Christian Character Traits for Today (short version)

(logically compiled by Bill Stevenson)

1. Respectful: desire to be reverent to God, and proper authorities, and other people.
Matthew 22:37-40
***How do those two commandments indicate respect?
Psalm 145:3-5
***How can you show more respect to God?
Psalm 119:6-8 & 13-16
***What is necessary in order to respect God fully?
1 Corinthians 12:20-27
***In what ways can you respect the Church more?
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
***What is proper respect for leaders?
Ephesians 6:2-3
***What is your definition of “honor” and how does such relate to respect?
1 Peter 3:1 & 7-8
See also Philippians 2.
***What is proper respect between couples?
1 Peter 2:17
***How would you teach what these respect commandments mean?
1 Timothy 2:1-2
***How should one respect and pray for even wicked or bad national leaders?
Romans 13:7
***How does this verse indicate the need for respecting others?

2. Faithful: desire to be loyal and responsible.

Deuteronomy 7:8-10
***In what ways is God faithful and will be faithful in the future even in judging?
1 Corinthians 1:9
***What does this fact mean to you?
1 Corinthians 10:13
***How is God faithful in when our faithfulness is being challenged?
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
See also Jude 24-25.
***In what other ways is God faithful?
1 John 1:9
***What does this mean to you and why does it require honesty? Remember Romans 6?
Hebrews 3:1-6
***What does this passage teach about faithfulness?
Daniel 6:4
***How did Daniel show faithfulness to God and his friends?
Psalm 101:6-7
***How can you be considered by God as being of “the faithful on Earth”?
Galatians 5:22-23
***Why do you think faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit and not just easily human created?
Proverbs 18:24
See also Proverbs 17:17.
***How are you faithful to friends? Is such only for a spouse and other best friends?
Proverbs 14:5
***Which is more common and why?
Hebrews 4:14-16
***Whose faithfulness does this passage indicate and what does this mean to you?
Psalm 37:3-6
***Whose faithfulness does this passage indicate and what does this mean to you?
Revelation 17:12-14
***Why would one be “called and chosen and faithful”?

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3. Forgiving: desire to feel sorry and to be considerate.
Matthew 6:14-15
***Has this scared you in the past and would you ever rebuke someone with it?
Matthew 18:15-16
***What is the main requirement in this which goes contrary to gossiping?
Luke 17:3
Note: An example of forgiveness is of Joseph for his brothers in Genesis 37 & 45.
***How did Joseph obey this commandment? How have you done such?
2 Corinthians 2:4-11
***What does this say about forgiveness and compassion?
Galatians 6:1-2
***What does this say about forgiveness and compassion? What do you think is the law of Christ?

4. Cooperative: desire to work with others.

Psalm 133:1-3
***Why does unity require cooperation? Who does God bless and later give eternal life?
Ephesians 4:1-7
***How does this passage indicate the need for cooperation amongst Christians?
What is the main reason for such not happening in current Christian churches?
Colossians 3:12-15
***In what ways does this passage indicate the need for cooperation?
Philippians 2:1-5
***In what ways does this passage indicate the need for cooperation?
Ephesians 4:11-16
See also 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12.
***How can you and others be more cooperative in church times?

5. Dependable: desire to be responsible and punctual.

Matthew 25:21 & 23
Note: And then after this parable, He talked about His judgment when He comes back to Earth with the
holy angels and separates the people into two groups (the “sheep” and the “goats”) based on their
works. One group for eternal life in the Kingdom of God and the other group damned for eternity.
***How is being dependable relate to being faithful?
In what ways can you be more faithful to Jesus Christ and do more good?
2 Corinthians 8:20-22
***How is being diligent relate to being dependable? Why would someone say that one is increasingly
diligent? In what ways are you diligent?
Colossians 1:10
***How can one live this verse? Indicate about being dependable in your answer.
Colossians 3:23
***How can one live this verse? Indicate about being dependable in your answer.

6. Righteous: desire to be like Jesus Christ was when He was on Earth in human form.
1 Peter 1:13-15
***What is required in order for one to be righteous?
Zephaniah 2:3
***What does this verse mean to you?
Proverbs 2:20-22
See Psalm 37.
***What do the words “good”, “righteous”, “upright”, and “perfect” mean to you?
What does Psalm 37 mean to you?
Proverbs 4:14-19
***Why is the path or way of the righteous like the dawn and becomes brighter?
How has righteousness been ridiculed in your life? How have you avoided the unrighteous?
Matthew 5:6 & 16-20
***How would you explain the passage to someone? How does it go against legalism in churches?
2 Timothy 3:16-17
***How does righteousness relate to the two underline phrases?
What is the significance of the word “all” in that passage?

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 Ephesians 2:8-10
***What does verse 10 (which is bolded) mean to you?
Luke17:20-21
***How was the Pharisees legalism wrong? (Before answering, read Matthew 23.)
Romans 14:16-19
***How does this relate to the previous passage? Think of the definition of the Kingdom of God as in
circular chronological order. How would you teach about such? What is righteousness according to
the rest of the passage?
Galatians 5:19-26
***How does one live and walk in The Holy Spirit?
2 Timothy 2:22-26
***How do you pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace? How do you have make your “heart” pure?
(Before answering, see Philippians 4:8 and Colossians 4:2). What else does this passage teach about
righteousness?
Ephesians 5:1-17
***What does this passage say righteousness is and what it is not?
1 Thessalonians 5:14-15
***What does this passage say righteous living is and what it is not?
Ephesians 6:12-14
Note: For more information about being righteous, see Romans 1-6, Philippians 2, and Ephesians 4-5.

7. Thorough: desire to do everything necessary for success.

Ecclesiastes 9:10
***What does “do it with your might” mean?
Colossians 4:12-13
***How will you be able to “stand perfect and complete in all the will of God”?
(Before answering, read John 14-17 and Jude.)
Colossians 2:6-10
***How can you become rooted, built up, and complete in Jesus Christ, and established in the faith? How
does such require thoroughness?
2 Timothy 3:16-17
***How do these verses relate to thoroughness?
Ephesians 2:10
***How does this verse relate to thoroughness?

8. Spirit-submissive: desire to obey The Holy Spirit's guidance.

Proverbs 3:5-6
***How does this passage indicate the way to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit urgings?
Ephesians 5:18-21
***How can you be filled with and submissive to the Holy Spirit every day?
Have you experienced verses 19-21?
John 14:26, 15:26, & 16:7-14
***What are the ways that the Holy Spirit ministers to seekers of truth and righteousness?
How can you determine what are urgings from the Holy Spirit and what are just feelings or opinions
that come to your mind?
Romans 5:1-5
***How does this passage relate to Ephesians 5:18-21 (which is earlier in this section)?
Romans 15:13-14
***What do these verses mean to you? What do they encourage you to desire?
Philippians 2:1-5
***How do you fellowship with The Holy Spirit? Why does submitting to Him result in the indicated
unselfishness. When Jesus Christ was in human form, how did He submit to God the Father and the
Holy Spirit?
Titus 3:3-7
***How are true Christians washed, regenerated, and renewed by The Holy Spirit?
1 Corinthians 2:9-16
***What does this passage mean to you?
Romans 8:1-15
***What kind of lifestyle does this indicate and what kind of submission is required?

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 Galatians 5:16-25
***What kind of lifestyle does this indicate and what kind of submission is required?
1 Corinthians 12:3-13
***How many times are the capabilities or powers of the Holy Spirit implied in this passage?
2 Corinthians 13:14
***What does “communion of The Holy Spirit” mean to you?

9. Wise: desire to understand and apply God's truth.

Psalm 19:7-8
***What does “making wise the simple” mean? What do these verses indicate we should do?
Psalm 107:43
***What does the word “wise” mean to you? What does this verse promise?
Proverbs 1:1-7
***Why does wisdom require effort? Before answering, read 1 Corinthians 1-2 about the two kinds of
wisdom.
Proverbs 3:5-8
***How can you “be not wise in your own eyes”?
Proverbs 8:33
***How does wisdom increase from instruction?
Proverbs 10:14
***How does one “lay up knowledge”?
Proverbs 15:7
***What does this verse mean to you?
Proverbs 16:21-24
***What does this passage indicate about being wise?
Proverbs 14:1
***In what ways can a wife be wise? In what ways can a wife be unwise?
Proverbs 14:16
***How does one fear and depart from evil?
Proverbs 9:8-12
***What is an unwise individual? What are the qualities of a wise individual?
Proverbs 29:11
***What is an unwise individual? What is another quality of a wise individual?
Proverbs 10:19
***What is another quality of a wise individual?
Proverbs 17:27-28
***What does this passage mean to you?
Proverbs 15:1
***What does this passage mean to you?
Proverbs 11:30
***What does this indicate about evangelists?
Proverbs 24:5
***Why is a wise individual strong and getting stronger?
Proverbs 3:35
***What does this verse mean to you?

10. Attentive: desire to listen and to be respectful.

Luke 19:47-48
***How can we be attentive to Jesus Christ now? Before answering the question, read John 16:13.
John 5:24
***What does this verse mean to you in relation to being attentive?
John 8:47
***What does this verse mean to you in relation to being attentive?
John 10:25-30
***What does this passage mean to you in relation to being attentive?
Revelation 3:19-21
***How do you commune with and are attentive to Jesus Christ?
(Remember the sisters Mary and Martha?)

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 John 18:37
***Why is truth so important to be attentive to? (It is mentioned first in the what to think list in Philippians
4:8 and first in the list of the spiritual armor in Ephesians 6.)
Matthew 13:8-9
Look at Matthew 13:1-23 or Mark 4 for more about hearing.
***What does this passage mean to you in relation to being attentive?
Luke 11:28
***What two kinds of “Christians” does this indicate?
Matthew 7:24-27
***What two kinds of “Christians” does this indicate?
Acts 10:21-22 & 33
***Which beatitude in Matthew 5 does this relate to? How do you manifest that character trait with
attentiveness?
Acts 13:42-44
***How or/and why are we held more accountable by God in relating to the Bible and how does this relate
to being attentive?
James 1:19
***What does this verse mean to you in relation to being attentive?
Hebrews 2:1
***What does this verse mean to you in relation to being attentive?
Luke 21:34-36
***What does this passage say about the importance of being attentive?
Revelation 1:3
***What does this verse mean to you in relation to being attentive?
Revelation 2:7
***How are you able to be attentive to The Holy Spirit?
Revelation 2:11
Similar is found in Revelations 2:17 & 29, 3:6, 13, & 22.
***How can Christian churches be much more attentive to The Holy Spirit?
Revelation 22:16-19
***What does this passage mean to you in relation to being attentive?

11. Thankful: desire to be observant and appreciative.

1 Chronicles 16:34
***How do you do such? Why do you give thanks to God?
Psalm 105:1-5
***How can you praise God better and more frequently?
Philippians 4:4-7
***Why should you be able to rejoice in all situations? How does looking for things to be thankful for help an
individual not to be anxious and to pray in all situations? What does supplication mean?
Colossians 2:6-8
***What does this passage mean to you in relation to thankfulness?
Colossians 3:15-17
***Why and how should you be thankful?
Colossians 4:2
***What does this verse mean to you in relation to thankfulness?
1 Timothy 2:1-2
***How and why should these verses be lived by true Christians?
1 Thessalonians 5:15b-18
***What does this passage say about the wideness of thankfulness? How can you be more thankful?
Psalm 79:9 & 13
***What does this passage say about what should be the extent of thankfulness?
Hebrews 13:15-16
***How would you teach this in a Christian church with the desire to encourage better worship?
Psalm 97:10-12
***For what reasons do you give thanks to God? Why is there an emphasis of believers’ righteousness in
this passage?
Ephesians 5:3-4
***What does this passage mean to you in relation to thankfulness?

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12. Joyful: desire to be happy and enthusiastic.
1 Corinthians 13:6
***How are the words “rejoice” and “joyful” related?
Psalm 28:7
***Why should a Christian want to be more joyful?
Psalm 43:4-5
***How would you describe and show “exceeding joy”? What could cause such above normal joy?
Psalm 71:23
***Why do you become joyful?
Psalm 94:19
***How does God comfort you? Before answering, read 2 Corinthians 1:3-6.
Psalms 126:3 & 5
***What do these verses mean to you?
Hebrews 12:2
***What does this verse mean to you?
1 Peter 1:8
***What is “being filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy”?
Psalm 149:4-5
***What does being “joyful in glory” mean? Why would individuals want to sing upon their beds?
Romans 15:13-14
***What does this passage mean to you?
Psalm 28:7
***What does this verse mean to you?
Psalm 19:8
***What are God’s precepts?
Psalm 119:111
***What are God’s statutes?
Jeremiah 15:16
***What does this verse mean to you?
Psalms 68:3
***What do you think the differences between fun, happiness, and joy are?
Psalms 97:11
***What does “upright in heart” mean?
Proverbs 10:28
***What does the word “prospect” mean?
John 15:10-11
***What does this passage mean to you?
Romans 14:16-19
***What does this passage mean to you?
Hebrews 1:9
***How does this passage relate to the previous two passages?
Proverbs 12:20
***How can you promote peace?
Proverbs 21:15
***What does this verse mean to you?
Proverbs 15:30
***What is “a cheerful look”? How is such not superficial?
Luke 10:17
***Can you imagine that happening? What experiences of witnessing have brought joy to you?
John 16:20
***What does this verse mean to you?
Romans 12:12
***How have you been “joyful in hope”?
Galatians 5:22-23
***Why do you think “joy” was listed second?
1 Thessalonians 1:6-8
***What is the main difference between happiness and joy? What really attracts non-Christians?

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 1 James 1:2-4
***What does this passage mean to you?
3 John 3
***Have you experienced such? If so, how? If not, what do you hope for that would give you “great joy”?
Isaiah 29:18-20
***What does this passage mean to you?

13. Content: desire to be thankful and peaceful.

Matthew 6:19-34
***What does this passage teach about contentment? Why can you be more content and peaceful? Before
answering, read Philippians 4:6-7.
Philippians 4:11
***What does this verse mean to you? Why is contentment a good testimony to others?
1 Timothy 6:6-11
***What should you be content about?
Hebrews 13:4-6
***What does this passage mean to you?

14. Hopeful: desire to be thankful for God's control and promises.

Psalm 33:18-21
***What should we hope about?
Psalm 43:5
***What does this verse mean to you?
Psalms 71:14-15
***How can you hope continually?
Psalm 119:81-82, 114, 116-117, 147-148, & 166
***What should a Christian hope for?
Psalm 130:5
***What does this verse mean to you?
Psalm 147:11
***What does fearing God mean? What is God’s mercy to hope for?
Proverbs 10:27-28
***What do these verses mean to you?
Proverbs 23:17-18
***What do these verses mean to you?
Jeremiah 17:7-8
***What does it mean that your “hope is The Lord? What do you need to know and remember?
Lamentations 3:21-24
***What does this passage mean to you?
Romans 8:23-25
***What hope did Apostle Paul write about?
Romans 5:1-5
Galatians 5:5
***What does this verse mean to you?
Romans 15:4 & 13
***What does this verse mean to you?
Romans 12:10-13
***How does a true Christian rejoice in hope?
1 Thessalonians 5:8-10
***What does “everlasting consolation and good hope by grace” mean?
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
***What do these verses mean to you?
Titus 1:1-2
***What other religions promise eternal life? Why are they wrong?
Colossians 1:21-23
***What is “the hope of the Gospel”? In what ways can an individual move away from it?
Hebrews 3:6
***What does this verse mean to you?

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 Hebrews 10:23
***What does this verse mean to you?
1 Peter 1:13-15
***How would you teach this passage to an adult Bible study class? And how would you respond to an
individual who says that one is just saved by God’s grace and accepting the Gospel?
1 John 3:1-3
***What does this passage mean to you?
1 Peter 3:15-17
***How can you “sanctify The Lord God in your hearts”? How can you be ready to defend your faith and
hope in God?

15. Patient: desire to wait on God for changes.

Ecclesiastes 7:7-9
***In what ways can you be “patient in spirit”?
Luke 8:15
***How can you “bring forth fruit with patience”?
Romans 15:1-6
***What does this passage mean to you?
Colossians 1:9-11
***What does “to all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” mean?
James 1:2-4
***What does this passage mean to you?
2 Peter 1:2-8
***How can you add patience to temperance and add Godliness to patience?
Romans 2:5-11
***How can you be “patient in well doing” looking ahead for immortality and eternal life?
Romans 8:23-25
***How do we eagerly wait? What does the bolded last statement mean to you?
Hebrews 6:11-12
***What does this passage mean to you?
James 5:10-11
***How can you be a better example of patience? What was “the patience of Job”?
2 Timothy 3:10-12
***In what ways was the Apostle Paul patient?
Revelation 1:8-9
***Why did John say that he was “in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ”?
Hebrews 12:1-4
***How can we “run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the Author and
Finisher of our faith”?
Luke 21:16 & 19
***After betrayals or other upsets, how can you “in your patience possess your souls”?
Romans 12:10-15
***What does this passage mean to you?
2 Thessalonians 3:5
***What does this passage mean to you?
James 5:7-8
***How can you have the indicated patience?
Hebrews 10:35-36
***What is the indicated confidence and why does it help a true Christian to be patient?
1 Timothy 6:10-12
***How can you follow after patience while following the other important character traits?
1 Thessalonians 5:14-15
***How can you be patient towards all kinds of individuals? Which are the hardest to be patient with?
2 Timothy 2:24-25a
***What does this passage mean to you?
Titus 2:2
***How can an individual be sound in patience?
1 Timothy 3:2-3
***In what ways should a church leader be patient? What should he or she not be patient about?

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16. Decisive: desire to discern right and wrong according to God's Word.
Psalm 25:10-12
***What should be considered before an individual makes a choice? What does fearing God mean?
Proverbs 1:28-30
***In what ways do the mockers of God make wrong decisions? How did you do such before you were
born again?
Isaiah 7:14-15
***How would you teach these two verses?
Romans 12:2
***What does this verse mean to you?
Romans 13:12-14
***What decisions are indicated?
Galatians 5:22-23
***In what ways do “temperance” and “self-control” require decision making?
Colossians 3:8-17
***What does this passage mean to you for good decision making?
1 Peter 1:13-16
***What does this passage mean to you for good decision making?
1 Peter 3:8-17
***What does this passage mean to you for good decision making?

17. Enduring: desire to keep healthy and to be persevering.

Psalms 33:20-21
***How has God been your help and your shield? How do you trust in God’s character when you are
having to endure a challenging situation?
Psalm 43:4-5
***What do these verses mean to you?
Proverbs 3:7-8
***What can good health be attributed to? What kind of attitudes about yourself and about God should
you have?
Proverbs 4:20-23
***Relate to this passage as if it was God “speaking” to you, what are the indicated needs to help you
endure living now?
Proverbs 12:17-19
***How does this passage speak about endurance? Also consider Philippians 4:8 and Ephesians 6:14 and
how they indicate the importance of truth.
3 John 3
***How can you be faithful to God’s wonderful truths and continue to live according to them?
Revelation 14:12
***What does this verse mean to you?
Proverbs 16:24
***Why do you think this is a true fact?
Romans 5:1-5
***What does this passage mean to you? How should it help you to endure tougher times ahead?
Romans 12:9-13
***Why are the two groupings and the indentations logical?
What are the indicated needs for endurance?
1 Corinthians 1:5-8
***How would you teach the above passage to a class of adult Christians?
Galatians 5:22-23
***What does “longsuffering” mean? How does it relate to the other fruit of The Spirit?
Colossians 1:21-23
***What do “continue in the faith”, being “steadfast”, and “not moved away” mean to you?
1 Timothy 6:12
***What does this verse mean to you?
Hebrews 6:9-12
***What does that passage mean to you?

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 Ephesians 4:1-3
***How was the Apostle Paul “the prisoner of the Lord? What do the exhortations mean to you?
Hebrews 10:23-25
**What should happen in Christian churches which helps for enduring faith and righteousness?
Hebrews 10:35-39
***What does this passage mean to you?
Philippians 4:13
***What does this verse mean to you?
Hebrews 12:12-13
***What do these two verses mean to you in relation to endurance?
1 Peter 5:8-9
***What does spiritual warfare mean to you? In what specific ways can you be sober and vigilant in
resisting the spiritual enemy (remember that Satan is not all knowing and everywhere like God)?

18. Generous: desire to pray and give anything.

Deuteronomy 15:7-8
***What are requirements in being generous?
Deuteronomy 16:17
***What does this verse mean to you?
2 Corinthians 8:1-5
***What was so special about the churches of Macedonia?
2 Corinthians 9:6-11
See also Ephesians 2:10 & Psalm 112:9.
***How would you teach the previous passage to a class of adult Christians?

19. Kind: desire to be friendly and considerate.

Luke 6:35-36
***What surprised you about what this passage indicates about being kind?
Romans 12:10-13
***What surprised you about what this passage indicates about being kind?
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
***How do is agapè love kind? How do the other meanings of agapè love indicate kindness?
Ephesians 4:31-32
***What is not kindness and what do these verses indicate are required in order to be kind?

20. Compassionate: desire to be sensitive and loving.

Matthew 10:35-38
***What does this passage mean to you?
1 John 3:16-21
***What was the greatest compassionate action? So what does that mean to you?
What have been the most difficult compassionate actions that you have done?
Galatians 6:1-10
***In what ways can you show more compassion doing the indicated actions in the above passage?
doing the indicated actions in those two verses?
Ephesians 4:1-3
***In what ways can you do the last two commands in the above passage?
1 Peter 3:8-9 & 15
***What does this passage say that compassion involves?
Philippians 2:1-5
***What are the ways of compassion in this passage?
What is the mind of Christ and how was He a wonderful example of frequent compassion?
Proverbs 15:23 & 30
***In what ways can you show more compassion
Hebrews 10:23-25
**What should compassion should happen in Christian churches?
Jude 20-23
***What ways can you be a lot more compassionate? What does the warning in the last line mean?

Final Suggestions: Review each character trait “definition” desire. Then read 1 & 2 Peter and Jude.

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