“I, John, your brother and fellow participant in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” Revelation 1:9 NASB

How NOT To Read Revelation

•           Don’t read to much of our modern world into it

•           Don’t get caught up in speculation

•           Don’t over analyze the imagery

How To Read Revelation

•           Read it with the title in mind

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place…” Revelation 1:1 NASB

•           Read the entire letter through the backdrop of the first eight verses

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— and He made us into a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:1-8 NASB

•           Read it like you would a play

-Different acts

-Different scenes

-Different characters

-ONE main character

•           Read it as if you were part of the original audience

-War, politics, wealth, and power

“…He made us into a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”  Revelation 1:6 NASB

•           Read it reverently

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8 NASB

              “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

“I am the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: for by Me all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created by Me and for Me. I am before all things, and by Me all things hold together. I am also the head of the body, the church; and I am the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that I myself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Me, and through Me to reconcile all things to Myself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of My cross.” Colossians 1:15-20 NASB (Emphasis mine)

Question: Who is God?

Answer: God is an eternal relationship between the Father and the Son, through the Holy Spirit.

Question: What is God like?

Answer: God is like the life we see revealed in Jesus Christ.

“No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him.” John 1:18 NASB

“…The one who has seen Me has seen the Father…” John 14:9 NASB

• God is Life

“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was revealed to us— what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.” 1 John 1:1-4 NASB

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind.” John 1:1-4 NASB

• God is Light

“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”  1 John 1:5 NASB 

“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 8:12 NASB

• God is Love

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God.  We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.” 1 John 4:16 NASB

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:16-17 NASB

“ Love (GOD) is patient and kind. Love (GOD) is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It (GOD) does not demand its own way. It (GOD) is not irritable, and it (GOD) keeps no record of being wronged.It  (GOD) does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love (GOD) never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance…love (GOD) will last forever!” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NLT 

How can I know if I am walking in the Life, Light, and Love of God?

• Am I walking with the right Jesus?

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now it is already in the world.” 1 John 4:2-3 NASB 

• Am I walking in the truth?

“We are from God. The one who knows God listens to us; the one who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” 1 John 4:6 NASB

• Am I walking in love?

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us. “ 1 John 4:11-12 NASB

“Dear friends, this is now the second letter I have written to you; in both letters, I want to stir up your sincere understanding by way of reminder, so that you recall the words previously spoken by the holy prophets and the command of our Lord and Savior given through your apostles.” 2 Peter 3:1-2 CSB

“ Therefore I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have. I think it is right, as long as I am in this bodily tent, to wake you up with a reminder, since I know that I will soon lay aside my tent, as our Lord Jesus Christ has indeed made clear to me. And I will also make every effort so that you are able to recall these things at any time after my departure.” 2 Peter 1:12-15 CSB

• Because of Jesus we have all WE NEED

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV

Therefore

• Take your discipleship serious.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.” 2 Peter 1:3-9 NIV

• Take scripture serious.

“For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”  We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:16-21 NIV

• Because of Jesus we have PROTECTION from evil and false teaching.

“So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.” 2 Peter 2:9 NLT

Therefore

• Stay focused on the truth

• Stay focused on the new

• Because of Jesus WE KNOW what our future holds.

 “But, according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness truly resides.” 2 Peter 3:13 NET

Therefore

• Keep growing in your faith

“…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18 NASB

1 Peter 1:1-9

The antidote to discouragement, defeat, and despair is HOPE

Hope is having confidence in Jesus’ FAITHFULNESS to HIS WORD

To daily live in hope I need to remember four truths

1. This world is NOT OUR HOME

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,” Vs. 1

 “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,” Philippians 3:20 NIV

2. We have been CHOSEN BY GOD

“who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.” Vs. 2

3. Nothing compares to what our ULTIMATE FUTURE has in store for us

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” Vs. 3-5

4. There is a purpose to OUR PROBLEMS

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” Vs. 6-9

• Authentic faith PERSEVERES and MATURES through trials and tests

“Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing…Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”  James 1:2-3,12 NASB

• Authentic faith PRODUCES acts of love

 “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” James 1:27 NASB

“For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” James 2:26 NASB

• Authentic faith produces SELF-CONTROL and WISDOM

• Controlling our speech

 “By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.” James 3:6 MSG

• Wisdom in our relationships

“Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:13-18 NASB

• Authentic faith produces PATIENCE

• Patience in enduring life’s difficulties

“Therefore be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” James 5:7-8 NASB

• Patience in prayer

 “Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.” James 5:13-18 NASB

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 NASB

• You FOLLOW whom you listen to

“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” Hebrews 1:1-4 NASB

Mile marker #1 Jesus is greater than the angels Hebrews 1:4-14)

Mile marker #2 Jesus is greater than Moses (Hebrews 3)

Mile marker #3 Jesus is greater than the sacrificial system (Hebrews 7, 10)

Mile marker #4 Jesus ushered in a greater covenant (Hebrews 8-9)

• You GO where you look

“Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3 NASB

• You BECOME like what or who you worship

“Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:15-16 NASB

“Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, that is, Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13 20-21 NASB

“Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker— also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people. Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord. So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask. And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers. Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” Philemon NIV

A Peacemaker Knows And Believes

• …that Jesus is the real peacemaker and reconciler

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ…” 2 Corinthians 5:18a

• …that Jesus has called His church to continue His ministry ofreconciliation and peacemaking

“…and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.” 2 Corinthians 5:18b-19 NIV 

• …that peacemaking trumps revenge and that mercy trumps judgement

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:36 NIV

• …that we are all Onesimus

“Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” John 8:34 NIV

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:12-16 NIV

• …that the gospel can change any person and any situation

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

To Be A Peacemaker I Need To

1. Be a friend (Vs 1-7)

2. Be a forgiver (Vs 8)

3. Be a future giver (Vs 11-15)

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people,instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, eager for good deeds.” Titus 2:11-14 NASB

• The grace and favor of God has a name: JESUS

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people..” Vs 11

              Yeshua = God’s salvation, God is salvation

“She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 NASB

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 NASB

• The grace and favor of God TRANSFORMS US

“…instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age,” Vs 12

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?’ Romans 6:1-2 NASB

• The grace and favor of God provides hope for THE FUTURE

“…looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,” Vs 13

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be.” John 14:1-3 NASB 

• The grace and favor of God leads us to do GOOD WORKS

“…who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, eager for good deeds.” Vs 14

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 NASB

“God doesn’t need your good works, but your neighbor does.” Martin Luther

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!” Psalm 84:11-12 ESV

“ For God has not given us a spirit of timidity (fear), but of power and love and discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NASB

• Resist the fear of death

“…God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher. For this reason I also suffer these things; but I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to protect what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” 2 Timothy 1:9-12 NASB 

• Resist the fear of persecution

“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory…Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. ” 2 Timothy 2:8-10, 2 Timothy 3:12 NASB

• Resist the fear of the last days

“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these…But evil people and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them,  and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.”  2 Timothy 3:1-5, 13-17 NASB

• Resist the fear of uncertainty

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing…The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8, 18 NASB

Six instructions to the Church from the Apostle Paul

• Fight the RIGHT fight

“Timothy, my son, I am giving you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies previously made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the good fight,” 1 Timothy 1:18 CSB

• PRAY for everyone

“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time. For this I was appointed a herald, an apostle (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), and a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.” 1 Timothy 2:1-8 CSB

• Stress HEALTHY Church leadership

“If anyone wants to provide leadership in the church, good! But there are preconditions: A leader must be well-thought-of, committed to his wife, cool and collected, accessible, and hospitable. He must know what he’s talking about, not be overfond of wine, not pushy but gentle, not thin-skinned, not money-hungry. He must handle his own affairs well, attentive to his own children and having their respect. For if someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God’s church? He must not be a new believer, lest the position go to his head and the Devil trip him up. Outsiders must think well of him, or else the Devil will figure out a way to lure him into his trap.” 1 Timothy 3:1-7 MSG

• WATCH your life & teaching closely

“Pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 1 Timothy 4:16 CSB

• Take care of the VULNERABLE in your church

“Likewise, good works are obvious, and those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden.” 1 Timothy 5:25 CSB

• Don’t LOVE money

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.” 1 Timothy 6:10-11 CSB