Don’t Give Up. Stay Encouraged!

Do You Love Me?

“After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.” ‭‭John‬ ‭21‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭33‬-‭35‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood— may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Godly may Trip Seven Times

“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭24‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭71‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.” ‭‭Micah‬ ‭7‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A Little Yeast Spread through the Whole Batch of Dough!

“Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭33‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough!” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Read Joshua 7 - Achan sin that cause Israelites to lose the war and his family to die.

Struggling with Sin

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭18‬-‭25‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Change Your Appetite

““Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink— even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬ “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭KJV‬‬ “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “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. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭19‬-‭25‬ ‭NLT‬‬