Overcoming Fear

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.

One who forgives an affront fosters friendship, but one who dwells on disputes will alienate a friend.

An ally offended is stronger than a city; such quarreling is like the bars of a castle.

Those with good sense are slow to anger, and it is their glory to overlook an offense.

He will become a sanctuary, a stone one strikes against; for both houses of Israel he will become a rock one stumbles over — a trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes!

If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Jesus said to his disciples, “Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come!

Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive.

And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.”

Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience toward God and all people.

since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God,

or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

But my friends, why am I still being persecuted if I am still preaching circumcision? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.

By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,

Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.

Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;

For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.

and “A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.