Discipleship Memory Verses
John 17:3 (NASB95) “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (Jesus is life (Jn. 1:4). When we abide in Him through repentance and faith, we have eternal life (1 Jn. 5:11-12). The evidence that we now have this right relationship with God is that we continue to live a lifestyle of obedience to His commands. See also 1 John 2:3-6, John 15:1-10)
1 John 2:3–6 (NASB95) "3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (This is a picture of what true faith and repentance should produce in our lives. The evidence that we know God and are abiding in Christ is that we seek to live a lifestyle of obedience to His commands and seek to walk as Jesus did. See also 1 John 3:23-24, Matt. 7:21-27)
Matthew 22:37-40 (NASB95) “37 And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Our heart represents what we desire. God desires an intimate relationship with us where He is the only One we desire. In order to practically live this out, we must remove the competitions for our heart and no longer love the world and things in this world (1 John 2:15-17). Our love for God should lead us to repent of living in sin and living for ourselves and now seek to live for Him and do His will. See also 1 John 5:2-4, Deut. 6:4-9, John 14:15, 21-23)
John 8:31-32 (ESV) “31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (As Jesus' followers (disciples), we should seek to study, memorize and apply His word to all areas of our life because we love Him and desire to do the things that are pleasing to Him. His word teaches us the truth that will set us free from Satan's lies and the sinful ways of this world. See also Rom. 12:1-2, Col. 1:9-12, Psalm 1:1-3, 119:9-11)
1 Peter 2:1-2 (NASB95) “1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,” (We should long for God’s word as a baby longs for milk because it helps us grow in our faith and gives us knowledge of God’s will so that we can live a life pleasing to Him. Stop and think if you see God’s word in this way. See also John 8:31-36, 17:17, Col. 1:9-12, Psalm 119:9-11)
Matthew 6:9-13 (NASB95) “9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread. 12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’” (This is known as the Lord’s Prayer. It is a good model to use while praying. God is awesome (Hallowed means holy or set apart). We should seek to do His will, give Him thanks for provisions, ask forgiveness of our sins and ask for protection from Satan. See also Matt. 18:21-35, 1 John 3:21-22, John 15:7)
1 John 5:2–4 (NASB95) "2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (Love is a commitment to doing what is right in God’s eyes towards Him and others from a pure heart. This is why it is so important to abide in His word so we can know what God has asked of us. When we learn His word, we can live out His commands and truly love Him and others which are the two greatest commandments in the Kingdom (Matt. 22:37-40). See also Deut. 7:9-13, 2 John 1:6, Rom. 13:8-10)
John 14:6 (NASB95) “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (This verse is extremely important because in it Jesus divides Christianity from every other religion. Jesus clearly makes the claim that He is the only way to God (the Father). Jesus is the only way to have our sins forgiven and be made right with God and there is no other religion that will result in eternal salvation. See also Acts 4:12, 1 Tim 2:3-6, 1 John 2:22-24)
Mark 1:14–15 (NASB95) "14 Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (God’s Kingdom is His rule. Jesus came to establish God’s rule in the hearts of all people on earth. In order to become a part of God’s Kingdom we must repent, which means that we must change our mind about living in sin to where we now desire to turn from sin and turn to following God and living according to His ways as we submit to His rule over our lives. We must also believe that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God and that His death and resurrection is the only way we can be made right with God. See also Acts 26:20, Luke 3:8-14, 24:46-47)
Romans 3:23 (NASB95) “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (This is what we refer to as the Bad News of our problem with sin. This is an important part of the Gospel of the Kingdom because no one can save themselves by their good deeds because we have all sinned against God and are guilty before Him on Judgment Day. The only way we can be made right with God is if He chooses to no longer hold our sins against us (Rom. 4:6-8). The only way we can receive this right standing with God is through repentance and faith in Jesus. See also Rom. 3:9-10, 6:23, Luke 24:46-47)
Romans 6:23 (NKJV) "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (This verse teaches us the serious nature of sin. Sin is so serious to God that He says that our sins deserve death, which is speaking of both physical death and spiritual separation from God (Isa. 59:2). But when we repent and turn to living by faith in Christ, we are freed from our sins and we have eternal life in Christ. See also Eph. 2:1-3, Rom. 1:18-32, 8:5-13)
Acts 2:38 (NASB95) “Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Context: This verse comes after the first gospel presentation given after Pentecost. Peter first told them about Jesus’ death and resurrection and then this is how he says we should respond to God’s love and offer of forgiveness. He says we should repent, which means turn away from our sins and turn to following God’s ways, and we should be baptized to show that we are identified as a follower of Jesus. See also Luke 13:3-5, Acts 17:30-31)
Galatians 5:22–25 (NASB95) “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” (These attributes are what the Holy Spirit produces in our lives as we follow Jesus by faith and submit to His working in our lives. The key here is to abide in God and His word and allow His Spirit to work in us and change us from the inside out. This change will be evidenced by the good fruit mentioned in this passage flowing out of our lives. The “flesh” here in this passage represents the sinful ways of the world that we as believers are supposed to put to death (crucify) in our lives. See also 1 Cor. 13:4-8, Col. 3:12-15, Rom. 8:9-14)
1 Corinthians 6:17-20 (NASB95) “17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” (As followers of Jesus, we have been joined to the Lord in spirit. His Spirit now dwells in us. We now belong to God and so we should use our body, our time, our words and all of our life to glorify Him. We should flee from any sin and any temptation to sin (v18). See also Rom. 6:16-18, 12:1-2, 14:7-8, 1 Pet. 2:24)
Galatians 2:20 (NASB95) “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Jesus gave Himself up for us by dying on a cross for our sins. This is amazing love that He showed us, and our response should be that we now consider ourselves dead to our old sinful ways (crucified with Christ), and we should now live to do what Jesus wants us to, which is to obey God’s commands. This is what it looks like to live by faith. See also Luke 9:20-26, 1 Peter 2:24, John 14:15-23)
1 John 2:15-17 (NASB95) “15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” (Jesus made it clear that you can’t be devoted to both God and the things of the world (Matt. 6:19-24). If we want to follow Jesus, the greatest commandment in the Kingdom is to love God with all of our heart. That means we must be devoted to Him and no longer love this world or the things in the world. See also Matt. 7:21-23, Heb. 10:35-39, Rom. 12:1-2)
1 Peter 2:24 (NASB95) “… and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (The goal of Christ dying a horrible death for our sins was not that we can have a free pass to heaven and continue living in sin. He died for us so that we would repent and die to sin and now live to righteousness. This is from Isa. 53:5-6. See also Rom. 6:1-18, Col. 3:5-11, Acts 3:26)
1 John 4:19 (NASB95) “We love because He first loved us.” (It’s important to remember that it is all because of God’s love that we can now love Him and others. He loved us first by sending Jesus to die for our sins even when we were living in rebellion against Him. If we really grasp His love for us, the only appropriate response should be to love Him with all of our heart and mind. See also 1 John 4:10, Rom. 5:8-10, John 3:14-21)
Romans 5:8-10 (NASB95) “8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (This is an important part of the Good News of the Gospel of the Kingdom. God showed His love to us even while we were His enemies who were living in sin. We can now be saved from His wrath because of what Jesus did for us at the cross if we continue to follow Him by faith. See also 1 John 4:19, John 3:14-21, Col. 1:21-23)
Luke 9:23-26 (NASB95) “23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. 25 “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? 26 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (If we believe that Jesus is the Christ, then we should respond by denying ourselves, dying to the sinful ways of this world and following after Jesus and living in obedience to His commands. This is what faith should practically look like in our life. See also 1 Pet. 2:21-24, Titus 2:11-14, Rom. 8:12-14)
John 14:15 (NASB95) “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (If we truly love Jesus and believe that He is who He says He is (King and Lord), we should obey what He commands as a lifestyle. Jesus said this same thing in different ways five times in John chapters 14 & 15, which makes this very important to understand. See also John 14:21, 23, 15:10, 14, 1 John 5:2-4)
Matthew 7:21-23 (NASB95) “21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Jesus is describing what true faith should produce, which is a lifestyle of doing the will of the Father (v21) and not practicing lawlessness (v23). This is an important passage for our society where many claim to be Christians but few are actually following Christ and living to do God’s will but instead live in lawlessness (sin). See also Matt. 7:13-20, James 2:14-25, Gal. 5:19-21, Titus 1:15-16)
Ephesians 5:1–2 (NASB95) "1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” (Our identity in Christ is that we are dearly loved children of God. It is out of a place of relationship with God where we experience His love that we are then able to walk in love. When we understand this identity and the love God has for us, we will then be able to imitate God’s love and love those around us. See also 1 John 3:1-3, John 13:34-35, 1 John 4:10-11)
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (This is a wonderful verse about who we are in Christ. The old us is gone and we are now made new by the Spirit of God. This is what happens when we are born again. See also John 1:12-13, Romans 6:1-7)
1 John 4:4 (NASB95) "4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” (Christ is in us, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). We have the Spirit of the living God, the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead, living inside of us. He is greater than any demonic power, greater than any lies and greater than any sin. We can overcome everything in this dark world through Him as we abide in Him and His word. See also John 16:33, 1 John 5:2-5, Rom. 8:10-17)
Luke 12:4-5 (NASB95) “4 “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. 5 “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!” (Context: In this passage, Jesus is talking specifically to His disciples. He is warning that as Christians we will face persecution from men which could cause us to fall away from the faith. This is why we must fear God and not men. See also Matt. 10:16-31, 24:9-14, Phil. 2:12-13)
1 Peter 2:11 (NASB95) "Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul." (Satan is at war to take over our heart and mind. When we set our mind on the things of this world instead of seeking the things above, our heart begins to desire the things of this world that gratify the desires of our flesh. These things then compete in our heart with our love for God and lead us into sin. These fleshly desires are warring against our soul and can destroy us if we don’t put them to death. See also Col. 3:5-11, Rom. 8:5-14)
2 Corinthians 7:1 (NASB95) “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (The promises he is referring to come from chapter 6 where it says that God will dwell among us and we will be His children! Because of God’s great love for us, we should respond by seeking to be perfectly holy in all that we think, say and do. We should cleanse ourselves of all sin and fear the Lord so that we will turn away from evil. See also1 Peter 1:13-17, Heb. 12:28-29)
1 Peter 1:13–16 (NASB95) "13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (God is holy and He desires for us to be a holy people who live to do His will and bring Him glory. In order for us to learn to live this holy life, we must prepare our minds for action by abiding in His word every day so that we will learn the truth that will set us free from sin (John 8:31-32). See also Lev. 19:2, Matt. 5:48, 2 Cor. 7:1)
1 Corinthians 13:4–8a (NASB95) "4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails…” (Love is more than a feeling. Love is a commitment to doing what is right in God’s eyes from a pure heart. Love looks like obeying God’s commands (1 John 5:2-4), and it also looks like having a loving heart attitude that is patient and kind. If we do good actions but are rude towards the person, they may not experience God’s love through us. Note: “unbecomingly” can also mean “rude.” See also 1 Thess. 5:14-15, Eph. 4:29-5:8, 1 Pet. 3:8-12)
1 Peter 5:5–7 (NASB95) "5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” (Humility leads us to submit ourselves under God’s rule which is why those who are humble receive grace and inherit His Kingdom. Also notice that God cares for you and you can bring all of your anxiety to Him as you seek first His Kingdom and righteousness (Matt. 6:33). See also James 4:4-10, Matt. 18:1-4, Luke 18:9-14)
Philippians 2:3–5 (NASB95) “3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,” (This is a great practical example of what loving others looks like. We are to be humble and be willing to serve others and consider their interests above our own. We should see others through Jesus’ eyes and love as He loves. See also Rom. 12:9-18, 15:1-7, 1 John 3:16-24)
Matthew 5:27–30 (NASB95) “27 “You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.” (Jesus shows us the heart issue behind adultery which starts with lust which is also a sin. We should realize how serious Jesus is in regards to dealing with sin. We should be willing to completely cut out of our life anything that leads us to sin. See also James 1:14-15, Col. 3:5-11, 1 Cor. 6:18-20)
Matthew 5:21–24 (NASB95) “21 “You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. 23 Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” (God is concerned with not only our outward actions, but also the attitude of our heart. He wants us to love Him and others from our heart. This is why we need to remove all anger and bitterness from our heart. See also 1 John 3:14-15, James 1:19-22, Eph. 4:29-31)
Ephesians 4:31 (NASB95) "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” (God desires for our heart to be filled with love for Him, and from this love, He wants us to love others. If we allow anger or bitterness into our heart, these things keep us from loving others as God desires. These things lead us to other sinful actions like slander and wrath towards others. We must be careful to guard our heart and have His Spirit fill us full each day so that we can always walk in love. See also Col. 3:8-16, Rom. 12:14-21)
Colossians 3:1-4 (NASB95) “1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (We as Christians should have our hope and focus set on God and His Kingdom, not on this world and its sinful pleasures. We have died to our old life of sin and Christ is now supposed to be our life where we live for Him and His glory. See Col. 3:5-17 for what this will practically produce in us)
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 (NASB95) “14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 17 Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. 18 And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty. 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (God wants us to be set apart from the evil ways of this world so that we can glorify Him and walk closely with Him. If we join ourselves with evil, it will pull us away from God and lead us back to the path of the world. See also Lev. 26:1-13, 1 Peter 2:9-12, Rom. 8:5-14)
Matthew 23:11-12 (NASB95) "11 But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Humility is one of the most important characteristics in the Kingdom because life is supposed to be all about God and His glory. When we are humble, we realize that we are here to serve Him and bring Him glory. This humility then leads us to serve others out of our love for God so that we can practically show His love to others. See also Gal. 5:13-14, Matt. 20:25-28, Phil 2:3-8)
Philippians 2:5-8 (NASB95) "5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Jesus is the perfect Christian. He is our model to follow which is why Paul tells us to have the attitude that He had. Jesus emptied Himself and was humble and obedient to all that the Father commanded. We are to live in the same way. See also John 14:30-31, 5:30, 8:28-29, 6:38)
Romans 8:12–14 (NASB95) "12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (The Bible teaches us that we can know if we have faith by the way we live our lives. If we live according to the flesh where we unrepentantly practice sin, then we will die spiritually. But if we are led by the Spirit and we continue to put to death sinful practices, then this is a good sign that we have faith and are thus sons of God. See also Gal. 6:7-8, Rom. 8:4-11, Rom. 6:11-18)
Galatians 5:19-21 (NASB95) “19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (If we live in unrepentant sin, it can be a sign of a heart attitude of rebellion which can show that we may no longer be walking in repentance and faith. This is why it is so important that we go to war against sin and no longer allow any sin to be a part of our life. See also 1 Cor. 6:9-10, Eph. 5:5-10, Rev. 21:8, Col. 3:5-10, Rom. 1:18-32)
James 1:2-4 (NASB95) “2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (As Christians we should learn to find joy in the trials of our life because these things test our faith, and if we endure, they make us stronger. One reason we can have this joy is that we know that this life is not all there is. We have the eternal Kingdom of God to look forward to. See also Matt. 5:10-12, Acts 5:40-42, Rom. 8:18-19)
Romans 15:13 (NASB95) "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Hope can be thought of as a confident expectation of good. As followers of Jesus, we have hope in what is coming after this life because we will get to be with God for eternity which is the greatest good imaginable. This hope should lead us to joy and peace in this life because we know what is coming after this life. See also 1 Thess. 4:13-18, Eph. 2:11-22)
Matthew 13:44 (NASB95) "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (What would lead someone to joyfully give up all he has? The answer is that he found something that was so much greater than what he previously had. When we truly realize who God is, we should be willing to joyfully give up our life for Him because we realize how incomprehensibly better He is than anything in this life. See also Matthew 6:19-21, Phil. 3:7-11)
John 1:1-4 (NASB95) “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” (Jesus created everything and He existed before creation. Jesus is not simply a good teacher; He is the Son of God and the Creator of the universe and He is worthy of being followed with our whole life. See also Col. 1:15-20, John 1:14, 5:25-27)
John 1:14 (NASB95) “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Jesus is the perfect representation of God’s character and nature (Heb. 1:1-3). He is the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15). Jesus has come to explain God to us so that we can learn to be holy as He is holy (John 1:17-18, 1 Peter 1:14-16). See also John 1:1-4, Gal. 4:4-5, Phil. 2:5-11)
Matthew 6:19-21 (NASB95) “19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Our life should not be about loving the world and the things in the world. Instead, it should be about building God’s Kingdom as we learn, apply, and share His word. See also 1 John 2:15-17, Luke 12:15-21, 1 Tim. 6:17-19)
Matthew 28:18–20 (NASB95) "18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (This is known as the “Great Commission.” As followers of Jesus, this is our responsibility and we should plan our life around fulfilling this mission of Jesus. We are to all eventually play a part in making disciples of all people on earth, teaching them to obey everything He commanded. In order to be ready for this important mission, we need to first be diligent to learn the word of God ourselves and apply it to our own lives so we can then go out and properly teach others how to obey the truth of God’s word. See also Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8, Luke 24:47)
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NASB95) “16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (Jesus tells us to have our treasure be in Heaven, not on this earth (Matt. 6:19-21). When all of our hope is in God and the Kingdom to come, we can always have joy because we know something far greater is coming after this life. And because our hope is in God, we should focus on Him all throughout the day in prayer and abiding in His word and sharing His word with others. We should also give Him thanks for all He has done for us and the hope we have in Him. See also Phil. 4:4-8, Eph. 6:18, Eph. 5:20)
Philippians 2:14–15 (NASB95) "14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,” (A natural human tendency is to complain. We as Christians should be different. We should never complain, but instead we should be above reproach in our words and lifestyle so that we can shine as a light to the world as we tell them the word of life. See also 1 Cor. 10:9-12, Phil. 4:4-8)
Hebrews 3:12-14 (NASB95) “12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,” (Sin wars against our faith. If we allow sin to remain in our life, it becomes something we desire in our heart. This competes with our love for God and can eventually take over our heart and kill our faith. This is why we must make war on sin and encourage each other daily to do the same. See also Heb. 10:24-31, John 15:4-10, 1 Thess. 2:10-12)
Colossians 1:21-23 (NASB95) “21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.” (On Judgment Day, we will either be innocent or guilty. If we are followers of Jesus, He will declare us not guilty and we will be seen as holy and blameless. To experience this awesome blessing, we are to continue to follow Him by faith until the end. See also Matt. 24:9-14, Heb. 10:35-11:1, John 15:1-10)
Ephesians 4:29 (NASB95) "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” (Your words can do great good or great harm. We need to discipline our speech to make sure we encourage and give grace with our words instead of tearing others down. We shouldn’t be sarcastic or rude, even jokingly. Instead, we should be gracious, kind and encouraging. See also Eph. 5:4, Col. 3:8, James 3:8-13, Heb. 10:24-25)
James 1:19–22 (NASB95) "19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” (We need to read the Bible, in context, and then do what it says. We also need to avoid anger as it takes us away from the righteous lifestyle that God calls His people to live. See also John 8:31-32, Matt. 5:21-26, 7:24-27)
Colossians 3:12–14 (NASB95) "12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” (God has blessed us greatly. He has been loving, patient and kind to us and has forgiven us of so much. We should respond to His love by loving Him and loving others in the same way that He has loved us. See also Matt 18:21-35, Eph. 4:22-5:21)
1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 (NASB95) "3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;” (God’s will is that we be holy (sanctified) as He is holy. To live this out, we must learn to be self-controlled with our thoughts, words and actions. See also 1 Peter 1:13-17, Heb. 12:14, 1 Thess. 4:7-8)
1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 (NASB95) “7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. 8 So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.” (Context: Paul said in the previous passage that God’s will is our sanctification, meaning that we become holy. And here he says that if we reject this sanctification, then we are rejecting God who gave us His Spirit to sanctify us. We cannot be a follower of Jesus if we reject His will for our lives. See also Titus 1:15-16, 2 John 8-9, 1 John 3:23-24, Acts 5:32, John 14:15-17)
Ephesians 5:11-12 (NASB95) "11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.” (As God’s people, we should have nothing to do with sin. We should hate what is evil and cling to what is good. We should see the sinful ways of this world as disgraceful and should no longer have any desire to be around them or to be entertained by them in the media we watch. See also Rom. 12:9, Heb. 1:8-19, Amos 5:14-15)
1 Corinthians 15:33-34 (NASB95) “33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 34 Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.” (It is important to realize that our lives and spiritual well-being can be corrupted by those around us. As believers, we need to surround ourselves with godly fellowship where the people who are closest to us lead us to be more like Christ. If you have people in your life who pull you away from Jesus, you may need to remove or distance yourself from those people because they will eventually corrupt you. See also 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1, Matt. 24:9-14, Heb. 10:23-25)
Romans 8:1-4 (NASB95) “1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (To those who live by faith in Christ, there is now no condemnation. Christ has set us free from slavery to sin and its penalty if we continue to believe in and follow Him. If we truly trust in Christ and are a part of His Kingdom, we should walk according to the Spirit, not according to the flesh. This is how we know we are in Christ and will have eternal life. See also Rom. 8:9-13, Gal. 5:13-25)
John 13:34-35 (NASB95) “34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (True followers of Jesus (disciples) are to love as He loved, which was perfect love that always did God’s will (John 15:10-14). If we show the love of Christ to each other, the whole world will see it and probably be much more likely to follow Jesus. See also Eph. 5:1-2, 1 John 3:10-11, 4:20-5:4)
John 15:12-14 (NASB95) “12 This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you.” (God is love (1 John 4:8). Love flows out of who He is. He desires the same for us. He wants us to become a people who are consumed by His Spirit to where the fruit of love flows out of us in every area of our life. The type of love God calls us to is more than a feeling. Love is a commitment to do good towards others according to God’s ways from a pure heart. The highest form of love is to give up your life for another as Jesus did for us. See also Eph. 5:1-2, John 13:34-35)
Titus 2:11–14 (NASB95) “11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, 13looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” (Grace is often misused in modern day Christianity as an excuse to continue on living in sin. But the Bible teaches that the reason God’s grace has appeared is to bring salvation to all men and to produce in us a zeal for doing good deeds and a denying of ungodly and worldly desires (repentance). See also 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1, Rom. 6:6-14, Eph. 2:8-10)
Romans 6:6-7 (NASB95) “6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.” (If you are in Christ by faith, you have been set free from sin! Our old self and our old slavery to sin are dead. We are now a new creation that is made alive in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). We can now live free from any willful sin in our life because Jesus has freed us from our slavery to sin! See also Rom. 6:8-23, 1 Cor. 10:13, 2 Peter 1:3)
2 Peter 1:3 (NASB95) "…seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” (God has given us everything we need to do everything He’s asked of us as we abide in Him and learn and apply His word. Please notice here that we have a responsibility in this: we need to grow in our knowledge of Him. This is how we learn the truth that sets us free from sin. See also John 8:31-36, Rom. 12:1-2, John 17:17, Col. 1:9-12)
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB95) "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (You can be free from and have victory over any willful sin because God is faithful and He has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him. Let this verse encourage you when you feel like your struggle with sin is too much to bear. See also 2 Peter 1:3, Heb. 13:20-21)
Matthew 6:33–34 (NASB95) "33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (This verse should shape how we think and live each day. We should set our focus on building God’s Kingdom and living a righteous lifestyle that is pleasing to our King every day. Context: “these things” are the basic necessities of life that God will provide for those who seek Him first. See also Matt. 6:19-24, John 6:26-29, Luke 9:23-26)
Philippians 4:4–8 (NASB95) "4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (God is a loving Father who desires what is good for us. He desires for us to have unshakeable joy and peace. For this to happen, we need to learn to pray at all times, give thanks in everything and dwell on what is good. See also 1 Thess. 5:16-18, Matt. 6:25-34, 1 Peter 5:6-8)
1 Peter 2:21-24 (NASB95) "21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (Jesus is our example to follow. He never sinned and never paid back evil for evil. We are to die to the old ways of sin and the world and instead learn to walk in love as He did and to live a righteous life that glorifies God. See also Rom. 12:14-21, Matt. 5:43-48)
