"Above all, my brothers, do not swear - not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your 'Yes' be yes, and your 'No,' no, or you will be condemned."

(James 5:12, NIV)

“Peter said, ‘Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.’ But Jesus said, ‘Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.’”

(Luke 22:33-34, NLT)

"Time's up! God's kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message."

(Mark 1:15, Msg)

"No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day!" 

(Luke 9:62, Msg)

"You don't have to be a genius to understand these things. Just use your common sense, the kind you'd use if, while being taken to court, you decided to settle up with your accuser on the way, knowing that if the case went to the judge you'd probably go to jail and pay every last penny of the fine. That's the kind of decision I'm asking you to make."
(Luke 12:57-59, Msg)

"If anyone hears what I am saying and doesn't take it seriously, I don't reject him. I didn't come to reject the world; I came to save the world. But you need to know that whoever puts me off, refusing to take in what I'm saying, is willfully choosing rejection."

(John 12:47-48, Msg)

“So now: Fear God. Worship him in total commitment. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped on the far side of The River (the Euphrates) and in Egypt. You, worship God. If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you’d rather serve - and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you’re now living. As for me and my family, we’ll worship God.”

(Joshua 24:14-15, Msg)

“The people answered, ‘We’d never forsake God! Never! We’d never leave God to worship other gods. God is our God! He brought up our ancestors from Egypt and from slave conditions. He did all those great signs while we watched. He has kept his eye on us all along the roads we’ve traveled and among the nations we’ve passed through. Just for us he drove out all the nations, Amorites and all, who lived in the land. Count us in: We too are going to worship God. He’s our God.’”

(Joshua 24:16-18, Msg)

“Then Joshua told the people: ‘You can’t do it; you’re not able to worship God. He is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He won’t put up with your fooling around and sinning. When you leave God and take up the worship of foreign gods, he’ll turn right around and come down on you hard. He’ll put an end to you - and after all the good he has done for you!’”

(Joshua 24:19-20, Msg)

“But the people told Joshua: ‘No!  No! We worship God!’”

(Joshua 24:21, Msg)

“And so Joshua addressed the people: ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen God for yourselves - to worship him.’ And they said, ‘We are witnesses.’ Joshua said, ‘Now get rid of all the foreign gods you have with you. Say an unqualified Yes to God, the God of Israel.’ The people answered Joshua, ‘We will worship God. What he says, we’ll do.’”

(Joshua 24:22-24, Msg)