What would the world look like without work? Would our own lives have provision, purpose, or prosperity without meaningful work?

Without work the fabric of God’s good plan for his creation comes unraveled. We were created to do good work. Work gives us provision and purpose. Work is good.

The wisdom of the Proverbs teaches us many practical truths about work. One Proverb says, “Whoever is lazy regarding his work is also a brother to the master of destruction.” (Proverbs 18:9).

What is the fruit of your labor? Who directly benefits from your work? Does your labor benefit the people in need who are in your sphere of influence?

Our work produces fruit that benefits us directly. Our work benefits our family. Our work benefits the church. And our work should benefit the people around us who are in need.

The Apostle Paul wrote the church in Ephesus, encouraging them in the way they should live out their faith, saying, “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” (Ephesians 4:28, ESV).

What good work has God prepared for you?

We are all created by God as his handiwork, created and designed by God for good works.

The Apostle Paul wrote the church in Ephesus, saying, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10, ESV).

Work is good. Work is God’s plan and God’s design for each of us. When we do God’s good work, we live out our purpose and we live out God’s good plan for our lives.

What goes into discerning the right direction? How do you know what decision is best and which way God is leading?

We all need direction from God in our lives. We need wisdom beyond ourselves. We need to know how God is leading us and which way is the right way to go.

The Psalmist wrote, “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.” (Psalm 25:9, ESV).

When we seek God in humility, we are open to his leadership. It is then God leads us in what is right and teaches us his way.

Do you experience God’s Peace? Are you a person of peace?

Our God is a God of peace.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to be a people of peace.

In John’s gospel account, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27, NIV).

Jesus gives us his peace.

As followers of Jesus, we have been left with the peace of Jesus and we are to be people of peace in a troubled world.

How is your comfort level with trusting God? Do you experience difficulty when it comes to trusting in the stability of God?

We can trust God. And when we do trust God, there is a peace that comes over us and a release of our cares and our anxieties.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.” (Isaiah 26:3-4).

Keeping our minds on God and trusting him keeps us in perfect peace. Our God is reliable—“GOD is an everlasting rock.”

The ministry and work of encouragement that Barnabas did cannot be overestimated.

When the early church was skeptical of Saul’s conversion to Jesus, due to his early persecution of the church, Barnabas bore witness to the legitimacy of Paul, and he vouched for Paul’s transformation as a true follower of Jesus. Barnabas also gave testimony and spoke of Paul’s bold preaching in the name of Jesus.

The Book of Acts tells us when Paul had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples, and everyone was afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 9:26-27, ESV).

Where does rest come from? Are you rested? Do you need rest? Where can you find the rest you need when you need it?

We are created for rhythms of life, work, and rest. Each of us need and desire rest. God created rest. God is a God of rest. And God offers us the good gift of his rest. Rest is good.

The Psalmist writes, “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.” (Psalm 62:1, NIV).

God is the origin of rest and salvation. We can discover the rest we need and the rest we are looking for in God himself. When we seek God, we find God’s rest and salvation, which we desperately desire and need.

What role does encouragement play in leadership? What are the fruits of encouragement in God’s people?

Encouragement plays a key role in the leadership and fruitfulness of God’s people.

The Apostle Paul wrote to Titus about the character and qualities of the leaders of God’s people in his church.

Paul wrote that an elder, “Must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” (Titus 1:9, NIV).

How do you know who needs correction and who needs encouragement?

It has been said that the good news of Jesus Christ—the gospel, afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted.

The truth is, there is always room to grow and to improve—people need correction, and everyone needs and thrives on some loving and caring encouragement—people need encouragement.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church urging them to warn and to encourage fellow believers for the benefit and the good of the entire church community.

What are the most transformational and encouraging words we can speak to the people around us?

As followers of Jesus who live out our lives in light of another kingdom, we are called to communicate the word of God in every opportunity.

The Apostle Paul encouraged his disciple Timothy with these words, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:1-2, NIV).

Who is your neighbor? Do you know your neighbor well? What does you neighbor need? How do you love your neighbor well?

Jesus calls his followers to love their neighbor.

In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus said, “‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater...” (Mark 12:31, ESV).

While loving our neighbor is one of the greatest commandment, we cannot love our neighbor if we do not know our neighbor.

Who stands between you and God’s presence? What stands between you a right relationship with God? Who stands between you and heaven? Who is God’s gatekeeper?

A gatekeeper is someone who attends a gate or a passage and determines who goes through and who does not go through. A gatekeeper is someone who controls access.

Jesus spoke harshly to the Jewish religious leaders who saw themselves as the gatekeepers to heaven and to God. These men did not enter through the gate to heaven and to God themselves. And instead of showing the way to others as God’s ministers, they slammed the gateway closed in the face of God’s beloved children.

What does the Bible say about education? How important is education to a Bible believing follower of Jesus? Was Jesus educated? And what did Jesus have to say about education?

The scriptures have much to teach us about education and have much to say about education, teaching, and learning.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to be disciples—we are called to be learners.

The Proverbs promises us: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6, ESV).

What is mercy? Do you need mercy? What does the mercy of God look like in our lives?

It has been said that mercy is not getting what you do deserve and grace is getting what you do not deserve.

Our God is both merciful and gracious.

God extends his mercy towards us by not giving us what we do deserve. God extends his grace towards us by giving us what we do not deserve. God is merciful. God is gracious.

What is the best way to encourage someone? How can we give hope and encourage another person in the face of the worst life has to offer?

Nothing can encourage us unless it outweighs the worst of what we have gone through, are currently experiencing, or will experience in life, which has discouraged us, is discouraging us, or could possibly discourage us.

What do you do to deal with your troubles? How do you manage trouble? How do you engage, or disengage, the dangers of this life?

This world is filled with troubles and difficulties. This life is hard.

God gives us what we need to endure life’s troubles and the dangers of this life.