Encouragement
What is encouragement?
Encouragement
is essential for growth and survival in human life, it gives us strength,
drive, confidence, endurance and hope.
Who designed encouragement? Of course, God did.
Do we encourage or criticize others?
God says we are to encourage others.
In
this day and age, it’s important that we have an optimistic outlook on life
here on earth.
We
need encouragement from the Holy Spirit and each other, as Christian brothers
and sisters.
When
we receive encouragement, it builds us up and strengthens us.
We
must shine and glow for Jesus. When we do, It’s a great example to others.
As
Christians we need to receive and give encouragement to others, it’s part of
love.
How
blessed are we to have Jesus?
Encouragement
- Dictionary
the
act of making something more appealing or more likely to happen.
something
that makes someone more determined, hopeful, or confident. something that makes
someone more likely to do something.
Dictionary
- Precepts
a
command or principle intended especially as a general rule of action.
a
rule that says how people should behave.
1
Thessalonians 5;11
Therefore
encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are
doing.
Romans
15;4
For
whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that
through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might
have hope.
Romans
15;5
Now
may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of
the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus.
2
Corinthians 7;4
I
have great confidence in you; I take great pride on your behalf. I am filled
with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in the midst of all our
suffering.
Philippians
2;1-5
Christian
unity and Gods humility
1
Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by
love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, 2 complete my joy
and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and
having one purpose. 3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity,
each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more
important than yourself. 4 Each of you should be concerned not only about your
own interests, but about the interests of others as well. 5 You should have the
same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had.
Psalm
119;89-110
89
O
Lord, your instructions endure;
they
stand secure in heaven.
90
You
demonstrate your faithfulness to all generations.
You
established the earth and it stood firm.
91
Today
they stand firm by your decrees,
for
all things are your servants.
92
If
I had not found encouragement in your law,
I
would have died in my sorrow.
93
I
will never forget your precepts,
for
by them you have revived me.
94
I
belong to you. Deliver me!
For
I seek your precepts.
95
The
wicked prepare to kill me,
yet
I concentrate on your rules.
96
I
realize that everything has its limits,
but
your commands are beyond full comprehension.
97
O
how I love your law!
All
day long I meditate on it.
98
Your
commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
for
I am always aware of them.
99
I
have more insight than all my teachers,
for
I meditate on your rules.
100
I
am more discerning than those older than I,
for
I observe your precepts.
101
I
stay away from the evil path,
so
that I might keep your instructions.
102
I
do not turn aside from your regulations,
for
you teach me.
103
Your
words are sweeter
in
my mouth than honey!
104
Your
precepts give me discernment.
Therefore
I hate all deceitful actions.
105
Your
word is a lamp to walk by,
and
a light to illumine my path.
106
I
have vowed and solemnly sworn
to
keep your just regulations.
107
I
am suffering terribly.
O
Lord, revive me with your word!
108
O
Lord, please accept the freewill offerings of my praise!
Teach
me your regulations!
109
My
life is in continual danger,
but
I do not forget your law.
110
The
wicked lay a trap for me,
but
I do not wander from your precepts.
Joshua
1;9
I
repeat, “be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, for I, the Lord
your God, am with you in all you do.”
2
Samuel 19;7
So
get up now and go out and give some encouragement to your servants. For I swear
by the Lord that if you don’t go out there, not a single man will stay here
with you tonight! This disaster will be worse for you than any disaster that
has overtaken you from your youth right to the present time.
Psalms
119;92
If
I had not found encouragement in your law, I would have died in my sorrow.
Jeremiah
23;14
But
I see the prophets of Jerusalem doing something just as shocking. They are
unfaithful to me and continually prophesy lies. So they give encouragement to
people who are doing evil, with the result that they do not stop their
evildoing. I consider all of them as bad as the people of Sodom, and the
citizens of Jerusalem as bad as the people of Gomorrah.
Acts
9;31
Then
the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced peace and thus
was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of
the Holy Spirit, the church increased in numbers.
Acts
15;30-33
30
So when they were dismissed, they went down to Antioch, and after gathering the
entire group together, they delivered the letter. 31 When they read it aloud,
the people rejoiced at its encouragement. 32 Both Judas and Silas, who were
prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a long
speech. 33 After they had spent some time there, they were sent off in peace by
the brothers to those who had sent them.
Acts
20;2
After
he had gone through those regions and spoken many words of encouragement to the
believers there, he came to Greece.
Romans
15;4
For
everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so
that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have
hope.
1
Corinthians 14;3
But
the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement,
and consolation.
2
Corinthians 7;4-7
4
I have great confidence in you; I take great pride on your behalf. I am filled
with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in the midst of all our suffering.
5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our body had no rest at all, but we
were troubled in every way—struggles from the outside, fears from within. 6 But
God, who encourages the downhearted, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. 7
We were encouraged not only by his arrival, but also by the encouragement you
gave him, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your deep concern
for me, so that I rejoiced more than ever.
1
Timothy 1;18-19
18
I put this charge before you, Timothy my child, in keeping with the prophecies
once spoken about you, in order that with such encouragement you may fight the
good fight. 19 To do this you must hold firmly to faith and a good conscience,
which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck in regard to the faith.
Hebrews
6;18
so
that we who have found refuge in him may find strong encouragement to hold fast
to the hope set before us through two unchangeable things, since it is
impossible for God to lie.
Philemon
1;4-7
4
I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your
faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. 6 I pray that the
faith you share with us may deepen your understanding of every blessing that
belongs to you in Christ. 7 I have had great joy and encouragement because of your
love, for the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
1
thessalonians 5;11
Therefore
encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are
doing.
Colossians
2;2-20
You
Are Built Up in Christ
2 that
their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining
to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting
in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself,
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I
say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. 5 For
even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit,
rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.
6 Therefore
as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and
established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing
with gratitude.
8 See
to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception,
according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of
the world, rather than according to Christ. 9 For in Him all the fullness
of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete,
and He is the head over all rule and authority.
Colossians
4
Fellow Workers
1 Masters, grant to your slaves
justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.
2 Devote yourselves to prayer,
keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3 praying
at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the
word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also
been imprisoned; 4 that I may make it clear in the way I ought to
speak.
5 Conduct yourselves with
wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Let
your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that
you will know how you should respond to each person.
7 As to all my affairs,
Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow
bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. 8 For
I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our
circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts; 9 and with him
Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your number.
They will inform you about the whole situation here.
10 Aristarchus, my fellow
prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas’s cousin Mark
(about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); 11 and
also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for
the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an
encouragement to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave
of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in
his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of
God. 13 For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you
and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the
beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas. 15 Greet
the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her
house. 16 When this letter is read among you, have it also read in
the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is
coming from Laodicea. 17 Say to Archippus, “Take heed to the
ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”
18 I, Paul, write this greeting
with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.
Romans
15;13
May the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with
hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Joshua 1:9
"Don't ever be afraid
or discouraged! I am the LORD your God,
and I will be there to help you wherever you go."
Matthew 11:28
"Come to me, all you who
are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you
rest."
Proverbs 30;5
“Every word
of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”
Psalm 27;14
Wait for the LORD; be strong
and take heart and wait for the LORD.
1 Chronicles 29;11
O Lord, you are great,
mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky
and earth! You, Lord, have dominion and exalt yourself as the ruler of all.
2 Timothy 1;7
God did not give us a spirit
that makes us afraid but a spirit of power and love and
self-control.
2 Corinthians 4;17
For our light and momentary
troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
Proverbs 4;20-23
20 My child, pay
attention to my words; listen attentively to my sayings.
21 Do not let them
depart from your sight, guard them within your heart,
22 for they are life to
those who find them and healing to one’s entire body.
23 Guard your heart with
all vigilance for from it are the sources of life.
1 John 5;4
For whatever is born of God
overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the
world—our faith.
2 Corinthians 1;3-7
Praise to the God of All
Comfort
3 Praise be to the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of
all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so
that we can comfort those in any trouble with
the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we
share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through
Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and
salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which
produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we
suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as
you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
1 Corinthians 8;6
yet for
us there is but one God, the Father, from
whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by
whom are all things, and we exist
through Him.
Trust and security
Psalm 37:1-10
1
Do not fret because of those
who are evil
or be
envious of those who do wrong;
2
for like the grass they will
soon wither,
like
green plants they will soon die away.
3
Trust in the Lord and do
good;
dwell
in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4
Take delight in the Lord,
and
he will give you the desires of your heart.
5
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust
in him and he will do this:
6
He will make your righteous
reward shine like the dawn,
your
justice like the noonday sun.
7
Be still before the Lord
and
wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people
succeed in their ways,
when
they carry out their wicked schemes.
8
Refrain from anger and turn
from wrath;
do
not fret—it leads only to evil.
9
For those who are evil will
be destroyed,
but
those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
10
A little while, and the
wicked will be no more;
though you look
for them, they will not be found.
serving others, guided by Jesus
7/22/16