What Does the Bible Say About Practice What You Preach?

James 1:22 ESV / 83 helpful votes

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Matthew 23:3 ESV / 83 helpful votes

So do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.

1 John 3:18 ESV / 71 helpful votes

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Romans 2:20-24 ESV / 58 helpful votes

An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Matthew 5:16 ESV / 38 helpful votes

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Romans 2:21 ESV / 35 helpful votes

You then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal?

2 Timothy 2:15 ESV / 32 helpful votes

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

Matthew 7:12 ESV / 31 helpful votes

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

James 4:1-17 ESV / 20 helpful votes

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? ...

Romans 4:1-25 ESV / 19 helpful votes

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, ...

2 Timothy 4:2 ESV / 18 helpful votes

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

James 2:1-26 ESV / 17 helpful votes

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? ...

Romans 4:5 ESV / 16 helpful votes

And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

Matthew 6:14-15 ESV / 16 helpful votes

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

John 13:34-35 ESV / 12 helpful votes

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Matthew 23:1-12 ESV / 12 helpful votes

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, ...

Acts 26:28 ESV / 9 helpful votes

And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”

Matthew 23:1-39 ESV / 9 helpful votes

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, ...

Matthew 6:33 ESV / 9 helpful votes

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

James 3:1 ESV / 8 helpful votes

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

Galatians 6:7-8 ESV / 8 helpful votes

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Isaiah 55:11 ESV / 8 helpful votes

So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

1 John 2:1-7 ESV / 7 helpful votes

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: ...

Matthew 5:43-45 ESV / 7 helpful votes

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 7:21 ESV / 6 helpful votes

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:19 ESV / 6 helpful votes

Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Psalm 139:10 ESV / 6 helpful votes

Even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.

Psalm 5:3 ESV / 6 helpful votes

O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

1 John 2:1-11 ESV / 5 helpful votes

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: ...

2 Timothy 4:1-2 ESV / 5 helpful votes

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

1 Timothy 4:13 ESV / 5 helpful votes

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.

1 Corinthians 5:7 ESV / 5 helpful votes

Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

1 Corinthians 1:21 ESV / 5 helpful votes

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

Romans 14:1 ESV / 5 helpful votes

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.

John 1:5 ESV / 5 helpful votes

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Mark 16:15 ESV / 5 helpful votes

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

2 Samuel 21:1-14 ESV / 5 helpful votes

Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the Lord. And the Lord said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites. Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah. And David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? And how shall I make atonement, that you may bless the heritage of the Lord?” The Gibeonites said to him, “It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.” And he said, “What do you say that I shall do for you?” They said to the king, “The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel, ...

John 3:16 ESV / 4 helpful votes

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Luke 4:43 ESV / 4 helpful votes

But he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV / 4 helpful votes

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

40 Bible Verses about Practice What You Preach

James 1:22 ESV / 83 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 23:3 ESV / 83 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 John 3:18 ESV / 71 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Romans 2:20-24 ESV / 58 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 5:16 ESV / 38 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Romans 2:21 ESV / 35 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Timothy 2:15 ESV / 32 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 7:12 ESV / 31 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

James 4:1-17 ESV / 20 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Romans 4:1-25 ESV / 19 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Timothy 4:2 ESV / 18 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

James 2:1-26 ESV / 17 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Romans 4:5 ESV / 16 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 6:14-15 ESV / 16 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

John 13:34-35 ESV / 12 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 23:1-12 ESV / 12 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Acts 26:28 ESV / 9 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 23:1-39 ESV / 9 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 6:33 ESV / 9 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

James 3:1 ESV / 8 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Galatians 6:7-8 ESV / 8 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Isaiah 55:11 ESV / 8 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 John 2:1-7 ESV / 7 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 5:43-45 ESV / 7 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 7:21 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 5:19 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Psalm 139:10 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Psalm 5:3 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 John 2:1-11 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Timothy 4:1-2 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Timothy 4:13 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 5:7 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 1:21 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Romans 14:1 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

John 1:5 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Mark 16:15 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Samuel 21:1-14 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

John 3:16 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Luke 4:43 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

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