Key Thought

What are you in it for? Why would you want to teach God's word to another? Why would you want to share your faith with a friend? Why would you want to speak out for Christian values? Jesus makes it very simple and clear: the motive of God's messenger is to honor the Father. So let's ask ourselves if what we say, teach, explain, expound, or suggest brings honor to God, or to ourselves!

Today's Prayer

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Father, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of heart and the motives for my speech be pleasing to you and bring you glory. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

So Jesus' brothers left to go to the festival. After they left, Jesus went too. But Jesus did not let people see him. At the festival the Jewish leaders were looking for Jesus. The Jews said, "Where is that man?" There was a large group of people there. Many of these people were talking secretly to each other about Jesus. Some people said, "He is a good man." But other people said, "No, he fools the people." But none of the people were brave enough to talk about Jesus openly. The people were afraid of the Jewish leaders. The festival was about half finished. Then Jesus went to the temple area and began to teach. The Jews were amazed. They said, "This man has never studied in school. How did he learn so much?" Jesus answered, "The things I teach are not my own. My teaching comes from him (God) who sent me. If a person wants to do what God wants, then that person will know that my teaching comes from God. That person will know that this teaching is not my own. Any person that teaches his own ideas is trying to get honor for himself. But a person that tries to bring honor to the one that sent him--that person speaks the truth. There is nothing false in him. Moses gave you the law. Right? But none of you obey that law. Why are you trying to kill me?" The people answered, "A demon is making you crazy! We are not trying to kill you." Jesus said to them, "I did one miracle {on a Sabbath day } and you were all surprised. But you obey the law Moses gave you the law about circumcision --and sometimes you do it on a Sabbath day. (Really, Moses is not the one that gave you circumcision. Circumcision came from our people {that lived before Moses}.) Yes, you often circumcise babies on a Sabbath day. This shows that a person can be circumcised on a Sabbath day to obey the law of Moses. So why are you angry at me for healing a person's whole body on the Sabbath day? Stop judging by the way things look. Be fair and judge by what is really right."

— John 7:10-24 (ERV)

Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.