What the bible says about soul winning

The divine command to win souls
Matthew 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Mark 16:15
 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Matthew 10:7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Luke 14:23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
Matthew 24:14  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts 22:15 For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
James 5:19-20 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
Jude 1:23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh
Ezekiel 3:18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.

When we receive souls, we're receiving Jesus
John 13:20 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.
Matthew 18:5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
Matthew 25:40
And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

Soul winning compared to agriculture
Matthew 9:35-38 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
John 4:34-38 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”
Luke 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
Luke 8:15 But the [seed] that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.
Ecclesiastes 11:4-6 He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.  As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good.
Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Psalm 126:6 He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
John 15:7-8 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

Soul winning compared to shining light
Daniel 12:3 Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.
Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Isaiah 58:10 If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
Isaiah 60:1-2 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.

What is Biblical Perfection?

If you read the context in which Jesus said to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect, you will find that He was talking about loving your enemies. (Matthew 5:43-48). If you read Luke's account, you find Jesus saying to be merciful as our Father in heaven is merciful (Luke 6:36). The Pharisees tried to be perfect in that they even tithed their mint, anise, and cummin. Yet Jesus called them hypocrites, for they "neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith" Matthew 23:23.

As we can see, perfection isn't something we do, it's about having God's character of love and mercy in our hearts. It doesn't matter how talented and smart you are, if you don't have love, everything you do will be pointless (1 Corinthians 13:2). "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:5. Yet this fruit of the Holy Spirit isn't something we can conjure up on our own, we can only have it as long as we abide in Christ. Jesus says: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Character perfection isn't a destination, it's a growth process. When a plant grows, you can't tell that it's growing by looking at it, but over time you can eventually see the changes (Mark 4:27-28). As we grow in Christ (The Vine), God the Father prunes us so we may bear more fruit (John 15:2). God cuts away the thorns of sin from our hearts so that the seed of His word can grow (Matthew 13:22).

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14. "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18

When we behold the glory of God's character, we will say like Isaiah: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 6:5. Our prayers will be like that of the publican who said, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" Luke 18:13. This doesn't mean living in fear of being judged, for "perfect love casts away fear" 1 John 4:18.

This growth process of perfection never ends, we will never claim to have arrived. We will keep going forward from perfection to perfection "The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day" Proverbs 4:18

Notice what Paul says here: "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14

When we understand that we can only find perfection in Christ, we won't compare ourselves with others (2 Corinthians 10:12). We won't be so quick to judge others because we will see that we also fall short in the same things that others do (Romans 2:1-2). Rather than pointing out the speck in another's eyes, we will ask God to help us with the log in our eyes (Matthew 7:5, 2 Corinthians 13:5). Instead of putting others down, we will seek to restore them. "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted." Galatians 6:1.

Biblical perfection is about being united in Christ with fellow believers (John 17:20-23). Love is the bond of perfection (Colossians 3:14). "If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us." 1 John 4:12

Also see: Quotes on Christian Growth

Bible verses for when you feel angry

Jonah 4:4 Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

Psalm 37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.

Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.

Psalm 4:4-5 Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.

James 1:19-20 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

James 3:18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Hebrews 12:14-15 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled

Psalms 34:13-14 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

Proverbs 24:29 (GNT) Don't say, "I'll do to them just what they did to me! I'll get even with them!"

Proverbs 20:22 (CEV) Don't try to get even. Trust the LORD, and he will help you.

Romans 12:17-21 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore  “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord

Ephesians 4:29-32  Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Proverbs 19:11 The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.

Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.

Proverbs 17:9
He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.

1 John 2:10-11 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 John 3:15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

1 John 4:20
If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

Matthew 5:21-24
You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Mathew 18:15 Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.

Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

James 4:11-12 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?

Colossians 3:8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

Colossians 3:12-13 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 17:27 He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.

Proverbs 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

Proverbs 14:29
He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, But he who is impulsive exalts folly.

Ecclesiastes 7:9
Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools.

Proverbs 29:11 A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back.

Proverbs 12:16 (BSB) A fool’s anger is known at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

Proverbs 15:18
A wrathful man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger allays contention.

Proverbs 14:16-17 A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident. A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated.

Proverbs 29:22 An angry man stirs up strife, And a furious man abounds in transgression.

Proverbs 10:18
 Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool.

Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 24:17-18 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.

1 Peter 2:1-2 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby

Isaiah 6:5-7 So I said:  “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said:  “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”

Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

1 Peter 3:8-9 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

Isaiah 30:15a  For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:  “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”

Mark 4:39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

Other helpful verses:

Let the Lord the rebuke Satan (the real enemy) for you

Zechariah 3:2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”
Jude 1:9 

Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

Remember Satan is a defeated foe
Revelation 12:10
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

Helpful music playlists on Youtube
Finding Peace In The Storm
For the broken heart
Storms of life (bluegrass)
Life's trials (bluegrass)
Forgiveness, Repentance, and Salvation (bluegrass gospel)
Sharing God's love with others (bluegrass gospel)

Edit: These links are broken at the moment... come back soon
Also see Proverbs on interactions with others

Also see Swift to hear, slow to speak

Also see The sin of condemning others and evil surmising
Also see Mind, Character, and Personality, Vol 2, Chapter 56 "Anger"

The Gift of God's Love

Some of us may have grown up in church, but if we don't know God and His love for ourselves, it's only natural that we will try to do things or avoid things in order to earn approval of others. This comes from falling for the lie that says that our worth is based on what we do or don't do. The truth is, our worth comes from God who says:  "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine". Isaiah 43:1

When we know that God has already loves us, then instead of seeking to be loved by others, our focus will be on sharing His love with others. Notice what God's word says: "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4:10-11.

Love is a gift from God and in order to share His love, we must first have it in our hearts. "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:5.

What does God's love look like? "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. God loved us even when we didn't love Him back. That's the kind of love God wants to pour into our hearts and that's the kind of love we are to have toward others.

Not everyone understands that God loves them, is interested in their salvation, and that He is the only one who can save them. Some people leave church and give up on believing in God because others have been cold and apathetic towards them. They don't know we're all like "cups" that need to be constantly filled with the love that only comes from God. It's only the love of God that can expel sin and selfishness from the human heart.

God is able to draw souls to Himself and fill them with so much love that they realize that those who were cold toward them simply need more of His love. God can make them like the Good Samaritan, sharing God's love with everyone around them, even towards who don't like them.

Relevant song: More Love by Trinity Bluegrass Band

Loving others more than they love you

The following quotes are from the book What do you think of me? Why do I care?

Jesus loved people more than he wanted to be loved by people. Jesus needed to love people more than he needed love from them. For you, this means that true freedom in your relationships comes when the scales are always a little unbalanced: You want the weight to be more on the “love” side than the “be loved” side. (p. 114).

The one who loves more is the one with the power. Does it still hurt to be left out, judged, or ignored? Absolutely. It hurts, but it doesn’t control you. It doesn’t eat away at the core of your being. (pp. 114-115).

Jesus Christ chose a shameful death on the cross so you wouldn’t have to. He came to be the servant who followed the path of sacrificial love. If this is how the King served you, then you can serve others with his power. (pp. 115-116).

There is only one way you could want to love others more than they love you: realizing that you have been loved more than you could ever love in return. (p. 116).

What you really need is to be with something so big that you can think less often about yourself. If you identify yourself as a Christian, you are beginning to understand that. In other words, the problem is that people are too big, you and your desires are even bigger, and God is too small. The problem at its very root is answered in being connected to Jesus. (p. 120).

The best way to live—the way you will be most happy—is to make life more about God and other people than it is about you. (p. 121).

When God says that we should do everything for his glory (1 Corinthians 10:31), he is saying that our lives are intended to make him famous, not ourselves. If you read the first chapter of Ephesians you will read, over and over, that we are intended to live “to the praise of his glory.” This means that you will actually enjoy giving glory to God. You were created to do such things. (p. 122).

Other people are family. If they are human beings they have met the basic qualification, and we are called by God to love them like family. Think of a family time when you had no self-consciousness. Or think about a time with a good friend where you briefly forgot about yourself. What was it like? ...Here is the challenge. It goes back to loving others more than needing them. There is something about love that crowds out our painful self-consciousness. You can’t have one in your heart when the other is there. Consider the needs of others more than you consider your own, and guaranteed, the fear of other people will no longer suffocate you. (p. 131-132).

Make a list of the different people you meet every day. Think about how you can include them as family. What will you actually do? How will you greet them? What will you talk to them about? What kinds of questions will you ask them? And how will you pray? (p. 132)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:3-4). ... In other words, live as though it's everyone else's birthday (p. 134).

All eyes on Jesus. That is the way of change. Follow him and you learn that the way up is down... Once we learn to walk humbly before the Lord, we find that the skill actually transfers to our relationships with other people. It is the way humans are intended to live. Who am I? Someone who has been given preferential treatment by the King himself. When you know that, it becomes a small thing to put others before yourself... If your hero—your Lord and your God—made himself lower than other people, then it is your honor and privilege to do the same thing. (p. 135).

Who is Jesus? My Lord. I belong to him. He bought me at a great price. Who am I? I owe people. As I have been shown love that I could never repay, I owe love to others. Who are others? Brothers and sisters. (p. 143)

Then, as Jesus gets bigger in your eyes, the opinions of other people simply become the opinions of other people and not the piercing gaze of giants. Your questions change from, “How can I protect myself, fit in, and look good?” to, “How can I wisely love another person?” (p. 145)

How to overcome the fear of man

The following are quotes from the book, What do you think of me? Why do I care?

When you fear something it controls you. To fear God means to be controlled by him. When we want to grow in the fear of the Lord, it begins with God teaching us that he is holy... Holy means that God is not like you or anyone you know. (p. 64)

It is a basic principle: the more you are controlled by God, the less you are controlled by other people. The more you love God, the less you will love the acceptance or recognition of others. The only way you can love him more is to know him. If you really knew him, you would love him. (p. 69).

When you have been brought into the throne room to spend time with the King and have become known to him by name, the negative opinions of others don’t carry as much weight. It’s not that you are indifferent toward others and what they think. It is that their opinions can’t emotionally derail you, turn you hopelessly inward, and keep you from caring about other people. When you hear that someone you really like also really likes you, the nasty things that a few people think are not going to ruin your day. (p. 77).

One important step in avoiding the worship of other people is to grow in knowing God’s holiness. When you know that God is holy, you can no longer be indifferent or distant from him. He breaks into your everyday life, which is the only way you can be liberated from the craving to fit in and stand out. (p. 82).

When you have been to the court of the King and lived to tell about it, the court of human opinion is less frightening. (p. 82).

We may acknowledge that we do wrong things sometimes, but it is tougher to acknowledge that our wrong was very personal and against God. It doesn't feel like it is personal, but it is. Now add to this picture. The One who invites you back is also the King. What you did was treason. (p. 84)

When you say that Jesus is your King, you are saying that your fate rests in his hands. In this case, you acknowledge to the Father that, indeed, you do deserve the same punishment meted out to all treasonous people, but your allegiances are now with Jesus. You trust in him. That’s how something that happened two thousand years ago is relevant to you right now. When you trust him, you stand with him. The punishment that was intended for you was received by him. (p. 87).

When you worship—when your attention is on the One who is bigger than yourself, and his love connects you to himself—the cares of life are not so controlling. True worship puts everything in perspective. It makes some of your fears about people’s opinions seem trivial. (p. 97).

Worship is about choosing sides and publicly stating our allegiances. God has determined that, when he ushers in his kingdom in all its brilliance, our allegiances will be all that matter. (p. 97).

Next: Loving others more than they love you

Why we worry about what others think

The following is a summary of the first two sections of the book What do you think of me? Why do I care? The sections are called "The Problem" and "The Heart of the Matter".

The fear of the opinions of others is problem we all have to some degree and it comes from wanting to be accepted. While there's nothing inherently wrong with wanting to be accepted, but it turns into a problem when we let that desire control our lives. When wanting the approval of others becomes something you need in order to live, it controls your life. We become like cups, constantly seeking to be refilled by other cups. Sometimes we build walls out of fear of rejection, but that only hurts us more with feelings of emptiness. Whatever we fear will control us and God never intended for us to live in fear of other people's opinions.

Consider these three questions:  Who is God? Who am I? and Who are you (other people)? How we live and react to things in life will reveal how we are really answering them. God's word will show us if we're really answering them right. If we're going to use the bible as our guide, we need to keep in mind that the bible is God's communication to us. When we really believe this, we'll read it more. Then we'll learn all about who God is, who we are, and who others are. We will learn how our creator God intended us to live.

When you're controlled by your desires, doing whatever you want, life becomes about your desires and looking to others to satisfy them. As it says in Jeremiah 17, you're putting your trust in man instead of God. Perhaps you fear others knowing that you're a Christian, that's because you want to feel accepted by those who aren't. Even if, like Peter, you've denied Jesus, He doesn't reject you, He still accepts you. The bible says, "if we are faithless, he remains faithful" 2 Timothy 2:13. As you stick to the bible, you'll see how much need it for direction in life.

Do you trust in God? Sometimes we may trust in God with some things and not with others things. Like ancient Israel, we end up forming mixed allegiances by turning to idols. Whatever trust and depend on in the place of God becomes an idol that we worship. The opinions of others can easily become an idol we turn to, hoping it will give us what we want. To worship anything other than God is false worship. True worship is when you trust in Jesus rather than your reputation, and you follow him in love and obedience, even when it hurts.

In James 4, we learn that underneath our quarrels are our desires. Whenever we live for our desires, we are friends with the world and enemies of God. When you realize that your allegiances are more mixed than you realized, split between the worship of God and the worship of your desires, then seeking God's forgiveness becomes important all the time. When God is relevant all the time, it becomes more natural to be thankful to him.

There is no reason to run away when your divided worship is exposed. Instead, run toward the One who delights in forgiving you. The only way you can change the focus of your worship is to find something even better to focus on. That is your task. For the rest of your life your goal is to be surprised by God to the point that you respond like Moses: you worship (Exodus 34:5-8).

If you ever slip into false worship, God provides a way back to Him, it's like a map. It begins with turning back (repentance), getting to know God (through His word), and becoming like Jesus by loving others as He has loved you. The path you are taking now will guide you to God’s kingdom, a place where you are able to love people more than need love from them. Who is God? He is better than you think.  Who are other people? They are people who you can enjoy, serve, and love.... Who are you? You are somebody who is intended to look like Jesus and live for him rather than yourself.

Next: How to overcome the fear of man