PSALM 15:1-5
(A psalm by David)
Who May Worship the LORD?

Who may stay in God's temple or live on the holy mountain of the LORD?  Only those who obey God and do as they should.  They speak the truth 3and don't spread gossip; they treat others fairly and don't say cruel things.  They hate worthless people, but show respect for all who worship the LORD.  And they keep their promises, no matter what the cost.  They lend their money without charging interest, and they don't take bribes to hurt the innocent.  Those who do these things will always stand firm.

MICAH 6:6-8
True Obedience

What offering should I bring when I bow down to worship the LORD God Most High?  Should I try to please him by sacrificing calves a year old?  Will thousands of sheep or rivers of olive oil make God satisfied with me?  Should I sacrifice to the LORD my first-born child as payment for my terrible sins?  The LORD God has told us what is right and what he demands: "See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God."

MATTHEW 5:14-16

You are like light for the whole world.  A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, and no one would light a lamp and put it under a clay pot.  A lamp is placed on a lamp stand, where it can give light to everyone in the house.  Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.

LUKE 9:21-27

Jesus strictly warned his disciples not to tell anyone about this.  Jesus told his disciples, "The nation's leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make the Son of Man suffer terribly.  They will reject him and kill him, but three days later he will rise to life."
Then Jesus said to all the people:
If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself.  You must take up your cross each day and follow me.  If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will save it.  What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself or waste your life?  If you are ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in his glory and in the glory of his Father and the holy angels.  You can be sure that some of the people standing here will not die before they see God's kingdom.

ROMANS 13:8-14
Love

Let love be your only debt!  If you love others, you have done all that the Law demands.  In the Law there are many commands, such as, "Be faithful in marriage.  Do not murder.  Do not steal.  Do not want what belongs to others."
But all of these are summed up in the command that says, "Love others as much as you love yourself."
No one who loves others will harm them.  So love is all that the Law demands.

The Day When Christ Returns

You know what sort of times we live in, and so you should live properly.  It is time to wake up.  You know that the day when we will be saved is nearer now than when we first put our faith in the Lord.  Night is almost over, and day will soon appear.  We must stop behaving as people do in the dark and be ready to live in the light.  So behave properly, as people do in the day.  Don't go to wild parties or get drunk or be vulgar or indecent. Don't quarrel or be jealous.  Let the Lord Jesus Christ be as near to you as the clothes you wear.  Then you won't try to satisfy your selfish desires.

2 PETER 1:3-9
Living as the Lord's Followers

We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God.  It was all given to us by God's own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness.  God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us.  Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.

Do your best to improve your faith.  You can do this by adding goodness, understanding, self-control, patience, devotion to God, concern for others, and love.  If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful.  But if you don't grow, you are like someone who is nearsighted or blind, and you have forgotten that your past sins are forgiven.

1 JOHN 4:7-21

My dear friends, we must love each other. Love comes from God, and when we love each other, it shows that we have been given new life.  We are now God's children, and we know him.  God is love, and anyone who doesn't love others has never known him.  God showed his love for us when he sent his only Son into the world to give us life.  Real love isn't our love for God, but his love for us.  God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven.  Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we must love each other.

No one has ever seen God.  But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is truly in our hearts.

God has given us his Spirit.  That is how we know that we are one with him, just as he is one with us.  God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  We saw his Son and are now telling others about him.  God stays one with everyone who openly says that Jesus is the Son of God.  That's how we stay one with God and are sure that God loves us.

God is love.  If we keep on loving others, we will stay one in our hearts with God, and he will stay one with us.  If we truly love others and live as Christ did in this world, we won't be worried about the day of judgment.  A real love for others will chase those worries away.  The thought of being punished is what makes us afraid.  It shows that we have not really learned to love. 

We love because God loved us first.  But if we say we love God and don't love each other, we are liars.  We cannot see God.  So how can we love God, if we don't love the people we can see?  The commandment that God has given us is: "Love God and love each other!"