Children like olive branches (3/4)

Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will… Psalm 37:5-6

Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Psalm 37:5-6	Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday. trust righteousness life
Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. Micah 7:18	Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of your possession? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in showing clemency. sin mercy forgiveness

But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. Malachi 4:2	But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. joy righteousness healing
Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart. Proverbs 18:8	The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body. gossip speaking
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13	Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. faith strength courage
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15	For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” fear Spirit children
The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety. Proverbs 18:11	The wealth of the rich is their strong city; in their imagination it is like a high wall. money materialism
Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as enduring as the grave. Love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame. Song of songs 8:6	Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. love heart death
I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear? Isaiah 51:12	I, I am he who comforts you; why then are you afraid of a mere mortal who must die, a human being who fades like grass? comforter fear encouragement
Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment. 1 Peter 2:2	Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation. salvation food Word of God
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. Proverbs 17:22	A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones. healing heart sickness
Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Matthew 7:24	Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. Word of God wisdom listening
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31	But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. hope encouragement strength
You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver. Psalm 66:10	For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. temptation suffering purification
The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless. Proverbs 10:20	The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the mind of the wicked is of little worth. valuable righteousness speaking
The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these. Mark 12:31	The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. law love neighbor
One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” Luke 3:21-22	Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” baptism prayer Spirit
Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. James 1:9-10	Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up, and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field. pride humility money
Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:17-18	You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. love gentleness anger
Don’t be like your ancestors who would not listen or pay attention when the earlier prophets said to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Turn from your evil ways, and stop all your evil practices.’ Zechariah 1:4	Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.” But they did not hear or heed me, says the Lord. conversion evil listening
So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Ephesians 5:15-16	Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. wisdom life mind
Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9-10	Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. prayer Father humility
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21	Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. body sin sexuality
For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44	You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. devil desires truth
So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. 1 Thessalonians 5:6	So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. safety self-control

On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting.

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.