Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Father, thank you for strengthening me and helping me to withstand the onslaught of temptation. Father, I never want to be a stumbling block to someone else. Guide my steps, please dear LORD, so that I will not stumble or fall. Guide my influence, dear Father, so that it is used only for good and never for harm. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Jesus said to his followers, "Things will surely happen that will make people sin. But it will be very bad for the person that makes this happen. It will be very bad for a person if he makes one of these weak persons sin. It would be better for him to have a millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the sea. So be careful! "If your brother sins, tell him he is wrong. If he is sorry {and stops sinning}, forgive him. If your brother does something wrong to you seven times in one day, but he says that he is sorry each time, then you should forgive him." The apostles said to the Lord (Jesus), "Give us more faith!" The Lord said, "If your faith is as big as a mustard seed, then you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Dig yourself up and plant yourself in the ocean!' And the tree will obey you. "Suppose one of you has a servant that has been working in the field. The servant has been plowing the ground or caring for the sheep. When he comes in from work, what would you say to him? Would you say, 'Come in and sit down to eat'? No! You would say to your servant, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Then get dressed and serve me. When I finish eating and drinking, then you can eat.' The servant should not get any special thanks for doing his job. He is only doing what his master told him to do. It is the same with you. When you do all the things you are told to do, you should say, 'We are not worthy of any special thanks. We have only done the work we should do.'"

Related Scripture Readings

When a person is being tempted, he should not say, "God is tempting me." Evil cannot tempt God. And God himself does not tempt any person. It is the evil things a person wants that tempt that person. His own evil desire leads him away and holds him. This desire causes sin. Then the sin grows and brings death.

So we should stop judging each other. We must decide not to do anything that will make a brother or sister weak or fall into sin.

But food will not make us closer to God. Refusing to eat does not make us less {pleasing to God}. And eating does not make us better. But be careful with your freedom. Your freedom to eat anything may make those people who have doubts about what they can eat fall into sin.