Even with so many Biblical references to faith, it still is sometimes hard to understand and exercise faith in our daily lives. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things ...
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Abide: Christ in You (Part 1)
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God’s Promises to Those Who Keep His Commands
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Topics
Character Qualities
Commands of Christ
Basic Life Principles
Attributes of God
Gentleness is demonstrated in our responses to others, especially those who are under our care. The gentleness that comes from true wisdom is the result of an understanding heart.
Enthusiasm in the soul is like a candle. It gives light, but it is self-consuming. On the other hand, enthusiasm generated in the spirit is like the flame of an oil lamp. As long as we are filled by the Spirit of God and the Word of God, enthusiasm, like an oil-filled lamp, will burn indefinitely.
Gratefulness is expressing sincere appreciation to God and to others for the ways that they have benefited my life. Gratefulness is the foundation of a believer’s walk with God and of God’s daily will for our lives. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (I Thessalonians 5:18).
Hospitality should be a natural response of those who practice the teachings of Jesus, because hospitality demonstrates the love and light of God. Love and light do not choose their recipients; they are available to all who need them.
Patience is welcoming trials and tribulations as friends and allowing them to perfect our character. The trials Job endured were terrible disasters. Yet his response reveals the purifying and perfecting that patience in trials can produce in a believer’s life.
God’s primary calling for every believer is to be a witness of His truth. Persuasiveness is communicating truth to a person’s spirit through sound reasoning and convincing him to follow the ways of God.
A powerful testimony to the worldwide recognition of the importance of diligence.
Availability is simplifying our daily needs so we are ready and able to serve those whom God brings to us. Jesus called His disciples to a life of availability. The whole concept of discipleship is rooted in being available for training and serving.
Every important relationship in life must be built on loyalty. Marriages must be based on this quality, or they will not survive. Leaders look for this quality as a primary qualification for those who serve.
A lack of forgiveness creates bitterness, and bitterness is like the disease of leprosy. Those who have leprosy lose any sensation of pain. Similarly, those who are bitter are often unaware of how they hurt people.
Contentment is realizing that God has already provided everything I need for my present and future happiness. When we expect from possessions or people what only God can give, we turn them into idols and become guilty of idolatry.
Justice is carrying out wise judgments based on the laws and character of God. Most people demand fairness. However, absolute fairness requires that all get the same things at the same time. This is impossible; thus, we must look to God, Who is completely just.
Tolerance is looking beyond the wrong ideas and behavior of people and seeing the needs and struggles in their lives. One who is tolerant is more concerned about showing love to people than convincing them of the error of their ways.
Determination presupposes careful consideration of the cost and requirements of a task and a decision that the task is worth whatever expenses are necessary to achieve it.
Sincere reverence for people grows out of a proper fear of the Lord, since He is the One Who created all men and established structures of authority.
It is vital to develop attentiveness, because many other character qualities are dependent on it. Without attentiveness, we will not even hear the commands of Scripture or the instructions of parents or authorities.
Boldness is the fearless and daring courage to carry out the work God calls us to do. When God commanded Joshua to “be of good courage,” he was being told to have boldness—boldness to face death in battle, to speak truth to his own heart and to the nation, and to do great exploits for God.
Wisdom is seeing the hand of God in every experience of life. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).
Compassion is a practical expression of genuine love, and all believers are commanded to have love toward each other and toward others. The larger our hearts, the more compassion we will have.
Alertness is exercising my physical and spiritual senses to recognize the dangers that could diminish the resources entrusted to me. Alertness is motivated by the realization that many actions have predictable results and that the laws of the harvest apply to all levels of life.