RIGHTEOUSNESS So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. —Galatians 3:6 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” —Galatians 3:11 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” —Galatians 3:13 “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10) and “there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:12). “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22) and “all are justified freely…

ENJOY LIFE, PREPARE FOR DEATH No one knows what is coming— who can tell someone else what will happen after them? —Ecclesiastes 10:14 However many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all. —Ecclesiastes 11:8 When death comes near to a friend, relative or even someone we do not know but hear of the situation— it is sorrowful. Before I was a follower of Jesus and did not have an understanding of the big questions of life— Why am I here? Where did I come from? Where am I going? What is death like? Is there really a heaven? Is there really a hell?— my grandfather, my mother’s dad,…

SIN Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins. —Ecclesiastes 7:20 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. –Ecclesiastes 8:11 …one sinner destroys much good. —Ecclesiastes 9:18 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. —II Corinthians 11:14-15 Sin… thousands of years ago it entered through Adam and Eve. All that is evil can be traced back to that…

THE LOVE OF MONEY Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. —Ecclesiastes 5:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. —I Timothy 6:10 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. —Matthew 6:24 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers…

KNOWN BY THE ONE THAT TRULY MATTERS! For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered; the days have already come when both have been forgotten. Like the fool, the wise too must die! —Ecclesiastes 2:16 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. —Ecclesiastes 3:11 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead… —I Corinthians 15:19 Do you remember your grand-parents? How about your great…

SURELY YOU KNOW! Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son? Surely you know! —Proverbs 30:4 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. —John 3:13 “Surely you know!” Don’t you? Who is the One who has gone up into heaven and came down? Do you know His Name? Who is the One that has gathered up the wind? Do you know His…

TRUST AND FEAR NOT! Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. —Proverbs 29:25 To fear man is to be held back from what the Lord wants to do in and through our lives. Just like a poor rabbit caught in a snare is going nowhere, but is stuck in the pain of the snare, so also we will be stagnant in the ache of our own fear. We need not fear anyone if we are truly trusting in the Lord. You say that you are truly trusting in the Lord, but why then are you fearing in this or…

BELIEVING OR BELIEVING IN VAIN As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. —II Corinthians 6:1-2 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what…

DRUGS/ALCOHOL: TOOLS OF SATAN’S DESTRUCTIVE SCHEMES Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind will imagine confusing things. You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not…

KEEP ETERNITY IN FOCUS Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. —II Corinthians 4:16-18 Life in this world surely can be difficult! But this should have us truly consider what is really important and focus on that. “Don’t lose heart.” Knowing God’s Word we should not be surprised that our outer…