Carnal thinking discounts any spiritual dimension. Carnal thinking is focused on earthly realities, rather than heavenly ones. A person that thinks carnally makes decisions as though life on earth is the only reality, and disregards the reality of death that moves us from life on earth to everlasting life with God. Carnal people function as though they were going to live on the earth forever.

God chose Joseph to be the earthly father of Jesus because of Joseph’s faith, but also because of Joseph’s wisdom. Secular definitions of intelligence include the skills of logical reasoning, problem solving, critical thinking, and adaptation. Joseph heard the word of God, and obeyed. This is an example of both wisdom and intelligence.

Joseph had faith in God. Not intellectual faith or theoretical faith, but actual faith. When God spoke to Joseph, even through an angel and even in a dream, Joseph had faith in that which God said.

Friendship with God requires us to use that which we have fruitfully to do good works, to increase in the knowledge and the strength of God that comes from exercising the power of God, which will lead us into developing the attributes of patience, longsuffering and ultimately joy.

We are all God’s children, and regardless of the sin that we have committed, the Father is still looking for us to come home and receive His grace, if we will only repent of our sins and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The purpose of life and the key to happiness is the development of maturity, not the acquisition of possessions.

Regardless of how good any of us may think that we are, none of us are sinless, and so none of us are worthy of heaven.

We need to avoid becoming like the men of Sodom, who exalted their personal desires above the law of God, although they knew that that which they were doing was wrong.