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. ● 1Pet 2:1-3 . .Lay aside all deceit (a.k.a. guile, cunning, and duplicity) The Greek word for "deceit" is dolos (dol'-os) which basically refers to a decoy, which Webster's defines as someone or something used to lure or lead another into a trap. Decoys can also be used as diversions, e.g...

. ● Rom 12:16b . . Don't be elitist, but willing to associate with people below you. I'd have to say that those instructions apply only in church where it's understood by Spirit-led Christians that no one in attendance is somehow better than another. (cf. Jas 2:1-4) Church managers should be...

. I started this thread because many of the Catholics I encounter online are quick to mount a defense of Peter's supremacy while failing to pay suitable attention to his knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Consequently, their forum behavior is too often militant and unpleasant Peter's...

. According to the apostle Peter, God does not practice favoritism. ● 1Pet 1:17 . . The Father, who judges each man's work impartially, If Peter knew what he was talking about when he wrote that verse, then Catholics are not God's special pets, no; they are in just as much, if not more...

. ● Rom 12:16a . . Live in harmony with each other. It isn't necessary to be in 100% agreement with others on everything in order to comply with that command. But it is necessary to practice courtesy, tolerance, patience, and diplomacy, i.e. make every effort to avoid feuding, one-upmanship...

. I was baptized an infant into the Roman Catholic Church in 1944. When old enough, my mom put me into Catechism where, in time. I managed to complete First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Our church attendance on Sunday was fairly regular. We didn't always make it, but most of the time did...

. ● Rom 12:15 . .When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow. A number of factors play a role in the making of an insensitive clod; one of which is defective areas of the brain called amygdalae. In brief, the amygdalae control, to a large extent, our emotions...

. ● Rom 12:14 . . Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. The koiné Greek word for "persecute" is dioko (dee-o'-ko) which means to pursue; i.e. to hound. In other words; a persecuting personality is one whose mission in life is to ruin somebody's day at every opportunity; and...

. ● Rom 12:13b . . Practice hospitality. Webster's defines hospitable as: (1) given to generous and cordial reception of guests, (2) promising or suggesting generous and cordial welcome, (3) offering a pleasant or sustaining environment. In other words; a hospitable person is civil, courteous...

. ● Rom 12:13a . . Share with God's people who are in need. The Jews are God's people in accordance with an unconditional covenant that He made with Abraham. (Gen 17:7-8) NOTE: Nazi Germany was very nearly 99% Christian. Had they all complied with Rom 12:13a, the effects of the Holocaust...

. ● Rom 12:10b . . Honor others over yourselves. Christians infected with narcissistic personality disorder will find that rule difficult, if not impossible, to obey. It's a mental condition characterized by a grandiose sense of self-importance, a need for excessive admiration, exploitive...

. ● Rom 12:10a . . Love each other with genuine affection Real affection is easy to imitate, but not so easy to duplicate. Going through the motions is just not the same as feeling the feelings. _

. FAQ: So there's an afterlife. What am I supposed to do about it? A: Initiate a rapport with heaven. This is done via mediator. ● 1Tim 2:5-6 . . For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men Simply find a private...

. ● Rom 12:9a . . Don't just pretend that you love others. Webster's defines "pretense" as fiction, make-believe, and/or simulation. Ironically, pretense is foundational to ordinary civility and common courtesy. But when it comes to love; Christians should never put on a front. In other words...

. ● Rom 12:8d . . If you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. That would probably correspond to incidents like the one depicted in the parable of the man attacked by road agents in Luke 10:30-36. In that instance, a passerby had the skills and the wherewithal to provide...

. At least three Greek words are translated "love" in the New Testament. There's agape (ag-ah'-pay) which is love as a noun. There's agapao (ag-ap-ah'-o) which is love as an expression. And there's phileo (fil-eh'-o) which is love as an emotion. Just about everybody practices agapao in one...

. ● Rom 12:8b . . If you have money, share it generously. Generously is quite the opposite of sparingly. Jesus once compared a widow's contributions to those of the wealthy. The small amount she gave counted more than the larger amounts contributed by the wealthy because her donation pretty...

. ● Rom 12:8a . . If your gift is to encourage others, then do so. You know who really benefits from encouragement in a big way? Little kids. Thoughtless grown-ups can break a growing child's fragile spirit by criticizing them all the time and never once giving them an "attaboy" or a single...

. ● Luke 16:27-28 . .The rich man answered: "I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment." ● Luke 16:29 . .But Abraham said: "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them" ●...

. ● Rom 12:7a . . If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. "serving well" implies serving conscientiously and whole-heartedly rather than half-baked, grudging, and/or hit and miss. One of my brothers has been a construction foreman for decades and one of his perpetual...