What are we living for? In the last lesson, I gave the idea of what our world and its’ leaders tell us is okay and the norm. What is truth? What is our actual purpose of being here? How do we do that? How do we become aware of the ideals of this culture and face them?

John 14:6-7 “Jesus answered,’I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.  From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’”

I Corinthians 6:9-11 “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And that is what some of you were.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Some instructions: Colossians 4:2-6 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.  And pray for us,too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim it clearly, as I should.  Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

Isaiah 50:9-11 “It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me.  Who is he that will condemn me?  They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up.  Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant?  Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.  But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand; You will lie down in torment.”

Very detailed Proverb on how we are to live and why? What are we to live for and how so?

1 My son, do not forget my teaching,
       but keep my commands in your heart,

 2 for they will prolong your life many years
       and bring you prosperity.

 3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
       bind them around your neck,
       write them on the tablet of your heart.

 4 Then you will win favor and a good name
       in the sight of God and man.

 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
       and lean not on your own understanding;

 6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
       and he will make your paths straight. [a]

 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
       fear the LORD and shun evil.

 8 This will bring health to your body
       and nourishment to your bones.

 9 Honor the LORD with your wealth,
       with the firstfruits of all your crops;

 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
       and your vats will brim over with new wine.

 11 My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline
       and do not resent his rebuke,

 12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
       as a father [b] the son he delights in.

 13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
       the man who gains understanding,

 14 for she is more profitable than silver
       and yields better returns than gold.

 15 She is more precious than rubies;
       nothing you desire can compare with her.

 16 Long life is in her right hand;
       in her left hand are riches and honor.

 17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
       and all her paths are peace.

 18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
       those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

 19 By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations,
       by understanding he set the heavens in place;

 20 by his knowledge the deeps were divided,
       and the clouds let drop the dew.

 21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,
       do not let them out of your sight;

 22 they will be life for you,
       an ornament to grace your neck.

 23 Then you will go on your way in safety,
       and your foot will not stumble;

 24 when you lie down, you will not be afraid;
       when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

 25 Have no fear of sudden disaster
       or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

 26 for the LORD will be your confidence
       and will keep your foot from being snared.

 27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
       when it is in your power to act.

 28 Do not say to your neighbor,
       “Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow”—
       when you now have it with you.

 29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
       who lives trustfully near you.

 30 Do not accuse a man for no reason—
       when he has done you no harm.

 31 Do not envy a violent man
       or choose any of his ways,

 32 for the LORD detests a perverse man
       but takes the upright into his confidence.

 33 The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
       but he blesses the home of the righteous.

 34 He mocks proud mockers
       but gives grace to the humble.

 35 The wise inherit honor,
       but fools he holds up to shame.

2 Timothy 3:10-17 10You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Why? How will we succeed?   Nehemiah 4:20 “Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there.  Our God will fight for us!’”  AMEN!

Philippians 3:7-11 

 7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Warning against the laziness the world embraces: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-14 

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.

Hebrews 3:13 “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”  Hebrews 10:24 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”

James 3:13-18 

13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

 17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

Message for the pride that the world makes us numb to: James 4:10 ”Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

The world tells us not to respect women, your wedding ring doesn’t count on business trips, divorce is normal, ect.. God-breathed scripture: 1 Peter 3:1-7 

Wives and Husbands

 1Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, 6like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

 7Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

1 Peter 5:8-11 8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

 10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 John 4:17 “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” ( yet we still care so much about possessions…)

*Funny how all the scripture is exactly opposite of what we have grown accustomed to and familiar with in the world today. I just wanted to let you hear and see it in God’s own words. What we are living for, why we live, how to live, what is right, what is wrong, what the truth is, what the lies of the world are, ect… Scripture has not lost its power. Tomorrow, I will give specific ways that we as believers in Christ can take the steps in today’s world to overcome the cultural crisis and live of to the name Christian that we were given. The battle will be tough. The world is easy. But hopefully the ideas, prayers, and programs will encourage you to start fighting for the truth on what we are to live for. Let’s see the world through His eyes.

*original Brandon Heath video keeps getting removed, this will do