Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Father, I offer myself, my talents, my gifts, my treasure, my time, and my future to you. Please use me to your glory and the benefit of your Kingdom. Take my personality and my interests and use them effectively. Take my job and my hobbies and use them as tools to influence others. I want to be used by you in work that matters to others eternally. In Jesus name. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Later, Jesus showed himself again to his followers. This was by Lake Tiberias (Galilee). This is how it happened: Some of the followers were together. They were Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the two sons of Zebedee, and two other followers. Simon Peter said, "I am going out to fish." The other followers said, "We will go with you." So all the followers went out and got into the boat. They fished that night but caught nothing. Early the next morning Jesus stood on the shore. But the followers did not know it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to the followers, "Friends, have you caught any fish?" The followers answered, "No." Jesus said, "Throw your net into the water on the right side of your boat. You will find some fish there." So the followers did this. They caught so many fish that they could not pull the net back into the boat. The follower that Jesus loved said to Peter, "That man is the Lord (Jesus)!" Peter heard him say, "That man is the Lord." Peter put his coat around himself. (Peter had taken his clothes off {to work}.) Then he jumped into the water. The other followers went to shore in the boat. They pulled the net full of fish. They were not very far from shore, only about 100 yards. When the followers stepped out of the boat and onto the shore, they saw a fire of hot coals. There were fish on the fire and some bread there too. Then Jesus said, "Bring some of the fish that you caught." Simon Peter went into the boat and pulled the net to the shore. It was full of big fish. There were 153. The fish {were very heavy}, but the net did not tear. Jesus said to them, "Come and eat." None of the followers would ask him, "Who are you?" They knew he was the Lord. Jesus walked to the food. He took the bread and gave it to them. Jesus also got the fish and gave it to them. This was now the third time Jesus showed himself to his followers after he was raised from death.

Related Scripture Readings

Each of you received a spiritual gift {from God}. God has shown you his grace (kindness) in many different ways. And you are like servants who are responsible for using God's gifts. So be good servants and use your gifts to serve each other. The person who speaks should speak words from God. The person who serves should serve with the strength that God gives. You should do these things so that in everything God will be praised through Jesus Christ. Power and glory belong to him forever and ever. Amen.

There is one body and one Spirit. And God called you to have one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. There is one God and Father of everything. He rules everything. He is everywhere and in everything. Christ gave each one of us a special gift. Each person received what Christ wanted to give that person. And that same Christ gave gifts to people—he made some people to be apostles, some people to be prophets, some people to go and tell the Good News, and some people to have the work of caring for and teaching God's people. Christ gave those gifts to prepare God's holy people for the work of serving. He gave those gifts to make the body of Christ stronger. {This work must continue} until we are all joined together in the same faith and in the same knowledge about the Son of God. We must become like a mature (perfect) person—we must grow until we become like Christ and have all his perfection.

We all have different gifts. Each gift came because of the grace (kindness) that God gave us. If a person has the gift of prophecy, then that person should use that gift with the faith he has. If a person has the gift of serving, then that person should serve. If a person has the gift of teaching, then that person should teach. If a person has the gift of comforting other people, then that person should comfort. If a person has the gift of giving to help other people, then that person should give freely. If a person has the gift of being a leader, then that person should work hard when he leads. If a person has the gift of showing kindness to other people, then that person should be glad to do that.