Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Glorious Father, please give me courage to stand up for Jesus as much in the marketplace as I do when I am around other believers. Help my witness to be genuinely consistent as well as sensitive to those around me. Forgive me when I have worried more about what others think about me than I have about honoring Jesus as my Lord. In the name of your Son and my Savior I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

"If I tell people about myself, then people cannot accept those things I say about myself. But there is another person that tells people about me. And I know that the things he says about me are true. "You have sent men to John. And he has told you about the truth. I don't need a man to tell people about me. But I tell you these things so that you can be saved. John was like a lamp that burned and gave light. And you were happy to enjoy his light for a while. "But I have a proof about myself that is greater than John. The things I do are my proof. These are the things my Father gave me to do. These things show that the Father sent me. And the Father that sent me has given proof about me himself. But you have never heard his voice. You have never seen what he looks like. The Father's teaching does not live in you. Why? Because you don't believe in the One the Father sent. You carefully study the Scriptures. You think that those Scriptures give you life forever. Those same Scriptures tell about me! But you refuse to come to me to have that life {you want}. "I don't want praise from you or any other human. But I know you—I know that you don't have God's love in you. I have come from my Father—I speak for him. But you don't accept me. But when another person comes speaking only for himself, you will accept him. You like to have praise from each other. But you never try to get the praise that comes from the only God. So how can you believe? Don't think that I will stand before the Father and say that you are wrong. Moses is the person that says that you are wrong. And Moses is the one that you hoped would save you. If you really believed Moses, you would believe me. Why? Because Moses wrote about me. But you don't believe what Moses wrote. So you cannot believe the things I say."

Related Scripture Readings

Jesus did all these many miracles. The people saw these things, but they still did not believe in him. This was to make clear the full meaning of what Isaiah the prophet said: "Lord, who believed the things we told them? Who has seen the Lord's power?" This is why the people could not believe. Because Isaiah also said, "God made the people blind. God closed their minds. God did this so that they will not see with their eyes and understand with their minds. God did this so that they would not turn and be healed." Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory. So Isaiah spoke about him. But many people believed in Jesus. Even many of the Jewish leaders believed in Jesus. But they were afraid of the Pharisees. So they did not say openly that they believed. They were afraid that they would be put out of the synagogue. These men loved praise from people more than praise from God.

Don't be fooled: "Bad friends will ruin good habits."

So brothers and sisters, I beg you to do something. God has shown us great mercy. So offer your lives as a living sacrifice to God. Your offering must be only for God and will be pleasing to him. This offering of yourselves is the spiritual way for you to worship (serve) God. Don't change yourselves to be like the people of this world. But let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what things are good and pleasing to God and what things are perfect.