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The Life of Virtue, Part 1

Servants Preparation Curriculum

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Life of Virtue

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The Life of Virtue, Part 1 – The Life of Virtue

Objectives:

  1. What is the virtue?
  2. What is the importance of virtues?
  3. What are the types of virtues?
  4. What are the sources of virtue?
  5. What are the levels of virtues?
  6. What is the virtue of fruitful talk?

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What is the virtue?

  • It is a behavior according to Jesus' commandments
  • It is a behavior according to The Bible
  • It is a behavior according to The Church’s commands

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  • It is the behavior of the saints
  • It is the behavior that will take us to Heaven

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What is the virtue? Cont.

  • It is a quality behavior above the normal average person
  • It is a behavior that will sets you apart from your surroundings

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Our World Between Wheat & Tares (Mathew 13)

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The Life of Virtue, Part 1 – The Life of Virtue

Objectives:

  1. What is the virtue?
  2. What is the importance of virtues?
  3. What are the types of virtues?
  4. What are the sources of virtue?
  5. What are the levels of virtues?
  6. What is the virtue of fruitful talk?

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What is the importance of virtues?

  • A reward on earth if you struggle to earn and keep
  • Fulfilling the purpose of being a Christian
  • Preparing yourself for Heaven

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A Reward

  • If you have a constant and sincere effort to acquire a virtue, it will be rewarded
  • Trying to stay holy when people are unholy
  • Trying to stay clam when people aggravate you
  • Trying to be generous when money is tight

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“who “will render to each one according to his deeds”” (Romans 2:6)

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A Fulfillment

  • You have to be different from the world

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“In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:10)

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“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Mathew 5:16)

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A Preparation

“Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see” (Romans 2:6)

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  • Gold = Jesus Christ
  • Garments = Virtues
  • Eye Salve = The Bible

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A Preparation Cont.

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Romans 3:10)

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The Life of Virtue, Part 1 – The Life of Virtue

Objectives:

  1. What is the virtue?
  2. What is the importance of virtues?
  3. What are the types of virtues?
  4. What are the sources of virtue?
  5. What are the levels of virtues?
  6. What is the virtue of fruitful talk?

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What are the types of virtues?

  1. The Love of God
  2. Obedience
  3. Fruitful Talk
  4. Self control
  5. Generous donation
  6. Service
  7. Humility

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What are the types of virtues? Cont.

  1. Holiness
  2. Spiritual Silence
  3. Good management
  4. meekness & gentleness
  5. Faithful/ honest
  6. Patience

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The Life of Virtue, Part 1 – The Life of Virtue

Objectives:

  1. What is the virtue?
  2. What is the importance of virtues?
  3. What are the types of virtues?
  4. What are the sources of virtue?
  5. What are the levels of virtues?
  6. What is the virtue of fruitful talk?

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What are the sources of virtue?

  1. The Bible
  2. Reading The Bible daily to learn the virtues
    • Examples:
      • Abraham = obedience
      • Isaac = meekness
      • Jacob = struggle with God
      • Joseph = perseverance

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What are the sources of virtue? Cont.

  1. Prayer
  2. Pray that God grants you this virtue
    • Examples:
      • Sermons = many sermons on the same topic
      • Reading spiritual books
      • Practice and perseverance – not giving up after few attempts
      • Godly Grace

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The Life of Virtue, Part 1 – The Life of Virtue

Objectives:

  1. What is the virtue?
  2. What is the importance of virtues?
  3. What are the types of virtues?
  4. What are the sources of virtue?
  5. What are the levels of virtues?
  6. What is the virtue of fruitful talk?

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What are the levels of virtues?

  • There is always a starting point, then by practice we see improvement

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  • Prayer
    • Prayer 3 times / day
    • Prayer 5 times / day
    • Add kneeling
    • Make Prostration / Matanias
    • Pray for others
    • Arrow prayers
    • Praying for longer times

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Self Control

  1. Do not get violent when angry
  2. Do not curse or yell when angry
  3. Do not get angry at everything but let go and forgive
  4. Do not hold grudges
  5. Do not break relations or shut down others
  6. Do not loose your inner peace
  7. Do not aggravate others
  8. Forgive because God has forgiven you

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Praising God

  1. Start by responding in Liturgy
  2. Attending Tasbeha
  3. Play and listen to Tasbeha or spiritual songs at home
  4. Play and listen to Tasbeha or spiritual songs on your phone
  5. Sing to God on your own
  6. Start forming praise groups like choirs

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Faith and Honestly

  1. Be Honest at your school (attendance, homework, research, project, tests, etc.)
  2. Do your best at all times
  3. Be honest with your talk (lies, set up, making up stuff, etc.)
  4. Be honest at your job ( time, quality, etc.)
  5. Be honest with your family duties (shopping, cleaning, bills, etc.)
  6. Be honest with your donations (first, 10th, vows, miscellaneous, etc.)
  7. Be honest with your Bible (daily readings, memorizations, meditations, etc.)
  8. Be honest with your prayers (frequency, consistency, timing, content, etc.)
  9. Be honest with your country (driving rules, taxes, etc.)

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The Life of Virtue, Part 1 – The Life of Virtue

Objectives:

  1. What is the virtue?
  2. What is the importance of virtues?
  3. What are the types of virtues?
  4. What are the sources of virtue?
  5. What are the levels of virtues?
  6. What is the virtue of fruitful talk?

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What is the virtue of fruitful talk?

“For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Mathew 12:37)

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“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29)

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The Tongue is Like a Rudder

“Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires” (James 3:4)

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“But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;” (Ephesians 5:3)

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The Christian Talk

“But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;” (Ephesians 5:3)

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“speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,” (Ephesians 5:19)

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Examples of Fruitful Talk

  1. Words of thanks and appreciation
  2. Words of requesting excuses and kindness
  3. Words of apology
  4. Words of encouragement and support
  5. Words of truth

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Words of Praise

“While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being” (Psalm 146:2)

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Words of Sorrow

  • Abigail apologized for David and her apology prevented crime and saved her husband and their fortune

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Words of Preaching

  • Philip called Nathaniel

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Asking for Healing

  • For yourself, family, friends, and others

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Asking for Mercy

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How to acquire this virtue

  • Practice on doing one type of each category each day
  • Pray that God supports you and gives you His grace
  • Memorize verses about good words
  • Read the Epistle of St. James repeatedly
  • Keep yourself busy with a holy environment and you will emulate the same

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DO NOT

  • Lie
  • Swear
  • Yell
  • Gossip
  • Make up stories to get others in troubles

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The Life of Virtue, Part 1 – The Life of Virtue

Objectives:

  1. What is the virtue?
  2. What is the importance of virtues?
  3. What are the types of virtues?
  4. What are the sources of virtue?
  5. What are the levels of virtues?
  6. What is the virtue of fruitful talk?

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Review Questions

  • X

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Memorization Verses

  1. “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Mathew 12:37)

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  • “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver” (Proverbs 25:11)

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  • “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24)

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