1. Therefore, rid yourselves of every kind of evil and deception, hypocrisy, jealousy, and every kind of slander.

2. Like newborn babies, thirst for the pure milk of the word so that by it you may grow in your salvation.

3. Surely you have tasted that the Lord is good!

4. As you come to him, the living stone who was rejected by people but was chosen and precious in God's sight,

5. you, too, as living stones, are building yourselves up into a spiritual house and a holy priesthood, so that you may offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6. This is why it says in Scripture: "Look! I am laying a chosen and precious cornerstone in Zion. The one who believes in him will never be ashamed."

7. Therefore he is precious to you who believe, but to those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,

8. a stone they stumble over and a rock they trip on." They keep on stumbling because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

Matthew 7:24-28

24. "Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on a rock.

25. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not collapse because its foundation was on the rock.

26. "Everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn't obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

27. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and battered that house, and it collapsed, and its collapse was devastating."

28. When Jesus had finished saying all these things, the crowds were utterly amazed at his teaching,

The words of Jesus:

Matthew 22:36-40

36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

37Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[a] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

The teachings of Jesus were simple. Sometimes it takes a theologian to really mess things up.

Sometimes we are guilty of focusing on Commandment number 562, but were not focused on the first and second commandment to love God and love our neighbor. Sometimes we are like the Pharisees, who focus on the wrong thing. Jesus criticized the Pharisees because they were worried about things that did not matter. Like washing their hands before they ate. (it is not what goes into a man that the defiles him but what comes out of a man.)

Jesus' model prayer: Our father who art in heaven...

Serenity prayer:

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

enjoying one moment at a time;

accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

taking, as He did, this sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it;

trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to His Will;

that I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with Him

forever in the next.

Amen.

There is only one God (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6, 8; John 17:3; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6; Galatians 4:8-9).

God is three in one or a Trinity (Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; John 14:16-17; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Acts 2:32-33, John 10:30,17:11, 21; 1 Peter 1:2).

God is omniscient or "knows all things" (Acts 15:18; 1 John 3:20).

God is omnipotent or "all powerful" (Psalm 115:3; Revelation 19:6).

God is omnipresent or "present everywhere" (Jeremiah 23:23, 24; Psalm 139).

God is sovereign (Zechariah 9:14; 1 Timothy 6:15-16).

God is holy (1 Peter 1:15).

God is just or "righteous" (Psalm 19:9, 116:5, 145:17; Jeremiah 12:1).

God is love (1 John 4:8).

God is true (Romans 3:4; John 14:6).

God is spirit (John 4:24).

God is the creator of everything that exists (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 44:24).

God is infinite and eternal. He has always been God (Psalm 90:2; Genesis 21:33; Acts 17:24).

The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 2:11-12; 2 Corinthians 13:14).

Jesus Christ is God (John 1:1, 14, 10:30-33, 20:28; Colossians 2:9; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 1:8).

Jesus became a man (Philippians 2:1-11).

Jesus is fully God and fully man (Colossians 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus was sinless (1 Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:15).

Jesus is the only way to God the Father (John 14:6; Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22).

Man was created by God in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27).

All people have sinned (Romans 3:23, 5:12).

Death came into the world through Adam's sin (Romans 5:12-15).

Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2).

Jesus died for the sins of each and every person in the world (1 John 2:2; 2 Corinthians 5:14; 1 Peter 2:24).

Jesus' death was a substitutionary sacrifice. He died and paid the price for our sins, so that we might live. (1 Peter 2:24; Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45).

Jesus resurrected from the dead in physical form (John 2:19-21).

Salvation is a free gift of God (Romans 4:5, 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 John 1:8-10).

The Bible is the "inspired" or "God-breathed," Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21).

Those who reject Jesus Christ, after they die, will go to hell forever (Revelation 20:11-15, 21:8).

Those who accept Jesus Christ, after they die, will live for eternity with Him (John 11:25, 26; 2 Corinthians 5:6).

Hell is a place of punishment (Matthew 25:41, 46; Revelation 19:20).

Hell is eternal (Matthew 25:46).

Jesus will return and there will be a resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17).

There will be a final judgment (Hebrews 9:27; 2 Peter 3:7).

Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10).