Revelation 1:12-20 - John sees a vision in which there are seven golden lampstands, and among them is someone like a son of man, wearing a robe and a golden sash. His hair is white like wool and his eyes are a blazing fire, his feet are like bronze and his voice is like rushing waters. In his right hand he holds seven stars, and from his mouth comes a sharp, double-edged sword. His face is shining like the sun. John falls down at his feet, but he tells him not to be afraid, for he is the first and the last, the one who was dead and is now alive again. The mystery of this vision is that the seven lampstands represent seven churches, and the seven stars represent the seven angels of the those churches.

John 14:12-26 - In the days leading up to the end of Jesus’ life on earth, he speaks with his disciples, giving them instructions and comforting them. He tells them that they will go on to do even greater works than the ones he’s done, that they can ask the Father for anything in his name, and that they are to keep his commands out of love. He also promises to send them an Advocate to help them and be with them forever, the Holy Spirit. He is not truly leaving them, but will continue to be with them through the Spirit, who will teach them all things and will remind them of the things that Jesus had taught them.

John 12:1-8 - Six days before Passover, Jesus visited his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in their home for dinner. While Martha served the food and Lazarus was relaxing at the table with Jesus, Mary took her very expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus’ feet, wiping them with her hair, and the whole house smelled like perfume. Judas spoke up and asked why the expensive perfume wasn’t sold and the money given to the poor instead. But Jesus told Judas to leave her alone because she had anointed him in preparation for his death and burial. He said that while they would always have the poor among them, they would not always have him.

Luke 19:1-10 - When Jesus passed through Jericho, there was a wealthy tax collector named Zacchaeus who wanted to see him, but he couldn’t see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed up a tree in the direction that Jesus was going. When Jesus reached the spot where Zacchaeus was, he looked up and called him to come down because he wanted to visit him in his house. The people who saw this muttered that Jesus was going to be the guest of a sinner. Then Zacchaeus spoke up and promised that he would give half of what he owned to the poor and that if he ever cheated anyone, he would give them back four times the amount. Then Jesus called Zacchaeus a Son of Abraham.

Luke 10:1-18 - Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples, who he sent out in pairs to go ahead of him to each town and place he visited. They were instructed to bring a greeting of peace to each house they entered and to accept whatever food and drink they were given as their pay. They were to heal the sick and to share the good news that the kingdom of God had come near. When the seventy-two returned to Jesus, they were overjoyed to tell him that even the demons submit to them in Jesus’ name. Jesus responded that they should not rejoice in this but in the fact that their names are written in heaven.

Mark 9:33-37 - Jesus traveled with his disciples, and when they arrived in Capernaum, Jesus turned to them and asked them what they were arguing about on the road. They kept quite because they didn’t want to admit that they were arguing about which of them was the greatest. Jesus addressed them and said that anyone who wants to be first must be last and the servant of all. He then brought a small child among them and said that whoever welcomes one of the little children welcomes him and the one who sent him.

Philippians 3 - Paul writes a letter to the church in Philippi. In it, he discusses how he has every reason to put confidence in the things of “the flesh” such as being an Israelite who was circumcised on the eighth day, of the tribe of Benjamin, a “Hebrew of Hebrews”, a zealous Pharisee, and faultless according to the Law. However, Paul insists that whatever he saw as gains to him, he now considers loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, he considers everything a loss compared to the worth of knowing Jesus his Lord. Everything to him is now garbage compared to knowing Christ, and he now knows that his righteousness comes through faith rather than through himself.

Philippians 3 - Paul writes a letter to the church in Philippi. In it, he discusses how he has every reason to put confidence in the things of “the flesh” such as being an Israelite who was circumcised on the eighth day, of the tribe of Benjamin, a “Hebrew of Hebrews”, a zealous Pharisee, and faultless according to the Law. However, Paul insists that whatever he saw as gains to him, he now considers loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, he considers everything a loss compared to the worth of knowing Jesus his Lord. Everything to him is now garbage compared to knowing Christ, and he now knows that his righteousness comes through faith rather than through himself.

Acts 9:1-9 - Saul was on a mission to find the followers of Jesus and take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. On his way to Damascus, he suddenly saw a bright and blinding light which caused him to fall to the ground. He then heard a voice that said, “Saul, Saul, do you persecuting me?” Saul asked who it was, and the voice replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go to the city and you will be told what you must do.” When Saul got up he couldn’t see anything, so the men traveling with him had to lead him by hand to the city. He was blind for three days and didn’t eat or drink anything.

Luke 5:1-11 - One day Jesus was standing by the lake and the crowds gathered around to listen to the word of God. When he saw two boats left by the water, he got into one of them, put it out a little from the shore, and then began teaching from the boat. When he had finished, he told Simon Peter, who owned the boat, to go out into deep water and let the nets down. Peter replied that they hadn’t caught anything all night, but that if Jesus says so, he would put down the nets. When he did this, he caught so many fish that the nets began to break and the boats started to sink. Peter fell to his knees and pleaded with Jesus to go away from him because he was ashamed of his own sinfulness. Jesus told him not to be afraid because from now on he would fish for people. He and his companions left everything and followed Jesus.

Luke 3:1-15 - John the Baptist went into the wilderness to preach about repentance and the forgiveness of sins. He was the one written about by the Prophet Isaiah who wrote, “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.‘“ So John preached to the crowds and many came to him to be baptized. He taught them the importance of changing their ways. Many wondered if John might be the Messiah.

Luke 2:8-20 - The angel of the Lord appeared to a group of shepherds who were living in the fields watching over their flocks at night. The shepherds were terrified, but the angel told them not to be afraid because he brings them good news: a Savior has been born and they will find him as a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Then, a great company of angels appeared praising God and declaring peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests. When the angels leave, the shepherds travel to Bethlehem to go to see the baby Jesus and praise God along with all those to whom they also spread the news.

Luke 1:46-55 - After receiving the news from the angel that she would become the mother of the long-awaited Savior, Mary sings a song of praise to God. In it, she glorifies God for the good things God has given her, expresses humility, and extols God for bringing down rulers and lifting up the humble.

John 1:1-11 - John testifies that Jesus is the Word of God, who was with God in the beginning, and who is, in fact, God. Through Jesus, the Word, everything was created. Jesus is also the life and light of humankind.

Luke 11:1-4 - Jesus taught his followers how to pray. His prayer, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke, goes: “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.”

Luke 6:27-31 - Jesus teaches his followers that they must love their enemies, do good to those who hate them, bless those who curse them, and pray for those who mistreat them. Furthermore, if someone were to slap them on one cheek, they should turn to them the other one too, and if someone were to take their coat, they should give them their shirt too. They should give to anyone who asks and not demand back something that was taken from them. They should do to other what they would have done to them.