Key Thought

Today's Prayer

O Father, may my search for truth never end with just admiration for the teachings your Son gave to us. Help me in my resolve to not only know the truth, but to also live it. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

One of the teachers of the law came to Jesus. He heard Jesus arguing with the Sadducees and the Pharisees. He saw that Jesus gave good answers to their questions. So he asked Jesus, "Which of the commands is most important?" Jesus answered, "The most important command is this: 'People of Israel, listen! The Lord our God is the only Lord. You must love the Lord your God. You must love him with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second most important command is this: 'You must love other people the same as you love yourself.' These two commands are the most important." The man answered, "That was a good answer, Teacher. You were right when you said these things. God is the only Lord, and there is no other God. And a person must love God with all his heart, all his mind, and all his strength. And a person must love other people the same as he loves himself. These commands are more important than all the animals and sacrifices we offer to God." Jesus saw that the man answered him wisely. So Jesus said to the man, "You are close to the kingdom of God." And after that time, no person was brave enough to ask Jesus any more questions.

Related Scripture Readings

Jesus asked, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" Then Jesus looked at those people sitting around him. He said, "These people are my mother and my brothers! My true brother and sister and mother are those people that do the things God wants."

"Every person that hears these things I say and obeys is like a wise man. The wise man built his house on rock. It rained hard and the water rose. The winds blew and hit that house. But the house did not fall, because the house was built on rock. But the person that hears the things I teach and does not obey those things is like a foolish man. The foolish man built his house on sand. It rained hard, the water rose, and the winds blew and hit that house. And the house fell with a loud noise."

Stay away from foolish and stupid arguments. You know that those arguments grow into bigger arguments. A servant of the Lord must not argue! He must be kind to every person. A servant of the Lord must be a good teacher. He must be patient. The Lord's servant must gently teach those people that don't agree with him. Maybe God will let those people change their hearts so that they can accept the truth. The devil has trapped those people and makes them do what he wants. But maybe they can wake up {and see that the devil is using them} and free themselves from the devil's trap.