Author: Pastor Page

Common causes of anger

• Stress.
• Not feeling appreciated or treated fairly.
• Financial challenges.
• Work or relationship issues.
• Car accidents or bad traffic.
• Violence or abuse.

When is it Good

• There is a type of anger of which the Bible approves, often called “righteous indignation.”
• God is angry (Psalm 7:11; Mark 3:5),
• it is acceptable for believers to be angry (Ephesians 4:26).
• Two Greek words in the New Testament are translated as “anger.”
  • One means “passion, energy”
  • the other means “agitated, boiling.”
• Biblically, anger is God-given energy intended to help us solve problems.
• Examples of biblical anger include
  • David’s being upset over hearing Nathan the prophet sharing an injustice (2 Samuel 12)
  • Jesus’ anger over how some of the Jews had defiled worship at God’s temple in Jerusalem (John 2:13-18).
  • Notice that neither of these examples of anger involved self-defense, but a defense of others or of a principle.

When is it Bad

Anger can become sinful when

• It is motivated by pride (James 1:20),
• when it is unproductive and thus distorts God’s purposes (1 Corinthians 10:31), or when anger is allowed to linger (Ephesians 4:26-27).
• One obvious sign that anger has turned to sin is when, instead of attacking the problem at hand, we attack the wrongdoer.
• Ephesians 4:15-19 says we are to speak the truth in love and use our words to build others up not allow rotten or destructive words to pour from our lips.
• Unfortunately, this poisonous speech is a common characteristic of fallen man (Romans 3:13-14).
• Anger becomes sin when it is allowed to boil over without restraint, resulting in a scenario in which hurt is multiplied (Proverbs 29:11), leaving devastation in its wake.
• Anger also becomes sin when the angry one refuses to be pacified
  • holds a grudge, or keeps it all inside (Ephesians 4:26-27).
• This can cause depression and irritability over little things, which are often unrelated to the underlying problem.

How to Handle

Ephesians 4:26‭-‬27‭, ‬29‭-‬32 NIV  26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

We can handle anger biblically by

• recognizing and admitting our prideful anger and/or our wrong handling of anger as sin (Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9).
• This confession should be both to God and to those who have been hurt by our anger. We should not minimize the sin by excusing it or blame-shifting.

We can handle anger biblically by

• seeing God in the trial. This is especially important when people have done something to offend us. James 1:2-4, Romans 8:28-29, and Genesis 50:20 all point to the fact that God is sovereign over every circumstance and person that crosses our path. Nothing happens to us that He does not cause or allow.
• Though God does allow bad things to happen,
• He is always faithful to redeem them for the good of His people. God is a good God (Psalm 145:8, 9, 17).
• Reflecting on this truth until it moves from our heads to our hearts will alter how we react to those who hurt us.

We can handle anger biblically by

• making room for God’s wrath. This is especially important in cases of injustice, when “evil” men abuse “innocent” people. Genesis 50:19 and Romans 12:19 both tell us to not play God. God is righteous and just, and we can trust Him who knows all and sees all to act justly (Genesis 18:25).

We can handle anger biblically by

• returning good for evil (Genesis 50:21; Romans 12:21). This is key to converting our anger into love. As our actions flow from our hearts, so also our hearts can be altered by our actions (Matthew 5:43-48). That is, we can change our feelings toward another by changing how we choose to act toward that person.

We can handle anger biblically by

• communicating to solve the problem. There are four basic rules of communication shared in Ephesians 4:15, 25-32:

Many people think the first step in growing closer to God is reading the Bible or Prayer

Many people think they can create there own standard of Faith. 

• 2 Timothy 3:5 NIV having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

Key Thought:

1 John 1 We have seen and proclaim to you the Word of life. God is light. If we walk in the light, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

The Accreditation

Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body against recognized standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks

1 John 1:1‭-‬4 NIV  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.

The Message

1 John 1:5‭-‬10 NIV This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Through the Living Word

• Psalms 119:105‭-‬107 NIV  Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws. I have suffered much; preserve my life, Lord, according to your word.

• Hebrews 4:12‭-‬13 NIV For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

• 2 Corinthians 13:5 NIVExamine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

• 2 Timothy 2:15 NIV Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

We have a Wonderful Counselor

Who will lead you to Avenues of Hope vs Dire Consequences:

• Isaiah 9:6 NIV  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

• John 14:15‭-‬16 NIV “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—

People long for “Happiness”

The Pleasures of Life

We should be looking to fulfil our “Purpose”

The Meaning for Life

• 1 Timothy 6:6‭-‬7 NIV But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

God’s Plan for the Church (The Body)

4 Pillars

• Belonging
  • Part of the Body
  • Romans 12:4‭-‬5 NIV For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
  • 1 Corinthians 12:12 NIV Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.
• Purpose
  • Using our Gifts and Abilities
  • Romans 12:6‭-‬8 NIV  We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

• Transcendence
  • Allowing the Holy Sprit to be at work
  • Philippians 4:7 NIV  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

• Storytelling
  • Our Testimony to the world
  • 1 Peter 3:15 NIV But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

Made evident by the Fruit of the Spirit

• Galatians 5:22‭-‬23 NIV  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The Message

1 Peter 1:17‭-‬23 NIV

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.

23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Many people think the first step in growing closer to God is reading the Bible or Prayer

The Bible shows us David.  His separation was a matter of the heart.

We must be willing to allow God to change our hearts

• Jeremiah 17:9‭-‬10 NIV The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”
• Zechariah 7:12 NIV They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.

One or more signs of heart problems

• Living in fear
• Absence of joy
• Angry or resentful
• Always blaming others
• Selfish

Reflection: Looking at our pool this morning…

It’s not the water that is the issue,. It is the pollutants that need to be addressed.

The Message

Psalms 51:1‭-‬13 NIVHave mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassionblot out my transgressions.

Too often we are like the Pharisee

• Luke 18:11‭-‬13 NIV The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

The preparation

2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

• Leviticus 11:32 NIV When one of them dies and falls on something, that article, whatever its use, will be unclean, whether it is made of wood, cloth, hide or sackcloth. Put it in water; it will be unclean till evening, and then it will be clean.

The Acknowledgement

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

We need the heart of the Prodigal

• Luke 15:18‭, ‬20 NIV I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

His Purpose

6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

• Psalms 139:13‭-‬14‭, ‬16 NIV For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

The Cure

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

• Isaiah 1:18‭-‬19 NIV “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land;

• Psalms 32:7‭-‬8 NIVYou are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

The Results

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

• 2 Corinthians 5:17‭-‬18 NIV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

The Preventative Maintenance

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.

• Psalms 34:1‭-‬4 NIV I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

• Psalms 119:11‭, ‬14‭-‬16 NIV I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

The Standard

Romans 12:9‭-‬13 NIV Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Love in Action

Romans 12:14‭-‬21 NIV Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Love’s Response to Conflicts

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

• Philippians 2:5‭-‬8 NIV In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

reconcile • \REK-un-syle\ • verb. 1 a : to restore to friendship or harmony b : to settle or resolve (differences) 2 : to make consistent or congruous 3 : to cause to submit to or accept something unpleasant 4 : to check (a financial account) against another for accuracy.

James 4:1‭-‬3 NIVWhat causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?

2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.

3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

2 Corinthians 5:17‭-‬21 NIV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The flesh (5–7). By nature, we do not want to submit to others. The phrase “clothed with humility” reminds us of our Savior when He wore a towel and washed Peter’s feet (John 13:1–11). If we are submitted to the Lord, we will submit to His people. Humility leads to honor; pride leads to shame. The devil (8–14).

The devil is an adversary, not a friend; he is a roaring lion, not a playful pet. He wants to devour you, and you had better be on guard. Peter thought he was well able to defeat the enemy, so he did not heed the Lord’s warning (Luke 22:31–34).

• Luke 22:31‭-‬32 NIV “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

The results were failure and shame. You can resist Satan by faith if you are wearing the armor and trusting the Spirit (Eph. 6:10–20).

The Message

1 Peter 5:6‭-‬11 NIV 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

• James 4:6‭-‬7 NIV But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

• Matthew 11:28‭-‬30 NIV “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

• Matthew 6:25‭, ‬33‭-‬34 NIV “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

• James 1:2‭-‬4 NIV Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

10 And 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.

• 2 Corinthians 4:16‭-‬18 NIV Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

James 4:13-17

13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 

The plan:

(1) “go to this or that city,” 

(2) “spend a year there,” 

(3) “carry on business,” and 

(4) “make money.” The starting time is arranged (“today or tomorrow”); the city has been selected; but God has no place in the plans.

Note:

• Planning is a good thing
• Planning conveys wisdom
• Plans are subject to change
  • God uses detour in life to assure our best destination

Proverbs 3:5‭-‬7 NIV Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.  Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

” In the morning it covers the countryside; before noon it is gone. But some of James’s readers had been planning as if they were going to be here forever!

• Jeremiah 29:11 NIV For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

Note:

It opens us to being receptive to the detours in life

Luke 12:35‭-‬36 NIV “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning,  like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.

The fruit, or result, of righteousness is the outgrowth of righteousness in the heart. A truly righteous person will display certain actions and attitudes that confirm the nature of the heart: honesty, kindness, meekness, goodness, love, etc.

The wording of the NLT links the fruit to our salvation and the resulting Christian character: “the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ.” It’s Paul’s desire that the Philippian believers will show external evidence that they are truly righteous, that they will harvest what the Holy Spirit produces in them, that they will be “filled” with all that Christ’s righteousness yields.

The Message

Philippians 1:9‭-‬11 NIV 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

Note: First know that you ARE loved…

• Ephesians 3:16‭-‬19 NIV I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

• 1 Thessalonians 3:12 NIVMay the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

• 2 Corinthians 5:10 NIV For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
• Romans 14:10 NIV You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

The Bema Seat

• 1 Corinthians 3:12‭-‬15 NIV If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

It is evidence of salvation:

• Galatians 5:22‭-‬23 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

It is what we are called to do:

• Ephesians 2:10 NIV For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

It is what gives God glory:

• Matthew 5:16 NIV In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Runners (1–4). The people listed in chapter 11 are the “cloud” that witnesses to us,

• “God can be trusted!
• Put your faith in His Word and keep running the race!”
• When you read the Old Testament, your faith should grow, for the account shows what God did in and through people who dared to trust His promises (Rom. 15:4).
• When you read the Gospels, you see the greatest example of endurance in Jesus Christ.

• Romans 15:4 NIV For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

The Message

Hebrews 12:1‭-‬3 NIV 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverancethe race marked out for us,

• Ecclesiastes 9:11 NIV I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.

• James 1:12 NIVBlessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

• Galatians 5:7 NIV You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?

2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

• Philippians 3:12‭-‬14 NIV  Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

• Hebrews 10:23‭-‬25 NIV Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

• 2 Timothy 4:7‭-‬8 NIV I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.