Don’t Be a Show-Off!
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, I have a question: Why are you doing spiritual things? Are you trying to impress someone and prove you are religious? Are you trying to honor the Father? For whom are you doing all your “spiritual stuff”? Yes, I know that the last question is a bit abrupt. However, I want you to think through the question carefully. The Sermon on the Mount is challenging to understand. (You can find this teaching in Matthew chapters 5-7 in your Bible.) My teaching in the Sermon on the Mount is even more challenging to put it into practice. I know because this teaching reflects the life I chose to live as I sought to honor the Father! So my teaching today will ask you to examine why you do what you do for God and for others. What’s your motivation for doing good things? Here’s the important point to notice. When you do good things for others to notice them, then you’ve already received your reward. When you do them to honor the Father, He sees even the secret things done to honor Him and will never forget those things. On top of that, your heart will begin to resonate with the Father’s will and the Spirit will help conform your life to be like Mine. We’ve all had enough of religious show-offs who talk about all the great things they have done for God. Just remember, the Father keeps track of the things that you do to honor Him but that most folks never know about. I guess the question is really pretty simple: Do you want the applause of heaven or are you satisfied with a fleeting pat on the back at church? Verses to Live Faith without good deeds, spiritual service, and worship is simply talk. Also, doing religious things to be noticed by others so they will think you are special and holy is actually unholy. Please hear what I say in these words from My Sermon on the Mount! Jesus: But when you do these righteous acts, do not do them in front of spectators. Don’t do them where you can be seen, let alone lauded, by others. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to the poor, do not boast about it, announcing your donations with blaring trumpets as the play actors do. Do not brazenly give your charity in the synagogues and on the streets; indeed, do not give at all if you are giving because you want to be praised by your neighbors. Those people who give in order to reap praise have already received their reward. When you give to the needy, do it in secret — even your left hand should not know what your right hand is doing. Then your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you. Likewise, when you pray, do not be as hypocrites who love to pray loudly at synagogue or on street corners — their concern is to be seen by men. They have already earned their reward. When you pray, go into a private room, close the door, and pray unseen to your Father Who is unseen. Then your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not go on and on, excessively and strangely like the outsiders; they think their verbosity will let them be heard by their deities. Do not be like them. Your prayers need not be labored or lengthy or grandiose — for your Father knows what you need before you ever ask Him. Your prayers, rather, should be simple, like this: Our Father in heaven, let Your name remain holy. Bring about Your kingdom. Manifest Your will here on earth, as it is manifest in heaven. Give us each day that day’s bread — no more, no less — and forgive us our debts as we forgive those who owe us something. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. But let Your kingdom be, and let it be powerful and glorious forever. Amen. If you forgive people when they sin against you, then your Father will forgive you when you sin against Him and when you sin against your neighbor. But if you do not forgive your neighbors’ sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. And when you fast, do not look miserable as the actors and hypocrites do when they are fasting — they walk around town putting on airs about their suffering and weakness, complaining about how hungry they are. So everyone will know they are fasting, they don’t wash or anoint themselves with oil, pink their cheeks, or wear comfortable shoes. Those who show off their piety, they have already received their reward. When you fast, wash your face and beautify yourself with oil, so no one who looks at you will know about your discipline. Only your Father, Who is unseen, will see your fast. And your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-18) Response in Prayer Abba Father, the Lord God Almighty, please accept the things I do to Your glory. Help me guard my heart against doing them for the applause of others on earth. If You are pleased with what I do for others in Your name, give me satisfaction in knowing that You have seen those things. I want Your Name to be glorified and Your Kingdom to come in my life and through my efforts to Your glory! Through Jesus and with the intercession of the Holy Spirit, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2026, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Going Deeper than the Old Commands
Note from Jesus Dear Precious One, Today’s message is very important because many in your religious world turn grace into an excuse to do whatever they want rather than seeing it as a joyous reason to live for the Father. In My days on earth, some accused Me of being easy on sin and negligent on ritualistic obedience to the traditions. So it is important that you not only receive the teaching that you will read below but that you also pay close attention to the emphasis. The words I say are hard words to obey. However, I want you to obey them — to put them into practice, to make them real in your daily life. I’m not giving you a few more rules to obey so that you can feel superior to others who are not as good at being religious. What I want is for your heart to yearn for God’s righteous character as well as His gracious compassion. There are two things I want you to realize as you read and take My words below to heart. First, I speak with authority. My authority doesn’t depend on human sources because I speak with divine authority. Moses and the prophets spoke for God, but I fulfilled the law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17). My words are more important than those from Moses and the prophets because I AM the Son of God (Hebrews 1:1-2)! My words matter eternally. My words must also matter to you and how you choose to live. Second, I want your heart. I want you to move beyond surface obedience to My teaching. Keep asking this simple question: “Lord Jesus, what is the Father’s intent for my heart and my behavior in this truth?” The Father and I have given you the Holy Spirit to help you hear My answer each day (John 14:23-27; Titus 3:3-7). If you do this, you will be a true child of your Father — the Father of all grace and mercy for all those who seek to honor Him! Verses to Live I came to help you see through the vain rule-keeping approach to religion. I want you to look deep into the heart and the will of the Father. So you will notice that I stated what the existing teachings were in My day (the underlined portions below) and that I then intensified the meanings of those truths to point you to the heart of the Father (the portions in bold text). Jesus: Do not think that I have come to overturn or do away with the law or the words of our prophets. To the contrary: I have not come to overturn them but to fulfill them. This, beloved, is the truth: until heaven and earth disappear, not one letter, not one pen stroke, will disappear from the sacred law — for everything, everything in the sacred law will be fulfilled and accomplished. Anyone who breaks even the smallest, most obscure commandment — not to mention teaches others to do the same — will be called small and obscure in the kingdom of heaven. Those who practice the law and teach others how to live the law will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you this: you will not enter the kingdom of heaven unless your righteousness goes deeper than the Pharisees’, even more righteous than the most learned learner of the law. As you know, long ago God instructed Moses to tell His people, “Do not murder; those who murder will be judged and punished.” But here is the even harder truth: anyone who is angry with his brother will be judged for his anger. Anyone who taunts his friend, speaks contemptuously toward him, or calls him “Loser” or “Fool” or “Scum,” will have to answer to the high court. And anyone who calls his brother a fool may find himself in the fires of hell. Therefore, if you are bringing an offering to God and you remember that your brother is angry at you or holds a grudge against you, then leave your gift before the altar, go to your brother, repent and forgive one another, be reconciled, and then return to the altar to offer your gift to God. If someone sues you, settle things with him quickly. Talk to him as you are walking to court; otherwise, he may turn matters over to the judge, and the judge may turn you over to an officer, and you may land in jail. I tell you this: you will not emerge from prison until you have paid your last penny. As you know, long ago God forbade His people to commit adultery. You may think you have abided by this Commandment, walked the straight and narrow, but I tell you this: any man who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery in his heart. If your right eye leads you into sin, gouge it out and throw it in the garbage — for better you lose one part of your body than march your entire body through the gates of sin and into hell. And if your right hand leads you into sin, cut it off and throw it away — for better you lose one part of your body than march your entire body through the gates of sin and into hell. And here is something else: you have read in Deuteronomy that anyone who divorces his wife must do so fairly — he must give her the requisite certificate of divorce and send her on her way, free and unfettered. But I tell you this: unless your wife cheats on you, you must not divorce her, period. Nor are you to marry someone who has been married and divorces, for a divorced person who remarries commits adultery. You know that God expects us to abide by the oaths we swear and the promises we make. But I tell you this: do not
Today’s Verse – Philippians 2:14-16
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. —Philippians 2:14-16 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Stars! They’ve always been a source of constant hope for God’s people. “I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven…” God told Abraham (Genesis 22:17). “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them…” David asked (Psalm 8:3-4). The Wisemen, Magi from the East, followed a star to discover baby Jesus (Matthew 2:1-2). Luke reminds us that Jesus was the light coming from heaven to shine on those in darkness (Luke 2:32). And now, we’re stars – God’s points of light in the dark sky of the universe. Let’s make today a day that our light shines God’s glory to a dark world around us. We will live for Jesus without complaining or arguing, living pure lives so we can shine God’s grace to those who do not know him through Jesus! Let’s hold out the word of life in our dark world. My Prayer… Almighty God, the incredible expanse of your universe, with its billions of stars, exceeds my limited comprehension. But I thank you for calling me to be a person of light in the dark world around me. I pledge to shine your light in the lives of all those I influence. Through the name of Jesus, your bright and morning star (Revelation 22:16), I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Let the Light Shine!
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, While I was in the world, I was the “Light of the world” (John 9:5). I AM still the Light of the world (John 1:4-5; John 8:12), but now I am sending you to be My representative. You are to share the light you have received from Me and shine that light to all the world so everyone can see your good deeds and know that they come from your love for and loyalty to the Father. You have probably known the message of the verses below for many years. So I want to challenge you to do more than just remember the words: I want you to demonstrate you believe them by putting them into practice in the places and with the people your life touches. The world is a dark place. Despite the shallow smiles you see around you, most people you meet each day need a touch of light — kindness and grace that you can give them in the Father’s name. Verses to Live When you turn on the light each morning, let it be a reminder that others need the grace of God’s light in their lives. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart to see the opportunities to bless others. Show the grace of the Father, live the values of Our kingdom, and help others find their way home to the Father through the light you shine on their paths. Let the light shine! Jesus: You, beloved, are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes bland and loses its saltiness, can anything make it salty again? No. It is useless. It is tossed out, thrown away, or trampled. And you, beloved, are the light of the world. A city built on a hilltop cannot be hidden. Similarly it would be silly to light a lamp and then hide it under a bowl. When someone lights a lamp, she puts it on a table or a desk or a chair, and the light illumines the entire house. You are like that illuminating light. Let your light shine everywhere you go, that you may illumine creation, so men and women everywhere may see your good actions, may see creation at its fullest, may see your devotion to Me, and may turn and praise your Father in heaven because of it. (Matthew 5:13-16) Response in Prayer O Father, I promise to be open to the leading and nudging of the Holy Spirit as I shine your light to bless others. Give me graceful wisdom to know those who need Your light. Father, I do this, not for my glory or reputation or acceptance, but so that others can find their way to You. So please, use my light to Your glory! In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2026, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Verse – Galatians 5:16
Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. —Galatians 5:16 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… I don’t want you to think about an orange rhinoceros flying with blue wings. Now quit it. I don’t want you to think about that orange rhinoceros anymore. You know there is no such thing as an orange rhino that flies, much less one that flies on blue wings. Quit thinking about him and his blue wings! Of course, the point is straightforward: the more we try not to do something, the more we focus on it, the more we ensure that we will do what we are not supposed to do. That’s why the gift of the Holy Spirit is so important to us as we seek to honor and obey our LORD and Savior Jesus and avoid sin. He enables and empowers us to move beyond our sin and to quit thinking about it. The Spirit empowers us, not by focusing on the sin we want to avoid, but by enriching us and “distracting” us with the important things of God (Galatians 5:22). As we focus more on Jesus, the more the Spirit transforms us away from our sin that we want to avoid and thinking about, and transforming us toward the character of Jesus: Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces reflect and contemplate* the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). * The Greek word (ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ) means both “reflect” and “contemplate” as most translations suggest in their footnotes. Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Abba Father, I thank you for your Holy Spirit that lives in me and is now interceding with you for me (Romans 8:26). Please fill me with your Spirit so that my life more nearly reflects your will and focuses on your concerns as the Spirit transforms me to become more and more like my LORD and Savior. Through Jesus, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
My Counterintuitive Kingdom
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, Many mortals chase after so many things thinking that a fulfilling life will be found in those things… those pursuits… those possessions… that power… that position… that reputation. However, a fulfilling, meaningful life for you as My disciple is found in living for the kingdom of God. To live for this kingdom means that you take the righteous character and gracious compassion of My Father — the values that will be present when the kingdom is fully realized at My return — and put them into practice right now! What you will hear Me teach below is counterintuitive both to you and to those who want to tell you how to be successful. Very few of your “how to be successful” promoters tell you: to be “spiritually poor.” to “mourn.” to be “meek and gentle.” to “hunger and thirst for righteousness.” to be “merciful.” to be “pure in heart.” to be “a peacemaker.” to allow yourself to be “persecuted because of righteousness.” But I tell you that you are “blessed” if these characteristics are true of you! In fact, there will be those who take advantage of you for these things; yet I remind you, you are “blessed” if you have these characteristics and do these things! Notice that while the crowd is gathered around Me, these words and the words of the remainder of the Sermon on the Mount that follows are for My disciples. The crowd does not understand them. When you are persecuted, ridiculed, called weak, and considered out of touch for living these things, remember that these are the same things that My opponents did to Me for living this way. But also remember how My life was victorious (Philippians 2:5-11). My Father will see that your life will matter, that you will be “blessed,” and that you share in My victory! There is a time in every person’s life when he or she will need to have the blessings of heaven, to be comforted, to have security while on earth, to be shown mercy, to know the Father’s intimate presence, and to know that her or his eternal destiny is secure. However, all of these things will be lost to some people. They will have forfeited them by chasing after other things. However, you, dearly beloved who live for the Father’s will, will have them all. They will be yours because you live the values of the King. Verses to Live Remember when I told Peter to fish in a different place, even though he just knew he would not catch fish? But he did it anyway because I asked him to do so. Do you remember what happened? He caught so many fish he couldn’t haul them in by himself (Luke 5:1-7). So when I call you to live the kingdom lifestyle that is counterintuitive to the world — to live the character and compassion of the Father — then please know I want to bring you more grace than you can ever imagine. I want to bless you with what lasts! Now when He [Jesus] saw the crowds, He went up on a mountain (as Moses had done before Him) and He sat down (as Jewish teachers of His day usually did). His disciples gathered around Him. And He began to teach them. Jesus: Blessed are the spiritually poor — the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Blessed are those who mourn — they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek and gentle — they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness — they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful — they will be shown mercy. Blessed are those who are pure in heart — they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers — they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness — the kingdom of heaven is theirs. And blessed are you, blessed are all of you, when people persecute you or denigrate you or despise you or tell lies about you on My account. But when this happens, rejoice. Be glad. Remember that God’s prophets have been persecuted in the past. And know that in heaven, you have a great reward. (Matthew 5:1-12) Response in Prayer Father in heaven, as Your child, I confess that I see the world telling me to live in a very different way from what I find Jesus teaching in these Beatitudes and the rest of the Sermon on the Mount. I need the help of the Holy Spirit to apply these truths to my life and live them out in ways that reflect Your character and compassion. I ask for this grace in Jesus’ name. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2026, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Beyond the Sacred Page
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, The Bible is a precious treasure. Don’t neglect it. Use it and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you through it. Remember! It is a tool that the Spirit uses to shape your life and to point you to Me. Even the best of religious people can get so caught up in trying to prove themselves right by the Bible that they lose sight of the goal and the gift. The goal of the Scriptures is to find Me! That’s why My beloved disciple John identified Me as God’s Message, the Word, that became flesh (John 1:1-18). That’s also why the apostle Paul could say that faith in Me was necessary to unlock the salvation promised in the Bible (2 Timothy 3:15), that I am the “yes” to God’s promises and the One through Whom every “Amen” can be spoken (2 Corinthians 1:18-20). I am the goal of the Holy Spirit’s transforming work in you (2 Corinthians 3:18) and the goal that the apostles were trying to reach in their work with you (Galatians 4:19; Colossians 1:28-29). I am the Father’s ultimate, greatest, and clearest Word (Hebrews 1:1-3). The gift you receive when you understand that the Bible points to Me and when you follow Me is life! I came to give you full, abundant, and purposeful life (John 10:10). I want you to experience true life, which is life in Me (John 14:1-6; John 17:1-3). I want you to have life through faith in Me (John 20:30-31; 1 John 5:13). So let the Bible bring you to Me and find the life I long to share with you! Appreciate the Bible, use the Scriptures, and learn the message of the word of God. But, don’t worship the Bible. Worship God — Father, Son, and Spirit. Seek Me! Love God with all you are. Don’t substitute the Bible for the Holy Spirit. Seek the Father to Whom the Scriptures point and from Whom the Scriptures come. Sadly, many of the religious people in My days on earth were so caught up in looking at tiny little arguments over the Scriptures, so caught up in trying to prove themselves and their traditions to be right, that they missed Me — the very One to Whom the Scriptures point. I am so glad you are taking this year to journey with Me through the New Testament. So I want to encourage you to continue this spiritual exercise to help you along your journey this year, and every time you open the Bible going forward. As you study the Bible, pray this simple prayer: Father, thank You for Your Scriptures. Open my heart to hear Your truth. Holy Spirit, please open my eyes to the message Jesus wants me to put to work in my life. Jesus, conform me to Your will and help me find true life in You. Amen. Verses to Live There are a couple of big points made in this passage, but notice especially the message with bold emphasis. This point is the one I want you to see… to be your focus… and to help you find life in Me! Jesus: The Father does not exert His power to judge anyone. Instead, He has given the authority as Judge to the Son. So all of creation will honor and worship the Son as they do the Father. If you do not honor the Son, then you dishonor the Father Who sent Him. I tell you the truth: eternal life belongs to those who hear My voice and believe in the One Who sent Me. These people have no reason to fear judgment because they have already left death and entered life. I tell you the truth: a new day is imminent — in fact, it has arrived — when the voice of the Son of God will penetrate death’s domain, and everyone who hears will live. You see, the Father radiates with life, and He also animates the Son of God with the same life-giving beauty and power to exercise judgment over all of creation. Indeed, the Son of God is also the Son of Man. If this sounds amazing to you, what is even more amazing is that when the time comes, those buried long ago will hear His voice through all the rocks, sod, and soil and step out of decay into resurrection. When this hour arrives, those who did good will be resurrected to life, and those who did evil will be resurrected to judgment. I have not ever acted, and will not in the future act, on My own. I listen to the directions of the One Who sent Me and act on these divine instructions. For this reason, My judgment is always fair and never self-serving. I’m committed to pursuing God’s agenda and not My own. If I stand as the lone witness to My true identity, then I can be dismissed as a liar. But if you listen, you will hear another testify about Me, and I know what He says about Me is genuine and true. You sent messengers to John, and he told the truth to everyone who would listen. Still his message about Me originated in heaven, not in mortal man. I am telling you these things for one reason — so that you might be rescued. The voice of John the Baptist, the wandering prophet, is like a light in the darkness, and for a time, you took great joy and pleasure in the light he offered. There’s another witness standing in My corner Who is greater than John or any other man. The mission that brings Me here, and the things I am called to do, demonstrate the authenticity of My calling which comes directly from the Father. In the act of sending Me, the Father has endorsed Me. None of you really knows the Father. You have never heard His voice or seen His profile. His word does not
Today’s Verse – 1 John 4:20-21
If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” —1 John 4:20-21 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Love! The word can mean almost anything in a world where it is overused and under-practiced. Many in the Christian community have tried to define it by a dictionary or lexicon, not realizing that the key word for love, agape, is defined by action. Before Christians got a hold of agape, it meant basically the same thing our word “love” is used today: just about anything! But if you read 1 John, you see love defined by God through what he does. God demonstrates his love. He asks us to do the same for our brothers and sisters. Love must be more than talk; love must be genuinely demonstrated in loving, selfless actions! For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son… (John 3:16). This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us (1 John 3:16). This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:10). My Prayer… Precious Father, you have so graciously shared your love with me. I must confess, in my heart, I intend to love others as you do, but my intentions often get washed away with busyness, selfishness, or timidity. Father, through your Spirit, I ask that you prompt me to demonstrate my love to others in actions, not just words. Through Jesus, your most significant demonstration of love, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
True Healing
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, To be My disciple means that you are committed to following in My footsteps. You come to Me, recognizing your need for healing grace — not just to cure some physical malady or even just to find salvation, but also to heal what is broken inside your life and your heart. When you recognize that I have called you to follow Me, that I have accepted you, and that I have brought you into My family, then you will offer My healing grace to others. Today in My life story from Luke’s gospel, Levi, also known as Matthew, leaves his life as a tax collector. In the times when I physically walked the earth, tax collectors were a notorious lot who used their position and power to extort money from others in the name of Rome and to line their own pockets. They were hated and despised. Most lived up to their reputation — living it up with those who were openly sinning. When Levi followed Me, he didn’t abandon his friends even though he left his old lifestyle. Instead, Levi did what he knew best: he threw a party for his friends at his house. There, he introduced his friends to Me. As you might expect, my religious critics launched their criticisms at My disciples and Me for being at Levi’s party. Before their whispers turned to full public criticism, I reminded them what Levi knew: I came to heal sinners. I came to mend broken lives. I came to restore people to fellowship with God and with each other. So when people find My healing grace, it becomes their lifestyle to share that healing grace with others — not to think of themselves as spiritually superior and certainly not to isolate My healing grace away from those who desperately need it. Verses to Live As you read this story about Levi, rejoice in the grace I have given you (Ephesians 2:1-9). Realize that grace not only saved you from sin and destruction but that it also saved you to be a blessing to others: you were carefully made by the Father for this purpose (Ephesians 2:10). I hope this will stir your heart to follow Levi’s example and think of others who need to be invited to come and know Me! Some time later [after forgiving and healing the paralyzed man who was lowered through the roof], Jesus walked along the street and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting in his tax office. Jesus: Follow Me. And Levi did. He got up from his desk, left everything (just as the fishermen had), and followed Jesus. Shortly after this, Levi invited his many friends and associates, including many tax collectors, to his home for a large feast in Jesus’ honor. Everyone sat at a table together. The Pharisees and their associates, the religious scholars, got the attention of some of Jesus’ disciples. Pharisees (in low voices): What’s wrong with you? Why are you eating and drinking with tax collectors and other immoral people? Jesus (answering for the disciples): Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. I haven’t come for the pure and upstanding; I’ve come to call notorious sinners to rethink their lives and turn to God. (Luke 5:27-32) Response in Prayer Abba Father, thank You for the grace that forgave my sins and adopted me into Your family. Today, dear Father, I want to pray for several people who need Your healing grace in their lives. So, Father, please bless the following people as I pray for them by name… Also, use me to be a magnet to attract people who need Your grace and please use me to be a bridge for them to You and Your family of grace. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2026, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Verse – 2 Corinthians 5:19-20
God has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. —2 Corinthians 5:19-20 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jesus has paid the price. God provided the ransom. The LORD’s holy judgment was averted, not because of anything we did to appease him, but by the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins. If God has gone to such great lengths to reconcile us to himself and adopt us into his family, how can we refuse? We must not! Father God, we offer you our hearts, and we pledge to share the message of reconciliation as ambassadors on Christ’s behalf! We will share your message of Jesus and invite, urge, and implore those around us to receive Jesus as their LORD and Savior to be reconciled to you through your Son! My Prayer… O Gracious God, we know our sins have broken your heart and offended your holiness. Words, therefore, cannot communicate our thankfulness fully to you for the way you provided us a way for us to be reconciled to you. You were hurt by our sins, yet provided a sacrifice to redeem us from your judgment and reconcile us to you through Jesus. We praise you for your grace, thank you for your love, and promise to share your mercy and reconciliation with all who will listen. Through Jesus, our atoning sacrifice, we pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.