Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Father, the all-wise and all-knowing Creator, please give me wisdom. I face decisions and I need your help. I have opportunities placed before me and I need your guidance. I have blind spots in my perception and need your truth. Help me know the way I am to go and the things I need to do to live victoriously and to fully honor you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Jesus was doing these things (healing) on the Sabbath day. So the Jews began to do bad things to Jesus. But Jesus said to the Jews, "My Father never stops working. And so I work too." This made these Jews try harder to kill him. {The Jews said}, "First this man (Jesus) was breaking the law about the Sabbath day. Then he said that God is his Father! He is making himself equal with God!" But Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth. The Son can do nothing alone. The Son does only what he sees his Father doing. The Son does the same things that the Father does. The Father loves the Son, and the Father shows the Son all the things he does. {This man was healed.} But the Father will show the Son greater things than this to do. Then you will all be amazed. The Father raises dead people and gives them life. In the same way, the Son gives life to the people he wants to. Also, the Father judges no one. But the Father has given the Son power to do all the judging. God did this so that all people will respect the Son the same as they respect the Father. If a person does not respect the Son, then that person does not respect the Father. The Father is the One who sent the Son. "I tell you the truth. If a person hears what I say and believes in the One (God) who sent me, that person has life forever. That person will not be judged guilty. He has already left death and has entered into life. I tell you the truth. An {important} time is coming. That time is already here. People that are dead {in sin} will hear the voice of the Son of God. And the people that {accept the things they} hear {from the Son} will have life {forever}. Life comes from the Father (God) himself. So the Father has also allowed the Son (Jesus) to give life. And the Father has given the Son the power to judge all people. Why? Because that Son is the Son of Man. Don't be surprised at this. A time is coming when all people that are dead and in their graves will hear his voice. Then they will come out of their graves.The people that did good in this life will rise and have life forever. But the people that did evil will rise to be judged guilty. "I can do nothing alone. I judge only the way I am told. So my judgment is right. Why? Because I don't try to please myself. But I want to please the One (God) who sent me.

Related Scripture Readings

Then Jesus said loudly, "The person that believes in me is really believing in the One (God) who sent me. The person that sees me is really seeing the One who sent me. I am light, and I came into this world. I came so that every person that believes in me would not stay in darkness. "I did not come into the world to judge people. I came to save the people in the world. So I am not the one that judges the people who hear my teaching but don't obey. There is a judge for the person that refuses to believe in me and does not accept what I say. The message I have taught will judge that person on the last day. Why? Because the things I taught were not from myself. The Father (God) who sent me told me what to say and what to teach. And I know that eternal life comes from what the Father commands. So the things I say are what the Father told me to say."

Jesus often went away to other places to be alone so that he could pray.

But if any of you needs wisdom, then you should ask God for it. God is generous. He enjoys giving to all people. So God will give you wisdom. But when you ask God, you must believe. Don't doubt God. The person who doubts is like a wave in the sea. The wind blows the wave up and down. The person who doubts is like that wave. The person who doubts is thinking two different things at the same time. He cannot decide about anything he does. A person like that should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord.