Trail Life Troop
NC-613
Devotional – Be Good
Opening
- Today, we studied righteousness, now let’s see what the Bible says about right living.
- Read, or someone read the Teaching verse. FYI: The memory verse is further down
Proverbs 21:21 He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.
Devotional
Big picture Living Righteously
- Q: Can anyone name a person in the Bible, besides Jesus, who lived righteously? (give example if need)
- Q: Why do you think that Bible person lived a righteous life? What did they do to make you think that?
- The teaching verse is full of wisdom about why we should live a righteous life. Let’s discuss it more to understand it.
- Even though we cannot be fully righteous (because of our sin nature), we are rewarded for pursuing it.
- The verse starts off with “He who pursues righteousness…” That means it is our job to pursue righteousness. It takes effort to be righteous. You need to seek it and learn about God more and more all your life. Pursing takes effort. But it is soooo worth it as you will see.
- It also means not everyone pursues righteousness. Many people don’t care to be right with God. They want to live their life without God anywhere in it. But most people are somewhere in between. They want to be right with God, but they just can’t seem to make it a priority. This verse is recommending you make righteousness a priority to daily pursue God, and His righteousness.
- The teaching verse also says we need pursue love. But love follows righteousness. You need to love God first, then love others. This is the Golden rule. Be right with God and be right with others.
- Then, the verse changes. It says if you pursue righteousness and love you will find 3 rewards. What are those rewards and who gives us those rewards? (God)
- That’s correct: God will give us life, prosperity, and honor if we do our part. God is faithful, He will reward us, and those 3 rewards sounds really good to me, how about you?
- First, our life reward is Jesus’ life. We get to live life as Jesus did, and Jesus lived a perfect life.
- Second, prosperity means we will be rich in good things from God. That might be literal money, but many of the good things from God aren’t money or possesions. What are some other good things God provides?
- The last reward is honor. Most men like to be honored. I know I do. If someone honors me, I feel blessed. These are 3 amazing rewards we will find if we just obey and live righteously.
Memory Verse #3
Ask if anybody knows it yet and can say it? Read it together 2X Consider having a memory verse pamphlet for kids take home.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Topical Questions
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Righteousness, holiness, and godliness describe moral excellence, but they mean different things. How do they differ? Righteousness means you have been proven to be morally excellent in God’s eyes, come judgement. Holiness is being set apart from the world for God’s purpose. By sanctification we are made more holy. Godliness means you act more and more like God, a oneness with God in your daily walk with Him.
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What step might you take next to be more righteous?
Closing Prayer
Dear Father God, we thank You for Your amazing gift of righteousness. For without Your Son’s payment on the cross, we have no hope of righteousness on our own. You tell us to be Holy because You, Lord, are Holy. Help us to pursue righteousness every day. We thank you for the amazing rewards You give us if we do pursue righteousness. You are a good Father! In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
