01

 

Prayer

Matthew 6:5-6
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing.”

Ephesians 6:18 says, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
 

02

Bible Study

Deuteronomy 6:6-7
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

2 Timothy 2:15 says to, “Study to show thyself approved unto God.

2 Peter 1:10 says to give diligence to make your calling and election sure.
 

03

Meditation

Psalm 1:2
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Psalm 119:15 says, “I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

1 Timothy 4:15 says, “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them.”
 

04

Fasting

Matthew 6:16-18
16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

1 Corinthians 7:5 says, “Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer.”
 

05

God the Father

Matthew 22:37
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Luke 10:27 says, “And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”
 

06

Christ

Romans 13:14
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

 

07

Holy Spirit

John 4:24 
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Ephesians 4:30 says,  "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."

1 Thessalonians 5:19 says, "Quench not the Holy Spirit."
 

08

Sin

1 John 3:4
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

James 4:17 says, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."

Romans 14:23 says in part, "for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."
 

09

Law

Matthew 5:18
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Romans 2:13 says, "(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."

Ezekiel 20:11 says, " And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them."
 

10

Commandments

Leviticus 22:31 
Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.

1 John 5:2-3 says:
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Revelation 22:14 says, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
 

11

Character building

Romans 5:1-5
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Philippians 2:12-16 says:
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
 

12

Love

Psalm 31:23
O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

We have already read Matthew 22:37 which says to love God with all your heart, soul and mind. 

Matthew 22:39 says to love your neighbour as yourself.  Luke 6:35 says, "Love your enemies."
 

13

Faith

You all know my favorite verse here:

Mark 11:22b
...Have faith in God.  I have a whole sermon on this single verse showing that we are to have the same faith God has and at the same time having no doubt whatsoever.  This is our goal in our attainment and building of faith.

Romans 1:17 says in part, "The just shall live by faith."

1 Corinthians 2:5 says, "That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."
 

14

Hope

Psalm 31:24 
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

Psalm 71:14 says, "But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more."

Romans 12:12 says, “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer."

Titus 2:13 says “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."
 

15

Repentance    …we are being called to a lifelong process of repentance and being continually repentant.

Luke 13:3 
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Matthew 3:8 says, "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance."

Revelation 3:19 says, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."
 

16

Forgiveness

Matthew 6:14 
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

Luke 17:3-4 says:
3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
 

17

Tithing

2 Corinthians 9:6-8
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

Leviticus 27:30 says, "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S: it is holy unto the LORD."

Malachi 3:8-10 says:
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
 

18

Offerings

Deuteronomy 16:16-17
16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:
17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.

I want to give you a quote from our doctrinal statement on Tithing and Giving:

"Far more important than an individual member's wisdom regarding the manner in which he determines his increase is his attitude toward it. A truly converted Christian is full of the spirit of giving-and is not filled with greed, covetousness, selfishness or resentment for having to give to God's work. God looks on the heart, not in the pocketbook. It is where Christ's ministry must also look-on the heart. And indeed, this is what the Church stresses. The Pharisees tithed with punctilious (pŭngk-tĭl'ē-əs) exactness [meticulous or precise], but it took a widow with two mites to illustrate generosity of heart-she gave her all." 

Acts 20:35b says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."  The church has always preached, "One cannot out give God."

Luke 6:38 says, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."
 

19

Fruits of the Spirit

Philippians 1:11
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Note that concept in this verse of our invoking fruits of the Spirit before God and they being a glory unto Him.

Another favorite verse of mine, as you know, is 2 Corinthians 3:18 which says, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."  In my sermon on this single verse I showed that the phrase "glory to glory" described our continual invoking of the Holy Spirit in the form of Godly principles or Fruits of the Spirit.

Colossians 1:9-10 says:
9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
 

20

Righteous Judgment

John 7:24
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

1 Corinthians 2:15 says, "But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man."

Psalm 58:1 says, "Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?"
 

21

Wrong Judgment

Matthew 7:1-5
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

John 7:24 says, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

James 2:4 after giving an example of bad judgment says, "Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?"
 

22

Healing/sickness

James 5:14 
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

The first part of James 5:13 says, "Is any among you afflicted?  Let him pray."

Jeremiah 17:14 says, "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise."
 

23

False Doctrine/Teachers

1 Timothy 1:4-8
4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;

1 John 4:1 says, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

The latter part of Matthew 24:4 and verse 5 say: "Take heed that no man deceive you.  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."
 

24

False Brethren

Galatians 2:4 
And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

Acts 20:29-30 says:
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

Romans 16:17 says, "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."

Titus 3:10 says, "A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject."
 

25

Brethren

1 Peter 3:8 
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

Hebrews 10:25 says "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

3 John 1:5 says, "Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers."

1 John 3:16b says, "...we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."
 

26

Backsliding   …which can be repented of

Jeremiah 3:22 Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Hosea 6:1 says, "Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up."

Hosea 14:4 says, "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him."
 

27

Falling away …for which there is no repentance

Hebrews 6:4-6
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Remember the five foolish virgins of Matthew 25 where it says:
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

Revelation 20:15 says, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
 

28

Boldness

Ephesians 3:12
In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

Hebrews 13:6 says, "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."
 

29

Knowledge and Understanding

We just had a Bible study on the relationship between Knowledge, Understanding and Wisdom.  God gives us Knowledge.  He then gives us Understanding of that knowledge.  These give rise to Wisdom which we learn was action.

Proverbs 2:3 
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

The first part of Proverbs 15:14 says, "The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge."

Jeremiah 3:15 says, "And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding."  Notice how this verse does not mention Wisdom.  This comes in you from the knowledge and understanding by the power of the Holy Spirit in you.
 

30

Wisdom…action…works

Notice how the Wisdom comes from the Knowledge and Understanding.

Proverbs 2:6-7 
6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

Proverbs 4:7 says, "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding."

The Barnes Notes commentary says this, "Understanding directs to the ways, times, places, and opportunities of practicing the lessons of wisdom."

The American Heritage Dictionary defines wisdom as “a course of action.”

Proverbs 3:19a says, "The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth."  The commentary says that, “through Divine Wisdom the Divine will acts." ~Barnes Notes
 

31

Commitment

Psalm 37:5
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Luke 9:62, using the words of Jesus says, "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established."
 

32

Diligence

Proverbs 4:23 
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

2 Corinthians 8:7 has Paul saying to the Corinthian brethren, "Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also."
 

33

Fervency

Romans 12:11 says, in part, [be] "fervent in spirit, serving the Lord."
 

James 5:16 speaks to the fervent prayer of the righteous man being effective.
 

34

Perseverance

Ephesians 6:18 
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Matthew 24:13 says,

“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
 

Let me end with a prophecy about all these arrows you heard about today.

Micah 4:2
And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.