Matthew 6:25-34 - Jesus teaches his followers not to worry about things like food or clothing, since life is more than these things and since God takes care of our needs. He gives the examples of birds who do not store food in barns but are fed by God, as well as flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow and yet are clothed in beauty. Rather than worrying, we should seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness and everything else will be provided. We shouldn’t worry about the future but should let the future worry about itself.

Matthew 6:19-24 - Jesus taught his followers to focus on storing up heavenly treasures rather than earthly ones, since earthly treasures do not last but heavenly treasures last forever. He also taught that whatever we treasure and value is what will be in our hearts. He then says that having healthy eyes (that focus on things of the spirit) fills us with light, while having unhealthy eyes (that focus on worldly things) fills us with darkness. Finally, Jesus says that we cannot serve both God and money.

Matthew 6:1-4 - Jesus taught his followers to be careful not to do their good deeds publicly, in order to be seen and praised by others. When giving to the needy, they shouldn’t do so like hypocrites who just want recognition, or else they will get no reward from God and their only reward will be the admiration of others. Instead of showing off their good deeds, they should do them secretly, without any fanfare. If they do so, then God, who sees what’s done in secret, will reward them.

Matthew 5:38-42 - Jesus taught his followers that although the Law of Moses says that the punishment for an offense should match the crime (ie. an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth), the way his followers should take is the path of non-violence and turning the other cheek. Jesus then said that if someone were to sue them for their shirt, they should give them their coat as well, and if someone were to force them to walk with them one mile, they should go with them two. He ended by telling his followers to give to everyone who asks and to not refuse the one who wants to borrow from them.

Matthew 5:33-37 - Jesus taught that although the Law taught us not to break oaths, but to fulfill our vows, his teaching is that we shouldn’t take oaths at all. We should not swear by anything—not heaven, earth, Jerusalem, or our own heads. Instead we should simply be honest and truthful, letting our ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and our ‘no’ be ‘no’.

Matthew 5:13-16 - During his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that we are the salt of the earth. If salt loses it’s saltiness, it is no longer good for anything but is thrown out. He also taught that we are the light of the world. Nobody takes a lamp and hides it under a bowl, but rather, they put it on a stand so it can give light to everyone. Likewise, we are to let our light shine so that others will see God’s goodness through us.

Genesis 15:1-6 - God appeared to Abraham and told him not to be afraid for God was his shield and his great reward. Abraham asked what God could possible give him since he was childless and his inheritance would go to a servant in his household. God responded that this would not happen, but that Abraham would have a son who would become his heir. God told Abraham to look up at the sky and try to count the stars, for his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abraham trusted and believed in God’s promise to him.

Genesis 13:1-12 - After Abraham and his family moved to the new land that God had shown them, some quarrelling arose between Abraham’s herders and those of his nephew Lot. The land could not support both of them with all their possessions while they lived together. So Abraham told Lot that he didn’t want there to be quarrelling between them or between their herders. He suggested that in order to live peacefully, they should go separate ways. Lot could choose which part of the land he wanted to live in and Abraham would take the other part. So Lot chose the plain of the Jordan while Abraham lived in Canaan.

Genesis 12:4-9 - Abraham, his wife Sarah, his nephew Lot, and all the people in their household set off together for the land of Canaan where the Lord was bringing them. When they arrived, they traveled throughout the land all the way to the great tree of Moreh at Shechem where God appeared to Abraham to confirm his promise, and Abraham built an altar to the Lord.

Genesis 11:31-12:1 - Terah took his son Abram (or, Abraham), his grandson Lot, and his daughter-in-law Sarai (or, Sarah), and traveled with them from Ur of the Chaldeans towards Canaan. On their way, they came to a place called Harran and settled there. They lived there until Terah died. God appeared to Abram and told him to take his family and his entire household, leave their country, and travel to a land that God would show him.

Genesis 4 - After Adam and Eve were sent out of the Garden of Eden, they had two sons named Cain and Abel. When the two boys grew up, they both brought an offering to God. Cain brought some of the produce that he had grown, while Abel gave the best parts of the sheep that he had raised. God favoured Abel’s offering over Cain’s, and this lead Cain to become jealous of his brother. One day, Cain snuck up on Abel and attacked him. When confronted about this by God, Cain asked if he was supposed to be his brother’s keeper. Because of what he had done, Cain was sent away to become a restless wanderer on the earth. Cain said that this punishment was too much for him to bear, and that he was afraid someone would attack and harm him. In response, God placed a mark on Cain, promising that he would be protected from harm wherever he went.

Genesis 3 - After God instructed the first humans not to eat from one particular tree in the middle of the Garden of Eden, a serpent came to Adam and Eve when they were together in the garden. The serpent addressed Eve, asking her if God really said that they mustn’t eat from any tree in the garden. Eve corrected the serpent, saying that God allowed them to eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but told them not to eat fruit from the tree in the middle. She also elaborated that God told them not to even touch it or they would die. The serpent then contradicts God, saying that they would not certainly die, but that eating from that tree would make them wise like God, knowing good and evil. Eve believed the serpent, ate from the tree, and then turned to Adam to give him some too, and he also ate. The consequence for their disobedience was that they were sent out from the Garden of Eden where everything came easy, and had to endure difficulties of various kinds.

Genesis 2 - In this account of creation, God forms the first human, Adam (from “Adamah”, meaning Earth), out of the dust of the ground. God breathes life into Adam and places him in a garden paradise called Eden (“garden of delight”) where there are fruit trees and vegetation in abundance, as well as animals and a river running through it. God commands Adam to work and take care of the garden, instructs him that he is allowed to eat from any tree except for one, and then declares that it isn’t good for the human to be alone, and God so creates another human, this time a woman, out of Adam’s side to be a companion and equal partner in the role of caring for the earth.

Genesis 1 - In the beginning, God created all that exists, forming it out of empty nothingness, speaking it into being. God created order out of chaos - separating the day from the night, the waters below from the skies above, and the seas from the land. God made the sun, moon, and stars. God filled the earth with vegetation, and with animals to populate the land, the seas, and the skies. Finally, God created human beings in God’s own image and likeness, and gave them the responsibility to be caretakers over all creation.

Mark 10:35-45 - James and John approached Jesus to ask him a favor. They wanted him to give them the most honored seats in the kingdom, on Jesus’ right and left sides. Jesus asked them if they were able to go through the same sufferings that he would have to go through, and they answered “Yes.” Jesus then said that even though they really would have to suffer just like him, he still wasn’t able to promise them the most honored seats. The other disciples were angry at James and John for asking for this, and Jesus reminded them that those who want to be the greatest among them need to learn how to be humble and a servant to all, just as Jesus came not to be served but to serve.

Mark 9:38-41 - Once when Jesus and his disciples were together, John spoke up and said that they had seen someone driving out demons in Jesus’ name, but that they told him to stop because he wasn’t one of the disciples. Jesus responded that they shouldn’t have stopped him, because anyone who isn’t against them is on their side.

Matthew 18:1-4 - When asked by his disciples who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus called a little child to him and told them that in order to enter the kingdom, they must become like a little child. Furthermore, anyone who wishes to be great in the kingdom should take on the lowly position of a child.

Matthew 16:13-20 - One day, Jesus asked his disciples to tell him who people say that he is. They answered that some say he is John the Baptist, others say that he is Elijah, and still others say that he is Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Jesus then asks who they think he is, and Peter responds that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. Jesus blesses Peter for this answer, because he learned it from God and not from people, and then gives him the “keys” to the kingdom of heaven.