8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Stop doing wrong, 17 learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. 18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
3 This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.
27 He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it.
22 Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.
1 A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.
16 This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
“I don’t know about you, but if I’m picking what is good for my life, then it’s probably going to feel good, look good, taste good, smell good, and be visibly good to anyone who sees it. But the truth is, even some of the things that have looked ‘bad’ from the outside have turned out to be good for me. Because, while the currency of God’s goodness looks different from my own, it is infinitely more valuable. Hard things make us dig deep within ourselves to find strength we didn’t know we had. Loss teaches us to appreciate blessings that surround us. And while I don’t want to minimize the depth of any pain and the years it can take to overcome the brokenness we experience in this life, there is good to be found, even in the hard and even through the bad. As we embrace a curious faith, we exchange the currency of our control for the wealth of God’s possibility.” Logan Wolfram
“Chosen one of God, may you find it easy to follow your King. May you find your life when you are willing to lose it for the sake of the Kingdom. May our Lord lift you up to a place higher than you could ever dream. May your choice to follow Christ echo throughout all generations that follow you, and may you receive rewards on earth and in heaven for your commitment to live for our mighty Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.” Sheri Rose Shepherd
“Our inabilities make room for His abilities. We are to be empowered by God Himself. We cannot overcome evil with good unless we are filled with the goodness of God. In fact, we cannot even love sincerely, forgive fully or do any of the things consistently which Scripture calls us to do unless we are enabled by the Spirit of God. It’s the only way. But it is a way freely given. The Christian life is to be marked by a constant goodness in his or her relationships.” Chris Tiegreen
“Former Navy SEAL Michael Janke defines self-control as ‘the ability of the individual to adhere to actions, thoughts, and behaviors that result in personal improvement instead of instant gratification.’ He suggests that our ability to be self-managed casts a long shadow on our children and grandchildren. When we being to use self-discipline to control our emotional highs and lows, our appearance, our work ethic, and our commitment to physical exercise, we are providing an example and leaving a legacy for those who follow us....When we detect an area in our lives needing mastery, the Lord’s grace is sufficient to bring it under self-control as we walk in the Spirit and commit ourselves to obedience. Peter tells us to make every effort to add to our faith goodness, knowledge, and self-control (2 Peter 1:5-6).” Robert J. Morgan
“A man’s outward conduct is generally a little better than his heart. Very few men sell better goods than they put in the window. Therefore, do not misunderstand me. When I say we must attend more to the inward than the outward, I would not have you leave the outward to itself. ‘Make clean the outside of the cup and platter’—make it as clean as you can, but take care also that the inward is made clean. Look to that first. Ask yourself such questions as these—‘Have I been born again? Am I passed from darkness to light? Have I been brought out of the realms of Satan into the kingdom of God’s dear Son? Do I live by private communion near to the side of Jesus? Can I say that my heart panteth after the Lord, even as the hart does after the water-brooks?’” Charles H. Spurgeon