“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”.” (Mark 10:45 ESV)

The greatest among you serve

“The greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matt. 23:11 ESV)

 Be a servant of all

“And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35 ESV)

It is more blessed to give than receive

“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35-36 ESV)

Therefore…

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” (Heb. 5:13 NIV)

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” (Heb. 6:10 NIV)

Quote:

“Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.” – Booker T. Washington

“Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.” (Prov.16:20 NIV)

Trust: assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something; to have confidence, faith. 

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jer. 17:7-8 NIV)

Therefore…

“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.” (Psalm 37:31 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.” (Prov. 3:5-6 NIV)

Quote:

“We must cease striving and trust God to provide what He thinks is best and in whatever time He chooses to make it available. But this kind of trusting doesn't come naturally. It's a spiritual crisis of the will in which we must choose to exercise faith.” – Charles Swindoll 

“O sing to the LORD a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.” (Psalm 98:1)

For God is great!

“For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.” (Psalm 86:10 NIV)

“Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders.” (Psalm 72:18)

Therefore…

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” (Psalm 119:18 ESV)

“O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.” (Isa. 25:1) 

“Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.” (1 Chron. 16:24)

Quote:

“I give infinite thanks to God, who has been pleased to make me the first observer of marvelous things.” - Galileo Galilei

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…” (Phil. 2:5 ESV)

Be transformed by the renewal of your mind

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom. 12:2 ESV)

Take every thought captive 

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ…” (2 Cor. 10:5 ESV)

Set your minds on things that are above

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Col. 3:2 ESV)

Therefore…

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 ESV)

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Prov. 4:23 ESV)

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Phil. 4:8 ESV)

Quote:

“The Mind can think only one thought at a time. If your mind is occupied by a meaningless thought, you block a meaningful thought from entering it.” - Unknown

“…we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ…” (Eph. 4:15)

Grow: to spring up and develop to maturity; to become larger, greater, or bigger; expand or gain. 

If you don’t grow you will become weak and dull 

“About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Heb. 5:11-14 ESV)

Grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18 ESV)

Go on to maturity

“Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.” (Heb. 6:1-2 ESV)

Therefore…

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:6 ESV)

“So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Col. 1:10 ESV)

Quote:

“Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain.” - Aiden Wilson Tozer

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding…” (Prov. 2:6 ESV)

Woulda, coulda, shoulda

I asked a man in his 90’s to tell me what the greatest thing he had learned over his long life. He simply said, “To soon old and to late smart!” Followed with, “I wish I had known back then what I know now; I would have done a whole lot of things differently!” He looked very sad. But, as often said, “hindsight is 20-20” and you cannot change the past. It’s far better to make wise decisions from the start. The Bible has a lot to say about doing just that. 

The treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in God

“In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col. 2:3 ESV)

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Rom. 11:33 ESV)

Ask God for it

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5 ESV)

Therefore…

“Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jer. 8:23-24 ESV)

Quote:

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.” - Charles Spurgeon

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Heb. 10:23 ESV)

Hope – “To trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future.” – Bible Dictionary

Put your hope in the living God

“That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.” (Tim 4:10 NIV) 

Hope will come through the encouragement of Scriptures

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Rom. 15:4 ESV)

We’re born again to a living hope

 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3 ESV)

“So that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:7 ESV)

God gives a future and a hope

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11 ESV)

Therefore….

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Rom. 12:12 ESV)

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lam. 3:24 ESV)

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Rom. 15:13 ESV)

Quote:

“The hope that God has provided for you is not merely a wish. Neither is it dependent on other people, possessions, or circumstances for its validity. Instead, biblical hope is an application of your faith that supplies a confident expectation in God's fulfillment of His promises. Coupled with faith and love, hope is part of the abiding characteristics in a believer's life.” - John C. Broger

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Rom. 15:13 ESV)

By believing you may have life in His Name

“But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31 ESV)

“And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31 ESV)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24 ESV) 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 ESV)

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…” (John 1:12 ESV)

Therefore…

“If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (John 19:9 NIV)

Quote:

“We should inquire once again as to what the life of faith is. It is one lived by believing God under any circumstance: "If he slay me," says Job, "yet would I trust in Him" (Job 13:15 Darby). That is faith.” - Watchman Nee

 “I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word.” (Isa. 66:2 NLT)

Humble: Not proud or haughty, not arrogant or assertive. 

Humility: The state of being humble. Both humility and humble have their origin in the Latin word humilis, meaning “low.” Humility is to be meek, modest, unassuming, unpretentious.

God gives grace to the humble

“But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6 ESV)

God restores and revives the humble of spirit

“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble of spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isa. 57:15)

Therefore…

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…” (Col. 3:12 ESV)

“The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.” (Prov. 15:33 ESV)

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11 ESV)

“A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.” (Prov. 29:23)

“The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” (Prov. 22:4 ESV)

Quote:

“Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility. - Saint Augustine