What the Bible Says to Children & Young People?

What Does God Expect of Me?

How to Grow in Wisdom

Warnings for Youth

What Does God Want From My Life?

What Does God Expect of Me?

God expects the young and old to obey His commandments. However, the main
direction that God gives to young people is to honor and obey their parents. This
teaches us to honor and obey God, by recognizing that there will always be an
authority in our lives.

"Children, do what your parents tell you. This is only right. ‘Honor your father and
mother’ is the first commandment that has a promise attached to it, namely, ‘so
you will live well and have a long life’" (Ephesians 6:1-3 NIV).

"Regard (treat with honor, due obedience, and courtesy) your father and mother,
that your days may be long in the land the Lord your God gives you" ( Exodus
20:12 Amplified).

"Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days
come, And the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them"
(Ecclesiastes 12:1 NKJV).

“Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's
teaching; indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about
your neck” (Proverbs 1:8-9 NASB).

“Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord”
(Colossians 3:20 KJV).

"Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD" (Psalm
34:11 NKJV) .

“Pay attention to your father, and don't neglect your mother when she grows old”
(Proverbs 23:22 CEV).
 “Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my
ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it” (Proverbs 8:32-33
NKJV).

"Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it
be right." (Proverbs 20:11 KJV).

“My children, have nothing to do with false gods or idols" (1 John 5:21 WE).

How to Grow in Wisdom

The Bible tells everyone how to grow in His wisdom. Most of these verses are
found in the Book of Proverbs.

“Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do! And whatever else you
do, get good judgment” (Proverbs 4:7 NLT).

"The road to life is a disciplined life; ignore correction and you're lost for good.”
(Proverbs 10:17 The Message).

“Blessed is the person who does not follow the advice of wicked people, take the
path of sinners, or join in the company of mockers. Rather, he delights in the
teachings of the Lord and reflects on his teachings day and night. He is like a
tree that is planted beside streams–a tree that produces fruit in season and
whose leaves do not wither. He succeeds in everything he does” (Psalm 1:1-3
God’s Word).

"The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor and life"
(Proverbs 22:4 NASB).

“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning
your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out
for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and
search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth
come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:1-6 NIV).

“And this is what he says to all humanity: `The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to
forsake evil is real understanding’” (Job 28:28 NLT).

“Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world
squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the
world--wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear
 important--has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him” (1
John 2:15-16 The Message).

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him
to a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24 NKJV).

“Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you
want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship
of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:22 NLT).

"Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand
them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the
rebellious stumble in them" (Hosea 14:9 NIV).

"My child, don't turn away or become bitter when the LORD corrects you. The
LORD corrects everyone he loves, just as parents correct their favorite child"
(Proverbs 3:11-12 CEV).

“It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of
fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:5 NKJV).

“Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what
you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you
talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise
isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's
the furthest thing from wisdom--it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever
you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart
and everyone ends up at the others' throats. Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins
with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and
reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the
next, not two-faced" (James 3:13-17 The Message).

"For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of
discipline are the way to life" (Proverbs 6:23 NIV).

"For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and weakness of God is
stronger than man's strength....The wisdom of this world is foolishness to God" (1
Corinthians 1:25 and 3:19 NIV).

“GOD's Message: "Don't let the wise brag of their wisdom. Don't let heroes brag
of their exploits. Don't let the rich brag of their riches. If you brag, brag of this and
this only: That you understand and know me. I'm GOD, and I act in loyal love. I
do what's right and set things right and fair, and delight in those who do the same
things. These are my trademarks" (Jeremiah 9:23-24 The Message).

"Those who sneer at others don't like to be corrected, and they won't ask help
 from someone with sense" (Proverbs 15:12 CEV).

"Whoever loves instruction and correction loves knowledge, but he who hates
reproof is like a brute beast, stupid and indiscriminating" (Proverbs 12:1
Amplified).

"How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word and following its
rules" (Psalm 119:9 NLT).

“If you are wise and understand God's ways, live a life of steady goodness so
that only good deeds will pour forth. And if you don't brag about the good you do,
then you will be truly wise!" (James 3:13 NLT).

"...I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil"
(Romans 16:19 NIV).

"If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. If you
reject criticism, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in
understanding. Fear of the LORD teaches a person to be wise; humility precedes
honor" (Proverbs 15:31-33 NLT).

“My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either.
It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects.
God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as
dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal
experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for
themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own
parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we
can truly live?” (Hebrews 12:5b-9 The Message).

“In a similar way, urge the younger men to be self-restrained and to behave
prudently [taking life seriously]" (Titus 2:6 Amplified).

"A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back" (Proverbs 29:11
NASB).

"Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you,
clothe yourself with humility toward one another, because 'God opposes the
proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under
God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on
him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:5- NIV).

"Your laws never leave my mind, and they make me much wiser than my
enemies. Thinking about your teachings gives me better understanding than my
teachers, and obeying your laws makes me wiser than those who have lived a
long time” (Psalm 119:98-100 CEV).
"And don't let anyone put you down because you're young. Teach believers with
your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity...Cultivate these
things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before
their eyes!" (1 Timothy 4:12,15 The Message).

"But meat is for people who are grown up. It is for people who have trained their
minds to know the difference between what is good and what is bad" (Hebrews
5:14 WE).

"Fools have no desire to learn; they would much rather give their own opinion"
(Proverbs 18:2 CEV).

"Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for
him" (Proverbs 26:12 NKJV).

"It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly
sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, "Let me wash your face for
you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this I-know-better-than-
you mentality again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your own
part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face and you might be fit to offer a
washcloth to your neighbor” (Luke 6:41-42 The Message).

"You think that everyone should agree with your perfect knowledge. While
knowledge may make us feel important, it is love that really builds up the church.
Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn't really know very much. But
the person who loves God is the one God knows and cares for" (1 Corinthians 8:
1b-3 NLT).

“LORD, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don't concern myself
with matters too great or awesome for me. But I have stilled and quieted myself,
just as a small child is quiet with its mother. Yes, like a small child is my soul
within me” (Psalm 131:1-2 NLT).

“If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you
forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me” (Matthew
10:39 The Message).

“You will never get into God's kingdom unless you enter it like a child!" (Luke
18:17 CEV).

"If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God
is generous and won't correct you for asking" (James 1:5 CEV).
 Warnings for Youth

"I'm too young to be held responsible for my actions!" Is that what you think? It is
interesting how many warnings the Lord gives to youth.

"Any and every person who curses his father or mother must be put to death. By
cursing his father or mother he is responsible for his own death" (Leviticus 20:9
The Message).

"There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; those
who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth" (Proverbs
30:12 NIV).

"Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, This is no sin--he is in the same
class as [an open, lawless robber and] a destroyer" (Proverbs 28:24 Amplified).

“A wise son makes a glad father, but a self-confident and foolish man despises
his mother and puts her to shame" (Proverbs 15:20 Amplified).

“Rebellion is as bad as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as bad as

worshiping idols” (1 Samuel 15:23 NLT).

"As (Elisha) was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and
jeered at him. 'Go on up, you baldhead!' they said. 'Go on up, you baldhead!' He
turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of
the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the
youths" (2 Kings 2:23-24 NIV).

"Even the little boys scorn me; when I appear, they ridicule me" (Job 19:18 NIV).

"(They) will each be cruel to friends and neighbors. Young people will insult their
elders; no one will show respect to those who deserve it” (Isaiah 3:5 CEV).

“....A foolish and self-confident son is the grief of his mother” (Proverbs 10:1b
Amplified).

"My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them" (Proverbs 1:10 NIV).

"Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king...and he did what was
evil in the LORD's sight, imitating the detestable practices of the pagan nations
whom the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites...Manasseh led
them to do even more evil than the pagan nations whom the LORD had
destroyed when the Israelites entered the land..." (2 Kings 21:1-2, 9 NLT).
"You sit around and slander a brother--your own mother's son. While you did all
this, I remained silent, and you thought I didn't care. But now I will rebuke you,
listing all my charges against you" (Psalm 50:20, 21b NLT).

"The eye that mocks his father, And scorns obedience to his mother, The ravens
of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it" (Proverbs 30:17
NKJV).

“...the rebellious dwell in a parched land” (Psalm 68:6 Amplified)

"You should also know this....that in the last days there will be very difficult times.
For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and
proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will
consider nothing sacred” (2 Timothy 3:1-2 NLT).

“And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child:
and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to
death" (Matthew 10:21 KJV).

"God clearly says, "Respect your father and mother,' and, "Anyone denouncing
father or mother should be killed’" (Matthew 15:4 The Message).

“Foolish children bring sorrow to their father and pain to their mother” (Proverbs
17:10 CEV)

What Does God Want From My Life?

When it is all said and done, God makes it very simple. Don't you love Him for
that?

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of
you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and
walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8 Amplified).

"I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:2 KJV).

“Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about

missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met” (Matthew
6:33 The Message).
"Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: "Hear, O Israel, the
LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all
your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is
the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: "You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these" (Mark
12:29-31 NKJV).

"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want
people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law
and Prophets and this is what you get” (Matthew 7:12 The Message)

“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his
neighbor has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8 NASB).

“Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right
words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a
person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags
and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled
with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of
soup--where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is
outrageous nonsense?” (James 2:14-17 The Message).

“Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God's requirements”

(Romans 13:10 NLT).

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself” (Galatians 5:14 KJV).

“This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his
life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and
not just be out for ourselves...My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's
practice real love” (1 John 3:16, 18 The Message).

“Bear (endure, carry) one another's burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in
this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ....” (Galatians 6:2
Amplified).

“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans
and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world”
(James 1:27 NKJV).

“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead
for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks” (2 Timothy 2:1 NLT).

"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings
out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste
 godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. "Here's
another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the
world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a
city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you
under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you
there on a hilltop, on a light stand--shine! Keep open house; be generous with
your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God,
this generous Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16 The Message).

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God.
Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind he will accept. When you think of
what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don't copy the behavior and
customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing
the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will
know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is" (Romans 12:1 NLT).

“If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me
and for the good news, you will save it” (Mark 8:35 CEV).

“Then Jesus said to the disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you
must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you
try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me,
you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose
your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul?” (Matthew
16:24-26 NLT).

“From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is
near" (Matthew 4:17 NIV)

“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people
everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30 NIV).

“But go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did
not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (Matthew 9:13 NKJV).

“Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38 NLT).

“In the last days, God said, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons
and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men
will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit upon all my servants,
men and women alike, and they will prophesy" (Acts 2:17-18 NLT).

“Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of
God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you
 believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:28-29 NASB).

“And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus
Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us” (1 John 3:23 NLT).

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and
keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13
NIV).