Luke 6:17-23 - During his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives a list of unexpected blessings — to those who are poor, who are hungry, who weep, and who are hated, excluded or insulted. These people, Jesus says, are blessed and will receive their reward in the kingdom of God.

Luke 20:45-21:4 - Jesus warned his disciples to beware of the teachers of the law who walk around in flowing robes and love being greeted with respect in the marketplace and having the most important seats in the synagogue and at banquets. These people, he said, take advantage of the poor and their religion is all for show. Then Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting gifts into the temple treasury as well as a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. He said to his disciples that this widow had given more than all the others, since the others gave out of their wealth but she, in her poverty, gave everything she had to live on.

Mark 10:17-31 - A rich man came to Jesus asking him about the way to get eternal life. Jesus told him to follow the commandments, to which the man replied that he had done so since he was a child. Jesus then told him that there was one thing missing, he needed to sell all that he had and give to the poor, then come follow Jesus. The man went away sad because he was very rich. Jesus turned to his disciples and told them that is very hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven, but that with God all things are possible. Peter spoke up, saying that they had left everything to follow Jesus, and Jesus responded that they would certainly receive a hundred times as much in the present age, and in the age to come eternal life.

Matthew 13:44-46 - Jesus told a parable about the kingdom of heaven being like treasure hidden in a field. A man found it, hid it again, and went and sold everything he owned in order to buy the field. Likewise, Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like a valuable pearl which a merchant found. He then went away, sold everything he had, and bought it.

Luke 16:19-31 - Jesus tells a parable in which there was a rich man who lived in luxury and a poor man named Lazarus who was covered in sores and begged at the rich man’s gate. Eventually, both men died, and while Lazarus was carried to Abraham’s side to be comforted, the rich man was sent to a place of suffering. Although the rich man begged for relief, Abraham replied that in his lifetime he received good things while Lazarus did not. Now their roles were reversed and there was nothing that could be done about it. The rich man asked for Lazarus to be sent to his family to warn them to change their ways before it’s too late, but Abraham said that if they would not listen to Moses and the prophets, they would not listen to him either.

Luke 16:19-31 - Jesus tells a parable in which there was a rich man who lived in luxury and a poor man named Lazarus who was covered in sores and begged at the rich man’s gate. Eventually, both men died, and while Lazarus was carried to Abraham’s side to be comforted, the rich man was sent to a place of suffering. Although the rich man begged for relief, Abraham replied that in his lifetime he received good things while Lazarus did not. Now their roles were reversed and there was nothing that could be done about it. The rich man asked for Lazarus to be sent to his family to warn them to change their ways before it’s too late, but Abraham said that if they would not listen to Moses and the prophets, they would not listen to him either.

Luke 11:5-13 - Jesus tells a parable in which someone knocks on a friend’s door late at night to ask for bread. He says that even though the friend might say no at first, if that person continues to knock and knock, the friend will finally give in and give them bread. Jesus encourages his followers to ask God for things. He compares God to a parent who knows how to give good gifts to their children. All the more will God give good gifts to those who ask.

Luke 8:1-15 - Jesus tells a parable in which a farmer scatters seed on different kinds of ground. Some fell along a path, some on rocky ground, some among thorny bushes, and some onto good soil. He then explains that the seed represents the word of God, and the different kinds of ground represent different conditions of the heart. The good soil represents a heart that hears the word and retains it. This is the kind of heart in which God’s word can grow and produce good results.

Matthew 7:13-14 - Jesus teaches his followers about two different paths in life that we can take, one is wide and leads to destruction but many enter through it, and the other is narrow and leads to life but few can find it. Here he is referring to his way and teachings as the narrow path, a challenging road to follow but which leads us to fullness of life.

Matthew 7:1-5 - Jesus taught his followers not to judge others or they would be judged by the same standard. He taught that they should focus on removing the plank in their own eyes before pointing out the speck of sawdust in someone else’s eyes, thus highlighting the hypocrisy of judging others when we ourselves are not perfect. 

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.