Pleasing God
—Things we must do
Once you become a Christian, you have a duty to God as much as he has a duty to you. God will bless you in every way, but you must respond by doing what pleases him.
Colossians 1:10 and 1 John 3:22
¶“10Walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10, NKJV).
¶“22And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22, NKJV).
What should we do to be pleasing to God?
P is for Prayer
¶“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that people should always keep praying and not give up” (Luke 18:1).
¶“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).
L is for Learning
¶“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29).
¶“...being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).
E is for Evangelism
¶“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15).
¶“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).
A is for Attendance
¶“Do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25).
¶“And they continued with devotion to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, the breaking of bread, and the prayers” (Acts 2:42).
S is for Suffering
¶“If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name” (1 Peter 4:16).
¶“[Paul and Barnabas] were strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).
I is for Industry
¶“Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need” (Ephesians 4:28).
¶“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).
N is for Neighbourliness
¶“Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this —to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).
¶“But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he [the victim of robbers] lay, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to his aid, bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him.” (Luke 10:33-34).
G is for Godliness
¶“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires” (Romans 6:12).
¶“But know that the LORD has set apart for himself the one who is godly” (Psalm 4:3).