1 Corinthians 13:1-3, 1 John 4:7-11, Luke 6:31
1. The most important thing in life is love, love, love, love, love. 
2. We can learn about love by knowing God. And also knowing that God loved us so much that He loved us despite whether or not we loved Him back and sacrificed His Son for us.
3. According to Jesus, we show love by doing to others what we’d like done to us.
Proverbs 21:21
21 He who pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity [a] and honor.
Isaiah 33:15-16
15 He who walks righteously
and speaks what is right,
who rejects gain from extortion
and keeps his hand from accepting bribes,
who stops his ears against plots of murder
and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil-
16 this is the man who will dwell on the heights,
whose refuge will be the mountain fortress.
His bread will be supplied,
and water will not fail him.
Jeremiah 9:23-24
23 This is what the LORD says:
“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
24 but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the LORD.
—
1. I think I am learning more and more about God’s character and I do admire it. And that is the thing that I can boast about–that I “understand and know” Him, that I know the Lord, “who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth (Jeremiah 9:23-24).”
2. Truth and love needs to be together to shun out pride and selfishness. I don’t want my motivations to have truth/righteousness and love to be false or misleading or wrong because then that’s just manipulative and I think it’s being a hypocrite, especially because God doesn’t see what’s on the outside, but He looks at the heart.
3. If I only go after truth/righteousness without love, first I think I’d be unpopular for a bad reason which I don’t think brings glory to God, and also I may be a hypocrite. So I want both truth/righteousness AND love!
2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
1. God’s advice to lazy or “idle” people is to settle down and work to earn their own living; stop leeching off of other people.
2. Consequences of laziness include: guilt; more laziness (a pattern-it may become harder to break out of the longer one stays in such a pattern); unproductivity- while others move up, someone who is lazy stays where they are in life and just gets older; and more.
Proverbs 1:5,
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance-
Proverbs 15:5,
5 A fool spurns his father’s discipline,
but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.
Proverbs 15:10,
10 Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path;
he who hates correction will die.
Proverbs 15:31-33,
31 He who listens to a life-giving rebuke
will be at home among the wise.
32 He who ignores discipline despises himself,
but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.
33 The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, [a]
and humility comes before honor.
Proverbs 25:12, 12 Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.
Proverbs 27:5
5 Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
—
1.The benefits of admonition/correction/advice is that those who listen will become wiser, will be home among the wise, will live, will grow in understanding, and is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry.
2. To those who do not want to receive good correction/advice, they rae called foolish, will harm themselves, and will die eventually.
Psalm 50:16-17,
16 But to the wicked, God says:
“What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant on your lips?
17 You hate my instruction
and cast my words behind you.
Job 5:17,
17 “Blessed is the man whom God corrects;
so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
Proverbs 6:23,
23 For these commands are a lamp,
this teaching is a light,
and the corrections of discipline
are the way to life,
Proverbs 10:17,
17 He who heeds discipline shows the way to life,
but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.
Proverbs 12:1,
1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but he who hates correction is stupid.
Proverbs 13:18,
18 He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame,
but whoever heeds correction is honored.
Proverbs 9:9
9 Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still;
teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.
—-
1. The benefit of admonition and advice to the wise and righteous is that they will be even wiser and learn even more, and we will be honored.
2. The consequence of ignoring or underestimating the value of admonition and advice is that we might go astray and can end in poverty and disgrace.
3. To those who do not want to be corrected, God calls them “wicked,” for they “refuse (God’s) discipline and treat (His) words like trash (Psalm 50:16-17).” Also refer to answer above (#2)
2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
Warning Against Idleness
6In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching[a] you received from us. 7For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. 10For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”
11We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. 13And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.
14If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. 15Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
—
1. God’s advice to lazy people is that they should work; “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat (2 Thes 3:10b).” It is for them to get up and not just accept food from others without paying.
2. The consequences of laziness is unproductivity, sometimes falling into sin because sometimes lack of self-control and thinking through things (including consequences that come with certain actions), accompany idleness. I want to make a new commitment to break free from laziness today!
Psalm 104:33-34,
33 I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.
Psalm 119:97-100
m Mem
97 Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.
98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
for they are ever with me.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.
100 I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.
—
1. To fill his mind, David sang praise to the Lord and meditated on things that would be pleasing to God. He meditated on God’s law and statutes and thus God gave him more insights. He also got more understanding than the elders, because he obeyed God’s precepts.
2. To guard my mind so that I do not have to walk alone, I need to meditate on God’s law and statutes and always praise theLord.
3. Blessings stored for those who meditate on God’s Word are understanding, wisdom, insight, and from what I gather from David here, I’d say joy and peace as well.
Romans 12:3,
3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
Psalm 119:15, 23, 27, 48, 78, 148; 143:5
15 I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
23 Though rulers sit together and slander me,
your servant will meditate on your decrees.
27 Let me understand the teaching of your precepts;
then I will meditate on your wonders.
48 I lift up my hands to [a] your commands, which I love,
and I meditate on your decrees.
78 May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;
but I will meditate on your precepts.
148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,
that I may meditate on your promises.
5 I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
—
1. Things that are dominating my thoughts today are some good, some the devil’s tricks too, though.
2. According to the verses I read today, to train in thought I need to study God’s commandments and seek to understand the meaning of them, honor and love them, as well as meditate on God’s wonderful deeds.
James 1:2-4,
Trials and Temptations
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:12,
12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
1 Peter 1:6-7
6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
—
Through the verses above, I learn that some blessings that could be obtained through suffering is that it will develop perseverance which will make us mature and complate, not lacking in anything. Also, after we’ve stood the test with perseverance, James 1:12 says that we’ll receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. Also, through suffering, our faith is refined by fire. We prove that it’s genuine and it may result in praise, glory and honor when Christ Jesus is revealed.
2. The kind of attitude I should have when facing suffering is one of perseverance, determinatino and a positive attitude that focuses on the Lord.
3. My faith and spiritual life can mature through suffering because I learn to depend on God more and act by faith and not by sight. For example, if sometimes maybe we don’t understand why we should do something, but we know that God’s Word has principles which guide us to do it, we do it not because the answer is obvious in the end, but because we just love the Lord and have faith that He is faithful, and at the end, God is always faithful. He cannot deny Himself.
Hebrews 5:12-14
12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
James 1:2-4
Trials and Temptations
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
—
1. According to Hebrews 5:12-14, when faced with a problem, immature people act not in righteousness. They have not trained themselves yet to distinguish good from evil. They have not trained and disciplined themselves in learning and knowledge of God’s Word, and thus, can get confused and are not yet strong and thus not yet able to teach others. Immature people have not been acquainted with learning and constantly practicing God’s Word, and thus are not very intimate with it and have not been able to make it a regular normality to understand and practice it (have a Bible-based lifestyle)…however, they can learn and be better!
2. According to James 1:2-4, if handled correctly, the result of sufferings and problems I face are that the testing of my faith will develop perseverance, which will finish its work so that I may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
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