is attained by a life of righteousness.
One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty.
One who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from God.
A man who isolates himself pursues selfishness and resists all good judgment.
A fool has no delight in understanding,
But only in revealing his own opinion.
When wickedness comes,
Disrespect also comes,
And with shame comes disgrace.
The words of a man's mouth are like deep waters.
The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.
To be partial to the wicked is not good.
Neither is depriving justice to the innocent.
A fool's lips come into trouble,
And his mouth invites beatings.
A fool's mouth is his destruction,
And his lips are a snare to his soul.
The words of gossip are like exquisite crumbs.
They go down into a person's innermost parts.
One who is lazy in his work is brother to one who is a master of destruction.
God's name is a strong tower.
The righteous run to him and are safe.
The rich man's wealth is his strong city.
He imagines it to be like an unscalable wall.
Before destruction,
The heart of man is proud.
But humility comes before honor.
He who answers before he hears,
That is foolishness and a shame to him.
A man's spirit will sustain him in sickness,
But a crushed spirit,
Who can bear?
The heart of the discerning gets knowledge.
The ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
A man's gift makes room for him.
It brings him before influential men.
He who pleads his case first seems right,
Until another comes and questions him.
A coin flip settles disputes and keeps strong-headed people from disputes.
A brother offended is more difficult to deal with than a fortified city.
Disputes are like the bars of a fortress.
A man's stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth.
With the harvest of his lips,
He is satisfied.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue.
Those who love it will eat its fruit.
Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing and receives favor from God.
The poor plead for mercy,
But the rich answer harshly.
A man of many friends may be ruined,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
John 15 I am the true vine,
And my Father is the gardener.
Every branch in me that doesn't produce fruit,
He takes away.
Every branch that produces fruit,
He prunes so that it may bear more fruit.
You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
Remain in me,
And I will remain in you.
Just as the branch can't produce fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine,
So neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine,
You are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him produces an abundance of fruit.
Because away from me you can do nothing.
If a man doesn't remain in me,
He is thrown out as a branch and shrivels up,
And they are gathered and thrown into the fire and are burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
You will ask whatever you desire,
And it will be done for you.
By this my Father is glorified,
That you produce an abundance of fruit and shew that you are my disciples.
Even as the Father has loved me,
I also have loved you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments,
You will remain in my love,
Even as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love.
I have spoken these things to you so that my joy can remain in you,
And so that your joy can be made full.
This is my commandment,
Love one another like I have loved you.
No one has greater love than this,
That they would lay down their life for their friends.
You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.
No longer do I call you servants,
For the servant doesn't know what his master does,
But I have called you friends.
For everything that I heard from my Father,
I have told you.
You didn't choose me,
But I chose you and appointed you,
That you should go and produce fruit,
And that your fruit should remain,
That whatever you will ask of the Father in my name,
He may give it to you.
I command these things to you,
That you may love one another.
If the world hates you,
You know that it hated me first.
If you were of the world,
The world would love you as its own.
But because you are not of the world,
Since I chose you out of the world,
It hates you.
Remember the word that I said to you,
A servant is not greater than his master.
If they persecuted me,
They will persecute you also.
If they obeyed my word,
They will also obey yours.
They will do all these things to you because of me,
Because they don't know Him who sent me.
If I had not come and spoken to them,
They would not have been guilty of sin.
But now,
They have no excuse for their sin.
He who hates me,
Hates my Father also.
If I hadn't done my works among them,
Which no one else did,
They wouldn't have been guilty of sin.
But now,
They have seen and have hated both me and my Father.
This has happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law.
They hated me for no reason,
As it says in the Psalms.
When the Counselor comes,
Who I will send to you from the Father,
Who is the Spirit of Truth from the Father,
He will testify about me.
You will also testify,
Because you have been with me from the beginning.
Hebrews 12 Therefore,
Let us also,
Seeing that we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
Lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us,
And let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,
Looking to Jesus,
The author and perfecter of faith,
Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,
Despising its shame,
And sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider Him who has endured such hostility of sinners against Him that you don't grow weary or faint in your souls.
You have not yet resisted to the point of blood in the striving against sin.
You have forgotten the urging which reasons with you as children as recorded in Proverbs.
My son,
Don't take lightly the discipline of the Lord,
Nor faint when you are scolded by Him.
For those the Lord loves,
He disciplines and punishes every child whom He receives.
It is because of discipline that you endure.
God deals with you as with children.
For what child is there that their father doesn't discipline?
But if you are without discipline,
Of which all have been made participants,
Then you are illegitimate and not children.
Furthermore,
We had earthly fathers discipline us,
And we paid them respect.
Shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
For they,
For a while,
Punished us as seemed good to them.
But God does so for our benefit,
So that we may be participants of His holiness.
All discipline seems at the time not joyful,
But painful.
Yet afterward,
It yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Therefore,
Lift up your hands that hang down and feeble knees,
And make straight paths for your feet,
So that the lame may not be disabled,
But rather be healed.
Pursue peace with all men and be holy.
Without holiness,
No person will see the Lord.
Be careful so that there won't be any person who falls short of the grace of God.
So that no root of bitterness will spring up to trouble you,
And you will be defiled by it.
Don't be a sexually immoral or profane person like Esau,
Who sold his birthright for one meal.
For you know that even when he later desired to inherit the blessing,
He was rejected.
For he found no place for a change of mind,
Even though he sought it desperately with tears.
For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched,
And that burned with fire,
And to blackness,
Darkness,
Storm,
The sound of a trumpet,
And the voice of words,
Which those who heard it begged that not one more word should be spoken to them.
For they could not stand that which was commanded in Exodus,
Even if an animal touches the mountain,
It shall be stoned.
So fearful was the appearance that Moses said,
As recorded in Deuteronomy,
I am terrified and trembling.
But you have come to Mount Zion,
And to the city of the living God,
The heavenly Jerusalem,
And to an uncountable number of angels,
To the festive gathering and assembly of the firstborn who are registered in heaven,
To God,
The judge of all,
To the spirits of righteous men made perfect,
To Jesus,
The mediator of a new covenant,
And to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than the blood of Abel.
See that you don't refuse him who speaks.
For if they didn't escape when they refused him who warned on the earth,
How much more will we not escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven,
Whose voice shook the earth then,
But now has promised,
Saying in Haggai,
Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.
This phrase,
Yet once more,
Signifies the removing of those things that are shaken,
As of things that have been made,
That those things which are not shaken may remain.
Therefore,
Receiving a kingdom that can't be shaken,
Let's have grace,
Through which we serve God acceptably,
With reverence and awe,
For our God is a consuming fire.
Psalm 121 I will lift up my eyes to the hills.
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from God,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved.
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold,
He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
God is your keeper.
God is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not harm you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
God will keep you from all evil.
He will keep your soul.
God will keep your going out and your coming in,
From this time forward and forevermore.
Psalm 145 A Praise Psalm by David I will praise you,
My God the King.
I will praise your name forever and ever.
Every day I will praise you.
I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is God,
And greatly to be praised.
His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation will tell your works to another,
And will declare your mighty acts.
I will meditate on the righteous majesty of your honor,
On your wondrous works.
Men will speak of the power of your awesome acts.
I will declare your greatness.
They will tell the memory of your great goodness,
And will sing of your righteousness.
God is gracious,
Merciful,
Slow to anger,
And of great love and kindness.
God is good to all.
His tender mercies are over all his works.
All your works will give thanks to you,
God.
Your saints will extol you.
They will speak of the glory of your kingdom,
And talk about your power,
To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts,
The glory of the majesty of his kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
Your rule endures throughout all generations.
God is faithful in all his works,
And loving in all his works.
God upholds all who fall,
And raises up those who are bowed down.
The eyes of all wait for you.
You give them their food in due season.
You open your hand,
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
God is righteous in all his ways,
And gracious in all his works.
God is near to all those who call on him,
To all who call on him in truth.
He will fulfill the desires of those who fear him.
He will also hear their cry,
And will save them.
God preserves all those who love him,
But he will destroy all the wicked.
My mouth will speak the praise of God.
Let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
