Apple Pie?

These are some verses that are still in “working progress” for me, but I thought I’d go ahead & share them with…well, with whoever reads this. They’ve been good challenging verses for me so I don’t see why you shouldn’t have to be challenged with me, “Two are better than one”. : )

1) 2 Cor 2:14-15, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, & manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved & among those who are perishing.”
Wherever I go, whatever I do, I am leaving an aroma, but is it always sweet? Do I give off the knowledge of Him in every place? I like to think of it as an apple pie, do I “smell” like a freshly baked apple pie straight out of the oven or some over baked, burnt to a crisp, somewhat remains of an apple pie that once was? When people walk into my kitchen (my life) do they want a taste of what’s inside (Christ. Gal 2:20) the apple pie (me)? Does my aroma draw people to Him?

2) 1 Tim 4:12,”Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith & purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”
We are all examples of those who believe whether we like it or not, people will be watching us, learning & taking notes by the way we live.
So I thought I’d give an application verse for each of the specific ways I am to be an example mentioned in 1 Timothy 4:12.

SPEECH – Col 4:6, “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”

CONDUCT- Phil 1:27, ” Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come & see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”
Col 4:5, “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.”

LOVE- 1 Cor. 16:14,”Let all that you do be done in love.”
2 Cor. 5:14a, “For the love of Christ controls us,…”
1 Cor. 13:4-7, “Love is patient, love is kind & is not jealous; love does not brag & is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
1 Tim 1:5, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart & a good conscience & a sincere faith.”

FAITH- Heb 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Eph 3: 17, “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; & that you, being rooted & grounded in love,”
1 Cor. 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight-”

PURITY- Matt 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
1 Peter 1:22, “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,”

3) Gal 6:9-10, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, & especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”
1 Tim 4:10, “For it is for this we labor & strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the savior of the all men, especially of believers,”

I’d like to see this laboring & striving as an opportunity to do good. An opportunity. : )