Bible verses to build your life on

Jesus said: "… whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…" ~ Matthew 7:24

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Street-sermon verses

Study introduction: This is a short collective look at Jesus’ gospel message. God gave me it on our way up to evangelize at the Super Bowl, and I had the wonderful opportunity to preach it twice there to passing crowds. You can see 3 clips of it on our YouTube site: https://www.youtube.com/user/work4Jesus. I pray that this study encourages and challenges you, and helps you double-check to see where you honestly are with God. If you have any questions, as always, feel free to email me or call me anytime. Let’s keep growing in hunger for God’s Word, and embracing His truth – not trying to change the truth, but letting the truth of God change us! ~ a servant/life-slave of Jesus, SH ~ (Feb. 2010)

Examine yourself

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless indeed you are disqualified.”

(2^nd Corinthians 13:5)

Appointed to die

“It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”

(Hebrews 9:27)

1 way

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”

(John 14:6)

2 paths

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

(Matthew 7:13-14)

“Then one said to Him, ‘Lord, are there few who are saved?’ And He said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.’”

(Luke 13:23-24)

Count the Cost

“And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough money to finish building it -- lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”

(Luke 14:27-33)

“When He had called the people to [Himself], with His disciples also, He said to them, 'Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and rebellious generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

(Mark 8:34-38)

“Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, ‘Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’ Then He said to another, ‘Follow Me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father [and get my inheritance].’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the [spiritually] dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.’ And another also said, ‘Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

(Luke 9:57-62)

“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to Hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched-- where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched-- where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire-- where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'”

(Mark 9:42-48)

Study notes: Jesus described Hell as a place of weeping, gnashing of teeth, fearful darkness, and flames that burn forever and ever from which there is no relief – He talked about and described Hell 33 times. Hell is a real place. Just ask some of those who have died and come back, or ask ER nurses – they can confirm to you it’s true. Jesus talked about Hell more than He talked about Heaven, and He emphasized many times to do whatever necessary to make sure we do not go to Hell. This should drive home the reality of life and eternity to both unbelievers and followers of Christ. For unbelievers, this note alone should bring them to their knees in humble repentance, and cause them to surrender their lives to Christ to obey and serve Him. For believers, this reality should drive us in passionate love and compassion for those who are spiritually lost to compel them and reason with the lost to turn from their sin to Jesus Christ, surrendering control of every inch, and growing daily in learning what it means to genuinely obey, serve, and follow Him – denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Him. ~

Choose your Master

“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [lit. money, possession].”

(Luke 16:13)

Study notes: Every day, Jesus is allowing us to be put in situations that test us and make us choose one or the other – Him or the world’s treasures and pleasures. At the end of our life, we will not be able to say that He was unfair in His decisions, and He will be found to be just and righteous! How much better it is to examine our life’s track now, and get ready now, so that we won’t be ashamed at His coming and will have fewer things to cry about at His Throne. ~

Love God

“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment.’”

(Matthew 22:37)

Study notes: The hypocritical religious leaders of Jesus’ day did not like Jesus because they didn’t like Him exposing their hypocrisy, so they very often tried to test Him to see if they could trip Him up in His Words. But, who were they kidding? This was God in human flesh! Still, they tried. But, when Jesus so well reminded them of the most basic of truths and messages that they got from Moses, they were silenced – God proved their hypocritical following of the law did not save, but genuine heart-felt obedience did and does. And their scoffing was silenced. Let us let Jesus’ words silence our scoffing and remind us of this core and very rich truth. ~

“Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: “Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This is the first commandment. And the second, like it is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ So the scribe said to Him, ‘Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’ Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ But after that, no one dared question [and test] Him.”

(Mark 12:28-34)

Do Not Love the World

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

(1^st John 2:15-17)

“[Spiritual] Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

(James 4:4)

Study notes: Here in America, we have many who think that going to church once a week is doing something great for God, and yet they ignore Him most of the week, except when they want something out of Him. They mistreat Him, as though He is their genie, and they pretend He is their friend. But, such hypocritical love is easy to see through by us humans, and much more by Him, our Creator and Judge. God rejects hypocrisy, but accepts genuine praise, obedience, and sacrifices. We all struggle with hypocrisy daily. If we are genuine followers of Christ, there will be clear, measured growth away from our rebellious and self-centered ways to embracing His desires and His ways. Let’s keep asking God to grow us in that direction! ~

“Seek good and not evil, that you may live; so the LORD God of hosts will be with you, as you have spoken. Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate… I hate, I despise your feast days, and I do not savor your sacred assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.”

(Amos 5:14-15, 21-24)

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

(Matthew 6:33)

Study conclusion: I pray that these verses have encouraged and inspired you to grow even more in genuinely pleasing Christ, and in challenging and teaching others to do the same! Let’s keep growing closer to Him, embracing His truth, and letting the truth of God, in His Word, change us, daily. ~ a servant/life-slave of Jesus, SH