“Things Jesus Teaches His Children”
Some people admit that they would live for God if they only knew what to do. Sometimes a list to follow is helpful until we understand the principles. Jesus taught a number of things to His early followers which if followed would become a lifestyle, not just a bunch of rules. Today you’ll find a few things Jesus taught and as one of his children, wants us to adopt and make them a daily discipline. Doing so will make us more and more like Him.
- Repent of your sins and believe the gospel - Mark 1:15
- Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength – Mark 12:30
- Love your neighbor as yourself – Mark 12:31
- Be compassionate and merciful, just as God is – Luke 6:36
- Help the less fortunate – Luke 14:13, Matthew 25:31-46
- Forgive those who wrong you, even your enemies – Matthew 6:14-15; Ephesians 4:32
- Do not worry about material things, but seek God’s kingdom first – Matthew 6:25-34
- Serve others humbly and sacrificially – John 13:12-17; Philippians 2:3-4
- Share with others what Jesus has done in your life – Matthew 28:16-20
- Deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Him daily – Luke 9:23
These ten things are paraphrases from scripture which I hope you’ll take the time to look up. When we commit our life to Christ, He teaches us how to love God and when practiced, that helps us to love others. The Lord gave us two Great Commandments – “Love Him with all our heart”” and “Love others as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:30; and Luke 10:27).
These two commandments are the cornerstone of Christian ethics. They represent a complete balance of devotion to God (upward focus) and service (outward focus). When we get the first one right, everything else in life begins to fall into place.
Pastor Carnes
