Scripture: Prov 9:10; 1 Cor 2:10-16; 12:1-27; 13:1-13; 14:1-4; Prov 2:1-6; Matt 22:29-40; 1 John 3:11-18; John 13:35

Proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

1 Corinthians 2:10a Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit,… 14 But the unbeliever does not welcome what comes from God's Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually. 16b … we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning what comes from the Spirit: brothers, I do not want you to be unaware… 4 Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person. 7 A demonstration of the Spirit is given (as a spiritual gift) to each person to produce what is beneficial (to the whole body not just that person with that gift!): 8 to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, … 11 But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills. 12 For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body-- so also is Christ. 13a For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--… 25 so that (in such a way that) there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. 26 So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it.

1 Corinthians 13:1 If I speak human (from men) or angelic (from God) languages but do not have love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited, 5 does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked, and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. (God is love! He endures to the end!) But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for languages (as established in Babel as curse dividing men), they will cease (there will be a common language, uniting us, in Christ, in love); as for knowledge (what must be known to come to God), it will come to an end (we’ll all be with Him). 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child (spiritually), I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man (spiritually), I put aside childish things. 12 For now we see indistinctly (in the physical), as in a mirror, but then face to face (sin no longer separating us from God, now perfectly in His presence). Now I know in part (the best we can do in these physical bodies), but then I will know fully (having taken on our spiritual bodies), as I am fully known (He has only always known us this way). 13 Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. (Why? No need for faith in heaven. No need to hope in heaven. Love will always be in heaven for God is love!)

1 Corinthians 14:1 Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and above all that you may prophesy (share the gospel) … 3But the person who prophesies (communicating the Word and the will of God) speaks to people for edification, encouragement, and consolation. 4b … he who prophesies builds up the church.

Proverbs 2:1 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2 listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding; … 5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD (which is the beginning of wisdom) and discover the knowledge of God (which is understanding). 6 For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Matthew 22:29 Jesus answered them, "You are deceived, because you don't know the Scriptures or the power of God… 35 And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him: 36 "Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?" 37 He said to him, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands."

1 John 3:11 For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another, 12 unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. 16 This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has this world's goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his need-- how can God's love reside in him? 18 Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.

John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."