Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Thank you, dear Heavenly Father, for changing everything by sending Jesus. I know that there are times of sorrow and of hardship in this world. Yet, dear Father, I also know they are not permanent. By sending Jesus, you showed me your heart's desire for me. So, dear Father, help me live with the joy and the courage that faith inspires until the day my faith becomes sight. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

After this Jesus went out and saw a tax collector sitting at his place for collecting taxes. His name was Levi. Jesus said to him, "Follow me!" Levi got up, left everything, and followed Jesus. Then Levi gave a big dinner for Jesus. The dinner was at Levi's house. At the table there were many tax collectors and some other people too. But the Pharisees and those men that taught the law for the Pharisees began to complain to the followers of Jesus, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and other bad people?" Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor. It is the sick people that need a doctor. I have not come to ask good people to change. I have come to ask bad people to change their hearts and lives!" They said to Jesus, "John's followers often fast and pray, the same as the followers of the Pharisees. But your followers eat and drink all the time." Jesus said to them, {"When there is a wedding}, you cannot make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is still with them. But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. Then his friends will fast." Jesus told them this story: "No person takes cloth off a new coat to cover a hole on an old coat. Why? Because he ruins the new coat, and the cloth from the new coat will not be the same as the old cloth. People never pour new wine into old wine bags. Why? Because the new wine will break the bags, and the wine will spill out and the wine bags will be ruined. People always put new wine into new wine bags. No person that drinks old wine wants new wine. Why? Because he says, 'The old wine is fine.'"

Related Scripture Readings

I have seen with my own eyes how you will save your people. Now all people can see your plan.

The next day Jesus went to a town called Nain. Jesus' followers and a large group of people were traveling with him. When Jesus came near the town gates, he saw a funeral. A mother, who was a widow, had lost her only son. Many people from the town were there with the mother while her son was being carried out. When the Lord (Jesus) saw her, he felt very sorry for her. Jesus said to her, "Don't cry." Jesus walked to the coffin and touched it. The men that were carrying the coffin stopped. Jesus said to the dead son, "Young man, I tell you, get up!" Then the son sat up and began to talk. Jesus gave him to his mother. All the people were filled with fear. They began praising God and said, "A great prophet has come to us!" And they said, "God is taking care of his people." This news about Jesus spread into all Judea and into all the places around there.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared. Now there was no sea. And I saw the holy city coming down out of heaven from God. This holy city is the new Jerusalem. It was prepared like a bride dressed for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne. The voice said, "Now God's home is with people. He will live with them. They will be his people. God himself will be with them and will be their God. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain. All the old ways are gone." The One that was sitting on the throne said, "Look! I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this, because these words are true and can be trusted."